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Home My Public Portal About2021.02.18 LBT Minutes Minutes—McCall Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting February 18, 2021 Zoom/McCall Library Conference Room, 218 E. Park Street Call to Order: 9:04 Attendance: Via Zoom—Jacki Rubin, Lola Elliot, Dawn Matus, Amy Rush, Bob Giles, Linda Stokes In Library—Meg Lojek, David Gallipoli Amendments to Agenda: None Approval of Minutes: Lola made a motion to approve the minutes of Jan. 21, Jacki seconded. Minutes approved. New Meeting Time: The Board discussed changing its schedule for regular meetings to 9am on the second Monday of the month, to better accommodate all members. Everyone agreed, and a plan was made to hold the next two meetings on Mon., March 8 and Mon., April 12. City Treasurer's Report: An update of the Library expansion bond proposal reflecting changes such as the date of the bond election, service fees, etc., will go before the City Council for approval on Feb. 25. A final estimate of the bond ordinance is due on March 1 for presentation at the City Council's March 11 meeting; however, adjustments to the amount will be accepted at the meeting. The Library and the Board will provide the latest construction estimate from CM Co. and the Library Foundation will update fundraising figures for the bond calculation. Director's Report: Payment Approvals: Jacki motioned to approve payments for Jan. 28, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11. Dawn seconded. All in favor. Budget and Stats: January financial statements are online (https://www.mccall.id.us/financial- statements). Meg reminded the Board that the quarterly LGIP deposit has been completed. Staff Updates: The Library staff has been planning activities and programs for spring and summer, using a Plan A (outside, in-person), Plan B (virtual) model to be able to flexibly meet health and safety requirements related to the pandemic. Additionally, staff have been using the staggered work week to take advantage of webinars and online professional development training. Topics to date include readers' advisory, the post-pandemic role of libraries, and diversity & equity in library services. Library Inventory: The annual inventory normally takes place in February, but the process is behind this year because of staffing limitations during Covid. Meg relayed that the Library has applied for a summer intern who could help with the inventory and with the summer reading program. This year's inventory will likely continue into the summer, and will probably be less extensive than in typical years. Catalog Search Interface Update: The Library has updated its Apollo software system for its catalog. Syndetics adds improvements such as book cover images, reading recommendations, professional reviews and author information. Feedback from staff and Library users has been positive. Page 1 of 3 Library Hours: The Library has begun preliminary discussions on extending operating hours on Weekends, in response to comments by staff, members of the public and donors. Staffing for additional hours would be achieved by adjusting existing shifts and wouldn't result in increased personnel costs. Board members enthusiastically welcomed the idea. Meg said she would start formal discussions with Library staff and bring a proposal to the Board at a later date. Updated Library Expansion Estimate and Bond Initiative: Meg shared an updated construction cost estimate from CM Co. for the proposed Library expansion, noting that it differs from the previous estimate by only about $1,200. The updated estimate indicates a bond amount of $4.65 million. Library Foundation Development Coordinator Amy Rush proposed finding ways to bring the amount below $4.5 million. Toward that end, she noted that the Foundation has received additional donor pledges, and Mayor Bob Giles endorsed the idea of further trimming the bond. The Board gave Meg direction to speak again with CM Co. about achieving additional cost adjustments, such as by revisiting construction finishes. Communications with Library Support Groups and City Staff: Meg, along with Board members Jacki Rubin and Patrick Coyle, took part in a meeting that included City Staff and John Chrastka, a consultant who helps libraries achieve their goals. One outcome was that there will be one FAQ website about the expansion bond, to be managed by Erin Greaves. Meg also referenced a Plan A/Plan B educational document about bond election outcomes that the Board created a year ago. Meg said she would share it with Erin for internal use ahead of the upcoming bond election in May. Approval of SORA (Student Reading APP) Participation: Meg reported that the SORA free a-book reading app, designed primarily for children, would go live as soon as Monday, Feb. 22, and that a press release was in the works to accompany the launch. Access is to be managed by the school district, and there is no cost for the Library to participate. The app will eliminate the need for children's library cards in the school district, and will eventually allow kids to access all a-books in the collections of a state library consortium, enhancing digital access and literacy in the community. Jacki made a motion for the Board to support the addition of SORA and publicize it. Lola seconded. The motion passed. Board Policy for Public Comment: During training for library trustees in December, Jim McNall of the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program (ICRIMP), recommended that the Board adopt a public comment policy for meetings. Dawn presented the results of an informal survey of other Idaho public libraries' handling of public comments along with a draft policy statement for discussion and review. Mayor Bob offered guidance based on the City Council's policy and procedures for receiving public comments, which were then incorporated into the draft. Jacki made a motion to accept the draft as written, and to include a public comment period in agendas for the Board's regular monthly meetings. David seconded, and the motion passed. Revision of McCall Public Library Strategic Plan: Participants jointly reviewed Goals 2 through 6 of the strategic plan with an eye to streamlining the revision process, and decided that Goal 5 (improving the current library facility) is outdated. Lola moved to eliminate this goal; David seconded. All in favor. Lola and Meg agreed to work together on revising the remainder of the strategic plan for presentation at the March Board meeting. Fundraisinq Report and Foundation Updates: Amy reported that the Ambassadors had a meeting on Feb. 17 with consultant John Chrastka to discuss their role going into the bond election and ways to effectively collaborate with other groups on the campaign. She added that the Foundation has returned to supporters with updated information about the bond to a positive response, and has secured additional pledges on contingency. In just the last week, the Page 2 of 3 Foundation raised $151,000 for the Library expansion, and additional funds could come in by March 10 (before the City Council's next meeting). Friends Liaison Report: Lola reported that the Friends met on Feb. 16. The group is exploring new ways to raise money to support the Library, and planning for the Pumphouse used book store's future reopening. In addition, the Friends are planning pop-up book sales when warmer weather arrives, and has a proposal in the works to donate books to organizations including Heartland Hunger (100 books), Veterans Homes and other organizations, possibly including schools and St. Luke's Hospital. City Council Liaison Report: Mayor Bob kindly thanked everyone for an encouraging meeting, and said he and the City Council are upbeat as they wait for the final numbers on the Library expansion bond. Adiournment: 10:40 Next Meetings: Mon., March 8; Mon., April 12 Minutes prepared by Dawn Matus, Secretary Respectfully submitted by Jacki Rubin, Chair Page 3 of 3