03-23-1999 LIB MINELK RIVER LIBRARY BOARD MINUTES
March 23, 1999
Murray McNair, Chair present
Robert Jones, Vice Chair absent
Eleanor Holm, Secretary present
Geraldine Graham present
Leslie Anderson present
Also present: Mick Stoffers,Librarian-Verne Oleksowicz,GRRL
Meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Chair McNair.
Addition to agenda: Report on activities of the Friends of
the Library by Eleanor Holm.
Secretary's report: Minutes from February were approved with
a motion by Gerry and a second by Leslie. All in favor.
There was no correspondence.
From the suggestion box was a note praising the web site; this
was passed on to Verne.
Treasurer's report was studied by the Board and a motion to
accept it was made by Eleanor with a second by Gerry. All in favor.
OLD BUSINESS
Y2K Compliance on Furnace - Murray received a letter from
UHL confirming that we are Y2K compliant.
Changing Stations - Mick ordered 2 changing stations; they
have arrived and have been installed by the city.
Handicapped Accessible Door - After discussion a motion was
made by Gerry, seconded by Eleanor to purchase motion sensors
as recommended by the Automated Entrance Products Inc. for
the price of approximately $4,000 plus the cost of electrical
work. All in favor.
Clock Repair - Leslie's husband visited the library and was
able to repair our clock; the Board appreciates his work.
Outside Display Case - Mick supplied the Board with information
on a 36" by 72" display case for approximately $400.00. This
case would be placed outside the library near the exit and used
for council minutes, announcements etc. that currently are
posted on the front door. Motion was made by Eleanor and
seconded by Leslie. All in favor.
Security System - The Board received information on five motion
sensors and their locations at a cost of $283.13. Motion to accept
this proposal was made by Murray and seconded by Eleanor.
A11 in favor.
Landscaping - There is an added $50.00 expense for additional
plantings; motion was made by Eleanor and seconded by Leslie
to approve this expense. All in favor.
NEW BUSINESS
Long Range Capital Improvement Program - The city would like
the Board to look at our Capital Improvement expenditures for
the next 5-10 years. A brief dicussion was held on this subject
and more will be discussed at a later date.
Microfilm Reader/Printer - Mick had a price quote for us and
Gerry has investigated various grants available. Ger ms will
have rough drafts for us by next month.
Friends of the Library - Eleanor reported to the Board on the
various activities of this group.
Respectfully submitted,
/(-~ti ~.
~lc~irr'-i~~';L K
Eleanor Holm
IINKING LIBRARY TRUSTEES
A ~i~irary
outran~s any
over one t~iing
a community
can ~o to ~enef ~t
its ~eo~~e. It is
a never faring
siring in tie
e~esert.
-f~ndrew ~arnes;ie
Trustees and staff Meet
with Governor Ventura
he first meeting between G'ovemor Jesse
Ventura, trustees, and librarians was held on
Feb. 2 in the Governor's reception room at
the ~-'apitol. Metronet director Mary ~l~reacy
arranged the meeting through Wendy
Wustenberg, a longtime friend and Collaborator
and the current Minnesota Government
Relations director.
Governor venhira stressed these bey points:
• 1 here arc no dumb questions; a fact he
learned on the job in Navy demolition.
•)-,ifelong and independent learning are a
priority for his administration; libraries play
a lZey role.
•J,ibraries also serve the needs of those
who meet the Governors expectation for
self-sufficiency.
• Citizen participation in government must
be informed; libraries again are )zey.
Wendy Wustenberg s trey point was that the
Ventura administration is based on plentifid
and h;gh gnahty informaton and that
hbrar;ans, sneh as •answerist" L;nda Feist,
are providing the information that shapes
decision-malting.
G' ates Library Initiative
~oyce Swonger, director, and Nancy Wa~ton,
public library specialist, both with 1~ibrary
J)evelopment and Services, attended an
orientation and training worizshop about the
Grates library Initiative in .Seattle, Wash., in
mid-February. Fifteen states were represented
in the third round of grant applicants at this
wor}zshop; they were selected dne to their
poverty levels as determined by the 199
U.S. Census.
ininal applications for pnbhc hbrar;es wall be
made by ,tart library agencies and are dne
r'~pril 3~, 1999. Each state will be evaluated
for •technological readiness, commitn,enCtu
sustainability overtime, and Commitment to
establishing programs fur ceachiug people who
do not otherwise have access to computers
and the Internct.~ .State Partnership Girants
will be awarded to purchase Computer and
networlZing equipment and install telecom-
munications services for Jnternet access, if
necessary, in public libraries. ), he grants will
also provide training and technical support to
selected public library staff m networlZ
administration, computer and Internet
applications, computer syetems management,
andtrain-the-trainer sessions for staff and
patcon training.
More information on the Grates Library
)_nitiativc is available on the Web at
www.gl£org
A Message from
ML'I"A Representative
I,eonarcl sobanja
This year, Friday, Oct. 1 is designated as
~nistees day in the three-day conference of
the Minnesota Library l~ssociation. l~hc
conference runs from Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in
Duluth. ~~ rustees may aH'cnd all }hree days,
but are especially encouraged to attend on
Friday whun four programs especially for
trustees arc scheduled. ~ne will be o^
evaluafing your )_.ibrary )]irector, a second
will be on advocacy phis one may be
scheduled for late 1 hursday afternoon, a
third will be a worbshop on using the new
j rustees handboolZ, and thu fourth will be
dedicated to reorganizing the Minnesota
)-.ihrary ~jrustce Elssociation.
Has Your Board. Crossed. the Line?
Iia< your board gone from governance to micro
management? Naturally, both board and staff members
are responsible for maintaining the focus of providing for
the good o{the library, but there are some mar)<ed
differences in their duties.
'T'his ontliae will help the library board from cross;ng that
fine line from governance into management.
Governance: T~e Library Board.
• Specifies outcomes, constraints, and desires.
• May suggest how to accomplish desired outcomes.
• Determines financial resources available to
management and generally where available resources are
to be allocated.
• Identifies information required to maize sound policy
decisions and malzes decisions regarding policy.
•Monitors the progress and initiates conflict resolution
when required.
Management: T}re Library Director
• Specifies process to achieve outcomes within
governance constraints.
•.'~'Iust participate in decisions about what may and
may not be done. l'he goal: to ensure enough {lexiteility
that outcomes set by the board can tee accomplished.
Your Help is Needed to 'I"ell Your
,Story or to Aslz a Question
C)ther library boards can benefit if you share some
method, policy, or practice that you feel work for your
board. If you as a trustee have a question that you need
answered, contact Jaclt Cole, editor, at 1536 Winnetlza
Ave. N., Golden Valley, MN 55427; phone (612) 546-
'7483; fax (612) 546-7483 by April 2~ for inclusion in
the next issue of l,in~Zing j,i6rary Trustees.
Trustee Training in the Metro Area
'Visions of Libraries for the Future is the theme for the
spring MELSA Tmstee worizshop to be held the morning
of April 24 at the Roseville Public Literary. Topics
include long-term services to seniors, getting patrons
teadz to their libraries, Y2K, and large versus small
libraries. Contact Jennifer Scribner at (651) 645-5731
or e-mail: Jennifer ~° melsa.lib.mn.us
•Informs governance of resources required and
recommends cost-effective allocation.
•Idenhfies information needed for sound policv
decision-ma]zing and may mate policy deliberation;
specifies the process for carrying out policy.
•Monitors progress and initiates conflict resolution
when required.
~}ro is in c}rarge o~ w}~at?
Code: R =Responsible I =Involved
I he Literacy
Board Director
R Governance
I Administration R
R Decides what I
I Decides how R
R Malzes policy I
Carries out policy R
R Set goals
I Plans to achieve goals R
R Reviews goals I
I Implements plans R
R 6> I Monitors progress R L~ I
Ta ba ro»t.„ued;,, L=sue 3
How Others see the Value of the
Public Library
More than any other civic institution, public libraries run
on the principle o{ general trust. 'I he books are bought
with public funds or a~th money donated by "friends" and
the buildings are open to anyone. Borrowers are expected
to being the boolzs teach, and, astonishingly, they do for
the most part For many of us, a library card is the first
symbol we acquire as children that indicates we are
separate people, with {reedom o{individual choice and a
capacity for responsible action. 'T'he institution is public,
but perhaps because of the peculiar aloneness o{ reading,
the essential quality o f each person in relationship to
boolzs and, by extension, to libraries, is private.
-'1'allz o{the 'T'own
Nero 1'or~Zer