Note: Second session of the program on Working With Internet Audio Formats with Alec McLane was cancelled.
Unresolved action items:
-Beata will work with Nicole and Jonah to determine prices for selling tapes of Open Source program.
-Beata will send Michael two copies of the Open Source program tape
-Nicole will send photos to Michael for the newsletter
-Leslie is still forming the committee to work on the honorariums policy
-Michael will call Nicole to prepare a list of questions for the resource
questionnaire
-Nicole will help set up the Filemaker Pro database which will help us to analyze
various aspects of membership, and work with Beata to extract data from
Approach.
-Michael will call Beata in late July about exporting the databases
-Michael will compose the text for the postcard alert
Kris is heading the work group of herself, Martha Moore, and Beverly Colby, examining the concept of expanding the chapter. They have twice contacted Julie Hurd to determine process for this.
Kris reported that the LA chapter has expanded by approaching individual members outside their geographical area who are not affiliated with a chapter. In doing this they have expanded chapter membership into Hawaii, Western Canada, and other parts of California. They are still only doing programs in the LA area, but have a strong newsletter that may serve these distant members.
The working group’s questions for the NEASIS board:
1. Are we intending to expand the chapter to include additional geographic areas or are we intending to approach distant, unaffiliated ASIS members individually, like LA?
2. How should we approach current members who are not local?
3. How do we continuously get word out to new members as they join ASIS?
4. What are we able to offer these people if we try to recruit them? Would we offer programs in more western regions?
Michael’s response:
-NEASIS was just interested in looking at annexing close local regions
-We did hope to offer some programming outside the Boston metro area, like perhaps upstate NY and Montreal. ASIS members are strong in the Syracuse area and Albany areas. Hopefully, we can publish more issues of the newsletter, too, possibly adding regional columns.
Other issues/questions:
Getting started would require some personal contacts with members in these regions. We might be able to do some of this at the Annual in Nov. Also, would we be willing to offer any support for program committee travel to offer programs elsewhere or support distant members who were working on them? What kind of financial support would we provide for these programs? How would we offer these distant members opportunities for involvement in Board activities?
To begin, we should identify how many members exist in these unaffiliated areas. To actually change our geographic borders would require a proposal to HQ. This, however, would have the advantage of negating the need to recruit members in those areas. They would automatically become NEASIS members.
Kris also reported on ASIS executive board meetings. The exec. Board approved the name change to ASIS&T. The new procedures for changes to the by-laws was also approved.
The program at Wesleyen on August 3 was successful. No program committee meetings were held in July and August due to conflicts. At the September meeting they plan to work toward a December program on wireless technology or electronic books.
The BALM event, held July 27 was also successful. Rachel, Nicole and two Genzyme representatives spoke on database-backed web sites. Approximately 25 to 30 attended.
Nicole reported that she and Darcy Duke opted to merge the style of the program committee pages and home page styles. People are needed to write copy for volunteer
Opportunities.
Action Item: Michael will send text he has on volunteer opportunities
Web page offers sections for: Events and past events, newsletters, chapter officers, board minutes, new member information, and comments.
Action Items:
-Michael will scan back newsletters and send to Nicole to link.
-Michael will contact HQ about web policies. How much board member contact information is required?
It was decided that comments from the web will go to current chairs. The board approved the web design, and determined September 15 as a date to go live.
Action Items:
-Paul will send URL for the Simmon’s student chapter web so it can be a link
-We should have links to other group’s web sites which publish extensive calendars of programs
Paul reports there is no news. The student chapter may have a new student liaison, Joe Sala.
Action Item:
-Paul will send Michael a list of new student members.
The board voted unanimously in favor of supporting IFLA with a $1000 donation.
Beata reports membership is at an all-time high of 252. There is a new Information Architecture SIG in the Boston area, providing the opportunity to do joint programs.
Action Items:
-Beata will send Nicole a list of I.A. members.
-Nicole will ask the new members in I.A. about informal programs on specific issues. There might be opportunities at the Annual to discuss these ideas, too.
Michael suggested we follow SLA’s lead in doing more social programming. He suggested one idea might be to rent a suite at ASIS Annual and invited NEASIS members up for drinks following evening activities.
Action Item: Michael will investigate prices for renting a suite