Minutes from the SIG Convenors’ Meeting


Susan Schreibman14 November 2009The Text Encoding Initiative

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Chris RuotoloAdded P5 markup

Present: Øyvind Eide (Ontologies), Amanda Gailey (Manuscripts), Kevin Hawkins (local host and Libraries), Serge Heiden (Tools), Julianne Nyhan (Education), Dan O’Donnell (Board Chair), Elena Pierazzo (Manuscripts), Doug Reside (Text and Graphics), Laurent Romary (Council Chair), Kenneth Reed (Scholarly Publishing), Malte Rehbein (Manuscripts), Chris Ruotolo (TEI Secretary and Board), Stephanie Schlitz (Education), Susan Schreibman (SIG Convener and Board Member), Peter Stadler (Correspondence)

The meeting was called to order at 12:30 EST.

After an introduction by SIG Chairs, we spoke about what was successful and what might be changed in regards the SIGs within the structure of the TEI MM/Conference. The following recommendations were made:

  • Change the name to ‘SIG Working Group Meetings’ rather than ‘SIG Business Meetings’.

  • SIG chairs welcomed the idea of being able to present a poster and participate in the slam. They also welcomed the idea that the poster would be accepted outside the usual refereeing process.

  • There was general consensus that having all SIGs meet during the same two hour slot was not as satisfactory as the arrangement at Kings in which SIGs were able to elect for meetings from one hour to all day. It was agreed that this would allow for the greatest participation of the membership in the activities of the SIGs.

  • SIG chairs agreed to follow up on the MM in the following ways:

  • Post minutes to the individual SIG lists
  • Post minutes to TEI-L
  • Mark up minutes for posting on SIG pages on the TEI site (this should be sent to Chris Ruotolo following a template from another set of minutes)
  • Chairs agreed that they would like to use some time during the TEI MM Business Meeting to update the membership on the activities of the SIGs during the past year. It was noted that this was past practice and seems to have worked quite well.

  • Prior to next year’s MM, SIG Chairs should send out pre-meeting announcements, including an agenda.

  • For next year’s MM, it was requested that SIG chairs have a distinctly coloured badge (as Board and Council members did this year) indicating the name of the SIG they were chairing.

  • The second order of business was a general discussion on the ways the TEI Board and Council could better support the SIGs. The conversation was wide ranging, and included the following suggestions:

    • Chairs uniformly requested that the TEI provide an easier more integrated way for them to post material to the TEI site and have it be part of the official record (as opposed to the wikis which seem more ephemeral and marginal to the TEI-C site). Several options were discussed, but the one uniformly praised was the possibility of SIG Chairs being granted administrative access to a series of SIG pages. Chris said she felt this was possible with the current TEI content management system. She said she would look into this and report back.

    • It was also felt that newcomers to the TEI might find it easier to participate in a SIG or post to a SIG list than to TEI-L. It was suggested that a ‘New to the TEI site button’ could be inserted on the home page that linked to the SIG home page. It was also agreed that the home page for the SIGs could be more welcoming. Susan said she would look into this.

    • There was a debriefing about TEI EJ from Julianne and Stephanie as well as a call for content and reviewers. Chairs praised the work of the Education SIG in this venture.

    • Mini Grants were discussed. It was wholeheartedly agreed that these provided a valuable opportunity for SIGs to carry out the work of the TEI. Chairs asked the TEI Board to continue and expand them. It as also noted that they:

    • Were extremely helpful in getting TEI work done
    • Important in indicating that the TEI supported the project/ event
  • A discussion on the role of Council Liaison ensued. It was agreed that this was an important link, but that at present the relationship did not work as effectively or efficiently as it might. Laurent and Susan agreed to discuss this point and get back to the Chairs.

  • Adjourned at 13:30 EST.