Library Board of Trustees

.. MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MARY RILEY STYLES PUBLIC LIBRARY Held in the Mary Riley Styles Public Library 120 N. Virginia Avenue Falls Church, VA 22046 December 17, 2014 1. CALL TO ORDER Board Chair Brad Gemand called the meeting to order at 7:00p.m. The following Board members attended the meeting: Brad Gemand ChetDeLong Ed Rose Stephanie Oppenheimer Jeff Peterson Terry Zawacki Jacob Bruner Excused Absence: Don Camp Also present were the Library Director Mary McMahon, and her assistant, Claudia Gutierrez. 2. RECEIPT OF PETITIONS None. 3. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 19, 2014 MEETING MINUTES; DECEMBER 3, 2014 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES Upon a motion made and duly seconded, the Library Board unanimously approved the November 19, 2014 Meeting Minutes with one minor change and the December 3, 2014 Special Meeting Minutes. 4. ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT TASK FORCE (CATCH) REPORT An update report was given on the construction project called Mason Row at West and Broad Streets. They lowered the number of residential apartments to 250, increased the office space, and included a hotel in the project. There will also be retail stores and a big screen movie theater. The developers are conducting public meetings and one was being held tonight at the Community Center. 5. LIBRARY FOUNDATION REPORT They have received between $1,200 and $1,500 in the last few weeks. There has also been a donation of$15,000 which will go to the endowment. 6. REVIEW LETTER TO GO WITH MASTER PLAN ADDENDUM TO CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION The Board reviewed a draft transmittal memo that will accompany each copy of the Master Plan Addendum when it goes to Council and the Planning Commission. They want the urgency emphasized and the need for expanding and renovating the library building to provide adequate services and programs to the different educational, cultural and demographic groups. Since MRSPL is a Star Library, nationally recognized for outstanding service for seven consecutive years, with almost 19,000 people attending over 650 programs annually, there is an urgent need for the library to expand in order to maintain this status. They also wanted it stated that there is already an $8M allocation approved by the City Council in the current adopted CIP, which could provide a 6,600 sq. ft. addition and a complete renovation of the existing building. The memo also needs to emphasize what the new space will provide: an increase from 25% to 50% in the children's and young adult space, an additional 362% for meeting space, 17% in collection space, 58% local history space and study spaces which the library does not currently have. The memo also must mention that the library should remain at its current location in the heart of the City on the "civic avenue" to maximize the impact and synergies of co-locating the Library, City Hall, Community Center, and Cherry Hill Park and farmhouse within the same block. That location is also easily walkable from around town and is close to the Farmer's Market and local eating establishments and businesses. In addition, this plan also includes substantial renovations to the current facility which include: more energy efficient lighting, replacement of heating and air conditioning systems and plumbing infrastructure, larger public restrooms, and bring the building into American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. The memo also points out that the two options, east or west, will bring the building up to 24,000 sq. ft., and while not ideal, it will be workable for approximately 15-20 years once services are adjusted. The original recommendation of a 33,000 sq. ft. building would have provided space for 50 years and as a raze-and-rebuild would have incorporated efficiencies that this much smaller option cannot provide. 7. REVIEW THE REASONS FOR A LIBRARY EXPANSION PROJECT AND BEGIN DEVELOPING A PUBLIC POWER POINT PRESENTATION • COPY OF DRAFT PRESENTATION The McMillan Pazdan Smith consultant, David Moore, will make his presentation of the Master Plan Addendum to City Council at a joint work session on January 5th with the Planning Commission. One of the Board members suggested presenting an introduction from the Board before his presentation to explain the reasons why a renovated and expanded library is needed. Some of the reasons include: bringing the building up to ADA requirements, malfunctioning heating, air conditioning and plumbing infrastructure, failing elevator, inadequate meeting room spaces, the need for increased children and young adult spaces, and the location in City's civic corridor. The Board is also working on an informational Power Point presentation to be used at public meetings which they will conduct. They reviewed the current outline and made some suggestions to improve it: incorporate the reasons why an expansion and renovation is needed, include some photos from the library's programs, and change the graphs which show the growth of the library and the different services that the library offers. The Director said she would work on making those changes. 8. BEGIN PLANNING OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ON THE LIBRARY'S CIP REQUEST • MEDIA COVERAGE • PUBLIC MEETINGS AT HOAS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, PTAS ETC. • IDENTIFY KEY CONTACTS • IDENTIFY KEY DATES • INVITATIONS FOR JANUARY 21, 2015 MEETING The Director mentioned that she worked on getting a list of some organizations in the City, but could get only addresses, not names of contacts. She asked if the Board wanted to send letters to them. She also mentioned that there is a room reserved at the Community Center to meet with the public and organizations on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. It was asked not to conduct the meeting as a regular Board of Trustees meeting. One of the Board members will draft the invitation letter which will be sent after January 5, 2015 to the different organizations and the public. 2 9. LIBRARY REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Director reported that she has received FY16 budget development guidance from the City. Each department has been told that they must do a budget based on the FY14 actuals, which means that it will probably be a reduction from the current FY15 budget. Salaries and benefits are not to be adjusted by each department, and no layoffs are anticipated at this time for the City. The Director will begin work on the budget very soon, and no deadline for completion has been given as yet. • The City has decided to pass along the State Aid cuts, and the library portion will be $4,321 , which must be cut from this year's (FY15) budget. This amount will be cut from materials because that is what State Aid pays for. • We have begun conducting interviews for the temporary Library Assistant position in Reference. • The replacement for the Librarian in Reference has been hired. The person selected is Catherine Wilson, who was working in the library's Circulation department. She has a MLS and has extensive experience as a public library Reference librarian in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. • The State report known as Bibliostat was completed on time and filed with the State. 10. BUSINESS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. 11. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to adjourn the meeting at 8:37 p.m. 1a_:::; s~~~N\_~ Mary W. McMahon Library Director Approved: ~~ Bradley E. Gemand, Chair Copies: Board ofTrustees, City Manager, Library Reference Desk, Staff Bulletin Board, City Clerk, City Council, Historical Commission, Library Web Page 3