President Andrew Slade called the meeting of the Duluth Public Library Board to order at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, and reviewed the agenda.

Present: J. Brissett, D. Casperson, D. D'Allaird, P. Markert, A. Slade, P. Spooner, M. Watson, J. Sheriff, R. Zurn
Excused: L. Benson Johnson, V. Katz
Absent: D. Casperson

Approval of Minutes from Library Board meeting
The Library Board minutes of the November 25, 2008, meeting were approved as distributed.

Communications

• Director's Report, Library news from November-December 2008
• Proposed Bylaws revisions for Duluth Library Board
• Library staff positions summary, 2000-2009
• Topics used in Library Manager position application (for discussion)
• 2009 MLA/MEMO Legislative Platform
• Brochure: Using Computers at the Duluth Public Library
• Clarence Maddy Award - David Ouse
• Library accomplishments for 2008
• Summary of HVAC project for proposed stimulus package
• Business plan documents: City Business Plan development (draft); City Budget timeline (draft); DPL Mission and Guiding Principles (emailed/mailed previously)
• State of Minnesota's Budget Deficit Impact (from League of MN Cities and City Finance)
• Libraries: an Investment Speaking Volumes by Sara Floerke (DNT, 1/12/09)
• BookPage, January 2009 (available at meeting)

Reports
A. Friends of the Duluth Public Library - P. Markert
Markert reported that the mini booksale in the lobby on December 8-9 raised approximately $500. The Friends Board is in the process of reviewing their mission and priorities. The Mystery in the Stacks event will be held April 24, 2009, with William Kent Krueger as speaker.

B. Directors' Report - J. Sheriff, R. Zurn

• Manager, Library Services update: Five applications were received, but had not yet been evaluated at the time of the preparation of the Board packet. Between the time of the mailing and this meeting, the applications were submitted to the Librarian IIIs for scoring. Successful candidates will proceed to the oral performance portion of the testing. The list is expected to be certified at the March meeting of the Civil Service board. Final interviews will be held after the list is certified.
• Gates hardware grants: A preliminary survey was completed, as required. Thirty-eight library computers used for the public qualify under the grant. We don't know how many will actually be replaced. The application process will take place in 2009. New computers would arrive in 2010 (25% match must be provided) and 2011 (50% match). More information will be forthcoming from the State, perhaps by late January.
• Updated computers: Thirteen new energy-efficient computers are being made available to the Library from City MIS. Three critical public computers will be replaced, as well as ten problematic computers that are affecting staff productivity at public service desks. Some of the computers removed from their current locations will be used in less demanding locations; some will be recycled.
• City's stimulus package proposal: The Winter Garden proposal was dropped. The Library's heating and cooling system is on the list. A summary of the project is included in your packet.
• MLA/MEMO Legislative Platform for 2009: Each year, the Minnesota Library Association and the Minnesota Educational Media Organization join together to establish a joint legislative platform. A copy was included in the Board packet, with an updated version distributed at the meeting. The Board requested more background information, including information about funding mechanisms. Zurn and Sheriff will work with Jim Weikum, ALS, to provide that information. A visit to a future Library Board meeting by Weikum may be scheduled.
• Board By-Laws: A revised document was included in your packet. It was reviewed by the City Attorney's Office, and we recommend passage at this meeting. In the process of discussing the bylaws with the attorney, we discovered that the City Code as it relates to the Library Board is out of date. It has been superseded by changes in City governance, and the Code and the bylaws are not compatible. Steps should be taken to reconcile this. Because this is not a pressing issue, we think it an issue best left for the new Library Manager.
• Clarence Maddy Award: Mayor Don Ness honored David Ouse and three other City employees with the Clarence Maddy award at the Mayor's State of the City address on January 5, 2009. Information about the award, as posted on the Library's webpage, is included in your packet. Slade will send a letter to Ouse on behalf of the Board.
• Library Business Plan: Board members received (by mail or email) preliminary copies of documents related to the development of business plans by all City departments and were invited to join library staff in two brainstorming sessions (Fridays, January 16 and January 23, 10:00 a.m., Library Green Room). A huge thanks to the Board members who attended and to Watson for organizing the ideas from the first session into a working document. Whatever goes into the business plan will provide input for our later work with the Arrowhead Library System's strategic planning consultant.
• Board membership: The City Clerk's office notified the Library that Casperson's second term will end on March 31, 2009. A replacement will be proposed to the Mayor. Slade's first term is ending; he is interested in being reappointed.

Old Business
Discussion and vote on proposed bylaws revisions: A motion was made by Spooner to approve the revised bylaws as presented. Watson seconded. The bylaws were approved without dissent.

Federal stimulus package update: This is a moving target. Slade will send email to Mayor supporting the inclusion of the Library's Mechanical system.

New Business
Questions/Topics for Library Manager interviews: Delayed to February meeting.

ALS Strategic Planning process: Slade, Sheriff and Zurn attended an informational meeting with the ALS consultant on January 21, 2009. ALS is providing this consultant to all ALS libraries. DPL will begin working with the consultant in May 2010, with a final reported to be completed by December 2010. More information will be available later. Currently, more attention is being paid to the development of the Library's business plan for the City, which is due in May. Staff are involved in brainstorming, with input from Library Board and Friends Board members. Foundation Board members have also been invited to participate. The ALS process will include more public input.

Possible change in meeting time: The Board briefly considered changing its regular meeting time. There will be no change at this time.

Library tour: Some Board members would like an updated tour of the Main Library. Sheriff and Zurn will schedule this, probably late afternoon or early evening on a Thursday.

Brainstorming: Another draft of the brainstorming for the business plan will be distributed to the Board by mail/email when it is completed. Some items are short-term, others long-term. Next steps in this process are being discussed by Librarian IIIs.

The meeting adjourned at 5:42 p.m.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. in the Library's Conference Room.

2/25/09