1. Introduction of new members.
*Andrea Singer
*Deon Dempsey
*Bronwin Bledsoe

2. Minutes from Chicago will be on the CONSALD web page http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/Lib/minutes.html

3. LC -Report (James Gentner)
Acquisition. Director has reorganized Overseas Operations. . OvOp has ceased to exist, and is now "African/Asian Acquisitions & Overseas Operations". (Rio office is included de facto). Excluded are Slavic, Europe, Latin America (except Rio). All phones, addresses, etc. remain the same. Judy McDermott is still chief.

This year, passage of legislative bill for the revolving fund authorization (and the congressional reauthorization) was passed. Thanks to all who wrote their representatives and senators. Don't forget that Thank you follow-up letters are always welcome.

USIF funds are used up this FY. Could we pay for Indian materials in rupees if rupees *could be generated from Indian donors, etc.? Yes, it will be possible to do this, for purchasing of materials and binding but not for overhead/shipping/etc. charges,.which must be paid in US dollars. This method would be time consuming for LC and a substantial amount of money. is needed to make it worthwhile. It would be easier if the entire materials bill could be covered. Advance notification to LC would be needed.

LC did well with its operating budget for the year ($14.7 Million 4.4% increase over last year).

MIPP continues. NEH grant $ expended, but Government of India rupee matching fund has been garnered. Microfilming in Bombay this year, then begin in Hyderabad for Urdu and Telugu materials.

Sage publications might start publishing AccListSouthAsia, as early of January 1998.

There are four new LC program participants.

LC-Delhi received permission to distribute Mapin books (even though co-published by Granada in US).

Delhi staff cataloged 15,986 titles this year.

If there is any interest, reprints can be provided by circular letters only.

Could LC mount a version of the accessions list on a web site? Not yet, but soon. Also they might agree to house and maintain the serials lists (back from Chicago), and the profile data (incl. rankings, back from CRL). Additional information products for web dissemination? Microfiche lists? (But note: if Delhi puts fiche items on their web, that doesn't mean that PhotoDup would be able to supply right away. It could be years ... ). New head of PhotoDup is Kevin Flood. Newsletter from field office. Annual reports.

The lift vans are being unpacked more quickly at LC due to security concerns.

State Dept. has started charging on a new basis to other "client" agencies. Impact on overhead charge not known yet. But a rise in the overhead charge could be seen by FY2000.

At AAS in March 1998 in DC, The Asian Division will offer tours and a presentation on March 27, 2-4:30.

4. SAC-East
Need to have CONSALD task force to look at national licensing of commercial electronic products for South Asia. CONSALD appointed new task force:
*Jim Nye
*David Magier, chair
*Allen Thrasher
*Phil McEldowney
*Suzanne McMahon

5. CIC
Michigan/Minnesota sharing of Don Johnson: an evaluation of value of this approach is underway ad the project coming to an end.
Cooperative South Asia Reference Tools program (BookLab facsimile publication of early ref tools). New proposals include: India Office Catalogues (1880's to 1900's), Imperial Gazetteers... Should a working group be created to propose phase II titles?

NRCs: Wisconsin, Michigan, Chicago. They will convert Platts to digital form for public access. Distributed collecting responsibilities for Govt. Documents? Cooperative reference service.

6. SAC-West
If a Consortium library chose not to use LC as vendor, that member is to supply with some material in their interest and still be of value to the consortium - provide with equitable value.

7. CRL
SAPTF: CRL must receive the profile data from this year ASAP.

8. Regional language statistics
Debate on whether statistics should be made public...

9. BAS
Need to give greater weight to Pakistan/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka/Nepal

10. URLC
Urdu Research Library - have complete list of serials and has made some progress in romanizing the bibliographic records.

11. OTHER
New York Public has dropped Oriya, Assamese and Panjabi languages from the their profile .

BAS update - It is going well. Indexes are being created 1972-1997;. The next project is to go back to pre 1972. The 1991 issue is the latest published.

ARL project on the digital south Asia Library - ARL with Mellon grant are looking for project - looked up the proposals (i) Indexing 38000 articles in Tamil, 30000 in Urdu, 4700 articles in English language journals; full text version of journal articles incorporated in BAS; electronic resource tool; statistical sources date base; scanning capacity; document of page delivery of Tamil, Urdu page images.

Future of area studies librarianship.
*Are we librarians first or specialists first?

The AAS is sponsoring a reference publication series. Donald.Clay Johnson is the editor.

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