April 2009 - Board Minutes

Owatonna Public Library Board Minutes of April 22, 2009

The regular monthly meeting of the Owatonna Public Library Board of Trustees was called to order at 4:28 P.M. by president Ross Leuning. Also present were Russ Dunn-Foster, Angela Sager, Jill Holmes, Don Overlie, Renée Lowery, Mary Kay Feltes and Gail Plathe.

Election of officers was the first order of business. The following slate was elected by acclamation: Russ Dunn-Foster, president; Don Overlie, vice president; and Angela Sager, secretary.

The March minutes were approved on a motion by Jill, seconded by Ross. All board members present voting aye, the motion passed.

The March financial report was reviewed. Budget cuts for 2009 were discussed. Our student workers will all be laid off within the next 2 weeks.

Renée presented the Children’s Services report for March. Mice are Nice, the Family Fun Night in March, was a collaboration with Early Childhood Family Education, (ECFE). Fifty-three kids and grown-ups enjoyed mouse stories, activities, and crafts. Semcac Headstart visited the library for stories and snack time while parents held their meeting in the Gainey Room. Darla read stories to the group of 23 kids and teachers.

Children’s Librarian Darla Lager, with Children’s Services staff Lisa, Joan, and Patty, attended a summer kick-off event at SELCO. Children’s staff is preparing for Be Creative @ Your Library, the summer reading program for 2009. This program will again be funded with a generous gift from Federated Insurance Companies, which has supported the summer program since 1992. In planning the 2009 summer reading program, Children’s Services staff worked around the facts of decreased library funding, the resulting decrease in staff, and the resulting impact on programs for the public. No teen volunteer program will be offered. Staff will not be available for one-on-one encouragement and the reward system will be replaced with several book distribution days coordinated as a collaborative effort with the local branch of the teachers’ sorority Delta Kappa Gamma.

March use report indicated the number of people using the library facility increased about 10% at the Owatonna Public Library. Use at Blooming Prairie Branch Library increased by 20%. The number of books and materials checked out at Owatonna Public Library increased by 11% and Blooming Prairie Branch showed an increase of 15%. Checkouts on the bookmobile increased. Internet and public-access computers continue to be very popular with library patrons.

Renee discussed the 2008 annual library report to the state of Minnesota. This report is mandated by law and is due each year by April 1st. In 2008, the Owatonna Public Library, Blooming Prairie Branch Library, and the Owatonna Public Library Bookmobile all showed significant increases in demand for services, especially in the areas of visits to the library, library use of the Internet, and materials checked out. The budget for services declined from 2007 to 2008.

In other business, Don reported on recent Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) meetings. The SELCO/SELS merger issue has been put aside. The public access catalog, AquaBrowser, which overlays the current system, adds usability to an updated design. SELCO staff and staff from libraries in the region believe that AquaBrowser improves the current system. There continue to be delays in implementing the system

Mary Kay met with Cindy McCleary, architect of the BKV Group, who is assisting with design for a check-out system. Self-checkout machines will relieve pressure on staff, although the machines will not replace staff. Placement of security gates is an issue.

Finally, congratulations to Mary Kay who received the Steele County American Dairy Association Milk Jug Award for 2009. This was presented in recognition of Mary Kay’s commitment to youth development in our area.

With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Gail Plathe