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New Business | Future Meetings

Members Present:
Chair Joan Ress Reeves, Jay Litman, Rose Ellen Reynolds, Donald Deignan, Mary Cummings, Artemis Kirk, Mark McKenney, Donna Good, Deborah Barchi

Members Not Present:
Joanne Aspri, Anne Kayarian, Madelyn Rumowicz, Dennis Cheek, William Shuey, Ann Crawford, Phyllis Harnick, Joshua Teverow

Present from Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS):
Barbara Weaver, Beth Perry, Laurie Scialabba

Guest: Anne Parent, Regional Administrator for the Central Massachusetts Library System.

Chair Reeves welcomed and introduced Anne Parent, Regional Administrator for the Central Massachusetts Library System. On April 16, Ms. Parent will join OLIS as Assistant Director, Library Programs Management Services.

I. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the January 2001 meeting will stand as circulated.

II. DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Ms. Weaver reported that Senator Reed has reintroduced his proposal as an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization. School libraries will receive federal funding for resources. Senator Chafee is a cosponsor of the bill.

The Gates Foundation has accepted our application for a grant for Rhode Island. The Gates Foundation will contact libraries in FY 2002 and FY 2003.

Rhode Island’s Plan for Evaluation of the LSTA 5-Year Plan 1998-2002 was distributed. On the third page, the plan for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) evaluation is described. An outside evaluator will be hired. A joint venture with other New England states will be considered. $30,000 has been set aside as an approximate cost for the evaluation.

The American Library Association National Library Legislative Day and briefing in Washington, D.C. will be held April 30- May 1, 2001. Representatives from the Coalition of Library Advocates (COLA), Rhode Island Educational Media Association (RIEMA), Rhode Island Library Association (RILA), Cooperating Libraries Automated Network (CLAN), Library Board of Rhode Island, and OLIS will attend. Library Board members were invited to attend.

III. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

IV. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT

Chair Reeves asked Ms. Weaver to report on the correspondence addressed to the Library Board. Ms. Weaver explained that two messages were found on LORIPro on the general interest special interest group (SIG), and addressed to the Library Board. The two letters dated 1/24/01 and 2/09/01, both written by Robert Balliot, were distributed. Ms. Weaver will respond to the messages. Copies of Ms. Weaver’s response will be sent to Library Board members. The issue of state support in the amount of 25% based on local city and town expenditures will be addressed at the Library Director’s Meeting on March 30, 2001. Discussion followed. Ms. Barchi will speak to Ms. Weaver about a possible solution.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Committee on Planning and Budget.
The Draft Federal Program Budget for FY2002 was distributed.
Ms. Reynolds chaired the meeting for Madelyn Rumowicz and reported that the documentation distributed is due to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by April 1, 2002. If grants and ongoing expenses remain as is for FY 2001, there will be a negative balance of $31,995 in FY02. The amount in the proposed federal budget in FY 2002 is based on the same figure received in FY01, which was $820,096.

The committee recommends and moves that the Library Board reduce the Library of Rhode Island (LORI) grants by $16,000 and reduce the Literacy grants by $16,000 to make up the $31,995 deficit in the federal budget for FY 2002.

Discussion followed.

It was unanimously approved by the Library Board of Rhode Island that the Library of Rhode Island (LORI) grants be reduced by $16,000 and the Literacy grants be reduced by $16,000 to make up the $31,995 deficit in the federal budget for FY 2002. There were no abstentions.

OLIS will be asking for approval of the entire Federal Program Budget Report for FY 2002 at the March 19, 2001 meeting. The Federal Program Budget Report for FY 2002 will be distributed to Library Board members before the next meeting.

A Library Board meeting at Tech Access will be planned for the spring.

Committee on Legislation
Chair Reeves reported on the meeting with Representative Fox on the Library Linx Project. Representative Fox is excited about the project. He also advised asking for the entire amount necessary to the project. Representative Fox wants to write and introduce the bill after the 2001 Supplemental Budget has been decided. A meeting will be scheduled with Ms. Weaver, Chair Reeves, Mr. Panciera and Representative Pires, House Finance Committee Chairman. Chair Reeves wrote a letter of thanks to Representative Fox.

Ms. Reynolds reported on four pieces of legislation. S 0637 Relating to state aid to libraries – Legislation has been introduced for a $25,000 grant to the Rogers Free Library. Legislation has also been introduced for a $2,500 grant to each of the libraries in Exeter, Coventry and East Greenwich. H 5570 Relating to Education – Literacy Program – Libraries or school libraries not included. H 5899 Relating to Education – School libraries not included. H 5369 Relating to Community Antenna Television systems – Chair Reynolds will write to Representative Gorham thanking him for mentioning libraries. S 0637 – This relates to asset protection. No library would be able to plan in the time frame given. Repairs are the responsibility of the municipality.

H 6100 Article 4 of the Governor’s Budget Relating to State Aid to Libraries –
Comparison of proposed totals to annual cap, by fiscal year 2000-2029 was distributed.
A brief overview of the Public Library Construction Program was given. The Governor reinstated the program in 1998. In 1991, the Library Board established a cap of $2,000,000 for the program. The Library Board later adopted a gradually increasing scale raising the cap of the program. Regulations for Public Library Construction/Renovation Reimbursement Funding under 29-6-6 of the Rhode Island General Laws were filed with the Office of the Secretary of State in 1999. Appendix F 3 specifies that the “Office of Library and Information Services will retain the existing cap of $2 million for total estimated reimbursement payment for the FY2000 budget, and will raise the cap by $1 million each year thereafter to a maximum of $5 million in FY2003.”

Article 4, page 51, of the proposed FY 2002 budget, adds the following language to 29-6-6, “Total annual payments under this construction grant-in-aid program shall not exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000)” This year, $2,280,699 has been approved for signed contracts. The Comparison of proposed totals to annual cap, by fiscal year 2000-2029 was discussed. If the cap in Article 4 is adopted, it will not affect the FY02 budget, but it will affect the FY03 budget and beyond. No additional libraries can be added until at least FY08. In FY03, Portsmouth and Hope Library will be eligible for reimbursement. In FY04, East Greenwich and Middletown will be eligible for reimbursement. Other libraries could also be affected.

The Committee moved that the Library Board support the elimination of Article 4 from H 6100.

The Library Board of Rhode Island unanimously voted to support the elimination of Article 4 from H 6100.

Chair Reeves will notify the Advocacy Task Force about the Library Board vote to support elimination of Article 4 from H 6100 and request that legislators be contacted.

VI. NEW BUSINESS

None.

VII. AGENDA FOR FUTURE MEETINGS

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 19, 2001 at 4:30 P.M. at the Department of Administration, Conference Room B.

The meeting adjourned at 5:59 P.M