Session 04-06, a Regular Meeting of the Homer Library Advisory Board was called to order on June 1, 2004 at 6:07 p.m. by Chair Mauger at the Homer City Hall Conference Room located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

 

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

 

                                    STAFF:            LIBRARY DIRECTOR HILL

                                                            DEPUTY CITY CLERK JOHNSON

 

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

 

The Regular Meeting Minutes of May 4, 2004 were corrected and approved by the Board.

 

LORD/WAGNER- MOVED TO APPROVE THE CORRECTED MINUTES.

 

VOTE:  YES:  NON OBJECTION.  UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

 

Motion carried.

 

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

 

LORD/BURSCH – MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.

 

VOTE:  YES:  NON OBJECTION.  UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

 

Motion carried.

 

LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT

 

A.                 Statistical Report for May 2004

 

Library Director Hill said Story Hour will continue through September with all the slots for readers filled.  Summer reading will be coordinated by Jolee Ellis and is scheduled to begin on June 7.  This year’s theme is National Treasures and will cover exploration and adventure of land, sea and space and innovations, inventions, education, patriotism, science, arts, and sports.  There will be two sections, separated by ages with weekly prizes and a grand prize.  Jolee is also working with the Learning Center and Head Start for the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) Program with a goal of providing quality books in various locations in Homer, for example, in doctor’s waiting rooms.

 

Library Director Hill has been exploring WiFi options and has found that GCI does not offer the service.  ACS charges nearly $90 per month for a separate line that would be needed to protect the City’s firewall.  Mrs. Hill urged the Boardmembers to advise her of any means of WiFi service that would be more cost effective. 

 

Library Director Hill said summer visitors are here, and as of 5:00 p.m. today the library had logged 100 internet users.  She said the WiFi Hot Spot would alleviate some of the congestion experienced in the summer months by users utilizing their own laptops.  Mrs. Hill said she is looking at reservation software, which is a self-service means that allows internet users to make reservations to use the internet.   Making use of the reservation software would alleviate many staff hours spent signing people up internet access.

The library endowment through the Friends of the Library has been signed and the funds are being transferred from the city to the Homer Foundation. 

 

Additionally, library personnel are proctoring tests for summer school students as the testing center is not available at the Kachemak Bay Campus while construction is underway.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

A.                 Capital Campaign Committee

 

Boardmember Lord said the CCC met last week and in addition to the $100,000 grant from the USDA, a $400,000 grant was received from NEH.  Also, the green building initiative planning grant from Kresge was approved in the amount of $50,000 or $75,000.  Diane Kaplan from Rasmuson and Bill Allen from the USDA are visiting Homer next week and members of the CCC are preparing to show them around town and educate them about the new library project.  Ms. Kaplan and Mr. Allen will visit the library Monday, June 7th between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and all LAB members are urged to attend. 

 

An asking party is scheduled for June 11th with one more to follow during the summer.  Additionally, a June newsletter will be prepared.

 

Boardmember Bursch reported that a new committee called Get Out The Vote Committee has been formed and Dave Anderson has been hired as the coordinator.  Currently a poll is being conducted to gather information that will improve the message and provide a focused campaign.  City voters that have voted in the last two out of three elections are being polled.  The poll will run through June 5th and results will be forwarded to City Manager Wrede to help craft the ballot initiative.  Subsequent polling may take place closer to the election. 

 

Boardmember Bursch said another exciting and sexy thing happening is that Devony and Tom Taffe have volunteered their technical skills to create a video message to Get Out The Vote.  The video will be played at the Homer Theatre during the month of September before every movie that is shown.   

 

Boardmember Lord added that the City Manager will be using the polling information for the ballot language to be introduced to the City Council on June 14th.  Ms. Lord encouraged LAB members to attend the council meeting and voice their support.       

 

Boardmember Bursch said there is a possibility the new library may not get a stand alone vote as the animal shelter and hockey rink may be added to the initiative.  The Get Out The Vote Committee believes it is better that the library stands alone and the uncertainty at this time makes their task tougher.  Boardmember Lord said the polling information will be helpful to determine the public view of potential tax increases, although that will ultimately be a City administration, City Council decision.

 

B.                 Publicity Committee

 

Boardmember Keffer said the China Grill fundraiser generated almost $1,800.  The American Girl raffle tickets were sold at Jubilee and the Safe Kids Fair.  The Publicity Committee plans to have a food booth featuring salmon and all the fixings for the Scottish Highland Games and the Summer Street Fair on July 17th.  Primarily it will be a publicity event and a means of informing the public of the need to vote.  There is an ongoing effort for letters to the editor in support of the new library.  A site party, quilt raffle and spelling bee are possible future fundraising events.  The next Publicity Committee meeting is tomorrow, June 2nd.

 

C.                 Building Committee

 

Boardmember Wagner said the Art Committee made their selections for the new library.  Six pieces were chosen by the Art Selection Committee and presented to the City Council by Asia Freeman at the Committee of the Whole on May 25.  The theme is cranes with a wrought iron bike rack in the shape of cranes, a front brass door featuring cranes, a logo of Alice on the wall from the lobby to the children’s room, and cranes in the children’s room fashioned on mosaic in shades of blue.  The mosaic piece will be made with the help of children, allowing them to share their creativity.  A story grove will be made of peeled and polished trees with high branches to delineate the story area.  In the main adult area there will be three cranes fashioned from alder and metal suspended in the open space.  The art will bring nature inside the building.  The cranes are meant to inspire imagination taking flight.

 

Jay-Brant Construction has been hired for a demolition project in Kenai to remove a forty-year old, one-inch thick hardwood maple floor.  The City is retrieving the flooring to recycle into the conference room of the new library.  Additionally cedar from the Kachemak Bay Campus construction project is being salvaged for an accent wall within the new library.  Both projects will comply with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.  Carey Meyer, Public Works Director, obtained a connex for storage of the wood, although more storage space may be needed for other materials.  Ms. Wagner asked boardmembers to contact Mr. Meyer or herself with any other storage options.  The Building Committee will meet again in June when the architects return.

 

COMMUNICATION/VISITORS

 

Frank Vondersaar said volunteers participating in the polling need to submit their findings to Library Director Hill by Friday, June 4.  Mr. Vondersaar said anyone is welcome and encouraged to write a letter to the editor. 

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

 

A.                 Proposed Library Fines and Fees

 

Library Director Hill said based on comments from the LAB, photocopy fees were maintained at the present level and rate increases will be targeted to overdue items.  Fees for regular and temporary library cards will remain the same.  Fees for overdue books have been raised to 15 cents per day. 

 

Chair Mauger asked for figures to show the revenue that will be generated with the fee increases, comparing last year’s numbers with the rate increases.

 

Boardmember Bursch questioned the difference of overdue fees for books versus videos.  Library Director Hill said there are 2,000 videos and 34,000 books available, with a higher demand for videos.  Mr. Bursch said the objective of the fine should be considered and questioned if it would cost more to administer the fines than the revenue they generate. 

 

Library Director Hill said the maximum charge on overdue books has been raised from $5 to $6, and an additional $25 finance charge is proposed to deter patrons from keeping a book.  When the borrower has reached the maximum charge, has not paid the fine nor returned the book, the fine will go to the City for collection.  Additionally a sixty-day limit will be imposed for refunding returned lost items. 

 

Mrs. Hill said fines and fees will be revisited every two years.  The proposed increases will be submitted with next year’s budget.

 

In response to Chair Mauger’s question if fines are to be used as deterrents or to generate funds, Library Director Hill said libraries are not in existence to generate revenue.  Before the library became a City department there was a charge for library cards to keep the library afloat. 

 

Boardmember Bursch said the time staff spends dealing with fees should be considered.  He said the City could shamelessly go forth with the increase of fines and fees as people have ample opportunity to return borrowed goods.  Mr. Bursch said it was important that the library remain accessible to the public and keeping the fees modest makes the library open and approachable to all people regardless of their return habits.    

 

LORD/SEAMAN – MOVED TO APPROVE THE FEE SCHEDULE WITH THE CHANGE UNDER INTERLIBRARY LOAN FEES OF PRIORITY ITEMS KEEPING THEM AT $3.50, AND TO ADD UNDER REPLACEMENT/REPAIR ACTUAL COST, PLUS FEES.

 

VOTE:  YES:  NON OBJECTION.  UNANIMOUS CONSENT. 

 

Motion carried.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

 

Frank Vondersaar questioned if Library Director Hill has heard from the Juneau Library in regard to the WiFi service.  Mrs. Hill said at the end of the summer she will inquire as to how the wireless service impacted the tourist flow.   

 

COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD

 

Boardmember Seaman said libraries should be free.

 

Boardmember Lord questioned if the members knew Hannah Harrison, the proposed student representative for the LAB.  Ms. Lord said she was happy to hear Hannah is a junior in high school, which may allow her to serve on the LAB for a couple of years.  Ms. Lord will not be here for the July and August meetings.   

 

Chair Mauger said Hannah is very active in the community and volunteers with KBBI.   

 

Frank Vondersaar said he observed Hannah at KBBI and after hearing her on the radio left her a note to call Chair Mauger.  He said everyone seems happy to have her as the student representative for the LAB.

 

Boardmember Bursch said he will not be here for the July meeting.

 

WAGNER/KEFFER – MOVED TO ADJOURN.

 

VOTE:  YES.  NON OBJECTION.  UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

 

Motion carried.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to come before the Advisory Board the meeting was adjourned at 7:36 p.m.  The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for July 6, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. in the Homer City Hall Conference Room located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

 

 

 

 

_________________________________

JO JOHNSON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK

 

 

Approved:________________________