1. CALL TO ORDER
This regularly scheduled meeting of the CLAN Steering Committee was called to order by President Regina Slezak at 9:35 A.M. at the Warwick Public Library.

Present were: Susan Aylward, Judy Bell, Howard Boksenbaum, Carol Brouwer, Joan Gillespie, Shirley Long, Laura Marlane, Leslie Page, Regina Slezak, Karen Taylor, Kathryn Taylor. Absent: Dan Austin, Eileen Socha, Ulla Virks

Also present: Elaine Clark (CLAN), John Carney (EPL), Barbara Neri (NPR), Doug Pearce (WAR), Susan Reed (PAW)

2. MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 22, 2007 MEETING
VOTED unanimously to accept the minutes of the February 22, 2007 after a correction to Item 4g (RINET should read RILINK). (Brouwer, Marlane).

3. TREASURER'S REPORT (Shirley Long)
The Treasurer's report to date (2/28/07) showed expenditures of $1,009,890/$1,557,585 and income of $1,036,214.17/$1,557,585. The Treasurer recommended that if we do not use the $40,000 budgeted for consortium software to purchase the additional Teleforms messages, that we use those funds for some other software purchase.

4. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT-Joan Gillespie
Joan reported that she has submitted a grant request to the R.I. Foundation in the amount of $2,000 to fund the one-day workshop on May 4th. The consultant will cost between $1,400 and $1,600; the rest would pay for lunch and coffee for the attendees.

5. SYSTEM STAFF REPORTS (Peter Bennett, Cindy St. Amour, Rick Payette, Ken Corsetti)
The Steering Committee did not have questions for Joan on the written reports from CLAN System staff that had been distributed prior to the meeting. Judy Bell expressed concern about the survey that Peter had sent to the members about circulation parameters. Judy's concern had to do with the survey appearing to be a first step toward moving back to local holds. Joan explained that the survey is really the first step in our thinking about the future direction of the organization that Peter outlined at the February general membership meeting: what kind of a consortium do we want to be? Since libraries are still developing workarounds to allow local holds only, this topic has to be part of this network-wide conversation that we need to have before we can move forward.

6. COMMITTEE REPORTS (Circ, LIT, Database Management, Reference & Childrens')
The Steering Committee did not have questions on the committee reports that had been distributed prior to the meeting.  

7. LIB FUTURES COMMITTEE REPORT (Eileen Socha)
John Carney reported for Eileen in her absence that the Surf RI Trial is continuing. Howard explained that libraries with representatives on the House Finance Committee will be receiving post cards for citizens to fill out which pledge support for the Surf RI Initiative.

8. OLD BUSINESS

a. PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY PROPOSAL-Susan Reed was present to answer questions and to refine further her proposal to add the Betty Johnson collection to the CLAN database. Steering Committee members asked about the projected growth of the collection; the numbers and types of materials that the Pawtucket Public Library wants to add to the database; the ways in which users will access information about the collection at the Johnson Center. The Committee discussed the burden on the CLAN catalogers; the nature of service (is this collection and its location bordering on being a branch of the Pawtucket Public Library?); the long-term effects of adding what is essentially a local historical collection to the CLAN database; the vagueness of the contract between the Pawtucket Public Library and the Johnson Center, which leaves CLAN open to having an open-ended secondary agreement with the Johnson Center. Susan Reed agreed to go back and answer the questions raised by the Committee and to address some of the issues raised by the Committee and she will develop a more formal, detailed proposal.

b. OSL NAME CHANGE-Joan described the work to date on the posters and bookmarks which will be distributed to member libraries. She distributed a draft of the poster. Steering Committee members made some suggestions, which she will implement. Elaine presented a detailed report on library cards. She has been working with Ultra Plastics to develop the new cards and has negotiated a wonderful deal which includes direct shipment and direct billing to each member library; customized logos if libraries want that; combination key tag/cards or just plain cards. She asked the Steering Committee to decide on a design for the back of the card which will be a generic design for all the cards, whether with the OSL logo on the front or individual library logos on the front. She has developed a survey form to send out the libraries for them to indicate how many cards they anticipate ordering next year. The price break hinges on Ultra Plastics knowing how many cards we will order. Elaine will move forward with the survey.

c. DISCUSSION WITH CHAMPLIN-Joan reported on her conversation with Champlin about re-deploying unspent Champlin funds from the Bradford wireless system to use them instead on a firewall and LEM modules for libraries with wireless technology and packet shapers. Champlin gave their permission for this alternate use of grant funds. They also gave Joan a sense of their grantmaking policies for future years. They want CLAN to think in terms of 50% less for individual library technology requests next year. Champlin believes that replacing computers is an operating expense, which they would like CLAN libraries to begin to take on as operational (not capital/Champlin) expenditures. There was much discussion about how to apportion a significantly lesser amount of Champlin funding and one suggestion, which was well received among Steering Committee members was to base the amount available to individual libraries on the same percentage as the funding formula for membership fees.

d. PROPOSAL TO ADD ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL-Joan presented a draft agreement between CLAN and St. George's; the accounting of fees; and criteria for assessing success. A couple of editorial changes in the membership agreement were suggested, which Joan will make. VOTED that the criteria, the fees, and the agreement for adding St. George's School as an affiliate member of CLAN as presented by Joan be executed. (Brouwer, Kathryn Taylor).
9. NEW BUSINESS

a. STAFF SALARIES FY 2008-Joan presented the CLAN staff salaries for FY 2008 as approved by the personnel committee including a 3.6% COLA; upgrades of some staff positions; and merit increases ranging from 2% to 12%. VOTED to approve the salaries as presented by Joan and previously approved by the Personnel Committee. (Aylward, Brouwer)

b. WOONSOCKET dropping a branch-Leslie Page reported that the Branch of the Woonsocket Harris Public Library that is in an apartment complex funded by the local housing authority is being closed because the Housing Authority has given the library 90 days notice to vacate the premises. Leslie will draft an official letter advising CLAN of the closing and she understands that this cannot be incorporated into the current year's funding formula. The Steering Committee discussed the need to have a clause in the bylaws that addresses the closing of a branch and the amount of notice to be given in that event. Until the bylaws can be amended, it was VOTED that like a termination of membership, closing a branch requires the same 12 months notice. (Kathryn Taylor, Brouwer)

c. WORKING GROUPS-The question of Working Groups and how their recommendations get considered was tabled until the next meeting.

10. OTHER-Joan reported that she is scheduled to meet with Chris LaRoux about the E-Zone initiative. Howard asked to reserve a half hour at the next Steering Committee meeting for the Steering Committee to weigh in on the LSTA 5-yr plan that has to be submitted to IMLS by the end of June.

11. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Aylward, Secretary
Approved 4/26/07