Steering Group Meeting Minutes

1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising

2.1 Minutes of the Steering Group meeting held on 5 May 2009

The minutes were formally approved.

2.2 Matters arising and previous meeting actions

• (Under 2.2) Devising a system for reviewing web pages - the Group agreed that each working group chair would nominate someone to ensure working group pages were up to date and that SL would take over from Adam Edwards to review the website with the Support Team.
  
• (Under 3.2) NB had informed Consortium members about changes to the strategic planning cycle at the 2009 AGM.
• (Under 4.0) GCDS had included an item on company and charitable status at the 2009 AGM.
• (Under 5.2) CL had prepared budget and subscription spreadsheets for the 2009 AGM.
• (Under 6.2) AE had confirmed membership with the Horniman Museum.
• (Under 6.3) AE had distributed Steering Group nomination papers.
• (Under 9.0) MN had prepared a summary about the Digital Platform Project for the 2009 AGM.
• (Under 10.1.1) AM had sent AE details about a call for new members of the Strategic Partnerships WG.

3. Membership of the Steering Group

3.1 New Chair of Digital Developments Working Group (was RDWG)

Due to the retirement of William Marsterson, the SG needed to appoint a new chair of the Group who had to be an M25 member representative. John Tuck (Royal Holloway) had been approached and was willing to take on the role. This was formally approved by the Group. JT will be invited to the next meeting of the working group and is also co-opted onto the Steering Group.

3.2 Vacancies on the Steering Group

NB stated that there was still one potential vacancy on the Steering Group (due to SL becoming Secretary) and FN advised the Group to make preparations for her standing down in the summer of 2010.

4. Matters Arising from the 2009 M25 Annual General Meeting

The Group had a general discussion about the format for the AGM 'day' and associated presentations and agreed that there could be longer presentations if the subject matter warranted it. Also agreed that the annual networking event would be preceded by an afternoon meeting/event for member representatives starting at around 3pm.

4.1 Changes to governance documents

Action 4.1 SL to liaise with the Support Team to update governance documents in relation to the revised schedule of full members' meetings.

4.2 Steering Group (not full Consortium) approval of potential new Consortium members.

Not discussed.

4.2 Meetings cycle for 2009/10

CL noted that the AGM needed to approve the accounts for the previous financial year and that the accounts would now need to be submitted to Companies House 28 days after incorporation, namely by 28th April each year. Following further discussion, the following summarises full Consortium and Steering Group meetings:

• September - Afternoon Members Meeting followed by Evening Networking Event
• October/November - SG meeting (incl. outline plans for Annual Conference and AGM)
• January - Annual SG Planning Day and New Year's Meal
• March - SG Meeting
• April - Annual M25 Conference including AGM for member representatives (Date may be dependent on Easter)
• July - SG Meeting

5. Strategic Planning Cycle

The Group discussed ideas for the afternoon of 23rd September (date set for the annual networking event and launch of the Directors' Room). RL and FN volunteered to look at the programme. It was agreed that an email advertising the event would be sent to specified recipients as soon as possible, followed by an e-flyer (PDF) in early September.

A library consortia event was proposed for December 2009 and AM agreed to take the lead in organising this and look at who to invite. The Group agreed that M25 should host the event and offer to pay travel expenses.

6. Updating the M25 Action Plan

Updates by chairs of working groups to the Action Plan for 2009-10 should be sent to the M25 Administrator by the end of September ready for an updated plan for the October SG meeting.
Action 6.1 Working Group chairs to send updates for Action Plan by end September.

7. Company and Charitable Status Update

NB noted progress on the application for charitable status and commented that the process was nearly complete. The registered office for the company/charity would be at the auditors (Kingston Smith).

8. Treasurers Report

8.1 Current Financial Status

CL reported that the current financial situation was better than anticipated but expected a small deficit to occur.

8.2 Initial discussion on accounts (M25 and cpd25) auditing process/requirements for 2008-9

CL stated that there was no legal requirement for the accounts to be scrutinised for the current financial year (2008-9) but the Group agreed to get Kingston Smith to audit the accounts in order to prepare for the following year. It was agreed by the Group that new appropriate business bank accounts be opened with HSBC for the 2009-10 academic/financial year. It was also agreed that JG becomes a signatory on the main M25 bank account.

CL noted that an exit strategy would be necessary for when the M25 Web Services post ended in March 2011.

9. M25 Support Team Report

9.1 Support Team update

JG announced the Vicky Falconer had been appointed as M25 Administrator and was due to start on 20 July, joining Claire Hackshall (cpd25 Administrator) who took up her post at the beginning of June. VF would provide administrative support for the Director Services group and also join the Marketing & Communication group.

9.2 WAM25 Update

JG noted that there was no further news regarding progress with funding for WAM25, the matter resting with HEFCE.

10. cpd25 Report

MN reported that there had been 45 events this year with a total of 946 attendees. Approximately half the events were not quite full and a few events would have benefited from more people attending. The Group agreed that events should be advertised more in advance and if bookings were slow, then the events should be offered to organisations outside of M25 members.

One of the 946 attendees classed an event as 'poor', six said 'satisfactory' the remainder giving 'good' to 'excellent'. It was noticed that attendee feedback was less positive when the briefing of presenters was not as good as it could have been.

11. Reports from Task and Working Groups

11.1 Strategic Partnerships

AM reported on the progress of "Inspire London" and noted that the London Libraries Development Agency had been amalgamated into London Libraries (LL). AM commented that the LL steering group were seeking another HE representative and that the Strategic Partnerships WG was seeking some new members also.

11.2 Director Services

Reports from the Group were included in arrangements for the launch of the Directors’ Room at the 23 September Networking Event.

11.3 Marketing & Communication

FN reported that work on this year's annual report was progressing well and that texts were required by mid-July.

11.4 Quality

JH noted that a recent meeting was unfortunately postponed but the group were forging ahead with the Job Description repository and front line service survey.

11.5 Digital Developments [was RDWG]

The Steering Group agreed that an early task for the DDWG to address was what to do regarding the review of InforM25.

12. Matters for future meetings

MN kindly offered to host the next meeting at Goldsmiths on 22 October 2009.

• Discuss and agree theme for April/May 2010 One-day conference and AGM

13. Any other business

There was none.

14. Summary of New Actions

14.1 SL to liaise with Support Team on website review.

14.2 MN and JH to arrange a meeting to discuss forthcoming projects and having a member of the cpd25 Task Group 1 join the Quality Working Group. 

14.3 CL to draw up general expenses guidelines for people involved in M25 business; e.g. cpd25, Directors’ Room, staff, etc and bring it to the next SG meeting.

14.4 All SG members had been sent username details for the Directors' Room for updating their profiles and engaging in online discussions - discussions should continue.

14.5 M25 Administrator to upload M25 Brand guideline document to website.

15. Dates (and venues) of next meetings

23 September 2009 - Afternoon meeting and Directors' Room Launch at evening Networking Event
22 October 2009 - Steering Group meeting at Goldsmiths.

 Minutes by JG