ALA/JMRT Executive Board Meeting
Washington, D.C.
Sunday, January 8, 1989
2:00 - 4:00 PM

                        Joni Gomez

Denise Krell                        Connie Phelps

Terri Tomchyshyn                        Jo Ann Oliphant

Robert Newlen                        Susan Schmidt

Joan L. Dobson                        Cheryl Napsha

Dave Kohut                        Joe Harzbecker

 

INTRODUCTION

President Ford welcomed everyone to the Executive Board meeting. Introductions were made, an attendance sheet was circulated, and the voting members of the Board were announced:President, Vice President, Treasurer,. Secretary, the three Directors, and the Affiliates Council President.

Ford asked for requests for changes to the agenda. Terri Tomchyshyn asked that she be moved to the top of the agenda (Nominating Committee). President Ford agreed to place the Nominating Committee report before Old Business.Mary Marcum Evans made a motion to accept the revised agenda. Myrtis Collins seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE - Terri Tomchyshyn

Terri Tomchyshyn, Chair, announced the JMRT slate for 1989-90:

Vice President-Mary Marcum Evans

President Elect-Robert Newlen

Secretary-Cindy Saur and Helena Pedersoli

 

Directors-Jenifer Abramson , Joe Harzbecker, Phoebe Janes, Joyce Taylor

-The stores at the West End Marketplace close at 11:00 PM, so the Social will not be threatened by other tempting activities.

After more discussion, Royster made a motion that the JMRT Social be held at the West End Marketplace in Dallas. Mary Marcum Evans seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

The ticket price for the Social was the next item for discussion. After some talk, Jim Mouw moved that tickets be sold for $15 pre-conference and $18 at conference. Myrtis Collins seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

Mouw then suggested making a budget revision to reflect exact Social expenses. Mouw moved that under Section E, Programming (Page 4, line 5), funds be changed from $4,500 to $5,000. Also, Estimated Income, Social (bottom of page 4), should be changed from $6,000 to
$7,000. Mary Marcum Evans seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

 

OFFICER REPORTS

AFFILIATES COUNCIL PRESIDENT - Mary Marcum Evans

Mary Marcum Evans reported on her various Council activities. She published two issues of NEWSNOTES, reviewed affiliate newsletters and activity reports, updated the Affiliates Council directory, provided lists of Affiliates Council representatives and chapter chairs to Jim Mouw and Denise Krell, and wrote two columns for FOOTNOTES.

 

AFFILIATES COUNCIL VICE-PRESIDENT - Colleen Conway

No report.

AFFILIATES COUNCIL 2nd VICE-PRESIDENT - Sara Parzen

Sara Parzen announced that the JMRT Hospitality Suite for Dallas was decided at the Affiliates Council meeting that morning. The Suite will be the Presidential Suite at the Dallas Park and Plaza downtown.

Parzen submitted a detailed report which included reasons for the recommendation, layout of expenses, and plans for publicizing the Suite.

 

(bottom of page 4) to $1,340. Peggy Royster seconded the motion.
Motion passed unanimously.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

COGNOTES - Joan Dobson

Joan Dobson, Chair, announced that for the first time ALA rented to COGNOTES two PC's with two letter quality printers. Dobson said she had trouble locating a printer but finally located one in Maryland.

She also stated that there has been a change in policy on running exhibitor notices. The committee decided to run only one announcement per exhibitor during Midwinter. Many exhibitors turned in five or six pages of copy per day at Annual, and this new restriction will be fair to all exhibitors.

Dobson continued with several issues pending from last year. First of all, COGNOTES' policy is still not to run endorsements for candidates. Secondly, for the second year in a row, COGNOTES' supplies were not sent from Chicago. Follow-up as to why they were not sent may be necessary. Thirdly, Dobson stressed that much help will be needed to distribute COGNOTES in Dallas. She is thinking of recruiting a local Boy Scout troop to assist with distribution. Anyone else who can help will be greatly appreciated.

 

FUNDRAISING - Jim Huesmann

Jim Huesmann, Chair, opened his report by announcing that there were only four JMRT mugs left to be sold at the ALA store at 1:00 that afternoon.

He reported that his committee members had submitted proposals and suggestions for new fundraising projects. After screening these ideas for degree of risk, initial cost and profit potential, the leading idea was to edit a small book of library quotations, jokes and anecdotes. There would be no upfront costs to JMRT.

Huesmann asked for permission from the Executive Board to move forward on this project. He outlined these immediate goals:

1. Receive permission from the Executive Board;
2. Gather members for an editorial board;

3. Place announcements requesting entries for the book.

Jim Mouw made a motion that JMRT instruct the Fundraising Committee to move forward on their book publishing project. Peggy Royster seconded the motion. Discussion followed..

Mouw stated that JMRT needs to be sure this project is in compliance with ALA publishing.Marcia Kuzmaul was suggested as a person to contact. President Ford raised the concern that the project may not be profitable with much time expended on the effort.

Suggestions were made to Huesmann as to who to contact about ALA publishing; Valerie Platz was named as one who has dealt with ALA publishing previously.

Myrtis Collins made a friendly amendment to the motion; that the Fundraising Committee prepare a proposal to be presented to the Executive Board at the- Dallas Annual Conference including answers to the questions just posed and how that committee plans to proceed with
this project. Motion as amended passed unanimously.

 

Another Fundraising Committee issue raised by Huesmann was the continuity of his committee. He would like to see the committee chair appointment be extended to two years. In answer to President Ford's question about whether a two-year appointment was necessary for this kind of project or any project, Huesmann said that most projects require more than a year.

 

Mouw asked if there was anything to prevent a chair from being reappointed for a second year. Susan Schmidt read the section in the Constitution and Bylaws regarding special committees (Fundraising is one). It states that the chair of the Fundraising Committee could be
reappointed for a second year term.

 

It was suggested that committee members could be retained in a consulting status, as ex officio members, to complete a project (like the book), while new committee members could begin a new project. Some discussion followed on this idea. Mouw offered the idea that the Fundraising Committee be viewed as a brainstorming group with an ad hoc committee then being appointed for special projects.

The Fundraising Committee was asked to address the chair appointment issue as part of their report in Dallas.President Ford called for a five-minute break.

 

BOOTH COMMITTEE - Denise Krell

Denise Krell, Chair, reported on Booth and slide show reservations for 1988-89. Other activities during her reporting period included creating fliers announcing the availability of the Booth and
slide show and arranging for the JMRT table to be in ALA offices at Midwinter.

Krell raised several action items for consideration. The first item was to clarify a major responsibility of the committee as stated: "Securing space in the professional exhibit area at Midwinter . . . Conference." Krell said the Booth Committee's responsibility is to secure space in the ALA offices at Midwinter, not in the exhibit area.

 

President Ford asked Krell to check the official minutes from the New Orleans Conference for clarification of this item. After some discussion, Ford said that if it is just a matter of correcting what is in the Handbook to reflect the minutes, then Krell can take care of the matter through the Handbook Chair. If it is a matter of actually changing what was approved in the minutes, then this issue will have to be brought forth for an official vote at the Dallas Annual Conference.

The second item needing clarification was whether the Booth Committee is officially charged with shipping the JMRT slide show. Krell said the committee does so yet this is not stated as a major responsibility of the Booth Committee. Ford  replied  that JMRT previously voted to charge the committee with that responsibility; she requested that Krell submit a proposed revision of the Handbook to the Handbook chair to reflect this charge.

The third item Krell raised was the slide show and the difficulty/expense in its shipping. Average'cost of mailing the slide show and projector has been $47.99 per shipment and return. Demco has donated $400 for these shipments but Krell was concerned about the source of future shipping costs.

This topic generated much discussion.One idea was to only send the slide/tape to avoid the awkwardness in shipping the equipment. However, a special projector is required to run the slide/tape.Another suggestion was to have Demco handle the shipping; most people felt Demco would not want to do so.

Krell also questioned the appropriateness of the slide show for the Booth. She felt the slide show was better utilized at library school visits and other introductions to JMRT.

Ford finally suggested that Krell be responsible for deciding how the slide show should be shipped this year (slide show and equipment or slide/tape only), since information on shipping has already been  dispersed to the public. Ford asked Krell, if possible, to inform the contact person about the kind of equipment needed to run the slide/tape. Krell agreed to Ford's suggestion.

 

As the meeting was running behind schedule, Jim Mouw made a motion to extend the meeting to 4:15 PM. Loretta Turnage seconded. Motion passed unanimously, albeit reluctantly.

Krell continued her report by stating the need to publicize the JMRT table.She wondered whether the table was utilized enough at conferences.Several people said that the table was useful as a work table as well as a place to leave flyers and other JMRT materials.

 

Krell finished her report with a highlight of the Booth's  features at the Dallas Conference. The Booth's design will be clean and crisp and photographs will be taken. There will be a small fee for a picture.

 

NEW BUSINESS

President Ford said that she received a letter from Jane Heiser, OLDS Advisory Committee. Heiser is seeking support for a literacy group and would like JMRT to sign a petition to ALA to form a Literacy Assembly.  Peggy Royster moved that JMRT support the Literacy Assembly. Myrtis Collins seconded the motion. After a brief discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

Robert Newlen asked the Executive Board if it had ever recognized Marcia Kuzmaul, JMRT liaison to ALA, for her assistance to JMRT. Newlen suggested a letter from Ford or flowers to show our appreciation. Ford said she would be glad to do this.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rosemary Arneson announced that after this meeting the Committee on Governance will be meeting to discuss the liaison appointment structure. All are welcome to attend.

The ALA Candidates Forum will take place Monday. Ford said she shortened the Executive Board meeting on Monday so that people can attend the Forum.

 

ADJOURN

 

Jim Mouw moved to adjourn the meeting. Mary Marcum Evans seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 4:10 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Laura A. Sullivan

JMRT Secretary