Minutes – August 9, 2024

Welcome and Call to Order

The two hundred first meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 ᴀ.ᴍ. on Friday, August 9, 2024 by Board Vice Chair Roger Donaldson at the OPLIN office in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Ben Bolbach, Michael Butler, Roger Donaldson, Jenny Eyink, Mohamed Ragheb, Andrea Ralston, Jennifer Reynard, CJ Stephens, Shawn Walsh, and Meredith Wickham.

Also present were: Jessica Dooley, Christine Morris, Laura Solomon, Don Yarman, and Derek Zoladz (OPLIN); and Jay Smith (Ohio Library Council).

Attending virtually via Zoom: OPLIN Board members Ben Bolbach, Michael Butler, Roger Donaldson, Jenny Eyink, Bill Lane, Mohamed Ragheb, Andrea Ralston,  Jennifer Reynard, CJ Stephens, Shawn Walsh, and Meredith Wickham; Laura Solomon (OPLIN); Stephanie Herriott, Mandy Knapp, and Jamie Pardee (State Library); Michelle Francis and Jay Smith (Ohio Library Council).

Nomination and Election of Board Officers

Michael Butler nominated the following slate of officers: Roger Donaldson, Chair; Ben Bolbach, Vice Chair; Meredith Wickham, Treasurer; Jennifer Reynard, Secretary. Andrea Raslton seconded the nominations. There was no discussion, so the Vice Chair called for a vote on the nominations; all aye. Roger Donaldson continued to run the meeting as newly elected Chair.

Approval of the Agenda

Meredith Wickham moved to approve the agenda as presented; Ben Bolbach seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Establish Board Meeting Schedule for FY2024

Following the pattern of holding OPLIN Board meetings at 10:00 a.m. on the second Friday of even-numbered months, Yarman presented the following meeting schedule:

  • October 11, 2024
  • December 13, 2024
  • February 7, 2025
  • April 11, 2025
  • June 13, 2025

CJ Stephens moved to approve the proposed meeting schedule; Michael Butler seconded. There was no further discussion, so the chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Public Participation

The Chair called for public participation.

Jay Smith listed upcoming OLC events, including the Fiscal Officer 102 workshop on September 12, and the forums for directors of small libraries to be held in Chillicothe, Bellevue, and Bowling Green. Smith reported the PLF distribution for August was in line with estimates although previous months have been below targets. There is no movement on legislation while the General Assembly is on summer break.

State Library representatives were unable to attend, but Beverly Cain asked Don Yarman to report that Organizational Architecture would be at the State Library on that day to talk to the staff about the search. The application window for the next State Librarian is open until September 10.

Approval of the Minutes

Michael Butler moved to approve the minutes of the June 14, 2024 meeting as presented; CJ Stephens seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Acceptance of the Financial Reports

Yarman reported that OPLIN spent $5.6 million in the fiscal year 2024, and that expenses for FY2025 are expected to be the same.

Meredith Wickham moved to accept the financial reports; CJ Stephens seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Unfinished Business

Managed Branch Connections Service

Yarman reported that OPLIN’s pilot program offering broadband connectivity to library branches has been smooth and successful, and he proposed moving the program from its pilot phase to a regular service. Adding additional circuits to support will eventually require more OPLIN staff. Yarman explained that, due to the nature of E-Rate discounts,  the flat amount charged to each library in the pilot will result in a net revenue of $6,000 over expenses. The net overage going forward is difficult to predict as it depends on which libraries choose to participate, but Yarman estimates that with 130 new circuits (a 50% increase in OPLIN-tracked circuits) $150–165 per location per month is the likely break-even point to pay for one additional OPLIN staff position. He suggested $2,000 per year for the simplicity of promoting the program to libraries.

Mohamed Ragheb asked why the cost is flat rather than based on library circumstances. Yarman explained that in planning the pilot, a tiered cost was considered, but that solution created complications in administration as well as confusing messaging to the libraries. In addition to being easier to market and promote, a flat cost helps support libraries that are disadvantaged by low E-Rate discounts and high broadband delivery costs. CJ Stephens asked when Yarman expected to add the extra staff person; Yarman said it would depend on how many library locations were requested this year. Ben Bolbach suggested that perhaps OPLIN could use a consultant or contractor at first to determine the knowledge and skills needed.

Meredith Wickham moved to offer Ohio public libraries the option of contracting with OPLIN to supply one gig broadband connectivity to branch locations at a cost of $2,000 per branch per year; Ben Bolbach seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a roll call vote on the motion.

Recorded vote: Ben Bolbach, aye; Michael Butler, aye; Roger Donaldson, aye; Jenny Eyink, aye; Mohamed Ragheb, aye; Andrea Ralston, aye; Jennifer Reynard, aye; CJ Stephens, aye; Shawn Walsh, aye; and Meredith Wickham, aye.
 

New Business

Staff Raises

The following resolution was provided by Stephanie Herriot, Human Resources Administrator for the State Library of Ohio:

In that the E-1 salary tables in the Ohio Revised Code 124.152 will provide State of Ohio E-1 employees an approximate 5% salary increase effective with the first day of the pay period that includes July 1, 2024, and per the DAS memo dated July 9, 2024, the State of Ohio also allows for increases up to 5% for other exempt state employees, The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees, in accordance with the duties assigned by Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.66, approves adjusting the compensation of each OPLIN E-3 staff member, to one that reflects an approximate 5% salary increase for each employee beginning with the pay period that includes July 1, 2024.

Andrea Ralston moved to approve the resolution; Jennifer Reynard seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a roll call vote on the motion.

Recorded vote: Ben Bolbach, aye; Michael Butler, aye; Roger Donaldson, aye; Jenny Eyink, aye; Mohamed Ragheb, aye; Andrea Ralston, aye; Jennifer Reynard, aye; CJ Stephens, aye; Shawn Walsh, aye; and Meredith Wickham, aye.

FY2025 Services Plan

The OPLIN staff met July 2 for a day-long planning meeting to discuss, among other things, possible changes to the services plan for FY2025, mostly small changes in wording to better reflect the services offered. Suggested changes include:

  • Remove “Offer a network evaluation service” since evaluating a library’s network is more a routine troubleshooting activity.
  • With no OLC Convention in 2024, it is likely OPLIN won’t sponsor a conference, but may spend funds on new booth materials.
  • Change “Offer a service that allows libraries to send notification messages” to “Offer services that facilitate digital communication from libraries,” as that better reflects the range of services OPLIN provides (SMS, authenticated email relay, DMARC report analyzer, etc.).
  • Regarding “Provide tools for integrating access to online databases,” Yarman said the staff planned to refresh the Ohio Web Library federated search tool.

Ben Bolbach moved to approve the changes to the FY2025 Services Plan; Michael Butler seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

OPLIN Staff Reports

OPLIN Director's Report

Yarman met with Kim Kiehl, the new director of Ohioana Library Association. Dr. Kiehl wants to work more closely with Ohio public libraries, and may be interested in partnering with OPLIN to provide BiblioLabs’ Indie Author Project in libraries.

Network Overview

Jessica Dooley presented an overview of OPLIN’s physical network, with details about equipment, service providers, relationship with OIT, and the central facilities of the State of Ohio Computer Center.

Digital Resources Manager’s Report

Christine Morris shared information about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) digital equity competitive grant, and OPLIN’s general plans to seek grant funds for upgrading and building resiliency into OPLIN’s core. Mohamed Ragheb asked about cybersecurity grant opportunities; Morris outlined two current opportunities, an E-Rate Cybersecurity Funding pilot and a grant opportunity from CyberOhio. There is a comparison between the two programs on the OPLIN website. Regarding the recent Fifth Circuit court ruling that E-Rate was unconstitutional, Morris recommends information from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition; OPLIN is a member, and will pass along important and breaking information.

Yarman expanded on a bullet point in Morris’s written report regarding the FCC’s funding order for hotspots. OPLIN is exploring what it can do statewide to make it easier for Ohio libraries to take advantage of this new discount opportunity.

Library Services Manager’s Report

Laura Solomon discussed the new Department of Justice regulations which specify the requirements of website accessibility under ADA rules. Websites must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. For most Ohio libraries, the deadline for compliance is April 2026 (April 2027 for large metro libraries). Meredith Wickham asked if OPLIN audits a website and it passes, is it compliant; Solomon replied that audits are a point-in-time review—accessibility is an on-going consideration, a process that doesn’t end.

Technology Projects Manager’s Report

Dooley reported that Derek Zoladz is working with SEO to improve staff and patron authentication to EBSCO resources through the discovery service into SEO’s online catalog. The solution is being tested currently to insure it solves the issues SEO has been experiencing.

Chair's Report

Nominations Committee Appointment

The Chair appointed Ben Bolbach, Jenny Eyink, Mohamed Ragheb, and Shawn Walsh to the nominations committee.

Adjournment

With no other business pending, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 11:26 ᴀ.ᴍ.