Central Library Community Room

Patrick Markey, Chair (presiding)
Commissioners Barbara Garvey, Madeline Landrau, Sheila McElwaine, Vera O'Connor, Rudy Ruggeri.

Absent: Commissioner Craig Givens

Emily Bader, Director
Lee Fogarty, Assistant Director
Janet Stupak, Volunteer Coordinator (minute taker)

Call to order:

5:31 p.m.

1. Opening reading

Commissioner O'Connor.

2. Minutes of the June 6, 2007 Meeting

Commissioner McElwaine moved, with Commissioner Garvey providing the second, to accept the minutes of the June 6, 2007 meeting of the Springfield Library Board of Commissioners with two corrections. These corrections as proposed by Ms. McElwaine and seconded by Ms. Garvey:

Wording corrected to

3. Library Advisory Committee Reports: This group now has about 14 members who hope to meet monthly in order to promote library programs and bring ideas from the community to the attention of library staff.

And in the same section wording corrected to:

and reminded Ms. Ondricek that the advisory committee has the construction schedule and will be getting minutes of the construction meetings.

The motion passed.

3. Library Advisory Committee Reports:

East Forest Park: Kathy Garron told the Commission about their plans to host informational Senior Seminars, including presentations by financial advisors. They are also concerned about Internet safety. Their next meeting is planned for August 7th at 6:00 p.m.

Central Library: Linda-Jo Perks, as a representative of this advisory group, first expressed their desire to increase library services to those with very low incomes. The Salvation Army has set up a bulletin board with library programming information at their emergency food pantry. This advisory group would like to see an "amnesty" once or twice a year for overdue fines and fees. Also suggested was a donation of canned goods instead of book charges. The Salvation Army would also like to host volunteer readers to read to children at their site. Director Bader agreed that this would be a match for the Library's current STARR outreach reading program.

4. Commission Sub-Committee Reports:

Policy- finalize circulation policies

Facilities-

Judy Cmero, Manager of Borrowers' Services, spoke to the Commission regarding the library purge policy, explaining that the goal is for delinquent users to be held accountable for fines and bills. Ms. Cmero went over her draft in detail. She asked that the "cut-off date" refer only to year rather than month, so all "July" references will be deleted in the final policy document.

Ms. Garvey proposed approval of the changes and Ms. McElwaine seconded the motion.

Commissioner Ruggeri made a motion to then adopt the Purge Policy document and Commissioner Landrau seconded.

The motion passed.

Ms. McElwaine asked that the Purge Policy be posted on the Library Website.

Commissioner McElwaine voiced concern about the sign at the Mason Square Branch Library that states, "Parking for Urban League Only." Director Bader will telephone Henry Thomas to again ask that the sign be changed to reflect the fact that library patrons may legally park in that lot.

Parking at Central Library was also discussed, with Ms. Bader agreeing to look into temporary signage and report back to the Commission.

Work is going forward at Forest Park Branch Library.

5. Proposal to appoint a liaison to the Friends of the Library

Following conversations with a few Friends of the Library members, Chairman Markey believes that this group would like to maintain their independence. Since Ms. Bader regularly attends the Friends of the Library meetings it was suggested that perhaps she could be the Library Commission's contact person, in order to provide information on the Friend's planned events and programs.

6. Director's Report:

FY08 Budget-

FY07/08 Action Plan Final Report-

Ms. Fogarty distributed a budget and revenue document and explained that in the past the City Budget Document reflected all revenues, general fund appropriation as well as non-general fund revenues. The city's new Munis Financial Software System does not allow a non-general fund offset and can only reflect the general fund revenues. As a result the City Budget Document may appear confusing, reflecting decreases in various budget lines. She explained the details and that there is actually an overall increase of 8.5%.

Commissioners suggested that Ms. Fogarty's document be posted on the City's Website.

Ms. Bader went over some of the highlights of the Action Plan, including but not limited to:

the re-design of the Library Website to be completed in a few months; the success of the Massachusetts Service Alliance grant funded expansion of the Library-in-Your-Mailbox program; the designation of the Central Library as a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center; and the upgrades to East Springfield Branch Library.

7. Chairman's Report:

Contracting Process-

Mason Square Branch Library-

The Commissioners each received a copy of a letter from the City Law Department explaining the liability of signing contracts as a Library Commissioner.

The favored site of the Site Selection Committee is Muhammads Mosque with their second choice being the old Mason Square Fire Station.

8. Other Business:

None

9. Adjournment:

It was moved by Ms. Garvey and seconded by Mr. Ruggeri to adjourn.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:22 p.m.