Session 04-04, a Regular Meeting of the Homer Library Advisory Board was called to order at 6:10 p.m. on April 6, 2004 by Chair Mauger at the Homer City Hall Council Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

PRESENT: BOARDMEMBERS: MAUGER, SEAMAN, KEFFER, WAGNER, HAWFIELD, LORD, BURSCH

HONORARY STUDENT

MEMBER: ELLEN BAUER

STAFF: LIBRARY DIRECTOR HILL

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

The Regular Meeting Minutes of March 2, 2004 were corrected.

SEAMAN/BURSCH – MOVED TO APPROVE THE CORRECTED MINUTES.

VOTE: YES. NO OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Item B. Jubilee Art and Item C. LAB June Meeting Schedule were added under NEW BUSINESS.

LORD/HAWFIELD – MOVED TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA.

VOTE: YES. NO OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Library Director Hill stated that one of the highlights of the last month was a visit from Michelle Hoffman of the USDA. Ms. Hoffman took a tour of the current library, the library site, and met with City Manager Wrede, Finance Director Baugh, Administrative Assistant Holen, Public Works Director Meyer, Joy Steward of the Homer Foundation, Angie Newby of the library’s Capital Campaign Committee, and Library Director Hill. Ms. Hill commented that Ms. Hoffman invited members of the library’s Capital Campaign Committee to give a presentation about the New Library Project at the Opportunities Forum to be held in Soldotna on April 16.

The library staff is working with the Finance Department to learn the new finance software. Soon, the library staff will be able to create library purchase orders online, and run library financial reports.

Library staff is meeting each Friday morning before the library opens to the public to review the library design.

Library Director Hill attended the annual conference of the Alaska Library Association Fairbanks. The conference was excellent and included good sessions on fundraising and budgets, vendor updates, and many networking opportunities. Highlights included a helpful Public Library Roundtable meeting, which served as a reminder to librarians that the majority of Alaska’s public libraries are very small and not on the road system; a mentoring program was set up between the small and larger public libraries. While in Fairbanks, Ms. Hill visited both the public and university library for the first time in 20 years. She observed major changes to both libraries included large expansions, the addition of many computers, and the addition of group study areas. She added the HPL library design is right on target and is keeping up with library trends. She noted that both libraries have large signs stating “Quiet Study Area;” talking quietly was permitted in all other areas of the library.

Ms. Hill recently completed the Public Library Assistance (PLA) grant application. HPL has received the PLA grant for the past 20 years and uses the funding (which should be approximately $6,300 this year) for library books. In other grant news, Ms. Hill met with the library directors in Seward, Kenai, and Soldotna to prepare an application for an Interlibrary Cooperation grant for new library software and a shared catalog for the Kenai Peninsula libraries.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. Capital Campaign Committee

Boardmember Lord stated that the last Capital Campaign Committee meeting was held on March 31. She hoped the group was reading the minutes because there was a lot going on for the library campaign. The Homer News has agreed to give the library its own section where all the library announcements will be grouped together.

The main emphasis of the committee for the past few months has been grantwriting. Anne Marie Holen has been terrific at getting the enormous and complicated grants to the funders by their deadlines. Recent grant applications have been submitted to the Kresge Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A letter of intent has been sent to the Rasmuson Foundation. The library project has a new budget that is closer to 6.5 million, because the Rasmuson Foundation advised that we add the value of the library site to the project cost. The larger figure doesn’t mean more money needs to be raised, but it does mean we’ll be eligible for more funding from the grants that are based on a percentage of the project cost.

The next big focus for the committee will be the bond or loan, so the committee decided to form a new committee to educate the residents of the community about the library project’s funding so voters will be informed for the fall election. The combined meeting of all library committees and volunteers is scheduled for April 21, 6:00 pm at the Homer Council on the Arts. The big meeting will be called: “Library Week Celebration – New Library Project Update.” Lord hoped everyone associated with the New Library Project will attend and bring one other person. Jim Hornaday will provide musical entertainment. Claudia Haines, Capital Campaign Coordinator, will be cutting back on her hours to 10 hours a week. Boardmember Lord is writing a new job description for a 10 hour a week position for a coordinator for the new committee. Boardmember Bursch agreed to join the new committee.

The next meeting of Capital Campaign Committee will be April 28.

B. Publicity Committee

Boardmember Seaman reported for the Publicity Committee. The “Homer’s Odyssey” event will be held at the Homestead Restaurant on April 17. In addition to a five-course meal and wine tasting, many “odysseys” will be auctioned. Entertainment with music and skits is also scheduled. The Bowlarama was a great success, with $8,200 in pledges raised so far. The American Girl doll was donated by the company as a raffle item. The drawing for current raffle, a beautiful quilt created by Molly Custer, will be at Homestead event on the 17. People have written letters to the editors in support of the new library. The next Publicity Committee meeting is scheduled for April 7.

C. Building Committee

Boardmember Wagner reported the last meeting, which was a combination Building Committee and Public Arts Committee meeting, was held on March 8. The idea is to get artists now at the early design stage so art could be integrated into the building design. The deadline for proposals is April 29 at 4:30 pm at the Clerk’s Office. Library Director Hill stressed that it is very important that the artists pick up their packets from the Clerk’s Office so their names will be on the Planholder’s List. The library architect will hold a meeting with the Public Arts and Building Committees on April 8, and hopes that all artists interested in submitting a proposal attend the meeting.

COMMUNICATION/VISITORS

Visitor Frank Vondersaar mentioned that U.S. Senate candidate Tony Knowles will be in Homer on April 10, so he invited Mr. Knowles to the library’s Book Sale, also scheduled for April 10. This will give the LAB and library committee members an opportunity to talk to Mr. Knowles about the New Library Project.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Proposed Library Fines and Fees

Library Director Hill apologized to the Board, but due to travel and scheduling conflicts, she had not been able to meet with library staff or the Finance Director about the proposed changes. This item will have to be postponed until the next meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

A. Mayoral Proclamation for National Library Week 2004

Mauger had made some preliminary changes to the standard National Library Week proclamation (created by the American Library Association) to better reflect the Homer Public Library. The Board discussed a few small changes. The Board decided to have some members attend the Council meeting of 4/12 when the Mayor will read the proclamation and also give an update on the campaign.

LORD/KEFFER & HAWFIELD - MOVED THAT THE PROCLAMATION BE APPROVED AND DELIVERED TO THE CITY CLERK TO BE ADDED TO THE PACKET FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON APRIL 12.

VOTE: YES. NO OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

B. Jubilee Art

Library Director Hill stated that, as most people know, school children’s art is placed in public buildings each Spring. Library policy states that the LAB must approve all displays and exhibits into the library, but Ms. Hill thought that this was unnecessary for the Jubilee Art program.

HAWFIELD/LORD - MOVED TO APPROVE THE DISPLAY OF THE TRADITIONAL JUBILEE ART FROM THE SCHOOLS TO THE LIBRARY AS THEY ARE DONE IN OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

VOTE: YES. NO OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

C. LAB Regular Meeting Schedule Change for June

Library Director Hill explained that Deputy Clerk Johnson caught an error on Resolution 03-148(A) which scheduled the Regular June meeting of the LAB for June 8. Johnson asked in an email communication to Hill if the LAB was agreeable to rescheduling the meeting to June 1. The Board unanimously agreed to change the meeting to June 1.

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

Mr. Vondersaar asked the LAB to please buy raffle tickets for the library quilt raffle.

COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD

Mauger and Lord suggested the statistical report be moved on the agenda from the end of the meeting after adjournment to the Library Director’s report so they may discuss the library statistics thoroughly.

Lord noted many books had been discarded during January and February and asked Hill if the books were from a particular section of the collection. Hill replied that they had been carefully “weeding” very old, tired fiction because there was no more room in that section. The books have been put into the book sale boxes.

Hill handed out the April 2004 City of Homer directory to all Board members. Chair Mauger noted that the terms of Boardmembers Hawfield and Wagner were set to expire as of April 2004. Hawfield and Wagner will contact the City Clerk about their reappointments to the LAB.

Keffer informed the Board that she had heard from a group of teachers and retired teachers who were excited about the new CD and DVD materials the library had recently ordered from “The Teaching Company.” Hill replied that the materials had been ordered as a pilot project to see the community’s response and so far, they were circulating very well. She was pleased to hear the compliments from members of the community.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Advisory Board the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for May 4, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. in the Homer City Hall Conference Room located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

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HELEN HILL, LIBRARY DIRECTOR

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APPROVED