SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Minutes of Meeting – July 16, 2001
These minutes are for informational purposes only. For official minutes please contact the Town Clerk’s Office.
PRESENT: Bert Kaplan, Anne Erickson, Babs Gardner, Charmaine Glew, and Gail Ryan. Staff: Susan Bullock, Director; Eileen Sickinger, Recording Secretary. Friends Liaison: Martha Mitterling.
The meeting was called to order at 7:40 P.M. by Gail Ryan, Chairperson. The minutes of the June 16, 2001 Special Meeting were approved as presented. There were no additional agenda items and no public audience.
COMMUNICATIONS: Mrs. Ryan shared a flyer from the N.E. Leadership Conference and one from Libratects on a workshop on Renovations of an Old School into a Public Library. Mrs. Bullock had the minutes of the July 2nd meeting of the Public Building Committee with information on the architect’s contract and surveys for the Library’s building plan. She also shared an article from the Wall Street Journal on the Seattle Public Library with some of the ideas they have encountered and rejected in the preparation of a new building.
A letter from Test Communications, Inc. will be directed to the Public Building Committee.
COMMITTEE REPORTS: Personnel: Mrs. Bullock had the forms for her evaluation.
Friends: Martha Mitterling reported that Laura Reilly, Membership Chairperson, will have a townwide mailing in September with the primary purpose of increasing membership. Bev Payne is seeking a Web master for Friends and asks to be contacted if anyone knows someone who might be interested. The annual book sale is scheduled for September 8th & 9th. Books are being collected at the Historical Society.
At a recent conference Bert Kaplan obtained valuable information on fundraising. He is passing it along to Friends.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT: Since Mrs. Bullock had just returned from vacation there was no written report. She did report on the final circulation stats for last year and the end-of-year report. Technical Services reported a total of 9,670 books added to the collection – of these 735 were donated.
The teenage reading summer program has approximately 100 participants while there are 120 in the adult program.
An LCD Projector has been purchased with funds from Friends, at a cost of about $3500. A digital camera was an extra bonus with the purchase. Board members expressed their gratitude and suggested that a flyer accompany the projector stating it is a gift of the Friends. It was the consensus of the Board that the projector and camera not leave the building and when used by the public it will be under the supervision of the staff.
Also from Friends, a new sound system has been purchased from Martocchio Music in Avon. Mr. Martocchio is supervising the installation and the system will be used both inside and outside the building.
Mrs. Bullock also reported that while she was away she received a memo from Ann-Marie Kaminsky regarding the behavior of a 12-year old student who has been disruptive while at the Library. A frequent user of the computers, he recently changed the settings on a computer and it took a town technician over two hours to correct the damage. As a result, this student will not be allowed to use the Library’s computers and the Board was in agreement with this decision.
BUILDING PROGRAM: Mrs. Bullock distributed copies of the architect’s revised plans. His contract has been settled. Mrs. Ryan spoke with Mr. Cutler regarding the changes and the Public Building Committee requested the Library Board’s approval of the changes. Discussion and review of the schematics followed. On the Main Level, areas reviewed were the computer instruction room changed to more of a classroom setting. In the Administrative Offices, more privacy for the secretary will be provided and the Director’s office will have more space. Also, there was an addition of one more station at the circulation desk, as well as a change in the automatic door.
On the Lower Level, there was a change in the automatic in/out door. The windows in the Program Room facing Hopmeadow Street were corrected to a more balanced appearance and also the recess and archway were balanced to mirror the current archway.
Bert Kaplan moved that the Library Board accept the architect’s schematics for changes to the building plans, as reviewed on July 16, 2001. Second: Babs Gardner. There was further discussion and it was generally felt that the building would have a more balanced look. In the Children’s Room there will be three stations with the possibility of an additional one added in the future, if it is deemed necessary. Mr. Cutler has asked that Mrs. Patrina request from the Building Committee their approval of the 21,300 square footage. While the original increase was to be 19,000 square feet, this extra footage is in the basement. It will be much cheaper to dig the larger basement at the time of construction and will not significantly add to the cost of construction. If the extra footage is not
added at construction time, obviously the basement will be smaller and there will be less storage space. Once the Library Board approves these changes, only the Building Committee can make changes. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion.
Gail Ryan will represent the Library Board at the Public Building Committee Meetings.
Mrs. Gardner questioned the delay in the architect’s contract and it was explained there were many meetings and different committees involved, causing a lengthy time period before the contract was finalized.
FUNDRAISING: Carol Bingham was to obtain a prospectus from Clemow & Associates. Since she is on vacation this will be discussed further at the next meeting. Mrs. Bullock received an e-mail from a gentleman in Essex, NJ, seeking information on our architect’s plans for the new addition. She will check with Mr. Cutler about how to proceed. The gentleman had seen information regarding the building plans on the Library’s website.
BUDGET 2001-2001: Mrs. Bullocks has not seen any printouts upon her return. Mrs. Glew had been asked about the Saturday 1:00 P.M. closing. This has been done for a long time based on the poor attendance on Saturday afternoons. Money has not been budgeted for these hours for many years. Mrs. Bullock suggested that whenever a Board member receives a question such as this, if the party is interested in a change, they should put it in writing. During the recent survey on Library services most people showed a preference for Sunday openings in the Fall.
At 8:40 P.M. Bert Kaplan moved for adjournment. Second: Babs Gardner. So moved.
Anne Erickson, Secretary
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