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Home My WebLink About~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 01/15/2015 (2)Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting January 15, 2015 The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in regular session on Thursday, January 15, 2015 in the Dale H. Ross Board Room, 515 Douglas Avenue, with Acker, Bradley, Briese Budd, Campbell, Meier, and Stow in attendance. Linch and Manus were excused. Library Director Lynne Carey and Customer Account Services Manager Tracy Briseño were also present. Call to Order: Board President Stow called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Consent Agenda: Moved by Stow, seconded by Bradley, to adopt a resolution approving the following items on the consent agenda: 1) Donations a) Fran Mauldin for the collection .................................................................... $100.00 b) From Ames Garden Club for books ............................................................. $170.00 c) From Worldly Goods for Project Smyles .................................................... $313.79 2) Minutes of the regular meeting of December 18, 2014 3) Payment of Claims 12/1/2014 – 12/31/2014 4) Closure of the library to the public on Feb. 16, 2015, for Staff Development Day Trustee Stow noted for the record that the Worldly Goods donation represented 20% of the proceeds from sales on a designated date and this is one of the largest amounts the Library has ever received. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Public Forum: None. Second Quarter Financial Reports: Trustee Briese stated that the Finance Committee met last week and will be meeting with staff quarterly from now on. He stated that certain lines in the operations budget, such as utilities, are over 50% spent, but there is an on-going conversation as the true cost of operations is determined. Carey added that utilities are being monitored closely and the firm that designed the temperature control systems is analyzing usage and cost. Trustee Acker inquired about the increased expense in administrative support in the general fund. Carey explained that during re-organization, the entire Network Services division was combined with Administration. It was noted that the comparisons on page 12 are made with fiscal year 2013/14, rather than 2012/13, as indicated. Trustee Meier inquired about the status of the grants from the Roy J. Carver Trust and Kinney- Lindstrom Foundation. Carey stated that the library is planning to use those funds for artwork and the interactive play wall, so they will be linked to special, identifiable elements of the building. Ames Public Library Friends Foundation (APLFF) Report: Acker stated that the President of APLFF expressed interest in participating in the strategic planning process, particularly as it relates to discussions about funding. Development Director Martha Lincoln has been following up on building pledges and it appears that the fulfillment rate may eventually come to over 95%. The holiday campaign was very successful and the APLFF received its first monthly pledge. Agenda Item 2 Acker said that, unfortunately, Lincoln will be leaving soon because her husband has taken a job in another state. Acker reported that Literary Grounds earned over $3,000 in December— the largest monthly sales amount ever. Stow mentioned that a portrayal of Winston Churchill will be presented in the City Auditorium on April 30 as a fundraising event. Director Evaluation Committee Report: Stow stated that an e-mail requesting feedback was sent out by this year’s Director Evaluation Committee (Budd, Manus, and himself) and the committee will get together in the next few weeks to begin its work. Strategic Planning Committee Report: Acker said the committee is in the investigative stage and will have more to report later. Administrative Staff Report: Carey directed attention to several upcoming activities and unveiled a limited edition print entitled “What We Love About Ames” by Sarah Grant, which was presented to APL as a 2014 Outstanding Community Organization Award by Ames Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (ACVB). She thanked APLFF for providing food for a staff celebration held on January 11, where a Library Move documentary produced by Derek Crisler and the Channel 12 TV crew was viewed. Carey said Crisler condensed 87 hours of film into a 15-minute production, which can be viewed through the City’s website. Stow added that a video on Derek Anderson’s presentation at the unveiling of the new bookmobile is also available. Carey said that two open positions that represent the last bit of the major staff reorganization are currently being advertised. On Saturday evening, January 17, the Samuels Group will hold its holiday party at APL. At the end of the month, Carey and Jerri Heid will attend the American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Chicago. She thanked the trustees for supporting Staff Development Day. Carey concluded by listing the top 10 events of 2014, as identified by staff, which were: the building renovation and Grand REopening; the re-move; the new bookmobile; the APLFF gala; the extreme teamwork displayed by APL staff members; the automated materials handling system; the book brigade; the Smyles Old and New book; the organization; and the customers’ use of the new building. Building Project Construction Update: Carey said the Samuels Group presently has two persons in the building almost full time. Over the next two weeks, some will be working overnight and the firm will be producing a list of things that cannot be completed until spring. Furniture crews are also scheduled almost every day for the next few weeks, and there may be one more change order. Carey said that an individual who works at ISU has been engaged to help with the remaining technology needs, and she anticipates that it would take two to three months to wrap things up. Carey said it is hoped that the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) application can be submitted by the end of January; the certification process will then take a few months. Proposed Policy Review Schedule: A 2015 schedule developed by the library’s leadership team was discussed briefly and accepted. Circulation Policy: Moved by Bradley, seconded by Campbell, to adopt a resolution approving changes to the Circulation Policy and Library Fines and Fees as presented/amended. Customer Account Services Manager Briseño stated that the policy name change is reflective of the reorganization as a whole, which was based on how customers use the library. She explained two proposed new account types (Educator Accounts and Professional Accounts) and 2 Agenda Item 2 how they would be used. She noted that both types would give the users more latitude to select materials for work-related purposes while giving library staff an appropriate level of involvement. Briseño explained another proposed revision stating that a person’s fines and fees are due, whether or not he or she receives notifications from the library. Stow asked if there are more late returns now, and Briseño replied that she hasn’t looked, but feels as if more people are coming in now to ask about reestablishing accounts. She stated that this statement would help staff reinforce the point that it is ultimately the borrower’s responsibility to bring materials back on time and protect the library when people don’t provide current e-mail or street addresses. There was discussion about the proposed addition of prosecution in municipal court to the measures that could be taken for excessively delinquent accounts. Bradley asked if there were a time limit when the library would move from collection to court, and Campbell wondered if there would be a monetary threshold that would trigger action. Briese said he thought the library always had the option to take legal recourse and suggested that highlighting the library’s programs might be a better approach than writing a policy that outlines situations that apply to a very small group. Briseño indicated that prosecution would always be the library’s last resort. The intent is not to be punitive—what the library really wants is to get the materials back and to get people using the library again. At the point where there is flagrant abuse, however, staff would like to have recourse. Briseño also stated that she would talk to the Board before initiating any proceedings. The trustees asked about the types of situations that typically lead to excessive fees and the standard practices of other libraries. Campbell indicated that he could not support the section about prosecution because it was not clearly enough defined and he considered it extreme. Acker pointed out that the line simply states that “more excessive measures may be taken” for extremely delinquent accounts. In her view, it is more honest to state the fact than to have the possibility hidden in the background. Vote on Motion as presented: 5-1. (Voting yes: Acker, Bradley, Briese, Budd, Meier; Voting No: Campbell.) Motion declared carried. Resolution adopted. Carey said that if a situation got to the point where there were a case for prosecution, she would report back to the Board. She resists setting a monetary threshold because she doesn’t want to be bound to take action in every case; she would much rather work with people to reduce their fines or get materials back. Appointment of the Nominating Committee: Stow said that he and Meier will be contacting potential candidates for president, vice president, and secretary. Trustee Comments: Bradley congratulated library on earning the ACVB’s 2014 Community Organization Award and Acker spoke about sponsoring continental breakfast for Staff Day on February 16. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 8:08 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, February 19, 2015, at 7:00 p.m., in the Dale H. Ross Board Room, Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Avenue. 3 Agenda Item 2 4 Agenda Item 2