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| Norwalk Public Library Board of Directors Meeting Minutes |
NOVEMBER 8, 2007
ATTENDANCE: Stan Siegel, President; Mary Mann, Vice President; Jannie Williams;
Mohan Tracy; Mary Pugh, Treasurer (7:10 p.m.); Charles McMullen (7:10 p.m.)
STAFF: Les Kozerowitz, Library Director; Frank Ferro, Assistant Library Director; David Hepworth
ABSENT: Lori Toranno, Grace Vetter, Regina Krummel
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by the President. There was not a quorum present so the Committee skipped to item 8.
8. STAFF PRESENTATION – ANN TOMLINSON (CONVENE IN CHILDREN’S LIBRARY
Ms. Tomlinson conducted a 30 minute tour of the Children’s Library, during which Mr. McMullen and Ms. Pugh joined the meeting. The meeting was reconvened in the Board Room at 7:35 p.m.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
3. ADDITIONS TO AGENDA / ACTION ITEMS
There were no additions to the agenda or action items.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
** MR. MCMULLEN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING AS SUBMITTED.
** MS. WILLIAMS SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED WITH ONE ABSTENSION: MS. TRACY.
5. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Mr. Siegel said that he’d had the honor on the previous day, as President of the Association of Connecticut Library Boards, to attend a reception to thank the members of the State Legislature’s Appropriations Committee for participating in the approval of a bond issue which gave funding to libraries of Connecticut. He said that the representatives indicated a passion for Libraries from their childhoods and indicated their concerns about libraries’ needs through the coming years. Mr. Siegel mentioned new construction state grants which were previously capped at $500,000 were now raised to $1,000,000 -- the maximum grant allowable.
6. TREASURER’S REPORT
There was no Treasurer’s Report available.
7. LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
a. Entranceway Project
Mr. Kozerowitz said that the entranceway project was progressing and the Library was still hoping for a mid-December completion.
b. MLS Student Survey (Lorna Rhyins)
Mr. Kozerowitz stated that he’d had a request several months prior to this
meeting from a graduate student, Lorna Rhyins who was studying Library Sciences
at Southern Connecticut State University. Ms. Rhyins had spoken with other urban
libraries and asked to conduct a two part questionnaire at the Norwalk Public
Library. The purpose of her study was to find a correlation, if any, between
racial and ethnic representation in library staffing and patrons’ perceived
level of service. The first questionnaire was to be filled out by the Library
and asked for information regarding the ethnic and racial background of the
staff and their ability to speak languages other than English. The second questionnaire
asked patrons about their perceptions of various library services. Mr. Kozerowitz
stated that Ms. Rhyins had been at the Library the previous Friday and had well
over 100 people fill out her survey. He looked forward to seeing the responses
and expected that they would be very helpful to the Library.
Mr. Siegel added that Ms. Rhyins had, coincidentally, received a scholarship
grant from the ACLB.
c. Consideration of New Library Cards / Staff ID Badges / Live Homework Help / Computer Usage
Mr. Kozerowitz reported that Mr. Siegel had found a company that sold equipment to make professional and versatile photo library cards and ID badges which would be a vast improvement on the current cards and IDs. He stated he was in the process of investigating some technical issues that would have to be resolved before the machines could be used if they were to be purchased.
He went on to discuss the Live Homework Program which he was very pleased with. Mr. Kozerowitz reported that he would be attending a meeting in Hartford at which there would be representatives from tutor.com which was the parent company of Live Homework Help. He intended to find if the State of Connecticut could underwrite this service rather than the Library having to go out every year to request funds for it. He said that the more successful the program was, the more expensive it became. Mr. Kozerowitz reported that 477 students had been assisted through the program in October, up from about 300 students assisted per month in the first year of the program, but he hoped to be able to assist 1400 students per month.
Mr. Kozerowitz then spoke about the computer usage reports from the Main and South Norwalk Branch Libraries. He noted that the South Norwalk Branch averaged roughly 11% of the total material circulation for the Library but 35% of the total computer usage.
Ms. Pugh asked if there were more computers in the South Norwalk Branch.
Mr. Kozerowitz answered that there were fewer computers at the South Norwalk Branch than at the Main Library.
Ms. Pugh asked if idle hours for the computers were logged.
Mr. Kozerowitz answered that idle hours were not tracked.
Ms. Pugh said that it would be useful data to have to determine if usage was reaching capacity and more computers needed to be added.
Mr. Kozerowitz continued, saying that he’d received the annual budget approximately two weeks prior to this meeting and it was due for submission at the end of November. He noted that the Board would not be meeting again until December but he didn’t expect any major changes from the previous budget. He stated that if there were any major changes to the budget in terms of the Library’s requests, he would communicate those to the Board via email. He added that the budget would be reviewed at the following meeting.
8. OLD BUSINESS
a. The Big Read
Mr. Siegel reported that he and Mr. Kozerowitz had spent the previous Sunday and Monday in Minneapolis at a Big Read orientation program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. He stated that the Norwalk Public Library had received a grant of $10,300 in order to conduct The Big Read for which they would be reading Fahrenheit 451. He said that the Library would not be making a public announcement of the grant or plans for the grant until NEA made a nationwide announcement. Mr. Siegel went on to say that in the previous year there had been 72 communities that participated in the grant program compared to 127 who will participate in the first half of 2008. He stated that other Connecticut participants included the Hartford Public Library, the Bridgeport Public Library who would be reading Joy Luck Club, and the New Haven Festival of the Arts in partnership with the Connecticut Library Consortium who would also be reading Fahrenheit 451. Mr. Siegel said that a more thorough report would be given at the following meeting.
b. 2nd Taxing District Request
Each Board Member received a packet of information to review on this item at the previous meeting regarding the 2nd Taxing District’s request to affix a plaque on the Library building.
Mr. Siegel reported that he’d had a question from Grace Vetter since the previous meeting. It was Ms. Vetter’s understanding that although according to state statute and Connecticut Code the Board of the Norwalk Public Library was responsible for the Library building and grounds, it was her interpretation of the lease that the City had with the 2nd Taxing District that the ownership of the building itself resided with the City of Norwalk under the terms of the lease. Ms. Vetter’s question was whether or not the affixing of a plaque on a building that didn’t belong to the Board of Trustees was the Board’s decision to make. Mr. Siegel suggested that Ms. Vetter’s question be presented to City Attorney, Peter Nolin to determine who had the responsibility for enabling the placement of the plaque. He stated that it was possible that the Board didn’t have that responsibility based on the language in the lease between the City of Norwalk and the 2nd Taxing District. Mr. Siegel further suggested that discussion on this item be tabled until and if Atty. Nolin’s review revealed that it was actually the Board’s decision to make.
Mr. Kozerowitz added that an issue Ms. Vetter had raised was that while the 2nd Taxing District owned the building, the lease stated that the City had the obligation and responsibility of making any and all repairs to the building. That said if the 2nd Taxing District in affixing the plaque were to damage the building it would be the City’s responsibility according to the lease to repair that damage and Ms. Vetter didn’t feel that it was the Board’s place to permit that.
Ms. Pugh asked how the Board had the authority to install the South Norwalk Branch signage.
Mr. Siegel answered that the question of authority had not been raised at the time and perhaps Atty. Nolan would use that as a precedent in his decision but since the question had been raised in this case, Mr. Siegel thought it best to answer it first because if the Board had no authority in the matter, it needn’t be discussed further.
Ms. Pugh said that assuming Atty. Nolan said that the City had the responsibility to make the decision, she wondered who within the City had that authority. It was her understanding that the City had given that authority to the Board.
** MS. TRACY MOVED TO PERMIT THE 2ND TAXING DISTRICT TO AFFIX A PLAQUE ON THE
LIBRARY BUILDING AS PRESENTED IN THEIR PROPOSAL DATED SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2007,
CONTINGENT UPON THE RESULT OF THE CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.
** MS. PUGH SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
c. Phoenix Statue Granite “Surround”
Mr. Siegel noted that the large blocks of granite that encircled the phoenix statue had been removed from the fountain in the front of the building and according to a contractor, the value of the granite was approximately $40,000. He said that the same contractor had offered to place the granite on a small foundation and fix the granite blocks in place for $7,700. Mr. Siegel further reported that Mr. Kozerowitz had spoken to Pat DiCocco who’d built the podium that the statue rested upon and who’d offered to lay a gravel foundation to support the tremendous weight of the granite blocks and to affix the blocks thereon for $2,600. Mr. Siegel suggested that the granite be kept and further suggested a motion to approve the expenditure of $2,600 to enable Pat DiCocco to permanently place the granite.
** MR. MCMULLEN MOVED APPROVE THE PAYMENT OF $2,600 TO PAT DICOCCO FOR THE
PERMANENT PLACEMENT OF GRANITE BLOCKS AROUND THE LIBRARY’S PHOENIX STATUE.
** MS. PUGH SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
10. NEW BUSINESS
Mrs. Pugh suggested that the Board discuss the possibility of new furniture for the Children’s Library based on Ann Tomlinson’s presentation.
Mr. Siegel suggested that the staff could present to the Board what was needed and how much it would cost.
Ms. Tracy asked if the new ID and Library Card machine that had been discussed would be able to make cards supported by the self service check out system.
Mr. Kozerowitz answered that it would.
Ms. Tracy asked how much the machines would cost.
Mr. Siegel answered that they would cost between $5,000 and $10,000 per machine depending on what optional components the library administration felt were necessary. If the administration did feel that these machines were useful, he recommended that the Board reach out to the Friends of the Norwalk Public Library to request that they contribute funds towards the purchase of two machines. He went on to say that the Friends had made a record $9,100 from their book sale and suggested that at some point perhaps in early 2008 the Board should recognize the Friends of the Norwalk Public Library with some gesture or overture.
11. ADJOURNMENT
** MS. PUGH MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MS. MANN SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Stanley M. Siegel / President / Norwalk Public Library
Board of Trustees.
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