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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-17-19 BPL Minutes FinalBozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Bozeman Public Library—Board Room Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 Minutes Attendance Board Chair John Gallagher; Trustees Ken Spencer, Kelley Dowdell, Jennifer Pawlak; Bozeman Public Library (BPL) Director Susan Gregory; BPL Department Heads Mary Jo Stanislao, Kit Stephenson, Lois Dissly, Cindy Christin; Administrative Assistant Lauranna Cossins; Bozeman Public Library Foundation Director Janay Johnson; City Commissioner Terry Cunningham; County Commissioner Scott MacFarlane; Friends of the Library President Pam Henley. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Board Chair Gallagher at 4:00pm. Approval of the Minutes Terry Cunningham made a correction: the Parks department could become a special assessment in the future, not the Library, as was stated in the minutes. Trustee Pawlak moved to approve the minutes from the March 27th, 2019 meeting as amended. Trustee Spencer seconded. The Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes. Master Plan Steering Committee Janay Johnson passed around a draft timeline with some notes about the proposed site master plan steering committee. She would like the committee to start meeting by the end of May, and said it will ideally be comprised of trustees from the Foundation/Library/Friends boards, library staff, patrons, and stakeholders from the City. She noted that the purpose of this process is to produce a concrete plan with pictures and a price estimate that will propose how to add on to or otherwise reconfigure the building to meet the needs of the Library and community. She will then take this plan to donors. She envisions meeting with the committee three to four times to investigate possibilities for the site before hiring architects. Correspondence Susan Gregory shared correspondence from the community. A patron commented that there is no place to set things down at the self-check station on the second floor. Someone else thanked the Library for being great. A patron requested that the Library restrict phone usage in the building. Someone requested that the SymBozium events be broadcast or available as a podcast (Kit Stephenson noted that they are available on radio station KGVM). Someone complained about the lack of cleanliness and bad smells in the men’s restroom. A patron thanked the Library for being awesome and providing a place for people who might otherwise have nowhere else to go. A visitor in the Children’s department said that there is always a great selection of books for kids and the staff is fun and helpful. Director and Staff Report Susan Gregory reported that work is continuing on the Open Door project (i.e. the door from the small room inside the Community room to the lobby). An architect needs to approve the door itself and a contractor will order it and install it. Once the entry is finished, partner organizations will be able to schedule time in the room for public outreach. Mayor Cindy Andrus has said that she would like to use the room to visit with citizens. Several other City departments’ staff have said that they will use the space to meet with citizens, too. Gregory said there is no update on the start date for the parking lot improvements yet. Cindy Christin said that the Children’s department is getting ready for the summer reading program, and she is seeking science teachers who would be interested in participating. The Earth Day celebration is coming up this weekend with the cleanup starting at 8am at the Library, and a community celebration at 1pm with several organizations attending, along with performances, talks, and a hot dog cart. Kit Stephenson reported that Carmen Clark has been hired as the Head of Adult Services and Outreach. Carmen’s Bookmobile librarian position is in the process of being filled. Stephenson said staff will be using the upstairs computer/reference desk in its new location starting at the end of this week, and are looking for a new name for it. About 250 people attended the SymBozium event, and there was a lot of good feedback from attendees. The annual volunteer brunch is on May 1st. City Report Terry Cunningham reported that the Commission approved the downtown plan, which is an update from the 2009 plan, and is a wish list of improvements for downtown Bozeman. Items on the list include back-in angle street parking, limiting truck traffic, adding a bike path on Babcock and sharrows on Mendenhall. Nothing has been greenlit, and each decision will require public notice, discussion, and collaboration with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). Friends Report Pam Henley reported that there will be a pop-up sale next Friday from 4-6pm in the lobby. The next regular sale is at the end of June. There will be a book donation drop-off event on May 11th from 10am-2pm, with donors receiving a certificate for a free book at the next sale. The Friends are working with the Foundation for Give Big Bozeman. The Friends have funded Kanopy and Lynda.com as a way to help with the budget aspect of the fine free transition. Trustee Pawlak asked if state aid to BPL will be reinstated. Henley said that it should be coming back this year, and Susan Gregory added that BPL can expect about $23,000 from the state in late summer. Foundation Report Janay Johnson mentioned Give Big as well, and reported that the Foundation and Friends are continuing to find ways to work together to be more efficient and not duplicate efforts. The Foundation is managing some of the Friends’ money because it is simpler for accounting purposes. Adjournment There being no further business, Board Chair Gallagher adjourned the meeting at 4:50pm.