TexShare Electronic Information WG Minutes
Minutes from Phone Conversation of December 06, 2002

Present: Todd Peters, Sue Phillips, Jane Dillon, Janet Test, Elizabeth Norman, Alice Nixon, Syma Zerkow, Don Dowdy, Bob Gaines, Linda Levy, Tommie Wingfield, and Russlene Waukechon (absent Tracy Pineda).

I. GWLA Offer:

a. The discussion revolved around promoting discounts to TexShare members when TexShare is not formally involved in contracting and signing up members. Alexander Street Press is offering discounts to TexShare members directly. We have not promoted discounts for other companies.
b. We agreed that it would be okay to have a list of companies that give TexShare members discounts on the TexShare web site. The list would only give the name of the company and a contact number. Interested libraries would contact the companies directly. The Texas State Library would incur no other work than creating the list. The list would have a disclaimer saying TexShare is reporting the discounts only, which does not constitute an endorsement of the products.

II. E-books

a. Todd Peters agreed to chair the ebook committee again for the 2003/04 year.
b. Russlene will send out the criteria we used for the last round of purchases. Changes to the criteria will be considered in the February EIWG meeting.

III. Dallas Morning News

a. There has been some interest expressed in adding the Dallas Morning News as a subscription.
b. Russlene will get a price from Newsbank for a DMN TexShare subscription and also a price for the DMN as a TexSelect product.
c. We think we would have to drop an existing subscription in order to pick this up, but it would be helpful to have a price as we deliberate.

IV. Review of databases due for renewal

a. We unanimously agreed that Russlene should get prices from current TexShare database vendors in case we wish to renew existing databases for the 2003/04 year. We want to have these prices in hand at the February EIWG meeting.

V. Identifying potential one-time purchases

a. We have a list of possible one-time purchases from previous years. Poetry Finder was one of these. Russlene is going to send that list out to EIWG and get prices on those before the February meeting.
b. If you have suggestions to add to that list, send them to the group. Syma recommended we add Proquest's Wall St. Journal and New York Times to the list, and Sue recommended the Gale Reference collection for the list. Other additions are invited. We will need prices for the new things too.
c. It was suggested that on the web page (items under consideration), there should be a one-time purchases category.

VI. Promoting TexShare

a. There was some conversation about promoting TexShare and promoting TIF, and the need for clarity about the differences. Bob Gaines offered to talk with Gloria Meraz about making the distinction clear.
b. There's a web site called http://www.whattifhasdone.org. It has articles from librarians about benefits from TIF programs. There is also a place to get screen savers that can be used at local libraries on this site.
c. Bob Gaines says there is an opportunity to help edit the responses and sort out by grant the benefits sent to Julie Tudaro (sp?). Bob and Julie can use some help with that project.
d. Gaines says there's an advocacy page on the TLA web site.
e. There's a TexShare Communications Plan. Russlene will ask Erica to find out who the statewide oversight committee members are and report to EIWG. She will send any update information that she discovers.
f. There was discussion about the need for more of the small libraries to make remote access available to their patrons. That access and some promotion of it would be very helpful during the coming legislative rounds. Several of the group thought it was important to move more aggressively on this issue. One suggestion was a "swat team", a couple of people who could visit the libraries that need help in getting set up, do what needs to be done, then move to the next library. A couple of days would perhaps be enough if the team were technically competent. Another suggestion was to require the libraries to distribute the password information. Another suggested working through the regional libraries (Alice says they do that already.) Another was to reward providing remote access or to tie future funding to results in that area. The comments simply reflect an expressed need to put more energy into getting remote access established statewide. Any solution would be most welcome. We would like to see this made a high priority project. Since we're asking for money to support the databases from all citizens, we think all citizens who are legally qualified should have the opportunity to benefit from them.
g. Bob Gaines will request updated information about who's using the customized gateway for remote access
h. Sue Phillips asked if there was a way to include public libraries like Houston Public who are offering remote access through other means. The intent is to have the list of libraries offering remote access be comprehensive, regardless of the methods of providing it.

VII. Model Program

a. Russlene reported to the group on the startup of a joint training program between public libraries and the regional educational centers. The project is called Link to Learn. The plan provides funds to prepare some expert trainers who will work with other librarians.

VIII. Budget

a. The budget projections were discussed. Russlene will recheck the figures to be sure we are working with accurate information. The good news is that TIF has funded the databases for the third year at the original $7,400,000 level. We will have a budget approximately the same as the past two years.