HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 07/18/2013Ames Public Library Board of Trustees
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
July 18, 2013
The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in regular session on Thursday, July
18, 2013, in the City Council Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue, with Acker, Bradley, Briese,
Budd, Campbell, Eason, Meier, and Stow in attendance. Trustee Manus was excused.
Interim Director Carey, Construction Advisor Heemstra, and library staff members Briseño,
Heid, Logsdon, Olson, and Tuckness were also present.
Call to Order: Board President Stow called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Minutes and Claims:
Moved by Bradley, seconded by Eason, to approve the minutes of the regular
meeting held May 16, 2013.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. (Bradley, Budd, Campbell, Eason, and Stow voting.) Motion
approved unanimously.
Moved by Acker, seconded by Budd, to approve the minutes of the regular
meeting held June 20, 2013.
Roll Call Vote: 5-0. (Acker, Briese, Campbell, Meier, and Stow voting.) Motion
approved unanimously.
Moved by Eason, seconded by Briese, to approve the minutes of the special
meeting held July 8, 2013.
Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously.
Moved by Acker, seconded by Meier, to approve the payment of claims for
6/1/2013 – 6/30/2013.
Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously.
Public Forum: None
Activity Reports:
Staff Report – Interim Director Carey thanked the trustees for allowing so many staff
members to attend the ALA Conference in Chicago. She said they all took a very thoughtful
approach and made the most of every minute of the trip; it was incredibly advantageous, as
staff moves forward with planning, to acquire so much information in such a short time.
Carey added that Sarah Bohkle also went to a National Volunteer Conference in June and
came back enthused about some ideas that she will apply as she considers the APL
volunteer level in new building.
Carey said that all 72 library employees are now taking a StrengthsFinder test. The results,
which highlight each individual’s strengths, will be used as teams are formed to plan details
for the new building. She stated that some planning teams have already been formed,
including several that deal with technology issues, one that will work with MS&R on furniture
and furnishings, and a team that will select a new bookmobile.
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Carey also mentioned that, as of July 1, the library started offering a new product called
Zinio, which allows library card holders access to 48 electronic magazine titles that can be
viewed from a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Ames Public Library Friends Foundation (APLFF) Report – Trustee Acker spoke about a
book sale and garage sale coming up on July 20 and an endowment campaign that is
anticipated to launch in October. The Board of Directors also heard a terrific presentation on
Project Smyles that was based on the results of a parent survey that confirms that it is an
outstanding program. Acker said Project Smyles operations cost approximately $70,000 per
year and the APLFF is pleased to support it.
Stow added that the Friends Foundation’s annual campaign is currently in progress and
encouraged listeners to give a gift to the public library.
American Library Association Meeting Reports – Mary Logsdon, Information Services
Coordinator, touched on some highlights of the conference. With respect to the big picture,
she shared three key phrases that kept running through her head: “civic engagement,”
“libraries transforming communities,” and “participatory librarianship.” She said a session
she attended on changing demographics and how the use of the Internet is changing
American life was exciting and important to know in planning for the new building and
services. Logsdon said she enjoyed hearing other librarians describe successful activities
and best practices for creating “maker spaces” in public libraries, and came away with some
ideas about how some libraries are working to better serve people who already don’t come
into the library, especially 20-30 year olds. She also mentioned visiting some Chicago-area
libraries and said time on the road offered staff a great opportunity for conversation while
traveling.
Tracy Briseño, Circulation Supervisor, spoke about a pre-conference she attended at
Second City on communication and training that gave her some ideas about digital badging.
She was able to see a wide variety of automated materials handling systems and talk to
several vendors so that, once she got back, she was able to write the library’s request for
proposal to reflect exactly what the library wants. Briseño attended a session led by people
who had previously won awards about what furniture ideas had worked and what didn’t. She
held an informal focus group over lunch one day to find out what people want when they
walk into a library. Like Logsdon, Briseno said that driving time led to team building and
library visits were helpful to get a sense of each one’s “feel.”
Jerri Heid, Youth Services Supervisor, spoke about how much fun she had, especially at the
75th Anniversary of the Caldecott Awards. She said there was excellent discussion about
the future of iPads and other interactive media with picture books. She also learned about
how books are developed as authors interact with publishers and came away feeling
empowered to be a better selector. In one notable breakout session, Heid said a
representative of the Fred Rogers Institute challenged librarians to be responsible for
showing parents how to make iPhones or other devices a valuable experience or tool to help
develop their children’s vocabulary and ability to read when they get to school, just as they
do with books. Heid also had the opportunity to promote Project Smyles and the Ames
Reads Committee to the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) Advisory Board.
Anastasia Tuckness, Library Assistant in Youth Services, thanked the trustees for the
opportunity to step away from her daily activities. At exhibits, she said she saw exciting
interactive play-and-learn pieces of furniture that staff hopes to incorporate. She got a lot out
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of a young adult author event in the morning where authors promoted their new books and
one in the evening where winners of Newberry, Caldecott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Awards
accepted their awards.
Tuckness attended a collection management session where librarians responsible for
selecting materials held a discussion with e-books, e-audio, e-magazines, movies, and
music as the focus. She said strengths and pitfalls were discussed, as well as the idea that
materials are not owned, making it difficult for libraries to weed outdated items or select
specifically for their own community, but also providing a lot of selection without taking up
shelf space. There was conversation about providing materials to people who have devices,
as well as to those who don’t, how to work e-books into programming, and different ways of
promoting electronic media.
Linda Olson, who works as a Library Assistant in Outreach Services, drives the bookmobile,
and manages Project Smyles, said she viewed bookmobiles on display and talked to
vendors who were present at the conference. She said staff got good ideas for new
vehicles. They concluded that they’d like extended height so the bookmobile would feel less
claustrophobic and people would not have to duck, as well as interior seating all the way
around, with drawers underneath for storage. They are undecided about the matter of a front
versus rear engine. Olson said they also saw a specialty van with a ramp that would allow
library staff to roll out carts full of material at nursing homes, assisted living areas, and
daycares. She said it would be possible to go out with a small van more often than it is to
take the bookmobile.
Olson also mentioned learning of some interesting bookmobile service models—one in
which the bookmobile goes out to schools where each classroom goes out for 15 minutes so
the children can check out books; some that make seasonal stops at parks or, in one case,
at a race track; and another that is used as a community internet hotspot.
When asked about their sense of how APL fits in to the big picture they saw in Chicago,
Carey said that everyone feels fortunate to work in Ames with the team we have. Tuckness
said that, from a collection selection standpoint, it seems that APL is somewhat cutting edge
in that our staff selects quality things and things patrons want (as opposed to simply
ordering what the librarians think should be on the shelves).
Campbell asked Briseno what people want to see when they walk in. She replied that they
want someone to welcome them, smile at them, and ask what they need. They want to
recognize someone, too, and look to members of staff as “their” librarians.
Eason asked if implementing some of the ideas related to civic engagement dependent on
grant funding. Logsdon said she did not believe so. Civic engagement is already happening
with the programming that’s being done now. APL has facilitated discussions that are
important to people about politics, agriculture, energy, etc., and the library encourages the
open exchange of ideas. She said lots of other people describe those activities, but APL
goes out into the community all the time to convene with people who have vision and then
talk about what role the library can play.
Library Building Project Update:
Staff Report – Heemstra listed several aspects of job site progress, noting that:
• Concrete foundations are done;
• Structural steel is in;
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• Roof decks are starting to go on;
• A mason has started work on installation of the elevator shaft; and
• Quite a bit of work is going on in the alley, including some by the Municipal Electric
Department.
Heemstra said the site is very active, with as many as 10 contractors on the site at one time
on some days. They have now gone over 200 days with no lost time due to injuries, so The
Samuels Group is planning to have a pizza party to celebrate at the end of the month.
Heemstra reported that asbestos abatement is now complete on the lower level and the old
ceiling is gone. Later this summer the lead will be abated from the steel windows.
A new timeline was distributed for the Wood Window Restoration Project which added the
upcoming special board meetings. Heemstra said that five interested bidders had taken out
plans and all but one of them had visited the site; the fifth will be there next Tuesday. He
said the group included three large firms and two smaller ones from Iowa and surrounding
states.
Project Cost Summary – Heemstra pointed out items that had been updated, including
change order amounts for The Samuels Group and Abatement Specialties, payments made
to The Samuels Group through June (amounting to just over $2 million), costs for builder’s
risk insurance, and cash on hand. He said he would add the budget for window restoration
(item 5.09) after the bids are received.
Library Renovation Project Financial Report – No comments.
Announcements: Stow said that he would like a small task force to meet to update the
library’s Donor Recognition Policy, because the APLFF is looking at adopting one of its own.
He would like to make sure that both policies are correctly aligned so there is no confusion.
Stow said Jane Acker had accepted the invitation to assist and he asked the other trustees
to consider helping. He hoped they could get together August 6 or 7 for an hour or so.
With respect to the search for a Library Director, Stow stated that on-site interviews had
been held earlier in the week. The search committee will reconvene next week and hopes to
be able to announce an appointment by August 1.
Trustee Comments: he trustees expressed appreciation to members of the library staff for
taking time to attend conferences and report back with such excitement. Briese urged them
to find time to let those ideas creep in and be implemented, not die.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:53 p.m.
Special meetings will be held Wednesday, July 24, at 5:30 p.m., in the Library Conference
Room at 620 Lincoln Way, Suite 4, and August 8 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Room 135.
The next regular meeting will be Thursday, August 15, 2013, at 7:00 p.m., in the City
Council Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue.
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Karen C. Thompson, Administrative Assistant Jane Acker, Board Secretary
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