MUSSER PUBLIC LIBRARY

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007

LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM

PRESENT:

Drake, Durham, Johnston, Koehrsen, Martin

STAFF:

Chaudoin, Schulte

ABSENT:

Coffman, Lande, Nus, Ward

M I N U T E S

I.

CALL TO ORDER:

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 4:36

p.m.

II.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

Durham moved to approve the agenda as

printed. Seconded by Drake. All ayes. Motion carried.

III.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Durham moved to approve the minutes of the

May 16, 2007 meeting. Seconded by Koehrsen. All ayes. Motion carried.

IV.

BILLS FOR PAYMENT:

Durham moved to approve the bills dated June 5,

2007 in the amount of $27,218.42 and those dated June 19, 2007 in the

amount of $16,157.26. Seconded by Martin. All ayes. Motion carried.

V.

CITIZENS SPEAK:

No report.

VI.

COMMUNICATIONS:

A.

Staff Liaison -

T. Schulte reported on the new formats in the

Audio-Visual department. She showed the board the new

Playaway format somewhat similar to MP3 players that are already

loaded with a book. We received 10 of this format which will be

on a standing order for one year. We will get 10 each quarter and

they will check out for 3 weeks. Koehrsen asked if there will be a

limit on the number a patron can checkout at one time. Schulte

thought that would be a possibility until the collection grows.

Johnston asked about the cost of this format. Schulte responded

that the cost is about half of the cost of a recorded book on CD.

Martin wanted to know if there were a lot of other different

formats available and some discussion ensued. Schulte also

mentioned the MP3 books that were added to the collection

through the generosity of Mary Wagner (sister of Chaudoin) who

purchased and donated around 30 books in this format. Schulte

also mentioned that she and the rest of the staff appreciated the fact

that board member Durham asked for staff input on the selection of

a new director and also that this would be her last meeting with the

board. Her new staff replacement will attend the next meeting.

B.

Director’s Report –

1) Summer reading program is in full swing.

There are over 600 children registered so far. Betty is sure it will

reach to around 1000 before the program ends. 2) Stephanie

Derbin is our new page working at the circulation and audiovisual

departments as well as shelving returned materials. She started

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June 11

th

. 3) There are several articles that were placed for the

Trustees to read: one titled “How to evaluate your library’s

physical environment”; another one entitled “Worth their weight:

an assessment of the evolving field of library valuation;” and

finally one titled “The Value of Libraries: impact, normative data,

& influencing funders.” 4) The Library received our Tier 2 status

from the State Library meeting all the output measures for Tier 1

and 2. In order to meet Tier 3 status level we still need to do a

community analysis, a library plan and accessibility. 5) Seven new

computers have replaced old Windows 2000 staff computers. We

have recycled all the old computers within the library, using one

for an OPAC upstairs outside the Oversize collection, one in the

children’s area for the children’s assistant and two are going to be

used as game computers with no Internet hookup in the children’s

area. We also replaced six barcode scanners and added three more

receipt printers and two label printers. This is all the equipment

we’ve been trying to replace for the past several years. There is

also, a new brochure rack that was placed downstairs near the front

doors. Now all our brochures are in one place. 6) June 15

th

was

Sam Morter’s last day at the Library for ECHO. The staff gave

him a nice going away party. 7) Chaudoin will be working on a

disaster plan for the library. The recent tornado pointed to the

need for a good workable plan. 8) A reminder that our next Board

meeting will be a week early in July, the second Wednesday

instead of the third.

VII. COMMITTEES:

A.

Long Range Planning –

Koehrsen spoke of the recent meetings

with two architect firms HGA and Frye, Gillan, Molinaro. These

were two hour meetings with each firm in somewhat of a

competition format with each firm giving their best shot at a design

concept for a chosen plot of land. She stressed that we are not at

the point of selecting an architect as yet but we are heading toward

picking one. The committee attendees were very excited about

both designs. Johnston stated that we are not at the stage of

choosing a design, but choosing a firm to work with. Koehrsen

mentioned that the next step in the process is to check references of

both the firms and the people who would be working on the

project. Koehrsen also praised Don Bain from Stanley Consultants

for his guidance through this process.

B.

Operations:

1.

Meeting Room Policy (C-27) –

Working well. Marked

“Reviewed 6/20/2007.”

2.

Fees Policy (C-16)

– Working well. Marked “Reviewed

6/20/2007.”

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3.

Review Mission & Vision Statement

– The statement was

reviewed and it was mentioned by Johnston that it should be

posted in the staff areas as well.

4.

Trustee Term Expirations

– Johnston stated that Koehrsen

whose first 6 term is up has said she would like to be

reappointed for another term as has Martin and Lande.

Coffman is still uncertain about whether he wants to be

reappointed.

VIII. OLD BUSINESS:

A.

New Director Discussion –

Durham stated that HR Director

Romagnoli has placed the ad for the director on two online sources

(the American Library Association website and the State of Iowa

Library website). She said she had also seen it in the Sunday Quad

City Times newspaper. The deadline was listed as June 30

th

. A

discussion ensued as to whether the deadline for applications

needed to be extended. Chaudoin mentioned that she got a verbal

okay from the city administrator to carry over $10,000 from the

current fiscal year budget in order to help defray the cost of travel

and moving expenses for interviewees.

IX.

NEW BUSINESS:

A.

Fruitland contract –

Chaudoin stated she received a letter from

the Fruitland city clerk’s office dated May 16

,

2007 (before the

Tornado that went through their town) stating the city council

approved $1018 for Library services for the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

This is far less than we had requested ($2500). A discussion

ensued about the damage to the town from the tornado of June 1

st

.

A motion by Koehrsen and seconded by Durham to accept the

amount Fruitland proposed. All ayes. Motion carried.

B.

Buffalo Prairie contract –

Chaudoin stated that she also received

a letter from the supervisors of Buffalo Prairie township in Illinois.

They approved the amount of $1,280 instead of the $2250 we had

requested. A motion by Koehrsen and seconded by Durham to

accept the amount proposed was made. All ayes. Motion carried.

A comment by Koehrsen was that we should let them know that

this is a move in the right direction and that we hope they continue

moving toward equitable funding.

C.

Furniture for the children’s area –

If the budget allows, the

trustees felt no motion was needed to purchase the proposed

furniture. Chaudoin stated that over $4,000 would be placed in the

General Trust from the dissolution of the old Quad-Linc

consortium and that money could be used for any overages in the

budget.

D.

ECHO finance final report –

Since ECHO has now been

disbanded, Chaudoin told the trustees there is $2,328.43 left in the

ECHO account. A motion by Drake and seconded by Durham to

move the amount into the library general trust was voted on. All

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ayes. Motion carried. Koehrsen asked about ECHO online.

Chaudoin stated that the website would continue with little or no

involvement from library staff or chamber staff. Koehrsen

requested that Chaudoin contact Carlson at the Chamber to talk

about the administration of ECHO online.

X.

ADJOURNMENT:

The meeting was adjourned at 5:56 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,

Paula Durham, Secretary

/sc