Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
August 16, 2004
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Al Kesselheim; Marilyn King; Lois Dissly, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guest: James Goehrung, City Superintendent of Facilities and Public Lands.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the July 14, 2004 meeting were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister received a letter of resignation from Claudia Leake, who substituted at the circulation desk. She resigned due to her new full-time position, which left her with little time or energy for another job. Meister also received a thank you from the United States Department of State expressing its appreciation for the tour she gave a delegation of librarians from Uzbekistan. Public comments included a suggestion to expand the register to vote campaign by asking patrons at the circulation desk to register if they are not currently registered. It was decided that this was too invasive and time-consuming for the staff to do. Another patron asked that the Library reinstate a limit on the number of books-on-tape that an individual can borrow, suggesting that ten should be the maximum. Head
of Circulation Services Mary Jo Stanislao called the patron and explained that most people don’t borrow that many, and the person seen checking out so many was the exception rather than the rule, which seemed to satisfy the patron. Another person suggested a no smoking ordinance outside the building due to a cigarette left burning there; a letter was written to explain that ashtrays were close to the building for the convenience of patrons as well as the cleaning crew. Other suggestions requested specific books-on-tape as well as more young adult ones. A patron from Indiana expressed appreciation for the Library’s Internet access while she was traveling.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
At their June 16th meeting, the Friends agreed to purchase a new public copier for the Library due to the success of their book sale and renewal drive. It should be in place within the next several weeks. The Friends are planning their annual meeting on November 10 to honor Bozeman author Mary Murphy, who won this year’s Montana Book Award. Their next meeting will be sometime in September.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Meister reported that 272 gifts/pledges had been received to date totaling $2,686,683. Foundation Office Assistant Julee Shepard and Foundation Board members Debby Bangs (and her husband Jim) and Chris Mehl helped with the Sweet Pea parade. Local authors are being contacted for the Foundation’s annual author event entitled “Howl @ Your Library,” which will be Friday, October 29. Sponsorships amounting to $3000 have already been obtained. The Foundation is hosting a Library Staff Appreciation breakfast on September 17 at the GranTree Inn. The Foundation Board’s next meeting is Wednesday, October 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the Foundation office.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister reported that the July circulation increased nearly 2% and that reference and information questions increased nearly 13%. The monthly financial report is not yet available as the City Commission needs to finalize the budget. Goehrung said the expense for repairing the registers as part of the air handling project totaled $5,500, which he had asked to have taken out of his department’s budget; however, the City thought it would be better for that expense to show up in the Library’s budget and that a budget amendment could be done if necessary. The total Project Report for the new Library showed $4,506,758.40 spent to date. In her Director’s Report, Meister reported that the Library was broken into this past week, and two laptop computers and a 9" color television and
DVD/Video player, along with some petty cash, were stolen. Locks have been changed, and the Library is pursuing insurance claims on the stolen property. The Adult Summer Reading Program gave out five prizes based on 35 logs submitted by 22 people. The Library is also promoting voter registration and plans to have a table at the September 11th Project. All staff will be evaluated by their respective supervisors during the next month. The Library is working with the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle to present a program commemorating the 150th anniversary of U.S.-Japanese relations; the program entitled “US-Japan Relations Through the Eyes of Friendship Dolls” will be held on September 2. State Librarian Karen Strege has resigned effective October 15. The Library is working with the Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) to promote the Raptor Festival in Bozeman the first weekend of October through an art
display at the Library and adult and children’s programs on raptors. Jane Basile and Lois Dissly attended the Washington Library Association/Pacific Northwest Library Association Joint Conference in Wenatchee, Washington August 12-14. Plans are progressing for migrating to the Montana Shared Catalog toward the end of October. The first data extraction is complete, and the conversion maps have been submitted. The Library has received two new report printers, three new receipt printers, and five new barcode scanners. Currently a complete inventory of the Library is underway with training scheduled for September 28-30 and a meeting scheduled for October 1. Peter Berliner from the Paul G. Allen Foundation met with Bancroft and Meister on August 5 about the status of the Library project and with other non-profits about grant possibilities. The Library was well-represented in the Sweet Pea Parade with the “Great Books” theme,
Meister as the Grand Marshall, and the Book Cart Drill Team. Meister also mentioned that in the August Tributary the new Library was voted Runner-up in the “Best Use of Taxpayers Dollars” and the Library itself was voted “Best Place to Vegetate.”
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: CALA; WOODEN BUILDINGS ON LIBRARY PROPERTY; BUILDING PROJECT
There was no update from Acting City Attorney Tim Cooper about CALA. Goehrung reported that Maxim Technologies had been hired for $1,900 to confirm that the 2 acre parcel, on which the wooden buildings sit, is clean. Maxim will be drilling 22 test holes in September; Cooper will speak with them about contamination issues. A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be sent to five identified firms for bids to remove the wooden buildings. Goehrung also reported that Mark Headley of StudioFORMA Architects felt that the reduction of the new Library building from 50,500 square feet to 43,000 square feet was feasible and the budget reasonable. Overland Partners wants to be totally removed from the project; Bancroft and Goehrung are still negotiating with Headley regarding the redesign fee and also waiting to hear
back from Martel Construction about subcontractor fees. There will be a public design meeting on September 16 to explain the design changes and to keep on target for bid-letting next January. Goehrung had received an additional bill of $50,000 from Allied Engineering, which was not approved, as all additional costs need approval ahead of time.
BOARD MEMBERS’ AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT
There was nothing else.
EXECUTIVE SESSION RE: DIRECTOR’S PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Chair Farmer stated that he 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 4:36 p.m.
Chair Farmer reconvened the open meeting at 4:49 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Wednesday, September 15 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s office.
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