The Library Board is an advisory board appointed by the Temple City Council. They meet quarterly at noon in the Library Board Room on the 3rd floor of the Library. Meetings are the 3rd Tuesdays of January, April, July, and October.

Board Minutes

MINUTES
Of the
Temple Public Library
Board of Trustees
February 20, 2007

The Temple Public Library Board of Trustees conducted the Regular Quarterly Board Meeting on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. in the Board Room on the 3rd floor of the Library Building at 100 West Adams Avenue, Temple, Texas.

Present
Trustees
Sylvia Chesser Twila Coley Rosa Hernandez
Denise Karimkhani Dr. Harry Macey, Jr. Sammie Marshall
Dean Mohlstrom Don Nelson

Guests
Judy Duer, Library Director Susan Howe, Friends
Jennifer Paulk, Staff

Absent
Jacqueline Anderson

The agenda for this meeting was posted on the bulletin board at the Temple Public Library on February 14, 2007 at 9:00 p.m. in compliance with the Open Meetings Law.

The following is a summary of the proceedings of this meeting. It is not intended to be a verbatim transcript.

Call to Order
The meeting was called to order 12:00 p.m. by Dr. Harry Macey, Jr., Board President, who presided over the meeting.

Approval of Minutes
Denise Karimkhani called for a correction concerning the fact she has been in Temple her whole life (rather than since 1979 as stated in the minutes). Rosa Hernandez motioned to approve the corrected minutes of the previous meeting. Sylvia Chesser seconded the motion. The minutes were approved as corrected.

Consider Approval of Interlibrary Loan Policy
Judy Duer explained the requirement to post the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) policy on the CTLS website. She reviewed the policy which just formalizes what we have already been doing. Denise asked if we loaned AV material. Judy said we have occasionally loaned books on CD or Cassette, but we do not loan videos. It was agreed to add Audio Visual material to the list of non-circulating materials that will not be available for ILL. Don Nelson called for a motion to approve the Interlibrary Loan Policy as amended. Twila Coley seconded the motion. The policy was approved as corrected.

Consider Increasing Books on CD Limit
Judy Duer reminded the Board the limit on the number of Books on Tape was increased to ten available for check out at one time due to a crowding problem. She explained the library is now experiencing the same issue with the Books on CD. The staff has requested the Books on CD limit be increased to ten at a time in order to be the same as the Books on Tape. Sylvia Chesser motioned to accept the recommended increase in Books on CD limit. Denise Karimkhani seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Discuss Recognition of Major Donors
Judy Duer informed the Library Board the Foundation Board has requested the library board decide how to recognize major donors. This past year, Gretchen Palm bequeathed a significant amount of her estate to the library foundation. We have received around $38,000 so far and the estate is not yet settled. Judy was able to infer from relatives and friends that Gretchen would have liked to see the money spent on the Genealogy collection. The major donors for the 1996 building remodel were recognized through plaques. Rosa mentioned that plaques are a good option since they can be moved if the need arises. Judy agreed being movable is a factor since the Genealogy collection is crowded in the current location, we are considering swapping it with the Local/Archives collection when we renovate. Dr. Macey informed the Library Board that the Foundation Board did not make any recommendations on the best way to recognize major donors. They also did not define what qualifies as a major donor. Don asked what the limit was to receive a plaque for the building remodel. Judy explained that various size plaques were assigned to different levels of gifts. Some donors are on the end caps of the shelves, some are on the carols, and some qualified to get their name on a room. We recognize donors of small dollar amounts by including their name on a bookplate in the book purchased with the money donated. Judy mentioned she has seen some libraries with donor boards that can be added to and changed as needed. Don mentioned the sheer volume of plaques can become overwhelming if they are used too frequently. The Board agreed that we need to set a level over which a donor would be considered a major donor in need of recognition. Dean mentioned the fact that businesses and estate bequests might need special recognition. Don suggested setting the minimum limit at $1,000 to receive a plaque. The board wanted to know how many large donations the library receives in a year. Jennifer Paulk thought only one or two would qualify during the year. After some discussion they suggested using a donor board for contributions between $1,000 and $5,000, and then the donors giving over $5,000 could receive a plaque. Judy volunteered to contact some other libraries and see at what level they have their recognition set. The Board unanimously agreed that Gretchen Palm deserved recognition for her donation. If it is obvious either by the donor or their family that the contribution should be used for a particular section of the collection, then the plaque should be close to that part of our collection. Sylvia motioned that Gretchen Palm be honored by a plaque in our Genealogy area and that Judy continue to research the levels for recognition of other major donors. Rosa Hernandez seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Friends of the Library Report
Susan Howe, Friends President, informed the Board the mall has been confirmed for the book sale next year. They cannot say where the location will be yet. The volunteers are already sorting one day a week. Betty Jean Steinshouer will present a program as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of Little House on the Prairie, April 9 and 10. She will be at the library, TISD, and TC. The Friends have discussed the option of adding another day to the beginning of the sale like this past year. There was a very good turn out for the member’s only preview sale and then there was an extra full day of sales. Dean asked if the Friends tried to regulate the book dealers that come to the sale. Susan explained the dealers pay for a Friends membership just like everyone else if they want to be in on opening night. They also pay full price for all the books they purchase since they come at the beginning. This year there were plenty of books that were not able to be out on opening night, so there were new books being added to the selection daily. Susan stated they have tried to limit the use of carts in limited space, but a sale is a sale and the goal is to sell the books so we don’t have to give them away after the sale. The Friends appreciate any suggestions to deal with various issues with the sale. They would also like to be able to manage the “Pick of the Day” selection better.

Library Director’s Report
End of Year Report 2005/2006
Judy Duer distributed the 2005/2006 End of Year Report. The fiscal year ended September 30, 2006. We received the Lone Star Grant and Gates grant funds again this past year. She was able to add a part-time Assistant Children’s Librarian position which we have needed for sometime, but were not able to do until now. The library brochure is now available in Spanish. Kelly, one of our Assistant Children’s Librarians, has been putting together bibliographies on various topics. Nancy, our Reference Supervisor, has put together a bibliography of what the staff is reading. It has become surprisingly popular. We tried working more with the small businesses. The bookmobile is going to Meadow Village as their Children’s outreach. The Children’s Librarian continues to work with the Head Start programs in Temple. They help bring awareness to early literacy and help train the parents as well. Outreach started a winter reading program that went well. We are still maintaining the building. Security cameras have been added. They record to a DVR and can be reviewed when an incident occurs, but no one monitors them. We have a security guard here for most hours after school is out. The wireless network was installed this year. We have the laptops, but we are waiting on the software to be installed. We had one lady who came into the library very happy about the fact she could sit in our parking lot and access the wireless internet.

Expansion Plans
Judy showed the tentative floor plans for after the bank lease expires in May 2008. Dean was particularly interested in the coffee shop idea. We will put out a request for proposal (RFP) for all businesses which might be interested. Judy got a RFP from a library in the Dallas area to get some ideas. There are three different options for the location of the coffee shop: the front corner by the flag pole, the front corner by the parking lot, or the back corner where the bank’s entrance is currently located. The front corner by the flag pole already has a bathroom and the plumbing would not be a problem. There would be a glass addition built onto the existing building to provide the needed space. There is the possibility of putting the seating off the lobby area. The back corner where the bank is currently would not be very visible from the street, but the city manager has suggested a deck going out under the trees to increase visibility. The front corner by the parking lot would be more visible. We are exploring the idea of having a sandwich selection in the coffee shop. Denise asked if we currently allow food in the library. We do not, but we know the patrons eat and drink with the books they take home. The books are already exposed to all sorts of things, so having a sandwich/coffee shop located in the building is not likely to do any more damage than already occurs. Sammie feels adults will enjoy the coffee shop.

The bank vault is much larger than we had realized. It is sixty-three feet long by sixteen feet wide. Judy had thought we could just take out the wall, but it supports the building. We will be able to put some thin windows into the wall to make the area not as private. We are considering putting the YA section in the vault. Don asked about the removal of the safe deposit boxes. Judy said there was money in the CIP budget for demolition. Don mentioned that Scott & White had tried to make a floor for the young adults and it was not well received. He thought Judy might be able to talk with them to see what did not work and what went well. We are considering moving the Library Director’s and Secretary’s offices down to the first floor. This will open up space for additional shelving and study rooms. The Genealogy and Archives rooms will most likely be flip-flopped. The Genealogy area needs more space and the shape of the archive room will be more favorable for the collection. The space where the AV room is currently located will be used for offices for the Circulation Supervisor and the Outreach Coordinator. AV will be moved out onto shelves instead of being enclosed in a room. The lobby doors will be moved out to allow more space between the doors to try to eliminate the wind tunnel effect. An adult bathroom will be added to the first floor. The Children’s Librarian office and the story time room are both going to be expanded. We would like to divide the huge suite on the third floor into two smaller suites. One half could be used to house Tech Services. They could get out of the basement and away from the mechanical room’s noise and smells. The other half of the suite would be available for rent and not much revenue would be lost. Don asked if Judy knew how many parking spots we have. Most of the parking in the basement is reserved for tenants and staff. The bank has some reserved spots in the basement and the prime spots on the parking deck. We also recommend that groups holding large meetings advise people to park in the Visitor Center parking lot or at the church across the street. Judy was instructed to look at adding another level to the parking structure. It was prohibitively expensive and has not been pursued. The bank is the only tenant we will lose. All the other tenants will remain for the time being. The large suite that will be divided has been vacant for three years. It is just too big for a small company. A business interested in that much space wants to have a store front. Charter is our leasing company. They handle all the marketing for a percentage of the lease. Most of the tenants we have lost recently moved into their own buildings. Dr. Macey thanked Judy for her presentation of the expansion ideas.

Don visited a library in New Jersey. They had a restaurant with a gift shop. The time he was there the gift shop was not open, but he could see where it would be a good idea to carry cards and such for people that are downtown and do not want to have to cross town for a little thing. He said one in Ohio was strictly run by volunteers. Judy mentioned the new library that just opened in Georgetown has a coffee shop with a limited menu. They also have a few small booths in the library itself. Dean mentioned with all the emphasis on the Spanish languages, he would like to see a section dedicated to Western Civilization and Culture. He thought maybe there could be some lectures and educational programming. Judy said we have tried programming for adults in the past and have not had much success. We have had some limited success with the Home School groups. Many people just do not come out for book signings or evening programs. We might be able to start some Western Civilization interest by providing a recommended reading list or doing a display on the topic. Susan Howe stated that TC used to do brownbag programs during the lunch hour. They would have discussions groups over some general topics or a concert from the music program. No one was assigned the duty of organizing the events and they eventually stopped happening because there is no one to plan them. There has been some discussion about bringing speakers out to TC, but it is not assigned as a direct responsibility to any one person so it has not been done. When they were having the brownbag programs, there was not much participation from the student base. It was mostly people from the community. The Friends have discussed bringing in an author once a year to have an event to bring more of the public into the library. Erin Gaines, the Children’s Librarian, has revived the Teen Council. She will try to get them more involved in the library as well. Denise asked if many of the private schools came in for tours. We have a few and there are also two home school groups that come regularly.

Dr. Harry Macey, Jr. thanked everyone for attending. The next meeting will be April 17, 2007. The meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Jennifer Paulk for Denise Karimkhani


MINUTES
Of the
Temple Public Library
Board of Trustees
October 17, 2006

The Temple Public Library Board of Trustees conducted the Regular Quarterly Board Meeting on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. in the Board Room on the 3rd floor of the Library Building at 100 West Adams Avenue, Temple, Texas.

Present
Trustees
Sylvia Chesser Rosa Hernandez Denise Karimkhani
Dr. Harry Macey, Jr. Dean Mohlstrom Don Nelson
Jack Riley

Guests
Judy Duer, Library Director Susan Howe, Friends
Jennifer Paulk, Staff Erin Gaines, Staff

Absent
Jacqueline Anderson Twila Coley

The agenda for this meeting was posted on the bulletin board at the Temple Public Library on October 11, 2006 at 3:30 p.m. in compliance with the Open Meetings Law.

The following is a summary of the proceedings of this meeting. It is not intended to be a verbatim transcript.

Call to Order
The meeting was called to order 12:05 p.m. by Rosa Hernandez, Board President, who presided over the meeting. Rosa gave the board her personal email (rlh0812@sbcglobal.net) in order to reach her. She will be on vacation the next couple weeks and does not want to miss any important information.

Denise Karimkhani was introduced to the Board. She is the newest board member. Denise has been a librarian for twenty-seven years. She works at UMHB in Belton. Denise was interested in doing community service, and she knows libraries and volunteered to be on our Board. She has lived in Temple since 1977. The other people present at the Board Meeting introduced themselves with a little personal information.

Approval of Minutes
Don Nelson motioned to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Dean Mohlstrom seconded the motion. No corrections being called for, the minutes were approved as distributed.

Nominating Committee Report
Sylvia Chesser stated since no one appeared interested at the last meeting; they did not call around to find volunteers. Sylvia asked Denise if she would be interested in being an officer, and she agreed to become secretary. Sylvia will volunteer to be Vice-President if no one else is willing to volunteer. Judy reminded the Board that the practice has been for the Vice-President to move up to President, and the Secretary to move up to Vice-President. Rosa called for any other nominations.

Election of Officers
There were no other nominations. Jack Riley motioned to approve the slate as presented. Rosa Hernandez seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Officers for the 2006-2007 year are Dr. Harry Macey, Jr., President; Sylvia Chesser, Vice-President; and Denise Karimkhani as Secretary. Dr. Macey will preside over the January 16, 2007 meeting.

Friends of the Library Report
Susan Howe, Friends President, informed the Board the Annual Book Sale was the most successful one to date. $27,777 was raised to benefit Temple Public Library. The sale was extended by one day which may have been why it was a record breaking sale. There are 273 total members of the Friends with over $4,000 worth of dues collected. Susan believes this is also a record. The membership year starts on August 1 of each year so that the members can go to the preview party. Susan will check to see if Dean and Denise are members. Membership costs are $10 for individual, $5 for retiree, and $25 for a family. Susan mentioned that they would accept larger membership donations as well. Some of the current members came in at the Patron or Sponsor level. Their annual membership meeting will be next Tuesday, October 24th, at 5:30 in the McLane Room. This is the first year there has been a national Friends of the Library week. Mayor Jones will present a proclamation at the meeting. They will also present the “Best Friend” award. The award can go to a board member, volunteer, or donor. The Friends are also planning to sponsor Betty Jean Steinshouer to come and present a program as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of Little House on the Prairie, the week of April 12th. The books are already coming in for the next book sale.

Introduction of Children’s Librarian
Erin Gaines shared that she grew up in Temple. She had moved away and gained experience. The last place see worked was Fort Bend County Library System near Houston. Her interests include early literacy and the teen section. She has already implemented a program where she visits the Head Start programs each week with a story time. She has also scheduled some movie times. Erin is trying to reassemble the Teen Group that had begun under Denise. She feels they would be very important for gaining insight into developing the teen area when we renovate and for ideas for the YA selection. Judy feels very fortunate that Erin moved back to town at the time we were looking for a new Children’s Librarian.

Possible Video/DVD Rules Modification
There have been patron requests to be allowed to check out more than four videos at a time. The current policy seems to treat the videos as more valuable than the books, but they are not. At the time the policy was written we did not have a very extensive collection, and we needed to keep the circulation moving faster with shorter check out times and a limited number of items. We have expanded our collection so that these restrictions are no longer necessary. Mary Garza, Circulation Supervisor, recommends increasing the limit to 6 videos/DVDs and increasing the check-out time to two weeks. Mary also feels we should reduce the late fee to $.50 per day. Jack asked about vandalism of our collection. Judy explained the DVDs do get scratched up from normal use. They are more delicate than VHS, but the library was able to purchase a machine, with the Friends help, to repair the DVDs and CDs. Sylvia pointed out that fines collected at the library go into the City’s General Fund; they do not come back to the library. Sylvia suggested we might consider making the fines on videos the same as the books. Jack asked about the number of books a person is allowed to check out. The Board voted to limit the number “New” books to 10 Non-fiction and 20 fiction books at a time. The overall limit is fifty books out at one time. CDs and audio books are fined at the same rate as books. The CDs originally had a limit similar to the DVDs, but as our collection increased the limit was adjusted. Jack stated that the board can always adjust the limits in the future if need be. Sylvia motioned to accept the recommendation made by the Circulation Supervisor. Jack seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Library Director’s Report
CIP Update
Judy Duer distributed a tentative schedule for the Capital Improvement Projects. The City Manager specified that he wants projects to come in on time and on budget. We will be completing three of the smaller projects this fiscal year. The bank has to move out at the end of May 2008, but the bank manager stated it might be earlier. The bank is building in the new shopping center where Target will be located. The parking lot resurfacing is the first project scheduled for completion. We hope the project will help preserve the structural integrity of the parking lot/garage. We plan for it to be completed before the weather turns bad. The window insulation should help our energy efficiency, especially during certain times of the year when the sun shine directly in. The elevator will have the jack enclosed to meet new standards. The expansion timeline is really just a best guess. We will have to get the public’s input on the expansion through focus groups prior to May 2008. The Board can be thinking of specific people to invite to the focus groups. We will also meet with local coffee shops to get their ideas for the space. Don asked if we were going to have a vendor come in to run the coffee shop or if we were going to staff it. Judy assured the Board that we do not want to run it and will definitely have a vendor come in. Denise mentioned that many libraries do have coffee shops now, and she would not mind if they were able to get one at her library. By the time for the expansion, we will be an internet “Hot Spot” so that wireless users will be able to access the internet while they are in the coffee shop.

Library Statistics Comparison
Judy Duer distributed a report that included statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics. Judy was able to write in Temple Public Library statistics compared to the national and state averages. We compare fairly well for most statistics. Dean mentioned the state is ranked 43rd out of the 50 states. Judy said that it correlates to the amount of funding available to public libraries. Sylvia was surprised at the small number of public libraries in Texas compared to the size of the state. Dean and Sylvia both mentioned what a great reference staff we have in our library when they reviewed the reference statistics. The state library is asking for a large sum of money to help with funding the libraries. They are seeking to add $11 million to the Loan Star Grant programs. The Loan Star Grant goes directly to public libraries. The libraries can use their discretion on spending the money as long as it is not for construction or give away items. Historically, we have been using ours to enhance our YA collection.

Rosa asked if there were any other comments before adjourning the meeting. Jack wanted to tell everyone how much he has enjoyed being on the board. He will resign his position before the next meeting. Jack was glad they did not have to deal with anyone wanting to censor books. Dean asked if there is anyone currently trying to ban something in our collection. Judy explained that we have a “Request for Reconsideration” form that is completed when a patron objects to library material. A committee is assigned to look at the material. We have had instances where things were reclassified from Children’s to YA or YA to Adult, but we have yet to pull something from the collection. The Board is the source for an appeal if the patron is not satisfied with the outcome of the review committee. Jack was curious about the book and periodicals selection process. He would like to see some more progressive Christian periodicals. The ones we subscribe to are all conservative in his opinion. Judy explained that the selectors primarily rely on review journals, but there are several purchases based on patron requests. Dean asked if there was a list of the new acquisitions. Judy said patrons can sort just by the new books in our catalog. The new books are constantly being checked out and have a good circulation rate. Judy also pointed out the display books have been having a good turn over rate as well. Sylvia pointed out there are always sections of books that are more prone to theft including the genealogy, witchcraft and Christian books. We do mark the patron’s accounts when a book is not returned, but they are typically not the regular patrons that use libraries regularly. Judy appreciates Jack’s comments. We need the input from outside sources where our collection is lacking. Denise mentioned UMHB has faculty members come through and review a section they are familiar with. She asked if we had ever considered having an “expert” help us weed areas. They can help remove obsolete items and recommend new titles to acquire. Dean asked how we weed our collection. Judy explained it is a combination of circulation and publication dates. There are several factors that are considered before removing an item. Judy thinks the merchandising approach will help patrons realize some of the items that are out there. Dean mentioned the idea of an ongoing book sale after the expansion to help alleviate the end of year book sale rush. Judy said the Friends were considering that option, but as it is now, we have no space. Sylvia asked if it was just the bank that was leaving. Judy said only the bank is scheduled to leave. We will keep the tenants on the third floor as a source of revenue. We are still looking for tenants to occupy all of the office space available. Judy invited all of the Board members to the annual Christmas Brunch December 15th. It will be in the McLane Room and everyone should receive an invitation. Rosa thanked Jennifer for her diligent efforts to record the minutes accurately. Sylvia thanked Rosa for her service as President of the Board.

Rosa Hernandez thanked everyone for attending. The next meeting will be January 16, 2007. The meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Jennifer Paulk for Jack Riley