Library Board

October 20, 2014 Board Member Connie Schmiechel called the meeting to order at 3:41 p.m. in the library board room with the following members present: Connie Schmeichel, Jan Therien, and Virginia Meyer. Also present was Director Janet Davenport. Members absent Larry Jirsak and Cindy Slykhuis. The meeting was preceded by publicized notice in the Fremont Tribune and the agenda displayed in the municipal building, the Keene Memorial Library, online at www.fremontne.gov/library and distributed and emailed to the Library Board members on October 17, 2014 and is open to the public. A copy of the open meeting law is posted continually for public inspection and is located near the entrance to the Board Room. Board Member Therien moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting on September 15, 2014. Board Member Meyer seconded the motion. Carried. Unfinished business - Library Board Work Plan Progress - Board Member Meyer presented the Board with a document outlining a communication plan with newly elected and existing City Council members. Plans to invite small groups of council members to visit Keene Memorial Library to learn more about our services to the community were discussed. Board Member Meyer will work with Director Davenport on this plan. Board Member Schmeichel will be inviting a staff member to join the Board at coming meetings to talk about what they do at the library, experiences at conferences and services to customers. Board members hope to increase their knowledge about the library through this process. Board Member Therien will work on the area of advocacy. She planned to attend the candidate forum scheduled for Thursday Oct 23. Director Davenport will provide her contact information for Nebraska Library Commission and Eastern Library System staff involved in advocacy. New Business - Interlocal Agreement with Village of Inglewood - Director Davenport provided a brief summary of our agreement with the Village of Inglewood. The library provides a library card to Inglewood families without charge to the individual and bills the Village of Inglewood annually the $35 per card non residency fee. The service is provided under an existing agreement approved by the Board as a governing entity. Now that the Board is advisory, this needs to be presented to City Council as an interlocal agreement for approval. Board Member Schmeichel moved, and Board Member Therien seconded, that an interlocal agreement be drafted and submitted to City Council with the Library Board’s recommendation. Approved. Director’s Report: Previous Events  One Book One Nebraska events: o Sept. 20 - Melissa Amateis Marsh: Nebraska POW Camps o Oct. 5 - Charlotte Endorf: Nebraska: Spirit: The North Platte Canteen o Oct 18 – Showing of Canteen Spirit, NET program  Oct. 9 – Friends of the Library: Swan Gondola Book Discussion  Oct. 11 - Star Wars Reads Day III – 75 attendees  Oct. 16 – Prime Time Family Reading Time, kickoff session Upcoming Events:  Oct. 28 – Trip Paranormal – an Omaha group of paranormal investigators  Nov. 7 – Friends of the Library Membership Event – Timothy Schaffert author of Swan Gondola will present Personnel  Kelly Olson, who had been assisting the Fremont Information Technology Department half days has returned to the library full time.  A library staff member is on 6 weeks leave recuperating from surgery.  A contract cataloging specialist is working with us 2 days a week, to keep incoming materials processed.  Director Davenport will be having surgery in late November and on leave for several weeks. News  Spaces is a meeting room management software we have added to the Events calendar and Summer Reading module which we use. It will allow customers to make an online request for meeting space and be more easily accessed and maintained than the city website calendar we have been using. Dates for already scheduled meetings have been added, we are preparing a mailing to meeting room users with information on the new system and training staff. We hope to have it “live” and available to the public on Nov. 2.  The Eastern Library System formally voted to merge with the Northeastern Library System at a special meeting during Nebraska Library Association’s conference. The system will cease existence on Dec. 31, 2014 and a re-named system the Three Rivers Library System will, takes its place. Laura England-Biggs, Youth Services Librarian has been serving on the transition committee and will serve on the initial Three Rivers Library System board.  Library Staff members Laura England-Biggs, Jessica Hall, Kelly Olson and myself all attended the NLA conference, bringing back new ideas and information. Kelly was a presenter, presenting on computer technology instruction to the public.  New furnishings have arrived for the upper floor. We are working with the Utilities Department to move the old items to storage for auction in December.  Omaha Public Library is in the news as the issue of library policy on confidentiality of library records has been questioned. The article was provided for the Board Members  and a copy of the Keene Memorial Library was also handed out. We will formally review the policy at the November Board meeting. Following is the report of the Library Director for September, 2014: September September Year to Year to 2014 2013 Date Date 2013-14 2012-13 No. of items issued: 11,527 10,627 142,717 138,249 Attendance: 8,103 9,751 77,017 123,815 Days Open: 29 29 Av. Daily Circulation: 369 390 Av. Daily Attendance: 279 349 Reference Questions: 329 315 3,705 4,138 Web Visits: 1,370 15,572 On-line Learning Sessions: 40 314 Database Searches: 4,394 2,533 52,452 15,462 Internet/Computer Use: 2,292 2,780 27,184 32,480 Interlibrary Loans: 82 74 1,044 1,017 Borrowed 10 12 175 109 Lent 72 62 869 908 Meeting Held: 66 63 851 941 Items Added: 240 Items Discarded: 16 Vol. in Collection: 102,792 Friends of the Library’s Report – A different base for La Breza has been identified and the Friends are proceeding on its purchase. The Friends annual membership event is Friday November 7. Board members are invited to attend and assist with greeting activities. Board Member Therien moved to adjourn and Board Member Meyer seconded, with no further business, meeting was adjourned at 4:43 p.m. (Signed) by Janet Davenport, Library Director