MUSSER PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM

PRESENT:

Drake, Durham, Johnston, Koehrsen, Lande, Nus, Stelzner.

STAFF:

Chaudoin, B.Collins, Fiedler, Warschauer.

ABSENT:

Martin, Ward.

GUEST:

Kim Kietzman (Southeast Library System)

M I N U T E S

I.

CALL TO ORDER:

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 4:37 p.m.

II.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

Koehrsen suggested the library tour be last.

Collins asked to move the circulation of AV materials to Operations.

III.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Nus moved to approve the minutes of the Feb.

2008 meeting as printed. Second by Durham. All ayes. Motion carried.

IV.

BILLS FOR PAYMENT:

Nus moved to approve payment of bills dated 3/04/08

totaling $17,256.29 and those dated 3/14/08 totaling $2,543.49. Second by Lande.

All ayes. Motion carried.

V.

CITIZENS SPEAK:

Durham received positive feedback from a co-worker who

was especially impressed with the new arrangement of the children’s area.

VI.

COMMUNICATIONS:

A.

Staff Liaison:

There have been no patron complaints about the new

arrangement, but lots of complements. Staff has been extremely busy and a bit

overwhelmed. Though business may quiet down some, Summer Reading Program

is just around the corner. Earlier this year the library qualified for 4 new Gates

Foundation computers. Now we’ll be getting four more. These will increase the

number of patron computers to 16, and replace some of the older ones. HNI may

be donating several used computers to us to help us replace old staff computers.

Fiedler stated that the public computers are busy continuously.

B.

Director’s Report:

Trustees received the written report. Collins

announced that the Carver Foundation has granted us $8000 to fund the rest of

our Insect Project. Project plans now involve downtown businesses, banners,

scheduling with schools, and reaching out into the County and to Wilton Library.

The weekly library deposit contained a counterfeit $20 bill discovered by

the bank. Police were notified. Two officers visited to ask questions and

demonstrate how to examine bills for authentication.

There will be a half-day librarian retreat for professional staff with

facilitator Laura Ford to learn how to deal with supervisory situations and

communication styles. A follow-up retreat will come later. Human Resources will

pay for most or all of the retreat. The Management Team has begun drawing up

the supervisory chart.

Trustees discussed ways to encourage City Council and department heads

to visit us and see all the positive changes that have taken place.

Collins thanked Koehrsen for her help with redecorating ideas and for

obtaining free advice from interior designer Rochelle Conway. The staff worked

very hard on the reorganization, especially custodian Jerry Hunter. As nice as it

looks, there is still a lot of old and dilapidated seating around that should

eventually be replaced and also a need for creating a special Teen Area.

VII. COMMITTEES:

---

A.

Long Range Planning

– The committee continues to meet, working on a

presentation to Carver Trust. For marketing purposes, the committee is looking

for a project name that encompasses the combination concept of the library, art

center and theater facility.

B.

Operations:

1.

Overdues & Fines Policy

– Collins recommended making the

fines on AV materials the same as books (10c per day) as our peer libraries are

doing. The current cost of most AV materials is now equal to or less than books.

Lande moved to reduce AV fines to 10c per day. Second by Durham. All ayes.

Motion carried. Also, there has been a longtime practice of preventing anyone

under age 18 from checking out DVDs or videos, even though they are allowed to

check out adult books and magazines. Collins explained that we lose a great deal

of AV circulation due to this practice and it may also be causing part of our theft.

We need to check out DVDs and videos to anyone who is a cardholder. There is

no written policy so no vote was required.

VIII. OLD BUSINESS:

A.

Re-address Long Range Planning Options

– Kim Kietzman reiterated

the benefits of a community survey of library users and non-users, ways of

conducting a scan and using the results for long range planning. Rural and county

residents would be included. The survey would meet state library requirements as

well. After much discussion, Lande moved to support the concept of a community

survey, beginning with the preparation of a proposal showing planning and costs

to be presented at the next meeting. Second by Durham. All ayes. Motion carried.

IX.

NEW BUSINESS:

A.

Elimination of Assistant Director position

– While discussing ways to

fund the youth department, Human Resources Coordinator Stephanie Romagnoli

said there was an option available to eliminate the assistant director position and

use that money for an additional children’s position. Collins read the following

formal statement to the trustees:

Each year the Muscatine City Council allocates an operating budget to the

Library and it is my responsibility to utilize that money to best meet the needs of

the entire library. After much reflection and discussion with Sheila Chaudoin, I

have decided to eliminate the position of Assistant Director and utilize the funds

by adding a full-time assistant in the youth department.

Sheila has requested that we terminate her position effective March 31.

Beginning in April she will work 10 – 15 hours per week on the Grossheim

collection. This arrangement will continue as long as she is willing to work.

We are very appreciative of the 35.5 years of work Sheila has devoted to

Musser Public Library and hope she will remain a part of our library for many

years to come. Sheila’s last day as full time assistant director will be March 31

st

.

B.

Tour of library

to explain reorganization.

X.

ADJOURNMENT:

The meeting adjourned at 5:45 so trustees could begin their

guided tour of the building.

Respectfully submitted by,

Paula Durham, Secretary

/iw