SCLS Technology Planning

Two updates: ballots and ILS agreements

We're on track to start our new governance on January 1st.  Two updates of what's happening right now:

1.  Ballots for representatives for various committees are now available at the 2010 Cluster Representative Ballots page.  The ballots will be available until 11:00 pm on Friday, November 20th.

2.  Signed ILS agreements are beginning to come in!  We've posted a list of signed ILS agreements, so you can see what libraries have already signed, and make sure we've received your agreement when you send it back.

Two new documents: FAQ and talking points

The Taskforce has developed two documents to further explain the new governance structure and to help libraries as they talk to their boards about the changes.

The documents are:

FAQ:  This document answers many of the questions brought up at the September 18th meeting.

Talking points: This one-page document lays out the changes to the governance structure and the advantages of the changes.

Nominations are still open for committees!  Please nominate yourself or someone else (with their permission!) today!

Nominations are now open!

The new governance structure for SCLS is almost in place.  Now we need representatives for the committees! 

Nominations are now open for the Administrative Council, the Delivery Committee, the ILS Committee, and the Technology Committee.  Individuals can be nominated by anyone they would be representing or can be self-nominated.   Individuals can also be nominated (and serve) for multiple committees.

Here are some links to helpful background information:

• Charge of the committees

• Job description for the representatives 

• List of each seat on each committee and the libraries/cluster(s) they represent

• Map of clusters 

We believe that this new governance structure will provide for representation for all libraries and will help SCLS make stronger decisions and move forward into the future.  However, this change can’t happen without library staff willing to serve on the committees.  Please consider nominating someone today!

The nomination deadline is October 30th.    Please contact Stef Morrill (608-245-5799/smorrill@scls.lib.wi.us) to nominate someone.  If you are nominating another person, be sure to get their permission before nominating them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Phyllis Davis (608-246-7975/pbdavis@scls.lib.wi.us) or Stef Morrill (608-245-5799/smorrill@scls.lib.wi.us).

Report from September 18th meeting

On September 18th, library representatives from SCLS got together to discuss the governance proposal, to ask questions, and to determine if SCLS would go ahead with this revised structure.

The day was lively, with lots of discussion and questions.  The Taskforce is working on some revisions to various documents and is also working on an FAQ from the questions asked at the meeting, but the general consensus was that we should keep moving forward.  As a result, a call for nominations for the new committees will be sent out to member libraries this week.

If you'd like more information, Russell Consulting has compiled a summary report from the discussion on September 18th.

Packet for the September 18th meeting

The second SCLS governance meeting is a week away!  If you're planning to attend, and have not yet registered, please do so ASAP.

A packet of materials will be sent today via delivery to all registrants and to each library where no one has registered.  We're asking attendees to please review the packet before coming to the meeting.

If you'd like to get a jump on the reading, you can also get the PDF version of the packet and print it yourself.

More details on clustering

In the proposed new governance models, libraries are divided into clusters, and each cluster is represented at each committee and on the Administrative Council.

There have been a lot of questions about clustering, so here is some more information:

• FAQ on clustering
  
• Proposed cluster map
  
• Population details for each cluster

All of this information will be discussed at the September 18th governance conference.  If your library isn't yet represented, register today!

Registration available for September 18th meeting

The registration form is now available for the September 18th meeting to discuss the proposed governance model.

This day is going to be a time for discussion and, hopefully, to get buy-in for the new model and keep us moving forward toward a new governance model for 2010.

We would love to hear from all SCLS member public libraries at this event....hope you (or someone from your library!) can attend.

Proposed model for comment: we want your feedback

After the May all-library meeting about governance for SCLS, the Governance Taskforce and SCLS staff took the feedback and created a new proposed governance model for SCLS.  Here are some documents outlining the model:

• Philosophy and background information
• Charges and descriptions of the governance bodies

There will be more documents posted in the coming weeks describing various pieces of the model (elections process, cluster map, etc.) in more detail...so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, the taskforce would like your feedback about the proposed model and have created multiple ways for you to offer feedback:

1. Contact any taskforce member.  Taskforce members are:
   • Andy Barnett, McMillan Memorial Library (Wisconsin Rapids)
   • Lauren Blough, SCLS 
   • Julie Chase, Dane County Library Service
   • Phyllis Davis, SCLS
   • Barb Dimick, Madison Public Library
   • Pat Dolan, SCLS
   • Susan Lee, Madison Public Library
   • Stef Morrill, SCLS
   • Sue Steiner, Reedsburg Public Library
   • Pamela Westby, Middleton Public Library
   • Denise Anton Wright, New Glarus Public Library
     
2. Provide feedback through an online form
   
   
3. Attend an online “listening session” to discuss concerns and questions with other libraries and with taskforce members.  The sessions are scheduled for August 17^th at 1:30 and September 8^th at 9:30.  Register at our Calendar of Events.

All feedback will be used in preparation for our September 18^th all-library all-day meeting to discuss and get buy-in for the new governance structure.

2009/2010 Technology Plan

Back in the day, when this process to review SCLS technology services got started, the intent was to get all of this work done in time to write the technology plan we're required to file with the state for TEACH funding.

Well, the plan was due June 1st, and we're still working away on this process.  Personally, I'm not at all disappointed that the process didn't finish in time for this plan.  I think we (the collective SCLS community) are undertaking a huge shift in how SCLS provides technology services, and this change just cannot be rushed. 

The plan we submitted before the June 1st deadline is a one-year plan (we have the option to submit up to a five year plan).  Things seemed too in-flux to plan for more than one year. 

The plan is already available on the SCLS website, and the focus is mostly on this planning process and where we're headed, so you might want to check it out for a summary.

The Board approved the plan a week ago, JTC (the Joint Technology Committee) reviewed the plan just over a month ago, and PLAC has a crack at it on Thursday, so there may be some revisions after that meeting, but I think it's mostly done....

Results from the Technology Governance Conference

On May 15th, SCLS hosted a Technology Governance Conference to involve member libraries in assessing the utility and effectiveness of five potential governance models.  51 representatives participated in the conference, representing 33 current SCLS member libraries and one future member (Fitchburg).

The final report from the conference contains a summary of all models and the results from the day-long discussion.

The Task Force met last week to discuss next steps.  The plan is to develop one new model of governance somewhere between Model 3 ("Cooperative Technology Decision Making") and Model 4 ("ILS Managed as a System Service").  The new model has had various names, but my  personal favorite is Model Pi (mmmm....pie....). 

The Task Force will be using information from the report to create Model Pi.  We're also asking people to respond to this question: 

As the Technology Governance Task Force continues the process to develop a new governance model, what would be the ONE thing you would most want addressed by the new model?

You can respond on this form.

Please also feel free to continue to provide other input to any task force member, or Phyllis Davis or myself.  We're very excited to be developing this new structure with so much member library input!