Board of Library Trustees Meeting

MINUTES LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Regular Meeting Wednesday, December 7, 2011 5:30 PM LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM, 625 PACIFIC STREET MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Trustees Present: Roberson, Castagna, Leyva, Reneker, Yamanishi Trustees Absent: None Staff Members Community Services & Library Director Bui-Burton, Assistant Present: Library Director Holtzman, Reference & Reader Services Manager Labeaune, Librarian Henry, Youth Services Manager Brown, Special Services Coordinator McCombs, Library Assistant II Schwirzke, Librarian Stansbury, Library Assistant I DeMordaunt, Library Assistant II White CALL TO ORDER Chair Roberson called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENTATIONS 1. Recognize Library Assistant II Joanne White for 15 Years of Service to the Monterey Public Library and the City of Monterey Joanne White joined the Monterey Public Library staff in October of 1996. She came to us after working for years as a preschool teacher, most recently for the Recreation Department. In addition to that experience, she offered her adventures driving a huge RV and her degree in Spanish. This background continues to shape her work with the Monterey Public Library today. Joanne began working as a part time Library Assistant I in the Extension Section of the Youth and Extension Division. She worked with two fulltime bookmobile staff who each had several decades of experience. She soon became a respected member of this crew, growing in her own experience until she now single-handedly coordinates the section. Through the years, she has worked at the youth desk, provided regular storytimes at the preschools, and for several years she supervised pages and other part- time staff. She was promoted to Library Assistant II in 2006, in recognition of the work she does as the Coordinator of Bookmobile services. On the road she must act independently to deal with equipment and technology difficulties, challenging customer behavior, and a variety of customer services. She capably makes decisions about applying Library policies. She stocks the shelves and fills the tank. She decorates the walls and welcomes everyone. When it came time to replace “Gertie,” our old bookmobile in 2006, Joanne worked tirelessly over the next year and a half to help evaluate, select, and then design the interior and exterior of a new bookmobile for the Library. She helped to create the fantastic graphics and when the new vehicle arrived in November 2008 she organized the “grand opening” reception. For years she coordinated our presence in the City’s 4th of July parade and lawn party, including treats, decorations, and marching kids. For several years, she brought the bookmobile to the marketplace, which was a major traffic challenge each week. Perhaps most importantly, Joanne provides the friendly, personal service for which our bookmobile is famous. She is the face of  Library Board of Trustees Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 the Library to many people in our community. So it has followed that whenever bookmobile service appears to be threatened (as well as when it does not) people step forward to praise Joanne. Her file and our numerous surveys in the last 15 years are full of commendations from customers. The elderly customers at Park Lane and in other neighborhoods especially appreciate Joanne’s concern and advocacy for their needs. In fact, Joanne’s service is at least partly responsible for several gifts to the Library. As important as her work on the bookmobile is, Joanne’s impact on the Library and the community goes much further. She is the staff member that we call upon to help Spanish- speaking customers. She is an advocate for them in many situations, including her membership on the Strategic Planning Community Engagement Committee. She has begun a tradition of annual Dia De Los Ninos/ Dia De Los Libros events where needy children have received free books. She’s created and performed bilingual puppet shows and storytimes, and (perhaps most challenging) introduced Hispanic parents to early literacy principles. She’s created special flyers and found new ways to reach out to Spanish-speaking families in the Montecito Park area, creating a fan base for the bookmobile that rivals our traditionally busy La Mesa stop. Joanne administers the Outreach program to the homebound, working with four or five volunteers, in a way that makes them want to continue. She plans and presents programs at Park Lane and other bookmobile stops. She helps to make the Library’s summer reading programs successful. She also staffs tables at many outreach events, including the Naval Post Graduate School’s Welcome Aboard. Joanne impacts all Library customers when she works on the Library Help Desk too, which she does about 15 hours a week on top of her bookmobile duties. She is always friendly and cheerful, even when faced with explaining large fines, dealing with challenging circumstances, and teaching librarians to do circulation tasks. Currently, Joanne is training bookmobile substitutes and making plans for various ways to help them take care of the many details involved in our mobile branch. She is helping to analyze the Outreach program and setting up criteria for selecting, locating and scheduling bookmobile stops. She’s expanding the bookmobile web page too. Joanne can be counted on to be an advocate for special groups, a positive member of Library teams, to be cheerful and fun, and to think of what’s best for the Library, even when drawn to another country. I am happy to have worked with her for the past 15 years, and I know that her other colleagues join me in hoping she will be with us for many more. CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 2. October 26, 2011 Other Consent Items 3. Approve Revisions to Library Board Policy 125: Replacement of Lost or Damaged Library Materials ***End of Consent Agenda*** On a motion by Library Trustee Reneker, seconded by Library Trustee Castagna and carried by the following vote, the Library Board of Trustees approved the Consent Agenda: Library Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 2  Library Board of Trustees Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 AYES: 5 TRUSTEES: Roberson, Castagna, Leyva, Reneker, Yamanishi NOES: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSENT: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSTAIN: 0 TRUSTEES: None RECUSED: 0 TRUSTEES: None PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Roberson opened the floor for public comments: No public comments PUBLIC APPEARANCE New Business 4. Receive Proposed Topics for Report from the Library Board to the City Council and Provide Input to Chair 5. Approve Revisions to Library Board Policy 525: Confidentiality of Library Circulation Records On a motion by Library Trustee Yamanishi, seconded by Library Trustee Reneker, and carried by the following vote, the Library Board of Trustees Approved the Revisions to Library Board Policy 525: Confidentiality of Library Circulation Records: AYES: 5 TRUSTEES: Roberson, Castagna, Leyva, Reneker, Yamanishi NOES: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSENT: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSTAIN: 0 TRUSTEES: None RECUSED: 0 TRUSTEES: None 6. Approve Additional Expenditures from the Library Trust Fund for Strategic Planning Activities On a motion by Library Trustee Castagna, seconded by Library Trustee Yamanishi, and carried by the following vote, the Library Board of Trustees Approved the Additional Expenditures from the Library Trust Fund for Strategic Planning Activities: AYES: 5 TRUSTEES: Roberson, Castagna, Leyva, Reneker, Yamanishi NOES: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSENT: 0 TRUSTEES: None ABSTAIN: 0 TRUSTEES: None RECUSED: 0 TRUSTEES: None 7. Receive Report on Library Technology and Technology Services Old Business 8. Receive Report on the Strategic Planning Process TRUSTEE COMMENTS Library Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 3 Library Board of Trustees Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 Trustee Leyva: Suggested that there be a Monterey Public Library logo permanently displayed during the entire session of Cover to Cover so viewers understand the affiliation. Also suggested a ‘Join Our Facebook’ and ‘Donate’ button. Reported a citizen concern with fund development; encourage citizens to attend and interact more with Fund Development Committee. Attended a direct mail seminar at the Community Foundation; encourages others to attend when possible. Trustee Yamanishi: Inquired about the Born to Read program. Added that the library will be involved with the Whale Fest. Trustee Reneker: Asked Library & Community Services Director Bui-Burton for an update about the Literacy Campaign for Monterey County. Trustee Castagna: Inquired about the Annual Appeal Campaign. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Library & Community Services Director Bui-Burton: The Friends had their Annual Giant Book Sale over the weekend and raised just over $3,000. For the first time 80 boxes of books were leftover from the sale. After an unsuccessful search for a recipient the books were recycled. Other organizations hosting book sales in the area are also experiencing similar difficulties in finding a home for leftover books. The Friends asked that the Library Board be reminded that Wine & Chocolate tickets are now on sale. Assistant Library Director Holtzman: Acknowledged Inga's huge amount of work with the Friends and the Annual Giant Book Sale. Shared a new feature added to Library Anywhere, barcode scanning, which allows iPhone and Androids to scan the barcode of a book which will then search a customer's library catalog for availability. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:23 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Douglas Holtzman Clyde Roberson, Chair Assistant Library Director Library Board of Trustees Library Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 7, 2011 4