HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 11/2/2013Ames Public Library Board of Trustees
Minutes of the Special Meeting/Retreat
November 2, 2013
The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in special session on Saturday,
November 2, 2013, in the Somerset Clubhouse, 2400 Aspen Road, with Acker, Budd, Bradley,
Briese, Campbell, Eason, Manus, Meier, and Stow in attendance. Library staff members present
included: Volunteer Services Coordinator Sarah Bohlke, Circulation Supervisor Tracy Briseño,
Library Director Lynne Carey, Outreach Supervisor Valerie Donnell, Technical Services
Supervisor Alissa Dornink, Building Maintenance Supervisor Bo Duckett, Network Supervisor
Mark Harris, Youth Services Coordinator Jerri Heid, Community Relations Specialist Jillian
Ocken, Reference Librarian Mike Quinn, and Administrative Assistant Karen Thompson.
Call to Order: Board President Stow called the meeting to order at 8:31 a.m.
Team Updates:
The board heard synopses from the following members of staff about teams that are currently at
work to manage staff and prepare the building and in order to provide optimal customer service
when the library reopens on Douglas Avenue:
• Tracy Briseño spoke about the team that selected and will be involved with configuration of the
Automated Materials Handling System (AMHS). Team members include: Briseño, Carey,
Duckett, Harris, Roger Hop, and Quinn.
• Sarah Bohlke described the work of the Scheduling Team, consisting of Jill Anderson,
Briseño, Carey, Donnell, Heid, Quinn, and herself. They are selecting software that will allow
the creation of a comprehensive schedule of all staff and employees. They will also look at a
program for meeting room scheduling and eventually review library hours of operation.
• Jerri Heid explained what the Communications Team is doing to ensure effective internal
communication between desks and floors, and determine how outside calls will be received
and routed. The use of portable devices is under consideration. Members include: Donnell,
Harris, Heid, and Mary Logsdon.
• Mike Quinn told about the Digitization Team, made up of Carey, Mary Logsdon, and himself.
They are looking into converting the microfilmed records of the local Ames newspapers from
1877 to present into electronic format.
• Alissa Dornink described the scope of work being done by the Selectors Team, which includes
Bri Anderson, Justin Armbruster, Carey, Ann Dobbs, Dornink, Jerri Heid, Emilyn Linden, Mary
Logsdon, Quinn, Tanvi Rostogi, and Seth Warburton. The team is striving to provide exciting
new materials for opening day, in addition to making sure that space is designed for a correct
fit of each collection and that all items are in good shape and attractive.
• Dornink also advised on the activities of the Integrated Library System (ILS)/Discovery Layer
Team. Members are: Bri Anderson, Briseño, Carey, Dornink, Harris, and Mary Logsdon. They
considered criteria for the system best suited to modern searching practices and staff
efficiency, evaluated the existing system, and issued a Request for Proposals to find out what
products are currently available. They will make a recommendation on how to proceed after
Agenda Item 3
reviewing the responses. If a new ILS is not purchased this year, funds that are already
designated in the 2015/16 Capital Improvement Plan may be used later.
• Mark Harris spoke about the Technology Team, which includes Briseño, Carey, Donnell,
Dornink, Heid, Logsdon, and himself. The scope of the team is to determine the products that
will best enable members of staff to meet their work goals. These include making services
available to the public. Seamless connectivity—both wireless and cellular—and competent,
consistent service is important. Materials that need to be purchased will include server
systems, desktops computers, laptops or tablets, audio/video equipment and TV monitors for
meeting rooms, printers, scanners, and all the associated software and licenses. A daunting
array of activities will be in the line-up, not the least of which will be opening all the boxes,
inspecting, setting up, configuring, and burning in new equipment. Harris said he has
participated in some conferences and webinars, but getting himself up to speed on the latest
operating systems will be a major hurdle.
• Valerie Donnell described the purview of the Bookmobile Team, which is planning for the
purchase of a replacement vehicle. Outreach staff has been keeping a list of desired features
and a large group of outside experts has been enlisted to assist with the process. Team
membership includes City Purchasing Agent Mike Adair, Trustee Harry Budd, Fleet Services
Representative Rich Iverson, Purchasing Director Karen Server and library staff members
Briseño, Carey, Donnell, and Duckett. A request for proposals should be ready to be issued
mid-November and responses will most likely be due in January.
• Kevin Stow communicated the activities of the Building Project Committee. Members are:
Construction Advisor Brad Heemstra, City Facilities Manager Paul Hinderaker, MSR Architect
Kate Michaud, Trustee Sherry Meier, Assistant City Manager Melissa Mundt, himself, and
library staff members Carey, Duckett, and Karen Thompson. The team reviews construction
updates and change orders and forwards certain issues to the Library Board and/or City
Council. Most recently they started discussing signage, the donor wall, and art work. Stow said
that Brad Heemstra and MSR have proven to be excellent choices; they are extremely
competent and very helpful.
• Jerri Heid spoke about the work of the Furniture Team. Staff members Briseño, Carey, Donnell,
Heid, and Logsdon are working in conjunction with Steven Rothe, an MSR interior designer.
The team is evaluating furnishings to establish coordinated, visually pleasing furnishings that
respond to the community’s needs and further the library’s mission. One goal is to make the
library a welcoming destination for customers and an efficient place for staff to work in. Bid
packages are being prepared by the architect and contracts will be awarded to the lowest
bidders. The furnishing concept will be publicly presented at the November 21 Board meeting.
Additional teams that will be formed soon were also mentioned. These include:
• Operations and Training, to be chaired by Val Donnell. Donnell will help employees and
volunteers get up to speed on the new equipment and applications, evaluate core
competencies, and coordinate training.
• Policies and Procedures, which will include sub teams with representatives from all affected
work groups.
• The Re-Move Team. The original Move Team (Bri Anderson, Justin Armbruster, Carey,
Donnell, Duckett, and Mary Morton) will reconvene to plan the move back to 515 Douglas,
vacation of the rental properties, and legal disposition of any remaining furnishings.
• Various sub-teams to plan recycling, choose and stock vending machines, etc.
Agenda Item 3
Recess: 10:23 a.m.
Reconvene: 10:36 a.m.
Approach to Strategic Planning: Stow stated that having a strategic plan in place was one of
the requirements for library accreditation and the existing plan was only approved for 2012 and
2013. He said it seemed to him that it would be possible to draw the initiatives from the
committee work that had just been described into a document that would envision a strategic
plan for the next 12-18 months. He proposed that a short-term plan be prepared in January or
February, and that the Board plan to move ahead with a three- to five-year plan in the spring of
2015. The longer-term plan could be done with community input and with or without the help of
an outside consultant. Carey said she would be pleased if the Board were to consider that
suggestion because staff is already extremely busy.
Grand Opening Activities and Events: Carey said that she wants to open the doors to the
new building with the staff as well-trained and well-rested as possible. Library literature indicates
that a 20- to 60-percent increase in visitors is typical after a library expands and APL is already
quite busy. Next fall will be a time for staff to focus on the community, but she said that a
reduction in services may be needed during the summer to allow for preparation, and a
“ramping up” period might be needed in order to resume the full range of services after opening.
There was discussion about the different issues that could arise as elements on the timeline are
completed. Most of the suppliers are not yet known and some of the training and policy
development cannot begin until equipment is installed.
The question of whether or not the library will be able to vacate the properties at 620 Lincoln
Way and 809 East Lincoln Way will need to be considered as soon as possible. Carey said the
lease for 620 Lincoln Way ends on July 31, 2014, and the landlord has already shown the
premises to potential future tenants. If any extension is desired, the landlord needs to know at
least six months in advance.
Stow said that some members of the APL Friends Foundation have already started talking
about the grand opening. A few members have agreed to organize a donor event and the group
as a whole is interested in engaging the community in opportunities for philanthropy.
Carey said a grand civic event will also be needed, as well as a series of events that take place
over a few days. Those would likely include something for those closest to the project,
something for major donors and groups, tours and a variety of fun events for various ages.
Some other suggestions were offered. Carey emphasized that staff will not be able to be in
charge of opening day activities; they need the library support boards and members of the
community to populate the committees to carry out ideas and generate enthusiasm.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by consent at 12:08 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, November 21, 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
Agenda Item 3