Richmond Academic Library Consortium
Board Meeting
Minutes (draft)
Monday, April 9th, 2018, 10:00 am – noon
L Douglas Wilder Library & Learning Resource Center
Virginia Union University

Present:
Kevin Butterfield (University of Richmond)
Irene Handy, (Richard Bland College)
Elsie S. Weatherington (Virginia State University)
Christopher Richardson (Union Presbyterian Seminary)
Lisa Payne (John Tyler CC)
Nancy Falciani‐White (Randolph‐Macon College)
Hong Wu (J. Sargeant Reynolds CC)
Pam Foreman (VUU)
Samantha Guss (UR)
Sojourna Cunningham (UR)
Agenda:
Agenda was approved. A quorum of RALC Board members was present.
Minutes:
Minutes from RALC’s January 19, 2018 meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report:
RALC treasurer Mike Rawls was absent but emailed the Treasurer’s Report to Christopher Richardson. He reported a balance of $18,718.64 with $500 pending for a spring scholarship payment. He recommended using the existing balance for any 2018‐19 scholarship payments.
Committee Reports:
Technical Services Committee
Libby McDaniel (VCU), Chair, was absent, but emailed Christopher Richardson to report that the committee met on November 17 at the Varina Library in Henrico County. It discussed succession planning for technical services and had a tour of the building.
Public Services Committee:
Nia Rodgers (VCU), Chair, was absent, but emailed Christopher Richardson to report that the committee’s activities have been suspended pending possible changes to RALC’s structure.

Web User’s Group:
Erin White (VCU), Convener, was absent, but emailed Christopher Richardson to report that the group is ready to collaborate on a new RALC web design.

Old Business
The Board reviewed recommendations from its 1‐19‐2018 meeting, discussed the results of a survey of staff perspectives, and continued its discussion of RALC’s future.
Hong and Irene noted that the results of the survey of staff perspectives seem to validate, for the most part, the recommendations of the RALC Reconceptualization Task Force that were presented to the Board in October 2017 including:
– That RALC should be reconceptualized but not eliminated
– That, though VIVA and VLA also facilitate resource sharing and professional
development activities, the geographical proximity and institutional diversity of
RALC institutions continue to make local collaboration desirable
– That prioritizing ILL requests from RALC schools has been a valuable practice.
– That the RALC scholarship has been a good program and should continue, perhaps
expanded to include funding for conference attendance, other professional
development activities
– That RALC’s web site should be redesigned to be more user‐friendly and update‐
friendly.
– That RALC should explore the possibility of offering/sponsoring at least one local
professional development event per year
The primary conclusions of the Board discussion were that RALC should continue to exist but that its mission and bylaws need to be revised and that, pending those revisions (because they need to be presented in writing in October and not approved before January), RALC committees and the Web User’s Group should continue to meet. The Board would welcome additional feedback from the committees and the Web User’s Group on the changes being considered, including:
– Revising RALC’s mission statement and bylaws to focus on support for networking,
professional development, and a possible expansion of membership to include a
wider range of local libraries
– Reorganizing committees to focus on specific tasks but expanding the role of interest
groups for formal/informal networking
– Allowing for non‐directors to be elected to the RALC Board, officer roles
– Increased emphasis on event sponsorship and planning ‐ including one annual
event/gathering organized by a RALC committee
– Continuing to develop an online directory of RALC library distinctives: collections,
expertise, technologies, and spaces.
– Offering scholarship funds both for MLIS studies and for professional development
(e.g. conference or workshop attendance)
– Probably eliminating the RALC pass in favor of VIVA collaborative borrowing but
continuing to prioritize ILL services for RALC schools
– Rethinking dues in terms of what would be necessary to support scholarships and
RALC‐sponsored events
– Ongoing consideration of potential cost sharing and resource optimization
opportunities.
– Revising the RALC Web Site as proposed/approved and assigning a new webmaster
(preferably from one of the larger schools) to relieve Will Weaver, who has served
for a long time.
Kevin Butterfield offered to help draft the proposed mission/bylaw revisions.
New Business
Samantha Guss (UR) and Sojourna Cunningham (UR) delivered a presentation on RALC’s potential sponsorship of a “Social Sciences Librarians Boot Camp” to be held at the University of Richmond on August 8, 2018. After discussion of the details of that proposal, the Board voted to sponsor the event for $4000. The benefits of RALC’s sponsorship were outlined on presentation slides that can be emailed later.
The Board agreed to accept scholarship applications until May 7, 2018 with online voting and award decision(s) by June 1, 2018. No applications had been received at the time of the meeting.
The Board agreed to suspend institutional RALC membership dues for 2018‐19 pending the revisions noted above and the development of a revised dues structure. Funding for the “Social Sciences Librarians Boot Camp” and any scholarship(s) will be taken from the existing balance.
Pamela Foreman was nominated and elected to serve as RALC Secretary for 2018‐19, effective immediately. Hong Wu and Christopher Richardson will draft minutes for this meeting, however.
Announcements
Meeting adjourned at 12 noon.
Next meeting will be scheduled in October, 2018.
Minutes submitted by Hong Wu and Christopher Richardson