Council Update Library Board of Trustees 4 23 09Carnegie-Stout Public Library>
Library Board of Trustees Update
From the Meeting of
April 23, 2009
Present: President; Diann Guns, Secretary, Kristen Smith; Paula Connors, David
Hammer, Beverly Kolz, and Mike Willis
Excused: Elizabeth Leeper
• 75% of the fiscal year has lapsed. Revenue generated is at 99% of projections and
expenditures at 73%
• The number of items checked out during the month of March is up 6 percent over
the same time last year. Use of computers -both in the Internet Room (10
percent) and lap top computers (131 percent) is up significantly. The trend until
this month was a reduction in use of the desk top computers in the Internet Room
and dramatic increases in the circulating lap top computers.
The number of visitors is up three percent and the number of library card
registrations is up 6 percent over the same time last year. These increases come at
a time when we had predicted reductions in use due to the inconvenience caused
by construction.
Francis Boggus oversees the Iowa Great Places grants for the Department of
Cultural Affairs for the state. He was in Dubuque on April 14 and toured the
Library. Boggus was very impressed with the project and what the Library is
doing. He announced that a second round of Great Places grants totaling $1.4
million will be available for the thirteen communities that have the IA Great
Places designation. Guidelines for the grant applications will be available the first
week in May with a June submission date. Awards will be announced the last
week of July. This is most fortunate for the Library because so few grants are
available for bricks and mortar projects.
With the Library's new web site ready to launch (Apri127) and the renovation
project transforming the facility the next to be updated is our logo. Our tag line of
"100 years of excellence" is also outdated. We have contacted Genesis Gaule to
create a new logo that reflects what we are: a blend of past and future.
Employees have become involved in submitting ideas for a new tag line. At the
time 83 ideas have been submitted. Staff will vote on the top six which will be
forwarded to the Library Board's Relations Committee for a recommendation to
the Board at their next meeting.
• The Board reviewed and approved the following updated policies:
o Bulletin Board
o Volunteers
o Citizen Input at Board Meetings
o Food and Beverage
o Examination of Public Records
o Listening/Viewing Stations
The Board tabled its review of the Fine Arts Policy until they can also review the
Art Subcommittee Guidelines.
Librarian Betty Baule shared this on April 16'
"A little boy wearing a red jacket, maybe 8 to 10 years old, approached the Information
Desk and asked to talk with a "Librarian". I told him I was a librarian and asked how I
could help him. He asked if this wasn't a special week for libraries. I told him that it was
National Library Week. He just wanted to say "Thank you" for keeping the Library open
so that he would use it. He was very sweet to say this and I think he meant this to be
shared with everyone."
Thanks Everyone! From the Little Boy in the Red Jacket.
Library Board of Trustees
Diann Guns, Board President
Kristen Smith, Board Secretary
Paula Connors
David Hammer
Beverly Kolz
Elizabeth Leeper
Mike Willis
Susan Henricks, Director