Maine State Library

Present: Gretchen Asam, Edna Comstock, Sylvia Norton, Teri Caouette, Toni Buzzeo, Nancy Grant, Jeff Small, Pam Goucher, Susan Allison, Barbara Hammond, Eileen Broderick, Donna Chale, Francie Aley, Cindy Bufithis, Mary Moore, Fran Haines, Kelly McDaniel, Margaret McNamee.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Gretchen Asam called the meeting to order. The agenda and the treasurer’s worksheet were distributed.

SECRETARY’S REPORT
A motion was moved, seconded and passed to accept the minutes.

TREASURER’S REPORT
Pam called attention to the incoming dues. The amount budgeted for the Chickadee Award was set at $500. A motion was moved, seconded, and passed to pay mileage at the going U.S. government rate (As of 2/4/05, the rate was 40.5 cents). A motion was moved, seconded, and passed to accept the treasurer’s report

NEW BUSINESS
Informational letter 87, the call for Content Panel Nominations for the Maine Learning Results Review was discussed. In this initial call for nominees, the MLR Review Advisory Committee is focusing on those involved “in local assessment,” yet the bulleted list of positions to nominate does not include Library Media Specialists.
The Advisory Council is looking for representation from all content areas and all superintendent areas. For interested Library Media Specialists, the process is to approach one’s own superintendent, citing involvement in local assessment, teaching in the content areas, interest and willingness to serve.

RETREAT
A MASL summer retreat is planned to strengthen our focus, and to do strategic planning. We will gather and use our evidence-based-practice data about our important role in assessment and teaching.

SPRING WORKSHOP
Donna and Edna brought a prototype of a flyer to be sent for the spring workshop. Some editing and formatting still needs to be made. The fee structure has changed to $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers. A motion was made, seconded, and passed that ten $25.00 scholarships for MASL members will be available. The scholarship contact person is Fran Haines. Our regular business meeting will be held during the lunch break. Directions will be added. The workshop is an extension of our work with Ross Todd. A PDF file of the flyer will be put on the webpage.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
A notice for the new administrative assistant position for the Maine Library Conference is almost ready to go on MELIBS. Applicants are to reply with a letter of intent by Feb. 25th. The honorarium will be $2000. Teri will send the draft out to the MLCP group for edits.
Gretchen agreed to be the program chair for school libraries - to solicit for programs on MELIBS and by word of mouth, and to help in the scheduling. On the agenda for the next meeting, the Board will discuss important topics for programs.
Public Library and Youth Program chairs are still needed. A decision was made that the conference will go to two days, with a third day for post conference workshops. The theme will be “Maine Libraries : Sowing the Seeds, Reaping the Harvest.” Some minor tweaking might still be made. Changing venues is still open to discussion for the future. However, next year the conference will still be in Augusta on Oct. 23 -25. A new site would need to provide space for 350 people, 12 breakout rooms, exhibit space, and presentation technology. (The ACTEM Technology Conference will be Oct. 15. AASL will be Oct. 5 – 9.)
Plans include a Sunday lunch with a speaker, Sunday awards night, Monday business meetings and breakfasts, Monday lunch with a speaker. The Monday night speaker will be someone who people will not want to miss by going home early. (Stephen King was suggested for 2006, especially if the conference is close to Halloween). Please send other suggestions to Rich Boulet. Jay Scherma will be chairing the vendor committee again. Barbara Hammond will be on Jay’s committee for MASL and will ask Apple to be a participating vendor.

MASL CONSTITUTION
Edna sent out an email draft of constitutional changes last week. An e-mail committee of Edna Comstock, Pam Goucher and Susan Allison will look at the suggested changes, and will make the final draft to send to members by March 2. Board members with concerns please contact this committee asap. Changes must be sent to the membership in advance. The vote will be taken at the business meeting at the Spring Workshop (we are still operating on the old constitution).
Sections discussed were the Term of Office (from the end of the business meeting at the annual conference) and What Constitutes a Quorum, Article VI, Section E.

LMS JOB DESCRIPTION
Donna Chale made some changes to the original document (with input from Joyce Valenza, Joy Hipsher, and others). Donna will send the document electronically with a reminder to look at it for the next meeting. The original document is on the webpage. The suggestion to move “teacher” to first place met with varied responses. A work session will be on the agenda for the next meeting.

PORTLAND SCHOOL/PUBLIC LIBRARY BLEND
Karen Valley, Portland Public Library e-mailed Gretchen concerning the combined East End School / public library branch and its implications. Gretchen will talk to MLA President Steve Norman about the issues and policies involved. She will suggest to Karen that a meeting be held involving input from MASL members (Portland Schools Library Media Specialists Teri Caouette and Kelly McDaniels), Steve Norman or a MLA rep, Consultants Shirley Helfrich, Judy Wentzell, Portland Elementary Library Coordinator, and Sylvia Norton, the School Library Technology Planning Coordinator.

MLTI WORKSHOPS
The MLTI workshops focused on the information literacy process with emphasis on presearch, assessment throughout the process, the MARVEL databases, library media specialist/teacher collaboration, annotated bibliographies, and web evaluation. Material from Eileen’s workshop was used. People especially liked the e-literacy video. The presentation was more of a sharing mode rather than an instructive one.
Two workshops have been presented and went well. The Herman group included several people who have gone to many other content area meetings. The 25 people at UMA were a very diverse group.
FYI go to www.mainelearns.org content areas, research and information literacy.
More workshops are coming up in Belfast, York, Cumberland, Aroostook

PR
The Maine Principal’s Association’s Newsletter included information about the Administrator of the Year Award to Gerry Massey.

EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY & THE FUTURE OF MAINE’S ECONOMY
Eileen Broderick, Barbara Hammond, and Francie Aley were among those who represented MASL at the Education, Technology & The Future Of Maine’s Economy Conference. The speaker Alan November stressed the importance of information literacy and librarians leading role in it. Alan November will speak at an upcoming “Designing and Implementing the 20th century school” conference in the Boston area.

ALA MIDWINTER MEETING
Nancy Grant and Teri Caouette attended the ALA midwinter meeting in Boston along with 13,000 attendees! The regional meeting is an opportunity to share issues and concerns. Nancy noted that many other Library Media Specialists share our same issues, but many others spoke of more serious problems than ours. Nancy urged closer association with the Canadian Library Association and encouraged attendance at the ALA Conference June 23-29 in Chicago. The early bird registration is now open.
MASL needs to send 2 representatives, usually the president, and the vice president
It is also critical to get school library candidates elected. AASL members need to vote! (Only 13% voted last time).

NEW BUSINESS
Sylvia Norton spoke about the Partnership for 20th Century Skills. Maine Library Media Specialists are urged to be aware of, and to become involved with The Partnership because information literacy skills are identified as one of the critical skills. FMI see http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Sylvia quoted from the PEW study, “The January 23rd report of the Pew Internet and American Life Project notes that "only 1 in 6 users of internet search engines can tell the difference between unbiased search results and paid advertisements."
FMI http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/148/report_display.asp

Sylvia also told board members to look for press release in the next week from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The AASL program materials for the October Conference in Pittsburgh should also be coming in your mail! MASL will promote our scholarships for this event. Even though only one third of the applicants were accepted, some of our wonderful Maine Library Media Specialists will be presenters will be at this conference! The pre-conference workshops are also looking very interesting.

Francie Aley will be going to a NECC conference on technology in Philadelphia.

Sylvia Norton is going to Seattle for a Microsoft K-12 Educator Advisory Council “that provides a forum for leading educators to provide ongoing and continuous guidance and feedback to Microsoft Education Products group to ensure that the Windows platform delivers unique and compelling value to students, teachers and schools.” Sylvia was invited with Kathy Schrock and other “educators, recognized for contributions in their specific fields.” Microsoft chose the team of experts because they are “thoroughly knowledgeable about the learning environment and the use of technology in K-12 education” (Quotes are from the Mission Statement of the Advisory Council”). Sylvia, you continue to make us proud to know you!

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Margaret McNamee
Secretary