WESTCHESTER LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Summary of the Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Mamma Francesca Restaurant
New Rochelle

Present: Zahra M. Baird, Diane Batemarco, Patrick Callahan, Aurora Cruz, Ann-Marie Cutul, Lois Herzberg, June Hesler, Harriet Huang, Tracey Jackson, Jim Leftwich, Opal Lindsay, Kathleen Mannino, Cathy Paulsen, Jennifer Ransom, Srivalli Rao, Sara Rodgers, Judith Rovenger

 During the luncheon meeting Ransom announced that the 2007-2008 slate of officers was uniformly voted in by the membership. She welcomed the board members, particularly the new members as follows:

Diane Batemarco from Marymount will be Co-Chair of the College section. Jim Leftwich from Berkeley College is incoming Vice President. Patrick Callahan, director of the Purchase College Library, will be the new Waldo representative. Aurora Cruz from the Yonkers Riverfront Library will be the new Conference Chair.

 Ransom presented retiring Board member Lois Herzberg with a Certificate of Appreciation, a gift certificate, a handcrafted poem and flowers from the Board. She stressed Herzberg’s dedication and diligence as Chair of the Conference Committee during the past years. Herzberg has volunteered to train her replacement, Aurora Cruz.

 Ransom was also honored as the outgoing president with flowers and a card of appreciation from the Board.

 Herzberg handed out a report from the Annual Conference which stated that the approximate profit was $2749.

 A brainstorming session followed regarding meeting ideas and timing. Comments and ideas are listed below:

• We need to overcome people’s perception that we gear our programs toward public librarians and create an academic track, as well.

• We should consider the new library users and rethink our services. We have ESL and immigration issues to address. We need services for homeless and homebound. Address roving reference?

• When will be a good time to have Midwinter at WCC?  Contact Tamara Stewart from Ossining who has accepted a position at WCC.

• We could have two special workshops addressing general concerns of the overall membership body, as well as an annual conference. We should also revisit the idea of the location of the annual conference.

• Should we meet at night or on the weekend to attract more school librarians and possibly more academic librarians?

• Contact and ask John Monahan and Francene Costello how we can attract more school librarians.

• Survey the membership to find best time and day for meetings by using  Zoomerang online.

• Have a book fair for fundraising.

• Consider a museum site for the Annual Conference, such as Caramoor or Lyndhurst.

• Send out post cards to watch the WLA Web site for conference announcement.

• Need for corporate sponsorship to underwrite the Conference.

Date for next year’s conference at Yonkers Riverfront: May 9, 2008

Next WLA Board Meeting:

Date: Thursday, July 12, 2007
Time: 9:30 A.M.
Place: Yonkers Grinton Will Library,  1500 Central Park Avenue

Last modified on 7/23/2007 by the WLA Web Administration Committee