March 2011 - Board Minutes

Owatonna Public Library Board Minutes of March 15, 2011

The Owatonna Public Library (OPL) Board of Trustees convened their monthly meeting on March 15, 2011 in the Gainey Room at the Owatonna Public Library. The meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Vice-President Angela Sager. No meeting was held in February due to the lack of a quorum. Also present were Russ Dunn-Foster, Eric Mattison, Jill Holmes, and Library Director Mary Kay Feltes. President Donald Overlie attended electronically, using Skype. Two students from Owatonna High School attended to fulfill their Student Community Involvement Project requirement for a social studies class. Board members and staff introduced themselves and explained history and procedure for the benefit of the student attendees.

Several items were added to the agenda. The minutes of January 18, 2011 were corrected and approved on a motion by Holmes, seconded by Mattison. All aye.

Financial reports from January and February were reviewed.

Children’s Services report is attached.  January 2011   February 2011

Board reviewed library use, comparing numbers to the same months in the previous year:

Circulation (items checked out) at the Owatonna Public Library in January 2011 increased by 1.5%. In February 2011, circulation increased by 1%. In January 2011, almost 17,000 people visited the library, a decrease of about 7% from 2010. In February 2011, 16,500 people visited the library; a slight decrease of 1%. 135 new borrowers were added in January 2011 with an additional 175 in February 2011.

At the Blooming Prairie Branch Library, (BPBL) circulation increased by 5% in January 2011 and decreased by 4% in February 2011. Almost 1300 people visited BPBL during each of January 2011 and February 2011, an increase of about 16% for each month. BPBL added fourteen new borrowers over the two-month span.

Over its two months in operation, library customers used OverDrive to download 755 electronic books. 224 customers used Freegal, the downloadable music service, to download 1014 songs in 25 genres.

Sager noted the list of gifts and memorials donated by the community. Dunn-Foster complimented the community’s strong support for their library. Remaining board members added their gratitude and appreciation for the community support.

Bookmobile service was canceled in August 2010 as a response to budget cuts. On September 21, 2010, Owatonna City Council approved requests declaring the bookmobile as surplus property, authorized its sale by means of an electronic sales process, and authorized a contract with a broker to sell by electronic process. These requests were previously approved by the OPL board.
It has been listed for sale with Specialty Vehicle Services. The bookmobile has now been sold to the Warm Springs (Oregon) Public Library. Holmes presented a motion directing Feltes to accept the offer. Sager seconded. All aye.

Feltes reviewed the most recent Library Legacy grant to design and build five public artworks. A committee at Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) reviewed the project request and gave its approval for funding. The project is funded in part with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Additional funds were received from the Statewide Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and from the OPL Foundation. Two of the functional pieces will be placed at OPL, two at Owatonna’s West Hills complex, and at BPBL. Artist Wil Natzel has prepared a prototype of a section of the piece. The artworks are manufactured locally, at J Shore & Co and will likely be painted locally. An outside evaluator will evaluate the project. Feltes displayed an online photo of the work in progress.

Feltes noted the community’s interest in OPL’s art. Recently, the library’s painting, The White Horse, by J F. Herring was removed to the Minnesota Art Conservation Center for evaluation and conservation. It has been returned and has been appraised. The family of Reuben Kaplan, original donor of the work, and working with the Owatonna Foundation, financed the conservation project. Additionally, gifts and memorials were used to purchase several works from four of the five Steele County artists that are featured in easel, SELCO’s traveling art exhibit that features literary themes. Board members acknowledged the importance of art in the Owatonna community, and Owatonna Public Library.

As a review, Feltes recalled OPL staff responses during the September 2010 flood. Staff used social network sites including facebook and twitter to keep the community informed of emerging news and information as well as updated city and library websites and sent information for county website updates. City/county emergency manager Mike Johnson has requested that Feltes act as Public Information Officer in an upcoming emergency, with other library staff backup. Holmes noted the request acknowledges the library’s responsibility and ability to provide a core service. General agreement by board.

Overlie reported on publisher HarperCollins’s decision to restrict checkouts of its electronic books to only 26 checkouts per item. After that has been reached, the item would “disappear” from the electronic collection unless it was re-purchased. OPL participates in OverDrive, which is an electronic collection of downloadable books. The decision skews traditional library lending policies and places restrictions that have never before existed for libraries. Feltes noted the changing practices in book publishing.

The house at 240 East Broadway is slowly being dismantled. The building has been used by both the Owatonna Police Department and the Owatonna Fire Department for practice and drills. Three stained glass windows have been removed from the house. Mattison presented motion to authorize staff to sell the stained glass pieces in whatever manner chosen. Second by Dunn-Foster. All aye.

Feltes reported on a check from Federated Insurance in the amount of $3,000 to support the summer reading program for children. Federated has supported the children’s program for approximately twenty years, but the company plans to re-evaluate support for the program in the future. Holmes expressed gratitude for the years of support and requested library staff prepare formal acknowledgement. Remaining board members concurred.

Mattison presented motion to adjourn. Holmes second. All aye.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

Russ Dunn-Foster