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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-16-10 Library Board of Trustee MinutesBozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Library Board /Staff Conference Room Bozeman Public library Wednesday, June 16, 2010 4:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Present: Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Holly Brown; Judy Mathre; Jacki McQuire; Donna Swarthout; Paula Beswick, Foundation; Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Absent: Sean Becker, Deputy Mayor; and Chris Kukulski, City Manager. Guest: Sarah McHugh, Statewide Projects Librarian. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. by Chair Farmer. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Montana State Library Statewide Projects Librarian Sarah McHugh was at the Library for a Montana Library Courier /Delivery Service Pilot Project meeting and talked about the project with the Trustees. There is approximately $160,000 available for public libraries to participate in this project. Certain libraries such as the Bozeman Public Library have been designated as drop sites where materials are delivered daily during the week by Medical Logistics Solution, a Denver firm serving hospitals in Montana. "Served libraries" are smaller libraries in the area such as Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, West Yellowstone, Big Timber, and Livingston, which are then responsible for getting the materials to their libraries. The project began in April in order to increase resource sharing throughout the state, and Bozeman and Miles City libraries were recently added to the list. The courier arrives five days a week, and the driver is responsible for sorting incoming bins. The higher the volume of materials, the more cost effective the project becomes. There were about 160 items delivered in April, which increased to 350 in May. Using the courier service saves on postage, bags, and time. There is a possibility that audio /video items can be interlibrary loaned through the courier service, as the concern was handling of these items through the mail service. There is one time funding for this project, and the price for the courier is $1,100 for five days and $580 for two days. There were no questions, and Chair Farmer thanked McHugh for her presentation. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mathre moved to accept the May 19, 2010 Library Board minutes, McQuire seconded, and the motion passed 4 -0. CORRESPONDENCE Meister received public comments which included a question about several magazines this patron was used to browsing. It turned out these magazines have gone out of business, and the Library will post a list of these titles on the magazine shelving. A person submitted a bug to the staff that s /he thought might be a book eating bug, but staff doubted that it was harmful. A patron requested a series of DVDs if funding became possible; a librarian responded that the series cost $500, which is a large portion of her DVD budget, but she would keep the request in mind if more money became available. Another patron thanked the librarian who ordered a certain book for the collection, which the patron feels is an excellent choice. A patron encouraged the staff to revert back to the seven -day period for new books, because the shelves are so often empty (this is probably due more to lack of funds for materials at the end of the fiscal year). Someone commented that the Library needs more books. Another person felt it would be nice to have a bookmobile to service the northwest section of Bozeman. However, this would be an expensive undertaking. An individual thought that people (probably staff) should only be allowed to wear blue jeans on the weekend but not during the week. Staff is allowed to wear blue jeans each Friday if they pay $2 for the privilege; this money goes to either Blue Jean Friday if it is the first Friday of the month or into a fund to purchase an item for the Library such as a bench. There were several requests to purchase specific materials, some probably from the authors. A person requested help with the downloadable book site, and s /he received a response on how to access it easily. A familiar patron was upset with a review of a book in the library column and took issue with the verbiage. Upon receipt of the explanation, he replied that "As I feared, it's a matter of the library's division of labor (or hiring)." He also inquired about renewals on his materials, which are limited to two renewals. An individual complained about the use of the phrase "Holy Spirit" underneath a stained glass piece, since the Library should be neutral in terms of religion. An individual was concerned about the low height of the chairs and suggested pillows to help add height. A letter was sent to Meister about the current status of a collection of law books, which the sender is hoping to donate to the Montana State Prison. A thank you note was received from the Gallatin Mental Health Staff for allowing them to display mental health items during Mental Health Month. A member of the Weavers Guild stopped by the Library to see the Mary Meigs Atwater display, which is currently on display in the Montana Room, but three staff members did not know where it was located. Meister plans to discuss this at the upcoming All -Staff Meeting on July 9. A patron complained about another library patron, who was looking at "porn in a public library" which disturbed her; Meister emailed an apology and explanation that computer users are warned against accessing obscenity. If such behavior is observed again, the viewer is encouraged to contact a staff member about it. Meister distributed a copy of the Montana Public Library Standards, which are signed by the Board Chair and her each year to ensure the Library's compliance. Some changes are being proposed such as conducting a survey every two years instead of annually, which would start next year. FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT Meister reported that the Friends met on June 13 with plans for a book sale July 16-18 in conjunction with Downtown's Crazy Days. The new logo, banner, and brochure should be ready soon. The Friends agreed to a reduction in rent for Lindley Perk Coffee Shop. The membership renewal letter will be sent shortly. Their next meeting will be July 13 at 6:15 p.m. in the Board Room. FOUNDATION REPORT Beswick said that she had attended the Volunteer Brunch this morning where the Bridger Blend quartet, whose members belong to the Chord Rustlers, performed. The Explore Bozeman Pass brochure is ready to be printed; 1000 brochures will be made available at the local participating museums as well as HRDC, Thrive, and the Food Bank where people might not have the means to afford admittance to a museum. The usable time period has been shortened to four days from seven, and the pass admits four people with up to two adults. The young woman working on the flagpole project in the Travis Adkins Memorial Grove is continuing her efforts and has found a pole that is 25'tall with an internal halyard and downlighting. The cost is $4,301; the VFW, American Legion, and the Republic Women's group are all supportive of this project so they might contribute some funds toward it. The Montana Ale Works has contributed a $1,000 sponsorship toward the "Jazz & More ... with Kelly Roberti" as Beswick is seeking sponsors for the Monday evening series, which runs June 21 through September 27. The sponsorship cost is $500 which includes up to 25 guests for a private reception. Mountain West Bank has also agreed to be a sponsor. There were 60 people at the tap dancing program featuring Jane Goldberg, author of "Shoot Me While I'm Happy ". Approximately 110 people attended the art reception "High Wild Country" for Marsha Karle /Paul Schullery on June 4; three art pieces and 25 books were sold. Beswick has received a free web -based product called SalesForce, which has 10 licenses that come with it. She was thinking that the Friends could use one of the licenses to access their donor base only, and another license could be used for volunteer contact information. RightNow Technologies uses this software, and Beswick has contacted them to help set it up. It is password protected. Foundation President Susan Quarles is having a house party on July 1 as a fundraising cultivation party. The Foundation Board is losing several members, so replacements are being sought. The Strategic Planning Committee has been meeting. Bookkeeper Kim Center and Beswick went to Helena for a workshop on financial management and fraud prevention, and a financial management policy is being prepared. The Finance Committee is meeting; fundraising is down in this economic climate. The stack lights have been paid for, and there was a piece about the lighting in the "What's Up with That ?" column. Plans are underway to complete the staining of the benches and placement of the plaques, so that they can be put into place on the grounds. New free artistic bike racks will also be installed. Laura Prindiville is leaving herjob around August 1 for nearly a year. She has put together approximately 25 Creative Workshops for children during the month of August. The movie license has been renewed. The one and only summer Foundation Board meeting will be Tuesday, July 13' at 11 a.m. in the Board Room. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Meister noted that the May statistical report showed a 4.82% increase in circulation and an 82.86% increase in interlibrary loan usage. Children's and adult programming have also increased while InfoTrac Database usage is down nearly 37% as are meeting room usage and attendance. The Grounds Master Plan Committee met June 4 to discuss a master plan for the Library grounds. A Statement of Guiding Principles regarding the Property and Adjacent Lands, which was approved in 2008, was distributed. The Parks and Recreation Department is interested in seeing a spray park out in the front plaza. Meister received a map from architect Mark Headley showing proposed future expansion of the Library and parking lot. The next meeting is scheduled for July 16 at 10 a.m. in the Board Room. Reference Librarian Beth Boyson gave a talk on Library Book Clubs to the Tribal College Libraries Institute attendees earlier this month. There were 68 people in attendance at the Montana Poet Laureate Henry Real Bird's program on June 7. Evaluations are underway in all departments and are due into the City by the end of the month. The Library depreciation Reserve Fund is on the City Commission agenda for June 21. Four people have applied for the Trustee position, which will be left vacant by Donna Swarthout in August. Meister will be attending a Gallatin County Libraries Long -Range Planning Committee meeting in West Yellowstone on June 21. Hands in Harmony, a Wyoming troupe, will present a performance in sound and sign language on June 29. There will be an afternoon workshop at 3 p.m. and an evening program at 7 p.m. Volunteer Coordinator Gail MacMillan coordinated the Volunteer Brunch earlier today in the Community Room. There will be an all -staff meeting on July 9 from 8 -10 a.m. The FY2011 budget and goals will be discussed. There appear to have been no cuts to next year's budget. Beth Boyson has been conducting a transportation audit since June 1 as she is a member of the City Sustainability Committee. Halfway through the audit, consistent results show that 20% of the staff commutes to work in a sustainable manner: bicycling, walking, riding the bus, or car pooling. The results will be shared with the Climate Protection Coordinator Natalie Meyer and the Uncommon Sense Yellowstone Business Partnership, a three year Sustainability training program in which the City participates. In May 61,609 items were circulated, and 42,224 were checked out on the self check machines, which is 68% of our circulation. One of the staff called Police when a person was found sleeping on the west side of the Library first thing in the morning. There were several comments about a seemingly homeless individual who makes strange, hostile gestures and comments directed at books and posters showing people of color. Police have been notified, and a log is being kept of his behavior. An individual with a service animal was upset that someone was sitting at the handicapped computer station and demanded to know the Library's qualifications for it usage. He became belligerent but settled down after a discussion with the librarian in charge. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION /ACTION: The Trustees discussed the four library board applicants (Loren Acton, LIBRARY BOARD APPLICANTS; George Cole, Liz Harrison, and Leanne H. Roulson) for a soon -to -be HOLIDAY SCHEDULE; FY2011 vacated Trustee position, as Swarthout is leaving the Board at the end BUDGET; DEPRECIATION FUND of July. After discussion, the consensus was to request the City Commission strongly consider placing George Cole on the Library Board due to his many years of connection with the Library through the Yellowstone Public Radio Station Recording Booth housed in the Library, and winning the 2010 Library Foundation Cornerstone Award for his many contributions to the Library, literature, and arts in the region. The Trustees also endorsed the reappointment of McGuire for another term due to her sound financial expertise as well as historical knowledge of the Library and Foundation; she is an excellent Trustee. The holiday calendar for Fiscal Year 2011 was presented. After Action discussion, Swarthout moved to approve the calendar after several small typographical errors are fixed, Mathre seconded, and the motion passed 4 -0. The Fiscal Year 2011 budget overview was distributed; it appears there have been no cuts plus a half time Library Assistant position will hopefully be restored. The Trustees' request for a Library Depreciation Reserve Fund has been placed on the June 17 City Commission agenda. EXECUTIVE SESSION RE: Chair Farmer stated that he was closing the meeting to conduct the DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCE annual performance appraisal of the Library Director pursuant to APPRAISAL Section 2 -3- 203(3), Montana Code Annotated. The open meeting was closed at 5:31 p.m. Chair Farmer reconvened the open meeting at 5:53 p.m. BOARD MEMBER'S AND CITY There were none. OFFICIALS' REPORTS PUBLIC COMMENT There was none. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at 4 p.m. in the Library Board /Staff Conference Room.