Minutes of the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists Board Meeting
Held Friday, September 10, 2010, 3:00 pm
Douglas County History Research Center, Castle Rock, CO
Welcome
The meeting was called to order by President Jay Trask at 3:06 pm. Board members attending in person included: Rosemary Evetts, Annette Gray, Jay Trask, and Amy Ziegler. Bev Allen, Shannon Bowen-Maier, Linda Meyer, and Jessica Velie called in via conference call. Shaun Hayes, Karen Jones, Rebecca Lintz, Kay Lowell, and Cecily North-Carnahan were absent.
July 9, 2010 Board Minutes
Ms. Allen moved to approve the July 9, 2010 minutes with accepted typo changes. The minutes were unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Although Ms. Lowell was absent from the meeting, Mr. Trask stated that she expressed concern about the cost of teleconferencing and suggested the board seek a cheaper option. Ms. Bowen-Maier stated that she knew of a free telephone conferencing source. This was discussed later in the meeting. The treasurer’s report was approved by Ms. Evetts and seconded by Ms. Ziegler.
Bylaws Revision
Mr. Trask discussed the bylaws revision committee meeting and the recommended changes. Ms. North-Carnahan’s title will be changed to “Electronic Resources Coordinator” instead of “Webmaster.” The committee felt it was more representative of her duties since she not only manages the website, but also maintains Facebook, Flicker, and the listserv. Additionally the committee sought to add the outreach coordinator as an official position. Mr. Trask also recommended that formal board position procedures be written, to make the transition easier for new board members. The Vice-President will be in charge of writing the procedures to create a clear passage of duties. Mr. Trask stated that the ratification of these bylaws must be made by 2/3 of the membership at the business meeting. Ms. Gray discussed the problem of drawing the large attendance to the business meeting, to secure the 2/3 vote. As an alternative, Ms. Gray requested that Ms. North-Carnahan provide the ratification on the website. Mr. Trask requested that any other bylaw changes be sent to him.
Long Range Plan
Mr. Trask stated that he would send out changes to the plan to be discussed over email. No specific changes were addressed.
Annual Plan/Budget
Mr. Trask stated that as part of the long range plan, the board should develop a budget every year that is presented to the membership to highlight any deviations from the budget. However, conference costs are always variable that it would be difficult to pinpoint a balance. Ms. Evetts stated that SRMA is saving money on postage for the conference invitation for the fall conference. There were not many recommended changes to the annual plan, except for a call for more preservation aspects.
Board Procedures
Mr. Trask stated that Ms. Lowell lost access to the Wells Fargo Account, which has prompted the need for more formalized procedures. Mr. Trask suggested uploading procedures onto a secure part of the website. Ms. Gray stated that Ms. North-Carnahan will contact Go Daddy to change permissions on the website for board members access. Currently she is the only one with permission to upload material. Ms. Ziegler suggested all board members write up their duties. Ms. Gray suggested that it would also provide a helpful timeline. Ms. Evetts recommended that the “Member-at-Large” title be changed to “Assistant Program Director.” Mr. Trask agreed and said it would be combined with the bylaw changes.
Fall Conference
Ms. Evetts announced the program schedule and speakers for the Fall Conference. Ms. Allen questioned the Web 2.0 section, since it is a repeat topic of a recent conference. Ms. Evetts felt that the topic of Web 2.0 was something that really needed to be reinforced and repeated. Additionally, Ms. Gray felt it was only a small portion of the day’s agenda. Mr. Trask requested the registration process be started as soon as possible. Ms. Evetts stated that the invitations will be sent out next week. The cost of the conference is $25, which includes lunch and snacks in Laramie. Mr. Trask stated that the spring conference will be held in Denver, to get the maximum attendance to help with the vote for the ratification of the bylaws.
Preservation Update
It was noted that the preservation report was sent to the board members. No specific details were discussed.
Old Business
Scholarships
Ms. Meyer discussed the new application process for conferences. Two different applications were created, one for SRMA conferences and one for SAA conferences. The question arose about the date of eligibility to reapply. Mr. Trask wanted as many individuals to have the opportunity to attend, since there are several archivists from small institutions. An unofficial guideline is used when serving on the scholarship committee to see if someone received the scholarship in previous years. The wording will remain at 24 months and the scholarship committee will remain flexible as issues arise. The travel reimbursement for the Fall SRMA conference will be announced on the listserv, along with the updated application. Ms. Ziegler made a motion to approve the travel reimbursement addition and Ms. Evetts seconded it. A copy of the application will also be sent to Mr. North-Carnahan for the website.
Western Roundup
Ms. Meyer requested that the promotion of Western Roundup in Denver be added to the annual plan. Mr. Trask will address this issue with Mr. Hayes.
Teleconferencing
Ms. Bowen-Maier discussed the use of a free teleconferencing service called USA teleconferencing. This service allows up to 500 people to be on a call for free.
Archives Month
Ms. Bowen-Maier stated that the archives month poster is available on the website. A survey will soon be available for institutions of SRMA members to gauge their outreach needs and interests.
Home Movie Day
Ms. Allen requested the status of SRMA’s involvement in Home Movie Day. Mr. Trask did not have any more information about the event, but would follow up on the event, and address the board with the update.
Next Board Meeting Place/Date
The next board meeting is scheduled for January in Greeley. The exact date and time will be discussed via email.
The meeting adjourned at 3:44.
Respectfully submitted by Amy Ziegler, Secretary