Present: Mary Frances Burns, Phyllis Cettomai, Lilith Kunkel, Ellen Leavitt, Ruth Mizik, Paul Rohrbaugh, Cristina Pope, Donna Wall, and Lois Wynkoop.

Also in Attendance: Interim Director Paul Porman, Clerk-Treasurer Anne Hoerig, Continuing Education Coordinator Melissa Lattanzi, Technology Coordinator Brad Stephens, and State Library of Ohio Representative Roxane Oakley.

Janet Moy and Kimberley Miller of Henderson Memorial Library were in attendance.

Donna Wall moved and Paul Rohrbaugh seconded that the Agenda be accepted as presented. Motion carried by voice vote.

Lois Wynkoop moved and Cristina Pope seconded that the minutes of the December 19, 2000 meeting be accepted as presented. Motion carried by voice vote.

Intent to Withdraw letters were submitted by Austintown City School and Ashland Public Library. An application for membership was submitted by Bohecker’s Business College Library. Ellen Leavitt moved that the Board accept this application for membership. Second by Phyllis Cettomai. Motion carried by voice vote.

Clerk-Treasurer Hoerig first presented the Financial Reports covering December 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000 (since there was no scheduled meeting for January). Paul Rohrbaugh moved and Ellen Leavitt seconded that they be accepted as presented. Motion carried by roll call vote. Hoerig then presented the Financial Reports covering the month of January 2001. Ruth Mizik moved and Ellen Leavitt seconded that the reports be accepted as presented. Motion carried by roll call vote.

Due to the mandated cut in funding for Fiscal Year 2000 – 2001, Hoerig recommended that the Board accept a State Budget Program Amendment that would remove $6,817 from line 202.1110 (Director’s Salary). So moved by Donna Wall; second by Ruth Mizik. Motion carried by roll call vote.

Hoerig distributed the December 2000 issue of Benefits Brief issued by Herbruck, Alder and Company to its customers. NOLA was featured in its "Clients Corner".

Interim Director Paul Pormen discussed the new funding scenario that was agreed to by the Regional Library Systems. For Fiscal Year 2002, the current arrangement will remain in place. In FY 2003, the tentative formula will be as follows: 60% of the state funding will be distributed equally to each region for administrative purposed as defined by the State Library; 20% of the state funding will be distributed based on each Regional’s total number of employees in the member libraries (15%) and geographical area in square miles (5%); 20% will be distributed based on output measures for CE programming and tech support. This formula will be revisited by the Regional Library Systems in three months. Pormen reminded those present that the Governor’s Budget in its current form includes a .7% cut for the FY that the new formula will take effect.

Pormen highlighted his activities this month, including meetings and site visits and said an added plus of library visits is being able to see the lovely architecture of members’ buildings.

Pormen thanked Youngstown University Staff for the wonderful Legislative Breakfast that they hosted on February 12. He expressed his gratitude to the Legislative Committee also for pulling this event together so well.

Pormen referred those present to his report for details about some upcoming and recently past events including the School Library Summer Symposium, Book Look, and other Youth/Children’s activities. He also thanked the Staff for helping to put the Quarterly Report together.

Finally, Pormen reminded those present that he would be out of the building February 26- March 7, 2001.

Technology Coordinator Brad Stephens announced that Senior Technology Analyst Tom Casey submitted his resignation effective March 20 in order to take a position at Youngstown Public Library. The board extended their thanks for all the help he has given the NOLA libraries this past year and best wishes for a successful future. Stephens then outlined the consulting that NOLA was able to provide with Casey’s assistance. Stephens will be working to refill the position and hopes to begin interviews within the next three or four weeks.

The NOLA E-Book Project will debut in several weeks. Reflinks has been converting to a new format involving a dynamic subject classification base. Along with the new organizational system, a new design will be debuted in the near future. The web-based training program will be put on hold until Casey’s position can be filled. This is true of the virtual branch project also. Stephens thanked Rose Marie Pecchio for distributing the Technology Institute brochure in a timely fashion, and reminded the Board that more information on the Institute can be found at http://www.techinstitute.lib.oh.us.

AskUsQuestions.com answered nearly 150 questions in January. Several Libraries will be participating in an extended "extended hours" project from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. when the "night owl" services begins by offering to provide internet service from their libraries. Kinsman Free Library joined the Project in February. In addition, some non-NOLA libraries have expressed interest in the project.

NOLA has been informed that NORWELD is not interested in extending the ACCESS OHIO software contract for interlibrary loan services beyond its May 31, 2001 contract. This is because they believe that the statewide interlibrary loan network will be functioning within several months of that date. Stephens has been in touch with SEO who has very graciously agreed to serve as our interlibrary loan conduit until each of the NOLA libraries can access the new statewide software. It is rumored that SEO and CLEVENET will be two of the first libraries to "come up" on the new system, which would then make around 60% of the state’s public library collections accessible. NOLA will be having an informational meeting about this in late March.

Lattanzi highlighted some of the upcoming continuing education programs that NOLA will be offering over the next few months and distributed some flyers on them. She urged all present to fill out the statewide CE survey that should be at our e-mail addresses. Lattanzi will also be contacting directors to see if there is interest in sending staff to the technical training that will be offered by Belmont Technical College. Lattanzi updated the Board on the development of the School Library Symposium and thanked those involved with it.

Currie also thanked the Board for their participation in the Board Retreat which produced the strategic planning documents that were in the board packet. Several items that the Board discussed in relationship to this working document were how the hiring of a permanent director fits into it and when to introduce this to the general membership. Brad Stephens offered to have it mounted on NOLA’s web page for membership perusal as a draft document. Currie reminded the Board that Dave Kucsma will be back with us at our April meeting to work with us once again on this.

President Currie expressed the Board’s thanks to Paul Rohrbaugh and Youngstown State University for hosting the Legislative breakfast. She mention an excellent website on legislative items sponsored by the University can be accessed at www.maeg.ysu.edu/17cd.

Roxane Oakley thanked NOLA members for their participation at the Senate subcommittee hearing on the library funding on February 15. Feedback indicates that it is realized that cutting libraries in a year where education is the main issue is not prudent. When asked, Oakley indicated that anticipated slower revenues and moving education funding to the General Fund are fueling the cuts despite record LLGSF payments the past few months.

Ellen Leavitt informed the Board that the Geauga County Libraries will host a Legislative Breakfast at the Administration Center in Chardon on March 23. This even is open to any interested library staff and their legislators. Please let her know if you are interested in attending so that an invitation with further information can be issued.

On behalf of the Finance Committee, vice-President and Finance Committee Chair Ruth Mizik presented a preliminary NOLA Budget for FY 2001-2002 reflecting current funding scenarios. Clerk-Treasurer Hoerig explained how numbers were conceived for the income and expense areas. The Finance Committee recommended that the Budget be accepted as presented. Motion carried by roll call vote. Mizik commended Anne Hoerig and Paul Pormen for all their work on this project.

President Currie, on behalf of the Audit Review Committee recommended that the audit for the period ending June 30, 2000 be accepted as presented. Motion carried by roll call vote. Currie commended Clerk-Treasurer Hoerig on the "clean" audit. Hoerig thanked the Committee for taking time to review the audit.

Interim Director Paul Pormen distributed copies of the new NOLA "PR Kit" that was produced in-house on the new color copier. It debuted at the Legislative Breakfast on February 12.

The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 20, 2001 at 9:00 a.m. at the NOLA Conference and Training Center.

Mary Frances Burns moved and Paul Rohrbaugh seconded that the meeting be brought to a close at 11:05 a.m. Motion carried by voice vote.