Agenda Item E - Committee Reports.

Agenda Item E.1 - Executive Committee. Ms. Panty reported that the Executive Committee meeting on September 13th included the appointment of the new committee on partnerships and naming rights and the items on today’s agenda.

Agenda Item E.2 - Budget & Finance Committee.

Agenda Item E.2.1 - Amendment to 2001 Budget - Transfer County Legislator Member Aid. Deputy Director Ken Stone reported that Legislator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has sponsored a Member Aid item for the Town of Newstead Public Library as indicated in Resolution 2001-48. On motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Ms. Summer, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2001-48

WHEREAS, Legislator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has sponsored a member aid item designating a total of $54,900 to benefit the Newstead Public Library’s new building construction project, and

WHEREAS, Legislators strong support for the community’s public libraries is greatly appreciated and helps the libraries support a great deal of use, and

WHEREAS, Erie County’s Director of Budget, Management and Finance agreed in writing to provide this funding via reducing actual Department of Information and Support Services (DISS) interfund charges to the Library by $54,900, making the proceeds available for transfer to the new Newstead Public Library (currently known as the Denio Memorial Library), and

WHEREAS, to implement this member aid item, a budget transfer and contract amendment are needed, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully accept this proposal, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approve a budget transfer within the 2001 budget as follows:

TO:Library Amount Use SFG#

Newstead -$54,900 Building Project Expenses 830-154

TRANSFERRED FROM SFG #:880-5100 (Interfund DISS)

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes the Board Chair to execute a contract amendment with the Denio Memorial Library (now known as the Newstead Public Library) Board to transfer the funds as noted above.

Agenda Item E.2.b - Amend 2001 Budget. LSTA Grant: "Library Involvement for Teens." Mr. Stone indicated that the Library Involvement for Teens (LIFT) grant emphasizes service to teens in libraries within the City of Buffalo. On motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Ms. Summer the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2001-49

WHEREAS, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is a federal program administered by the State of New York to provide targeted assistance on a project basis, and

WHEREAS, the Library’s proposed "LIFT (Library Involvement for Teens)" project was awarded an LSTA 2001/2002 grant in the amount of $52,571, and

WHEREAS, the Library wishes to add funds to the grant budget to reflect this new grant, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees amends the grants budget adding grant revenues and expenditures totaling $52,571 for the 2001/2002 LIFT (Library Involvement for Teens) Grant

Agenda Item E.2.c - Monthly Financial Report. The Monthly Financial Report for the period ending July 31, 2001 was included for information.

Agenda Item E.3 - Building Committee. Mr. Zagora indicated that Director Chrisman will include information pertaining to the Building Committee under Agenda Item J.3.

Agenda Item E.4 - Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. Ms. Mahoney reported that Alan DeLisle, President of the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation, attended the Committee’s meeting on September 18th. Committee members appreciated Mr. DeLisle’s attendance as they attempt to work with community leaders on projects, such as the new North Jefferson Library.

Agenda Item F - Report of the Director. Ms. Chrisman called attention to her written report, which now includes information supplied by the deputy directors in a more streamlined format.

Ms. Chrisman reported that she attended a meeting of the Western New York Library Resources Council on September 19th and heard that prospects for increased State aid funding for this year are virtually nonexistent.

Ms. Chrisman announced with great joy the birth of Trustee Annette Juncewicz’s daughter, Mira Anastazja Olma, on September 11th at 5:14 p.m.

The following report was submitted by the Director and transmitted to Board members prior to the meeting:

Change in Board Report: With this month’s report to the Board of Trustees, the format will change slightly in that the Director will issue one report, which includes items from the entire administrative team. The new method is an effort to streamline the Library’s reporting mechanism.

Clarence Library Dedication: On September 7th, public officials, Clarence community members and B&ECPL staff and trustees, including Board Chair Daniel Roach, Judith Summer, Elaine Panty, Rebecca Mahoney and Stanley Zagora, attended the dedication ceremony of the new Clarence Library. Also present were Senator Mary Lou Rath and Assemblywoman Sandra Lee Wirth. The new library is located at Three Town Place and features both aesthetic details and state-of-the art technology. Presenters for the evening included the Honorable Daniel Herberger, Town of Clarence Supervisor; Jane Sweet, Clarence Board of Trustees President; the Honorable Thomas Reynolds, U.S. Congressman; Carl Calabrese, Erie County Deputy County Executive; the Honorable Michael Ranzenhofer, Erie County Legislator; Michael Chadwick, Project Architect; Clayt Ertel, Clarence Library Fund for Tomorrow Chairman; Marie Robillard, Clarence Public Library Director and the Director. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees were invited to tour the library’s beautiful and inviting interior. The library opened its doors to the public on September 10th. Congratulations to all involved with this project!

Central Library Space Design Study: Five architectural firms submitted proposals for the space design study that will be funded by the John R. Oishei Foundation through the Library Foundation of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. Two excellent proposals were within the budget parameters of the grant and staff subsequently interviewed both firms. Members of the Board’s Building Committee, Chair Stanley Zagora, Judith Summer and Sharon Thomas, participated in the September 5th interview. Final selection of a space designer/planner is expected soon.

Summer Cyber Camp Attracts Hundreds of Enthusiastic Students: During July and August, B&ECPL’s first Summer Cyber Camp educated and entertained vacationing students at library locations in every corner of Erie County. When the program concluded on August 31st, a total of 617 students had attended 181 sessions at 34 libraries. Students entering grades 4 through 8 had the opportunity to learn computer basics and Microsoft Word, receive an introduction to safe Internet surfing, and search the Library’s web catalog and informational databases via the Library’s Cyber Trains. Cyber Camp staff included 15 college students working as computer technicians and trainers along with three library school students acting as team leaders. Erie County Legislators, including Charles Swanick, Lynn Marinelli and Jeanne Chase, visited classes in their neighborhoods to witness firsthand this unique learning opportunity. The Library’s website now includes photos from the class sessions, as well as thank-you letters to Erie County Legislators, explaining what the young people learned and why they enjoyed the sessions so much.

Librarians Carol Batt, Chris Moesch, Mary Ann Ozimek and the summer staff did a great job making computer education fun. Three traveling teams offered quality programs that were well received by students, parents and staff. A North Collins student wrote: "What I liked best about Cyber Camp was being able to use the laptops, Encarta, the Internet, and learning how to use databases. I liked everything!" A student from Elma wrote: "I liked going on the computer and the way the teachers made learning fun!" and a student from Fronczak wrote: "I liked learning new stuff to work with at home." An Orchard Park mother wrote: "WOW! My son just finished your Cyber Camp and loved it! It was the most excited I have ever seen him about learning. He begged to go early and stay late every day of the camp. He would run from the car to the front door of the library. The staff was wonderful and really encouraged my son. I just wanted you to know how WONDERFUL this program was. I really don’t have enough good things to say about it. Thank you very much!"

Library staff also offered favorable feedback. Hamburg wrote: "The workshops were planned with attention to clear logical content with plenty of fun to keep the kids engaged." And North Jefferson wrote: "The children were very excited about the program. At least half of them came up after a session to use the computers and practice what they learned. They were especially proud to receive a computer disk." Most libraries have requested that the program be conducted again next summer, and many are requesting that we expand our offerings and provide similar training for adults -- especially seniors.

Youth Resource Center Computers on the Way: With the completion of software selections in August, Youth Resource Center deployment shifted into high gear. A prototype of the default home page has been designed and the desktop program configuration has been approved. By testing the model in Central’s Children’s Department some refinements and improvements have been made prior to rollout. The target date for unveiling is late September or early October. More details will follow.

Battle of the Books: Although the record-breaking turnout and successful teams were reported last month, it is appropriate to recognize others who made the Battle of the Books such an outstanding event. Thanks go to the many library staff, including branch and contract library personnel, the Office of System Public Service and the Central Library’s Children’s Department, who contributed their energies and expertise to this excellent program and special thanks to the Library Foundation of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. for its continuing sponsorship and support.

B&ECPL’s New Mobile Unit Hits the Road: On August 7th, B&ECPL’s new Bookmobile rolled onto the streets of Western New York. Customers were delighted with the new trailer, which prominently displays the B&ECPL logo and web site URL. A special feature of the new bookmobile is a wheelchair lift, which makes the trailer accessible to all.

B&ECPL Catalog Features New Information Source: Today, in addition to records of traditional library resources, the B&ECPL catalog provides citations and links for Internet web sites. "DartClix," a new service from Brodart provides monthly files on CD-ROM containing records for "high quality, reputable web sites" that appeal to the general public. Once the file is loaded into the B&ECPL database, a single search of the catalog retrieves all relevant material, including these web sites. A "click" on a URL takes the patron from the catalog directly to the Internet site where information resides. The records are full MARC records that meet the AACR2 cataloging standard. Brodart investigates sites that are found to be extinct or faulty, so they can be updated or reported to the Library for deletion, thereby maintaining the Library’s reputation for delivering reliable information service.

Central Library Hosts Patent Workshop: On August 5th and 6th, the Central Library hosted a customer outreach program conducted by staff of the US Patent Office. Attorneys, law firm support staff, representatives of research and development companies, and a few independent inventors from the Buffalo and Rochester areas attended to learn about the American Inventors’ Protection Act. Instructors were pleased by the turnout: 59 on Monday and 62 on Tuesday. B&ECPL patent specialist, Kate Weeks, coordinated the many details that resulted in a highly successful event.

RBR Curator Assumes Consultant Role: B&ECPL’s Rare Book Curator William Loos has reluctantly agreed to remove himself from day-to-day Rare Book Room activities to devote himself to recording for posterity the many anecdotes of Rare Book Room history and holdings that only he knows, and sharing this information through formal presentations. With this reorganization of duties, Mr. Loos has been able to prepare a two-hour slide/ lecture series for staff, entitled, "Selected Treasures from the Library’s Rare Book Room and the Mark Twain Collection." Curator Loos’ focus will be to develop publications and exhibits related to this Library’s extraordinary collection. Loos has been outfitted with his own computer workstation so he can compose undisturbed in a new -- and larger -- office on the second floor near the Library Foundation offices. He will continue to serve as mentor to Elaine Barone, manager of Special Collections, as she assumes oversight of staff involved in the retrospective conversion (RECON) project.

Do-It-Yourself: The B&ECPL is poised to introduce self-check out in the Audubon and Clarence Libraries. After the patron scans his/her card, the fully integrated 3-M system accesses the circulation files and confirms borrowing privileges. Once approved, the borrower is guided through the check out process. The system verifies the items, checks them out, desensitizes the security strip, and prints a receipt in a matter of seconds. This new technology is expected to result in a more streamlined workflow and a more efficient and productive use of staff in two of the B&ECPL’s busiest libraries.

Library Joins in Celebration of African Dance: On September 17th, the North Jefferson Branch Library, in cooperation with the UB Center for the Arts and Eager Artists Theatre Company of Durban, South Africa, joined in a presentation of "The Living Room Project." The presentation for both children and adults, was entitled, "African Journey Through Dance."

Mason O. Damon Auditorium Becomes Pan-Am Recording Studio: B&ECPL Music Librarian Raya Then has completed a thirty six-page booklet entitled, "Pan-American Exposition, a Bird’s Eye View of Sights and Sounds." On August 3rd, QRS Music Rolls and Crosswater Productions recorded the CD featuring the Library’s legendary Steinway piano. Although Ms. Then had children in mind when she conceived this project, she notes that the booklet/CD set is suitable for all ages. The project involved the cooperation of several public and private community institutions: BPO, UB, BECHS, Canisius College, QRS Music Rolls and Boncraft Printing. Publication release date is September 20th.

Central Library Civil Defense Room: Erie County has initiated a feasibility study for conversion of a portion of the CD Room, located beneath the front entry ramp, for access to and storage of Surrogate’s Court records. Should the project prove feasible, Surrogate’s Court, not the Library, would operate the space and pay all associated costs. One element of the project that would benefit both the Library and the Court would be the installation of an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant elevator in an existing shaft near the Washington Street entrance. The elevator would serve the Court space, the Auditorium, and the two public floors of the Central Library. The County, as building owner, is very interested in creating a win-win project for both the Library and the Court. The Erie County Public Works Department will provide a briefing at a future board meeting.

Meeting with Town of Clarence and Clarence Library Officials: Deputy Director Ken Stone met with Clarence Supervisor Daniel Herberger and other town officials, Clarence Library Board President Jane Sweet, and Clarence Library Director Marie Robillard to discuss the operational/capital funding relationships of the Town, the Clarence Library Board, and the B&ECPL. The result was a better understanding of how the new facility will be operated and maintained.

Central Library Energy Performance Contracting Options: Erie County has recently contracted with Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. to study and recommend opportunities to improve county building energy efficiency, using the savings obtained to pay for the cost of improvements. Several opportunities for improvements at the Central Library will be explored (complementing the many improvements already undertaken over the past three years).

E-Rate Certifications for New Funding Year: B&ECPL has received notice of funding approval for the requested new T-1 lines to all libraries and all contracting library telephone service (for the E-Rate Year 4, which began on July 1, 2001). Notices on requests for Internet Access, frame relay, and Central/Buffalo branch phone service have not been received yet. In order to receive E-Rate funding for Internet access, the B&ECPL must prepare certifications from all libraries receiving E-Rate discounted Internet access services that they are "undertaking actions" to comply with the "Children’s Internet Protection Act" (CIPA).

To address this issue, the B&ECPL Board of Trustees on May 17, 2001 passed Resolution 2001-31 "Direction to Staff, CIPA Implementation." This resolution was transmitted to each contracting library as part of the May board minutes. Additionally, CIPA compliance and related activities were discussed at the June 23, 2001 meeting of the Association of Contracting Library Trustees. The resolution satisfies the "undertaking actions" requirement, as does the briefing at the ACT meeting.

The necessary forms and certifications will be submitted in time to ensure full funding retroactive to July 1, 2001.

Fronczak Branch HVAC Replacement Project Underway: Maintenance Department staff has been meeting with the contractor hired by the City of Buffalo to perform work on the first part of this City capital project, replacing the boiler. The current boiler, original to the building, was not expected to survive the winter. The new boiler will be operational in time to provide energy efficient heating for this winter. This portion of the project will cost approximately $19,000. Work to replace the equally deteriorated air conditioning system is expected to begin in the spring.

Agenda Item G - Report of the Foundation Director. In addition to her written report, which contained information regarding the Mark Twain Writing Contest, Mason O. Damon Auditorium Renovation, Second Chance Program, Grosvenor Concert Series, Collins Public Library and B&ECPL Funding Support, Ms. Vedder encouraged trustees to attend the October 13th Writing Competition celebration.

Agenda Item H - Public Comment. No Public comment.

Agenda Item I - Unfinished Business. No unfinished business.

Agenda Item J - New Business.

Agenda Item J.1 - Request to Library Foundation: Funding of Librarian I position. Assistant Deputy Director Ruth Collins informed the Board that this request would allow the continuation of an existing Library Foundation grant, which includes funds that will be exhausted at/or before the end of 2001. Approval of Resolution 2001-50 would allow the Library to retain a Librarian I for an additional two years so that the rare book access project can be brought to a successful conclusion. This will mean all rare book holdings will be listed in the electronic catalog, a tremendous backlog of gift materials will be added to the collection and listed in the catalog, presentations will be developed for sharing with the public and exhibitions can be planned for the new exhibit areas that will result from the proposed space design for the Central Library. Hopefully, traveling exhibits throughout the County can be prepared as well. On motion by Ms. Mahoney and seconded by Ms. Summer, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2001-50

WHEREAS, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL) Board of Trustees has endorsed the goal of making the Central Library a unique downtown destination through support and promotion of its distinctive rare book collection, and

WHEREAS, the Library Foundation has been an enthusiastic supporter of projects that make this prestigious library collection more accessible to the public, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library request that the Library Foundation designate funds in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for the continuation of the Rare Book Access Project through December of 2003.

Agenda Item J.2 - Request to Library Foundation: Appreciation for Participation in "Count for Something." Ms. Collins informed trustees that accountability is increasingly important in the work environment and is mandated internally in the B&ECPL planning document, Expanding Horizons, by its emphasis on performance standards. In order to more accurately and consistently measure usage of B&ECPL facilities, a program called "Count for Something" has been initiated. Sixty-two staff members and other volunteers constitute a team which that will sample in-library use of materials and monitor reference transactions in 51 library buildings. Because it is critical to ensure uniformity and avoid bias, samplers trained in procedures and processes will collect data in libraries other than their own units.

The Library would like to recognize the efforts of these participants in a wrap-up session where refreshments will be served and tokens of appreciation presented. Ms. Panty moved adoption of Proposed Resolution 2001-51 and Ms. Thomas seconded the motion.

During discussion, Mr. Plache indicated that he approved of had no problem with the expenditure, but questioned why the Library is asking the Foundation for the funds. He recalled that there have also been donations have been made directly to the Library and wondered why that money could not be used instead. Ms. Chrisman indicated that the bulk of the direct donations to the Library were United Way contributions which must be expended on specific projects in keeping with the United Way’s mission.

Discussion followed regarding Ms. Summer’s suggestion that the topic of donations for staff events be added to the agenda of the new committee. There being no After further discussion, as moved and seconded earlier, the following was approved by a vote of 9 to 1, with Mr. Plache opposing.

RESOLUTION 2001-51

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, in its planning document Expanding Horizons, mandated increased accountability by emphasizing performance standards, and

WHEREAS, the Library has initiated the "Count for Something" program to provide increased accuracy and uniformity in the collection of data measuring in-library use and reference transactions, and

WHEREAS, the program calls for a wrap-up session with refreshments and a token of appreciation to reward participating libraries or departments, now therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approves a request to the Library Foundation of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. to defray the cost of the wrap-up session and tokens of appreciation, not to exceed $900.

Agenda Item J.3 - Central Library Space Design Study. Ms. Chrisman reminded trustees that a number of years ago the John R. Oishei Foundation allocated $35,000 for a space design study of the Central Library to include a display area for rare books. In mid-July of 2001, the Library Foundation, on behalf of the B&ECPLBuffalo & Erie County Public Library, released a Request for Proposal to fund the Central Library Space Design Study. Library staff met with the firms which expressed interest and gave them a tour of the facility. Of the five firms whichthat submitted proposals, two were excellent and were invited to present their proposals to Library staff and Building Committee members. Building Committee members attended the first meeting, but, because of other commitments, could not attend the second one.

Following the meetings, Library staff visited several of the projects designed by the two firms and, after a great deal of discussion and with the support of the Building Committee, is recommendsing the firm of Habiterra Associates. This firm places great emphasis on discussion and communication and has indicated a willingness to meet with trustees.

During discussion on whether the staff’s recommendation required Board approval, Ms. Chrisman indicated that the Library Foundation has already approved the allocation of the funds provided by the Oishei Foundation, and she will report the Library’s decision regarding selection of the architect at the September 26th Foundation Board meeting.

Following further discussion, on motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Mr. Zagora the Board unanimously affirmed the engagement of Habiterra Associates to conduct the Central Library Space Design Study.

There being no further business, on motion by Ms. Summer and seconded by Mr. Wisbaum the meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Judith K. Summer, Secretary