GODORT of Ohio

Minutes for Spring 2020 Meeting

Program:

• SaraJean Petite gave a presentation about unauthorized practice of law as compared to reference services.  This was a reprise of a presentation she gave to the Ohio Regional Association of Law Librarians in 2017 (Handouts here).
• We opened the floor to discuss how everyone was doing with the COVD-19 situation. Here is what some of the libraries were doing (names of libraries intentionally omitted):
  • Academic library: Open to students and faculty. Staff was working part of the day at home, and part at the office. Masks required unless in one’s office. Lots of cleaning, social distancing.
  • Academic Library: Shut down and doing everything virtually. They are using Zoom and remote desktop.
  • Academic Library: Working from home. Planning re-entry. People are on campus handling mail. Staff has virtual happy hour at 5pm on Thursdays.
  • Public Library: Online reference chat is VERY busy. There has been a staff cut. They are offering curbside service, with books having a 72-hour incubation period. Staff has unofficial happy hours.
  • Public Library:11,000 unfilled holds.  Non-exempt on 25% pay, supplemented with CARES act.
  • Academic Library: Closed. Need special permission to get into building. Budget limbo. Retirements. Hiring freeze.
  • Public library: None of our physical facilities are open to the public & general staff have not been allowed at Main yet. All telework from home. Should be more activity next month. But we are still providing electronic reference, chat & telephone (pretty much only Managers can handle phone reference from home). Admin laying out COVID strategy for physical entry

Business Meeting:

• Report from State Library: Elissa reported that they have new State Librarian, coming from Indiana State Library.  The New State Librarian has lots of government/public/academic background. FDLP wants information on when the State Library is reopening. Regional meeting in the next week or so.  They’d like to know what we’re doing.  They’re letting the public-access requirement slide.
• Secretary/Treasurer Report: SaraJean reported that we renewed the website and the Secretary of State registration.