Board of Trustees Regular Session Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Present: Traci Black, Brent Gardner, Sage Fitch, Drew Pearson, Pepper Pehrson, Nick Skene
Excused: Vicki Matsumori
Others: Kim Fong, Murray Library Director; Julia Pehrson, Murray Library Assistant Director; Kristin Bilson, Murray Library Staff; G.L. Critchfield, Murray City Attorney
- Call to Order:
President Black called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes:
The minutes for the January 2019 meeting were approved, as is, on a motion made by Brent Gardner, seconded by Pepper Pehrson. Voting was unanimous in favor.
3. Public Comment
None
4. Financial Report
58% of the year has passed and Director Fong reported that everything seems in line with library expenditures. Sage Fitch asked about the anticipated State grant and Director Fong answered that the Library received the grant last week and it will show up on next month’s Financial Report. Sage Fitch also asked about the scope of the grant. Director Fong said it is state money designated by state legislature called the Community Library Asset Fund. The state library divides money to all libraries based on population. The state asks to limit the spending to areas that the public uses. This year, the library will use the money to replace some of the teen public computers. President Black asked what will happen to the old computers. Director Fong answered that they will help to replace some of the older computers in the main public computer area. President Black had a question about the interest on the income. Director Fong answered that it’s because there is more money in the reserves. Sage Fitch asked about the funding for young adult books and programs. Director Fong said there will be more programing costs in the future in that area. The circulation of Young Adult books is lower than anything else in the library right now, possibly because they could be using electronic resources. Nick Skene asked if the Library has its own balance sheet. Director Fong said that Murray City keeps it for the library. Nick Skene asked if the Board could see the balance sheet. Director Fong said she would ask and get the balance sheet for the next meeting. Nick Skene asked about progress of the building site. Director Fong said she was at a meeting that morning and there were significant discussions about the library site.
Pepper Pehrson made a motion to receive and file the financial reports, seconded by Drew Pearson. Voting was unanimous in favor.
5. Open Meetings Training
G.L. Critchfield, City Attorney, gave a training on Open Public Meetings Act.
6. Board Reports
None
7. Director’s Report
Director Fong reported on Borrow Behavior. She presented some numbers on Library patron behavior for the full calendar year of 2018.
Active Borrowers in 2018 – 10,489
Borrowers with Lost Items – 466
Lost Items 2018 Overdue Charges
Items set to Lost – 54,449 Overdue total – 47,316
Lost items returned – 30,240 Charges waived – 8,321
Lost items paid for – 5,185 Charges paid – 28, 269
Lost items Unpaid – 19,024 Charges unpaid – 10,726
Daily Checkouts Overdue Items Daily Average
Books – 713 per day Books – 98 (14%)
DVDs – 459 per day DVDs – 66 (14%)
14% of items aren’t brought back the day they are due.
8. Old Business
8.1 Auto Renew
Director Fong led a further discussion on whether fines were doing their job. She said that TLC, who provides the Integrated Library System software for the library will have auto renew available in 2019. Director Fong would like to see if auto renew will help eliminating small fines. Also, the library is looking at setting the library schedule differently so that people don’t have items for such a long time before they get set to lost. That set to lost schedule could be changed at any time. Director Fong suggested we table changing the fine structure until the auto renew is in place.
8.2 Easy Access/Limited Use Card
The library would implement a limited use card for patrons who have phot ID but do not have proof of address with them. Patron could provide proof of address and have their card status upgraded from limited use to a regular card. Card benefits: computer use, room use, electronic resources use, borrow 3 items including 1 DVD, 3 Holds.
A motion to have an easy access card was made by Brent Gardner, seconded by Sage Fitch. Voting was unanimous in favor.
8.3 Amnesty Month
The library would provide “amnesty” to anyone who currently has items that are set to lost and are past the 6 month point where they can be returned. If a patron returns the item, the cost of the item will be removed from their card along with fines associated with that item. Would happen next fiscal year. President Black asked if other libraries had an amnesty month. Director Fong said it is fairly common.
A motion to have Amnesty Month was made by Brent Gardner, seconded by Nick Skene. Voting was unanimous in favor.
9. New Business
10. Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Pepper Pehrson, seconded by Drew Pearson. Voting was unanimous in favor.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.