DEARBORN DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARIES
LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING
1.
ATTENDANCE:
In attendance were: MRS. NANCY ZAKAR, Chairperson,
MR. MARCEL PULTORAK, Vice-Chairperson; MR. ROBERT TAUB, MR. RONALD WATTERS,
Commissioners;
DR. PATRICK COADY, Library Director, MARYANNE
BARTLES, Assistant Library Director, MS. TARA GNAU, MRS. JULIE SCHAEFER,
Administrative Librarians.
Excused: MRS. SYLVIA PRESSMAN, MRS. CANDYCE ABBATT,
MRS. DIANE PEPPER, MR. DAVID SCHLAFF, Commissioners.
Absent: DR.
ALEX SHAMI, Secretary-Treasurer.
2.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
There was not a quorum of
Library Commissioners present at the meeting so the minutes could not be
approved.
3.
DEPARTMENTAL RULES VOTE:
As we do not have a quorum
of Library Commissioners present at this meeting we will have to postpone
voting on the revisions to the next Commission meeting.
4.
FOUNDATION UPDATE:
The next meeting of the
library foundation board will be
5.
ENVISIONWARE UPDATE:
Mrs. Bartles reported that
Envisonware, which is the software that controls our public Internet usage and
our public network printing, is going well.
The software gives our patrons a much more equitable access to the
Internet. The software requires a 10
minute minimum session time which has an impact at the end of the evening when
we are close to closing time but most patrons have understood. Staff is pleased with the software. We have had a slight decline in Internet
usage since the software was implemented which may be due to patrons having to
give their names to use the Internet.
Day passes which are anonymous users who have paid $1 a day have been
more popular than we anticipated. In the
month of October we sold a little over 1000 dollars in day passes and Internet
user cards. Mrs. Zakar asked if the
library currently has wireless Internet access available. The City is contemplating changing the branch
access to HFCL’s network to a wireless system rather than a T1 line so that our
connection to the branches would be wireless.
As far as wireless Internet access for the public from our buildings we
do not have the funding to pursue at this time and we are not sure if it would
function correctly at HFCL due to the nature of the building construction. Our
first concern is the upcoming switch over to Horizon. Mr. Pultorak stated that chasing
technological change is another cost pressure that the Commission has to deal
with.
7. NEW
BUSINESS:
Mrs. Zakar asked if any
issues had developed over the changes the Commission made to the number of
times material can be renewed and to adding a limit to the number of items a
patron can have out at one time. Mrs.
Bartles replied that the 100 item limit on items checkout has not but the
maximum of two renewals on an item before it must be returned has. We have received comments on this policy on
the green suggestion slips that the public may fill out at any library
location. The number of holds does seem to be increasing but this has also been
a growth area so we are not sure if this is related to the renewal restriction
or not. Dr. Coady stated that before the
change was made Administration surveyed several libraries on their renewal
limits and the average was two or three renewals. We put a lot of consideration into the change
and to making more material available for browsing.
Mr. Pultorak stated that he
and Mrs. Zakar should send an email to those Commissioners not in attendance today
stating that their presence was missed and to ask them to make a special effort
to make the next meeting.
Dr. Coady stated that the
Commission felt that the Friends of the Dearborn Library should have a
Commissioner attend their next meeting to explain the Foundation role. Mr. Pultorak will attend the next Friends
meeting to do that.
Mrs. Bartles stated that
one of our Librarian I’s has resigned so we currently have a vacancy. The position will be open to promotion as we
have two Assistant Librarians with MLS degrees.
Mr. Taub stated that with
the upcoming City charter revisions on the table it might be useful for the
library to look at the charter to see how changes might affect the
library.
There was discussion
relating to the new Google print service and what implications it might have
regarding library service.
Library patron Glenn Okray
spoke to the Library Commission. He
stated that an issue came up the other day in regards to distributing
literature in front of the library. Mr.
Okray does not agree with the City’s position on this matter and is asking Dr.
Coady to direct his staff not to call the police if someone is distributing
material in front of a library building until clarification has been made. Mr. Watters asked what type of literature we
were talking about and Mr. Okray stated it is election material for City
Commission. Mr. Okray states that the
City charter says that employees may not distribute election materials but it
does not state that the general public may not.
Dr. Coady stated that he has been told that only Corporation Counsel may
interpret the law for the City. This
issue first arose last Monday and Dr. Coady spoke to Corporation Counsel about
it and was told that if a person is on City property handing out election
material they must leave or the police are to be called. Unless Corporation
Counsel changes that guidance Dr. Coady feels compelled to follow what he was
told. Mr. Okray stated he sent an email to Dr. Coady and to the Legal
Department regarding this. Mr. Pultorak
stated that Mr. Okray should speak to the Legal Department. Dr. Coady stated that the Legal Department
should contact us if there is a change.
Mr. Pultorak stated there poll limits set for election activities and
typically you do not see electioneering taking place in shopping malls and the
like though you do certainly see electioneering going on in the park during
Dearborn Homecoming. He has no idea what
law or rule applies in this case. Mr.
Okray stated he had a copy of the City Charter.
Mr. Pultorak stated that the rule may not be in the charter
document. It could be an ordinance or
other rule. Mr. Okray read a passage
from the City Charter that he said Corporation Counsel had quoted him as the
rule he was in violation of. Mr. Okray
stated he was a reasonable person who had better things to do with his Saturday
than sit in jail or pay off tickets. Mr.
Okray stated that a reasonable compromise would be to allow literature to be
passed out at the flag pole. He has no
desire to see the library in the newspaper on Sunday morning. Dr. Coady stated he shared that sentiment but
it is not his decision to make. Mr.
Watters stated the flag pole still City property. Dr. Coady stated that he would try to reach
Corporation Counsel to double check and see if their guidance had changed. Mr. Okray stated that he left Debbie Walling
a voice mail message this morning regarding this. He first tried to reach her on Wednesday
morning but she did not get back to him till 5pm on Thursday. She advised him at that time that the City
Charter prohibits this however after he hung up with her he read the City
Charter and does not agree with her interpretation. Mr. Pultorak stated we have no way of knowing
what information Ms. Walling was referring to in her statement. Mr. Pultroak asked if this was relating to
passing out information at the Bryant Branch Library. Mr. Okray stated it was not. It was regarding
Henry Ford Centennial Library only. Mr.
Okray stated his group surveyed candidates for City Charter Commission in
regard to their feelings on the library system.
They want to pass out documentation endorsing the twelve candidates they
feel would be best for the library. Mr.
Pultorak stated that he understands then why they are trying to reach library
patrons. Mr. Okray stated he is a
volunteer at the Bryant Library and if he is arrested it will not look
good. Dr. Coady stated he agrees. Mr. Pultorak stated that this is a
contentious issue all the way around particularly because of the First
Amendment implications. Dr. Coady stated
he will try to reach Corporation Counsel.
If he is able to do so and there is a change in position he will call
Mr. Okray to advise him of that provided he can give a phone number where he
can be reached. Mr. Okray agreed to do so.
The meeting was adjourned
at