Texas State Library and Archives Commission
April 8, 2014

Minutes

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission met on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 200 E. Market Street, San Antonio, Texas.

1. Approve minutes of February 10-11, 2014 Commission Meetings.

Commissioner Carr moved to approve minutes of the February 10-11, 2014 Commission meetings. Commissioner Freeman seconded. Motion passed.

2. Public comment.

Gloria Meraz welcomed the Commission to the Texas Library Association Annual Conference and informed the commission that TLA is supportive of the agency’s proposed exceptional items for the agency’s Legislative Appropriations Request for FY2016-2017.

Chairman Waters recognized Susan Mann and congratulated her on being elected president-elect to TLA. Ms. Mann informed the commission that the loss of the 10 Library Systems created a huge gap for training of local librarians and that additional funding and consultants are needed as well as additional monies in the TexShare database program.

3. Introductions and general announcements.

Mark Smith congratulated Susan Mann on her election as TLA president-elect and introduced new agency staff in attendance at the meeting. He invited commissioners to visit the agency booth in the exhibit hall and shared a list of conference programs sponsored by the agency or at which agency staff are presenting.

4. Conflict of interest disclosures. No disclosures at this time.
    
5. Review of consent agenda: non-substantive corrections in other agenda items such as spelling, numbering, punctuation, grammar, or other revisions. Non-substantive typographical errors were noted.
    
6. Report from the Ad Hoc Committee on the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center.

Commissioner Holt said the Ad Hoc Committee on the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center met and recommended that agency staff remove privately-owned items at the Sam Houston Center and return them to their owners. No second required. Motion passed with six in favor and Commissioner Pickett abstaining.

7. Review and approve Audit Committee recommendations regarding the Internal Audit of Information Resources Technologies.

Commissioner McAfee reported that the Audit Committee recommended accepting the Internal Audit of Information Resources Technologies. No second required. Motion passed.

8. Review and approve acceptance of grants, and gifts greater than $500.

Mark Smith requested the commission accept a gift of $1,775 from Wm. Scott McAfee of Driftwood on behalf of the Friends of Libraries & Archives of Texas and a $12,512 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to support the work of the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board’s activities, travel and meetings for the 12-month period between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Commissioner Carr moved to approve the two items. Commissioner Holt seconded. Motion passed 6-1 with Commissioner McAfee abstaining.

9. Review and approve contracts greater than $100,000, and contract renewals.

Deborah Littrell requested approval of new online database contracts for the K-12 program with Gale-Cengage and Britannica totaling $2.5 million. The contract with Gale-Cengage Learning is in the amount of $1.5 million and begins June 15, 2014 for one year. The Encyclopaedia Britannica contract amount is $1 million beginning June 15, 2015 for one year. Commissioner Carr moved to approve. Commissioner Freeman seconded. Motion passed.

Ms. Littrell also requested approval of a contract with Education Service Center Region 20 to assist with the implementation and operation of the statewide K-12 database program. The total contract amount is $350,000 with $100,000 in April through August 2014 and $250,000 for SFY2015. Commissioner Carr moved to approve the contract. Commissioner Freeman seconded. Motion passed.

Mark Smith requested approval to renew the agency’s subscription to the Archive It web harvesting service for a one-year renewal at $10,000 and to increase by $12,000 an existing contract with Precision Micrographics and Imaging to complete a microfilm processing contract that the agency has with a local government. Commissioner Pickett moved to approve. Commissioner Carr seconded. Motion passed.

10. Authorization to propose rule review of Chapter 9 (Talking Book Program).

Ava Smith requested approval to publish notice of proposed Rule Review of Chapter 9 regarding the Talking Book Program. Commissioner Carr moved to approve. Commissioner McAfee seconded. Motion passed.

11. Review and approve staff recommendations regarding Talking Book Program automation.

Ava Smith requested permission to proceed for the creation of a new integrated library system for the Talking Book Program at a project cost not to exceed $1.45 million. She presented a report and recommendation prepared by an independent consultant recommending that the agency build a new system estimated at between $900,000 and $1.3 million over a two year period. She, Manuel Alvarez, Hiram Kuykendall and Joaquim Strenk responded to questions from the commission regarding the recommendation.

At 11:45 a.m., Chairman Waters recessed the meeting for lunch and called the meeting back to order at 12:15 p.m. continuing with agenda item 11.

After further discussion, Commissioner McAfee moved to allow staff to move forward with the project through the Department of Information Resources’ Quality Assurance Team process and including hiring a project manager but not expending any other funds until further review by the commission. Commissioner Carr seconded. Motion passed.

12. Report on pilot project managing archival state electronic records.

Jelain Chubb and Craig Kelso reported on the status of the agency taking in the records of Governor Rick Perry’s administration at the close of the Governor’s tenure in early 2015 and answered questions about the project.

13. Review and approve requests to add additional capital budget projects.

Mark Smith requested authority from the commission to request approval from the Governor and Legislative Budget Board to establish a new electronic archive capital project for the Archives and Information Services Division. Cost of the project, Governor Rick Perry’s records, is estimated for the remainder of the current biennium at $200,000 and would include software applications to manage electronic archives, data transfer, maintenance and migration costs and storage costs. Commissioner Carr moved to approve. Commissioner McAfee seconded. Motion passed.

Mr. Smith also requested authority from the commission to request approval for a new capital project to develop a new Integrated Library System for the Talking Book Program with the estimated cost over a two year period at $1.45 million. Commissioner Pickett moved to approve. Commissioner Freeman seconded. Motion passed.

14. Report of the Director and Librarian.

Mark Smith presented a written report of agency initiatives and activities and answered questions about the report.

15. Review preliminary draft of the Agency Strategic Plan for 2015-2019.

Mark Smith presented a preliminary draft of the Agency Strategic Plan 2015-2019 for the commission to review and provide input on the draft. A second draft will include commission suggestions and revisions and will be sent to the commission prior to its June 2 meeting.

16. Preliminary discussion of the Legislative Appropriations Request for 2016-2017.

Mark Smith presented a draft of exceptional items for the agency’s Legislative Appropriations Request for 2016-2017 based on the commission’s input at a strategic planning session at the Feb. 10 and 11 commission meetings.

17. Report on agency financial information.

Donna Osborne presented a report on agency financial information through February 2014 and answered questions regarding the report.

18. Review and approve the FY 2015 fee schedules related to State and Local Records Management Division records storage and imaging services.

Craig Kelso presented FY 2015 fee schedules for records storage and imaging services at the State Records Center noting that the schedule is proposing a reduction in certain fees in order to be competitive with local providers. Commissioner Carr moved to approve. Commissioner Givens seconded. Motion passed.

19. Executive session, as authorized by Texas Government Code §551.071, §551.074, and §551.076, regarding consultations with attorney, personnel matters and security devices, respectively.

No executive session was held.

There being no further business before the commission, Chairman Waters adjourned the meeting at 2:25 p.m.