Minutes – April 11, 2025

Welcome and Call to Order

The two hundred fourth meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:00 ᴀ.ᴍ. on Friday, April 11, 2025 by Board Chair Roger Donaldson at the OPLIN office in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Ben Bolbach, Michael Butler, Roger Donaldson, Jenny Eyink, Jennifer Reynard, CJ Stephens, and Meredith Wickham.

Also present were: Jessica Dooley, Laura Solomon, Don Yarman, and Derek Zoladz (OPLIN); Stephanie Herriott and Mandy Knapp (State Library); and Jay Smith (Ohio Library Council).

Attending virtually via Zoom: OPLIN Board members Bill Lane and Shawn Walsh; Jamie Pardee (State Library).

Approval of the Agenda

Michael Butler moved to approve the agenda as presented; CJ Stephens seconded. There was no discussion, so the chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Public Participation

Attending her first OPLIN Board meeting, new State Librarian Mandy Knapp reported that the State Library's source of federal funds, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, was the subject of a March 14 Executive Order which reduced its functions and personnel to those levels required by law. On March 31, the State Library was informed that all IMLS staff were placed on administrative leave with no access to email; that is the last communication the State Library has received. Knapp is in communication with the other state librarians in the country, and is tracking the progress of the two lawsuits challenging the order. A hearing on one of these, Rhodes Island v. Trump, is scheduled for April 18. Without IMLS funds to the State Library, OPLIN and other Libraries Connect Ohio partners will not receive the grant funds that help support statewide database subscriptions.

Jay Smith outlined the library-impacting provisions in the House's version of the biennial budget, including the elimination of the Public Library Fund as a percentage of the state's revenue, making it an annual line item appropriation. In the current proposal, OPLIN and the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled would be funded from the state's General Revenue Fund rather than the PLF. OLC's focus will move to the Senate, seeking to restore the governor's proposal of setting the PLF at 1.75% of GRF.

Approval of the Minutes

Ben Bolbach moved to approve the minutes of the February 14, 2025 meeting as presented; Michael Butler seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Acceptance of the Financial Reports

Jamie Pardee estimates the cash balance at the end of the fiscal year to be $50,000 less than the beginning balance. Three-fourths through the fiscal year, expenses remain in line with estimates, with over $500,000 remaining in unplanned spending authority.

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

Unfinished Business

Northstar Renewal

Yarman reported that the selection committee has evaluated the responses to Broadband Ohio's RFP for a statewide digital literacy education platform and made their recommendation. While the contract is being finalized, Yarman cannot reveal which product was selected, nor negotiate with Northstar for an extension of the subscription which expired March 31. Broadband Ohio believes that funding disruptions at the federal level will not affect this project, and now that a vendor has been selected, the committed funds will be released. Yarman reported that library opinion is lukewarm on Northstar; some libraries are heavily invested in its use, while others prefer more library-focused solutions like DigitalLearn.

Virtual Meetings Policy

The draft policy was reviewed at the February OPLIN Board meeting and subsequently forwarded to Assistant Attorney General Danny Nunner, who had no comments or suggestions for change.

Jennifer Reynard moved to approve the virtual meetings policy; Ben Bolbach seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

New Business – none

OPLIN Staff Reports

OPLIN Director's Report

Don Yarman reported on the two visits he made to Washington D.C.—in March with the "Voices for Libraries" fly-in organized by COLSA, and earlier that week for SHLB—to talk to legislators about libraries, LSTA, and the Universal Service Fund that supports E-Rate. Most of the meetings were positive, particularly the meeting Yarman and Morris had with Senator Husted's aide, Tyler Jones, who was aware of the senator's commitment to broadband expansion in Ohio during his service as lieutenant governor. Yarman and Morris discussed with legislators how vital E-Rate was for library internet access, and lobbied for the continued eligibility of hotspots for E-Rate support. Hotspot funding is threatened by a resolution from Senator Cruz under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal and forbid E-Rate funding for hotspots; SHLB's position is that hotspots are an important solution to fill internet access gaps, and the decision to continue or terminate the program is more properly left with the FCC.

The Libraries Connect Ohio partners have met to determine plans in the event that LSTA funds are not available to support the shared database subscription packages, comparing which content packages are most important to each of the communities. Without grant funds, it is likely that the EBSCO content package will need to be scaled back, and other subscriptions cancelled completely, but the different networks will continue to work together for common solutions. Meredith Wickham commented that, as someone who comes from another state and has worked in two different states, a thing that makes Ohio libraries so uncommonly successful is the collaboration and partnership between organizations, and she appreciates OPLIN's commitment to that.

Digital Resources Manager’s Report

Yarman summarized Morris's written report, noting that she is keeping abreast of E-Rate developments and has been proactive helping libraries file their paperwork on time.

Library Services Manager’s Report

Laura Solomon reported that the migration of Webkits to the new templates is mostly complete, and her focus has began shifting toward the importance of libraries posting accessible content. For libraries that are unsure how to correct the errors the accessibility plugin identifies, Solomon will begin holding accessibility office hours. Solomon noted that some of the resources OPLIN has developed in-house, such as the Sanborn Maps interface, need improvements in accessibility, which will be a project for the next fiscal year.

Jen Reynard asked what were the repercussions of library websites failing to be compliant. Solomon answered that when a patron encounters a barrier to accessibility—in a website or library application—ideally they will contact the library, but they might complain directly to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. Remediation is the responsibility of the party that created the problem (the library or a third party). 

Technology Projects Manager’s Report

Jessica Dooley announced that with Managed Branch Connections, Vince Riley placed two and half times the normal number of circuit orders for July. There are 135 orders open, which Riley placed in record time as vendors requested that all orders be submitted before they could begin work (building surveys, fiber installs, etc.). The upgrades of circuits from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps will necessitate upgrades to the core to handle that increased capacity. As OARnet is upgrading its own capacity, they have generously donated line cards with 100 Gig interfaces, which will greatly simplify installation.

Bill Lane asked for more information about OPLIN's core reaching end-of-life. Dooley explained that the core is made up of a chassis with modular components. OPLIN's existing 10G line cards and the new OARnet–donated 100G line cards are still under support. OPLIN's routing engines will reach end-of-support next year, and Dooley has already purchased replacements to be installed this summer.

Dooley noted that an overlooked value of OPLIN is the day-to-day assistance to libraries, with authentication requests, updates to DNS records, and general consulting. Jen Reynard said her library appreciates OPLIN's help on problems that come up infrequently. 

Mandy Knapp asked Dooley for advice on what certifications Knapp could steer libraries toward in the next round of TechCred funding (opening in May). Dooley said the program continues to broaden, and it depends on whether a library has dedicated IT staff or they are seeking more user-focused training. CJ Stephens recommended CompTIA A+ or Network+. Ben Bolbach recommended Microsoft certifications. Other suggestions included CCNA, Powershell, and cloud applications. 

Chair's Report

The Chair had nothing to report.

Adjournment

With no other business pending, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 11:17 ᴀ.ᴍ.

Minutes – February 14, 2025

Welcome and Call to Order

The two hundred third meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:01 ᴀ.ᴍ. on Friday, February 14, 2025, by Board Chair Roger Donaldson at the OPLIN office in Columbus, Ohio.

Present were Board members: Ben Bolbach, Michael Butler, Roger Donaldson, Jenny Eyink, Bill Lane, CJ Stephens, and Shawn Walsh.

Attending virtually via Zoom: Jessica Dooley, Laura Solomon, and Derek Zoladz (OPLIN); Eric Maynard and Jamie Pardee (State Library).

Approval of the Agenda

Michael Butler 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.

Public Participation

There was no public participation.

Approval of the Minutes

CJ Stephens moved to approve the minutes of the October 11, 2024 meeting as presented; Bill Lane seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Acceptance of the Financial Reports

Jamie Pardee said that budget and expenditures for FY 25 as of the end of January are on target.  The outstanding encumbrances in Administration are for staff travel and building rent.  The remaining $500,000 showing for Libraries Connect databases under Information Resources has been paid out.  Telecommunications expenses are on target.

Revenue/cash balance for FY 25 started with a beginning balance of $1,437,426 and the cash balance at the end of June is estimated to be $1,369,755, a decrease of about $67,000. Pardee said she always estimates expenses a little high to make sure the budget will cover everything.

In summary, everything is looking good and on track.

Michael Butler moved to accept the financial reports; Ben Bolbach seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Unfinished Business

Northstar Renewal

Yarman reviewed the funding history of the Northstar Digital Literacy resource in Ohio libraries, outlining how a combination of OPLIN and federal funds have supported the resource statewide since October 2022. Currently, OPLIN has paid for a subscription for 114 libraries through March 30. Plans are underway to continue offering Northstar through public libraries as part of Broadband Ohio's "Statewide Web-Based Digital Skills Program," the RFP for which was released February 6, with proposals due March 5, but funding for this and Broadband Ohio's other projects is currently uncertain. 

Yarman held a meeting with libraries to outline the funding situation and discuss their experiences with Northstar and other digital literacy resources. Many libraries shared that Northstar does not meet their communities' needs, which are more basic. Other libraries felt the value was in the class curriculum and the ability to proctor assessments, but allowed that that was a more staff-intensive activity. Jenn Slone of Chillicothe discussed her experiences with using PLA's DigitalLearn resource, which she felt aligned more closely with library needs.

Ben Bolbach asked whether OPLIN had access to Northstar usage stats, or whether libraries had to self-report their usage. Yarman replied that the vendor provides a usage dashboard so OPLIN can evaluate which libraries make the most use of Northstar. There are libraries that are using Northstar who have not informed OPLIN that they are "live," which caused a mismatch between OPLIN's list of the 114 "live" libraries and the 137 that Northstar temporarily deactivated under the current agreement.
 

New Business

Virtual Meetings Policy

HB 257 authorizing certain public bodies to meet virtually passed in the last General Assembly and was signed by the Governor on January 31. It goes into effect April 9, 2025. To meet virtually, public bodies must pass policies in accordance with new language in Sec 121.221 of the Ohio Revised Code. Yarman presented a draft policy for discussion. Yarman clarified that the "major nonroutine expenditure" threshold of $100,000 applies to the requirement to meet in person; the Board would still approve any nonroutine expenditure, but could do so remotely if the cost didn't exceed $100,000. Board members agreed the policy could be sent to the Assistant Attorney General for comment, and the Board would consider approval at the April meeting.
 

OPLIN Staff Reports

OPLIN Director's Report

Don Yarman outlined the various challenges to E-Rate and the Universal Service Fund covered in a recent webinar from COSLA, including disagreements over funding sources, program expansion, and challenges to the program's constitutionality and management structure. E-Rate refunds make up about a third of OPLIN’s revenue. While the loss of E-Rate is an existential threat to the future of OPLIN’s services, Yarman doesn't believe that any group—Congress, the FCC, or the courts—want to see it completely go away. He is cooperating fully with all the efforts of COSLA, SHLB, and ALA to ensure the future of this vital program.

Digital Resources Manager’s Report

Christine Morris was unable to attend. The Board did not have questions about her written report.

Library Services Manager’s Report

Laura Solomon reported that her entire attention for the past two months has been on installing new Webkit templates, estimating that OPLIN has billed libraries over $40,000 for the work (at $350 to $500 each). Of the 111 Webkit libraries, only 16 have no plans to move to the new template.

Technology Projects Manager’s Report

Jessica Dooley said that libraries have been notified of OPLIN's planned circuit upgrades and were very appreciative. Those upgrades and the branch project represent a significant increase in the bandwidth OPLIN delivers to libraries, and planning is underway to support that increased capacity. Since all awards for the NTIA's Digital Inclusion grant have been paused indefinitely, OPLIN must assume that its application will not be awarded, and act accordingly as staff plan the network infrastructure. 

O-PCI has received guidance from the State of Ohio to prioritize scheduling libraries, and to provide libraries with training even if a county government opts out of participating. They've also launched a self-guided portal that organizations can access immediately, providing actionable steps to remediate critical security vulnerabilities.

Dooley also reported that traffic from AI bots to OPLIN's public-facing websites has increased substantially, and she has taken measures to limit their crawl rates. Ben Bolbach asked whether the sites are hosted on prem or in the cloud, and Dooley answered that OPLIN has a micro-cache in AWS in front of OPLIN's servers in the SOCC.

Chair's Report

Roger Donaldson reminded Board members to file their financial disclosure forms with the Ohio Ethics Commission and to complete the 2025 training webinar. He asked Yarman to outline the Board nominations process, and Yarman said he would soon post a call for nominees. Yarman also outlined that the April board meeting is typically a longer meeting for the Board to review the Services Plan; OPLIN's Strategic Plan expires in June, and Yarman is looking for an outside discussion leader to help the Board decide how they'd like to proceed.

Adjournment

With no other business pending, CJ Stephens moved to adjourn; Ben Bolbach seconded. The Chair adjourned the meeting at 11:00 ᴀ.ᴍ.

Minutes – October 11, 2024

Welcome and Call to Order

The two hundred second meeting of the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) Board of Trustees was called to order at 10:03 a.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024 by Board 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, CJ Stephens, and Meredith Wickham.

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

Attending virtually via Zoom: OPLIN Board members Jennifer Reynard and Shawn Walsh; Laura Solomon (OPLIN);  and Jamie Pardee (State Library).

Approval of the Agenda

Michael Butler moved to approve the agenda as presented; Andrea Ralston seconded. There was no discussion, so the chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Public Participation

Stephanie Herriott stated that the search for the new State Librarian is well underway.  The State Library Board plans to interview its top three candidates in the next week, and hopes to make an offer in the next couple of weeks.

Jay Smith noted that the Legislature has been out since June.  The OLC staff have been focused on regional meetings where they are educating library leadership with the nuances of biennium budget.  OLC encourages library leadership to reach out to legislators and give them a high level of the Public Library Fund (PLF) and how public libraries are funded overall throughout the state.

Jay is happy to report that the PLF October distribution is above original estimates, but overall the PLF is down for the year.

The OLC website is under construction while the organization implements new management software. 

Approval of the Minutes

Michael Butler moved to approve the minutes of the August 9, 2024 meeting as presented; Meredith Wickham seconded. There was no discussion, so the Chair called for a vote on the motion; all aye.

Acceptance of the Financial Reports

Jamie Pardee reviewed the financial reports, noting that monthly expenses are on track for this time of year; no surprises. remain in line with estimates for this time of year.

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.

Overview of the State Budget Process

Pardee discussed elements of the OPLIN budget in more detail with the Board, walking them through the biennial budget process for the State Library and other state agencies. 

Yarman added that OPLIN's budget submission is nearly identical from two years ago, except for an additional source of revenue for managed branch connections. Managed branch connections may require increased spending authority; if that happens, or if OPLIN does receive a NTIA grant funds, increased spending authority can be requested through the Controlling Board rather than try to estimate them in advance through this budget submission.

Unfinished Business – none

New Business – none
 

OPLIN Staff Reports

OPLIN Director's Report

Don Yarman reported that OPLIN staff submitted an application for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) digital equity competitive grant. Grant funds will increase capacity at OPLIN's core to support Broadband Ohio's state digital opportunity goal of gigabit internet capacity at all community anchor institutions, including public library locations. Award announcements are expected to begin Winter 2024, with all funds granted by April 2025. If OPLIN's application is not successful, staff plan to approach Broadband Ohio with their plan to seek other funds. 

Yarman reported that thirteen libraries are interested in having OPLIN provide them with managed connections for their branches, totaling fifty potential new connections. After the bills have been paid, and reimbursements received from E-Rate and from contracting libraries, OPLIN’s earned revenue is estimated to be over $59,000 in FY2026. Yarman expects that the revenue generated by the pilot project and these new connections will be enough to cover the salary, but not the benefits, for an additional staff person to assist with implementation and on-going support.

Digital Resources Manager’s Report

Christine Morris noted that the due date for Emergency Connectivity Fund reimbursement requests is the end of October. The ECF program is expected to be complete by the end of 2024. 

Morris spent the last week attending the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) annual AnchorNets conference and this year's E-Rate update training in Washington D.C. She discussed the ongoing legal challenges to the E-Rate program, including a case before the Supreme Court concerning the Universal Service Administrative Company's administration of the program. Morris mentioned new E-Rate funding for library hotspot lending, noting that OPLIN plans to put out a statewide call for bids on behalf of libraries.

Morris shared updates about the Ohio Web Library, including ongoing issues with Proquest and EBSCO. 

Morris will be traveling to Nashville early in November for E-Rate state coordinator training.

Library Services Manager’s Report

Laura Solomon highlighted items from her written report. She discussed the influx of new libraries, mostly from NORWELD. Solomon will soon begin adding new features to all sites, including an improved alpha pager for Database listings, and the Editoria11y tool which checks site content for ADA compliance.

Solomon is reviewing OPLIN's resources to make sure they meet accessibility requirements; "Find a Library" and the Sanborn Maps sites need particular attention. 

Solomon created a new communication channel for OPLIN: the "OPLIN Circuit," once a print newsletter sent out quarterly, has been resurrected as a digital subscription. Within 24 hours of sending the first edition out to the listservs, it got 140 subscribers.

Technology Projects Manager’s Report

Jessica Dooley reported that the new and replacement circuit orders for this year are complete; there are a few pending orders for library locations that are still under construction. She highlighted recent extended features that Derek Zoladz has created in OPLIN authentication, including more protections for patron privacy, and better interactions with local library software to update "last activity" dates so that patrons records aren't purged due to apparent inactivity. This new feature is currently working for SEO and CLEVNET, and soon will be available to Polaris libraries.

Chair's Report

Roger Donaldson said he had nothing to report.

Adjournment

With no other business pending, Ben Bolbach moved to adjourn; CJ Stephens seconded; all aye. The Chair adjourned the meeting at 11:09 a.m.

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.