Virginia Library Association Council Meeting

September 7, 2001

Northside Branch, Jefferson-Madison Regional Library

The September meeting of the VLA Council was called to order by President Cy Dillon at 10:05 AM. Present were Iza Cieszynski, Ruth Arnold, Janis Augustine, Carolyn Barkley, Linda Hahne, Mary Mayer-Hennelly, Ellen Wertman, Harriett Edmunds, Jeff Clark, Sam Clay, Steve Preston, Susan Paddock, Susan Brown, Nancy Schafer, Barbie Selby, Andrew Morton, Caryl Gray, Mary Clark, Marianne Ramsden, Steve Matthews, Karen Dillon, Anne T. Davis, Sharon McCaslin, Jan Rowley, Sherry Pearson, Helen Sherman, Steve Helm, and Earlene Viano.

The minutes, which had previously been distributed via-e-mail, were corrected by Mary Mayer-Hennelly, who pointed out that 25 people rode the bus to Federal Legislative Day, and that many more from Virginia attended than those who rode the bus. After this correction was noted, the minutes were approved.

Executive Director’s Report:

Linda Hahne reported that VLA has 1130 members. Anyone joining as of September will be considered a 2002 member.

Treasurer’s Report:

(See attachment.) Linda presented the report and said that expenses are on target, except for the Legislative Liaison fund which is short $5,870. This shortfall will probably have to be taken out of the reserve fund next year. Cy stated that VLA should finish the conference with a surplus.

Introduction of the Candidates:

Cy Dillon introduced the VLA candidates who could be at the Council meeting. Present were both candidates for Vice President/President Elect, Morel Fry and Ruth Kifer; both for Second Vice President, Lisa Lee Broughman and Harriet Edmunds, and one of the candidates for Treasurer, Andrew Morton. Cy invited them to stay for lunch after the Council meeting, and suggested in the future that the candidates be invited to the June meeting before the election takes place.

Conference Committee Report:

(A preliminary program is attached.) Harriet Edmunds reminded everyone about the library tours on Wednesday, Oct. 17, the barbecue that evening at the Chesterfield County Public, and the LVA Social on Thursday evening. She also said that the Jefferson Cup winner, Jim Murphy will be on hand to autograph books after the Jefferson Cup breakfast.

Cy announced that Gale had donated $2,500 to the conference, and that Children’s Library Services and Penworthy had each donated $500 to the Jefferson Cup program. Cy invited all Council members to the President’s Reception. Also, he will invite the George Mason Friends and Blackwell because they are scholarship donors.

Barbie Selby asked for volunteers to report on programs for the Virginia Libraries.

Linda noted that in order to get the free vendor lunch, it needs to be checked off on the registration form.

Legislative Committee Report:

Sam Clay announced that Legislative Day is January 24, 2002. Plans include a continental breakfast and a briefing from Phil Abraham before visiting the General Assembly members. Sam asked for suggestions for the goodie boxes that VLA gives to legislators.

Sam recommended that Phil’s contract be renewed. Phil has increased his liaison contract by $2,000 to $26,000. His miscellaneous expenses are extra, and so far for this year he has claimed approximately $1,100 in expenses. Barbie Selby asked if Phil gets an increase every year, and he does. The Executive Committee has also recommended that Phil’s contract be signed, and Cy will do so next week.

Sam reported that VLA’s recommendations were essentially accepted in the JLARC study on State Aid to Public Libraries, and he noted that the document has valuable information for libraries to use to improve local support.

The Legislative Committee wants to form a coalition to support the Library of Virginia budget requests. Sam asked Council members to recommend organizations who might be interested in joining an LVA Coalition. VLA has joined with VEA to form a coalition to support education funding.

Steve Helm reported on Capital Wiz, the legislative service on the VLA website. He has records on the last six months, and only 17 e-mails have been sent using it in that time. Steve will consult with Skip Auld about its use. Mary Mayer-Hennelly suggested that VLA promote it more. It was decided to keep it through one more legislative session. Steve thinks the renewal invoice VLA received was incorrect. VLA originally spent $1,500 on it, and renewals were supposed to be $1,000.

VLA Website:

Steve also reported on usage of the VLA website as a whole. In the past year there have been 39,000 have visited the jobline and there have been 7900 downloads of PDF documents. Steve will put the conference evaluation form online, and there will be a drawing for those returning the form. Scholarship applications and the facilities directory will be online also.

Awards Committee Report:

Everything is on schedule for the Conference presentations.

Continuing Education Report:

September 4 was the deadline for returning the facilities survey form, which is online. Cy and Steve will get in touch with Chair Barbara Rittinger about extending the deadline for returning surveys.

Publications Committee Report:

Barbie Selby introduced Caryl Gray as the new chair of the Publications Committee. The Committee wants pictures of VLA officers in Virginia Libraries, and suggested that more statistics and facts be included in the President’s “State of the Association” address at the Conference. Also the Committee will determine the amount of time before VLA photos are turned over to the LVA Archives.

Executive Committee Report:

Cy stressed that committees need to read and officially vote on reports before they are sent to the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee has referred the Planned Giving discussion document to the Finance Committee, and it wants a formal report from the Finance Committee recommending the structure for planned giving by Dec. 1. The recommendations will then be discussed by the Executive Committee and then sent to Council.

The Finance Committee submitted a report changing the dues structure, which the Executive Committee rejected. There will not be a dues increase before 2003, and the Executive Committee will consider a dues structure change at its retreat in December.

Cy announced that 12 sections have not submitted their succession reports.

The Jefferson Cup Committee is changing its logo. (See attachment for present logo.)

The Executive Committee has directed the Youth Services Forum to decide whether they want to work with the NASA website for children.

VLA will co-sponsor Healthy Families Virginia, an educational program for first-time parents.

Roundtable Reports and Announcements:

Region III: “Bring Them In—Bring Them Back” is the Region III workshop to be held at the Williamsburg Regional Library on Nov. 16, 2001, from 9-3 PM.

Paraprofessional Forum: Chair Susan Paddock announced that a one-day mini-conference on leadership will be held on Sept. 28 at the Higher Education Center in Abingdon.

Public Library Section: Chair Susan Brown announced that Donna Cote is the incoming chair for the Section, and that it will sponsor four programs at the VLA Conference.

School Library Section: Chair Steve Matthews said that the School Library Section will sponsor two programs at the Conference on cooperation. Also, Barbara May will be the new Chair. The Section will soon publish the results of a survey about cooperative programs between schools and public libraries.

Volunteer Management Forum: Chair Jan Rowley announced that Ann Colby of the Loudoun County Library Foundation is the Volunteer of the Year.

Local History, Genealogy, and Oral History Forum: Chair Steve Preston reminded everyone that the Forum will sponsor one program at the Conference and announced that Carolyn Barkley will be the new Chair.

Scholarship Committee: Chair Marianne Ramsden said that the Committee is producing a brochure that will be included in the Conference packet, and that it is working on streamlining the scholarship application form. The Committee received 18 scholarship applications this year. It is also working on the scholarship fund raffle, to be held at Conference.

Youth Services Forum: Chair Sherry Pearson announced that the Forum will present a bookless storytelling workshop on Sept. 21 at Lynchburg Public Library. Also, the group will have three programs at the Conference, in addition to the Jefferson Cup program.

Public Documents Forum: Mary Clark reported that the Forum’s August workshop in Abingdon had 23 attendees and cleared $150 in profit. The Forum will have one program at the Conference.

VLA Newsletter: Editor Helen Sherman has received a response on library issues from gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner, and the deadline for responses is Sept. 15. The responses will be published in the October newsletter.

VLA Website: Webmaster Steve Helm will present a program at the Conference.

Special Library Section: Chair Karen Dillon announced that the Section will present two programs at Conference.

Intellectual Freedom Committee: Co-chair Jeff Clark said that the IF Committee will have one program at Conference. He reminded everyone that Banned Book Week is September 22-29, and the Committee is having a Banned Book Display Contest. The deadline for entries is Oct. 15.

Virginia Libraries: Co-editor Barbie Selby needs volunteers to report on Conference sessions for the magazine. Also she announced that the Virginia Association of Law Libraries will have its Conference on Oct. 12 in Charlottesville, and that it will sponsor two programs at the VLA Conference. Also, the VALL has signed on to the LVA Coalition.

Region V: Co-chair Polly Khater reminded everyone about her region’s workshop, “Remote Concerns: Reaching Our Users through Remote Technologies”, to be held Sept. 21 at the Freedom Forum in Roslyn.

ALA Councilor: Mary Mayer-Hennelly filed a report (see attachment), and mentioned that ALA is considering a boycott clause in its future conference arrangements, because of its experience in San Francisco this summer.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 12:05 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Janis Augustine

VLA Secretary