Present : Alan Benkert, Cheryl Beturne, David Bretthauer, Joseph Gambini, Alfred Hopkins, Alana Meloni, Deborah Salewski, Jonas Zdanys

Others : Lynette Baisden, Sharon Brettschneider, Stephen Cauffman, Marisa Kalt, Kendall Wiggin (CSL)

Guest: Barbara Jones, Wesleyan University

Absent: Sandra Clockedile, Jenifer O'Connor, Jim Smith

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. Sharon Brettschneider introduced Marisa Kalt to the Board. Marisa is replacing Gail Hurley and is working on a part-time basis as the Statewide Library Catalog Coordinator.

2. Approval of Minutes

A typo was reported and the date for the next meeting was incorrect. David Bretthauer MOVED (2 nd Alan Benkert) to approve the minutes as amended of September 3, 2003 . VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.

3. Approval of Agenda

Alan Benkert MOVED (2 nd David Bretthauer) to approve the agenda as presented. VOTED unanimously.

4. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

5. State Library Report - Kendall Wiggin

Kendall Wiggin reported that he, along with Sharon Brettschneider and Tom Newman of the Middletown Library Service Center , attended a meeting at OCLC in Dublin , Ohio to discuss planning a Connecticut version of the WebJunction website. The website offers good technology training and support to libraries as a follow-up to the Gates Foundation public access computer grants. Sharon Brettschneider stated that she is looking at the website as an alternative for the Division of Library Development content on the State Library's homepage. Kendall also reported that the Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) would be continuing the ILL service on a cost return basis. They will use OCLC for out-of-state ILL and use reQuest for in-state ILL. The State Library will be required to submit a budget reduction option of 7.5% to the Office of Policy and Management for the 2005 budget. Kendall stated that the State Library is down to its core services. He and the State Library Board are considering different options but he does not want to offer a reduction to iCONN. Sharon reported that her Division has announced a round of LSTA grants. She also reported that the Connecticut Library Association and the Advisory Council on Library Planning and Development have formed a Connecticard Task Force to examine the program and recommend improvements, including funding levels. Kendall stated that the findings of the Connecticard Task Force could have an impact on reQuest InterLibrary Loan. Approximately 4,000,000 loans are made through Connecticard. If the program is eliminated it will have a huge impact on ILL.

Sharon Brettschneider reported that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made an $18,000 grant opportunity available to the State Library for technology training. She submitted an application and expects to hear the results later in November.

6. Department of Higher Education Report - Jonas Zdanys

Jonas Zdanys reported that he has received many requests to expand the databases available. He has suggested the idea of using iCONN to pool resources of participating academic libraries as a method of adding to the collective resources.  

7. Other Reports

a. Database Update - Sharon Brettschneider

Sharon Brettschneider reported that LSTA funds are available to purchase additional databases. The databases being considered are AccuNet AP/Multimedia Archive and HeritageQuest Online. AccuNet will give pictures with some text explaining the photos. HeritageQuest provides genealogy and local history collections. There was feedback from the Board expressing their interest in the two databases. Alan Benkert stated that HeritageQuest would be valuable to the public libraries. Deborah Salewski stated that the AP Photo Archives would be helpful to the younger grades. She stated that there wasn't a lot of content for lower grades. Sharon distributed the trial addresses and passwords if the Board hadn't had a chance to explore them. She asked the Board if they would authorize the Database Committee to select the database to add. David Bretthauer, Jonas Zdanys, Jenifer O'Connor and Sandra Clockedile are on the Committee. Alan Benkert MOVED (2 nd Joseph Gambini) to authorize the Database Committee to make the decision of which database would be chosen to add to iCONN. VOTED unanimously. Jonas Zdanys added that the Committee would welcome suggestions from the Board.

b. Digital Library Progress Report - Steve Cauffman

Steve Cauffman reported for Bill Sullivan. He reported that iCONN had exhibits at the annual conferences of the Connecticut Educators Computer Association and the Connecticut Educational Media Association. The attendees were familiar with iCONN. They did receive feedback from elementary school media specialists about adding more content for younger grades, possibly encyclopedias. Steve also distributed the October issue of the iCONN Times , a current iCONN usage report, and a reQuest participant list. He also distributed samples of learning activities using iCONN as part of a student research process.

c. RFP Update - William Sullivan

Steve Cauffman reported that the RFP Committee is continuing their work and moving toward the end of the process. They are currently in the demo phase, which should finish by November 17. The Committee will give its recommendation to DOIT to award the contract after completing the cost analysis.

8. Old Business

a. Nominations - Action Doc. 03-02 - William Sullivan

Alan Benkert reported that the replacements for Cheryl Beturne (public librarian) and Jim Smith (teacher) were needed. They both chose not to continue for a 2 nd year term. A replacement for Sam Brown (academic librarian) is also needed. Sam Brown resigned from the Board in September. David Bretthauer and Jenifer O'Connor will continue to serve for a second two-year term. The Nomination Committee of Sharon Brettschneider, Alan Benkert and Jonas Zdanys, reviewed the applications that were submitted. They chose Barbara Jones, University Librarian, Wesleyan University for Academic Librarian; Janet Crozier, Acton Public Library, Old Saybrook for Public Librarian; and Elizabeth Frechette, Naugatuck Valley Community College for the Teacher, School or College position. Alan Benkert MOVED (2 ND Cheryl Beturne) that the Connecticut Digital Library Board approves the appointment of David Bretthauer, Janet Crozier, Elizabeth Frechette, Barbara Jones, and Jenifer O'Connor to the Connecticut Digital Library Advisory Board for terms beginning in January 2004. VOTED UNANIMOUSLY.

b. Public Awareness - Sharon Brettschneider

Sharon Brettschneider reported that the Public Awareness Committee met on September 26th to begin planning a public awareness campaign. As a first step, Kendall Wiggin, Steve Cauffman, Sandra Clockedile, Al Hopkins and Sharon Brettschneider conducted a survey to see how many of the 142 public library web pages had a link to iCONN and to reQuest. Sharon distributed the results of the survey. The committee will analyze the results for the best way to improve iCONN presence on public library homepages. The other public awareness priority will be on schools. Kendall Wiggin, Sharon Brettschneider and Al Hopkins met with aides of Lt. Governor Jodi Rell to discuss the PR for iCONN. The Lt. Governor has a half-hour cable show. They discussed having Kendall and a teacher do a program with the Lt. Governor to discuss iCONN. Kendall and Sharon also met with Betty Sternberg, Commissioner of Education. She offered support for getting more awareness of iCONN in the schools and suggested staff attend curriculum meetings at SDE and at the RESCs. The committee also discussed meeting with the Department of Education curriculum directors regularly and attending curriculum town roundtables to advertise iCONN. Sharon distributed suggestions of material to go into a tool kit for iCONN. She also reported that we would be developing content for the toolkit especially in the area of curriculum integration.

9. New Business

a. Wilson Online Tutorial Demo - Steve Cauffman

Steve Cauffman showed a Wilson online tutorial demo. The Board thought it well done and hoped other vendors could provide such a demo.

11. Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 2:25 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for January 7, 2004 at the Middletown Library Service Center.

Respectfully submitted,

Lynette Baisden,

Connecticut State Library