Present: Carla Kaiser, Rosanne Siemens, Laura Loveless, Denise Smith, Carol Levers, Andrew Evans, Mohan Ramaswamy, Rhonda Holt, Noreen Knoll, Angela Allen, Laura DeBaun, Diana Weaver, Judy Bastin, Lisa Craft, Rita Sevart, Donna Lauffer, Hans Fischer, Susan Moyer, Merry Bower, Margaret Knecht, Marc Galbraith, David King, Rob Banks, Sheila Orth, Jane Hatch, Michelle Swain, Gina Millsap

 

President Carla Kaiser called the President Carla Kaiser meeting to order at 10:15 a.m.

 

Introductions of New Officers and Council Members.

 

Fisher moved and Levers seconded the items on consent agenda (minutes from last meeting, agenda, committee, section and roundtable reports) were approved as presented.

 

Kaiser spoke about KLA’s new strategic plan and specifically, its new mission. Kaiser said that the new plan is KLA’s roadmap and that everyone in KLA leadership should learn the mission statement and use it as we make decisions and work together. She encouraged all to focus on that “common bond” described in the mission statement. She also challenged all members of council to take personal responsibility for being the public voice of KLA and to advocate for KLA. She also indicated her excitement about and support for the purchase of Affiniscape software, which will be the official web presence of KLA and will assist the executive director and others in administering KLA business and serving our members with information, opportunities to advocate for libraries and to communicate with the Kansas library community.

 

Siemens briefly summarized her annual report. She also encouraged council members to review her goals for 2007-08, as determined by the executive committee and the executive director.

 
Executive Director’s Evaluation Report

 

Kaiser reported that Siemens received a satisfactory rating on her performance and thanked her for a job well done. She also noted that the executive committee recommended a 3% increase for the executive director’s salary for FY07-08.

  

 

Kaiser distributed a list of objectives from the strategic plan and requested that each council member volunteer for at least one activity. Fisher gave a brief summary of the strategic planning process. He emphasized that the plan was developed by a diverse group of KLA members, based on input from a survey of KLA membership, and facilitated by Rich Fisher (thanks, Rich!) that represents the broad base of concerns and needs of the Kansas library community.

 

Siemens reviewed the report, pointing out that KLA had a good year financially, and that Tri-Conference revenues were significantly more than projected. She also noted that the migration of KLA financial management and reports to QuickBooks has begun. She also emphasized that new chairs of sections and roundtables must review their budgets and make sure expenses are not exceeding revenues.

 

She also noted that in her role as Tri-Conference treasurer that record keeping and accounting of expenses and revenues were improved from previous conferences.

 

She also reported that KLA Educational Foundation has collected $19,082.27for the Greensburg library, which was severely damaged by a tornado earlier this year.

 

Galbraith reported that the State Library has been working with the Greensburg librarian to assist her in re-establishing library services in the community, perhaps in a temporary facility.

 

 

 

Kaiser reported that since KLA assumes all the financial and legal risk and liability for the annual conference that the executive committee has decided that the conference will be restructured to give KLA authority of conference logistics, revenues and content. She indicated that Loveless will chair the newly formed conference planning committee. Loveless asked for input in developing the new process for conference format and content. Kaiser indicated that a new agreement is being developed with Kansas Association of School Librarians to ensure that a level of partnership between the two associations continues.

 

Moyers reported on the recommended changes to the FY07-08 budget. The executive committee and finance committee worked together to implement the changes in the budget, based on increased revenues from the Tri-Conference. 

 

She highlighted the changes including:

 

PLS and CULS chairs indicated their sections would contribute $500 each to support the Affiniscape purchase.

 

 

Moyers reported that the finance committee and education foundation met to discuss KLA’s investments and the need to restructure them to increase their yield. Siemens reviewed how investments should be restructured to allow the foundation to create an endowment to support KLA’s educational activities. Moyers reported that the finance committee voted to gift the foundation with the monies from KLA investments to create a $100,000 endowment and the foundation agreed to accept those monies for that purpose.   This will also increase the foundation’s ability to cultivate donors and raise additional funds.

 

Siemens noted that KLA bylaws will be revised to provide better guidelines for sections and roundtables. Swain noted that the creation of a KLA handbook that outlines implementation procedures for the bylaws will provide better management of the KLA organization.

 

Kaiser is the contact for all recommended changes to the bylaws.

 

Fischer noted that there should be communication between the executive committee and the subdivisions regarding any decisions the committee makes regarding the dues structure.

 

Kaiser noted that the executive committee would review and recommend guidelines for sections and round tables. The committee will meet with the Kansas Library Trustee Association to address its specific concerns regarding the recent KLTA proposed dues increase.

 

Deadline for comments on the draft of Guidelines for Sections and Round Tables are due to Siemens by August 1.

 

Kaiser indicated the executive committee would meet before August 1 to decide on an increase in the dues structure. She indicated her understanding of the sense of urgency based on KLTA’s dues increase request and the implementation of Affiniscape. Siemens addressed this with information on when past year’s dues notices have been sent – any time between mid-May to end of August, and there has never been a set time for dues notices. Fischer noted the need for discussion with KLTA leadership, and further acknowledged that ultimately, KLA has the authority to determine dues structures.