CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by President Sue Reinke. Also attending were Jane Callahan, Chris Colby, Ed Haskell, John Hunziker, Mark Neville, Harry Swedlund, Joanne Swenson, and Joyce Wenz.
Others present: Audrey Betcher, Library Director; Carrie Farrow, Director of Communications; and Kathy Shimek Olson, Administrative Assistant.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion by Ed Haskell, seconded by Mark Neville, to approve the minutes from the meeting of February 22, 2006. Motion carried.
FIRST QUARTER TREASURER'S REPORT
Kathy Olson reviewed the first quarter treasurer's report. The majority of revenue, over $13,000, was proceeds from Wit, Wisdom & Wine. There was also $1,000 for Storytime Kits, and almost $4,000 in fund drive proceeds. Expenses were mainly from Wit, Wisdom & Wine, and the December newsletter. Disbursements to the library included approximately $20,000 in 2005 fund drive proceeds, $2,300 in earnings from the Book-A-Year endowment, and $4,500 from memorial gifts.
Motion by Ed Haskell, seconded by Chris Colby, to accept the First Quarter Treasurer's Report. Motion carried.
In conjunction with preparation of the 2005 tax return, staff at McGladrey are recommending that the Board adopt a Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure of Certain Assets. A sample policy was provided.
Motion by Ed Haskell, seconded by Chris Colby, that Board members will be asked to sign a suitable policy regarding conflicts of interest.
Mark Neville volunteered to review the proposed policy.
Motion carried.
LIBRARY BOARD AND DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Audrey Betcher reported that the DVD Lock-A-Shelf system is in place in the children's and adult areas and is working well. There have been some minor glitches which are being addressed. The library is a development partner on this system, and it has taken more time than originally anticipated to implement the system.
Since this building opened in 1995, it has been maintained out of the operating budget. The Library Board is in the process of looking at a long-range plan to get bigger replacement items scheduled in the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). We are also looking at a sorting system so that as items are returned they are automatically checked in and rough sorted. Such a system will remove two staff touches on each item returned. With a circulation of 1.5 million items per year that will free up a lot of staff time that can be used to return items to the shelf in a more timely manner.
The Library Board is also reviewing a long-range concept on addressing some of the issues faced by this building such as noise, the long skyway route to enter the building, adding a coffee shop, etc. An architectural firm has been hired to review the issues and we are currently waiting for cost estimates.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Advocacy: has not met.
Finance: has not met. The Committee will be meeting with David Koch, Windsor Financial, before the next Board meeting to review the endowment fund.
Development: Staff is working on putting together information on possible business sponsorships of programs, databases, etc. The purpose would be to augment funding for the library and build partnerships with local businesses.
We have held ten "Library Tours With Audrey" since late January, attended by approximately forty people. These tours are not just about the fundraising side but to get people engaged in what the library is doing and supportive of our work. Each Board member is asked to invite two people per month to attend a tour. Once the Board member has made the initial contact, Carrie will follow-up and schedule the tour.
Chris suggested that the tours be submitted as a possible topic in the Chamber newsletter.
We are planning on two mail campaigns this year: one in the spring geared towards raising funds for materials, and one in the fall focusing on raising funds for the endowment.
Special Events: The committee has begun initial discussions on a possible summer fundraising event, possibly in conjunction with Rochesterfest. The committee will continue to investigate the possibilities.
At its next meeting, the committee will be discussing a donor recognition event, to be held in the fall. We also need to start brainstorming on ideas for speakers for Wit, Wisdom & Wine 2007, to be held Saturday, January 13, 2007.
NEXT MEETING DATE
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, 2006, at 4:45 p.m. Committees should meet prior to that date and be prepared to report progress.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Joanne Swenson
Secretary