Library Board Meeting

Scottsbluff Public Library

Board

Regular Meeting

April 13, 2006

Minutes

Roll Call

President Clark Nichols called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. Present were Clark Nichols, Marj Mandujano, Steve Viessman, Rita Brown, Bev Russell and Acting Recording Secretary Deb Carlson. Karon Harvey was absent due to illness.

Notice of changes in the agenda. (Additions may not be made to this agenda less than 24 hours before the beginning of the meeting unless added under item 3 of this agenda.) There were none.
Citizens with business not scheduled on the agenda. (As required by state law, no matter may be considered under this item unless the board determines that the matter requires emergency action.) There were none.
Approve special board meeting minutes of April 6, 2005. Rita moved the approval of the minutes of April 6, 2005. Steve seconded. The minutes were approved.
Petitions, communications, public input: There were none.
Reports and recommendations from the Library Director and/or library staff:

Statistical reports: January, February, and March 2005 (see board packets)

Library statistics for the past three months were distributed. Bev mentioned her concern that the "door count" was down for the year as well as circulation. The drop off in circulation and door counts, however, are national trends. With the advent of computers people are coming to the library and staying longer. There is not as much in and out traffic as in the past. Additionally, more research materials are being accessed online and non-fiction/reference materials are not as much in demand as the past.

Library activities for January, February, and March 2005

January:

Book Club – (Jan. 4) – 18 attended (Jana)
Morning and evening story times – (Jan. 6, 13, 20 27) – attendance 330
Pink Schoolhouse tour – (Jan. 21) – 7 students
Kiwanis/Headstart Program – (Jan. 12) – attendance 55
ESU #13 tour – (Jan. 12) – 9 students
Roosevelt Presentation - attendance 85 – (Deb & Nancy)
TAC Meeting – (Jan. 11) – 20 attended
VITA Tax assistance – (Jan. 26, 29, 31) – 48 appointments
Public Library Section Exec. Board Meeting in North Platte – (Jan. 19) - Bev

February:

Cub Scout tour – (Feb. 2) – 11 Scouts
District #68 Sioux County tour – 2 students
Morning and Evening story times – (Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24) – attendance 546
WNCC Children’s Lit. class presentation – (Feb. 8) – 20 students – (Deb)
Presentation WNCC Child Development Center – (Feb. 16) – attendance 24 (Nancy)
Lake Alice 5^th ,6^th, 7^th , & 8th – (Feb. 23) – 41 students
Lake Minatare 5^th, 6^th , 7^th, & 8^th – (Feb. 25) – 30 students
Dr. Seuss Program @ Northfield School – (Feb. 28) – 100 attended
VITA tax assistance – (Feb. 2, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28) – 127 appts.
Book Club – (Feb.1) – 21 attended (Jana)
TAC Mardi Gras – (Feb. 5) – attendance 36 (Nancy & Kathy)
Public Meeting w/architects – (Feb. 7) – 38 attended
Adult Reading Program Matinee Movie – (Feb. 22) – 16 attended
Homemakers Club Presentation – (Feb. 21) – 12 attended (Bev)
Friends Annual Meeting – (Feb. 6) – 42 attended
Friends of the Library Board – (Feb. 15) – 11 attended

March:

Community Christian School 6^th grade – 17 students
Morning and Evening Story times – 578 attended
Read Across America presentations – PCS for Headstart – 150 attended
" " " " - Adopt-a-School – 112
Summer Reading Program Workshop – 38 attended
SHS Speech Class – 20 students
Book Club – 17 attended
VITA Tax Assistance – (March 1,2,5,7,12,14,19,21,23,26,28,30) – 187 appts.
TAC meeting – 14 attended
Architect’s meeting – 42 attended

Spring Meetings – May 10 – Kimball – Fundraising

Spring Meetings are scheduled on May 10^th in Kimball. Clark will be attending since a fundraising consultant, with whom Bev has visited, will be the presenter. If any other board members would like to attend, the library will pay their way.

Library Summer Hours – Memorial Day weekend – Labor Day weekend?

The library received no real complaints last summer when we cut our hours back. This was a mild surprise to Bev. Cutting back on hours during the slack times in summer helps save the library budget, esp. in personnel. Additionally, the pages hours were reduced this year because of budget concerns so this would help by scheduling them during the busier times. After looking at the calendar, Bev asked if the board would approve moving to a reduction in hours during the summer from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The library will be opened M-Th. 9-7 and closed on Sunday.

Steve moved that the library reduce its hours as per Bev’s suggestion from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Marj seconded. Motion carried.

Actions items:

Discussion and recommendation of Library Board to City Council, regarding Middle School/Public Library collaboration.

Steve reported on a conversation he had recently at one of the school district’s Strategic Planning Meetings. Apparently, Supt. Reynolds indicated to a group that a partnership with the City of Scottsbluff and the school district for a joint public library/middle school is a certainty. Steve suggested that the Library Board needs to respond to this in a formal way since the plan as it stands now is now to expand the library onsite.

Marge suggested a letter be written from the library to the school board, clarifying this.

Bev said that she would prefer that we receive the City Manager’s input on this before we proceed with a letter. The city has never been officially approached by the school district for a joint library/middle school building.

Clark suggested that Rick might call Supt. Reynolds.

Steve moved the following resolution:

The members of Scottsbluff Public Library Board do not feel at this time that it is prudent to expand the Scottsbluff Public Library anywhere other than on its present site. We feel that the library as an entity of City of Scottsbluff should follow the path preferred by the citizens of Scottsbluff, which is to stay at its present location. This preference was clearly stated at a series of public meetings in November of 2004, and later at public meetings in February and March 2005.

Marj seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Bev will send a copy of this to Rick Kuckkahn and ask if he would like the Board

to write Supt. Reynolds to this effect or if he would prefer to have the Library Board handle this.

Board policies for discussion, revision and approval: Library Board By-Laws, Library Use & Personnel

Copies of the proposed Library Board By-Laws were distributed. Marj moved the approval of the By-Laws with the following changes:

Article II, Section 7: A Board Member who ~~has unexcused absences~~ is absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings…to state in writing his/her intention to continue serving on the Board.

Article III, Section 1: (delete last sentence) Officers are selected annually at the first meeting in October in accordance with City Ordinances. ~~The senior member of the Board becomes President, the next serves as Vice-President and the third as Recording Secretary.~~

Article III, Section 4 (deleted)

Article III, Section 7 (deleted)

Article III, Section 8 (add a sentence) The Library Director is the appointed Executive Secretary to the Board and keeps a true and accurate record of all proceedings of Board meetings, issues notices of all regular meetings and has custody of minutes and other records of the Board. It is the duty of the Director to notify the City Manager and Council of vacancies of the Board. The Executive Secretary may appoint a staff member to assist as Recording Secretary during Board meetings.

Article IV, Section 1 (correction) The regular meetings of the Board are held on the second Wednesday of the month ~~from 5 – 6 p.m~~. beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Library meeting room. Meetings are held monthly if necessary but no less than six times a year. Written notice of the time and place of the meeting shall be posted and published in conformity with the provisions of the law of the State of Nebraska.

Article VI, Section 3 (add Executive) The text of the proposed amendment must be kept on file with the Executive Secretary for not less than 20 days.

Rita seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Due to the length of the meeting the discussion on the Library Use & Personnel policy will be continued until the next regularly scheduled meeting.

8. Adjournment: 5:58 p.m.