Present: Pat Ensor, President, Flo Wilson, Past President, Thomas Wilson, President-Elect, Scott Muir, Director-at-Large, Barbra Higginbotham, Councillor (in at 2:36), Mary Taylor, Executive Director.
Pat Ensor, President, called the meeting to order and invited additions to the agenda. Hearing no additions to the agenda, the Committee moved to the first item and confirmed the email action approving the Fall 2002 meeting minutes.
Heard report from Ensor on the 2003 National Forum Planning. Over 50 proposals were received by the mid-December deadline. A few have been submitted since and all will be considered by the Forum Planning Committee at their meetings during this Midwinter. Several of the proposals are for Poster Sessions, a new element being introduced to the LITA Forums this year. Taylor reported that the hotel room block size has been reduced to reflect the Houston actual numbers. In addition, Taylor plans to attend the ACRL National Conference in Charlotte in the spring to help promote the fall Forum in Norfolk.
Heard report from Taylor regarding the 2004 National Forum. The contract with the Sheraton West Port in St. Louis has been completed. Tom Wilson reported that the Committee Chair has been appointed and a number of committee members as well. Currently, all committee members are from academic institutions and Tom plans to expand the Committee to include representatives from other types of libraries.
Heard Flo Wilson present a review of the LITA budget 10 year trend, the Fiscal Year 2003 first quarter report and the Fiscal Year 2004 draft budget request.
The 10 year trend chart indicates a high in net revenues for 2001 and a slight decline in 2002. The 2002 net is slightly misleading in that $30,000 was a one time payment from the subscription agency handling ITAL last year. Without that one time payment, the actual net would have been $13,000 as budgeted. A continuing decline is anticipated for this year to $7000 and no growth is anticipated in the draft 2004 budget.
Looking at the first quarter results, the LITA budget is okay. Approximately 10% of ITAL subscriptions were ordered through divine/Faxon Library Services and LITA plans to honor those subscriptions. This will potentially reduce the net revenues planned for FY03. On the plus side, the Midwinter XML Workshop sold out; six Regional Institutes and 3 Annual Conference preconferences (2 full day; 1 half day) are scheduled for this Fiscal Year.
The draft FY04 budget shows no growth in net revenues. In addition to the usual Forum and two Annual Conference preconferences, an increase in programming is planned with two Midwinter Workshops and 8 Regional Institutes.
Tom Wilson reported on the ALA Long Term Investments financial planning seminar he attended. As a result he highly recommends that LITA send someone to this session every time it is offered as a good learning experience. Discussion continued on the elements needed for a unit to participate in this investment fund. The Executive Board recommends that LITA revisit the possibility of creating a LITA fund in 2005, once the economy improves.
Heard report from Tom Wilson on his plans for the LITA Town Meeting scheduled for Monday morning at this Midwinter. He plans to ask two questions as a way of identifying strategic initiatives: What I need more of from LITA and what I need less of from LITA.
Pat Ensor reported on the Rally for America’s Libraries. The rally is the launch of an ALA campaign to make the public aware of the impact of funding cutbacks on libraries. Pat represented LITA and spoke at this event. The room was overflowing.
Discussed the need for more of an association presence in our LITA journal, ITAL. The consensus was that having a half page president’s column or some other brief but regular report on association business in ITAL would be a good idea if there were no financial impact (e.g. increase in the number of ITAL pages). Pat will contact Dan Marmion, ITAL editor, to get his reaction to the idea.
Barbra Higginbotham reported on Council plans at this Midwinter. Four sessions are scheduled including the new APA Council session. In addition, the Divisions’ Councilors are planning a meeting.
Discussed the Information Commons, OITP’s activities in this regard, and possible roles for LITA. Ensor will take the suggestion of this topic, with Rick Weingarten as a speaker, to the 2003 Forum Committee.
Adjourned at 3:16
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