Library Advisory Board Minutes - 10/23/2001LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES
October 23, 2001
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Dr. James Snowden, Chair
Irene Lambert
Ruth Jones
Gracie Gregg
Dr. James Sernoe
Andrea Williams
Jim Brackett
Patsy Klein
EX- OFFICIO MEMBERS PRESENT:
Linda Hughes, Library Administrator
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
Date 10-56-61
By FL Time
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Shirley Harris
Dr. Snowden called the meeting to order at 4:17 P.M. Ms. Hughes introduced Donald Adair,
Interlibrary Loan Librarian I. Mr. Adair is new to the staff. He has run several family libraries on
military bases, doing reference, interlibrary loan, selection, processing, and even shelving. He said that he
enjoyed helping people find what they needed. Ms. Hughes explained that the library is both a borrowing
and lending facility in the interlibrary loan program. Mr. Adair fills many requests from public libraries
in Denver, Seattle, Chicago, and all over the United States, in addition to borrowing books from other
libraries for the Wichita Falls cardholders.
Dr. Snowden declared a quorum to be present, noting that all members were present. The
minutes of the September 2001 meeting were approved as submitted. Dr. Snowden asked Ms. Hughes for
the Librarian's report.
Ms. Hughes reported that three Librarians had received training from Risk Management in mail
handling. They would be the main persons sorting and screening Library mail, and would be training
other staff members in what to look for and how to handle suspicious mail items. City Administration
does not want to create panic among employees who handle and screen mail, but to educate them how to
protect themselves, their co- workers, and members of the public in the event a piece of contaminated mail
is received. Ms. Hughes said that the search for both a Librarian I and a Library Assistant continues. Part
of the staff received training in the Acquisitions module of the new automation software, in preparation to
begin ordering materials in the new fiscal year. She also reported that the promotion of Annette Britain
from Systems Administrator, Librarian II to Assistant Administrator/Technical Services, Librarian III had
been approved.
Under New Business, Dr. Snowden asked if Ms. Hughes could provide copies of an updated
Board Member list with addresses, phone numbers, e-mail address, and term dates. She agreed to provide
it by the next meeting. Ms. Hughes then reminded the Board that it was time to begin the policy review
process. The consensus was that Ms. Hughes would bring copies of the policies with staff revisions each
month until all policies had been review and any further revisions suggested. The Board could either
approve the policies individually at each meeting or as a whole at the end of the review process. Ms.
Hughes said she would supply copies of the shorter policies at the next meeting.
Under Old Business, Dr. Sernoe asked for clarification of the Loan Star Library funds and how
the staff intends to spend the funds. Ms. Hughes explained that she would prefer to use part of the funds
on staff training, since her travel budget was cut in this fiscal year. The senior staff is still looking at
possible special programming or service needs for the rest of the funds.
In the absence of David Sinclair, Friends of the Library liaison, Gracie Gregg presented the
Friends report. The Friends' special program featuring Wyman Meinzer, the State Photographer of Texas
was a great success. There was a large crowd and everyone seemed enthusiastic about his presentation.
He has promised to present another program in the future. Ms. Gregg urged everyone to visit the Friends
Book Store and take advantage of the wide range of inexpensive, almost new books.
Dr. Snowden recommended that the next meeting of the Library Advisory Board be rescheduled
due to the holiday season as has been customary. The members agreed to meet December 11, 2001 in the
Conference Room at 4:15 PM. The Library Advisory Board will not meet in November. The meeting was
adjourned at 5:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Hughes, Library Administrator