HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/24/03 Library Board MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY BOARD
OF THE
CITY OF THE COLONY
April 24, 2003
A REGULAR SESSION of the Library Board of the City of The Colony, Texas, was called
to order by Chair Gehrke at 7:00 p.m.
Present:
Sandi Gehrke Place 1
James Althaus Place 3
Lorraine Clark Place 4
Jayme Skelton Place 5
Wayne Bullard Place 6
Sue Parks Place 7
Joan Sveinsson Library Director
Jo Chantrill Library Secretary
Absent:
Diana Kruzich Place 2 Personal Business
1. Citizens input.
None.
2. Consideration and approval of the minutes of the March 27, 2003.
This item was tabled to the May 22, 2003 meeting.
3. Discussion and consideration of request for reconsideration of library materials,
specifically: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Collected from American Folklore by
Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, "along with other such books".
In preparation for this agenda item, all members present had read Scary Stories to Tell
in the Dark: Collected from American Folklore, as well as the published reviews of the
book. Director Sveinsson reported that a letter had been sent to the individual who
submitted the request, giving notification that the request had been placed on the
agenda for this meeting, giving the time and location of the meeting, noting that the
meeting is open to the public, and providing a copy of the meeting agenda. Director
Sveinsson had no further communication from the requestor. The requestor did not
attend the meeting.
Director Sveinsson had provided in the Board's packets a summary of information
regarding Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Collected from American Folklore:
· This title was originally published in 1981. It is still in print today, with the most
recent release shown by Books in Print (online) as 2001.
· The Colony Public Library currently owns 3 copies of this title, the oldest acquired in
1992, the other two acquired in 1994. The oldest copy, a paperbound edition, has
circulated 82 times, averaging 8 circulations per year. The two hardbound copies
have circulated 67 and 61 times, averaging 7 circulations per year.
· The title has been reviewed favorably in Book#st, both at its original publication and
at subsequent releases, as well as in School Library Journal.
· It won the Arizona Young Readers Award (1987) and the Buckeye Children's Book
Award (Ohio 1987).
· It is included in standard selection sources:
· Best Books for Children: Preschool through Grade 6, Sixth Edition, 1998.
(Bowker).
· The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children, 1991.
· Children's Catalog, 18th edition, 2001. (HW Wilson)
· The New Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, 1989.
· Two subsequent collections, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Scary
Stories 3, have also been recommended and well received.
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was included in Your Reading: A Book#st for
Junior High and Middle School Students, Seventh Edition, 1988 (National Council of
Teachers of English).
Scary Stories 3 was included in another standard selection source Caroline Feller
Bauer's New Handbook for Storytellers, 1993. (American Library Association).
During the discussion of the request, the following concepts were brought up:
· The inclusive nature of public library collections; the role of the public library to
include a wide variety of materials and viewpoints to meet the needs of the
community;
· The responsibility of parents; that it is the parent - and only the parent - who may
restrict his children - and only his children - from access to library materials; that
the Library does not serve in Ioco parentis. As one member pointed out, based on
her personal experience as a parent, each child develops at a different pace and
only the parent knows if his or her child would be able to handle such topics (one of
her children read and loved this book; her other child is definitely not ready for it
yet).
· The concern that the individual who filed the request had not read the entire work,
but had just "briefly looked through it". A more thorough approach might have
revealed the literary and cultural history presented in the book.
· The work includes notes on the sources, history, and traditions of the included
folklore, as well as on societal changes that have resulted in variances in the
wording. For example, on page 95, in regard to "The Hearse Song", it is noted that
the words changed since it was sung as a war song during World War I, when it
"helped servicemen deal with the fear they felt." The newer version sung by
children "helps children confirm the reality of death, yet through satire and humor
deny its reality for them."
· The "scary" factor is not out of line with other venues of popular culture.
· A familiarity with folklore and fairy tales is an important aspect of preparation for
literary studies; a student who is unfamiliar with such materials is at a disadvantage
in understanding references to them in other works.
· It is the role of the public library to provide options in the form of a wide variety of
materials and viewpoints; it is up to the individual adult or individual child's parent to
make choices from those options.
· The wording of the request included not just the one title, but also requested
removal of this title "from the library along with other such books". Such a broad,
sweeping request would eliminate all folklore and fairytales, as well as such very
popular fiction genres as suspense, horror, and mysteries.
After thorough discussion, Member Bullard moved to retain Scary Stories to Tell in the
Dark: Collected from American Folklore by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen
Gammell, "along with other such books". The motion was seconded by Member Clark
and the motion passed unanimously.
4. Library Director's Report:
a. Status report re: operations:
Payroll is using the Library's public access computers during closed hours for city
staff training on the automated time and attendance system to be implemented later
this year. The first departments to go live with the new system will be the Police
Department and the Parks & Recreation Department.
Director Sveinsson may not attend the ALA Annual Conference in Toronto this
summer as originally planned given the concern regarding the SARS outbreak; if
she does not attend it, the associated funding will be used for other needs within the
department.
The Denton County Library Advisory Board attended a Denton County
Commissioners Court meeting to present each member of the Court with a book
containing descriptions of each of the libraries serving Denton County residents, as
well as a packet containing a library card from each library. The purpose of the
presentation was to express the Board's appreciation of the Court's support over
the past eighteen years and to demonstrate the wide range of resources available
to Denton County residents via the seventeen member libraries at twenty-three
locations.
Director Sveinsson requested that the June Library Board meeting be rescheduled
held on the 19th, instead of the 26th. The members present agreed to the change.
b. Status report re: grants:
Wal-Mart has awarded two grants to the Friends of the Library: a matching funds
grant of $524 (matching the March book sale revenues) that will be used to
purchase book baskets, and a literacy grant for $1,000 that will be used to purchase
more materials for adult new readers and for binding paperbound materials for adult
new readers.
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c. Update re: Friends of the Library activities:
The annual business meeting, potluck dinner, and murder mystery will be held on
Saturday April 26th at beginning at 6:00 p.m. There are still openings for cast
members.
The next book sale will be held on June 7th, as will the annual "All the Pancakes
You Can Eat" at McDonalds fund-raiser.
The Mother-Daughter Tea will be held on Saturday, May 17th at 2:00 p.m.
The grand opening of The Colony Five Star is scheduled for September 6, 2003,
which is the same day as the FOTCPL book sale. FOTCPL hopes to have a booth
at the event and have the book sale at the Five Star site.
d. Long range planning:
Director Sveinsson discussed with Director of Community Services Nelson the
concept of a "Future Home of The Colony Public Library" sign at the Five Star site.
Director of Community Services Nelson advised against placing a sign before a
construction date is set and then not too soon before construction is scheduled to
start.
The next Library Board meeting will be held May 22nd, 2003.
The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m.
jo~.,~.~' Sandi Gehrke, Chair
Chantrill, Secretary