Online Bibliographic Services SIS
Annual Report, 2001/02

We kicked off the Annual Meeting with the traditional TS/OB/RIPS/CS-SIS Joint Reception in Minneapolis. Sally Wambold and Ellen McGrath unveiled the OBS-SIS Strategic Plan for 2001-2004 with grand fanfare and celebration at the OBS-SIS General Business meeting on Monday, July 16, 2001. The Strategic Plan clearly outlines OBS-SIS structure, mission statement and strategic directions. Some aspects of the strategic plan are being fulfilled in a continuous way. The OBS-SIS Chair used his column in TSLL to expound on OBS-SIS's three strategic directions: OBS communicates, OBS educates and OBS connects.

The Executive Board of OBS-SIS for 2001/2002 consisted of: Ismael Gullon, Chair; Mary Jane Kelsey, Vice-Chair/Chair Elect; Ellen McGrath, Past Chair; Richard Jost, Secretary/Treasurer; Susan Chinoransky and Judith A. Vaughan-Sterling, Members-at-Large.

The Committee Chairs were: Mary Jane Kelsey, Education Committee; George Prager, Local Systems Committee, Brian Striman, Nominations Committee; Michael Maben, OCLC /WLN Committee; Brian Quigley, RLIN Committee; Anne Myers, Web Advisory Committee. Brian Striman is the Joint Research Grant Committee Chair and Research Roundtable Coordinator. Susan Goldner has served her first year as MARBI representative. Ismael Gullon and Ellen McGrath served as Co-Chairs of the Education Committee for Orlando (2002) and Mary Jane Kelsey serves as Chair for Seattle (2003).

OBS-SIS is sponsoring four great programs this year at the 2002 AALL Annual Meeting in Orlando: (1) The Catalog vs. the Homepage? Best Practices in Connecting to Online Resources, (2) Rule Maker or Rule Breaker? (3) "Search Reopened" How to Hire the Right Technical Services Candidate the First Time Around, and (4) Publication Patterns: Creating Connections in the Serials World (co-sponsored with TS-SIS)

Mary Jane Kelsey conducted the annual OBS-SIS membership survey via the OBS-SIS website. The 2002 OBS membership survey results were published in the June 2002 issue of TSLL and were also posted on the OBS-SIS website. Richard Jost, Secretary/Treasurer, posted the OBS-SIS slate of candidates' biographical information via the website. This approach was greatly received as it saves time and money.

New officers for the 2002-03 term are Kevin Butterfield, Vice-Chair/Chair Elect and Ruth Patterson Funabiki, Member-at-Large.

OBS-SIS participated in the CONELL Marketplace and maintained its display table in the Activities Area of the Exhibit Hall during the Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. OBS-SIS has strived to publish an article about OBS news in every issue of the Spectrum's "Special Interest Sections News" column. Georgia Briscoe and Karen Selden continue to post to the OBS-SIS listserv the very popular "Website of the Month".

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Joe Thomas and Linda Tesar for continuing to produce an outstanding newsletter, Technical Services Law Librarian. Ruth Patterson Funabiki has completed her term as one of OBS-SIS's representatives to the TSLL Board. Karen Selden will serve as newly appointed OBS representative to the TSLL Board for the next two years.

Anne Myers became our Interim Webmaster in the January 2002. We appreciate what Maria Okonska did during her tenure as Webmaster. Anne Myers brings to this position the expertise and experience to allow us to move to the next level. A new web policy was written and implemented that outlines guidelines of the website and the roles and duties of the Webmaster and the Web Advisory Committee.

The OBS-SIS web site was completely redesigned this spring, providing a user-friendly navigation and structure and offering many new or expanded sections, including individual pages for all OBS-SIS committees. Anne Myers and Anna Belle Leiserson created the web site using Dreamweaver software, taking advantage of features that will make it easier to maintain and keep current. The new design went live in June 2002.

Ismael Gullon, Chair