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MEETING MINUTES

Minutes Regular Meeting of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees August 15, 2002

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library was held on Thursday, August 15, 2002 in the Central Library pursuant to due notice to trustees. The following members were present: Daniel T. Roach, Chairman; Elaine M. Panty, Vice Chair; William P. Brosnahan; Phyllis A. Horton; John B. Long; Rebecca L. Mahoney; Abdul H. Raoof, Ph.D.; Stanley H. Zagora; George M. Zimmermann, Trustee Emeritus

Absent: James W. Burns, ill; Annette A. Juncewicz; Judith K. Summer, out of town; Sharon A. Thomas; Raul Vazquez; Wayne D. Wisbaum, out of town

Chairman Roach called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. in the Joseph B. Rounds Conference Room.

Agenda Item B - Approval / Changes to the Agenda. The agenda was approved as presented.

Agenda Item C - Minutes of the Meeting of July 18, 2002. On motion by Ms. Horton and seconded by Ms. Panty, the Minutes of the meeting of July 18, 2002 were approved as mailed.

Agenda Item D - Report of the Chair. Mr. Roach informed the Board that he has appointed the following Trustees to join him on a Search Committee to find a replacement for Library Director Chrisman who announced her impending retirement at last month's meeting: Ms. Panty, Ms. Horton, Mr. Brosnahan, Ms. Summer, Ms. Mahoney and Trustees Emeritus Zimmermann and Plache. The first meeting of the Search Committee is scheduled for Monday, August 19th at 4 p.m. in the JBR Conference Room.

Agenda Item E - Committee Reports.

Agenda Item E.1 - Executive Committee. Ms. Panty reported that at its meeting on August 8th, the Executive Committee received a report from Deputy Director Ken Stone regarding items included on today's agenda. The Executive Committee approved Resolution 2002-47, Early Retirement Incentive program, which was included in Board members' packets and appears later in these Minutes. The Library's proposed 2003 budget and health care costs were also discussed.

Agenda Item E.2 - Budget & Finance Committee. In the absence of Chairman Burns, Mr. Stone presented the report of the Budget & Finance Committee.

Agenda Item E.2.a - Contract Library Transfers. On motion by Ms. Horton and seconded by Ms. Panty, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2002-48

WHEREAS, a request for budget transfers has been received from the Amherst Public Library, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approve transfers totaling $13,941 within the budget of the Amherst Public Library.

Agenda Item E.2.b - Amend 2002 Budget - County Legislature Member Aid. Mr. Stone informed the Board that this item was sponsored by Legislator DeBenedetti as indicated in the proposed resolution:

RESOLUTION 2002-49

WHEREAS, on July 18th, the Erie County Legislature adopted a resolution sponsored by Legislator DeBenedetti allocating monies totaling $20,000 to the benefit of the Niagara, North Park, Northwest, and Riverside Libraries, and

WHEREAS, the funds would be used to purchase book drops for the Riverside and Northwest Libraries, place external signs, similar to the new signs placed at Buffalo parks and entry points, at the Niagara, North Park, and Riverside Libraries, and make landscaping improvements at the Niagara, North Park and Riverside Libraries, and

WHEREAS, pursuant to an agreement entered into many years ago, Erie County is responsible for funding local branch libraries throughout Erie County, and

WHEREAS, libraries within Erie County are routinely in need of additional funds to provide services and materials to local patrons, and

WHEREAS, Legislators' strong support for the community's public libraries is greatly appreciated and helps the libraries support a great deal of use, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully accept the $20,000 from the County Legislature for the benefit of the Niagara, North Park, Northwest, and Riverside Libraries, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes a budget amendment to the 2002 Library budget to allocate revenues of $20,000 into SFG# 8209734206863200 (Inter-fund Subsidy) and expenditures into the following accounts: Building & Grounds Equipment - Book Drops (DAC820973420931) $5,000, Building & Grounds Equipment - External Signs (DAC820973420931) $7,500, and Maintenance Supplies- Landscaping improvements (DAC820973420816) $7,500, and be it further

RESOLVED, that should any funds be left over after completing these projects, any remaining balance would be transferred to the library materials account for the purchase of books or other library materials for these branches.

Agenda Item E.2.c - Federal Grant - Summer Cyber Camp 2002. The Library recently received a notice of award of Federal aid in the amount of $22,500 to support the Library's "Summer Cyber Camp" program. Congressman John J. LaFalce sponsored the award which will fund seasonal wages and fringe benefits for employees hired to conduct Internet training for students entering grades 4-8. On motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Ms. Horton, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2002-50

WHEREAS, the Library recently received an award of Federal aid in the amount of $22,500, sponsored by Congressman John J. LaFalce, to support the Library's "Summer Cyber Camp" program, and

WHEREAS, the Summer Cyber Camp program provides students entering grades 4-8 an opportunity to learn the Internet, the Library catalog, databases, and software programs during sessions scheduled at 41 libraries throughout the County, and

WHEREAS, the Library wishes to add funds to the grant budget to reflect these new revenues, and

WHEREAS, Congressman LaFalce's support for the community's public libraries is greatly appreciated, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully acknowledges Congressman John J. LaFalce's support for this worthy program, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approve a budget amendment to the 2002 budget to allocate revenues of $22,500 into SFG# 820973420684 (Misc. Federal Aid) and expenditures into SFG accounts, in the amounts and object accounts shown below:

Amount	Use	Library SFG#
$19,845	Seasonal Wages	820973420800
2,655	Fringe Benefits	820973420805
$22,500	TOTAL

Agenda Item E.2.d - Release of Private Funds for Central Library Space Design. Mr. Stone reminded Trustees that last month the Board adopted a resolution accepting the Central Library Space Design Study Report prepared by the Habiterra Design Group and authorizing B&ECPL Administration to take the steps required to advance the renovation program. This resolution would authorize the use of the Library's existing private funds to pay for the initial work activities which could begin as soon as possible after the contract has been awarded. Mr. Stone further reported that the executor of the estate, which is the primary source of the funds, was enthusiastic about the proposed project. Following discussion, on motion by Ms. Mahoney and seconded by Ms. Horton, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2002-51

WHEREAS, on July 18, 2002, the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library adopted Resolution 2002-46 accepting the Central Library Space Design Study Report prepared by the Habiterra Design Group and authorized B&ECPL Administration to take the steps required to advance the renovation program, and

WHEREAS, the proposed renovation has received a favorable response from the community and interested officials, and

WHEREAS, requests have been transmitted to Erie County to secure necessary public funds and will be submitted to the Library Foundation of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. to secure necessary private funds to undertake this project, and

WHEREAS, public budgeting schedules and the time required to raise private funds would likely delay the availability of funds until early to mid-2003, and

WHEREAS, a Request for Proposals will be issued in Fall 2002, and

WHEREAS, to enable project construction to begin during the 2003 "construction season," detailed planning, design development, engineering and construction bid document preparation would need to begin as soon as possible after the proposals have been received and the contract has been awarded, and

WHEREAS, the Library's private donation funds, held in trust by the Erie County Comptroller, are sufficient to allow this work to begin expeditiously, and

WHEREAS, the Library's early commitment of its private funds would underscore the importance of this project and support efforts to secure public and additional private funding, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes utilizing the Library's private trust funds for renovation activities, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Library Director be assigned to develop, in cooperation with the Erie County Department of Public Works, a Request for Proposals to identify qualified firms to undertake these tasks up to and including construction oversight, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library shall have final approval of the firm(s) to be selected for these activities.

Agenda Item E.2.e - Monthly Financial Report. The monthly financial statement for the period ending June 20, 2002 was received for information.

Before proceeding to the next agenda item, Mr. Roach welcomed former trustee, Remy Orffeo, who was in attendance on behalf of Assemblyman Paul Tokasz.

Agenda Item F - Report of the Director. Ms. Chrisman reported that the Library had begun landscaping at some city branches prior to Legislator DeBenedetti's allocation of funds to benefit the Niagara, North Park, Northwest and Riverside branches. She circulated pictures of B&ECPL's head gardener, Tim Tuminno, working on the gardens of the Mead Branch Library.

Ms. Chrisman called attention to today's Buffalo News which contains a letter to the editor praising the Library's "Battle of the Books" program. This is the fourth year for this program. Ms. Chrisman reported that she attended the first competition and was happy to see that there were seventeen observers in attendance at the very successful program.

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

Patrons Respond to New Services: Statistics show that the do-it-yourself services introduced by the B&ECPL through the new WEB Catalog at the end of June have been very popular with the Library's clientele. Patrons placed a total of 38,453 requests for material in the month of July. Of this total, patrons themselves, using the WEB catalog, placed 9,526 requests (35.6%). During the month, the busiest hour for do-it-yourself requests was between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. However, there was activity recorded as early as 1:00 a.m. and as late as midnight.

In the shadow of this success is the reality that the workload, particularly for the Shipping Department, has increased significantly. The Library's five delivery trucks have been loaded to the brim and in constant use. The part time Shipping staff has had to work extra hours to keep up with the additional load. If this activity continues, the Library will have to consider the allocation of additional staff and vehicles.

Like the new request service, online renewals, introduced in May 2001, are exceptionally popular. In July, patrons executed over 30,000 renewals through the catalog (nearly 1,000 per day!). This was in addition to the items renewed within the Library.

The System's circulation for the month of July has increased by more than 175,000 over June and by 70,000 more than last July. Circulation in libraries with buildings constructed in the last year has shown remarkable increases in July. Libraries in the towns of Newstead, Clarence, and Collins have seen a surge in circulation that totaled 72%, 73% and 42% respectively.

2003 Budget: On August 8th, members of the Board's Budget and Finance Committee met to review the budget instructions recently received from the County's Office of Budget, Management and Finance. Staff recommendations for a spending plan were analyzed and later discussed with members of the Executive Committee. The Board will receive a briefing at the August 15th meeting and will be asked to empower the Executive Committee to grant final approval. The budget must be submitted by August 30th.

Dora Irizarry Visits B&ECPL: Accompanied by trustee John Long, Judge Irizarry, candidate for the statewide office of Attorney General, met with Deputy Director Michael Mahaney and the Director on July 23rd to discuss the Library's Internet Safety and Acceptable Use Policy. She responded favorably to the measures adopted by the B&ECPL to ensure appropriate use of online resources.

Erie Community College/B&ECPL Cooperation: Deputy Director Michael Mahaney joined the Director in a meeting with William Mariani, President of Erie Community College, on July 17th. The purpose of the session was to explore ways in which the two institutions can develop cooperative initiatives. An agenda of topics for further deliberation and investigation will be developed to facilitate future discussion.

Battle of the Books: The 4th Annual "Battle" was held on August 3rd at Erie Community College South Campus. Funded by the Library Foundation of Buffalo and Erie County, Inc. through a grant from Harold C. Brown & Co. and Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, the event attracted hundreds of attendees. Thirty-eight teams competed in the program, representing 31 different libraries throughout the County. The top scoring team was Lancaster/Depew, with Eden #1, Eden #2 and Riverside in a three-way tie for 2nd place. Following is the ranking of the top ten teams: Lancaster/Depew, Eden #1, Riverside, Eden #2, Audubon #1, Boston #2, Clarence, North Cheektowaga, Crane, and Grand Island #1.

Bills' Sammy Morris Visits Branch: On July 8th, Sammy Morris, running back for the Buffalo Bills, continued his promotion of the UPS/Buffalo Bills Summer Reading Program at Fronczak Branch, reading stories to the children and signing autographs.

Crane Branch Hosts Author: Local author Clifford Fazzolari visited Crane on July 23rd, reading from his new book and autographing copies.

Extension Services Staff Training: Two in-service programs for staff were conducted in July. "Book Clubs and Reading Groups in the Library" was presented to librarians. Clerical staff met on July 31st to discuss "Adapting to Change."

Agenda Item G - Report of the Foundation Director. In addition to her written report which contained information regarding Battle of the Books, applications for funding to Praxair and the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, computer equipment for the Business, Science & Technology Department, an update on the Mason O. Damon Scholarship program and other B&ECPL funding support, Ms. Vedder noted that the woman who wrote the letter which appeared in today's Buffalo News challenged the 22 libraries that didn't participate in "Battle of the Books" to do so next year.

Ms. Panty reported that the Riverside Branch was very proud of their team which tied for second place this year.

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 - Early Retirement Incentive. Mr. Stone reported that the Early Retirement Incentive program was submitted to the Executive Committee for its approval prior to the Board meeting. This gave the employees who were selected to participate extra time to make their decisions. Seventeen Central/Buffalo branch and ten contract library positions were targeted for a net savings of almost $373,000 in the Central/ branch portion of the 2003 budget and over $200,000 in contract libraries.

Following discussion, Mr. Stone presented Resolution 2002-47 which was unanimously approved by the Executive Committee at its meeting on August 8, 2002.

RESOLUTION 2002-47

WHEREAS, the County of Erie is offering its implementation of the 2002 State Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) Program as specified in Erie County Local Law adopted on June 20, 2002, and

WHEREAS, staff have solicited eligible employees for interest in the program, and

WHEREAS, Erie County acts as the Library's agent in Retirement System matters and sets the terms and conditions regarding participation, and

WHEREAS, participation in the program is contingent upon a savings plan being identified, including full recovery of the costs associated with the early retirement incentive, and

WHEREAS, approval of Library positions to be included in the program is subject to approval by the B&ECPL Board of Trustees for System employees and the affected contracting library board of trustees for contracting library employees, and

WHEREAS, in order to provide employees the time needed to make important decisions and to assist 2003 budget preparation efforts, direction is needed prior to the next regularly scheduled Library Board meeting, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Executive Committee of the Library Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library hereby directs staff to forward seventeen positions for inclusion in the Early Retirement Incentive Program subject to the plan as shown in Exhibit "A" attached, and be it further

RESOLVED, that financial savings in excess of those required to offset the costs associated with the Early Retirement Initiative may be reallocated to fund operational needs that arise as a result of B&ECPL's participation in the program.

Resolution 2002-47

Exhibit "A"

Agenda Item J.2 - Appointment of Deputy Director Whelan. Ms. Chrisman notified the Board that the contract between Deputy Director Shirley P. Whelan and the B&ECPL will expire at the end of August 2002. She recommended that a one-year appointment be extended to Deputy Director Whelan. On motion by Ms. Mahoney and seconded by Ms. Panty the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2002-52

WHEREAS, the Director has determined that the performance of Deputy Director Shirley P. Whelan has been satisfactory, and

WHEREAS, Ms. Whelan has indicated a willingness to accept a one-year appointment, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Board hereby approves the appointment of Shirley P. Whelan to the position of Deputy Director (CIO), for a one-year appointment effective August 19, 2002.

Agenda Item J.3 - Simultaneous Searching of Library Databases - WebFeat, Inc. Assistant Deputy Director Ruth A. Collins informed the Board that this resolution will enable the Library to enter into an agreement with WebFeat, Inc. This product will help patrons search B&ECPL's many databases through one single search by entering one word similar to searching on the Internet using Yahoo or Google. Besides the obvious advantage of making things simpler for patrons, this product will capture and deliver reports which will describe how these services are being used - how many people use the databases, the location from which the searches are initiated, etc. Another advantage is this product will reduce the amount of training and make it easier for staff and the public. Following discussion, on motion by Dr. Raoof and seconded by Ms. Panty, the following was approved unanimously:

RESOLUTION 2002-53

WHEREAS, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has established a web site to improve services for library patrons both internal and virtual, and
WHEREAS, the Library continues to seek ways to enhance service for library patrons, and

WHEREAS, the WebFeat, Inc. product enables patrons to simultaneously search multiple, different databases thereby providing more information in an efficient manner, and

WHEREAS, it captures and reports key statistics on database usage by library and remote users, enabling the Library to purchase and retain relevant resources, and

WHEREAS, other benefits to the Library would be significant, including the reduction in the amount of training required for each database, and

WHEREAS, WebFeat is being used successfully by other major library systems including Brooklyn Public Library, Houston Public Library, King County, Washington (Seattle area) and the Free Library of Philadelphia, and

WHEREAS, the WebFeat product is unique to this industry in the extensiveness of databases covered, the methodologies used, and the quantity and variety of statistical reporting available, and

WHEREAS, the $159,975 purchase price provides the product, installation and a license that includes system maintenance/standard product upgrades for a five-year period, and

WHEREAS, funds for this purchase are available within the OPAC Project or the Library's County Capital budget sufficient to accommodate the purchase, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library approves proceeding with the simultaneous multiple database searching project, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library declares the WebFeat purchase to be sole source in nature in that the product is unique to this industry in the extensiveness of databases covered, the methodologies used, and the quantity and variety of statistical reporting available approves proceeding with the simultaneous multiple database searching project, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library authorizes the Director to enter into a purchase agreement with WebFeat, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $159,975.

There being no further business, on motion by Ms. Mahoney and seconded by Ms. Horton, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Annette A. Juncewicz
Secretary

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