NLS Staff Present:
Vickie Collins, Head, Network Services Section
MaryBeth Wise, Network Consultant
Network Chairs:
Sharon Ruda, Midlands Conference
Adam Szczepaniak, Northern Conference (not present)
Craig Hayward, Southern Conference
Debbi MacLeod, Western Conference
Conference Chair Questions and Issues:
Western: Blank cartridges, how close to getting them and will you have more definitive numbers for us?
NLS Response: We won’t know for sure until we get federal budget. The plan is to purchase them but we are still working on the numbers. No change currently.
Western: Progress report on commercial recording. What percent have commercial recordings increased title offerings? Will this continue at the same pace for the upcoming year?
NLS Response: The goal is 1,000 titles annually. Not reaching the number anticipated, will get number for next week.
Western: To add to this, how many have been received in the past six months? How much in future? Will there be a corresponding correlation on copy allotment – shorter interval, twice a month?
NLS Response: Talk of copy allotment time interval would be changed because of commercial production cycle. There was discussion of this before.
Western: Going to two-week cycle would not be that much extra work, because it would split the workload in half.
NLS Response: We haven’t been doing it at the pace anticipated. It’s hard to compare. So that’s a consideration. We’ll see if we can have some people available to answer questions about this at the next NLS teleconference.
Midlands: Since CMLS will freeze/shut down on October 1, is it safe to assume that we will no longer be receiving any CMLS paper reports to update after October 1? And at that time, how long can we expect it to take for new patrons’ records to update with their CMLS ID so we can then approve their records in BARD? That turnaround now sometimes takes up to two weeks.
NLS Response: PIMMS will not be immediately available on Oct. 1, so it will be over time. Possibly the paper may continue over the time of transition. Not sure about the exact interval.
Southern: Talked a bit about the workings and recommendations from the National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee, which is developing a new focus on more of the technology of the service. The NAEAC will become the Reading Technology Advisory Group. The proposal adds another library person on the committee, quarterly meetings by telephone, and a consumer/patron from each region. Ideally would like to have it be a YA involved. This is NOT approved yet. Has to be approved by all member groups. Three different groups have to work together, cross team approach. Some key recommendations from the libraries group at the September 2014 meeting were a refreshable braille display should be pursued, continue work on next generation digital talking book player, and improved, more simplified, inventory of players.