Library Board 2021-06-02

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY Approved 3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421 6/23/2021 BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021 NOTICE THAT THIS MEETING WAS CONDUCTED BY A COMBINATION OF IN-PERSON AND ELECTRONIC MEANS Following a determination by City Manager Kelli Bourgeois, and emergencies declared by the United States, The State of Minnesota, and the Columbia Heights Mayor & City Council, this meeting did, pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 13D.021, occur by a combination of in-person and electronic means. In all meeting formats whether solely in- person or a combination of in-person and electronic means, members of the public who wished to attend could do so by attending in-person or by calling 1-312-626- 6799 and entering meeting ID 832 1433 7849 and passcode 654514 at the scheduled meeting time. If there are any questions about this notice or attending/calling in to a future meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (763) 706-3611. The meeting was called to order in the Library Community Room by Secretary Tricia Conway at 5:31pm. Members physically present: Tricia Conway; Teresa Eisenbise; Carrie Mesrobian; Gerri Moeller. Members remotely present: Christopher Polley. Also present: Renee Dougherty (Library Director); Nick Olberding (Recording Secretary). Members Absent: Nick Novitsky (Council Liaison). 1. The Minutes of the May 5th, 2021, Board Meeting were moved and approved unanimously via roll-call vote. 2. The Bill Lists from May 12th, and 26th 2021, were reviewed, moved, and approved unanimously via roll-call vote. General questions and discussions on Bills (2), Accounting (3), and Miscellaneous:  SRP: Rapid Graphics & Printing $185 charge for Summer Reading Program Explorer Field Guides. The program is mostly hosted online through the BeanStack App (first introduced last summer) for tracking reading and prize entries, but for those without the internet or who prefer a physical tracker we provide printed Explorer Guides (0-K, Grade 1-6, Grade 7+).  Trugreen Lawn Service: The city contracts weed control out for City-owned properties.  Setpoint Tech Support: HVAC control system maintenance and support.  Automated Circulation Supplies (2025): 65% spent; largest expense has been purchased (RFID Tags).  Chemicals (2160): $444 reimbursement for permeable paver sealant from last year.  DVDs (2189): 51% spent; included Binge Box purchases; not worried about overspending this item.  Repair & Maintenance (4000): 65% spent; largest expense has been paid for 2021 (AMH Maintenance). Old Business: 4. Clarify Roles of the Friends of the Library and the CHPL Foundation: The current iteration of the Friends was formed in 1979 and is currently only a handful of members that nearly disbanded the group in 2018 but decided to postpone this action (haven’t had a meeting since February 2020). The Friends are more of a social group rather than a fundraising body, with only 2 members who actively volunteer their time to the Library. The Foundation was formed in 2001 as a non-profit fundraising entity governed by IRS code 501(c)3. The Foundation has donated approximately $150,000 to the Library over the last 8 years (usually earmarked for programming and special projects). The Foundation has not met since March 2020. Both groups are autonomous organizations in which the City of Columbia Heights has no oversight, although the Foundation does have a Board of Directors and needs to file a financial statement with the IRS every year. The Board would like to interface with both groups before the end of the year in order to discuss collaboration opportunities and plan for the future. 5. Informational Report from the Subcommittee on Seeking Community Feedback/Patron Survey: Chris and Teresa had compiled a list of potential patron/non-patron questions into a draft Google Form. Questions such as do you have a library card; visit frequency; reasons for infrequent visits; services used, and which ones do we lack; do you know how to access e-material (Libby), streaming video (Kanopy), and databases (Ancestry, CreativeBug, AllData, Homework Help, LinkedIn Learning, Academic Journals, etc); and accessibility of open hours. Members then suggested other questions related to events and presenters, and ways to add tiered questions (if-then). Potential survey questions will be discussed more at a special session on June 23rd. 6. Informational Report from the Subcommittee on Promotion/Marketing/New Cardholder Orientation: Ideas of a coordinated campaign for new users was discussed (South St Paul Library was cited), along with a set of posters/literature for new user orientation (plus digital versions), and the possibility of a new user drive. More research will be done, and this will be revisited at the June 23rd meeting if there’s time. New Business: 7. Recommend Revision to Guidelines for Accepting Donations of Collection Materials: Tabled. 8. Recommend Revision to Policy on Use of Personal Electrical and Communications Equipment: Tabled. 9. Recommend Revocation of Procedure for Money/Cash Drawers: More of a procedure than a policy, and applied to previous building with two Circulation Desks. A MOTION was made to revoke the policy on procedure for Money/Cash Drawers; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously via roll-call vote. 10. Recommend Revocation of Policy on Photography and Videography: From 2007; much harder to enforce now with everyone carrying a camera/camcorder around in their pocket. A MOTION was made to revoke the policy on Photography and Videography; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously via roll-call vote. 11. Proposed 2022 Budget Update: Renee presented a draft of the 2022 estimated Revenue and Budget Worksheets which proposes a 2.37% increase, and will be presented to the Finance Department before the end of June. The Board did not have any arguments against any of the proposed budget items, although they did have strong opinions on the cost of City IT Support being too high and disproportionate to the level of service received. On the revenue side the Board understands that the estimates may not reflect the actual year-end totals due to the variables and effects of these unstable times. The group would also like to discuss the possibilities around eliminating fine revenue and going fine-free; to be discussed at the June 23 meeting. For Your Information:  June 23rd Special Meeting: Due to there being no July meeting, and the excitement of discussing the community survey, member drive/orientation, and fine alternatives the Board would like to meet a second time in June. A MOTION was made to schedule a Library Meeting on June 23rd at 5:30pm in the Library Community Room; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously via roll-call vote.  Joint CHPL/ACL Library Board Meeting: Renee mentioned the idea of a joint meeting between the CHPL Board and Anoka County Board. No date has been set, but the Board was very interested in a face-to-face with the ACL Board, and it could be moderated by someone like County Commissioner Mandy Meisner.  Library Board Meeting Guests: After the July hiatus and additional work on the survey/orientation opportunities, the Board would like to invite some guest attendees. a. In August the Board would like to invite Ben Sandell (City Communications Coordinator) to discuss communications/promotion strategies in which the City could provide or assist with. b. In September they would like to invite several members of the CHPL Foundation to discuss collaboration opportunities and understand what special projects/programming options they are willing to fund in the future (i.e. contributing to the build-out of a dedicated CHPL website, providing funds for late fee elimination, or following through on a public art installation). c. In October they would like to invite members of the Friends of the Library to discuss collaboration opportunities and possibilities of expanding membership, participation, and responsibilities of the group. There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made at 6:59pm, and seconded. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Nicholas P. Olberding Recording Secretary, CHPL Board of Trustees