Present:   Alice Winn, Robert Dilts, Lisa Perrault, Nora von Stange, Lee Ann Podruch, Kip Roberson

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:25 p.m.

 

Robert Dilts will supervise a foliage sub-committee in consultation with Jeff Haddock of Gardenside Nursery.  The sub-committee’s task will be to investigate, design and implement planting of foliage near the entry way to the Library. 

 

LeeAnn Podruch reported on matters discussed at the Town Official’s Educational Conference presentations for library trustees.  Kip Roberson previously provided each Trustee with an updated Manual for Vermont Library Trustees that was circulated at the training session.  LeeAnn noted that among the regulations with which trustees should be compliant is the requirement that draft meeting minutes be available in a public place five days following each meeting.  LeeAnn related a number of suggestions for programming and events to raise community awareness of, and participation in, libraries’ offerings, including hosting a booth at events such as community farmers markets to sell used books that have been made available for sale, and to distribute library cards.  It was also recommended that library staff and boards identify various constituent groups in order to create programming of potential interest, for example hunting and fishing, war history, home decorating and death and dying.

 

 

Lisa Perrault presented Treasurer’s reports for the period ending April 30, 2008.  She reported that despite low interest rates on CD investments, the Library’s finances in line with budgetary expectations and that there are no financial concerns at this time.  Funds designated for materials acquisition for the present fiscal year, which ends in July, have been nearly expended primarily for books and also for audio materials.

 

 

Lisa Perrault moved to approve the minutes of the April Trustees’ meeting and LeeAnn Podruch seconded the motion.  Amendments were noted and the minutes were approved as amended by vote of the Trustees.

 

Bob Dilts moved to approve a resolution regarding a temporary amendment of the Bylaws; Lee Ann Podruch seconded the motion.  The matter was discussed by the Trustees and the following Resolution was adopted by a quorum of the Board, with Alice Winn and Lisa Perrault abstaining from the vote: 

 

WHEREAS, by vote of the Trustees of the Trustees of the Pierson Library on April 9, 2008, Paragraph 1 of Section 2 of the BYLAWS of the Pierson Library (the “Bylaws”) was amended to provide that the Board of Trustees shall consist of seven  members from the community; and

           

WHEREAS, in the year 2008-2009, because of current term expirations and the increase in the size of the Board, the addition of four new Trustees is required; and

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees desire (i) to fulfill the intent of the Bylaws by structuring the terms of the expanded Board of Trustees so that they are “alternating,” and (ii) to facilitate and encourage an orderly transition to a seven member board by maintaining an interim core of experienced Trustees to continue in leadership positions,

 

UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, it is hereby RESOLVED by vote of a quorum of the Trustees, with Alice Winn and Lisa Perrault abstaining, that

 

            1.  Paragraph 4 of Section 2 of the Bylaws[1] is suspended as provided below, for a period of two years until March 2010;

 

            2.  Alice Winn is nominated by the Board of Trustees to serve a transitional term of one year ending March 2009;

 

            3.  Lisa Perrault is nominated by the Board of Trustees to serve a transitional term of two years ending March 2010;

 

            4.  the foregoing provisions (the “Transitional Provisions”) shall expire by their terms on March 2010, at which time the pre-existing Paragraph 4 of Section 2 shall govern; and

           

            5.  the Transitional Provisions shall be effective as of March 2008.

 

           

May 20, 2008

                                                                        RESOLVED.

 

                                                                        Robert Dilts, Trustee

                                                                        LeeAnn Podruch, Trustee

                                                                        Nora von Stange, Trustee

 

 

 

Kip Roberson reported that there was an increase in circulation in April 2008 as compared to April 2007. 

 

A software upgrade has been completed.  Although certain minor enhancements to the online catalog resulted, the hoped for advanced reporting options did not come to fruition.  The staff is in the process of inputting all titles on order into the online catalog so that patrons can readily see what titles are on order and place a hold on those titles.  The goal is to provide patrons with as much self-service access as possible.

 

Kip reported on the development of an open source online catalog system, known as the Koha Project, to replace the current systems used by the Pierson Library and others.  The new system will include acquisitions, serials, circulation and cataloging modules.  Kip has been able to arrange for the Library to become part of the beta program as one of the first libraries to go live with the system.  More information on the Koha Project may be found at koha.org or at the Nelsonville, OH public library’s online catalogue.  Maine and Massachusetts are attempting to create a statewide catalog system using koha.

 

The staff will be meeting this week to discuss, among other things, scheduling and service efficiency, and recruitment and training of volunteers.

 

The downloadable audio books are being well received.

 

The three upstairs public use computers have been reconfigured to better serve the patrons, and Kip has designed a system to facilitate better understanding of computer availability and supervision of time limits.  The downstairs computers will receive similar treatment.  One of the public access catalogs has been relocated to the fiction areas

 

New library cards, funded by the Friends of the Library, are available at the front desk.

 

Kip will proceed to schedule a comprehensive ‘spring cleaning’ of the Library by a professional cleaning company. 

 

The Trustees praised the recent columns in the Shelburne News regarding the Library.  A solicitation for persons to join the Board of Trustees will appear next week.

 

The matter of personnel evaluations, including the format for presenting evaluations, was discussed. 

 

Persons who may be interested in serving terms as Trustees were discussed and follow-up calls will be made for the purpose of scheduling candidate interviews on June 4^th.

 

Election of officers for the forthcoming year will be an agenda item for the Trustees’ June 11^th meeting. 

 

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                                    Nora von Stange