DEARBORN DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARIES

LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING

October 15, 2004

1. ATTENDANCE:

In attendance were: MRS. NANCY ZAKAR, Vice-Chairperson, MR. RONALD WATTERS, MS. SYLVIA PRESSMAN, Commissioners; DR. PATRICK COADY, City Librarian; MS. TARA GNAU and MS. JULIE SCHAEFER, Administrative Librarians; MRS.CARLA EGGERT, Recording Secretary; MR. DON VALOCIK, FOLD,

MS. OPAL ZIEMER, AAUW.

Excused: MRS. CANDYCE ABBATT, Chairperson; DR. ALEX SHAMI, Secretary-Treasurer; MR. MARCEL PULTORAK, MS. LILA AMEN, MR. DAVE SCHLAFF,

MR. ROBERT TAUB, Commissioners.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

There was not a quorum of Commissioners at the meeting so the minutes were not approved and no new business could be conducted.

3. VOLUNTEER REPORT:

MS. GNAU reported that we currently have about 130 prospective volunteers have attended an orientation so far and we have about 84 active volunteers. We have determined that the volunteer program is successful enough to continue past the initial 6 month trial period. We have scheduled additional volunteer orientations. The next volunteer orientations will be held on December 4 and 6, 2004. We currently have volunteers doing such tasks as processing new paperback materials, shelf reading and shelving materials. We have a volunteer working on creating a database to help manage the volunteer program to track volunteers, create labels and name badges. We also have a group of volunteers working on developing a web page about the volunteer program. MRS. ZAKAR asked if the processing of paperbacks was a new task for volunteers. MS. GNAU stated that it was a new task for volunteers. As we get to know the volunteers and know their skills and talents we will find more tasks for the volunteers to do. MRS. ZAKAR asked if we were getting volunteers committed to several days a week of work. MS. GNAU stated that the most we are getting is volunteers who can work one day a week every week. We don’t have anyone who is volunteering more than one day a week. We are starting to enter that time of year where some volunteers will be leaving Michigan for warmer climates for the winter. DR. COADY stated that the development of a database for volunteers will make it easier to schedule volunteers and to manage the program. MRS. ZAKAR stated that at the last meeting MRS. AMEN brought up using high school students or employees of local companies for the volunteer program. Do we feel there is a need to recruit these volunteers? MS. GNAU stated that there are two types of volunteers, long term and short term. We are looking to recruit more long term volunteers. We do have some high school students volunteering for credit and we have been approached by the Ford Motor Company in relation to their volunteer program. The issue with the Ford volunteer program is that they are looking for tasks that can be completed in a day or two. Our program does not really fall within those parameters but MS. GNAU is still working on coming up with some tasks Ford employees may be able to do.

4. JULIE SCHAEFER-NEW ADMINISTRATIVE LIBRARIAN:

DR. COADY introduced Julie Schaefer who is the new Administrative Librarian. She has spoken to the Commission before regarding the Children’s study. MS. SCHAEFER’S duties with be the HFCL operation. She brings a good creativity to the position and she is very engaged with staff. DR. COADY is pleased to have her in this new position.

5. ENVISIONWARE:

DR. COADY stated we are coming to the end of our three year contract with CBI for our copier service and internet printing service. What we have seen is that even though we have added a large number of public computers we continue to get to the point where people have to wait to get on to a computer. We feel we will have to go to a system of users registering for an internet card and having to enter that identification in order to use the computers. This will be a considerable change for us but it will allow us to manage the system much better and allow us to establish some type of priorities. We do get complaints from Dearborn residents that they are not able to use the computers due to the number of non-residents using the computers. MRS. ZAKAR asked if we would charge a fee for non resident users. DR. COADY stated that is why he is bringing this up now because it has policy implications. The library community across the country says that you should not charge for these types of services and they discourage libraries from going there. We know few libraries are asking for identification but we are aware of a library consortium in Massachusetts that is doing this and has not had any problems. These types of changes will require a policy document and are likely to receive criticism. What we would like to do is charge enough to cover the cost of the cards. We do not really have a sense of what the demand for the cards would be. We do know that a lot of our users come from surrounding communities and our biggest concern is to not have Dearborn residents at a disadvantage. Dynix has partnered with Envisonware, which is a product that gives a lot of options in dealing with the management of Internet usage. We are currently paying up to $15,000 a year to offer this copier/Internet printing service. There would be a large up front cost for the conversion to Envisionware but we believe we would more than break even in the long term and would provide a much better management control system. Whether we go with Envisonware or not we will have to do something about Internet usage. MR. WATTERS asked if the Envisonware software is what the majority of the industry is using now. DR. COADY stated there are a number of other products out there but in looking at them Envisonware seems to be a better product and it merges well with Dynix. MRS. BARTLES has been working on this since last December and we are now working with Finance and Purchasing regarding Envisonware.

6. JOB TITLE CHANGES:

DR. COADY stated that the job title changes are actually something the Commission inquired about doing quite a while ago. DR. COADY’S official job title is City Librarian but no one knows what that is but if he uses the title Library Director everyone is clear on what that is. Also, MRS. BARTLES current title is Assistant City Librarian which is very similar to Assistant Librarian which is confusing. Deputy Library Director is much clearer and will not be confused with another position. The title of City Librarian is not grounded in the city charter. The only reference is to “Chief Librarian”. The use of chief is how all department heads were referred to long ago and all other departments except for fire and police have dropped this. DR. COADY has talked to the legal department and human resources regarding a job title change. He was told to have the Library Commission review the changes and the justification for them. If the Commission approves the changes they will be sent to the Civil Service Commission and then to the Mayor and City Council for approval. DR. COADY spoke to Mark Guido about it and he suggested Dr. COADY give some further justification beyond his own feelings on the issue. DR. COADY investigated other 30 other larger libraries in Michigan and found that 27 of the 30 use library director, 1 uses executive director and 2 use City Librarian with Dearborn being one of the two. MR. WATTERS asked what the signage and stationary implications would be for this change. DR. COADY stated he would use up his old stationary and there should be very few other documents that would need to be changed.

7. NEW BUSINESS:

Don Valocik from FOLD presented volunteer Jeanette Olaf who presented the Commission with a check for $300 as gift shop proceeds.