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LibraryBoard/2007-01-10.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-01-10 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting January 10, 2007 These interviews will most likely occur during the week of January 22nd. There have been some challenges getting this oral board together due to the mid-winter ALA conference. All part-time positions, Library Aide, Library Technician and Librarian are set to open as well. Board President Butter asked Director Chisaki to do a year-by-year report detailing staffing levels. She believed there had been a commitment that staffing would be increased due to the size of the new Library, and wondered if there was anything in writing to that effect. Chisaki said there was no national staffing standard for libraries, and the only thing she could remember that was in writing was the addition of an IT staff member, which has already been filled. Butter believed that there had been something in the grant proposal to the state; however, Chisaki said what was confirmed was that currently vacant positions would be filled. There had been a letter on the Don Roberts website saying it was a great new library but it was only open 61 hours a week. Director Chisaki had checked other main library hours in the area and found that only San Leandro and Livermore were open more hours than the Alameda library. Chisaki shared the draft flyers about the upcoming CALTAC workshop. She had also learned more about what would be required of the Library as the workshop host. In light of the fact that the CLA is struggling, President Butter asked for a motion that all five board members join CALTAC in their support. Member Krongold so moved, Member Mitchell seconded, which was carried by a 4-0 vote. Chisaki will process their memberships accordingly. ADJOURNMENT Board President Butter called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:32 p.m. Board Member Mitchell so moved, Board Member Krongold seconded the motion, which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in… | LibraryBoard/2007-01-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-02-14 | 1 | CITY OF Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING February 14, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Mark Schoenrock, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary The Board inquired about Member Mitchell's absence; Director Chisaki let the group know that he was in the hospital recovering from surgery. The Board unanimously expressed their concern and asked Chisaki to pass along their get well wishes. CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of February 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of January 10, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of December 2006. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through January 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Member Krongold inquired if the Director's letter to the Board was a part of the consent calendar, as she wanted to ask about the purchase and installation of a flat screen TV in Community Meeting Room B. Director Chisaki informed the Board that the Library had been directed to have this TV in place by mid-March. President Butter had numerous questions surrounding this topic, and asked that discussion and questions be held until the Director's Comments section of the agenda. | LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-02-14 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 14, 2007 President Butter noted that on the expenditure report it appeared that several items had already been fully spent. Director Chisaki reported that the City Manager would not be increasing the budget at this time, wanting to see where the Library was overall at the end of the fiscal year. Butter went on to inquire about a late fee paid to Bay Alarm. Recording Secretary Merrick explained that when the Library started getting bills from this vendor, both installation and monitoring fees were mixed together. Project Manager Bob Haun had been disputing the installation fees, holding that this had been done by the contractor, and not Bay Alarm. He was sitting on the bills until a certified payroll was produced, and because of this, none of the regular monitoring fees got paid. After everything was settled, there was a small late charge incurred ($2.25) on the monitoring fees. Member Schoenrock asked if there would be self-check figures soon. Director Chisaki stated that from 01/16-01/31/07, 58% of circulation at the Main and 18% of Bay Farm Island's circulation was through these stations. Now that the system is functioning and the statistical reporting feature is working correctly, this item will be reported regularly again on the Library Services Report. President Butter asked for a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Krongold so moved; Vice President Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) None. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Art Display Policy and Gifts of Art for the Main Library (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki had incorporated the changes requested by the Board at the January meeting, and presented another draft of the exhibit policy and application for the Board's review. President Butter asked about language saying that applications are granted on a first come basis. There could be an instance when a suggested exhibit might tie in with something going on … | LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-02-14 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 14, 2007 President Butter moved on to the gifts and donations policy. Member Schoenrock said he did not know that book donations were directly accepted by the Library; his impression was that these donations went to the Friends. Director Chisaki explained that some people come in and specifically want their book donation to go to the Library or they may be donating a book as a replacement to the collection. The introductory paragraph speaks of the Friends and Foundation; Member Schoenrock would prefer that we direct all gifts of equipment, property, etc. to be given to one of these two organizations. Chisaki said she would ask if the Friends or Foundation would mind being listed as the designated gift recipients, although the Library would still like to directly accept patron's monetary gifts that go into the Memorial Fund. There has not been a gift and donation policy this detailed in the past, so this should help address the more specific situations. Chisaki will expand the introductory paragraph of the policy, incorporate the other Board suggestions and bring the policy back for the Board's approval at the March meeting. B. Long-Range Planning for Branch Upgrades (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki informed the Board that Council would like to see some branch upgrades now, or in tandem with a long-range planning effort. Chisaki read the RFP she had prepared for securing a consultant to facilitate public meetings, recommend improvements, and get long-range planning underway. The RFP will be out for 4 weeks; Chisaki will do a first screening of applications and then interview the top 4 respondents with the Board. A selection decision would probably be made within 30 days of the application closing period. Branch Supervisor Benzi-Youssef has several ideas for immediate branch improvements such as adding more Internet computers at the West End, and installing taller shelving at Bay Farm. Vice President Belikove indicated she knows a professional spac… | LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-02-14 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 14, 2007 Member Krongold would really like to see some outreach to the Alameda Reads Literacy group and suggested doing a presentation for them. Director Chisaki said she would be speaking to the Welfare Council in a couple of weeks. Belikove questioned whether anyone knew the individual community leaders, thinking they could sit down and have a conversation to let them know what the Board was trying to do. Another suggestion was to watch for upcoming community events so Board members could attend. B. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) The Foundation did not meet in January, so there was nothing to report. C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Skeen) Friends President Skeen was not in attendance, so Director Chisaki provided some information on current activities. The "Friends Appreciation Week" proclamation will be on the March 6 Council agenda. President Butter asked that some of the dollar amounts mentioned in the proclamation be quantified. The Friends have formed a sub-committee to work on events for appreciation week, March 18-24, with a budget of $2,000. On Tuesday, March 20, one event will take place at each of the branch libraries, and the Main Library will host a series of activities on Saturday, March 24. Press releases are planned, and the Friends will create flyers for posting inside and outside the Library. The Friends are still looking for additional volunteers to fully staff the Café. D. Library Building Watch (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick had nothing to report. E. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. There were several CD and DVD requests; a request to never solicit a patron's social security number, even at their option; a request to reinstate the best seller lists; a request to use a different PIN number other than the last 4 digits of your telephone number; a request to bring back the date stamp on a sticky note feature; and, a request to update the CD collecti… | LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-02-14 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 14, 2007 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Ms. Rose, who had attended a previous board meeting and expressed safety concerns, has found a favorite reading spot away from the windows in the Library. Director Chisaki had asked a Police Officer that was walking through to have a few words with Ms. Rose as well to help dispel her worries. City Council has directed the Library to install a TV in meeting room B to accommodate overflow for Council meetings and other City meetings such as ARRA. The Elks used to host the overflow, but they reconfigured their rooms and now cannot accommodate a large group. It will be necessary to install cable in order to pick up the meetings. A 60" TV is being purchased by Project Manager Bob Haun and it will be hooked into the existing sound system in the room. The Library's budget will not bear the cost of this project. Alarm zones will also have to be reconfigured in order to allow after hours use. Director Chisaki had reviewed staffing recommendations in the plan of service, and found it would add two entry-level Librarians, one in Reference and one in Children's Services, and fill the currently vacant, unfunded positions. President Butter asked Chisaki to bring a chart or something to relate where the Library is in terms of staffing now as opposed to a year ago, and also where we want to be moving forward. Butter understands that the meeting rooms are putting increased demands on staff and wants to get realistic about where staffing levels need to be to accommodate the additional load. As agreed, the meeting room policy will be reviewed by the Board after 6 months of operation, putting the re-evaluation in May 2007. ADJOURNMENT Board President Butter called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:57 p.m. Vice President Belikove so moved, Board Member Schoenrock seconded the motion, which carried by a 3-0 vote, as Board Member Krongold had to leave the meeting at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director a… | LibraryBoard/2007-02-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-03-14 | 1 | CITY OF TERRA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING March 14, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mark Schoenrock, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of March 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of February 14, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of January 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through February 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. President Butter noted there was not much fluctuation in Children's check-outs, and Director Chisaki concurred. Butter then asked if there was any way to capture statistics for Overdrive, which is the Library's on-line audio book feature, sponsored by Califa. Director Chisaki believed that information should be available, and will ask Technical Services Supervisor David Hall if he can pull that out of the system. President Butter asked for a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Krongold so moved; Vice President Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-03-14 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 14, 2007 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) There were no comments from the public, so Director Chisaki took this opportunity to introduce the Board to the new Supervising Librarian for Adult Services, Annemarie Meyer. Ms. Meyer spoke briefly of her background, and indicated she had several great and wonderful ideas she would like to implement, one of which is the "One Book, One Community" type of program. Director Chisaki mentioned that they were looking into possible grant funds from a website sponsored by Hamburger Helper called "My Hometown Helper" to assist with the cost of this program. $15,000 is awarded every month to community groups to help with special projects or needs. One of the requirements to get this grant money is a 501(c)(4) IRS status, so Director Chisaki is sending out feelers to other Alameda groups to see if there is an interest in partnering with the Library in this effort. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Donations Policy for the Main Library (J. Chisaki) Per direction from the Board, Director Chisaki had expanded the introductory paragraphs to contain more information about the Friends and Foundation. After a brief review, Board President Butter asked for a motion to accept the policy as presented, which was given by Vice President Belikove, seconded by Member Krongold, and carried by a 3-0 vote. Director Chisaki will add an adopted by date at the bottom of the policy. B. Branch Upgrades and RFP's (J. Chisaki) Councilmember Matarrese had requested an operations and branch status update which was provided by Director Chisaki via an off-agenda report. The $1.5 million left over from Measure O funds has been invested in graduated accounts of 1 year, 18 months and 2 years. We are still waiting for the final closeout from the State to determine the exact amount of funds available. Once that has happened, and it is known how much will be spent on a consultant, the balance of the funds will most likely be invested so they c… | LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-03-14 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 14, 2007 road, including operational costs, provide a written recommendation, etc. Chisaki will inquire with the City Attorney if it would be a violation of the Brown Act to e- mail a copy of the RFP to the members of the Board. If it is okay, she will e-mail a copy of the RFP to each board member for their review to keep the process moving forward. Member Krongold asked about the cost, and Director Chisaki said she had included a request within the RFP that asks for a detailed description of the fee structure. By seeing what the Library would be individually charged for, there might be an option to throw out some things that could be lived without, or perhaps add in other things that would be more beneficial in the long run. Chisaki has a list of consultants that other libraries have used and will send each of them an RFP, as well as advertise the search on the City and Library web pages and list serves on the internet. Vice President Belikove will provide a name and contact information of someone in Alameda who would be interested in this opportunity. President Butter suggested talking with the Planning Department to ensure that the Library is given consideration in the City's Master Plan for the Alameda Point development piece. Director Chisaki promised to do SO. NEW BUSINESS A. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Foundation member Marc Lambert said their next meeting would occur on the following Monday. Director Chisaki announced that the Foundation will celebrate National Library Workers Day in April, and a group picture will be taken at the all staff meeting to be held on March 29. The Foundation continues to work on the shelf tags which now go up quarterly. Member Krongold asked if signage was being fabricated for the Community Meeting Rooms which are to be named after Regina K. Stafford. The Foundation will be working with their graphic designer, Cairdea, on this item. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was suggested once the signage was… | LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-03-14 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 14, 2007 B. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Skeen) Friends President Skeen started by giving a big thank you for the March 6 proclamation given at the City Council meeting. The committee working on the "Celebration of Friends" event on March 24 has come up with celebrity reads, balloons, string music in the Café and a small book sale from Ann Muir's estate as entertainment. Director Chisaki mentioned there would also be a 2 hour cartooning workshop held in the Teen Room. The Friends and Foundation are teaming up to celebrate National Library Workers Day on April 17 by providing box lunches for the staff. The Café has been named "Dewey's Friends Café", and they are currently working on publicity and signage. Someone had stolen some of the Café money, so the Friends were thinking of stepping up their security and possibly getting a safe. The next book sale will be on the first weekend in May. Vice President Belikove asked Friends President Skeen if they would be placing some kind of greenery around the building for the celebration on March 24. Skeen indicated they would be using balloons as decorations. Belikove indicated an interest in seeing plants and flowers in the building on a regular basis to give it more warmth. C. Library Building Watch (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick had nothing to report. D. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A request was made to bring back the old system of the sticky note with the date due stamped on it. That system had been discontinued to prevent repetitive motion injuries to staff, and because people were either stealing the date stamps or changing the dates so they were in error. A local video of Neptune Beach was also requested, which turns out to already be in the Library collection. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board President Butter spoke about the CALTAC workshop she had attended. Susan Hildreth, State Librarian, was also present and gave a speech. There… | LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-03-14 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 14, 2007 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Legislative Day is coming up on April 18th. SB156 is the new $4 billion construction bond, and will have its first hearing on March 28 by the Senate Education Committee. Personal letters of support at this point would be very useful. The minimum award amount has increased from $50,000 to $500,000, and the maximum award increased from $20 to $30 million. There will be no priority given to previous applicants, so everyone starts on an even playing field. The number of requests from other cities to visit the new Main Library is increasing daily. Pleasanton will visit on March 24, the same day the Friends celebration will be going on. Chisaki had attended the room use policy lecture in San Jose and it was a disappointment. The focus of the lecture was to highly recommend that when writing your room use policy, make sure to get your City Attorney's opinion. Director Chisaki passed around the handout she had created which outlined interesting facts about the Main Library construction, what is contained in the building, etc. The Board gave a few suggestions on improvements to the brochure, which will be incorporated with other facts Project Manager Bob Haun had asked to be included as well. ADJOURNMENT Board President Butter called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:28 p.m. Vice President Belikove so moved, Board Member Krongold seconded the motion, which carried by a 3-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-03-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 1 | CITY OF TERNA RATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING April 11, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Mark Schoenrock, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of April 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of March 14, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of February 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through March 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. President Butter asked if the current budget was overspent, and Director Chisaki replied that overall the Library was still in good shape. The City Manager had advised Chisaki that she would not be granting additional monies in this budget cycle, and wanted to see where the Library ended up at the end of the fiscal year. Adjustments will be made going forward for next year's budget. Member Schoenrock asked if storytimes were at a seasonal low. Director Chisaki said that coming out of the holidays it is always that way, but it will pick up with summer coming. | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 2 | Page 2 of 6 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 11, 2007 President Butter commented on the large decrease of circulation at Bay Farm while the Main's is increasing. Director Chisaki stated that uniformly statistics for both the branches are down. At some point Chisaki expects to see this level out. Director Chisaki told the board that she had taken Internet training statistics out of the services report and substituted Internet log-ins in its place. There is now a volunteer that will do one-on-one Internet trainings, but the board said they would be fine with the data being captured under volunteer hours. President Butter was pleased to see the audio book statistics in the report, and Director Chisaki said it had turned out to be an easy item to capture data on. It is too soon to know if the reported figure will be considered high, low or moderate in size. President Butter asked for a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Krongold so moved; Vice President Belikove seconded; the motion carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Director Chisaki took this opportunity to introduce the new Supervising Librarian for Children's Services, Eva Volin. Volin spoke about her background growing up in Alameda and how she had worked in the Children's Department of the Alameda Library while she was at San Jose State getting her degree. She went on to the Stockton/San Joaquin library system and is now glad to be "home" in Alameda. Ms. Volin is interested in starting book clubs for children as she has experienced much success with this previously. She has already gotten a couple of programs booked to coincide with the upcoming summer reading program themed "Get a Clue" which is all about discovering mysteries. Volin is looking into getting a movie license so the Library can show the previous Harry Potter movie just prior to the latest movie being released this summer. The Board extended a warm welcome to Ms. Volin signifying they were very happy to have her th… | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 3 | Page 3 of 6 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 11, 2007 Chisaki will make the changes so the RFP reads more strategic plan than facilities, and hopefully release it the following week. President Butter asked if there was a timeline outlined in the RFP on how long the consultant would have to do this work. That requirement is already included in the RFP. Director Chisaki hopes that the process will be completed by fall. NEW BUSINESS A. Speaker for Wood Museum Opening Reception (J. Chisaki) The Library is hosting the Wood Museum of Artifacts, and their Opening Night Reception will be held on April 26th. There is interest in having a member of the Library Board present to say a few words of welcome, so Director Chisaki asked if anyone was available. Vice President Belikove said she would check her calendar and would be happy to do it if she was free that evening. B. Exhibit Policy - Library Committee Board Appointees (J. Chisaki) The exhibit policy states that the Library Director, a library staff member, and three members at large who would be appointed by the Library Board, would make up the art selection committee. Technical Services Supervisor, David Hall, has done this type of thing in the past and enjoys it, so has volunteered to be the staff member on the committee. Director Chisaki asked what type of selection process the Board would like to see for recruiting the three at large members. Should there be any qualifications required such as being an Alameda resident; would they need an art background, etc. Will there be a formal interview process, or would the potential candidates come to a board meeting to speak on their interest? President Butter suggested getting a letter from each interested individual saying why they are interested in being on the committee and listing any qualifications. Member Krongold said that something could be put in the newspaper asking for responses. Vice President Belikove felt it would be important that these members have some knowledge of art. Butter said t… | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 4 | Page 4 of 6 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 11, 2007 C. Library Foundation Activities (J. Chisaki) Library Staff Appreciation Day is coming but there will be no formal program. A representative from the Foundation or the Friends will visit all the Library locations and bring lunches for the staff that are working that day. The Foundation and Friends have teamed up to purchase posters to be displayed for National Library Week, and there will be floral arrangements and plants brought in as well. The Foundation is planning on doing a wine and cheese board recruitment night in the Stafford Meeting Rooms on May 9th Movers and shakers of various companies and businesses will be invited in hopes they could recommend people from their organizations that might be a good fit on the Foundation Board. Director Chisaki had just been advised that the Foundation was not quite ready for this yet, SO they will be hosting a donor recognition reception for all the past contributors instead. For this event, and upcoming Chamber mixers the Foundation will be hosting, they would like to serve wine. Due to the Library policy of no alcohol on the premises, Director Chisaki spoke to the City Attorney's Office, and they drafted an addendum to the room use policy that would make it okay if the event or organization that is sponsoring the event would support the mission of the Library. They would still have to get the one day ABC permit, and additional event insurance. Member Krongold said it didn't seem fair that some people can have wine but not others. Director Chisaki said that with the exception of Livermore the other libraries she talked to also have the no alcohol policy unless it is a Library related event. After much discussion, President Butter asked for a motion to accept the policy addendum for a six month trial period. Vice President Belikove so moved, Member Schoenrock seconded, and the vote was 3-1 for acceptance of the policy addendum. Member Krongold stated for the record that her negative vote was a… | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 5 | Page 5 of 6 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 11, 2007 The Friends are still going to get a safe, however, as it would be sound business practice to do SO. The Café has purchased umbrellas for the tables in the courtyard. They have a quote for a large neon sign that will hang in the Café window looking out into the Library. They are working with Director Chisaki to change the signs in the Library that say "No Food or Drink Allowed in the Library" to something more positive that will invite people to have food and drink in the Café. F. Library Building Watch (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick had nothing to report. G. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. The Library needs to enforce a "quiet" rule and possibly post signs around the Library to help reinforce that policy. The response directed use of the Quiet Reading Room or small study rooms. Please purchase Obama's books; the Library has done this. Video suggestions for "I Spit on Your Grave" and the Ancient Warriors, Spartans and Rome DVD series are being considered for the collection. Cub Scout Den tours covering both energy conservation as well as traditional Library resources; the Main and both branch libraries are always happy to host scout field trips and help with special projects. A working space table for the copy area to organize papers, etc. while working; a table has been placed in the first floor alcove, and the second floor has a built-in counter area. A wastebasket at the door inside the women's restroom; wastebaskets have been placed by the door of all the public restrooms. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Vice President Belikove mentioned a literary tour available through the Solano County Library Foundation for any interested parties. There is also a National Library Week program with Michael Pollan happening at the Oakland Museum the following night. Belikove talked about the art pieces purchased at an auction that she had brought in as a donation to the Library. Belikove asked what t… | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf,6 | LibraryBoard | 2007-04-11 | 6 | Page 6 of 6 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 11, 2007 Director Chisaki had spoken with SAB rep Rebecca Kozak, who will be attending the upcoming Library Issues Breakfast. Ms. Kozak will also attend the May Library Board meeting. President Butter said that at the CALTAC workshop they had been advised there would be follow-up on several items discussed, but Chisaki said there was nothing new at this point on their website. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Legislative Day is the following Wednesday and so far only Marc Lambert, former SAB rep, will be attending with Director Chisaki. Vice President Belikove expressed her interest in attending at this point, so Chisaki will make the reservations for all three of them. Earth Day is coming up and the Library has been selected to receive a "Green Award" on April 21st. Director Chisaki will be going to accept the award and invited any interested board members to attend as well. The Foundation has agreed to name the large meeting rooms in honor of Regina K. Stafford and are looking in to getting signs made through Cairdea who is the graphic designer that works with the Foundation. Director Chisaki passed around some samples of what the lettering might look like and encouraged the board to pick the style they liked the most. After a bit of discussion, the Board settled on the all-caps option B. ADJOURNMENT Board President Butter called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:47 p.m. Vice President Belikove so moved, Board Member Krongold seconded the motion, which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-04-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-05-09 | 1 | CITY OF Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING May 9, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:04 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Mark Schoenrock, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of May 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of April 11, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of March 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through April 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Director Chisaki noted that meeting room use statistics have been added to the Library Services Report. Member Krongold requested that an additional category be included under this section that will show how many times Stafford Meeting Rooms A & B are used in a combined fashion. This will illustrate how many larger groups are utilizing the space. Recording Secretary Merrick will add this statistic to the services reports going forward. Vice President Belikove questioned whether the figures in the "Reserves" category were accurate as the placed and filled numbers almost matched in size. Director Chisaki indicated that this is a rare occurrence but it does happen. These numbers are computer generated, and are correct as presented. | LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-05-09 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 9, 2007 Board President Butter asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Vice President Belikove so moved; Member Krongold seconded and the motion carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Director Chisaki introduced Library Technician Aida Merriweather who brought in quilt squares depicting children's stories. The squares will eventually be assembled into three quilts, nine squares each, which will hang on the wall in the children's storytime program room. The board members were quite impressed by the handiwork and look forward to seeing the completed quilts. The official unveiling is planned for the Library's 130th birthday on August 11th. Director Chisaki then introduced SAB rep, Rebecca Kozak. Ms. Kozak gave a brief report and indicated there had not been much SAB activity. No workshops are being planned because there had not been good enough participation in past offerings. There is also too much overlap with CALTAC workshops and activities. Ms. Kozak is sitting on the committee that reviews the plan of service. There was a public relations campaign in the spring for National Library week. The Public Library Foundation has never been fully funded; Director Chisaki suggested that individual letters might be written for support. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Consultant RFP (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki has released the RFP to ten different people, and placed it on the library consultant's website. There has been no response so far, but it is early yet. The final date for submitting a proposal is June 1st by 5:00 p.m. B. Six Month Review of Room Use Policy (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki told the Board about some of the experiences the Library staff have had with the room users. People can tend to be very demanding, and it seems to be a trend that the room users expect staff members to "fetch and carry" for them while they are here. There have been several such unpleasant incidents, an… | LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-05-09 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 9, 2007 Director Chisaki gave several other examples of issues experienced with the meeting rooms. President Butter asked Chisaki to make the changes to the room use policy that she thinks would be effective for the Library to be able to better manage the space, and bring them back to the Board for review at the next meeting in June. NEW BUSINESS A. Homeless People in the Library (L. Krongold) Board Member Krongold had visited the Library and was disturbed when she witnessed a woman washing her hair in the restroom sink, and wanted to inquire what the Library policy was in regards to homeless people. Director Chisaki responded that as long as they weren't bothering other patrons, they are left alone. If a problem arises and they won't leave when asked to, the police are called to escort them out. Part of the Library Behavior Policy specifically states that there is no washing clothes or bathing allowed in the restrooms. The Red Cross has been contacted and the SSHRB took our list of homeless services locations to help anyone they come into contact with. This seems to be an issue all around town at public sites now, including Mastick Senior Center. They have actually had fights break out there between the homeless people, and have no choice but to call in the police. The SSHRB has indicated they will start calling around town to find organizations that might be able to assist with the problem. B. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) There is a donor appreciation event going on in the Stafford Meeting Rooms, for which the Foundation invited people who had given $100 or more to attend. It appears that some of the invitations may have gone astray, as Director Chisaki's family members who donated did not all receive an invitation. There seem to be some issues as to how the Foundation maintains their mailing list that need to be worked out. The Foundation and Friends had brought in lunches for the staff working on Library Workers Appreciation Da… | LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-05-09 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 9, 2007 C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Skeen) Friends President Skeen announced that their book sale the previous weekend had grossed $14,351. A four-person task force has been formed to study the book sales and look at other options. Per an inquiry from President Butter, Ms. Skeen said that the Café book sale has brought in $112. An election of new officers will be held at the May Friends meeting later in the month. Kris Matarrese is the new Café volunteer scheduler. The Friends continue to work on signage for the Café, and Ms. Skeen brought a mock up to show of the neon sign that is being fabricated for them. D. Library Building Watch (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick indicated that she is finally feeling her workload lighten a bit, and hopes to get a new issue out later in the month. E. Patron suggestions/comment: (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. The Library near the children's section is very loud because parents don't monitor behavior. Staff does their best, but is frequently helping other patrons and can't always step in. Organize DVDs by movie genre such as they do in the video store. This has been looked at but is too general for some movies, so current practice will continue. Other DVD titles were recommended. Longer computer usage time was requested. It is limited to one hour so everyone has a fair chance to use a computer when they visit the Library. Review book ordering process to ensure timely receipt of books. The popularity of the book in question caused it to be temporarily out of stock. When it was finally received, it had to be processed, which all in all caused a 6 month delay on getting it to the shelf. Vice President Belikove inquired about the McNaughton service she used to enjoy where rental collections can be provided for a fee. Director Chisaki said that most public libraries do not use this service anymore because of the cost and also because the books come unprocessed, so more staff time is… | LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-05-09 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 9, 2007 Marc Lambert gave a commendation to Mike Dooley for the great work he had been doing as the Library's Volunteer Coordinator. He puts out a newsletter with the latest happenings, volunteer opportunities and statistics on how many volunteers the Library has and the number of hours they have put in. Mr. Lambert said that volunteering here and sitting at the Information Desk makes the Library experience that much more enjoyable. Board President Butter had a copy of the latest Alameda Magazine and asked if everyone had seen the picture of Director Chisaki and comments about her top 5 favorite things in Alameda. The magazine was passed around the table for all to take a look. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Director Chisaki started out with her own kudos for Mike Dooley and the really terrific job he had been doing with the volunteers. There is volunteer information and an application out on the webpage, along with the different opportunities available. The school media teachers, children's and teen coordinators and Director Chisaki will meet the following week to talk about services the Library can provide to the schools, as well as how the schools can help the Library. The Teen Job Search workshop jointly sponsored by the Library and Recreation and Parks Department held in late April had been a big success. There have been talks about what worked well and what didn't, and there are plans to host another, or possibly two next year. Board President Butter inquired about the digital photography workshops being held in May, wondering if they would be offered again in later months. Director Chisaki explained that the presenter, Marv Winzenread, uses our meeting room space to hold MAC users training. In exchange for us letting him use the room for free, he will periodically hold special workshops at no cost. If everything goes well with this first offering, there are plans to hold additional workshops down the road. ADJOURNMENT President Butter called for a moti… | LibraryBoard/2007-05-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-06-13 | 1 | CHT OF TERKA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING June 13, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:06 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mark Schoenrock, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of June 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of May 9, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of April 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through May 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Board President Butter questioned the period covered on the list of bills for ratification. Recording Secretary Merrick indicated that the report covered check register activity for the month of May 2007. Director Chisaki was unhappy with the current circulation statistics. Even though the door count has risen, check-outs remain flat. Chisaki spoke with her supervisors to try and figure out a way to increase circulation. Eva Volin, Supervising Children's Librarian, is re- arranging the children's collection, taking biographies and folk and faerie tales out of the Dewey run and placing them in their own sections. Adult Services is also trying to clean up the collection to see if that may make a difference. | LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-06-13 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 13, 2007 Vice President Belikove had noticed on her way in that there were no books on display and believed that this type of thing would draw people's interest. Director Chisaki took this opportunity to announce that the financial literacy books that had been purchased with Belikove's generous donation would be the Library's first book display and would be in place within the next two weeks. Chisaki handed out a booklist which listed these books; Belikove indicated there were other ones she would like to see added as well. Reference will contact some banks to see if they are willing to do a free program to kick off the display. Board Member Krongold asked if the statistics shown on the Library Services Report for meeting room use reflected individual reservations; Director Chisaki confirmed this. Board President Butter asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Board Member Krongold so moved; Vice President Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Director Chisaki introduced Volunteer Coordinator, Mike Dooley. Mr. Dooley first handed out copies of the volunteer newsletter, and then spoke about the program and the previously untapped community interest in volunteering at the Library. Volunteers range from teenagers sorting and shelving books to earn their school service hours, to retirees staffing the information desk, greeting patrons and providing direction. The program has been running for about three months and numbers are increasing: month 1 saw 5 volunteers who gave 30 hours; in month 2, 19 volunteers worked 100 hours; month 3 came in with 30 volunteers who spent 240 hours volunteering at the Library. The truly positive side of the program is the strengthening of the Library's bonds with the community. The Board thanked Mr. Dooley for coming in to meet them and encouraged him to keep up the good work. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Consultant Re… | LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-06-13 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 13, 2007 NEW BUSINESS A. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) A decision was made that Director Chisaki will report for Board Member Mitchell while he is absent. Chisaki said the Foundation is talking about updating their web page again once they have a clear idea of their mission. Chisaki had asked the Foundation to finance a green touch screen for the Library which would show details about the Library's construction and operation, etc. Because the Foundation is still unclear of their mission, they are not ready to commit the funds for this project. They are considering using money to help fund the pieces of art not previously financed through public donations. B. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (D. Fullerton) Friends President Dorothy Fullerton was not in attendance to give a report. Director Chisaki had attended the tail end of their last meeting and said it had mostly centered on budget issues. Otherwise, all seemed to be going well. C. Alameda Free Library Newsletter (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick announced that the Alameda Free Library Newsletter will be issued again on a regular basis. If a new name is not decided on through staff input, suggestions will be solicited from the public in the next newsletter with some sort of prize for the winning submission. Member Krongold inquired if copies of the newsletter were available anywhere in the Library. Recording Secretary Merrick thought this was a good idea and will work on putting them around the building with information on how to sign up to receive the publication as well. D. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A request was made to restore the due date stickers used at the old location. These have been discontinued to reduce staff repetitive stress injuries, and also because patrons were misusing the stamps. Suggestions were given on alternative methods to track material due dates. A suggestion to lengthen the time for ADA compute… | LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-06-13 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 13, 2007 LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Vice President Belikove inquired what the outcome was of research done to ensure receiving books in a timely manner from Baker & Taylor. Director Chisaki reported that Baker & Taylor have hot lists and any staff member can add hot topics to a special priority cart in the ordering system. The Circulation Supervisor places the orders in this cart every two days. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS A nomination for a new Library Board member is going to the City Council next week. Mike Hartigan, formerly of the Library Building Team, sent in his application to the City Clerk's office, and has been recommended to the Mayor as a suitable replacement for outgoing board member Mark Schoenrock. The appointment will be made at the July 3rd City Council meeting. The Library has been awarded an out of school time on-line homework help grant which will supply funding for students in grades 4-12 to work with tutor.com, a live homework help site. The Art Exhibit Committee member solicitation notices went out to the media, as well as to the Alameda Art Association and the Frank Bette Center. There have been a couple of inquiries, including one from a Development Services staff member who is interested in serving on the committee as a public member. The deadline for submitting letters that detail qualifications and interest for the positions is July 29th The letters received will be copied and included in the August board packet, and will be discussed at the August 8th meeting. The summer reading program begins this weekend. The children's program is "Get a Clue @ your Library" which is a mystery/discovery theme, and the teen program is "Between the Covers". The teen librarian had a poster contest this year and a copy of the winning entry had been included in the board packet. Both programs run from June 16th - August 11 th ADJOURNMENT President Butter called for a motion to adjourn at 8:07 p.m. Vice President Belikove so moved; Board Member… | LibraryBoard/2007-06-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-07-11 | 1 | CITY OF TERKA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING July 11, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, President Ruth Belikove, Vice President Leslie Krongold, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary President Butter welcomed new member Hartigan, saying it was really nice to have a colleague who helped build the Library join the Board. The Board looks forward to Member Hartigan's help as they move ahead with renovating the branches and planning Library services for the future. President Butter made mention of the recent death of Archie Waterbury, long-time Library supporter. He will be sorely missed by the community, and especially missed at the Friends book sales. The Board will honor the memory of Mr. Waterbury as the meeting adjourns with a moment of silence. CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of July 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of June 13, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of May 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through June 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. | LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-07-11 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 11, 2007 President Butter questioned the June meeting minutes where a decision had been made that Director Chisaki would report for Board Member Mitchell in his absence. Prior to that meeting, Member Mitchell had requested a leave of absence from the Library Board, and it was assumed he would not attend the Foundation meetings either. Because Director Chisaki attends these meetings herself, she would report to the Board on Foundation activities. President Butter mentioned the continued decline in checkouts at the branches. Vice President Belikove reiterated that it would be helpful to have some books on display to draw patron interest. Director Chisaki indicated that it is hard to do that at the branches because there really is no extra space. The shelving is lower in the children's area, so there are always books displayed on the tops of those shelves. Vice President Belikove believes that displaying books on top of the shelving would add a certain warmth to the library as well. President Butter asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Krongold seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Marc Lambert asked if the Board had approved the Library's policy that all patrons must have their library card in order to use library services, particularly to access the Internet on the computers. Director Chisaki responded that it was merely a procedural issue, and did not go before the Board for approval. Furthermore, notices that library cards would be required had gone out for a month prior to this procedure being instituted. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Consultant Responses (J. Chisaki) President Butter asked Director Chisaki to cite the history of this subject for the benefit of new member Hartigan. After a brief explanation, Chisaki went on to say that the re- released RFP was out on the Library website, and would be… | LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-07-11 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 11, 2007 Member Butter asked Vice President Belikove if she would like to continue in her role and she declined. Member Mitchell then nominated Member Butter for the Vice President position, and she agreed. The Board voted unanimously to elect Member Butter as the Board's Vice President. Incoming President Krongold encouraged outgoing President Butter to continue to lead the rest of the meeting. B. Across the Pages: An Alameda Community Reads (A. Meyer) Supervising Librarian Annemarie Meyer was in attendance to report on this upcoming event. During the months of February, March and April 2008, a community reading program will occur. The books chosen are "Bee Season" for adults, "A View from Saturday" for children, with a third title for in-between readers yet to be selected. There will be community programs around the topics of the books, perhaps a community-wide spelling bee. Unfortunately, the author of "Bee Season", Myla Goldberg, has declined to come out and speak, so Member Belikove suggested that video-conferencing might be an option. Ms. Meyer will check into that possibility. Books will be handed out around town in the first or second week of February with a wrap-up program scheduled for the third week in April. A press release will be sent out closer to the program's start date. C. Alameda Free Library Foundation (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki reported that the Foundation is in the process of trying to formulate a budget plan. They again talked about the green touch screen for the Library, and would like to have Chisaki make her proposal to the Bechtel Foundation first as an alternative funding source. The Ann Miller Muir Art Fund Silent Auction to raise money for the two unfunded Library art pieces is scheduled for Sunday, August 5 at the Main Library. New Foundation officers are Ben Reyes, President and Luzanne Engh, Vice President- President Elect. D. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (D. Fullerton) Director Chisaki said that the Frie… | LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-07-11 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 11, 2007 around the end of each month now. Member Butter wondered whether a new logo should be developed for the newsletter, instead of using the library rendering. Director Chisaki shared that Expressions College is currently working on developing an Alameda Free Library logo for our use. It is just in the beginning stages, and staff is seeing the rough drafts at this point. Everyone is looking forward to "branding" our library and getting that brand out into the public eye, so putting it on the newsletter will work very well. F. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. Director Chisaki was unable to find the speak-outs she had put in her binder so they will be brought to the board at the August meeting. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS President Krongold was curious about what types of programs could be made available to adults at the branches in order to increase door count. One of the big name narrators in audio book recording had been scheduled to come, but backed out at the last minute. Author programs might be an option but they are not a big draw. Audience member Marc Lambert commented that unfortunately the only things that will bring more people through the door are more computers. Director Chisaki shared that she now has a load of information on laptop lending and intends to move forward with that idea. Vice President Belikove commented that she had requested several books to be on reserve and they are all coming in at the same time now. What wasn't working well before is now working a little too well. Director Chisaki explained that the acquisitions department sends out new book orders every week. Fiction, non-fiction and children's books are now all in one cart. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS The Library is starting to receive letters of interest for sitting on the Art Exhibit Committee, so these will be copied and put in the next board packet for review. Candidate selections could potentially be made at the August m… | LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-07-11 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 11, 2007 would like to increase full-time staff and decrease part-time staff to have a more consistent work schedule. The board will stay informed as this project moves forward. ADJOURNMENT A moment of silence was shared in memory of Archie Waterbury, then Member Butter asked for a motion to adjourn at 8:25 p.m. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Krongold seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-07-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-08-08 | 1 | of TERKA DRAFT Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING AUGUST 8, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of August 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of July 11, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of June 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through July 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Vice President Butter wondered when the yearly statistics would be available, and Director Chisaki promised them for the following meeting in September. Butter inquired whether it was necessary to track usage of the quiet study rooms, and Chisaki responded that it is an interesting statistic to keep up on. President Krongold asked if the Computer Lab was only open on Friday afternoons and Director Chisaki indicated this is the current situation. Staff is looking for ways to have the lab open at other times as well, but there needs to be an attendant at all times it is open. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-08-08 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 DRAFT Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 8, 2007 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Marc Lambert inquired where the Library was in regards to the grant money requested from Bechtel for the green touch-screen. Director Chisaki had heard nothing back yet, and suspected that was because their board or committee might only meet quarterly to make these kinds of decisions. Chisaki will keep everyone updated as she hears more. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS A. Art Exhibit Committee Member Selection (J. Chisaki) Letters were included in the board packet from members of the community interested in being on the Library Art Exhibit Committee. Director Chisaki indicated that selections could be made at the present time, however, President Krongold questioned whether this should happen at an open public meeting. Member Belikove stated that each letter had been impressive in its own way, and she would be hard-pressed to choose three from the bunch, so it would be a good idea to conduct candidate interviews. Director Chisaki said she would get Belikove in touch with Supervisor David Hall, who would be the Library staff representative on the committee, and they could interview the candidates together. A question came up whether there should be a Board presence on the committee as well, and Member Belikove volunteered. Member Mitchell made a motion that Belikove be the Board liaison; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which passed by a 5-0 vote. Board Member Belikove had to leave the meeting early, and departed at 7:22 p.m. B. Alameda Free Library Foundation (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki reported that the Foundation had a small meeting in July, and were still talking about how to better manage their money. The Friends are currently handling the Waterbury fund, but the Foundation will manage it for the future, once they get Board approval. There will not be a Foundation meeting in August. C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (D. Fullerton) Director Ch… | LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-08-08 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 DRAFT Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 8, 2007 D. Alameda Free Library Newsletter (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick indicated that no newsletter had been released in July due to taking some time off for personal concerns. The following week, Merrick plans to meet with the Adult Services Supervisor who will be taking over publication of the newsletter. An August edition will be produced, with regular editions again coming out monthly. E. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. RFID sticker tags are warping the CDs. Staff fixes these problems as they are reported. Bathrooms need to be cleaned more often. The restrooms are cleaned 7 days a week, which includes wet mopping the floors. A request was received for Library calendars which show upcoming Library events. This is a good suggestion that will be discussed with the Library support groups. A patron was engulfed by smoke upon entering the building. The Library will ask other City departments for assistance or suggestions to enforce the "no smoking within 20 feet of any public building" law. There seems to be an on-going competition between parents and their children on who can talk the loudest in the Library. When possible, staff reminds patrons to speak with lowered voices. Director Chisaki read a letter of apology from a young person that had set off a smoke bomb in the Teen Room a few months earlier. This brought up a question from the Board on whether or not the smoke detector went off when this happened. Chisaki stated there is a fire alarm in that room but no smoke detector. There are supposed to be 19 smoke detectors in the building, but during a recent check, only 11 could be located. Chisaki is looking for her original plans which will show exactly where each of these should be. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Vice President Butter had been looking at Library finances and wants an understanding of what is needed for the long-term. Butter suggests the Library Board be educated by in… | LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-08-08 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 DRAFT Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 8, 2007 The Ann Miller Muir Silent Auction results are in, and the amount raised definitely exceeded expectations. The original goal was $10,000, but the net was almost $17,000, with more donations still coming in. There is enough money to not only fund the standing sculpture for the lobby, but also the trellis for the children's area. The artist, Michael Carey, will come and walk the area where the trellis will reside to get an idea where it will go, and perhaps scale it down a bit. Director Chisaki passed around pictures of the completed quilt panels which will be hung in the children's program room on the upcoming Saturday. There was a recent reception for the quilters so they could meet each other. Most of them had done their squares individually, so did not know most of the other quilters. There are plans to do two more panels, so that when the branches are done with their remodeling, they can each have a quilt to hang as well. Director Chisaki had received a call from someone who helps coordinate "Friday Night Flights" at Angela's restaurant. Each month, Angela's selects a different non-profit organization to benefit from a portion of the money they make while pouring flights of wine on Friday nights. Angela's would like the Alameda Free Library to be their September non-profit designee. Chisaki has already e-mailed the Foundation president and hopes they will be the 501(c)(3) organization that will accept the donation for the Library. Chisaki asked the Board to encourage their families, friends, co-workers, etc. to visit Angela's on Friday nights in September and mention the Alameda Free Library so their donation will go to the Library. Board Member Mitchell referenced an article in a recent issue of the Library Hotline that talked about a library in Vancouver that had gone through severe cutbacks. The library workers union had gone on strike, and other city unions showed solidarity by going on strike as well in support. Lastly, Chi… | LibraryBoard/2007-08-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-09-12 | 1 | CITY OF ORATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING September 12, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:04 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Karen Butter, Vice President Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of September 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of August 8, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of July 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through August 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Board Member Mitchell asked for clarification on the weight of the alligator at the End of Summer Reading Program Celebration, as it was stated to be 150 pounds in the board letter. The actual weight was 103 pounds. President Krongold had not received the flyer for Friday Night Flights at Angela's restaurant, but had sent out e-mails to everyone she knew in Alameda to encourage them to go by and support the Library. Recording Secretary Merrick had attended the previous Friday evening, and shared that it seemed to be a great success already. | LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-09-12 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 12, 2007 President Krongold questioned the definition of a special program which is shown on the Library Services Report. Director Chisaki indicated this would be something sponsored by the Library, and outside of any on-going regular programs. As an example, the Ann Miller Muir Silent Auction recently hosted by the Foundation was not considered to be a special program for reporting purposes. Krongold continued with a question on meeting rooms - would it be a different cost if you booked both rooms A/B as opposed to just A or B. Chisaki explained that we do not charge extra if the party uses the rooms in a combined form, but if the Board is interested, a change could be considered. Member Mitchell asked why the West End and Bay Farm counts were decreasing, and Director Chisaki believes that the patrons are now coming to the Main. This assumption is supported by the increased branch run loads that come back to the Main from West End and Bay Farm Island. President Krongold had noticed in the draft of the last meeting's minutes, Director Chisaki was going to update the Board on a couple of items: the green touch screen kiosk, smoking ordinance and smoke detectors. Director Chisaki had no new information to share on the green touch screen; however, the Public Works Department had given her a variety of pre-made no-smoking signs to look over. None of them were quite appropriate, SO Chisaki is still working on this issue. As far as the smoke detector count, Chisaki needs to get in touch with the electrician who worked on the building as he can draw out plans to show exactly where the smoke detectors are located. This same electrician will also be installing the plug for the Café sign. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) There was no public comment and Director Chis… | LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-09-12 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 12, 2007 Belikove talked about bringing in other people to act as consultants which was agreed upon, as long as they would not actually be committee members and would not have voting rights. Belikove was also interested in expanding the committee size and some discussion ensued on the difficulties of managing a larger group. There is a plan to put together some basic rules to go by, and one could be that if you are not present at the meetings, you don't get to vote. In the end, it was decided that the committee size could not go any larger than 9 members. NEW BUSINESS A. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) There was no August Foundation meeting, but Director Chisaki shared the final results of the Ann Miller Muir Silent Auction. After the final check came in, the amount raised came to $24,338.50. Artist Michael Carey is in the process of re-sketching both the standing statue for the lobby and the trellis for the children's area, to scale them down a bit. Consultant Regina Almaguer is working on the contractor agreement now. B. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (D. Fullerton) Director Chisaki is looking into where the Friends have the Ella Mae Waterbury money so it can be hooked up with the recent Archie Waterbury gift and managed by the Foundation. There will be about $15,000 total, designated for children's materials. The Friend's Book Sale is coming up October 19, 20 and 21 at the O'Club on Alameda Point. There was some concern expressed that with the passing of Archie Waterbury, the Firefighters might not be available to help move the books, but Chisaki thinks someone only needs to contact the Firefighters Association directly and put in a request. The Café will partner with the Library to sell refreshments during the "Hollywood Librarian" screening. C. Alameda Free Library Newsletter (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick said that she had handed off the newsletter to Supervising Librarian Annemarie Meyer. After ten-minutes … | LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-09-12 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 12, 2007 LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board Member Mitchell pointed out a Library Hotline article that talked about extended service hours and new materials at the San Francisco Library due to an increased budget. Another Hotline article announced that a library in Austin, Texas is opening a new branch next year in honor of Laura Bush. A third article stated that a freedom of information bill with reforms passed the Senate, and a loan forgiveness rule passed Congress. A library in Castor, Wyoming hopes to attract boys to the world of reading with their literacy program "No Girls Allowed". Board Member Belikove thanked Recording Secretary Merrick for her assistance with the Art Committee interview set-ups, and follow-up letters to the candidates. Belikove would like to see a curbside book return; Director Chisaki said that the Library had tried that, but because the curb height is so elevated, the drop slot was too high for someone in a car to reach it. There are no other feasible spots around the building to place a book return. Belikove mentioned that she gets a cold feeling when entering the building, and would like to see some plants or other greenery placed there. Chisaki said that one potted plant is being purchased to block a "path of travel" by the staircase where people are not supposed to be walking per ADA standards. Additionally, the Alameda Garden Club re-planted the patio area outside of the Café, and did a great job. Belikove gave a signed book to Chisaki as a donation for the collection. Belikove had visited the Frank Bette Center when they had an Alameda art show, and believed it would have been a perfect purchase for the City who in turn could display the pieces in City Hall. Belikove asked if it would be possible to host an event for the bankers in town, in turn hoping for their support and funding of special projects for the Library. Chisaki said the Foundation is planning a donor event which could very well include the Ala… | LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-09-12 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 12, 2007 ADJOURNMENT President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:53 p.m. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-09-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-10-10 | 1 | CITY OF of TERRA RATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 10, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:06 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Leslie Krongold, President Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of October 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of September 12, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of August 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through September 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. Vice President Butter inquired whether the annual service statistics had been distributed at the last meeting, and Director Chisaki confirmed this. Butter asked if there had been an increase in the budget and Chisaki responded that it had been about 9%, mostly going to maintenance contracts for the new building, building maintenance expenses and part-time salaries. Member Belikove asked if it would help if members of the public asked for longer Library hours. Director Chisaki explained that patrons have written speak outs to this effect, and City Council is fully behind the idea as well. Vice President Butter asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Belikove so moved; Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-10-10 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 10, 2007 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Marc Lambert asked the status of the elevator. Director Chisaki responded that it had been out for about a day and a half and that it is working fine now. The elevator repair company originally ordered the wrong part to fix it, so there was a delay as they waited for the correct part. Lambert then asked if there was any news on the money raised for the Library through Angela's Restaurant and their Friday Night Flights. Chisaki said she is still waiting for the final count. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) Member Belikove said things are moving along nicely. Belikove and David Hall are very pleased with the committee members who are enthusiastic and full of ideas. Belikove and Hall went for a visit to Rhythmix, a new center for the performing and visual arts over on Blanding Avenue, and looked at the accoutrements they are using for hanging and displaying their art. The committee met the previous Friday, and walked through the Library to determine spaces that could be available for placing or hanging art exhibits. A wooden track will probably be put up on all the walls so pictures can be hung if needed. Belikove had also visited Auctions by the Bay at Alameda Point, and observed that they had display cubes and platforms up for bid. Director Chisaki indicated that the Library can't buy these types of things as there is no room to store them in the building. Belikove said that once the committee figures out what is needed, they will make a proposal to the Foundation for funding. It was decided to move the "Art Exhibit Committee" report down to regular business on future meeting agendas. NEW BUSINESS A. Reorganized Library Hours (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki stated that circulation reports were run for all three library locations to determine peak hours and slow or no check-out periods during the past year. Supervisory staff worked together to see whe… | LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-10-10 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 10, 2007 going to impact the patrons who get to the library right when it opens, mostly seniors. Chisaki expects that some people will be happy with the change and some will not be. After more discussion, Vice President Butter asked for a motion to accept the proposed schedule as presented; Member Belikove so moved, Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. Director Chisaki will inform the City Council and start getting out flyers and notifying news sources, etc. At this point, Director Chisaki informed an audience member who had arrived late that the public comment section of the agenda had already passed. Vice President Butter graciously offered a chance for the member to speak at this point, if they wished. The audience member, Bill Smith, thanked Butter and proceeded to talk about opening a branch library on the West End in Coast Guard housing. Mr. Smith was also interested in helping out disabled veterans. B. Re-evaluation of "Alcohol Use in Library Meeting Rooms" Policy Addendum (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki asked the Board if this item could be continued for discussion at the following meeting, due to the absence of President Krongold. Since the item was of concern to Krongold, it seemed appropriate to have her present for this discussion. The Board agreed, so the item will be moved forward to the November agenda. C. RFP Results (J. Chisaki) There had only been one RFP response received. This came from Ruth Metz, working as a joint venture with Kathy Page. Director Chisaki plans to interview the team on the following Monday, and will have Lisa Goldman, Deputy City Manager, sit in for this. Chisaki indicated an interest in having a Library Board member on the panel as well, so Member Hartigan said he would check his calendar, and if a time for the interview is set, he would be able to work something out to be there. D. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Director Chisaki and Marc Lambert reported the Found… | LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-10-10 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 10, 2007 Lambert mentioned that the Friends agreed to transfer the Waterbury account over to the Foundation for future handling; also, the book sale is coming up the following weekend, and the Friends are anxious to find extra volunteers to help move boxes to the event. F. Alameda Free Library Newsletter (M. Merrick) Recording Secretary Merrick said that Supervising Librarian Annemarie Meyer is producing the newsletters now, and they should be coming out on a very regular basis, around the third Monday of the month. G. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. Why are mysteries and westerns separated from other fiction? It is confusing because many authors cross genres and it would be good to have all of one author's works in the same place. Most public libraries separate their books by genre to make it easier for patrons to browse. It is an imperfect system which works well for some people but not so well for others. Browsing the catalog for your favorite author was suggested. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board Member Belikove passed on some information about another group that was going to discuss "Bee Season", the book Alameda plans to have for its program next year. Belikove then asked if anyone had taped Ken Burns' "The War" when it was on, and could we add that to the collection. Director Chisaki explained that would be copyright infringement, but the Library is purchasing the set through Baker & Taylor. Belikove wondered where World War II falls into school curriculum, and Director Chisaki speculated that it is probably a middle school subject now. Belikove wondered if there is a possibility of starting an Oral History Program with those who are left from the war. Director Chisaki said the Library is looking at grants to fund a program like this. One of the problems will be having enough employees to staff the program, and it may be more than the Library can handle at this time. Director Chisaki passed out… | LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-10-10 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 10, 2007 ADJOURNMENT Vice President Butter called for a motion to adjourn at 8:28 p.m. Member Hartigan so moved; Member Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-10-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2007-11-14 | 1 | CITY OF TERRA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING November 14, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Ruth Belikove, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of November 2007. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of October 10, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of September 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2006-07 Library expenditures (by fund) through October 2007. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification. Approved. President Krongold asked about an item in the September 2007 board minutes regarding whether it is mandatory for the Friends President to attend Library Board meetings. President Krongold said that Honora Murphy did attend most Library Board meetings prior to Molly Skeen, but didn't know if it was required. Recording Secretary Merrick will re-write this part of the minutes and bring it back to the Board for approval at the December 2007 meeting. President Krongold asked for an update on the smoke detectors; Director Chisaki said they are in the air intact ducts. The reason the one in the Teen Room didn't go off when the smoke bomb was thrown was because it needed new batteries. There are about a half dozen in the ductwork, and Chisaki will check on whether they are hardwired into the electrical system. | LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2007-11-14 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 14, 2007 Director Chisaki had mentioned in her Board letter that Adult Services Librarian, Annemarie Meyer, had started a "Staff Picks" book blog on the webpage. President Krongold thought it would be a good item to highlight in the next Library newsletter. President Krongold wondered why the Board had not been involved in the selection process for the new Library logo. Director Chisaki explained that it had been created by a college student, and had cost the Library nothing. Library staff had looked at the options and liked this one more than the previous logo, especially with the tag line of "Inspiring People Since 1877" which was used for the 130th birthday celebration. Chisaki said it might be an interim logo until something else was found, but Member Hartigan cautioned against that idea. The majority of the board was not impressed with the new logo, so Chisaki will remove it from the web page and put the old logo back up. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Vice President Butter so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Marc Lambert asked if BALIS is still in existence. Director Chisaki indicated that system consolidation will be discussed at the Library Director's retreat she will attend November 30th There is also a system-wide marketing program set to be revealed after the first of the year. Lambert then asked for clarification of upcoming computer classes. Chisaki explained that class participants sign up for a particular subject, and then attend all the sessions scheduled; each session will touch on a different aspect of the application being presented. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Re-evaluation of "Alcohol Use in Library Meeting Rooms" Policy Addendum (J. Chisaki) President Krongold inquired whether there had been any complaints or questions about the policy addendum. Director Chisaki had receive… | LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2007-11-14 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 14, 2007 There was quite a bit of discussion on securing space at Alameda Point for a new branch library, and about the scope of work the contractor would be expected to perform. Director Chisaki would like to identify staff members who will take part in the project as well. Laptops which will be used inside the Library have been ordered as part of the branch upgrades. B. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) In the absence of Member Belikove, Director Chisaki reported that there was a communication problem regarding when the last committee meeting was to be held. Library Board Member Belikove and Library staff representative David Hall were in attendance, however, only one other member showed up. A variety of Alameda art groups are expected to come on the Friday following the Library Board meeting to give their input. The person in charge of displaying and hanging art at Rhythmix Cultural Works came by and walked the Library to help better define what spaces could be used and what methods might work for art here. C. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Member Mitchell had not attended the last Foundation meeting, so Director Chisaki reported that they are still working on updating their website. They will go back to the original $100 per shelf price, as opposed to the $130 they were charging during the Library's 130th birthday celebration, as it was not very successful. The Foundation has updated their flyers, and they attended the Alameda Literati event on November 2nd, sharing a table with the Friends group. The Foundation will receive over $500 from the proceeds of Angela's Friday Night Flights benefiting the Library, which is the biggest amount Angela's has ever made on one of these events in the two years they have been sponsoring them. The Foundation has established a goal to raise at least $33,500 a year for the Library. D. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (D. Fullerton) Director Chisaki said that Friends President, Dorothy F… | LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2007-11-14 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 14, 2007 The Board suggested that this item be removed from the regular agenda; however still provide a copy of the latest newsletter in the Board packet each month. Merrick will make that adjustment on future agendas, and continue to provide copies to the Board. F. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. Purchasing suggestion for "Cult of the Amateur" - DVD will be ordered. Cleanliness of men's restroom and cleaning frequency questioned. They are cleaned at least once a day, with additional cleaning done as needed. Wheelchair bound patron could not turn in aisle because of potted plant. It blocks space not intended for passage and sometimes gets pushed where it is not supposed to be. Library staff can assist with this. There is too much noise in the Library, cell phone use, eating and drinking. Times have changed and the Library has become more of a community gathering place, however, signs are posted around the building discouraging cell phone use and indicating our no food or drink policy. Ask staff to help when needed. Request to put holds on DVDs just like books. The Library will allow this after the first of the year once adjustments are made to the computer system. Problem with volume while accessing the Internet. Using personal headphones was suggested. Patron disappointed with young adult collection and other YA amenities. The Teen Youth Council is meeting regularly to discuss needs and programs of interest to make the Library more inviting to this age group. There is also a Teen Book Group and "Active Afternoons" where video and board games can be played. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Member Mitchell mentioned that business at the Main Library continues to rise and branch traffic continues to fall. Director Chisaki confirmed her belief that once improvements are made, it should help to increase branch patronage. Chisaki made mention of the in-house circulation count that was done the previous month, w… | LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2007-11-14 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 14, 2007 The Off-Agenda report on the revised hours plan has still not been given to Council. Chisaki has hopes they will see it before Thanksgiving. Director Chisaki then shared a letter written to the Literacy Program from a student, who thanked them for matching her up with a wonderful tutor. All aspects of her life have been going much smoother since her reading and writing abilities have improved. Prior to adjournment, Member Mitchell mentioned an article in the Library Hotline which had caught his interest: Maine Woman Swipes Sex Manual from Library. The Library attempted to get her to return it, but she would not. She will be fined and penalized accordingly. ADJOURNMENT President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2007-11-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-01-09 | 1 | CITY of of TERKA RATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING January 9, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the months of December 2007 and January 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of November 14, 2007, and revised minutes from the Library Board meeting of September 12, 2007. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the months of October and November 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through December 2007. Accepted. E. Bills for ratification for the months of November and December 2007. Approved. Member Mitchell inquired about the new bi-lingual storytimes. Director Chisaki said that there will be Russian and Japanese storytimes starting soon that will be led by volunteers. President Krongold asked what the meaning is of "one-on-one" meetings with SunCal, the Alameda Point developer. Director Chisaki explained these meetings would be held between the developer and each group with an interest. The next large public meeting is scheduled for January 30th Member Butter described for the board how the previous public meeting on December 13th had gone. | LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-01-09 | 2 | Page 2 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting January 9, 2008 Director Chisaki described how the "Paws to Read" program works, which will be coming to the Library once a week for a three-month period, starting at the end of January. Vice President Butter pointed out that the November Library Services Report reflected the new Main being open a full year now, and mentioned the declining door count at the West End branch. Director Chisaki said they were still holding their own at this point. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Marc Lambert wondered what the status of the Schrader estate was. Director Chisaki speculated the total payout would be around $200,000, but was far from being settled, so there was no news to share. Audience member Li Volin was concerned that the public comment section of the meeting had been moved up on the agenda. She indicated it might not give the public a chance to comment on something that could transpire later on in the meeting. Vice President Butter indicated that she had asked for the agenda change, but would be in favor of hearing what the public had to say even after their designated opportunity had passed. At this point, Director Chisaki asked President Krongold if the Board would consider going out of order on the agenda, skipping down to NEW BUSINESS, Item B. Community Reads Presentation by Supervising Librarian, Annemarie Meyer. President Krongold agreed to the change, and Ms. Meyer proceeded to speak about the program and events surrounding it. There will be book discussions and movie programs for families. 150 copies of each book, Bee Season for adults, and The View from Saturday for children, have arrived and are being processed right now. Informational bookmarks are being produced that will list all the events planned surrounding the program that runs f… | LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-01-09 | 3 | Page 3 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting January 9, 2008 UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Status of Consultant Contract for Strategic Planning & Branch Improvements (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki advised the Board that the consultant contract had been approved by the City Council at their December 18, 2007 regular meeting. There were three proposed dates for an initial meeting with the consultants, Ruth Metz and Kathy Page: Friday, January 25, Wednesday, January 30 or Tuesday, January 29 - these in order of the consultant's preference. This initial meeting would be a combination of staff and support group members, and a member of the Library Board. Member Hartigan volunteered to be the Board liaison, and Director Chisaki will inform Member Hartigan once a date for the initial meeting has been finalized. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion of Future Library Service at Alameda Point (J. Chisaki) This item had been carried forward from the December agenda when a quorum had failed to be reached for that meeting. Honora Murphy will coordinate with Doug Linney and Development Services on getting the "one-on-one" meeting with SunCal. Director Chisaki will touch base with Ms. Murphy later on to see how this is progressing. B. Community Reads Presentation (A. Meyer) This item was moved up and is described above under Oral Communications. C. Regina K. Stafford Room Dedication (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki inquired if the Board knew of any family members of Regina K. Stafford that could be present at the room dedication. Member Mitchell did not think there was any remaining. Alternatives for the room dedication were discussed, including having it in conjunction with one of the "Across the Pages, an Alameda Community Reads" event that would be taking place in the Regina K. Stafford Community Meeting Rooms. The Board was thoroughly in favor of this option. D. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) Member Belikove shared a proposal that had been prepared for presentation to the Foundation in order to secure funding for art mount… | LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-01-09 | 4 | Page 4 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting January 9, 2008 Member Belikove indicated that one committee member had withdrawn because they were unable to make the regular meeting day, so they were looking for someone to replace them. Director Chisaki pointed out that the committee was already bigger than the Board had originally planned, so did not think a replacement was necessary. The first display is planned for the middle of March, and will be put together by Alameda Art Association President, Carol Burnett. E. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) There was no December meeting; the next meeting is scheduled for January 14. F. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) There was no December meeting; the next meeting is scheduled for January 14. Marc Lambert reported that Dewey's Friends Café netted $9,300 in 2007, and they were very pleased with this result. The Friends' Book Sale Task Force had been visiting other libraries to get ideas, and had put together a preliminary report on their findings. At the next meeting they will put together an action plan on how to proceed and implement the new ideas. G. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. There were no new speak-outs this month. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Vice President Butter spoke on the sorry state of the collections in the branch libraries, with nothing new hitting the shelves. Director Chisaki responded that quite a lot of weeding had been going on, and new selections are being added on a continuous basis; they are just harder to find in the branches cluttered environment. Butter went on to ask about the reserve policy, which Director Chisaki advised had always been in effect (52 free holds per year), and that only a couple of people ever exceeded this limit. It's possible that a charge will be incurred for people who do not pick up their holds; this is still under discussion. The Board came up with an idea to expand the hold notification e-mail sent to a patron to say that if the b… | LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf,5 | LibraryBoard | 2008-01-09 | 5 | Page 5 of 5 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting January 9, 2008 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Because of the revised hours and the Library closing at 8:00, Director Chisaki queried the Board for thoughts on either changing the start time of the meeting, or moving it downstairs in order to accommodate public access to the meeting, which is a requirement under the Brown Act. Because some members would be unable to make an earlier starting time, a decision was made to try the meeting downstairs in February and see how it goes. Pacific Fine Foods, located on Alameda Point, is the caterer for Dewey's Friends Café expanded menu of salads and sandwiches, and they are already very popular selections. Day in the District is coming up on Friday, January 25. Don Perata's office will be open for drop-in appointments between 1:00-4:00 p.m.; no word has been received yet on when Sandre Swanson's office will be open for visitors. ADJOURNMENT President Krongold called for a motion to adjourn at 9:02 p.m. Vice President Butter so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2008-01-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-02-13 | 1 | CITY OF TERKA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING February 13, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 7:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary President Krongold opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Lois R. Hanna, life-long Library supporter, who had recently passed away. Board and public members present shared some short stories and memories of Ms. Hanna. The family has requested that memorial donations in Ms. Hanna's name be directed to the Friends of the Library. CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of February 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of January 9, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of December 2007. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through January 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of January 2008. Approved. Vice President Butter thought Internet log-ins would be much higher than numbers reflect. Director Chisaki had double checked those numbers herself, and speculated that because these are December statistics, holidays, etc. had brought the total down. Butter went on to ask about getting newer books at the branches. Director Chisaki explained there is an automatic best seller purchasing program and the branch libraries are taking advantage of that. | LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-02-13 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 13, 2008 President Krongold asked about statistics for the new Russian and Japanese storytimes that are run by volunteers. Director Chisaki said these had just recently started and no statistics were available yet. These numbers will be reflected as "International Storytimes" on future Library Services Reports. Audience member Marc Lambert questioned Reference statistics at the Main Library that took a huge jump from the previous year. Director Chisaki explained that the new Main had just opened and that's why they were down in December 2006. Overall, nation-wide reference questions have been dropping and there is some discussion on discontinuing this count, however, most feel it is still valuable information to track. Member Belikove asked about the recently held Environmental Change program; she had not been aware that there was one going on and wondered if publicity had been done for the event. Director Chisaki confirmed that the press had been informed and it was seen in the papers, and went on to describe a little bit about the program content. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Vice President Butter so moved; Member Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Marc Lambert, as a Foundation representative, attended a City sponsored non-profit fund raising workshop presented by Zimmerman Lehman. Mr. Lambert thought it very beneficial and a good networking opportunity as well. There will be additional sessions held which he also hopes to attend. Luzanne Engh had attended the workshop as the Friends representative. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Committee (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki described the make-up of the group and talked about recruiting more members to better cover all areas of Alameda and also get a good ethnic representation. After a bit of discussion, the Board came up with several good "leads" to pursue, so C… | LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-02-13 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 13, 2008 The Board decided to give the 6:00 p.m. start time a try for the March 12 meeting to see how it goes. Vice President Butter and Member Belikove both stated at this time they would not be in attendance at the March meeting due to other commitments. B. PLF Resolution (J. Chisaki) A resolution had been written by the current president of the BALIS Systems Advisory Board for libraries to sign and submit to Governor Schwarzenegger, urging him to fully fund the PLF. Vice President Butter moved to support the resolution; Member Hartigan seconded and all were in favor with a 4-0 vote. Director Chisaki indicated that she will move it along and also pass the PLF information on to the Friends and Foundation. C. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) Member Belikove reported that the Foundation voted to supply up to $9,000 for purchasing and installing art hanging hardware. The request of funding for rolling panels was denied, but could be re-visited at a future date. The committee had met the previous day to discuss the upcoming Alameda Art Association show, slated to start in early March. Four more shows have been requested by various artists/art groups, including the "Wood Museum of History" scheduled for April. The contractor the Foundation uses has already been by to walk the building and will install the art hanging hardware for a nominal cost. Committee member Peggy Williams brought in a local artist who is very experienced with hanging items, and he will help staff member David Hall with that process. D. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Member Mitchell was absent and Marc Lambert reported that most of the Foundation news had been covered in the Director's letter to the board. E. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert reported that the Friends membership is increasing. A year ago, there were 212 members, and now they are up to about 400. Lambert reminded the Board that Café gift certificates are available f… | LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-02-13 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting February 13, 2008 LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS There were no communications from the Board. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS The "Paws to Read" program has been a great success. Director Chisaki passed around pictures of the children reading to the dogs. There are discussions currently going on to bring the program in for an additional 6-week period. Tutor.com statistics show very high usage of the on-line homework help program. Chisaki read some of the user comments for the Board. Chipman Middle School had "Bring a Parent to School Day" and Teen Librarian, Karin Lundstrom, had a table at the event. She talked to a lot of parents and pushed Tutor.com, handed out booklists and met face to face with some of the Library's problem kids and their parents. All in all it was a very positive experience. Chisaki talked a little about Day in the District that she had attended along with Marc Lambert, Honora Murphy and Rebecca Kozak on January 25th. The meeting rooms have been very busy lately, and there have been several incidents of meeting room users taking the café chairs and tables to use. Chisaki requested an okay from the Board to post meeting room use rules in the rooms which will include direction to not take the café furniture. The Board was in favor of this request and urged Chisaki to go ahead with the posting. ADJOURNMENT President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:38 p.m. Member Belikove so moved; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2008-02-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-03-12 | 1 | OF TERKA RATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING March 12, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Mike Hartigan, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Absent: Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of March 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of February 13, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of January 2008. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through February 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of February 2008. Approved. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) None. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. | LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-03-12 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 12,2008 NEW BUSINESS A. Wood Museum DVD (M. Merrick) Nancy Ely, Wood Middle School teacher and curator of the Wood Museum of History, had dropped off a DVD of the Museum's 2007 showing at the Main Library, and it was played for the Board. The Wood Museum of History will be hosted once again this year at the Main Library from April 21st through May 3rd. B. Budget Discussion (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki reported that all departments had been asked to under spend by 2% at the mid-year mark, and are now being asked to cut an additional 8% off their respective budgets for the next fiscal year. Library staff members have been meeting to come up with ways to reduce costs and increase revenues; ideas such as raising meeting room fees, late fees and fines; charging for inter-library loan service and obituary searches are all being considered. Reducing the Library open hours to save part-time salary dollars has also been discussed. The Board had no objection to these proposed measures, so Director Chisaki will bring the ideas to the City Manager as a next step. C. Strategic Planning Committee Update (M. Hartigan) Member Hartigan called the Board's attention to the Strategic Planning Committee's timeline contained in their packets. There had been meetings on February 20th and the previous night, March 11th Consultants Kathy Page and Ruth Metz explained their process; brainstorming and 10-year visioning goals were discussed. The phone survey is underway, and the pollster will be at the next meeting to disclose the information collected in the process. Director Chisaki advised the Board that they would need to hold a special meeting sometime between April 15th and May 7th to talk about the telephone survey results and provide feedback for the committee to consider. The date for this special meeting will be set at the April 9th Library Board meeting. D. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) Member Belikove was not in attendance, and Director Chisaki pointed out… | LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-03-12 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 12, 2008 E. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Director Chisaki had attended the last Foundation meeting and thanked them for paying for the art display track. Marc Lambert announced there would be a significant fund-raising event held this year, with a good possibility of author Michael Pollan as the guest speaker. The Marketplace is very interested in partnering with the Foundation for this event. F. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert had a copy of the Book Sale Task Force report, which had been provided for review so it could be discussed at the next Friends meeting. The Café is doing very well; they had $1,200 in sales for the month of January. The Friends newsletter is now being sent out via e-mail; hard copies are still available. Friends President Dorothy Fullerton has been meeting regularly with the Alameda County Friends Association; they will be meeting at the Alameda Main Library on March 18th. Due to the current budget crisis, Lambert encouraged that a large contingent visit Sacramento on State Legislative Day coming up on April 16th G. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. There was a request for children's Chinese/English language learning materials on CDs/DVDs and anything that would teach conversational Mandarin to kids; orders have been placed. Patron called looking for books; the Library did not have them so the patron requested ILL service. The staff member he was requesting this of told the patron to come in and make the request, but it would be the same information the patron had already given to the staff member so it seemed unnecessary. Staff will be instructed to take ILL requests by phone in the future. A request for "Across the Universe" DVD was made; it has already been ordered. Director Chisaki read a request about banning laptops in the Quiet Reading Room due to the noise they create, and asked for the Board's advice on an appropriate response. … | LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-03-12 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 12, 2008 has come from Sacramento that a new Library construction bond is being pitched. It is expected to be placed on the general ballot in 2010. Chisaki passed out the "Across the Pages" brochure that had been created for the Alameda Community Reads program. Director Chisaki queried the Board on how they felt about the 6:00 p.m. start time, and they all agreed that it had worked out fine, SO future meetings will now have that new start time. ADJOURNMENT President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:04 p.m. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2008-03-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-04-09 | 1 | CITY OF ve TERKA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING April 9, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Karen Butter, Vice President Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary President Krongold opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Mark Hanna, long-time Library supporter and husband of Lois R. Hanna who had also passed away recently. Board and public members present shared their memories of Mr. Hanna. A combined memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2008. CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted or adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of April 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of March 12, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of February 2008. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through March 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of March 2008. Approved. President Krongold asked about the Library's weeding method, and Director Chisaki gave a detailed explanation of the steps involved in the process. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Belikove seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-04-09 | 2 | Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 9, 2008 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Marc Lambert inquired about the status of the branch laptop program. Director Chisaki explained that the laptops have already been purchased and are being configured, but there are some bugs to work out before the branches can "go live" with the program. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Committee Update (M. Hartigan) Member Hartigan reported on the previous night's meeting. A presentation was made by the president of the group that did the telephone survey. 10,000 calls were made and 660 responses were collected; all questions and answers are laid out in a binder for review. The next committee meeting is scheduled for the following Tuesday to discuss survey responses, and the summary report will be provided in next month's board packet. A special Board meeting to discuss survey results and provide input will need to be held sometime before the Strategic Planning Committee meeting on May 7th. Next steps with the consultants will be targeted community focus groups. B. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) The committee had met the previous afternoon and discussed the results of the first art display at the Library. The committee felt they had learned a few things, and would like to try to help the artists help themselves by putting together a list of potential press contacts to advertise their showings. The Alameda Art Association had a reception for their show and meeting room space had been provided free of charge for the event. After a bit of discussion by the Board, it was decided that going forward, organizations having art receptions will have to pay for the meeting room space as others do. More wires and hooks will be purchased for hanging artwork. C. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) There was a lack of quorum so no meeting was held. D. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert talked about the upcoming Friends Book Sale May 2n… | LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-04-09 | 3 | Page 3 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting April 9, 2008 E. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. Library stickers on books on tape should not cover vital information such as number of discs, hours, etc. A second comment was much the same, pointing out that helpful information is frequently obscured from view. Staff endeavors to place stickers carefully on materials, but there is not always room to do this successfully. A small table next to the photocopier at the West End was requested. Staff is looking at getting a small folding table (such as a TV table) that can be used and then folded up and stored away until needed again. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board President Krongold asked about the Wii and Playstation game consoles purchased for "Active Afternoons @ the Alameda Free Library" for our teenage patrons. Krongold is interested in learning how to play the games, and then perhaps teaching other adults. Director Chisaki will advise the Supervising Reference Librarian so she can get Krongold started. Member Mitchell said that the Library Hotline issue of March 24th had an article about a Visalia Library staff member being released from her job for reporting that someone was looking at porn in the Library. The issue went to court and Director Chisaki believes she won the case as a wrongful termination. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Wood Middle School is asking for someone to speak at their opening reception for the Wood Museum of History on April 23rd. Director Chisaki was going to ask Member Belikove, but she had left the meeting at 7:12 due to another commitment. Chisaki will contact Belikove and find out if she is available. Chisaki announced the Stafford Meeting Room dedication would be put off until the next significant event was held, perhaps one of the summer programs for children, since they always draw a big crowd. The shades have been repaired, but the elevator is now out of service. LEED Certification is on hold due to a backlog of requests to the US Gr… | LibraryBoard/2008-04-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-04-29.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-04-29 | 1 | CITY of of TERKA RATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING April 29, 2008 The special meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:05 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director WORKSHOP ON LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN PROJECT The Board reviewed and discussed survey results, and provided input for the Strategic Planning Committee's next meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT None. ADJOURNMENT Vice President Butter made a motion to adjourn the Special Meeting at 8:05 p.m. Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board This special meeting's agenda was posted 72 hours in advance in accordance with the Brown Act. | LibraryBoard/2008-04-29.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-05-14 | 1 | CITY OF DRATEID Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING May 14, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:12 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of May 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of April 9, 2008. Approved. *Draft Minutes of the Special Library Board meeting of April 29, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of March 2008. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through April 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of April 2008. Approved. Vice President Butter observed that the Library had spent 83% of its budget, and wondered if anything would be given back. Director Chisaki expects only a small amount to be left at the end of the year, and explained that revenues haven't been as high as projected. Butter requested that the Board get a look at what the original 2008 budget numbers were before any cuts had been made. Chisaki will provide this information at the next board meeting. President Krongold asked about the little girl recently identified in the vintage photo mentioned in the Director's letter to the board. Chisaki talked about how thrilled she was to hear from Lynn Janvier, now Lynn Parodi, and said that the Alameda Sun may try to do a follow-up article with her. | LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-05-14 | 2 | Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 14, 2008 President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Hartigan SO moved; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Marc Lambert inquired about how the "Free2" campaign was going. The on-line contest set up to express what the Library has allowed you to be "Free2" do is almost over, and "Free2" screensavers will be loaded onto the public computers. Depending on available funds, other "Free2" give-away items may be purchased. Lambert then asked about the Shrader Trust and what is happening to the money. That brought up a bit of discussion; Director Chisaki does not believe the Library is getting any interest on the funds at this time, but she will check on the status. The Board would like to be involved when it is time to make a decision on how to utilize those funds. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Committee Update (M. Hartigan) Member Hartigan said the committee had met the previous week and gave a brief rundown on progress to date. The individual groups had come up with very similar thoughts on each service response; Hartigan went through these with the Board, giving details on what the thinking had been when the group had come up with the 6 top categories. The Board then had a lengthy discussion about the information provided. The project consultant, Ruth Metz, will attend a future Board meeting to address any questions or concerns, and the completed Strategic Plan will go before the City Council for their approval a short time after that. Vice President Butter said the Strategic Planning Committee and the Library staff should be congratulated for all the hard work they have done to get to this point. B. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) Member Belikove was absent, and the last regular committee meeting had been cancelled. The next exhibit opening June 6th will be works by Alameda women artists.… | LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-05-14 | 3 | Page 3 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting May 14, 2008 D. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert expressed his appreciation of Director Chisaki's summary in the Board letter on the recent book sale. There had been 1,100 boxes of books transported to the sale, and over $17,000 made. Director Chisaki advised the Board that she had secured a new space for the Friends to store their books at Alameda Point. Lambert had the most recent copy of the Friends newsletter, and encouraged everyone to sign up for the e-mail version now being offered. The Alameda County Friends of the Libraries had met at the Alameda Free Library in March, and our Friends and Foundation had co-hosted the Northern California Friends and Foundations the previous week as well. E. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A request was made to be able to do an Inter-Library Loan request on-line. Staff is looking into this, and there is a possibility of it being available as early as next month. A comment was received about the noise volume during the Wood Middle School Museum of History's opening reception. The event coordinator has already been contacted about the behaviors of the students, and steps will be taken next year to ensure good conduct, and to have some parental supervision in place on the afternoon and evening of the reception. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS None. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS The Season for Non-Violence Speech Contest will be held the following Sunday at the Library, and Director Chisaki encouraged attendance at the event. The artwork by Michael Carey is now complete, and Chisaki passed around pictures for the Board's review. The City Council is set to hear the budget at a meeting on May 27th. May 31st will be Family Fun Day at the Library, and events and entertainment will be paid for with funds received from the Early Learning with Families state grant. ADJOURNMENT President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:29 p.m. Vice President B… | LibraryBoard/2008-05-14.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-06-11 | 1 | OF TERNA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING June 11, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:04 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Leslie Krongold, President Karen Butter, Vice President Ruth Belikove, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Mike Hartigan, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted or adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of June 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board meeting of May 14, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of April 2008. Accepted. D. *Report from Finance Department reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures (by fund) through May 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of May 2008. Approved. Vice President Butter asked about getting adult check-out up and more in-line with children's check-out numbers. Director Chisaki said that adult circulation statistics have risen a little, and, an adult summer reading program is planned for this year. Per an inquiry from President Krongold, Chisaki said that flyers have been sent around town to different businesses to post, the Library webpage has been updated, and press releases are being sent out to help advertise the program. Board Member Hartigan asked about new borrower statistics, and referenced comments from a previous meeting about the number of records no longer in use dropping off the system. Chisaki said this is not a statistic we currently report, but it would probably be available so she will check on it. | LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-06-11 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 11, 2008 Board Member Belikove had a question about the LEED certification, and wondered why the Library hadn't chosen to install solar panels if that would provide extra points. Board Member Hartigan explained that the initial outlay is tremendously expensive and would only result in one LEED point. Hartigan had also been in favor of solar paneling; however, it turned out to be unfeasible. President Krongold asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Vice President Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Marc Lambert asked about the result of the "Free2" campaign, as he doesn't see it anywhere but inside the Library now. Director Chisaki said the campaign runs for 12-18 months; small pieces are now being filmed to put on television, so they are still working to get the word out. We are waiting for Free2 screensavers to be uploaded onto the public computers, and the on-line contest received thousands of entries which are still being processed. Lambert then asked about how Measure H would affect the Library, and Director Chisaki said it would not have any significant impact on programs or services. Classes that might be lost at school, such as music or sports, are not something the Library would offer, so we can't help them in that respect. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS A. Election of Officers (L. Krongold) President Krongold opened the floor to nominations for Board President. Vice President Butter nominated Member Belikove; Member Mitchell seconded the nomination. Belikove accepted and was unanimously approved by the Board. Krongold then asked for nominations for Vice President. Butter nominated Member Hartigan; Belikove seconded the nomination. Hartigan accepted and was unanimously approved by the Board. Incoming President Belikove asked outgoing President Krongold to continue to run the meeting for the remainder of the evenin… | LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-06-11 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 11, 2008 Director Chisaki had invited the consultants to the July Board meeting to present their information, but Member Butter expressed that there may not be enough time in a regular board meeting to give the attention needed for this discussion. The rest of the Board agreed, so it was suggested that a special meeting be held prior to the regular meeting. Tentative dates were discussed, and as soon as Chisaki follows up with the consultants, Recording Secretary Merrick will contact the Board and firm up a date for the special meeting. C. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) President Belikove talked about the current exhibit by Alameda Women Artists being displayed in the Community Meeting Rooms. The opening had been the previous Friday, and was very well attended. The Art Exhibit Committee had met the previous afternoon, and talked about putting together a press packet of information for future group showings. The committee will continue this discussion at their next meeting in July, and try to come up with more publicity ideas to get the word out. Director Chisaki inquired if future artists would want their displays limited to just the Community Meeting Rooms, as this had caused a few problems for staff, and, with meetings being held in the rooms during the showing. Belikove said the next group coming in will have a textile exhibit and they would like to utilize the wall space on the second floor for their display. Belikove said that the committee is still in its learning stages of finding out what works and what does not, and will proceed accordingly with future exhibitions. D. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Member Mitchell did not have a report, and Director Chisaki said the next meeting of the Foundation would be the following Monday. Marc Lambert had information about required annual participation by Foundation Board members, i.e. making monetary donations, and getting this stipulation written into the by-laws. The special ev… | LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-06-11 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting June 11, 2008 LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Outgoing President Krongold talked about her 8 years on the Board and how much she had appreciated the experience. She had worked in an elementary school library when she was young, and had fond memories of that time, so jumped in to join the Alameda Free Library Board when the opportunity presented itself. Incoming President Belikove thanked Krongold for all her many contributions, wished her all the best, and encouraged her to continue her community service. Krongold then shared that she had recently become the Education Liaison for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), who she has worked with for some time now. Member Butter seconded the comments made by Belikove, and thanked Krongold for her excellent service and contributions over the years. One of Krongold's favorite memories will always be shaking the little children's hands as they crossed the stage during the End of Summer Reading Program Celebration. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Director Chisaki first read a resolution of appreciation prepared for Krongold, and signed by the rest of the Board members. Chisaki went on to give a brief update on the City's budget situation, noting that there would be a reduction in open hours and part-time staffing dollars. This, in conjunction with a $5,000 reduction in the materials budget, and minimal cuts across other categories, will enable the Library to realize the 8% cut required. The open hour's reduction will take place at both the Main and the branch locations. The official budget hearing before City Council will be on Tuesday, June 17th. ADJOURNMENT Outgoing President Krongold asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:47 p.m. Vice President Hartigan so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board | LibraryBoard/2008-06-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-07-08.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-07-08 | 1 | CITY OF ORATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING July 8, 2008 The special meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:07 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director WORKSHOP ON LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN PROJECT The Board reviewed and discussed the Draft Neighborhood Library Improvement Report, and provided their input to this Draft plan for finalization. PUBLIC COMMENT None. ADJOURNMENT Vice President Hartigan made a motion to adjourn the Special Meeting at 7:45 p.m. Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board | LibraryBoard/2008-07-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-07-09 | 1 | CHT OF of TERKA ORATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING July 9, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from the Library Director highlighting Library Department activities for the month of July 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of June 11, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the month of May 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial report reflecting FY 2007-08 Library expenditures by fund through June 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for ratification for the month of June 2008. Approved. There were no comments from the Board, so President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) None. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. | LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-07-09 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 9, 2008 NEW BUSINESS Director Chisaki requested that the strategic planning piece from the previous night's special board meeting be completed first (item B. Strategic Planning Committee Update); President Belikove agreed to the agenda order change. B. Strategic Planning Committee Update (M. Hartigan) Vice President Hartigan spoke briefly, highlighting the positive experience he had enjoyed on the committee, and acknowledged the hard work and dedication of all the community members that participated in the process. President Belikove inquired if the committee members had been properly thanked for their contributions, and Director Chisaki indicated that certificates of appreciation had been printed up and would be passed around during the meeting for all the Board members to sign. These are planned to be presented at the August Library Board meeting. Hartigan turned the item over to Kathy Page to field any questions on the plan from the Board. Board Member Butter inquired how the plan would change what the Library does now. Director Chisaki said it would be more of a re-focusing of energies; Kathy Page emphasized that the Library is not doing anything wrong now, but the plan will give a framework for staff to work from, with programs, improvements, etc. that the community has indicated an interest in seeing. After quite a bit of discussion, several wording clarifications were agreed to, and the consultants will incorporate those changes into the completed document to be ready the following week. A. Dedication of "Diosa de la Bahia" AKA "The Lady" (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki spoke about the art dedication reception scheduled for Sunday, August 10th, at 1:30 p.m. that will be held for the Library pieces, including the recently installed standing statue named "Diosa de la Bahia" by artist Michael Carey. Wording for the dedication plaque is being put together now, and Cairdea will have this ready in time for the reception. Invitations are going out t… | LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-07-09 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 9, 2008 D. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Member Mitchell had no comments, so Director Chisaki shared information with the Board. The Foundation just had their election of officers and Luzanne Engh is now President; Sue Colberg is Vice President. Financial investment strategies are being discussed to increase the Foundations holdings; Chisaki has asked them to think about setting aside equipment replacement funds for technology, and a furnishings fund for branch improvements. Plans continue to be made for the Michael Pollan author event scheduled for October at Auctions by the Bay. E. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert advised that both the Friends and Foundation will be sponsors for the "Walk a Mile for Literacy" campaign slated for September. Director Chisaki said that the Park Street Business Association has also pledged their sponsorship. The Friends are now putting together their first budget, and they' ve passed a resolution to earmark $100,000 for furnishings in the branches. The nominating committee has decided on their nominees for next year, but they haven't been formally announced yet. There will not be a July meeting of the Friends. F. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A request was made for advanced sign-ups on the computers that have MS Word. The computer station that allows for advanced sign-ups is down, and work is being done to get it repaired. A request to join Link Plus, which is similar to the Inter Library Loan program, was made. This is not available with the current Horizon system we use, although development has been discussed. A request to not get a receipt automatically when using the self-check express stations was made. When the check-out process is complete, simply removing the books will end the process and re- set the station. On screen instructions for this will be looked into. A comment was received about excessive late notices being … | LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-07-09 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting July 9, 2008 Honora Murphy's 80th birthday is coming up in August, and Vice Mayor Tam has requested that the Library do a proclamation to honor her. Chisaki is working on that now, and asked the Board to give her any comments or ideas they might have on the community activities Ms. Murphy has been involved in, any awards she may have won, etc. ADJOURNMENT President Belikove asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:37 p.m. Member Butter so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki Library Director and Secretary to the Library Board | LibraryBoard/2008-07-09.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-08-13 | 1 | CITY of TERRA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING August 13, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: Ruth Belikove, President Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of August 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Special Library Board Meeting of July 8, 2008. Approved. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of July 9, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of June 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund Through July 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of July 2008. Approved. There were no comments from the Board, so Vice President Hartigan asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Wetzork so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion, which carried by a 4-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) None. | LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-08-13 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 13, 2008 UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Projects (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki thanked the Board members for showing up and speaking in support of the Library's branch improvement presentation at the City Council meeting. An RFP was drafted by Public Works and will go to about 40 architects who have previous experience with libraries. Discussion was held about forming a committee to help shepherd the process. It was decided that committee make-up should include representation from the board, Friends and Foundation, community members from both Bay Farm and West End, the Public Works project lead, Branch Supervisor and Library Director. It was agreed that the committee should have an odd number of members. Board Member Butter made a formal motion to form the sub-committee; Member Wetzork seconded and all were in favor with a 4-0 vote. Member Wetzork volunteered to be the Library Board's representative. NEW BUSINESS A. Certificates of Appreciation Presented to Strategic Planning Committee (M. Hartigan) Vice President Hartigan presented Helen Wirth with a certificate of appreciation for the good work she had done as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, citing the 6 month commitment necessary for the process. Ms. Wirth graciously accepted, and spoke about how much she had learned during that time, and how she had fallen in love with Alameda all over again through the experience. Hartigan then publicly thanked the other committee members who were not in attendance for their dedicated participation throughout the process as well. Board Member Butter presented Vice President Hartigan with his certificate of appreciation, echoing his comments, and adding that his leadership role had been essential. There will be a lot of work required going forward, but this was the first critical step in paving the way for the project, and everyone felt it had been a great success. B. Strategic Planning Committee Update (M. Hartigan) Vi… | LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-08-13 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 13, 2008 Luzanne Engh, Foundation President, and Honora Murphy, as the Art Selection Committee representative, both spoke. Kate Walsh spoke on behalf of the Muir family, who were very pleased with the Library's art pieces. Artist Gary Bennett was also in attendance, and offered to donate a painting from his home to the Library. D. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Director Chisaki said the Foundation did not have a regular Board Meeting last month, but did have an Executive Board Meeting and talked about their plan of service and how they could support the Library. They agreed to start setting aside funds for IT equipment replacement, and also some funds to help with the branch remodeling project. They may also consider paying for association memberships and workshop fees for staff members. October 19th is the date of the Michael Pollan program, and it will be held at Auctions by the Bay on Alameda Point. E. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert said there was no July Friends meeting, but they will meet the following Monday and have their election of officers. They feel fortunate to have a full slate this time around. F. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A comment about stickers covering content information on videos and DVDs was made; suppliers have been notified and this is being corrected. A request to purchase only videos, not DVDs was made as they seem to last longer and have fewer problems. The response was that the Library is no longer able to purchase new titles in video format, and most people prefer the DVD format. Director Chisaki read a letter from a vexed patron who said he would not turn off his cell phone or talk quietly into it as long as the Library allowed children to shout and scream with no intervention from staff. The patron withheld his name lest his Library card be cancelled. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board Member Butter had spoken with a Librar… | LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-08-13 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting August 13, 2008 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS The annual comparison report was handed out and the Board discussed the figures briefly. President Belikove's copy will be sent to her in the mail due to her absence at the meeting. The patron database purge is now complete. An estimated 15,000 registrations were removed; 9,000 were done in a batch mode and 6,000 in a manual mode. There are now 40,610 adult, and 11,215 juvenile patrons remaining, or a grand total of 50,825 active records. The recommendation is to do a database purge every six months. An e-mail had come from Sacramento to say that the Library Construction Bond which had been held in the suspense file is officially dead, and there is no chance at this time of it moving forward. Representatives from the Library Foundation will be present at the August 19 City Council meeting to speak on behalf of organizations such as theirs that support City Departments on the agenda item of public use policy at the Alameda Theater. Chisaki passed around the plaque of honor that had been received from Real Estate & Construction Review recognizing the new Alameda Free Library as one of the top projects in Northern California. LEED certification is still being held up by the US Green Building Council. The USGBC database had become corrupted, so previous responses submitted by City staff had all been lost; all this information now has to be re-submitted. The Library is currently extending the agreement with the Alameda County Waste Management Association to take us through this process. If we get the silver certification, the Library will get back about $70,000 from ACWMA. These funds will go back into Measure O so there will be that much more money to spend on the branch improvement projects. ADJOURNMENT Vice President Hartigan asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:06 p.m. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. Respectfully submitted, Jane Chisaki, Library Direct… | LibraryBoard/2008-08-13.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-09-10 | 1 | or of TERRA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING September 10, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of September 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of August 13, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of July 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund through August 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of August 2008. Approved. Director Chisaki mentioned an error in the Director's Report. A volunteer had been in touch with staff to do a Spanish "sing-along", not "story time", at the West End Library. President Belikove asked if the Foundation needed any help for the Michael Pollan event, and volunteered to sell 5 tickets. President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Wetzork so moved; Member Butter seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-09-10 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 10, 2008 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Marc Lambert mentioned that he didn't see anything in the August meeting's draft minutes about moving collections from the branches to the Main as part of the neighborhood library improvement process. Director Chisaki responded that weeding the branch collections has been going on for some time, and didn't feel it was necessary to mention in the minutes. Lambert inquired about the Bechtel grant, but Chisaki had nothing new to report on the subject. Lambert wondered how the Animal Shelter kiosk in the Main Library's lobby was doing. Chisaki said there have been over 1,000 hits a month, but didn't know if adoptions had increased as a result. Per a request from Member Butter, Chisaki will contact the Police Department to see if they have any correlating data. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Projects (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki met with the Public Works Director on project management details; caps will be set on how much is spent on each item. $60,000 is set aside for permits, etc., which leaves approximately $2 million intact for the actual work. It was decided there would be no formal MOU between Public Works and the Library, as they are both general fund departments. The last few tweaks are being put on the RFP which will be released soon. Project manager Laurie Kozisek, City Engineer Barbara Hawkins, and possibly Bob Haun of the Housing Authority will participate in the screening and selection process. A committee will be formed to oversee progress, with Member Wetzork as the Chair/Library Board liaison. Chisaki ran through a list of the people and organizations that would be involved, and because it came up as an even number, suggested a second board member for the committee. Vice President Hartigan said he would be amenable to sitting on the Committee if they found a need for another member. NEW BUSINESS A. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) The committee h… | LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-09-10 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 10, 2008 C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert had the most recent copy of the Friends newsletter and drew attention to a picture taken at the End of Summer Reading Program Ceremony which featured several Library Board members. The By-Law and Budget Committees have finally been convened, and they met with the Friends' President on August 21st. D. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A patron requested that the "My Space" website be blocked, because teens use it to chat and it distracts others who are trying to study. The Library is indeed a place to study, learn and read, but it is also a place to attend programs, community events, and maybe have a cup of coffee in our Café, making this a popular community meeting place. There are other sites very similar to "My Space" that would have to be blocked as well, and these are used by teens and adults alike. Blocking these sites would make many of the Library's other customers very unhappy. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS President Belikove had listened to Michael Krasny's August 26 report on the future of libraries and found it very interesting and informative. One of the items touched on corporate participation to help fund and support Library programs, and Belikove thought this might be something to explore. Vice President Hartigan thought this was a very good, out-of-the-box idea, although it might be a huge administrative deal to manage. It was suggested that this venture may be better pursued by the Foundation, as Library staff is stretched very thin already. Gaming, such as what we now have, was another item mentioned in the report that had positive effects on bringing people to the Library. Belikove advised the Board that Yom Kippur starts on October 8 at sundown, and by coincidence is the night of the next Board meeting. Belikove would like to attend, and with the sun going down earlier now, polled the Board about the possibility… | LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-09-10 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting September 10, 2008 The Library has received grant award letters for "On-Line Homework Help" through Tutor.com and also for "Digital Story-Telling", but no money will be forthcoming until the State's budget passes. The Library/City budget is looking very grim. The Real Property Transfer Tax (Measure P) would benefit the Library if it passes, but it doesn't have a champion at this point and employees of the City/Library can't lobby for it. Member Butter indicated that the League of Women Voters just came out in favor of the measure, however, and it will be listed on their website urging people to vote yes. The City is putting together a factual presentation to show people where their City dollars are spent. It must be factual and non-partisan. The acting Finance Director was brought in to be a change agent, and is keeping everyone within their budget lines. The Library has been asked to come up with a plan for an additional 5% cut, so a variety of scenarios are being prepared, including completely eliminating one of the Main's regular open days or totally closing one of the branches. Director Chisaki went on to speak about Veicon, who is the vendor that manages our thin client (public computers) and print system. There have been numerous problems for which Veicon has been given deadlines to make fixes on, but they have not successfully responded to all issues. The City Attorney has been involved with all of this, so is well aware of what is going on; it is very likely that we will discontinue service through Veicon. Talks are already underway with Envisionware who manages the Computer Lab equipment; they will do an install for us but don't manage thin client systems, so David Boxton will take over the administration of this piece. Chisaki will keep the Board updated as things move forward with the vendor change. On the upside of things, the Library is very popular. Storytimes have reconvened and the children are glad to be back after summer break. There … | LibraryBoard/2008-09-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-10-08 | 1 | CHT OF of TERKA ORATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING October 8, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:04 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: Alan Mitchell, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted and adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of October 2008. Accepted. B. Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of September 10, 2008. Vice President Hartigan asked that additional comments be reflected under Item 6. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS. Recording Secretary Merrick will revise the minutes accordingly and include them for review in the next Board packet. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of August 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund through September 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of September 2008. Approved. President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar, with the exception of the Draft Minutes of the September meeting which will be revised. Member Butter so moved; Vice President Hartigan seconded the motion which carried by a 3-0 vote. At this point, Member Butter made a motion that Item A. Alameda Point SunCal Development Concept Plan, under number 5. NEW BUSINESS, be moved up on the agenda as SunCal representatives were present. Vice President Hartigan seconded the motion and all were in favor with a 3-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-10-08 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 8, 2008 A. Alameda Point SunCal Development Concept Plan (J. Chisaki and A. Thomas) Pat Kelleher of SunCal gave a brief PowerPoint presentation on the Development Concept Plan for Alameda Point, and entertained questions from the Board and public members in attendance. The plan SunCal had put together focused on being green, sustainable, transit-oriented, and meant to leave a zero or very low carbon footprint. Mr. Kelleher said that more detailed information was available for viewing on the website: AlamedaPointCommunity.com Director Chisaki will ensure that Andrew Thomas of the Planning Department gets the Library Master Plan to pass on to SunCal so they can look at where a new Alameda Point facility will fit in. Mr. Kelleher suggested he return in a couple of months to present the findings, and talk more in detail about where to go from there. Board Member Butter thanked SunCal for involving the community in the whole process and thought they had done a great job. Member Wetzork arrived during the SunCal presentation, so was not in attendance for the Consent Calendar review and voting, nor the vote to move item 5. A. up on the agenda. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) There were no comments from the public members in attendance at the meeting. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Projects (J. Chisaki) Director Chisaki said things were moving forward; however, being so intertwined with the City budget and the state of the economy she needed some direction from the Board. There is now a written MOU with Public Works; $67,600 will cover the time and benefits for the employees who work on each phase of the project. The RFP can be released in October; there will be one architectural team and one contractor who handle the entire job. It is projected that everything will be completed and closed out by August 2010. It is very likely that the Library will have to take additional budget reductions and one of the branch… | LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-10-08 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 8, 2008 B. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) President Belikove commented on the current exhibit of work by Aliea Wallace, and said there will be a photography show coming in next month. Belikove has found some Native American artists and hopes to put something together with that group as well. Neil Tam will be joining the Art Committee, and is their contact with the multi-cultural community. Tam currently serves as the Chairperson for the Multi Cultural Center Board of Directors. President Belikove had another engagement to attend, so turned the meeting over to Vice President Hartigan to continue on. C. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Director Chisaki spoke due to Member Mitchell's absence. Foundation talk centers around the upcoming Michael Pollan program scheduled for October 19. Ticket sales are slow, but are expected to pick up the last two weeks before the event. The Foundation continues to work on putting together their budget and discussed how much to keep liquid and how much to invest. Luzanne Engh, Foundation President, asked to be put on the Board's November meeting agenda to ask what direction they would like to see the Foundation take in terms of their endowment and what the Board would like to see it spent on. Marc Lambert mentioned that they are alternating the monthly meetings now; the next one will be just the Executive Committee, and the following meeting will be the full Board. D. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert spoke about the upcoming book sale scheduled for October 17, 18 and 19. The Friends need all the volunteers they can get to help out, so he said that if anyone can do so, please don't hesitate. The October meeting will be held on the 27th; Director Chisaki indicated that there isn't a room available on that night. Both the by-law and budget committees have met and put together their proposals. The budget will be voted on at the next meeting. Member Butter is on the mailing… | LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-10-08 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting October 8, 2008 A college student from San Francisco State requested that the Library be open more late nights so they could come in to study. The response cited the reduction of open hours due to budget constraints, and the hope that hours might be restored when the current crisis abates. A note was sent to thank the Library for the latest James Lee Burke novel, Swan Peak. The reader hopes Mr. Burke continues to publish more such works that can be enjoyed as audio books. More thanks were given for all the services the Library provides to the community. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Member Wetzork mentioned that there would be a forum on Measure P hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Alameda Business Associations at the Elks Club the following Friday at noon if anyone was interested in attending. Member Butter said she had subscribed to a newsletter through the Library that provides information on new audio books. The problem is that when she looks for them, the Library doesn't have them in the collection. Director Chisaki will check this out with the Supervising Librarian in charge. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Books had been sent through Alameda Reads to the Early Learning with Families sites in Alameda so that they could all participate in the "Read for the Record" campaign designed to bring attention to the importance of early education. There was a picture in the paper of the kids at Ruby Bridges reading the book Corduroy by Don Freeman. Unfortunately, the Flat Stanley program that President Belikove had requested the Library look into is a no go. Supervising Children's Librarian Eva Volin met several times with Recreation & Parks, thinking they might act as co-hosts. The logistics ended up being more than either department could handle, and because there was no interest from the schools, a decision was made to scrub the attempt. ADJOURNMENT Vice President Hartigan asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Member Wetzork so moved; Member Butte… | LibraryBoard/2008-10-08.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-11-12 | 1 | CHT OF of TERKA ORATED Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING November 12, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted or adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of November 2008. Accepted. B. *Revised Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of September 10, 2008. Approved. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of October 8, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of September 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund through October 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of October 2008. Approved. Member Butter mentioned the door count at the Main for September was much higher than in past years. Director Chisaki explained this was because the door counter had not been working properly at first. The branch door counts had also risen, and Chisaki said that extensive weeding was done on their collections, making books much easier to find. Additionally, the Supervising Children's Librarian has been bringing classes through the branches by their schools to familiarize students with this resource. Butter also noticed that homebound patrons had declined; Chisaki said they had lost quite a few this year, but the service is advertised around town at care homes, Mastick Senior Center, etc. Per a question from Member Butter, Director Chisaki spoke about the state of the budget, what cuts had already been taken, and what was on the table for the future if there was a request to cut more. | LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-11-12 | 2 | Page 2 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 12, 2008 President Belikove had read in the Director's letter about the new book drop awning and shelf that will be installed, and asked if there was a possibility of putting an additional book drop in the back of the building. Chisaki explained this had been investigated previously, but it was found that there was no way to accommodate a book drop at the rear of the building. President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Mitchell so moved; Member Wetzork seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) Audience member Li Volin spoke up about the recent fund-raising program the Library Foundation had hosted with food author Michael Pollan. Ms. Volin thought the event had been absolutely fabulous, and others in attendance at the meeting echoed her sentiments. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Projects (J. Chisaki) 23 architectural firms showed up for the mandatory branch walk-through. They asked a lot of good questions; their proposals are due on November 24. Laurie Kozisek, project manager for Public Works, had located floor plans for WEB and aerial photos of both branches that Director Chisaki will put up on the webpage. The first meeting between Library, Public Works, Friends and Foundation representatives will be on Wednesday, November 19; 5-10 meetings will be held throughout the design phase of the project. Chisaki queried the Board on whether they would like to see West End and Bay Farm residents on the committee so there could be community input. Member Wetzork listed both positives and negatives for consideration; Member Butter was very much in favor of resident participation, as was Vice President Hartigan. Chisaki said a PowerPoint presentation could be put on the website for the community to view and submit comments that way. Butter said that is a good idea, but believes it is key to have community members on the commit… | LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-11-12 | 3 | Page 3 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 12, 2008 B. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) The Art Exhibit Committee did not have its regular meeting in November due to it falling on Veterans Day, however, they will meet the following Tuesday. The Art Exhibit calendar is rapidly filling up; President Belikove mentioned the current exhibit by Peter Tonningsen, which includes many photographic images of Alameda. There will be a display of original graphic novel artwork coming up, and Belikove had brought in several books that were given to her by Image Graphics of Berkeley. There will be a Mata Ortiz pottery demonstration the following Sunday in the Library courtyard, and Belikove invited all present to attend. On November 19, there will be a program about Alameda's Neptune Beach in the Community Meeting Rooms. C. Alameda Free Library Foundation (L. Engh) Luzanne Engh, Foundation President, was in attendance to update the Library Board on what the Executive Committee and Board have been working on. Lots of good news about the Michael Pollan event - they netted just over $10,000 and had also made great community connections through this effort. Special thanks go to Slow Food Alameda, who was instrumental in putting the food part of the evening together. The restaurants that participated were delighted to be part of the event and happy to know that it was in support of the Library. The Foundation is reviewing and updating their mission statement and goals and objectives. The mission idea is that the Foundation seeks private financial support to supplement City and public funding in order to support the mission and goals of the Library, and to ensure that quality Library services continue in Alameda, now and in the future. The Foundation has approximately $300,000 in cash, money market funds and CDs and would like to protect the principal of it. Instead of supporting individual programs, they would like to have guidelines for an annual contribution to the Library who will be able to use the… | LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf,4 | LibraryBoard | 2008-11-12 | 4 | Page 4 of 4 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting November 12, 2008 If there is a real problem with the noise level, please ask a staff person to intervene. Board Member Butter suggested the person might use the Quiet Reading Room as an option. Director Chisaki also noted that new signs will go up that tie in to the current "Free2" campaign, which shows (by being crossed out with a big red line) that you are not "Free2" do things like talk on a cell phone. This apparently has worked well in other libraries. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS There were no communications from the Board. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Director Chisaki updated the Board on the switchover from Veicon to Envisionware. Many obstacles have been encountered during the process, and what was supposed to take 3-5 days has now taken almost a month. David Boxton, lead on the project, has been working literally day and night, and it is now at the point where extra help needs to be brought in to speed the process. Staff has not been given much information about what is going on because it is possible that the City may take Veicon to court. This has led to numerous complaints by the public who want to know what is happening, and staff can't give any kind of explanation. One patron has now escalated his complaint to the City Council level. Every service the Library offers is still available, with the exception of public internet access, and the reason that is not up is because of the layers of security that need to be built in before public use. There is a small glimmer of hope this access will be restored the following week. Vice President Hartigan commented that this could be taken as a "warning shot across the bow" so to speak. If there are future plans to upgrade computer systems we must make very sure that we are ready to respond quickly, or risk the public's displeasure. Chisaki said that every effort had been made, with planning done far in advance, to make this a smooth process, but with each step taken, new issues had come up regarding what V… | LibraryBoard/2008-11-12.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2008-12-10 | 1 | Chy OF the 6 TERRA Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING December 10, 2008 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Absent: Gail Wetzork, Board Member Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted or adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of December 2008. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of November 12, 2008. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of October 2008. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund through November 2008. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of November 2008. Approved. Vice President Hartigan asked why the telephone account is in the negative on the Expenditure Status Report. Director Chisaki explained that each department pays a monthly chargeback to IT (the Library's share is $2,200) for debt still owed on the phone system. Being unaware of this charge, additional money was not budgeted. Hartigan also asked why there is only $15,000 left for electricity this year. Chisaki said a large chunk of money is already encumbered on a purchase order for Alameda Power & Telecom, and the $15,000 is what is left after that, so we are still in very good shape. Chisaki went on to say that if funds become available, there is already a request in to install solar panels on the Library. President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Member Butter so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 4-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2008-12-10 | 2 | Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting December 10, 2008 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) There were no communications from the public members in attendance. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Project (G. Wetzork) In Member Wetzork's absence, Director Chisaki reported that the NLIP team met and came up with 4 firms to interview on 12/16/08. Contractor selection will be made that day; all firms received our boilerplate contract with the proposal package, so the City Attorney's office has promised to push this through quickly. The contract award is expected to go through at the January 6 City Council meeting. B. Consideration of Art Donation (R. Belikove) Space was found to hang the Gary Bukovnik painting on the first floor Lincoln Street side of the building; it can be broken up and mounted separately. President Belikove and Supervising Librarian Hall went to San Francisco to view the piece which looked to be in good condition. Member Butter asked what the circumstances of the donation were, i.e., will we be able to dispose of the piece later, or are we to keep it for perpetuity. Butter was quite concerned about acceptance without a policy in place. Member Hartigan also pointed out this piece would take display space away from the rotating exhibits the Library hosts. Director Chisaki asked Belikove to tell the artist that we need to have our policy in place before taking the art. Chisaki has given Hall some art policies from other libraries to get started on putting ours together. NEW BUSINESS A. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) President Belikove said Peggie Williams moved so is no longer on the art exhibit committee. They need to recruit a new member, as they have only 4 now. A newspaper advertisement needs to be placed, asking people to submit letters of interest as they did upon the committee's initial formation. Belikove had a few possible leads, so she will make some calls first; if these people are interested, she will ask that they submit a let… | LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf,3 | LibraryBoard | 2008-12-10 | 3 | Page 3 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting December 10, 2008 C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert reported that the newsletter had come out that day, with a new feature on the address label showing membership status. The Friends have adopted their 2009 budget; they expect to raise $49,500 this year. The next Friends meeting will be on January 26. D. Patron suggestions/comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's response. A request was made for signage around the Circulation Desk instructing patrons to wait until the previous person is done with their transaction before stepping up to the counter for assistance. This has been a challenging area to control. With the elevator, staircase and express check-out stations right there, it is difficult to clearly form a line. Some new signage alternatives will be given a try. A request was made that I.D. be required along with your library card to check out books. That way, if someone steals your card, they would not be able to use it. It is important to keep your library card as secure as you would a credit card, and report its loss immediately. LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS Board Member Butter mentioned watching the City Council meeting, and how confusing it had been when discussion was held on how much bond money proceeds were available for Library construction. The Interim Finance Director had been talking about a special fund that pays the debt service for the Library. Finance will send a report to Council with a full explanation, and better numbers will be available for Director Chisaki after her meeting with Finance staff on the following day. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS Chisaki reminded Board members to do their AB1234 ethics training so the certificates can be turned in to the City Clerk's office. "The Buzz" - a newsletter from the Harbor Bay Athletic Club - is out and it lists the Library's upcoming programs and events, The Art Exhibit Calendar will be included in Board packets starting in January. On January 20th, the Leagu… | LibraryBoard/2008-12-10.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2009-03-11.pdf,1 | LibraryBoard | 2009-03-11 | 1 | OF An Minutes of the ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING March 11, 2009 The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Ruth Belikove, President Mike Hartigan, Vice President Karen Butter, Board Member Alan Mitchell, Board Member Gail Wetzork, Board Member Absent: None Staff: Jane Chisaki, Library Director Marsha Merrick, Recording Secretary CONSENT CALENDAR An asterisk indicates items so enacted or adopted on the Consent Calendar. A. *Report from the Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Month of March 2009. Accepted. B. *Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of February 11, 2009. Approved. C. *Library Services Report for the Month of January 2009. Accepted. D. *Financial Report Reflecting FY 2008-09 Expenditures by Fund through February 2009. Accepted. E. *Bills for Ratification for the Month of February 2009. Approved. Vice President Hartigan asked Director Chisaki to go into a little more detail about the decreases in the activity report. Chisaki said there were more open hours in 2008, and in an hour to hour comparison of checkouts, statistics are actually up. Database searching is down mainly due to internet speed. The main line coming in is the problem, nothing internal. Bob Haun is still working on getting LEED certification; he receives periodic progress updates and responds to questions. It still looks good for a silver certification at this point. President Belikove asked for a motion to accept the Consent Calendar as presented. Vice President Hartigan so moved; Member Mitchell seconded the motion which carried by a 5-0 vote. | LibraryBoard/2009-03-11.pdf |
LibraryBoard/2009-03-11.pdf,2 | LibraryBoard | 2009-03-11 | 2 | Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the Alameda Free Library Board Meeting March 11, 2009 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (Public Comment) There were no communications from the audience members present. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Neighborhood Library Improvement Project (G. Wetzork) The project team met on the previous Wednesday. Noll & Tam walked everyone through the branch reports and discussed must dos (modifications required by law), strongly recommended items (these are suggested but not required), and recommended items. The team will meet again the following Wednesday, and a staff session is scheduled for March 30. The WEB community meeting was held March 10 with about 20 people attending. The BFI community meeting will be held on March 12. The branch meetings were announced in the papers, posted on the City web page and at both branch locations. Vice President Hartigan felt the WEB meeting was a success with lots of good comments from both staff and the public, and that the project is heading in the right direction. NEW BUSINESS A. Art Exhibit Committee (R. Belikove) President Belikove said there are currently two exhibits in the building; collages by artist Mark Fox-Morgan line the walls of the second floor, and the Alameda Women artists have their works displayed in the Stafford Rooms on the first floor. Belikove felt the reception held the previous week had been very well done, and there's been good newspaper coverage, especially by the Alameda Sun. The Art Exhibit Committee will meet the following morning and discuss the art openings, planning who to advise/invite, etc. B. Alameda Free Library Foundation (A. Mitchell) Director Chisaki had attended the Foundation's Executive Board meeting, and reported to them on the branch project. The Foundation is considering selling shelves in the renovated branches. C. Friends of the Alameda Free Library (M. Lambert) Marc Lambert reported that the Friends monthly newsletter had just come out, and that the Friends next book sale will take place on the weekend of May 1, 2 and 3. D. P… | LibraryBoard/2009-03-11.pdf |
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