Tuesday, August 25, 2009
2-5 PM
San Benito County Library, Hollister
Call to Order
In attendance: Present: Heather Geddes (WPL), Mary Housel (MCFL), Georg Romero (CAB), Bill Rawson (HCL), Jean Chapin (HML), Pamela Jungerberg (PGPL), Frank Gravier (UCSC), Betty Mason (SBCL)
Adoption of June 23, 2009 meeting minutes: Adopted with no changes
Reports
Administrative Council (Heather Geddes):
- Administrative Council will decide whether the Mobac website will be opened (unpassworded). The main concerns are whether staff contact information (non-open hours & backroom phone numbers) and minutes should be open for public reading, and determining if Mobac bylaws fall under the Brown Act.
Technology Committee Report : none
Interlibrary Loan Committee Report ( Jean Chapin):
- ILL recommendations and “common sense” limitations were shared in light of recent ILL service reduction within MOBAC.
- Two workshops are planned for the spring (February & April) on Stress Management and Communicating Up.
Splamba Committee Report (Heather Geddes):
- A flyer about library services for the family of newborns will be distributed to local hospitals by Splamba members
- The group is developing a recommended graphic novel reading list
Old Business
Hands On workshop
- The confirmed date is October 9, at MPC. The Hands On committee members are Frank, Deborah, Irene, and Jean. Ideas for the workshop were discussed including the popular ALA Recommended Reference book reviews, Service to Invisible populations in Monterey County, Cabrillo Colleges Digital Archives project/process, demonstrations of reference databases and programs such as Library Press Display. We need an emcee volunteer.
MOBAC Wiki and Website
- On the issue of unpasswording the MOBAC website, George suggested that a subdirectory of the website containing the meeting minutes could be passworded (pending research on whether the Brown Act affects MOBAC bylaws) while the main part of the website could be opened up. Directory information might need to be pruned by individual libraries who could choose what level of staff information to post on the public site. George suggested that the MOBAC Ref committee submit their recommendation to Administrative Council for consideration. He volunteered to write up the recommendation.
- The MOBAC Ref wiki was discussed and the group likes having it as an interactive forum to discuss reference issues. Georg offered to present a training session at a future meeting on navigating and entering data on the wiki.
Spanish Language Book Fair
- Friday, September 11, 10AM – 5 PM at Watsonville Public Library. Heather asked for suggestions on publicizing the Book Fair to librarians. The group approved of Heather checking into the provision of lunches for the participating vendors.
New Business
Workshops for 2009/10
InfoPeople Edmond Otis Workshop on Dealing with Difficult People
- Thursday, October 1, 8:30-4 at Castroville Branch of MCFL, an InfoPeople workshop on Dealing with Difficult People will be presented by Edmond Otis. The workshop will be limited to 30 people and we need to get the list of participants and their emails to Gini Ambrosino 10 days before the workshop.
InfoPeople “Helping Job Seeking Patrons” workshop
- The group will pursue arranging this workshop offered by InfoPeople and presented by Jeffrey Lambert, a business librarian in both the public and private sector and most recently at Riverside Public Library. We will discuss further at the next meeting.
Repeat Business
New Reference Sources
- Mary shared the website www.indeed.com for job searching
- Jean reports that HML is trialing Ebsco’s new ConsumerReportsHealth database
- Jean is looking for a good website that announces award winning books hot off the press including lesser-known awards such as the “Spotted Owl” award.
Problem Sharing/Solving/Trends
- HML canceled some of their Ebsco databases but has found the links are still live. Ebsco shared that they give a 90 day grace period after database subscriptions end.
- Mary asked the group for their feedback/experiences on explaining institutional vs. individual price differences to patrons who wish to donate money to the library toward the purchase of a magazine. Library vendors often charge much more than magazine publishers and/or Amazon. This discrepancy can be a PR challenge to explain to patrons.
News from Libraries
- Hartnell: Is cutting $5 million from the overall college budget, although the library has already been cut and will probably not be affected by the latest round of cutting. An increase in students has caused larger class sizes.
- Cabrillo: School starts next week and there are many management level positions open, but frozen, in the college.
- MCFL: The Foundation for MCFL is having their major fundraiser on September 17 at the Embassy Suites in Seaside featuring motivational speaker Jim Tunney. The Library launched an Adopt-a-Magazine Program seeking donors for the majority of the magazines that are no longer funded due to cuts. The NetLibrary downloadable eAudiobooks will be launched to the public on September 8 after Labor Day.
- WPL: Received a Digital Storytelling Grant and plans to feature the stories of farm laborers in Pajaro Valley.
- SBCL: Will be raising many of their fines and fees including new charges for the meeting room use, color copies, and an increase in their test proctoring fee to $25. They will also be closing on Saturdays. Their website has been updated and looks great. The group received a tour of the new bookmobile.
- UCSC: Is currently reviewing their serials and electronic packages.
- PGPL: Measure J, a parcel tax initiative, will be on the November ballot and will need a 2/3 vote. It will have a 10 year sunset clause and raise $630,000 annually. Author Byron Katie will speak at the library’s author series on September 10, 7 PM, $25. The event will be held at Robert Down Elementary School auditorium. The library is now only indexing obituaries from the newspaper for people who have been born, died, or graduated in Pacific Grove and Monterey.
- HML: Has a faster Internet connection with their new cable line. Is having a Technology Petting Zoo presented by InfoPeople in December that will be open to staff in the morning and to the public in the afternoon. The library has a new design on their website and a new part time librarian.
Agenda building for Next Meeting
- Upcoming workshops planned
- Training on the wiki by Georg