October 6, 2011 BHL Executive Committee notes

BHL Executive Committee Call Thursday October 6 11 a.m. EDT

On call: Tom Garnett, Martin Kalfatovic, Connie Rinaldo, Cathy Norton

Topics:
A.Status of Life and Literature: speakers lined up, 50+ people registered, poster sessions set up, rooms caterers etc. are ready. Still some loose ends. We should assign responsibilities for cultivation and off-site discussion. Head of USFW library attending--someone should pay attention to people like this. Connie volunteered for USFW. ACTION: Connie will start putting people on attendee list into groups for shepherding. Director of LA Nat Hist Museum library is coming. Reps of funding institutions will be there too. (collaborators, eg. Erik Mata, funders, new members e.g. USFW, LANH museum, other library directors...). There is a big list of restaurants thanks to local organizers.

Global meeting on Sunday Nov 11
Staff meeting on Nov 16
African meeting on Nov 16: who from BHL? Tom, Chris and Cathy or Graham, need to pin down.

There is a world premier of the Charles Darwin Mass--setting his work to music--at MBL. It is a TEDx presentation.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Missa-Charles-Darwin-evolution-in-music

Might put this at the close of Day 1.

ACTION: Connie: Tell William to put Maura Marx and Rebekah Heacock(representing DPLA in lieu of John Palfrey) on complimentary registration list.

B. Movement on New Membership: NAL Simon Liu--ACTION: Tom will email about membership possibilities. USGS-Richard Huffine, they want to join and they have the MOU. Hope to have it signed before November. Will attend L&L. May have money for scanning from their collection using IA.
C. Planning: It would be good to have some long-range strategic planning leading to a document ready for approval in March. The IC can review and provide input so that the Steering Committee can vote. Need an update and status report that is a formal presentation.
D. March meeting of IC: Connie sent a note:
"Turns out the Agassiz room is booked on Thursday March 15. We can split the days--Thursday in a room in the BioLabs building and Friday in the Agassiz room.
OR we can book a room in the new building, NW Labs, but there would be an audio/visual fee of $540 for both days, even if we bring our own equipment.

Hotels: Discounts are only available at the Sheraton if we block the rooms ahead of time. And the discounted rate is $229 --not much of a bargain. It isn't clear what the rate would be if people book themselves. Another option is the Irving House, a sort of B&B with 17 rooms and rates there vary from 160-180. And of course, people can find cheaper places a bit farther away.

I should have catering costs soon--I asked for pricing for lunch, snack and coffee as well as a broader breakfast offering along with lunch and coffee."

The various rooms are reserved so we have time to make a decision.

LIst of nearby hotels so people can book on their own. ACTION: Martin will start a wikipage for the IC meeting.
E. other : Tom will be in Texas on leave from Oct. 10-17.