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Site SearchMinutes of Scheduled Board of Trustees Meeting
November 15, 2000
Call to Order
The regular Meeting of the Library Board of Trustees was called to order at 7:04 p.m. In attendance were Board President Campbell Geeslin, Trustees Toni Cox-Burns, Betsy DeSoye, Janet Elmiger, Hope Furth, P. Lynn Oliva, Don Simmons, Library Director Sandra Miranda, and Assistant Library Director Charlotte Szabo. Absent with notice was Trustee Saul Yanofsky.
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Library Board of Trustees
The minutes of the regular meeting of October 18, 2000 were approved on a motion by Trustee Elmiger, seconded by Trustee Furth.
City Expenditure & Revenue Budget Reports
City Expenditure & Revenue Budget Reports as of 9/30/00 and 10/31/00 were reviewed by the Board.
Bills: 2000/01 Budget: #7, #8
The payment of bill vouchers #7 and #8 were approved on a motion by Trustee Simmons, seconded by Trustee Elmiger.
Report of Library Administration
Department reports for October 2000 were reviewed by the Board.
WLS
Library Director Miranda reminded Board members about the WLS 41st Annual Dinner on November 16th where Board President Campbell Geeslin will be honored our community’s "Millennium Author" and encouraged Board members to attend. Mrs. Miranda announced that a copy of Harold Bloom’s How to Read and Why had been placed in the collection in honor of Trustee Geeslin and thanked Assistant Director Szabo for her kind thought in arranging for this.
Friends
Library Director Miranda invited the Board to attend the Friends Conference on November 30th with speaker Sandy Dolnick, Executive Director, Friends of Libraries USA.
Foundation
The Minutes of the Foundation Board of Directors Meeting of October 4, 2000 and most recent Campaign Report were reviewed by the Board. Mrs. Miranda reported the Foundation is working hard to complete the Centennial Campaign by 12/31/00 or soon thereafter. Trustee Cox-Burns reported the Foundation has achieved more than 75% of its goal. Mrs. Miranda thanked Trustee Geeslin for his help with the annual appeal piece soon to be distributed.
Advocacy
Library Director Miranda informed the Board that the Commissioner of Education and State Board of Regents have requested broad support of the Regents 2001-2002 budget proposal to benefit
libraries, and she will send the Library Board of Trustees pertinent material. Mrs. Miranda also said that she would try to initiate a renewal of the County’s 2000 grant to the Library, but could use the Board’s assistance to make this request to our County legislators. She also informed the Board that WLS has requested active support by all WLS libraries of its increased budget request to the County.
Community Outreach
Members of the Outreach Committee reported on their activities. Trustee Oliva reported she has a call into Slater Center. Don Simmons reported success in making contact with Slater, and said that they would be pleased to attend a future Library Board meeting. Trustee Cox-Burns reported that she sent Library materials to Reverend Maddox of the A. M. E. Zion Church to share with his congregation. Trustee Cox-Burns reported that Reverend Maddox gave her the name of the ministerial alliance, and she would pursue. Trustees DeSoye and Geeslin reported that the PTA Council was impressed with the presentation about Library services, collections and programs given by Library Director Miranda with assistance of Library staff Charlotte Szabo, Patricia Thorsen, and Rosemary Rasmussen. Mrs. Miranda was pleased to report that Rosemary Rasmussen was subsequently invited to do a similar presentation at one of the school-based PTA meetings. The Outreach Committee consisting of Trustees Cox-Burns, DeSoye, Oliva, Simmons, and Assistant Director Szabo as Library liaison set a meeting date for Sunday Dec. 10.
Board Vacancies
Board President Campbell Geeslin reported that he received a telephone call from Rita Malmud, Common Council President, to inform him that the terms of three Board members, Hope Furth, Janet Elmiger, and Campbell Geeslin were coming to an end as of 12/31/00 and inquire as to their interest in reappointment. Trustee Geeslin requested that those Board members respond to Common Council President Malmud as soon as possible before the December meeting of the Common Council. Trustees discussed possible candidates to fill the vacancy created by expiration of Oren Teicher’s term and reaffirmed that any interested party should communicate with the Mayor and Common Council.
Library Plaza
Board President Campbell Geeslin welcomed guest, Councilman Bill King, who had written to ask about the possibility of vendors serving food, etc. on the Library Plaza during the summer. Library Director Miranda reminded everyone that for a number of years there has been broad general agreement that improved public uses of the Plaza would be desirable, for example in the City’s Comprehensive Plan and more recently in the planning of the Courthouse renovation and expansion. She noted that the County’s massive construction project would diminish the Plaza as a desirable space for public activities for the next two-three years. She also reminded the Board that plans for a coffee bar on the second floor of the Library are already included in the Library’s Capital Projects proposal for second floor renovations. After some brainstorming about the use of volunteers, the possibility of vendors donating a percentage of their profits to the Library and the value of creating a Borders-like ambience to further encourage use of Library, the Library Board of Trustees agreed that the Outreach Committee would take on discussion of options to implement a food service at the Library, inside and/or outside, and options to use the Plaza more effectively in the future. Trustee Furth joined the Outreach Committee. Board President Geeslin thanked Mr. King for his attendance, and Mr. King excused himself with thanks
to the Board for its attention.
Capital Projects
Library Director Miranda urged the Board to attend the Capital Projects Review Board meeting at City Hall on 11/27 at 4:00 p.m.
Mrs. Miranda reported the carpet installation was underway, shared the installation schedule and requested approval for the Library be closed to public on one day, December 8th. On a motion by Trustee Furth, seconded by Trustee Simmons, the Board approved closing the Library to the public for one day, Friday, December 8th as part of the carpet installation schedule.
Library Director Miranda reported DPW has assured her that the Study Rooms will be sent out to bid next month.
Statistical reports
Statistical reports for July - October 2000 were distributed. Library Director Miranda explained that these are not just in a new format, they represent a complete reworking of the data we collect to show public use and staff productivity. She explained that much of the data is now tied directly to what we must report annually to the State. Other data represents significant library use that has not been reported well or at all, such as online use, community outreach or partnership activities. She noted that not all figures were available for last year or had been reported the same way last year, so there were many blanks, which she hoped could be filled in over time. She explained that in future months the Board would receive the two overview pages, but this month the Board had also received the details that get summarized on the overview pages. Mrs. Miranda reviewed the October report with the Board and requested input as to what should be included/excluded on the overview pages. There was some discussion about the Technical Processing section, and Trustee Elmiger suggested a footnote be added for clarity to explain the figures for serials will appear only once a year. Library Director Miranda agreed the presentation could be more clear and made some suggestions to remove this item and shorten the section. She noted that this was an example of a section set-up to coincide exactly with the State Report.
The Board noted the statistics on service to the Homebound and applauded the Library for this effort. Mrs. Miranda credited Karyn DeLuca and the Friends for this excellent service which is used by relatively few, but valued highly by them as a lifeline. Trustee Simmons suggested approaching Dr. Yanofsky for the help of high school students in delivering books to the Homebound to fulfill their community service requirement.
Adjournment
There being no more business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. on a motion by Trustee Oliva, seconded by Trustee Furth.
Betsy DeSoye, Secretary
Library Board of Trustees