June 13, 2003

10:30 a.m. -3:00 p.m.
Steering Committee Conference Call

Present: Soumaya Baaklini, Mary Brink, Diane Courtney, Carol Desch, Marilyn Douglas, Phyllis Fisher, Carey Hatch, Dottie Hiebing, Cara Janowsky, Wanda Knight, Mary-Alice Lynch, Sara McCain, John Meierhoffer, John Monahan, John Shaloiko, Katherine Storms, Mary Redmond, Janet Welch

Absent: Thomas Alrutz, Jeff Cannell, Paul Crumlish, Diana Cunningham, Loretta Ebert, Carole Huxley, Sara Kelly Johns, James Kadamus, Susan Keitel, Edward McCormick, Chuck McMorran, Gerald Nichols, Marsha Ra, Kathleen Roe, David Walsh

Recorder: Lorraine Deitz

Dottie welcomed the group at 10:05 AM.

Revisiting the Committee Charge-Hiebing

Dottie reviewed the charge for the Steering Committee taken from the NOVEL Implementation Plan Libraries Expanding Information Access for New Yorkers in the New Century. "The NOVEL Steering Committee will define and coordinate policy, planning, and responsibilities for each initiative. Initially, members will come from the NOVEL Planning Team to ensure continuity. As original members rotate off the Steering Committee, new members will be added to represent the various constituencies and the broad range of interests and concerns among New York's libraries. The Steering Committee will be charged to do the following:

• Define the roles and responsibilities of the various library groups in implementing NOVEL, including the Advisory Groups, the State Library, the State Education Department, library systems, and other library organizations in the state.
• Provide a statewide perspective on all NOVEL initiatives and coordinate the initiatives with other cooperative library efforts within the state.
• Serve in an overall advisory role for coordinating and maximizing effective use of state and federal funds in support of each initiative.
• Create a financial plan for using NOVEL funding, participant resources, aggregated financial resources across the state, and new funding opportunities.
• Address strategic planning and overall policy issues, including training strategies, continuity of collections, and filtering.
• Devise practical ways to resolve apparent conflicts between regionalization and groups organized around library type or user type in supporting statewide licensing of electronic
• Encourage full participation in NOVEL by the major universities and research libraries.
• Communicate recommendations and operational issues to the State Library.
• Identify the appropriate organization(s) to represent NOVEL initiatives in vendor negotiations.
• Create five broad-based constituent Advisory Groups with specific charges relevant to each initiative, and ensure that the work of the groups is integrated to avoid duplication of effort and the development of conflicting strategies.

The proposed Advisory Groups will be charged to-

• Address specific issues and tasks for their assigned initiative.
• Represent and integrate a broad range of views from the library community to ensure that local needs are fully considered.
• Make recommendations to the Steering Committee relevant to the assigned initiative."

Funding of NOVEL and State Library News-Welch

Janet advised the group that things look relatively stable on Federal funding for LSTA and thanked everyone for their continued help with representatives in Washington, D.C. She is reviewing recommended alternatives for replacing the Gale database Reference Link, which Gale is dropping. Janet will keep the NOVEL Steering Committee informed of the State Library's progress in selecting a new NOVEL database to replace Reference Link.

With regard to 2003-04 State aid, Janet mentioned that State aid for libraries will be held flat/without a cut for libraries and library systems. One good outcome of the library community's advocacy efforts is that library funding is now being discussed and reviewed as an important part of education funding. The question now is when will systems and libraries get the money as the State has a severe cash flow problem. It seems unlikely that there will be new State money for any components of the New Century Libraries legislative proposal this year. Steering Committee members should contact Janet if they would like more details.

NOVEL Steering/SHRAB Digitization Forums--Desch

The Steering Committee had planned to partner with SHRAB (State Historical Records Advisory Board) to do a series of regional forums about digitization this fall. Due to restrictions on travel and the severe fiscal environment, the State Library and the State Archives recommend putting a hold on those plans. Dottie suggested the Steering Committee think of other ways to move forward and do some work on digitization.

NOVEL Subcommittee Conveners

Portal Group--John Meierhoffer reported that since the last meeting in April, his group is starting to frame a more complete pilot portal with focus on digital materials that would be delivered to the desktop. Another part would be pointers to regional catalogs throughout the State.

Marilyn Douglas reported that the Portal Group had not yet met with the State Education Department Virtual Learning Space (VLS) project team to discuss the relationship between the NOVEL Portal and the VLS. The Portal Group will meet with VLS project team before the July 8 Steering Committee meeting. Mary-Alice Lynch will have Internet access and a projector available at NYLINK Headquarters on July 8 for a demonstration of VLS.

The Electronic Resources Group - John Shaloiko reported that the group is working on a number of things to share with the Steering Committee on July 8 including the 'Selection, Acquisition, and Marketing Policy for a Statewide Approach to Electronic Resources," Access to Electronic Advisory Group, and the Survey analysis.

The Telecommunications Group - no report.

Outreach to the New York Library Community

Following is a listing that reflects updated speaking engagements for Phyllis Fisher, Wanda Knight and Mary Redmond.

 REPORT TO THE STATE

"NOVEL Speakers' Bureau"

 Upcoming Wireless Seminar--Marilyn Douglas

The Southern Tier Library System and the Steering Committee will sponsor a Seminar on Integrating Wireless Telecommunications into a Wide Area Network: Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries at the Albany Public Library on June 26, 2003 from 10:00-1:00 p.m. Steering Committee members and other interested colleagues are invited to attend. You can register online at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/novel/wirelessnet.htm

NOVEL Database Demos-Redmond

The legislators and their staff have been very receptive to the NOVEL database demos. Recent demos were given at the Legislature's Disability Awareness Fair and at a legislative breakfast sponsored by the Friends of the New York State Library.

NYLA Conference-Welch

There are four potential State Library programs planned for the NYLA Conference in Saratoga Springs in November. Janet should have better information on the programs and availability of program slots by the July 8 Steering Committee meeting:

1. State Library Update, with a possible segment on the NOVEL Steering Committee
2. Possible new slot, which could be its own program focusing on the NOVEL Steering Committee.
3. E-Rate Workshop
4. New Century Libraries, featuring Commissioner Mills and a panel of advocacy experts.

There will also be a State Library exhibit table which will feature information about NOVEL.

Steering Committee Meetings Fall 2003 -Hiebing

A balance of meetings and conference calls seems desirable-two meetings to one call-with some type of meeting every six weeks. Venues other than Albany were discussed, but Janet Welch pointed out that the State Library staff on the Steering Committee would not be able to travel due to fiscal constraints. The group discussed teleconferencing. Dottie suggested that one of the subcommittees try to meet via teleconference. She will explore the cost of teleconferencing with a bridge with the State Library.

The conference call meeting adjourned at 11 AM.

Action Items

• Interested Steering Committee members will contact Janet Welch for more information on the State budget.
• Marilyn Douglas will arrange a meeting with the State Education Department Virtual Learning Space project team and the Portal subgroup before our next meeting on July 8. The portal subgroup will make a report to the Steering Committee on the outcome of that meeting. (Meeting now scheduled for July 2).
• Mary-Alice Lynch will have Internet access and a projector available at NYLINK Headquarters on July 8.
• Dottie suggested we think of ways to move forward and do some work on digitization.
• John Shaloiko will work with State Library staff to finalize the survey responses and analysis. For the July 8 meeting.
• Lorraine will e-mail the Draft NOVEL Talking Points to the group. Comments/additions/suggestions should be e-mailed to Marilyn Douglas by June 30. The Talking Points will then be posted on the NOVEL website.
• Marilyn Douglas will e-mail information to the Steering Committee about the Wireless Seminar, June 26, at Albany Public LibraryMaking a NOVEL presentation? A PowerPoint presentation is available-contact Marilyn Douglas.
• Dottie will explore the cost of teleconferencing with a bridge with the State Library.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, July 8, 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM, NYLINK Headquarters, 74 N Pearl Street, Albany, NY