DEARBORN DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARIES

LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING

June 11, 2004

1. ATTENDANCE:

The meeting was called to order at 4:07PM. In attendance were:

MRS. CANDYCE ABBATT, Chairperson; MRS. NANCY ZAKAR, Vice-Chairperson;

MS. SYLVIA PRESSMAN, MR. ROBERT TAUB, MR. RONALD WATTERS, Commissioners; DR. PATRICK COADY, City Librarian; MRS. MARYANNE BARTLES, Assistant City Librarian; MS. TARA GNAU, Administrative Librarian;

MRS.CARLA EGGERT, Recording Secretary; Excused: DR. ALEX SHAMI, Secretary-Treasurer; MR. DAVE SCHLAFF, MR. MARCEL PULTORAK, Commissioners;

Absent: MS. LILA AMEN, Commissioner.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

The minutes of the April 2, 2004 Library Commission meeting were approved as submitted.

3. VOLUNTEER UPDATE:

MS. GNAU reported that we have been very actively recruiting volunteers for Bryant Branch. We have had approximately 100 responses so far from the Dearborn community as well as surrounding communities. The first volunteer orientation was held last night at Bryant. The orientation program includes handouts, a PowerPoint presentation, a training video and a question/answer session. Thirty six people attended and of those 36 people seventeen filled out schedule sheets. There will be another volunteer orientation session tomorrow morning and there will be two additional sessions in July. There will be three categories of volunteer positions; clerical which will involve things like working with discarded material and shelving materials. The technical positions will involve assisting patrons with the computers and the copiers. The program assistant positions will help staff with story hours, displays and summer reading programs. MS. GNAU stated that Toni Tront, the volunteer coordinator, has been tremendous help. She has really enjoyed working with her. She is a dynamic, go getter type of person. MRS. ABBATT inquired if the 40 hours of volunteer help needed would be covered? MS. GNAU stated she is not sure yet. She will have a better idea after the next orientation session on Saturday. Next week Toni and Tara will sit down and start scheduling the volunteers. She feels the problems will be Friday and Saturday. MR. WATTERS stated that it was probably too early for feedback in relation to the training being provided but it would be helpful to receive feedback. Also, are there plans to provide follow up training to the volunteers? It would also be helpful for the Commissioners as well to develop a timing chart to show how these events will be scheduled in. MS. GNAU stated that in terms of ongoing training the orientation is very general. Actual job training will take place either on an individual basis or in small groups. We are also planning to do monthly reviews of the program to see how things are developing and what improvements may be made. MR. TAUB asked what we are doing for continuing volunteer recruitment? MS. GNAU stated that we have flyers at all library locations and information about the program on the library web site. They will be doing press releases again in preparation for the next volunteer orientations in July. MR. WATTERS asked what was being done in the area of background checks for the volunteers? MS. GNAU stated that once the volunteers are committed to the program they will have Human Resources do a background check. MR. WATTERS asked if we have documented the process we used for the future and also for the use of other City departments who may be interested? MS. GNAU stated we have kept notes on all meetings and we have developed a PowerPoint presentation regarding the volunteer program. MRS. ABBATT asked if there were plans to develop a manual? MS. GNAU stated eventually they may but for right now this is a 6 month trial program and they are approaching it that way. DR. COADY stated that we are sensitive to the need for documentation, and we will update the current manuals.

4. CHILDREN’S STUDY:

HFCL Children’s Librarian Julie Schaefer, who worked with Carolyn Hook and Charlene Ezell on the Children’s Study, came to the Library Commission meeting to answer any questions the Commissioners might have about the children’s study information they were given at the last Commission meeting in April. MRS. ABBATT asked if there was any thought at this point of how these programs will be integrated into Bryant? DR. COADY stated that one of the points of the study was how we would cope with staff reductions. The plan is to have all of the children’s librarians taking programs to Bryant at one point or another. Ms. Schaefer stated that a schedule has been worked out for the summer reading club programs for Bryant for this year. The summer reading club will be run the same way at Bryant that it is at all the library locations. MRS. ABBATT asked Ms. Schaefer to pass on to all the children’s librarians how much the Commission appreciates all their work to make this a seamless transition for patrons.

5. BRYANT STATEMENT:

MRS. ABBATT explained that this draft is the second version so it is different than the document that was sent to the Commissioners previously. MRS. ABBATT asked if the intention was to for this document to be a handout for the branches and be posted on the web site? DR. COADY stated that the statement would be handed out at the branches and posted on the library web site. Also, in the future it will become necessary to do press work so this would be used for that purpose as well. A grammatical error was noticed in the fourth paragraph which will be corrected and the last sentence of the third paragraph will changed to state a review of the program will occur ‘after’ Jan. 1, 2005 rather than on that date. MRS. ABBATT also stated we may want to reference the library web site as a source for more information on the volunteer program. It was decided to add a statement to the document that invites those interested in more information to visit the library web site. MR. WATTERS stated that the document should be dated so that once approved by the Commission any further revisions to this document can be tracked. DR. COADY stated that once this is voted on and approved by the Library Commission we will have to add a statement that states the document was approved by the Commission on this date. MR. TAUB motioned to approve the document as changed, seconded by MRS. PRESSMAN, all approved.

6. DISCONTINUE CASSETTE KITS:

DR. COADY stated we have asked the staff to review all their operations to look for ways things can be simplified given the high number of staff we have lost. Cassette kits require a lot of staff time due to repackaging. JULIE SCHAEFER, the head Children’s librarian at HFCL, showed the Commission what the cassette kits look like.

The kits are kept in plastic bags that hang and contain a cassette tape and short book. The kits are high maintenance items because of the repackaging required. Cassette tapes are also a dying breed of media. The cassette tapes are also very short, usually three to four minutes in length. We currently have 904 cassette kits in the collection currently. We are asking permission to close the collection which means we would continue to check out the kits but would not add to the collection or repackage and repair the kit materials. As the kits wear out they would not be replaced. MR. TAUB asked what the circulation was like on the kits? MS. SCHAEFER stated that it varies. Some tapes go out quite a bit and some only a couple of times a year. MR. TAUB asked if we might start giving some of the items to FOLD now while they could still be sold? DR. COADY stated we could discuss that with FOLD but he does not know if they would be good selling items. MS. SCHAEFER stated that by the time the items get to FOLD one part of the kit may be missing or the tape may not work any longer. MR. TAUB asked if it would be better to eliminate the collection all together? DR. COADY stated that we felt the method of not replacing or repairing items would save a lot of staff time and still allow the public to get used to the idea of the kits going away. We will post signage to notify patrons. MRS ZAKAR motioned to accept the proposal regarding discontinuing children’s cassette kits. There will be no new acquisitions, repackaging or replacement of children’s cassette kit materials. Termination of the collection will be at the discretion of the library staff. Seconded by MR. TAUB, all approved.

7. NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

MRS. ABBATT stated that the election of officers for the Commission was moved to June of each year. Because there would not have been a quorum of Commissioners present we did not have a meeting in May so the meeting was cancelled and we were not able to have nominations. What is proposed at this time is to extend the term of the current officers until September. Also, MRS. ABBATT asked Commissioners TAUB and PRESSMAN agree to serve on the Nominating Committee. She asked if they could confer over the summer and come up with a proposal. We would address the nominating and voting at the next meeting. MRS. ZAKAR motioned to extend the term of the current officers until September 2004 and address nominating and voting for new officers at the September 2004 meeting, seconded by MR. WATTERS, all approved.

8. CULTURAL CORNER:

DR. COADY stated that the term “foreign language collection” is becoming outdated. The term international language collection is being used by libraries and is clearer than “Cultural Corner” which we currently use. We are currently going through a shift in our collections and consequently a change in signage we felt this would be a good time to bring the idea of changing the name of the collection to the Commission. We would like to change the name to the international language collection because it is more descriptive. MR. TAUB motioned to rename the cultural corner to the international language collection, seconded by MRS. PRESSMAN, all approved.

9. NEW BUSINESS:

DR. COADY reported we have selection criteria for gift materials that determine whether or not material will be based on to FOLD. Processing gift materials takes considerable time and we know that there are some types of materials that do not sell at the used book sale. With the reductions in staff we are looking at how much staff time is involved particularly in processing gift materials. The head of Processing has reported that the gift materials program takes a lot of time and is not working very well. DR. COADY sent the Commissioners a list of the steps in processing material. There are ten or eleven steps to process material for the collection. What we would like to do is discontinue having gift materials go to Processing. Gift material would go directly to the FOLD group. In their sorting of the gift material if FOLD finds material they feel has value for addition to the collection they will bring the material to Administration. This change would not affect monetary donations to purchase new materials. It would only involve materials donated by the public. MRS. PRESSMAN stated she knows that there are at least three former librarians who work on the FOLD staff so they should be qualified to make judgments on the materials usefulness. DR. COADY stated we are fortunate that most of the senior members of FOLD are retired members of our library system. MRS. PRESSMAN motioned to adopt the proposal to send gift materials directly to FOLD, seconded by MR. TAUB, all approved.

The Dearborn Community Arts Council (DCAC) has approached us with a proposal for linking our two gallery spaces under one coordinator. MRS. GNAU stated that the DCAC runs the Padzieski Art Gallery at the Ford Community and Performing Art Center. They have developed criteria for the artwork displayed at the gallery. Julie Moreno, who is the gallery coordinator for DCAC, would schedule all exhibits for both spaces as well as screen the artwork and coordinate with us. This will give us access to more exhibits and to exhibits we would not have had before. MR. TAUB stated he felt that we should have veto power over any exhibit and asked if we would under this agreement. DR. COADY stated that as the agreement is currently written we would not. However, we are not comfortable with our expertise in judging art. In the past when we have had public complaints regarding artwork displayed in the rotunda the DCAC has been involved in the resolution. With the staff reductions this partnership is beneficial for us.

MR. TAUB stated that it is not a partnership if we have no control. Without control we are giving our exhibit space to them. DR. COADY stated that he had no problem adding a veto clause to the agreement. MR. TAUB motioned to proceed with developing an agreement with the DCAC to be presented to the Library Commission for approval, seconded by MRS. PRESSMAN, all approved.

DR. COADY stated that each Commissioner has a membership to the Michigan Library Association (MLA). If they do not find the membership useful and do not wish to renew please call or email Carla and tell her. We would like to have an answer with in the next 10 days. MRS. ABBATT asked for the Commissioners who are not present to be sent an email regarding this.

DR. COADY reported that Glenn Michaels work on the bottom of the reflective pool in the rotunda at HFCL has been completed. He has finished installation of the glass and the grout is drying. The glass has also been sanded to prevent slipperiness. Within a few days, once it is dry, we will fill the pool with water. The lighting portion of the project is continuing. We have had two lighting people look at the pool but their designs did not seem to go well. The current proposal is to run lighting under the rotunda stairs. MR. TAUB asked when the work would be completed? DR. COADY stated that there is a wiring II project that is coming up for bid. DR. COADY has asked the Purchasing Dept. to use unit pricing in that bid which may be used to fund the lighting project. DR. COADY has also spoken to Mr. Michaels about a safety issue on the underside of the rotunda staircase. DR. COADY would like to use facilities deficiency money to fix the exposed underside of the staircase. The idea would be for an artistic representation beside the pool that would also act as a side and frontal barrier to people being injured on the underside of the staircase. It would most likely be a piece that you could see through and that could be dismantled. This would be a separate project and Mr. Michaels would be engaged through the architect. MRS. ABBATT asked if it would be appropriate to have a rededication of the rotunda pool at some point? If the Commission would like to have such an event DR. COADY would like to see it held in the fall which would give time to complete the lighting.

DR. COADY stated that the Administrative Librarian position that was vacant with Carolyn Hook’s retirement will be filled. Also, the opening created by the retirement of Bryant children’s librarian Nancy Sautebien’s retirement will also be filled. The city is currently under a hiring freeze but Dr. Coady would like to thank Mark Guido for his support in getting these positions filled.

MRS. ABBATT reported that she and MRS. ZAKAR have a meeting on Tuesday morning with another potential chair for the library foundation.

Library patrons Cathy Allen and Mary Jo Durivage spoke to the Commission about their concerns for Bryant Branch.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:25pm