HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-10-10 MinutesMinutes
Fayetteville Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting 10/10/94 at 3:uu p.m.
Attending: Mark Burdette, Jeff Koenig, Carol Phillips, Anne Prichard, Michael Thomas -
Trustees; Linda Harrison - Fayetteville Public Library Director; Karen
Duree - Ozarks Regional Library Director; Lynaire Hartsell, June Jefferson,
Lolly Maxey - Staff
President Thomas called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
The Board went into Executive Session at 3:03 p.m. for the annual evaluation of the
Library Director. (Koenig, Burdette)
Thomas called the regular meeting back into session at 4:00 p.m.
Minutes for both the 9/6/94 Special Meeting and the 9/12/94 Regular Meeting were accepted
as received. (Phillips, Burdette)
Correspondence consisted of a 9/19/94 letter and later a phone call from Harold Dahlinger
reassuring Thomas that during the Annex roof replacement everything was done right.
Dahlinger suggested that a meeting with the Mayor could be set up to talk about the books
damaged by water but Harrison and Thomas decided this was not the right time for such a
meeting and the Library will replace the books.
Thomas presented his 9/14/94 letter to the Friends of the Fayetteville Public Library
thanking them for giving a new phone system to the Library.
Thomas received a 10/1/94 letter from Duree advising the Library that it will receive in
1995 a branch allotment of $192,799 from the Washington County Library Fund in equal
quarterly payments.
Harrison presented the Statistical and Financial Reports noting that budget adjustments are
marked with an * . Phillips is holding Library CD investments intact until they are absolutel
needed. She will find out the cost of breaking a CD before it matures versus the cost of
borrowing the needed funds until the CD is mature. The Director's Reports were accepted.
(Koenig, Phillips)
Thomas reported on his visit, with Harrison and Duree, to the Quorum Court General Operations
Committee meeting which attracted about 40 organizations requesting money. Mike Galloway
advised all the agencies to ask other sources for funding as well. Thomas stressed to the
Committee that tnlike some other agencies the Library will need to cut back on services if
more monies are not received. Although the Committee Chairman was unable to predict how
much could be distributed until he knows how much is available in the discretionary fund,
he assured the Library representatives of his keen support for the Library. Lyell Thompson,
supporting the Library, asked if $10-15,000 would be accepted. Thomas replied that any
money will be graciously received but that that amount may not keep the doors open. Thomas
thinks some funds may become available. He will ask both their Financial Committee and the
regular Quorum Court next week for a resolution supporting the millage campaign. The Library
has, therefore, acted on Kevin Crosson's suggestion of asking the County for funds to support
the many County residents who use the Fayetteville Public Library. Thomas reported all this
to Crosson and was told that the Library has two more chances to speak for its budget before
the Fayetteville City Council. Prichard remembered Steve Davis speaking about the Police
Department asking for a similar increase in staff several years ago. They stressed service
needs to the community which parallels the Library's need for more staff to providethe
necessary Library service to the community. Duree pointed out that the Springdale Public
Library receives more from their combined voluntary millage and their City support than
Fayetteville receives.
Koenig reported that requests to United Way will be considered with all other requests
but that there is little chance for funding from them because the Library has the ability
to raise funds. If the millage does not pass, the Library will make a request to the
United Way. Burdette noted that the United Way does support the Rogers Public Library.
Harrison and Thomas decided that the report on the procedure for publicity/press releases
should be tabled until a later date. Thomas has talked to Phyllis Rice who understands
the Library's problem with this policy which was established because City agencies need to
present information to the City in a consistent manner. The Police, Fire and Parks and
Recreation Departments are exempt because they know what they are doing. The next time
Harrison and Thomas meet with Kevin Crosson in person the matter will be raised. For now,
any release will be put into a special box in City Hall as usual. This new procedure is
not arbitrary.
Duree's 9/28/94 Minutes of the Washington County Public Library Millage Committee were
presented. Thomas found that at the meetings he has addressed, support for additional
millage was 100%. Lynaire Hartsell received great support when handing out millage brochures
on the Square. Lolly Maxey also had good responses when she reached out to people to support
the Library. Thomas hoped people would write nice things about what they like at the Library
in letters to the Editors of the local newspapers.
The request for additional millage is a County issue - the only one on the November 8th
ballot. Staff need to explain that in 1985 the one mill was restored and in 1992 Amendment
72 to the Arkansas Constitution allowed libraries to ask for up to 5 mills in their communi-
ties. The Board agreed that ads should have facts rather than lists of supporters. Resolu-
tions carry ever more weight. Harrison will ask at the next City Council Agenda meeting
for City endorsement of the millage at their regular October 18th City Council meeting.
Hartsell is waiting for a response from the library consultant Susan Baerg Epstein about
the overdues program. Epstein has indicated that there are programs that just deal with
overdues, and are not part of an integrated circulation system, which may be closer to what
the Library actually needs as well as lower in price but both systems would probably depend
on the additional millage. She plans to list such possibilities with and without the addi-
tional millage and has reassured Harrison that patron files can be transferred to other
systems with enabling software. There was no need to visit the unique non -circulating
Genealogy Collection. Library staff felt comfortable with Epstein and were delighted to talk
to someone who knew so much about libraries.
Thomas reported that the Rogers Public Library has recognized that they need to pay more for
services received from the Ozarks Regional Library. They will be open to a counter proposal
but may even back out of the present agreement entirely. Koenig felt we need to subsidize
the small libraries but not the large ones.
The Board again went into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters at 5:05 p.m.
(Koenig, Burdette) then went back into the regular session (Burdette, Koenig) in order to
ajourn at 6:15 p.m. (Koenig, Burdette)
Submitted by,
Anne Prichard, Secretary
Follow-up reports will be given by:
Phillips - use of CDs versus loans to finance the rest of the year
Harrison - volunteer program
"Deliquent" offenders of overdue materials discussed with the City Prosecutor
