MEETING MINUTES
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NOVEMBER 18, 2004
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library was held on Thursday, November 18, 2004, in the Central Meeting Room pursuant to due notice to trustees. The following members were present:
Rebecca L. Pordum, Chair
Phyllis A. Horton, Vice Chair
John B. Long, Treasurer
Frank Gist
Annette A. Juncewicz
Elaine M. Panty
Abdul H. Raoof
Daniel T. Roach
Judith K. Summer
Wayne D. Wisbaum
George M. Zimmermann, Trustee Emeritus
Excused:
William P. Brosnahan, out of town
W. Lawrence Buck
Susan Maggiore, out of town
Sharon A. Thomas, out of town
Raul Vazquez
Chair Rebecca L. Pordum called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. in the Central Meeting Room.
Agenda Item B Approval / Changes to the Agenda. The agenda was approved as submitted.
Agenda Item C Minutes of the Meeting of October 21, 2004. On motion by Mr. Wisbaum, seconded by Ms. Horton, the Minutes were approved as mailed.
Agenda Item D Report of the Chair. Chair Pordum informed trustees the County Legislature has planned four public hearings, November 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th. Prior to the November 23rd meeting at the ECC City Campus, a rally will be held on the Central Library ramp. The group will then proceed en masse to ECC's city campus.
The Library's budget hearing is slated for November 19th. Trustees and members of the public are invited to show support for the Library. The Chair urged everyone to advocate for the Library System and share information on the devastating impact closing libraries would have on this community. No library system in the country has closed all of its branches. All parties need to work together to resolve this crisis.
Agenda Item E Committee Reports.
Agenda Item E.1 Executive Committee. Trustee Phyllis Horton reported the Committee met on November 8th to approve the agenda, discuss proposed resolutions and review the impact of the "red" and "green" budgets.
Agenda Item E.2 Budget and Finance Committee. Trustee John Long stated he had reviewed the proposed budget and finance items and recommended approval.
Agenda Item E.2.a Authorization for Year-end Transfers in Excess of $5,000. Deputy Director Kenneth Stone stated this resolution is requested annually to facilitate required transfers and may be particularly necessary this year should a shutdown occur. Ms. Summer moved, Ms. Horton seconded, and the resolution was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-44
WHEREAS, the 2004 year-end closing process is approaching and involves finalizing encumbrances (or commitments to spend budgeted funds), and
WHEREAS, the delay between payment of telecommunications-related expenses and receipt of E-rate discount reimbursements for those expenses can cause the need to temporarily transfer funds between budget accounts as the available balances in the E-rate supported accounts towards the end of the fiscal year are too low to accommodate the delay, and
WHEREAS, it may be in the Library's interest to encumber items that may require budget transfers in excess of $5,000, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes the Library Director, with the approval of the Chair of the Board or the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, to approve transfers within the budget impacting objects of expenditure in excess of $5,000 for the purposes of making year-end encumbrances and/or expenditures, and be it further
RESOLVED, that any such transfers be submitted to the Library Board of Trustees for ratification prior to the final close of the fiscal year, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes the Library Director to approve temporary transfers within the budget impacting objects of expenditure in excess of $5,000 for the purposes of accommodating the delay between payment of telecommunications-related expenses and receipt of E-rate discount reimbursements for those expenses, with said transfers being reversed upon receipt of the E-Rate reimbursement.
Agenda Item E.2.b Amend 2004 Budget: County Legislature Member Item. This resolution acknowledges and allocates $500 from Legislator Lynn Marinelli to benefit and assist the Fairfield and North Park branch libraries. On motion by Ms. Panty and a second by Ms. Horton, the resolution was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-45
WHEREAS, on October 21 st, the Erie County Legislature adopted a resolution sponsored by Legislator Lynn M. Marinelli allocating monies from legislative accounts totaling $500 to the benefit of Buffalo libraries, and
WHEREAS, these funds are recommended to be divided between the Fairfield and North Park Branch Libraries to assist in funding library programs for patrons, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to an agreement entered into many years ago, Erie County is responsible for funding local branch libraries situated within localities 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 serve patrons better, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully accept these funds from the County Legislature for the benefit of 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 2004 Library budget as follows:
Revenues:
$250 to SAP Fund Ctr 4203335, Commitment Item 486000
$250 to SAP Fund Ctr 4203370, Commitment Item 486000
$500 Total Revenue AccountsExpenditures:
$250 to SAP Fund Ctr 4203335, Commitment Item 516020
$250 to SAP Fund Ctr 4203370, Commitment Item 516020
$500 Total Expenditure Accounts.
Agenda Item E.2.c Amend 2004 Budget: State Member Item. Mr. Stone reported New York State Senator Dale Volker had designated aid in the amount of $20,000 to assist the Lancaster Public Library. The allocation was made to offset the reduction in state aid to libraries. This resolution accepts the funds and recommends to the Lancaster Public Library that it retain the additional aid to offset any future budget shortfalls, whether state or local in nature. Ms. Juncewicz motioned for approval. Ms. Horton made a second. The resolution was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-46
WHEREAS, on November 5th the Library received notification from the State Department of Education that "A grant-in-aid in the amount of $20,000 has been apportioned to your library system," and
WHEREAS, this member aid item was sponsored by New York State Senator Dale M. Volker to assist libraries in his district in light of the fact the State Aid budget for libraries was cut by 5% in 2004, and
WHEREAS, these proceeds are designated for the benefit of the Lancaster Public Library in the amount of $20,000, and
WHEREAS, supplemental private and public grants are regularly sought to augment library equipment materials and other needs, and
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully accepts the $20,000 in State Aid, and be it further
RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approves a budget amendment to the 2004 budget increasing SAP revenue account Fund Center 4205420 (Lancaster Library), Commitment Item #408160 (State Aid special) in the amount of $20,000 and expenditure account Fund Center 4205420 Commitment Item #516010 Lancaster Public Library $20,000, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes the above contracting library to retain these funds until such time as it is needed to offset future State or local aid reductions, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library strongly suggests the contracting library retain these funds for the above purposes as the State Aid picture for 2004 is still unclear, and both State and local financial resources will be further challenged in 2005, and be it further
RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution and a revised Exhibit A be transmitted to the above library to implement the change.
Agenda Item E.2.d Monthly Financial Report. A monthly financial report for the period ending 9/30/2004 was provided for information.
Chair Pordum thanked Deputy Director Stone for his tireless efforts in studying budget scenarios and impacts on the System. She also thanked Library staff for all their hard work during the budget crisis. The people who use libraries have come together, expressed their support and encouraged Library staff in their efforts.
Agenda Item F Report of the Director. Michael Mahaney informed trustees the City Capital Projects Commission has recommended $400,000 for capital improvements to City branches and Mayor Masiello has approved. If branches remain open in the City of Buffalo, some needed improvements should occur in 2005.
Mr. Mahaney thanked Chief Information Officer Shirley Whelan and administrators Ann Kling and Carol Batt and other key staff for spearheading the transition to the new Sirsi library automation system that replaces the 20-year-old DRA system. The transition was relatively smooth, and B&ECPL staff did an excellent job in the midst of adversity.
Earlier in the day, the Erie County Legislature unanimously approved the Library Protection Act (LPA) for another two-year term. When a budget is adopted for the Library, the LPA guarantees the allocated funds will remain in place for the entire year and cannot be used for other purposes.
Director Mahaney updated trustees on advocacy efforts. The Citizens to Save the Libraries (CSL) group has assumed a System-wide coordinative role and is working with libraries, trustees and Friends groups to focus effective advocacy strategy. Deputy Director Ruth Collins introduced Susan Stievater, a representative from the CSL group. Ms. Stievater is working closely with Bee Elye, who has been a faithful library supporter since the 1976 budget crisis. Library advocates are the people of Erie County who need and love their libraries. Advocacy is an on-going process, and it is extremely important for advocates to continue to campaign for library support. He urged everyone to work together and suggested monitoring the B&ECPL website, which is updated frequently with new information.
The Director corrected his written report to include Trustee Thomas among those who attended the Buffalo Library Services Committee public meeting on October 18th.
Chair Pordum acknowledged that several groups throughout the County have taken an active role in supporting libraries. She said she had read many of the testimonials from patrons who expressed what the library has meant to them. This institution is important to the community, and everyone needs to work toward the common goal of making the B&ECPL the best library system in the country.
The following was submitted by the Director and transmitted to Board members prior to the meeting.
County Executive Releases Devastating "RED BUDGET": The County Executive's proposed "scorched earth" budget for 2005 would force the closing of all public libraries in Erie County. It eliminates most library-generated revenue, such as fines, fees and rentals (the largest item remaining would be $550,000 in use of undesignated fund balance). Importantly, the resulting service reductions mean individual libraries and the Library System itself will fail to qualify for all New York State Library Aid, compounding the budget cuts with the additional loss of $2.8 million in revenue. Further, some of the revenue assumptions included in the County's "RED BUDGET" are not realistic. For example, the "RED BUDGET" assumes the Library would collect $420,000 in fines and $50,000 in copier revenue, which is not possible if all 52 libraries are closed. As such, while the County's "RED BUDGET" lists $6.08 million in total revenue for 2005, that amount is closer to $5.53 million, a cut $23,623,674 and 81% from the Board's $29,154,123 budget request.
Alternative "GREEN BUDGET" Is No Cure: While the "RED BUDGET" is the official budget submitted by the County Executive to the Erie County Legislature, there is an alternative "GREEN BUDGET" that assumes increased County revenue from a 1% sales tax hike and less draconian budget cuts of County-funded operations and services. In the "GREEN BUDGET," County support for the Library is $3.5 million less than requested by the Library Board. Approximately 56.9 full-time equivalent positions would not be funded. This level of funding would result in public service (including open hours) and staffing reductions across the System. Additionally, the County's "GREEN BUDGET" assumes that New York State Retirement charges, expected to be due in December 2004 when the current budget was adopted, will be due in February 2005 and charged to the 2005 budget, as a result of a recent change in State Law. Delaying the payment could leave $1.7 million in 2004 fund balance, which becomes available to pay the bill in 2005. The payment itself is to cover estimated obligations for the period April 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005 . Unfortunately, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has indicated a preference to charge the portion representing April 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004 back to the 2004 budget. This would represent approximately three-quarters of the 2004 budget for regular retirement charges, leaving a balance of only $380,000 available for use in 2005 instead of the $1.7 million assumed in the County's "GREEN BUDGET ." If the GASB interpretation were implemented, an additional $1,310,477 in expenditure reductions would be necessary. Should these additional reductions be required, it is likely some Library State Aid would be jeopardized, as the reduced spending violates maintenance of effort requirements.
County Capital Budget for Library Support Is Identical in Both RED and GREEN Budgets: All projects are identified as "Bonded." As such, the County would not incur expense until any bonds were actually issued (unlikely to occur if the RED BUDGET is adopted). Projects and recommended amounts follow:
$5,000,000 Purchase of Library Books and Media Equipment
$ 600,000 Merriweather Library Capital Equipment
$1,141,000 Central Library Renovation Phase III (Grosvenor Room)
$ 695,000 Central Library Power Distribution System Replacement
$7,000,000 New Library Building Construction: "This project will fund the design and construction of new library buildings at various County sites."
Budget Announcement Prompts System-wide Advocacy Efforts: To educate the community and encourage all residents to voice their concerns over what both "Red" and "Green" budget proposals mean, the B&EPCL has initiated a widespread advocacy campaign. Print materials, including brochures, signage and posters, have been distributed to every library. A "Libraries Change Lives
Tell Us Your Story" promotion has begun. Patrons complete testimonial cards at their library or send an online message to express the value of their library and how it has made a difference in their lives. To date, more than six hundred stories have been received. These are being transmitted to the print and broadcast media and shared with elected officials. The Library is maintaining regular contact with all media outlets, and attention has been exhaustive, including coverage by WGRZ-TV Channel 2, WIVB Channel 4, WKBW-TV Channel 7, WNYO-TV Channel 49, Adelphia Cable, The Buffalo News, Business First, many community newspapers, Infinity Broadcasting, Citadel Communications Corporation, Entercom Radio of Buffalo and WNED-AM/FM. Board Chair Rebecca Pordum's "Message to the Community" has been submitted to many local newspapers, and that same message appeared on the Editorial Page of The Buffalo News . Public service announcements have been distributed to all local radio stations. An advocacy section has been added to the website, featuring budget statistics, a sample advocacy letter, elected official contact information, frequently asked questions, quotable facts and any relevant press releases. Pop-up windows appear when visitors access the online catalog or databases. Advocacy packets have been assembled and distributed to contract library trustees, Friends groups and local schools. Advocacy information, including tips on activities that libraries can incorporate into their daily routines, is communicated to staff through regular e-mails and the Intranet. Additional library stakeholders, such as Erie Community College, Bistro Bookers, genealogical societies and the music community, have been contacted. More than 50,000 e-mails have been transmitted to patrons who either requested e-mail notification for overdues and requests or registered to receive e-news from the Library. Trayliners have been created for all Wendy's Restaurants. Further avenues will be explored and implemented as the budget process continues.
Citizens' Planning Council Recommends Capital Funding for Buffalo Branch Libraries: The Council's recommendations, received on November 9th, include $400,000 for improvements to City-owned library buildings. These recommendations were forwarded to Mayor Anthony Masiello for his review. The Library hopes to receive the Mayor's recommendations shortly. The Common Council must review and act on those recommendations by December 15th.
Fine Revenues Decline in October: System-wide receipts totaled $98,323.83, which is down $8,131.11, or 7.64% from the $106,454.94 collected in October 2003. This decrease can be attributed to the fact that the Library is in the process of migrating to a new automation system and was unable to accept or process fine payments from October 29th through 31 st . Fine collections resumed November 8th . Based on comparative projections, if operations had continued normally, fine revenue should have remained steady or risen slightly. Year-to-date collections, including adjustments, now total $1,111,058.20, an increase of $49,967.46 or 4.71% above the $1,061,090.74 received in the same 2003 period. Year-to-date results continue to track ahead of the 3.6% increase included in the 2004 budget. CFO Ken Stone continues to monitor and report revenue results.
Library Shipping Activity Continues to Increase: Through October, a year-to-date total of 106,668 boxes of library materials and supplies were shipped among 52 locations, a 9% increase over the same period in 2003.
Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library Project Proceeds: Masonry walls are nearing completion as construction of the new library continues on schedule. Doorframes are being installed and electrical/data conduits are being positioned throughout the building. B&ECPL representatives, Carol Batt and Peter Misner, continue to attend bi-weekly construction project meetings and remain in contact with architectural representatives on an almost daily basis. North Jefferson Branch Library Manager Sandra Williams-Bush and Extension Services Administrator Sharon Holley continue to be involved in the furniture layout and design to insure that the new building adequately meets community needs.
Buffalo Library Services Committee: On October 18th, the East Clinton Branch Library hosted a meeting of the Board's Buffalo Library Services Committee. In attendance were Committee Chair Phyllis Horton, Board Chair Rebecca Pordum, Trustees Elaine Panty, Frank Gist and Sharon Thomas, along with the Director and Administrators Collins, Stone and Holley. The agenda included a message from the Director, information on the "cluster" management concept and on the coordinated services approach to operations. The original purpose of the meeting was to allow trustees to engage in a dialogue with patrons about city branch concerns. As a result of the County Executive 's announcement of severe budget cuts, released earlier that same day, the evening's discussion focused on potential impact to Library operations. Buffalo Council Member Richard Fontana, who was in the audience, spoke up as did other local residents about the importance of maintaining library services in their neighborhood.
Best Selling Rule of Four Draws Attention to B&ECPL Treasure: On November 13th, the Central Library hosted a book discussion on the novel, The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. After 20 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List, the title is most frequently compared with Dan Brown's 2003 mega-hit, The Da Vinci Code. The Rule of Four is a more cerebral thriller set at Princeton University, where undergraduate scholars engage in an almost obsessive quest to decipher the mysterious codes embedded in a rare 15th century publication, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili . Published in Venice in 1499, the title translates to: "Poliphilo's struggle for love in a dream." The text is written in many languages, and the book features detailed woodcut illustrations and elaborate text layouts. B&ECPL librarians Elaine Barone and Meg Cheman escorted the audience on a fascinating tour through the popular 21 st century novel and the 15th century publication that inspired it. Following the discussion, attendees viewed the actual source material the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, which is part of the Central Library's Rare Book Collection and one of fewer than 200 copies in existence. Only 30 copies are owned by libraries worldwide. This event was a unique opportunity to examine the text that has captivated individuals for hundreds of years and spawned a best selling novel that captivates readers today.
"Elect to Read" Program Motivates and Educates Youth: Developed to raise children's awareness of the importance of participating in the electoral process, this series was the highlight of youth programming in the Children's Department during October. Children who participated in the Saturday programs "nominated" three book characters as election candidates. The final Saturday saw a celebration where the winner was announced. In all, 361 ballots were cast, with Rainbow Fish the winner by a narrow margin over Arthur. Children's specialists who developed this series ( Bev Federspiel, Kerra Alessi, Nicole Bermingham, Alicia DiFranco and Jennifer Hall ) were impressed with the enthusiasm of the young voters a good omen for the future!
Library Seeks to Preserve Treasures: Ms. Irene Bruckle from the Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department sent five second-year students, who are concentrating their studies on paper conservation, to the Rare Book Room to view/photograph several World War I posters. Librarian Rob Alessi assisted them as they examined approximately 60 posters, taking photos representative of their condition, including instances of minor damage or deterioration. They also browsed additional World War posters to gain a better sense of the overall condition of the collection. The Conservation Department will begin restoration work on "The American Ambulance in Russia" poster. This project was the result of a joint meeting with members of the Library Foundation Board, B&ECPL staff and Administration. Also this month, Amy Pickard, Grosvenor Room Manager, participated in a workshop on the New York State Discretionary Grant Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials.
VIPs Tour Rare Book Room: Librarians Rob Alessi and Jennifer Nichols shared some of the treasures from the Rare Book Room with Library Foundation Director Anne Leary, Foundation Board Members Gordon Gross and Victor Rice and visitors Corinne Rice, Buffalo News publisher Stanford Lipsey, B&ECPL legal Counsel Patrick Martin and Louis Grachos, Director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery . The Director welcomed the distinguished guests and discussed staff efforts to identify priorities for Foundation projects in the coming year.
Library Wins Grants for Children's Services: A grant application submitted by Children's Department staff for programming at the Central Library has earned a $1,000 award from Target Stores. Congratulations to Kerra Alessi, Nicole Bermingham and Bev Federspiel who developed the grant. Also announced this month was an award from the Buffalo Sunrise Rotary, also in the amount of $1,000, for use by the Children's Department. The Library expresses its appreciation to Buffalo Sunrise Rotary President (and former B&ECPL Director) Diane J. Chrisman and Sunrise Rotary Secretary (also B&ECPL COO) Ruth A. Collins.
Library Receives Over the Tavern Scripts: Through the efforts of librarian Cynthia Van Ness (Humanities and Social Sciences Department), the Library has acquired reading copies of Tom Dudzick's popular, but unpublished, plays about Buffalo the Over the Tavern series. Mr. Dudzick's agent donated the copies, which will be cataloged and added to the local author collection in the Grosvenor Rare Book Room.
Literally Speaking Continues to Appeal: On a cold, rainy Tuesday afternoon, stalwart readers braved the elements to attend a discussion of Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, the book choice for October. Hamburg Library manager Jack Edson led the discussion. This lunchtime series has seen many patrons return each month, eager to read and discuss the next book.
Patrons Test Self-Checkout at the Central Library: Self-checkout of library materials continues to gain popularity at the Central Library. During the first full month of testing with iCirc equipment, more than 1,100 individual user sessions were recorded and 3,226 items were successfully checked out. A Vernon self-check machine was added during October and a FlashScan model will begin testing later this year.
Self-checkout machines will be available in the Borrower Services area when the renovation project is complete.
New York 's Librarians Assemble in Rochester for Annual Conference: Several staff attended the annual New York Library Association conference in Rochester from October 20th 24th . Workshops and programs provided practical information as well as updates regarding library trends and statewide advocacy initiatives.
Families Enjoy Programs at City Branches: More than 80 people visited the North Park Branch to celebrate Halloween with a "Spooky Library Party," featuring stories, refreshments and music by Mike Meldrum . On October 20th, Caricaturist Adam English visited the Niagara Branch Library in a program sponsored by Young Audiences. Participants were fascinated by his quick drawings and learned how to draw sketches of their own using only 8 to 10 strokes in under a minute!
Branches See Improvements: On October 26th, a patron in a motorized scooter pressed a button, and the doors opened wide, parting a red ribbon draped across the entrance of the Riverside Branch Library in Buffalo . On this occasion, friends, patrons, trustees and staff gathered to dedicate long-awaited automatic door openers that will make the building more accessible to those with disabilities or anyone whose arms might be loaded with library materials or, perhaps, a squirming child. System Administrators and Trustees Rebecca Pordum, Elaine Panty, Phyllis Horton, Judy Summer and Bill Brosnahan joined County Legislator Al DiBenedetti, Buffalo Council Member Joe Golombek and the Friends of the Riverside Library to thank those whose donations made the project possible, including Mr. Joseph Duguay for a substantial contribution in honor of his parents. Also on this occasion, building guard Russell Payne was recognized for his long and faithful service to the Library. Elsewhere in Buffalo, Common Council Member Richard Fontana has provided new, first-ever book drops for the East Delavan, East Clinton and Mead Branch Libraries. The Library wishes to express its gratitude to Mr. Fontana for this important investment in patron convenience.
Community Outreach : Congratulations go to Sharon Holley on her election to the presidency of the Ujima Theatre Board at its meeting on October 19th. Also on October 19th, librarian Rob Alessi delivered a lecture on selected treasures from the Rare Book Room to 30 people at Canterbury Woods senior residential community in Williamsville. He discussed Mark Twain's time in Buffalo and the Huckleberry Finn manuscript, as well as John James Audubon' s Birds of America and William Shakespeare's First Folio all of which can be found at the Central Library. On October 29th, Extension Services Administrator Sharon Holley participated in the Buffalo School Library System Conference held at the WNED broadcasting center. As a panel member, she addressed the topic "Meeting the Needs of Diverse Students."
Librarians Gwen Collier (Extension Services) and Nicole Birmingham (Children's Dept.) also presented book talks on new literature. At U.B.'s School of Informatics, Librarian Carol Pijacki (Central Library) shared her experiences as a trainer in the Computer Lab with Dr. Lorna Peterson's User Education class.
Miscellaneous Meetings and Appearances: On October 27th, the Director addressed the annual meeting of the Western New York Library Resources Council and participated in a panel discussion of "The Future of Nostalgia" in libraries. On October 29th, the Director and COO Ruth Collins attended the 5th annual Advisory Council and Partner Appreciation Breakfast at Erie Community College South. On October 30th, Trustee Dr. John Long, COO Ruth Collins, CFO Ken Stone, Human Resources Director Mary Jean Jakubowski and the Director joined contract library trustees and directors for a meeting of the Association of Contracting Library Boards of Trustees (ACT) at the Newstead Public Library. Special guest speaker on this occasion was Congressman Tom Reynolds.
Agenda Item G Report of the Foundation Director. Executive Director Anne Leary was not in attendance at the meeting.
Agenda Item H Public Comment. Chris Barbera supports public libraries and does not want them privatized.
Valerie Niederhoffer of Buffalo stated computers in libraries were very helpful to her son when he was learning arithmetic.
Robert Corp of 225 Falls Road, West Falls, is a member of West Falls Friends of the Library. He opposes the "red" budget and pointed to annual circulation increases greater than 10% over the past three years at West Falls, which demonstrates that the library is responding to a viable public need.
Mary Gillespie of Summer Street, Buffalo, stated it is important for America to retain its superiority in technology and feels closing libraries will hinder intellectual development.
John Klukowski of 189 Cazenovia Street, Buffalo, loves neighborhood libraries and does not favor consolidation. The Cazenovia Friends group would like to raise funds to upgrade that facility, and he would like additional information on how to proceed. The Save Our Libraries group will continue to advocate for libraries across Erie County.
Jeffrey Gauthier of 189 Cazenovia Street, Buffalo, said libraries are important to him because he frequently uses library materials to complete his homework assignments.
Susan Stievater of 67 Olney Drive, Amherst, represents Citizens to Save the Libraries. She feels it is important to stress at public hearings that libraries need the status quo
budget, not the "red" and not even the "green." Libraries are vitally important to schools and help supplement the educational process.
ElizaBeth Berry represents the Save Our Libraries (SOL) group, which will fight for full funding of libraries. No libraries should be closed. She urged Library officials to further explore System economies, focus on essential operations and consider postponing Central Library renovations. SOL will do everything possible to help libraries.
Agenda Item I Unfinished Business. No unfinished business.
Agenda Item J New Business.
Agenda Item J.1 Target Stores and Sunrise Rotary Donations. Deputy Director Stone informed trustees that Target Stores and the Sunrise Rotary each contributed $1,000 to support children's programming. This resolution recognizes and accepts this donation. On motion by Ms. Juncewicz and a second by Ms. Horton, this item was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2004-47
WHEREAS, Target Stores and the Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Foundation have each agreed to donate $1,000 to the Library to be used for children's programming, and
WHEREAS, one-half of the combined proceeds ($1,000) has been received by the Library and deposited into its private funds held in trust by the Erie County Comptroller, and
WHEREAS, donations are a very much appreciated means of assisting the Library in ways not funded in the normal operating budget, and
WHEREAS, the B&ECPL Board of Trustees wishes to gratefully acknowledge this donation and direct the use of these funds towards children's programs, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library gratefully accepts these funds from Target Stores and the Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Foundation and authorizes disbursement of the currently received installment ($1,000) and the future installment ($1,000) to offset the cost of children's programs.
There being no further business, on motion by Ms. Horton, seconded by Ms. Summer, the meeting was adjourned at 4:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon A. Thomas
Secretary