AMICO Board

AMICO Board Meeting
June 4, 1998
12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m.
Worcester Mass.

Minutes

Note: The original notes from the meeting were lost in the theft of a briefcase. These minutes are a reconstruction. Members were requested to read them carefully and note any corrections.

In Attendance

Chairman:	Harry S. Parker, III
In Attendance:	Albright Knox Art Gallery, Douglas Schultz Art Gallery of Ontario, Maxwell Anderson Asia Society Galleries, Vishakha Desai Center for Creative Photography, Terrence Pitts Cleveland Museum of Art, Robert P. Bergman Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, Peter Walsh George Eastman House, Tony Bannon Minneapolis Museum of Art, Evan Maurer Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Marcel Brisebois Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, Hugh Davies Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Malcolm Rogers National Gallery of Canada, Pierre Théberge Philadelphia Museum of Art, Anne D'harnoncourt San Jose Museum of Art, Jose Callan Walker Art Center, Kathy Halbreich Frick Collection, Samuel Sachs (potential member)
Staff:	Jennifer Trant, David Bearman, Archives & Museum Informatics Mimi Gaudieri and Anita DeFanis, Association of Art Museum Directors

1. Call to Order
The Board was called to order by Chairman Harry Parker after eight members (a quorum) had convened. Other members arrived from other meetings and a press conference, over the course of the meeting. Attendance shows all who attended some of the meeting.

2. Introductions
introductions were made all around and members exchanged information about their experiences in contributing to The AMICO Library this spring and their commitment (all substantially increased) of documentation for next year.

3. Minutes from Last Meeting
Motion to approve the minutes of the January 27, 1998 meeting was made by Terry Pitts and seconded by Douglas Schultz. Passed unanimously.

4. Legal Issues

4a. AMICO's Incorporation
Harry Parker reported that AMICO Inc. had been incorporated in the District of Columbia. He reported that the Executive Committee had reviewed and recommended that the Board adopt the Draft By-Laws drafted by Michael Shapiro, AMICO's General Counsel, and circulated for the meeting. After review and discussion, a Motion to adopt the Bylaws was made by Maxwell Anderson and seconded by Vishakha Desai, Passed Unanimously.

Harry Parker thanked Millicent Gaudieri and the AAMD Educational Foundation for its support of AMICO's startup activities.

4b. AMICO's Officers
The Executive Committee proposed a slate of candidates for the Officers of AMICO Inc.: Harry S. Parker, Chair, Robert Bergman, Vice-Chair, Malcolm Rogers, Secretary and Maxwell Anderson, Treasurer.

Moved by Douglas Schultz moved, and seconded by Kathy Halbreich that the proposed officers be named. Passed Unanimously.

4c. AMICO Membership Agreement
Parker introduced the AMICO Membership Agreement to the Board. The Executive Committee urged that each member of the Board signing the Agreement and return it quickly. He explained, that this is essential to meeting our deadlines for the release of the Library: The Research Libraries Group (RLG) cannot make a Members' contribution to Library available for testbed users this summer without a signed agreement. After discussion, all to concluded that they would review the document internally. Jennifer Trant and David Bearman are available to answer questions.

Moved by Terry Pitts that all AMICO Members be urged to sign and return their Membership Agreement. Seconded by Douglas Schultz . Passed.

4d. AMICO's Licenses to use the Library
The status and texts of the University License and Museum License were reviewed. Some questions about what was permitted under the license were discussed and the terms clarified. No redistribution of AMICO Works (for example posting to the Web, or publishing) is permitted under the licenses. Each member was urged to sign the Museum License so that their staff would have access to The AMICO Library this fall. All AMICO members who have signed the license will receive free access to The AMICO Library through the Research Libraries Group (RLG).

5. Financial Issues
Harry Parker thanked David Bearman and Jennifer Trant, Michael Shapiro and Maxwell Anderson for their agreement to deferred billing of all their expenses related to AMICO. Parker and noted that AMICO will be obliged, if it has funds in the future, to pay these not yet invoiced expenses.

5a. Fundraising
A report on fundraising was made by Maxwell Anderson, chairman of the Development Committee. The Delmas Foundation has made an award of $10,000 to assist AMICO to develop a proposal for NSF funding. We expect the Mellon Foundation to provide a small planning grant of $45,000 this month, and hope to be able to return to the Mellon in after six to eight months to request more substantial support. A number of other fundraising applications are pending, as outlined in the chart circulated at the meeting.

Other options for fundraising were discussed. Robert Bergman agreed to approach the Lila Wallace Foundation for support. He and Vishakha Desai will together approach the Hazen Foundation which May also be interested. Maxwell Anderson will approach Shirley Thompson of the Canada Council, and coordinate other fundraising efforts in his capacity as Development Committee Chair.

5b. Budget
The Executive Committee recommended a conservative spending strategy, and has adopted a "worst case" budget presented by Archives & Museum Informatics, AMICO's management consultants. Bearman noted that instructions were to spend based on no additional outside support and to recruit but not hire prior to the September Executive Committee Meeting. Budget Status would be reviewed at that time. The Board agreed to this strategy.

Sam Sachs (Frick Collection, a potential new AMICO member) asked whether the budget included the costs of all of AMICO's servers. Maxwell Anderson replied that it did not, as the Art Gallery of Ontario, through the Art Museum Network, was supporting AMICO's web sites. Anderson asked the Board for permission to seek corporate support for the AMICO web site since the costs of that site. This request led to discussion, including an expression of concern that AMICO might be perceived as creating a 'commercial' product, when it had put itself forward as strictly educational. There was also concern about the reaction of contemporary artists.

The Board agreed that Anderson could seek corporate support for the AMICO Web site on AMN if: 1) the AMICO Board retained approval over any potential sponsors and their means of acknowledgement, and 2) any income earned from sponsorship, in excess of accounted costs for operating the Web site by AGO/AMN, would be returned to AMICO Inc. It was agreed that Anderson should return to the Board with a proposal, and perhaps a prototype so that a decision could be reached when a potential sponsor had come forward.

6. Strategic Issues for FY 98.99

6a. Artists Rights
Kathy Halbreich reported on discussions she had had with a number of other AMICO members regarding artists rights. She noted that this was a major reason for the Walker to have joined AMICO. She looks forward to collaborative efforts by the AMICO members, and noted that Jennifer Dowling of NEA had offered to assist AMICO in bringing artists together with museums for discussions. While all concurred that this was important, and that AMICO members needed to identify artists who would be useful opinion leaders in their own community, it was noted that AMICO needs to work with ARS and other rights societies, and clarify the role of Fair Use.

Jennifer Trant reported on some initial contacts with artists rights societies and explained AMICO's position on Fair Use. She noted that we are not using the Fair Use defense in the construction of The AMICO Library, and are offering a license for its use because the kind of systematic copying permitted under the AMICO license, as well as other uses, are not covered by the U.S. concept of Fair Use . More importantly, the Fair Use doctrine is not present in many other countries where AMICO Members may be located or to which we might license the Library. Bearman noted that the convenience of being able to license The AMICO Library with known rights was one of the attractions to subscribers.

6b. Encouraging Library Use
All present agreed that access to The AMICO Library would be a benefit to their institutions, and that they would consider ways to encourage its use in their own education and research programs.

7. Adjournment
As there was no other business, the meeting was adjourned by Harry Parker at 2:00pm.

Last modified on  January 8, 2003