Burlington Public Library Meeting Room

The Burlington Public Library Board of Trustees met on Thursday, April 24, 2007 in the Burlington Public Library meeting room. Present were Penny Torhorst, Ken Jaeger, Pat Hoffman, Yvonne Braunschweig, Kay Pockat, Scott Johnson, and Steve Rauch. Excused was Barb Beere. Also present were Shirley McCarthy, Carole Rybarcyzk, Judy Rockwell, Marietta Vogt, Mary Therese Boyle, Ruhama Kordatzky Bahr, Tammy McCarthy, Gayle Falk and Linda Berndt.

Torhorst called the meeting to order at 4:00.

The March 27, 2007 minutes were approved. Hoffman moved and Braunschweig seconded. Motion passed. The April General Fund Bills, Prepaids, Reimbursements were approved. Braunschweig moved and Hoffman seconded. Motion passed. The April Trust Fund Bills and the March Trust Fund Deposits were approved. Hoffman moved and Braunschweig seconded. Motion passed.

Committee Reports: There are no Committee Reports at this time.

Federated Library: There is nothing at this time.

Old Business:

Ruhama Kordatzky Bahr returned to show the MySpace page. She explained how the library can choose whether or not to accept "friends" for the page. Bahr will be watching for inappropriate postings or activity. Bahr is checking with the Police Department provide a program on how to be safe on the internet.

New Business:

Health Fair: The Library provided a raffle basket for the Health Fair which included many chocolate related items. The Health Fair is sponsored by the city to help employees understand their benefits and use them wisely. Many employees attended.

National Library Week was last week and we again had patrons fill out surveys expressing their many comments and issues. Falk read to the Board a few very good comments. She will bring a compilation of comments to the next meeting.

Falk handed out a calendar for December and asked the Board if we could also be closed on Saturday, December 22^nd and Saturday, December 29^th to allow the employees four day weekends. The Board agreed that it made more sense to be closed from Saturday, December 22^nd through Tuesday, December 25^th, and also closed from Saturday, December 29^th through Tuesday, January 1^st.

Internet Update: We have ordered four new computers to replace the present public internet stations. The old internet computers will be replacing the online catalog computers.

Tammy is also working on a remote login. This would enable the desk clerk to log on the internet computer from behind the circulation desk., which will save time for the desk clerks. In the National Library Week survey, patrons had urged the Library to get more Internet computers.

Since we took out the payphone, that area has been used for display. We have now moved the public flyers and information booklets into that area. Our plan for the future is to move the assessment computer station there.

Microfilm Replacement: Tammy McCarthy has priced new microfilm readers and the purchase price would be $7,500.00 - $10,000.00. This equipment would also have a $1,000.00 yearly maintenance fee. Some of these new machines would come with just the reader and we would have to supply the computer and printer to go with it. Our microfilm reader is used several hours a day, every day. It is generally used for genealogy purposes. Patrons usually use the local or small town papers which are not available on line. They also request information from the State Historical Society and it is sent here to be used in our library at the microfilm reader. The Board decided to keep what we have and periodically investigate what is available.

Director’s Report: Monthly report numbers are down. There is no specific reason for this. This is a trend that many other libraries are suffering from also at this time.

Falk asked to schedule a Personnel committee meeting to consider changes in the way we cover public service hours and redistributing hours among current employees. After discussion, Jaeger moved and Braunschweig seconded. Motion passed.

Meeting was adjourned at 4:35 PM into a strategic planning session. Jaeger moved and Braunschweig seconded. Motion passed.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 22^nd at 4:00 PM at the Burlington Public Library.

Respectfully submitted,

Yvonne Braunschweig
Secretary