HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-07-10 MinutesFAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of July 10, 1995, Meeting
Attending: Jeff Koenig, Carol Phillips, Steve Singleton, Michael
Thomas, trustees; Linda Harrison, Fayetteville director; Karen
Duree, Ozarks Regional Library director; Mary Jo Godfrey, Lynaire
Hartsell, June Jefferson, David Johnson, Lolly Maxey, Susan
Sissom, staff; Steve Davis, City of Fayetteville.
Special Meeting
Vice President Koenig called the special meeting to order in
the absence of President Thomas.
In considering "BA," Harrison said no changes were made, except
to add "BB" and"BC". She noted that organizational charts were
added. Koenig asked that the regional library designation be
added to the chart for that organization. Phillips asked if
the genealogy library had been left out on "BC." Harrison said
that genealogy was part of the reference department. Phillips
asked if the board was not working toward genealogy's being
an independent department. Harrison said that the city's pay
plan did not currently allow for genealogy's becoming a separate
department. Harrison said the chart could be revised in the
future if the genealogy library became a separate department.
Turning to sponsorship requests ("FD"), Harrison said that the
board had considered the items in the past, but the policies
had never been written down for inclusion in the policy manual.
Koenig noted that the document defines sponsorship and leaves
the decision about sponsorship is left to the discretion of
the director. Jefferson noted that in the past, the decision
has been left to the board on a case-by-case basis. Koenig said
the document allowed the director the discretion to decide and
noted that the director could be challenged under the language.
On "FA" (rules on the meeting room), Harrison said that she
had added item 12, a disclaimer. Singleton then asked about
restrictions in the policy, citing fund-raising possibilities.
Koenig said some of the restrictions are related to compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as providing
restrooms for meeting -room users. At present, he said, no
restrooms are available for users.
Singleton also questioned "free and open to the public," noting
that the board should not cut off fund-raising possibilities.
Harrison and board members said that the policy was one in
keeping with public buildings, that all members of the public
should be able to attend. Koenig noted that the city
administration building did not offer its rooms to those engaged
in private enterprise.
Phillips asked how often the room was used. Harrison said that
it was not very often. Jefferson said that since kitchen
privileges had been taken away from those using the room, use
had been cut. Koenig said evening use for public presentations
had decreased since restroom facilities were no longer available.
Singleton again raised fund-raising possibilities. Koenig said
rules for public buildings were different than those for private
enterprise. He added that it was not only an ADA issue, but
also a capacity issue, that a certain number of square feet
per person had been figured by the architect. He said the City
of Fayetteville was "doing the very bare minimum" to comply
with ADA. He said that the board had considered the revenue
potential of the room four years ago when the library was being
renovated and that it had elected to save the $17,000-$20,000
it would cost to bring the restrooms up to the ADA code and
make them accessible after hours, as well as preserving the
space that it would have taken away from the children's library.
Koenig said the board had decided it could never generate the
level of revenue that would make the expense worthwhile. Phillips
noted that the room had never been intended for use as a public
meeting room; she had always considered it part of the library,
and especially part of the children's library.
Harrison said the present fee was calculated by Steve Davis
to cover the cost of operating the room. Phillips suggested
using a flat fee of $25 for the room, no matter what the length
of time used, up until closing. Staff members said it would
be simpler to have a flat fee. Koenig suggested waiting until
community center plans become solid. Phillips also suggested
changing "librarian" to "library staff" and retaining the
restriction on refreshments.
The board approved a flat fee of $25 for the meeting room use.
On the memorandum of understanding, Harrison said that the only
change was that of "city librarian" to "library director." The
change was approved.
On "HB," regarding gifts and memorials, Harrison the only change
was the addition of #5, which says that gifts of money, real
property and/or stock will be accepted if conditions attached
are acceptable to the board of trustees and governing officials.
Koenig said the board needed to be apprised of large gifts,
which is now done through financial reports at each monthly
meeting. Harrison said most of the gifts are small, and could
be handled without the board's having to be informed on each
item.
Koenig asked about a book collection that a local patron, John
Lewis, was to have given to the library. Thomas answered that
Lewis's ex-wife had taken some items from the collection before
it was given to the library. Library staff members took what
was appropriate for the library's collection and the rest were
given to the Friends of the Fayetteville Public Library for
its book sale, which Lewis approved.
Koenig than asked what would happen if a patron donated a book
collection and wanted it to be kept in the library intact.
Harrison said that the library couldn't accept a gift with
strings attached.
Singleton then asked if the library had a knowledgeable person
who could look at donations and know if any were valuable. He
said that some first editions can bring a good sum of money.
Harrison said that a couple of Friends members were knowledgeable
and performed that function.
The changes were approved.
On "GF," covering fines and charges, Harrison said there was
a slight change with the addition of #3, saying that the library
would not mail bills to patrons with fines. She said she had
inserted that policy because some patrons had come into the
library knowing they owe a fine and told circulation staff
members to send them a bill. The library doesn't send bills,
she said, and she wanted that fact in writing.
Singleton asked if check-out privileges were frozen for those
who owe fines. Harrison said privileges are frozen when a patron
owes more than $5 in fines. Singleton suggested raising fines
to 10 cents a day, up from five cents currently assessed. He
said the library now collects between $8,000 and $9,000 a year
in fines, and he thought that those who don't return books on
time should be the ones to help fund the library. He said there
are some who are taxed a mill and don't visit the library, and
the facility could double its fines and increase its income
by charging those who don't return books. Koenig and Thomas
concurred. Singleton said it also would give the board an
opportunity to say to the city that the library was trying to
find other sources of revenue (a matter that some board members
have said city officials had told them would be necessary).
Koenig suggested doubling all the library's fines, not just
the book fines. Jefferson noted that this increase would place
Fayetteville's fine rate higher than any other library in the
Ozarks Regional Library System. Duree said it would be the
highest fine rate for books; video rates vary. Rogers, she said,
doesn't charge any fines. Jefferson added that increasing the
fine for videos could keep the library from getting material
back; people would keep the videos rather than pay a large fine.
Thomas said such offenders would receive a letter from the city
attorney's office. Jefferson said not only would the library
not collect the $2 a day, it would also lose an $80 or $90 video.
Koenig said that $2 a day was a minimal late charge when video
stores charge $2-$4 a day. Hartsell said the board was unaware
of the level of complaints the circulation workers get now,
when the fines are $1 a day. She said couldn't imagine the
reaction she's get when patrons were told the fines would be
$2 a day.
Singleton said the library was dealing with a "bad -debt" problem,
with "customers who don't pay us on time by bringing the books
back." Responsible people who run late and don't finish the
book on time don't mind paying the late fee, he said, and
included himself among that number on occasion. There are certain
patrons the library doesn't want, he said, and if the facility
has a frozen library card or a patron who habitually keeps
expensive materials and doesn't return them, the library doesn't
want them to remain as patrons.
Jefferson said the library didn't have an habitual offender
situation in which, if a patron comes in and clears his fines
and yet library staff members know that the patron will likely
keep materials again, there is no mechanism to deny that patron
privileges to the library. Singleton said that it then made
more sense to increase the fines, so that there would be more
money to buy materials.
Duree said the matter rested on the board's purpose in assessing
fines. All the studies she has read say that charging fines
does not get books back, she said. Singleton asked if charging
fines hurts. Duree said that in some cases it does, because
people just keep the book and the library never hears from them
again. Duree said that 10 cents was not out of line.
The board voted to double the existing fine schedule (Thomas,
Singleton) from five cents to 10 cents a day for books and audio
books and from $1 to $2 a day for videos. The change will take
effect the first part of September.
Harrison said the next two policy items, "PA -37" regarding
personal telephone use and "PA -38" regarding bringing children
to work, were just putting into writing policies that had been
understood verbally over the years. Singleton asked that possible
Career Day activities be exempted (as when children might visit
the library with a parent on staff to study library science
as a career, for example). Koenig said that sort of exemption
need not be stated in a policy, because it might leave it open
for abuse. Maxey asked if staff members could bring a child
to work, leaving him in the library reading for a short period,
if it meant the staff member could come to work instead of taking
a sick day or vacation day to stay with the child at home. Koenig
said each instance would have to be examined. Maxey said each
staff member with children had had occasions when a child had
been brought to the library for a short period rather than take
time off. Koenig said it was his impression that the policy
was being added because there had been cases where the policy
had been abused. Harrison said there had been cases where abuse
of the policy was possible. Koenig said reasonable minds should
prevail in circumstances where a child might be brought to work.
On "PA -38," Hartsell said she had an emotional objection to
the statement about bringing children to work being unfair to
other staff and patrons, the second sentence in #1. The board
agreed to strike the second sentence. Koenig suggested amending
the first sentence to say that staff could not bring children
to work without permission from the director. Singleton said
that would provide protection from abusing what would mostly
be emergency situations.
Koenig turned the chair back over to Thomas for the regular
meeting.
Regular Meeting
The regular meeting convened at 5:02. Harrison introduced the
new adult services supervisor, David Johnson, to the board
members and others at the meeting.
Thomas said newspapers had been notified of the 5 p.m. meeting
time in keeping with requirements of the state's Freedom of
Information Act.
In discussing the minutes, Thomas asked if the library had
defined "immediate family" yet. Harrison said she had not.
Singleton said the board should not be too restrictive about
the definition. Koenig said the Fayetteville School Board had
honored requests from teachers to visit children of ex -spouses,
which they counted as immediate family. Sissom called for a
point of order, saying that the period was for correction of
minutes, not a discussion of old business. Harrison then said
there was a correction needed on Page 8, citing the reason for
the city's rollback of the millage in 1993. It was to help gain
reapproval of a 1 -percent sales tax, not to allow the school
district and the library to seek their own millages. Sissom
said she would make the corrections. The minutes were approved
as corrected (Phillips, Singleton).
On the librarian's reports, Harrison said that figures for the
month of June and the first six months showed that attendance
and circulation were down, but volunteer hours were up. She
said that Saturday attendance had not picked back up to the
level it had been before the library closed on Saturdays the
first three months of the year. She said more people were coming
in on days that used to be slower.
Singleton asked if that would have any effect on registrations,
which also are down. Registrations would affect new patrons,
he said. Harrison said that could also include people whose
cards had expired. Koenig asked if perhaps county patrons had
shifted to another library. Duree said the board would be
receiving figures from Rogers and Springdale in a newsletter
soon. While the figures do not compare 1994 and 1995 figures,
she said, they do show that circulation figures in Rogers and
Springdale are higher than in Fayetteville, and they do reflect
the loss in attendance and circulation on the Saturdays that
Fayetteville was closed. Duree said she didn't think those two
facilities had seen any big increases during 1995, although
Rogers was still increasing over last year after occupying its
new building.
Koenig noted that Benton County was growing faster than
Washington County, and he said that could account for part of
Rogers' increase in numbers. While Fayetteville's population
has increased some 8 or 9 percent, he said, Rogers' has grown
by 13 or 14 percent. Fayetteville is still experiencing
substantial growth, he said, and the board had to face the fact
that the library had had much negative publicity when it closed
on Saturdays. Patrons may have changed their patterns, he said.
If it was just as easy for them to drive to Springdale during
that time, he said, they may still be driving to Springdale.
Godfrey responded when asked that genealogy figures were down,
too. The Saturday traffic has not picked up to its previous
levels, she said. Thomas said the upcoming ancestor fair would
be a good time to inform those who might still not know that
the library had reopened on Saturdays. Thomas suggested asking
the Friends also to include the information in their newsletters.
Godfrey said she and other genealogy staff members had done
everything they could think of to spread the word.
Singleton asked if the demographics varied widely from weekdays
and Saturdays. Harrison said that was hard to determine during
the summer months. During the school year, she said, Saturdays
had been a day for parents to bring their children into the
library. Singleton said he could not help if the board needed
to do something sooner rather than later to increase traffic
by doubling the number of periodicals through sponsorship. Thomas
asked Singleton to delay addressing that matter until later
in the agenda.
Moving on in the report, Harrison asked if the board would
approve amnesty week to coincide with the annual work week.
Staff members said amnesty week does work in getting materials
brought back to the library. Thomas noted that it seemed
particularly appropriate this year because fines would be doubled
when the library reopens.
The board accepted the librarian's reports and approved amnesty
for the work week period.
Harrison asked Davis when budget work would begin at the city
administration offices. Davis said it would begin the next week,
with budgets due sometime around August 20. Harrison said she
doubted she could present the 1996 operating budget at the
board's August 14 meeting for adoption. Jefferson is to attend
the training sessions, because Harrison is to be on vacation
when the sessions are held. Phillips suggested that the board
reconvene in a special meeting to approve the 1996 budget.
Members agreed that would be acceptable.
Hartsell said she had still had no response from the computer
software company, despite two telephone calls and fax
transmissions on the problems she is having in making the program
work with the printer the library has. Thomas said he also had
contacted Susan Epstein, the consultant who recommended the
program, and he had heard nothing from her, either.
Koenig said it sounded like the library didn't have the proper
print driver. He asked if the manual listed preferred printers.
Jefferson said the company had said the library could get its
money back. Duree said that, apparently, there was no way to
change the print driver. Jefferson said that if the library
made any changes, it would violate licensing agreements. Koenig
said he would work on straightening out the problem. Jefferson
added that the company had not followed up on anything in writing
on straightening out the problem or refunding the money.
Turning to the grievance committee item, Harrison said that
Don Bailey, personnel officer for the City of Fayetteville,
had said he was opposed to the idea, saying the library didn't
need it. She said Bailey had told her there would have to be
strict definitions to the committee's powers.
Koenig asked what had prompted the question about the grievance
committee. Jefferson said that a previous policy had called
for it but that it had never been put into action. Koenig said
he tended to agree with Bailey and to revise the grievance policy
if needed. Phillips said she thought the policy called for the
committee. Koenig said to revise the grievance policy and remove
the committee from that policy. Singleton asked if the committee
would just be adding another layer to the procedure. Harrison
said that it would. Koenig said 90 to 95 percent of the
grievances would be taken care of at the first two levels, i.e.,
going to a supervisor and then to the director. Jefferson said
she and Harrison would be coming back to the board with a clear
grievance policy. Koenig said it should be a clearly supervisor
role all the way up the chain of command, with relief from the
board if the director's decision is not satisfactory.
The board then discussed the rumor that Boatmen's Bank had been
sold to Chase. Harrison said staff members were concerned about
another change in a bank where staff retirement accounts are
located. Singleton said it was just a case of a strong back
being taken over by a stronger bank. Koenig said he was open
to more localized handling of retirement accounts. Phillips
asked about transferring the fund to one of the larger local
banks. Koenig said there was no need to limit the investment
to banks; private investment counselors could be considered,
as well as other financial advisers. Singleton said he doubted
that any change could be made quickly. Duree said local people
could get the fee for managing the portfolios, with the
investments being similar. Koenig said local people could hire
the investment work out. The small size of the account might
limit who would accept the work. Phillips said she wanted the
staff to be comfortable with who was handling their retirement
account. Harrison said she would talk to the staff about the
matter.
Koenig said he would suggest leaving the account with Boatmen's
for at least a year to avoid penalties.
Harrison reported on the volunteer committee, telling the board
that Genie Donovan had begun interviewing applicants and
orientation sessions and that applications were still coming
in.
Harrison said proposals for alternative funding from staff
members was incomplete. Children's staff members were the only
ones who had finished turning in proposals, she said.
Phillips noted that the United Way was accepting applications
for funding now and that it would look good to the city if the
library at least submitted an application. Duree noted that
the application might have to go through the Friends, because
they are a non-profit organization. Koenig said he would
investigate the matter.
In other business, Singleton suggested requested having an energy
audit performed, again to demonstrate to the city that the board
was looking for ways to save money where it could. Most utilities
might be amenable to giving a free audit to the library, Koenig
said. Double -glazing the windows might be a way to cut electric
bills, Singleton said. Duree said water comes into her office
from windows in that part of the building. Singleton said he
would pursue the investigation.
Koenig noted that the building doesn't meet the Arkansas Energy
Code.
Singleton said he still thought traffic in the library needed
to be increased and still supported business sponsorship of
periodicals. He repeated that periodicals need to be doubled.
He said that would bring more people into the library to see
what was new. He said it didn't have to be periodicals, but
the library needs to have some new features to increase
attendance. He said he wanted to see the board and staff complete
one project such as that before the end of the year.
Harrison said that reference staff members had definite ideas
on what periodicals they would like to see added, and those
would be in particular magazines that regularly show up on Pro -
Quest searches. Singleton added that Robert Ginsburg, who hosts
a jazz program on KUAF, is a member of the Jazz Society; he
asked him to come up with a list of classic jazz CDs. He also
suggested soliciting suggestions from other special-interest
groups.
Singleton said he'd like to see a list of suggestions from staff
members and community groups. Harrison said that would present
a need for more shelving.
Koenig said he appreciated Singleton's suggestions, but he
questioned whether the library needed more traffic. He said
the board had said that the staff was insufficient to meet
present demands for service; he said the board was trying to
get staff ratios at a reasonable level in terms of the region
and nationwide. What the library should be providing to the
public is what is relevant to their needs, he said; that would
"charge" both the public and the staff and get them excited
about the library. Koenig said he would prefer to see quality
over numbers.
Singleton said he agreed with Koenig about quality, but he
thought the library could get other groups to pay for more
materials. The periodicals project might not be the best idea,
he said, but it would be very visible. Koenig said the CD idea
was a move toward quality, in his opinion.
Johnson said that he had been a part of an "Adopt a Periodicals"
project while he was in graduate school at the University of
Tennessee, one undertaken because the cost of some of the
scientific periodicals was so high. He said keeping a collection
at a certain level fell under the pursuit of quality, whether
it increased traffic or not.
Singleton said it would demonstrate to the city that the library
was trying to be dynamic and not just ask the council for more
money. Jefferson said space also was a consideration for back
files. People are asking for periodicals that are on Pro -Quest
or in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, she said,
and back files in storage are inaccessible.
Phillips said any ideas that would free up funds for use in
another area should be considered. She said she would like to
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see board members and staff members take a positive attitude
toward making changes.
Koenig asked about how the library reduces "inventory." Duree
said it comes about through weeding out-of-date or worn volumes
in the regional collection. Harrison said the Fayetteville staff
does the same thing. Duree said it is a problem of having time
to do it. Discards are given to the Fayetteville Friends.
Harrison said the library doesn't want to have dead weight on
the shelves, but some volumes are necessary, whether they
circulate or not.
Duree said that the regional library, in preparation for possible
automation, had discarded many volumes to make the task of
preparing the volumes easier. In some cases, she said, as many
books were taken out as were added to the collection. Magazine
holdings might need to be examined to see how far back they
need to be kept, she said.
Koenig asked if the texts of back issues would be available
on CD. Full -text copies from CDs are not currently available,
Duree, Harrison and Johnson said. Johnson said that retros of
back issues of magazines may have been started, but it is not
available on all magazines at this time. Duree said it would
not be offered free of charge; Duree said the charge would
probably be $10 or more.
Singleton said the university library would be able to offer
more periodicals for research and always would be able to do
so. There are two types of magazine patrons, he said: those
who want to keep up with current events and those doing
schoolwork. The library needs to see what its strengths are,
he said.
Harrison said that a few of Fayetteville's periodicals are
donated, but many are paid for by the regional library.
Fayetteville doesn't spend much on periodicals. Singleton said
he thought that Fayetteville should try to find another source
of funding for current periodicals and use the money regional
is spending for subscriptions to finance CDs or microfiche for
back issues.
Koenig asked Duree and Harrison to see which periodicals are
being digitized. Harrison said that would require a lot of leg
work and further said that she didn't want to see subscriptions
jeopardized by donations that would not be sustained. She didn't
want to see money previously spent for subscriptions go for
another purpose only to find that a donation did not last longer
than one year.
Singleton asked if the information could be gathered by the
September meeting to proceed with implementing the plan. Duree
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asked if volunteers could be used to solicit subscriptions.
Singleton said it could. Koenig said he could donate a computer
magazine that he knows is digitized. Singleton said the idea
could be expanded to include increasing the audio/visual
collection. Harrison asked for time to investigate the ideas.
Harrison said the only other item of business was a lone proposal
for waterproofing that needs to be done. A waterproofing company
submitted a bid for $3,825 to clean and reseal a deck in front
and one in back where water is coming in under the wall, she
said.
The board approved the expenditure from expansion funds (Koenig,
Phillips).
Phillips said she was upset with the gardening contract when
there was grass growing in the parking lot and debris in
evidence. Certain areas of the grounds look bad, she said, and
the library is spending too much money for that to be happening.
Harrison said she'd reexamine the contract.
Duree noted that the parking lots had never been properly
striped, and people are parking inefficiently. Koenig said he
thought Perry Franklin, city traffic manager, was to take care
of that. Duree said Franklin had been unresponsive. Harrison
said she would investigate the matter. Koenig said he would
take care of the matter.
Koenig moved that the board go into executive session to discuss
a personnel matter. Singleton seconded the motion.
Respectfully submitted by:
Susan M. Sissom, Staff
Follow-ups:
Koenig: Print -driver problem; United Way application; parking
lot striping
Singleton: Energy audit
Harrison: Grievance policy; staff input on retirement account;
staff suggestions on alternative financing
Harrison and Johnson: (Ongoing, due in September) Periodicals
additions
Harrison and Duree: (Ongoing, due in September) Retro digitizing
of periodical back issues
