Attending: Josh Cohen, Tom Lawrence, Sue Hermans, Sally Alderdice, Greg Callahan, Ellen Guerci, Bonnie Snyder, Patti Haar, Sherry Haluska, Lauren Muffs, Merribeth Advocate
Excused: Jim Cosgrove, Pat Kaufman

Minutes from the last meeting were approved.

Central Library web resources

• Local portals
  • Intent is to make local info more accessible.
  • T. Lawrence demonstrated a draft template http://dcinfoport.org/ , created using PmWiki freeware software http://www.pmwiki.org/ (see Action 1 )
    • Would be one page per county. Suggested title: Dutchess County Information. Committee suggested a sub-section in the portal for Local Media
    • Designed to allow changes/modifications easily
    • Committee had concerns about maintenance w/in each county. CL agreed they could put in standard info such as schools, colleges, etc…
    • CL could provide training for additions/maintenance
• Recommended Links
  • Intent is to serve as a 'Reference Desk' in member libraries
  • With Local Portals, Recommended Links would keep limited to standard library reference info
  • CL will produce a version w/out the PPLD left-hand navigation bar (also for the Children's Recommended Links page), for member library use on their own web pages (see Action 2 )
• Pathfinders
  • Will be prepared in the fall by a CL intern. Committee suggested topics: Small business, Consumers health, Consumer law (see Action 3 )

Local history collections

• Intent is to improve usefulness for member libraries and patrons.
• In order to develop a complete and accurate listing of the local history collections in MHLS libraries, committee members will ask libraries in their county to submit their local history collection information http://midhudson.org/forms/special_collections.htm (see Action 4 ) to add to and update the existing listing at http://midhudson.org/collection/collection/local_history.htm
• T. Lawrence suggested a pilot effort with the committee libraries where CL would send staff out to catalog their local materials.
• Adriance will model bulk contents notes in the catalog, to template the kind of record that should be entered for local history holdings. (see Action 5 )

Reference training

• Committee said member library staff needs basic reference training, and also basic OPAC training, offered in each county (see Action 6 )
• T. Lawrence said that CL Reference Library Service Coordinator is responsible that one or two on staff in each library know these areas thoroughly
• Suggested Train-the-Trainer format, with CL Reference Library Service Coordinator creating tools participants can use in their library to make it easier for them to pass the training on to other staff

CL conspectus project

• CL has finished this for their non-fiction collection, to help formalize the level they collect at in each Dewey range and to help know where book money should be spent. Addresses print, electronic, AV, reference.
• Knowing how the CL collects in these areas helps member libraries know what level to collect at to be complementary.
• T. Lawrence will distribute the conspectus summary grid to the committee.

Community Information database

• Committee reviewed the Community Information Database at http://catalog.cantonpl.org:81/ , created with a Millennium software module, and discussed the proposed upcoming 211 effort in the region http://www.211.org/legislation.html
• Committee recommended that we do not get into building this at this time and will use the upcoming Local Portals to contain community information

DVD collection development

• Committee discussed member questions about DVD collection development including purchase level and the fact that some libraries do not own any DVDs.
• Committee asked L. Shedrick to list DVD alerts (see Action 7 ) and MHLS to study DVD holds (see Action 8 )

Actions

1. Central Library will demonstrate the Local Portal draft to the DA.
2. Central Library will produce a version of Recommended Links that does not contain the PPLD left-hand navigation bar (also for the Children's Recommended Links page), for member library use on their own web pages
3. Central Library will have an intern prepare pathfinders for member library use, this fall.
4. Committee members will ask libraries in their county to submit their local history collections to the form at http://midhudson.org/forms/special_collections.htm
5. Adriance will model bulk contents notes in the catalog for local history materials
6. CL Reference Library Service Coordinator will provide basic reference training in each county
7. L.Shedrick will post purchase alerts on the MHLS electronic discussion list on a regular basis, and will break out DVD alerts as a separate posting
8. MHLS will study DVD holds and bring the results to the committee

Report to DA

• Draft of Local Portal template at http://dcinfoport.org/. End product will contain community referral information
• Collecting info on local history materials in MHLS libraries. Form at http://midhudson.org/forms/special_collections.htm
• Additional basic reference training, including OPAC training, forthcoming

Recommend to CE committee: workshop(s) on local materials in the library, which would include:

• Identifying the materials, knowing what you have (including provenance, what are you entitled to have, what you are entitled to give away, what is the deed of gift), knowing what to keep
• Preservation - how and why
• Linking to the catalog
• A policy for your library
• Managing access: Advising staff on how to deal with requests - local vs. requests from out of the area
• Finding a partner / champion

Submitted by Merribeth Advocate