FLRT Board Meeting

ALA Midwinter Meeting


Philadelphia, PA


Four Seasons Hotel


Sat., Jan. 30, 1999

Present:


Andrea Gruhl, President


Stephanie Jones, Vice President/President Elect


Jewel Player, Past President


Joan Taylor, Treasurer, Membership Chair


Fran Perros, Director


Arlene Luster, Director


Janet Ormes, Website Chair, Volunteer Secretary


Jane Sessa, Legislative Assembly Rep


Patti Fields, Awards Co-Chair


B.J. Fox, AFLRT Liaison


Doria Grimes, Member


Visitors:


Nancy Kranich, Candidate, ALA President


Dan O’Mahony, ALA Legistion Committee


Excused: Maria Pisa, Director

1. The meeting was called to order by President Andrea Gruhl at 8:30 am.

2. The group was visited by ALA Presidential Candidate Nancy Kranich, who is a member of FLRT. Nancy shared her platform and goals for ALA.

3. Approval of the agenda was moved by Arlene Luster, seconded by Jewel Player, and passed by those in attendance.

4. Approval of the minutes of the September 28 meeting were moved by Joan Taylor, seconded by Stephanie Jones, and approved.

5. The Treasurer’s Report was presented by Joan Taylor. She pointed out that vendors making donations to support FLRT activities should make checks payable to FLRT in order to get recognition as contributors in ALA’s annual financial report. Modifications were made to the


proposed budget, and Joan agreed to revise the figures for the Monday FLRT Board meeting.

6. A discussion was held on the prospect of merging with AFLRT. Jewel Player, Merger Committee Chair, and B.J.Fox , FLRT’s AFLRT Liaison, presented information on the proposed merger. AFLRT has surveyed their membership with regard to a potential merger -- 89 of 239 responded: 71 pro-merger, 9 opposed, 9 undecided. Jewel passed out a list of eleven issues identified by AFLRT for discussion. Immediately following this meeting a lunch meeting was scheduled to discuss these issues with representatives of AFLRT. The FLRT Board was generally in favor of exploring a merger, and felt that none of the issues were really insurmountable. AFLRT reports that they will not be ready to vote this summer. FLRT plans to discuss this merger at the FLRT Annual Membership Meeting at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference in June.

7. Legislation: Jane Sessa reported on the IWAG (Inter-Association Working Group on Title 44). A bill had been proposed, but was not passed by Congress. She also reported that FLICC will be requesting authority for revolving funds and would like ALA support. Susan Tarr and


Geraldine Otremba from LC would like to come to the FLRT Board Meeting at ALA Annual to discuss this.

8. Andrea Gruhl announced that the FLRT Spring Program will be held Monday, March 15 in the Mumford Room at LC, beginning at 6:00 p.m.. The speaker is Ann Symons, President of ALA, on the topic of "Intellectual Freedom." The talk will be followed by a question and answer


session. A vendor-sponsored reception will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Co-sponsors are AFLRT, DCLA, FLICC, and the LC Professional Association. Those planning to attend should RSVP to Joan Taylor.

9. Dan O'Mahony, ALA Legislation Committee Chair, visited to inform us of the Committee on Legislation liaison program. He is the liaison for FLRT and the Government Documents Round Table. Dan can be reached at: phone, (401) 863-2522; Fax, (401) 863-1272; e-mail,
govdocs@brown.edu.

10. Stephanie Jones announced that the AFLRT/FLRT Program at ALA National in New Orleans will be on "Outsourcing." The panel will consist of Herbert White, a representative from the Air Force Manpower organization, possibly Mary Bates to speak from the professional side, and someone from OMB. The group suggested that someone from the ALA Task Force on Outsourcing also participate. Patti Fields suggested videotaping the discussion for historical purposes.

11. The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.