Chair Mila Rush from the University of Minnesota called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday July 18, 2000.
All committee members were in attendance (Mark Folmsbee, Washburn University; Pauline Aranas, Vanderbilt University and Larry Meyer, University of LaVerne). 15 additional attendees signed in.
The chair began the meeting by briefly introducing the committee and its charge. Chair Rush also announced that the attendees were encouraged to participate in the discussion as well as asking questions of committee members and other attendees.
The chair then introduced Mark Folmsbee from Washburn. Mr. Folmsbee introduced the prototype (available at Washlaw-services-find) he has developed to aid in the gathering of data/statistics.
Discussion ensued on electronic data-gathering prototypes. Audience members were asked what statistics/reports could be gathered and/or be made available electronically. In response to an audience question regarding the sharing of ABA responses to questions from individual libraries, Mr. Folmsbee mentioned the existence of an ABA listserv where questions and responses could be posted.
Audience and committee members raised a number of additional issues. These included a concern about copyright and proprietary issues; a web-based survey of what libraries would like to see included in collected statistics and an attempt to establish peer groups among libraries.
Chair Rush presented the working group's recommendations for discussion. Audience members generally supported continued action on each of the items. One participant felt recommendation A would be particularly useful.
It was recommended to next year's committee that a survey instrument be constructed that could be presented at next year's convention. Mr. Meyer asked audience members if there might be additional state or regional agencies and bodies that might need to be included. Audience members generally voiced agreement that the survey should find out what measurements/statistics libraries might want/need other than those they need to keep for ABA, ARL and other similar surveys. It was suggested that this instrument might also be used to gather salary information.
Discussion of future agenda items for the Statistics Working Group followed. The attendees were in agreement that future roundtables should be held. After some discussion on coordinating efforts with the ABA Library group, the chair volunteered to correspond with Bruce Johnson.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
Submitted by Larry Meyer, University of LaVerne.