Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; JB Bancroft; Holly Brown; Al Kesselheim; Marilyn King; Chris Mehl, Foundation Board; Lois Dissly and Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: Jeff Krauss, Mayor; Chris Kukulski, City Manager; and James Goehrung, City Superintendent of Facilities.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the June 21 and July 13, 2006 meetings were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister noted a thank you from Chief Joseph Middle School to staff member Ginny Cowan for speaking with the sixth graders about the Library’s summer reading program. A thank you was received from the Chamber of Commerce for being a valued member; however, Meister said that membership had to be dropped for this fiscal year due to budgetary constraints and that Kukulski told her to do so since the Library belonged under the City’s umbrella membership. The American Red Cross had requested that the Library hold a blood drive but that is already being done through the City. The Gallatin Valley Human Rights Task Force requested to partner with the Library once again on acquisition of 60 human rights materials, which they will purchase with the help of staff member Beth Boyson. The Library will join
with the Task Force in commemorating Human Rights Day on December 10, 2006 with a display at the new Library. Meister was notified by the State Library that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2006 Public Access Computing Hardware Upgrade Grant (PAC-HUG)awarded Bozeman Library $14,885 to replace five computers received in 2000 from the Gates Foundation. The agreement states that the old equipment can no longer be used for Internet access at the Library. Thirteen new computers must be purchased and installed by December 3, 2006 to meet the terms of the grant. Comments from the public included a note that “E-CHORDS.com” is guitar fake book. Huge.” There was a request for a Christmas book and more electronics and robotics magazines. Another patron said, “I do not know which is more tumultuous and noisy, this library or Main Street on Saturday night.” Meister had also received notification from
Foundation Development Director Wendy Lewis that the C-SPAN Book Bus was planning a visit to Bozeman on July 24 and would be located in the Library parking lot in the afternoon.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
Meister reported that the Friends are planning a Used Book Sale on July 21-22 and 24. Montana Women Vote will register new voters during that time. The Friends continue to negotiate with Aimee and Dan Gerharter about the proposed Wild Joe’s coffee shop in the new building. After the Sweet Pea Festival, the Friends will sponsor “Using Humor and Personal Stories in Storytelling” on August 7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The speaker is the 2006 Sweet Pea Storyteller Andy Offut Irwin. City Attorney Paul Luwe sent a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement between the Trustees and the Friends, which gives the Friends legal permission to dispose of surplus library materials as well as operate a book store/coffee shop in the new building. Brown commented that there
should be more specific detail about the coffee shop. The Friends will be meeting some time in August.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Mehl reported that a Grand Opening Committee had been formed, which will meet July 28 at 8:30 a.m. at the Foundation Office to develop a calendar for the fall events. He also mentioned that the Foundation is coordinating the C-SPAN Book Bus event in Bozeman on July 24. The Foundation is working on a strategic plan for its future fund raising efforts. The Board will meet in August.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister reported that the total annual circulation from July 2005-June 2006 increased 5.82%. Reference and information questions increased 2.12% while total Interlibrary loan transactions decreased 5.92% (which is a good thing). InfoTrac Database usage was down 30.39% as were adult programs and meeting room usage. Children’s and young adult programming increased 3.8% with attendance up 2.69%. Door traffic decreased 3.78% while total overdue notices sent increased 19.10%. City residents with library cards total 56.41%, county residents 38.16%, and other county towns, out-of-county, and temporary cards total 5.42%. To date the new Library Project Activity shows $12,908,457.16 received in revenues and $13,754,151.41 spent, leaving a deficit of $845,694.25. At 100% of the fiscal year
completed, there is a deficit of .49% primarily due to overages in utilities. For this current fiscal year (July 2006-June 2007) $27,765.10 has been spent, but no total budget figure is given due to salary negotiations still underway. Meister reported that there will be a trail and plaza presentation about the new Library site to be given by CTA LandWorks on July 20 at the City Hall Commission Room. CTA was given feedback at last week’s special Board meeting and those ideas will be incorporated into this presentation. Federal Highway transportation funds will be used for these improvements. The Library Assistant II position had to be reopened with a closing date of July 28. There will be a Montana Shared Catalog Executive Committee meeting at the Library on July 27 as Meister is a member of this committee. There is an Art Committee meeting that same afternoon at 3 p.m. The remaining $20,000 in the art budget had to be eliminated
due to the higher shelving package amount, so the Art Committee members plan to approach a prominent artist for the desired mobile to hang over the circulation desk. The Employee Appreciation City Picnic is scheduled for July 27 at 5:30 p.m. The Book Cart Drill Team will perform in the Sweet Pea Festival Parade on August 5. Creative Workshops for kids take place in August, including ones on cartooning, poetry writing, and theater. Kids need to sign up in advance. Pam Henley took a PhotoShop class at MSU on July 11. Great Falls Public Library Director Jim Heckel was also in town for that class and toured the new building. Weeding of the collection continues to go well, which will help when the materials are moved to the new building. Martel Construction has asked that the book brigade occur on October 8 rather than September 30, which would push the Grand Opening to November. The moving workshop given by Relocation Advisers LTD.
will take place on July 26. Moving bids were submitted and reviewed with Mergenthaler Transfer & Storage Company being the low bidder. The Library is working with the City on a Citywide Health and Safety Plan.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: PROJECT COSTS AND APPROVAL OF BIDS; FY2007 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE; MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING; SUNDAY CLOSURE
There was some discussion about the Federal Highway transportation funding and the $500,000 that still remains to be spent. Kukulski pointed out there would be another two years before all of the money comes in, and there would be time to use it after usage patterns are established at the new site. There is concern about the amount of landscaping that CTA is planning due to lack of maintenance staff to care for it. Kukulski also noted that Story Distributing Property will be requesting the City to open its landfill to accept a certain amount of asbestos contaminated soil. Goehrung said that both movers have been notified of the Library’s decision. He also reported the finalization of the shop drawings and that site work would be starting in several weeks. He will bring the furniture and
shelving bids to the next meeting for approval. Meister then presented this year’s holiday schedule, which included eleven holidays. Action Kesselheim moved to accept the FY2007 holiday schedule as presented, King seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. The Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Trustees regarding transfer of Library land in exchange for forgiveness of the Library debt at the end of the project was discussed; it is still being negotiated. Meister then discussed the possibility of closing on Sunday throughout the rest of the calendar year in order to determine usage patterns in the new building due to expected demand and lack of staff to adequately assist that demand. The Library is closed Sundays in the summer and is open four hours from September through May (though the Library would not be open at all during most of October in order to move). It is the easiest and cleanest time to close as well as
adjust staff schedules to accommodate the change. Meister has heard that new libraries can experience up to double their current usage; also the new Library has an extra public service desk to staff as well as fill in the Technology Assistant’s hours at the Computer Assistance Desk on the second floor. Closing on Sundays through December would allow staff the opportunity to access the demand and readjust staff scheduling to accommodate it. The Trustees were concerned about Sunday being a family day and one of the few days that working people can access the Library. They were also concerned about the controversy it would engender. Action After further discussion, Brown moved that the Library remain closed on Sundays through the opening date of the new building, Bancroft seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Meister and the staff will consider possible other hours of least usage to close. She will also check with City Attorney
Paul Luwe to see if a special mill levy for library revenues could be held.
EXECUTIVE SESSION RE: DIRECTOR’S PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Chair Farmer noted 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 5:16 p.m.
Chair Farmer reconvened the open meeting at 5:32 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was nothing.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:47 p.m. The next regular Library Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s Office.
| 
