Stowe Free Library

STOWE FREE LIBRARY

Minutes of Trustees Meeting April 3, 2009

Present: Stephanie Chase (SC), Dick Johannesen, Jo Sabel Courtney, Frits Momsen, Trisha Fong, Meg Kauffman, Nancy Stead. The minutes of March 13 were approved with the correction of a typo.

Director's Report: Usage of Library computers by the public has been chaotic and time consuming for staff. A changeover in software to Microsoft Office will allow more efficient and faster service. The cost of $1500 to do this will be paid by SFL Friends.

Megan has been leading a 4 part book discussion series on the 400^th anniversary of Hudson's discovery of the Hudson and Lake Champlain.

Paula Reynolds brought a Nova Scotia friend to SFL and the friend has sent two emails complimenting the Library on the breadth of its collection and the personal service.

An April 14, Gordon Hayward will talk about his book on gardening and garden design as part of the Face to Face series.

April 2009 Director's Report (PDF)

Friends of Stowe Free Library: SC reported that in addition to the above contribution, they have given $1000 for new DVDs and  $1000 for Julie's summer reading program and kit replacements. Stephanie showed us a new books-on-tape product for kids, PLAYAWAY, and she has bought 50 with Oakland funds. SC mentioned that in Hanover, the Friends identifies under-represented community groups in their membership and writes personal notes to individuals encouraging them to join.

Volunteer Tea: June 2,4,9 or 11^th are possible dates. Frits is going to ask West Branch Gallery if we could have it there in the late afternoon, 5-7; if not, he has volunteered his home again. This year it will be only for Library volunteers (c. 15),staff (6),Trustees (7) for a max of 30. SC is going to look at Café Press for a gift idea.

Town Officer Meetings: Even though they can be inspirational, the programs are not compelling this year and no one showed interest in attending. SC suggested inviting the new state librarian, Martha Read, to meet with us and include Julie, the school librarians and interested staff. It would be good timing for us as we address the Long Range Plan.

Long Range Plan: The next LRP meeting about collections will be at 8 am Monday, April 20. SC will get some statistics together beforehand for us to consider, and we should email her any ideas we have.

Policy re: YouTube type publicity: Dick talked with Paul Gillies about the subject and Gillies, as an attorney, prefers signed releases but in practicality urged caution. The question is what level of consent do we need for public programs in a public place, when the pictures are not used for paid promotional pieces? It was agreed that anyone identified by name (first name only) should sign a release, and for children under a certain age the video should first be reviewed by their parents before being submitted to YouTube. Trish and SC will develop a policy and email around for review.

Trustees trip to Hanover and Norwich Libraries: With space needs issues at hand, SC, Dick and Frits visited the two libraries, both of which have more than doubled their size in the last few years. The were advised to plan for more space than you think you will need, have flexible seating areas, and be mindful of the placement of noisy areas. Both allowed coffee, had lots or armchairs and tables in different sizes and configurations. Norwich moved the children's section downstairs and found that required more staff. Hanover put non-fiction in the basement. It also has a staff room that seemed poorly thought out.

Both libraries had some groomed outdoor space, ample bathrooms, and  coffee machines with carpeting in the area the color of spilled coffee. Carpeting in major traffic areas was different, to both guide traffic flow and for easy replacement when worn. Good, uniform signage was noted, with donor plaques in various places. It would be possible to institute this idea prior to any expansion. Additional ideas were: plugs in floors in many areas for laptops, well-designed quiet space (which included reference materials), and a separate, fully equipped "home office" room that can be signed up for and users pay for their particular usage.

SC noted the SFL mechanical systems are to be included in the FY11 capital budget. If there are significant changes I space configuration contemplated in the foreseeable future, we should have a basic concept by this fall. A meeting with a consultant is in order.

Lawrence Webster meeting re: LRP: It was felt she was not given enough guidance and several thought her presentation didn't move the process along. SC liked her idea of structuring our monthly meeting to have "nuts and bolts" items dealt with first and then have time to think about our present and future. We all - staff, director, and trustees, should also be encouraged to take a more active role as ambassadors to other community groups: Rotary, SAA, Selectboard, etc.

SC suggests current planning philosophy is to have varying layers of specificity, to move from mission statement to areas of value (needs and services, which Lawrence could help us with) to specifics for each value, which we can use the information gleaned from recent focus groups.

Budget: The Select Board wants FY11 budgets to reflect 0% increase. This will mean shorter hours and we need to figure out how to maximize staff hours for the least impact.

Emergency Procedures: It would be helpful to have a written procedures statement for staff so they are clear on what to do in case of fire, medical emergency, or unruly patron.

Programs; It was suggested that a program, or a series, using local psychologists and counselors on dealing with stress in the current economic environment might be a great idea. SC is going to look into it.

The next meeting will be Friday, May 1, 8:30. The meeting adjourned at 10:50.

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy Stead, Secretary