Draft of Minutes of November 16, 2007 Meeting

Special Collections Library, Albuquerque

Omar Durant, Chair; Ruben Aragon, Vice-Chair; Joe Sabatini, Secretary; Ben Wakashige, David Giltrow, Cynthia Shetter, Larry Horan, Dora Trudell, Isabel Rodarte, Owen Allerd

  1. Omar gave a report on our presentation to the Legislative Education Study Committee to request support for Library GO Bond funding.  The presentation was well received by the members of the LESC.  Discussion was held regarding the legislative process from this point onward.  Larry described the process from introduction of the Library GO Bond bill to how committees function as the bill moves through the legislative session.
  1. Larry asked for input on the relative merit of on-line and book information resources so he can better respond to legislators who ask about these issues.  A lively discussion ensued.
  1. PAC report: Information from previous GO Bond PAC efforts has been placed on the PAC website.  David said that data from previous GO Bond votes will be used to best determine how limited PAC funds should be spent.  Ben and Omar have met to compile a list of regional contacts.  David has contacted a book vendor to request funding for “wire spoke” yard signs. These could have a non-political “support libraries” message, or could be modified to say “vote yes on C”.  The PAC would have the responsibility to remove signs after the election is over.
  1. G.O Bond Language. Larry asked for a review of the bond text. Joe summarized the proposed text and our concerns about misappropriations.  Larry said we could work with the Legislative Council Service to find appropriate language. Cynthia reviewed the problem of unexpended bond funds, which legislators criticized in the Legislative Finance Committee hearing recently.  She noted that the State Library’s staffing shortage affected their ability to monitor these expenditures. Bond funding requires the libraries to make purchases with local money and submit the invoices for reimbursement. Some local and tribal government entities are unable to do this. There was discussion of ways to help these libraries bypass these local obstacles. What about the Rural Library Act?  Omar noted that the School Libraries materials funding comes as a grant, but the bond has to be done by requisitions. Larry will check on this question.

5. Identification of Tasks and Timelines. Ben and Omar are identifying regional coordinators. NMCAL will be meeting with Linda Kehoe of the LFC about academic library issues. Ben suggested a steering committee meeting with David Abbey of LFC too. NMCAL has already met with Curt Steinhaus, the governor’s education advisor, about academic library budget issues and increasing awareness of what they offer. We need to provide information to Brian Condit and/or Eric Witt in the Governor’s office, and David Abbey and Paula Tackett in the LCS. We also need to know what Pauline Rindone recommended to the LESC for their legislative program. Rep. Richard Martinez and Debbie Rodella will be supporting increased state aid, and this will be discussed when Susan Oberlander testifies on the State Library budget at the Information Technology and Telecommunications Oversight Committee hearing on November 29th. This meeting is in Room 317 of the State Capitol sometime during the mid-morning. The meeting starts at 10:00 a.m., and the State Library is fourth out of five items on the morning agenda. We need to have a good representation of librarians at this hearing.

  1. NMLA Library Legislative Day.  Joe described the elements of legislative day, and reviewed where help would be needed.
    1. Librarian Briefings. This will be held beginning at 8:30 am on Thursday, January 24th at the Santa Fe Public Library Main Library, 145 Washington St. The meeting room would be available at 8:00 am.  The State Librarian, NMLA Legislation Committee members and the GO Bond Political Action Committee would make presentations reviewing pending library legislation, and how to visit with legislators.  This session would conclude at 9:30 am, and participants would walk to the State Capitol in time for the beginning of House and Senate sessions at 10:00 am. We need to identify who will coordinate this event and who will make presentation.  We also will need to prepare information packets, and determine what they will contain and who will assemble them. Concurrently, the New Mexico Consortium of Academic Libraries will be holding a regular meeting at the New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library.
    1. Gift Book to Legislators. The Association has provided a book to each legislator on Library Legislative Day. Joe has identified “A Santa Fe Style Breakfast” by librarians Kathy Barco and Valerie Nye as an appropriate gift. Sunstone Press has offered us a discounted price of $1,900.00 for the 125 copies we will need. In the past, the Friends for the Library, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System has funded the entire project. They are able to put up $750.00 this year. NMLA could put up $150 from its $400 total budget for Legislative Day. This leaves a deficit of $1,000. There was discussion about whether other Friends groups could assist with this project, and whether it was an appropriate project for the New Mexico Library Foundation. Joe will ask the Foundation for this support. We will also need assistance on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 23rd to bring the book to the Senate and House Clerks’ offices at the Capitol.
    1. Public Information Table in the Rotunda. This year, we will not be doing a midday press conference in the rotunda.  Instead, we have reserved a table display space in the west end of the Rotunda, near the café. We will show the New Mexico Library Foundation’s “One Book at a Time” historical exhibit, as well as providing library information from a staffed table. We will need volunteers to disassemble the display at the Southside Branch of the Santa Fe Public Library on Wednesday the 23rd, bring it to the Capitol at 8:00 am on Thursday and assemble it at our assigned space. At the end of the day, the exhibit must be disassembled and returned to the Southside Branch. We need volunteers to staff the table and be able to answer all sorts of questions about libraries statewide. We need to identify and prepare flyers to distribute.
    1. Library Delegations in the Chambers.  Rep. Ed Sandoval and Sen. Dede Feldman have once again agreed to introduce delegations of librarians during the opening ceremonies in each chamber in recognition of Library Legislative Day. We need to identify librarians for these delegations who demonstrate the various types of libraries, regions of the state and diverse people in librarianship. They need to be at the Capitol by 9:20 am. Joe and one other designated coordinator will take them to the sponsors offices and then to the House Speaker’s and Senate President Pro Tempore’s offices, where they will be escorted to the diases in both chambers before the session starts. Joe will prepare suggested text for the sponsors to use in introducing Library Legislative Day and the delegation members.
    1. Encouraging Participation.  The entire library community needs to be contacted and reminded frequently about the importance of turning out for this annual event. Being visible has an impact; the more people the better. The Legislative Bulletin will have reminders in every issue. Messages also are needed from the special interest groups (NMCAL, NMML, ASL SIG, Native American Libraries SIG, Friends groups, Library Boards, etc.)
  1. Omar presented a large number of anecdotes from Albuquerque Public School librarians describing how bond issue funding has made an impact on their schools. Cynthia will collect similar anecdotes from public libraries.
The next Steering Committee meeting will be held on the morning of Friday January 11th at the Special Collections Library in Albuquerque. The meeting adjourned at noon.

Omar Durant, Co-Chair - NM Task Force for School Libraries, Chair
2008 Library GO Bond Steering Committee
<omardurant30@msn.com >

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