HomeMy WebLinkAbout102104Meeting of the Port Townsend Public Library Advisory Board
Held at The Pink House, Port Townsend, on October 21, 2004
Board Members Present: Co- chairs Eileen Price and Kate Schumami, Deborah Carroll,
Bill Maxwell, and Larry Thomas.
Staff Present: Theresa Percy, Library Director (TP)
Library Foundation Representative: Phyllis Schultz
City Council Liaison: Frieda Fenn
Guests: Julia Owens
The meeting was called to order at 9:05 AM.
It was MSC to conditionally approve the minutes of the Library Advisory Board meeting
held September 9, 2004,
Public Comment and Communications
Press coverage of library affairs was shared with the board. There was a 9/5/04 PDN
article about the Jefferson Historical Society that mentioned "project budget includes
$1.5 million for the library" (obviously a miscommunication.) There was also a 10 /6/04
Leader letter to the editor questioning the legality of the public library charging fines for
late materials. (TP stated that city attorney, John Watts, is looking into the legality of
library fines.) There was also a letter in the leader supporting library fines from a patron
who remembered paying fines as a child and the positive lessons it gave her.
There has been a request, again, that the library staff wear name tags so that the public
can know who they are. TP responded that she is writing a customer service training
grant proposal and that name tags will be a part of that consideration. Also, she is waiting
to finalize the library logo and marketing plan so that the new name tags can reflect that
theme.
There was a discussion of the merits of good customer service.
Friends of the Library Report
The Friends did not have a representative at today's meeting, but Barb Dyer sent a report.
The October 9th book sale made $5,367.51 ! The total breaks down as follows. Jim, of
William James bookstore, gets books for the library and sells them for us in his shop.
These sales totaled $3,180.00. There was $260.00 donated for new memberships. Book
sales on the day of the sale netted $1,927.51.
Library Foundation Report
Phyllis Schultz reported that the Foundation Board met to work on the library campaign.
They met again on October 4'h with Bill Maxwell and worked on a timeline for the
campaign. The executive committee is presenting their full campaign plans to the
Foundation in March, 2005. They are dovetailing on TPs strategic plan for the library.
The Foundation meets again on November 8"', 3 to 5 PM, at the Pink House. Larry
Thomas will attend to represent the Library Board.
Directors Report
TP reported that the Youth Services Librarian, Beth deJarnette, has resigned. There is a
city hiring freeze, but TP will be able to hire a replacement for her and is looking for
someone with an MLS. There will be a public reception for Beth on December 3rd, as
well as a private party to celebrate ber many years of service.
Phyllis Schultz brought up the issue of how the library can better serve the 18 to 30 age
group.
TP reported on the space usage workshop that was held October 16"'. Hope will be
sending a written report with her recommendations. TP felt that the biggest result was the
focusing on the rearranging scenario and balancing that with the future renovation plans.
The workshop was energizing and TP hopes that Hope can return in the spring to help
with the implementation of the space use changes.
TP will have the revised copy of the Long Range Plan to the Board by next week and a
draft to David Timmons by the first week of November. Freida Fenn suggested that the
LRP be presented to council in a workshop setting, with the plan to have it come before
council for adoption in January.
The next PT Library Advisory Board meeting will be Thursday, November 10, 2004
at 9:00 AM, at the Pink House, PT.
The meeting was adjourned at AM.