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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/26/2011 MINUTES CITY OF THE COLONY LIBRARY BOARD MAY 26, 2011 A REGULAR SESSION of the LIBRARY BOARD of the City of The Colony, Texas, was called to order by Chair Gehrke at 7:01 p.m. PRESENT: Sandi Gehrke Place 1 Frederick Rushing Place 3 Joanna Krueger Place 5 Jade Kelly Place 6 Sue Parks Place 7 ABSENT: Diana Kruzich Place 2 (personal business) Nicole Rodriguez-Terrell Place 4 (personal business) STAFF: Joan Sveinsson Library Director Jeannie Baellow Recording Secretary 1. Introduction of new Library Board member. Director Sveinsson introduced newly appointed Place 6 Member Jade Kelly. Member Kelly has two grown children, was employed for 40 years in the computer industry as a technical writer, and has lived in The Colony for 37 years. 2. Citizen Input. None. 3. Consider approval of the minutes of the April 28, 2011 Regular Session. Member Rushing moved to approve the minutes as presented. Member Krueger seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously. 4. Discussion and reports regarding implementation of Library Board 2011 Goals and projects. a. Policy Review. Director Sveinsson reported that there are no polices for review but that some are forthcoming for future months. b. Increase awareness of state and national library legislative issues. Director Sveinsson again encouraged Board members to subscribe to Texas Library Association's Texline email list, which provides updates on legislative library issues on the state level. She distributed a handout on the Public Library Association's Turnin g the Page 2.0 program, a free six-week on-line public library advocacy training course. Director Sveinsson also shared handouts about the American Library Association's Washington office, noting that the website they were printed from offers a link to subscribe to the District Dispatch; the District Dispatch provides updates on legislative library issues on the national level. c. Customer and community surveys. Director Sveinsson reported that she had spoken with Electronic Resources Librarian Cary Cox about the feasibility of "pop-up" surveys. It is currently unknown if such an application could be enabled on the Library's website; however, Cary will look into it. d. Board presence at TCPL events and participation in TCPL public relations activities. Library Board 05-26-2011 Page 2 The Library will participate in LISD's Back 2 School Fair from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 6th at the Lewisville Learning Center, as well as in The City of the Colony Parks and Recreation Department's Back 2 School Bash on Friday, August 19th from 5-8 p.m. Chair Gehrke volunteered to assist at The Colony event. e. TCPL 2012 30th anniversary celebration. Chair Gehrke reported on the proposed "One Book One Community" event; the cost to bring a well-known author to speak is quite steep. The committee members working on that event are now looking at scaling back a bit and looking at selecting an author local to the north Texas area. There is concern about selecting an author whose work would have enough draw to gain a good turnout, yet not have such a steep fee. Member Parks noted that UNT hosted several authors, such as Rick Riordan, Gregory McGuire, and Orson Scott Card, when they were already in the area promoting current publications; in those cases, the host did not have to bear the full expense. Director Sveinsson suggested soliciting donations of flights and hotel rooms from local airlines and hotels for the guest author. Member Krueger and FOTCPL President Wayne Bullard are developing a letter to enlist event sponsors. The next meeting of the 30th anniversary committee is June 30th f. Library visits. No members reported visits this past month. 5. Receive update and discuss the following Friends of the Library activities: a. Annual meeting. Attendance for the event was disappointingly low and has been so for a number of years. At the May meeting, the officers decided to eliminate the social activity next year and hold only the annual business meeting, changing it from a Saturday evening to a weeknight. Per the FOTCPL bylaws, an annual business meeting must be held before April 30 (the end of the FOTCPL fiscal year). b. FOTCPL Presents! Annual Springtime Tea. Etiquette and Protocol Consultant Linda Rollins provided information about decorum, table manners, and the history and art of teas to the 35 attendees. A lovely tea was served and door prizes including floral centerpieces were awarded. Historically, this event has been well-attended and sold out in advance; this year, the final tickets did not sell until the day of the event. c. FOTCPL-sponsored June 2011 Library events. FOTCPL Presents! magician, puppeteer and ventriloquist Brett Roberts in "Dig Up A Good Book" at the annual summer "Just for Fun Night for the Entire Family" on June 23rd at 7 p.m. 6. Receive update from staff and discuss the following items: a. Public Relations Events and Programs: L National Library Week prize drawings. Framed personal READ posters were awarded to three customers; their pictures were taken and Technical Services Librarian Megan Charters photo- shopped the photos onto their selected READ poster background. Administrative Assistant Jeannie Baellow has received training in staging and taking photos for the READ posters and did handle some of the photo shoots for this event. Library Board 05-26-2011 Page 3 ii. Stewart's Creek Elementary School events. Director Sveinsson attended the building leadership team meeting on May 9th, at which she learned of the new district superintendent's intent to offer Mandarin to the school's students next year. She had the opportunity to let the team know that TCPL offers Mandarin via its Mango Languages online service. She was also invited to three other events: the teachers' meeting on May 18th, which provided the opportunity to meet new LIED Superintendent Dr. Stephen Waddell, to hear his presentation, and to distribute bookmarks promoting Mango Languages to the teachers; library night on May 19th, to provide one-on-one demos of the Library's Live Homework Help and Mango Languages to students and parents and to issue library cards with the assistance of Circulation Clerk Julie Conlee (14 contacts were made); and on the 20th, to host a booth at the school's carnival to promote summer TCPL activities, Mango Languages, and to issue library cards with the assistance of Circulation Clerk Holly Martin (109 contacts were made). iii. Lakeview Middle School book club. The TAP application period was extended and applications for membership were distributed to the high school and middle school librarians - which resulted in an invitation to speak with the school's book club on May 20th (20 contacts were made). Director Sveinsson noted that the school librarian was interested in continuing to partner with TCPL in the future. iv. Health & Info Fair at The Colony Community Center. Technical Services Librarian Megan Charters staffed the TCPL booth at this health/lifestyle event on May 20th and made 130 contacts. v. Griffin Middle School "What will I do with my teen this summer?" Reference Librarian Kate Margolis, Support Services Clerk Linda Barnhart, and Circulation Clerk Holly Martin staffed the TCPL booth at the May 27th event to promote TCPL's teen activities, on-line resources such as Mango Languages and Live Homework Help, summer reading clubs and programs, and issue library cards. Forty-three contacts were made and three library cards were issued; staff reported that most contacts already had TCPL cards. vi. B.B. Owen class tours. On May 20th, the four first grade classes (102 people) were welcomed by the City's Executive Director of Administration Tim Miller and then each class toured several city facilities including the Library. b. Legislative issues impacting TCPL services. Director Sveinsson reported that HB 3283 was passed by the House and has been sent to the Senate for deliberation. This bill, if passed, would allow allocation of Type A (economic development) and Type B (community development) funds for library projects. c. FY 2010-11 and FY 2011-12 budget considerations. Director Sveinsson reported that she submitted the Library's budget proposal to the City and that she and other City Directors will attend a budget retreat on June 2nd. The proposed State budget has no funding for the Loan Star program for next year. Staff believes early literacy outreach, previously funded through Loan Star, is so important to developing the reading skills of future generations that staff is proposing significant reduction in the youth collection development Library Board 05-26-2011 Page 4 budget as a means to funding and expanding this service. Staff will seek other grant funding for the early literacy outreach program; if grant funding is secured, the amount freed up will be used to restore the Youth collection development funds, as well as other Youth Services budget items that were also reduced to fund this program. An additional budget impact for both fiscal years is the decision to extend warranties on the public access computers instead of replacing them as part of the capital improvements funding; consequently, staff needed to reduce other areas of the budget to accommodate this expense. d. Teen Advisory panel: TAP and teen anime programs. Director Sveinsson reported that 13 applications were received for 10 positions, prompting an amendment to the bylaws allowing a panel of 10-15 local teens. e. Praxair Grant application and Teen Writers Club project. Director Sveinsson reported that no response to the grant application has yet been received. Grant funds are targeted for the purchase of netbooks for the writing camp project for upper elementary school students; the Teen Writers Club members have been asked to serve as mentors for the participants. f. Collection: review of non-fiction and reference collections. During the May 13th in-service day, staff conducted an intensive review of these collections. Older, worn, and dated items were withdrawn; Director Sveinsson provided information as to the various means of disposal of withdrawn materials (consignment sale, in-house sale, donate to send to Ghana). g. Equipment: Channel 16 access restored at TV over circulation desk. Cable channels are not being accurately received and an IT help ticket has been issued. h. Furnishings: Slat-wall panels from former Blockbuster building. Library staff was invited to select useful items left behind by Blockbuster when the company vacated the building. A significant number of slat-wall panels were selected as well as miscellaneous slat-wall accessories and signage. The panels are being stored for later installation on the wall currently holding the Community Bulletin Boards; the plan is to create a "wow wall" to attractively display and promote items from the collection. i. Public access network: upgrade to fiber optic service. Upon migration to the fiber optic service, the staff computers could no longer access the CASSIE server; CASSIE is the reservation and print management system for the public access computers. When the staff computers cannot access the CASSIE server, staff cannot input funds paid by customers for deposit in their CASSIE printing accounts nor troubleshoot customer issues in using the public access computers. IT believes an additional firewall license is needed to resolve the problem and expects to have it the first week in June. In the meantime, the Reference 2 and Circulation 3 staff computers have been "moved" to the public access network so that staff can still perform these necessary functions. j. Review list of Summer Reading Incentive activities and June library programs. Registration for the Summer Reading Incentive clubs will begin on June 9. Related activities include: Library Board 05-26-2011 Page 5 • Preschool: ➢ Toddler Times for 2-year-olds, Tuesdays June 14 - July 26, at 10 a.m. ➢ StoryTimes for ages 3 & up, Thursdays and Fridays July 16 - July 28 at 10 a.m. ➢ Longfellow's WHALE Tales, Aquatic Park Manager Elise Knox, Wednesday July 13 at 2:15 p.m. ➢ Read to Me Club: Log 25 books to receive a certificate at the final celebration featuring Sandy Shrout and Her Puppets on Friday July 29 at 10 a.m. • Children entering grades 1-5: ➢ Register in Dig Up a Good Book Summer Reading Club to be eligible to attend the Wednesday SRC programs, held June 15 - July 27 at 2 p.m. ➢ Fired up About Reading! Thursdays June 16 - July 28 at 2 p.m. Firefighters read stories; enter a prize drawing for a ride on a fire truck. • Teen Read Club: Sign up, read books, fill out book slips for each one read - book slips are entries for a prize drawing on August Stn • Adult Summer Reading Club: Sign up and read along with your children (audio books count too!) • For all ages: FOTCPL Presents! "Just for Fun Night for the Entire Family" - Thursday June 23 at 8 p.m., Brett Roberts magician, puppeteer and ventriloquist. The Board members were also provided with a comprehensive list of the June programs. The next Board meeting is scheduled for June 23, 2011. The meeting adjourned at 8:21 p.m. f Sandi Gehrke, Chair annie Baellow, Secretary