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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
June 8, 2004
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Brenda Davis, Chair; Jerry Bancroft; Bob Gutzman; Al Kesselheim; Wendy Lewis, Foundation Development Director; Marcia Youngman, City Commissioner; Lois Dissly and Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: Mike Delaney, Foundation Board; Ron Farmer; and James Goehrung, City Superintendent of Facilities and Public Lands.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Davis at 4:04 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the May 11, 2004 meeting were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister read a letter from the Montana Library Association (MLA) President thanking her and the staff for their work on the MLA Conference, which was held in Bozeman April 24-27. Public comments included a request to shelve the new large print books with the other new books. The reason that it is not done is to ensure that the popular new large print books will be checked out by people needing large print, which was explained to the patron who seemed satisfied. Several patrons wanted longer open hours and Sunday hours during the summer. Another patron wanted access to a regular phone line for his laptop computer, which is presently underway. Several favorable comments were received about the on-line book club and the book club kits, both underwritten by the Friends of the Library. One
patron said, “I love coming here–I could be happy visiting four times a week.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
Meister reported that responses to the membership renewal letter are still being received. The Friends summer book sale is scheduled for July 23-24. The next meeting of the Friends is June 16 at 7:00 p.m.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Lewis distributed a handout of campaign tasks remaining to be done, who is responsible for them, and dates for completion. The Family Gift Program is underway with naming opportunities still available. Lewis had just attended the USDA Rural Development seminar the same day and reported that most grants are for rural communities with populations under 20,000 people. Davis will contact the congressional delegation regarding next year’s appropriations. Lewis mentioned the planning for the fall fund raising event is underway. The next Foundation Board meeting is June 30 at 8:30 a.m.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister noted that the budget report showed that after eleven and a fourth months or 93% of the fiscal year completed, 5.32% remained in the budget; the overage is due to the expense of repairing the air handling system. The construction budget showed that $4,482,470.78 had been spent to date. The statistical report showed that circulation increased 1.52%, while InfoTrac database usage increased 4.34%. The number of adult programs increased 55% and attendance increased 32.44%. Reference and information questions decreased nearly 2%, and interlibrary loan transactions declined nearly 1%. Staff has been working on Library Activities for FY2004-2005, which will be finalized for the July Board meeting. The four candidates for City Manager are being interviewed this week with public input solicited
at each event. Beth Boyson won the MLA election to be the American Library Association (ALA) representative. Cindy Christin had an article on partnerships published in the June Public Libraries magazine. Bozeman staff has been quite active in MLA leadership positions–Pam Henley has been the Focus newsletter editor for five years, and Lois Dissly, Terri Dood, and Sue Howe also held various offices. Meister will be attending a week-long Summer Institute at MSU this week, which is sponsored by the State Library for library directors. Institute participants will tour the Library on June 9 in conjunction with the Library’s celebration of its 100,000th book featuring a critical guide to James Welch. Since his book Fools Crow is the “One Book Montana” choice, there will be a display of his work. The BridgerNet Consortium was recently selected to receive $46,232 from the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA) to join the Montana Shared Catalog project, which also means migrating from our present Dynix system to a Sirsi one. Burt Logan, Executive Director of the USS Constitution Museum, will be in town June 14-15 to discuss the “‘Old Ironsides’ Across the Nation” exhibit which will be here next October. Architect Mark Headley and Meister will discuss the building project at the Tribal Librarians Institute on June 17. The Gallatin County Libraries Long-Range Planning Committee will meet June 21 in West Yellowstone. The County has requested a budget on how the Library plans to spend its $666,649 of county funds for capital improvements. Meister will attend the ALA Conference in Orlando June 24-30 in her role as ALA Councilor. An incident occurred when a woman called to complain that a man was viewing pornography at a computer station next to her 13-year-old daughter. If her daughter had complained,
the staff could have responded, which she seemed to understand.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: FY2005 LIBRARY ACTIVITIES; TECHNOLOGY PLAN; BUILDING PROJECT
Meister distributed a list of FY2004-05 Library holidays, which included Independence Day (off July 5 since the 4th falls on a Sunday), Labor Day (September 6), Election Day (November 2), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 25), Christmas Eve and Christmas (December 24-25), New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 17), Presidents’ Day (February 21), Easter (March 27 which is not a paid holiday), and Memorial Day (May 30). Action Gutzman moved to approve the FY2004-2005 Holiday Schedule, Bancroft seconded,
and the motion passed. Meister had received a preliminary copy of the FY2005 Budget, which showed the Library receiving $1,196,635 ($339,233 for operating expenses, a 0% increase from last year; $9,850 for capital expenses, a 100% increase over last year, and $789,380 in salaries, a 7% increase over last year). There will be a budget hearing the last Monday in June to finalize the City Budget. Dissly discussed the Technology Plan, which will be submitted to the State Library, and the plan for migrating from the current Dynix automated system to the Sirsi one. Davis complimented her on the detailed plan and securing the migration funding. Bancroft gave an update on the building project, stating that he and Kesselheim had met with Lewis and campaign co-chair Tim Swanson June 2 about the project budget. Originally at $13,000,000, the budget has gone from $14,000,000 to $15,400,000. The Foundation Board sent a memorandum to the Trustees, stating
its concerns over escalating costs, and said “...BPLF (Bozeman Public Library Foundation) cannot continue to conduct the capital campaign without assurances from the Trustees at your meeting on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 that the total project cost will be capped at $14 million.” The Foundation Board also informally expressed disapproval about another bond referendum this year; perhaps it would be possible in three to five years. Bancroft, Kesselheim, and Goehrung then met with architect Mark Headley to discuss reducing the budget for the building to the $7.4 to7.8 million range. Headley is willing to stand by the contract of a $7.8 million budget, either by scaling back or redesigning the plans for the present building. Kesselheim said that Swanson felt he couldn’t represent the Library’s financial picture as there were still too many unknowns. He respected the effort that has been made by the Foundation and recognizes that
there cannot be the same scope and quality for that price. Delaney said that he could build a 50,000 square foot building for $7,000,000. He is against selling off the triangular pieces of property but suggested the plaza be sold to the City and money from the sale of Soroptomist Park go toward the Library project. Youngman was unclear about the future of Soroptomist Park and where the money might go. Delaney felt the architects did not receive clear instructions with the realization of incurring a penalty if they did not come in within budget. He is also confident that donations will pick up once ground is broken. (At 5:15 Youngman and Dissly left the meeting.) Action After discussion,
Bancroft moved to establish a building project budget of $14,000,000 and seek a redesign to meet that goal. Kesselheim amended the motion in order to direct the architects to deliver a building as stipulated in the original contract, which was a 49,000 square foot building for $7,311,000. Kesselheim seconded, and the motion passed.
BOARD MEMBERS’ AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT
There was nothing else.
EXECUTIVE SESSION RE: DIRECTOR’S PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Chair Davis stated that she was closing the meeting to conduct the annual performance appraisal of the Library Director pursuant to Section 2-3-203(3) Montana Code Annotated. The open meeting was closed at 5:30 p.m.
Chair Davis reconvened the open meeting at 5:45 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:56 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Wednesday, July 14 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s office.
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