Call to Order: President Dan D'Allaird called the meeting of the Duluth Public Library Board to order when a quorum was reached at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. On a motion by Brissett, seconded by Katz, the agenda was approved.
Members Present: Dan D'Allaird, Sister Edith Bogue, Jane
Brissett, Virginia Katz, Peter Spooner
Also Present: Carla Powers
Excused: Frank Jewell, Liz Benson Johnson, Printha Markert, Andrew
Slade
Approval of Minutes
On a motion by Katz, seconded
by Bogue, the Library Board minutes of the regular meeting of
October 25, 2011 were approved as written.
Reports
A. Friends of the Duluth Public Library - Powers
The Friends will be holding a book fair at Barnes & Noble
on Saturday, December 3. The annual Holiday Sale will take place
at the Main Library on December 6 and 7. Linda Hanson, one of
the new members of the Friends board, would like to arrange author
visits as fundraisers for the group. She and one or two other
board members are looking into this possibility.
B. Arrowhead Library System - Brissett
The ALS bookmobile is out of service for an undetermined amount
of time due to high carbon monoxide levels inside the vehicle.
Ebook checkouts have risen 38 percent since January. ALS is planning
to contract with OverDrive, its ebook provider, to allow direct
patron access to OverDrive's support desk. The state library service's
return-on-investment survey, which is being conducted by UMD faculty,
is out in draft form and will be complete by the end of this year.
Brissett will invite Jim Skrula, who conducted the study, to an
upcoming library board meeting. This year's Legacy Amendment funds
have arrived at ALS, and the committee has approved Duluth's request
for funding to cover author Jacqueline Kelly's visit to the region.
Due to a reduction in Legacy Amendment funding this year, ALS
was not planning to participate in the statewide program; however
the board reversed this decision at the request of ALS staff.
Under the statewide agreement each library system contributes
three percent of its Legacy funding toward a common project or
event related to Minnesota history. The museum and event pass
program will begin again with a few minor changes from last year's
program.
C. One Book, One Community - Brissett
The committee is organizing programs in advance of the December
1 brochure deadline. Programs will include a program on the history
of Johns Hopkins presented by a physician currently in practice
there, and a doctor from Essentia discussing medical ethics.
D. Duluth Library Foundation - Katz
The board met the day after the referendum vote to finalize its
fall fundraising letter. Patra Sevastiades encouraged board members
to make a contribution of any size to a matching fund for the
upcoming campaign. Thanks to 100 percent participation by the
board and a large gift from an anonymous donor, a $9,000 matching
fund was created. The mailing went out earlier this week.
Old Business:
Referendum outcome
and next steps - On a
motion by Bogue, seconded by Katz, D'Allaird was commended for
his hard work and outstanding leadership as co-chair of the Vote
Yes Committee. D'Allaird reported that the city council will vote
on the final 2012 budget at its December 5 meeting. D'Allaird
plans to thank the mayor and council members for their pledge
to turn over additional general fund money to the library now
that the referendum has passed. He encouraged board members to
attend the meeting in one final show of support for the "Libraries
Are Essential" effort.
Powers reported that the city's budget office will be finalizing the 2012 budget next week, at which time library staff will know exactly how many new staff positions will be created. She plans to hire provisional employees to start January 2 and work until permanent staff is hired through the Civil Service process. Under the staffing plan, a librarian will be hired to oversee each branch, which will make it possible for the branches to develop their own identity and provide additional services in the future. Full-time staffing for the computer lab is also a priority under the staffing plan. The mayor has approved creating a volunteer coordinator position to be shared with the parks division. The goal is to begin the new hours on January 17. Powers would like to send postcards with the new hours to every Duluth household and have a "grand reopening" at each of the branches within the first couple of months of the new year.
New Business:
E-rate discount and
internet filtering - Powers
explained that the city wants to apply for a federal telecommunications
discount called "e-rate." If the city accepts e-rate
funding for the library's internet connectivity, then the library
must filter internet access under the terms of the Children's
Internet Protection Act. Discussions are ongoing regarding the
application process and the filters that would need to be in place.
Plans and goals for 2012 - The following ideas were mentioned:
2012 meeting schedule - It was decided to remain on the same schedule for the coming year: meetings every fourth Tuesday of the month at 4:30, and no meeting in July or December.
Communications/Correspondence:
Manager's Report
There were no questions on this month's manager's report.
The meeting adjourned at 6:15
p.m.
The next meeting will take place Tuesday, January 24 at 4:30 p.m.
in the library's conference room.
3/13/12
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802