DEARBORN DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARIES

LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING

01-09-09

1.  ATTENDANCE

In attendance were:  Mr. Marcel Pultorak, Chairperson; Dr. Alex Shami,

Vice-Chairperson; Mrs. Nancy Zakar, Secretary-Treasurer; Mr. Robert Taub,

Mrs. Candyce Abbatt, and Mr. David Schlaff, Commissioners; Mrs. Maryanne Bartles, Library Director; Ms. Julie Schaefer, Deputy Library Director; Mr. Steve Smith, Administrative Librarian. Excused: Mrs. Jihan Jawad, Commissioner.

 

2.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the December 2008 Library Commission Meeting were approved as submitted.

 

3.  FOUNDATION UPDATE

Mrs. Bartles reported that the next Library Foundation meeting is Tuesday, January 20, at 6pm.  They are continuing to work on their direct mailing piece. They have hired a company to do the printing and mailing. They are in the process of getting their bulk rate mail permit.  Mrs. Bartles is hoping the piece will go out in the mail sometime in February.  Mrs. Abbatt asked how many people they were soliciting.  Mrs. Bartles stated somewhere around 15,000 people.  They are limiting the mailing to those Dearborn residents with a household income of $50,000 or more.  There will be a letter and a brochure about the Library Foundation. The letter will explain the mission of the library foundation, discuss how important libraries are to the community and ask for donations to the capital fund or the endowment fund. 

 

4.  BUDGET UPDATE

Mrs. Bartles stated that the capital budget was submitted this past Wednesday.  Only those capital projects that are critical are likely to be funded this year.  We submitted nine new capital projects including reupholstering the library chairs, renovating the study rooms at HFCL, resealing the roof at HFCL, doors at HFCL which need work due to the building settling, partitioning the automation room to contain noise and improve ventilation, resurfacing Bryant parking lot and converting the two bathrooms on the second floor to one ADA bathroom at Bryant, door knobs at Snow and Bryant are not ADA compliant, and the Snow patio is crumbling and needs repair. The operating budget in due on February 1st. 

 

5.  INFORMATION ITEMS

A. Strategic Planning Session and Facilitator:  As discussed at the last meeting the City is moving forward with strategic planning using a facilitator, Marilyn Opdyke from the Opdyke Group.  Mrs. Bartles spoke to Mark Guido about the Library Commission using the same facilitator. He spoke with Marilyn Opdyke and she would be happy to work with the Library Commission on strategic planning.  However, it is premature for the Commission to start their strategic planning before the process has been completed on the City level. The City process was somewhat derailed during the holidays but it is back on track. 

 

B. Policy Review:  Marcel Pultorak reminded the Commissioners of the binder they received at the last meeting recapping many of the library policies.  Mr. Pultorak looked over the binder and he feels the only policy that needs review right now is the circulation policy. He had questions relating to this policy that he wanted to clarify with the library staff and he noticed some things in the policy were not up to date.    Mr. Pultorak asked the other Commissioners to review the circulation policy for the next meeting.  Mrs. Bartles asked the Commissioners to let Administration know ahead of the next meeting if they have specific circulation policy questions. 

 

6.  ACTION ITEMS

 

7.  COMMENTS:  Mrs. Bartles redistributed the chart that she handed out at the last meeting showing a comparison of circulation between 2007 and 2008.  Mr. Pultorak had asked to see the numbers behind the percentage differences shown on the first chart.

Mrs. Bartles also discussed the increase in digital checkouts since last year.              

 

The Library Commission’s April 2009 meeting is currently scheduled for Good Friday, April 10, 2009.  The library will be closed for the holiday so the meeting will be moved to Friday, April 3, 2009. 

 

Mrs. Bartles advised the Commission that she received a letter from Dearborn City Councilwoman Nancy Hubbard commending the library on the library green bags and our steps to help improve the environment. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:35 PM.