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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
October 17, 2001
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Brenda Davis, Chair; Jerry Bancroft; Holly Brown; Bob Gutzman; All Kesselheim; Molly Richardson, Foundation Board;
Wendy Lewis, Development Director; Lois Dissly and Liza McClelland, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Davis at 4:07 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the September 19th meeting were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister reported on public comments: a request for more children’s videos and more books on compact disc; more Excel and Word programs on our computers; zip drives on our computers (internal ones were ordered for the word processing computers); and a request not to hear cell phone conversations in the Library. Our policy does prohibit the use of cell phones in the building and signs to this effect have been posted, but staff will be more diligent about cautioning offending individuals. A complimentary comment was received on the great job Cindy Christin does with the story times. A Patron Complaint/Incident Report Form from staff noted a homeless man had an epileptic seizure in the Library, and 911 was called, the appropriate action to take even when the individual says it is not needed nor
can pay the cost.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
Meister reported that the Friends program on October 18th will be the Annual meeting and the second of the “Mountains and Rivers” lecture series, featuring the new President of the National Sierra Club Jennifer Ferenstein discussing “Corps of Recovery: Restoring the Northern Rockies along the Lewis and Clark Trail.” There will be a used book sale in November, and the Friends hope to add a new board member soon. Cameron Hildreth and Tara Gallagher will replace Betsey Stahler and Karen Walsh as the new co-presidents.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Lewis discussed the Saturday, October 27th Live! @ Your Library benefit evening to thank donors for their contributions. Trustees are encouraged to attend, and there will be training sessions on October 23rd at 8:00 a.m. and October 24th at 9:30 a.m. The Board complimented the Foundation on the attractive invitations. Sunday, October 28th, will be the free events featuring the authors (David Quammen, Cecelia Heffernan, Laura Wilson, and Michael and Heidi Dougherty) autographing their books and a performance of “Always Patsy Cline” at 4:00 p.m. The next Foundation Board meeting on Wednesday, November 7th, has been rescheduled from 7:45 a.m.to 9:00 a.m. at D.A. Davidson to hear a fourth presentation by a capital campaign
consulting firm, The Cosgriff Company from Omaha, Nebraska, which has both library fund raising and Montana experience. Trustees are invited to attend. The next regular Foundation Board meeting will be Wednesday, December 5th, at 7:45 a.m. in the Library meeting room.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister reported that the September circulation increased nearly 6%. Web site hits are not available yet due to the changeover to the City’s server but should be available retroactively. The financial report shows the Library has 72.68% left in its budget, which is where it should be after four and a half months into the new fiscal year. The Broad Valleys Federation Fall Meeting will be held at our Library Saturday, October 20th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Dissly reported on the forthcoming Community Technology Festival, scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Burns Telecommunications Center, which will feature author David Shenk and a workshop by McClelland and Terri Dood. This week is Teen Read Week, and teens are encouraged to
read through entering their names in a drawing for prizes. Author Roland Smith will speak at the Library on Thursday, October 18th, at 4:00 p.m., and the second Harry Potter Costume Party will be held on Saturday, October 27th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, kicking off the Foundation’s “Live! @ Your Library” events. The annual report has been printed and will be presented to the County Commissioners next Tuesday, October 23rd, at 9:00 a.m. Statistics from the report show a 6% increase in circulation, a 29% increase in meeting room attendance, a 9% increase in reference questions, a 10% increase in children’s programs, and a 32% increase in children’s attendance. The courier service is now operational between all three libraries in the BridgerNet Consortium, and Dissly is working with Three Forks to bring their holdings online. The Library is working with MSU library science students on
projects to give them practical experience as well as benefit the Library. Four staff members attended interlibrary loan training in Manhattan October 9th -11th. The Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Annual Business Expo at the Comfort Inn October 23rd and 24th, in which McClelland participates as the Library liaison to the Chamber. Meister said she and Mary Jo Stanislao had attended a City Commission candidates forum, sponsored by the Chamber, and encouraged Trustees to do the same. The Building Committee meets on Thursday, October 18th, at 4:15 p.m.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: PROPERTY CLOSING; STORY DISTRIBUTING PROPERTY
Davis reported on the property closing with CMC Heartland Partners on Monday, October 1st, at Security Title Company for the 14.3 acres of Main Street property for $2,150,000. City Attorney Paul Luwe had determined that the Mayor should sign the paperwork, so Mayor Marcia Youngman, Administrative Services Director Miral Gamradt (with the check), Staff Attorney Tim Cooper, Chair Davis, and Meister attended the closing. The Board will send a letter to the Commission, thanking them and City staff for their support and help. The Library will have to pay back interest on the money borrowed by the City until the bonds are sold. Davis and Meister attended a meeting with Gamradt and a Springsted representative about the sale of the bonds, which is scheduled to be phased into two separate sales with the
first scheduled for this winter. The monies need to be spent within three years. After discussion, the Trustees decided to ask the City to make the first installment for $3,000,000 and the second for $1,000,000, as there should be no problem expending that first amount within three years. Brown is working with Lee Stokes, the Story Distributing Property attorney, on updating the contract to purchase that property. If zoning changes are needed later, Brown will guide us through that process. The Board will need $500 earnest money shortly to cement the deal.
BOARD MEMBERS’ AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS
Building Committee Chair Bancroft reported that there are presently four subcommittees: Environmental Remediation; Architect Selection; Building Programming; and Partnerships. A fifth one on Publicity is currently being added. Requests for Proposals for an environmental consulting firm have been advertised and are due Friday, October 19th. Dave Koltz of the City Engineering Office is the chair of that subcommittee. James Goehrung is the chair of the Architect Selection Subcommittee and will have Requests for Qualifications ready at tomorrow’s meeting; his subcommittee will narrow the field to six firms, of which three to four will be chosen to give public presentations. Chair Davis will be added to that subcommittee. Julia Bruner has agreed to head the Publicity
Subcommittee, and Bancroft noted that we need to manage expectations and not promise more than we can deliver.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:22 p.m. The next meeting will be Wednesday, November 14th, at 8:00 a.m. in the Library Director’s Office.
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