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0 Meeting of the Port Townsend Public Library Advisory Board
Held at The Pink House, Port Townsend, on February 10, 4400-
Board Members Present: Co- chairs Eileen Price and Kate Schumann, Deborah Carroll,
Bill Maxwell, and Larry Thomas.
Staff Present: Theresa Percy, Library Director
Library Foundation Representative: Phyllis Schultz
Friends of the Library Representative: Geralynn Rackowski
Guests: Jim Todd
The meeting was called to order at 8:05 AM by co- chairperson Kate Schumann.
It was MSC to approve the minutes of the Library Advisory Board meeting held January
13, 2005
Public Comment and Communications
There was no public comment or communications.
Friends of the Library Report
Geralynn Rackowski reported for the Friends the following:
- -The Friends, by vote, do not want to merge with the Foundation.
- -The next Friends newsletter deadline is February 21s`
- -The Friends will be simplifying the program line item in their budget report.
- -The library has asked the Friends to pay for a portable sound system.
- -A chairperson is needed for the library entry in the Rhody Parade. Ideas are needed as
well.
- -The Friends liked the joint Advisory Board, Friends, and Foundation retreat on
February 5`''. It crystallized in their minds who the Friends are and what their role is.
Library Foundation Report
Phyllis Schultz reported for the Foundation the following:
- -The joint retreat improved communications between all three groups (Friends, Advisory
. Board, and Foundation).
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-- The question of the Foundation and Friends legal relationship to the city was important
to discuss and clarify. A meeting between the city manager, the Foundation, the Friends,
and the Advisory Board will be arranged to discuss this before March 5th.
-- Phyllis sees no trouble with bringing in a strategic recruiter to help the Foundation build .
up its Board and hopes that the Foundation will support this idea. She stated that there is
a need to formalize the movement in the Foundation towards being the Library's primary
fundraiser.
-- Phyllis encouraged all Advisory Board members to attend the Foundation annual
meeting on March 5"', 2005.
- -Bill Maxwell reported that he had lunch with a professional fundraiser, who gave the
following advice regarding raising funds for a new building /major renovation:
You need to find out what the city will do first. If the city can't come up with at least
50% of the cost, then go ahead with the capital campaign. If the city can come up with
50% of the cost, get the city to match donated funds to come up with the rest. The
committee to raise the money should not be comprised of just the board or the
foundation - - -it is a separate committee that includes local people and others who
represent outside money.
Directors Report
Theresa Percy distributed the January 2005 Statistical Report and the Directors Report.
In addition, she reported:
- -The staff will be making their own name badges at a special workshop.
-- Theresa is waiting for a proposal on staff development, which includes customer
service training.
- -The statistics report was discussed. Some circulation numbers are down because of
changes in the counting method.
- -The circulation desk will be moved back Presidents Day weekend. The Greywolf young
people will be coming in to help with the moving. Computers will be moving as well.
-- Upstairs, the arrangement will change eventually and the children's area will be
reconfigured to be used more efficiently. Theresa would like to see more benches so that
patrons can sit and see the content of the lower shelves.
-- Christina Pivarnik will be asked to do an article about the accomplishments of the
library this past year and an overview of the direction it is taking, celebrating the recently
adopted Long Range Plan.
-- Theresa is thinking about the school- public library relationship and is considering a
workshop to discuss how they can work together and examine the role that the library
should have in the schools. This is timely because a new superintendent is being hired.
- -It was discussed that any projects /programs that the library support groups come up
with must be sanctioned (approved) by the library.
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- -Bill Maxwell suggested that a weekly book review be in the paper as a way to promote
the library. Theresa has asked Robert Ready to write something regularly.
- -The collection will be weeded to make space for new materials. Currently it is stuffed.
- -A "Chocolat" program for Valentines Day will happen February 11 at 7 PM. The movie
"Chocolat" will be shown and a romantic book exchange will take place.
- -The library sponsored book groups are very slow to get started. There are already so
many existing book groups in town to compete with. They are considering "lonely
hearts" or men's book group ideas to try to reach new people. The next book group
meeting is Tuesday, March 8"' at 7 PM.
The next PT Library Advisory Board meeting will be Thursday, March 10, 2005 at
8:00 AM, at the Pink House, PT. Beginning in May, 2005, the Library Advisory
Board meetings will move to the 3N Thursday of the month.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 AM.
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