Saturday, November 13, 1999
Present: Carl Peterson (presiding), Terry Carlton, Eric Carpenter, Ray English, Paul Erler, Carol Ganzel, Samuel Goldberg, Ginger Hargett, Nathan Haverstock, Erik Inglis, Norman Jung, Albert McQueen, Marlene Merrill, Gordon Neavill, Lois Peterson, Molly Raphael, Barbara Richards, Richard Rubin, Dina Schoonmaker, Scott Smith, Janice Zinser
1. Welcome
The President called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. The President then introduced Erik Inglis and Richard Rubin who have been nominated for membership on the 1999-2000 Council. Other members introduced themselves. The President then referred to the Agenda and Committee Reports distributed in advance of the meeting.
2. Minutes of the 1998 Meeting.
These were approved as distributed.
3. Acquisitions Committee Report
Scott Smith, Chair of the Friends Acquisitions Committee, presented the committee's report. The first item concerned the use of Friends funds to support new curricular needs. This subject had been raised at the 1998 meeting, and referred to the Acquisitions Committee for a recommendation. Past President Samuel Goldberg had urged that Friends funds not be spent in support of new curricular needs as this is the responsibility of the College administration. Scott reported that the Acquisitions Committee had considered the matter and reached a consensus in support of continued expenditure of Friends revenues to support new faculty members and courses.
This matter was discussed at length and various views were expressed. One view was that Friends funds should not support the curriculum but rather purchase only rare books and other special items that the regular budget cannot support. It was also noted that sometimes new faculty members do not learn enough about collection needs in their areas until after they have begun teaching, reviewed the collection in depth, and considered their long term library needs. Scott Smith said that the Acquisitions Committee wants to continue both to support a broad range of courses and collection needs, augmenting support from the regular College budget, and purchase rare books and special items.
Discussion then turned to examination of List #9, Purchases with Friends Funds Approved by the Acquisitions Committee. The list of titles nominated for purchase had been distributed by mail and the list of titles approved by the Committee was distributed at the meeting.
Following discussion of individual titles, List #9 was approved for purchased as recommended by the Acquisitions Committee. It was suggested that in the future a note be added to the list of approved purchases explaining why others on the list of recomendations had not been approved, and it was agreed that this practice begin next year.
Returning to the matter of support for new curricular areas, Samuel Goldberg submitted the following motion:
The Council of the Friends of the Oberlin College Library requests that the President, on behalf of the Friends, write to the Deans of the College and the Conservatory, reviewing the record of the Friends in supporting the purchase of library materials in direct support of new course instruction, encouraging them to increase funds significantly to meet such important start-up library needs for new faculty members.
A copy of this letter should go to the Library Committee of the General Faculty.
Discussion of the motion followed. It was understood from the discussion that this letter should be accompanied by informal conversations about the issue. The point is to convey to the Deans the importance of meeting the library needs of new faculty members and indicate the extent to which the Friends has spent funds in recent years toward this end. A vote was finally taken (show of hands) on the motion, and it passed, 13 in favor, 1 opposed.
4. Alumni Librarian Conference Update
Molly Raphael reported on the Conference, which is being held this weekend. Planning focused on sessions with broad topics that would be of interest to all parcipants, who come from many different types of libraries and library positions. Sessions are intended to provoke discussion among participants. Registration exceeded expectations: 65 participants were registered, with alumni from the classes of 1937 to 1999. A primary goal of the conference is to facilitate networking among OC alumni librarians. Ray believes this is the first such conference ever convened in an undergraduate college. Thanks were expressed to Nathan Haverstock, who suggested the idea for the Conference at the 1996 Council meeting, and to Molly Raphael who has so ably organized the planning effort.
5. Program Committee Report
Carl Peterson presented the report (distributed to members with the packet for this meeting), reviewing programs held during 1998-99 and fall 1999. Attendance at Friends events this past year has been good. A full schedule of programs is also planned for spring 2000. Ideas for future programs under consideration were also discussed briefly. Among the names suggested were Geoffrey Ward (to speak on Frank Lloyd Wright), Michael Beschloss (Presidential Historian and frequent panelist on the Jim Lehrer News Hour), Arnold Rampersad (Langston Hughes and Jackie Robinson biographer), Willy Ruff (jazz musician), and Henry Petroski, Professor of Engineering at Duke University, and author of The Book on the Bookshelf.
6. Membership Committee Report
Paul Erler reviewed the report distributed. He also provided a written report from the committee subsequent to the meeting (attached). Total membership is up for 99-00 with 465 members this year compared with 394 at this time last year. New members include 52 student members; many of these enrolled at the time of the Library book sale this past September. Amounts contributed so far in 99-00 ($17,690) also exceed 98-99 ($14,436). Total funds raised in 98-99 ($32,340) made this the best year since the membership challenge gifts by two donors in the early 90s.
Paul said that more incentives are needed to donate funds, and he made the following suggestions:
- regular mailings to all members regarding each Friends event, including a copy of each talk presented, with biographical information about the speaker; more staffing would be needed to help with these mailings
- distribution of lists of donors to OCL with the annual request for membership renewals
- more efforts to identify alumni donors, including identifying long term Friends of the Library members and recognize their contributions.
- design personal bookplates that can be distributed to student donors, recognizing their membership in Friends of the OCL.
Recognizing that a number of these suggesting will require additional staffing, Paul requested that $1,000 be allocated from Friends funds for this purpose.
Responses to requests for former members to renew their memberships has not been very good. Discussion focused on how to improve responses to membership solicitations. Suggestions included Friends sponsorship of annual events on library and book culture, or librarianship as a career. Erik Inglis suggested that faculty members who have received Friends support for new courses report on the impact this funding had on their teaching and research, including possible exhibition of new titles acquired. It was also noted that the reduction of $5 student membership to $1 has not dramatically increased the number of student members. Perhaps this reduction should be reconsidered.
7. Nominations and Honorary and Life Committee Report
Janice Zinser presented the report (also distributed). Council members nominated for continuing membership in 1999-2000 are Paul Erler, Norman Jung, and Al McQueen. New members nominated are Richard Rubin and Erik Inglis.
Officers nominated for 1999-2000 are:
President: Carl Peterson
Vice President - Terry Carlton
Secretary - Nathan Haverstock
These nominations were approved as presented.
One new life membership was proposed: Dr. Herbert Shore - a scholar and biographer of Eduardo Mondlane (OC '53). Professor Shore recently donated his extensive personal library to Oberlin in honor of Eduardo Mondlane. The life membership award was approved for announcement at the Friends dinner.
8. Financial Report
Ray English presented this report as distributed. Highlights include the fact that 98-99 total gifts are the highest since the first years of the organization. The closing balance of $58,791 for 98/99 shows that the organization is in very good financial condition.
9. Final Item on Acquisitions
Ray concluded by summarizing for the record the Library's understanding of the types of acquisitions the Friends Council wants to fund. This includes rare and unusual titles for Special Collections, reference works, major sets for the general collection, and titles supporting new curricular areas, as along as Friends support complements that provided by the Deans from regular College funds.
Dina Schoonmaker suggested that additional Friends funds be allocated to purchase one rare book title (James Andrews, The Parterre: or, Beauties of Flora, 1842) dropped by the Acquisitions Committee from List #9, Titles Approved for Purchase. Samuel Goldberg made a motion that this title be funded, provided that the questions raised by the Acquisitions Committee about this purchase can be satisfactorily answered. Carol Ganzel seconded the motion. It was approved by a vote of 10 in favor, 1 opposed.
Minutes by Eric Carpenter and Ray English