Board of Trustees of the
Minutes of the Meeting of October 14, 2009
The
regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
Trustee president Dr. Darter, Lynda Burton, Bonnie Long, and Susan Swan
were present, as were Friends president Kelly Wheaton, and Library Director
Jennifer Baker.
A
motion to approve the consent items was seconded and passed.
The minutes of the meeting of September 9 were approved.
Library Director’s Report.
Jennifer reported that the Staff
Inservice on Monday was a success and that everyone who attended enjoyed the
opportunity to meet with other staff and learn new skills. Jennifer also
presented a proposal for dates that library will be closed in 2010 for the
holiday schedule. The Board discussed the days and how they coordinate with
other days that City Offices are closed.
FOL
budget requests.
Jennifer shared her “Wish List” of requests that will be presented to the
Friends of the Library for 2010 allocations. These included funds to continue
the current level of programming for adults and youth as well as the email
newsletter and two one-time requests for funds to advertise electronic resources
and to send at least two library staff members to the Public Library Association
Conference in Portland, OR in March 2010. Past efforts of advertising electronic
resources was discussed and several trustees recommended new avenues that might
be explored if the Friends fund this request. There was also discussion of the
PLA conference and the possibility of a trustee and/or members of the FOL board
attending.
Teen survey.
Jennifer reported on the recent survey of teens. 85 teens responded to a survey
regarding possible programming that will be funded by the Best Buy grant
received last month. After reviewing the results of the survey, library staff
have decided to offer a once-a-month program for teens on a Friday evening after
the library is closed. The first program will be Friday, November 6th
at 7pm. The program will include a movie, pizza, and a video game tournament.
Remodel Update.
Jennifer reported that three bids had been received. The bids were structured
with a base bid plus several alternates. After reviewing the bids for all the
trustees agreed with Jennifer’s recommendation to proceed with the project
including all alternates with the exception of the HVAC update. Jennifer will
confer with the City Attorney and staff in the Planning Department to determine
the lowest qualified bidder. The contract will be taken to the October 27 City
Council meeting to be awarded.
Unmet needs.
Jennifer shared a document that was created at the request of the City Manager
that detailed recent budget cuts to the department as well as anticipated
expenses in the next 12-18 months, and ongoing unfunded needs. The HVAC update
is included in this report.
St.
Helena Public Library Foundation.
The Foundation did not meet this month. Dr. Darter and Jennifer reported
a letter was received from the IRS suggesting a minor change to the 501c3
application. Our account reviewed and approved the suggestion so a letter was
sent back to the IRS accepting their recommendation. A notice was also received
from the CA Tax Franchise acknowledging that our application has been received
and is under review.
Friends of the Library.
Kelly reported that Gayle Willet has joined the board filling the vacancy left
by Robyn Orsini’s resignation. She also reported that the FOL would participate
in the Hometown Harvest Festival with an information booth. She is looking for
volunteers to staff the space. She reported that the FOL have agreed to sponsor
JuneFest in 2010. Kelly gave her copy of the MOU that has been under review to
Lynda Burton. Lynda will go through the changes recommended and get back to
Kelly with any comments or concerns so that the document can be reviewed by the
Foundation. Some discussion was had regarding book donations to the Covolo
reservation. Dr. Darter will investigate whether they are still in need of
future donations.
Napa Valley Wine Library Report.
Jennifer reported that at the NVWL’s most recent board meeting they began work
on a wiki-style resource that will index information on Napa Valley wines,
winemakers, vineyards, etc. Bob Dye has created the basic frame for the project
and several others are beginning to work on content. Jennifer also reported that
at the NVWL’s request she created a report for them that details the circulation
of wine library items in comparison to the regular adult nonfiction collection.
This report will be generated regularly.
Next Meeting.
Because the 2nd Wednesday in November falls on Veteran’s Day the
Library Board will not meet in November. It was decided to move the meeting in
December up one week to December 2nd to accommodate holiday events
and commitments.
The
meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
Jennifer Baker, recording secretary