4.    EBLIDA Annual Report 2004 – 2005

5.    EBLIDA Annual Work Programme 2006

The President said that the Annual Work Programme for 2006 is the work agenda for the year. He asked the Council if there were any omissions or questions. He drew the attention of Council to Director Andrew Cranfield's suggestion to focus thoroughly on the communication with regard to membership and external parties within the framework of the Annual Work Programme. The President suggested adding this focus to the work programme. There were no objections to this addition and it was thus concluded that the focus on communication will be added to the Annual Work Programme. 

Pernille Drost (Denmark) asked for further clarification of the work group on Professional Education. She wondered whether the work of the group would be ongoing or whether the group would meet 3 to 4 times and then dissolve. She wondered whether the group has not done its job. The President answered that the work of the group is not ready yet. When the work is finished, the group can be dissolved. He then said that there is only one group that is permanent life within the EBLIDA framework and that is the Copyright Expert Group. All other groups are purely functional and will be terminated when the job is done. 

One Council Member asked if EBLIDA intends to develop the cooperation with LIBER. The President answered that due to the change of Director this has been stalled. He said that the contacts are there and that the contact will be picked up again with the new Director in place. 

Andrew Cranfield referred to the overall strategy of EBLIDA for 2004-2007, in which the organisations that cooperation should be established with are mentioned. The President said that LIBER is not mentioned specifically in the work programme. He suggests that an additional line to this effect should be put in the annual work programme. This suggestion was accepted by Council.

The President concluded that, with the additions, the Annual Work Plan 2006 is accepted and that next year the results will be reported to Council.

6.    EBLIDA Finances (Income/Expenditure/Balance sheet)

The President gave the floor to Finn Vester to take Council through the Financial Statement.

Finn Vester took the delegates through the sheets, stating that:

• Sheet 1 contains the income of EBLIDA

• Sheet 2 and 3 contain the expenditures

• Sheet 4 contains the balance sheet

He continued to say that Council has three tasks:

• to approve the Financial Statement for 2005
• to approve the Revised Budget for 2006
• to approve the Provisional Draft Budget for 2007

With regard to the Financial Statement for 2005 Finn Vester drew the attention of  Council to the difference between the foreseen deficit of € 4,000 and the result of € 2,000. He stated that the income was less than expected due to a decline in membership fees. However, the expenditure was also less than expected due to vacancies at the Secretariat and due to the activities of 2005.

Finn Vester continued to say that the Executive Committee has made the decision to write off € 8,363 in outstanding membership fees. To this effect the Executive Committee has made a list of the members that have paid and those who have not. Further to this, the Executive Committee has decided to go through this list at every EC meeting to check membership payment status. 

Finn Vester then moved on to the accounts and said that these were audited by accountants office Bouwer & Officier, who has provided EBLIDA with a statement saying that they are of the opinion that the accounts present a true and fair view.  

Finn Vester told Council that, according to the balance sheet, 2005 EBLIDA has € 84,000 in the bank. This is in accordance with the Executive Committee position that the bank account should cover 6 months of operating expenditures.

He closed suggesting that Council approves the financial statements.

No questions were asked and no objections were raised by Council.

The President concluded that the Financial Statement 2005 is approved by Council.

Regarding the draft budget for 2006 and the revision, Finn Vester said that there was a decrease on payment from members, which reduced income from € 134,000 to €130,000. Also due to the change of Director the intended workshops did not take place. He continued to say that the expenditures had also decreased due to vacancies at the Secretariat and the fact that intended activities did not take place. The salary of Interim Director Marian Koren did not come from EBLIDA resources.

The President asked Council if there were any questions.

No questions were raised and no comments were made by Council.

The President concluded that the draft budget and revision for 2006 are approved by Council.

Finn Vester went on with the budget for 2007. He said that a drop in income from full members is expected and that the budget, as it has been drafted now is more realistic. Also a decline in income from associate members is expected.

He stated that the expected loss can be sustained on the buffer that was built last year and continued by saying that the Executive Committee has discussed extensively the expected loss in membership fees and thus, decided to adopt a new communication strategy that focuses on telling members more about the benefits of EBLIDA. Also the communication to members will be more direct. Finn Vester stated that retaining customers is a priority.

Finn Vester closed with thanking Marian Koren for the detailed budget and he suggested that the budget should be done every year in this fashion.

The President asked for questions and comments on the budget for 2007.

No questions were asked and no comments were made by Council.

The President concluded that the budget for 2007 is approved by Council.

The President said that outstanding debts pose a problem to EBLIDA. However, since EBLIDA wants to be the voice of libraries across Europe it is very hard to strike members from the list. Especially because, in some cases, striking members from the list means striking countries from the list. If a member does not pay, the debt of that member will continue to grow. To make a come back from that situation after five years would be really hard. From that perspective striking a member from the list seems to offer a fairer chance. In this way also a higher level of transparency in the books will be reached. Hence the Executive Committee proposed to Council that after two consecutive years of non-payment members will have to pay or be deleted as members.

No questions were asked and no comments were made to this proposal by Council. The President concluded that this course of action is approved.

He moved on to the 4 organisations that are up for deletion according to the 2 year rule. These organisations are: 

• Professional Association of Librarians and Documentation Professionals (APBD) – Belgium

• International Media and Book Agency (IBA) – Germany 

• Malta School Library Association (MSLA) – Malta

• Blackheath Library – UK 

Council approved the striking of these members.

The President said that these members will be informed in writing.

7.    Approval of draft minutes Council meeting Cork, 13-14 May 2005

The President thanked everybody from Ireland for organising the meeting which is looked back upon as a wonderful meeting.

He went through the draft minutes of the Council meeting page by page.

Thórdís Thórarinsdóttir (Iceland) noted that on page 4, the word "Science" should be added between "Information and Association" so that it says “Icelandic Library and Information Science Association”. Instead of Annual Report it should say History of Icelandic Library Associations which is a book.

With these changes, the minutes were approved by Council.

8.    Items arising from Minutes Executive Committee meetings

• Cork, Ireland, 12 and 14 May 2005
• Riga, Latvia, 11-12 November 2005
• Rome, Italy, 3-4 March 2006

No further issues arise from the meetings of the Executive Committee in Cork and Riga.  

Pernille Drost (Denmark) stated her agreement with the comment in the minutes of the Executive Committee in Rome on page 3 under item 7 regarding more focus in the EBLIDA strategy.

She underlined that there is a limit to what you can do in order to do it well. The President thanked her for this comment and said that the strategic plan has been taken up with Andrew Cranfield.

Report on progress will be given to Council next year.

9.    Any other business

No other business arose.

10.   Next meeting

The President said that one and a half years ago a very kind invitation from Iceland was extended to hold the EBLIDA Council meeting there. The Executive Committee was very happy with that invitation and now sees the opportunity to accept it.

Jan Ewout van der Putten asked whether the invitation was still valid.

Thórdís Thórarinsdóttir (Iceland) confirmed that it was.

It was decided by Council that the next meeting will be held in Reykjavik on 11 and 12 May 2007.