SisterLibrariesComRptAnnual2014

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Name of person submitting this report: Sandra Hirsh

Email of person submitting this report: sandy.hirsh@sjsu.edu

Report submission date: ___midwinter __X__annual

Name of committee: Sister Libraries

Name of committee chair (indicate if acting chair): Sandy Hirsh, Peggy Ridlen

Committee chair e-mail address: sandy.hirsh@sjsu.edu, pridlen@fontbonne.edu

Date of meeting(s): June 28, 2014

Members present: Sandy Hirsh (co-chair), Peggy Ridlen (co-chair), Samuel Charles Boss, Min Chou, Amed Demirhan

Virtual members: n/a

Members absent: Sue Aspley, Pauline Nicholas, Katie Prentice, Joyce Wiehagen

Visitors: Carol Brey, Bill Middleton, Elsie Rodgers Halliday Okobi, Ken Draves

Summary of discussion and action; please indicate activities planned for the next 5 months: (Please note: if planning to raise an issue at the Executive Board Meeting at this conference please talk with the Chair prior to the meeting.)

1. Reports & Activity Updates:

a.	American Spaces/Department of State (Carol Brey/Bill Middleton) – Discussed the continuing work with American Spaces, bi-national centers, embassy libraries (American centers that function as public libraries), etc. There are over 700 American Spaces.  Their work is to travel to Spaces and serve as consultants and provide a wide variety of support.  American Corners is less well funded and needs partners.  One of the ongoing challenges is the need for partner sister libraries in the US.
  
 i.	Suggestion: There is a need for school libraries partnerships with other countries; it is hard to find examples of these.  This is an opportunity for the Sister Libraries Committee to develop school libraries sister library partnerships.  
    1.	Action Item: Elsie Rogers Halliday Okobi (incoming member on the committee) is willing to take a leadership role in developing a framework for sister library partnerships for school libraries.  
 ii.	Suggestion:  Collect names of interested libraries at the IRRT Chair’s Program on Sunday June 29th. 
b.	Sister Libraries (All)
  i.	Conversations with interested partners
    1.	Sam Boss (China) – In China, partnerships have to go through Foreign Affairs Office so he works with Sister Cities 
       to establish relationships (they work with Los Angeles County Library).   He recommends that we work with municipal
       governments to create relationships through Sister Cities. When he works with them, he sends a MOU to see if there
       is interest, modifies proposal to fit their needs, and articulates goals.   
    a.	Action Item: Sam Boss will write up how this model works and we will post on our wiki. 
    b.	Action Item: Carol Brey will contact Sister Cities International to see about building relationships and whether 
       they have a database of their partnerships. 

 c.	Wiki (Sandy Hirsh)
   i.	Sister Libraries Database: We need to make sure that this database is well-maintained.  
     a. Action Item: Sandy Hirsh will send Carol Brey’s one-page strategy out and will make sure that there is a smooth
        transition as she is coming off of the committee (including passing along passwords).   
     b. Action Item: Carol Brey will follow up Michael Dowling to see whether we can get a dedicated staff to help 
        maintain database, wiki, and/or email account.   
     c. Action Item: Carol Brey will follow up with Sari Feldman to get her buy in for international partnerships and 
        prioritizing this (fits with advocacy).   Need funding for part-time staff support to support the database 
        (keep it up to date) and need President to promote it.  
     d. Action Item: Need to reach out to partners in database to see status, remove if not interested or if they have a   
        found partnership, celebrate partnerships. Suggest divvying up the partners in the database among committee members
        to have each person check on the status of them – maybe 5 each.   (Sam Boss and Bill Middleton are willing to do
        this). 
     e. Action Item: At some point, we should ask Luis Herrera to approach ULC for helping with partnerships.   

   2.	Update content/Status of this project – see notes above
   3.	Establish process for on-going updates – see notes above
   ii.	Ongoing/New Work:
    1.	Identify Success Stories – see notes above
    2.	Recruit New Partners – see notes above
    3.	Monitor Google email account for new submissions – see notes above
    4.	Review Spanish content to make sure it is up to date
      a.Action Item: Ask Delin to review the Spanish content.  
    5.Reveiew the Sister Libraries Committee description in the IRRT online manual –  We briefly discussed this at the 
      meeting and had a few corrections that need to be incorporated into the manual.  It is recommended that the new chairs
      do a thorough review of this to ensure accuracy.    These are summarized here and need to be given to be given to 
      IRRT Chair to get approval and then to Delin to correct on the web: 
      a.Chair Responsibilities: Remove #5
      b.Member Responsibilities: #3 – Change American Corners to American Spaces
      c. Member Responsibilities: #4 – Change “Maintain” to “Develop”
      d.Processes that are used:  3rd bullet, change American Corners to American Spaces
      e.Timeline for Action/Calendar – Annual Conference:  3rd bullet point, change Midwinter to Annual
   iii.Other next steps
  d.	Programs (Sandy Hirsh)
     i.ALA Annual 2014 – Joint Program with IRRT Chair’s Program Committee “Expanding the school library: connecting 
       students with students, across international boundaries, using modern technology” Sunday, June 29, 2014, 3 – 4 p.m., 
       Las Vegas Convention Center, S227
    ii. ALA Annual 2015 ideas 
      1.Idea: It would be great to showcase partnerships if we can identify new ones.   How to create a Sister Libraries
        partnership, and also include a success story.   “Creating Successful Sister Library Partnerships” (need a more
        grabbing title).   Also Janet Lee in Denver working with Sister Cities.   
   iii. Library 2.014 – October 8-9th: http://www.library20.com/  - discussed this free virtual conference as a great way to
        talk about sister libraries and participate with information professionals around the world. 
   2.	Sister Libraries Goals 
     a. Action Item: Revisit goals at Midwinter 2015.
     b. Action Item: Review the wiki and make suggestions before Midwinter 2015 to Peggy/Joyce (http://wikis.ala.org
        /sisterlibraries/index.php/ALA_/_IRRT_Sister_Library_Initiative)
     c. Wiki content clean-up: Find a way to make the online information easier to navigate and maintain currency.
     d. Sister Libraries online presence: We should provide a space that facilitates partnerships between libraries and work
        to make that online connection space more visible and raise awareness of Sister Libraries opportunities:
       i.Working with ALA Presidents (past and present)
       ii. Working with IROs 
     e. Develop Sister Libraries community

2. Midwinter Meeting Only: Review current committee roster and list all continuing members and any members whose term will end this year and who wish to be reappointed for a second two-year term. Include yourself if applicable:


3. List names and e-mails of potential new members. See list of visitors to committee Would definitely recommend Carol Brey (Brey-CasianoCA@state.gov) be made a formal member of the committee – she contributes tremendously to the committee.

4. List any members who have indicated interest in serving on another IRRT committee or running for an IRRT office. Include yourself, if applicable. Sandy Hirsh would be interested in running for a IRRT Office.


5. Who would you recommend to serve as chair next year? Indicate if you are interested in serving as chair again. Please discuss with current chairs.

6. Please write any other comments about the committee's membership here. n/a