Library Advisory Board Minutes - 03/28/2000LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES
March 28, 2000
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jim Snowden, Chair
Jim Bracket
Andrea Williams
Irene Lambert
Valda Jones
Shirley Harris
Jun Semoe
Patsy Klein
EX- OFFICIO MEMBERS PRESENT:
Arthur Bea Williams, Council Liaison
Robert Powers, Assistant City Manager
Linda Hughes, Library Administrator
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
Date - - e�100
By Time
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Ruth Jones
Ms. Valda Jones called the meeting to order at 4:20 P.M. Ms. Hughes introduced Natalie
Pawloski, Library Assistant. Ms. Pawloski said that her principal duty was Circulation; however, she also
works in the Computer Lab, does some processing of books, mending of books, cleans video tapes, and
checks the patron database for accuracy of information. She helps patrons locate materials on request and
will pull materials to hold at the desk when patrons call ahead to see if the title needed is in. She checks
the tables and study carrels several times daily for in -house use items, counting than for statistics and
returning them to the Pages to be re- shelved. She occasionally shelves when there is a backlog. She
participates in the inventory process. She helps the Youth Services staff with promotional items such as
bookmarks and buttons and other items for the summer reading program.
Dr. Snowden declared a quorum to be present. The minutes of the February 2000 meeting were
approved with the correction showing Patsy Klein as present. He called on Ms. Hughes for the
Librarian's report.
Ms. Hughes said that March had been the month of term papers with students researching a great
variety of subjects in both print format and on the Internet. She announced that two staff members had
resigned, one Library Assistant and one Librarian. She said that Richard Guinn, cataloging librarian, had
received his kidney transplant and was doing very well. He hopes to be back to work in six weeks.
Annette Britain, Systems Administrator, underwent further cancer surgery on the 20 of March and is
back home. She hopes to return to work by mid April. Ms. Hughes said that she was selected to attend
Tall Texans Institute in June. This is a library leadership seminar sponsored by Texas Library
Association. Ms. Hughes reported that Beverly Kouri, President of the Friends of the Library, was in the
hospital in critical condition.
No New Business was introduced.
Under Old Business, Mr. Powers presented the modified goals to the Mission Statement. Mr.
Powers said that the intention was to broaden the goals without creating a specific goal that might produce
a problem later. He said that including the question of branches on a survey was an appropriate way to
gain public input on the question. Mr. Semoe and Ms. Klein asked if these were the only changes to the
original statement and goals. Mr. Powers said that he had discussed the original document with Mr.
Berzina as well as his proposed changes. Mr. Berzina was willing to discuss any changes with the Board
if they so wished Ms. Hughes offered to put the statement, unchanged goals, and modified goals together
into one document before the next Board Meeting. Dr. Snowden stated that the minutes would reflect that
branch library facilities were a goal of the Library Advisory Board He suggested that further discussion
of the Library Mission Statement and Goals be put on the agenda for the next meeting when Ms. Hughes
would have the composite document available for the members.
Ms. Hughes told the Board that the survey she handed out was a draft sample developed by Ms.
Morrison, Assistant Administrator /Information Services. Ms. Morrison did not want the Board to feel in
any way constrained by the example questions, but merely view them as a work base. Several suggestions
were made concerning the wording of some of the questions. Dr, Snowden and Mr. Sernoe suggested a
trial run, handing the survey out to Library patrons for one day to get feedback on questions that did not
seem clear to participants. Ms. Williams asked if a question about the number of staff being adequate
could be included. The question concerning a branch library was discussed. Ms. Harris recommended
that this survey be maintained as an interest survey. Ms. Klein recommended that the question be worded
to include convenience of location of the present facility and whether a branch facility would be used. It
was recommended that an age, gender, zip code type question be added so that some of the variables in
responses could be tabulated. The deletion of some questions was discussed. Ms. Hughes agreed to
compile all of the suggestions and bring a revised draft to the next meeting.
Dr. Snowden announced the next meeting to be Tuesday, April 25, 2000, at 4:15 P.M in the
Library Conference Room. He adjourned the meeting at 5:40 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Hughes, Library Administrator