Russell Library Governance Committee

Governance Committee of the Russell Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting, April 5, 2023, 5:00 PM (Online meeting via Zoom) Approved Minutes Present: Brandie Doyle (Assistant Director), Jennifer Hadley (recorder)(joined 5:10), Gregory Harris, Cynthia Sanders (Chair), Sarah Schulenburg 1. Call to Order: Trustee Sanders called the meeting to order at 5:02 pm and reviewed the community dialogue guidelines. 2. Approval of Minutes – Trustee Sanders noted that the minutes had indicated that the Computer/Internet Use Policy would be forwarded to the Board for the March meeting with any necessary slight adjustments but that this did not happen due to more staff input. The Committee will review the policy this meeting. a. MOTION: The minutes from the February 8, 2023 Governance Committee Special Meeting were unanimously approved, with Trustee Harris making the motion and Trustee Schulenburg seconding it. 3. Public Comment: No public present. 4. Unfinished Business a. Computer/Internet Use Policy Assistant Director Doyle reviewed clarifying comments she had received from the head of Information Services. The board accepted additions about not using computers for illegal purposes, allowing patrons to extend usage time if no other patrons are waiting, copyright law. Trustee Harris asked about the relationship of selection of library materials purchased to censorship but that is outside the scope of this policy, which bases what material can be accessed on computers on C.I.P.A. (the federal “Children's Internet Protection Act”). Some suggestions which seemed more procedural than policy-related were not incorporated. Trustee Harris moved and Trustee Schulenburg seconded to remove the suggestions in the draft related to patron understanding of computers, not saving patron passwords, and not guaranteeing website transactions. The motion passed unanimously. Some guidance could be placed at computers if needed. The next suggestion was to revisit the section on filtering. When the library changed consortia from LION to LCI, it became more complex to unblock sites, i.e., the provider rather than the library would need to make the change. It was recommended to delete that section. Trustee Harris moved to delete the paragraph; Trustee Schulenburg seconded, and the morion passed unanimously. The final suggestion was to remove text about releasing internet usage records only when required by law because the library does not save that data. Trustee Harris moved to delete the phrase; Trustee Schulenburg seconded, and the morion passed unanimously. Trustee Sanders moved to accept this policy to be presented to the Board at the April 25th meeting. Trustee Harris seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Assistant Director Doyle will make the policy available in the Board packet. b.Meeting Room Use Policy Assistant Director Doyle made some substantial adjustments in consultation with Director Burkey and Assistant Director Mary Dattilo, as well as department heads. Since it reflects a new approach, Trustee Harris suggested we approve the policy for a shorter term and then review afterwards to see what changes need to be made. Changes include: The title changed to “Meeting Space Policy,” as was discussed in the last meeting. The policy opens in a similar way to other policies and then gives an overview of the types of library areas,  which clarifies spaces that are suitable for individual use. Individuals may not book meeting rooms. The policy clarifies which spaces need reservations, how those reservations are made, and priority for booking. It is preferable that patrons who make reservations have a library card, but it is not required. Assistant Director Dattilo is in the process of developing an online booking system which would ask for a card number. This would promote library card holdership, but also, if there are any damages to the room, this would give the library more reliable access to contact information. It would be acceptable to have any CT library card. Space use isn’t restricted to Middletown residents. It was important to department heads that organizations can only reserve one meeting space per month. Russell Library cannot support organizations requesting meeting rooms weekly at this time, and a Russell Library space should not be advertised as the regular meeting space of a group unless they’ve gotten permission. The policy then outlines code of conduct. Commercial use is not permitted, but tutoring is allowable. The Children’s Activity Room is reserved for library programs only. The library is actively considering renting space as a means of generating income for the library, specifically the Hubbard Room. This will be brought to the Governance Committee once details are worked out, but it may take some time. There is no need to hold up the policy until that piece is ready. The committee decided to revisit the policy at the next meeting. This will also give staff more time to comment. c. Anti-bullying policy (Workplace Anti-bullying policy) This item was tabled until the next meeting. Assistant Director Doyle has done some work on the policy, looking at City of Middletown statements. She wants to consult with Director Burkey about whether we should pursue this policy or just reinforce city policies that already apply. City policies are broader. 5. New Business: None 6. Discussion of Items to Be Placed on Next Agenda under New Business a. Meeting Space policy b. Anti-bullying policy (Workplace Anti-bullying policy) c. Personnel policies 7. Announcements: None 8. Open Forum/General Good and Welfare: None 9. Additional Public Comment: None 10. Meeting Adjournment: Trustee Schulenburg moved and Trustee Harris seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 5:53. Next meeting: May 3, 2023 Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Hadley