2024-11-25 Community Council Meeting Minutes

Meeting schedule reminder

@Simeon Warner

No CC meeting on Dec 9 or Dec 23

There will be a CC meeting on https://folio-org.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AgDnJ instead

Wheo can take notes for Dec 16? @Edwin Pretz is not available then, next i in alphabetical order by first name would be @Joseph Grobelny

• @Johanna Radding will take notes on Dec 16

Chalmers University of Technology introduction

Jessica Lindholm and Marie Widigson

Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) recently joined the FOLIO community

• Introducing the university 75% research focused in engineering and sciences."Oldest New Member of FOLIO" New as members but not as users and partners, significant contributors of time and resources.

• Building the Swedish community engagement with other Swedish Libraries, engagement in working groups: resource access an other focused engagement, and will continue. Close partnership with the National Library. Deep appreciation of the community and open source approach.

Governance Model review

@Simeon Warner

Google docs version of governance model:

Asks if we need a major update or tweaks, but feedback indicates the latter.

SMLLC has tweaked rights for project groups to be able to move w/o specific permissions, and the holding of IP if transfer to other foundations. Maybe ask the OLF to tweak bylaws to protect the Project's IP.

Christopher will bring redlined versions to CC.

Maybe save extensive changes for a face to face meeting.

Rachel and Stephen are helping Simeon to bring further revisions

In person CC meeting

@Christopher Spalding @Simeon Warner

In slack poll 10/12 CC members indicated “inclination, time and funding to travel to an in-person CC meeting“.

• Seems like offer from LOC to host in DC makes sense (1.5days?)

• Attendance (suggestion of CC + other co-chairs + officers) Also: commercial partners and OLF chair?

• Topics can Include, depending on audience & attendees: governance, membership and financial topics, shared infrastructure.

• Simeon will work on poll.

AWS Costs and Infrastructure Fundins

@Shawn Nicholson @Christopher Spalding @Simeon Warner

• @Shawn Nicholson - update on AWS costs and cost projection from the AWS costs groups

• @Christopher Spalding , @Simeon Warner - response to CC letter and update on ongoing discussions of shared infrastructure cost

EBSCO response to CC letter:

Dear Simeon, Shawn, Community Council,  

Thank you for your thoughtful email and for outlining the concerns of the Community Council regarding AWS cost projections and funding principles. EBSCO deeply values our partnership with the FOLIO community and shares the goal of ensuring sustainable and equitable funding models that support the growth and success of the FOLIO platform.  

EBSCO has worked with the current development teams to manage AWS costs and has implemented measures to maintain these expenses at approximately $30,000 per month. We recognize the importance of aligning cost management with community priorities and appreciate the collaborative discussions to understand these needs better.  

We understand the principles you’ve proposed and are actively working with the CC chairs and Shawn Nicholson to gain a comprehensive understanding of what community-funded infrastructure entails. This approach will help define shared responsibilities and ensure that funding mechanisms remain transparent and manageable for all stakeholders.  

EBSCO is committed to supporting development environments in a way that aligns with these principles. We will focus on how to best manage and fund dev/test environments while building solutions for FOLIO.  

Looking ahead, EBSCO is eager to continue working with the Community Council to plan and project costs effectively. This includes ongoing discussions to align on funding structures, priorities, and shared commitments for the future.  

Best regards,  
Christopher Spalding
On behalf of EBSCO Information Services (wearing my EBSCO hat) 

Discussion:

• AWS Costs Update - Shawn Nicholson - rep to costs group, which is a new group as or 1.5 years - CC requested the spend be capped at $30k, alarms set in place, but is manual for shutdown, teams have been committed to that line. March 2025, as Eureka becomes target, some drawdown will kick in to help with that goal. Stephen Pampell - how can devops help support automation. Macabee - If parallel OKAPI infrastructure is maintained then will it threaten the cap? No, but makes it easier!

  Letters to and from EBSCO - Managing the cap, but what is included in community supported infrastructure, speaking from EBSCO side Christopher, pointed out issues of projected AWS budget: reiterated cap, other the new solutions developers, especially like EUREKA/OKAPI, they should pay for their own infrastructure. Also highlights the collaborative nature needed.

  Discussion: the parallel work follows FOLIO's development, but could it be seen as a spike rather than an open-ended increase? AWS costs group aimed to make a year-out budget, still working towards that. The change in expenditure was also based on an outdated budget line. For the upcoming release, which was feature rich, required more dev and increase in bugs called for more UAT environments. Solution was to stack them rather than giving each one their own. Predictability needs to be a goal, and how do we manage the size of the budget: reiterates the need for new dev teams to self-support. What else is central to the budget? 2 issues: maintained of spending - under control, second of what is proper control?

  Would it be okay to finally commit to locking down the cap, spending income but have enough for cash on hand. Simeon will close the loop with Kat to and get to an agreed FY25 budget. We will need to have a longer term plan in place to formulate a FY26 budget.

Better Sample Data Working Group request for community support

See https://folio-org.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYCkIw for details, request is for 2 mid to senior devs for 2 sprints (usually 2 weeks) that are aware of FOLIO data schema to work on this. How might the community support such an effort?

• Could a proposal be written and sent to community leaders? Christopher can and Macabee can help. Member's meeting group could help?

Member Meeting Planning

@Christopher Spalding

@Kirstin Kemner-Heek @Boaz Nadav Manes

From 2024-10-28 Community Council Meeting Minutes@Christopher Spalding @Kemner-Heek, Kirstin @Boaz Nadav Manes volunteered to begin to scaffold a structure for regular members meeting in which a clearer definition of membership-added-value is expressed. Various CC members have expressed an interest in better defining the value proposition for administrators as well as focusing on more intentional marketing and fundraising (business case) for the project.

• Not discussed because group has not yet me. Hope to discuss at Dec 16 meeting