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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 02/15/2018 Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting February 15, 2018 The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in regular session on Thursday, February 15, 2018, in the Dale H. Ross Board Room, 515 Douglas Avenue, with Acker, Barchman, Glatz, Kluesner, and Rohret in attendance. Briese, Butler, Linch, and Marshall were excused. Library Director Carey was also present. Call to Order: Board President Acker called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Consent Agenda: Moved by Glatz, seconded by Barchman, to approve the following items on the consent agenda: 1) Resolution approving donations from: a) From the Ames Garden Club for books .................................................. $73.47 b) In memory of Janet Klaas from Patricia and Nels Lersten .................. $100.00 2) Motion approving minutes of the regular meeting of January 18, 2018 3) Motion approving payment of claims 1/1/2018 – 1/31/2018 Vote on Motion: 5-0. Carried unanimously. Resolution No. 2018-L004 adopted. Public Forum: None. Ames Public Library Friends Foundation (APLFF) Report: Trustee Acker stated that the Teen Advisory Group (TAG) had 474 in attendance at the Yule Ball and January was another great month for sales in Literary Grounds. A few tickets are still available for the April 15 Author Café. TAG has decided that its 5K race/fundraiser will take place in August this year. Director Evaluation Committee: Trustee Rohret said the director’s evaluation survey was sent out electronically and some have been returned. Nominating Committee: Acker presented the committee’s slate of officers for the upcoming year, which included Chuck Glatz for President, Roger Kluesner for Vice President, and Sarah Barchman for Secretary. The election will be held in March. Administrative Staff Report: Carey spoke about the agenda for the Library’s annual Staff Development Day on Monday, February 19. She said several trustees have indicated they will attend and Barchman has agreed to present employee recognition awards. Regarding personnel, Carey reported that two new Library Aides, Connie Vaclav and Nicki Millius, are on board; Project Smyles presenter LaVerne Williamson was hired; Amy Boldman has transitioned into her new Library Assistant position; the Small Talk Childcare Coordinator position was modified and Liuran Fan, who formerly worked as an Intern, was hired as the Small Talk Program Support Coordinator; and offers will soon be made for two new Library Clerks. Carey related that former long-time employee Janet Klaas recently passed on; her memorial service will be held in March. Carey passed around a book on jazz that the Library purchased in memory of former trustee Harry Weiss. She also mentioned an article in today’s Iowa State Daily called Hit the Books and Grab a Cup of Coffee: A Guide to Cozy Cafes in Ames, which placed Literary Grounds first in the list. 2 Board Education: Librarian Cathy Cooney presented highlights from an online continuing education course about library services to the homeless that she took through the University of Wisconsin School of Library and Information Studies. The class was taught by Attorney Ryan Dowd, former Executive Director of a large homeless shelter in Chicago and author of The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness. Cooney said the course’s focus was on teaching librarians how to get people to behave appropriately and comply through empathy-driven enforcement. Cooney spoke briefly about the homeless and the tools Dowd offered for librarians to use in leading homeless visitors into desired behaviors. Cooney said some of the tools are mental, based on positive interactions and fairness; some consist of interpretations and responses to body language and eye contact; and some involve vocal volume, tone, and ones choice of phrases. She said the class also taught techniques for addressing problematic behaviors and for assessing and diffusing tense situations. Discussion ensued about experiences and staff practices at APL. Cooney said there is no one who constantly causes problems. Staff members try to roam to monitor conduct and viewing. Carey added that there is less inappropriate computer usage in the new building because banks of computers are placed throughout, and fewer problems overall because staff members have been trained to be more pro-active and to make sure customers know they are there—both for security and to offer assistance. Carey said that several ideas arose when the Person In Charge (PIC) group discussed this topic recently. One aspect of the Library’s Strategic Plan involves service to targeted populations— and one population is the homeless. A small group of staff members will meet with the director of the Emergency Residence Project and some persons who are experiencing homelessness to determine needs and find out what the Library is doing well or could do better. Final Budget Adjustments and Requests: Acker summarized the changes described in the briefing paper: moving certain capital expenses from next year to this year and adding a new half-time position effective July 1. Moved by Glatz, seconded by Rohret, to adopt a resolution approving operating budget adjustments for fiscal year 2017/18 and requests for 2018/19 as revised by the City Manager. Vote on Motion: 5-0 . Approved unanimously. Resolution No. 2018-L005 adopted. Trustee Comments: None Adjournment by consent at 7:45 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, March 15, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., in the Dale H. Ross Board Room, Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Avenue.