Board of Trustees
Cleveland Area Metropolitian Library System

Minutes of Meeting
Cuyahoga County Public Library - Brooklyn Branch
12/16/96

Call To Order:
The meeting was called to order at 9:37 a.m. by President Gretchen Hallerberg. In attendance: Betsey Belkin, John Biros, Kenneth Cromer, Gretchen Hallerberg, Laura Holland, Lisa Johnson, Heidi Makela, Paula Miller, Pat Scanlan, and Jean Toombs; Associate Member: David Jennings; CAMLS Staff: Millie Fry, Mary Ellen Powers, and Beth Listerman. Absent: Fran Buckley, Bob Carterette, and John Lonsak
 
Minutes of Meeting on 11/19/96
Heidi Makela MOVED and Paula Miller SECONDED a motion TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE CAMLS BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19, 1996. Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs. Nays: none. Abstentions: none.
 
November Financial Reports

Mary Ellen Powers reported that as of November 30, 1996 the ending balance was $406,994. There were no unusual expenditures for the month. The Revenue Report reflects the transfer of $16,500 approved at the October Board meeting. CAMLS also received the audit reimbursement for the audit prior to the one currently taking place. Paula Miller MOVED and Lisa Johnson SECONDED a motion TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER FINANCIAL REPORT.

Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs.
Nays: none.
Abstentions: none.

Prior to Jacque Mundell’s leaving, she registered for the OLC Conference and guaranteed a room reservation. Since the hotel claimed the room was not cancelled, the charge of $118.07 has appeared on the American Express invoice. Laura Holland MOVED and Lisa Johnson SECONDED a motion TO APPROVE THE EXPENDITURE OF $118.07 FOR PAYMENT.

Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs.
Nays: none.
Abstentions: none.
Transfers

Laura Holland MOVED and Jean Toombs SECONDED a motion TO TRANSFER $500 IN LOCAL CONTRIBUTION FUND FROM OTHER - SOFTWARE TO PERIODICALS FOR PERIODICAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BOOKS.

Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs.
Nays: none.
Abstentions: none.

The Board requested that CAMLS provide a list of periodicals to which it currently subscribes.
Personnel/Finance Committee Report

Paula Miller reported that a joint meeting of the Personnel and Finance Committees met on December 10, 1996. The committees met together since many personnel issues impact the budget. Discussion centered on the current evaluation process and salary ranges. The recommendations of the committees are: (1) to allocate a maximum pool of 3% for salary increases in salaries for CAMLS staff in the 1997/98 budget; (2) to keep the same salary ranges for 1997/98 as in 1996/97; and (3) to charge the Personnel Committee to reexamine the evaluation and compensation processes during the next year.

It was felt that this joint meeting was very productive and that the Personnel and Finance Committees should meet each fall when developing the budget. Laura Holland reported that a draft of the Executive Director’s job description will be finalized shortly.
Approval of the 1997/98 Preliminary Budget

Paula Miller reviewed the development of the current budget proposal, which is in its fourth draft. The additional personnel position necessitated changes in draft 3, and the amount of salary increases and reimbursement to net lenders dictated the changes in draft 4.

Ken Cromer arrived at 10:05 a.m.

After Mary Ellen Powers reviewed the budget, Heidi Makela MOVED and David Jennings SECONDED a motion TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR THE 1997/98 LSTA GRANT APPLICATION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME FUNDS MAY NEED TO BE REALLOCATED.

Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Cromer, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs.
Nays: none.
Abstentions: none.

Mary Ellen was commended for the pie charts and overall pages. They made the budget clear with a good tie in with the Strategic Plan.

Mary Ellen Powers reported that the State auditors have been in the CAMLS office since November 25. All is apparently going well. A post-audit date will be announced at the next Board meeting.
Approval of the Strategic Plan 1997-1999

Gretchen Hallerberg reported that the Strategic Planning Committee met on December 3 to fine- tune the document. The changes focused mostly on the wording to make it more general and less specific. Ken Cromer MOVED and Betsey Belkin SECONDED a motion TO APPROVE THE 1997-99 STRATEGIC PLAN.

Ayes: Belkin, Biros, Cromer, Hallerberg, Holland, Johnson, Makela, Miller, Scanlan, and Toombs.
Nays: none.
Abstentions: none.
Search Committee Report

A charge was given to the President of the Board to form a search committee for the new Executive Director. Representatives were picked from different committees and various types and sizes of libraries. The Committee consists of Jean Toombs, Chair, Laura Holland, Lynn Stainbrook, Gretchen Hallerberg, Ken Cromer, and Fran Buckley. The committee will meet in early January to fine-tune the job description and discuss where to advertise the position.
Bylaws Committee Report

The Bylaws Committee (Heidi Makela, Chair, and Ken Cromer) was formed to address the issue of what happens when someone is elected vice-president/president-elect at the beginning of the third year of their three-year Board term. The person would no longer be on the Board during the year they are president. The Board preferred the option that the person in question serve a 4th year, as president, and that board seat isn’t opened for elections until a year later. Heidi and Ken will study the ramifications of this change in the Bylaws and make a recommendation for discussion by the Board at the January meeting. The revised Bylaws will then need to be sent to the Advisory Council by February 17, or 30 days before the March Advisory Council Meeting.
Acting Executive Director’s Report

  • CAMLS will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 1997. Stickers are being purchased to be used on correspondence. Elaine Terman will design a logo for the CAMLS News and write a brief history for the February issue. A celebration will be held at the Annual Meeting in May.

  • Millie attended a Regional Library System directors meeting in Columbus on December 4 and 5. Rogery Verny reported that schools will be a top priority with legislators this coming year. The SLO hopes to have the LSTA guidelines in March. CAMLS will need to write a grant to receive state funding in the next biennium. SLO will be hiring a consultant to study regional library systems. The last one was the Rush Report done 10 years ago. The Continuing Education providers will meet periodically with a State Library staff member to coordinate more programs in Ohio. The State Library will propose combining the ALSO and METRO laws into one Regional Library System law.

  • OHIONET is now updating the CAMLS web site. The Board agenda will be added as well as the minutes after Board approval. The PR Committee is developing a module for library programs and speakers. The Group Discount Purchasing Catalog will be added in February.

  • OLC asked CAMLS permission to reprint the article “Diversity: Honest Conversations” which was written by Jan Ridgeway, Manager of CCPL’s Beachwood Branch, and appeared in the last issue of the CAMLS News.

  • The Professional Development Catalog will be distributed by mid-February. A CE survey was sent in each CAMLS News, and 300 CE surveys were sent to participants of the 1996 Support Staff Conference. The results of these surveys will be used to develop the 1997/98 professional development program.

  • CAMLS will be conducting 8 OPLIN training sessions (4 Interface and 4 Reference) between January and April. CAMLS is also working with CCPL to develop 15 OPLIN workshops for CCPL personnel beginning in mid-February.

  • Millie will be working on the LSTA grant in January and early February. She will be taking two weeks of vacation during the holidays. CAMLS has installed voice mail to answer telephone calls and record the Job Hotline.

  • The Union List updates are due in the office by the end of December. CAMLS has contracted with a librarian at Shaker Heights Public Library to update the holdings. Millie will go to Grafton-Midview Public Library on December 19 to train them so their holdings will be included when they become a member July 1, 1997. It is hoped that the Union List will go to the printers in April.
    Gretchen Hallerberg recognized the difficult time in the CAMLS office with the vacancy, audit, budget planning, etc. and reiterated the Board’s support.
 
 
 
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a..m.

Back to Board Minutes