Online reports to the board Treasurer’s Report

1998 quarterly and annual reports were distributed. Some of the 1999 dues income was reported in the 1998 budget because they were received before the first of the year. Account balances were reported for different scholarships and savings accounts. The McClendon Fund was explained as a loan fund for library school students. Applications for the McClendon Fund are linked from the Administrative Assistant’s office web site. Individual copies of current budget information per section were distributed.

President’s Report

A draft of guidelines for workshop planners was presented. These suggestions from the Administrative Assistant’s office in areas such as scheduling, confirming registration fees, mailings and tallying information were presented in an effort to help plan for upcoming workshops sponsored by NCLA groups. Suggestions for additional information are encouraged. The draft will be posted on the web and accessible through the Administrative Assistant’s web page.

Bulk mailings were discussed.

A reminder was made that NCLA members are offered a reduced price for attending workshops as a benefit of membership.

President Gass attended the State Library Commission meeting on October 22, 1998. Significant issues for the Commission include work of the Interlibrary Cooperation Committee and the Advisory Committee on Library Service to Children and Youth. The commission was briefed on charter schools. Discussion was held regarding the role libraries and NCLA could play in providing library resources for charter schools (which do not have in-school libraries). President Gass asked for volunteers to serve on an information gathering task force.

President Gass reported on a statewide invitational conference held on October 7-8. Participants from all types of libraries met to discuss interlibrary cooperation in North Carolina. Notes of discussions will inform the development of a discussion paper on the topic that will be the focus on regional meetings throughout North Carolina this spring. From the meetings, the Interlibrary Cooperation Committee will develop a vision and plan for North Carolina’s libraries.

Special guest, Marcus Trathen reported on his attendance at the ALA sponsored Lawyers for Libraries Institute II, held in Chicago in November. Mr. Trathen is an attorney with Brooks Pierce McClendon Humphrey & Leonard, a practice which specializes in communications and high-technology law. The Internet and first amendment issues being faced by libraries fit in with his practice and Mr. Trathen will be working the NCLA. The intent of Lawyers for Libraries is to try to get a network of lawyers for the times when legal issues arise. The conference dealt with the Internet and libraries. Distinguished presenters focused on issues such as access, filtering, and recent court cases.

Ideas discussed were distribution of materials regarding the first amendment to the NCLA membership, adopting acceptable use policies and publishing them widely, a hotline to attorneys, and a possible session on some of these ideas at the biennial conference in September 1999.

Section/Round Table Reports

Children’s Services Section

Susan Adams reported on a January 11, 1999 meeting. Hannah Owen has been appointed chair of the CSS Membership Committee.

The winter 1999 issue of North Carolina Libraries is devoted to children’s services. Mel Burton was congratulated as guest editor of that issue.

The "Reading Renaissance" had 45 attendees for the overnight retreat. Evaluations of the event were highly positive.

Preliminary planning for the biennial conference has begun. CSS is planning to host an author breakfast, a workshop on successful school/library collaboration grants, and a "how to" session on how non-Spanish speakers can provide story times for Hispanic children.

College and University Section

A report on a fall conference on access to and education for resources in the millennium was given. Dr. Ben Speller delivered the energetic keynote address.

Martha Davis, Chair of the Community and Junior College Section, joined the January 8^th executive board meeting, to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of merging the two sections into one representing libraries of higher education. A preliminary discussion on procedures and possibly by-law changes was also held. It was agreed that the two sections would co-sponsor sessions for the biennial conference and priorities were then set for topics and times for participation. Priorities for topics were: copyright and the college community, leadership in higher education, and the academic library computer center relationship. An all day workshop in the following year on library renovation and construction for the future was identified as a useful topic. Bobby Wynn will lead NCLA conference participation.

Community and Junior College Section

The CJCLS section decided to draft a proposal for merger with the College and University Section, to possibly be presented to community and junior college librarians in March at LRA, considered by the College and University Section, and hopefully be ready to present to the NCLA Executive Board meeting in the summer of 1999. This timetable would allow the proposal to be voted on at the NCLA conference in September 1999, if CJCLS and CUS both agree to an organizational change. In a January CUS Board meeting, assurances were made that every opportunity would be given to be sure CJCLS members had opportunities to serve on the CUS board, to represent CUS on the NCLA Executive Board and to run for NCLA President.

The Community and Junior College Library Section will co-sponsor a session on copyright and the Internet with the College and University Section at the NCLA 1999 Conference. CJCLS has also scheduled a session at the conference on redesigning libraries for the twenty-first century.

Documents Section

The NCLA Documents Section is currently planning both spring and conference programs. The topic of the spring workshop will be decided through a teleconference meeting of the Documents Executive Board on January 21. The topic of the conference program "Federal Resources on the Internet" will focus on demographics, business and health data produced by federal agencies.

Two new officers were elected in October 1998. Mary Horton of Wake Forest University is Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and Catherine Shreve of Duke University is Secretary/Treasurer.

Library and Management Section

LAMS has submitted its programs for the NCLA Biennial Conference. A preconference on assessment, to be delivered by LAMS board member Dr. Robert Burgin, is expected to be very well received. A session on mentoring will be offered, and a social event for mentors and mentees will be scheduled as well.

It is hoped that a draft of the brochure explaining the mentoring program will be ready by the end of January.

The Personnel and Staff Development Interest Group is being formed by Debbie Lambert and Lovenia Summerville. An announcement of this group will be sent out shortly over the LAMS and NCLA channels, soliciting members.

NC Association of School Librarians Section

Karen Gavigan, vice-chair, has been working on the 1999 NCLA Conference. Author Denise Fleming will be coming for a meal function and one to two sessions. The Department of Public Instruction will be providing five sessions.

Karen will be attending the Affiliate Assembly at Mid-Winter in Philadelphia at the end of January.

Karen Gavigan, Karen Perry and Melinda Ratchford attended the North Carolina Conference on Children and Youth in November in Greensboro. The conference was a forum to dialogue about the needs of the various library organizations of the state. Common issues were discussed.

NCASL will be meeting prior to the NCAECT Conference in early March in Durham.

NC Library Paraprofessional Round Table

Regional Director for Region 2, membership chair and program chairs are still being sought.
By-laws options for placing Frances Lampley as chair-elect were discussed.
Discussion was held, but no decisions made, regarding a program at the NCLA Conference. The group also talked about the direction of workshops to be offered in the future.

NC Public Library Trustee Association

No report.

New Members Round Table

The NMRT web site has specific information about activities of the New Members Round Table. The board is to meet the first week of February. People are being contacted to help with the conference.

Members working on the mentoring program will be getting together the last week of January and hope to have a brochure draft ready soon.

A new director of communication is working on the NMRT web site.

Brochures have been sent to library schools. NCLA members will be asked to speak to students at those schools as a next step.

A March program will focus on grant writing in libraries.

Public Library Section

The board met on November 10. The Young Adult Committee continues to be active. Their publication, Grassroots, focusing on library services to young adults, is one of the best in the country. This group is pursuing grants that target YA services, and planning staff development activities in cooperation with the State Library.

The board discussed a proposal to present a pre-conference at the ALA Public Library Association conference that will be held in Charlotte in March 2000. This idea is being pursued with ALA.

A spring or summer conference on Library Services to Hispanics is being considered. This will be discussed with REMCO and other appropriate NCLA sections.

Will Manley has agreed to speak at a co-sponsored Public Library Section/Paraprofessional Section event at the biennial conference. Book talking programs and one on adolescent psychology will also be offered.

Reference & Adult Services Section

The fall workshop, "NC LIVE: Taking It to the Limit," held on Friday, November 20, 1998 at the Friday Center was a success with 118 attending.

Work will begin planning a program for the Biennial Conference at a January meeting.

Resources & Technical Services

The board will meet on February 5^th to work on program plans for the 1999 NCLA conference. The program will be an outgrowth of the fall workshop co-sponsored by LAMS last September. The tentative plan is to have a major program and table talks sponsored by some or all of the interest groups (acquisitions, cataloging, collections development and serials).

Teresa McManus will represent RTSS at the program planning meeting for the fall conference.

Page Life, RTSS member of the editorial board of North Carolina libraries, is editing the fall issue entitled "Life and Limb." This issue is an outgrowth of discussion last year by this group regarding the importance of having an issue covering health, personal safety, and ergonomics in libraries.

Margaret Foote and her membership committee will be updating the RTSS directory later this spring. The directory is considered to be a benefit of membership.

Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns

No report.

Round Table on Special Collections

This spring this Round Table is sponsoring three practical workshops, "Telling Our Stories," dealing with the basics of oral history. Workshops will be held in Williamston in April, Pinehurst in May and Lenoir in June.

Round Table on the Status of Women in Librarianship

The Board met in Greensboro in December. Plans were finalized for the Biennial conference and tasks assigned to Board members. Laura McLamb Hamilton will be the speaker.

Content for the remainder of the 1999 MSMANAGEMENT was discussed and specific decisions made on continuing the successful survey printed in the October 1998 issue.

The Board began a discussion on ways to broaden membership participation in the Round Table. The discussion will continue at the March board meeting.

Technology & Trends Round Table

The December workshops were postponed and rescheduled for April 22^nd. The morning session will feature "Technology Nuts &Bolts Bookcamp" with Suzanne White and Ron Andrews. The afternoon session will be "Trends: A Look to the Future of Librarianship" with John Ulmschneider and David Stratton. Workshops will be held in Medlin 041 on the campus of Guilford Technical Community College.

Planning for the NCLA Conference in September has resulted in a main speaker, William Terry, Director of Technology for NetPubs International. Mr. Terry will be discussing trends in electronic publishing and how it impacts libraries. A session on Continuing Education with the Recruitment and Placement Center Committee is being co-sponsored. A reminder was given to other round tables and sections that the T&T Round Table is a willing cosponsor for other groups needing collaboration in this area for the conference.

Committee Reports

Administrative Office and Personnel Advisory Committee

The AA Committee met in October and again in November. A new job description for the Administrative Assistant has been drafted and a personnel manual is partially completed. Both will be presented to the Board for approval after work is completed.

Planning continues for the relocation of the NCLA office from the State Library to the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It is thought that the move will not occur until May or later. Movers’ estimates have been obtained. This committee recommends securing an additional telephone line so faxes and messages both can be received. Some items will be transferred to the archives when the Archive Committee goes through them. Other items will be discarded.

Decisions still pending involve a procedures manual, membership database issues, method of evaluation of Administrative Assistant, who should serve as AA’s liaison with executive committee, and extent of Internet presence.

Archives Committee

No report.

Conference Committee

All planning for the 1999 Biennial Conference is proceding on schedule.

Bao-Chu Chang, Registration Chair, is developing the conference web page which should be available soon. The URL for the web page in progress is http://www4.ncsu.edu/bcchang/welcome.html. Contact her directly with suggestions for improvement at bcchang@unity.ncsu.edu.

The program planners from NCLA sections and round tables will meet with Phil Barton, Program Chair, and the other members of the Conference Planning Committee at the Benton Center on Friday, January 11. This meeting is designed to give program planners an opportunity to discuss ideas for conference programs. It is hoped that many planner will decide to co-sponsor events to bring segments of the membership with similar concerns together.

The fee structure for conference registration, exhibits and advertisements for the conference program were submitted to the Executive Board for approval. Fees were approved as submitted.

Phil Barton asked for sections and round tables to begin considering time slots for their programs. Times preferred, events for sessions not yet firmed up, will be included on the master schedule.

Ads by vendors in the conference program are being investigated, as are web page ads.

Preconference fees were clarified. Seventy-five percent of the revenue for preconferences is returned to the section or round table that sponsored the conference. Preconference fees will be determined by sponsors.

Constitution, Codes and Handbook Committee

No report.

Continuing Education Committee

The Continuing Education Committee is charged with coordinating continuing education efforts of all of the NCLA sections and round tables. Dr. Speller asked for a representative from each round table and section to serve on this committee. The committee will be looking for common interests as continuing education providers. A date will be selected to hold meetings after hearing from representatives.

Several documents were presented to the Executive Board. They include: list of issues serving as a focal point of decision making, statement of the role and goals of the committee, and rational statement.

Development Committee

Members of this committee and President Gass are reviewing a proposed contract for creation of an endowment administered by the North Carolina Community Foundation. Concern has been expressed over working in parts of the proposed contract. The NCCF executive director, Anne Steele, has asked the foundation’s attorney to contact us to address those questions.

The committee’s next step is to begin raising money for the endowment. Toward that end, a donor who prefers to remain anonymous has pledged $5000.

On the recommendation of President Gass, the chair of the Development Committee moved that NCLA contribute $10,000 to start-up of the endowment from the Conference Fund. This is a money market account, and the funds do not comprise part of the NCLA operating budget. Discussion points included other possible expenditures from the conference fund, and investing in future growth of the organization through this endowment. A reminder was made to be sure clear ideas of the target of the fund are publicized so prospective donors will know how their money would be used. The motion passed.

As soon as the contract is signed, fundraising will begin. The committee will work with President Gass to recommend to the board a means of handling proceeds from the endowment once they are turned over to NCLA by NCCF.

Finance Committee

Two proposals that will have an impact on the finances of NCLA were addressed.

A proposal to permit paying dues through MasterCard or Visa was discussed. It involves a one-time expenditure of $600 for software and a use charge of 4.06% of each dues payment collected by credit card. Tables were presented charting the changes that could be made. In further discussion, the impact of the assessment as well as the advantages of being able to register immediately for conferences and workshops via the Internet were debated.

The need to restructure membership renewals was addressed, stressing the importance of membership numbers and dues fluctuating less than they now do.

A 1999 operating budget was proposed. Discussion ensued concerning adjustments to the budget, relying on conference profits and reserves to balance the budget, and strategies to keep the organization financially sound. The motion passed as submitted.

Governmental Relations Committee

No report.

Intellectual Freedom Committee

An oral report was not made, but Executive Board members were encouraged to access the committee’s report on the web.

Leadership Institute

The steering committee for the 1998 NCLA Leadership Institute met on Monday, November 23, 1998 to evaluate the success of the 1998 Institute and make recommendations for the next Institute scheduled for the year 2000. An in-depth compilation of practical suggestions and comments in the areas of selection process, finances and corporate sponsors, facilitators and mentors, facilities, publicity and recruitment, and other general suggestions were shared with the NCLA Executive Board. Rather than being intended as a committee report, these were comments to be sent to the committee planning the next Institute.

Much discussion took place in several areas. The committee was urged to keep to the original mission of the Institute, one as a program for emerging leaders, as they select participants. A concern was raised that librarians in current positions of leadership would already have more skills in place than the Leadership Institute is prepared to deliver. Concern about facilities and work vs. non-work activities while at the Institute was explored.

The Executive Board was thanked for generous support from sections and round tables. Some donations were posted after the report, and were reflected in the balance.

Literacy Committee

Preparation of a Position Statement for dissemination is in progress.

A March meeting at the North Carolina Literacy Center will deal with the establishment of a formal relationship between the Center and NCLA.

The committee is awaiting conference-planning information to be able to plan a program for the Biennial Conference.

Membership Committee

Peggy Quinn presented a chart of membership totals for 1997, 1998, and 1999 to date by section or round table. Since declining membership is of concern to the entire organization, the Membership Committee has been asked to develop a formal plan for the organization to follow with regard to membership. A draft of recruitment, retention and recognition strategies brainstormed by this committee was presented to the Executive Board.

A new benefit of membership is automatic access to the NCLA LISTSERV. Debuting in 1999 is NCLA E-News and the mentoring program, also considered benefits of membership. Two strategies were added to existing ones by the Board. Someone should be identified at each library school, school system, and institution to recruit members. And a rolling membership should be considered to aid in retention of members.

Executive Board members voted on which strategies efforts should concentrate.

Peggy Quinn will attend the UNC Chapel Hill Career Fair on February 17 on behalf of NCLA.

Nominating Committee

Karen Perry reported on a slate of officers. Sherwin Rice and Patrick Valentine have been nominated to fill the Director East position. CT. Harris and Rex Klett have been nominated to fill the Director West position. Sue Cody and William Durham have been nominated to the position of Secretary. A suggestion was made to nominate candidates for Vice-President/President Elect at large. At the heart of this issue is concern that nominating at large would break with the practice of having each type of library represented through rotation in this leadership position. This would be the year to elect a school librarian to the post. NCASL representatives agreed that they do not have a candidate to present. A motion was made and passed to open up nominations for the position of Vice-President/President Elect to the membership at large. Nominating committee members will accept names and report back to the Executive Board.

SELA nominees were sent a letter explaining the possibility that their term could be shortened if the Executive Board decides to eliminate this membership.

Non-Conference Year Event Planning Committee

Dave Fergusson presented a list of committee members. The committee will report preliminary ideas to the next Executive Board meeting. Anyone with ideas or suggestions should email them to Dave at d_fergusson@forsyth.lib.nc.us. Specific proposals will be presented for adoption at the summer meeting.

Publications and Marketing Committee

A web site is in progress. The Board was asked to let members of this committee know names of webmasters or sites being created so they can be linked to the NCLA site.

A newsletter should be out this quarter.

Scholarship Committee

A full description of Scholarship Committee activities and applications for scholarships can be found on the web site. The proposed deadline for submitting applications is May 15. It was decided to extend that deadline until June 1 since an announcement about the scholarship will be made in the May issue of North Carolina Libraries. The scholarship will be widely publicized in all kinds of libraries.

The Spectrum Initiative (an ALA scholarship) will be explored and discussed at the next Executive Board meeting.

Clarification was made regarding the grant application process. Sections sponsoring projects are charged with determining the merit of the projects presented. Grants are primarily used for the conferences. Money is allocated fairly, but there are some parameters and time elements. Forms have been revised including new dates and methodology. The committee is working on a mechanism for what the procedures should be for money not utilized for the grants received.

Membership of the committee will be addressed in a meeting following the Executive Board meeting.

Other Reports

North Carolina Libraries

The Winter issue of North Carolina Libraries, Children’s Services, is projected to be mailed February 8^th.

The editorial board held its annual retreat on November 13 and 14. Many important discussions evolved. A decision was made to begin the process of identifying significant people across the state to interview for the library innovators issue. An interview will be a feature article. A new one-page photo column that focuses on What’s Going on in NC Librarianship will be featured in upcoming issues and edited by Joline Ezzell.

Topics of upcoming issues were listed through spring 2002. Issues for 1999 are as follows: Spring – Outreach (Steve Sumerford, Guest Editor), Summer – North Carolina Writers (Alice Cotton, Guest Editory, Fall – Life and Limb (Page Life, Guest Editor), and Winter – Conference Issue.

ALA Councilor

No report.

SELA Councilor

No report.

North Carolina State Library Commission

No report.

Respectfully submitted,

Liz Jackson

Secretary