Welcome to the Friends of the Libraries & Archives of Texas

Friends of Libraries and Archives of Texas Executive Board Meeting
Texas State Library & Archives Commission
TSLAC Learning Center Room 227
Lorenzo de Zavala Archives and Library Building
1201 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas - 11:30 a.m.

Welcome

Attending: Cyndi Hughes, Darryl Tocker, Sue Bilich, Dianna Dorman, Susan Dorsey, Julie Ousley, Pat Smith, and Peggy Rudd; joining via conference call Gretchen McCord and Marvin Rich
Friend’s staff: Charlotte McCann; TSLAC staff: Stacey Million and Tracy Lash

Call to Order

Cyndi Hughes called the meeting to order at 11:48.

Review and Approval of Minutes from the October 14, 2011, Board Meeting
Darryl Tocker moved to approve the Minutes and Dianna Dorman moved to second; motion carried and Minutes were approved with no corrections and will be placed in the Minute Book.

Treasurer’s Report
Gretchen McCord was not present and Darryl Tocker submitted the Treasurer’s Report and 2012 Income Statement. To date $46,700 in remaining Capital Campaign funds have been spent on custom storage for historical flags.

Texas State Library Report
Peggy Rudd welcomed those conferencing in. Peggy and her staff have been fielding questions from the Dallas Morning News and the Times Herald on national literacy, asking why literacy rates were so low in Texas.

Alana Inman has been hired as the new manager for the Sam Houston Regional Library in Liberty. She will start work on February 1 and has already met Sandy Pickett and Governor Daniel’s son. A forthcoming press release will announce her hiring, and a welcome party and reception at the Daniel home with tours of the center will be held later in March.

The State and Local Records Division hope to make a decision soon regarding hiring a Director.

The Texas Historical Foundation, with about 75 board members and spouses, were given a great tour of the Zavala building. The Friends hosted a breakfast reception, and Dianna Dorman and Sue Bilich welcomed guests on behalf of the Friends. The Friends provided information on membership. Peggy thanked the Friends for putting on the reception.

On January 31 Peggy Rudd will speak to 120 members of LAMP, a senior continuing education group at The University of Texas at Austin. LAMP members will later come to the Zavala building for a tour.

TSLAC staff participated in the American Library Conference in Dallas. ALA attendees were impressed with staff involvement.

TSLAC Commissioners will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, April 17 at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference at the convention center in Houston. Peggy Rudd invited Friends members to attend to learn more about Commission activities. The meeting begins at noon and runs until 4:00 PM. It is the day before the Friends’ annual membership meeting and program.

On February 9 Chairman Pickett will attend TSLAC’s TBP Meet the Narrators! event, which includes a tour of the Talking Book Volunteer Recording Studio. Friends board members Dianna Dorman and Sue Bilich are two of the narrators who will perform dramatic readings as part of the event. Sue Bilich suggested inviting community non-profit organizations to this event. Peggy Rudd encouraged board members to send to Peggy, Tracy or Charlotte information on anyone who may be interested in the upcoming events. TSLAC is eager to expand its event contact list.

Marvin Rich asked Peggy Rudd to identify specific projects the Friends could help with which have been affected by cuts to TSLAC’s budget. Peggy noted that millions of items in the Archives still are in need of conservation work. Sarah Norris is doing a yeoman’s job working on these A part-time or fulltime staff person would be welcome in the Conservation Lab. The $500,000 grant from the Summerlee Foundation is directed specifically for supplies and equipment and cannot be used for personnel. If the Friends could identify funding for a position,TSLAC could recruit individuals with appropriate skills to work in the lab.

Every even year TSLAC prepares and presents an Agency Strategic Plan to the Legislature. Work has begun on the plan and on the 2014 – 2015 Legislative Appropriation Request, which is due in August. Peggy Rudd will work with TLA on legislative items to be presented in the request that will affect the entire library community.

Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building Speaker Series and Other Programs:

February 9, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Meet the Narrator and Volunteer Recording Studio Tour. Talking book recording volunteers Ev Lunning, Dianna Dorman, Robert Rodriguez and Sue Bilich will be on hand to present dramatic readings during this event.
March 7, 2012 at 6:00 PM, Charles Porter, author of Spanish Water/Anglo Water, historian and water expert will speak about the history of Texas water use and implications for conflicting claims on its use followed by a book signing.
Genealogy After Dark, Release of the 1940 Census, Part II will be held on April 13, 2012 from 6:00 PM until 10 PM. Peggy reported that the last Genealogy After Dark Program was well attended.

Fundraising and Membership Report
Darryl Tocker plans to move forward with the kickoff announcement March 2 to launch the Friends’ Texas Historical Preservation Endowment at the Austin Community Foundation (ACF), and to approach the Friends to help raise $80,000 over the next four years, which the ACF will match $1-to-$4, for total of $100,000. Interest from the endowment will be used to support Archives preservation activities.

The Texas Reading Club, TSLAC’s 54-year-old child literacy program, was cut by the Legislature. The program helps youth maintain reading skills over the summer, and TSLAC provides libraries across the state with posters, reading logs, and books marks to libraries for this event. These items cost an estimated $125,000 a year. The Friends has approached HEB, AT&T, the Meadows Foundation and Texas Disposal Systems to help sponsor this program. Texas Disposals Systems declined and will not assist with this endeavor. Marvin Rich suggesting approaching Steck. Charlotte said that if they still existed she would send them a proposal.

Membership has grown by a dozen or more new members over the last several months. Members like to stay in touch through the newsletters and Charlotte gets positive responses when members renew their membership, sometimes sending additional contributions. Charlotte plans to draft a membership letter to expand current membership and get new members. Currently, there are about 450 names on the membership list and about one quarter are paid and solid members. Darryl wants to continue the member gift and keep individuals engaged with the Friends.

Darryl noted that Charlotte’s position is included in the Friends’ 2012 budget but must be fundraised for. Her position currently is funded through the Friends’ annual meeting in April.

Cyndi Hughes identified the following funding priorities for the year: staffing, Austin Community Foundation preservation endowment, and the Texas Reading Club.

The Friends’ Annual Membership Program and Meeting at the TLA Annual Conference will take place from 10:15 – 11:50 at the Houston Convention Center, April 18, 2012.

New Business
Board Nominations (current board members):

Cyndi Hughes will step down as President and Gretchen McCord, nominated by Darryl Tocker to be President, accepted the nomination.
Marvin Rich will not accept another term on the Board of Directors.
JoAnne Moore has not committed for another term. Charlotte will call and verify her continuation.
Darryl Tocker is re-upping as are Lori Brix and Mickey Schott.
Darryl Tocker nominated Dianna Dorman for the position of Vice President, himself for Treasurer and Susan Smith Dorsey as Secretary.
Sally Reynolds, who is current Commission liaison, has resigned from the Commission. Chairman Pickett will appoint another liaison when she steps down.

Nominations will be taken from the floor at the Annual Meeting and then a slate of candidates would be presented to be voted on.

The following new board nominees were proposed: Mary Lankford, Sherry Matthews, Diana Cox, Glen Sample Ely, Babe and Marilyn Schwartz and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Assignments on would call and offer the invitation to join were given with a deadline for contacting these people by February 10 and getting the information back to Cyndi and Charlotte. Darryl nominated Heidi Marquez Smith, who has accepted the nomination.

The budget will be reviewed at the next meeting as will funding for Charlotte’s position and the endowment.

Postage will increase during this year with TSLAC picking up most of it. Cyndi and Charlotte will work on identifying an online e-mail communications tool.

The board established the following 2012 board meeting dates: March 30, June 29 and Sept. 21.

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 30 from 11:30 – 1:30.

There being no other new business, we were adjourned at 1:10.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Smith Dorsey, Secretary