Denise W. Lomax, Secretary, FEDLINK Advisory Council (FAC)
Date: April 8, 1998
RE: Minutes of the FAC Meeting March 12, 1998

FAC Present:                       FLICC/FEDLINK:
Maxine Brown                  Susan Tarr
Doria Grimes                       Milton MeGee
Bonnie Klein                       Ruby Thomas
Denise Lomax
Ken Nero
Lee Porter


FAC Absent:
Michael Conklin
Fred Rettenmaier
Janet Wright

AGENDA
1. Approval of February 12, 1998 FAC Minutes
2. FAC Issues and Topics
3. Spring Membership Meeting Planning
4. FLICC/FEDLINK Update
5. Committee Reports
6. New Business
7. Announcements

Vice-Chair Doria Grimes opened the meeting at 9:15 am.

1. The FAC made the following corrections to the minutes of the February 12, 1998
meeting: Item #4, paragraph 2 - The issue was tabled for further discussion at a future
meeting. Item #7, 2nd sentence - Add that the Public Library Group and the Library
Administration and Management Association of ALA.  The FAC approved the minutes as
amended.

2. FAC Issues and Topics.
No FAC Projects.

3. Spring Membership Meeting Planning.
A draft copy of the agenda of the upcoming Spring Membership Meeting was reviewed
and discussion of  the agenda items followed.  Executive Director of OHIOLINK, Tom
Sanville, will be asked to be our guest speaker and talk about consortial procurement. 
There will be presentations about consortial procurement, web site enhancements,
customer service improvement feedback, and reports from the FLICC working groups. 
The agenda was finalized.  
 
4. FAC Issues and Topics.
Susan Tarr reported about the RONDAC Meeting.  The morning sessions were about
administrative innovations and the afternoon sessions were about product initiatives.  All
the 16 Library Networks do OCLC training.  SOLINET showed their training software
(paradox based).  FEDLINK staff showed the use of OCLC pricing and invoice data to
provide members with analytical reports of usage and expenditure activity.  Different
networks talked about their accounting systems - many of them use Access software and
Open Systems.  There was a lot of information about "help desk," support.  Also, different
approaches to consulting services were discussed.  OCLC activity is a much smaller
proportion of FEDLINK's program as compared to the other networks.

Susan Tarr and Kathy Eighmey continue to be busy designing space for the office move
into the LC Adams Building on Capitol Hill.

5. Committee Reports.
Reporting for the Budget and Finance Working Group, Maxine Brown presented the
proposed FY99 budget for comments and feedback.  Members of the FAC were delighted
about the proposed decreased administrative fee for transfer pay members because it has
been a long time since transfer pay members have seen a decrease in their fees.  Also for
FY99 the Budget and Finance Working Group is considering raising the supplemental fee
from .6 to .75 for Direct Pay members with accounts over 100K.   Members of  the
Working Group will conduct a telephone survey of key FEDLINK members to gather
information about changes in their funding, payment options, etc.  The survey form will
be placed on the web site for all members to respond.  Results of the telephone survey are
to be completed by April 3, 1998.

Ruby Thomas, Head of Member Services, presented the financial report for Business
Manager Joseph Banks.  Ruby reported that we are running slightly behind where we
were this time last year.  A large account member changed from transfer pay to direct pay
and two other members with large accounts have yet to deposit their funds.  We expect to
track to last year's pace of $4.9 million in revenues to meet the budget.   Ruby proposed
that 15-20 minutes be allotted at the Spring Membership Meeting to ask members about
what better services or improvements in services can be provided to them.  Small focus
groups will be formed to discuss improved customer service and a questionnaire will be
distributed.

6. New Business.
Doria Grimes reported that the newly formed Awards Working Group is currently
developing criteria on which the three awards -- Librarian of the Year, Library Technician
of the Year, Library and Information Center of the Year -- will be based.

7. Announcements.
Maxine Brown announced that the Patent & Trademarks Offices will go live with
Elsevier for electronic journals beginning April 3, 1998.  The service will only be
available to agency staff.


The meeting was adjourned at 11:25 am.