2025-10-09 Partner Call

Facilitator: @Heather Greer Klein

Note Taker: @Esmé Cowles

Attendees

• @Esmé Cowles

• @Jessica McMillen

• @Chrissy Rissmeyer (she/her)

• @Nick Steinwachs

• @Karen Cariani

• @Nicholas Mark Homenda

• @Kirsten Leonard

• @david.schober

• @Esmé Cowles

• @Alicia Morris

• David Moles

• @Chris Awre

• Your name here!

• @Paul Walk

• @Jenny Basford

Agenda & Notes

1. Additions to the agenda?
   
   

2. Board Elections - nominations open, election in November

   1. We have a big turnover this year: three regular cycle seats, three off-cycle seats (2x one year, and 1x two years).

   2. All regular cycle members are eligible to run again; one confirmed

   3. We have two additional nominees running, so we need at least three more to have a full Board in this election.

   4. Please consider running or encourage colleagues to consider running!

   5. Kirsten will be Chair in 2026

   6. Will need a new Treasurer

   7. Heather happy to talk more with potential nominees about what the role involves
      
      

3. Latest Updates on Samvera Connect 2025 Online

   1. Registration is open up to the event, 90 registrants so far

   2. Workshops - Randall added seats to the Allinson Flex workshop

   3. Repository Showcase/Lightning talks - a few spots remain open
      
      

4. Feedback request on proposed 2026 shared staffing initiative

   1. Asking for feedback ahead of Board final discussion and vote this month

   2. Proposal calls for a Contract Technical Coordinator position, 20 hours per month

      1. Calls for Heather to reduce to a 4 day a week schedule, uses saved salary to cover the Technical Coordinator cost for the year

      2. Still working out budget details, but looks like less than $4K over budget right now

   3. Heather brought this to the Board to prevent loss of technical coordination in 2026, and add momentum to current technical development and momentum while institutional staff budgets are suffering in the U.S.

      1. Hyrax Tech Leads rolling off at the end of this calendar year, no community volunteer replacements available; reflects the longtime viability of this as a volunteer role.

      2. Hyrax and Hyku drawing closer together, requires greater coordination. Also the Hyku Community Developer role and the newly trained training camp participants will need guidance to make the most of their pledged developer hours.

      3. Coordinator and Community Manager can work together to reach the wider community in different ways to both show and share the value that comes from working together, and what we need financially to do more of it.

      4. Hyku Community Developer and paid Product Owner roles are grant-funded through 2026, meaning the time is now to harness the momentum of a fuller shared staffing cohort.

   4. Three other initiatives for 2026 to support shared staffing going forward, sustain more shared staff time in 2027:

      1. 2026 fundraising drive for support at any amount: asking every institution to consider a donation of any size to support shared staffing model beyond 2026. Required to continue the Hyku grant-funded positions beyond 2026 as well. Outreach to all non-Partner implementers, all Hyku institutions; live and recorded information sessions to share what shared staffing is accomplishing, could accomplish for understaffed libraries.

         1. What can we do to incentivize donations? What makes sense for partners vs. any donor? Options considered include: discounted rates for some services, votes/input on feature prioritization.

         2. We need to look carefully at current and potential donors and what motivates them. Worth also considering different roles in organizations, because different roles have very different needs and interests.

         3. Helping developers (and other folks who are committed to the community) make the case in their organizations to the people who are making decisions

         4. Encouraging adopters to give something, even if partnership is not realistic in the short term.

         5. Fundraising for specific goals. Have done this in the past for technical goals like Valkyrization. But would like to have staffing itself be the goal here.

         6. There are intangible benefits to investing in open infrastructure, transparent governance, etc.

         7. Reducing Heather’s hours seems like it will reduce our capacity, goes against our other goals. If there are other reasons to reduce Heather’s hours, making that separate from other things seems better.

         8. Shared staffing is an important aspect of the community, what it means to be working together.

         9. We could also revisit a Samvera Foundation as a framing for supporting the community and sustainability.

         10. Having a specific target is helpful for a fundraising campaign.

         11. Rather than fundraising for a specific technical goal, survey needs and identify needs to rally around. This is something a technical coordinator role would help do.

         12. Have we considered Hyku-specific membership/contribution model, more like ArchivesSpace membership model? Figuring out the price-point and what engagement looks like. Motivated by the diversity of the community and making sure we have the right kind of funding/engagement model to provide everyone a way to contribute to the community in a way that makes sense for them.

      2. Board subcommittee to examine the Partnership dues model: to include, Board members, Partners, and non-Partners. Revisit the governance subcommittee work and look at Partnership dues in relation to other communities, and how to increase sustainability and inclusion of a larger number of institutions.

      3. Board subcommittee to examine possible fiscal home savings: good due diligence at the 5 year mark and suggested by OASIS Open.
         
         

5. Other Updates: 

   1. Notetaker for next call (November 13): @Paul Walk

      1. Notetaker for December 11th:

   2. Julie Allinson Award

   3. 2026 Events Poll for anyone in the community

   4. Annual Partner Call Short Survey: share your thoughts on timing and content ahead of 2026. Will share results at the November call.

   5. Sign up to present or facilitate a topic (5 - 30 minutes) at a 2025 Partner call - see list of ideas on the page

   6. Anything for the Samvera Board? (Standing item) 
      
      

Date of next call: November 13th, 2025, Notetaker: Paul Walk