HomeMy WebLinkAboutLibrary Board - Minutes - 03/07/1991C I T Y O F F 0 R T C 0 L L I N S
PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD
MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING
March 7, 1991 - 7:00 P.M.
BOARD MEMBERS: Virginia Ward, Chairperson
Greg Auble
Kate Erslev
Jerome Roselle
Sharon Conley
Chris Bracken
Anne Ostrye-Macdonald
PRESENT: LIBRARY BOARD -- Virginia Ward, Sharon Conley,
Greg Auble,Jerry Roselle, Anne Ostrye-
Macdonald
STAFF -- Michael Powers, Jane Davis,
Robert Holzfaster,
Carol Bering, Dean Wilms
COUNCIL LIAISON -- Gerry Horak
The meeting was called to order by the chairperson, Virginia Ward
at 7:05 p.m. The minutes of the previous meeting were corrected
to include Sharon Conley as present at the February meeting and
then approved.
REPORTS
The monthly statisticallreport for February was not distributed
but will be sent in the next mailing.
Jane Davis, Library Director, reported that the upgrade of the
outside building lighting had been completed and asked for Board
feedback on the level of improvement. Board will also get
feedback from the staff Quality Improvement Team survey on
building safety. Michael Powers, Cultural, Library and
Recreational Services Director for the City will check with
Virgil Taylor, Parks Superintendent, on whether there are
lighting standards which are applied in the City's parks and
whether the lighting in Library Park meets those standards.
Greg Auble reported that the Library Fund Advisory Committee had
met on March 7. They are working with a CSU journalism student
to design a brochure publicising the fund. They are planning to
fund some events in conjunction with the library summer reading
program to focus public awareness on the fund.
Virginia Ward reported that she had not yet contacted Diane
Hogerty at the Fort Collins Foundation to clarify the endowment
status of the fund but would do so before the April meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
The Board again discussed their concern that the level of county
funding is not increasing. They discussed writing a letter to
the Board of Larimer County Commissioners expressing this
concern. Council member Horak suggested that the Board
communicate these concerns to City Council who could communicate
with the Commissioners. Ms. Davis will discuss this concern with
other public library directors in the County. Their primary
funding agencies might also want to communicate on library
funding with the Commissioners.
Virginia Ward asked Greg Auble to meet with Jane Davis to draft a
letter to Council concerning county funding. The draft will be
submitted to the full Board at the next meeting.
The group next discussed at length their proposed community
consensus building process on library space issues, who the
potentially affected interests are and how to get community input
from them. The ad hoc committee, Virginia Ward, Jerry Roselle,
Anne Ostrye-Macdonald, Carol Bering and Dean Wilms had not been
able to meet because of illnesses. .Councilman Horak advised the
Board to closely examine their role and reminded them that the
City Council had accepted the library study and the five year
development plan. The Board has a role as a link to the
community and a responsibility to Council to monitor the five
year development plan and to receive public input and communicate
that input to staff and Council but library staff should be
responsible for developing the detail of the plan and for
surveying the community on library services.
The Board appreciated that clarification of their role. They
reached consensus that they should position themselves to monitor
and evaluate the plan aslit develops over the next four years and
to keep City Council informed about what they are doing in the
check/recheck of the plan since their role is to advise Council.
Ms. Ward asked the ad hoc committee to meet and come back with
recommendations on what the Board needs to put in place to get
structured feedback on the five year plan as it develops.
The Board discussed the draft of year two of the development
plan. Board suggested the possibility of obtaining grant funding
for the newspaper indexing project. They also asked staff to see
if there were firms in the private sector who could do the local
indexing. Staff will obtain that information. Board continues
'to be concerned that the dollars spent for library materials may
not be adequate.
Ms. Davis distributed copies of a letter to Boards and
Commissions from Mayor Susan Kirkpatrick asking for input on the
1992 budget. Because of the Board's interest in the five year
development plan they are well informed on library needs and well
placed to speak to Council on budget issues.
NEW _BUSINESS
Board agreed to move the appointment of a member to replace Greg
Auble on the Library Fund Advisory Committee to the April
meeting.
Ms. Davis reported that the City Council will be eliminating
alternate members on all Boards and Commissions in 1991. The
Library Board has two alternate members. The Board will either
be reduced to five regular members or enlarged to seven regular
members. After some discussion, Jerry Roselle moved that the
Board recommend that their membership be increased to seven
regular members. Greg Auble seconded the motion. All votes were
favorable. Ms. Ward will write to Councilman Horak to let him
know the Board's preference.
The title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness by
Erick Wujcik has been challenged by a library user. Ms. Ward
appointed Sharon Conley and hate Enslev to an ad hoc committee to
read the book and report back to the Board at the April meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 9.40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jane B. Davis
Secretary Pro-tem
JBD/bs
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