LIB AGENDA 03-28-2000LIBRARY BOARD
March 28, 2000
6:30
Call To Order
Determine Quorum
Visitors
Adopt Agenda
Secretary's Report
Minutes
Correspondence
Suggestion Box
Treasurer's Report ~
Librarian's Report
Old Business
Shelving -I've ordered the shelving on the 2000 budget. `
1 initial shelving unit
5 adder units
60 steel shelves
The total price will be $3,150.00 We also discussed add ons for the
magazine shelving.
Fire Extinguisher Signs - I ordered four signs for the fire extinguishers and
Sue put them up.
Coat Rack and Chalkboard - I called Goodwill to take both items but no one
came to pick them up.
Clock Repair - I called Dan McGraw to pick up the clock for cleaning. The
cost will be $105.00 cash on delivery.
Ladder & Battery For Fire Exit -Sue picked up a new ladder and had to
reorder an alarm for the community room door.
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New Business
Volunteer Recognition Program -The city of Elk River will be sponsoring a
recognition supper on April 13, 2000 at Riverwood Conference Center.
Minnesota Library Association Conference -One day is set aside for library
trustees. The conference will be September 27th - 29th.
Review Budget Sheet Options -When Laurie was here last week she gave
board members samples of budget sheets. We'll discuss which sheet board
members would prefer.
Adjourn
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING BE SURE TO CALL THE LIBRARY.
441-1641
Linking Library Trustees
Editor, Sherry Stirling Telephone: 651-257-0827
Plan Ahead for Trustees Day
September 29th, 2000
A library Message from MLTA President
Constance Crane
outranks any
other one
thing a
community
can do to
benefit its
people.
It is a
never failing
spring in the
desert.
-AndreK~ Carnegie
E~~C~
While you aze planning your calendaz for the
year 2000, be sure to set aside Friday, September
29th, for Trustees Day at the MLA annual con-
ference. The cohference will be in St Paul at the
RiverCenter. The executive committee of
MLTA is working on setting up informative
sessions which are of value to you. In order to
do that, however, we need your input.
The St. Paul site is convenient for many of us,
so it will be a Beat time to meet other trustees
and compare notes. What are other trustees
doing; What's going on in their libraries; How
are they serving on their boards? Listen to other
trustees and shaze your ideas.
You will return to your board regenerated (or
is that rejuvenated?). Anyway, you'll have a
new enthusiasm for your role. Maybe we'll even
offer amoney-back guazantee on that.
If you've just begun your term as a trustee,
attending Trustees Day at the annual conference
is a great way of finding out what your role is all
about. If you've been a trustee for quite awhile,
then you're the one who needs to be there so that
others can benefit from your expertise.
What is your experience as a trustee: neophyte
or authority? We need to hear from you. What
suggestions do you have for Trustees Day ses-
sions? What confused you at the last board
meeting you attended? What do you think your
colleagues on your board need to know?
Please e-mail your suggestions to me
Constance Crane at woodcrane@hotmail.com,
Leonard Sobanja at sugarbush@boreal.org,
Rod Krueger at rodmn@hotmail.com, or
Sherry Stirling at stirling@ tc.umn.edu.
E-mail: stirling@tc.umn.edu
Library trustees aze extremely busy, sand-
wiching meetings in between all our other
obligations. We recognize this just as we
recognize [hat we want to the best job possible.
That's why making an effort to attend Trustees
Day is important. We'll be talking more about
the Conference in future newsletters.
~ ® t:a3
Being an Effective Trustee
Message from MLTA Secretary
Leonard Sobanja
You have accepted the appointment to your
local library board and a couple of questions
you probably have asked yourself is how can I
be an effective trustee and what aze my duties?
I would suggest that first you take the Min-
nesota Public Library Trustee Handbook that
your duector should have given you, and famil-
iarize yourself with the contents. (Handbooks
aze also available from the Library Develop-
ment Services office, phone 651-582-8722, of
the Mianesota Department of Children, Fami-
lies, and Learning.)
Since many trustees do not know their duties
and responsibilities under the law, a good place
to start is the appendices, page 85, Home Rule
Charter Cities in Minnesota. If your library is
on this list, your library is a charter library and
you will have to read the city charter to deter-
mine what your responsibilities and rights are.
I1; however, your library is not listed, then
your library is governed by Minnesota Statutes.
If you aze a statutory library, then go to the
appendices, page 62, for a copy of Minnesota
Statute 134 on Librazies. While there are a'
number of sections, the one that would proba-
bly be the most informative is 134.ll-
Organization of Boazd: Duties.
Under subdivision 2 of 134.11, it spells out
the control of library funds, construction of facilities, and the
appointing of a director.
Once you understand what your responsibilities and rights
aze, you will be well on your way to becoming an effective
trustee.
1~ ~ C~
Public Library Accessibility Grants
News from LDS Office
What appears to be the last cycle of public library accessi-
bility gant applications is now underway with a submission
deadline of February 18th. The Minnesota Legislature allo-
sated $1,500,000 in this biennium for these gants and it is
likely that all of these funds will be allocated this cycle. If
this grant progam is to be continued for future yeazs, it will
need additional funding from the Minnesota Legislature.
The current applications must be only for projects in
existing buildings used as a library or to prepaze another
existing building for use as a library. They can not be used
for new building construction. Previous accessibility grants
have been made for automatic doors, ADA-accessible re-
strooms, reconfiguring the floorplan to make the shelving
azeas meet ADA guidelines, remodeling circulation and
reference desks to make them wheelchair accessible, and
putting in elevators.
Want to know more about what the Library Development
and Services office has to offer? Visit its website at http://
cll. state. mn. us/1 i bry/1 ibdcv. htm.
Upcoming Events and Meetings
of Interest to Trustees
March 16: MLA Conference Planning Meeting - Be sure
to e-mail us your suggestions (see article on front).
Apri17 &8: "Partnerships to Build a Future" in Bemidji.
Apt718 & 9: Grand opening of the Elmer L. Andersen
Library at the University of Minnesota.
April 25: "Enhancing Quality Staff' in Minneapolis.
JuIIe 15 & 16: Legislative Forum at St John's College.
July 16: MLA Conference Program Meeting and
MLA Conference Planning Meeting.
July 20: MLA/Minnesota Twins Event (baseball game)
September 27-29: MLA Annual Conference in St Paul.
September 29: Trustees Day at the Annual Conference.
All events aze subject to change. If you have any questions
about these meetings or events, please check with your local
library duector or call the MLA office at 651-641-0982.
&7 ~ t??
Regional Reporters Needed
Please shaze what is happening in your azea that may be of
interest to other trustees. Please e-mail articles for the next
newsletter by February 29th to stirling@tc.umrzedu _
If you are not an active member of the Minnesota Library Association, we encourage you
to join and participate in the Minnesota Library Trustees Association, a division of MLA.
Some Boards pay the membership fee for their trustees. All voices are needed.
MLA Individual Membership Application -Active Membership as a Trustee
Please print the following information as you want it to appeaz in the membership dvedory. Please notify the MLA office
if any changes occur throughout the yeaz.
Name: _
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Library: Title: Trustee
Division: Minnesota Librarv Trustee Association
Work Phone: Fax Phone:
Home Phone: E-mail Address:
State Legislative District: US Congessional District:
(Ca11651-296-2146 ifyou are uncertain about this information. Legislative activities account for 25%of MLA's budget.)
Check if you do not want your name sold on mailing lists.
Attach a check for $19.00 and mail to: Minnesota Library Association, 1619 Dayton Avenue, #314, Saint Paul, MN 55104
Telephone: 651-641-0982. E-mail: mla@mr.net web site: www.lib.mankato.msus.edu:2000