Members present: Aline Collins (Midland College), Carol Fonken (Southwestern University), Jo Anne Hawkins (UT Austin, TexShare Management Team), Sally Harvey (UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas), Hugh MacDonald (Texas Christian University), Bill Mears (Chair, Southwest Texas State University), Carrie Sowell for Margaret Peloquin (Austin Community College), Dale Propp (Texas State Library Liaison, TexShare Management Team), Angela Skaggs (Angelo State University).

Member Absent: Jay Clark (San Jacinto Community College)

Guest: Suzanne McAnna (UT Austin General Libraries)

I. Introductions and Purpose of Meeting

Chair Bill Mears welcomed the group and asked members to introduce themselves and to indicate the type of library which they represented.

Bill noted the three-fold purpose of the meeting:

1. To become acquainted with one another now that we have several new members
2. To orient the group to the background of the TexShare program and specifically the TexShare Card Program
3. To consider how best to extend the Card Program to private and community college libraries.

II. Housekeeping

A. Travel Guidelines - Bill distributed copies of TexShare Travel Guidelines, which are also included on the TexShare Web.

B. Travel Reimbursement Form - Bill distributed TexShare Travel Reimbursement forms, and the group briefly discussed procedures for submission of the forms, which should be sent to the Amigos office within 15 days of a Texshare Card Working Group meeting.

C. Departure time - Bill asked members if anyone would need to leave early in order to make airline connections, to ensure that the group would address higher priority agenda items with all members in attendance.

D. Other - Bill urged members to become familiar with the TexShare Web address: http://www.texshare.utexas.edu and recommended that they consult it on a regular basis to stay current with TexShare activities.

Bill asked members to check their email address. Angela Skaggs' email address was incorrectly listed on the Working Group's roster and she has not received some of the mail sent to her. Bill will notify Susie Thompson at Amigos to correct Angela's listing.

III. Background of TexShare Working Group

Jo Anne Hawkins gave a brief summary of the evolution of TexShare, which began with a vision of the Texas Council of State University Librarians (TCSUL) some years ago. TCSUL leaders including Joe McCord, Harold Billings, Irene Hoadley, Robin Downes and others were involved in the genesis of the program. TexShare was funded originally by the 73rd Legislature as a program trusteed to the Higher Education Coordinating Board. A consortium of Texas A&M and the University of Houston managed TexShare by contract with the Coordinating Board for the first two years of its existence, with the University of Texas at Austin General Libraries and Amigos managing it the last two years. In the 1997 Legislative session, the program was given a permanent home in state government at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, effective September 1, 1997. UT Austin and Amigos continue to manage the program by contract with the State Library during the 1997-98 fiscal year.

Jo Anne noted that the TexShare Card Program is one of TexShare's most popular programs and that 46 of 52 eligible state-supported TexShare charter-member libraries are participating in it.

A. Agreement - Bill lead the group in a section-by-section review of the TexShare Card Agreement. He noted key points, including the fact that health science and law libraries may limit borrowing privileges to faculty, graduate students and/or researchers. Responsibilities of borrowers include observing the regulations of the lending library; returning materials; paying fines and charges for late returns and for damaged or lost items; and surrendering the TexShare card to TexShare library staff if requested.

Responsibilities of libraries include assisting lending libraries by providing information and helping to retrieve late and lost materials. A library that lends materials to a borrower with an expired TexShare card is responsible for the loss and cost of such materials.

Bill commented on the importance of libraries' appointing liaisons for the TexShare Card Program as well as the duties of those liaisons.

The group considered statistics to be maintained by program participants and decided that a clearer definition of the category, "Number of borrowers" was required. It was decided that the category should be titled, "Initial borrower's registration and renewal of borrower's record".

B. Cards - The group reviewed the TexShare card. Several members commented that it would be helpful for some libraries for the Borrower Status line on the card to indicate graduate or undergraduate student, faculty or staff member.

C. Brochure - The group reviewed the original TexShare brochure and Jo Anne said that a new brochure was being produced by Amigos and should be available within a couple of weeks.

IV. Organizational Structure of TexShare

Jo Anne noted that TexShare working groups are managed by the TexShare Management Team member/manager assigned to each. The managers provide reports on their programs at meetings of the TexShare Advisory Board, which are announced in the Texas Register. Each working group is also assigned a Texas State Library staff liaison appointed by State Librarian and Archivist Bob Martin, who meets with and provides reports for the Advisory Board.

Jo Anne distributed copies of rosters of the TexShare Card Working Group, the TexShare Advisory Board, and the TexShare Management Team, along with copies of authorizing legislation for the program from the TexShare Web.

V. How TexShare Card Program Really Works - Suzanne McAnna

Suzanne McAnna, Head Librarian, Circulation Services Department, UT Austin General Libraries, presented a practical and insightful report on her library's experiences with the TexShare Card Program. She emphasized the importance of good communication between program liaisons in resolving problems. Suzanne then responded to a number of questions from members.

VI. Steps to Extend the TexShare Card Program

The prompt identification of TexShare Card Program liaisons for each new participating library is essential. Jo Anne said she was fairly confident that new TexShare member libraries designated program liaisons as they signed the TexShare agreement last fall.

The group established March 1, 1998, as the target date to begin phased-in extension of the program to new member libraries. They then discussed steps to extend the Card Program and decided that a letter will be sent from Bill and Jo Anne (which Jo Anne will draft) to library directors informing them of the availability of the program and that a similar email message will be sent to directors on the TexShare mailing list.

Each letter will include:

• A request to identify a program liaison, if the library has not already done so
• A request to post the library's lending policies on the TexShare Web
• A request to notify Amigos concerning the number of TexShare cards and brochures the library will need, beyond the initial startup supply
• A request to maintain statistics as noted in the Agreement, along with instructions concerning reporting procedures for statistics
• An enclosure with the name of the library's program liaison for verification if one has been identified
• An enclosed canned news release for directors to use for local PR
• An enclosed startup packet of materials for the director to provide to the library's liaison. The packet will include the Agreement, an initial supply of 20 TexShare cards and brochures, instructions for posting the library's lending policies on the TexShare Web, and a TexShare Card Program tabletop display sign.

It was noted that while March 1 is the target date for extension of the program, some libraries will not be ready on that date because they will need to reprogram computer systems or revise procedures and publications. The initial rollout of the card program in 1995 to TexShare charter members took several months, and some libraries have yet to post their policies on the TexShare Web, although they are participating in the program!

Bill commended the group for their willingness to come to the meeting on short notice. Members' participation, cooperative attitude, and willingness to contribute their time and energies are greatly appreciated. Members expressed their satisfaction with the conference room and accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express.