November 17, 2000
Coronado Springs Resort
Orlando, FL

Present: R. Dougherty, M. Gaston, D. Hirsch, M. Hopper, C. Murphy, J. Rodgers, J. Simon, M. St. Germain;
J. Weinberger (absent)

Handouts list: Agenda; Titles-estimated cost list [Barid al-Junub; al-Iraq al-Hurr; al-Sahwah; Subh-i Iran]; MEMP Iraqi Periodicals Project Committee–Dayan Center [Hirsch, Gaston]; MEMP titles received since 11/10/99; MEMP Financial statement 11/17/00; MEMP White Paper; MEMP Meeting Minutes Washington 11/18/99; MEMP Executive Board minutes Cambridge 06/26/00

Call to order at 10:00. Minutes from 26 June read, corrected

CRL Budget presented; CRL news–saved until general membership meeting.  List of titles to be filmed distributed; call for volunteers to catalogue (Uncatalogued Titles List).  Cataloguing forms distributed; to be completed for cataloguing then returned to CRL for inputting.  David Hirsch and Mary St. Germain volunteered to catalogue some.

Ilya Abu Madi’s al-Samir newspaper and magazine filming possibilities, which would involve 60,000 frames and cost as much as $20,000. 
Discussion of Bob Madey’s approaches to disposal of Abu Madi’s Nachlass and back issues of al-Samir. 
Suggestion: pool financial resources of MEMP members to acquire and film from Madey possibly using a supplemental assessment of another $500.  Possibility also of freeing up some funds by postponing some current projects to secure additional funds.

Four titles proposed by David Hirsch [Barid al-Junub; al-Iraq al-Hurr; al-Sahwah; Subh-i Iran]. 
Discussion: UCLA has the titles in library.  Question: does LC have al-Sahwah? On LC list or combine with LC efforts to film combine holdings; Chris Murphy will check LC’s holdings. 
Authorized, pending final word from LC; al-Sahwah conditional pending LC and UCLA holding determination and reconciliation.
Subh-i Iran: an Iranian-American newspaper; discussion of whether MEMP wants to undertake filming in this in this area: consensus is yes.  Holdings to be checked exactly.  Any other holdings? This was already brought up at June ‘00 meeting.
al-Iraq al-Hurr also held in the Dayan Centre; is it complete? Need to determine if Dayan can cooperate and combine holding with other holding libraries

D. Hirsch: Arabic newspaper from Sulaymaniyah Ittihad: What are the possibilities for this titles?

MEMP Iraqi Periodicals Project with Dayan Centre: M. Gaston and D. Hirsch (See distributed list.)
Discussion of holdings at other institutions besides Dayan Center.  Some titles being filmed by LC. Is there overlap? LC now receiving Iraqi materials through Amman.   There is an exemption applied for by LC pending, but they are buying nevertheless materials from Iraq.
Dayan also has some film of al-Thawrah.  Dayan can do silver halide filming, but such filming is expensive.
LC Cairo will not do any filming; it is too expensive.
Thus, silver halide filming will cost MEMP significantly more that usual

CRL is reviewing and recalculating microfilming costs: purchase cost $60 to $90 per reel;  The issue will be taken to Area Studies Council, pending.

Bayrut Taymz: D. Hirsch contacted Bay Film; missing issues are old and not easily available or probably not at all (see last minutes)

J. Simon : Turkish newspapers to continue? C. Murphy has prioritized into a list by completeness of holdings; continuation of LC holdings. J. Simon has list but not distributed to the board.

M. Hopper: MEMP white paper discussion. The White Paper was produced by J. Simon and redistributed at the June meeting. Nothing has progressed since the June meeting [Note: The last distribution and call for comments by J. Simon was in an e-mail of 12 Apr 2001. Comments offered by D. Hirsch.]  Board’s opinion? Discuss the paper by e-mail or otherwise?  There was a white paper commission, but now decommissioned. The Board will take it up again. There is a possibility that the new members Emory, Cornell, and Utah will offer fresh insight.  Comments will be solicited at the general membership meeting later.

MEMP brochure needs to be revised.  Is there a possibility of attracting new members from overseas?

Meeting adjourned


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