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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
Library Board/Staff Conference Room
Bozeman Public Library
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Al Kesselheim; Marilyn King; Jacki McGuire; Paula Beswick, Foundation; Lois Dissly, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: City Commissioner Jeff Rupp; City Manager Chris Kukulski; City Facilities Manager James Goehrung; Mike McKenna, McKenna Realty; and Valorie Drake, Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:04 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The January 16, 2008 Library Board minutes were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister received public comments which included a request for a special section reserved for British dramas so that the other shelves could be freed up for more recent films. A patron inquired whether there wasn’t a better place for the new fax machine upstairs where the public copier is located due to its taking up space; a letter was sent saying that the fax machine was placed there due to it being the only place where it could be connected to the phone lines. It was pointed out that the patron might be better served by the public copier on the first floor. Another patron suggested that the Library do a study about the energy consumption of using disposable hand towels versus the hand blower and then post the results so that patrons could make a better decision on how to dry their hands.
Another patron requested sports movies. An individual asked that entire sidewalks be cleared of snow. A patron requested more weekend hours since not everyone goes to church on Sunday morning. Another individual suggested turning off the blind controls so that the blinds could be left up during the day. Someone requested task lighting around the audio-video shelves due to it being dark there. Another complained about the height and comfort of the chairs, saying that the work desks seem too high for the chairs. A patron requested that the bulletin boards be moved away from the bathrooms due to that area being too crowded and uncomfortable. Another requested a book drop on the west side of town, such as near Hastings Books Music and Videos. Another requested that the Library start a film/discussion club. A patron noted that the self-check machine noise was an irritant, and a letter was sent letting the patron know that staff
used the noise to determine whether materials were successfully checked out but that the sound would be turned down. Someone requested that the no smoking rule be enforced on the Library’s grounds, which is difficult for staff to do. Another individual noted that it was very noisy on a Saturday she was at the Library and requested that the noise level be kept down. A patron recommended that the book aisles be made wider. Porspera Business Network sent flowers and a thank you for a reception and tour the Library held January 30th . A patron requested that the trail be plowed since the goal was to encourage pedestrian access. Since others had mentioned the same concern to Meister, Goehrung responded that the asphalt was still in its warranty period but his budget next year would include plowing the trail. An e-mail congratulated Meister on a NPR Home Ground radio program she did in January. Meister had received an
invitation to participate in the Belgrade Community Library’s long range planning process and committed to attending the first meeting on February 29th. She also wrote a letter on behalf of Aware saying that Aware clients were welcome to use the Library at all times. The Montana Center for International Visitors (MCIV) sent a thank you since the Library had worked with student visitors from Brazil who volunteered at the Library. Meister received a thank you from a woman whom she had toured through the Library on her day off. Meister had received a letter from a Lewistown Library Trustee about revising the law in order to fund library districts. Director of Statewide Library Resources Bob Cooper had e-mailed that he had spoken to this Trustee and that Cooper would assist his efforts by compiling a sheet on the subject, which would be available by the end of March. Meister also encouraged Trustees to attend a Library law workshop
that will be held at the Library on March 7 as well as the Broad Valleys Federation meetings on March 8-9. Trustees are also encouraged to attend MLA trustee-oriented workshops held in April, and $500 scholarships are available to help defray conference expenses.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
There was none.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Beswick distributed a list of upcoming Foundation-sponsored events. She noted that the Library web site redesign was proceeding with the goal of having it ready by National Library Week (April 13-19). The Library’s welcome brochure and Foundation brochures should be finished soon. Beswick met with the Downtown Bozeman Association about coordinating activities with them such as the art walks and sculpture display, so that the Library is part of the Main Street presence. She is currently working on the Library’s Health Fair scheduled for April 3, the Baby Brains grant, and a Children’s Book Festival. There were 77 people at the last Exploring the Arts program, and the March 17th one will feature Celtic and traditional folk music for St. Patrick’s Day. Insty Prints has given some grant assistance for printing materials. She is meeting with retirement and assisted living centers about outreach programming for seniors. She also wants to be certain that the Library is
incorporated in the City’s 20/20 Plan. The Foundation will be the fiscal agent for the One Book One Bozeman project that is currently underway. Also it placed a Library advertisement in the Chamber of Commerce map. There will be a donor lunch in April featuring photographer Tom Murphy. On March 7 there will be an art reception for Logan Schelvan, whose photographs will be displayed for the next three months. The previous artist Jerolyn Dirks sold eleven pieces of art and $500 worth of posters, especially after the excellent article in the newspaper about her. Locati Architects donated a 42" large screen television in honor of Jerry Locati. The Foundation will purchase the public movie licenses needed to show films in the Library. At the last meeting, new policies, by-laws, and a Foundation strategic plan were approved. Also each department will be receiving $1,000 in discretionary funds from the Foundation. The
next Foundation Board meeting will be February 28th at 8:30 a.m.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: PARKING PROPOSAL; LIGHTING ISSUE; FY2009 BUDGET
Chair Farmer changed the agenda in order to allow guests to speak. Valorie Drake said that the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC)has been trying to purchase the Gallatin Seed Company on South Wallace Street but in order to finalize the sale, GYC needs 12-15 additional non-designated parking spaces in order to satisfy the City. Story Distributing Company property could be purchased for such a purpose, but the price is high. Basically overflow parking is needed, and GYC is prepared to pay the Library $25,000 up front and $1,000 a year for 25 years. Realtor Mike McKenna said that a long-term lease is needed in order to protect the real estate, but possibly such conditions could be rescinded with four to twelve months of advance notice. Mainly GYC employees would walk or ride their bicycles,
which means parking spaces would not really be used. GYC had a parking agreement with the Parks and Recreation Department, but it wasn’t permanent enough to satisfy future real estate needs. McKenna said that the renovation of the Seed Company would be a great benefit for the community. Farmer suggested that GYC consider constructing some additional parking spaces on Library land, though Goehrung noted that the Library could not put in any more parking spaces than what is currently there. And parking spaces are expensive–$12,000 at ground level with $22,000 per space at the parking garage. Kesselheim suggested a Conditional Use Permit, but McKenna said that GYC needs a long term lease. Kukulski suggested talking to the Library’s anonymous donor to see how the donor responds to development pressure, as there is need for structured parking in this area. Beswick said that she was concerned that if the Seed Company property is
ever sold, there might be a real need for parking spaces to be used then. Kukulski noted the stringent parking regulations and that a new development on South Wallace would need parking as well. At 5:05 p.m. Drake, McKenna, and Kukulski left the meeting. The Trustees discussed the situation and recommended that the donor not be consulted as it is a Library Board decision. The Trustees also felt that GYC should talk to the Planning Department and the Planning Commission regarding the need for parking spaces, as the Library does not want to commit to a 25-year parking agreement with GYC. King suggested that there be a long range vision workshop about the parking and development, so that this request does not continue to resurface. The question regarding the deficient lighting levels in the building was brought up by Goehrung. It was decided that it is a design issue and that a third party needs to be brought in to compare lighting levels so that a
resolution can be reached. Goehrung felt that the architect was relegating responsibility onto the subcontractor, and a third party could help recover costs. Goehrung also noted that the full year of Library utilities was $52,500 for gas and electricity with electrical use 24% over the architect’s projections. Goehrung needs to figure out whether it is due to an increase in utility cost. Meister brought up a Public Participation Policy, which outlines how public input is handled before and during the meeting and how the noticing of the meeting is handled. Action McGuire moved to approve the Public Participation Policy with one correction of the elimination of the agenda being posted in the newsletter, King seconded, and the motion passed 3-0 (Kesselheim had left the meeting at 5:00 p.m.). Meister then discussed the FY2009 preliminary budget, noting that the amount of $320,343 requested for operating expenses was 19% more than last year’s amount of $268,729. Most of the
increase was due to additional requests for contracted services and travel and training monies, as that category has decreased considerably in the last several years. Also the Library is requesting $5,600 in capital funds in order to replace a staff copier, for which parts are no longer available. Action King moved to approve the preliminary FY2009 budget, McGuire seconded, and the motion passed 3-0.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister noted that the January statistical report showed a 15.3% increase in the circulation of materials as well as nearly 125% increase in the number of public meetings and nearly a 90% increase in attendance at those meetings. She reported that at 62.5% of the fiscal year completed, the Library has 40.47% left to spend. The Library has a new self-check station in the Children’s Room thanks to a donation from the Bowman family. Architect Mark Headley worked with Take Pride insulation on Presidents Day to insulate the roof/wall juncture. The two new stack light samples should be available later this week for staff to judge. Mary Jo Stanislao is on vacation through February 26th; Gail MacMillan is in charge while she is gone. Beth Boyson will return from vacation on March 3; she and
Jane Basile recently covered for Terri Dood, who returned from her vacation on February 13. Kari Grimm, Pam Henley, Liz Babbitt, and Lois Dissly will travel to Missoula this weekend for the state Offline (a technology) conference. Catherine McMullen will be there to teach her Outreach to Latinos workshop, which the State Library/Gates Family Foundation will subsidize. Intern Greer McGee is finishing her departmental rotation, and Meister met with Associate Professor Jan Zauha to discuss her project. McGee would prefer to work on a disaster preparedness plan, especially after seeing the damage water caused at the MSU Renne Library earlier this month. The Library is working with Sarah Glover on the possibility of “One Book One Bozeman” this fall to read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder as a community. There will be a meeting this Friday to discuss the possibility of making this program a reality. The Art Committee met
February 11 to choose the artists for the upcoming exhibits. From eleven submissions, the Committee chose Karina Yager for fall 2008; Tyler Call for winter 2008-2009; and Tanya Nevin for spring 2009. Reference Librarian Liz Babbitt taught a class for Tom Egelhoff’s community business class. The Reference/Adult Services Department and the Technical/Automated Services Department continue to implement ideas for making the gift book process more efficient. Cindy Christin plans to meet with the Whittier School parents this Thursday night to discuss the glass panels for the Children’s Room, which glass artist Richard Parrish would oversee. Through a Bowman family gift, the project would consist of children designing the panels that would then hang in the east windows of the Children’s Room. A Bilingual Story time will be held the first Sunday of each month for Spanish speakers. Also classes for individuals who wish to learn
Spanish are held Tuesday evenings and taught by Jose Serrano, who is Latino. Incidents involved a frequently agitated patron who appeared to be using drugs by snorting a substance from her hand as reported by a Wild Joe’s employee. The police were called, who will warn her about illegal substance abuse. Another frequent patron started screaming at the patrons in the small computer area as she felt they were using telepathy to steal her resume; she also verbally attacked a staff member for her incompetence in not protecting the patron from these people. As the patron left the Library, she was very loud and threatened to kill the staff. The police were called, but there was no follow-up as she left the building. However, a suspension notice has been prepared for her in case such an incident occurs again.
BOARD MEMBER’S AND CITY REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT
Commissioner Rupp said that the City’s goal setting process was underway, and his last leadership role was to look at the large picture of neighborhood and redevelopment on South Wallace. He appreciates being able to serve as the liaison to the Library Board from the Commission.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
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