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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-22-14 Library Board of Trustees MinutesBozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Bozeman Public Library—Staff/Board Room Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Minutes Attendance Present: Board Chair Ron Farmer; Trustees Judy Mathre, Jacki McGuire, John Gallagher, Jennifer Pawlak; Bozeman Public Library (BPL) Director Susan Gregory; BPL Department Heads Terri Dood, Mary Jo Stanislao; BPL Foundation Director Paula Beswick; Mayor Jeff Krauss; Friends President David House; and guest, Sahara Devi Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Board Chair Ron Farmer at 4:05 pm. Approval of the Minutes Trustee Jacki McGuire moved that the minutes of the December 18, 2013 meeting be approved. Trustee Judy Mathre seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes. Public Comment Sahara Devi voiced concerns regarding the Library’s community bulletin board. Devi said there are three issues that need to be addressed: the size of posters, out of date posters, and posters covering other posters. Devi had proposed the reduction of size of posters to a uniform 8 1/2 by 11 to The Community Co-op but they did not want to be the first place in town to require this. Ms. Devi asked that the Library adopt these new rules and said that this might set an example that would influence other community businesses to make the same changes on their bulletin boards. Devi proposed allowing posters only a month before an event, that the posters be 8 ½ by 11 in size only, and that they be orderly. She said that she understands that these changes will take a while to implement but they need to start somewhere. A volunteer currently monitors the Library bulletin board. Chair Farmer will put this issue on the agenda for next month. Input from the Library staff and the current policy will need to be reviewed. Chair Farmer thanked Ms. Devi for her input. Correspondence BPL Director Susan Gregory shared correspondence from Library patrons. Someone requested that the smoke free policy be enforced. Gregory said that new signage has been requested from the City several months ago and will be installed soon. Current signage on the Library entrances is discreet and not readily noticeable. A patron expressed his anger regarding cell phone use in the Library and suggested that our signage is too polite. Gregory stated that one option is to start asking patrons to use their cell phones in the lobby only. Staff will work with Gregory on an updated cell phone guidelines and share with the Board at a future meeting. A patron asked for computer classes on Gmail and Google Chrome. Gregory received a nice thank you note from a Headwaters School parent who had asked if one of their classes could raise money for the Red Cross typhoon relief fund. Students set up a table in the lobby and raised $700. Gregory received a Christmas card for the Library staff from ALA Past President Roberta Stevens. A patron wrote that the “recommend to buy” feature on our website is difficult to use. Librarian Terri Dood talked with the Montana Shared Catalog to change the wording so it easier to understand. A patron asked that a sticker be put on an Adult Science Fiction book due to its mature content. Dood and Gregory researched this book and the reviews were positive. Chair Farmer stated that since it is already shelved in the Adult section and reviews have been consulted we have done what is appropriate and asked that Library staff send a response to this patron, thanking him for his input and letting him know of the Board’s decision to not put a sticker on the book regarding its content. Director’s and Staff Reports BPL Director Susan Gregory stated the new color copier has arrived which is listed under Capital Expense in the Budget. A coin-op machine that accepts credit cards was also purchased for this new copier. Gregory stated that she would like to move to providing the monthly statistics in the new format instead of printing off both the old and new statistic sheets each month. Circulation is up 6.48%. Adult Programming is down but December is typically a slow month. The Library and Library Foundation have formed a partnership with Wonderlust, an adult community education group, to host their programs at the Library. Their first meeting attracted 150 people. Mayor Krauss asked a question regarding parking. BPL Foundation Director Beswick said she directed people to park on the street and some people parked in the Ale Works parking lot and in Lindley Park. The Library staff Christmas party was held at the Story Mansion. BPL Director Gregory met with Beverly MacMillan, the marketing outreach coordinator for Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, and agreed to allow the Community Connect Van, which offers free health screenings and vaccinations, to park here at the Library every other month. The 20-hour Information Technology position has been filled. This person will be under the supervision of the City IT Manager but housed at the Library. There was a successful Martin Luther King Day celebration January 19th at the Emerson Cultural Center, which Reference Librarian Beth Boyson helped to produce. South Wallace Street will be closed Jan 14 – Jan 23. Terri Dood, Head of Reference & Adult Services, reported that customers are happy about the new copier with its document feeder and the ability to scan documents to a flash drive, but the credit card payment option is not working at this time. Thanks to the Friends, we now have five new display units that have been installed along the Adult Nonfiction stacks. Handouts have been created for free local tax help and information on where to get tax forms. Mary Jo Stanislao, Head of Circulation, reported that she is working with Department Heads on revising the card registration policy. The Montana Shared Catalog is in the process of standardizing circulation policies among the Montana public libraries so when that is finalized our circulation policy will need to be revised as well. In the Unique Management report, 794 patrons with fines and lost items totaling $73,149 in charges were sent to collections from Dec. 2012 to Dec. 2013. Unique Management recovered 72% of what was submitted, which is a return of almost $7.50 per dollar spent. There was some discussion on the value of this service and the success rate of getting library materials returned. Items for Discussion/Action Friends President David House discussed the insurance coverage for the coffee shop which was approved by City Attorney Greg Sullivan but does not include auto insurance. Greg Sullivan suggested that this issue should be looked at again when the lease for the coffee shop expires in 2015. Trustee By-Laws drafted by the City - Mathre compared current by-laws with new by-laws and suggested adopting the model by-laws drafted by the City. Action Trustee Judy Mathre moved to adopt model by-laws. Trustee Jacki seconded the motion. Two Board members said that they had not received the updated by-laws from the City, so the Board decided to table this issue until the next meeting so that trustees would have time to study the documents. E-cigarettes - Gregory has consulted with City Attorney Greg Sullivan about the use of e-cigarettes by patrons. Some do provide nicotine and can be used as a method to stop smoking. They also emit a vapor similar to smoke. Helena has a policy but e-cigarettes are not addressed in the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act. Sullivan suggested that the Library staff draft a policy which clearly identifies the public interest furthered by banning these items for the Legal Department to review, and then submit it to the Library Board for discussion and approval. City Report Mayor Jeff Krauss stated that the City Commission will be meeting February 11th for a goal setting session. Some issues to be discussed will be a proposed swimming center and a new facility for the police department. The Montana DEQ accepted the City’s proposal for cleaning up the toxic gas at the landfill. Friends Report Friends President David House stated that the Annual Friends meeting will be held on January 23rd at 6:00pm with light refreshments. House shared some book donation and book sale statistics. Foundation Report Library Foundation Director Paula Beswick stated that the Foundation’s 2014 operating budget is $243,200. Fund raising efforts for the year increased and the year-end appeal raised $44,125. Beswick said that the Foundation’s investments are up 14% with $3.1 million in total assets. Beswick shared the plans for the nominating and advocacy committees. The Cornerstone event will be April 12th and it will have a Shakespearean theme. Beswick presented information she has gathered regarding a proposed bookmobile with the intention of getting the Board’s approval to move forward. The concept of getting a Library bookmobile came from participants’ input from the Community Strategic Planning Visioning Day, held at the Library last March. There was discussion on what services a bookmobile would provide and where it would travel. General approval was given by the Board to Beswick to continue research and to keep the Board informed on the project. Beswick said that a Foundation committee has been formed for capital campaigns and that they will work to fundraise for the project in the future. This will be a collaborative project that will ultimately involve Library and City staff, as well other parties. Jennifer Pawlak had a question regarding the pedestrian improvements. Director Gregory stated that Brit Fontenot, Director of Economic Development is continuing to work with the City Planning staff on the plan to install a pedestrian walkway through the Library’s parking lot. More information will be forthcoming. Adjournment There being no further business, Chair Ron Farmer adjourned the meeting at 6:12 pm.