Minutes - 2006 - Eagle Public Library - 06/05/2006 - Regular EAGLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
MINUTES
June 5, 2006
Community Room
The Eagle Public Library Board of Trustees meeting was called to order at 7:11 p.m. by
President Nancy Marshall. Present were Board President Nancy Marshall; Board
Members Jane Marrs, Terry Loftus, Margo Walter, and Christine Edwards Allred; and
Library Director Ron Baker.
Board Member Terry Loftus made a motion that the Agenda be approved and Board
Member Margo Walter seconded the motion. The Agenda was unanimously approved.
Board Member Jane Marrs made a motion that the amended Minutes be approved and
Board Member Terry Lofus seconded the motion. The amended Minutes were
unanimously approved.
Board Member Terry Loftus made a motion to pay the bills and Board Member Jane
Marrs seconded the motion. The motion to pay the bills was unanimously approved.
Friends of the Library Report
Director Ron Baker gave the Friends of the Library Report.
Ron Baker has alerted Technical Furniture that the Friends' Board has elected to accept
their proposal for shelving in the Friends' Store. Technical Furniture will come to take
new measurements for the Store as well as measurements for shelving along the office in
the Children's Room.
The budgeted funds for shelving in the Children's Room are insufficient. The library will
in fact use $1,300 from the Chamberlain's donation. This $3,000 donation was
designated for Children's Room expenses. In addition to funding the shelving, the library
has acquired a complete set of Boy Scout Merit Badge Books and will be acquiring books
on woodworking.
Director's Report
Director Ron Baker gave the Director's Report.
ILS Migration: Progress Report
On June 12th, the first data will migrate from the old to the new system.
The acquisitions module will be up for at least another month, deferring the problem of
losing the ability of staff to catalogue books when ordered.
The new City Hall has agreed to host the training for the library staff. The library has
scheduled all of its training in the Council Chambers. This hosting arrangement is
working beautifully.
Libraries, including the EPL, are working to standardize their systems in order to make
the new integrated system work as efficiently as possible. One of the realities of
integrated library systems such as this is that there are incredible numbers of variables:
ten libraries, one hundred and thirty I Types (collection types), forty or fifty P Types
(patron types), etc. The variances can be enormous. In conjunction with Boise and other
libraries, the EPL is attempting to limit I Types and P Types in order to make the system
faster.
Children's Statue & Outdoor Furnishings/Landscape
A$6,000 check has been given to the City from Dennis Baker for the statue and
installation costs. At this time, Ron Baker does not known the actual cost of the statue
and, thus, the balance of funds available to pay for installation. Installation will require
involvement of landscaping services and electric services. Ron Baker will talk to Mick
McCurty, the facilities manage for the City of Eagle, about the coordination of all of
these services in order to facilitate installation. Ron would like to have the statue put in
place before the awnings above it are replaced.
In order to install the statue, the bench located near that space might productively be
moved to a shaded position of greater use. This raises, as well, the idea of acquiring
additional outdoor furniture—tables with chairs and possibly umbrellas; a pergola—that
might provide pleasant, shaded space on the concrete in front of the building.
The Shackley Organization would like to plant a tree in the community and, in
conversation with forester Julie LaFleur, has considered the library as a possible location.
The Troutman Company would need to plant the tree.
Continuing Education Policy Changes
Ron Baker met with the city attorney and Sharon and drafted four changes to the city's
continuing education policy. If the City Council takes action on these changes, the policy
will include distance learning as an appropriate mode of continuing education; will allow
Ron Baker and the mayor to lift the rather low unit load that students may take; and will
give Ron Baker and the mayor discretion in making changes to the norm. Ron Baker
feels very good about the drafted changes. The City Council will discuss these changes
on June 20. The presence of specific requests for continuing education on the part of
library staff made it possible to envision general changes to the policy.
Strategic Plan Review Committee
The meeting that Ron Baker held with Sharon, Susan Buxton, the city attorney, and the
mayor raised interesting questions about possible funding sources for expansion of the
library building and the possible construction of a library branch elsewhere in Eagle.
Regarding funding, they discussed the possibility of overriding the library bond and
discussed the possibility of collecting development impact fees. To date,the increase in
the Eagle population means the library bond is being paid off more rapidly than
anticipated. An override levy would allow the library to actually reduce the amount of
money that every tax payer pays and, yet, have an additional $100,000 to spend on
construction fees. Attorneys from both Boise and Hailey have suggested that libraries are
excluded from collecting override fees. Susan Buxton has been discussing override fees
with the drafters of the actual legislation. There will certainly be great discussion
regarding override fees as well as development impact fees as library construction
projects commence all around us. Libraries currently do not receive development impact
fees, but arguably should. Some have suggested that perhaps the library association or
the Association of Idaho Cities could lobby on behalf of libraries on this issue.
Regarding development, Ron Baker plans to meet in mid-July with Nicole Baird and Stan
Bastian. Nicole Baird believes that there are at least two developers who may be open to
donating land for a fairly sizable-10,000 Tare foot—branch of the library. The
meeting may occur between the 10th and 12 of July and will include the Strategic
Planning Committee. In discussing the possible location of a branch of the library in
Eagle, the committee has talked in terms of service circles of five miles in radius in order
to enhance patron convenience. The library is perfectly located in terms of the current
definition of Eagle, but future development may make a branch at a second location very
desirable.
As the library contemplates expansion and the addition of a branch elsewhere in Eagle,
Ron Baker is very interested in keeping services, including technical services, at this
central library location. Jane Marrs recommended that, in conversation with the City, the
library investigate the possibility of building a two-story addition in order to make the
retention of such services at this main Eagle location possible.
Library Liaison/City Hall Report
No Library Liaison/City Hall Report was given.
Unfinished Business
Budget Review for FY 2006/2007
The board reviewed an updated proposed library budget that included many of the budget
requests that were previously unknown. Some costs, including cost of living increases
and possible merit increases that will be discussed by the City Council on June 20,
remain unclear. Other costs, including certain construction costs, will continue to remain
unclear. However, the proposed budget is now complete enough for the City to compare
to income and consider whether or not budget cuts will be required. Ron Baker will
report back on the proposed budget at the next meeting.
New Business
Disposal of Lanier Copier
Ron Baker requested the board's permission to dispose of the current Lanier Copier when
the library acquires a new copier. The library pays $50 a month for the copier. The
library received a proposal on a new Lanier, which turned out to be too complicated a
machine, and a proposal on a Cannon copier. Ron Baker would like to initiate a four year
lease-to-own agreement. This agreement would provide the library with a new copier as
well as a new coin operated machine for patrons.
Terry Loftus made a motion that Ron Baker be able to dispose of the old copier and
pursue conversations with contractors on new copiers. Margo Walter seconded the
motion. The motion passed unanimously.
"Last Patron" Record Retention Shifted to 60 Days
The board of the Boise Public Library has reduced the time that the name of the last
patron is attached to a book following an incident that compromised patron
confidentiality. In the aftermath of the Boise decision, Eagle Public Library realized that
they retained the last patron name for 385 days. The library would like to reduce this to
60 days. Libraries keep this"last patron" record in order to track damage to items. For
this purpose, a 60 day limit seems much more reasonable than a year.
Jane Marrs made a motion that the"last patron" record be reduced to sixty days. Terry
Loftus seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
"Maximum Fine" Raised to $10.00
Ron Baker requested that the maximum per item fine at the Eagle Public Library be
raised to $10. The maximum per item fine at the Eagle Public Library is currently
limited to $5. A variety of safeguards limit the number of times that a patron actually
pays this fee. (Ron Baker estimates that this maximum is NOT reached in 98% of
instances.) Ron requested the raise because Horizon recommends that in order to limit
variables among the various libraries, all libraries impose the same maximum fine.
Terry Loftus made a motion that the maximum fine be raised to $10 per item. Jane Marrs
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Additional Items or Public Comment
The satellite has been removed and the roof repaired. The City graciously paid half of
the bill.
Nancy Marshall noted that she had a conversation regarding the Accelerated Reading
Program with Diane Matejka. Currently, the work that an adult has to do to assist a child
in checking out a book for the Accelerated Reading program is extensive and labor-
intensive. Nancy recommended that the library make this easier. Terry Loftus suggested
that creating a link to the national website might assist in simplification. Diane Matejka
has considered involving a volunteer in the creation of a system that would work well
within the library.
Selection of Next Meeting Date
The next meeting will take place on July 10 at 7 p.m.
Adjournment
Board Member Christine Edwards Allred made a motion that the meeting be adjourned.
Board Member Margo Walter seconded the motion. The motion to adjourn the meeting
was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.