Friends of the Golda Meir Library
Meeting of 21 April 1999
Minutes
Present: K. Basquin, F. Chaney, B. Fetter, S. Miller, B. Seay, P. Watson-Boone, H. Winter
Excused: N. Balthasar, T. Bliffert, E. Hinshaw, N. Lasca, M. Lord, L. Schneiders, S. Tolan
Absent: C. Benson, B. Silberg
Guests: E. Barczyk, C. Maass, V. Menon
Fetter called the meeting to order at 12:15 p.m.
Minutes of 6 January 1999 meeting were approved as distributed.
Announcements. Tom Bliffert had a stroke and the Friends are sending a card. Watson-Boone visited
Bliffert; he s doing well and will start rehab soon.
Treasurer's Report. The report was distributed. PWB discussed and explained items listed. Fetter
discussed raising the balance from over $40,000 to $100,000. No comments, additions, corrections.
The report was approved as distributed.
President Report. Fetter noted that Chancellor Zimpher is bringing
needed changes in UWM's
relationship with the community.
Miller and Hinshaw represented the Friends at the inauguration and presented a first edition of Moby Dick purchased by the Friends for the Library in the Chancellor's
name.
He noted that this
was a successful, intellectual event; the Friends are happy that the library
could stand for what UWM does best. Thanks to Miller and Hinshaw for their role. Miller received a thank you letter from Zimpher and a medallion. Discussions with the Alumni Association are still in process. The concern is over the fact that the Alumni Association grants library borrowing privileges as a privilege of membership; the library absorbs the expense of administration and gets nothing for that.
Fetter sent a letter to Carl Mueller, President of the Alumni Association, on behalf of the Friends asking
for joint membership with an additional $15.00 to be added as a nominal fee to join the Friends to
receive borrowing privileges, or for a higher fee to receive interlibrary loan privileges. Proposed $15.00
for basic privileges and $80.00 for ILL privileges. The board will be updated as events occur. The
Friends annual meeting is 6 June in the Library's 4th floor conference center. The business meeting
will begin at 3:00 p.m. with a program starting at 3:30 p.m. Four Milwaukee-area poets: John Koethe,
Kim Blaeser, Peggy Hong, and Daisy Cubias, will read from their poetry. The Friends is a good
organization to support this kind of literary program.
Thanks to C.
Benson
who proposed
this
idea.
Director's Report. Watson-Boone introduced Vanaja Menon, the new Assistant Director for Public
Services. Menon is in charge of
the main
user services
operations of
the library. Thanked the Friends
for their support for an increase in acquisitions funding which is in the proposed state budget for 1999-
01. GML would directly receive about $230,000 in each of the two years if this goes through. The
money would be for the purchase of materials for the collections.
We are embarked on
the biggest
automation change for us in 25 years. Implementation is on schedule for early June. Staff training is
being done right now. The library was actively involved in the campus/community discussions of
Chancellor Zimpher s initiative, the Milwaukee Idea. Thanked the Friends for approving purchase of
pencils for distribution at campus open house activities, metal signs for the Book Sales, another supply
of book bags, and sponsorship of receptions for the AGSC Academic Adventurers series.
Program Committee Report. Seay reported on the booksale: sales were $2,761.30. Thanked library
staff, Friends board members Fetter and Schneiders, and F. Henderson. For the first time the sale was
open to students until 8:00 p.m. on the first day; it was quite busy from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and no one
from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Waston-Boone suggested that there are enough books for a fall sale. Seay will
begin planning for that. Fetter noted that Watson-Boone prepared an e-mail request that F.
Henderson be
reimbursed for his work. Miller so moved, Winter seconded the motion. Motion was carried
unanimously to reimburse F. Henderson $150.00 for his work at the Book
Sale. The Board voted to
transfer the booksale receipts to the Library's Special Acquisitions Account.
Committee Chairs. Watson-Boone reported
for S. Tolan on
a subcommittee meeting on funding
strategies.
The
Subcommittee started with sources of income; funding strategies were listed as talking
points. He drew attention to the suggestion of doing a survey. Basquin thought it an excellent idea; a
survey could be incorporated into the mailing of renewal notices. The survey should list some
alternatives and leave space for other ideas members may have. Library staff will gather ideas on
paper and send to Fetter for approval. Basquin pointed out that the Friends should offer something
that nobody else is doing. Miller suggested
exploring a
more popular approach in an effort to draw in
more of the community; these types of program are coming of age. Miller suggested
possibly
a
program featuring short story writers; maybe academics being published
by smaller
presses. This may
be a niche that larger bookstores will not be filling. The consensus was that an implementation plan is
evolving. Basquin noted that recognizable author names are important. The general consensus of the
Board was to include a survey in the renewal for this year.
Other. Fetter discussed the question of rolling renewals. Expressed concern about additional staff
time needed. Many agencies do not have a single renewal date. This has been a problem for a while;
particularly for spring renewals. The idea is to have continuous renewals. Watson-Boone noted that
the bylaws say the operating year is 1 July through 30 June; rolling renewals would be a mechanical
operation that does not effect the fiscal year. He noted that in practice there are a large group of
people who renew all year round.
Miller
asked library management to prepare a procedure including
mailing costs implications, implications for the annual meeting, fiscal year questions. Fetter, Seay,
Chaney, and Winter volunteered to form a working group to discuss proposals from the library. Other
membership practices discussed included: an option of 2 or 3 year renewals was well received by
Board members. Fetter suggested to save mailing costs having a check off box on the application
form to indicate the applicant does not want to receive mailings;
also, use
of e-mail could make a
substantial economy and could lead to an E-newsletter.
Nominating Committee. Hinshaw, Basquin, and Watson-Boone met and identified a number of people
to approach to be on the Board. Contacts are still being made. Those board members up for renewal
will be asked individually if they would like to continue.
Watson-Boone letter to Fetter asking for retroactive funding support of $325.00 for the reception
preceding the 10th Annual Maps & America Lecture which was on 7 April. Gary North
formerly with
the United States Geological
Survey
was the speaker at this very successful lecture. Winter moved to
support the funding; Basquin seconded. The motion carried unanimously. Watson-Boone thanked the
Board for its support.
Watson-Boone
alerted the Board to the possibility of a request to support the taping of a
video
of
James Farmer. Mr. Farmer is the topic of the annual Fromkin Lecture this fall; the lecturer is Dr. Detine
Bowers of the UWM Communication Department.
The
meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m.
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