HomeMy WebLinkAboutLibrary Board - Minutes - 07/10/1997Council Liaison: Chris Kneeland
Chairperson: Jack Steele
Staff Liaison: Brenda Cams
Phone: 225-0877 (h)
A regular meeting of the Library Board was held on Thursday, July 10, 1997, in the Ben Delatour Room of
the Fort Collins Public Library. The following Library Board members were present: Bill Cook, Anne
Ostrye-Macdonald, Jack Steele, AI Stone, Jacqueline Wallace, and M. Madeleine Wawro.
Library Board Member Absent: Joanne Monath
City Staff Members Present: Brenda Cams, Robert Holzfaster, Ellen Willis, Dean Willms, and
Marjorie Teklits
Friends of the Library Liaison: Catherine Janonis
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by the Chairperson, Jack Steele. The minutes of the June 12,
1997 Regular meeting stand as written.
Referring to page 4, items #1 and #2 of the June 12'" Minutes, Jack Steele asked for clarification as to how
the "Total Adequate Funding Figure for 1998" of $563,093 was arrived at, and Robert Holzfaster
explained it is the sum of the Mini Library 1997 budget ($266,190), funding provided to start up the
Harmony Library including 1997 operating costs ($87,000), a 3% inflation amount added to the Non -
Personnel portion of the 1997 funding ($3,464), and additional money added to the Harmony Library base
budget to provide "Adequate" funding for the full 12 months of 1998 ($206,439).
Clarification of item #3, "1998 Requested Additional Funding" in the amount of $164,581 was requested.
The following breakdown will be provided to the Board to answer the question.
Added computer terminals to minimize customer
delays and offer more electronic resources. $ 20,137
Offer children's, teen, and adult programming. $ 70,300
Add earlier and later customer service hours. $ 37,184
Expand book and electronic resource access to
meet customer use and demand. $36,960
Total $164,581
Brenda Cams reported that if the Full Service option for Harmony Library is not approved, service and
programming at both the Main and Harmony Libraries could be affected as it may be necessary to take
some staff from the Main Library to assist the Harmony Library. Library Board members agreed that the
Full Service Level is essential for the new library and will proceed with plans to promote it.
Brenda Cams received copies of letters from Mayor Azari to Library Board Members M. Madeleine
Wawro and Joanne Monath renewing their appointments until June 30, 2001.
Copies of the City Manager's July 1 memo regarding Preliminary Budget Recommendations will be given
to the Board.
Copies of Mike Powers' June 23' memo concerning a "Strategic Plan for Site Decisions for Building
Community Choices Projects" was distributed to the Board. A Library work unit team will be formed to
help develop criteria which will be used to evaluate possible sites and to make recommendations to the
City's Project Team.
A. Library Director - Brenda Cams
Recent training programs conducted at the Library had 7 participants each for Basic and Advanced
Public Access Terminal (PAC) Classes, between 20-30 participants for a Finding Travel
Information on the Web class, and 23 young adults attended a class to learn how to be volunteer
trainers for the PAC's.
The Summer Reading Program is moving right along with 2,790 registrations at the Main Library,
1,182 at the Mini, and 62 at the Barton Early Childhood Center, for a total of 4,034 children.
Attendance thus far at the "Monday Morning in the Park" series has reached 1,576, and puppet
shows have been performed at four LINC sites as well as the Main Library.
OIA
The Collection Development staff have converted about 5,000 Front Range Community College
books and videos to the Dewey Decimal System. The records are now visible to Main Library
customers and available for checkout. The staff has also been ordering new books and materials
for the Harmony Library.
Statistics as of May 1997 were distributed, and Robert Holzfaster explained that, although
circulation was down, year-to-date figures show an increase of 6.3%. Self -check and DialPac
usage have steadily increased, which shows that Library training is helping customers to be more
self-sufficient.
Copies of recent Library -related articles which appeared in The Coloradoan were distributed.
B. Public Relations Grant Meeting - Brenda Cams
Brenda Cams and Rheba Massey attended the Project Director's meeting on June 20s' and were
given information about timelines, how to account for grant funds, instructions for peer review
meetings and focus groups. Anne Ostrye-Macdonald met with Brenda to discuss the grant and will
assist in the preparation of an RFP for a public relations firm to assist with the project. Brenda
mentioned the possibility of the Library having a table at NewWestFest as well as participating in
the City's St. Patrick's Day Parade next year as part of the grant requirement to be involved in
various events to create greater exposure for the Library.
C. Harmony Library Update - Ellen Willis
The July 2nd "Topping Out" ceremony, commemorating the last piece of steel being placed on the
Harmony Library structure, was well attended. Construction is on schedule and an opening date in
early December is planned. Collection Development staff have purchased roughly one quarter of
the materials for the new library and are continuing to place orders. The Main Library's Delatour
Room will be used as storage space when shelves are full. Media purchases for Harmony Library
are presently available to the public at the Mini Library and are receiving heavy usage. To make
room for these items, some materials at Mini are being sent to the Main Library until Harmony
opens.
Ellen invited Board members to visit the Mini to see some new samples of furniture which are being
considered for the Harmony Library.
An additional half-time Library Assistant has been hired and is being trained in preparation for the
Harmony opening. Jack Steele asked if half-time positions attract staff who are qualified and are
interested in long-term employment. Ellen answered that she has been impressed with the quality
and education of candidates who have applied and that the positions are attractive as the City pays
half of the benefits offered.
Brenda Cams met with staff at Front Range Community College to discuss donor opportunities at
the new library. Strategy plans and fundraising efforts will be coordinated with the college in an
attempt to attract donors.
�J
She also mentioned that Doug Swartz, Light and Power, has written a grant about energy saving
and plans to have a model made of the Harmony Library. It will be placed on display at the new
library after he is finished with it.
OLD BUSINESS
A. Library District Update - Jack Steele
Jack was unable to reach Nancy Knepel of the High Plains Regional Library Service System to
discuss inviting someone from a Library District to speak to the Board about the experience as well
as someone from a community who decided not to form a District. He will attempt to contact her
again.
NEW BUSINESS
A. General Discussion with New Library Director
Brenda gave the Board a summary of her employment background and experience. Her strong
human resource background and expertise will help the staff to deal with changes facing the Library
when Harmony Library opens later this year. Major priorities are the opening of Harmony Library
and looking at staff concerns. The City's job analysis project has created anxiety among many
employees, and she intends to convey to staff that they are appreciated and that she will look into
their concerns. She is aware of the low pay scale, especially in the circulation and shelving areas,
and plans to get to know City staff and to educate them about the Library's needs. It was
mentioned that work study employees have a higher starting salary than the Library's shelving staff,
and Bill Cook said he would be interested in seeing starting salary levels for various positions,
including pothole repairers, for purposes of comparison. In conclusion, Brenda said she will look
to the Library Board members for suggestions in these and other areas.
B. Other:
Jack Steele asked that all Board Members, as well as representatives from the Friends of the
Library, attend the Budget Public Hearing at the September 160' Regular City Council meeting. A
strategy meeting will be planned before the end of July.
The Board feels that it would be more beneficial for the City to build a new Main Library rather
than small scattered branches and that the LINC sites do not adequately serve the library needs of
the public in lieu of a public library branch due to their limited hours and scarcity of books and
materials.
A planning session Retreat is tentatively scheduled for the third Thursday in October (October 16th)
in addition to the regular monthly meeting.
13
11
C. Neat Month's Agenda - Jack Steele
The nominating committee will report in August, and an election for Library Board officers will be
held at the September meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie Teklits