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Members Present:
Chair Mark McKenney, Tovah Reis, Donna Good, Deborah Barchi, Rose Ellen Reynolds, William Allen, Phyllis Harnick, Leslie McDonough

Members Absent:
Peter Deekle, Joan Ankner, Joshua Teverow, Donald Deignan, Cristina Amedeo, Jay Litman, Alice Barrows, Mary Cummings

Present from the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS):
Anne Parent, Beth Perry, Donna DiMichele, Karen Mellor

Observers:
Joan Ress Reeves; Dale Thompson, Providence Public Library

Reporting:
Laurie Scialabba

Materials Distributed:
1. Proposed State Library Aid, FY 2006
2. Facts about Rhode Island Libraries
3. The letter dated February 9, 2005 to Mark McKenney, Chair of Library Board of Rhode Island, from Dale Thompson, Providence Public Library, requesting that the Library Board of Rhode Island conduct the biennial review of the public library construction caps.
4. The letter dated February 25, 2005 to Dale Thompson, Providence Public Library, from Mark McKenney, in response to her letter dated February 9.
5. 2005 Legislative news and Updates
6. Legislation Package containing S-0759, An Act Relating to the Office of library and Information Services; H-5170, An Act Relating to Libraries – State Aid to Libraries; S-0242, An Act Relating to Libraries – State Aid to Libraries;
7. Website of the General Assembly

The meeting was convened at 4:21 p.m.

I. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the January 31, 2005 meeting were moved, seconded and unanimously approved.

II. REPORT OF ADMINISTRATION

The American Library Association’s National Library Legislative Day will be held on Wednesday, May 4, with the Training Day on May 3, in Washington, D.C. Ms. Reynolds is unable to attend this year. Ms. Reeves will represent the Library Board. Congress is not in session on Wednesday, and the Senate is on recess for that week. Congressional legislative staff will be available for meetings. Elyse Wasch, aide to Senator Jack Reed was named as “the best 35 staffers under the age of 35”, by The Hill newspaper. Congratulations can be sent to her at http://reed.senate.gov, or directly at http://elyse_wasch@reed.senate.gov . Ms. Reeves suggested that the Library Board sent a congratulatory letter to Ms. Wasch.

Legislation has been introduced that would provide that the office of library and information services within the department of administration would be under the direction of a chief of library services. At this morning’s RILA Legislative Action Committee meeting a vote was taken to recommend to the full RILA Board to support S-0759/H-5923 and that hearings would be sought. It was the consensus of the Board to support this legislation.

An open meeting, sponsored by RILA, on H-5170/S-0242, will be held on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 at the William Hall Library. H5170/S-0242 would provide that all libraries that receive state aid shall be subject to the open meetings law, and this act would take effect on July 1, 2006. This legislation would affect libraries whose boards are private corporations as well as non-municipal libraries. It was suggested that an advisory opinion be sought from the Office of the Attorney General.

Legal counsel at the Department of Administration is seeking an interpretation on behalf of a number of agencies as to whether subcommittees of Boards are subject to the Open Meetings law. Past practices are to be continued until further notice. All items for Board consideration are to be put on the agenda at least 48 hours in advance of the meetings.

Relocation of office space for library staff is on hold. Ms. Perry and Ms. Parent have developed recommendations for the relocation of the OLIS library, as well as a variety of staff functions on the ground floor. DOA is investigating possibilities for relocation. The most recent recommendation under consideration is to move the library to a conference room on the fourth floor; however, load-bearing requirements may be an issue. When asked if the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies would like the professional collection, Ms. Parent responded that Mr Christopher Wessells, Interim Library Dean at URI, stated that there is no room or money to support the collection.

The LibFutures meeting was held on February 2, and the next is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. A small meeting was held on February 11 facilitated by Maureen Sullivan to discuss the two “barrier” issues - a future statewide role for the Providence Public Library, as well as roles for OLIS and the Library Board. OLIS sponsored the half-day facilitation. A discussion on the third “barrier issue,” the status of school libraries, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, late afternoon, at the Narragansett High School Library. OLIS will sponsor the facilitation. Notes from the two barrier issue meetings will be found on the LibFutures website, once the school library meeting has been completed. The Futures website can be reached from www.lori.ri.gov by clicking on “Future of RI Libraries” in the right-hand yellow bar.

The Governor’s appointments to the Legislation Commission have been made, William Allen of the LBRI, and William Simmons, an anthropology professor at Brown. The only remaining appointments are the legislative ones. The target date for the first meeting of the Legislative Commission may be April or May. Ms. Parent will forward a listing of those appointed to the Legislative Commission to Mr. Allen.

Jewel Drickamer, 1917-2005. Jewel Drickamer, who served as Deputy Director and Director of the Department of State Library Services, 1964-1975 and 1975-1980, respectively, recently passed away. The Library Board gratefully acknowledged her tireless efforts on library consolidation and cooperation in Rhode Island.

Ms. Parent will be the recipient of this year’s URI-GSLIS Alumna of the Year Award, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Library & Information Studies on Friday evening, April 8, in Kingston.

III. CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT

Chair McKenney reported that the Governor has appointed Library Board member William Allen to the Legislative Committee to Study Library Services. The Governor has also appointed Bill Simons, Professor of Anthropology at Brown University to serve on that committee.

IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Committee on Legislation
The Legislation Package and the Website of the General Assembly was distributed. Ms. Scialabba read the most recent membership listing for this committee, and Ms. Reynolds invited Board members to join the committee.

Committee on Planning and Budget
Ms. Parent noted that Ms. Barrows invites Board members interested to serve on the committee.

Committee on Public Relations
Ms. Scialabba read the most recent membership listing for this committee. Facts about Rhode Island Libraries was distributed, and the Library Board will be asked to accept the document and publish it on the LORI website. Library associations and groups will be asked to place a link to the Facts about Rhode Island Libraries on their website. Facts about Rhode Island Libraries will also be promoted during National Library Week in April. The committee discussed the “Ask A Librarian” service and this is a future discussion item.

Chair McKenney thanked the committees for their work.

V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

It was moved, seconded and unanimously approved that the Library Board of Rhode Island accept the Facts About Rhode Island Libraries and publish them on the LORI website.

Chair McKenney noted that revisions can be made without future Library Board approval. The Board welcomes comments and suggestions for inclusion, subject to approval by the Public Relations Committee. Mr. Allen will contact the Providence Journal and request that Facts About Rhode Island Libraries be published during National Library Week.

It was moved, seconded and unanimously approved that the Library Board of Rhode Island endorse The Proposed State Library Aid, FY 2006, as reflected in the Governor’s Budget.

VI. NEW BUSINESS

The letter from the Dale Thompson, Providence Public Library, to Mark McKenney, Chair of the Library Board, dated February 9, 2005, was distributed. Ms. Thompson requests that the Library Board conduct a biennial review to reassess the construction caps of $150 per square foot for new construction and $125 per square foot for renovation and remodeling. Chair McKenney will ask the Committee on Planning and Budget will review the caps on construction costs. Ms. Parent suggested a tentative meeting at 3:00 p.m., one hour prior to the Library Board meeting on March 21 to begin discussions. Ms. Thompson suggested that make up of the committee include resource people. It was noted that Library Board member, Jay Litman, served on that committee two years ago. Ms. Parent suggested that Karen Mellor, OLIS staff member, serve as a resource, as well as someone from the state budget office. Ms. Thompson would like to attend the meeting.

VII. PUBLIC COMMENT

Ms. Thompson invited those present to attend a meeting at the Washington Park Branch that will be taking place after the Library Board meeting. At the meeting, comments about the branch’s services will be solicited.

VIII. AGENDA FOR FUTURE MEETINGS

The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for March 21, 2005 at the Department of Administration.

Future meetings of the Board are scheduled as follows:

March 21
April 25
May 23
June 20
Sept 19
October 17
November 21
December 19

The meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.