June 12, 2009 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes—June 12, 2009

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred fourteenth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2009 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Holly Carroll, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Gayle Patton, Sandi Plymire, and Mike Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, and Laura Solomon (OPLIN); Diane Fink (State Library); Lynda Murray (Ohio Library Council); and Don Barlow.

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair introduced Don Barlow, Director of Westerville Public Library, who will be a new Board member on July 1. Ben Chinni, Trustee of Euclid Public Library, will also join the Board on July 1.

The Chair called for public participation and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Gary Branson motioned to approve the agenda as presented; Holly Carroll seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of April 10 Board Retreat

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the minutes of the April 10 board retreat; Jim Kenzig seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented four financial reports: Report A showing the budget and expenditures for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of May 31; Report B showing the revenue and cash balances for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of May 31; Report C showing the budgets for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011; and Report D showing projected revenue and cash balances through FY 2011.

Report A: Diane explained that there are two payrolls left in the current fiscal year, and taken together with some unemployment costs for a previous employee, these salary expenses are the largest unspent balances in the Administration budget. She also explained the small available balance for a consultant exists because the contract with Past, Present, and Future, for maintaining the ExploreOhio website, was suspended in April in accordance with the Governor's Executive Order. Purchase orders will be opened in the next few days to encumber the remaining balances in the Telecommunications budget. As a result of the Executive Order, there was a small decrease of about $5,400 in the overall budget.

Report B: Diane called attention to the recent receipts of E-rate reimbursements, which total more than they have in past years, because OPLIN is now applying for reimbursements every six months instead of annually. The result is our normal annual reimbursement and our first semi-annual reimbursement arrived at about the same time. This balance may be helpful with our cash flow as we begin the new fiscal year. Diane also noted the first receipts of revenue from the libraries doing the beta testing of the website kits.

Report C: This report shows the OPLIN budget as contained in the Executive Budget Recommendation, the House Recommendation, and the Senate Recommendation. Diane noted that all three recommendations are identical.

Report D: Diane pointed out the reduction in anticipated E-rate reimbursements in FY'11, due to the shift to semi-annual reimbursements. The projected cash balance at the end of FY'11 is only about $118,000.

Diane then reported on the details of the Governor's Executive Order mandating additional spending controls on state agencies. Restrictions on travel were increased, and all open purchase orders were reviewed; the purchase of telecommunications services was deemed to be "essential," so these purchase orders were not reduced. Agencies were required to submit plans to the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) for reducing their budgets by as much as 30%; OPLIN submitted a plan to reduce the OPLIN budget by about $24,000, including the already negotiated reduction in office rent. Diane also explained that all OPLIN employees must take ten unpaid furlough ("cost savings") days per year during the next two years, and salaries will be reduced accordingly.

Diane also reported on additional reductions to the State Library's operating (5%) and regional libraries' (30%) budgets as recommended by the Senate. Further reductions may occur in the Conference Committee. In response to a question about the cash flow in the new fiscal year, Diane explained that some of the OPLIN payments, particularly for databases, occur very early in the fiscal year; however, it is likely that OPLIN funds will be transferred from the Public Library Fund in small monthly amounts, so the E-rate balance may need to be used for these large, early payments.

Stephen Hedges expanded briefly on the budget reduction plan submitted to OBM, noting that the plan was written under the assumption that there was no good reason to hold onto Public Library Fund monies at a time when public libraries need the services that can be purchased with those funds; the funds cannot be returned to the libraries, they would just sit unused in the OPLIN account. Diane noted that we have not had any response from OBM to this plan.

Mike Wantz motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Holly Carroll seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.1. Discuss proposed FY'10-11 budget

Stephen Hedges asked Lynda Murray to report on the overall state budget situation before moving to a narrower discussion of the OPLIN budget.

Lynda began by noting the $2.3 billion difference between state revenue projections two years ago and now. For public libraries, the current projections for the revenues going into the Public Library Fund (PLF) are $365 million in calendar year 2009, $356 million in 2010, and $360 million in calendar year 2011. It is likely that some library systems will not be able to survive in their current form. About two-thirds of Ohio public libraries have no local levies and are almost entirely dependent on the PLF.

The current budget language diverts about $5 million per year from the PLF to pay for OPLIN and the Library for the Blind, then diverts $5 million from the General Revenue Fund (GRF) into the PLF to negate this reduction. The Ohio Library Council is quietly working to maintain this arrangement as the budget moves through the Conference Committee. If the language is maintained, the State Library and the Ohio Library Council will probably recommend to OBM that the diversion from the PLF happen monthly instead of in one lump.

Lynda noted that the revenue projections do not include any future federal stimulus money, which is an unknown amount at this point. She also feels that the budget eventually passed by the legislature will be a placeholder budget that will need to be revised downward in the near future. The eventual recovery is likely to be very slow.

Stephen Hedges reviewed some of the findings of the OPLIN Task Force on Governance and Funding, which was created when OPLIN funds were taken from the Library and Local Government Support Fund (LLGSF) in FY'02, FY'03, and FY'04. The two biggest funding issues at that time were the fact that the OPLIN funding was fixed instead of being a percentage of the LLGSF, and local libraries felt that they did not have as much control as they would like over the OPLIN budget. The Task Force did not propose any procedure for funding OPLIN as a percentage of the LLGSF, but it may be a good idea to pursue that once the current budget is set. OPLIN should also be mindful of spending funds in such a way that libraries see a strong return on their investment in OPLIN. Lynda noted that OPLIN funding will likely be just one of a number of issues which OLC will be discussing with its members in the near future.

Lynda Murray left the meeting at 10:51 a.m.

6.2. Discuss possible OPLIN services

During the April Board Retreat, several possible new services were mentioned, and OPLIN staff were asked to examine each service and estimate the resources needed to implement it. Stephen Hedges presented a list of these services with an estimate of the staff time and money needed as well as the amount of time needed to implement the service.

The services which received the most support during the ensuing discussion were creating and maintaining: a) a website that provides information on job searching, and; b) a portal to e-government forms and resources. There was also discussion of selling website kits to non-profit organizations other than public libraries.

The Board concurred that some services should be undertaken as soon as possible, others require more study and detailed proposals, and some should be postponed until a later date.

Undertake ASAP

1. Offer OPLIN email service using existing library domain names; a library could have staff email addresses like staffname@libraryname.org instead of staffname@oplin.org.
2. Continue to provide support for librarians in Second Life.

Prepare proposals

1. Survey the availability of job help websites and prepare a proposal for a job help website if there is a need.
2. Survey the availability of e-government websites and prepare a proposal for a portal to e-government resources and forms if there is a need.
3. Prepare a proposal for a text messaging service that would send library notices to mobile devices via SMS.

Postpone

1. Offer to assist libraries with finding and hiring technology staff for a fee; hold until economy is better.
2. Sell website kits to non-profit organizations; hold for further consideration once most public library website kits have been completed.

6.3. Set guidelines for Website Kits

Enough of the beta testers of the website kits have reached the final stages of creating their sites for OPLIN staff to project expected costs and revenues with a fair degree of accuracy, and it appears that we are recovering our costs for providing the service. One purpose of the beta testing was to test our pricing to make sure it was adequate to cover our costs; there was no intent to make any profit. Stephen Hedges proposed that the Dynamic Website Kits now move from beta testing to production and that the current pricing used for the beta testers be continued: $200 for website kit creation; $180 per year for website service; $300 for any special Drupal module; $150 per hour for limited custom design and graphics work; and $600 for on-site training of up to 20 library staff. Stephen also suggested that some website kit customers will want more custom features than OPLIN is willing to provide, and for such cases we should develop a partnership with other non-profit library entities that do full-scale website development, so we could pass the customer to them in return for a fee to cover our costs for work already done toward gathering customer design requirements.

Mike Wantz motioned that the Dynamic Website Kits move from beta testing to production; Jim Kenzig seconded.

Holly Carroll asked if the intent is still to just cover our costs and questioned whether the pricing is too low. Gary Branson also expressed a concern that ongoing support of kit users may be more demanding than we anticipate, but Laura Solomon said that has not yet been her experience with the alpha tester and the early beta testers.

The Chair called for a vote on the motion. All aye.

Gary Branson asked if the motion had included the pricing structure; he had understood that it did not, but others assumed that it had. The Board then agreed that the Director will periodically review the balance between revenue and costs and approach the Board for price changes when deemed appropriate.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. OPLIN overtime on holidays

It has been the practice for the OPLIN Support Center to stay open on four state holidays when many libraries are open: Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans' Day. This results in about $2,500 per year in overtime costs for Support Center staff. The State Librarian has the authority to approve or deny overtime, and because of recent pressure on state agencies to eliminate or reduce overtime, Jo Budler asked the Board for their opinion as to whether this practice should be ended.

Stephen Hedges explained that whenever the Support Center is closed, on weekends and other holidays, calls to the Support Center are automatically redirected to the State of Ohio Network Operations Center.

Jim Kenzig asked for clarification as to how long any change in overtime practice would last. The consensus of the Board was that they would ask for re-consideration if it became evident that closing the Support Center was becoming a problem.

Sandi Plymire motioned that the OPLIN Support Center be closed on all state holidays until such time as this may become a problem for libraries; Holly Carroll seconded. All aye.

8. OPLIN DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges reported that the replacement routers have started to arrive, beginning with the core router. Site routers are expected to start arriving very shortly. These routers should allow OPLIN to better handle quality-sensitive network services such as Voice-over-IP.

Stephen noted that he has been working with a group of librarians convened by the Ohio Library Council to develop a number of statewide proposals for using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for broadband stimulus. Efforts are underway to gather partners other than libraries for a number of projects which have been loosely defined. It is probable that the guidelines for grant applications will be released around the end of June, and applicants may have only 60 days to submit proposals.

Stephen reported that rumors are circulating that the Broadband Ohio network, which currently provides free transport of Ethernet traffic from remote areas of the state back to Columbus, will need to begin charging for this service due to budget pressures. Although nothing is official yet, it is possible that this change could cost OPLIN about $200,000 per year in additional telecommunications costs.

Stephen highlighted a meeting he attended in Washington DC on May 12, sponsored by the American Library Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on ARRA broadband stimulus funding.

8.1. Website Kits progress

Laura Solomon reported that six of the ten beta test libraries have received their kits and completed training in loading their content into the kit; three of those libraries are now using their websites "live" on the Internet. One library has asked to be removed from the beta test and placed on the waiting list after the kits go into production. That places three on the waiting list, and more libraries have begun to express interest.

8.2. Bandwidth report

Karl Jendretzky reported on the results of a test he constructed to sample the destination IP addresses of the OPLIN Internet traffic. Over 70% of the traffic goes to content delivery networks, groups of servers that move bandwidth-intensive applications, such as video, closer to the end user. Akamai is the largest such network, with many servers, and accounts for about 43% of the total bandwidth, but even more noteworthy was Eyewonder, whose two servers distribute Flash advertisements and accounted for 22% of the bandwidth, costing about $15,000 per month.

Karl suggested we may want to cache the Eyewonder servers instead of retrieving the content from the Internet. There was also some discussion of simply blocking these servers from the OPLIN network.

Karl also reported that the Office of Information Technology was intrigued by this data, and that we had also shared it with OARnet. We may be able to negotiate a a lower bandwidth cost if a significant number of the content delivery servers are accessible on Internet2.

8.3. Databases and Network Reports

8.3.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon noted the steep increase over the last two months in the number of documents retrieved. Most of that is due to increased usage of EBSCO by Cuyahoga County Public Library, but no one seems to know what would have caused that.

8.3.2. Support Center (April and May)

Karl Jendretzky reported that Support Center ticket flow was normal, with no significant issues, as reflected in his written report.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

9.1. Director's Evaluation

Gayle Patton noted that all Board members had received a copy of the consolidated evaluation forms and comments regarding the performance of the Director, and that they were positive overall. All Board members completed evaluation forms, and none requested an Executive Session to discuss the evaluations. She thanked Bonnie Mathies for collecting all the forms and collating them.

9.2.  Resolutions

Gayle Patton shared a few comments about the departing Board members. She noted that Bob Richmond had served two terms, had served as a Board officer, and brought the valuable perspective of a public library trustee. Mike Wantz has advanced his retirement date to early October, so he will not be joining the Board for a second term; Gayle thanked him for his participation in OPLIN affairs, including volunteering his library as the alpha tester for the Website Kits. Gayle praised Mary Pat Essman for her thoughtful observations, questions and comments; Mary Pat in turn praised the "fabulous" OPLIN staff.

Karl Colon motioned that the following three resolutions be inserted into the minutes as read; Gary Branson seconded.

WHEREAS, MARY PAT ESSMAN has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2006, and WHEREAS she has generously contributed her efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for three years, and WHEREAS her dedication and attention to the perspective of the public libraries have maintained OPLIN's integrity, and WHEREAS she has served ably as the Vice-Chair of the OPLIN Board, and WHEREAS her experience as Director of the Lane Public Library gave her a valuable point of view concerning OPLIN and its services to all Ohio public libraries, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 12th day of June, Two Thousand and Nine, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by MARY PAT ESSMAN during her tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to MARY PAT ESSMAN for her continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

WHEREAS, BOB RICHMOND has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2002, and WHEREAS he has freely and unselfishly given of his time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for seven years, and WHEREAS he has demonstrated a firm sense of commitment and dedication to advancing public libraries in Ohio, and WHEREAS his service as a trustee of the Canal Fulton Public Library gave him a unique perspective about OPLIN and its services to public libraries, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 12th day of June, Two Thousand and Nine, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by BOB RICHMOND during his tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to BOB RICHMOND for his continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

WHEREAS, MIKE WANTZ has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2007, and WHEREAS he has generously contributed his efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for two years, and WHEREAS he has shared his valuable insights and wisdom to maintain the integrity of OPLIN, and WHEREAS his experience as Director of the Perry County District Library gave him a diverse point of view concerning OPLIN and its services to all Ohio public libraries, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 12th day of June, Two Thousand and Nine, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by MIKE WANTZ during his tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to MIKE WANTZ for his continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

The Chair called for a vote on the motion. All aye.

9.3. August meeting procedure

Gayle Patton suggested that discussion of filling Mike Wantz's seat on the Board be placed on the August meeting agenda. She informed the Board that she will open the August Board meeting and immediately ask that Jeff Wale, representing the Nominations Committee, propose the slate of Board officers for the 2010 fiscal year. Following the vote, she will pass the gavel to Karl Colon as the new Board chair.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Sandi Plymire motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:06 p.m. Jim Kenzig seconded.

April 10, 2009 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES
BOARD RETREAT

Minutes—April 10, 2009

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred thirteenth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:01 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2009 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Holly Carroll, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Sandi Plymire, Bob Richmond, Jeff Wale, and Mike Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, and Laura Solomon (OPLIN); Diane Fink, Jo Budler, and Missy Lodge (State Library); and Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Gayle Patton explained that she and Stephen Hedges felt that it would be best to start the strategic discussion in the morning while everyone is fresh, and push the regular board meeting business items to the end of the day.

Gary Branson motioned to approve the agenda as presented; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

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4. STRATEGY DISCUSSION

Missy Lodge facilitated a discussion of OPLIN strategy, touching on four main subject areas: the external environment, OPLIN customers, OPLIN services, and marketing. OPLIN staff provided background reports and additional supporting information in the course of the discussion. Missy's notes from the easels recorded the following discussion points:

External Environment

1. Libraries are valued more than other state agencies, but the complexity of library funding is not understood
   • more competition for state support
   • being well-supported can be a double-edged sword, threat
   • legislators increasingly look to local funding as a primary source of funding
   • nobody is "raiding" public library funding, it reflects the economy
   • freshmen legislators seem to understand library funding
2. Schools are more of an opportunity for partnering than a threat
   • schools value libraries
   • library has to go to school system for partnering, school doesn't come to library
   • an opportunity, but scaling down due to budget; but how will cutbacks affect the relationship?
   • there is both need and opportunity, but budget reality sets in
   • public library cannot assume role of school library
   • have to watch we don't spread ourselves too thin—focus on libraries' core work
3. Still true that OPLIN is taken for granted—always there, always free, and not understood
   • libraries only care about OPLIN if things go wrong
   • * part of marketing piece
   • to many library staff, OPLIN is a "utility"
   • CLEVNET and SEO dependent on OPLIN
     • what will we achieve by marketing to libraries?
     • marketing objective?
   • Return On Investment study (marketing) — * important if funded through PLF
     • one was done in 2001 (OPLIN from LLGSF), used as communication tool
4. Library technology issues
   • libraries need basic IT assistance
     • drain on OPLIN resources
   • concern is not law enforcement but privacy, protecting private info, etc.
   • if OPLIN funded from PLF does it change library expectations of OPLIN?
   • ongoing discussion of core mission of libraries
     • shifting from books
     • shifting from traditional paradigm of telling people what's good for them
   • libraries expect OPLIN to take care of things no matter funding source
     • if from PLF, heightened awareness but not a change in expectation
     • more concern in how money spent
   • differentiate more between OLC and OPLIN?
     • not an issue
   • no one blaming OPLIN for budget situation
   • competing with Google
     • not a major issue, reference librarians use Ohio Web Library
     • a fear, but now realizing Google not as efficient
     • bigger issue for small libraries
   • real competition is Google-like websites
   • need statewide unified catalog search
   • Google not competing with libraries, competing with books
   • Google is a tool
   • how is Google a threat to OPLIN?
     • takes away from database use
     • used instead of databases
     • databases cost a lot of money
     • are we justified in spending that money?

Customers

• Where do customers of libraries fit in?
  • at the public library level
• Happier customers?
  • more of everything at same cost
  • opportunities to save money
  • have OPLIN/state agencies break the ice/test the water for new things
    • helping see the future
  • * job searching skills/employment databases
  • tech support and web services
• Do we need more bandwidth or better management when it gets in library?

Services

• Where funding comes from will impact services fee structure
• If choose to make a service, then ad hoc committee determines fee structure and model
• Dynamic Website Kits
  • show how much would cost on open market
  • * is marketing because of word of mouth
    • break-even service
  • new fee structure for July 1 based on beta tests
• Custom OWL Search
  • libraries could build but not maintain
  • great idea but not practical
• SMS messaging
  • cost: phone $30 per month
  • could host locally
  • if libraries are our customers, how we use it with them?
• Summer Reading Program management
  • can provide more functionality

[The Board took a break for lunch from 11:50 am to 12:10 pm.]

New Services

• Managing e-gov. resources / portal
• WiFi routers
  • how deep to go
  • more work than we know
• Branch connections
• Internal network trouble-shooting
  • for fee
  • would need to hire technician
• Website evaluation
  • possible because we have right staff
• Accreditation for "2.0"
• Assistance with continuing education for Second Life
• Basic social media training package
• Robust intranets
  • shared content statewide
• Custom email domains
• Tech interview consultant
  • OPLIN staff serve as head hunter
• Job searching skills/database
• Can not take on more with current staff and budget
• Should we be polling libraries?
• How do new services tie to mission?
• Once budget is decided, OPLIN staff take each service and indicate resources (staff and other) it would take

Marketing

• How do we know if new service wanted
• How do we market it, roll it out
• At what level market?
  • push down to staff
• How we market depends on what we want to achieve
  • get libraries to "like OPLIN" vs. sale of product
• Send something to all library staff on regular basis
• Set up arrangement where someone at each system will push it down
• Follow model of OLC Director "This Week" message
• Internship with marketing person
  • KSU student?
• Focus groups at OLC chapters 2010
• Online survey

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[The Board resumed regular meeting agenda items at 1:14 pm.]

5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of February 13 meeting

Jeff Wale motioned to approve the minutes from the February 13th meeting; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

6. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented four financial reports: Report A showing the budget and expenditures for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of March 31; Report B showing the revenue and cash balances for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of March 31; Report C showing the budgets for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011; and Report D showing projected revenue and cash balances through FY 2011.

Report A: Diane reported that OPLIN has been assessed some unemployment costs for a previous employ who has been laid off from the job she took after leaving OPLIN; these charges have been added to the salary line in the budget. She also noted that the re-negotiated OPLIN rent for the next biennium should save about $10,000 each year. All charges for databases have been paid for the year. OIT telecommunications charges have been higher than anticipated, so some adjustment to those line items may be required before the end of the fiscal year.

Diane pointed out that $979.90 in filtering funds are still available, because several libraries paid for their filter maintenance before the second round of filtering assistance grants was approved. This late in the fiscal year, it is best to allow those funds to revert to the state; since the funds are earmarked, they cannot be used for another purpose. Diane noted that recent news has suggested that the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) might announce another cut due to flagging state revenues, but that is unlikely this late in the fiscal year.

Diane noted that at the December 12 board meeting we had discussed the possibility of further cuts to the OPLIN budget, but when state budget cuts were announced on December 19, the entire State Library budget, including OPLIN, was exempted. There may be no further cuts before the end of the biennium.

Report B: Diane reported that we have received some E-rate reimbursements, but some large refunds are still pending. The March 31 Fund 4S4 cash balance is therefore only $337,375.

Report C: Diane noted that there have been only minor changes in this report to reflect small changes in FY 2009 line items. The currently expected date for the Ohio House to release their version of the budget is April 20, at which point OPLIN funding may be changed to come from the General Revenue Fund rather than the Public Library Fund.

Report D: At the proposed funding level, the cash balance should be about $48,000 at the end of FY 2011.

Diane also reported that OBM is preparing for the possibility of operating under an interim budget if the General Assembly does not pass a biennium budget by June 30. She reported on the OCSEA labor contract which will probably apply to all state employees. It is unclear what is to be done with savings realized from ten days of mandatory furlough for all employees. In response to a question, Diane clarified that under the OCSEA agreement there will be no pay raises of any kind for three years.

Holly Carroll motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Mike Wantz seconded. All aye.

Gayle Patton asked Stephen Hedges to email the Board as soon as the Ohio House releases its version of the budget to let everyone know how OPLIN is affected.

7. OLD BUSINESS

7.1. Report from Nominations Committee

Mary Pat Essman thanked fellow committee members Bob Richmond and Jeff Wale. OPLIN was fortunate to have quite a few people express interest in joining the board. After discussing the candidates' qualifications and the present board configuration, the committee would like to recommend that OPLIN submit Don Barlow, Jason Buydos, Benjamin Chinni and Jamie Mason to the State Library Board as the selected candidates for the two upcoming board vacancies, with preference given to Benjamin Chinni as a library trustee and Don Barlow as a Columbus-area librarian.

Karl Colon motioned to accept the recommendation of the Nominations Committee; Gary Branson seconded. All aye.

Gayle Patton requested that the two candidates selected by the State Library Board be invited to attend the June 12 OPLIN Board meeting.

Mary Pat also reported that the committee had drawn up a suggested slate of candidates for election to board offices at the first meeting of the board following July 1. Those candidates are: Karl Colon, Chair; Holly Carroll, Vice-Chair; Bonnie Mathies, Secretary; and Gayle Patton, Treasurer.

8. NEW BUSINESS

[none]

9. OPLIN DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges noted that most items in his report—the budget matters, the router replacement project, and the federal stimulus funds—had been discussed in the strategy discussion. He did point out that he had enjoyed his involvement with the committee that reviewed the responses to the State Library's RFP for an open source statewide resource sharing system. The projected completion date for this project is September 2010.

9.1. Outreach Report

Laura Solomon reported that she has been busy with online classes, but also pointed out her presentation about the Ohio Web Library federated search at the Computers In Libraries conference in Washington DC. The attendees at her session seemed to be favorably impressed.

9.2. Databases and Network Reports

9.2.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon explained that two vendors have had technical problems and have not yet provided statistics for March, so this report will be emailed to board members as soon as it is completed.

9.2.2. Support Center (February and March)

Karl Jendretzky reported that Support Center ticket flow was normal, as reflected in his written report. He did have to deal with a major intrusion into our email system; a couple of user accounts were compromised and used to send out spam. Karl was able to stop the intrusion and has increased security to counteract similar intrusions in the future.

10. CHAIR'S REPORT

10.1. Director's Evaluation

Gayle Patton informed the board that it was time to do Stephen Hedges' annual evaluation. After consulting with Bonnie Mathies and Stephen, she decided that the form used last year had been informative for Stephen and fairly easy for Bonnie to collate, so the board will use the same form this year. The form will be emailed to board members as soon as possible following this meeting, and all responses are due to be emailed to Bonnie by May 1. Results will be reported at the June board meeting.

Stephen noted that he had asked Gayle about changing his title to "Director" instead of "Executive Director" as part of the evaluation process. He felt that this title was more appropriate and more in line with the titles of similar state employees. Gayle had responded that the change did not require a formal board process and that he should feel free to make the change.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Bob Richmond motioned to adjourn the meeting at 1:40 p.m. Jim Kenzig seconded.

February 13, 2009 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- February 13, 2009

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred twelfth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 13, 2009 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Holly Carroll, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Bob Richmond, and Jeff Wale.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, Laura Solomon, and Vince Riley (OPLIN); Diane Fink (State Library); and Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Gayle Patton noted that Lynda Murray (Ohio Library Council) planned to join the meeting at about 11:30 with an update on the proposed state biennium budget. She also asked that Item 9, "CHAIR'S REPORT" be moved ahead of Item 4, "APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES."

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the agenda as amended; Holly Carroll seconded. All aye.

[9. CHAIR'S REPORT]

[9.1. Nominations Committee]

Gayle Patton announced that Jim Kenzig and Mike Wantz had agreed to serve a second term on the board after their current terms expire in June. Bob Richmond and Mary Pat Essman will be leaving the board after their terms expire in June, creating two vacancies on the board. Gayle appointed Bob, Mary Pat, and Jeff Wale to a Nominations Committee and charged them to 1) recommend several candidates to fill these vacancies, taking the needs of the board into consideration, and 2) recommend a slate of board officers for election after July 1. She requested that the committee complete their work and report back to the board at the April board meeting.

[9.2. Ohio Ethics Commission]

Gayle Patton reminded board members to submit their Financial Disclosure Forms before the April 15 deadline, and that filing fees are paid by OPLIN.

[9.3. Board Retreat]

Gayle Patton asked Stephen Hedges to report on plans for the OPLIN Board retreat, which will be held April 10 from 9:00 to 3:00 at the State Library. Missy Lodge is available to facilitate; the strategic plan will be reviewed, but the majority of the discussion will involve policy decisions based on the new budget. The board requested that a facilitator be used for the meeting.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of December 12 meeting

Gary Branson motioned to approve the minutes from the December 12th meeting; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented four financial reports: Report A showing the budget and expenditures for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of January 31; Report B showing the revenue and cash balances for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of January 31; Report C showing the budgets for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011; and Report D showing projected revenue and cash balances through FY 2011.

Report A: Diane pointed out the open encumbrance for the fourth quarter FY 2009 rent, noting that OPLIN rent may change in the future, either because of a move to a new location or a re-negotiation through the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) of the rent at our current location. There is not enough contiguous space in the State Library building to house OPLIN. The move to the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) could become unfeasible if OPLIN funding is taken from the Public Library Fund in the new budget. Karl Colon suggested that we try to negotiate a reasonable rate at the SOCC regardless of our funding source.

In the "Information Resources" section of the budget, there is an encumbrance for the OpenTranslators used by the Ohio Web Library search; the company we originally contracted for this service has been purchased by another company and OPLIN is in the process of revising the contract and purchase order. In the "Filtering" section, Diane reported that all the contracts for smaller filtering grants approved at the December 12 meeting have been signed; the larger grants (over $5,000) were just approved at the February 10 State Library Board meeting.

Diane noted that at the December 12 board meeting we had discussed the possibility of further cuts to the OPLIN budget, but when state budget cuts were announced on December 19, the entire State Library budget, including OPLIN, was exempted. There may be no further cuts before the end of the biennium.

Report B: Diane noted that OPLIN has only received the E-rate reimbursement from OIT, but the other reimbursements are expected soon. Approximately $13,500 in refunds from canceled data circuits following upgrades also appears here as revenue.

Report C: Diane reminded the board that when budgets were submitted to the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) last September all agencies submitted budgets at 90% of adjusted fiscal year 2009 appropriations (Activity A), but could also request an additional 5% for special needs (Activity B). In the Governor's executive budget proposal, OPLIN is funded at the 95% level (Activity A and B), but funding comes from the Public Library Fund rather than the General Revenue Fund. The additional Activity B funds were requested to cover telecommunications costs. The filtering funds were requested at the Activity A level, which would be $81,000 each year. A total of $3,702,150 would come from the Public Library Fund, with an additional $2 million in spending authority for E-rate reimbursements and other non-state revenue. The increases in salaries/benefits shown for each year are due to anticipated increases in benefit costs, not salary increases; the executive budget proposal actually calls for pay reductions.

Report D: This report has been revised to show the Public Library Fund as a revenue source. At the proposed funding level, the cash balance should be about $45,000 at the end of the biennium.

Karl Colon motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.1. Approve Internet filtering assistance grants (second round)

Stephen Hedges presented two spreadsheets with information pertaining to the filtering assistance grants that will disburse the remainder of the funds designated for this purpose. These grants are to libraries requesting assistance with filtering maintenance and licensing; libraries with the smallest amount of total revenue receive the highest priority. Due to the delay in awarding these grants (as we waited for news of more funding cuts), several libraries that would otherwise qualify for grants, including two that were approved at the last board meeting, have already purchased their filters and thus been disqualified under the grant guidelines. The following libraries are now recommended for funding, which will complete the distribution of $85,725:

• Grand Valley Public Library: $375.00
• Sabina Public Library: $169.90
• Alexandria Public Library: $199.00
• Mechanicsburg Public Library: $99.96
• Wagnalls Memorial Library: $199.00
• Henderson Memorial Library Association: $250.00
• Plain City Public Library: $199.00
• Delphos Public Library: $237.00
• Harbor-Topky Memorial Library: $810.00
• Kinsman Free Public Library: $675.00
• Galion Public Library Association: $500.00
• Mary L Cook Public Library: $795.00
• Newton Falls Public Library: $1,125.00
• Carnegie Public Library (East Liverpool): $800.00
• Hubbard Public Library: $1,025.00
• Rock Creek Public Library: $325.00
• Perry Public Library: $450.00
• McKinley Memorial Library: $1,000.00
• Putnam County District Library: $1,120.00
• Kent Free Library: $2,825.00
• Ashtabula County District Library: $1,300.00
• Reed Memorial Library: $1,550.00
• Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library: $964.00
• Portsmouth Public Library: $563.26


• Subtotal: $17,556.12
• Total with previous grants: $85,725.00

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the Internet filtering assistance grants as presented; Gary Branson seconded.

Roll call: Gary Branson, aye; Holly Carroll, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Jeff Wale, aye.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Discuss Governor's Executive Budget for FYs 2010 and 2011

Stephen Hedges called attention to several items of information in the board packets, including the pages from the Governor's proposed budget which apply to the State Library, OPLIN, and the Public Library Fund. The General Revenue Funds distributed to the State Library will be about half what they have been in the past, due to taking the funding for both OPLIN and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) from the Public Library Fund. Doug Evans reported that the Ohio Library Council is currently trying to determine how this change originated and will work to reverse it.

The first release of the proposed budget showed the Public Library Fund at over $464 million, which was a projected number from the last biennium budget; in reality, the fund will probably have closer to $419 million in calendar year 2009, a reduction of about $30 million from the previous year. The second release of the proposed budget shows the Public Library Fund at $401 million in fiscal year 2010. Funding OPLIN and the LBPH from the Public Library Fund would remove an additional $5 million from the fund each year.

Holly Carroll asked if there would be any impact on the State Library if OLC succeeds in moving OPLIN and LBPH back into the General Revenue Fund. Diane Fink replied that there would be no negative impact to the State Library, though OPLIN and LBPH could be budgeted for less money if their funding came from the GRF instead of the Public Library Fund. Stephen noted that the source of the funding would also affect the amount of rent OPLIN would pay if we were to move back to the SOCC.

Diane provided a synopsis of the history of budget reductions for all items in the State Library budget since fiscal year 2002. In FY 2002, 2003, and 2004 OPLIN was funded from the library fund rather than the GRF. Since FY 2005, when OPLIN returned to the GRF, OPLIN funding has been cut 21%. The State Library budget items still funded from the GRF are only funded at the 90% (Activity A) level in the executive budget proposal for FYs 2010-2011. Overall State Library staffing is projected to be 74 positions by the end of FY 2011, down from 130 at the beginning of FY 2002. (Diane also noted that $199,830.84 of the $200,000 allocated to OPLIN in the last capital budget for router replacement will be requested from the Controlling Board on February 23.)

Stephen reported that the OLC Government Relations Committee discussed the issue of OPLIN funding extensively and decided that OLC must at least try to move OPLIN funding back into the GRF. At that meeting Stephen also suggested that if OPLIN funding were to come from the Public Library Fund, it might be possible to set the amount of OPLIN funding as a percentage (less than 1%) of the PLF rather than a fixed amount. Stephen felt that it was important for the OPLIN board to choose a position on the funding source issue.

Karl Colon asked if it was really important for the board to take a position; the board's concern is with the amount of funding. not necessarily the source of funding, and it may want to remain neutral on this issue. Stephen replied that he needed guidance from the board to handle requests for an official OPLIN reaction to the change in funding source, and if the board decided to take no position, then he could communicate that.

Jim Kenzig asked if there were advantages to one fund over the other. Stephen replied that recently the General Revenue Fund has seen greater reductions than the Public Library Fund; the GRF is subject to state budget cuts, while the PLF decreases and increases in direct proportion to general tax revenue.

Gary Branson said he feared that taking OPLIN funding from the PLF was a "slippery slope" and could lead to other statewide programs being funded from the PLF; he felt that the Public Library Fund should be used only for public libraries. Mary Pat Essman cautioned that this was the viewpoint of a library director, whereas the viewpoint of an OPLIN board member should be to secure the funding. She acknowledged, however, that the board must think of OPLIN's relationship with its public library customers.

Jeff Wale recognized that the legislature might easily make a connection between the "Public Library Information Network" and the "Public Library Fund," but he suggested that, if OPLIN funding remained in the PLF, in fairness the PLF should be increased to cover the cost of OPLIN.

Karl pointed out that historically the OPLIN-provided Internet connections represented a commitment from the state to provide specific support to public libraries; now, however, public libraries are being asked to cover the cost of this commitment. Mary Pat responded that in the current economy we can no longer depend on historical commitments. Karl explained that the historical commitment might be used, however, to argue that the PLF should be increased to cover OPLIN funding. Holly speculated that the presence of OPLIN in the PLF might protect the fund from a reduction in percentage. There was general agreement, however, that OPLIN was moved into the PLF because sufficient funds might not be available in the GRF, and finding funds to add to the PLF to cover OPLIN costs would be difficult.

Mary Pat suggested that the best thing for the OPLIN board to do would be to work closely with the Ohio Library Council on this issue. Doug Evans assured the board that the OLC Board would give strong consideration to the position of the OPLIN board, because it would be best if both boards sent a consistent message. He did not believe that there would be excessive opposition to OPLIN funding coming from the PLF, but he agreed with the OLC Government Relations Committee that we at least have to ask that OPLIN move back into the GRF. He felt that the more contentious issue this time is the proposal to also take funding for the LBPH from the PLF.

The board then began to discuss the wording of a resolution, starting with their intention to continue to provide the best services possible to Ohio public libraries. Having the funds available to do this is more important than the source of the funding.

At this point Karl Colon suggested that the discussion be suspended for a few minutes until Lynda Murray could join the meeting. The Chair asked the Executive Director to present his report while the board awaited Lynda's arrival.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges reported that the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC), of which OPLIN is a member, has released a statement to information vendors concerning the "Global Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Consortial Licenses" is an effort to keep database prices in check. Response from vendors so far has been encouraging.

Stephen and Karl Jendretzky have begun meeting with OARnet to explore the possibility of purchasing some Internet bandwidth through them instead of through the Office of Information Technology (OIT). This would not affect the router replacement project, since "last-mile" network provisioning would still be handled by OIT. Purchasing bandwidth from OARnet could open a pathway for public libraries to access Internet2.

Stephen gave a brief update on what is known so far about the broadband portions of the federal economic stimulus package. Little is known at the moment, but the Ohio Broadband Council will be watching closely as details are released. Stephen also provided some background information concerning the Connect Ohio eCommunity Leadership Team meetings around the state. Connect Ohio has organized these teams in about half the Ohio counties at this point, and is very interested in having libraries involved with each team.

Stephen congratulated Laura Solomon for being awarded an Alliance Virtual Library Golden Leaf award for her work in Second Life.

Finally, Stephen informed the board of his plans to begin applying for E-rate discounts semi-annually instead of annually, and to take some E-rate funds as discounts on telecommunications bills rather than reimbursements. These suggestions came from Lorrie Germann, the eTech Ohio E-rate consultant who now works with OPLIN under contract. By changing our E-rate reimbursement practices, we can get much of our E-rate funds into our budget sooner than we have in the past.

Lynda Murray joined the meeting at 11:26 and the board resumed discussion of Item 7.1.

[7.1. Discuss Governor's Executive Budget for FYs 2010 and 2011 -- resumed]

Lynda Murray told the board she believes that if OPLIN funds are taken from public library funding again, that arrangement would become permanent this time. On the other hand, she does not feel that public libraries are comfortable with OPLIN funding dropping below the current 95% of FY 2009 adjusted budget level, so moving OPLIN into the GRF, but at a lower funding level, would not be a good outcome.

Lynda shared her assumption that the incorrect numbers for the Public Library Fund in the original executive budget proposal ($464 million) led OBM to believe that excess funds were available to support OPLIN and LBPH. She has been working with OBM to correct these numbers before the actual budget bill is introduced, and also to move OPLIN and LBPH funding back into GRF in the budget bill, but she was not optimistic that this would happen. She has also been meeting with legislators and believes they are supportive of moving OPLIN and LBPH back into the GRF.

Lynda asked that the board pass a resolution supporting moving OPLIN funding back into GRF at the 95% level; she also suggested that the resolution could ask for funding at the 100% level, though felt it was unlikely that we would get 100%. In response to a question from the board, she noted that her justification for moving OPLIN back to GRF would be because the state had provided OPLIN as an incentive for libraries to cooperate for the sake of efficiency, and taking OPLIN funding from the PLF would remove that incentive. She also noted that libraries had agreed to a percentage of general tax revenue with the understanding that library funding would ebb and flow with the economy without intervention from the legislature; removing OPLIN and LBPH from the PLF violates that understanding.

Lynda also clarified for the board that as proposed, the OPLIN and LBPH funding would not ebb and flow along with the PLF, but would remain fixed. From the OPLIN point of view, that and being sheltered from OBM cuts to the GRF would provide a stable funding source, but this arrangement is simply unfair to public libraries.

The Chair inquired if OLC would like to have a resolution from the OPLIN board prior to the March 11 OLC Legislative Day, and Lynda replied that that would be helpful. The resolution may need to be revisited at the April 10 OPLIN board meeting, since budget developments between this meeting and the April meeting may change our situation.

Jim Kenzig pointed out that much of the board's discussion indicated that PLF funding could be a good thing for OPLIN. Lynda and Doug responded that it would be the position of the public library community that OPLIN funding should nevertheless go back to GRF.

Karl Colon noted that if OPLIN funding were to remain in the PLF, OPLIN would be in a perpetual funding struggle with its constituents. Lynda thought that there would never be an adversarial relationship between OPLIN and public libraries, but the entire funding situation would certainly be simpler if OPLIN were not funded from the PLF.

All agreed that further cuts to the OPLIN budget should be avoided if at all possible, and that the cooperative nature of OPLIN be noted in the resolution. Discussion of the wording of the resolution followed.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the following resolution; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

"WHEREAS,  the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) will continue to provide outstanding Internet service to the Ohio public library community and its 8 million patrons, by cooperatively purchasing broadband connections for the 251 public libraries through State of Ohio purchase instruments;

"WHEREAS,  the Ohio Public Library Information Network will continue to collectively purchase authoritative online information resources for use by all Ohioans through our ongoing partnership with the academic libraries (OhioLINK), the school libraries (INFOhio), and the State Library of Ohio;

"WHEREAS,  the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognizes that the public libraries of Ohio have now entered a state of financial distress due to steeply declining revenues and would be further damaged were the Ohio Legislature to draw the funding for OPLIN from the already diminished Public Library Fund;

"BE IT RESOLVED  that the Board of the Ohio Public Library Information Network respectfully requests that the Ohio General Assembly continue funding OPLIN from the General Revenue Fund, as it has in previous bienniums, and that this funding be established at 100% of adjusted fiscal year 2009 appropriations ($3,897,000)."

8.1. Website Kits progress

Laura Solomon reported that work has begun on the website kits beta project. The ten test libraries have been selected, although two have requested that they be the last to test due to internal scheduling issues. Five of the website kits are already in progress. OPLIN has started a waiting list of libraries that are interested in kits after the beta testing is completed. So far the work has not been excessively burdensome.

8.2. Outreach Report

Laura Solomon reported that her technology classes have been busy, with most now taking place online. A list of classes taught and upcoming events was presented to the board.

8.3. Databases and Network Reports

8.3.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon noted that December usage was down, as it traditionally is when schools are on break, but overall we are still seeing significant increases in use of the databases.

8.3.2. Support Center (December and January)

Karl Jendretzky reported that Support Center ticket flow was normal, as reflected in his written report, with no unusual activity.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Gary Branson motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:03 p.m.

December 12, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- December 12, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred eleventh meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:01 a.m. on Friday, December 12, 2008 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Sandi Plymire, Bob Richmond, Jeff Wale, and Mike Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, Laura Solomon, and Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN); Diane Fink (State Library); and Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Bob Richmond motioned to approve the agenda; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of October 10 meeting

Gary Branson motioned to approve the minutes from the October 10th meeting; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented four financial reports: Report A showing the budget and expenditures for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of November 30; Report B showing the revenue and cash balances for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 as of November 30; Report C showing the budgets for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011; and Report D showing projected revenue and cash balances through FY 2011.

Report A: Diane noted that November 30 was the last day to make payments against FY 2008 purchase orders; two remaining purchase orders, one to Kent State University and one to 361 Studios, were closed and the encumbered $11,375 was returned to fund 4S4. The FY 2008 budget shows a reduction of $433,000, which was the 10% cut mandated in February 2008.

For FY 2009, an additional 4.75% cut was implemented in September, so this budget shows a current reduction of $618,000. Another cut will certainly be forthcoming, but when and how much are not yet known. The only open encumbrance in the Administration area of the budget is the last six months of rent; our lease will end at the end of the fiscal year and will be renegotiated by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) if OPLIN chooses to stay in the current location. In the Information Resources area there is still an open encumbrance for periodic payments toward the cost of the Libraries Connect Ohio database subscriptions, and in the Support area there is one encumbrance for Ohio Library Council conference support and a small available balance. In the Telecommunications area, the purchase of a spam filtering device was approved by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and that purchase has been completed.

Report B: Diane explained that the large change in cash balance in Fund 4S4 between July 2007 (almost $1.4 million) and November 2008 ($240,000) was due to a combination of large encumbrances disbursed after July 1 and slow receipt of E-rate reimbursements. She noted, however, that a $378,000 E-rate reimbursement from OIT had been received the day before the board meeting and more reimbursements should now begin to arrive.

Report C: This report shows the current state of the FY 2009 budget and the OPLIN budget request for the next biennium. State agencies were instructed to prepare a biennium budget expecting 90% of the General Revenue Funds (GRF) allocated at the beginning of FY 2009; agencies could also submit a request for 95% funding instead if they could justify the request. Diane reported that at this point, however, these budget levels will almost certainly be reduced.

Report D: Diane explained that this report on projected cash balances had been updated to include the canceled FY 2008 purchase orders, a reduction in the equipment budget, and receipt of some refunds from telecommunications vendors resulting from circuit changes. The estimated cash balance on June 30, 2011 now stands at about $40,000 if OPLIN were to receive biennium GRF funding at the 95% level, but a $350,000 deficit at the 90% funding level.

General Information: Diane noted that Gov. Strickland's December 1 press conference painted a very bleak picture of the Ohio economy over the next three years. In her opinion, this was an effort to educate the public about the need for further budget cuts. Likewise the recent release of documents detailing the effect of a 25% cut to agency budgets (as compared to the 10% cut that was stipulated for FY 2010-11 budget requests) was probably also a means of preparing everyone for more cuts. Restrictions on hiring, equipment purchases, and travel are still in effect.

Stephen Hedges presented a document detailing the effect of past and possible future budget cuts on the funds set aside for Internet filtering assistance, which served as a simple model of the effect of cuts on the entire OPLIN budget.

Mike Wantz asked if OPLIN might benefit from any federal funds for broadband infrastructure improvement. Stephen Hedges responded that he monitors federal grants and has yet to see anything that would benefit OPLIN, but that may change with the new federal administration. Mike also asked if the earmark of some state funds for Internet filtering assistance was likely to continue. Stephen and Diane responded that earmarks have so far been reduced in proportion to the rest of the budget, and the funds have not been released for other uses.

Karl Colon commended Diane and Stephen for presenting a clear and straightforward assessment of the budget situation.

Mike Wantz motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Jim Kenzig seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.1. Approve Library Web Site Services

Stephen Hedges presented a lengthy document describing the proposed web site services and how they would be operated, the fees which would be charged to customers for the services, the marketing of the services, potential risks, and estimated costs and revenues. The services would encompass development of a basic Drupal website for libraries, installation of optional modules, hosting and maintenance of the website, and training for library staff in using the content management system. The cost of providing the services must be supported by user fees. This document was prepared in response to a request from the previous board meeting for a more detailed proposal.

Questions from the board centered on the pricing of the services, which was generally thought to be too low, and some board members also commented on the difficulty of marketing the services. Jim Kenzig pointed out that the cost of bandwidth had not been included in the proposal. Jeff Wale asked if the goal was to create a strong revenue stream or to improve library websites, which are two different perspectives; he also questioned whether the cost of setting up the websites was adequately covered by the proposed pricing. Karl Colon noted that the projected profit was very modest, and even though the service itself is valuable, the proposal did not remedy our budget shortfall. Jeff suggested we charge a flat fee for initial setup, perhaps $500, and all other work be charged at an hourly fee to protect our risk. Bob Richmond commented that it might be difficult to convince libraries that their current websites fall short of accepted criteria, presenting a marketing challenge. Gayle Patton speculated that some small libraries might feel more comfortable with getting website help from their regional system. Gayle also noted that offering this service could be seen as a reversal of the trend of OPLIN "taking services away" due to budget cuts. In response to a question, Mike Wantz clarified that Perry County Public Library agreed to be the alpha tester for the service because they were aware of the benefits of moving to a more modern and manageable website, but they also found that the staff time devoted to the project had actually increased the technical knowledge of the staff. Doug Evans commented that Laura Solomon and OPLIN are both well respected in the public library community and predicted that the service would be popular. Jim suggested that the plan be tried for six months. Mike suggested that the initial cost for creating the sites be increased and that more emphasis be placed on a flat development fee and less emphasis on an hourly rate for custom work. Gayle requested a motion from the floor.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the Library Web Site Services proposal as presented; Sandi Plymire seconded.

Ensuing discussion revolved around refining the pricing. Bob Richmond suggested that individual quotes could be prepared for each potential customer. Mary Pat Essman felt that this would increase the staff work without increasing revenue, and that the proposed pricing was too low. In response to a question, Diane Fink noted that OPLIN could use a contract based on the contract currently used for SEO libraries, which clearly specifies the responsibilities of both parties. Mike Wantz proposed that we add an initial website development fee of $200 to the proposed pricing. Karl Jendretzky clarified that the annual cost for "hosting" primarily covers maintenance of the site and the supporting software. Jeff Wale liked the idea of running a six-month beta test of the project limited to no more than a dozen libraries. Diane suggested that it might be a good idea to end the test with the end of the fiscal year. Karl Colon asked for reassurance that the services would not take so much staff time that other OPLIN services suffered. Bonnie Mathies reminded everyone that a good evaluation of the impact of the project on libraries and their users will be important.

Mary Pat Essman amended her motion to approve the Library Web Site Services proposal with the addition of a $200 initial website development fee and that the proposal be tested until June 30, 2009 with a limited number of libraries to be determined by the Executive Director, followed by an evaluation of the impact of the web site services on the participating libraries and their users.

Roll call: Gary Branson, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Mike Wantz, aye.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Approve Internet Filtering Assistance Grants

Stephen Hedges presented a list of Internet filtering assistance requests that OPLIN received as well as a list of recommended grant awards. He reminded the board that the original $100,000 set aside in our FY 2008 budget for filtering had been reduced by successive budget cuts to $85,725. Fifty-five libraries requested assistance totaling just under $146,000, so funding recommendations are made according to the priorities announced when the grants were announced. Only one library submitted a first priority request for installing a new filter. This request plus the second priority requests for upgrades or improvements to existing filters totaled $78,428.88. Third priority requests for filter maintenance and license renewals made up the rest of the requests, and within this group requests from libraries with less revenue were given higher priority, in accordance with the announced guidelines.

In light of the possibility of additional budget reductions soon to come, Stephen recommended that the first and second priority requests be funded now for the amounts directly related to new filters or filter upgrades ($78,428.88) and that additional grant awards be tentatively funded up to the amount available after the next budget reduction is announced. Karl Colon and Jim Kenzig asked if there were time restrictions on funding the additional grants; could approval be delayed as long as the next board meeting in February? Stephen replied that the only restriction was the need to have grants over $5,000 approved by the State Library Board at their January 15-16 meeting, and that did not affect any of the maintenance and renewal grants under consideration.

Jeff Wale motioned to recommend assistance grants totaling $78,428.88 for funding costs related to new, upgraded, and improved filters to the State Library Board and the State Librarian, and that additional grants for filter maintenance and license renewals be considered at the February 13 OPLIN board meeting; Bob Richmond seconded.

Roll call: Gary Branson, abstained; Karl Colon, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

Jeff Wale asked if there had been any past discussion of implementing a central filter that could be locally controlled, which seemed to him to be more efficient. Stephen Hedges replied that this can be considered after new routers are installed at the OPLIN Core; the current routers are not sophisticated enough to allow such an installation.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges began his report by speculating on the future of the OPLIN budget and measures that may have to be considered in the future to balance it. An additional 5% cut to the OPLIN budget could push our shortfall in the next biennium to over half a million dollars. In the face of such a deficit, subscriptions to the Hannah and Gongwer reports would have to be discontinued and we would probably have to negotiate with EBSCO to remove OPLIN payments toward the statewide cost of Consumer Health Complete. Stephen provided a synopsis of all the payments OPLIN currently makes toward the cost of databases.

Another source of some savings would be moving the OPLIN office. Stephen has been working with DAS to move the OPLIN office back to the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) but was recently informed that the current method of rent calculation at the SOCC may be changed in the next biennium, negating the savings we expected. Stephen has also discussed with Jo Budler the possibility of moving the OPLIN office into the State Library building; Jo has offered space rent-free so long as the state budget crisis continues. Such a move could save as much as $54,000 per year.

Stephen reported that the router replacement project has been delayed as OIT deals with concerns raised by competing vendors over the process used to select the equipment. Karl Jendretzky and OIT staff believe they can address those concerns and move ahead in time to request release of capital funds for the project at the January 12 Controlling Board meeting.

In other items of interest, Stephen noted that Lorrie Germann at eTech Ohio has been working on getting E-rate reimbursements for last year's payments and preparing to submit applications for next year's program. In the current year we have been approved for a maximum of $1,262,000 in discounts. In Broadband Council news, OIT has released an RFP for new "last-mile" connections statewide, with the goal being the establishment of a contract mechanism for buying Ethernet, cable, DSL, and wireless connections similar to the SOMACS contract for purchasing T1 circuits. Such a contract could result in significant cost savings for OPLIN. OPLIN has also implemented the new spam filter for OPLIN email accounts and is pleased with the results. Laura Solomon has created Facebook applications for the Ohio Web Library search and the OPLIN about:books search.

8.1. Outreach Report

Stephen Hedges asked Laura Solomon to report on her activities in support of the OPLIN Objective: Communicate information about Internet technologies. Laura presented a list of classes taught and events attended as well as highlighting some upcoming events, particularly her presentation about the Ohio Web Library that was accepted for the Computers in Libraries conference next year in Washington DC. She also announced the upcoming OPLIN virtual Holiday Party in Second Life on December 17.

8.2. Databases and Network Reports

8.2.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon noted that the downtrend in document retrievals has been reversed and we are also seeing a huge jump in searches following implementation of the Ohio Web Library search.

8.2.2. Support Center (October and November)

Karl Jendretzky reported that activity was normal, although the reports look like an unusual number of circuits had interruptions in November. In reality, a DS3 circuit carrying other smaller circuits experienced a problem, resulting in a large number of ticket reports.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

Gayle Patton offered no report at this time.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Karl Colon motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:00 p.m. Jim Kenzig seconded.

October 10, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED TENTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- October 10, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred tenth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 9:56 a.m. on Friday, October 10, 2008 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Holly Carroll, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Sandi Plymire, Bob Richmond, and Michael Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, and Laura Solomon (OPLIN); Diane Fink (State Library); and Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation. Doug Evans informed the Board that the Ohio Library Council had successfully completed its move to Schrock Road and would be holding an open house in conjunction with a retirement reception for Wayne Piper on November 14.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the agenda; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of August 8 meeting

Bob Richmond noted that the Memorandum of Understanding with eTech was incorrectly called a Memorandum of Agreement at one point in the minutes.

Holly Carroll motioned to approve the minutes from the August 8th meeting as corrected; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented four financial reports: Report A showing financial status of Fiscal Year 2008 as of September 30; Report B showing financial status of FY 2009 as of September 30; Report C showing the budgets for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011; and Report D showing projected revenue and cash balances through FY 2011.

Report A: Diane pointed out that only two purchase orders remain open for FY 2008, one to Kent State University and one to 361 Studios. OPLIN does not expect to receive any invoices against these purchase orders and will check with the vendors to be certain they do not intend to invoice against them. If there are outstanding invoices, they must be received by the end of October. Diane reminded the Board that OPLIN funding had been reduced by $433,000 (10%) in FY 2008.

Report B: Diane reminded the Board that OPLIN funding was reduced an additional 4.75% on September 10; Report B shows the total amount of both cuts as distributed throughout the budget. The only open encumbrance listed in the Administration budget category is rent. OPLIN staff and Diane are still working with the Department of Administrative Services to determine if OPLIN can move back into the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) at the end of this fiscal year; if not, DAS will need to negotiate a new biennium lease for OPLIN with our current landlord. In the Information Resources category, about $1 million has already been paid for the information databases for FY 2009, with about $750,000 left to pay. In the Education, Training and Support category, the OLC conference sponsorships are the only open encumbrance.

The amount budgeted for Network Upgrades in the Telecommunications category has been reduced from $200,000 to a little more than $19,000 since the last Board meeting. This was done to meet the latest 4.75% funding cut. OPLIN had budgeted $200,000 in E-rate funds to match $200,000 in Capital Budget funds for upgrading network routers, but the Office of Budget and Management approved a plan to use only Capital Budget funds for a partial upgrade and reallocate the E-rate funds for other telecommunications costs. Diane noted that the total funding reduction for FY 2009 is now $618,000, and the combined reduction for FY 2008 and 2009 is a little over $1 million.

Report C: Cash balance at the end of FY 2008 was about $1.3 million, but as of September 30 the balance is only a little more than $420,000. E-rate refunds should be arriving before the end of December to bring the balance back up a bit.

Report D:For the next biennium, state agencies were instructed to prepare a budget expecting 90% of the General Revenue Funds allocated at the beginning of FY 2009; agencies could also submit a request for 95% funding instead if they could justify the request. The instructions also directed agencies to assume that salaries would be frozen through the biennium, although personnel benefit costs would increase. OPLIN has budgeted for only five employees and has assumed that rent will increase a little if OPLIN does not move to the SOCC. The NoveList subscription is dropped from the FY 2010-2011 budget. OPLIN requested 95% funding (an additional $195,000) in order to be able to pay telecommunications bills through the biennium. Projecting the cash balances, if OPLIN receives the 95% funding the balance at the end of the biennium will be about $5,000; if OPLIN receives only 90% funding, the balance will be a negative $380,000.

General Information: The State Library (including OPLIN) budget request for FY 2010-2011 was submitted to OBM on September 15 and is now being reviewed. In January OBM will release their budget recommendations and the Governor's budget will probably be released to the legislature in February. Diane reviewed the programs included in the State Library budget. Only about half of the State Library's revenue currently comes from the General Revenue Fund. Some Board members had questions about the next Gates Foundation grant program, and Diane and Stephen shared what information they had, although the program is only in the early planning stage. Diane also explained the procedure for requesting the $200,000 in Capital Budget funds from the Controlling Board, probably at their November 17 meeting.

Karl Colon motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Holly Carroll seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.1. Approve Strategic Plan

Stephen Hedges requested approval of the Strategic Plan that has been under review since the April Board retreat. Because of uncertainties caused by the shifting financial environment, Stephen made some of the language more conditional than it was before and highlighted those changes in the document distributed to the Board prior to the meeting. Stephen noted that the plan review will begin again in about six months and recommended that the currently proposed version of the plan be approved.

Karl Colon motioned to approve the Strategic Plan; Jim Kenzig seconded.

Roll call: Gary Branson, aye; Holly Carroll, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

Gayle Patton requested that the next two items of business be considered in the reverse order of their appearance on the agenda.

6.2. Approve Custom Database Search Installations

Stephen Hedges explained that the search software used on the Ohio Web Library search page is also capable of accessing databases which are purchased by individual libraries, and the page itself can be modified to match the look of the other pages on an individual library's web site. This creates the possibility of bringing revenue to OPLIN for installing customized versions of the Ohio Web Library search for individual libraries in return for a fee.

There would be some costs to OPLIN associated with such a service. Some of the databases purchased by libraries support Z39.50 access; these databases could be added to a custom search at no cost to OPLIN. Others that do not support Z39.50 require an OpenTranslator. It currently costs OPLIN $350 to build an OpenTranslator and an additional $1,050 per year to run it.

The proposed custom search service would be provided to customer libraries in return for a set fee for each database "target" that was added to the basic Ohio Web Library search. Stephen is proposing that this fee be $475 per database target. Stephen provided a document that included some information about which databases are most commonly purchased by libraries and a list of non-metro libraries which purchase five or more databases, to the best of our knowledge. Based on this data, the expected costs, and the proposed pricing, Stephen estimated a possible net income each year of about $45,000-$50,000 from this service.

Karl Colon asked if any market research had been done to assess the demand for such a service; Stephen replied that there has been no such research. General discussion then explored the possible advantages of such a service to a library. It became apparent that a pilot project would be a good idea, so long as costs could be controlled. Stephen suggested that the pilot project involve a very limited number of libraries and use only database targets that are Z39.50 accessible, and thus entail no monetary costs to OPLIN.

Holly Carroll motioned that OPLIN staff conduct a small pilot project, involving three to five libraries and only databases that are Z39.50 accessible, to determine the feasibility of offering custom database search installations to public libraries, and that the results of the project be reported to the Board at the April retreat; Michael Wantz seconded.

Discussion: Bob Richmond asked about the costs currently paid by libraries for searching their databases. Several Board members explained that some libraries currently pay for federated search software to make database access easier and to increase usage, but searches done on the database vendors' web sites typically do not involve any cost above and beyond the database subscription cost.

The Chair put the question to a vote: All aye.

6.3. Approve Web Design Services

Stephen Hedges noted that this possible fee-based service has already had a small pilot with Perry County District Library. As proposed, this service would: provide a library system with a basic, "no-frills" web site structure, using the open source Drupal content management software; provide initial graphical elements for the page header; provide initial guidance for library staff in procedures for adding their own content to the structure (requiring that at least one librarian come to the OPLIN office for training); and host the site on an OPLIN web server. This service as described would be free to the library; however, many Drupal extensions are available that would improve the website, and OPLIN could charge $700 each for installing and configuring these modules for libraries.

While Board members agreed that there is a need to encourage libraries to use better web sites, there was reluctance to take on the additional work of building basic web sites without any additional revenue received. Marketing the additional modules and ongoing maintenance and support for the sites were also concerns. The feasibility of the proposed charges was also discussed. Concerns were raised about the impact on OPLIN staff and equipment. The point was made that many libraries are accustomed to paying an outside organization for any support work done on their web sites.

In response to a question from the Chair, it became clear that most Board members were not comfortable with the proposed pricing for the service and would like to see a revised proposal that attached costs to the basic web design and technical support, as well as to advanced web design services. A few libraries have already expressed a strong interest in the web design services; the Board speculated on the reaction of these potential customers to a delay in offering the service. Stephen suggested that these libraries could be asked for their reactions to a revised proposal prior to the next Board meeting, and that these reactions could be shared with the Board along with the revised proposal.

Karl Colon motioned to postpone the question to the next meeting pending development of additional information from the OPLIN staff; Michael Wantz seconded. All aye.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Revise Router Replacement Timeline

Stephen Hedges reminded the Board that the OPLIN budget had been cut an additional 4.75% on September 10. The plan submitted to OBM for accommodating this cut was to disregard our $200,000 E-rate match for Capital Budget funds to replace end-of-life routers, and proceed with replacing as many routers as we can with just the $200,000 from the Capital Budget. The $200,000 in E-rate funds would be reallocated toward paying telecommunications expenses. We have since received approval from OBM for this plan, and intend to ask the Controlling Board to release the capital funds to OPLIN sometime next month.

We plan to purchase Juniper routers instead of Cisco this time; quite a few state agencies are switching to Juniper, including the new Broadband Ohio network, and the Juniper software might be flexible enough to allow us to do some centralized caching, etc. that we have not been able to do with Cisco. Juniper is expensive equipment, but Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN) and Terry Fouts from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) have persuaded Juniper to offer us some very deep discounts, bringing their prices in line with Cisco. OPLIN also has some big Cisco 7200 routers that can be reused without any problem; the Cisco 7200 is a very popular router in the telecommunications industry and will not reach industry end-of-life in the foreseeable future.

Instead of replacing all the routers this fiscal year, as originally planned, Stephen proposed the following:

• replace the eight Cisco 7200 core routers that have G1 cards (at the SOCC) with two new Juniper M7i routers;
• move the 7200+G1 core routers to the metro libraries, replacing current 7200s that do not have G1 cards (the G1 card allows the 7200 to handle up to 500Mbps instead of 100 Mbps);
• use the old metro 7200 routers for new DS3 circuits (installed wherever a library needs more than four T1 lines and Ethernet is not available); and
• buy as many new Juniper J2320 routers as we can afford, which should be enough to put new routers in every library that has either an Ethernet circuit or more than one T1 line, with about 20 more routers going to libraries that are getting close to filling their T1 lines.

The precise number of routers which can be purchased will depend on any additional charges added by OIT for brokering the purchase and deploying the new routers. The remaining routers would be replaced once funds are again available, perhaps through a second capital budget request.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to reallocate $200,000 in E-rate funds from the router replacement project to telecommunications expenses and use the $200,000 from the capital budget to purchase as many routers as possible; Gary Branson seconded.

Roll call: Gary Branson, aye; Holly Carroll, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges thanked the Board members who attended the Stakeholders Meeting on September 12; he estimated that about 75 people were in attendance. The news that NoveList will not be available through OPLIN next fiscal year was the biggest announcement of the meeting. Stephen met with representatives from EBSCO and OHIONET before the Stakeholders Meeting and they have already begun working on discounted pricing for libraries that want to purchase NoveList. Jay Burton at the State Library is planning to offer training on other readers advisory tools which librarians can use, and OPLIN staff have developed an "About Books" web page which uses Google Book Search and Google Custom Search to find information about books.

Stephen reported that the SOCC has informed DAS that they should have an answer around November 1 to our request to move the OPLIN office back to the SOCC. He also reported that Lorrie Germann's (eTech) E-rate workshops for this year are now scheduled for November 4 and December 12 at the State Library and by video conference to six remote sites.

Stephen also informed the Board that he has been working with Connect Ohio to set up a pilot project for lending laptops from public libraries. Library laptop lending is the third phase of the "No Child Left Offline" project run by Connect Ohio and their parent organization, Connected Nation. Stephen has proposed that the Stark County District Library, the Portsmouth Public Library, and the Wood County District Library participate in the pilot; once the pilot libraries have been selected, they will deal directly with Connect Ohio.

8.1. Databases and Network Reports

8.1.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon noted that there continues to be a large increase in the number of database searches as well as a noticeable increase in documents retrieved since the introduction of the Ohio Web Library search. She also reported that NewsBank search results are now available through the EBSCO search interface.

8.1.2. Support Center (August and September)

Karl Jendretzky reported that for a couple of libraries we are ready to add a fourth T1 line; however, he is investigating the possibility of purchasing DS3s locally (not from State contract), which may be cheaper than four T1 circuits.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

9.1 Establish FY 2009 Board Meeting Schedule

Gayle Patton asked for approval of the Board schedule through Fiscal Year 2009 as well as two meetings to start FY 2010. (Normal meeting dates are the second Friday of even-numbered months.) All meetings except the April Board Retreat begin at 10:00 AM and will be held at the State Library of Ohio, 274 E. First Avenue, Columbus unless otherwise noted.

• August 8, 2008
• October 10, 2008
• December 12, 2008
• February 13, 2009
• April 10, 2009 (9:00 - 3:00 Board retreat)
• June 12, 2009
• August 14, 2009
• October 9, 2009

Bonnie Mathies motioned to approve the proposed meeting schedule; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

9.2. Remarks

Gayle requested that OPLIN staff prepare public relations plans for marketing any fee-based services to accompany future proposals for these services.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Bob Richmond motioned to adjourn the meeting at 11:50 p.m. Jim Kenzig seconded.

August 8, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED NINTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- August 8, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred ninth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:01 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2008 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Holly Carroll, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Sandi Plymire, Jeff Wale, and Michael Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, and Laura Solomon (OPLIN); and Jo Budler and Diane Fink (State Library).

Gayle Patton reiterated Mary Pat Essman's welcome to Holly Carroll at the last board meeting and also welcomed new board member Sandi Plymire.

2. NOMINATION and ELECTION of BOARD OFFICERS

Gayle Patton noted that the current board officers are: Gayle Patton, Chair; Mary Pat Essman, Vice-Chair; Bonnie Mathies, Secretary; and Bob Richmond, Treasurer.

Jeff Wale motioned to retain the current slate of officers; Michael Wantz seconded. All aye.

Gayle reminded the board that the Executive Committee is composed of the board officers plus Karl Colon at large.

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Holly Carroll motioned to approve the agenda; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

5. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Jim Kenzig motioned to go into Executive Session to discuss personnel compensation; Mary Pat Essman seconded. Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

The board entered Executive Session at 10:06 a.m.

The board returned from Executive Session at 10:17 a.m.

Mary Pat Essman motioned that OPLIN Executive Director Stephen Hedges be given a 6% pay increase, effective August 17, 2008, due to his good performance reviews and because he has not received any pay increase since taking the Executive Director position over two years ago. Jim Kenzig seconded. Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

Diane Fink informed the board that the Governor has set a limit of 3.5% on pay increases for administrative staff and would not approve a 6% increase. The possibility of an exemption was discussed but rejected as unlikely. The possibility of providing the raise in two increments, one now and another after six months, was deemed more likely.

Mary Pat Essman amended her previous motion to indicate that the board recommends a 6% increase for the Executive Director but will only ask for a 3.5% increase at this time due to the Governor's restrictions on pay increases for administrative staff. Holly Carroll seconded. Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

Stephen Hedges thanked the board for their support.

6. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of June 13 meeting

Holly Carroll motioned to approve the minutes from the June 13th meeting; Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

7. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCIAL REPORTS

Diane Fink presented three packets of financial reports: one with financial reports as of June 30, the end of fiscal year 2008; one with financial reports as of July 31; and one with FY 2010-2011 biennial budget reports.

June 30 Financial Reports: Diane noted that even though the fiscal year has ended, open encumbrances can still be paid until November. One open encumbrance which we still expect to pay is for software translators for the Ohio Web Library federated search, others are for awaited telecommunications bills. The apparent large available balance of about $1.5 million is only unused spending authority, not actual funds. The remaining cash balance in Fund 4S4 (E-rate) at the end of FY 2008 will be about $1 million after encumbrances are paid. These reports also reflect the $433,000 budget reductions mandated by the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) for both FY 2008 and FY 2009.

July 31 Financial Reports: Diane explained that the first report in this packet shows FY 2008 after some encumbrances had been paid in July, leaving only about $33,000 in encumbrances still open for FY 2008.

The amount budgeted for Rotunda in FY 2009 is much lower because OPLIN switched from full access to Capital Connection for libraries to email delivery of just the Hannah Report. Stephen Hedges pointed out that most of the information resources in the budget are databases purchased through Wright State University for the Libraries Connect Ohio partnership (the Ohio Web Library collection), with the notable exception of EBSCO NoveList. Diane noted that the $2.5 million current available balance in General Revenue Funds (GRF) will go to telecommunications costs, as will a large portion of the Fund 4S4 balance.

FY 2010-2011 Budget Reports: Diane explained that all state agencies must submit a FY 2010-2011 biennial budget to OBM by September 15, 2008; these reports show the current draft of the OPLIN biennial budget. Agencies have been instructed to prepare an "Activity A" budget based on 90% of their reduced FY 2009 budget, but may also submit an "Activity B" budget for a possible additional 5% in funding. In addition, agencies must submit budget language; the OPLIN language will be much smaller this year, now that OPLIN is defined in permanent law instead of the budget bill, but will include a suggested change to the filtering allocation to allow more flexibility in how that money may be used.

In the Administration area of the budget, OBM has instructed agencies to assume that there will be no personnel pay increases during the FY 2010-2011 biennium; the increases in staff expenses reflected in the budget are due to increases in the cost of employee benefits. The currently vacant staff position will be removed from our budget request, leaving us with five (5) requested staff. The budget assumes that OPLIN will not be moving to the SOCC, since we have yet to receive approval for such a move.

In the area of Information Resources, no funds are budgeted for the purchase of EBSCO NoveList in FY 2010-2011, saving $197,000 each year. In the area of Education, Training and Support, $50,000 has been budgeted for E-rate consultants. In the area of Telecommunications, OPLIN will be requesting $194,850 in "Activity B" funds each year to support the network. The 4S4 Fund spending authority request will be reduced from $3 million to $2 million; we have not used more than about $1.4 million spending authority in any year since OPLIN stopped offering group database purchasing. The filtering allocation will be reduced from $90,000 in FY 2009 to $81,000 in FY 2010 and FY 2011.

Stephen Hedges addressed questions about network equipment upgrades. $200,000 has been budgeted for this is FY 2009, to which $200,000 in capital budget funds will be added, which should allow us to upgrade all the network routers during the current fiscal year. Board discussion turned to the likelihood of other ways to generate revenue, especially considering the reduced OPLIN staffing.

Diane Fink pointed out that if OPLIN staff is reduced to five, the NoveList subscription is dropped, E-rate reimbursements continue to total about $1.2-$1.3 million per year, and OPLIN receives Activity B funding for telecommunications from the state, our 4S4 Fund cash balance at the end of FY 2011 will be under $100,000. If we do not receive the Activity B funding, we will be almost $300,000 short of balancing. All these numbers assume that FY 2009 funding will not be reduced by OBM as a result of the currently weak statewide revenue collections.

Bonnie Mathies motioned to accept the Financial Reports; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

8. OLD BUSINESS

8.1. Discuss draft of Budget Balancing measures and Strategic Plan

Stephen Hedges presented a document to the board outlining measures that could be taken to bring the budget into balance. Two measures listed in the document have already been discussed, namely the reduction to five OPLIN staff positions and the need to cancel the NoveList subscription. In addition to these cost saving measures, the document also contains some ideas for revenue generation, which also appear now in the draft strategic plan.

Board discussion turned to NoveList, which is popular among librarians. Ideas for replacing NoveList with non-commercial readers advisory tools were discussed, as was a suggestion to organize a group purchase of NoveList by the public libraries. OPLIN must certainly communicate the decision to discontinue NoveList, as well as the budget constraints which forced the decision, to libraries very soon, and should include some ideas for dealing with the loss. Stephen will provide NoveList usage statistics by libraries to the board for information and will inform the "ETM" and Metro library directors of this news in their meetings.

A discussion was started about possible products and services which OPLIN might offer to libraries for a fee. The board expressed concern with this change in the OPLIN business model, but did not reject it. Again, the importance of communication with public libraries was noted. Stephen will prepare a communication piece for the September 12 OPLIN Stakeholders Meeting, which he will share with the board for information. The board agreed to then have a longer meeting than usual on October 10 to allow ample time for discussion of budget concerns and the strategic plan.

8.2. Approve Memorandum of Understanding with eTech Ohio for E-rate consulting services

Stephen Hedges presented a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with eTech Ohio, which proposes separate annual prices for: 1) conducting E-rate workshops for public libraries - $10,000; 2) providing E-rate application assistance to public libraries - $15,000; and 3) preparing and managing all OPLIN E-rate forms and applications - $20,000. The question before the board was which of these services would be funded by OPLIN and which would be funded by the State Library using possible LSTA funds. Stephen pointed out that the total cost ($45,000) was less than the amount budgeted for E-rate consulting for OPLIN alone, and providing E-rate services for public libraries could be an opportunity to remind libraries of the OPLIN telecommunications services for libraries.

Several board members noted the importance of assisting libraries with E-rate applications. Jeff Wale asked if OPLIN could expect to gain $50,000 in E-rate reimbursements because of the consultants' work; Stephen answered that he knew of about $30,000 that was lost in the current year just because of small clerical errors in the application support materials.

Jeff Wale motioned to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with eTech Ohio for E-rate consulting services, with OPLIN funding all three proposed services; Michael Wantz seconded.

Discussion: Jeff Wale suggested that eTech be asked to include a public records statement in the MOU and that they explore options for providing training and E-rate assistance online.

Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

8.3. Approve OPLIN email option

Stephen Hedges reported that the response from the Attorney General's office to the board's question about ownership and privacy of public library email records was that all emails relating to the operation of a public library are public record, and access to those records would not go through the private contractor, should OPLIN decide to use a private email hosting service.

Karl Jendretzky has researched three options for improving the spam filtering for oplin.org email accounts. One would be using "free" Gmail hosting for all oplin.org email, which has very good spam filtering, though this service is supported by advertising. The second would be to pay for email hosting with spam filtering, the cheapest service apparently being CudaMail at about $14,500 per year. The third option would be to buy a spam filtering device, the cheapest option apparently being Barracuda hardware at a cost of about $12,000 over five years, assuming we can get state approval to purchase this equipment. Cleveland Public Library and Cuyahoga County Public Library both use Barracuda devices and are pleased with the performance. It was suggested that we might be able to buy the device as part of the network router upgrades.

Jim Kenzig motioned to purchase a Barracuda spam filtering device; Jeff Wale seconded. Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

9. NEW BUSINESS

9.2. Approve pay increase for Karl Jendretzky

Stephen Hedges referred to the Governor's recent memorandum allowing up to 3.5% pay increases for administrative staff based on good performance. The board had approved pay increases for all staff in June 2007, but on the same day the Governor froze all administrative salaries. Based on the 2007 board action, Stephen has processed a 3.5% increase for Vince Riley. Bobbi Galvin recently received an increase because of changed job duties and will not be eligible for another increase for six months. Laura Solomon has satisfactorily concluded her six month probation and would be eligible for an increase. Finally, Karl Jendretzky was approved in 2007 for a 3% increase, but Stephen would instead like the board to now approve a full 3.5% increase.

Several board members praised Karl's job performance. Discussion turned to Laura Solomon and the advisability of increasing her pay now. There was agreement that Laura has done a good job; given the uncertainty as to how long pay increases may be permissible, the board thought it would be wise to grant both Karl and Laura pay increases now.

Holly Carroll motioned to approve 3.5% salary increases for Karl Jendretzky and Laura Solomon, effective August 17, 2008; Michael Wantz seconded. Roll call: Holly Carroll, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jim Kenzig, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Sandi Plymire, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Michael Wantz, aye.

9.3. Approve Internet filtering assistance grants procedure

Stephen Hedges explained that the time of year has arrived when OPLIN usually announces the availability of the funds allocated in the budget for assisting libraries with the purchase of Internet filtering measures. This year the allocation has been reduced to $90,000. In the past these funds have always been distributed as grants of no more than $10,000, and Stephen recommended that this procedure be retained. Stephen noted, however, that OPLIN had been in discussion with a vendor about the possibility of purchasing a statewide filter that could be completely controlled by local libraries; although technical problems ruled this out at this time, he is requesting a change to the budget allocation language to make it possible to spend the funds in this manner in the future if the technical problems are solved and the board is in agreement.

Because of our experience with the late budget reduction last fiscal year, which came after filtering grants had been distributed, and also because of some streamlining still to be done in the application process, Stephen recommended that the process move a little slower than last year, so that grant contracts do not begin before January 1, 2009, but that the procedure be otherwise the same.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the Internet filtering assistance grants procedure as presented; Jim Kenzig seconded.

Discussion: Jeff Wale asked if delaying the grant disbursement would create a problem for libraries. Diane Fink noted that in most years contracts have not started until January; last year was early.

The Chair called for a vote. All aye.

10. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges presented his Director's report. He highlighted the launch of the new OPLIN web sites on July 1, which went quite smoothly. Gayle Patton asked if there had been any feedback from the library community in regard to the new Ohio Web Library search, and OPLIN staff reported that responses have been primarily positive. Stephen also mentioned that one librarian has created videos about the new web sites, so OPLIN has added a "Community Toolbox" to the oplin.org web site for collecting such library-generated tools.

10.1. Databases and Network Reports

10.1.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon noted that there has been a very large increase in the number of database searches as well as a sizable increase in documents retrieved since the introduction of the Ohio Web Library search.

10.1.2. Support Center (June and July)

Karl Jendretzky reported that the circuit upgrades are progressing, but most are now complete. Support Center workload has been light, as is typical in the summer, despite the apparent number of circuit problems; many outages are due to power issues caused by thunderstorms.

11. CHAIR'S REPORT

Gayle stressed the importance of the upcoming October meeting and strongly encouraged everyone to attend. Lunch arrangements will be made to allow a longer meeting.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Jeff Wale motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:25 p.m. Jim Kenzig seconded.

June 13, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- June 13, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred eighth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13, 2008 by Board Vice-Chair Mary Pat Essman at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Holly Carroll, Terry Casey, Karl Colon, Mary Pat Essman, Bonnie Mathies, Jeff Wale, and Michael Wantz.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges, Karl Jendretzky, Laura Solomon, and Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN); Diane Fink and Jeff Jones (State Library); and Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Vice-Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mary Pat Essman announced that the New Business item "Approve contracting for E-rate consulting services" would be a discussion rather than a vote, and that the Executive Session to discuss the evaluation of the Executive Director would be moved to the end of the agenda.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the agenda; Karl Colon seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of April 11 meeting

Jeff Wale asked that the portion of the minutes dealing with the discussion of Board candidate recommendations to the State Library Board be amended to reflect that geographical location of the candidates and whether or not candidates were library staff or trustees were considered to be important factors, but not as important as the experience and abilities of the candidates.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the minutes from the April 11th meeting as amended; Michael Wantz seconded. All aye.

Mary Pat Essman noted that the minutes included a request from Terry Casey to research any restrictions on how E-rate reimbursements could be spent. Stephen Hedges reported that his research indicated there are no restrictions.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report, updated as of May 31.

Report A covered budget and expenditures for the fiscal years in the previous biennium (FY 2006-2007), listing open encumbrances, disbursements, and available balances. There are no open encumbrances for these fiscal years.

Report B covered budget and expenditures in the current biennium (FY 2008-2009). This report included a column showing the allocation of the 10% budget reduction mandated by the Office of Budget and Management (OBM), totaling $433,000 each year.

Diane first presented information about FY 2008. In the "Information Resources" section, Diane clarified the budgets for WebFeat and CARE Affiliates, noting that CARE will be replacing WebFeat as part of the move to Ohio Web Library. She also noted that the $1,550,350 available balance is all unused spending authority rather than actual funds.

In the "Education, Training, and Support" section, Diane noted that Kent State University has not yet completed the OPLIN web site review, even though the contract expires June 30. Stephen Hedges speculated that they may not complete the work, nor ask for payment. Jeff Wale indicated that he thought it was important that KSU complete their work on this contract and provide a report to OPLIN.

In the "Telecommunications" section, Jeff Wale noted that no funds were budgeted for Network Upgrades and asked about the router upgrade project. Diane explained that the freeze on equipment purchases had prevented OPLIN from purchasing new routers this fiscal year; however, $200,000 in funds have been allocated to the router replacement project in the state's new capital budget, and OPLIN has promised to match those funds with up to $200,000 from OPLIN, which should allow OPLIN to begin purchasing routers once the capital budget bill takes effect. Karl Jendretzky also pointed out that OPLIN has been able to temporarily upgrade some of the larger routers in the network without purchasing new equipment.

Turning to FY 2009, Diane pointed out some changes to the Information Resources budget caused by the new Ohio Web Library collection of databases beginning July 1. She also noted that the E-rate Consultant line under "Education, Training, and Support" was an estimated amount that will change once those plans are finalized. Lastly, she reminded the Board that the Filtering line item is a legislative earmark in our budget and cannot be eliminated, only reduced in proportion to our overall budget.

Reports C and D covered projected revenue and cash balances in Fund 4S4 for FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2009. In response to a question about earned interest on the cash balance, Diane explained that state agencies, including the State Library, typically are not permitted to earn interest.

Diane Fink then provided a brief overview of the budget development process for FY 2010-2011. She announced that Russ Keller is the State Library's newly appointed analyst from the Office of Budget and Management.

Jeff Wale thanked Diane for her excellent report.

Terry Casey motioned to accept the Finance Report; Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

Mary Pat Essman welcomed Holly Carroll to the Board.

6.1. Discuss draft of Strategic Plan

Stephen Hedges asked the Board if the draft he provided of the new strategic plan captured the discussion from the Board retreat, and whether they had any concerns with the draft in general.

While the Board felt the draft adequately captured the Board retreat discussion, several members noted that the plan did not mention funding concerns. In a climate of major budget reductions, the plan should note that funding cuts may limit the OPLIN ability to carry out some objectives. The plan should express the Board prioritization of some objectives as being more "core" than others, and possibly emphasize the role these core objectives might play in assisting the economic development of the state. Some activities might also need to be considered as possible sources of additional revenue in the future.

Regarding the new marketing goal in the plan, it was suggested that making use of partnerships and collaborations to market OPLIN be specifically addressed in the plan.

Stephen will incorporate these suggestions into the next draft of the plan, to be prepared for the August Board meeting.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Discuss contracting for E-rate consulting services

Stephen Hedges began this discussion by presenting some background information. E-rate refunds are a very important component of the OPLIN budget and staff spend a lot of time working on applications, answering audit questions, and tracking bills. As much as 10% of the Director's time may be devoted to E-rate. Nevertheless, small errors continue to occur which result in losing some discounts each year.

Dan Farslow, who handled the E-rate applications for the Ohio schools for many years and also contracted with the State Library to do E-rate workshops for public libraries, recently retired from state employment (eTech Ohio); Dan had often offered advice to OPLIN. Roger Verny, Diane Fink, and Stephen viewed Dan's departure as a good opportunity to explore the possibility of hiring professional E-rate consultants to handle Dan's public library work and the OPLIN E-rate applications. Roger prepared a draft RFP for managing all OPLIN E-rate-related needs, conducting E-rate applications workshops for public libraries, and coordinating E-rate activities for libraries statewide.

Prior to this Board meeting, where Stephen had originally intended to ask the Board if they supported releasing the RFP, the State Library and OPLIN were contacted by eTech Ohio to discuss having eTech handle the items in the RFP. Jo Budler and Stephen met with David Barber (eTech Interim Director) and Elizabeth Wallace, and felt that the eTech offer is promising, pending more details.

The Board generally felt that outsourcing the OPLIN E-rate applications could increase the OPLIN E-rate reimbursements and would free up significant staff time. They speculated about the possibility of offering E-rate assistance to individual libraries for a fee, though wary of being responsible for errors. Several Board members noted that it is very important for libraries to have access to reliable e-rate advice. The consensus of the Board was that the Executive Director should continue to pursue acquiring dependable E-rate consulting services.

7.2. Discuss transferring OPLIN email to gmail.com

Stephen Hedges explained that the OPLIN mail server hardware is out of warranty, spam in oplin.org email accounts is a growing annoyance, and because of the limited amount of space for each email account, library staff that do not regularly "clean out" their old emails are routinely locked out of their account and must call the OPLIN Support Center to fix the situation. Email trouble calls currently make up almost half the calls received by the Support Center.

One possible way to remedy all of these problems would be to move the oplin.org email service to Gmail (Google Mail). Karl Jendretzky clarified some of the technical and financial issues involved in such a move. Karl also shared information he had collected about other ways of handling the spam problem.

The Board was uncomfortable with the ads in free Gmail, although those that currently use Gmail admitted that they seldom notice the ads. There were also concerns about ownership, protection, and management of library email data. The Board asked OPLIN staff to gather more details about improving OPLIN email service, ideally without moving the email to an outside server. The Board also asked the Executive Director to ask for a legal opinion regarding confidentiality of library email data.

7.3. Discuss proposed move to SOCC

Stephen Hedges presented information about possibly moving OPLIN back to the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) in July 2009. SOCC rental fees are based on the percentage of an agency's budget that comes from the General Revenue Fund; if an agency is funded 100% by the GRF, SOCC space rental is discounted 100% (free). When OPLIN funding was taken from the Library and Local Government Support Fund (LLGSF) for three years, instead of from the GRF, OPLIN had to pay 100% of the SOCC rental fee and it was much cheaper to move to a new location. Now, OPLIN could save about $34,000 each year by moving back to the SOCC.

Stephen has not yet been able to open a dialog with the SOCC Site Manager to discuss details. The Board felt that it would be good for OPLIN to return to the SOCC, so Stephen will keep pursuing this effort.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges presented his Director's report. He highlighted the OPLIN funding in the Capital Budget bill, the upcoming launch of the new Ohio Web Library page, and the work being done to develop website hosting packages for public libraries.

8.1. Databases and Network Reports

8.4.1. Database changes

Laura Solomon presented a synopsis of the changes to the database collection taking effect on July 1.

8.4.2. Database usage

Laura Solomon reported on database searches and noted the normal decrease in usage in the month of May.

8.4.3. Support Center (April and May)

Karl Jendretzky reported that the number of work orders did not include circuit upgrades that are still in progress. The latest sampling of library bandwidth usage identified several libraries qualifying for new upgrades to their circuits, and several others that already qualify for a second upgrade.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

9.1. Establish board terms

Mary Pat Essman asked the Board to draw lots to determine their terms on the Board, as specified in the new Ohio Revised Code language defining OPLIN (ORC Sec. 3375.64). The Board members drew lots, with the following results:

Terms expiring June 2008 (3): Terry Casey, Bonnie Mathies, and Gayle Patton.

Terms expiring June 2009 (4): Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bob Richmond, and Michael Wantz.

Terms expiring June 2010 (4): Gary Branson, Holly Carroll, Karl Colon, and Jeff Wale.

9.2. Resolution

Bonnie Mathies read the following proposed resolution:

WHEREAS TERRY CASEY has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2002, and

WHEREAS he has freely and unselfishly given of his time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for six years, and

WHEREAS he generously volunteered his time and skills toward supporting the creation of OPLIN while he was a member of the Ohio Library Council Board of Trustees, and

WHEREAS his political insights have guided OPLIN through good times as well as turbulent times, and

WHEREAS he has consistently demonstrated a deep interest in the Ohio public library community and its uses of the World Wide Web,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that on the 13th day of June, Two-Thousand and Eight, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by TERRY CASEY during his tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to TERRY CASEY for his continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

Karl Colon motioned to adopt the resolution as recommended. Michael Wantz seconded. All aye.

10. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Holly Carroll motioned that the Board go into Executive Session to discuss the performance evaluation of the Executive Director. Jeff Wale seconded. Roll call: Michael Wantz, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Holly Carroll, aye; Terry Casey, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye.

The Board entered Executive Session at 11:55 a.m.

The Board returned from Executive Session at 12:17 p.m.

Mary Pat Essman thanked Stephen Hedges for doing a good job and informed him that the Board Chair would contact him to share details of his evaluation.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Terry Casey motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:19 p.m.

April 11, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH MEETING (Board Retreat) of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- April 11, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred seventh meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:05 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2008 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at 2323 W. Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Gary Branson, Terry Casey, Mary Pat Essman, Jim Kenzig, Bonnie Mathies, Gayle Patton, Bob Richmond, Jeff Wale, and Michael Wantz. New member Holly Carroll was unable to attend because of a prior commitment to present at a workshop at Kent State University.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Laura Solomon (OPLIN), Vincent Riley (OPLIN -- morning only), Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN -- afternoon only), Jo Budler (State Library), Roger Verny (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library, until 1:15), Jeff Jones (State Library, after 1:00), Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council, until 11:15), and Carol Verny (OHIONET).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Bonnie Mathies motioned to approve the agenda; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of February 8th meeting

Mike Wantz motioned to approve the minutes from the February 8th meeting; Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report, updated as of March 31.

Report A covered budget and expenditures for previous fiscal years (FY 2006-2007), listing open encumbrances, disbursements, and available balances. There are no open encumbrances for these fiscal years.

Report B covered budget and expenditures for the current fiscal year (FY 2008). Diane called attention to a new column showing the allocation of the 10% budget reduction mandated by the Office of Management and Budget (OBM), amounting to $433,000 each year in FYs 2008 and 2009. The largest reductions were in the telecommunications accounts, where shortages will be covered by Fund 4S4 (E-rate). Only $149,257.95 remains in General Revenue Funds after the budget reduction, most of which will be used for administrative expenses.

Reports C and D covered projected revenue and cash balances in Fund 4S4 for FY 2007-2008.

Diane Fink then provided an overview of the budget reduction measures undertaken by the State Library as a result of the OBM mandate. Diane will be attending an OBM briefing on FY 2010-2011 budget levels this afternoon at 2:00.

Terry Casey pointed out that it is possible for the legislature to try to take OPLIN's Fund 4S4 balance as they attempt to make up for General Revenue shortages. He advised that OPLIN research the federal regulations governing disposition of E-rate reimbursements as a possible defense against such action.

Terry Casey motioned to accept the Finance Report; Gary Branson seconded. All aye.

6. PLANNING SESSION

Roger Verny lead the Board into a long discussion of OPLIN's strategic plan through June 2011, the end of the next budget biennium.

Roger started by asking the Board to list the environmental factors, both external and internal, that impact OPLIN. Among the external factors were:

• the library community is neither understood nor highly-valued by state government, and is in competition for a dwindling pool of state funds in a poor economic environment;
• K-16 educational organizations are receiving a lot of state attention right now, which could be either a threat or an opportunity for public libraries;
• OPLIN and the Internet connections to libraries are often taken for granted by the public library community, except when there are bandwidth shortages;
• second generation web services, mobile networking, and social computing cannot be ignored, but public libraries often suffer from a lack of affordable and skilled IT resources for handling these services; and
• competing with Google, satisfying the growing need for information, and balancing demands for privacy and the demands of law enforcement are all challenges for public libraries.

Among the internal factors were:

• OPLIN has a talented but small staff, with good technical skills;
• OPLIN has not done enough product "bench testing," nor enough marketing; and
• OPLIN enjoys strong support from the public library community.

Roger then asked the Board to consider the question, "Who are OPLIN's customers?" Possibilities considered were public libraries, end users, K-12 students, and OPLIN "members." The Board consensus was that OPLIN services might eventually reach end users through the libraries, but public libraries are really OPLIN's customers.

Roger Verny then began the process of reviewing OPLIN's current goals and objectives, asking for comments, revisions and additions.

[During this process the Board took a lunch break from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.]

The goal of providing Internet connections to libraries is a continuing goal. The Board suggested that the current objective within this goal "to assist public library systems with their branch connections" was actually an activity within the objective "to provide adequate Internet bandwidth to every public library." The Board also felt that it was important to increase the marketing of this service and remind public libraries that their Internet connection is an important service which they receive from OPLIN.

The Board felt that the goal of providing online subscription databases needs more activities aimed at increasing database usage. The Board saw a demonstration of the Ohio Web Library search tool which OPLIN staff is developing for roll-out on July 1. There was discussion of including promotion of the Ohio Web Library as an activity within the objective of increasing database usage.

The Board now decided to remove marketing and promotion objectives and activities from the other goals and create a new goal: targeted marketing and promotion of all OPLIN products and services. Objectives within this goal might include: investigating social networking sites as promotional tools; making presentations and contacts at conferences; developing displays for areas near public library computers; and developing plug-ins and widgets for embedding OPLIN services in web pages and browsers. Marketing must also include customer surveys.

The final current goal of assisting libraries with new technologies was modified to place OPLIN in more of a leadership role. While current informational publications should continue, OPLIN should also develop educational programs on network technologies, web technologies, and data security. A forum should be established where libraries can contribute their experiences with new technologies to a technical knowledge base. After seeing a demonstration of a possible web site template for public libraries which Laura Solomon developed, the Board felt that this service should be added to OPLIN's current web hosting services.

During the lunch break, Diane Fink learned that the state guidelines for the FY 2010-2011 biennial budget called for an additional 10% reduction in General Revenue Funds, meaning the OPLIN budget that began this fiscal year at $4.33 million per year GRF, and was already reduced to about $3.9 million, would be further reduced to about $3.5 million. The Board was unwilling to remove any goals or objectives to accommodate this reduction, including the new marketing and promotion goal. The Board was also unwilling to spend all E-rate funds, wanting to keep some reserves for unanticipated network improvements. The Board suggested that the budget be balanced by reducing expenditures within goals and objectives, not by eliminating goals and objectives.

Stephen Hedges thanked the Board for their guidance, and will prepare a draft of a new strategic plan for the next Board meeting.

7. OLD BUSINESS

7.1. Discuss sponsorship of Ohio Library Council conferences

The Board discussed support for this year's OLC conferences after tabling the discussion at the last meeting. The four workshops scheduled after July 1 were seen as good opportunities to promote the Ohio Web Library by combining OPLIN staff presentations with a special sponsor's logo promoting the Web Library on conference materials and signage.

Jim Kenzig motioned to support the four OLC workshops after July 1 as the Bronze Partner level; Gary Branson seconded. All aye.

8. NEW BUSINESS

8.1. Accept resignation of Laura Watkins

Laura Watkins has resigned her position as OPLIN Communications Manager to accept a promotion with her previous employer.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to accept the resignation of Laura Watkins effective March 1, 2008. Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

8.2. Discuss realignment of staff positions

Stephen Hedges explained how staff job duties had been shifted to take over the duties of the Communications Manager, since the position cannot be filled under the state's current hiring freeze. Revised position descriptions were presented; the biggest shift in duties would be shouldered by Bobbi Galvin, whose position would be retitled to "Customer Relations and Support Staff." Stephen and Jeff Jones will be asking the Department of Administrative Services to approve a 4% pay increase for Bobbi due to the significant change in her position description.

Stephen asked the Board for an opinion on what to do once the hiring freeze is lifted. Should OPLIN seek a new Communications Manager? Should OPLIN continue to function with current staff? Or should OPLIN seek a different type of staff member.

The Board felt that it would be unhealthy to try to function for an extended period with current staff. The consensus was that OPLIN could use someone to handle marketing and training once austerity measures allow. Stephen proposed to allow for this position as he and Diane Fink develop the budget for future fiscal years, and that he work with Jeff Jones to develop a new position description along those lines.

9. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges presented his Director's report. He highlighted the passage of Senate Bill 185, placing OPLIN in permanent law, and described the work of the committee that reviewed the proposals received in response to the Libraries Connect Ohio Invitation to Negotiate for database purchases. The committee's list of proposed purchases using LSTA grant funds will be presented to the State Library of Ohio Board for approval at their April 24 meeting.

9.1. Databases and Network Reports

9.4.1. Database usage

Laura Solomon reported that while database searches were down compared to previous months, documents retrieved were up 21%.

9.4.2. Support Center (February and March)

Karl Jendretzky reported that the number of circuit work orders was high, with twenty-six circuit upgrades still in process. The latest survey of circuit usage identified less than 10 sites which need to be investigated further, so upgrades will be slowing. Jeff Wale thanked the OPLIN Help Desk for their excellent customer service.

10. CHAIR'S REPORT

10.1. 2008-2011 Board candidates

Gayle Patton noted that three Board members' terms expire on 30 June this year: hers, Terry Casey's, and Bonnie Mathies'. She and Bonnie are eligible to renew for another term and have elected to do so. With one vacancy to fill, she and Stephen Hedges suggest that names be selected from the recent nominees for the April 1 Board opening, rather than calling for new nominations.

Gayle recommended that the OPLIN Board request that the State Library of Ohio Board select either Sandi Plymire, Director of Muskingum County District Library, or Benjamin Chinni, Trustee of Euclid Public Library to fill the vacant position. Stephen Hedges noted that the State Library Board seemed to appreciate that he knew the OPLIN Board's preference when he was asked the last time they made an appointment to the OPLIN Board. Questions were raised as to whether it was important to look for a trustee or to consider geography. Both were considered to be important, but the experience and abilities of the candidates were felt to be more important.

Jim Kenzig motioned that Sandi Plymire and Benjamin Chinni be nominated for appointment to the OPLIN Board by the State Library Board, and that in the event the State Library Board requested a preference from the OPLIN Board, that the preferred candidate be Ms. Plymire. Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

10.2. Fiscal Year 2009 Board officers

Gayle Patton asked Stephen Hedges to provide some background. Stephen explained that in the past a committee was appointed each spring to select new Board candidates and also recommend a slate of officers for the following fiscal year. The actual election of officers takes place at the first meeting of the new fiscal year. The Attorney General's office now recommends that all discussion of Board candidates and officers take place in an open meeting. This meeting or the next meeting would be an appropriate time to discuss next year's slate of officers.

Mary Pat Essman asked Gayle Patton if she would consider continuing for another year as Board Chair. Terry Casey also expressed his support for this suggestion.

Jeff Wale motioned that the current officers of the Board be the slate of officers presented for ratification at the August 2008 Board meeting. Gary Branson seconded. All aye.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Bob Richmond motioned to adjourn the meeting at 2:28 p.m.

February 8, 2008 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- February 8, 2008

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred sixth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 8, 2008 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were board members: Bonnie Mathies, Gary Branson, Michael Wantz, Bob Richmond, Terry Casey, Gayle Patton, Mary Pat Essman, Jeff Wale, and Karl Colon.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Laura Watkins (OPLIN), Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN), Jo Budler (State Library), Jeff Jones (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library), Doug Evans (Ohio Library Council), and Carol Verny (OHIONET).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Terry Casey motioned to approve the agenda; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of December 14th meeting

Karl Colon motioned to approve the minutes from the December 14th meeting; Gary Branson seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report, updated as of January 31.

Report A covered budget and expenditures for previous fiscal years (FY 2006-2007), listing open encumbrances, disbursements, and available balances. There are no open encumbrances for these fiscal years.

Report B covered budget and expenditures for the current fiscal year (FY 2008). Currently only 12 payroll disbursements have been posted through the OAKS system, but this problem should be remedied in the near future. All payments for databases have been made except for the last payment to Rotunda (Ohio Capital Connection), which will be paid out in April.

Reports C and D covered projected revenue and cash balances for FY 2007-2008.

5.1. OBM targets for cost savings (FY08 and FY09)

Diane Fink commented on the state's current economic situation. The Office of Budget and Management (OBM) requested cost savings plans of 10% and 16% in each fiscal year of the current biennium from any agency that has general revenue funding, including OPLIN. These plans were due January 30; the Governor's office issued a press release on January 31 regarding budget cuts for cabinet-level agencies (agencies with directors that report directly to the governor). The State Library and OPLIN plans are currently being reviewed by OBM. The state's intention is to control costs over the next 17 months to balance the budget before that becomes too difficult.

Controls immediately put in place include: a hiring control process (similar to a year ago, when the governor took office); equipment purchases may not exceed $300 without OBM approval; and new restrictions on travel (only essential travel allowed, as determined by fiscal officer). Gayle Patton asked Diane about "turn around time" on these controls. Diane suspects that travel will be faster because it is internal, the other controls she will have to wait and see. Restrictions on printing were mentioned, although not defined. OBM has revised travel rules to increase mileage payout and no longer distinguishes between in-state and out of state travel, and has lowered the daily amount of meal reimbursements for travel.

OBM suggests voluntary and mandatory ERI (Early Retirement Incentives). Each state agency will evaluate as needed; Diane hopes to know more early next week. Gayle Patton asked how OBM arrived at the 10% and 16% figures; Diane was unsure. Terry Casey said that state operations are a small part of the state budget; Diane reviewed the main points. Jeff Wale pointed out that the board will need to determine the budget for OPLIN. Terry Casey said that May or June will be the time for decisions and said that the "panic button" has been pushed. Jeff Wale told Diane Fink that she does a "great job."

Diane Fink said that OBM is thinking about FYs 2010-2011 and that agencies should receive budget request planning information next week. Budget requests will be submitted for multiple scenarios and will be due September 15, 2008. Sometime between September 15 and the middle of January 2009, decisions will be made; by the end of January 2009, the governor will introduce his budget plan.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to accept the Finance Report; Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

Stephen Hedges mentioned the revised travel expense forms supplied for board members; Karl Colon thanked Stephen for providing these forms. Stephen also talked briefly about the cancellations of planned conference attendance by Karl Jendretzky (Code4Lib) and Stephen Hedges (ALA Legislative Day) due to the new state travel restrictions.

6.1. Ohio Web Library page testing and development

Stephen Hedges reported that 361 Studios have finished their page design and there is still room under their contract for revisions as needed. Index Data has submitted a beta version of their search engine.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Appoint Laura Solomon as Library Services Manager

Stephen Hedges thanked Jeff Jones for submitting Laura Solomon's hiring paperwork as early as possible, narrowly avoiding the newly announced state hiring freeze. Jeff Wale expressed concerns with the date of posting and speed of the process, considering that everything happened over a short time during the holidays, and asked for an "ethical standpoint" clarification from Jeff Jones. Jeff Jones responded that the process as conducted fell within state guidelines and that he was not concerned about the possibility of any challenges. The position description clearly defined the minimum and preferred qualifications, and Laura Solomon was "by far" the most qualified of the 22 applicants. Stephen Hedges noted that Laura Solomon would begin employment on February 19, 2008, with an annual salary of $60,000.

Terry Casey motioned to appoint Laura Solomon as Library Services Manager; Mary Pat Essman seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gary Branson, aye; Michael Wantz, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Terry Casey, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jeff Wale, no; and Karl Colon, aye.

7.2. Approve Teleworking Policy

Stephen Hedges described the draft Teleworking Policy and suggested that it go into effect immediately, pending approval by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Stephen would require that all current staff sign off on the new policy. Stephen said that each staff member would need to have an individual agreement if they intend to work remotely. Laura Solomon is currently the only individual being considered for a teleworking agreement under the policy.

Jeff Jones has been in contact with DAS for review. Jeff outlined the policy and information to be supplied by teleworkers and noted that Workers Compensation information must also be submitted. Stephen Hedges said that it was clear that the responsibility is on the Executive Director to supervise and communicate with the employee. Jeff Wale asked about encrypted data on the remote computer; Karl Jendretzky said that it was the same as for current staff. Karl Colon asked about data access and Karl Jendretzky responded. Bob Richmond asked if Laura Solomon would use her own computer and Internet connection. Stephen Hedges said that OPLIN will provide the laptop computer and Laura Solomon will provide her own connection. OPLIN will provide a pay-as-you-go cell phone for as long she needs business-related remote phone service. Other calls will be forwarded to her home phone from her office phone at no cost. Terry Casey asked how long the arrangement is expected to last; Stephen Hedges estimated six months for the initial period of time for this arrangement. Michael Wantz asked what percentage of work will be done at the office versus at home; Jeff Jones said that will be determined by each individual's specific situation.

Michael Wantz and Karl Colon suggested that a provision be added specifying that "the amount of teleworking hours under each agreement shall be determined by the Executive Director and specified within the agreement" be added to the policy.

Bonnie Mathies motioned to approve the Teleworking Policy as amended; Jeff Wale seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Gary Branson, aye; Michael Wantz, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Terry Casey, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; and Karl Colon, aye.

7.3. Discuss sponsorship of Ohio Library Council conferences

Stephen Hedges talked about 2008 OLC conference sponsorship details and presented the options to the board. Karl Colon asked Diane Fink if we have money for sponsorship. Diane Fink talked about the different sources of money available to OPLIN. Stephen Hedges said that the most expensive options might not be appropriate in the current budget climate; Terry Casey agreed. Gayle Patton suggested that the board may prefer to address this issue at the board retreat; Doug Evans noted that waiting would probably eliminate OPLIN from naming rights to the conferences. Discussion was tabled until the April board retreat.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges talked about the online executive report on OPLIN news and projects.

Internet filtering grants -- the cost savings requested by OBM could result in the elimination of future filtering grants.

Upgrading routers -- Diane Fink said that OPLIN is asking for $200,000 in capital budget funds to be matched for router upgrades. Capital funding is different than operational funding and not affected by general revenue funding cuts. Karl Jendretzky worked to find the best prices for routers. Stephen Hedges thanked Diane and Karl for their work on preparing the capital budget request.

Senate Bill 185 -- the third House hearing was held February 7. Stephen Hedges and Lynda Murray (OLC) testified at the second hearing. So far there has been no opposition and the hearings are going well.

E-Rate -- February 7 was the deadline and all applications have been certified. Youngstown has not been included in OPLIN's e-rate applications; Stephen Hedges believes they will stay with their current Internet access provider.

Upgrading circuits -- Karl Jendretzky reported that 21 libraries were identified as eligible for upgrades; ten of those can be upgraded to Ethernet. Six Time Warner Telecom installations are in process. There are current work orders for all large metropolitan libraries to be switched to 100Mbps Ethernet, which is cheaper than the existing DS3s. Stephen Hedges said that he would like to purchase new routers for those currently "at capacity," but the equipment purchasing freeze will affect upgrades.

Invitation To Negotiate for databases -- The Libraries Connect Ohio (LCO) partners have received submissions from 37 vendors in response to the Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) for databases to be purchased with future Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awards. January 30 was the first meeting of the committee to review responses; they will be meeting again on February 28.

Terry Casey asked for more information about the State Library board retreat attended by Stephen Hedges. Stephen replied that it was an opportunity to update the State Library board about current projects. Jo Budler noted that the purpose of the retreat was talking about current initiatives and checking the issues with the board.

8.1. Databases and Network Reports

8.4.1. Database usage

Laura Watkins reported that database searches are down, but documents retrieved are up, which could indicate that people are finding what they need and do not have to do as many searches.

8.4.2. Support Center (December and January)

Karl Jendretzky reported that the number of circuit work orders was high, due mostly to the circuit upgrades. Jeff Wale thanked the OPLIN Help Desk for their excellent customer service.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

Gayle Patton announced that the April 11 meeting will be the board retreat. It will be held in the E-Tech Ohio conference room, in the same building as the OPLIN office, and will take place from 10am-3pm. During the retreat we will review the OPLIN Mission, Goals, and Objectives.

Gayle Patton noted that all board members should have received financial reporting forms from the Ohio Ethics Commission. These are due April 15; all board members should have received a listing of their OPLIN travel reimbursements from the State Library. Diane Fink pointed out that all fees are paid by OPLIN, but the late filing fee is $100.

Gayle Patton informed the board that Jim Kenzig (OPLIN trustee) is now back to work and hopes to attend the April board meeting.

There was a discussion about a board replacement for Laura Solomon. The board needs to provide the names of two candidates to the State Library board for selection. Stephen Hedges provided demographic information on everyone who expressed interest in the position and noted that demographically Holly Carroll is an exact replacement for Laura Solomon. Jeff Wale asked if the board should replace Laura now or wait for June when we regularly add new board members. Terry Casey said that we should announce recruitment for the regular openings as soon as possible.

Mary Pat Essman nominated Holly Carroll as board replacement for Laura Solomon; Terry Casey seconded.

Gary Branson nominated Sandi Plymire as board replacement for Laura Solomon; Jeff Wale seconded.

Karl Colon motioned that the board endorse both candidates as excellent choices and prioritize Holly Carroll as a replacement because of her geographic area; Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye.

Bob Richmond asked if the new board member will attend the board retreat; Stephen Hedges said yes.

Stephen Hedges noted that the State Library remodeling is now complete. Jo Budler noted that the State Library is moving their collection to vacate 16,000 square feet as a cost reduction.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Bob Richmond motioned to adjourn the meeting at 11:33 a.m.

December 14, 2007 Minutes

 

 

October 12, 2007 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED FOURTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes -- October 12, 2007

1. WELCOME and CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred fourth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 9:33 a.m. on Friday, October 12, 2007 by Board Chair Gayle Patton at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (Room C122) in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Bonnie Mathies, Mary Pat Essman, Gayle Patton, Laura Solomon, Jeff Wale, Karl Colon, and Michael Wantz. Gary Branson arrived at 9:39 a.m.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Joel Husenits (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Laura Watkins (OPLIN), Vince Riley (OPLIN), Jo Budler (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library), Carol Verny (OHIONET), and Scott Miller (Gongwer).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the agenda, Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of August 10 meeting

Jeff Wale motioned to approve the minutes from the August 10th meeting, Laura Solomon seconded. All aye.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report, update as of September 30th.

Report A covered budget and expenditures for the recently completed biennium (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2007). There have been no changes in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 numbers, but for FY2007, OPLIN and the State Library have approximately five months to pay off any open encumbrances. All encumbrances have been paid off as of the end of September. OPLIN receives a combination of General Revenue Funds (GRF) and 4S4 funds. There were not a lot of network upgrade costs during the last FY, and the previously anticipated library paid-for databases service was not offered, so there is some leftover spending authority.

Report B covered budget and expenditures for the current FY, through September 30. There have been no disbursements posted for staff salaries due to problems with the new Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS) financial software being used by the State of Ohio. In order for payroll to post statewide, every agency has to resolve its payroll errors. The State Library and OPLIN have no errors or issues at this point, but some other agencies do, and OBM is working with them to resolve the issues.

Diane reported that monies related to the Libraries Connect Ohio (LCO) statewide database collection have been encumbered to the respective database vendors. She also explained how lease agreements with state agencies work, and how this system applied to rent costs for the OPLIN office. She also reiterated the change in the paid-for databases, and how vendors now work directly with OHIONET, resulting in unused spending authority in the OPLIN budget.

Report C was a revenue and cash balance summary. There has been one large disbursement for OPLIN's portion of the LCO databases, and OPLIN has started receiving some of the E-rate refunds for telecommuncations costs incurred last fiscal year.

Report D covered projected vs. actual revenue and cash balance. OPLIN has not yet received a transfer from OIT for the E-rate refund on their services.

Diane reported that OBM has not yet released instructions for the upcoming capital budget request, but that they will probably be released soon. When they are, the State Library and OPLIN will meet with OBM and start this process. OBM is using the new OAKS system to manage the state's resources at a higher level, and they are implementing rules to allow money to remain in the state treasury for as long as possible. In light of the current economic climate and recession fears, OBM is trying to be very cautious with state spending, and this is reflected through Governor Strickland's policies, which differ with past administrations. The State Library will hear more from OBM after January 1st regarding Strickland's priorities for the upcoming 2010-11 budget request, which will be the first one developed entirely under his administration.

Jeff Wale motioned to approve the Finance Report, Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.1. Policy on Extending OPLIN Connection

Stephen Hedges noted that at the last Board meeting, he reported on a potential problem with E-rate paperwork if a public library shares its OPLIN-provided Internet connection with other entities in its community. Any portion of that bandwidth going to that other entity would not be E-ratable. Stephen sent a message to all Ohio public library directors to try and find out which libraries were sharing their connections, and it turns out that there are less than 10. In some of the cases, they are sharing with schools, which is still E-ratable. It seems to be small enough of a problem that OPLIN can probably just adjust its E-rate application process with those individual public libraries, and leave this official policy as is.

Bonnie Mathies noted that she feels comfortable with this plan. She thinks that there will be a movement around the state for more public entities to share their resources, and that OPLIN needs to keep a close eye on this.

Jeff Wale questioned the language regarding bandwidth in the policy, and Stephen Hedges summed up the current policy as: if a library shares their OPLIN connection, they cannot ask OPLIN for more bandwidth if they run out. OPLIN will only count what the library is using when figuring out its bandwidth allocations. Jeff noted that OPLIN should not penalize public libraries that are being good neighbors, but we also do not want anyone to take advantage. It is difficult to measure the impact of sharing on a library's usage because there is no good way to track the usage beyond the router. Karl Colon noted that OPLIN could ask the library for usage data from their side in order to get a percentage of library vs. non-library traffic.

Stephen Hedges noted that for E-rate purposes, a rough traffic estimate is usually sufficient. OPLIN can do a simple calculation according to number of workstations, for example. The E-rate people are usually good about pointing out potential problems with an application, and affording the chance for a revision.

There was general agreement amongst the Board to leave the current policy as it is written.

7. NEW BUSINESS

7.1. Internet Technology Security Management Plan

Stephen Hedges explained that he did an assessment of OPLIN security policies for the Ohio Office of Information Technology and found that OPLIN is very good on security practices, but lacks official policies. This draft is an omnibus document that addresses that lack. The staff has suggested changes and additions, and now he would like to have input and approval from the Board.

Jeff Wale noted that he thinks the draft is excellent, and that few organizations have this type of document in place. He suggested several wording changes and additions, which the Board discussed and approved.

Karl Colon moved to accept the Internet Technology Security Management Plan as amended, Laura Solomon seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Gary Brandon, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

7.2. RFQ for Ohio Web Library Webpage Design

Stephen Hedges explained that as OPLIN staff have been working on the back-end search engine part of the revamped Ohio Web Library website, they are starting to think about the front-end as well. Usability testing at Kent State University's lab is already planned, but the OPLIN staff feels OPLIN should also have a professional web designer developing the "look-and-feel" of the site, instead of doing it in-house; we might only have one shot at developing a page that the public is willing to use.

Stephen spoke with a design firm he knows and received an unofficial estimate for this type of job. The Masterkey search technology we are pursuing is built on Javascript functions, and they based their estimate around the assumption that we would have no more than 10 of those. The estimate is low enough that OPLIN should not need to do a formal RFQ process, particularly since the intention is to get quotes from vendors on the State Term Schedule.

Karl Colon asked whether Javascript technology will work across various major browsers and versions. Stephen Hedges noted that he has some issues with one browser, but that IndexData (the makers of Masterkey) will be writing the final code and would be responsible for guaranteeing this functionality.

Laura Solomon asked whether Javascript could present accessibility issues for visually impaired and other users. Karl Jendretzky speculated that OPLIN could fashion an alternate, slightly slower, more standard front-end that could address accessibility issues.

Stephen Hedges elaborated on the progress of the Ohio Web Library interface development. The code for the search technology is free, but so new and undocumented that it is difficult and labor-intensive to work with. OPLIN is asking the developers (IndexData) to build a custom version to our specifications. That would only provide the search engine functionality; this request seeks a company to make the webpage look good.

Diane Fink noted that if a firm is on State Term Schedule, any spending under $25,000 is within the individual agency's discretion. Stephen Hedges suggested approval of up to $10,000, and hopes that the site is ready by spring. He also hopes that the vendor can address any potential accessibility issues.

Laura Solomon motioned to approve up to $10,000 for website design services related to the Ohio Web Library website, Bonnie Matheis seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Gary Brandon, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

Jeff Wale cautioned the OPLIN staff to make sure that the project's specifications are well thought-out and scripted before getting quotes.

7.3. Internet Filtering Assistance Grants

Stephen Hedges noted that the timing of the grants was bad this year, as half of the applications came in at the last minute, during a shortened conference week. He put together the final list of requests yesterday.

There are 39 applications this year (as opposed to 43 last year). A few of the requests are larger than last year, and the total amount requested is about $110,000. The Ohio legislature requires OPLIN to distribute $100,000, and last year we distributed $107,000. We have gone a little over $100,000 each year of the grant, pulling the extra from other areas of the OPLIN budget.

Stephen reviewed the list of requests, and explained some of the individual cases. There are some notable discrepancies in cost estimates from library to library. OPLIN probably did not make it clear enough that we wanted applications for a single year of costs; in some cases, we received requests related to multi-year projects. Stephen explained his recommendations for what to accept and what to reject. He needs to talk to several libraries for further clarification on their situations and needs, and whether their requests are for a legitimate filtering project. Stephen noted that the popular thing this time is for libraries to buy VPN/firewalls with built-in filtering capabilities.

Jeff Wale made a motion that 36 of the 39 Internet filtering grant applications be awarded, excluding the applications received from the Geauga County Public Library, Lane Public Library, and Greene County Public Library, in amounts determined after cost assessments conducted by OPLIN staff and not to exceed the amount of each individual request or a total amount of $92,500. Michael Wantz seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, abstain; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, abstain; Gary Branson, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

Gary Branson made a motion that the Internet filtering grant application from the Lane Public Library be awarded in an amount determined after cost assessments conducted by OPLIN staff and not to exceed $5,064. Karl Colon seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, abstain; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Gary Branson, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

Bonnie Mathies made a motion that the Internet filtering grant application from the Greene County Public Library be awarded in an amount determined after cost assessments conducted by OPLIN staff and not to exceed $8,890. Mary Pat Essman seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, abstain; Gary Branson, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

Jeff Wale made a motion authorizing the OPLIN Executive Director to communicate with the Geauga County Public Library and award their Internet filtering grant application in an amount determined after his cost assessment, and not to exceed $3,956. Gary Branson seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Gary Branson, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Stephen Hedges reported that the new position descriptions for OPLIN Support Center personnel have been completed. He also presented a quote from OIT regarding OPLIN's large router upgrade project. While the OPLIN approved using some E-rate money in order to match a capital budget request to upgrade site routers, there are some at the OPLIN core and the metro libraries that we need to upgrade as soon as possible, and the capital request budget process has not yet started. OIT received quotes from five vendors for these core routers, and SARCOM was the lowest, offering a large discount; we plan to go ahead with that purchase.

Stephen also reported that OPLIN staff have decided that our firewall is not reliable, coming from a company that provides very little support. OPLIN may ask for a quote on a new firewall and tie that into the router project.

Stephen reported that we are also awaiting a quote from IndexData regarding the Ohio Web Library search engine development.

Stephen gave an update on the recent focus groups. OPLIN had to cancel the one scheduled for southwest Ohio, because only 3 of the 12 invitees could come. Laura Watkins and Stephen are going to do a complete report with detailed feedback, but overall the groups have been very productive and have repeated the same general needs: bandwidth and the ability to compete with Google. We have not heard a lot of people saying OPLIN needs to purchase more databases; rather, librarians want better access to what is already provided. Regarding bandwidth, Stephen reported that he has been talking a lot about the escalating costs of bandwidth and the desirability of prioritizing traffic, but most public libraries just want more, to accomodate more computer use and wireless access. Stephen feels that OPLIN is seem somewhat as a utility by the libraries.

Mary Pat Essman stated that she did not want to see OPLIN cancel the southwest session, and suggested that she and Karl Colon could find some suitable participants for the focus group.

Stephen Hedges noted that the groups have also discussed a number of things that OPLIN cannot address. Microsoft Vista has come up repeatedly as a technological challenge to libraries, because old hardware cannot run it. More and more people are thinking of the public library as a community computing center. Karl Colon noted that libraries are seeing ever-increasing circulation, plus an ever-increasing use of the computers. He noted that a recent ALA report came to similar conclusions about library needs: money, staff, bandwidth, and training. The Ohio Library Council is doing long-range planning and thinking about these issues.

There was more general discussion about the focus groups and the positive benefits for OPLIN.

8.1. OPLIN in Permanent Law

Stephen Hedges reported that Jon Iten, Lynda Murray, Diane Fink, and Jo Budler have all looked through the proposed language to try and weed out any hidden traps that would fundamentally alter the relationship between OPLIN and the State Library. At this point, they all think the language is clean. Jon Iten has sent it to Senator Schuler to attach to Senate Bill 185. There will be no immediate change in the number of OPLIN Board members, or the language describing their length of terms.

8.2. E-rate refunds

Stephen Hedges noted that OPLIN has been approved for refunds of approximately $1,041,000 for costs incurred between July 2006 and June 2007, and has received the bulk of that.

8.3. Databases and Network Reports

9.4.1. Database usage

Laura Watkins reviewed the current database usage statistics, and wants to try and find a more consistent way of measuring database metrics. She has been in touch with all of the database vendors, and each one is unique and has different ways of determining their numbers. Usage is generally up this year, both the number of searches and the number of document requests.

Stephen Hedges noted that someone asked us at the Stakeholders meeting on Wednesday if the database vendors were SUSHI compliant, but in reality, some are not even COUNTER compliant.

9.4.2. Support Center (August and September)

Karl Jendretzky reviewed recent Support Center activity, and reported that it has been business as usual.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

Gayle Patton noted that she thought the Stakeholders Meeting was very good and well-attended. She also reported that after discussions with the Board, all members feel that Jim Kenzig should remain on the Board so long as he wishes to remain.

Stephen Hedges pointed out the latest issue of The OPLIN Circuit and mentioned the return to a printed newsletter, which was a direct response to feedback form one of the early focus group sessions.

10. ADJOURNMENT

Mary Pat Essman motioned to adjourn the meeting at 10:54 a.m.

August 10, 2007 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED THIRD REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes – August 10, 2007

1. WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred third meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:05 a.m. on Friday, August 10, 2007 by Board Vice-Chair Gayle Patton at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Bonnie Mathies, Bob Richmond, Mary Pat Essman, Gayle Patton, Laura Solomon, Jeff Wale, Karl Colon, and Michael Wantz. Terry Casey arrived at 10:33 a.m.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Joel Husenits (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Laura Watkins (OPLIN), Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN), Jo Budler (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library), Carol Verny (OHIONET), Doug Evans (OLC), and Stephen Marine (NetWellness).

Gayle Patton welcomed the new board members and Laura Watkins, OPLIN's new Library Services Manager.

Stephen Hedges informed the new Board members about their state ethics forms, travel expense reports, and W9 forms.

2. NOMINATION & ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS

Gayle Patton reminded everyone that at the last Board meeting, outgoing Chair Donna Perdzock and the two other departing Board officers formed a Nominating Committee for new Board officers. Their suggested nominees are: Gayle Patton (Chair); Mary Pat Essman (Vice-Chair); Bonnie Mathies (Secretary); and Bob Richmond (Treasurer).

Michael Wantz motioned to accept the slate of Board officer nominees. Karl Colon seconded. All aye.

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Bonnie Mathies motioned to approve the agenda, Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.

5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of June 8 meeting

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the minutes from the June 8th meeting, Bob Richmond seconded. All aye.  

Bonnie Mathies noted that although the minutes were long, she appreciated the detail.

6. ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report. For the benefit of the new Board members, she explained how the state fiscal year and budget process works. She also explained OPLIN's status as a line item within the State Library's budget, as well as how the State Library is funded. OPLIN has mixed funding, receiving both state General Revenue Funds (GRF) and Fund 4S4 monies from non-state revenue sources, primarily E-Rate reimbursements.

Diane presented two sets of reports for this meeting: one for the Fiscal Year (FY) ending on June 30, 2007, and the other as of July 31, 2007.

For the first set of reports (ending June 30, 2007), Report A covered the OPLIN budget and expenditures for FY 2006-2007. OPLIN receives large telecommunications invoices monthly from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and AT&T. Report B covered revenue and cash balance, which carries forward from one FY to the next. Report C covered the Gates Staying Connected Grant. This grant from the Gates Foundation required matching funds and OPLIN contributed money towards that. The grant took four fiscal years to complete, and all monies OPLIN committed have been expended. The grant provided hardware upgrades for public libraries, workshops and training, a network security assessment, and videoconferencing equipment. Report D projected revenue and cash balance figures on June 30th, and therefore matched Report B. Report E summarized the budget request for the State Library and OPLIN. Diane summarized the state budget process.

Diane reported that between the last FY and the current one, the state has converted to a new financial system called OAKS (Ohio Administrative Knowledge System). Diane summarized the future rollouts for the OAKS system over the next several years.

In the second set of reports, Report A covered budget and expenditures for FY 2006-07 as of July 31st.  Diane talked about the differences between this Report A and the one from the first set. OPLIN distributed $105,423.35 for filtering grants during the last FY, but one of the libraries given a grant failed to make their purchases by June 30th; OPLIN will have to bill them to retrieve their grant and the money will go back into the state GRF. Report B covered budget and expenditures for FY 2008-09. In the OAKS financial system, all state agencies now have to resolve any errors before the official payroll figures are released. Building rent is one of the largest expenditures for OPLIN, and is paid quarterly. Diane explained OPLIN's Libraries Connect Ohio agreement and expenditures, and also explained how the OPLIN/OHIONET paid-for databases plan has evolved.

Terry Casey arrived at 10:33 a.m.

Report C covered revenue and cash balance. OPLIN is starting to receive some E-Rate refund checks, which will be deposited into Fund 4S4. Report D covered the projected vs. actual revenue and cash balance. Diane explained that all state agencies have operating budgets and capital budgets; the capital budget process occurs in alternating years to the operating budget process. This year, the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) will review agency capital budgets. Agencies usually receive instructions in the fall. The operating budget for FY 2010-11 will start developing next July, but agencies will start receiving preliminary instructions in January.  2010 is expected to be tighter than 2008 and 2009, but 2011 might be better, due to planned changes in the tax structure.

The State Library has a new budget analyst at OBM; he met with the State Library and OPLIN a week ago. The State Library also has a new legislative services commission analyst. Diane invited all the new OPLIN Board members to call or e-mail her with any questions.

Bonnie Mathies motioned to approve the Finance Report, Terry Casey seconded. All aye.

7. OLD BUSINESS

7.1. Board Meeting at OLC Convention

Stephen Hedges noted that the next OPLIN Board meeting is scheduled for October 12th, which is the Friday of the Ohio Library Council convention. He suggested holding the meeting at the Convention Center and starting the meeting at 9:30 instead of 10:00 a.m.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to have the next OPLIN Board meeting at the Convention Center on Friday morning, starting at approximately 9:30 a.m., provided we can secure a meeting room. Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

7.2. Staff Pay Increases (see agenda item 11)

Stephen Hedges deferred this discussion until the Executive Session to be held at the end of the meeting.

8. NEW BUSINESS

8.1. Router Upgrades

Stephen Hedges reported that the routers on the OPLIN network are reaching their "end of life" in June 2008, which means that the vendor (Cisco) will no longer provide hardware support. Software upgrades have already stopped and there are also issues with the larger routers at the metro libraries related to the new ethernet services. In the next year, OPLIN staff are planning to replace many of the routers, using E-Rate money to pay for it. 

Stephen recommended to the Board that OPLIN use $500,000 of E-Rate refund money on router upgrades, but plan to use the majority of that as a match to a capital budget request. It looks like it might cost around $800,000 to replace all of the routers. OPLIN might be able to recoup some of the costs by trading in old equipment. If OPLIN does not receive the capital request, OPLIN staff can still replace half of the routers this year and half next year, using E-Rate money.

Karl Jendretzky explained how the current routers were bought over a period of time five or so years ago, and elaborated on the issues with the current configuration. 

Jeff Wale motioned to spend up to $500,000 in E-Rate refunds (plus any funds received from trading in old equipment) on router upgrades. Karl Colon seconded.

Stephen Hedges explained that OPLIN staff would replace the most crucial routers and equipment first.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; and Michael Wantz, aye. Terry Casey was absent.

8.2. NetWellness Support

Stephen Hedges explained that in the early days of OPLIN, the legislature earmarked money in our budget to support the NetWellness project. Over the years, that money was replaced by federal grant funds. Those funds have expired, and NetWellness is running out of funds. OPLIN is now in possession of a cash balance of E-Rate refunds, and one potential use would be to give an emergency bailout to NetWellness, in order to keep them going until they can find an alternate source of funding.

Stephen Marine, the Program Director of NetWellness, explained the background of the current funding crisis. NetWellness started as a grant program from the Department of Commerce in 1994-95, with the purpose of extending the reach of the Internet and providing health information to under-funded areas. When that original grant ran out, NetWellness had four more years of funding due to the work of a state legislator, but in 2001 that funding was eliminated.  Federal congressmen then became interested and supported grants for NetWellness.  NetWellness is searching for a more stable revenue stream, but in the meantime those grants have expired.

The development of an ongoing funding model now has two facets. One is a new champion in the state assembly, who came forward late in the process but was not able to get funding into the recently passed state budget. He wants to work on that next time, and the Governor's office has been responsive as well, so chances look good to get a line back in the next budget. The second prong is a supporter model along the lines of the public radio/TV model. Delta Dental Insurance (of OH, IN, MI) is providing significant sponsorship now, and is talking about making NetWellness a nationwide product. NetWellness is hoping to secure a strong commercial funding model that does not jeopardize the integrity of the site. They think that in two years they will be solid again financially.

Stephen Hedges explained that he talked to Stephen Marine about how much of the NetWellness budget goes toward content creation, instead of operations, and NetWellness has provided that budget information. Diane Fink suggested that OPLIN could do a grant program, but noted that it would not be able to provide 12 months of support, because a grant program cannot work retroactively to the beginning of the current fiscal year.

Stephen Hedges noted that there is no doubt about the usefulness of NetWellness, and that their web stats are impressive. In fact, he would not have recommended OPLIN renew its current contract with Consumer Health Complete had he been aware of NetWellness' problem. His biggest concern is using E-Rate money for this ad hoc support before the focus groups, which are planned for this fall, have provided input to help OPLIN determine priorities for spending that money.

Stephen feels that the terms should focus on a limited amount of money that could get NetWellness through next June. Stephen further noted that there are no restrictions on how E-Rate refund money can be spent; it has been used in the past to hire staff, for example. The router upgrades are the only high-priority, major expenditure related to E-Rate money that OPLIN staff foresees in the near future.

Jo Budler suggested that the State Library Board could potentially offer support to NetWellness as well, in the form of federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant money. That Board would likely prefer to provide matching funds, instead of being the sole provider.

Diane Fink led a general discussion about how a contract could work and the timeframes of such a contract.

Stephen Marine explained NetWellness' current prospects for future funding. They have held discussions with various companies and are putting together a professional business plan. There have been talks about co-branding some of their content, but these are more long-term funding discussions.

Stephen Marine further explained that all NetWellness content is non-profit. He spoke of the differences between NetWellness, WebMD, and other similar health information websites. NetWellness works with faculty from three large medical academic communities, and medical experts answer about 1000 questions a month, creating the content themselves. Every topic has an actual expert in that area to respond to questions from ordinary users.

Michael Wantz relayed his concern about the appearance that OPLIN would not be buying something concrete with its E-Rate refund money, but instead giving it away.  It might be a good use, but is it appropriate?

Stephen Hedges suggested that Ohio libraries would feel the loss if NetWellness went away.  Mary Pat Essman suggested that OPLIN would really be buying content. But she noted that any agreement would have to have a "one time" stipulation.

Stephen Marine explained that NetWellness staff have had many discussions about whether they should become a profit-making entity, but they always conclude that they should not. The feeling is that the real value of their product is that it is coming from authoritative university-based medical sources.  NetWellness acknowledges sponsors on their website, and would acknowledge OPLIN's support.

Michael Wantz suggested that if NetWellness were to go for-profit, OPLIN should get a refund.  Stephen Hedges suggested that in that situation, it might be better for OPLIN libraries to instead get a "free pass" to the content.

There was a general discussion about contract terms.

Terry Casey returned at 11:15 a.m.

Terry Casey questioned whether NetWellness was the most deserving recipient of public dollars, in the form of OPLIN E-Rate refund money.

Mary Pat Essman suggested that it was heavily used by her library, and others agreed that public libraries would feel the loss if NetWellness content went away.

Jo Budler explained that she would likely recommend to the State Library Board that it uses LSTA money to match any OPLIN contribution.  She noted that State Library staff have reviewed NetWellness, and that its "Ask an Expert" service is not available anywhere else.  NetWellness compares very favorably to other medical information websites, as well.

Terry Casey suggested that places like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic have better branding and name-recognition than NetWellness, and thinks it is problematic to use Ohio money to provide a service freely available to the entire world.

Stephen Hedges noted that OPLIN's expenditure would only assure the availability of NetWellness content through the end of the current fiscal year.

Terry Casey motioned to authorize up to $75,000, contingent upon matching funds from the State Library or other source, to support NetWellness for one quarter.

Terry Casey explained that he would like more time for OPLIN to explore other similar sources for health content before committing more money.

Mary Pat Essman stated that $75,000 would not be enough to help NetWellness, and it would sap time and energy from the Board having to reexamine the issue every quarter.

There was more general discussion about the terms of the contract.

Jeff Wale noted that this type of database usually costs about $150,000 .

Jeff Wale motioned to authorize up to $150,000, contingent upon matching funds from the State Library and/or LSTA grant money, to support NetWellness content for up to one year. If NetWellness becomes a profit-making entity, OPLIN and Ohio public libraries will receive "free access" to its content for two years.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Michael Wantz, aye; and Terry Casey, no.

8.3. Change to Support Center Hours

Stephen Hedges explained that when he started as Director, the OPLIN Support Center expanded its hours from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Since then, the staff decreased from three to two positions, but retained those hours. In reality, they have been receiving very few calls after 5:00. Stephen would like the Board to endorse setting the hours to 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday and keeping only two staff members.  The third position would remain inactive; there is no need for it right now.

Diane Fink noted that the third position had been funded out of E-Rate refund money.

Bob Richmond motioned to change the operating hours of the OPLIN Support Center from 8:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday, with two staff members.  The OPLIN Board will reexamine this arrangement from time to time. Laura Solomon seconded.  All aye.

8.4. Policy on Extending OPLIN Connection

Stephen Hedges explained that this item is a potential E-Rate issue. It has recently come to his attention that if a public library is sharing its connection with another entity, OPLIN cannot apply for an E-Rate refund for the entire connection; OPLIN would have to guess at how much traffic is library-generated and designate the other portion as ineligible. Right now, OPLIN does not know which public libraries are sharing connections, but some apparently do this to support their community. Should OPLIN ask libraries whether they are doing this on our annual connectivity survey, or conduct an independent survey? 

Bonnie Mathies noted that her community is considering this type of connection sharing, and that more groups around the state are beginning to do this. Many people assume that their local public library is the focal point of information coming in, so why should they not be allowed to do this? Bob Richmond noted several libraries and branches in his area that are sharing connections.

Stephen Hedges recommended that the Board table any action on this item until an independent survey determines how many Ohio public libraries are sharing their current Internet connection.

8.5. FY2008 Internet Filtering Assistance Grants

Stephen Hedges noted that OPLIN once again has $100,000 per year to assist public libraries with filtering. In the past, OPLIN has distributed this money in the form of grants to libraries. The OPLIN Board needs to formally approve this to start the process this year. 

As part of the process, OPLIN asks libraries to submit two reports: a financial report in July the same year they receive the money; and a general narrative report one year later, which many recipients forget to do. This second report form asks questions OPLIN may not really need. Stephen wondered whether it could be simplified somewhat, and whether we should ask libraries to return it as soon as possible (instead of waiting a year).

Terry Casey motioned to approve this year's Internet Filtering Assistance Grant process, and to simplify the reports as described, Jeff Wale seconded. All aye.

9. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

9.1. OPLIN in Permanent Law

Stephen Hedges reviewed the proposed legislation to put OPLIN into permanent law, as suggested by Jon Iten (an attorney working for OLC). The proposed language was based on the language of 1997's AM. HB 118. Stephen noted an issue regarding language related to the State Library being OPLIN's fiscal agent.  According to Jon Iten, if OPLIN is an independent Board in permanent law, then that Board would typically own OPLIN equipment; currently the State Library does. Independent entities can contract fiscal services to another agency, but under this arrangement, OPLIN employees might no longer be State Library employees. Jon Iten feels that there is probably a way to write the language so that the relationship between OPLIN and the State Library is roughly the same as now. 

It appears that this process might separate OPLIN from the State Library, and it reopens the discussion from two years ago. Stephen suggested the Board table this discussion until he and Jon Iten and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) can get a better idea of what all the hidden implications are. Diane Fink suggested that OBM should be involved too.

Stephen noted that in 1997, the intent might have been to set OPLIN up as an independent agency, but that is not the intent now. Rather, the intent now is to provide a stable platform for the network and the databases, and allow for vendor contracts beyond two years. Diane Fink noted that technically even permanent state entities can really only do two-year contracts, because they only have funding from budget to budget, but they can include automatic renewals in their contracts.

Gayle Patton suggested the Board table this discussion until later.

9.2. Security Update

Stephen Hedges noted that OPLIN, along with other state entities, has been asked to submit a report by August 14 describing how we comply with the state data privacy policy.

Although OPLIN already complies with many of the individual activities, many of the questions on the report require the agency to have an official policy in order to fully comply, so Stephen will be coming to the OPLIN Board with many new policies for approval during the next few meetings.

9.3. Office Activities

Stephen Hedges reviewed recent activities by the OPLIN staff.

9.4. Databases and Network Reports

9.4.1. Database usage

Laura Watkins reviewed the current database usage statistics, which are generally on the rise. She noted that some of the data OPLIN receives from the vendors is subject to error, and OPLIN staff are working to figure out how the vendors determine their metrics.

Karl Jendretzky noted that a lot of new optional subscriptions are just starting up, so strange things may happen with the numbers. Bobbi Galvin noted that some vendors have recently changed their reporting tools, and the numbers have changed as a result.

9.4.2. Support Center (June and July)

Karl Jendretzky reviewed recent Support Center activity, and reported that nothing out of the ordinary has been happening.

9.4.3. Web Hosting

Karl Jendretzky reported that OPLIN's web hosting service is up and running. OHReadytoRead is using the service, and some medium-sized libraries are also signed up. Karl and Stephen attended a small library conference a few weeks ago, and many people there seemed interested.

Stephen Hedges noted that there is an ambiguity about what web hosting is. He suspects that libraries erroneously think OPLIN is offering website design services. Providing website templates was an objective, in addition to hosting. Stephen wondered if OPLIN should involve OHIONET or the regional library systems in that service, i.e. OPLIN does the hosting, and other entities do the content building and hands-on service.

10. CHAIR'S REPORT

10.1. Executive Director's Evaluation

Gayle Patton distributed the Executive Director's Evaluation, which Donna Perdzock compiled from individual Board responses. Gayle noted that Stephen Hedges has been here for over a year, and there were no major disconnects between the Board member opinions and his own self-assessment.

Terry Casey noted that Lynda Murray from OLC had heard many positive things about Stephen at a recent ETM ("Every Third Month") libraries meeting, as well as from CLEVNET.

11. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Terry Casey motioned to go into Executive Session at 12:10 p.m. to discuss  personnel compensation, seconded by Bob Richmond. Jo Budler, Diane Fink, and Stephen Hedges were invited to attend.

 Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Michael Wantz, aye; and Terry Casey, aye.

Karl Colon motioned to return from Executive Session at 12:28 p.m., Terry Casey seconded.

Roll call: Bonnie Mathies, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Laura Solomon, aye; Jeff Wale, aye; Karl Colon, aye; Michael Wantz, aye; and Terry Casey, aye.

12. ADJOURNMENT

Terry Casey motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:31 p.m.

June 8, 2007 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED SECOND REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes – June 8, 2007

1.  WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred second meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:05 a.m. on Friday, June 8, 2007 by Board Chair Donna Perdzock at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Donna Perdzock, Bonnie Mathies, Anne Hinton, Bob Richmond, Mary Pat Essman, Gayle Patton, Richard Murdock, Terry Casey, and Sandi Thompson.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Joel Husenits (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Jo Budler (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library), Doug Evans (OLC), Laura Solomon (Cleveland Public Library), Jeff Wale (Toledo-Lucas County Public Library), Gary Branson (London Public Library), and Mike Wantz (Perry County District Library).

2.  PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3.  APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Terry Casey motioned to approve the agenda, Richard Murdock seconded.  All aye.

4.  APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of February 9 meeting

Gayle Patton motioned to approve the minutes from the February 9th meeting, Anne Hinton seconded.  All aye.   

5.  APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of April 13 meeting

Gayle Patton suggested that the minutes explicitly state the meeting was a Board retreat.

In response to a question about gender as a factor in choosing new Board members, Stephen Hedges noted that gender was one of the demographics the Nominations Committee considered, but other factors were determined to be more important.  Donna Perdzock stated that the selection committee was merely being mindful of a candidate’s gender in the interest of having a diverse group.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the minutes from the April 13th meeting, with the added note that it was a Board retreat, Mary Pat Essman seconded. All aye. 

6.  ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report. Report A covered budget and expenditures for fiscal year (FY) 2006-2007. There are three weeks of FY 2007 left.  This year, with the conversion to a new financial system (OAKS) on July 1, the current system will end on June 30. The state needs extra time to convert all of the data into OAKS, so the last day to set aside money to vendors will be June 14. All open encumbrances will convert over to the next FY on July 1st, and OPLIN has five months to pay them off. Diane noted that there are usually a large amount of these, due to telecommunications invoices, which generally run a month or two behind in the billing cycle. All available GRF monies have been encumbered, and there is some unused spending authority in Fund 4S4 monies.

Report B covered the revenue and cash balance for Fund 4S4 monies for FYs 2006-07. Report C covered budget and expenditures for the Gates Staying Connected Grant, and this will be the last appearance of this report. OPLIN provided matching funds for this grant, and as of the end of May, all monies have been disbursed and paid to the vendors, so the project is done.

Report D covered revenue and cash balance for Fund 4S4 funds as of the end of June. There are no longer any OPLIN positions funded with Fund 4S4 money; all are GRF-funded now.  

Report E provided OPLIN budget projections.  The only numbers available for FYs 2008-09 are the Executive and House versions of the budget.  The Senate version will be voted on next Tuesday, and it will then go to conference committee, but no other changes affecting OPLIN are expected and a new budget will be ready by July 1.

Diane explained the difference between Fund 4S4 and GRF funds, and also gave some updates from OBM.  Under the current budget, there are a lot of changes under tax reform. The Strickland administration is also looking at spending reform; agencies are expected to be more conservative in their spending than in the past, which has already been seen with some of the food and hiring freezes. The administration wants to make sure that the budget remains balanced so agencies don’t have to take cuts later.  

On July 1, the state is moving to the OAKS financial system.  OBM will have more control over purchasing, and agencies will have less flexibility with transfers of funds. The state is also implementing policy and procedural changes regarding vendor payments. Under the new system, the philosophy is that unless the vendor is giving the state a discount, there is no reason to pay the vendor within 30 days. Also, a new statewide centralized process for mailing checks to vendors means that staff may end up spending more time reconciling accounts, etc. State Library staff are being trained on the new system, so they will be ready on July 1. The next budget request will also be done through the new system.

Richard Murdock motioned to approve the Finance Report, Anne Hinton seconded. All aye.

7.  OLD BUSINESS

7.1.  New Board Members

Stephen Hedges introduced four of the five new OPLIN Board members, who were attending the meeting. Seven names were submitted to the State Library Board for consideration. They looked at the demographics above all else and picked five. Stephen noted that he neglected to ask the State Library Board to decide which new member would get the shorter, two-year term, but that will be settled at the next State Library Board meeting. OPLIN Board members can serve two consecutive full (three-year) terms, but the shorter one does not count as a full term.

7.2.  Library Services Manager Position

Stephen Hedges reported that the position was posted on May 10.  After discussions with Stephen, Donna Perdzock appointed the following people to the committee to interview candidates: Stephen, Karl Jendretzky, Meg Spernoga from OhioLINK, Carol Verny from OHIONET, and Jay Burton from the State Library. It’s not clear from the OPLIN bylaws or budget language who has the hiring authority for staff positions. Diane Fink noted that Personnel Actions ultimately must be signed by the State Librarian. 

Donna Perdzock felt that the Board would want a report from Stephen on the committee's recommendation, but did not think they would want to sit in on interviews.  Stephen noted that he’d received about 50 applications, and about half meet the minimum qualifications.  Next Friday the committee will interview four candidates and should have a hiring recommendation for the August meeting, though posting is open until filled if necessary.

7.3.  Service Mark Renewal

Stephen Hedges reminded the Board that the federal registration for the name “OPLIN” expires this year, and next year registration of the old OPLIN logo expires.  He has had correspondence from Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn, the legal firm that was monitoring this, and has corresponded with the Attorney General's office about registering with the state instead of federally and having everything handled from now on by the Attorney General instead of outside counsel. OPLIN has a new representative from the AG’s office named Walter McNamara, who will oversee the process of registering the name and new logo with the state.

7.4.  ohioweblibrary.org Developments

Stephen Hedges reminded the Board about the proof-of-concept pages OPLIN staff developed for the retreat.  Staff are working on three initiatives to improve the OWL search engine for libraries, models that could retrieve both database and catalog records.

Stephen and Karl Jendretzky had a conference call with a Google developer, went to OCLC and talked to them about their WorldCat product, and also received a quote from MasterKey.

OPLIN staff think the current Google Custom Search test page is about as good as it can be for now, especially after talking to Google and asking for their suggestions. The problem is getting to the database content.  If this is the model OPLIN pursues, then development is essentially finished until EBSCO and other database records are indexed by Google and accessible via this CSE.  Karl and Stephen thought they could take database MARC records and create a flat file to be indexed by Google, but Google indicated that while their search engine might discover it, it would not index such a special file, because Google looks at the popularity of a site, how it has been hit, etc., and this file would not meet some of the criteria.

MasterKey looks better to OPLIN staff.  It is inexpensive and promising enough that OPLIN staff thinks we should buy a Level 1 plan (for 20 commercial databases) for a year, test it, and see how well it works.

Karl and Stephen also visited the OCLC/WorldCat developers.  OCLC talked about WorldCat 3 (or "WorldCat Local" as it is called in the beta tests) and their plans to add social tools to it (book reviews by people, etc.).  Their concept is an OPAC, with database records added on, while OPLIN tends to look at the problem the other way around.  Currently, not enough Ohio libraries have their catalog records in WorldCat to make this an effect option for us. OCLC will probably propose a cost to get the whole state of Ohio on WorldCat. Jo Budler said she has impressed upon OCLC that OPLIN and/or Libraries Connect Ohio would not want to be paying double; OhioLINK is already paying for a large portion of the state's libraries. Stephen noted that OCLC also said they could work with MasterKey and build a hybrid product.

Stephen explained the vision of what the actual OWL web page would look like. There would be an OWL homepage, but OPLIN could also provide libraries with an OWL search widget for their pages. This design would also be the basis of OPLIN’s web page templates to give to libraries. One of the nice things about MasterKey’s service is that OPLIN can control the ranking of the search results – that is, OPLIN can make an individual library’s resources appear higher for searches conducted in their building, etc. This tool would be something for the general public, as opposed to a librarian-only tool.  We would also have an advanced search, to allow people to choose individual databases.

Gayle Patton motioned to buy a one year subscription to the MasterKey Level 1 service, Sandi Thompson seconded.

Roll call: Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye.

7.4.1.  KSU ScanPath cost and timeline

Stephen Hedges and Joel Husenits recently went to Kent State University where they saw a demo of the ScanPath web page usability testing service, using the current OPLIN research database/remote access page and a nearby student as a test subject.  It was both very interesting and very sobering. OPLIN has several prototype OWL website pages that are polished enough for them to test.  Stephen explained the costs involved: there is a fee per subject, per task.  ScanPath staff advise that ten test subjects should be enough, and he and Joel asked KSU to find a representative mix of the general population. OPLIN has asked for ten subjects and four tasks, and hopes to get a discounted price. The testing is tentatively scheduled for August 24.

Richard Murdock motioned to approve up to $10,000 for ScanPath testing, Anne Hinton seconded.

Stephen Hedges explained how KSU finds users, and described the deliverable: a hard drive with all of the sessions taped, plus a summary analysis, including "heatmaps" of all tested pages. Bonnie Mathies asked whether KSU will give OPLIN a composite of the demographics beforehand, and whether OPLIN has final approval. Stephen noted that OPLIN will ask to have approval before they test.

Roll call: Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye.

8.  NEW BUSINESS

8.1.  Staff Pay Increases for FY2008

Stephen Hedges explained that it was probable, pending the Governor's approval, that exempt staff will be eligible for up to a 3.5% raise, which would provide parity with the union agreement negotiated last year for non-exempt staff. Diane Fink explained that the raises have been anticipated in the FYs 2008-09 OPLIN operating budget. Jo Budler noted that the State Library simply has to absorb these increases, that we are not given more money to cover them. Stephen explained that everyone at OPLIN is exempt administrative staff, and he presented his recommendations on staff raises to the Board. He asked for approval to proceed with the recommendations, pending Executive approval of pay increases for exempt staff.

Stephen Hedges noted that there are currently no plans to replace Karl Jendretzky’s vacant position in the OPLIN Support Center, because he thinks it can operate with two staff.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the personnel recommendations, Mary Pat Essman seconded.

Roll call: Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye.

8.2.  Focus Groups on OPLIN

Stephen Hedges reminded the Board that at the retreat they had discussed what to do with any extra funds in our Fund 4S4 account.  Gayle Patton and Terry Casey had suggested doing some focus groups around the state to ask OPLIN’s customers how the organization might spend this money.  Stephen met with Wayne Piper from OLC, and the two talked about holding five two-hour focus groups around the state.  These would start in the middle of September, with one happening about every two weeks, usually in the morning.  OPLIN cannot provide lunches, which might interrupt meetings anyway, but OLC could provide coffee and snacks as part of their facilitation of the sessions.

Wayne and Stephen would ask the focus group participants to describe the OPLIN office as a way to gather their current perceptions of OPLIN.  Wayne wants Stephen to then present what OPLIN actually is and does, and ask the libraries what their technology challenges are, and base the discussion around that.  Ideally, the groups should consist of branch managers, small library directors, children’s supervisors, and other such "middle managers" that seldom have contact with OPLIN staff.  Stephen reviewed the quote from OLC.

Terry Casey said he thinks OLC should provide lunch, because it is important to get people relaxed and amenable to participating, and it also helps to show appreciation to the attendees. Terry also made suggestions about the number of participants; eight to ten is ideal, the dynamics being better with a smaller group. Doug Evans gave an estimated revised quote for facilitating sessions that would include lunch.

In answer to a question, Stephen said the Board would discuss the findings at their first regular meeting after the sessions, and not wait until the next Board retreat. There was a general discussion about how to position the workshops, the invitations, etc. Participants should try to suspend reality and think about big ideas, and not get caught up in the reality of current economics, etc., perhaps suggesting more general “library technology” ideas than OPLIN-specific thoughts. Stephen noted that OPLIN ultimately wants suggestions that are within its mission.

Terry Casey motioned to authorize up to $8,000 to spend on conducting these focus groups with OLC. Gayle Patton seconded.  

Roll call: Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye. 

8.3.  Gongwer Report Possibilities and Proposal

Stephen Hedges explained that Gongwer, Inc. perennially tries to win our contract for state government information, which we currently get from Rotunda, Inc. (Ohio Capitol Connection). Our response this year is that OPLIN will not make any changes pending the RFP due to be released in November by the LCO partners. Stephen noted, however, that it would be good for librarians to have access to more than one source of state government information, but the current price of a Gongwer subscription is prohibitive for many libraries. OPLIN has negotiated an offer from Gongwer to distribute the Gongwer Report, one portion of the complete Gongwer subscription service, through a special OPLIN listserv available only to librarians and limited to 200 readers.  Gongwer’s proposed cost to OPLIN is roughly half what it would cost for the full subscription service to 200 libraries. Stephen noted that the purpose of the listserv is not to evaluate Gongwer, but it would give librarians an opportunity to become familiar with their product.

Terry Casey motioned to authorize the OPLIN director to purchase the Gongwer subscription as described, beginning July 1.  Richard Murdock seconded.

Roll call: Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Bob Richmond, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye.

There was a break at 11:37 a.m., during which time Lynda Murray (OLC) arrived.

The meeting resumed at 11:48 a.m., starting with Item 9.2.

9.  OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT -- Stephen Hedges

9.1.  Office Activities

After Item 9.2

Stephen Hedges highlighted several recent meetings, noting that there have been a lot of governmental meetings lately.

9.2.  Library Partnership Summit

Stephen Hedges reported that on May 21, almost 300 people came to the Fawcett Center for the Library Partnership Summit, representing all three library communities: public, academic, and K-12. Topics of discussion were the "silos" separating the communities and the replacement of the LSTA money that currently supports some of the LCO database purchases.

Jo Budler explained that the idea of this Summit came from a public library director and grew from there. In addition to the LCO partners, OHIONET, OLC, OELMA, and ALAO all got involved. Stephen Hedges noted that OPLIN and others committed their annual meeting money to support the Summit. Attendees were administrators and others who could make decisions about spending money.

Lynda Murray (OLC) explained it seems from the Summit feedback which OLC has received that there were essentially three subjects discussed at the Summit: jointly purchased databases, statewide resource sharing, and 24x7 live reference service. All three have to some degree been funded with LSTA money, which will soon be redirected to support other new initiatives.  Lynda wanted to talk to the OPLIN Board about databases.

Lynda thinks the Board should think about trying to put OPLIN into permanent law. She noted that OPLIN is legally defined by several paragraphs in the state budget every two years, and the budget is subject to many political pressures. In 1997 there was an attempt to get OPLIN into permanent language, but the debate the debate turned to filters on public library computers and the legislation was never completed;  Lynda thinks it is time to try again. If we can get OPLIN into permanent law, then the second step would be to look for state funding through OPLIN to help public libraries get databases.

Stephen Hedges explained how much  LSTA money is now used for databases and how the LCO partners pay for databases.  The State Library Board just approved LSTA database funds for another year through June 30, 2008, but they would prefer to use these LSTA funds as seed money for other projects.

Lynda further explained what would happen if OPLIN became defined in permanent law. OPLIN would not become a new state agency, but would remain a state entity within the State Library's budget. OPLIN could get better terms from vendors by extending contracts beyond two years. OLC is introducing an omnibus bill next week, and the language developed in 1997 could be updated and attached to that bill as an amendment.

The following resolution was drafted:

WHEREAS the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) was established in temporary law as part of the State biennial budget passed on 30 June 1995, and

WHEREAS OPLIN has been defined again in every succeeding State budget since 1995, and

WHEREAS the services OPLIN provides to Ohio public libraries have become critical to their operations, and

WHEREAS negotiating statewide contracts for services and databases is advantageous to the Ohio public library community, and

WHEREAS OPLIN could negotiate more favorable contracts for statewide services if OPLIN were defined in permanent law,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that on the 8th day of June, Two Thousand and Seven, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network request the Ohio Library Council to initiate the process of asking the Ohio Legislature to define OPLIN in permanent Ohio law, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board supports any measures taken by the Ohio Library Council toward placing OPLIN in permanent law.

Mary Pat Essman moved to accept the resolution, Terry Casey seconded. All aye.

Jo Budler noted that she will be writing something about what was learned from the Library Summit. The biggest finding is that the "core" of databases that all three communities find valuable is actually smaller than what is currently offered. Also, all three agree on the need for a physical statewide resource sharing system. There was a general discussion about the Summit led by Board members who attended. It was noted that the school library viewpoint is much different from the public or academic viewpoint.

To Item 9.1

9.3.  Circuit Upgrades Status

From Item 9.1

Karl Jendretzky explained that things have firmed up since the last Board meeting and OPLIN now has a better idea of OIT’s direction. The regional OPT-E-MAN services are being cut and the state is going to handle "long haul" traffic on OSCnet. Karl reviewed each individual case of a public library needing a circuit upgrade. Stephen Hedges noted that the relationship between the state network and the telecommunications companies is changing.  OPLIN staff are noticing more competition and better price offerings, and OIT is taking over more of the cost of running the network.

9.4.  Web Hosting Status

Karl Jendretzky explained that OPLIN is now hosting a couple of sites, including OHReadytoRead and Cardington Public Library.  Karl explained OPLIN’s current setup.

9.5.  WebJunction Online Training

Following up on the discussion at the Board retreat, Stephen Hedges reported that he asked George Needham if WebJunction is going to be upgrading its technology course selection, but has not had a reply from George. OPLIN may need to look for an alternative source of web training in technology.

Jo Budler is also looking at WebJunction deals. Jo noted that the metro library directors have proposed buying 800 hours of classes. The metros are currently paying to get this training separately. If the State Library buys the hours, they will be offered to every public library in the state, and WJ would set up a website where libraries could placing training content that they had developed themselves.

9.6.  Databases and Network Reports

9.6.1.  Database usage

Stephen Hedges reported that all of the May statistics have not yet arrived from vendors, but he thinks there will be a dip in the May usage numbers similar to last year.

9.6.2.  Support Center (April and May)

Stephen noted that the OSC ticket activity was normal.

10.  CHAIR'S REPORT

10.1.  Executive Director's Evaluation

Donna Perdzock noted that this would be her last report as OPLIN Board Chair, and it has been a pleasure working with the Board and serving as Chair. Donna will tally the evaluation forms for Stephen Hedges, which have been distributed to Board members, asking that they be returned to her by mid-July.

10.2.  Board Officers for FY2008

Stephen Hedges noted that in the past the Board Nominations Committee has also suggested a slate of new officers. The Vice Chair traditionally becomes the Chair when needed and the Secretary and Treasurer have basically oversight duties. Gayle Patton will open the August meeting as the Vice Chair and the first order of business will be electing officers.

Donna Perdzock appointed the outgoing officers leaving the Board to act as the committee to recommend a slate of new officers.

10.3.  Set Board Meeting Dates and Times for FY2008

Donna Perdzock reviewed the proposed meeting dates for next year.  Stephen Hedges suggested changing the meeting time to earlier, in order to avoid lunch. There was a general discussion and consensus that 10:00 is better for people coming from far away.  People can bring a lunch or a snack on their own.

Gayle Patton motioned to approve the proposed Board schedule, Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

10.4.  Resolutions

Terry Casey read the following resolution:

WHEREAS, RICHARD MURDOCK has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2001, and

WHEREAS he has freely and unselfishly given of his time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for six years, and

WHEREAS he has demonstrated a firm sense of commitment and dedication to advancing public libraries in Ohio, and

WHEREAS he has applied his knowledge of industrial practices to guiding the OPLIN Board's business and financial decisions, and

WHEREAS his service as a trustee of the Washington County Public Library gave him a unique perspective about OPLIN and its services to libraries,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 8th day of June, Two Thousand and Seven, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by RICHARD MURDOCK during his tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to RICHARD MURDOCK for his continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

Mary Pat Essman read the following resolution:

WHEREAS, ANNE HINTON has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2001, and

WHEREAS she has freely and unselfishly given of her time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for six years, and as the Treasurer of the Board from 2003 to the present, and

WHEREAS she has always been willing to commit extra time and effort to exceptional duties on behalf of OPLIN, and

WHEREAS her dedication and attention to detail and timeliness have maintained OPLIN's integrity, and

WHEREAS her experience as Director of the Huron Public Library gave her a unique perspective about OPLIN and its services to all Ohio public libraries,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 8th day of June, Two Thousand and Seven, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by ANNE HINTON during her tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to ANNE HINTON for her continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

Gayle Patton read the following resolution:

WHEREAS, DONNA PERDZOCK has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2004, and

WHEREAS she has freely and unselfishly given of her time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for three years, and as the Vice-Chair of the Board from 2005 to 2006, and as the Chair of the Board from 2006 to the present, and

WHEREAS she skilfully guided OPLIN and the Board through a time of change with foresight and good humor, and

WHEREAS she kept the OPLIN Board focused on the goal of improving services to the Ohio public library community, and

WHEREAS her knowledge of the public library community and her experience as Director of the Euclid Public Library allowed her to contribute a unique perspective to discussions about OPLIN and its services to libraries,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 8th day of June, Two Thousand and Seven, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by DONNA PERDZOCK during her tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to DONNA PERDZOCK for her continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

Bonnie Mathies read the following resolution:

WHEREAS, SANDI THOMPSON has been a member of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees since July 2001, and

WHEREAS she has freely and unselfishly given of her time and efforts to ensure the success of OPLIN by serving on the Board for six years, and as the Treasurer of the Board from 2002 to 2003, and as the Secretary of the Board from 2003 to the present, and

WHEREAS she has carefully and diligently represented the interests and needs of Ohio's small and rural public libraries to the OPLIN Board, and

WHEREAS her quiet wisdom and dedication will be missed by all members of the OPLIN Board, and

WHEREAS her service as Director of the Puskarich Public Library gave her an important perspective of OPLIN and its services to libraries,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that on the 8th day of June, Two Thousand and Seven, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network recognize the significant contributions made to public libraries and library service by SANDI THOMPSON during her tenure with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board extends its most sincere thanks and appreciation to SANDI THOMPSON for her continued volunteer service as a member of that Board.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the resolutions and express gratitude to the outgoing Board members, Bob Richmond seconded.  All aye.

11.  PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (2)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

12.  ADJOURNMENT

Gayle Patton motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:59 p.m.

April 13, 2007 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE HUNDRED FIRST REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES
& ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT

Minutes – April 13, 2007

1. WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER

The one hundred first meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 9:32 a.m. on Friday, April 13, 2007 by Board Chair Donna Perdzock at the eTech Ohio Commission offices in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Jim Kenzig, Donna Perdzock, Bonnie Mathies, Anne Hinton, Mary Pat Essman, Gayle Patton, and Richard Murdock. Terry Casey arrived at 9:35 a.m., and Sandi Thompson arrived at 9:38 a.m.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Joel Husenits (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Bobbi Galvin (OPLIN), Jo Budler (State Library), Diane Fink (State Library), and Carol Verny (OHIONET).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Richard Murdock motioned to approve the agenda, Bonnie Mathies seconded. All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Gayle Patton suggested that the Board minutes were generally too detailed, and asked whether they should be more succinct. There was a general discussion about what level of editing would be appropriate, and whether the current length of the Board minutes is cumbersome.

Terry Casey motioned to table the approval of the minutes from the February 9, 2007 meeting until the next Board meeting, Gayle Patton seconded. All aye.

Stephen Hedges said the OPLIN staff would bring a revised version of the February minutes to the next meeting.

5. FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report. Report A covered budget and expenditures for fiscal years (FY) 2006 and 2007. One library decided their Board would not accept the filtering grant, but all of the other grants have been paid out. Report B covered non-General Revenue Fund (GRF) cash balance for FY 2006 and 2007. Report C covered Gates Staying Connected Grant funds.

Report D covered revenue and cash balance for FY 2006-2007, estimating receipts and disbursements. This report makes the assumption that all budgeted dollars will be paid by June 30, but with no major infrastructure upgrades scheduled before then some of this money will be unspent. Karl Jendretzky’s previous position was paid out of 4S4 funds, but his current one is funded from GRF. His old position is now open.

Report E tracked budget requests and projections for FY 2007 through FY 2009, and showed what the State Library submitted for OPLIN for the FY 2008-09 budgets. On March 15, the Governor released his budget recommendation. OPLIN would receive the amount requested, but not the additional 3% that agencies were asked to submit, so OPLIN would have the same funding level for the next fiscal year. The State Library would maintain a 100% funding level, but other state agencies did not.

The House budget hearing for the State Library was held during the last week of March; Jo Budler testified.

Gayle Patton motioned to approve the finance report, Mary Pat Essman seconded.

Roll call: Jim Kenzig, aye; Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye

6. OLD BUSINESS

6.a. New Board members -- Nominations Committee

Donna Perdzock explained that the Board members leaving in July are on the committee: Anne Hinton, Richard Murdock, Sandi Thompson, and Donna. They have met virtually over the last six weeks to discuss the 14 applications they received. Donna reviewed the spreadsheet detailing the different nominees. The factors to consider were: size of library they currently represent; general job duties there; geography of the candidates around the state; and to a much lesser degree, their gender. The State Library Board would like to have a slate of names to choose from.

The recommendations from the Nominating Committee are: Benjamin Chinni (President of the Euclid Public Library Board); Laura Solomon (Web Applications Supervisor for Cleveland Public Library); Gary Branson (Director of London Public Library); Karl Colon (Director of Greene County Public Library); Don Barlow (Director of Westerville Public Library); and Mike Wantz (Director of Perry County District Library).

Donna noted that there are five positions to fill: four are expirations and will start three-year terms ending in 2010, and one is a resigned position with a term ending in 2009. Donna stated that she is willing to stand for reappointment, but not 100% certain that she can stand for a three-year term.

Gayle Patton noted that most of the recommendations were from northeast Ohio. Terry Casey pointed out that population-wise, that represents most of the state. Jo Budler explained that the State Library Board is very conscious of the demographic representation. There was a general discussion about the pros and cons of the various candidates.

Anne Hinton noted that she was also interested in the circulation systems of the libraries the various candidates represent.

Gayle Patton asked to add Jeff Wale to the list of recommended candidates, and Terry Casey seconded that.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to submit the aforementioned seven names to the State Library Board for their consideration, Gayle Patton seconded. All aye.

7. NEW BUSINESS (Board Retreat presentation of information)

7.a. Ohio Web Library

7.a.i. Development of Ohio Web Library

7.a.i.1. History

Stephen Hedges reviewed the history of the Ohio Web Library project. The OWL web site (ohioweblibrary.org) was initially set up in 2005 to promote the LCO databases, along with the LibrariesConnectOhio.org. Stephen showed both of the sites.

The problem with the sites as they are now is that users can get to the databases, but they have to go through many steps to do so. They were set up more as advocacy pages, and not necessarily as a useful portal to the OWL content. Stephen has talked with the other LCO partners about taking the OWL page and turning it into something cleaner and more useful as a database portal.

A parallel idea is to split the OPLIN web site by placing the databases and content on the OWL site. The OPLIN site currently has two audiences: libraries and the general public. The thought is that we could split it so that oplin.org remains for the libraries (with OPLIN policies, info, etc.) and the OWL site becomes the place for the public to get to the databases and OPLIN content, and possibly more (Resource Sharing, WorldCat, etc.) in order to not just see electronic resources, but also books and open content off of the web.

The questions for the Board are: should OPLIN split its web site; and how should OPLIN brand the sites? The Ohio Web Library is not branded as an OPLIN service right now.

7.a.i.2. Concept 1 demo

Stephen Hedges demonstrated an Ohio Web Library concept page using Google Custom Search as the search engine. Google Custom Search allows you to only search predetermined websites. There are many reputable, freely available websites to draw from, but what is not available is access to the subscription electronic databases that we purchase. EBSCO promises that their data will be in Google soon. NetWellness is already open, and a subset of the entire OCLC WorldCat catalog is open to Google.

OPLIN staff would also like an OWL search engine to search the MORE catalog, so that people can see what is in Ohio library catalogs.

Stephen explained to the Board how Googlebots work. Commercial vendors typically keep the bot out, because they do not want their data on Google. Some vendors set up a special database for Google to index, which is how you get the “Find in a Library” tagged Google results that point to WorldCat.

7.a.i.3. Concept 2 demo

Stephen Hedges then presented another OWL concept, with a search engine (MasterKey) built by IndexData, which is based on more traditional library technology. It is harder to set up, but you can get to more subscription resources. EBSCO, for example, already has OpenURL technology that allows libraries to incorporate their links into a catalog, and this technology would also allow access via MasterKey.

This could be another option for the OWL, but in this case OPLIN might have to release an RFP to have someone set it up for us.

To Item 7.a.ii.

7.a.i.4. KSU Usability Lab

Stephen Hedges mentioned that OPLIN would want to use the Kent State Usability Lab to test the OWL web site before it is released. OPLIN should be able to get a discounted price, since we are non-profit. Ideally, staff would like to develop several different versions and have them comment on the layout, etc.

Stephen further explained that INFOhio and OHIOLINK have their own interfaces that the schools and academics are already accustomed to using. The OWL web site would be an interface for everybody, with the assumption that anyone who goes there is a public library customer or Ohio resident. OPLIN has not received any negative feedback from any of the LCO partners on this.

Jo Budler explained the State Library Board’s recent funding commitments for OWL content. They want to evaluate the content currently offered and establish new pricing on it. This may potentially mean new or different databases. The Board will vote on LSTA funding at their May meeting, and there should be a formal commitment then.

7.a.ii. Web site split

Terry Casey suggested that OPLIN (and libraries in general) need to promote how and why any library–related search is better than Google.

Stephen explained that the vision is to get OWL up and running so well that OPLIN can then do serious promotion of it, but only if it works well first. Neither of these options seem like they would require an exceptional amount of maintenance.

Jim Kenzig expressed that he sees this model as essentially the same as Google, but with a longer name to type in. It seems like this is going away from the “premium content” model that OPLIN has already established. Jim thinks that the OneSearch federated search model is a more appropriate direction.

Jo Budler expressed that this OWL concept is trying to broaden things for the public, because nobody understands what OPLIN is.

Stephen Hedges noted that reference librarians are not enamored with OPLIN’s current WebFeat system. Many library websites have a catalog search and then OPLIN OneSearch somewhere else on the screen. The goal here is to get it all into one search box. Ideally, OPLIN would be able to move the content we are buying up in the relevance list, if that’s possible.

The vision is to develop a better OneSearch that also pulls in content from the free web, and to make the whole thing behave more like Google.

Sandi Thompson asked if libraries would be able to tie a revamped Ohio Web Library search into their own catalogs. Stephen explained that the OPLIN staff would like this to be a basic part of the web page templates OPLIN would provide for public libraries interested in the OPLIN web hosting service.

There was a general discussion about the popularity of Google versus library search services.

Sandi Thompson said that she believes OPLIN should be the "chaser": the organization trying new things. If this is a good thing to try, then the OPLIN staff should.

Jo Budler stated that the State Library has made a commitment to marketing and putting money into it. They would like OPLIN to put together a good product and market it.

Terry Casey said he thinks OPLIN should pay Google money and partner and come up with something, instead of creating something brand new. He feels it would be cheaper to pull off and gain quicker acceptance.

Stephen Hedges summed up the discussion. OPLIN staff want to work the library catalog into the OWL search, and there appears to be no resistance to the idea of splitting the OPLIN web site. What about branding? Do we keep the OPLIN brand off of it?

There was general agreement from the Board that a small link explaining where this information is coming from would be sufficient, but that it does not have to be prominently placed.

Karl Jendretzky explained a possible method by which OPLIN could integrate premium purchased content into the main Google search. However, some database vendors might not want us to put their data into Google.

Stephen Hedges noted that the salespeople from Wilson did not object to the idea. OPLIN owns the Wilson Biographies content. OPLIN would only be asking the vendors to allow us to show the link to the premium content, and then OPLIN would do the authentication.

OPLIN has already been promoting the idea of putting MARC records into library catalogs, but now staff would like to put the library catalogs into the OWL.

OPLIN might have to put out an RFP for someone to develop this, and it might cost some money, likely a few thousand dollars to various vendors.

To Item 7.a.i.4.

7.a.iii. Open Internet content in Ohio Web Library

7.a.iii.1. MARC

7.a.iii.2. OAI-PMH

7.a.iii.3. Google

Stephen Hedges noted that Karl Jendretzky’s document was already out of date; changes were made regarding “sitemap” yesterday.

7.a.iv. Marketing OWL

7.a.iv.1. Branding

Stephen Hedges sensed that the OWL page would not need an OPLIN logo on it, but some line mentioning LCO/OPLIN with a link back to the OPLIN web site.

The Board generally approved of OPLIN staff moving ahead on this plan.

There was a break at 11:10 a.m.

The meeting resumed at 11:22 a.m.

Stephen Hedges reported that OCLC is already doing work related to what we are talking about, with a new product called WorldCat Local. Stephen showed a web page about it on the OCLC web site.

Carol Verny (OHIONET) explained the program, which aims to get library holdings out onto the web. A number of libraries around the country are using this program to push their holdings up into the Google/Amazon environment, in order to reach non-traditional library users. WorldCat Local takes the WorldCat database and moves it from a librarians’ utility into something that they think people who start searches on Google will find more appealing. It has a much simpler interface. The attempt of the program is to identify publishers that will reveal their content on the web, and to do authentication in a secure but effective way to allow patrons to get to these things online. The University of Washington Library is going to be the pilot test, followed by a group of southern California libraries, and then the University of Illinois.

WorldCat Local could also be a face to fit over what libraries have as their local OPAC. The authentication would not be done by library card or zip code, but based on their affiliations. Certain results would be pushed to the top of the list. So if OPLIN were providing this for the State of Ohio, its list of proprietary databases would be pushed to the top of the search results.

Jo Budler noted that if the State Library has something like this to show state employees, they could pitch it as an entire state service. The State Library has asked OCLC to put them on the pilot testing list after the University of Illinois.

Carol Verny noted that the main obstacle is that the OCLC database is proprietary; if a library does not catalog with OCLC, then they cannot use WorldCat Local. But libraries are more and more interested in opening up their holdings to the world.

Jo Budler hopes that the State Library will implement it this fall.

Carol Verny noted that WorldCat Local does not require libraries to change what they have in place for resource sharing, etc. It connects to most everything. This is a fundamental shift in philosophy in recognizing that libraries do not want to give up what they have developed over time.

Stephen Hedges wondered whether, keeping in mind that OPLIN has significant E-rate money coming in every year, someone should approach OCLC about doing WorldCat for all Ohio public libraries?

7.b. Technology Training

7.b.i. Training support

7.b.i.1. WebJunction e-learning catalog (block of classes for State?)

Stephen Hedges explained that OPLIN could purchase a block of WebJunction e-learning classes for the state with available E-rate money. OPLIN has a new goal in the recently approved strategic plan to sponsor conferences and training pertaining to new web technologies. WebJunction classes are classes anyone can buy and take over the web. One block of classes is called “web development classes” and if you buy them in a block, you get a discount.

Jim Kenzig suggested that the list of offerings presented is out-of-date, and Stephen said he needs to ask WebJunction if they are planning to update their offerings.

Sandi Thompson said she took a couple of WebJunction classes along with her staff, and said they are similar to other online classes in structure.

Stephen Hedges explained that OPLIN would want to spend money on buying web technology classes for anyone in an Ohio public library and would have to make sure that they relate to current technology. OPLIN could control the IP of the person taking the class; it would have to be from a library IP.

Diane Fink noted that the State Library bought a block of WebJunction courses through OCLC for the Rural Sustainability Grant. Attendees were given one free class.

Stephen explained that if the Board likes this idea, OPLIN staff can shop around. The courses need to be current and students would need to use a library computer to do it. We do not have to pursue WebJunction specifically.

Jim Kenzig suggested that Content Management System training might be more beneficial for libraries.

Gayle Patton expressed that the offer would likely be well-received by the public library community.

7.b.ii. Conference support

7.b.ii.1. Overview

Stephen Hedges provided a summary of what OPLIN has spent on conferences during 2006. OPLIN has not spent any money yet in FY2007, but have committed money to the Library Partnership Summit, the OLC Annual Conference, and TechConnections 8.

7.b.ii.2. TechConnections 8 correspondence

Karl Jendretzky and Stephen are presenting at TechConnections 8; Stephen recommends increasing OPLIN’s support to $2000.

Mary Pat Essman motioned to spend $2000 for TechConnections 8 sponsorship, Gayle Patton seconded. All aye.

Roll call: Jim Kenzig, aye; Donna Perdzock, aye; Bonnie Mathies, aye; Anne Hinton, aye; Mary Pat Essman, aye; Gayle Patton, aye; Richard Murdock, aye; Terry Casey, aye; and Sandi Thompson, aye.

7.c. Network Development

7.c.i. New State fiber-optic contract

7.c.i.1. OPT-E-MAN Ethernet -- "lines vs. clouds"

Stephen Hedges explained that there are many new network developments. In February, OIT signed a new contract with AT&T for Ethernet services statewide. In this discussion, Stephen would like to explain what is different about Ethernet compared to what we have now, what has changed in the state contracts, what changes are coming in the statewide backbone, the status of circuit upgrades, and finally have a conversation about bandwidth and the formula we use for allocating circuit capacities to libraries.

Ethernet services for libraries would mean putting fiber optic lines into buildings instead of copper T1 lines. Stephen explained how T1 lines work, their size, capacity, etc. T1 lines work well for data, but have their genesis in voice communications.

Ethernet cable costs more and is harder to work with, because it is more delicate. It works with light; each channel is a different color. It’s much more efficient, and can have many channels running on different colors.

Once a signal gets out of a library and out to a carrier (AT&T, etc.), it is carried on a line all the way back to the OPLIN core at the SOCC. With fiber optic cable and Ethernet, it is a different system; the carrier is called a cloud. There is no physical hard line from here to there; instead the hard line goes into a cloud that can cover a large area, it passes through the cloud and comes out where needed.

Karl Jendretzky explained that with Ethernet, OPLIN would pay for a port at either end of the cloud, instead of a line. OPLIN would also pay for the speed on that port (the amount of data you can put into the cloud). If you want to create additional connections later, no other lines need to be run. If you want to set up additional VLANs (virtual local area networks), you can have virtual connections throughout the cloud.

Clouds are currently set up in different metro areas. With the new AT&T contract, they have three pricing points – you pay for the port, the CIR (the speed your port is allowed to go to), and ROS (regional OPT-E-MAN service). OPT-E-MAN can set up an entire metro area to look like it’s on one LAN. There are different grades on the state contract (CSME, bronze, silver, etc.) and each has a better level of Quality of Service and faster speed guarantees.

The price is postalized, so it does not matter where you are in the state. Service in Cleveland is the same as service in Caldwell.

The missing piece is how to tie the regional metro clouds together. ROS is a cloud that holds two others together, so you can send traffic from one metro area to another as Ethernet, end to end.

There was a general discussion about dark fiber. Karl explained that it does not take much fiber to run a network. The Third Frontier basically runs on two strands around the state. OPLIN put in 24 strands from the building's telecommunications closet to our office, but uses only one strand and thus created a very small amount of “dark fiber.” Fiber brokers go around and figure out who has dark fiber and who needs it. We are not interested in owning any fiber; we want the service that AT&T offers and let them manage the fiber.

Karl talked about Cleveland’s coming purchase of a fiber optic network; they are buying enough capacity for their branches, but they can handle more later. Ethernet allows them to upgrade capacity without any new connections.

Karl also explained the costs involved when installing fiber. AT&T does a site survey and decides if you need space for equipment, new holes into your building, etc. – this would be the library’s cost.

Time Warner Telecom also has a contract, and they would take care of all the costs.

The meeting was halted for lunch at 12:11 p.m.

The meeting reconvened at 12:30 p.m.

Stephen Hedges explained that the advantages of fiber are that if OPLIN needed to upgrade a circuit later, it would be very easy. Network technicians would not have to go to the public library; a software setting could just be changed remotely. Network traffic is much more efficient as well, as staff saw when we hooked up Worthington and Westerville. Their T1s had been a bottleneck to some extent, but with Ethernet their traffic traveled better and usage jumped significantly. Stephen thinks we will find that it is not just the size of the connection, but the type of connection that can choke bandwidth.

The smallest Ethernet is 5Mpbs, which is the equivalent of over three T1 lines. 10mbps Ethernet is a better price point. Then it jumps to 20, 50, 100, and 1000Mbps. We have a 1000Mbps connection between the OPLIN office and the SOCC. In our case, this is a different service, an actual line. Stephen explained the OPLIN-SOCC connection in detail.

Stephen continued that the carriers suggest that Ethernet is going to be “the thing” for a long time. They will continue to support T1 lines, but they want to get everyone on Ethernet.

Karl explained that it’s a fairly new way of doing things. The regional services are essentially tests here in Ohio.

There was another break at 12:36 p.m.

The meeting resumed at 1:09 p.m.

7.c.ii. Circuit upgrades

7.c.ii.1. Status report

Stephen Hedges presented a chart of pending circuit upgrades at various public libraries. OPLIN staff has previously identified 18 libraries that needed more bandwidth under the new allocation formula. In most of those cases, OPLIN has either picked up the billing for libraries paying for an extra T1, or OPLIN has installed a new T1 (particularly in the Cleveland area). Some libraries are already taking on their own upgrades.

Cleveland Public Library is installing OPT-E-MAN to their branches. They are waiting until after July 1 to install, so they can E-rate it. It will take time to get the branches up, the work orders processed, etc., and connecting the other CLEVNET libraries will not begin until that is done. OPLIN is going to put in extra T1s in the meantime. With the new AT&T contract, OPLIN would not be penalized if we disconnect it within a year.

For a couple of the upgrades, OPLIN is working with Time Warner Telecom, which is able to give us good deals in the southwest corner of the state. We have proposals from them, but are waiting for approval from OIT. Stephen reviewed each case for the Board.

OPLIN has something working on all 18 cases.

Stephen feels certain that any public library can buy Ethernet on the state contract, since OPT-E-MAN services are addendums to the SOMACS contract. The libraries doing their own OPT-E-MAN deals have been dealing with AT&T one-on-one.

Stephen reviewed the OIT document outlining pricing for CSME vs. OPTEMAN. For CSME, there are no Quality of Service guarantees, and only three speeds. For OPT-E-MAN, there are more speed options, plus QoS guarantees. Stephen also reviewed the regional OPT-E-MAN service, which is a separate contract.

Stephen also explained in detail how the billing works out. Different pieces – port, CIR, ROS - are priced separately, which can be complicated.

7.c.ii.1.a. Wagnalls-CLC request for circuit

Stephen Hedges explained that OPLIN just got this request a couple of days ago. Each Central Library Consortium library has a line that comes from their public library building to a central point (not to the SOCC). To use their shared catalog, the traffic goes back and forth. In reviewing the connections for Discovery Place, CLC, Ashtabula, CLEVNET, and SEO, staff found they are all shared catalogs with no direct connections to each other.

CLC has asked us to install a line for Wagnalls Public Library. Right now the line CLC is using for their catalog is considered to be Wagnalls’ connection. For Cleveland Public Library, a similar situation, OPLIN provides them a DS3 to do this; a single aggregated line back to Columbus that carries their traffic as well as the CLEVNET traffic.

CLC now wants a separate T1 line from Wagnalls back to the SOCC. The question is, should OPLIN provide a connection to a consortium like that? In the case of Cleveland, we do not.

In the past, OPLIN has considered assuming a network management charge to CLC. Wagnalls was not an official library in 1996, but OPLIN provided a line anyway. Should we do what CLC is asking: install a separate line for Wagnalls Library, and let them pay for their original line to Columbus?

CLC wants to split staff traffic from public traffic (back to Columbus). The Wagnalls connection is E-ratable. OPLIN is not paying for that connection right now, but down the line it may qualify. If we do that, does Cleveland then say – pay for ours too?

In short, do we provide connections to a consortium?

There was a general discussion about the history of Wagnalls and funding. Stephen noted that they now qualify as Ohio public library 251, and receive LLGSF. But in 1996, when we put the connection to Lithopolis, they were not official.

Sandi Thompson noted that most upgrades happen when a library is maxing their bandwidth. If Wagnalls is not, then why should OPLIN upgrade their line?

Stephen noted that OPLIN now provides connections to public libraries, regionals, the State Library, and SEO. (When Kent State University moves into the State Library, we will not support their connection.) Do we add consortiums to that list?

Stephen explained that OPLIN staff can put in the work order to hook up Wagnalls. But at some point, the OPLIN Board needs to decide on a policy: do we or don’t we provide connections to a consortium?

7.c.iii. Library systems installing Ethernet ports

Stephen Hedges explained that this was already covered in the chart he provided earlier.

7.c.iv. Discussion of new formula for allocating bandwidth

7.c.iv.1. Proposal for next year's formula

Stephen Hedges explained the various components of the bills we receive from OIT. When we recently upgraded Worthington to Ethernet, our bill for bandwidth increased tremendously, so OPLIN staff have been talking with OIT about the way they do the billing. OIT has a target in mind for how much money it will take to pay for total public library bandwidth. The T1 rate was set years ago, and they never adjusted the pricing. So when we added Ethernet, they raised the charges based on the new estimated usage of Ethernet to make up for what they have undercharged on T1s.

Stephen reviewed a chart of total OPLIN traffic going through the SOCC. Karl Jendretzky explained the chart. Instead of going library-by-library, OPLIN would like OIT to charge us based on our total usage each month. OIT has mentioned charging OPLIN $60/Mbps instead of $90, which is much more in line with the industry standard.

Also, OPLIN and OIT are talking about changing the bills slightly, to get a better E-rate discount. Our network management RFQ is officially dead now, because it was not in the best interest of the state, nor is it in the best interests of OPLIN if we E-rate the entire OIT bill. The vendors should have been notified by OIT, but some are just finding out.

OIT has a new CIO, and on July 1, OIT will go under OBM. OIT folks seems to like this change, and are more upbeat about the future.

Discussion of the new formula was picked up later under item 7.d.iv.

7.c.v. OSCnet and ohio.gov (OIT) network

7.c.v.1. Comparison

7.c.v.2. Glossary of network terms

7.c.v.3. Announcement of OIT/OBM merger

The backbone of the state network is going to change under Governor Strickland. It is not official yet, but the “Next Generation” network is becoming clearer.

OSCnet (formerly Third Frontier Network) and OIT were competing with each other for state business. OPLIN has had overtures from OSCnet for years to put our traffic on their network with colleges and schools. Stephen Hedges reviewed a breakdown between the organizations, who they serve and what they provide.

The NextGen network looks like it will be a combination of OIT and OSCnet. OSCnet will carry state traffic long distances, and OIT will handle things like network management and last mile services. Nobody has decided how they are going to do it yet, but that means the ROS piece of the new state contract with AT&T would actually be handled by OSCnet instead.

Stephen explained that a semi-merger between OSCnet and OIT would not necessarily improve compatibility between OPLIN services and those offered by OhioLINK and INFOhio. The network architecture does not affect services you can get as much as it effects deeper, carrier-level things. The services you put over the network are not going to change. A subtle change might occur though; OPLIN could have traffic from a public library that goes directly to a college, so it would not have to bounce out to the Internet and back.

Stephen and Karl explained what changes would happen to OPLIN Internet traffic on OSCnet vs. the current OIT configuration.

Karl explained that there is not a lot of info to go on right now, and outlined how OSCnet would probably work. Stephen suggested that it would give OPLIN a level of robustness and redundancy we do not currently have. OIT would have to provide routers. Karl noted that it would also deconstruct our current core arrangement.

Stephen explained that OPLIN can only mark time until this gets figured out. A push is coming from the Strickland administration, and when they get it together, we can start aggressively moving ahead on installing Ethernet. If it does not come together, the state contract is the fallback. For now, OIT has the final say on each new library connection, whether it uses the AT&T contract or OSCnet.

7.c.vi. Bandwidth prices

7.c.vii. Network management

7.c.viii. Caching and compressing trials

Stephen Hedges reviewed OPLIN’s trials with caching engines, a way to reduce the amount of bandwidth used by public libraries. The Stratacache devices, which worked great as a trial in Cincinnati, but then would not work at all for OPLIN (even after their engineers became involved), have been donated to Cleveland Public Library. If they can cache some of their traffic, it will reduce our total bandwidth.

Stephen explained that OPLIN is also working with Jim Kenzig and his public library with a new device that compresses traffic on the web. The trial period is done, and already generated charts for comparisons. The device reduced traffic by a third with no noticeable drop in quality, but it is rather expensive – you would have to install one on each end of a given circuit. OPLIN and OIT staff are also trying different things on the routers to see if they can compress traffic.

Part of the network upgrade between OPLIN and the SOCC was so OPLIN staff can set up test networks and try things out, instead of looking for library volunteers.

7.d. Web Services Development

7.d.i. “Server farm” ideas

Stephen Hedges reviewed the web hosting document. Karl and Stephen were discussing commercial web hosts and the services they provide, and decided to map out what OPLIN is capable of doing. OPLIN would have much less storage and support than a commercial host could provide, but OPLIN staff do not think public libraries would need that much. We would provide web site templates, FTP access, subscription databases, PHPMyAdmin, forum software, one free domain name, unlimited subdomains, a statistics package, a possible secure (SSL) server, etc.

Stephen explained that there is no inherent problem with commercial services, but some libraries might prefer having OPLIN do it. We would not provide a separate e-mail server, ILS hosting, or an individual chat server.

7.d.ii. SAN in place for web hosting

7.d.ii.1. OPLIN-SOCC diagram

7.d.ii.2. Firewalls

Karl Jendretzky reviewed changes that will soon happen with OPLIN’s local network configuration, advantages of the new arrangement, and how it will help with web hosting. Our office and SOCC servers are on separate networks; integrating the firewalls of the two is tricky, and our support structure is problematic.

7.d.iii. Templates for library web sites

7.d.iii.1. Plone, Drupal & Wordpress

Stephen Hedges explained that since OPLIN almost has the hardware for web hosting ready, we now have to develop the service itself. Part of this is developing web page templates.

Stephen reviewed the Plinkit service, already used in Oregon and based on Plone software, which provides web page templates for libraries.

Jo Budler and Stephen asked Plinkit about pricing this for Ohio, but the price seemed too high for just a template and a nice manual. The money is supposedly used to develop the program further.

Stephen figured that if 10% of public libraries use our web hosting service, OPLIN will meet its goal. The target is small libraries that do not have the technical expertise to keep their own web servers. If the accompanying web templates are very nice, a few medium-size libraries might be interested, too.

7.d.iv. Library Services Manager

7.d.iv.1. Proposed qualifications

7.d.iv.2. Position description

7.d.iv.3. Draft Job Posting

Stephen Hedges reviewed the posting for the Library Services Manager position. He focused on minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications, and is convinced that we need someone with library experience.

Diane Fink reported that the hiring control period has been extended through the end of April. Exceptions to the first period were limited to health/safety positions, but the second one is looser. Any open job critical to the management and administration of an agency can be submitted for an exception. Diane does not know if the period will be extended again.

Stephen thinks OPLIN should wait until the end of April, and if the period is extended again, we can ask for an exemption.

At this point in the meeting, the conversation circled back to a discussion about bandwidth allocation.

Different types of traffic run over different ports (Internet traffic on port 80, e-mail on something else, chat on something else, etc.). Stephen Hedges asked whether OPLIN should allow anomalous traffic (Runescape, etc.) to drive our policies on bandwidth, or do we only count “legitimate” traffic, based on the port usage? Also, what about wireless? Stephen is working on a proposal looking at the type of traffic, not just the amount, and basing the bandwidth formula on that somehow. Karl has talked to engineers at the SOCC, and it seems possible to do it this way. The question is, should we do it this way?

Donna Perdzock asked about outgoing bandwidth. In the future, public libraries may be using bandwidth for videos (for example, Euclid has city council meetings on her web site), podcasting, etc.

Stephen explained that transmit bandwidth is normally far behind receive bandwidth; in fact, if a library's traffic does not display this pattern, OPLIN looks for a virus. In the near term, he does not anticipate any problem with need for transmit bandwidth for videos, etc.. The OPLIN Board will probably tweak the formula every year anyway, should that problem develop.

Karl suggested that down the road, high-quality video will probably come from a more torrent-style distributed network, instead of loaded onto a single web server.

7.e. Database Development

7.e.i. Budget

7.e.i.1. Governor's Executive Budget

7.e.i.2. House Bill 119

7.3.i.3. Database budget

Stephen Hedges reviewed the Governor’s recommended budget for OPLIN, which is flat-funded. He explained the particular line item that looks like we asked for a 59% increase, but is actually an accounting anomaly; this is just a request for spending authority, not a request for state funds.

OPLIN is defined in the text of House Bill 119. It is the same language as the year before, except for the filtering software funds; the legislature proposes to take out the language saying 50% has to be spent on filter purchases.

7.e.ii. Database selection/priority

7.3.ii.1. Correspondence with Content Selection Committee

Stephen Hedges explained that the OPLIN Board needs to talk about where we want to spend money in our budget. He reviewed a breakdown of what we spend on our individual databases. Many databases are covered by LSTA money (Newsbank, LearningExpress Library), but we put in money for EBSCO, Encyclopedia Britannica, NoveList, Consumer Health Complete, Wilson Biographies, and Ohio Capital Connection.

Stephen noted that he started a conversation with the Content Selection Committee about dropping Consumer Health Complete. He also started talking with OHIONET about taking over the group database contracts, and everyone thought that was fine. OHIONET will handle billing and contract stuff, and OPLIN will handle support. This arrangement went over well at the Northeast OLC Chapter Conference, and will simplify things for libraries.

Carol Verny reported that OHIONET has issued 550 quotes to public libraries about optional databases.

Dropping Consumer Health Complete was considered because OPLIN has only had it a year; it was purchased as an extra because we had extra money. Health information is an area where there is already a lot of free info on the Internet. CHC is a nice resource, but Stephen felt not enough people were using it to justify the cost. EBSCO points out that first couple of months were slow, but recently use been more consistent.

NetWellness is open to Google, unlike CHC. They shared their server logs for 2006 with us. The statistics are not as detailed, but NetWellness clearly gets much heavier use than CHC and does not currently cost OPLIN anything. Note that the extra 3% in our budget requests would have gone towards NetWellness development. Gov. Strickland's staff is now working with the FCC to get a grant for NetWellness.

The Content Advisory Committee is concerned about stability. Once OPLIN gives libraries a particular database, it is tough to take it away.

Stephen reviewed the amount of E-rate funds used for databases. He anticipates getting $1 million back in early FY 2008. The question is: should OPLIN spend a half-million from E-rate for databases, as we have in past? We may be looking at a half-million in network upgrades. We have a lot of Cisco routers near the end of their life, and we are talking about running Ethernet services; in the next fiscal year, we will probably be upgrading a lot of routers, and we really should do all of them. That might add up to a million dollars.

Jim Kenzig said OPLIN should plan to do router upgrades every three years or so anyway.

Stephen suggested OPLIN might be able to start doing some of them, but not all at one time. We have the money to do that, though. What should we spend $500,000 on, or do we just keep it in the bank?

Stephen noted that it also looks like we are going to get the E-rate refund that we appealed. The FCC has been granting a lot of appeals recently, to the point where one Congress person has started questioning the number of times the FCC has apparently been waiving E-rate rules. OPLIN staff are not sure if that will affect OPLIN or not, but we might well get our appeal approved in the next couple of months. If so, reimbursements jump to about $2 million. So what do we buy?

One option would be for OPLIN to take over library branch connections as well as the main ones. That would cost about $2 million a year. OPLIN could recover part of the cost from libraries.

OPLIN could also put the money into OWL development, buying WorldCat for all of the Ohio libraries, etc.

Stephen does not think OPLIN can spend $1 million a year on network upgrades, and if we do our E-rate paperwork right, we should get a million every year.

Diane Fink noted that if OPLIN takes over the branches, and supposing that E-rate ends three years from now, OPLIN would have to take a service away. Diane further noted that OBM still has the authority to take money that is sitting unspent in 4S4/rotary accounts (they did just that a few years ago). If OPLIN has a plan, a justification for how we are going to spend 4S4 funds, that would be better than it just sitting there.

A general discussion ensued about what the priorities should be for spending this money: databases, equipment, development, PR/marketing, out-of-the-box ideas like statewide WorldCat, etc.?

Gayle Patton and Terry Casey hit upon the idea of using focus groups to determine how the money might be spent. Different types of library people would appreciate OPLIN asking for their input. OPLIN should ask people what they want.

Other points expressed included that it does not seem right to spend more money on database, given the lackluster usage statistics, the fact that with the OSC/OIT merger, OPLIN’s circuit prices should go down (not up), most library staff are not aware of new technologies affecting libraries, etc. There are too many variables.

Gayle Patton suggested that OPLIN is in a status quo situation right now, and it is time to re-energize things. If we had good ideas from the library community, we could start some new things and get people back in touch with OPLIN.

There was a general discussion about OPLIN as a “think tank” to move the profession. There was also general talk about focus groups. Stephen Hedges plans to talk to Wayne Piper about this, and at the next Board meeting will have more plans to share with the Board.

7.e.iii. Database MARC records

Stephen Hedges reported that OPLIN recently installed Koha, so we could load MARC records for databases into a catalog and see how they look (instead of asking a public library to test them for us).

Karl Jendretzky did a demonstration of how a MARC record for a database would look in a library catalog.

Stephen talked about the zip code request in our current IP authentication. He wants to remove it, and just keep city statistics from incoming IP addresses. Zip codes are only used as statistics for libraries that want to know them, and OPLIN staff would like to get rid of that last authentication hurdle.

7.e.iv. Database “on the spot” training

Stephen Hedges reported that Jay Burton (State Library), who has done extensive training for how to use OPLIN databases, has been using CamStudio to film short “how to” videos, and is interested in developing these further. CamStudio is an open source application, and Karl quickly demonstrated how it works. links to these videos could be placed in the listing of databases on our web page.

7.f. Other business

7.f.i. OPLIN Service Mark renewal

Stephen Hedges noted that the name “OPLIN” is a registered service mark. It costs us $500 every ten years and the ten years is up for renewal . A law firm in town has handled the registration before and occasionally sends us correspondence about it. Joel Husenits and Stephen looked into this matter and feel that OPLIN has probably established the mark by usage. Stephen also talked to the Attorney General’s office about it and they are interested in handling any possible renewal for us and registering with the State at a reduced cost.

As for the OPLIN logo, the old one expires next year. Should we register the new one? The prices would be the same as above.

The general consensus was to have the Ohio AG’s office handle it.

8. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT -- Stephen Hedges

8.a. E-rate activity

8.a.i. Audit exit findings #1, #2, #3

Stephen Hedges reviewed the E-rate audit findings from KPMG. The only money item found is small enough that it will only be mentioned in the management letter. The audit covered the first year Don Nuss handled the E-rate paperwork, and it was a lot better than it had been prior to that.

8.b. Office activities

Stephen Hedges talked about the recent Code4Lib Conference, where he did a “lightning talk” about The OPLIN 4cast.

Stephen also talked about recent OWL meetings with the LCO partners. Both Stephen and Joel Husenits have run the general OWL plan by LCO folks.

8.c. Databases and Network REPORTS

8.c.i. Database usage

Stephen Hedges noted that searches are above last year’s number, and document retrievals are starting to pull ahead also.

8.c.ii. Support Center -- (February and March, and praises)

Stephen Hedges noted that diagnostic disconnections are high right now.

He also talked about the Biannual Report to the Leadership, which he uses as an opportunity to inform the legislators about library activities.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

There was no report.

10. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (2)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Terry Casey motioned to adjourn the meeting at 3:34 p.m.

February 9, 2007 Minutes

OHIO PUBLIC LIBRARY INFORMATION NETWORK (OPLIN)
ONE-HUNDREDTH REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes – February 9, 2007

1. WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER

The one-hundredth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:05 a.m. on Friday, February 9, 2007 by Board Chair Donna Perdzock at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Jim Kenzig, Terry Casey, Bob Richmond, Donna Perdzock, Anne Hinton, Mary Pat Essman, Gayle Patton, Sandi Thompson, and Richard Murdock.

Also present were: Stephen Hedges (OPLIN), Joel Husenits (OPLIN), Karl Jendretzky (OPLIN), Diane Fink (State Library), and Carol Verny (OHIONET).

2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Terry Casey motioned to approve the agenda, Richard Murdock seconded.  All aye.

4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Mary Pat Essman motioned to approve the minutes from the December 8, 2006 Board meeting, Gayle Patton seconded.  All aye.

5. FINANCE REPORT

Diane Fink gave a detailed finance report.

Report A covered budget and expenditures for fiscal years (FY) 2006 and 2007.  FY2006 is technically completed. OPLIN spent a little over $2000 on the new logos, but had some savings in the area of salaries, with both Don Nuss and Don Yarman recently departing.  All monies have been paid to Wright State for OPLIN’s share of the LCO databases.  One payment is left for Rotunda.  Some unused spending authority for paid-for databases remains. Stephen Hedges noted that he is still waiting on a few libraries regarding filtering grants. Within the next month, all monies should be paid out to the public libraries that were awarded the grants.  The goal is always to obligate all general revenue funds by the end of the fiscal year.

Report B covered non-General Revenue Fund (GRF) cash balance for FY 2006 and 2007. Diane explained that one particular database vendor offered a lower price to a public library than the one they paid through OPLIN as part of a group contract.  A refund was requested from the vendor and that money was given to the library involved.

Report C covered Gates Staying Connected Grant funds, which started in FY 2004.  All monies have now been obligated for this Grant, which runs through FY 2007.  OPLIN purchased videoconferencing equipment for training purposes, which is available to the public libraries.  Once the final invoice arrives, that will conclude the grant.

Report D covered revenue and cash balance for FY 2006-2007, estimating receipts and disbursements.  This cash balance will carry over from year to year in Fund 4S4 monies.

Report E tracked budget requests and projections for FY 2007 through FY 2009, and showed what the State Library submitted for OPLIN for the FY 2008-09 budgets.  Recommendations will come out when the new Governor presents his State of the State Address, around March 15.

Diane noted that on January 19, OBM implemented a “temporary hiring control process” (a hiring freeze) and identified any positions that were essential.  Otherwise, open state positions will not be filled until after March 31.  On the same day the memo came out, OPLIN was doing final interviews for the Technology Project Manager vacancy.  A memo was prepared stating the urgency of filling that position which had been vacant since September.  The State Library’s budget analyst said to go ahead and send it to the Governor’s office, so a personnel action to put Karl Jendretzky into Don Nuss’ old position is in the Governor’s office, with a memo from the State Librarian about the importance of filling the position.  Both OPLIN and the State Library have vacant positions that will have to wait until after March 31 to fill.

Diane also reported that the state is converting to a new human resources and financial system called OAKS.  OAKS was implemented in January, and the state has already issued three paychecks out of the system.  They are still working a few things out, but as a whole it is working well.  The next major piece of the project is financials, which will affect OBM a lot.  This piece is slated to roll out July 1, 2007.  The next budget for FY 2010-2011 will be in OAKS, and work will begin on that in the summer of 2008.

Terry Casey motioned to approve the finance report, Jim Kenzig seconded.  All aye.

6. OLD BUSINESS

 a. Approve policy changes (to align with new Goals & Objectives)

Stephen Hedges introduced the changes he was proposing for the four policies.

  i. Provision of Network Services by OPLIN to Public Libraries

The first policy (item 6.a.i) is the most important.  Stephen’s proposed version replaced various language items that were out-of-date (“broadband” instead of “T1” for example), and made minor changes to OPLIN’s mission summation, etc.

  ii. Extending OPLIN to Other Public Institutions

The second policy proposal (item 6.a.ii) has similar changes.

  iii. Public Libraries that Withdraw from OPLIN Network Services

The third one (item 6.a.iii) quoted the original (now outdated) mission statement, so Stephen took that out and summarized the new one instead.

  iv. Acceptable Public Library Staff & Trustee Use of OPLIN

The fourth one (item 6.a.iv) he simply took out the number “250.”

These proposed changes would be in alignment with the new “Mission, Goals, and Objectives” document, which was recently approved by the Board.

Gayle Patton motioned to approve the policy changes as presented, Sandi Thompson seconded.  All aye.

1. NEW BUSINESS

 a. New Board member

Stephen Hedges reported that he was contacted by Clyde Scoles, who felt that he could not devote as much time to the OPLIN Board as he should and has resigned.  In the interests of keeping the Board as diversified as possible, both Stephen and Donna Perdzock think we should look for a technology person and an administrative person as candidates, preferably someone from a metro library.

Sandi Thompson thinks we should look for several names before we make a selection.  Everyone seems to think a metro library person would be appropriate.

There was a general discussion about potential candidates, followed by a general agreement to hold off until the next meeting, and to look for potential candidates in the meantime.  It was noted that there would be several departing Board members in the near future.

 b. Accept resignation of Don Yarman

Stephen Hedges read Don Yarman’s letter of resignation.  Don is now the Assistant Director of the Delaware County District Library, but he remained on the search committee for the Technology Project Manager position.

In answer to Board questions, Stephen feels that the pay range was not a factor in Don’s decision to leave, and that the position is competitively paid.

Donna Perdzock thanked Don Yarman, on behalf of the OPLIN Board, for his contribution to OPLIN and its success during his time here.

2. OPLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT -- Stephen Hedges

 a. Strategic plan activities

Stephen Hedges highlighted some of the noteworthy OPLIN activities that fit into the new strategic plan.  Staff have been researching potential new Internet connections for the public libraries.  There are 17 public libraries under the new formula that qualify for more bandwidth.  In regard to the CLEVNET libraries, Cleveland Public Library will probably be putting in equipment to handle fiber connections at their hub, but not until later this year.  They want to bring all of their branches onto the fiber.  As a temporary measure, T1 lines will be added to the qualifying libraries, which can be done under the SOMACS contract.  When the fiber is ready to go, OPLIN can turn off the T1s without any penalty.

Stephen noted that staff have also started discussions with AT&T about Ethernet connections in the Cincinnati area.  This would cross a LATA into Cincinnati Bell territory.  AT&T has to have an agreement with Cincinnati Bell in order to place a fiber hub that connects with the OPLIN hub in Columbus in that area, which is more of a legal discussion than a technical one.  OPLIN will use T1s if it is going to take a long time to install fiber.  Columbus Metro is in the works, but they might have to upgrade their infrastructure before they can install the line.

The new connections will be part of the new state contract – when the “Son of SOMACS” is signed, it will encompass Ethernet with new T1s in one contract.  Right now, Ethernet is kind of a sub-contract.

Donna Perdzock noted that OPLIN’s new formula was well-received at the last ETM meeting.

Stephen Hedges introduced Karl Jendretzky to the Board.  Karl is going to be Don Nuss’ replacement as soon as OPLIN gets the official approval from the Governor’s office.  Karl has been setting up the new e-mail server.

Stephen reported on recent discussions with OIT about their billing for Internet access.  Dan Orr (OIT) and Dan Farslow (E-Tech) looked at the OIT bill to see what they could change in order to make it more E-ratable.  OIT is going to come back with a revised bill.

Karl Jendretzky has been developing new reports to help track bandwidth usage for each public library on the OPLIN network, and also working on mirroring OPLIN network servers at the SOCC and the OPLIN office.  AT&T has to flip the switch to turn this on.

Karl is installing Evergreen software on a test server; Georgia is using it for their PINES project.  Staff will examine and test it.  A lot of public libraries are interested in it, and it has been built to handle a consortium of libraries of all sizes.

Stephen recently spoke with the Plinkit collaborative project at Jo Budler’s recommendation.  As part of this project, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and some Illinois libraries are using Plone (an open source content management system) to construct generic web pages for libraries.  Staff have been looking into it, and the fee is $25,000 a year to be part of the collaborative.  That would not save OPLIN much; Jo Budler is going to investigate it further.

 b. New logo(s)

Stephen Hedges noted that the new OPLIN logos are presented on the front and back of the printed agenda for this meeting.  Joel Husenits worked with the same graphic designer who did the State Library logo about six months ago.  The designer came up with a couple of dozen different design ideas, and Joel did the final work on them.

Stephen Hedges noted that these logos will not be used as much in front of the public as in the front of the library community.  Terry Casey was unsure that these logos adequately communicate what OPLIN does.

 c. E-rate activity

Stephen Hedges explained current E-rate activities.  Yesterday, Stephen decided he can E-rate all of OPLIN’s OIT bill instead of just one small part, so he re-filed the application and significantly increased the refund requested from E-rate.  He will cancel the first application made to E-rate and keep the second.

Stephen also explained what we have applied for, and that OPLIN is looking at a total of about $1.3 million in requested discounts.  We don’t expect to see all of that; we will be transitioning circuits throughout the year, and that will change the specifics.

Stephen reported that OPLIN and OIT have been talking about canceling all of the diagnostic lines to libraries.  OIT engineers indicated they are not necessary and will be disconnected. Instead of fixing the router by phone, OIT will dispatch someone to the building.  Even if OIT is dispatching someone, OPLIN will save money over time.

Stephen went over OIT’s sequence of events when they are diagnosing a problem.  OIT has given permission to disconnect the modems though disposition has not been determined.

Stephen reported that OPLIN is being audited for E-rate year 2004.  The auditors came to the office on Monday. They are from KPMG, which is under contract with the FCC to do 150 audits this year, and OPLIN is one of those.  The E-rate auditors have pointed out that paper work can be filed when transitioning from T1s to fiber.  No major findings from the auditors are expected.  They are just looking at the funding request for discounts on the T1s.

The appeal for 2005 is still percolating.

 d. Library Technology Project Manager search

Stephen Hedges reported that the search committee last met on January 19th, and thanked both Gayle Patton and Jim Kenzig for serving on that committee.  After the second round of interviews, Karl Jendretzky was promoted from the OPLIN Support Center to the Library Technology Project Manager position.  The request was submitted to OBM as a promotion, and it was sent to the Governor’s office as an unclassified position.

Karl’s position may not be replaced in the OPLIN Support Center, as his position was funded by E-rate, rather than general revenue funds.

The Library Services Manager position cannot be addressed until after March 31.

The next item covered on the agenda was Item 8.h.

 e. RFQ status

From Item 8.h.

Stephen Hedges reported that the RFQ process is on hold at this point.  Stephen put out a second draft of the committee’s recommendations on how to proceed.

Stephen has been hearing from Governor Strickland’s people.  They are open to the idea of having the private sector manage the last mile segment of the network, instead of the government.  That is the service the RFQ is requesting.

 f. Circuit upgrades

Stephen Hedges showed a list of circuit upgrade requests, and where we are in the process.  He went over some of the particular cases, and how we discovered some billing errors in the process.

 g. Caching (Stratacache)

Stephen Hedges related that OPLIN never got the caching devices to work correctly. They may be given to one of the public libraries that generate a lot of traffic.  Cleveland Public Library is interested in having them; they worked well when tested in Cincinnati.

On to Item 8.i.

 h. Database previews

This followed Item 8.d.

Stephen reported that all of the database vendors are currently contacting him about setting up the spring database previews.  Stephen met with Carol Verny and Christine Morris (OHIONET) to discuss the annual database preview period and OHIONET’s handling the paid-for databases.  OPLIN's involvement with this service originated during the years when OPLIN was LLGSF-funded.

Stephen has developed a plan to partner with OHIONET for handling paid-for databases.  Public libraries do not have to be OHIONET members to buy databases though them, and OHIONET would handle all negotiations, contracts, billing, etc.  OPLIN can handle the technical support for databases.

Stephen suggested the following plan:

• public libraries get a core set of databases free from OPLIN;
• if they want more than that, they can buy them from OHIONET;
• if technical assistance is needed, call the OPLIN Support Center.

This plan should not  increase traffic in the OPLIN Support Center appreciably, but we will need information from OHIONET in order to solve problems with some databases.

The Board discussed the question: do we need a replacement Library Services Manager if we go down this path?  Negotiating contracts for OPLIN statewide databases is a much simpler process.

Terry Casey expressed concern that this would take some of the image away about OPLIN’s purpose.  If there is a better way to handle the paid-for databases, then great, but you cannot keep shrinking what OPLIN does.

Donna Perdzock wondered if there might be a way to realign positions; save some money on one job and put it into something different.  Perhaps redefine what “Library Services Manager” means.

There was a general discussion about the evolution of OPLIN’s involvement in databases.

Back to Item 8.e.

 i. Office activities

Stephen Hedges reviewed a list of recent office activities.  The State Library Board has hired a new CIO, who starts February 20.  In mid-December, a new marketing person started work at the State Library, and revised their logo a little.

Stephen discussed some of the meetings he has been to recently.  On February 2, there was a meeting at the State Library for Ohio Broadband (ONE Ohio), discussing the future of the state network.

 j. Databases and Network REPORTS

  i. Database usage

Stephen Hedges noted that database activity was down in December, which follows the usual trend.  Other traffic is mixed versus the previous year.

  ii. Support Center -- (December & January)

Stephen discussed recent activity in the Support Center.  E-mail is a big part of it, as usual.

Terry Casey asked Stephen Hedges about OPLIN, OLC, and the State Library, and what the plans are for when the state budget comes out; is there any organized plan for reacting to it.  Stephen said he has not had much contact with Lynda Murray (OLC) about the budget.  The State Library submitted two budgets, one flat and one with a 3% increase that had to be tagged to a new program.  The media seems to be suggesting that the budget crunch is bad and that we will not see that extra 3%, but there is no talk of cutting anything.  Diane Fink agreed with Stephen, and suggested that we will probably see flat funding.  Diane also reported that the State Library’s capital request from the fall of 2005 was not funded.

The State Library got a request from OBM this week to explain how they were addressing the Strickland vision.  Their response mentioned that OPLIN enables public libraries to be community computer centers, and this message seems to resonate with the Strickland administration.  When we recently sent letters to the public libraries about filtering, three legislators called to ask about our filtering assistance grants to public libraries, etc.

Terry Casey noted that there has been a lot of legislator turnover.  Public libraries may have contributed a lot towards the filtering discussion; that there is no such thing as a statewide standard for decency, etc.  But he thinks libraries need to be better prepared.  The cycle is shortened this year for the state budget, and the state has even less dollars than they have had.

Stephen noted that 150 out of 250 libraries filter, including some major libraries.  Technically, a statewide filter is possible, and it is even technically possible to set individual standards for each library.  However, CIPA standards say that adults have to be able to turn the filter off, and that is the issue.  How do you enable that when you have a central filter?

Terry Casey feels that some legislators will want to do something in this area.  Jim Kenzig noted that if you filter on a state level, OPLIN will probably lose the libraries that do not want to do it.  Terry thinks some legislators will want state funding to be tied to filtering to some extent.

9. CHAIR'S REPORT

Donna Perdzock reminded Board members to fill out and submit their ethics forms.

Donna thanked Stephen Hedges and the OPLIN staff for picking up the slack with the open positions.

10. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (2)

The Chair called for public participation, and there was none.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Terry Casey motioned to adjourn the meeting at 12:08 p.m.