Annual Report 1999/2000 

Public Services Section

Progress on goals identified for 1999/2000 are as follows:

Goal 1. Better communication among members

• The PSS Website was enhanced with PowerPoint presentations from two of the PSS-sponsored paper sessions at MLA ’99, allowing access to programming for members not able to attend the annual meeting.
• Nancy Stimson was named newsletter editor, and three issues of the newsletter were produced.
• The dormant PSS email discussion list should be revived before the May 2000 meeting.

Goal 2. Organization

• The development of a Section Policy and Procedure Manual has begun, and will continue into next year. This will become a responsibility of the PSS past-chair.
• Elections for 2000/01 were completed by the March 1 deadline. The nominating consisted of Mary L. Marix (chair) and Katy Nesbit. Elected were: Barbara Slater, Chair-Elect: Charles J. Greenberg, Secretary-Treasurer; Barbara W. Francis, Section Council Representative; Virginia A. Lingle, MLA Nominating Committee Nominee.

Goal 3. Advocacy/Professional Development

• At the 1999 Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL, the Public Services Section sponsored three contributed paper sessions: "Standards and Quality Assurance in Public Services," "Digital Resources Issues and Management: Selection to End User," and "Digital Resources Issues and Management: Interface Design and Access." The two "Digital Resources" sessions were co-sponsored by PSS with the Collection Development and Technical Services Sections. Once again, the PSS SIGs sponsored a round-table discussion session on topics including "Use of Standards in Public Service Functions," "The Extinction of the Medical Reference Librarian: Will We Disappear?" and "When to Coach and When to Counsel: Boosting Employee Performance." Although this session unfortunately coincided with the MLA Open Forum on dues increases, it was enjoyed by the approximately 25 people who attended.
• The results of the 1999 member survey are being quantified and categorized, and will be discussed at the 2000 Board meeting, to decide how these results might further the professional development of PSS members.

MOTION
This report is informational and requires no action by the Board of Directors.

Janna C. Lawrence, Chair