    Management of Library Associations Round Table42th meeting of the Executive Executive Committee February 28 - March 1, 2002 The Hague, Netherlands(Thursday, February 28, 2002 held at The Hague Public Library, Friday March 1, 2002 held at The Royal Library, and Saturday March 2, 2002 held at The Museon.)Minutes1. WelcomeChair Christina Stenberg (Swedish Library Association) welcomed those present to the RTMLA Executive Committee Mid-year meeting. She proposed the first of the several planned sessions be an informal discussion among those present. The group agreed and spent the first session discussing possible future directions in light of the RTMLA becoming a Section. The formal meeting was called to order on Friday, March 1, 2002.
2. Approval of the AgendaThe Chair asked for approval of the agenda. Agenda approved as presented.3. Apologies for AbsenceApologies for absence were received from:
4. Approval of 41th RTMLA Executive Committee meeting Minutes, Boston, Mass. USAThe minutes were amended as follows: under Item 15: Report on RTMLA Publications, the cost of printing 250 copies was amended from $2,000 to $317. The original budgeted amount was $2000; and in Item 19: Crimea 2001, 8th International Conference, the sentence "After some discussion, the RTMLA decided to hold one workshop annually at the Crimea Conference," was amended to read: "After some discussion, the RTMLA decided to attempt to hold one workshop annually at the Crimea Conference, over the next three years." The minutes were accepted as corrected.5. RTMLA Annual Report, January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002 and RTMLA Strategic Plan, 2002-2003.The report and plan were accepted as presented. 6. Financial ReportTreasurer Roger Parent passed out the Financial Report. As of December 31, 2001, we have a balance of US $12,103.26 in an interest bearing account. During the period August 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001, the IFLA RTMLA account earned $82.41 in interest. During this period, two checks were processed: one for $31.00 (publication of brochures) and the other for $1,745.53 (approved travel to Crimea 2001 Conference). A $262.35 refund was received from Russell Bowden (cancellation of the RTMLA history project.) The Chair thanked the Treasurer and accepted the Financial Report as presented.Although Roger is planning to retire before the IFLA 2002 Glasgow Conference, he offered to continue as Treasurer and suggested his replacement at the American Association of Law Libraries would most likely continue his involvement with the RTMLA Executive Committee. The Executive Committee supported Roger's suggestion and he will continue as Treasurer for now. 7. IFLA HQ ReportThe Chair welcomed Sjoerd Koopman, the IFLA Coordinator for Professional Activities to the RTMLA meeting. He passed on regrets from Ross Shimmon, IFLA Secretary General for not being able to attend the RTMLA meeting. Sjored congratulated the RTMLA on becoming a section and shared his opinion that we were an important professional group within IFLA. He made several announcements including:Carol Henry from IFLA HQ left her position last November and will be sorely missed. The RTMLA expressed their best wishes to Carol. IFLANET will be transferred in March 2002 to the Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (INIST) in France and Sophie Felfoldi has taken the leadership role in both the move and maintaining the website as the Web Manager. She is the only person in IFLA HQ doing the work, so updates may be delayed. Several new publications are out including the Public Library Guidelines, with translations into 18 languages, the IFLA Licensing Principles, and The IFLA Position on Copyright in the Digital Environment. Also, several new press releases were distributed, including Camels Help Provide Library Services and Donkeys Help Provide Multi-media Library Services. Sjoerd advised the RTMLA that IFLA HQ is eager to receive suggestions for new publications. The IFLA Journal is on track and the new Editor is J. Stephen Parker. Sjoerd encouraged people to promote IFLA at local conferences. There are handouts and PowerPoint presentations available from IFLA HQ just for the asking. The call for nominations for the Standing Committees will be in October 2002. This announcement moved the meeting on to next agenda item. 8. Status change of RTMLA to an IFLA SectionIn a letter dated August 24, 2001 to Ross Shimmon, the RTMLA requested a change of status from Roundtable to Section. At the December 3-5, 2001 meeting of the IFLA Professional Committee, it was recommended that the RTMLA will be transformed into a Section. This was then approved by the Executive Committee of the Governing Board at their subsequent meeting. However, the IFLA Governing Board turned down the RTMLA's additional request, conveyed in the August 24th letter, that "a change be made in the section membership options offered to associations joining IFLA. At this time, an association is offered cost-free membership in 5 sections. We would ask that you consider offering associations membership in 6 sections, with the Section on Library Associations being automatic."Kelly Moore of IFLA HQ told the RTMLA Executive Committee that the issue of library associations automatically becoming members of the new section was to be reconsidered at the next IFLA Governing Board Executive Committee meeting at the end of March 2002. We will wait to hear the decision before planning our recruiting efforts. It is also noted that our August 24th letter contained an error in the number of Sections offered. IFLA only offers cost-free membership in 4 sections, thus we are asking they consider offering 5 sections, with the Section on Library Associations being automatic. According to Sjored, we will stay a Roundtable until the IFLA 2002 Glasgow Conference. There is not enough time for a call for nominations for RTMLA Standing Committee members for the 2002 elections so the RTMLA existing Executive Committee will act as the interim Standing Committee. The call for nominations will be done in October 2004. This will also give us two and a half years to recruit members, if our proposal for automatic Section membership is not approved. The Executive Committee also wants to be certain that any money in our treasury when we change to a section will stay with us and not revert to IFLA. At the informal meeting of the Executive Committee, the group agreed that the three main focuses of the RTMLA has been networking amongst associations, exchange of ideas, and helping emerging library associations. It is hoped that this focus will continue after we become a Section. There was also some discussion about changing the name of the RTMLA. Tore Andersen suggested Library Association Management and Development Section as one possibility. Discussions will continue at the Glasgow RTMLA meeting. 9. Information Coordinator's report10. Reports on RTMLA publicationsThe Executive Committee discussed who should get the newsletter and how it can be distributed. Duane will write a position paper outlining the options for discussion at the RTMLA meeting in Glasgow. For now, all people on the RTMLA Listserv will receive mailed paper copies of both issues. The issues will also be posted on the RTMLA WWW site. Duane will also write a letter to enclose with one of the issues of the RTMLA Newsletter proposing distribution options, including that the RTMLA Newsletter only be issued electronically. At the Glasgow RTMLA meeting, the issue will be discussed. To date, we have not received any translations from either Briand Gerard (French) or Myra Torres-Alamo (Spanish). Arlene will follow-up with Myra. The Chair heard that the French translations are almost done and will follow up with Briand. Sabine Stummeyer will try to find someone to do the German translation and the Chair will work on finding someone to translate them into Russian. 11. Report on IFLA 2002 Glasgow program planningStill to be confirmed are speakers from Senegal and Uganda. Jennefer Nicholson has been in touch with Bernard Dione about confirming the speaker from Senegal to speak on the new generation of librarians, and Marion Koren has been in touch with Charles Batambuze from the Uganda Library Association about a speaker from Uganda to speak about the mix of strategies and approaches used by the Uganda Library Association. Marion also reported there will be a video shown. Everyone is encouraged to bring any promotional materials for attracting new professionals to their library associations for display at the session. To be sure there is sufficient display space, she asked that people contact her at <koren@nblc.nl> if they want to informally exhibit their materials. It was suggested that a Press Release be written and posted to IFLA-L and the RTMLA listserv about the session. Publicity about this workshop needs to be spread to all the regional sections and a Press Release should be written about this as well. 12. Report on IFLA 2003 Berlin Program PlanningSeveral ideas for programs and workshops were discussed. Tore Andersen suggested we have a session with dealing with libraries and the role of politics and politicians. Research in being done in the UK by Bob Ushewood at Sheffield University, Department of Information Studies on politicians perception of libraries and it might be a good joint workshop with the Section Library Theory and Research. Tore will work on this session. Àngels Massisimo of the IFLA Management and Marketing Section contacted the Secretary recently and suggested a joint session to explore different experiences with young membership, share the different approaches of several associations to promote themselves, and to increase and maintain their membership. This would be an excellent follow-up to the Open Session planned for the IFLA 2002 Glasgow conference. Winnie Vitzansky will contact Àngels Massisimo about working together on a joint workshop and report at the RTMLA meeting in Glasgow. Another idea was to do a workshop on running a democratic library association. We could use the members of the RTMLA Executive Committee and invite people from both library associations with paid staff and those run by volunteers to do the session. The Chair will write to Tuula Haavisto, a former RTMLA Executive Committee member, as well as others for some ideas. Suggested that it be a full day workshop and invite the national library associations from neighboring countries. The Chair, Jan-Ewout van der Putten and Arlene Cohen will work on the workshop. 13. RTMLA 21st Anniversary Celebration at IFLA 2004 in Buenos AriesThe Chair will contact Russell Bowden about the event. Since we will be transforming into a Section, there are all kinds of possibilities for celebration. Sabine Stummeyer has some paraphernalia we can use for the party and will work with the Chair.14. Soros Open Society Institute Network Library Program (NPL) 2000 InitiativeOver a year and a half ago, the Chair visited the Soros office in Budapest and had some input in their planning process. To date, there has been no follow-up. At the end of March, Winnie Vitzansky will be meeting with Marianna Tax Choldin who is involved with Soros and will ask about possibilities for the RTMLA to work with their programs.15. Report on Kenya librarians Ashah Owano and Isabel F. Mulanda's research project, The Impact of Library Associations in the Development of Education and Training in East AfricaThere has been no report submitted yet and the Chair will follow-up.16. RTMLA involvement in 9th Crimea 2002 Conference and other related issuesThe RTMLA Executive Committee felt it was important to stay involved with the Crimea Conferences, although at this time, nobody was available to attend this upcoming one. All agreed that attending this and other regional conferences is an excellent way to reach people who cannot come to IFLA conferences. For this 9th Crimea 2002 Conference, Sabine Stummeyer offered to ask Barbara Schlaihagen, former EBLIDA Secretary General and currently the Secretary General of IFLA 2003 in Berlin if she could attend. This discussion led to the Executive Committee looking at the issue of how the RTMLA can reach out and be involved with local and regional conferences. How should the RTMLA select the conferences were we will do workshops and how will the participation be supported? The group decided we needed guidelines for participation in workshops other than at the IFLA annual conference. To start, the Chair will make a list of workshops the RTMLA has presented in the past in venues other than the IFLA annual conferences. Roger Parent and the Chair will work on creating guidelines and present a draft at the Glasgow RTMLA meeting. As far as funding, one suggestion was to build a small fund to support these workshops with any surplus money earned by successful IFLA annual conferences. By presenting workshops on library association development, we would be building a base for future IFLA membership. Carla Funk and Roger Parent will work on a letter to be sent to the Organizing Committees of IFLA conferences and present a draft at the RTMLA meeting in Glasgow. 17. Status report on proposal for funding RTMLA members from developing countries to participate in RTMLA activities.Winnie Vitzansky and Jan-Ewout van der Putten reported they had met and discussed some ideas about securing consistent funding for both officers and members of the RTMLA Executive Committee, and speakers presenting papers at RTMLA sessions held at IFLA annual conferences from developing countries. One basic thought is that the RTMLA cannot take on the sole responsibility of a long term commitment, but it must be a shared commitment between members of the RTMLA Executive Committee and others. As for supporting officers, there must be a commitment to fund participation for at least two years to attend two IFLA Conferences and the RTMLA mid-year meetings. Winnie and Jan-Ewout suggested we establish a fund in the RTMLA where members from developed countries can commit to contribute funds that would be used to support people from developing countries. They will write a proposal to present at the RTMLA meeting in Glasgow. 18. RTMLA 2003 Mid-year meetingTore Andersen invited the RTMLA Executive Committee to hold their next Mid-year meeting in Oslo, Norway with the proposed dates of Thursday, February 27 - Saturday, March 1, 2003. The Executive Committee unanimously accepted Tore's generous invitation.19. Other business and reportsWinnie Vitzansky was invited to the United Nations sponsored Johannesburg Summit 2002 - The World Summit on Sustainable Development in August 2002. She wants to present a statement to the summit from IFLA supporting the work, with a special focus on promoting adult education. Marion Koren offered to work with Winnie to prepare a statement by late March for approval by the IFLA Governing Board.Tore Andersen reported on the Beacon for Freedom of Expression, an international database of historical and current bibliographic information on censorship of books and newspapers, and literature on freedom of expression. The database has more than 55,000 citations and was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, representing a gift from Norway to be presented to the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt in June 2002. The database and WWW site was initially projected and produced by the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression; however, since Autumn 2001, the Norwegian Library Association together with the Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oslo, and the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science at the Oslo College are the new proprietors of the database, as well as constituting the Norwegian Steering Committee. An international steering committee is now being formed with representatives appointed by the International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearning House (IFEX), IFLA/FAIFE, and the Norwegian Steering Committee. Tore asked that anyone interested in the project or serving on the steering committee to contact him. 20. AdjournmentThe Chair expressed her appreciation to the Executive Committee for their hard work and dedication to the RTMLA, and to NBLC, IFLA HQ and all those who so graciously helped to make the meeting a success.The last session of the meeting was adjourned on Saturday, March 2,2002 at noon. Christina Stenberg, RTMLA Chair Arlene Cohen, RTMLA Secretary
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