Executive Summary Minutes Board Meeting 4-15-2020

Massachusetts School Library Association 
Executive Board meeting 
April 15, 2019 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
(second full board meeting during school shutdown for COVID-19 Crisis)

Virtual Meeting 22

Attending:
Allison Barker, Co-Director Southeast Region
Jennifer Dimmick, Secretary
Patsy Divver, Co-Director Metrowest Region
Deeth Ellis, Advocacy Co-Chair
Barb Fecteau, Co-Director Northeast Region
Pat Fontes, Awards
Sarah Forfa, Co-Director West Region
Wendy Garland, Awards
Alida Hanson, Professional Learning
Emily Kristofek, Office Manager
Kathy Lowe, Executive Director Emeritus
Laura Luker, President
Ingrid Mayyasi, Awards
Claudia Palframan, Co-Director West Region 
Greg Pronevitz, Director of Outreach
Reba Tierney, Co-Editor MSLA Forum
Georgina Trebbe, Advocacy
Carrie Tucker, Past President
Pamela Vallee, Co-Director Central Region
Morgan Van Clief, Co-Director Boston Region
Jen Varney, Treasurer
Alix Waznick, Professional Learning

Meeting was called to order and reports and minutes of March meeting were approved.

Laura Luker reported that MSLA signed on to the Digital Equity in School
Librarianship: Consortium Strategy for Innovation grant application as requested by Susan Ballard.

Housekeeping items --- Laura Luker
Personnel updates:

• An MSLA member is now a candidate for the open Treasurer position on the board. 
• Congratulations to Deeth Ellis who will be starting in the PhD program at Simmons, so she will be stepping down from the board (Advocacy).

Remaining meetings: 

• 5/13/20  4:00--6:00  MLS Offices (TBD based on ongoing travel/meeting restrictions)
• 6/10/20  4:00--6:00  location tbd    

Advocacy Committee --- Greg Pronevitz, Deeth Ellis, and/or Georgina Trebbe
 

• Virtual School Librarian (VSL) has been launched in collaboration with MBLC, MLS & BPL. It is envisioned as a service for school librarians, students, faculty, etc. to use during this crisis. 
• Promotion efforts include: letters about VSL with a link were sent to DESE & MTA; Will go to BTU after review by Debbie Froggatt; Letters will go to districts via superintendents, principals, school committees. 
• Next step will be promoting via social media: post on Twitter accounts, etc. Will be seeking assistance from the board with this.
• Clarified that the goal of this initiative is to provide equitable access to all students without access to a school librarian during remote learning, not to replace existing school librarians. 
• There is also a template form for librarians to customize for their own use. 
• MLA Legislative Committee will meet April 17 to discuss possible virtual legislative activities in lieu of the canceled Library Legislative Day of April 2. The Library Legislative Agenda will be at risk, in fact, current funding for libraries will be at risk given dire news for the state with anticipated revenue reductions.
• Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act - keeping this in mind but putting activities on hold. Was supposed to be advocacy push at the conference (Klobuchar bill), but this is not a priority in the time of COVID-19

 Awards updates --- Wendy Garland, Pat Fontes, and Ingrid Mayyasi

• Press releases sent out
• Celebration campaign -- still finalizing campaign
  
  

Office updates --- Emily Kristofek 

• Refunds are in progress but slow given CVENT’s backlog of refund activity due to the volume of event cancellations due to COVID-19. Will communicate situation to members who are anxious to receive their refunds.
• Good news: new date for the new conference is March 21-22 2021; Sheraton allowed the change. Jarrett Krosoczka is now committed to that date.
  
  

Professional learning  --- Laura Luker, Alida Hanson, and Alix Woznick
 

• Will survey the membership about appetite for possible professional learning options in lieu of this year’s conference.
• Reminder about the MS and HS Zoom groups on Sunday evenings. 

 Other news from board members

• Reba Tierney - anniversary of Judi Paradis’ passing is coming up. Liza Halley is working on some kind of celebration. She’ll let us know what her plan is. 

Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Dimmick