February 11, 2022

Minutes —February 11, 2022

The one hundred eighty-ninth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 11, 2022 by Board Chair Tara Sidwell at the OPLIN office in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Angela Baldree, Travis Bautz, Jamie Black, Ben Bolbach, Justin Bumbico, Roger Donaldson, Hilary Prisbylla, and Holly Richards. 

Also present were: Jessica Dooley, Karl Jendretzky, Laura Solomon, and Don Yarman (OPLIN); Stephanie Herriott and Wendy Knapp (State Library); and Michelle Francis and Jay Smith (Ohio Library Council).

Attending virtually at https://oplin.ohio.gov/board/february-11-2022/: OPLIN Board members Bill Lane and Garalynn Tomas; and Eric Maynard (State Library).

With the resignation of Justin Bumbico on January 26, Vice Chair Tara Sidwell assumed the position of Chair.

Jamie Black nominated Board Secretary Garalynn Tomas as Vice Chair, and Roger Donaldson to fill the office of Secretary; Angela Baldree seconded. There was no discussion, so the chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Jamie Black moved to approve the agenda as presented; Roger Donaldson seconded. There was no discussion, so the chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

The Chair called for public participation.

Jay Smith reported on current legislation, including amended HB 51 which will temporarily restore the ability for public boards to meet virtually. OLC will hold its Legislative Day April 6. Michelle Francis reported that the Public Library Fund continues to come in above estimates, outlined options for libraries to continue providing COVID-19 testing kits, and described the continuing education programs OLC will hold in the coming months.

Wendy Knapp reported the State Library’s five year LSTA evaluation is underway, and that there would be an announcement in the next week about the status of statewide library materials delivery.

Angela Baldree moved to approve the minutes of the December 10, 2021 meeting as presented; Ben Bolbach seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Jamie Pardee had a meeting conflict, so Don Yarman reviewed the financial reports, noting that, halfway through the fiscal year, half the budgeted funds had been disbursed. Yarman reported that after the reports were generated, $473,000 was received in E-rate refunds. 

Jamie Black moved to accept the financial reports; Holly Richards seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Amendments to Content Advisory Committee charter

The Content Advisory Committee is officially chartered by the OPLIN Board to advise it on the selection of subscription information resources for public libraries. The current charter requires the committee to meet once a year, and specifies that the charter itself shall be reviewed annually by the Board. As part of the annual review, the following amendments are proposed:

II. MEMBERSHIP

Original Language: Membership will be reaffirmed at the annual spring planning meeting of the OPLIN Board.

Proposed Change: Membership will be reaffirmed by the OPLIN Board at the discretion of the OPLIN Director.

IV. PROCEDURAL RULES

Original Language: Meetings: The committee will meet at least one time a year. Because this committee may make recommendations to the OPLIN Board regarding purchases, it may be considered a "public body" under Ohio's Open Records and Open Meetings laws; committee meetings will therefore be open to the public. While members may attend by telephone or Internet connection, they must be present to participate in any vote or be counted toward a quorum. Notices of meetings will be posted at http://oplin.org in accordance with Ohio's Open Records and Open Meetings laws.

Minutes: Minutes of each meeting shall be created by OPLIN staff attending the meeting. After review by the committee, they will be posted at http://oplin.org.

Recommendations and Reports: Committee recommendations and reports will be submitted to the OPLIN Board through the OPLIN Director prior to the Board's annual planning meeting. Recommendations will include both suggested action and justification for suggestions. 

Proposed Changes: Meetings: Because this committee may make recommendations to the OPLIN Board regarding purchases, it may be considered a "public body" under Ohio's Open Records and Open Meetings laws; committee meetings will therefore be open to the public and conducted under section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code and any applicable temporary law.  Notices of meetings will be posted on the OPLIN website in accordance with Ohio's Open Records and Open Meetings laws.

Quorum: A gathering of six or more members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

Minutes: Minutes of each meeting shall be created by OPLIN staff attending the meeting. After review by the committee, the minutes will be posted on the OPLIN website.

Recommendations and Reports: Committee recommendations and reports will be submitted to the OPLIN Board through the OPLIN Director. Recommendations will include both suggested action and justification for suggestions.

V. REVIEW

Original Language: This charter shall be reviewed at the annual planning meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Public Library Information Network. 

Proposed Change: This charter shall be reviewed at the request of the Board of Trustees or the Executive Director of the Ohio Public Library Information Network. 

Travis Bautz moved to approve the amendments ; Roger Donaldson seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Fees for Library Website Audits

Reasoning that OPLIN has a strategic interest in the accessibility and usability of Ohio library websites, Yarman proposed that the $125 fee OPLIN charges for Laura Solomon to conduct a website audit be eliminated. Black asked how often libraries asked for audits; Solomon reported that it varies, but typically there are several per year. Donaldson asked how long an audit takes; Solomon replied, that depending on extensive a site is, it takes an average of two or three hours.

Jamie Black moved to approve recommendation to eliminate the website audit fee; Travis Bautz seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

OPLIN staffing update

Technology Project Manager Karl Jendretzky accepted a position at Columbus Metropolitan Library. OPLIN’s Infrastructure Specialist Jessica Dooley will assume Jendretzky’s position starting February 13. Yarman reported that he and Dooley will examine OPLIN’s shifting support and development needs to create a new position profile to post.

8.2. Discussion of next steps with Strategic Planning

Yarman reported that over the course of Board meetings this fiscal year, the Board has heard reports of OPLIN’s services and reviewed existing tactics. The logical next step would be to bring in a facilitator to guide the Board through a deeper, philosophical discussion of OPLIN’s mission and strategies, if that was desired. Black asked whether libraries were reporting deficiencies, noting that there seems to be a high rate of satisfaction; OPLIN is nimble, and the current strategic priorities have supported that. Tomas agreed, but asked the new Board members if they felt they would benefit from a deeper strategic planning discussion, or were they comfortable with the material they already have. Lane replied that he would like to experience a few more meetings before updating the strategic plan or embarking on creating a new one. Bolbach said he already has a strong understanding of OPLIN, and while he thinks there are services that could be added under the general umbrella, the current mission and strategies would allow for them. As the April meeting is the usual venue for the Board to discuss services, Sidwell recommended that a discussion of OPLIN’s services be added to that meeting agenda.

Yarman reported that the annual E-rate work is on track, as OPLIN has received the reimbursements for circuit costs for the first six months of the funding year, the vendor bids for services in the next funding year were evaluated and selections made, and the Office of Information Technology is preparing the MOU for providing internet service. Yarman has asked OIT to resume purchasing maintenance on OPLIN’s routers as part of the MOU, as that would make equipment maintenance an allowable E-rate expense. Sidwell asked for information about the FCC’s proposed changes; Yarman explained that the FCC has a legitimate concern about fraud and abuse within the E-rate program, which has led it to propose the creation of a central portal to manage the bidding process for services. National organizations representing the interests of schools and libraries are opposed, arguing that E-rate applicants are currently directed to follow all local bidding laws and regulations, and that existing program integrity procedures give the FCC complete access to the bids, their evaluation, and the decision process. 

Christine Morris amplified that the FCC’s plans would be disadvantageous to small, local service providers, and that it’s important for stakeholders to submit comments on the FCC’s plans. Morris reported the Northstar roll-out is slow but steady: about 10% of Ohio’s libraries have begun offering Northstar digital literacy services to their patrons, with a total potential population served of 2.5 million. The biggest barrier seems to be fatigue; libraries are looking to each other for advice. Morris discussed an enhancement to OPLIN’s collection of Sanborn maps; Kent State University has produced high-quality, full-color scans of the maps, and KSU librarians and system staff are reviewing OPLIN’s request to add direct links to the Kent collection from OPLIN’s map interface. 

Solomon had nothing additional to report.

Jendretzky reported that firmware updates to the OPLIN devices necessary for supporting VLAN stacking were completed Tuesday evening, so the framework is in place for the Cincinnati library to begin using it. The VLAN stacking configuration is in process for the Cuyahoga County library, and other libraries are expressing interest. The Central Library Consortium has begun using the SMS service, which more than doubles the typical message throughput; OPLIN has purchased an additional 6.6 million credits to support the increase, expecting to use 3 million credits per year. Jendretzky added new functionality to the automated database statistics system which fixes a long-standing error with HeritageQuest stats.

Sidwell thanked Jendretzky for everything he’s done for OPLIN. Jendretzky said it was an honor to work at OPLIN and with Ohio’s libraries.

Nominations Committee

At the August meeting, former Chair Justin Bumbico appointed Angela Baldree, Travis Bautz, Roger Donaldson, and Holly Richards to the Nominations Committee. Yarman will post the call for nominations for the committee to review and forward their recommendations to the State Library Board for appointment.

With no other business pending, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 10:50 a.m.