Minutes
2002-2003
Oct 02 / Nov 02 / Dec 02 / Feb 03 / Mar 03 / Apr 03 / May 03 / Jun 03 / Jul 03 / Aug 03
The annual meeting of the North Shelby Library Board was held on October 24, 2002, at the library. Present at the meeting were board members Wanda Carruthers, Kay Kelley and Mary Sue Ludwig. Also present were library district resident Lisa Crenshaw, volunteer Ellen Schmidt and North Shelby Library Director Michael Jones.
1. Wanda Carruthers called the meeting to order.
2. The agenda was accepted and the minutes were approved with amendments on a Kelly/Ludwig motion.
3. Friends member Ellen Schmidt discussed thank you notes for boy scouts who had done landscaping, plans for future landscaping projects on library grounds and Christmas decorations . The board requested that a member of the Friends attend all board meetings.
4. Lisa Crenshaw addressed the board requesting an adjustment to her library fee for homestead. The board asked her to submit a request in writing to be reviewed at the next board meeting.
5. Jones presented the library's financial and statistical reports. The library finished the budget year with a circulation of 108,141. Total revenue was $733,208.83 and expenses totaled $672,273.53.
6. Jones announced that his final day as library director would November 28, 2002. It was confirmed that the search committee would consist of the library board, the library director and Friends representative Ruth Goodwyn. Jones said that he had posted advertisements for the position with November 12, 2002 as the date for review of applications to begin.
7. The board discussed the Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief filed with the Shelby County Circuit Court by three district residents. The board agreed to ask Jim Fuhrmeister to represent the library at the hearing scheduled for October 28,2002.
8. Kay Kelly said that she was completing the final addresses for personal property assessments. Once the addresses have been completed, all records will be sent to the county tax assessor to determine assessment values. The county will return the assessed values to the library for billing.
9. Jones informed the North Shelby Library (NSL) Board that Harrison Regional (HRL) Library Director Barbara Roberts has met with HRL Board President Helen Phillips regarding changes to the system contract by the NSL Board. Roberts informed Jones that no changes can be made without system wide approval. The NSL Board requested an explanation in writing from the HRL Board as to why the changes cannot be accepted.
10. The board agreed to continue pursuing leasing options for the library's unused space with broker Mark Dinan. Jones said he will contact Dinan prior to the next board meeting.
11. Jones said that he has completed four grant applications, which are pending, and is currently completing a fifth application. These grants are the Bruno Memorial Foundation, the Robert Meyer Foundation, the Hugh Kaul Foundation, the Susan Mott Foundation and Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
12. North Shelby Library will begin receiving reimbursements early next year for technology related expenses from the Universal Services Fund grants. Jones said the grants reimburse the library for 47% of Internet and telephone expenses and will total approximately $4,000.
13. The board agreed to renew efforts to pursue an acknowledgment for the City of Pelham that the North Shelby Library is not within the city limits. Once acknowledgment has been received, NSL will pursue a cooperative agreement with Hoover Public Library.
14. The board asked to review invoices for furniture purchased from Business Interiors in 1999 to determine if there are services charges.
15. Wanda Carruthers said that she may know of a company interested in leasing the library's 4500 square feet of unfinished space. She said that she would investigate this further and report back to the board.
16. The next meeting was scheduled for November 21, 2002, at 8:30 A.M. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the North Shelby county Library District, Inc. was called to order on November 15, 2002, by board president Alain Gallet. Also present were Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig, and Steve Zerkis, secretary/treasurer. Wanda Carruthers was not able to attend. Michael Jones, director, was in attendance as was Carol Farr, associate director.
2. The board was pleased by a visit from our state representative, Mary Sue McClurkin. Representative McClurkin was there to announce that the North Shelby Library is the proud recipient of a check for $3,068 of state funds. This amount will be used by the NSL for the purchase of books and reading materials for use by its patrons. Pictures were taken and the board certainly appreciates the efforts and of Ms. McClurkin in obtaining these funds for the residents of the library district.
3. Jones pointed out that due to the earlier date of the board meeting, the monthly financials were not ready but would be made available within a few days.
4. The monthly circulation statistics show that the library is about on target for the month.
5. The board asked that Wanda Carruthers be asked to inform our patrons who use the library's web site that the NSL is purchasing new books and they will be available on our shelves.
6. The board again discussed the need for our library management to assure that thank you notes are sent to all patrons who make donations. The board appreciates the thoughtfulness and kindness shown by all individuals who take the care to make a donation to the library.
7. Jones submitted his resignation in October effective the end of November. The board expressed their appreciation for his efforts through a most difficult time over the past two years. He will be moving to Kentucky to work for the state library system. On a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Kelley, the board approved the appointment of Carol Farr as acting director of the library for the transition period between Jones' departure and the arrival of a new director. Farr is currently the associate director of the library and has been in its employ for fourteen years. She will be working full time during this period. Jones will remain with the library on a full-time basis until November 22 and then he will be accessible after that for the remainder of November.
8. The annual systems contract with the Harrison Regional Library was discussed again. The contract had been approved at the September board meeting with several revisions and sent to HRL. They chose not to accept the revisions and returned the contract. On a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Gallet, the board voted to accept and approve the contract as originally drafted by HRL with three members voting aye and one nay. Jones was asked to prepare a cover letter with the contract requesting that these matters be discussed with HRL. The term of next year's systems contract will be discussed in meetings with representatives of all of the libraries being served, and draft versions prepared for internal discussion and review early in the year.
9. The board has received five resumes. Each of these individuals has library experience and education and will be invited in for an interview. Ruth Goodwyn has been asked to assist in the interview and evaluation process. The board intends to begin the interviews in the next week. Zerkis will call each of the candidates and schedule interview times.
10. The loan agreement with Alliant Bank was renewed after some negotiation at a rate of 5.0 percent, a half point reduction. The loan agreement is a series of one-year agreements timed to be renewed after the annual audit of the NSL is published and then reviewed by the bank. The interest rate may change at each renewal point. The current agreement will be up for renewal in the spring of 2004.
11. The board asked Jones to contact Mark Dinan to continue to assist the library in offering the cubicle space downstairs for rental.
12. A suggestion was made that the library consider the purchase of reporting software that would contain the budget and to link to the general ledger. The library currently maintains the budget in Excel and enters actual financial results from general ledger reports. We will evaluate the need for this software with the new director.
13. Kelley has been working hard on the personal property project and is hopeful that the input of data and such can be completed in November. No further action has been taken regarding the lawsuit against the library regarding personal property fees. The judge will review the materials submitted by the parties and render a decision soon.
14. Nothing has been heard regarding the Pelham annexation. Mary Sue Ludwig will speak with Mike Hill in the next few weeks.
15. Zerkis spoke with Holly Johnson from our external auditor. She will begin work on the library's annual audit in December by collecting work papers and begin the actual on-site audit activities around the end of December. She is planning to complete the draft audit and management letter by February 15, 2003.
16. No representative of the Friends organization has attended a board meeting in the past six months. Gallet will again ask Ed Burns to either attend or send a representative.
17. The next meeting of the board will be held on December 18, 2002, at 8:30AM in the library.
1. The monthly meeting of the North Shelby Library Board was held on December 18, 2002 at 4:00 P.M. Present at the meeting were board members Wanda Carruthers, Mary Sue Ludwig, Kay Kelley, and acting director Carol Farr.
2. Wanda Carruthers called the meeting to order. The approval of the November minutes was postponed until the next meeting.
3. Carol Farr presented the financial report. The October and November Statements of Revenue and Expenses were reviewed.
4. Carol Farr presented the statistical report. She reported that circulation for November had decreased slightly because of the holiday closings.
5. Kay Kelley reported that the Barclay/Moultrie lawsuit filed by Bill Dunn had been dismissed.
6.On a motion made by Kay Kelley, seconded by Mary Sue Ludwig, the board voted to accept the 2003 holiday schedule.
7. Carol Farr reported that the library has received notification from the Bruno's Memorial Classic Foundation and the Hugh Kaul Foundation that they are unable to honor the library's request for assistance in 2002. However, the library did receive a letter from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham stating that their Board of Directors has approved a grant of $5,000 to help fund the North Shelby Library Story Hour and Craft Project. On a motion made by Kay Kelley, seconded by Mary Sue Ludwig, the board voted to accept the Community Foundation Grant and the library will provide a $2,500 match for reading and craft programs.
8. Carol Farr informed the Board that the library has received the application from the Shelby County Commission for the Shelby County Quality of Life Enrichment Grant Program. An informational meeting is to be held in the Shelby County Commission Meeting Room on January 14, 2003 at 9:30 A.M. for interested parties to attend and ask questions concerning the grant. Wanda Carruthers suggested that Carol check with Judy Lawson to find out which areas in the reference/adult services department are in the greatest need of funding.
9. The next meeting of the North Shelby Library Board was scheduled for Friday, January 17, 2003 at 8:30 A.M. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned to prepare Christmas gifts fro the library staff and volunteers.
1. The monthly meeting of the board of trustees of the North Shelby Library District was called to order on January 20, 2003 by board president, Alain Gallet. Also present were Wanda Carruthers, vice president, Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig, and Steve Zerkis, secretary/treasurer. Also attending were Carol Farr, Assistant Director, and Ellen Schmidt. The board was very pleased to welcome Darryl Heritage who will become the director of the library on February 7, 2003.
2. The minutes of the November and December board meetings were reviewed. The November minutes were revised to add comments regarding the annual audit, and the December minutes were revised to add comments about employee gifts. Both minutes were accepted as revised.
3. Ellen Schmidt pointed out that she has volunteers to do landscaping work for the library especially in the rear adjacent to the rear door. This is a curved area. Some drainage work must be done first and then crushed stone will be used. Gallet will review the engineering plans for the needed drainage. Ludwig will be getting topsoil to fill in the hole in the parking area.
4. Schmidt also reported that the Master Gardeners organization raised $500 at Christmas and they will purchase gardening books, which will be donated to the library. The board expressed its appreciation for the fine efforts of the Master Gardeners in raising these funds and making this donation. Farr will send out a letter of appreciation to the Gardeners.
5. The board discussed the need for the director to make sure that thank you notes and letters are promptly sent to all donors to the library.
6. On a motion by Ludwig, seconded by Carruthers, the board approved and approach that the library assure that a specific record is made of the financial donations of individuals and organizations such as the Friends and the Master Gardeners. Donations of materials are capitalized into a library's inventory.
7. Farr distributed the financials for the month of Decemeber including the cash flow statements. Revenues are lower than planned but Farr pointed out that a number of fee payments were received at the end of December, and the January numbers should be higher. This is an issue of timing of receipts.
8. Resident donations appear to be running much lower than planned. This is an area that will need to be monitored since donations are critical to the library's plan to acquire books and materials.
9. Farr submitted the statistical report for the month of December, which showed lower usage. This was anticipated and attributed to the holiday closures.
10. An open reception will be held for our new director, Darryl Heritage, to welcome him to the district. Carruthers and Ludwig will co-chair an ad-hoc committee to hold the reception and set its date for some time in March. Gallet will ask the Friends of the Library if they could assist in holding the reception.
11. The Friends have not sent a represenative to a board meeting since June, 2002. Gallet will invite them to attend. The success of the Friends organization is very important to the library. The board was aware of the Friends plans to hold an art exhibition in March and would like to offer some assistance.
12. Kelley reported on the personal property fee project. The database needs to be updated with parcel numbers. Kelley will hold a work session in mid-February as needed to complete this process. At this point, she estimates that billing will occur in mid-March at the earliest.
13. Ludwig reported on the Pelham annexation project that Mike Hill had a discussion with Mayor Hayes and the mayor has not changed his position. The board discussed several alternatives and will pursue the appropiate legal avenues to get this issue resolved. Kelley and Ludwig will be taking some intitial steps towards resolution.
14. Shelby County is offering a matching grant program to libraries and museums. NSL can receive up to $10,000, which we would use to purchase books and materials. Darryl Heritage will prepare an application with assistance from Carol Farr. Kelley wil review a draft of the grant application. Heritage will be looking at several possible grants once he is on board.
15. Our external auditors began work on the annual audit in early December and a draft of their audit should be available to the board in February. They will also prepare the IRS Form 990 for submission by its deadline in February. The Form 990 is the annual tax return of the library.
16. Harrison Regional Library will begin discussions on the development of the 2003 Systems Contract at a date to be established. It tenatively will be held in early March.
17. Each month the Friends are paying for the purchase of $500 in books by the library. The books are selected and ordered by the library and invoices given to the treasurer of the Friends for payment. The value of the books is capitalized into the inventory.
18. Carruthers is adding pictures and a description of the landscaping work performed by Scouts this past Fall to the library's web site. These Eagle Scouts have added a lot to the appearance of the library grounds. She will also add information about the AARP tax seminars.
19. The board discussed the need for the director to work with Mary Hedrick of HRL to evaluate our current computer systems configurations adn create a plan for needed system updates, replacements adn reorganizations both for hardware and software.
20. The board members were asked to create a list of 2003 objectives for the library, which would be discussed at the February board meeting. This list would include current and on-going projects and would cover the remainder of the fiscal year.
21. The board also discussed the need to develop specific plans for gift giving and fund raising for the library. This will be discussed with the new director once he is on board.
22. The current long-range plan must be updated. The board and the director will have a work session in March to begin work on a new five-year plan.
23. Mark Dinan will be asked to look for possible tenants for the large upstairs space. Ruth Goodwyn spoke to the publisher of the Birmingham News about its availability. Dinan does have someone who is interested in the vacant store on the first floor and will be asked to submit a lease.
24. Farr described a county wide amnesty week for delinquent book holders and the board agreed to participate.
25. It was suggested that a bulletin board be set up on the first floor so that any news articles about the library can be posted. The director will handle this.
26. Ludwig will write a letter to the Southern Women's Committee of 50 applying for its annual grant.
27. We currently get maintenance on the library's phone system from Slappy Phone Company. They have offered adn annual maintenance contract. After some discussion, the board decided to use them on a time and materials basis.
28. The board scheduled the next meeting for Friday, February 21st. at 8:30 A.M. The meeting was adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the board of trustees of the North Shelby Library on February 21,2003 was called to order by the board president, Alain Gallet. Present were Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig, Wanda Carruthers, vice president, and Steve Zerkis, secretary/treasurer. Others present were Darryl Heritage, director; Carol Farr, assistant director; Mark Dinan, realtor; Keith Barfield and Hollie Johnson, auditors; and Mrs. Lewis Wilson, vice president of the Friends of the Library.
2. The minutes for the January meeting were read and reviewed. The board approved the minutes on a motion by Kelley, seconded by Ludwig.
3. Mark Dinan, our realtor, informed the board of a lease contract that had been finalized with a dyslexia organization for the old museum store. They have repainted walls and will be in place in March, 2003. The board was pleased and welcomes their presence in the library building . There were discussions about leasing the vacant and unfinished space in the upstairs part of the library. Dinan will be showing the space to several organizations that have shown interest. The board agreed that approximately 3,000 square feet would be easily available for lease, which would leave another 2,000 square feet available for library storage. The problem of not having plumbing in the area was brought up but no action was taken. The point is that a prospective tenant would require investments in HVAC, walls, plumbing and external access. There was a discussion about the possibility of placing a lease sign but that was turned down. Finally, a motion was made by Zerkis to extend the realtor's agreement with Mark Dinan for another year, seconded by Carruthers and approved by the board.
4. The library's external audit firm: Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith P.C. presented the FY 2002 Audit. They went through the financial audit in detail and covered both balance sheets and income statements. Hollie Johnson informed the board that its refinancing of the library's loans has helped to lower interest rates on debt. Johnson also discussed donations and how they were accounted for in the audit. She also informed the board that expenses dropped $100,000 for FY 2002 and the library now had a positive cash flow of $30,000. Johnson also discussed the financial reserves established for bad debts. She also pointed out that the library would be receiving a clean management letter. This is unique in that virtually all audits uncover some problems with financial controls. She said the problems identified in previous years have been corrected and no new problems were identified. Gallet made a motion to approve the audit, which was seconded by Zerkis. The board members voted unanimously to accept the audit and thanked the auditors for their outstanding work.
5. A motion was made by Gallet to determine exactly how much money is owed to Business Interiors. Kelley seconded the motion. Heritage and Farr were told to find out how much the library has paid this company and what is still owed and report back to the board promptly.
6. Heritage and Farr gave the Financial Report for January 2003. The board wa informed that donations were down, but expenses were down. The board voted to approve the financial statement.
7. Ludwig brought up the topic of insurance costs. There was discussion over the costs of insurance and Farr pointed out that our insurance agent represents several companies and has kept our costs under control through bidding. Insurance costs in general have been rising after 9-11-01 and Heritage will ask for different quotes on our insurance business.
8. Heritage gave the monthly statistical report. Circulation was slightly down from last year, but high for the month of January for a library of comparable size. The board voted to approve the statistical report.
9. The Board welcomed Ms. Wilson, Vice President of the Friends of the Library, who gave a report on the progress of the Friends of the Library. Some new projects were discussed, such as book sales, and Darryl Heritage agreed to attend the next friends meeting on February 26,2003 at 5:30 P.M. The Friends have not had a meeting since July 2002 and the members of the NSL board offered their support to the Friends Organization.
10. Heritage discussed applying for a T1 grant and Beaumont grant for a mobile computer lab. The board encouraged him to proceed.
11. Heritage discussed the need to update the library's five-year business plan before it expires in 2004. He asked the board to provide ideas, and as a start, they gave him lists of draft objectives that they had individually created in the last few weeks. He will be working on a new plan this fiscal year. The board will be a resource to Heritage in the preparation of this plan. The plan will be an essential part of a program to improve the library.
12. Heritage informed the board that he was working on a three-year technology plan and the board also encouraged him to proceed with its completion this fiscal year.
13. Farr and Heritage told the board that two new OPAC software packages were needed for personal computers in the children's section. The board agreed and instructed both to get quotes from Mary Hedrick at the Harrison Regional Library. Heritage informed the board that he would have the quote by February 25th.
14. Farr and Heritage asked the board about purchasing a suggestion box. Farr brought a copy of a card that can be used to get patrons' input. The board encouraged Heritage to go ahead with a purchase of a suggestion box.
15. Darryl Heritage informed the board that the Shelby County Enrichment Grant form had been completed and will be submitted to the county. When approved, this grant will provide $10,000 in matching funds for the purchase of needed books and materials. He was instructed to e-mail board members copies.
16. Kelley discussed progress on the Personal Property Fee Project. She said that parcel id numbers were needed and a March 13th. work-session by the board to work on this was agreed upon. It is to be at 8:30 A.M. There are approximately 1380 businesses in our inventory and we need to go through the lists provided by the county. This action is needed to determine when the fees can be invoiced. Fees to three major utilities have already been invoiced.
17. Ludwig reported on the Pelham issue and after some discussion, a motion was made by Zerkis that our original attorney be contacted to attempt to resolve this issue before legislative action is taken. Mary Sue seconded the motion. The board approved thsi action. Kelley will be preparing a letter requesting assistance.
18. The board received an update on a planned library reception for the incoming director. Ludwig asked for lists of donors, political officials, people of the district, and some family members should be invited to attend. Jefferson State has agreed to prepare food and refreshments at cost. An April 6th. Sunday afternoon reception was tenatively agreed to by the Board, pending confirmation by Joseph Mitchell, the Jefferson State chef. The chef is available on only a limited number of dates. The college has a culinary program and we are drawing on them to show their skills. Approximately 500 invitations will be sent.
19. Kelley made a motion to buy one wooden bench per quarter from donated funds. Donations have been received by the NSL in the past years for the purchase of specific items, and some of those items have not been purchased because of the library's financial problems. Carruthers seconded the motion and the board approved it. The board's position is that previous donations will be recognized and completed.
20. Kelley made a motion, also seconded by Carruthers, that a previously discussed book goal thermometer be created and put in the lobby. A chart will be used to track the donation of funds to be used to purchase new books and materials for the library in FY 2003. Zerkis seconded the motion, and the board approved it. A goal for this project has been set at $40,000.
21. Heritage and Kelley were assigned to go to the Harrison Regional System contract meeting in Columbiana on March 5th at 1:00 p.m. A drafts systems contract for FY2004 will be discussed among all Shelby County Library directors. NSL will suggest several changes to the current contract If agreed upon, the library will probably receive the new contract in the 4th. quarter of the year for final approval.
22.Prior to the board meeting, each board member was asked to bring to the meeting a draft list of library objectives for the remainder of FY 2003. Four lists were exchanged and discussed, and a date was set for a planning session for board members and Heritage on Thursday, March 6th. at 8:30 a.m. at the library. These FY2003 objectives will be placed in final form after we assure mutual agreement on the tasks to be performed, the responsibilities of each, and dates for accomplishment.
23. The next board meeting was set for Thursday, March 20th. at 8:30 A.M. The meeting was adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the Board of the North Shelby Library was called to order on March 20,2003 by board secretary/treasurer Steve Zerkis. Present were Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig, and board president Alain Gallet. Gallet led the board in prayer. Wanda Carruthers was not present. Also present were library director, Darryl Heritage, associate director, Carol Farr, and Barbara Roberts, director of the Harrison Regional Library System.
2. The meeting agenda was defined, and the minutes of the February Board meeting were discussed and approved, with several minor revisions, on a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Ludwig.
3. Barbara Roberts brought the newly revised systems contract and reviewed its provisions with the board. The contract will be for a period of three years. Kelley and Heritage worked with a committee of Shelby County library directors to create a new contract for the library system and obtain consensus. They reported that all of the library directors in the county voted on March 18 to approve this contract. After discussion, the contract was approved by on a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Ludwig, and signed by Gallet. The contract will be taken by Roberts to each of the other library boards for their approval.
4. Roberts also pointed out that the Public Library Director's Committee of Alabama (PLDCA) has been formed as an advocate for public libraries in the state. Roberts is an officer for this organization. Its purpose is to lobby members of the legislature and the governor on behalf of public libraries. They are working with the Bloom Group, a Montgomery-based lobbying firm. Heritage is now a member of this committee thanks to a donation made through Helen Phillips and the First National Bank of Shelby County. Ludwig suggested that a thank you letter be sent to Helen Phillips. Zerkis asked Gallet if he would write that letter.
5. Zerkis said that he has an opportunity to possibly obtain a few copies of Microsoft software for the library at a nominal cost from the Microsoft corporation. He asked Heritage and Roberts if they each could give him a list of needed Microsoft software. This list should include needed operating systems and application software for both personal computers and servers.
6. Heritage presented the financial report for the month of February. Revenues are higher than planned because of several items including an unaniticipated pledge, a higher number of attorney letters proceessed, and assessments received. However, donations are running below budget. Expenses are also slightly higher due to legal fees and special maintenance costs. Heritage was asked to review and report back on employee benefit costs for the month, and the BancorpSouth principal and interest payments.Expenses for the year are below budget but so is revenue. The board voted to accept the financial report for the month on a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Ludwig.
7. Heritage also reported on the monthly statistics for February. Total circulation was down slightly for the month, which is expected since February has three fewer days. However, the average daily circulation has increased slightly.
8. Zerkis reported on a work session on March 6 to create a set of objectives and goals for the director and the board for the remainder of fiscal year 2003, which ends on September 30, 2003. Goals and objectives were defined and responsibilities, deliverable products and completion dates were agreed to. Both the board and director have begun work to accomplish this plan. The board voted to accept this plan on a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Ludwig.
9. Heritage distributed a final version of the annual financial audit of the library. As mentioned last month, the highlight of this year's audit is the completely clean management letter, indicating no problems found. Copies of the audit and management letter will be given to both of our banks.
10. Zerkis discussed the recent changes made to the Aliant Bank corporate authorization form. The previous form was created in September 2001 and was outdated. A new form was created on February 26,2003 to add the name of Darryl Heritage and make other revisions. After discussion, the board agreed that the form should be modified further to provide additional board control over borrowing money, and securing loans. In addition to board approval, the signatures of three board members plus the director will be required on bank documents for these transactions. On a motion by Kelley, seconded by Ludwig, the board approved a resolution to prepare a new corporate authorization form with Aliant Bank. Heritage will contact our other bank, BancorpSouth, to also update their signature document.
11. Heritage also explained that he met with Mary Hedrick who handles systems management at the Harrison Regional Library System, and she has begun to work on a number of technology issues for the library. She will reconfigure two of our servers, install new software and two new personal computers. One or more of these servers may become redundant. Zerkis suggested that Heritage ask Hedrick to create a written list of her tasks to improve the library's systems.
12. Heritage told the board that he has completed and mailed an application for a Beaumont grant for a mobile computer laboratory.
13. The board also received an update on the Shelby County Enrichment Grant. Chances look good for the NSL to receive the $10,000 grant requested. This will be a matching grant and will be used to purchase books and materials.
14.Kelley and Farr have worked on a design for the Goal Thermometer to be placed in the front hallway. This chart will track the dollar value of donations for the purchase of books and materials. Barbara Clavenna has offered to assist with the graphic design. On a motion made by Ludwig, seconded by Kelley, the board approved an expenditure of up to $250 for the creation of this reusable chart.
15.Heritage will begin work shortly on a new Five-Year Plan. Zerkis suggested that he schedule a work session with board members in the next sixty days to discuss the business directions of the library, which Heritage can use in creating the plan.
16. Heritage will also begin work on a Three-Year Technology Plan for the Library. He will be asking for assistance from Theresa Traywick, the technical planning person at APLS. This plan will be created with input from a new Five-year plan. Heritage has set a May15,2003 date for completion of a Technology plan.
17. Ludwig reported on the reception for Darryl Heritage. It will be in the afternoon on Sunday, April 6th. in the meeting room. Approximately 250 invitations will be mailed. Ludwig, with Chef Mitchell of Jefferson State, is finalizing the menu. The Friends of the Library have been asked to assist, and the college will share the costs of the reception. Ludwig and Carruthers are handling the details of this event.
18. Heritage advised that Mark Dinan showed the available upstairs space to three possible tenants with no real interest at this time. Heritage will research available facility grants.
19. During the February meeting, the board approved a motion to purchase one wooden bench per quarter from previously designated donations. Kelley has identified a supplier of teak benches and will purchase one before the end of March. Farr provided a list of previous designated donations for review.
20. Kelley held a work session on March 14 where she can describe her progress with the personal property project. She has obtained parcel identification numbers from the county and will be in a position to have the NSL begin sending out invoices in approximately a month.
21. Ellen Schmidt also attended the March 14 work session and described for the board her work and plans for improvement of the library's grounds. The sprinkling system will also need some minor repairs.
22. Kelley reported on her work with the Pelham project. She prepared a letter to the library's attorney at the time of the purchase of the library property explaining the situation and requesting assistance. The letter will sent shortly.
23. Heritage said that he is sending letters to approximately one hundred community organizations to introduce himself and the library. A letter is going to each school, club, organization, and group within the district.
24. Heritage brought the board up to date on an incident that occured in the library parking lot that required police involvement. A report was filed with the police.
25. Ludwig raised questions about the new city library in Chelsea. The library is currently a branch of the Harrison Regional Library. Ludwig pointed out that since parts of Chelsea are in the NSL district, some Chelsea residents may find themselves paying both fees to the NSL and property taxes to the city of Chelsea to include the costs of the city library. Some may percieve that as a duplicate charge. Gallet was asked by the board to meet with Mayor Earl Nevins of Chelsea to discuss this point.
26.Heritage reported that the library's security system has a technical problem and a contractor is repairing it.
27. Kelley reviewed the Business Interior's file and reported on the status of payments.
28. The Friends of the Library will be having their annual meeting on April 9 at the library. District residents who would like to be a candidate for any of their open officer positions are encouraged to submit their names for consideration to Ed Burns, the President of the FOL, Darryl Heritage, or Carol Farr.
29. Ludwig brought up the painting of temporary upstairs wall. The idea of taping and finishing the wall was tabled, but groups will be encouraged to consider the wall for mural type artwork.
30. The next board meeting was scheduled for Friday, April 25, at 8:30 a.m. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the North Shelby Library Board met on April 25,2003 at 8:30 a.m. in the library and was called to order by board president, Alain Gallet. All board members were present and included Wanda Carruthers, vice-president, Steve Zerkis, secretary/treasurer, Kay Kelley, and Mary Sue Ludwig. Also present were Darryl Heritage, library director, Carol Farr, library associate director, and Lisa Osburn, staff writer for the Birmingham News.
2. The meeting agenda was discussed, defined, and approved on a motion by Ludwig, seconded by Carruthers.
3. The minutes of the March board meeting were approved as presented on a motion by Kelley, seconded by Zerkis.
4. Heritage presented the financial report for the month of March. Revenues from assessments are running below budget but should be recovered. Donations and room rentals are lower than expected but several other revenue categories are higher. Expenses are running below budget on a year-to-date basis. He also updated the board on February's financials as they relate to the Aliant Bank loan. The financials were accepted on a motion made by Zerkis, seconded by Carruthers.
5. Heritage also presented the statistics for the library's usage in the month of March. The numbers are up to the highest level in recent months. Circulation has been trending upward recently reflecting greater community use of the library.
6. Kelley gave an overview of progress with the personal property project and expects the current phase of work to be completed in the next four weeks. She also described the status of the Pelham project.
7. Heritage reported that he is preparing a draft of a Three-year Technology Plan for the library and will be reviewing the content of this draft with a consultant at APLS. The draft of the plan should be available to the board for review later this quarter.
8. Heritage has obtained several quotes for creating a donation chart to be posted in the lobby. It will be in the form of thermometer. Acceptance of a bid was approved on a motion by Gallet, seconded by Kelley.
9. Heritage has met with all but one of the public and private school librarians in the district. They have identified to him their student's needs. As he buys new materials, he will be focusing on acquiring books on school reading lists, children's books, reference materials and best sellers.
10. Zerkis and Heritage reported that they met with BancorpSouth to renegotiate its second mortgage on the library facility. This is an annual process and a lower interest rate was obtained which will also lower the cost of our loan. The appropriate authorization and loan documents were approved and signed. Bancorpsouth will also provide on-site training to Heritage and Farr on the bank's online cash management system.
11. The board discussed having the unpainted wall on the second floor finished as an Eagle Scout project. It could then be available for the display of local art.
12. Heritage reported on his steps to implement new programming at the library. The first will be a series of "brown bag lunches" starting with a presentation by Karen Utz on June 30 at noon. He will be offering other speakers on a reqular basis.
13. He has obtained other programming including Dr. Alan Brown with a Halloween presentation on October 28. Dr. Brown is from the University of West Alabama. Dr. Joan Nist will offer a program on, on December 4, about the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Dr. Richard Bailey will speak about Black History on February 3, 2004. All of these presentations will be in the meeting room of the library. Heritage will publicize these presentations with the schools, other groups, and the media.
14. Heritage reported that he has also begun work on a new Five-Year Plan for the library with a draft of the plan to be completed by the end of the fiscal year. He will be providing an outline of the plan at the May board meeting.
15. Heritage gave the board an update on the status of grant applications. The library was awarded $10,000 in a matching Shelby County enrichment grant applied for by Heritage. The grant will be used to purchase books and materials and is part of a $20,000 purchase program. The commissioners and county manager have been thanked for their efforts. He has applied for a grant that would pay for the installation of a T-1 communication line with a grant value of $8,500. A 25 % match is required. He has also applied for a $1,000 Target Grant, and a Beaumont grant from Toshiba computer systems with a value of $22,000. He discussed other possible grant applications such as those offered by Brunos and Ezra Jack Keats.
16. The board discussed several library landscaping projects. Kelley is purchasing a wooden bench this quarter. This is one of four that will be located in an area landscaped with weeping cherry trees in the center of the parking lot. We have Alex Dudchock, the county manager, to thank for a load of dirt delivered for this area.
17. The director's reception on April 6 was a success. The food provided by Chef Mitchell of Jefferson State was excellent, as were the donations and arrangements.
18. Heritage arranged for a speaker and media attention for the annual meeting of the Friends of the Library. The speaker, Jackie Mattie, gave an excellent presentation on historical areas of Alabama. There was a very good turnout from the community.
19.The next board meeting was scheduled for Thursday, May 22 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
1. Due to the lack of a quorum, there was no meeting held on May 22,2003 . The next meeting is to be held on June 26, 2003.
1. The monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the North Shelby Library was held on June 26,2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. The meeting was called to order by the board president, Alain Gallet. All board members were present including vice president Wanda Carruthers, secretary/treasurer Steve Zerkis, Kay Kelley, and Mary Sue Ludwig. Also present were library director Darryl Heritage, associate director Carol Farr, and volunteer Ellen Schmidt.
2. The meeting agenda was discussed and agreed upon.
3. The minutes of the April meeting were discussed and approved as submitted on a motion by Kelley seconded by Carruthers. No board meeting was held in May due to a lack of quorum.
4. Heritage presented the financial statements for April and May. Revenues from assessments, along with several other revenue categories, continue to be under budget. However, the overall revenue budget total could be achieved by the end of the fiscal year with receipts from Personal Property fees. Heritage will provide the board with a report on aged accounts receivable. Expense categories are under budget. However, this could change since there should be significant expenditures for books and materials in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, resulting total expenditures being close to budget for the year. The financial reports were approved by the board on a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Gallet.
5. Heritage also presented the library statistical reports for April and May. Library usage is showing a positive upward trend especially with juvenile materials.
6. Heritage described several provisions of the federal Patriot Act and its possible impact on public libraries.
7. Schmidt gave a presentation of her work and that of other volunteers in landscaping the library. Special attention was made to the flag circle, the old tree area and the need to get the irrigation system in good order. Gallet accepted the responsibility for repairs to the sprinkler system. Farr will ask our landscaping firm for a quote to fix the faulty sprinkler heads.
8. The board discussed the practice of posting board minutes on the library website. A motion was made and seconded to discontinue this practice. The motion died.
9. Heritage reported that the goal thermometer chart has been ordered and should be received by the end of July.
10. Heritage reviewed with the board his recently created Three-Year Technology Plan. The Federal Commerce Commision (FCC) requires that public libraries submit a technology plan to the appropiate state agency (APLS) in order to receive E-Rate (discounts) on telecommunications services such as the Internet and phone service. APLS has accepted and approved the library's plan for this purpose. The board discussed the use of this plan as a foundation in the creation of the technology portion of the Five-Year plan to be drafted.
11. Heritage distributed an outline of a Five-Year Library Plan. All board members were asked to review this outline and submit, in writing, their thoughts and ideas for additions and revisions to the plan before the next board meeting in July.
12. Heritage reported that the library has received a grant from the Target Corporation for $2,500. The amount applied for was originally $1,000.
13. Heritage has been able to introduce several new children's reading programs because of Community Foundation Grant Funding. They are Toddler's storytime, PJ Storytime, and Lapsit Storytime to be presented by Kristy Hearn. Each is for a different age group. Heritage has obtained several ongoing speakers for the ongoing "Brown Bag Lunch" program at the library with the next presentation to be August 18 at noon.
14. Heritage reported that the Harrison Regional Library System has upgraded our Polaris system software to version 3.0.
15. The library is obtaining a program of art films, which will be presented on a monthly basis in the meeting room. The board suggest that Heritage augment that program with children and popular films as practical.
16. The board discussed the need for Heritage to assure that the annual budget for books, plus gifts earmarked for books, are completely spent by the end of this fiscal year on September 30, so that new inventory is available and commitments made to residents and donors are honored.
17. The board asked Heritage to begin work on the library's FY2004 Fiscal budget and be ready to present a draft of that budget at the August board meeting. Heritage will plan for an increase in hours the library is open. He is planning to conduct a poll of library users to determine when the library should be open.
18. Heritage announced that he is taking responisibility to update News & Current Events (Current Programs) content of the library's website. Carruthers has helped with the training and the downloads of appropriate software and will, for now, continue updating the other portions of the website.
19. Heritage attended the monthly director's meeting at Harrison, and reported on a number of topics discussed and attended legislative day, APLS activities, and libray promotion.
20. Heritage announced that over 700 children have signed up for this summer's reading program with over 100 children attending each session, an increase over last year's summer reading program.
21. Kelley and Farr reported that the remaining business personal property invoices for this fiscal year were being mailed out this week, and are due by July 31, 2003. The total amount of all invoices is approximately $54,000. Actual collections could be somewhat lower. Invoices for FY2004 will be mailed out in the fall of 2003. Kelley also reported on the Pelham project actions. A letter to an attorney soliciting the firm's help in resolving this matter is awaiting signatures from the board.
22.Farr will ask for competing bids from several agents for the library's insurance to assure coverage at the lowest practical cost. Kelley offered to assist in their evaluation.
23. Kelley is continuing with board approved plans to purchase three wooden benches for the library with money that was pledged in the past. These will be acquired in July at a discounted price.
24. The next board meeting was scheduled for July 31, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. The meeting was adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the board of trustees of the North Shelby Library District was held on July 31, 2003 at 4:30 P.M. at the library. The meeting was called to order by the board president Alain Gallet. Board members present included Gallet, Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig and secretary/treasurer Steve Zerkis. Also present were library director Darryl Heritage and associate director Carol Farr.
2. The meeting agenda was discussed and adopted on a motion by Kelley, seconded by Zerkis. Members agreed to forward agenda items to the board president so that the agenda can be prepared and distributed before the meeting.
3. The minutes of the June Meeting were discussed and approved as submitted on a motion by Ludwig seconded by Kelley.
4. Heritage presented the financial reports for June. The year-to-date revenue totals continue under budget with increases in the month-to-date totals reflecting the collection of assessments and personal property charges. Year-to-date expenditures also remain under budget. The board asked that the monthly financials be prepared and distributed to the trustees by the 20th. of the following month. Heritage has offered to prepare a monthly written status report to the board.
5. Heritage also presented the library statistical reports for June. There was a major increase in circulation for the month with the largest increase being in juvenile books.
6. Heritage announced that computer classes are now being offered at the library on basic computer use and access to the Internet. He gave the first class on July 31 with a second class scheduled in August. Future classes will be scheduled.
7. On a motion by Kelley, seconded by Zerkis, the board approved the adoption of the Standards for Public Libraries in Alabama document with a goal of state approval in FY2004. Most of the standards of this document have been met in FY2003 as part of this year's libary goals. The director will submit a document reflecting this completed set of tasks to the state in January 2004 for approval as part of a program to achieve Core Standards status.
8. On a motion by Zerkis, seconded by Gallet, the board approved an increase in the fee for attorney letters by $2.50 to cover increased costs. Beginning October 1, 2003, the attorney letter fee will increase to $22.50.
9. Heritage announced that he has obtained another program presenter for the library. A Master Gardener presentation will be made by Nelson Wynn on a date to be announced.
10. Heritage updated the board on the status of grant applications approved and disapproved. The Beaumont grant was not approved.
11. The final tally for the successful Summer Reading Program shows that 750 children enrolled and over 2,100 attended the various sessions, the best response ever.
12. Kristy Hearn has successfully presented three children's programs this summer. Toddler Tales, PJ Storytime and Lapsit Storytime. These programs will be continued.
13. Heritage will be visiting all schools in the district this fall to discuss programs, needs and reading lists.
14. Heritage and Farr will begin to work on the FY2004 library budget. They will present a draft budget to the board in August.
15. In the June board meeting, Heritage distributed an outline of the proposed Five-Year Strategic Plan for the library and asked for board members comments. Kelley and Zerkis provided written input on the content and development of this plan. The director will schedule a work session for sometime in September to discuss the expanded scope, approach, and general components of the plan. Community involvement will be a key aspect in the plan's development.
16. Status of the library's FY2003 Goals and Objectives were reviewed and discussed. The director has completed several of his agreed to objectives. The board discussed its need to address fund raising objectives.
17. The board discussed plans for the purchase of books and materials this fiscal year. Grants received for books were also discussed.
18. Gallet said that he would be meeting with the Chelsea mayor to discuss library issues.
19. Farr discussed the aged accounts receivables and the status of their collection for this and previous fiscal years.
20. Heritage reported that the vendor has delayed delivery of the donation chart but it should be available for display in August.
21. An estimate has been obtained for preparing the large blank wall for painting. When prepared, the wall can be painted as an Eagle Scout progject. On a motion by Kelley, seconded by Zerkis, the director was authorized to have the wall preparation done if funds are available.
22. Farr reported that Personal Property invoices had been mailed in June and that payments from businesses are being receieved.
23. Heritage reported that Ed Burns has resigned as president of the Friends of the Library.
24. The next board meeting is scheduled for August 27, 2003 at 4:00 P.M. at the library. The meeting was adjourned.
1. The monthly meeting of the board of trustees of the North Shelby Library District was held on August 27, 2003 at 4:00 PM at the library. The meeting was called to order by board president Alain Gallet. Board members present included Gallet, Kay Kelley, Mary Sue Ludwig and secretary/treasurer Steve Zerkis. Also present were library director Darryl Heritage and associate director Carol Farr.
2. The meeting agenda was discussed, revised, and adopted on a motion by Ludwig, seconded by Kelley.
3. The minutes of the July meeting were discussed, revised and approved on a motion by Kelley, seconded by Ludwig.
4. Heritage presented the financial reports for July, 2003. Assessment revenues for the month were up substantially while expenditures continue to remain under budget.
5. Heritage also presented the library statistical reports for July. The month showed a continued high level of circulation.
6. Heritage distributed a revised outline of the proposed Five-Year Strategic Plan for the library. Board members agreed that a work session to discuss this plan and its contents should be held in September. That session has been scheduled for September 16 at 4:00 PM.
7. A draft of the FY2004 library budget was distributed. Several revisions were discussed and the director was asked to resubmit the draft before the next meeting with projected FY 2003 actuals, plus narratives to describe key revenue and expense items.
8. The director will be looking to fill the position of children's librarian as an addition to the staff starting with FY2004. The position will be part-time.
9. Heritage has applied for a LSTA Grant Advisory position.
10. Heritage pointed out that there are a number of computer viruses and related software being distributed by emails and files that may effect the library's computers and their performance. Harrison Regional Library has installed both firewalls and anti-virus software in an effort to protect our computer systems.
11.The library's website is out of service. Carruthers is investigating the problem and will advise when the site is back in operation.
12. The board discussed a suggested revision to the policy regarding visitor presentations to the board. Heritage will prepare a draft change for review by the board.
13.Heritage gave the board an overview of comments from APLS. Due to the state budget crisis, the library should expect to see a reduction in state aid, and APLS may be shut down for a period of time.
14. Heritage is successfully cooperating with Heardmont Park and is currently offering computer classes. He is also meeting with all schools in the district both public and private, and is looking forward to working with other public libraries.
15. Gallet announced that he would meet with the mayor of Chelsea.
16. The donation chart has been delivered and should be ready for use.
17. The next board meeting was scheduled for September 25, 2003 at 4:00 PM in the library. The meeting was then adjourned.
