SG f2fmeeting at Samvera Connect 22 October 2019

Invitees

• Julie Allinson
• Chris Awre (joining remotely)
• Carolyn Caizzi
• Jon Dunn  (Chair)
• Hannah Frost
• Rosalyn Metz (Chair elect)
• Robin Ruggaber
• Simeon Warner
• John Weise
  

  Ex-officio

• Richard Green

AGENDA & NOTES

1. Changes to the agenda
   
   
2. Group status checks
   1. Reflection on Monday's Partner Meeting
      Concern that some Partners regularly don't turn up to f2fs
      
      Concern that the Community (Steering especially) often doesn't know about grants.  It would be good to attempt some form of coordination.  We could also create guidelines for grant applications - what to include to ensure Community engagement and interest.  Create a central place to try and coordinate them?  Post facto, the best we can do is to embrace and encourage the work.  We should create a grants list on the website - those where Hydra or Samvera were central.  We should encourage grant recipients to present about their work (and not just at the end).
      
      Resourcing for software development:  The 'ask' must be simpler; direct requests/communication is a must.  "This is what we want to do this year; give us some bodies and we'll allocate them to get a best fit."  Need to create a list of direct contacts for resource asks. Must make sure not just to keep asking the same people.  Not just for code, also documentation, reviews, etc which don't show up as GitHub commits.
      
      Developer Congress was good and worth doing.
      
      
   2. Job description subcommittee 
      Look to improve the TM job description; needs to be semi polished because CM applicants are likely to ask about it - in improved state is could be shared with Partners. 
      
      Need a closer analysis of the financial situation and projections
      Final decision to be made at the January f2f - Partners to be invited to raise concerns, but not a vote (SG has a mandate)
      Add into the rubric "hours less than full-time employment would be considered" or similar
      
      
      
3. Other status checks
   1. Backup fiscal sponsor
      Indiana University may be able to do this - being considered.  Take no action until this resolves.
   2. URI Selection WG
      NTR - discussions at Connect this week.
   3. Connect 2019
      1. Are we all geared up for the morrow? 
   4. Anti-harassment policy / Conflict Resolution document
      Dealt with by Partners at their meeting yesterday.
   5. Connect 2021: 
      In general, SG are supportive of the conference being at Notre Dame
   6. Hyrax PO
      RMC have a job description almost complete and will try to sign it off this week. The conference is an opportunity to approach potential PO's.
   7. Old hydra mailing list addresses: can they now be deleted?
      Delete
      
      
4. Finance subcommittee governance
   Draft a new set of bylaws that reflect current practise - for discussion at f2f in January
   Add Chair-elect as member
   
   
5. Expectations of Partners
   We should be clear what we expect of Partners when they join.
   How do we deal with takeovers and/or mergers.  We should develop a set of principles.
   We should "get out of the little club thing".  If people value our software they should expect to pay and/or otherwise contribute for it to be sustained.
   Draft a Partner prospectus
   
   
6. What is in a name? Consensus on Hyrax as product or as gem or as engine.   Deferred twice.  Hyrax fits into a lot of categories and we are not consistent about how we describe it.  It might help if Steering offered some clarity - or, at least, a recommended practice. Re: "We decided that this needs to be discussed in SG and further with partners."  This problem is known to be causing anguish to some in the Community.
   RMC White Paper p6:  "Hyrax is a repository-building engine, or toolkit, designed to offer a Samvera-powered repository with a set of common, configurable, core functionalities."  Probably can be described accurately as a "product".
   
   
7. Better communication between Steering and the technical folks?
   1. Are we are too distanced from what is going on in and between the technical groups.  It would certainly benefit work like the tech job description, and conversations at conferences (eg) to be kept better informed.  Is there a lightweight way to do this?
      Raised later in the week with Mark Bussey (for RMC) because in his session there was talk of (eg) an annual review.  Perhaps an RMC report should be a standing item for Virtual Connect as well as Connect (as opposed to "if they volunteer it").
      
      
8. Samvera Connect 2019 Presentation.  Quick review to make sure we are in agreement. 
   
   
9. Location and date of January Steering retreat
   W/b Monday, 27 January 2020 - San Diego (Notch 8 offices)
   
   
10. Location and date of Spring Partner Meeting
    Code4Lib is in Pittsburgh Sunday March 8 - Wednesday March 11. Try to arrange a venue for a Partner Meeting on March 12th and a half-day Steering Meeting on Friday 13th.
    
    
11. AOB
    1. Tech calls are cancelled often - is this a cause for concern?
       Yes
       
    2. There should be a standing item on the SG agenda to feed into Partner calls
       Isn't there already?  There should be...
       
       
12. Date of next call
    1. Friday 22nd November