NCLA RASS Executive Board Meeting Minutes

Monday, February 4th, 2008, 11:00 a.m., Davie County Public Library, Mocksville, NC       

Attendees:  Joline Ezzell, Jonathan Farlow, Ted Labosky, Donna Windish, Kris Benshoff, Amy Harris, and Carol Keck.

Minutes and Treasurer’s Report:

v      The minutes of September 17, 2007, were approved as posted.

v      Treasurer’s report not available from NCLA yet.

Meeting notes:  Old Business:  

        Board members discussed NCLA Conference just passed: 

• Board members’ consensus was that it went very well.
• George Guidall stayed until all guests left. He was a treat and very well liked.
• The health information workshop went well. Lots of people for that late in the day.
• On her way out Thursday, two reporters from Hickory stopped Donna. The conference had been there all week, but they had just learned about it. Donna suggested that they speak to someone more official.

v      New Business: 

• Jonathan reported on the Jan. 24^th NCLA meeting.
• NCLA Goals include the following:
  • Increase endowment fund –look into developing this
  • Expand continuing education – train at the veteran leadership level; keep pay equity project up-to-date; develop advocates outside the library association, such as trustees.

• NCLA requests:
  • Send Section-related items, notes, reports, ads, etc. to Archives. We don’t know if or who is in charge of archives at the moment.
  • The Membership Committee wants members from each section to follow the membership news Yahoo group – to join and monitor the group. They also want each group to email all information and reports to Carol Walters, Kim Parrott, and Christy Allen. Christy.e.allen@ncmail.net; carolinejwalters@verizon.net; nclaonline@ibiblio.org.
• Amy Harris volunteered to do this, and Jonathan said that he would probably be emailing them the most. The membership committee is looking for anything that shows what we are doing at the moment.

•  Some items from the meeting that might interest RASS include
  • That the Board wants to create new bylaws
  • Burgin’s goal of increasing membership was surpassed (17% instead of 15%)
  • RASS was one of the two groups whose membership was rising the most rapidly.
  • There was a motion for Kim’s job to go full-time. This was approved.
  • NCLA wants to know our web site representative, and Jonathan will email Joline’s name to them. Send any ideas to Joline.

• To wrap up and move into brain-storming for our RASS workshop, Jonathan made the point that Robert Burgin often makes – “There are no off years.” NCLA wants us to put together outreach activities and workshops every year.
• Brain-storming for RASS workshop in October 2008:
  • Jonathan pointed out the needs of older people and students.
  • Carol eagerly agreed that this was a burning issue as more and more government and other services are available only on the web, and many seniors do not have computer knowledge.
  • Learning the mouse, even changing text size, and all technical aspects are foreign to some adult students and senior patrons in colleges as well as public libraries. Financial information; how to find and apply for jobs; the need for an email address; the homeless, and the rural nature of many of our counties are also concerns that relate to serving these populations.
  • As for speakers and/or people to consult for ideas, Carol Walters because of her Web on Wheels (WOW) that goes around teaching web skills in the county; nursing home employees; Office of Adult Services; Senior Resource Centers; Julie Hersberger (who studies underserved populations); state library specialists; and the UNCG Office for Adult Services.
  • Carol suggested that people from places such as these, although outside the library world, could form a panel to inform librarians of their patron’s concerns.
  • The best time for the conference will probably be October 27, 2008.  It looks as if it may last all day.
  • The snacks and decorations could be related to Halloween or the autumn.
  • We could try for the Greensboro Public Library again. Last time we got a deal on parking and coffee from the coffee shop.
• Joline reported, as our representative on the NC Libraries journal, that NCLA has approved the use of color in the journal, as well as on the cover.

v      Action Items:

• For ideas or possible speakers, Amy will contact Julie and also the UNCG Office of Adult Students.
• Carol will contact the Greensboro public library and the Senior Resources Center of Guilford.
• For ideas and possible speakers, all board members will contact their local senior resources centers or equivalents.

Respectfully submitted, 

Carol Keck