Recorded by: Will Reed

NLS Staff Present:

Richard Smith, Chief, Network Division
Vickie Collins, Head, Network Services Section

Network Chairs:

Will Reed, Midlands Conference
Kim Charlson, Northern Conference
Susan Westin, Western Conference
Shellie Zeigler, Southern Conference

NLS Updates: Updates will be provided at the national conference call.

Conference Chair Questions and Issues:

Midlands: Operations Alert 15-66 was sent, and NLS has directed network libraries to discontinue placing ID labels on cartridges. For the next national conference call, can NLS offer an explanation on how network libraries can recover their cartridges should they get separated from their containers?

NLS Response: NLS will discuss this at the next conference call.

Midlands: For libraries using PBL or NLS Label Composer software to produce DTB cartridge and container labels, can an option be added that will allow a network library ID to be added to the labels to help recover - especially locally purchased - cartridges or containers that get lost in delivery?

NLS Response: NLS will explore this possibility. NLS Label Composer allows direct editing of the cartridge and container label, where an ID could be inserted. Per Kim, NLS will investigate integration of UEB into PBL.

Midlands: While some foreign languages such as Polish, Arabic, and Spanish have digital books available, some languages such as Korean, have not been digitized from cassette and it is inhibiting these foreign language patrons from transitioning to the digital player. For the next national conference call, can NLS offer an update on the progress of digitizing the foreign language collection, a breakdown by language of the foreign language titles that have been retro-converted and are still pending, as well as any progress in adding new foreign language DTB titles?

NLS Response: NLS will check on the progress and will provide an update at the next call.

Midlands: Network libraries are reporting a large number of duplicate DB books that are simply not circulating. With the number of titles network libraries are required to take each year exceeding the number of titles that they are being allowed to recall, the number of DBs being held in storage is outgrowing their space. In the interest of getting these cartridges and cases back into circulation, and in the interest decreasing library needs and costs for storage, which they are running out of:

1. Can NLS consider revising their DB recall allotments to provide network libraries with some relief for non-circulating DBs?
2. If NLS cannot revise DB recall allotments, can they propose some relief solutions to network libraries faced with a shortage of shelf space due to DBs awaiting recall?
3. If NLS is bound by contracts or agreements limiting recall allotments, will they consider higher DB recall quantities when negotiating future contracts with vendors?

NLS Response: NLS will try to have someone who will respond to those issues at the national conference call.

Midlands/Western: At the next national conference call, can NLS offer the network an update on receiving containers and labels for the peach cartridges?

NLS Response: It will be discussed at the next national conference call.

Midlands: Starting with the next national teleconference call, can NLS staff record minutes from the monthly national teleconference call and make them available to network libraries?

NLS Response: NLS will consider it.

Northern: Since Monday, there have been some oddities with BARD, and logging in, and problems with downloading DBC, etc. There was notification or announcement that they were aware of the problem. Can there be some notification when these issues arise that NLS is aware of a problem?

NLS Response: There are procedures for reporting a problem, and NLS follows procedures for official communications. NLS will address the question at the national conference call.