ADMINISTRATION (CH)

 I)    STATISTICS (RJR)

Over-all, reference activity has increased 10%, mostly through  remote services.  Reference Services alone will fulfill over 35,000 specific requests this fiscal year..

                    Search Room attendance - Visits continue at steady rate and will again likely reach 15,000.
 

                    Telephone business - we receive approximately 90-100 calls per day, 12% less last year's increase. Patrons are increasing
                    using email while the courts now rely mostly on faxes.
 

                    Email - Averaging 261 plus emails monthly at ref@mdarchives.state.md.us This is only 18% less than the reference email received from
                    both mdarchives@mdarchives.state.md.us and ref@mdarchives.state.md.us last year.

                    Mail - There has been a 12% decrease in specific reference services mail as patrons turn more to other forms of communication.

Website usage - mdsa.net and related sites will receive over 33,000,000 million hits this fiscal year.
Most popular pages at mdsa.net:

                      1.Homepage
                      2.Search the Archives
                      3.Maryland Manual On-Line
                      4.Who are Your Elected Officials
                      5.Reference Services

Shifts - Compared to previous service, patrons are using the fax more, and less the phones; and email more with less mail.

II)  VOLUNTEERS

Presentation of the Governor's Citation for Doug Hayman (nomination) (CH and ECP)

Researching the Underground Railroad at the Maryland State Archives and
The Underground Railroad Network To Freedom Program names Archives Official Site for Underground Railroad Research (CH)

Recruiting:  flyer, researchers, reference, shelf reading (CH)

 III)    DIGITALIZATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCES and the E-Government Strategic Plan (CH, RJR, ECP)

        Index 38. (Freedom Records, PG, Index), 1806-1869. MSA S1411
        Index 39. (Freedom Records, QA, Index), 1807-1864. MSA S1412
        Index 40. (Freedom Records, QA, Owner Index), 1807-1864. MSA S1413
        Queen Anne's County Circuit Court (Manumissions) MSA T3374
        USCT Muster Rolls (cooperative with Nabb Center)
        Work of Agnes Callum (Slave Statistics, Bounty Papers, &th USCT History)
        Archives of Maryland

IV)    1870 CENSUS INDEX ON-LINE AND CD ACCESS IN THE SEARCH ROOM (CH)

UPDATES: (CH)

Should a minimum age be required for children in the search room?
    Less than age 15 requires permission.  RMT monitors behavior.  We must accomodate the public but prevent disruptions..
Our suggestions for official policy for digital camera usage by patrons in the search room:
    Requires RMT permission, document handling training, offer MSA digital services which are better.
Saturday lunch hour staffing dilemma:
    Insufficient funding for full staffing.  Considering volunteer staff  to keep lobby open.  "Manager" now on duty every Saturday.
Paper finding aids removed from searchroom - the shock is over, more fully capable computers next FY.

NEW ISSUES

• Yellow Block and Patron Return of Film (RJR and Harry Smith)
• Proposed Cost Increases (RJR)

Current Pricing
Proposed Copy Fee Revisions
• The budget  process and patron support (CA)
• Free access to public records prohibts entry fees, in-state or out (RJR)
• Educational efforts past and present (RJR and ECP)

NEXT MEETING DATE -  November

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