Minutes for the January 22, 2003 Meeting for the Program & Grants Committee

Present: Lee Eaton, Barbara Flach, Shannon Hosier, Kara Lustiber, Midge Quick, Linda Rolufs, Maria Steinberg

MHLS Staff: Margaret Keefe, Rebekkah Smith

Guest: Barbara Haymann-Diaz

Minutes of September 18^th meeting – approved 1^st: L. Eaton 2^nd: L. Rolufs

Old Business:

Elect new Chair – L. Rolufs volunteered to be chair for 2003. The committee approved her as chair unanimously.

Program/Publicity Users Group schedule and topics for 2003 – Synopsis was given of the users group held on 11.15.02 which focused on library newsletters and resources available from MHLS for programming and fundraising. Committee was disappointed with the turnout – just three people attended. Chair, L. Rolufs, asked the committee to think of topic ideas for this year’s two user group meetings and to contact her within the week with those ideas. Committee suggested a users group with Deb Begley, MHLS Print Services Manager, talking about formatting and printing job options.

Health Information Project update – Bobbi Clapp, Health Information Project Coordinator: The committee was given an overview of the HIP grant and a tour of the newly updated web site [http://midhudson.org/hip/main.htm] which now includes summaries of the videos and websites reviewed through the Teen Reviewer Project. Through the 8 Health Information center libraries, teens participating in the Teen Review Project of the 2002 summer reviewed 107 videos and 50 web sites. HIP funds were then used to purchase those that were ranked the highest. B. Clapp explained the outreach services available to members through the project - B. Lindsley is available to demo the site to any member library’s community.

Possible performer’s database collaboration – M. Keefe demonstrated a product from a LSTA grant to capital area library systems last year which funded a searchable online performers directory [www.performersandprograms.com/index.asp] M. Keefe along with other youth services consultants in NYS are encouraging a 2^nd year of that grant that would make the site applicable statewide, or to at least the Mid-Hudson area and for it to be searchable by geographic area. ACTION: Committee members were asked to take a look at the site and suggest upgrades that would be helpful.

Adult programs in EZ Library Program database – Question was posed to the committee of how to get more adult programs in the database. Committee agreed that it would be a benefit to tie submission of programs to grant funding from the system (via Outreach grants and the Incentive program).

Update of Gates and Verizon grants – R. Smith updated the group on the Verizon funds awarded to the system in 2000. After researching options for video conferencing in the system with these funds it, was determined to be too costly at this time. Therefore, the Fundraising Information Center libraries have each received approximately $7,800 to enhance their collections and promote them, thereby closing out the grant. The Centers, Chatham, Beacon, Cairo, Marlboro and Mahopac, will be purchasing FC Search from the Foundation Center along with other fundraising related resources.

The new Gates grant is progressing on schedule. Eight (8) trainers (Merribeth Advocate, Sanjay Dabhi, Tom Finnigan, Sue Hermans, Margaret Keefe, Karen O’Brien, Laurie Shedrick and Rebekkah Smith) have been chosen and have attended a “train-the trainer” session that taught basic training techniques. Curriculum for the member library training is currently being developed and will be held in the Spring/Summer of 2003. The goal of this grant is to train at least one staff person in every member library in basic technology teachings, such as troubleshooting equipment, teaching the 1^st time computer user, teaching the Internet and basic programs.

R. Smith notified the group that those libraries who received or purchased Gates Library Computers in the first round of the Gates Library Initiative in NYS will be receiving a software upgrade opportunity. More information, sent directly from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be arriving at libraries in the near future.

Status of workshop suggestions sent to CE/Professional Development Committee: All suggestions from the committee were passed on to the CE/Professional Development Committee for consideration. Some of the suggestions from last year’s meeting will be included in the Gates training. R. Smith projected that a workshop on Book Sales would be coming in the spring.

Program/Grants Committee Progress Report 2002 – M. Quick thanked M. Keefe and R. Smith for their work on behalf of the committee.

New Business:

Committee member responsibilities: Handouts were given to each member of the committee explaining their responsibilities as committee members. This handout can also be found on the committee web site at http://midhudson.org/meetings/committee/program/main.htm.

How to tie program offerings to feedback from patrons - The committee had a good discussion about how to be responsive to community needs when planning programming. A number of suggestions were offered:

• Outreach to other community groups, supporting their programming efforts and offering to partner;
• Being accepting of everyone in the community;
• Questioning what has always been done and not being afraid to try something new;
• Targeting interests seen through patron searches, reference questions and collection circulation;
• Offering multiple programs on the same day for different age groups;
• Make sure the board understands the direct relationship between providing the community with what it really wants and community support at the polls and financially;
• Cooperative programming amongst geographically-related libraries in order to maximize public exposure to offerings, negotiating power with performers and cost effective publicity;
• Being aware of other program offerings in your community, being sure not to conflict with other popular programming at a local college or agency.

The committee considered how to do program evaluation more effectively as this is the prime way to know if you are reaching your goal of successful programming:

• Time the evaluation so that people do not have to stay later than the end time to fill out your evaluation;
• Only ask questions that you really need the answers to;
• Keep the evaluation brief.

Terms of Service: Terms of service were assigned to committee members with half of the committee retiring at the end of 2003, the other half in 2005.
Columbia County - Shannon Hosier (Philmont) ('03)
Dutchess County - Midge Quick (NorthEast-Millerton) ('05), Lee Eaton (Beekman) ('03)
Greene County (shared) - Barbara Flach (Greenville) ('05), Linda Deubert (Coxsackie) ('05)
Putnam County - Maria Steinberg (Brewster) ('03)
Ulster County - Kara Lustiber (West Hurley) ('05), Linda Rolufs (Esopus) ('03)

Meeting dates for 2003: Locations for the committee meetings were discussed. It was decided to have the committee member meetings at MHLS and consider moving the locations of the user group meetings around the system.

New Adult Program guide to be published by RASS: M. Keefe described the publication, put out by this section of NYLA.

Discuss member libraries’ web sites – The committee discussed the development of minimum standards for member library websites. Suggestions included:

-Library contact information including hours; Director’s name; Board members’ names

-Access to the Public Library Catalog

-Access to the HomeAccess (electronic databases)

-ADA Compliance

-Viewable in both IE and Netscape

Discussion of system staff or grant support to provide for evaluation of member library web sites. L. Rolufs suggested exploring the use of the OPAC as a polling location.

Actions

• Suggestions for the user group topics will be solicited by L. Rolufs next week from each committee member

• Committee members were asked to take a look at the Performers database site [www.performersandprograms.com/index.asp] and suggest upgrades that would be helpful.

• L. Rolufs asked the committee to think about evaluations and to send her any additional thoughts on the topic to be shared at the next meeting.

• MHLS staff will draft a web site minimum standards document for the next committee meeting.

• L. Rolufs challenged each member of the committee to add a program to the EZ Program Database by the next meeting.

• R. Smith will provide a handout for the next DA with the URLs for the EZ Program Database and the Performers database

• Chair report to the Director’s Association will include:

§ Having B. Clapp bring her HIP presentation to a DA meeting

§ Update on Verizon and Gates grants

§ Information on the Program Databases

§ Web page minimum standards

Other

Discussion of expanding the Summer Reading Program to include programs for adults and/or families.

L. Rolufs told the committee about a company called Naeir that provides warehouse overflow for the cost of shipping. Membership costs $575. L. R. will be exploring a joint membership with other member libraries.

Handouts:
Committee Member Responsibilities

2002 Progress Report

2003 Meeting Dates for the Program & Grants Committee and Program & Publicity Users Group

Article from Public Libraries about the EZ Library Program Database

Adjourned at 1:00pm: 1^st: S. Hosier 2^nd: M. Quick

Minutes submitted by R. Smith, 1.27.03