MARS Executive Committee
Meeting Minutes
Holiday Inn-Union Square
June 30, 1997

Attendees Executive Committee: Denise Bennett, Nancy Bodner, Lise Dyckman
Eliot Kanter, Pat Reiseman, Marcella Stark, Amy Tracy Wells, Paige
Weston. Committee Chairs and Liaisons: Nancy Buchanan, Linda  Friend,
Jian Liu, Julia Rholes, Brenda MacDonald, Bill McHugh,  Lyman Ross, Peggy
Seiden.  Visitors: Caroline Long (RUSA In-coming Chair)

The meeting was called to order at 9:32 Am by Amy Wells as Paige Weston
was presenting the Section Review to RUSA Organization Committee.

A. Announcements.

1. Amy Wells reported on a Planning Committee discussion concerning MARS
composition. In sum, MARS membership includes all aspects of electronic
reference (full text, bibliographic, image, etc.) from all types of
libraries (public, special academic and government).
2.  Amy requested committee chairs make roster corrections by email.

3. (Jian Liu) MARS-L Deadline Friday July 11. Requests that information
about awards and committee reports be submitted.

4. RUSA Board. (Amy Wells) ALA Council is recommending all sections and
units use more electronic communication. Everyone should just do it,
evaluation of effectiveness will come later.

B. Committee Reports

1. Publications (Nancy Buchanan) The Education Training and Support
Committee submitted a Web document for the committee's consideration.
Publications continues to evaluate role in relation to Web documents
particularly. Issues involving updates and removing and archiving
postings are yet to be resolved. Web publication is in its infancy so
issues will be become clear in the future. Needs more coordination with
ALA. Placing documents on local Web servers raises issues when original
poster leaves the institution. Publications is working on guidelines and
policy. Stacey Kimmel, MARS Web master wants copies of MARS handouts and
she is able to work with paper copy. Motion was made seconded and carried
that any committee creating a Web documents, go through publication
process and that committee undertake a two year commitment to the
document. The guidelines will be put in the MARS handbook.

2. Program Planning 1998 (Peggy Seiden) Working title, "What are They
Doing?" Considering patron performance in a digital environment. Looking
at user studies describing user behavior in different environments
including such nonlibrary environments such as AOL. Plans are underway to
present a panel from the commercial, government, academic, and public
library sectors. A poster session will accompany the program. The User
Access to Services Committee is preparing the conference bibliography.

3. Local systems (Lyman Ross). Looking at innovative Web pages focusing
on  Interlibrary Loan and Reference. Always talking about staffing
requirements for development and maintenance of a dynamic Web Site. Will
hold an Open Forum for midwinter to discuss these issues.

4. Public Libraries Committee (Brenda MacDonald)
Successful program with 80 participants library serves for people with
disabilities. Will be working on revising glossary.

5. Products and Services (Linda Friend) Reviewed proposal for draft
committee home page. Will be sponsoring Open Forum on information pricing
at Midwinter to get vendors and library talk these issues.

6. MARS Program 1997 (Paige Weston) Art of Teleconferencing. Drew
fifty-five participants.

7. User Access Committee (Bill McHugh). Continuing to work on Web page on
research on user studies in the current environment of the Internet and
access to multiple resources on a single workstation.

C. Other Business

1. Section Review (Paige Weston) Section Review was approved. RUSA
Organization like the collaborative process used to conduct review. MARS
has been asked to briefly describe process for adoption for future
section reviews.

2.  Discussion Groups, Forums, and Section Review. (Open discussion) As
things stand have three committee forums and two discussion groups at
midwinter. Discussion on the need for collaboration. Follows up
discussion at meeting on June. "Hot Topics" to be modified to "Hot Topics
in Electronic Reference to better communicate the discussion topic. Paige
Weston to contract Previous Managers in MARS Discussion Group chairs to
determine if there is a need to modify the group name, and , if so, to
solicit input on a new name.
3.  RUSA/ALCTS Institute.  Joint institution but programming is not
joint. Institute to be held in Indianapolis in late October, 1998.  Nancy
Bodner will collect information and post to MARS-L.
4.  Motion was made, seconded, and carried to approve the "Introduction
of Electronic Information Resources to Users."

5. In closed session, Becki Whitaker was appointed Member-at-Large for
one year to fill the position vacated by Lise Dyckman, Incoming Chair.
Elections will be held in one year for two new members: one to complete
Lise Dyckman's appointment and one to fill an upcoming vacancy.
Discussion: Liaison's responsibilities are to attend ExComm meetings and
report as necessary to the Chair. Julia Rholes will add liaison's charges
to the Handbook.
Meeting adjourned at 12:25 pm.

Transcribed by

Marcella Stark
MARS Secretary

Amy Tracy Wells
MARS Chair

rev. 1/23/98