(Approved August 7, 2007)
07-19-2007
7:45 a.m.
Paseo Verde Library
Call to Order
Acting Chair, Herb Hunter, called the meeting to order at 7:48 a.m.
Roll Call
Board Members Present:
Herb Hunter, Robyn Carr, Todd Hauge, John Simmons, Jacob SnowBoard Members Absent:
Colleen Bell, Richard DerrickStaff Present:
Carolyn Easterby, Debbie Englund, Dennis Espero, Tom Fay, Ed Feldman, Orin Fielding, Echo Galbraith-Allen, Mae Giaimo, George Greicar, Florica Hagendorn, Linda Hanks, Sean Hill, Gayle Hornaday, Betsy Johnson, Janet Mastalir, Michelle Mazzanti, Laurie Orton, Kenna Payne, Viveca Rehman, Kevin Scanlon, Joy St. John, Evelyn Walkowicz, Patricia WiesnerOthers Present:
NoneApproval of Agenda
John Simmons made a motion to approve the agenda. Todd Hauge seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Approval of Minutes
Todd Hauge made a motion to approve the minutes. Robyn Carr seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Review of Paid Invoices
The paid invoices were accepted without comment.
Director's Report
FY07 Final Quarter Reports:
Tom Fay reported one security incident at the Gibson Library. An individual came across the desk trying to grab a female employee after making inappropriate comments. The security guard and a patron tackled the man and held him until the police arrived. The individual was arrested and trespassed from library property. The Gibson staff handled the situation appropriately. Security plans and procedures for every building, as well as outreach locations, will be reviewed. Robyn Carr asked what kind of security the bookmobile has. Tom Fay responded limited other than the onsite security at the individual locations. The Paseo Verde and Malcolm Libraries do not have security guards. The Pittman Library shares a guard and the cost with the City of Henderson. Robyn Carr said the most important thing is that staff is well trained on how to handle situations. Tom Fay said during FY08 security and emergency-related situation guidelines will be reviewed. John Simmons asked how the employee involved is doing. Mae Giaimo replied she is doing fine and in good spirits. Herb Hunter asked if CPR training will be provided. Tom Fay responded CPR training has been done before, but defibrillator training is being considered. Robyn Carr asked about the liability involved with using defibrillators. Tom Fay responded the Good Samaritan Law covers a first responder about as well as one can be covered. A legal opinion will be sought prior to instituting the use of defibrillators.
The Answers 24/7 product line and the Live Homework Help product, both sponsored by Embarq, are online with a soft launch. Homework Help will be available daily from 3-10 p.m. for students from grade four through the first year of college. Homework Help is also available in Spanish from 3-7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Answers 24/7 provides a reference librarian to answer reference questions twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Gayle Hornaday said a record 1,000,000 circulations was reached on June 11th at 7:30 pm. June was a record month with more than 100,000 circulations. Library card issuance also achieved a new record with over 2,000 new cards issued. This may be attributed to the Summer Reading Program which attracted many patrons. This trend is expected to continue throughout the summer. Gayle Hornaday pointed out that the provided circulation statistics include new areas: depository libraries, e-books, downloadable audio and video services which were implemented in the latter part of the fiscal year. The statistics indicate the most circulated items are children’s picture books, adult fiction and nonfiction. Henderson Libraries circulated 46% children’s materials (including young adult) and 54% adult materials; Non-print circulation was 25% and print materials was 75%.
Collections service: over the fiscal year 1,409 patron accounts were submitted. 150 patrons were credit reported. The recovery of material is very high.
Last quarter, self-check was implemented. Carolyn Easterby reported that district wide self-check was at 35% during June. So far in July self-check accounts for 45% of all check-outs. The new program is going well. Gayle Hornaday said the goal is to achieve 70% check-out at self-check.
Michelle Mazzanti said Acquisitions [ABS] and Bibliographic Services added 40,000 items to the collection. A record $170,000 in donated items were added to the collection for fiscal year 2007. This is up from the nearly $100,000 added the previous year. The Reference and ABS staff work hard to sort and enter donated materials. The public should be encouraged to continue to donate materials. Adult, children’s, print and non-print materials have been donated. Tom Fay said that a large number of donations are received, approximately 1 to 2 pallets of books per month. The books are sorted by staff and those items not selected for the collection are given to Friends. The Friends donate $45,000 to Henderson Libraries from January through June 2007. The majority of this money came from Friends’ book sales. Robyn Carr asked where the books are stored. Tom Fay responded that space is a big issue. Books are stored onsite and offsite. Monthly sales are necessary to keep the books manageable. If books are not usable or sellable, they are discarded. The phenomenal success of the book sales is made possible because Henderson Libraries has a great group of people, both employees and volunteers, working to make it happen. Many library districts can’t sustain this volume of donations.
Betsy Johnson reported on summer reading. Skits were performed by Henderson Libraries staff at elementary schools May through June. The summer reading kickoff included a storyteller who did seven performances, three at Paseo Verde Library, two each at the Malcolm and Gibson Libraries. This year registration was done online: 258 teens were registered and 1,865 children (ages 0-11) were registered. The Body’s Exhibit and Titanic Exhibit came to each library and did special programs for children that were very educational and fun.
Joan Vaughan reported on adult programming at the Paseo Verde Library. Eighteen computer classes were offered, including two new subjects, Microsoft Access and Build Your Own Webpage. One hundred and forty patrons participated. The new Carr Chat committee is comprised of Arlene Caruso, Stephen Platt, Kevin Scanlon and Marcie Smedley. The Robyn Carr Triple Play Release Party on May 31st was very successful and sold 65 copies of the new book. Arlene Caruso coordinated the Carla Neggers Carr Chat on June 14th. Thirty people attended. Ms. Neggers seemed pleased with the turnout and management of the event. Stephen Platt organized an identity theft/consumer defense program which featured speakers from four consumer protection agencies. Kevin Scanlon contributed by arranging for Shredco, a free paper-shredding service, to provide shredding at the same event.
Kevin Scanlon added that Gibson Library adult services held a four-week writer’s workshop with seventeen attendees. The adult summer reading program has expanded to include the deposit libraries. Gibson Youth Services Department is increasing programming at the Third Thursday Event. Computer classes have been expanded.
The third year of Artfest was a rousing success according to Mae Giaimo. Over $3,000 was received from the booksale. The new silent auction took in $1,800 and featured antiquarian books and unique items. Mae Giaimo said Artfest provides great exposure for Henderson Libraries.
Downloadable audio books have debuted. Mae Giaimo demonstrated the packaging which holds an MP3 player and ear buds. One MP3 player can hold five audio books. More than 270 downloadable audio books have been checked out. July checkouts are already ahead of June, indicating this will be a popular offering.
Three LSTA grant proposals are in being submitted:
Linda Hanks is submitting a Performing Arts Collection grant proposal. This $12,000 to $15,000 grant will provide shelving and multiple copies of musicals, ballets, piano and vocal scores. The collection will provide support for middle and high schools which have 50% of students involved in performing arts. Paseo Verde Library has circulated Phantom of the Opera one hundred and eleven times, an indication the Performing Arts Collection will be popular and successful, while providing needed support for public schools.
Young teens (12-years-old to 16-years-old) spend time after school on library computers emailing and chatting with friends. Kenna Payne considers this a prime opportunity for more advanced computer classes marketed to this group of library users. The requested $8,000 to $12,000 grant will provide computer classes for young teens. The computer classes will include Beginning Website Design, Animation and Computer Graphics. The program will run from September to June, with the goal of developing more advanced skills toward the end of the program.
Mae Giaimo has high hopes for the Nevada Nook grant request which will help establish a Nevada Room for children. In addition to providing Nevada historical information, it may house a real desert tortoise and provide an interactive library/museum for children. Many Henderson artifacts have been donated through the years, including the first phone in Henderson and an early welder’s mask. The Nevada Nook will provide a place to showcase these items, and encourage the donation of more Henderson artifacts. The Nevada Nook grant request will be for $24,000.
Janet Mastalir said during the Summer Reading kick-off festivities, Stephen Platt coordinated with over a dozen museums to provide a Museum Fair at the Paseo Verde Library. Participants were enthusiastic and appreciative of this well-attended event.
PVL storage problems: a new area has been designed to store library items, freeing up the storage room for Friends’ books.
The Giving Tree has been installed on the west wall in the reading room. Donations can be made by purchasing leaves, acorns and stones. Each will be inscribed accordingly. Donations will range from $100 to $5,000.
Laurie Orton said Malcolm Library circulation has increased 30% in the last year. This can be attributed to the wonderful programs presented by Youth Services Librarian Leona Vittum-Jones. There are regularly fifty parents and children attending the youth services events at Malcolm Library. A four-week summer program called Science Sleuths was very popular. Last week fingerprinting and bite marks were examined and this week tire tracks and footprints are featured. At the end of the program, children will solve a real library mystery of the missing chocolate chip cookies.
One Book Henderson will kick off in the fall. Pictures of people reading this year’s One Book selection, The Five People You Meet in Heaven will be displayed. The Board is encouraged to participate.
Bookmobile statistics were distributed. Evelyn Walkowicz said the Bookmobile has had consistent stops for almost a year. The stops began in September of 2006. Mission Hills and River Mountain are both popular stops. Both areas are in need of library services. The Valley View Recreation Center stop has deteriorated and will be terminated in the fall; a stop will be added at the Black Mountain Recreation Center.
Self-check at the Pittman Library has been very successful with a checkout rate of 70%.
Information was distributed about the Bright Beginnings program which is funded by a $100,000 LSTA grant. The program has four components:
1. Deposit Collection (also known as the traveling book collection). Five deposit locations are ready to deploy with letters of agreement in progress: HACA, Headstart, Safe House, Family-to-Family Connections and Living Grace (a home for teen mothers). A collection is being planned for Sewell Elementary which has been designated as an Empowerment School with a parenting center. Deposit collection at Sewell will consist mainly of board books and parenting books. The collections are designed to provide reading materials in the community where families may gather and have time to share a book. Families are being targeted which may not be typical library users.
2. Parent and child workshops. Parent and child workshops consist of Learn & Play for Parents and Baby 0-3; the first Baby 0-3 debuted at Sewell Elementary with four families attending the series. This workshop will be repeated and will also be held at Black Mountain Recreation Center during fall and winter. Ready for School programs prepare four to five-year-olds to enter school. Fifty families have been served since January. Evelyn Walkowicz read a letter from an appreciative parent whose daughter attended the program at Black Mountain Recreation Center. This series will also be scheduled at Sewell Elementary for Spring 2008.
3. Early literacy workshops for child-care providers. January and April trainings are planned for childcare providers. Fifteen hours of training are required each year to maintain childcare certification. Many training sessions are expensive, not affordable for childcare providers. Evelyn Walkowicz and staff teach free classes that focus on early literacy skills. Many of the for-credit courses focus on the healthcare aspect of childcare. The Nevada Registry has already approved the first literacy training session for accredited hours.
4. Awareness. A PR campaign is planned to make the public aware of the importance of early literacy from the moment of birth to pre-school age. LCD screens will play early literacy DVDs, a passive way of getting information across to parents and other adults.
Tom Fay said the press clipping packet, which is compiled weekly by volunteer Marian Brown, includes all media pieces and articles that were published in June.
New Business
Discussion and possible Board action regarding Capital Improvement Plan and Debt Management policy.
Debbie Englund said according to Nevada Revised Statutes [NRS], the Capital Improvement Plan and Debt Management Policy must be updated yearly. No additional debt is contemplated. There were no changes in the Debt Management Policy. Current debt through 2015 is $1.8 million dollars. The Capital Improvement Plan consists of an updated five-year plan. The expense of the opening day collection will be spread over two years. Renovation of the Green Valley Library is the extent of capital improvement. Jacob Snow asked what the $1.8 million dollar debt is for. Debbie Englund responded that originally there was a $1.5 million dollar note for the Paseo Verde Library, which was refunded to $1.431 million to get a lower interest rate and there is a $1.2 million dollar note for the Malcolm Library. Todd Hauge asked if Henderson District Public Libraries [HDPL] is a municipality as noted on page one. Debbie Englund responded that HDPL is a special taxing district, considered the same as a municipality for the purposes of the form. Tom Fay added that HDPL does not get a bond rating applied to our payment because it is not long-term. Debbie Englund said both debts were for a period of ten years. Jacob Snow made a motion to approve the Capital Improvement Plan and Debt Management Policy. Todd Hauge seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Discussion and possible Board action related to scheduling a date for a Board Strategic Planning session in October, 2007.
Tom Fay asked if there were any known scheduling conflicts for October. Preferably, the Board will meet for a four-hour block on a Thursday or Friday afternoon for strategic planning. The planning will be looking beyond the Green Valley opening. Jacob Snow said October 18th is not a good day. The board was asked to check schedules and advise of conflicts. Target date choices will be sent out to the Board soon.
Old Business
Discussion and possible Board action regarding Paseo Verde Library Coffee Shop Lease.
Tom Fay said all background checks have been received. The potential buyers are renegotiating the sale with the current owners. Robyn Carr asked if it meant they might change their mind. Tom Fay responded yes. Robyn Carr asked why HDPL doesn’t talk to Starbucks. Tom Fay said Starbucks was contacted previously and due to the size and area foot traffic they weren’t interested. Several franchised coffee companies were approached when the coffee shop was first up for lease and there was no interest. Herb Hunter asked if the reason was the location or the size. Tom Fay responded the space is small and foot traffic for major franchises is of concern.
The Board will be kept of apprised of any developments. A special board meeting may be called to approve the new owner.
Announcements
The next Board meeting will be held on August 16, 2007 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, Nevada.
Public Comment
Note: Pursuant to Nevada’s Open Meeting Law, action may not be taken on matters presented during this period until included on a future agenda as an action item.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:53 a.m.
Pursuant to NRS 241.020, written notice of the meeting of Henderson District Public Libraries’ Board of Trustees was posted by Friday, July 13, 2007, at least three (3) business days before the meeting, including in the notice the time, place, location and agenda of the meeting. Details of the agenda may be obtained by calling 492-6584.
Posted at Paseo Verde Library, James I. Gibson Library, Lydia Malcolm Library, Pittman Library, City of Henderson-City Clerk’s Office, and the Henderson Libraries website.