Executive Summary Minutes Board Meeting 3-18-2020

Massachusetts School Library Association  Executive Board meeting 
March 18, 2019 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (first full board meeting during school shutdown for COVID-19 Crisis)

Virtual Meeting

Attending:
Jennifer Dimmick, Secretary
Deeth Ellis, Advocacy Co-Chair
Pat Fontes, Awards
Wendy Garland, Awards
Alida Hanson, Professional Learning
Laura Harrington, Co-Director Northeast Region
Emily Kristofek, Office Manager
Kathy Lowe, Executive Director Emeritus
Laura Luker, President
Ingrid Mayyasi, Awards
April Mazza - MLS
Claudia Palframan, Co-Director West Region 
Greg Pronevitz, Director of Outreach
Katherine Steiger, Forum Co-Editor
Georgina Trebbe, Advocacy
Carrie Tucker, Past President
Morgan Van Clief, Co-Director Boston Region
Jen Varney, Treasurer

Reports and minutes of February meeting were approved.

Housekeeping items --- Laura Luker
Leadership updates - President-elect and Treasurer: the board approved and voted Jen Varney as our new President-elect; please reach out to Laura Luker if you are interested in being Treasurer for MSLA or if you are aware of an MSLA member who would make a good Treasurer.

Reminder about ALA election—Voting open through April 1 - don’t forget! Ballot was sent out by email to all members, and it does take time. See spreadsheet of the people running for at-large positions.

Remaining meetings are on the calendar and the dashboard. All locations finalized except June meeting. 
4/15/20  4:00--6:00  Virtual
5/13/20  4:00--6:00  MLS Offices
6/10/20  4:00--6:00  location tbd    

MLS Partner Update - April Mazza 
MLS is still operating, albeit remotely. Delivery has been suspended. Consultant team meeting today about helping our partners. Volunteered to help MSLA in any ways needed (e.g., conference cancellation). Discussion about potential spike in use of electronic book resources through the library. Statistics should be available soon. Tressa Santillo is working with Overdrive to move school sign-ups sooner, optionally, for access to ebooks and audiobooks during the shutdown.

Advocacy Committee --- Greg Pronevitz, Deeth Ellis, and/or Georgina Trebbe
Deeth Ellis, Georgina Trebbe, Laura Luker, Carrie Tucker, and Greg Pronevitz met virtually to talk about how to respond to COVID shutdown. They propose creating a resource guide and possible online “Ask a School Librarian” service for school librarians, students, faculty, etc.  to use during this crisis, since our state doesn’t have a state website with resources. This new page on the MSLA website will provide information for students, teachers & families as well as serve as an advocacy tool (send letters and tweets to DESE, MTA, BTU, Districts via superintendents, principals, school committees, etc.). Board response to the idea was positive. MLS volunteered to provide any support needed (e.g., databases, logos, promotion, COVID-19 libguide resources)

Legislative breakfasts have been canceled both due to lack of ability to get legislators and ultimately the COVID-19 crisis. We hope to reschedule for some future date.

Awards updates --- Wendy Garland, Pat Fontes, and Ingrid Mayyasi
How to proceed with awards now that conference has been cancelled? Options: Ultimately want an in-person event (banquet dinner, TBD). Sooner, when back at school, we’d like to do in-district awards. Ask board-members to sign-up to speak at school committee meetings, etc. More immediately, the team is drafting press releases, and proposes an online publicity campaign. Use the Forum strategy of chunking awards up to celebrate bit by bit via the listserv, FB and twitter. The board offered general agreement and gratitude for this plan.

Office updates --- Emily Kristofek People are still renewing membership. CVENT is swamped with refunding canceling events. Challenge with CVENT is that the membership portion of the fee is nonrefundable so refunds are not straight forward.

Professional learning  --- Alida Hanson and Alix Woznick, as well as Emily Kristofek Conference update - still in a holding pattern; Perhaps 1-day awards gala event instead as per above.  Hard to plan because we have no information about the length of this situation. All those who need to be notified or put on hold have been so. April Mazza says ALA is thinking about what they can do virtually for members. 

Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Dimmick