Library Advisory Board Minutes - 04/27/1999LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD NIINUTES
April 27, 1999
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jim Snowden, Chair
Jim Bracket
Al Sutko
Irene Lambert
Ruth Jones
Valda Jones
Andrea Williams
Richard Day
EX -OFFICIO MEMBERS PRESENT:
Bill Altman, Council Liaison
Thomas pipes, President Friends of
the Library
Robert Powers, Assistant City Manager
Linda Hughes, Library Administrator
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Patsy Klein
The meeting was called to order at 4:17 P.M. by Dr. Snowden. Ms. Hughes introduced Tonia
Vineyard, Library Assistant. She enumerated her many duties. Her primary duties are Genealogy and
Circulation Assistant. She also backs up the Technical Services Assistant, works on inventory with the
Systems Administrator, backs up the Computer Lab Assistant, and fills in wherever she is needed.
Dr. Snowden announced that a quorum was present, the minutes of the February 23, 1999,
meeting were approved as submitted. Dr. Snowden called on Ms. Hughes for the Librarian's Report. Ms.
Hughes apologized about the mix-up over the March meeting date. She reported that four Librarians who
have been trained to do MARC (Library of Congress standard) cataloging have been working to catch up
the backlog. Now that Wichita Falls Public Library has a full user membership to OCLC (Online
Consortium of Library Catalogs) very few materials purchased require original cataloging. The material
records are copied form the international database, tailored to suit our collection and public access
requirements, and filed in our system. Almost half of the 4000 book backlog has been finished. She said
that although membership in AMIGOS, the area link to OCLC was expensive, it was much cheaper than
hiring two additional catalogers. She said that membership in OCLC has also increased inter -library
loans. The Library now receives from 20 to 60 requests daily to borrow materials or receive copies of
indexes or articles. The requests from us to other libraries has also dramatically increased because the fill
rate with connections to libraries all over the world is running over 90 %. She reported that former
Advisory Board Member Martha Allensworth has been elected as the West Region's representative on the
North Texas Regional Library System Board of Directors. She will begin her term in September,
representing 38 public libraries in the West Region, including Wichita Falls.
Under New Business, Ms. Hughes asked the Board to review the fiscal budgets from the past
three years. She said that the Library is beginning the budget request process for FY 1999 -2000. She said
she would have the Library's request ready for Board discussion at the next meeting.
Under Old Business, Dr. Snowden presented a proposed public participation policy for the
Library Advisory Board. The members discussed the various items and recommended some changes in
wording. Dr. Snowden agreed to take the proposed revisions and redraft the policy to present at the May
meeting. Councilman Altman said that he did not believe that such a policy would need to be approved by
the City Council since the Library Board is set up as an Advisory Board, not a governing Board.
However, Mr. Powers offered to request the opinion of the City Attorney concerning the matter.
Dr. Snowden then called on Ms. Williams to report on the National Library Week activities. She
said that the photo contest had not drawn marry entries, but the essay contest was very popular with many
contestants of all ages. The Friends of the Library donated prizes for the winners. Ms. Williams said that
this was the first joint effort by MSU and the public library and that it went very well. Ms. Hughes added
that several WFISD librarians had evinced interest in being involved in next year's National Library
Week celebration.
Mr. Pipes reported that the Friends of the Library Board will meet on May 4 and will discuss
having a consultant present a program on forming a Library Foundation, the interest of which could be
used to support Library programs and equipment. He feels that this is a worthwhile focus for the Friends.
Dr. Snowden adjourned the meeting at 5:20 P.M. The next meeting of the Library Advisory
Board will be on Tuesday, May 25, 1999, at 4:15 P.M in the Library Conference Room.
Respectfully submitted,
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Linda Hughes, Library Administrator
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