(Approved October 19, 2007)
09-20-2007
7:45 a.m.
Paseo Verde Library
Call to Order
Chair Colleen Bell called the meeting to order at 7:48.
Roll Call
Board Members Present:
Colleen Bell, Robyn Carr, Richard Derrick, Todd Hauge, Herb Hunter and John SimmonsBoard Members Absent:
Jacob SnowStaff Present:
Tom Fay, Debbie Englund, Ed Feldman, Orin Fielding, Mae Giaimo, George Greicar, Sean Hill, Betsy Johnson, Gayle Hornaday, Janet Mastalir, Michelle Mazzanti, Laurie Orton, Joy St. John, Joan Vaughan and Evelyn WalkowiczOthers Present:
NoneApproval of Agenda
The agenda was approved as written.
Approval of Minutes
John Simmons made a motion to approve the August 7, 2007 and July 19, 2007 minutes. Herb Hunter seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Review of Paid Invoices
The paid invoices were accepted without comment.
Director's Report
Gayle Hornaday said circulation for the first two months of fiscal year 08 exceeded 200,000, putting Henderson Libraries on track for 1.2 million circulations for the year. 4,000 new library cards have been issued since July 1st. The Gibson Library circulation statistics are back on track. Overall circulation statistics are up 13.7% over last year.
Tom Fay said Henderson Libraries had the busiest summer ever. Gibson Library numbers are improving with the end of construction in the area. Staff programming is also increasing library usage.
There have been no major security issues of note. Three weeks ago a fire alarm went off at the Paseo Verde Library, due to coffee shop renovations. Staff didn’t know what caused the alarm at the time, but did a great job evacuating the building. The Henderson Fire Department responded and verified there was no danger.
The coffee shop opened Friday with a “soft” opening. Coffees, drinks and baked goods are being offered while the menu is being selected. The opening was delayed about two weeks, but the shop looks inviting, with new paint and floor. The Clark County Health District has issued an “A” rating.
Henderson Libraries’ requested appraisal on the Gibson Library has been completed. This appraisal was higher than the city’s appraisal. The city’s appraisal came in at $4.5 million dollars ($2 million for the building; $2.5 million for market value). Henderson Libraries appraisal came in at $7.2 million dollars. ($2.1 million for the building; plus $5.1 million dollars for the property lease option value). Henderson Libraries will continue discussions with the City of Henderson about the Gibson Library.
A decision needs to be made by November or Henderson Libraries will lose the opportunity to get into the Lake Mead Crossings shopping center. The developer said that it is possible for Henderson Libraries to be planned in the last phase, March 2009, which will be the same time frame as the Green Valley Library opening. Also during that time, the hybrid library at the new senior center (in discussion with the city) could potentially be opening. Henderson Libraries may have three new libraries opening within a few months of each other. Herb Hunter asked where the new senior center will be. Tom Fay replied the facility will be located east of Basic High School. The City of Henderson has designated 160 acres to be built with park elements, an aquatics center and senior center. Richard Derrick said it will be a very large complex. Tom Fay said it will be exciting to share space with the city in this major project. John Simmons asked how many acres comprise the Gibson Library. Tom Fay responded 2.67 acres. Some of the land was given back to the city for the events plaza. In simple math, the value of leasing the space would be $280,000 per year. 78 years remaining on the lease multiplied by $280,000 equals the value of the lease (this of course includes no inflationary factors). This should be taken into consideration during negotiations with the city. Tom Fay will keep the board apprised of any negotiations with the city.
The press package distributed to the Board shows the extensive coverage Henderson Libraries has had in the press during the last month. The 24/7 postcard has been mailed out to homes. There will be press conference September 27th at 9:30 a.m. in the Paseo Verde Library conference room to launch the 24/7 and Ask A Librarian programs. The board is invited to attend. The $150,000 Embarq sponsorship for the 24/7 program is the largest Henderson Libraries has ever received.
One Book Henderson kicked off yesterday. Postcards for One Book Henderson will be mailed out to all Henderson residents next week. The press conference for One Book Henderson was well attended by city and school officials. Mitch Albom and Deepak Chopra will be appearing October.
New Business
Discussion and possible Board action regarding FY07 Budget Amendments.
Debbie Englund said this is a “clean-up” from the previous budget reflecting expense adjustments for grants. John Simmons made a motion to approve the FY07 Budget Amendments. Herb Hunter seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Discussion and possible Board action regarding raising Director’s purchase authorization to $50,000.
Tom Fay said amounts were raised in the last legislative session which require bids for projects $50,000 or over. Projects coming up with the Green Valley Library and the increased budget have resulted in numerous monthly expenses over $25,000, such as PERS [Public Employees Retirement System], book purchases, etc. The expenses have already been approved in the budget and raising the Director’s authorization will speed up the process of paying bills without special approval from Board Members. Herb Hunter made a motion to raise the Director’s purchase authorization to $50,000. Richard Derrick seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Discussion and possible Board action regarding raising Administrators’ purchase authorization to $10,000
Tom Fay said currently the administrative staff [Debbie Englund, Gayle Hornaday, Michelle Mazzanti and Sean Hill] has purchase authorization up to $1,000. As department heads it is difficult to get daily tasks done without seeking approval from the Director. Up to $10,000 is a fairly common purchase for the IT or Acquisitions department. Raising the Administrator’s purchase authorization to $10,000 will speed up daily business. Robyn Carr asked if that amount is high enough. Tom Fay responded yes, as purchase orders over that amount can be approved by the Director on a daily basis. Michelle Mazzanti completes her major book purchase orders during the first two weeks of the fiscal year. John Simmons made a motion to raise the Administrators’ purchase authorization to $10,000. Herb Hunter seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Old Business
Discussion regarding Coffee Shop and new owners.
Tom Fay said the coffee shop status was discussed during the director’s report. At the next board meeting Tom Fay would like to have the new owners come in and present their menu and give a status report. Herb Hunter asked if the coffee shop is going to offer sandwiches. Tom Fay replied yes. Currently a breakfast sandwich is being offered and the menu is still being created. The Tim Horton coffee being offered in the coffee shop is good coffee that is offered mainly in Canada and in some areas of the east coast of the United States.
Discussion regarding FY2008 Priorities.
Tom Fay said the next priority focus will expand over an 18-month period. This is a good way to take Henderson Libraries through the Green Valley Library opening. Many priorities need to be considered to absorb bringing on another location and all the related impact. The Board Strategic Retreat on October 19th will focus up to and past the opening of the Green Valley Library. The stage is being set for post-Green Valley. At the end of fiscal year circulation will be at 1.2 million-1.3 million; with the increase of Green Valley Library circulation will likely approach 2 million even in just the 4 or 5 months Green Valley is open. Along with that are the elements of running the district: purchasing, materials circulated and trucked. Organizationally, there are numerous issues that must be analyzed and accommodated; staff will increase from 105 employees to 135 employees. This is a big impact on internal and human resources. From the IT side, 75-100 computers will be added with Green Valley, which will feature a computer lab. Different types of positions, i.e., computer lab monitors will be needed for the Green Valley Library.
Focus List:
· Refining self and express check. Checkouts are currently 40-50%. Staff working on changing work flows, desk structure, and boosting self-check circulation to 75% to 80% level. Henderson Libraries needs to continue to refine self and express check to maximize effectiveness.
· Security procedures and training district-wide.
· Formalize partnership agreements. The agreements need to be much more detailed. Even traditional partnerships will have memorandums of understanding and detailed agreements for exchange of services. Current partnerships are working well.
· Implement RFID (Radio Frequency ID Tag) in books. This is not a great security device and won’t provide appreciable help at self-check, however in two to three years Henderson Libraries can implement automated check-in systems. Currently, 100% of check-ins are done by staff. There are approximately 95-100,000 items checked in each month. While RFID is not inexpensive, once implemented it will create a variety of efficiencies.
· The Marketing/ Branding process is currently re-tooling how Henderson Libraries communicates its image. Along with that will be the development of annual calendars of events; being as pre-planned as possible to allow for timely and appropriate marketing.
· Between January and March 2008, community focus groups in the Green Valley area will be held to listen to what patrons are using and need in that area and to communicate the changes that Henderson Libraries will implement.
Anecdotally, the Green Valley library currently has the 3rd largest internet use of all of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District [LV-CCLD] libraries, while being one of the smaller urban libraries in that district. Robyn Carr asked why. Tom Fay responded that the demographic make up of the community is likely the reason. Green Valley is about 25 years old. There are older seniors, fixed incomes, and the surrounding two-mile radius includes some economically challenged areas. So much so that the Gates Foundation Grants may fund some computers as they have the Gibson or Pittman Library areas. Green Valley has a very diverse demographic make up. Cultural and ethnic diversity is higher in Green Valley than much of the rest of Henderson and Henderson Libraries has to make the effort to listen and impart where we are going with the Green Valley Library. The computer lab should be well-received, but there may be other areas to consider.
· Capital improvements for the Green Valley Library need to be addressed. It is necessary to get the final inventory of what LV-CCLD will leave so budgeting can be done for needed capital improvements. There are several strategies being considered depending on revenues over the next couple years. These strategies will be reassessed in January when budget figures are received. Staffing for the Green Valley Library is currently being discussed and will continue to be a work in progress.
· Timeline/strategies for recruiting for the Green Valley Library. The buildings are physically changing hands but there is also a culture shift which needs to be considered. Staffing will have to be a mix of new people and current Henderson Libraries staff to facilitate the culture shift. John Simmons said his fear is that LV-CCLD and Henderson Libraries will have to spend the staff time and money to remove what isn’t needed or wanted. Tom Fay said the one thing Henderson Libraries doesn’t want at this point is their collection. Henderson Libraries has entered into a contract to purchase the materials for Green Valley. If LVL-CCLD decides to leave the collection, It will take a huge effort to decide what to keep, re-process, re-locate, etc. From a furniture standpoint, it would not be so difficult – there are a lot of ways to get furniture moved out or refurbished. Henderson Libraries would keep the shelving if it is not taken. Most of the libraries in this country would not pass on shelving. Library grade shelving units have a very long life. The only thing that can hurt shelving is if it is not taken down and reinstalled properly. Library shelving is high grade and lasts for many decades. John Simmons commented the infrastructure for IT is antiquated in the Green Valley Library building. Tom Fay said that Henderson Libraries IT infrastructure is strong and that the IT department has developed and is developing ways to deal with the limited infrastructure of the building.
· Current district staffing models will be reviewed. The district open hours may need to be adjusted to create some efficiency and keep customer service at a high level. Personnel policies will be reviewed; The personnel committee will be brought back and salaries reviewed. Most issues with salaries have been fixed but review will be needed.
· Hybrid libraries .
· Is the Gibson Library move going to happen? Budget-wise and service-wise how will Henderson Libraries be affected? John Simmons said he hopes there is some clarification on the Gibson Library situation before the Board strategic planning session. The new city manager will be announced Oct. 2. It is Tom Fay’s goal to have an answer by the planning session. Richard Derrick said it would be helpful to have public feedback for strategic planning. Tom Fay said this will be key to budgeting and will be addressed in January. Richard Derrick said future resources should be considered: where funding will be coming from, whether a tax initiative is a good idea. Tom Fay replied that 2011 would be the soonest Henderson Libraries could consider a tax initiative with all the new projects coming online. It may be possible to leverage future revenues better and this will be reviewed to stretch the resources further.
Herb Hunter suggested having the Board Strategic Planning Retreat at PF Changs on October 19th. The retreat will be held from 12-4 p.m. Tom Fay said there will probably be another planning session in March. Herb Hunter will try to arrange the meeting room at PF Changs for 15 people.
Announcements
The next Board meeting will be held on October 18, 2007 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, Nevada. Tom Fay noted that this meeting may need to be moved to October 25th due to audit requirements. The Board will be notified.
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 8:38 a.m.
Pursuant to NRS 241.020, written notice of the meeting of Henderson District Public Libraries’ Board of Trustees was posted by Friday, September 14, 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 HDPL website.