ELISHA D. SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES
AGENDA
4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2009
Gegan Room
(If Board Members cannot attend, please notify the Library Office)
CALL TO ORDER:
PUBLIC COMMENT:
AUTHORIZATION OF BILLS:
- List of bills for December 2009.
CONSENT BUSINESS (Motion to approve all unless separate consideration requested):
2. Minutes. Minutes of Board meeting November 19, 2009.
3. Minutes. Minutes of Personnel and Policy Committee meeting December 4, 2009.
INFORMATION ITEMS/DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
4. Statistics.
5. Food for Fines 2009.
6. Boiler Maintenance.
7. Neon Sign.
8. Christmas Giving at the Library.
9. Rolling Over Funds.
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS:
Adjourn into closed executive session pursuant to WI Statute 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of considering promotion, compensation or performance evaluation of employees.
- Salary Steps for 2010.
- Performance Recognition Steps for 2010.
- Director Evaluation and Pay Rate for 2010.
Adjourn closed session and reconvene in open session.
- Trustee Essentials #13.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
14. ADJOURN
UPCOMING MEETINGS & ACTIVITIES
(Including requests for business items for future meetings)
· Library Board Meeting – January 21 at 4:00 pm
· Holiday Closings: Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day. New Year’s Eve we are open until 5:00 pm.
Menasha aldermen may attend meetings of this body. A quorum of the Common Council, Board of Public Works, Administration Committee, or Personnel Committee may attend this meeting. No official action of any of those bodies will be taken.
ELISHA D. SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY
DIRECTOR’S REPORT – December 2009
1. Bills. REQUESTED ACTION: Approval of bills as presented for December 2009.
CONSENSUS ACTION ITEMS:
2. Minutes. Minutes of Board meeting November 19, 2009.
INFORMATION ITEMS:
3. Statistics. In November, we saw an increase of 11.8% overall, 16% for adult materials and 7.1% for children’s materials. Our circulation is doing extremely well with increase of over 30% in Inter-library Loan (ILL), music CDs, children’s magazines, children’s books on CD, and Playaways (digital audio books) for both children and adults.
4. Food for Fines 2009. We had a very successful Food for Fines event in November. We have partnered with the Neenah Public Library over the past several years to allow patrons to pay off their fines by making donations to a local food bank. Patrons cannot pay off lost materials, only fines for late returns. This year, we received more food than ever before, and our total amount of forgiven fines was $2453.03.
5. Boiler Maintenance. Our boiler system was not replaced when the building was renovated. We have been having issues for years with the expansion tank which loses its ability to allow for water expansion, meaning that there is a leak somewhere in the system. Over the years, we have replaced o-rings and valves to try to solve the problem, but that did not work. This year the water level in the tank rose quite rapidly and we had to have the tank drained completely and cleaned. The invoice for this work will come in at around $1250 which is both parts and labor. It is within the amounts budgeted for building maintenance.
6. Neon Sign. Jill mentioned an idea of having a neon sign saying whether we are open or not on Racine Street. We are in the process of pricing such a sign. Once the general pricing information comes in, the Building and Grounds committee can meet and discuss options and needs.
7. Christmas Giving at the Library. The library staff participates in the Boys and Girls Brigade Christmas Giving Program Adopt-a-Family every year. This year we got a family with three children and the staff generously donated toys, clothes and more. The library staff and library patrons also give to the Books for Kids program for the Brigade. Gently used or new books from staff are collected as well as monetary donations which staff use to purchase books. These books are used for families in the program who do not get adopted. Kudos to our staff for their efforts in organizing these events and for their generosity in giving.
8. Rolling Over Funds. A very welcome use of our funds that we will be rolling over would be to purchase a pair of machines for the Circulation Desk that eliminate one step of the checkout process. They both scan the item and desensitize the material. We are having staff complain of shoulder and arm discomfort from hours of moving materials over the blocks to desensitize them manually. This would make good sense both for staff morale and for worker’s compensation issues. The machines are $10,000 each, so whether we can afford two in our first year will depend on how much we roll over from our 2009 budget. We will have firmer numbers in January/February when the board will have to designate the funds for a specific purpose.
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS:
Adjourn into closed executive session pursuant to WI Statute 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of considering promotion, compensation or performance evaluation of employees.
9. Salary Steps for 2010. In 2010, we have several staff members moving ahead steps on the salary scale. These steps are not merit based, but are given for each year worked at the library. Employees who are part time receive steps on a pro-rated schedule. The salary steps reflect a 1% increase in January. We anticipate an additional 1% increase December 31st, 2010 but that will have minimal budget impact for 2010. REQUESTED ACTION: Approve salary steps for staff.
10. Performance Recognition Steps for 2010. This year we have two staff members eligible for merit steps on the salary step schedule. REQUESTED ACTION: Approve performance recognition step for eligible staff members.
- Director Evaluation and Pay Rate for 2010. The Personnel and Policy Committee met earlier in the month to review the evaluations submitted by the library board. I would ask in this time of financial upheaval and need, that I be given no more of an increase than my staff received. REQUESTED ACTION: Approve pay rate for library director.
Adjourn closed session and reconvene in open session.
12. Trustee Essentials #13. John Nebel will lead us through Trustee Essential #13 on library advocacy. I will need a volunteer to lead the group on Trustee Essential #14 which is on the open meetings law.
