LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING, September 9, 2003

PRESENT: 

Commissioners:  Bettye Webb, Pat Markey (chair), Helen Boyle, Jennifer Dugan Murphy, and new commissioner Jerold J. Duquette.  Absent: Commissioner Grisel Gonzalez

Staff:   Emily Bader, library director and Molly Fogarty, assistant director

Citizens: 18 people from 9 library branches

Minutes of the last meeting, an agenda and a sign-up sheet were available to the public.

The meeting was called to order by chairman Patrick Markey at 5:37pm.

NEW LIBRARY COMMISSIONER, Jerold Duquette of 17 Gillette Avenue was introduced.  He is a professor of political science at Central Connecticut State University.

DRAFT MISSION STATEMENT  Commissioner Bettye Webb read a draft mission statement which will be posted on the library department website.  It reads in part that the library commission will be a “partnership with library administration to respond to community needs and concerns.”  Maria Mazzaferro suggested that it be amended to include language indicating responsiveness to “comments and suggestions from the library public/patrons/users.”  This amendment was accepted by the commission.

TIMETABLE FOR HIRING/REHIRING OF STAFF was outlined by Ms. Bader who indicated that much depends on the schedule of days and hours adopted by the commission.  Beginning with library managers and others still working in the system and moving on to those who were laid off altogether, “call backs” started Monday, September 8 and will continue this week.  If needed, new hires will be sought thereafter.  New positions will be at both professional and clerical levels and are primarily part time. 

            With the agreement of the union, new positions will be simultaneously advertised and posted internally to facilitate re-opening closed branches at the earliest possible date.  (State and federal requirements call for 12 days of advertising.)  The commission authorized Ms. Bader to go ahead and hire staff.

RE-OPENING DATES FOR CLOSED LIBRARIES has been pushed back to late October to allow for the hiring process and for a week of training and orientation as well as giving new and returning employees presently working elsewhere time to give notice. 

LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS will be utilized and recruited once professional staff is on the job.

MAILING LIST AND PUBLICITY  The library department is compiling a mailing list of interested citizens from responses to the library hours form in Sunday’s paper as well as emails and forms submitted by citizens.  Mr. Markey thanked Karen Kress who suggested putting the form into the paper, and Ms. Bader held up an impressive stack which had already been submitted.

LIBRARY HOURS SUGGESTIONS FROM CITIZENS

Beryl Kress read a letter from her daughter Karen dealing with library hours as well as a detailed analysis of handicapped access problems at the Central Library.

Doris Robinson wondered how the opportunity to have input into the library hours discussion had been publicized, suggesting radio as another effective way to reach people.  She would like hours at 16 Acres to stay the same.

Pat Triggs submitted a schedule approved by the Forest Park Civic Association board of directors and endorsed by Carol Fazio, principal of the Forest Park Middle School.

Jan Denny submitted a schedule preferred by users of the Brightwood branch and also pointed out that the library should be open on Saturday even though the school is closed, noting that the library facility is self-contained and was designed to operate even at times when the school is closed.

Judie Carpenter of East Forest Park pointed out problems with opening libraries on a part-time schedule which includes Mondays: three day holiday week-ends mean that neighborhoods with Monday library hours lose many “open” days each year.  She advocated Saturday hours and an occasional evening.

Carol Costa of the Armory Quadrangle Civic Association spoke on behalf of hours that make libraries accessible to most people and seconded the idea of excluding Mondays.  She favors evening and Saturday hours and keeping the central library open as much as possible evenings and week-ends to serve the many high school students and other young people living in multifamily housing in the Metro Central neighborhood.

Karen Thoms endorsed the schedule proposed for the Forest Park branch library and stressed the dependence on library resources for many students whose families lack computers and research materials at home.  She agrees that Mondays are a problem and hopes that libraries might be open two nights a week until 8pm.

Marge Guess from McKnight questioned whether young people would actually use libraries on Saturdays.

Mary Rivest from Liberty wants hours at that branch coordinated with those at the nearby East Springfield branch so that residents in both neighborhoods have access to a library nearly every day.

Mattie Jenkins, a teacher at the DeBerry School, wonders about whether library facilities in the reduced space provided in the former library building sold to the Urban League will be adequate to meet the needs of the classroom groups accustomed to using the library.

Bob Triggs pointed out the importance of the Forest Park branch to students and teachers at the Forest Park Middle School which lacks its own library and depends on the branch library for all library needs.

Beryl Kress suggested devoting most library hours to children and young people, but reminded commissioners that some seniors like the peace and quiet of early morning and afternoon hours before students are out of school.