April 2002 Executive Committee Meeting

Thursday, April 25, 2002
Fayetteville County Public Library, Fayetteville, GA

Chair Alan Kaye called the meeting to order at 10:00 A. M. 

The group was welcomed to Fayetteville by Librarian, Chris Snell.  (Fayetteville’s hospitality also included a welcome by County Commissioner Dunn and a catered luncheon that was enjoyed by all.)

Executive Committee Members present:  Steve Schaefer, Alan Kaye, Charles Gee, Debbie Manget, Diana Tope, Barbara Hutsell, Walter Murphy, Mike Dugan.  (K. Ames attended as designated proxy for Greg Heid; other proxies were C. Snell for Murphy and L.Upham for Schaefer)

PINES project staff members present: David Singleton, Elizabeth Garcia, Julie Walker, Brad LaJeunesse and Michael Imsand.

Other PINES members attending the meeting included Jim Cooper, Lyn Hopper, Susan Cooley, Charlotte Rogers, Charlie Schmidt, and Carolyn Fuller.

Minutes of the previous PINES executive committee meeting, November 28, 2001, were approved as presented.  (Motion, Schaefer; second, Murphy; 0 opposed.)

PINES Project Manager, David Singleton introduced the PINES project staff members present.  David and the PINES staff gave reports. David reported on the recon project and stated that a survey will be conducted to determine need for further recon in PINES libraries.  Software refinements were described. A schedule for Intra-PINES loans reimbursements was distributed. E-mail notification was discussed and address clean-up procedures outlined.  E-mail notification will be used only for “holds” at first and “overdues” later.  Afternoon slowdowns have improved; reports have been removed from the production environment.  PINES staffer, Brad LaJeunesse, presented server upgrade and hardware issues.

Re-indexing is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.  An improvement on the Web Cat default display was described by Elizabeth Garcia.  Upcoming training sessions and focus group meetings with SIRSI personnel were presented by Julie Walker.  Improvements to Helpdesk software and new staff procedures for PINES Helpdesk were described.  

David Singleton and Alan Kaye gave a report on the joint meeting with RACL librarians held on Februrary 14 in Atlanta.   A statewide UPS contract connecting academic and public libraries, negotiated and administered by the BOR/OIIT, was mentioned as a desirable possibility which is being investigated.

On the proposal to create two new subcommittees, the executive committee voted to accept staff recommendation to create the following additional subcommittees: A.) Staff Training/Documentation, B.) Public Website.  (Motion, Dugan; second, Ames for Heid; 8 in favor.)

The draft, “Guidelines for PINES Subcommittee Nominations,” was approved as submitted.  The guidelines include considerations and procedures for removal of a member from a subcommittee. (Motion; K. Ames for Greg Heid, second Diana Tope, 8 in favor.)

The draft, “Procedures for Voter Registration in PINES Libraries” was presented; these procedures have been approved by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.  (Motion to approve the procedures by Manget, second, Hutsell 8 in favor; 0 opposed.)

The PINES executive committee made the following policy decisions based on subcommittee and staff recommendations: (Please refer to the agenda and “PINES Policy Decisions” posted on the website.)

On the question of forgiving pre-existing fines, (1./A.) the executive committee voted to approve the subcommittee recommendation that fines may be forgiven on materials being returned at that location, but not on pre-existing fines from other libraries. (Motion, K. Ames for Greg Heid; second, D. Tope, all in favor.)

On the request to create a new User Profile (2./B.) for a juvenile card with no access to videos, the executive committee voted to accept the subcommittee’s recommendation that this User Profile is unnecessary at this time.  (Motion, Dugan, second, Schaefer, 8 in favor.)

On the request for clarification of the 50 item check-out limit (3./C.), the executive committee approved the subcommittee’s recommendation that a local system have the discretion to limit the number of items which can be checked out in a given subject area or limited availability format (video, for example). (Motion, Hutsell; second, Schaefer, 8 in favor.)

On the subcommittee recommendation (4./D.) that the PINES staff will automatically run a report to change items to LONGOVERDUE at 90 days past due; the executive committee voted to accept the recommendation. (Motion, Manget; second, Hutsell; 7 in favor 1 opposed.)   However, the Executive Committee asked that the subcommittees reconsider whether or not overdue fines should be added to the replacement cost/processing fee for the long overdue materials (see below).

On the question (5./E.) of whether an out-of-region PINES library patron can place hold on items that are reserved for local patrons, the executive committee voted to accept the subcommittee recommendation, that this will be permitted, with the understanding that the materials must be picked up at the owning library. (Motion, Dugan; second, Schaefer; 7 in favor, 1 abstaining.)

On the question (6./F.) of whether overdue fines should be charged for LOST materials in addition to the replacement cost of materials and the optional processing fee, the subcommittee recommended that the patron be charged with overdue fines, plus the cost of materials, plus the cost of any applicable processing fee. The executive committee’s discussion revealed that there is no uniform practice and quite a bit of disagreement among libraries on this question.  The motion to accept the subcommittee’s recommendation was defeated. (Motion, Hutsell; second, Manget; 3 in favor 5 opposed)   A motion to return this recommendation to the subcommittee for reconsideration was approved. (Motion, Schaefer; second Hutsell; 8 in favor.)

On the subcommittee’s recommendation (6./H.) to create a new Home Location for Georgia materials that circulate, the executive committee voted to accept the recommendation.  (Motion, Dugan: second, K. Ames for Greg Heid. 8 in favor.)

In response to the interest expressed by several PINES libraries in outsourcing cataloging, draft recommendations (G.) for Cat One and Cat Two authorizations that had been prepared by the PINES cataloging staff and the cataloging subcommittee were considered.
“Cat Two Authorization for Outsourcing: (Recommendation from the PINES Cataloging Subcommittee to the PINES Executive Committee)” was approved as presented. (Motion, Shaefer, Second, Ames for Heid; 8 in favor.)
“Cat One Authorization as an Outsourcing Option for PINES Member Library Systems” was approved as presented), as a draft document, with the understanding that the Hall County Library System would work as a pilot project with the PINES staff to further develop and refine the guidelines before the guidelines are accepted for use across PINES (Motion, Ames for Heid; second, Tope; 8 in favor).

In response to the request that the executive committee reopen discussion of holds priority issues (I.); the question (“my library/system/group” or “my facility” first?) was again considered. The current policy was explained and the options visually outlined by Julie Walker.  In the ensuing discussion, one view expressed was that the success of the PINES project requires that members adopt an open and sharing philosophy and that we should, therefore, be very wary about placing these restrictions on circulation.  Others felt that a compromise that did not undermine the integrity of the PINES philosophy was possible.  The executive committee voted to create a new Item Type, “Facility New Book” that would be optional and that would allow individual library facilities, if they choose, to restrict circulation of their new items to their own patrons for the first three months.  After three month, the Item Type would revert to “New Book” for the remaining three months of the six-month duration of the “New Book” designation. (Motion, Manget; second Hutsell; four in favor, three opposed; 1 abstaining.)

Nominating committee chair, Diana Tope presented the nominating committee’s report.  The committee put forward the following slate:

• member representing large libraries: Susan Cooley;
• member representing small libraries; Alan Kaye;
• member at large; Teresa Haymore. 

Paper ballots that list the candidates nominated by the committee and also have space for write-in candidates will be mailed to each PINES member and the results announced at the membership meeting.

A letter that had been received by Governor Barnes from a library patron in Thomaston, Georgia was reviewed by the committee.  The letter writer was indignant over the wording of the PINES final overdue notice.  On a motion by Hutsell, seconded by Gee, the PINES staff was asked to prepare a draft of an alternative final notice letter that might contain the mandatory legal wording in a more tactful context. (8 in favor.)

On a request from Alabama residents that they be eligible for free PINES cards on the same basis as Georgia residents, the executive committee voted to maintain current policy. (Motion, Dugan; second, Ames; 7 in favor; 1 absent.)

After several announcements (see agenda on website), the meeting was adjourned at 2:10 PM.