Meeting Minutes
STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL
ON LIBRARIES
March 13 and 14, 1997
Council Present: Roger Adkins, Joan Birnie,
Phyllis Brunken, Laura Cundiff, John Dale, Dreva Dragos, Susie Baird, Stan
Gardner, Michael LaCroix, Ken Oyer, Sandra Riley, Jeanne Saathoff, Kathy
Tooker. Richard Voeltz, Sharon Wiegert and Sally Wise. Sylvia Person attended
on Friday.
Commissioners Present: Karen Warner, Ron
Norman, Jean Sanders and Frances Lovell.
Staff Present: Rod Wagner, Nancy Busch,
Sally Snyder, Jo Budler, Maria Medrano-Nehls and Ellen Van Waart.
Guests Present: Maggie Harding
Welcome, Introductions, Agenda
Overview
The meeting was called to order by the chair, Jeanne Saathoff at 1:00
p.m. Introductions were given followed by an overview of the agenda.
The Library Services and Technology
Act
Sally Snyder reported on the new Library Services and Technology Act
(LSTA): LSCA, the Library Services and Construction Act, began as the Library
Services Act passed on June 19, 1956. It has been changed over the years.
Its most recent form included three Titles administered through state library
agencies, and other titles administered directly by the U.S. Department
of Education. A listing of the objectives for each of the first three Titles
was distributed to the Council. The three LSCA titles included:` Title
I, Public Library Services; Title II, Public Library Construction, which
later also included technology enhancement; and Title III, Interlibrary
Cooperation and Resource Sharing.
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), passed by Congress on
September 30, 1996, has a different emphasis. A listing of the purposes
of LSTA was distributed to the Council. It contains two basic priority
areas: 1) information access through technology, and 2) information empowerment
through special services. The rules and regulations for use of the LSTA
funds are still being developed by the Institute of Museums and Library
Services (IMLS). A Preliminary Plan or a five-year Long Range Plan are
due to IMLS on April 1, 1997. The Library Commission will submit a Preliminary
Plan by the due date. The five year Long Range Plan will then be due on
August 1, 1997.
Nancy Busch reported on the LSTA Preliminary Plan and the Long Range
Plan. The Institute of Museums and Library Services (an independent federal
agency) will administer the LSTA. Included in the preliminary plan are
the Library Commission's current mission, roles, functions, and relationships
(that are a carry over from the current plan). Public forums have been
scheduled around the state. This is a planning opportunity for new goals,
priorities and objectives. The web site for the Institute of Museums and
Library
services is: http://www.ims.fed.us/
The Changing Role of State Advisory Council
on Libraries
Nancy Busch: The new Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) does
not require a State Advisory Council on Libraries. The Commissioners, at
the last Library Commission meeting, reaffirmed the State Advisory Council
on Libraries and issued a challenge for the Council this year of transition
from LSCA to LSTA to review its role and how the Council can best function
keeping in mind the possibility of more funding with the Libraries for
21st Century and changes in LSTA. How can the Council be used to advise
the Library Commission on priorities and criteria for allocation of federal
and state funds?
Ron Norman reported that the Commissioners agreed that the State Advisory
Council fulfills a vital function and needs to be used for similar purposes
in future. The Commissioners also concluded that this was a good time for
the Council to look at itself and its role.
Rod Wagner: When the State Advisory Council on Libraries was first created
in the 1970's there were 18 members, and 1/3 were required to be library
users. Later the membership requirement was made more flexible. At the
last Library Commission meeting, the Commissioners discussed whether to
enlarge the Council. Does the Council have the right number of people?
Is the membership representative of different types of libraries and the
general public? Does the Council have good geographic dispersion to represent
the state well?
Looking ahead, the Library Commission has the prospect of administrating
some additional state aid moneys for Libraries of the 21st Century. Will
the Council be involved more directly in helping to decide the distribution
of the additional money? Should the Council's role be expanded?
Kathy Tooker: The Council membership looks good as far as geographic
and type of libraries represented.
Jeanne Saathoff: Council members need to communicate with the people
in their geographic area and the library group they represent.
Nancy Busch: The Council has been used in the past to have general
discussions
about the direction the Library Commission should be taking. The Council
has had many discussions on technology, and telecommunications, and has
really helped direct the Library Commission in a very general way with
the exception of the time when the Council helped review the Library Systems
Long Range plans. The Council may want to discuss getting involved in more
detailed programs and services.
Stan Gardner: The Council should play a devil's advocate role to help
the Library Commission be prepared for possible challenges in the future.
Nancy Busch: That would be helpful, to have a real sense from this group
of how any programs or services that the Library Commission might be thinking
about might play in various sectors in the state and what the needs are
that the Library Commission may not be hearing or be aware of.
Phyllis Brunken: As a Council member I felt more productive when the
Council had the specific task of reviewing system Long Range Plans and
had a day and a half to review the plans. I have always looked at my role
as being a representative for the patrons I am representing. It is important
for the Council to establish communication with the patrons in their area
and library type. The Council should also solicit information from the
patrons being represented This is an especially important issue for the
school/media representative due to small budgets that may prevent people
from attending the Council meetings.
Rod Wagner: The state senators that the Library Commission has been
working with have a lot more commitment and interest and feel some credibility
towards the things the Library Commission asks for when they know there
is a representative body to give input on issues. The Council has a significant
role to play concerning choices and uses of Libraries for the 21st Century
funds.
The Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996:
Universal Service Policies
Rod Wagner: In November of 1996 the Federal/State Joint Board made
recommendations
to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning Universal Service
issues, specifically as related to schools and libraries in regard to
telecommunications
services and rates. Nebraska has a task force that was formed last August
that has met almost monthly and will meet into this summer. The job of
the Nebraska Universal Service Fund Task Force is to develop state
recommendations
that complement or exceed those adopted by the FCC.
The Task Force has 18 members, 5 are not from within the telecommunications
industry (Alan Wibbels, Kearney, representing K-12 education; Craig Schroeder,
Cambridge, representing the general public; Ted Schulz, Lincoln, a
representative
of the Nebraska Hospital Association; Bill Miller, Director of the State
Dept. of Administrative Services, Central Data Processing and Communications
Divisions, Lincoln, representing and Rod Wagner, Lincoln, representing
libraries).
A main concern regarding universal service policies is that they may
compromise policies already in place in Nebraska. Nebraska schools have
done a really good job in telecommunications developments, and are getting
favorable rates for telecommunications services. The joint board
recommendations
go to the FCC, which by law must make their decisions by May 8, 1997. The
recommendation provides for a 20-90% discount for schools and libraries
for telecommunications services. The broad terms of the discount would
include: internal wiring, equipment, as well as telecommunications services
(including wireless). These terms have raised some concerns if there is
adoption of a policy that is more restrictive than what the schools and
libraries have already been able to negotiate. The Nebraska fund should
provide at least for a 50% discount. No decision will be made in Nebraska
until after the FCC makes their decision in May.
The FCC can accept, reject, or modify the recommendations presented
by the joint board. Another consideration is that there is proposed an
annual cap of 2.25 billion dollars on the fund for schools and libraries,
but there is concern that this amount will not be adequate. If that would
be the case then there is a mechanism in which schools and libraries in
the most economically disadvantaged areas would have first priority for
those funds. The FCC could make the cap higher or lower.
There will be some type of certification process whereby schools and
libraries will have to certify their eligibility, and for libraries that
are eligible to participate in the Library Services and Technology Act
are also eligible for Universal Service funding. It appears that all schools
and libraries will need to have some type of technology plan. A description
of services the school or library would have funded through the Universal
Services fund. The plan does not need to be elaborate but should be a
description
of what services the school or library would propose funded through Universal
Service, and could be anything from business lines to Internet access,
video classroom technology, etc. The plans are to be filed with the fund
administrator. In Nebraska there will be a designated fund administrator,
probably some independent body that has been identified and arranged through
the State Public Service Commission. The fund administrator is supposed
to solicit bids which would then be the basis of the discounted services,
to be in place by the 1997/1998 school year. Funds will be generated through
revenues obtained through all telecommunications companies.
The customer is paying for universal service subsidies. The question
is how much do you want to pay? The universal service fund has been in
place, this is just a new approach to it. The FCC approach is to assess
interstate and intrastate billings. The rough calculation in Nebraska,
annual telecommunications billings are just under $1 billion dollars. In
terms of the Nebraska funds, the amount on monthly customer bills would
be minuscule, because it is spread out so broadly among residential and
businesses.
Schools and libraries need these discounts and they have a very positive
public benefit. The American Library Association and the educational groups
have asked for help, so one action that could come out of the council meeting
today and tomorrow would be perhaps a statement or resolution that the
council as a body might send to our Nebraska Senators. Council members
can contact them individually if they would like to do so. The Council
can adopt a statement and send it on behalf of the Council. New Nebraska
Senator Hagel should be contacted to let him know that this issue is important
to Nebraskans. Senator Kerrey is very supportive of this issue, but still
should be contacted to let him know that Nebraskans support this issue.
State Legislative Update (LB 95, LB
250)
Jeanne Sathoff: The Council's role in Libraries for the 21st Century
is very exciting. We have had some good reception about the importance
of technology, where we should go, and identify a need for the State to
become partners in this process and help us along the road. The Council
appointed a steering committee last year and started the process. It has
been exciting to see LB 95 introduced, to have the opportunity to go and
present to the legislature the testimony, to get feedback from senators
and others, and to see people becoming receptive to more ideas. Key players
along the road that need to be acknowledged at this time: NLA being a big
part, NEMA, Sally Snyder, Mary Jo Ryan, Maggie Harding, Kathy Tooker and
the Eastern Library System.
Maggie Harding: LB 95 was introduced by Senator LaVon Crosby. LB 95
is the bill that introduces the Libraries for the 21st Century vision and
goals and specifies an appropriation amount. The Appropriations Committee
held a hearing on LB 95 on March 4th Jeanne Saathoff, Sharon Mason, Richard
Miller, Rod Wagner, Nancy Busch, Kathy Tooker and Randy Moody held a meeting
to coordinate testimony presentation. At 5:45 p.m. LB 95's hearing came
up. Rod Wagner gave the background information; Kathy Tooker testified
for the library systems; Jeanne Saathoff spoke for the State Advisory Council
on Libraries; Sharon Mason spoke for the Nebraska Library Association.
Then Nancy Busch presented the Nebraska Library Commission budget request.
Maggie reported that she and Kathy Tooker went back to the Capitol on Tuesday,
March 11th and talked to the Senators from the Appropriation Committee,
called them off the floor to give them a chance to ask questions. A couple
of the senators did indicate that there will probably be some money for
the LB 95, probably not the entire amount. Senator Wehrbein indicated that
the money will not come as a separate amount, but will be part of the Library
Commission budget. We plan to go back again when the whole chamber is
considering
the bill and discuss again what 27 cents will buy.
One of the areas the Council could work on in the future would be to
encourage people on the need to promote libraries and library services.
Also there is a blurring in peoples minds on what is the Library Commission
and the Library Association, and also what the State Advisory Council on
Libraries does, there is a real need to educate in this area.
Kathy Tooker: We need to keep momentum going, and continue to keep in
contact with senators. The listserv is up and called Leglinks, all members
of the Council should be Legislative links and should be on the listserv.
Nancy Busch: The Library Commission will send packets of campaign materials
to all State Advisory Council and Commission members.
Rod Wagner: LB 95 & the appropriations bill: The Council has been
extremely helpful in this process. And has really laid some groundwork,
initiated some thinking and some action over the last couple of years
especially,
that has helped to bring us where we are. For example the Challenge Statement
that the Council put together two years ago. That quote was in a publication
from one of the America Library Association (ALA) divisions. The ALA is
putting together a manual/workbook on strategic planning. The Council's
involvement in developing a steering committee for putting together the
initiative for Libraries for the 21st Century. This shows everyone cares
about what we are doing and wanting to do something positive. That spirit
has contributed a lot. The Appropriation Committee is feeling favorable
toward what we have proposed. We can't just stop and wait for the money
to happen. We have to stay involved. The key now is the Appropriation
Committee.
Personal contacts are important. The Legislature will look at the budget
bills in May, and then the bills will go to the Governor in early June.
We also need to be working with the Governor's Office so that the Governor
will also support the new state aid funds.
LB 590: (Nebrask@ Online bill) LB 590 is the bill that was written
that follows the recommendations made by the task force that was formed
and met this past summer and fall. The Task Force looked into the area
of electronic access to state records, and recommended the state continue
to provide electronic access to state records through a gateway type service,
a private contractor or a state agency. That it be funded utilizing user
fees for some records. The heart of LB 590 is that it reconstitutes the
State Records Board, which is under the office of the Secretary of State.
It expands the State Records Board, so that it includes representation
for banking, insurance, legal industries, libraries, and consumers. If
enacted in this form, the State Records Board would have the prerogative
of taking over the contract that the Nebraska Library Commission has with
the Nebrask@ Online Network Manager. LB 590 is the personal priority
bill of the Speaker of the Legislature, Senator Withem. The bill will probably
be on the floor within the next 2 weeks.
LB 792: was introduced Senator Curt Bromm, which would require state
agencies to furnish public records in whatever format they are capable
of providing for those records. For example, if someone wanted to come
to the Library Commission and have us supply them with a computer disk
copy of a document, under the terms of this bill we would have to do that.
The Commission could charge for the cost of supplying the disk. The purpose
of LB 792 really is to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to again
resume providing tape copies of drivers license records, which discontinued
when Nebrask@ Online began providing interactive and batch processes
for accessing those records.
LB 176 & 177: These bills put in statute what the legislature attempted
to do through the constitutional amendment that was not enacted last November.
These bills make it easier for local governments such as municipalities
and counties to merge functions, such as law enforcement, and library services
among others.
LB 250: Also allows for merger, it removes some discrepancies in state
law where it says that if a county creates a county library or county library
system that the county board of commissioners (or supervisors) becomes
the county library board. The bill also allows citizens to petition to
get library services on the ballot for vote by the county. LB 250 also
provides some model legislation for mergers where municipal employees become
county employees and then can receive county employee benefits. The city
of Mayor and City Council of Omaha opposes LB 250.
Council Roundtable Discussion
Interests and Issues Among Nebraska
Libraries and Communities
Karen Warner, Nebraska Library Commission member and Coordinator of
Library Services at Northeast Community College, Norfolk: Northeast Community
College is involved in the trials of different databases statewide, very
excited about certain ones and down on certain ones. The databases are
a great service, commend the Commission for taking it under their wings,
Jo Budler has done a very good job. We are presently looking at a building
addition. As a Commissioner I gave a report to the Northeast Library System
on the last Commissioners' meeting. As a Commissioner I act as a conduit
for information and concerns from constituents in the area to and back
from the Library Commission.
Ron Norman, Chair of the Nebraska Library Commission and member of the
Kearney Public Library Foundation: One of the things we are trying to do
with the Foundation with Jeanne Saathoff's leadership is to make the Foundation
pro-active. Traditionally the Foundation is something that has been there
to receive whatever people want to give. Presently we are working on a
mission statement. I also report to and act as a conduit for the Meridian
Library System board about the Commissioners' meeting.
Jean Sanders; Nebraska Library Commission member from Lincoln: I appreciate
receiving all the system newsletters. The newsletters keep us well informed,
they are very well put together and your communications are very important.
Susan Baird, President of Panhandle Library System Board: The Panhandle
Library System has recently hired a new Library System Administrator. At
the Gering library we are working on Internet access policies. We are in
the process of getting dial in access for patrons and looking at security
systems.
Frances Lovell, Nebraska Library Commission member from Gering: I now
go to the library as a user. And I also enjoy the system newsletters.
Sandra Riley, Columbus, former Nebraska Library Commission member and
chair: Glad to be coming back to the group. One reason I am interested
in serving on the State Advisory Council is the last 8 years I served as
a member of Columbus City Council. I am really concerned as property tax
lids continue in the state and the city and county governments are really
going to be placed in a situation where they have to make some really hard
decisions. It is vital that the libraries keep talking to city council
members in your town, so that they are aware of the need for the money.
I am very pleased to hear of the work being done on the state level to
pursue some additional revenues for libraries.
Nancy Busch: Sandra Riley served two terms as a Nebraska Library Commission
member and was very involved in the Nebraska's Information Partnerships
Conference held in the early 90's. We are delighted to have her back.
Sally Wise, Director of Schmid Law Library, UN-L: This fall the Law
college set up a web site and the law library also has a web site with
extensive links to legal resources. http://www.unl.edu/lawcoll/library
(bring up UN-L homepage , go to academics, then to law college).
Ellen Van Waart, Continuing Education Coordinator for the Library
Commission:
I work with certification programs for librarians and trustees. I plan
workshops including basic skills courses for librarians, Public Library
Planning Process and we just finished the CLIP planning process. Hopefully
at the next meeting we will have a report and evaluation on the CLIP process.
Annie Sternburg and I put together a one page document in connection with
the Microsoft Libraries Online Project. Annie and a lot of other people
at the Commission are going to be doing training related to the Internet.
Most of you know that when you look at the Internet you are also looking
at acceptable use policies and if you do not have an acceptable use policy
for your library then it is something you might want to consider. There
are a lot of those policies out on the Internet. If you do a net search
, you'll find lots of acceptable use polices for all types of libraries.
I have been getting lots of questions. A lot of people have been calling
me, both librarians and citizens asking me about access to electronic
information,
access to the Internet. Should we or should we not put filters on our public
access computers? This has initiated some response at the Library Commission,
and we have been talking about it and felt that there was a need to put
together a statement or an interpretation. A draft was handed out to the
Council and asking for their input. Please give comments on this draft
interpretation to Ellen or Annie. The Library Commission would like the
comments of the Council.
Richard Voeltz, Librarian, Nursing Liaison & Chemistry Library,
UN-L: The UNL Libraries continue to organize itself as a learning organization,
and we are gradually coming to terms. At the present time the re-organization
continues. We are developing a new home page for the university libraries
which will include all the library services. We are still continuing to
experiment with various databases to see what will meet our needs.
Ken Oyer, Librarian, Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Omaha: We have been
consolidating, to some degree, three hospitals in Omaha. It has had some
impact on the information access provision. We are having the 6th annual
symposium on library issues during National Library Week (April 14th -18th)
in Omaha. On April 15th a luncheon will be held at the Embassy Suites and
the topic of the speaker is "Censorship and the Internet".
Stan Gardner, Director, U.S. Conn Library, Wayne State College: I just
started as Director in June, 1996. The collection hadn't been weeded for
perhaps 50 years, so our major project is weeding the collection.. We are
using the WLN conspectus and we have pretty much completed the data entry
portion. Now we are getting to the analysis part. Working on a new formula
for budget allocation for collection development. One note on weeding:
we have the Northwest Reporter from 1886 to 1988, would like to find a
home for these. We are still evaluating the electronic databases. We already
have the Ebsco host but only the academic database so this gives us a chance
to look at the rest of the data. We are involved in planning on how to
train all of our 4,000 students on Internet usage, e-mail, and on electronic
databases that we will be choosing for next fall. The library has been
designated as being responsible for all of the e-mail network training
for the campus. Also, we are trying to develop a plan for the college archives
because there has never been a plan. The web page for Wayne State Library
is HTTP://www.wsc.edu/academic/conn/. A book on the history of Wayne State
College is on the web page.
John Dale, Assistant Library Director, Lincoln City Libraries: The City
of Lincoln has been given the news that the Commission on Industrial Relations
has found for the Lincoln firefighters (in their wage dispute with the
City). This will have an impact of millions dollars on the city budget.
The result will impact the library as well as other offices. All capital
improvement funds within the city within the current budget have been frozen.
We are awaiting interpretations of LB 1114, whatever happens about local
aid, how local subdivisions are arranged. If the school system starts looking
toward larger portions of the property tax, then what is going to happen
to the rest of the departments and library in Lincoln. We recently upgraded
our service from global Internet. A city grant made Internet available
in libraries in Lincoln. The Internet terminals in Lincoln City Libraries
are actually Inter-Linc terminals rather than our own. The Mayor' s office
wanted a consistent Internet policy throughout the county, but said it
was agreed for the Lincoln City Libraries not to have any type of limitations
to their materials, but other county sites will probably get filters. The
Library has been dealing with learning organization approaches in the past
year and half. We are also participating in the database tests.
Phyllis Brunken, Media/Technology Director, ESU #7, Columbus: What will
LB 1114 and LB 299 cut, 60% of the funding for ESUs. Whatever happens to
ESU's will impact schools. The first Midwest Institute on the Internet
will be in Lincoln, August 11th and 12th, and will be geared for K-12.
ESU #7's media catalog went online this last fall. All schools in our area
will be wired by this fall.
Roger Adkins, Media Specialist, ESU #16, Ogallala: ESU #16 includes
9 counties and parts of 4 others, 52 school districts, 1,000 teachers and
10,0000 students. Geographically it is the largest ESU in the state, covering
12,000- square miles. We are concerned with what is happening in this
Legislative
session concerning media and technology services from the ESUs. Media and
Technology services are one of the main areas that is tax supported. If
the tax base goes down, so do the services. We have been conducting Internet
related training for the past three years. LB 452 mandated that Service
Units provide connectivity to their member schools and as a result of LB
860, the weatherization bill, ESUs are now in the process of providing
Internet connectivity to every classroom in the state of Nebraska by the
year 2000. We received a lottery grant about 2 ? years ago for $1.4 million,
and with those dollars ESU's 15 and 16 established 30 distance learning
sites (25 school district, 3 community colleges, and 2 ESUs) that are on
a DS 3 fiber optic line which gives full motion interactively among all
those sites. There are six video servers that were donated by US West to
the ESUs in Nebraska. ESU #3 in Omaha has two, ESU #10 in Kearney has two,
and ESU #16 in Ogallala has the other two. We hope to put a large part
of our video collection into digital form and make available on the Internet.
Maggie Harding, Project Coordinator for the Libraries for the 21st Century
Initiative and Southeast Library System board: The Southeast Library System
is working on their long range plan for the biennium. It is interesting
to see what remains viable in the new areas that we are looking at and
also rewarding to go back and take a look at the plan and see that some
of the things that we thought were important, we were able to accomplish.
Richard Miller is the new administrator for the Southeast Library System.
The attitudes of Librarians are changing, they aren't so unwilling to do
things, they realize if they want things , they have to go out and work
for it.
Joan Birnie, Director, Broken Bow Public Library: Broken Bow is
participating
in the batch load project. The city council and the administration takes
an annual tour of all the city departments and buildings. The library is
the only building in the city that didn't need significant roof repair,
the library is only 25 years old so the council is looking at funding some
"face-lift" work on the building. A new board member was appointed to the
library board, and the city council noticed the library has a limit on
board terms and other city offices don't, so they are discussing putting
term limits on the other city boards. We have a small addition to our library,
a young adult area as of February 1st . The young adult area is fiction
only. There has been 400% increase in the young adult fiction material
checked out. The library has also established a junior library board.
Jo Budler, Network Services Director of the Nebraska Library Commission:
Libraries participating in the batch load process deserve a lot a credit.
The librarians are helping each other more than any other resource. Sally
Wise is a member of OCLC Special Library Advisory Committee. Sara Aden,
Kearney, is our Access Services Advisory Committee Representative for NEBASE,
and I am serving on the Small Library Task Force.
Michael LaCroix, Director, Reinert-Alumni Memorial Library, Creighton
University, Omaha: The Reinert-Alumni Library would like to thank the Library
Commission and Jo Budler in particular for the lining up the database trials.
At Creighton Alumni Library we have the University archives and in the
basement we have run out of space for the archives, so we have had to rent
outside space. The Law Library at Creighton is being doubled in size, so
some of their books are being stored at the Alumni Library. Creighton has
a relationship with PUCMM which is the Catholic University and Archeologist
of the Dominican Republic, and we have established a Center for the study
of the Dominican Republic at Creighton. Creighton now has the third largest
collection on the Dominican Republic in the United States. Mike Poma will
be going to the Dominican Republican for a week at the end of this month
on a book buying trip. All three libraries at Creighton do a lot of Internet
training. The North Central Association conducted a site visit was last
Fall and the Library came out looking good. The National Council on
Accreditation
and Teacher Education Programs will be coming to visit Creighton next month.
The Library did a retrospective conversion where we sent 80,000 of our
titles off to a firm in St. Louis to be converted. We can tell when they
are loaded on OCLC because ILL requests started coming in right away, and
we will be barcoding them over the next several months.
Sharon Wiegert, Children's Librarian, Sump Memorial Library, Papillion:
We moved into our new library in a week during December. The new library
opened its doors on December 23. The first month over 1,000 new people
came to the library (usually a 100 new people sign up a month) and that
number has continued every month that we have been open. In January we
usually check out 8,000 items, this January we checked out of 17,000 items
and we did that again in February. February is usually one of our slower
months. Bellevue Public Library's non-resident fees have gone down in the
last couple of months due to the competition from Papillion. LaVista will
be breaking ground for their new library building in September, 1997. Ralston
will be building a new library also. Sump Memorial has a computer lab with
15 computers with Internet access with no screening. The meeting rooms
at the new library are being booked. I am working on a Department of Commerce
grant, through the Telecommunication and Infrastructure Assistance Program
Task force that is going to put Internet based information dialog, education
and support for foster families, families that adopt and families with
children with special needs. They want to place equipment in 20 or more
public or semi-public sites in and around Omaha for Internet access and
a connection to this network that they are developing. I was the only librarian
at the meeting. Their idea was to place them in churches and boys and girls
clubs in Omaha, I recommended they visit a public library and see what
it has to offer.
Laura Cundiff, Director, Clay Center Public Library: Clay Center is
one of the small libraries that received a Microsoft Libraries Online grant
for a new computer. The whole town is very excited, and are asking every
day when it will be in and when training will start, but the library staff
needs to learn first. The City of Clay Center is forming a foundation for
the city to receive money from individuals. I am on that committee. We
are looking forward to the Summer Reading Program "Thrill and Chills".
The library always has lots of children enrolled in the Summer Reading
Program.
Devra Dragos, Library Director, Beatrice Developmental Center, Beatrice:
The annual Sharing Our Best Conference will be held on April 22, 23, 34.
Participants come from all over the world. Over 80 sessions are held during
the three day conference and the library provides all the AV equipment,
etc. The focus has been changing, both in relation to staff requirements
and client requirements. New clients are coming in, in a temporary placement.
The new clients are at a higher functioning level, so there is a need to
build the library collection to serve these new clients. With the Nebraska
Partnership and other changes within state agencies, I now do research
for BSDC staff and all the Developmental Disability System. The library
computer has been upgraded. Beatrice Public Library now has computers with
Internet access for public use.
Kathy Tooker, Director, Eastern Library System: We are working on the
Eastern Library System biennium system plan. Over half of the public libraries
in the Eastern Library System now have Internet access, two-thirds of the
libraries have some type of automation, and most of them have full online
catalogs. Sharon Wiegert and I are working on a cooperative project with
the Omaha Public Library involving children's services. We are also working
with the Omaha Public Schools. The library system is going to adopt the
library instructional services at our adopted school. The other cooperative
project that I am working on is in Saunders County, along with the Library
Commission. We are meeting with all the public library directors and some
board members from each library about the cooperative project they have
there. They have come up with a list of priorities, they want more new
books and shared online catalog. They want county wide service so that
anyone in the county can go into any library, and they want better county
support. The next step is to work out an inter-local agreement between
these six communities on how this can be accomplished. Also I would like
to thank some of the Library Commission employees for helping with Legislative
Day, particularly Ellen Van Waart.
Jeanne Saathoff, Director, Kearney Public Library and Information Center:
We also have been using the trial databases. The library is also working
on bringing serials up. We are beginning to index the Kearney newspapers,
are starting to do that on Dynix. The library is focusing on training for
a couple of months now. We now have classes for the public for Windows,
Internet, word processing, etc. The library staff is also training in the
morning before library opens. The ESU has an interesting wireless project
going on, CPEC out of Denver. We also had the opportunity to go the ESU
Tech Fair. It was wonderful, many things were applicable to public libraries.
The meeting recessed at 4:31 p.m.
The meeting reconvened on March, 14 at 9:00 a.m. at the Kearney Public
Library & Information Center.
Planning for Nebraska's Libraries for the
21st
Century
Nancy Busch led the discussion of Libraries for the 21st Century: We
would like the meeting of the Council to be a focus group to help the
Commission
with input on library and information needs and priorities for Libraries
for the 21st Century. Two visioning sessions were held last summer, one
in Lincoln and one in Alliance and a Resource Sharing Dialog was held in
August. A lot has happened since last summer, we have a funding bill in
the legislature and new federal legislation. When we go out to the public
forums we will ask librarians to target people in their communities that
haven't been a part of the process.
Survey cards are also being made up to send to each library to put out
on their desks, preferably during National Library Week, so patrons can
pick one up, and respond to a couple of open ended questions.
The focus of our discussion will be future services and how they relate
to goals, (state and federal) priorities, and how to choose between priorities.
Services:
All libraries should have Internet
access (universal access to the Internet)/electronic and other formats
of information.
on-going support
on-going training of library
staff
initial
hook-ups
every library should have a
trained, qualified librarian (including on-going training)
need universal access to information
in whatever format is available
options to serve every citizen
in the state
maximizing of community/library
resources (all library types) resource sharing, personnel, and
more
training beyond one-day
workshop
empower library staff, build
confidence
service from any library to
any citizen in the state (at some point in the future)
resources and capability to
support distance learning (e.g. Western Governors'
University)
shared statewide, or regional,
automation system
mandated standards for
personnel
wage problems?
importance of services for
children
cataloging center(s) to consolidate
and save local librarians time
trustee education
leadership recruitment
regeneration
alternatives for boards
(fewer)
more new books
increased supplemental $ for
libraries and they must to do something to improve with those funds (tiered
arrangement: call it supplemental funding, or "enhanced
services")
supply personnel to permit others
to participate in training
helping existing
consortia
better access to electronic
resources
Priorities:
bring everyone up to a determined
minimum level first.
beyond accreditation and
certification
raising the
standard
do we reward those who have
not invested and who have not made the effort?
$ for continuous learning (skills
needed to serve the information society) -- after basic
encourage
partnerships
continue advocacy efforts (basic
skills)
How choose
priorities:
Technology committees,
coalitions
the "Players" (e.g. system
boards)
criteria to be considered
(accredited,
board certification)
evidence of an effective planning
process
Goals/Purposes:
maximizing community library
resources
build/elevate sense of
responsibility
and commitment of board members
use any library, anyplace,
anytime
assure a basic level of service
for everyone
accessibility of services
(geographic,
physical (e.g. hours open), economic) hours, distance
possible backlash to the "electronic
revolution"
build on a tradition of
services
support for improving reading
skills
sustaining effective
models
every community plugged into
a state network (access to services)
tap expertise of education
agencies
Council Business Meeting
Approval of December 6,
1996 Meeting Minutes
Michael LaCroix moved and Richard Voeltz seconded approval of the minutes,
as received, with the following corrections: the date of the last meeting
was December 6 and not December 8, and in the middle of page 2, the word
collation should be coalition. Motion carried.
Goals and priorities for 1997
- One priority
is the charge from the Commissioners to review and redesign the State Advisory
Council on Libraries, including its membership and representation. A
subcommittee
could look at existing bylaws and organization of the Council and discuss
possible changes. Volunteers for this subcommittee: Stan Gardner, Richard
Voeltz, Ken Oyer, Jeanne Saathoff, and the Vice-Chair, when elected.
-- continue to support the LB 95 initiative, also the Council's advocacy
role is related to that.
-- to serve as a filter for the trends and information that comes from
the public forums and on-going input on various issues.
-- communication back to others the Council members represent, and bring
issues to the Council from those others. Possible methods for communication
include: announcements on the Commission home page, create a listserv?,
attend system board meetings and report on the activities of the Council,
articles in system newsletters, person-to-person discussions
electronic
dialog (one-on-one communication)
community level
print
-- as the Council looks at the Bylaws, the subcommittee may also want
to create a procedures and expectations sheet for Council members
Phyllis Brunken moved and Kathy Tooker seconded to accept the above
goals as discussed. The motion carried.
Election of Vice-Chair
Kathy Tooker moved and Phyllis Brunken seconded the motion to nominate
Sandra Riley as Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect. The motion carried by acclamation.
Resolutions:
-- Internet paper from yesterday (Ellen Van Waart)
The Lincoln City Libraries experience in relation to paragraph 3, 2nd
to last sentence, was noted. The issue in Lincoln was: shouldn't electronic
resource selection be consistent with the broad selection criteria for
print? People need to be prepared to deal with the idea that it appears
to be inconsistent and that is difficult if not impossible to do so.
Paragraph 2, last sentence: libraries do currently block people from
knowledge in the sense that no library contains everything people may want
and/or need. The statement may need to be revised.
Currently, libraries block people from knowledge due to economics.
Another issue is that indecency is illegal according to law.
People need to know filters only filter web sites. They do not filter
chat rooms, e-mail, listservs, etc. Filters also stop some useful information.
Send some suggestions to Ellen Van Waart. Give her your comments, additions,
deletions. Another draft will be brought to the next Council meeting.
-- Telecommunication Act and ramifications:
1) the Council send letters, as a group, to Senators regarding the impact
on libraries of this legislation 2) as individuals send letters or contact
in another way re: the above.
Stan Gardner moved and Susie Baird seconded to have group letter. Rod
Wagner will draft a letter on behalf of the Council and Jeanne Saathoff
will sign the letter on behalf of the Council and include the list of Council
members. Motion carried.
The Nebraska State Legislative session ends June12.
1997 Meeting Schedule
The meeting schedule for 1997 for the Nebraska State Advisory Council
was set up as follows:
June 13, at Wayne State College
September 19, at the Nebraska Library Commission
December 5, at Sump Memorial Library, Papillion
Adjournment
Thanks to Kearney Public Library and Information Center for so graciously
hosting our meetings.
Ken Oyer moved and Phyllis Brunken seconded to adjourn the meeting with
thanks to Kearney for their hospitality in hosting the meetings. The motion
carried. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 11:45
a.m.
Respectively Submitted,
Maria Medrano-Nehls