Summary of the Library Commission Meeting of August 12, 2003

Present: Commissioners: Grisel Gonzalez, Helen Boyle, Bettye Webb, Jennifer Dugan Murphy.

Staff: Library director Emily Bader, assistant director Lee Fogarty and their clerk, Carol.

Citizens: Nine citizens from five different library branches were also present.

In the absence of chairman Pat Markey, the meeting was called to order by commissioner Grisel Gonzalez. Hard copies of the agenda were not available although, as promised, it had been posted on the web prior to the meeting. An unsuccessful attempt was made to xerox copies in the city council office which unfortunately had closed for the day.

1) SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET The mayor will submit to the city council a supplementary library budget in the amount of $335,000. The date for city council consideration of this matter it is not yet known.

2) ADDITIONAL TRUSTS BENEFITING LIBRARIES Emily Bader has asked SLMA CFO Dick Dunbar for information about trusts benefiting both libraries and museums. He says that beyond the list previously submitted, there are no more trusts benefiting the libraries. In answer to a question from commissioner Bettye Webb, Ms. Bader said that the list of trusts will not be complete until after the SLMA audit is completed in November. All "library specific" trusts will be transferred to the Library Department.

3) YARD WORK at three branches (IO, FP and Liberty) was to have been performed by a crew from the sheriff's department; a schedule for doing yard work at all branches is to be jointly established by Pat Markey and the sheriff.

4) NUMBER OF DAYS PER WEEK LIBRARIES ARE TO BE OPEN Before making a definitive statement, Ms. Bader wants to be sure all revenue projections are actually in place. In addition, she feels that some "facilities lines" may be underfunded in the initial budget.

5) DATES FOR RE-OPENING CLOSED BRANCHES Thanks to the delay in establishing a firm figure for a library appropriation, Ms. Bader's best guess is now late September or early October. (The projected re-opening date of September 2 assumed that the library budget would have been established by July 1.)

6) TIME AND PLACE OF LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETINGS Commissioners changed the time of commission meetings to 5:30 to allow interested library staff members to attend. The matter of location was tabled, although commissioners seemed to be under the [questionable] impression that commission meetings were required to be held at city hall. [I will check this out.] Ms. Bader said that the community room at the central library holds 75 or 80 people and that, while the library is currently not open on Tuesday nights, security could easily be arranged should the commission decide to meet there. No decision was made on a change of meeting place.

7) PAINTING AND NEW CARPETING FOR THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE FOREST PARK BRANCH Ms. Bader will meet tomorrow morning with vendors to get estimates on this work.

8) VOLUNTEERS FOR CLEAN-UP OF CLOSED BRANCHES Pre-opening clean-up work will on the agenda for the meeting between chairman Markey and the sheriff. Work to be done include window washing and reshelving books. Commissioner Boyle asked who would supervise volunteers. Commissioner Webb was concerned about the danger to employees (but not the public!) of mold in closed branches. Commissioner Gonzalez wondered whether SLMA maintenance staff may be called upon to help and was told no. Ms. Bader said that at present the Library Department employees only one maintenance person and two part-time custodians(!!?). Mary Rivest will coordinate clean-up of the Liberty branch. Sheila McElwaine will email Ms. Bader with the names and contact information of volunteers who have indicated a willingness to do interior maintenance and reshelving.

9) LIBRARY DEPARTMENT INVOLVEMENT WITH MAILINGS TO INTERESTED CITIZENS was tabled due to commissioners' concerns that such a mailing would serve only a "special group." They feel that postings in libraries, on the library department website and press releases provide sufficient notice to the public. It was unclear how patrons without email from the four closed branches were expected to access this information. [For a response, see the attachment to this email.]

10) POSTING ON THE LIBRARY WEBSITE THE LIBRARY HOURS STUDY AND THE 1996 EVALUATION OF LIBRARY BRANCH BUILDINGS was not approved by the Library Commission. It was felt that some of the work has already been done, that codes have changed since 1996, and that the library may not have the capacity to put this information up on the web. Commissioner Webb suggests that each branch have available the section of the engineering study relevant to their neighborhood. (Once again, it was unclear how patrons of the four closed branches, also the ones which were never up-graded, were to access this material!!) [Both studies are to be up on the web at www.forestparkca.com at the first opportunity. Hard copies may be obtained from chairman Markey at 746-5512, email markeyjenn@aol.com.]

11) CHARACTERISTICS OF A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Ms. Bader distributed to commissioners, but not to the public, a draft based on input from staff and the public; a final version may have slightly different wording to conform with city usage. Job descriptions system-wide, including that of the volunteer coordinator, will not be finalized until January. Commissioner Boyle stated once again that the decision as to who will hold this job belongs to Ms. Bader who replied that she felt that commission review is appropriate.

12) CALL-BACKS OF LIBRARY STAFF need to be worked out. It relates to collective bargaining issues. Between 25 and 30 staff positions are involved. In the last fiscal year there were three sets of lay-offs: July 2002, January and February 2003.

13) AD HOC BRANCH ADVISORY COMMITTEES were reported to have made branch staff uneasy when they unexpectedly presented themselves, although their questions were seen as good ones. East Forest Park branch patron Katherine Lovell described her conversation with prospective committee members and branch staff as well as the enthusiastic reaction of chairman Markey with whom she discussed the advisory group. Sheila McElwaine described the source of names she had passed along to Ms. Lovell. Commissioner Gonzalez supports such groups and wants to meet with them. Commissioner Webb was afraid vocal groups would get favored treatment. Commissioner Boyle wants communication to flow through Ms. Bader. Ms. Bader favors a reporting structure back to the commission to make sure that what happens is appropriate. [Sounds like the run around to me; I'm getting dizzy here!] The issue was referred to chairman Markey for his review. [See attachment for a discussion of this matter.]

14) PUBLIC SPEAK-OUT Marge Guess spoke in favor of changing the meeting time to 5:30 and also in favor of moving meetings to the Central Library. Questions were also raised concerning the SLMA's annual audit, particularly where restitution of funds received from the sale of Mason Square were involved.

OBSERVATIONS: The Library Commission continues to try to find its way through the legal, political and procedural underbrush. Having to do this work in public is not an easy job, and while the results are somewhat ragged, progress is being made. Library supporters, particularly those who participated in the Library Study Committee process, will perform a valuable public service by providing feedback and ideas to library staff and commissioners. Ms. Bader may be reached at 263-6800 x 292 or email ebader@spfldlibmus.org. Commissioners' addresses and phone numbers are posted at www.springfieldlibrary.org/board.

....Sheila McElwaine