FRIENDS OF THE GOLDA MEIR LIBRARY

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

May 17, 2007    5:00 p.m.

Special Collections Reading Room

 

Present: Pat Van Alyea, Ewa Barczyk, Betty Bostrom, E.J. Brumder, Gilbert Church, Deborah Conta, Donn Haglund, Sarah Kimball, Nancy Laskin, Robert Meldman, Martine Meyer, George Mosher, Gwen Plunkett, Jody Steren.

 

The meeting was called to order at 5 p.m.

 

1.      The minutes of the May 17, 2006 annual meeting were approved as submitted.

 

  1. President’s report:  The past year has been an especially busy one.  In addition to the activities that will be mentioned in committee reports, the Friends contributed funding to the Libraries’ digital project UWM Yearbook Collection, and to these programs
    • Academic Adventurers faculty lecture series
    • Revisiting the Past local history lecture
    • Holzheimer Maps and America Lecture
    • Words & Days poetry reading series

 

Van Alyea thanked Deborah Conta for organizing this year’s very successful book sales and planning today’s program; the Board and library staff for helping to make the year a successful one; and Ewa Barczyk, Director of UWM Libraries, for her strong leadership.

 

  1. Director’s Report: Barczyk thanked Van Alyea, the Board of Directors, and the membership at large for their support of the Libraries’ mission. The campus and the community at large also benefit from Friends’ sponsorship of library events. Barczyk highlighted a number of Libraries accomplishments from the past year:

·         Planned West Wing renovation, with architects chosen.

·         Created 5-year strategic plan for guidance through the renovation and beyond.

·         Received $60,000 from Dr. Robert and Suzanne McColl for the McColl Research Program and for digitizing photographs in the AGSL collections; $212,000 bequest to AGSL from the estate of Jacob L. Bernheim; the third NEH preservation assistance grant to AGSL for the photography collection. WTMJ-TV News Film project has $69,000 of pending proposals to match the $50,000 challenge grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Dr. Abraham & Irma Schwartz Fund

·         Received additional support from the Board overall and from Board member Suzy Ettinger

·         Completed three digital projects: The AGSL Digital Map Collection, UWM Yearbook Collection and UWM Photo Collection.

·         Will be loaning a great number of materials to several exhibitions, including maps to Field Museum in December and polar expedition photographs to a Milwaukee Art Museum exhibit in the fall

·         Hosted a number of community members at “Tea and Tour of the Library” series.

 

4. Treasurer’s Report: Robert Meldman reported that the Friends financial status was excellent. Beginning balance was $37,970.34; ending balance, $52,540.91.  Friends Trust funds totaled $46,174.40. Total Friends funds were $98,715.31. Gwen Plunkett asked where the trust funds were managed and what was the rate of return. Barczyk said trusts are managed by UW Foundation; she will supply rate information at next meeting. A motion to accept the report was seconded and unanimously accepted.

 

 

5. Committee Reports

·         Communications Committee: Sarah Kimball reported Committee members contributed to the rewriting of the Friends’ mission statement and to the organization of a successful event with the Chancellor, celebrating Barczyk’s appointment as Director. Committee helped plan successful E.J. Brumder book signing and placed membership envelopes in the alumni magazine. The Committee will work on building membership in the upcoming year.

·         Development Committee: Robert Meldman noted reported that the committee had met with Vice Chancellor of Development Lucia Petrie and was looking forward to meeting with other Vice Chancellors. Marianne Lubar has agreed to chair a sub-committee to work on fundraising for the Libraries remodeling.

·         Nominating Committee: Report moved to New Business.

·         Program Committee: Deborah Conta reported on the success of this past year’s book sales and thanked the Friends volunteers and library staff who helped out. She announced that the next booksale would be held on October 8-10, 2007. Tonight’s program will feature Milwaukee Alderman Michael D’Amato speaking on the topic “A Developing Story: The Future of Milwaukee.” E.J. Brumder reported that tours to Chicago and Baltimore to see map exhibition were being planned.

 

6. Old business: No old business to report.

 

  1. New business

·         Van Alyea thanked outgoing Board members Gil Church and Scott Enk for their service.

·         Van Alyea moved the adoption of a slate of nominees for 2007/08; the adoption was seconded.  There were no further nominations from the floor. It was carried unanimously that the nominees be elected.  Officers re-elected to two-year terms were E.J. Brumder, Vice President, and Robert Meldman, Treasurer.  Betty Bostrom and Tyrone Dumas were re-elected to four-year terms on the Board. Beverly Perlson was elected to a four-year term on the Board.

·         Van Alyea called for a motion to accept the proposed revision of the by-laws, which changes membership classifications to Regular, Contributing, Sponsor, Patron, Corporate Sponsor, and Director’s Circle. Norman Lasca asked what was the Director’s Circle membership fee. Barczyk said $1000. The motion was seconded and unanimously accepted.

 

  1. The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.