VIVO Leadership Meeting – April 28, 2020

1. Refer to minutes from theMarch 31 meeting and the updates from interest groups and task forces(Julia, 5 minutes)

Julia opened meeting at 11:03am, and referenced the March 31 meeting as well as the updates from the interest groups and task forces.

Review of agenda. 

2.  Membership renewal update (Laurie and everyone, 30 minutes)

Laurie:  Discuss membership renewal process.  Lots of uncertainty in many organization budgets.  April 15 VIVO highlights and membership renewal messages went out. Invoices went out late last week. No cancellations.  A few institutions on the old renewal cycle. Did we receive these notices?

Julia:  Would like to hear from each organization regarding receipt of renewal notices. Duke will renew for next year. 

Paul:  Deferred to Terrie, who confirmed that Weill Cornell did not receive an invoice, and requested one because of the discussion.  We expect we did not receive an invoice because our membership is from January – December, 2020.

From Ginny to Everyone: (11:12 AM - in chat)

Hi, that would be helpful if possible - I am not the invoice or even the main institutional contact, I don’t think. That’s probably Tyler Walters, our dean, or another of our contract / licensing areas.


Rob:  Columbia received the invoice.  In the past received a consolidated invoice, and is seeking feedback from Finance regarding preference for consolidation or being sent separately for various projects.

Ann:  Clarivate planning to renew.  Will speak with Laurie regarding contract. 

Mike: Ed Neu is contact at University of Florida, and no indication of budget challenges there.

Anna:  SIGMA has received all communications.  SIGMA will renew until June, and then move onto the new schedule.

Doug:  TAMU received invoice, and has already paid for 2021.  Not sure on exact dates.  Will receive a 7% budget cut for next fiscal year, and a 7% budget cut the year after that as well.

Christian:  We received an e-mail to confirm our membership.  He confirmed this was a real organization, and he expects that this was paid.

Anthony:  Conversation came up recently regarding VIVO membership.  Anthony had received various invoices, Samvera and Duraspace.  Anthony does not have any clarity about what decision will be made.  Questioned about whether we can pause or pay later.  Still trying to figure out what and when they can pay.  No clarity on plan forward at this point.

Conversations have been positive in that there is a strong feeling the library gets value from its Lyrasis memberships.  Will probably drop Samvera, but will probably continue to hold onto VIVO.

DJ:  No update, as Doug addressed this.

Ginny:  Tried to check in to get answer before the meeting, but does not have an answer. They will have a budget cut for 2021. Virginia runs on a two year budget, so they can roll over funds between two years.  Cannot say one way or the other how VT will proceed at this time.

Hannah:   George Washington University – high level of uncertainty in our environment.  Don’t have a sense that GW will not renew, and believe there is value in this membership.  Doing scenario planning right now.  Have no information about not renewing, but noticing a slowing in spending overall.

Alex:  Not a member, so no plan to renew.   

Julia:  Is this time to revisit our value proposition.  Rob would like to be a part of this call.  Alex as well.  Robert, Paul Albert and Terrie Wheeler also interested.

Robert: (chat) To me the underlying message is we need to really really really establish our value proposition to our funders...

Robert:  (chat) This is also the time again to assess whether VIVO can stand alone and should we be entertaining another way of tackling ‘community and technology’…we have an ongoing conversation that we are starting with DSpace, CSpace, Fedora to name 3


Robert: (chat) So for value…we have to (and can) frame things differently. We are having this convo across all Community Supported Programs. So we can bring some data to the table
I find that tying a program to a cause or mission helps..no news flash here


Robert: (chat) It doesn’t take us off our ‘North Star’, but is helps keep it relevant

3.    FY 2020- 2021 budget (Hannah, 15 minutes)

Hannah:  Summarized in e-mail sent before meeting what they are hearing and seeing from organizations as a result of the pandemic.  Proposing we approve the budget discussed last month, as a more conservative approach.

Motion to vote?  Tom Cramer motions to approve draft budget, and Rob Cartolano seconds. 

Discussion:

Missed Robert and Julia comments seeking to capture chat comments.

Mike: surprised no change in budget with change in environment.

Rob: Second cut in following fiscal year will be a bigger challenge.  We can probably keep membership at first cut, but may lose some members in second budget cut.

Robert: Consider a slightly more conservative approach, and Lyrasis can modify.  Recommend that we approve current budget.  Keep two things separate.  Current budget vs. program consolidation, stronger global presence, hook our cart to horse of COVID, etc.  Org home needs at least a budget to present to their board. 

Hannah: To build on Robert’s comments, discussed how to rapidly navigate these times, and think of budget as a plan, with regular (quarterly) review and engagement.  Regarding further changes, we have not discussed these potential changes in as much detail as we would like, but this can be done going forward.

Julia:  OK to send out a vote on the budget at this time?

Group agrees, Julia will send that vote on the budget after this meeting.

4.    Generating news for VIVO (Julia and Anna, 5 minutes)

Julia:  Strategic Communications task force created.  Will eventually transition to a an interest group.  Anna and Julia “co-leading” this effort.  Membership:  Estefanía Muñoz, Bruce Herbert, Ann Beynon, Carol Minton Morris.

Group would like news topics sent to this group.  Looking for communications content.

Robert asked about VIVO Leadership Chair starting July 1.  Will elect a new chair in early July.  Will ask for nominations in a few months. Will ask for representatives for Bronze membership representation, etc. in next couple of months.  Damaris Murry will be director and joining LG as member of the group.

Christian:  Conference Task force has a call for proposals.  Please submit proposals!  Please spread to all communities!  Help make this a great event!  

Ann:  We are on a shortened timeframe, so we are hoping for proposals quickly.  So far no proposals have been submitted.

Robert:  Idea: talking about doing a congress in Europe in second quarter of 2021.  This could advance a number of causes in Europe. Cross-programs Lyrasis event a few years ago, and now revisiting this for second quarter 2021.  Trying to get the best value out of the integrations they have.  Want to understand how to learn from the community, and how to leverage the 10 programs across Lyrasis, so we can bring the value to all communities.  Could move the whole idea of open forward. 

Meeting adjourned at noon.