Library Board Minutes 03-09-2010MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 9. 2010
5:30 P.M.
Members present: Branch Manager, Deb Luken, Janet Bridgland, Ralph Olsen, Beth Metzger,
Sandra Lommel.
Guest: Brandi Canter, GRRL Regional Supervisor
Minutes of the December meeting had been sent to all members in advance and were
approved.
Old Business: None
Library Report — Deb Luken:
Review of 2009
• Circulation in 2009 increased over 13,500 items from 2008.
• Average monthly checkout sessions increased in 2009
• Internet usage continues to increase from 9,568 users in 2008 to 10,785 users in 2009.
Wireless users averaged 4 per day. Six one hour Internet stations and one 15 minute
express station are available for patrons.
• In 2009, 167 programs for children, teens, and adults were offered with 3,820 attending
the programs. The Summer Reading program attracted 890 participants.
Updates for 2010
■ Some of the Legacy funding programs scheduled at the library are: Intro to Memoirs and
Tell Me a Story presented by the Guthrie, Authors Nancy Carlson, Julie Kramer, Lorna
Landvik, and Jan Jenkins, Minnesota Zoomobile, Bringing Black History to Life, and two
programs from St. John's Arboretum.
• Monthly circulation for January 2010 indicates an increase of 10.9% over 2009 and in
February an increase of 10.5% over the previous year.
• GRRL annual fundraising programs; High Five and the Monticello Food Shelf Drive from
March 1— 31.
• Friends of the Library Book Sale, April 17 and 19
• Dia de los Ninos /Dia de los Libros on April 24.
GRRL Update — Brandi Canter:
On March 2, the Restructuring Committee presented information to the GRRL Board
concerning Phase 2 of staff restructuring. The data has been formatted into a staffing
calculator. The Staffing Calculator looks at specific job tasks and figures out how much time the
tasks take and who should be doing them. The goal is to determine the number of staffing
hours needed at each branch to provide maximum service with maximum efficiency. The tool
will equitably measure staff requirements at each of the branch libraries. The Staffing
Calculator will not be used to make staffing decisions and is not carved in stone, but will be
used as a guide for branch managers and others to determine staffing needs. There is a
possibility that branch managers hours will decrease and aide hours increase. There will be cut
backs in some areas and increases in others. Branch managers are expected to provide public
service at least 40% of the time.
The GRRL Board meets on Tuesday, March 16 to hear final recommendations of the
Restructuring Committee. Staffing priority will be given to the 3 or 4 branch libraries that do not
have aides at this time. Anyone subject to a layoff as a result of the restructuring will be placed
on a list of internal hires.
Brandi reported that the financial budget for the GRRL system looks bleak, but is still
unknown at this time.
New Business:
■ Parking has become a problem in the Library parking area when there are major events
at the Community Center, most notably when the National Guard is present. Kitty Baltos
of the Community Center and Jeff O'Neill, City Administrator, have been contacted
about this problem. It has been suggested that the city provide a sign that designates
reserved parking for Library patrons only.
It was mentioned that some patrons have difficulty using the correct entrance and exit
when coming to the library. No solution, only hope that patrons will be more alert and
read the entrance and exit signs when entering the parking area.
Book drop problems: At times patrons continue to add more books to the book drop
even though it is evident that the box is overloaded. Friends of the Monticello Library
will be contacted for possible financial assistance in resolving this problem.
Next meeting will be Tuesday, June 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Lommel, Secretary