MEETING MINUTES
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
JANUARY 15, 2004
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library was held on Thursday, January 15, 2004, in the Central Library pursuant to due notice to trustees. The following members were present:
Rebecca L. Mahoney, Chair
Phyllis A. Horton, Vice Chair
John B. Long, Treasurer
Annette A. Juncewicz
Susan Maggiore
Elaine M. Panty
Daniel T. Roach
Judith K. Summer
Excused:
William P. Brosnahan, out of town
W. Lawrence Buck, out of town
Abdul H. Raoof, out of town
Sharon A. Thomas
Raul Vazquez
Wayne D. Wisbaum, out of town
Chairman Roach called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Joseph B. Rounds
Conference Room.
Agenda Item B – Approval / Changes to the Agenda. Chairman Roach stated an amendment was required to add an agenda item under Budget & Finance. On motion by Ms. Mahoney, seconded by Ms. Panty, the agenda was amended and approved.
Agenda Item C – Minutes of the Meeting of December 18, 2003. Ms. Horton moved to approve the Minutes as mailed. Ms. Summer seconded, and the Minutes were approved.
Agenda Item D – Report of the Nominating Committee. Phyllis Horton, Chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the following slate of officers and Executive Committee members for 2004:
Chair - Rebecca L. Mahoney
Vice Chair - Phyllis A. Horton
Secretary - Sharon A. Thomas
Treasurer - John B. Long
In addition to the Chair and Vice Chair, the Nominating Committee presented the following trustees to serve on the Executive Committee: W. Lawrence Buck, Elaine M. Panty and Judith K. Summer.
On motion by Ms. Summer, seconded by Ms. Juncewicz, nominations were closed, and the slate was approved as presented.
Mr. Roach invited new Board Chair Mahoney to sit at the head of the table. Chair Mahoney thanked Mr. Roach for his outstanding job as Chair for the past three years. He provided the Board with leadership, honesty and integrity, and his dedication to the Library is very much appreciated.
Agenda Item E – Meeting Schedule. The meeting schedule for 2004 was included in Board packets for information.
Agenda Item F – Report of the Chair. Remarks were made in Agenda Item D.
Agenda Item G – Committee Reports.
Agenda Item G.1 – Executive Committee. Ms. Horton reported the Executive Committee met on January 8th to approve the agenda and establish meeting dates for the year. The Nominating Committee was the only committee to meet in December.
Agenda Item G.2 – Budget & Finance Committee. Dr. Long called on Deputy Director Kenneth Stone to explain budget and finance items.
Agenda Item G.2.a – Contract Library Transfers. Ms. Panty moved for approval of requested transfers. Ms. Horton made a second, and the item was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-1
WHEREAS, a request for budget transfers has been received from the Clarence Public Library, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approve transfers totaling $5,301 within the budget of the Clarence Public Library.
Agenda Item G.2.b – Monthly Financial Report – October. The financial report for the period ending October 31, 2003 was provided for information.
Agenda Item G.2.c – Monthly Financial Report – November. The financial report for the period ending November 30, 2003 was provided for information.
Agenda Item G.2.d – Assistance to Contracting Libraries, Early Retirement Program Lump Sum Billing in 2003 State Retirement Charges. Mr. Stone reminded trustees that at last month’s meeting a resolution was approved to refinance the cost of the 2002 Early Retirement Incentive. Erie County issued bonds at a rate of less than 4% instead of paying 8% interest to the State Comptroller. It is necessary to authorize bringing bond proceed revenues into the Library Fund and to budget the entire lump sum expense rather than the original five-year payout. Information received for contracting libraries indicates some libraries are over budget because they must pay the full amount with 2003 funds that were budgeted for only one year. This resolution would waive any additional retirement charges to impacted contracting libraries in excess of the amounts in the 2003 budget. Dr. Long moved for adoption. Ms. Juncewicz made a second, and Resolution 2004-2 was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-2
WHEREAS, the Erie County government offered 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, on July 2002, the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library adopted Resolution 2002-44 declaring its intent to participate in the 2002 State Early Retirement Incentive Program, and
WHEREAS, on August 8, 2002 the Executive Committee of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees authorized the Library’s participation 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, recent changes in State Law allow Erie County to issue bonds to satisfy this obligation, and
WHEREAS, in anticipation of substantially lower interest costs versus the 8% rate charged by the State Retirement System, the Erie County Legislature on November 13, 2003 authorized issuing bonds to finance the remaining obligation, and
WHEREAS, on December 18, 2003, the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library adopted Resolution 2003-61 to budget bond proceed revenue to offset payment in full of the 2002 incentive balance, estimated at $829,926 for the Library’s portion of the incentive, and the resulting expenditure, and
WHEREAS, billing information received this week confirms the impact will exceed several libraries available budget balances as the lump sum revenue was placed in the System budget pending receipt of detailed billings needed to determine impacted contracting libraries’ cost share, and
WHEREAS, addressing this situation promptly is necessary so the impacted contracting libraries may close their books for 2003, now therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approves waiving, for any contracting library impacted by the early retirement lump sum billing, that portion of the State Retirement reimbursement requirement that exceeds said contracting library’s retirement budget.
Agenda Item H – Report of the Director. Director Michael Mahaney thanked Mr. Roach for his leadership, patience and unflagging support during the past three years. He has served this community well through his dedicated service to the Library. The B&ECPL Board and Library staff are very grateful to him for his many contributions. Mr. Mahaney presented Mr. Roach with a gift in appreciation of his service to the Library.
Mr. Mahaney acknowledged new Chair Rebecca Mahoney and expressed confidence in her. He believes Ms. Mahoney will do a superb job, as she did in her previous term as Chair.
In many respects, 2003 was the busiest year in the Library’s history. The final 2003 Goals and Objectives report was distributed to Trustees at the meeting. It indicates tasks that were accomplished in 2003, which translates into better library service for Erie County. Goals and Objectives for 2004 are being developed and will be presented to the Board for its consideration shortly. Among the 2003 Goals and Objectives is a new Strategic Plan that will cover the years 2004-2006. A draft document based on the Board’s adopted Five-Year Plan of Service to New York State has been developed by staff and will be available for review by the Board’s Planning Committee when that Committee is assembled.
Mr. Mahaney noted that Committee Volunteer Forms were distributed to trustees. Committee assignments will be determined in February. Mr. Mahaney asked trustees to provide his office with a current résumé and e-mail address if they have not done so recently. Trustees were asked to review the roster for any changes.
The Director was asked by the Nominating Committee to remind trustees that
New York State Education Law stipulates minimum attendance for trustees. Mr.
Mahaney asked that trustees attend the regular monthly meetings so business
can be conducted.
Mr. Mahaney invited trustees to attend the annual Martin Luther King program
being held that evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Mason O. Damon Auditorium.
The following was submitted by the Director and transmitted to Board members prior to the meeting.
2003 Circulation Soars: Patron self-initiated requests, online renewals and a healthy materials budget contributed to an 8.8% increase in circulation activity in 2003, with totals rising from 8,155,364 in 2002 to 8,875,762 in 2003. Statistically, 2003 was the second busiest year in B&ECPL history, surpassed only by 1997 where annual circulation reached 8,997,924. However, 2003’s activity level actually exceeded 1997’s because multi-part items, which today are counted as one circulation per title, formerly registered each of the individual parts as a separate circulation transaction, thus inflating true totals. To support the assertion that 2003 was B&ECPL’s busiest year ever, a record-shattering 117,660 boxes of library materials and supplies were shipped among B&ECPL’s 52 locations in 2003, representing a 20% increase over 2002. The Shipping Department continues to operate a fifth (formerly overflow) run on a daily basis.
Materials Budget Loses Ground in 2004: A $300,000 reduction (from $5 million in 2003 to $4.7 million in 2004) in the materials budget means a substantial loss in purchasing power for all System libraries. This 6% cut is compounded by inflationary increases in the average cost per new title. Staff has begun to explore various cost management strategies to help local libraries and Central Library departments address these reductions, including centralized selection and distribution of high demand titles; identification of reference titles whose contents are now available online so they can be discontinued in hard copy; greater promotion of collections on loan from the Central Library; and continuing to apply for grants that support collection development.
Sirsi Unicorn Migration Forges Ahead: The B&ECPL Sirsi Unicorn Migration Team has been active throughout the holidays working on numerous tasks defined in the master plan. All 2003 milestones have been met, and the project remains on schedule. Both Sun servers (Production and Test) have been delivered. Test server hardware has been installed, and Sirsi has loaded the Oracle database and Version 2003 of the Unicorn software on it. Various databases have been analyzed and updated as part of a clean-up before the actual migration commences. Sirsi “Sure-Start” consultant Diane Cunningham met with B&ECPL staff from December 17th to 19th to review progress and address transition questions. As a result of these successful meetings, the B&ECPL has requested that Ms. Cunningham be assigned permanently to the Library’s migration and that she be on-site during the very critical cut-over scheduled for July. Sirsi has honored that request.
Implementation of Erie County’s New Financial System Delayed: Pursuant to a recommendation from County Comptroller Nancy Naples, implementation of the new County-wide SAP financial system, originally scheduled for January 1, 2004, has been delayed pending further testing. The old SFG system continues to function, meeting ongoing needs, including generating the first quarter payments for contracting libraries.
Police and Firefighters Stage Fundraiser for Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch: On December 27th, Deputy Directors Ruth Collins and Ken Stone and North Jefferson Branch Manager Sandra Bush represented the Library at a fundraiser at Harry’s Harbour Place Grille to benefit the new East Side branch. Sponsored by the African American Police Association (A.A.P.A.) and the Black firefighters’ association known as Members of Color Helping All (M.O.C.H.A.), the dinner attracted approximately two hundred supporters. New York State Senator Byron Brown, who was instrumental in securing more than $4 million for the new library, was keynote speaker. Special thanks go to Detective Sergeant Byron Lockwood of the Buffalo Police Department who works part-time in Security at the Central Library. Detective Sergeant Lockwood personally lobbied to make the new branch the beneficiary of partial proceeds from this event and has indicated that he will pursue other opportunities to benefit the library.
Frankenstein Visits the Central Library: This January, the B&ECPL, in cooperation with University at Buffalo Libraries and Just Buffalo Literary Center, brings a dynamic traveling exhibition, Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature, to Western New York. Currently, four copies of the exhibit are touring the country and are scheduled to visit 82 libraries in 37 states over three years. Celebrating one of the most enduring myths of the western world, this engaging exhibit examines Mary Shelley and her novel, scientific development and moral responsibilities as well as how playwrights, filmmakers and the media have recreated Frankenstein in popular culture since the story was written in 1818. Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature visits the Central Library from January 21st through March 5th. To accompany the exhibit, the B&ECPL and its partners are organizing a number of entertaining and informative events for adults and children. Festivities kick-off on January 24th with an opening reception and panel discussion. A Frankenstein “Saturday Matinee” film series takes place in February, along with book discussion groups and a children’s program. Coordinating exhibits are located in the Rare Book Room as well as at the University at Buffalo’s Health Sciences and Science and Engineering Libraries.
MultiSearch Improves Access to Valuable B&ECPL Resources: As unveiled
by
e-Branch Manager Carey Caserta at the Board meeting on December 18th, MultiSearch
represents a revolutionary way for patrons to find books, audiovisual materials,
journal or newspaper articles, reference book excerpts and other documents
with a single search that scours a multitude of sources, including the B&ECPL
catalog, website and popular reference databases. In the past, patrons needed
to search the Library’s extensive resources individually, navigating
different interfaces and formats to produce results. MultiSearch consolidates
all of those searches into one. Not only does MultiSearch provide quantity,
but it also offers quality. By searching databases to which the B&ECPL
subscribes, not available through other search engines, MultiSearch provides
access to authoritative, reliable, specialized information. MultiSearch is
a product of WebFeat, a company used by more than 900 leading academic, special
and Fortune 500 libraries, as well as many of the top U.S. public libraries
(e.g., San Francisco Public, Brooklyn Public, Free Library of Philadelphia
and Cleveland Public). An additional benefit of MultiSearch is that the software
will identify which databases are most popular and relevant, enabling the Library
to refine its electronic purchasing decisions and expend taxpayer dollars even
more effectively. MultiSearch is available through the B&ECPL’s website,
www.buffalolib.org. If accessed remotely, a library card number is required.
Buffalo Students Evaluate Live Homework Help: During December, students from the Enterprise Charter School visited the Central Library’s LEAD Lab three times to help evaluate the Live Homework Help service. The students’ evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, and several pupils remarked that they feel more comfortable asking questions in the classroom after using Live Homework Help. Additional sessions are scheduled after the holidays when students and teachers will complete evaluations of this popular service. Results will be shared with funders Verizon SuperPages and the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo.
Central Library Renovation Proceeding: B&ECPL staff, Habiterra design and engineering personnel, officials from Erie County’s Department of Public Works and outside contractors met several times during December and early January. Wall construction is in progress in the Grosvenor Room, and the electrical and data cabling are complete. The next steps involve moving microform equipment and cabinets, relocation of the public access computers and setting up the distribution desk. Eric M. Chenevert of URS has been retained as Project Manager (“clerk of the works”) to assist with scheduling and monitoring work.
Staff Prepares Annual King Tribute: The annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sponsored by the Department of Extension Services, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on January 15th in the Central Library’s Mason O. Damon Auditorium. Claudine Ewing, WGRZ-TV Channel 2 news anchor, will emcee the program. North Jefferson branch manager Sandra Williams Bush heads the committee planning the event.
Expert Travels 1,900 Miles to Examine Items in B&ECPL Rare Book Room: On December 23rd, Special Collections Librarian Janet Catterall from the University of Saskatchewan Library in Saskatoon, Canada, visited the Central Library’s Grosvenor Rare Book Room. Ms. Catterall is working on a project concerning the “Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts” compiled by Otto F. Ege (1888-1951), Dean of the Cleveland Institute of Art and lecturer on the history of the book at the School of Library Science at the former Western Reserve University. Each leaf is mounted and accompanied by a descriptive letterpress. The B&ECPL owns number 11 of only 40 sets ever assembled.
Centralized Selection + Request System = Book Store Results: Now more than ever, the Library’s centralized materials selection program is integral to acquiring, quickly and economically, the items in demand by library patrons. For more than a decade, bestsellers — both popular fiction and non-fiction — have received rush treatment in terms of pre-publication ordering, expedited processing, cataloging and prompt distribution to libraries throughout the County. In 2003, video, audio books, high demand juvenile material and music CDs were added to the print selections that receive this “fast track” attention. Approximately one-third of the materials budget was expended in support of this program. With the addition of patron self-placed requests, libraries are supplying copies to thousands of satisfied customers as quickly as bookstores. Kudos to the Office of System Public Services, Acquisitions, Processing and Request staffs for their efforts to deliver more cost conscious, customer-focused service within the limits of the current operating budget.
B&ECPL Celebrates Kwanzaa: Extension Services Administrator Sharon Holley had a busy month presenting Kwanzaa programs throughout the community. On December 12th, she performed for grades K through 6 at the Lydia T. Wright School and for students in grades 9 through 12 at Cardinal O’Hara School on December 19th. She also coordinated the December 27th Children’s Kwanzaa Program in the Central Library’s Mason O. Damon Auditorium. An audience of more than 150 enjoyed dance, music and drill presentations celebrating the African American holiday of Kwanzaa.
Online Registration for E-mail Notifications Arrives: Patrons who visit the
B&ECPL’s website may now sign up to receive e-mail notifications
indicating when requested material is available for pick-up as well as reminders
when materials are past due. Online registration is part of a continuing effort
that encourages patrons to provide
e-mail addresses to expedite notifications and to reduce the Library’s
postage costs. The feature is scheduled to arrive on January 14th, along with
the option to sign up for regular e-mail newsletters from the Library. Distribution
of the e-newsletters will begin in coming months. Development was accomplished
in-house by Webmaster Brian Fending.
Voice Automation Testing in Progress: After careful consideration, B&ECPL Network and Support Services staffs have decided to test a recently announced version of Sirsi Voice Automation (SVA) software prior to going “live” with this new function that notifies patrons by telephone when requests are ready for pick-up. Like e-mail notification, this feature should dramatically reduce B&ECPL postage costs. Network Support Systems Engineer Johnny Hsu will perform the upgrade using the latest software, received January 5th. Mr. Hsu has constructed a “ghost” image of the existing system that can be used to restore the system as it is today should the test prove unsuccessful.
B&ECPL Staff Contributes to Legislative Training: On December 13th, B&ECPL librarians Suzanne Colligan, Cynthia Van Ness, Mary Ann Ozimek and Anne Slater were paired with staff from the New York State Senate and Assembly at a special electronic resources training session hosted by the Western New York Library Resources Council. Staff gave the aides prepared handouts on topics of interest to legislators (charter schools, voter registration, insurance law, casino gambling and unemployment) and introduced them to numerous worthwhile websites.
B&ECPL Participates in Grant Workshop: On December 11th, Business, Science and Technology librarian Cynthia Hayes addressed representatives from nonprofit organizations at a workshop entitled “Researching, Writing and Developing Grants,” sponsored by Nonprofit Works, a Rochester-based organization. In her presentation, Ms. Hayes described the Foundation Collection at the Central Library, explaining how it can assist grant seekers in identifying prospective funding sources. Participants were especially pleased to learn more about the Foundation Center’s specialized database, FC Search, which lists foundations and grants by grant maker, geographic area or topic of interest.
B&ECPL Staff Help Prepare New Librarians at UB’s School of Informatics: On December 3rd, System Youth Services Manager Chris Moesch was the guest lecturer at Melanie Kimball’s “Children’s Literature” class. On December 8th, Dan Caufield of Central’s Business, Science and Technology Department spoke to students in Roseann Peter’s “Computer Database Searching” class. The spirit of cooperation between B&ECPL and UB’s “library school” has never been healthier, and both organizations continue to seek opportunities to collaborate for mutual benefit.
B&ECPL Participates in Telephone Conference: On December 5th, Central Library Administrator Peggy Skotnicki, reference managers Elaine Barone and Kate Weeks and collection development librarian Deborah Fink participated in a conference call conversation on “Rethinking Collection Development in a Digital Age” hosted by the Urban Libraries Council. Mary Dempsey of Chicago Public Library, Harriet Henderson from Montgomery County Public Library, Glen Holt of St. Louis Public Library and Susan Hildreth at San Francisco Public Library shared their thoughts on electronic databases, print collections, centralized selection, weeding, the decision making process in acquisitions, the changing role of central libraries and multicultural resources. On occasions such as this, distance learning or teleconferencing can provide interactive instructional opportunities at little cost and with a relatively modest investment of staff time.
Agenda Item I – Report of the Foundation Director. Kathryn Vedder was not in attendance. Her written report included information on the Junior League of Buffalo, Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, Annual Fund, Mason O. Damon Scholarship Fund, Huckleberry Finn CD-ROM and B&ECPL Funding Support.
Agenda Item J – Public Comment. John Klukowski of 189 Cazenovia Street, Buffalo, made comments regarding the new South Buffalo Library project and submitted written questions to the Board.
Jeffrey Gauthier of 189 Cazenovia Street, Buffalo, asked the Board to keep both Cazenovia and Dudley libraries open because students need a place to do homework.
ElizaBeth Berry of Save Our Libraries stated she is a supporter of libraries in Erie County. She asked to receive a copy of the Board handout for every Board meeting, a schedule of Board meetings and notification of committee and special meetings. She believes spending $2.5 million for a new library facility is a waste of taxpayer funds.
Director Mahaney gave Ms. Berry a copy of a letter sent to the Interim Committee and stated he would continue to provide her with requested information as has been done in the past.
Valerie Niederhofer of 85 West Avenue, Buffalo, said Cazenovia and Dudley libraries are within walking distance of residents in those neighborhoods. The new library will be a replacement for two libraries, so one neighborhood is going to be losing a library.
Gail Block of 76 Kingston, Buffalo, is a member of the Interim Committee. She wanted to advise Board members that community meeting dates have been set and thanked the Library for supporting the efforts of this group.
Agenda Item K – Unfinished Business. No unfinished business.
Agenda Item L – New Business. Elaine Panty reported on a recent article in The Buffalo News about David Shenk, a former B&ECPL Board member, who recently served in Iraq. Ms. Panty suggested that Mr. Mahaney send a letter of congratulations to him and let him know the B&ECPL Board appreciates his efforts.
There being no further business, on motion by Ms. Juncewicz and a second by Ms. Horton, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon A. Thomas
Secretary