Report_Library Board of Trustees Council Report #178 of 11 20 18 Copyrighted
January 22, 2019
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 1.
ITEM TITLE: Minutes and Reports Submitted
SUMMARY: Airport Commission of 5/15/18, 6/25/18, 8/6/18, 9/24/18;
City Council Proceedings of 1/7/19; Cable N Commission
of 1/9/19; Library Board of Trustees Minutes of 10/25/18,
11/29/18; and Council Update #178 of 12/20/18; Resilient
CommunityAdvisory Commission of 10/4/18, 11/1/18,
12/6/18 and 1/3/19; Transit Advisory Board of 1/10/19;
Zoning Advisory Commission of 1/2/19; Proof of
Publication for City Council Proceedings of 12/17/18.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Airport Commission Minutes of 5/14/18 Supporting Documentation
Airport Commission Minutes of 6/25/18 Supporting Documentation
Airport Commission Minutes of 8/6/18 Supporting Documentation
Airport Commission Minutes of 9/24/18 Supporting Documentation
Cable N Commission Minutes of 1/9/19 Supporting Documentation
City Council Proceedings of 1/7/19 Supporting Documentation
Library Board of Trustees Minutes of 10/25/18 Supporting Documentation
Library Board of Trustees Minutes of 11/29/18 Supporting Documentation
Library Board of Trustee Council Update#178 of Supporting Documentation
12/20/18
Resilient Community Advisory Commission Minutes of Supporting Documentation
10/4/18
Resilient Community Advisory Commission Minutes of Supporting Documentation
11/1/18
Resilient Community Advisory Commission Minutes of Supporting Documentation
12/6/18
Reslient Community Advisory Commission Minutes of Supporting Documentation
1/3/19
Transit Advisory Board Minutes of 1/10/19 Supporting Documentation
Zoning Advisory Commission Minutes of 1/2/19 Supporting Documentation
Proof of Publication for City Council Proceedings of Supporting Documentation
12/17/18
Carnegie-StoutPublic Library
LibraryBoard ofTrustees Update
From theMeering ofDecember 2Q 2018
Present: PaYty Poggemiller, President; and Trustees, Robert Armstrong, Greg Gorton, Pat
Maddux, Rosemary Kramer, and Pam Mullin
Excused: Christy Monk
• The board approved expenditures.
• Fine-Free Policy- Fines will be reinstated on delinquent accounts beginning
January 1. The Board voted to request funding from the City Council to support a
fine-free policy permanently starting July 1, 2019. Monthly evaluations of returns
will continue for the first six months of 2019 to determine if there is any change
in the returns with fines. If a statistical significance demonstrating greater returns
with a fine policy is seen, the Board will reevaluate the fine-free decision in May
or June.
• The six-month fine-free trial was successful. The fluctuations in return dates
were not great and never showed a statistical significance in difference. Overall
patterns reflected what libraries nationwide have reported with a fine-free
policy: increase in overdues within the first week to about 10 days and an
increase in returns for long overdue, or items considered lost.
• The circulation of DVDs and Blu-rays has decreased. In response to this,the limit
to borrow DVDs and Blu-rays has increased from five to ten. Additionally,
themed DVDs have been packaged in one container labeled `Binge
Watching." Each Binge package might have five or six DVDs included.
• Discussion took place on the topic of an "All Community Reads," which is
planned for neat year. The theme is restorative justice. The information presented
to the Board on this program and on the Changing Lives Through Literature
program is attached.
• The Library's marketing contract with Red Rokk ends December 31. The Board
listened to a presentation by McCullough Creative at the meeting. No decision
has been made pending the outcome of interviews for the position of Marketing
Coordinator. Interviews will begin at the first of the year.
• The Board voted to contract with Loras College Public Opinion Survey Center for
the community survey, which will take place in early 2019. The Board expects to
learn more about perceptions held of the library as well as level of interest in west
side service. A community survey is required for accreditation once every five
years.
Library Board of Trustees
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Patty Poggemiller, Board President Susan Henricks, Director
Christy Monk, Vice-President
Pat Maddux, Board Secretary
Robert Armstrong
Greg Gorton
Rosemary Kramer
Pam Mullin
I have been planning an "All Community Reads" for the fall of 2019 with a theme of
"restorative justice." A definition of restorative justice follows, which came from
Wikipedia:
Restorative justice is an approach to justice in which the response to a crime is to
organize a mediation behveen the victim and the offender, and sometimes with
representatives of a wider community as well. The goal is to negotiate for a resolution to
the satisfaction of all participants. This may include a restitution to be given from the
offender to the victim, or to take steps to prevent the offender from causing future harm.
A restorative justice program aims to get offenders to take responsibility for their
actions, to understand the harm they have caused, to give them an opportunity to
redeem themselves and to discourage them from causing further harm. For victims, its
goal is to give them an active role in the process. Restorative justice is founded on an
alternative theory to the traditional methods of justice, which often focus on retribution.
However, restorative justice programs can complement traditional methods.
Academic assessment of restorative justice is positive. Most studies suggest it makes
offenders less likely to reoffend. A 2007 study also found that it had the highest rate of
victim satisfaction and offender accountability of any method of justice. Its use has seen
worldwide growth since the 1990s. Restorative justice inspired and is part of the wider
study of restorative practices.
There are different aspects of restorative justice. The book I have selected focuses on
the outcome of forgiveness, healing, and in this case redemption. The title of the book
is Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton. When Jennifer
Thompson was a college student, she was brutally assaulted and raped. She picked
Ronald Cotton from a line up as her attacker. Cotton was found guilty and was sent to
prison. However, Ronald Cotton was innocent and it took eleven years in prison before
DNA exonerated him. After his release, he and Thompson got together and the process
of healing began. They wrote this book and now travel the country telling their story.
The book is an easy read, while remaining very powerful and thought-provoking. It is
not possible to read the book without feeling strong empathy for both Thompson and
Cotton.
I have sought partners for the All Community Reads and the first on board was the
YM/YWCA. The "Y" has an active restorative justice program that is frequently used in
middle schools in Dubuque and it also trains individuals in mediation and group
conferencing on the topic. Other partners followed: the Telegraph Herald, the
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and the Five Flags Center.
The program will take place during six to eight weeks next fall. I expect at least 2,000
books will be distributed at community outlets in Dubuque (at no charge). Each book
will contain a calendar of events for programs associated with the book and a reading
list for additional information on the topic of restorative justice. The All Community
Reads event will culminate with a visit from Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald
Cotton at the Five Flags Theater.
Programs that will take place are book discussions at many locations in town, a panel
discussion with judges and attorneys, a presentation by the Y on restorative justice
practices, and more.
I am in the initial planning stages and establishing a budget, which I will use to submit a
grant to the DRA for the author visit. Funding for the books will come from the
Community Foundation and depending on this amount, possibly other donors.
Changing Lives Through Literature:
The Changing Lives Through Literature is a diversion program in partnership with
Juvenile Court Services that was started in 2017 with a small grant from Better World
Books. Youth that have experienced charges can opt to attend Changing Lives Through
Literature in lieu of probation or other options. The teens that attend read three books
during 10 classes. Book discussions are held at each class and writing in journals each
week is required. Themes in the books that are discussed include family, friendship,
loyalty, betrayal, peer pressure, violence, breakdown of family, decisions, and
consequences. Successful completion in the program give the teens a chance to start
over. At this time the recidivism rate is about 20°k, compared to the state average of
34°k.
Recently I met with Nicole Mann of the Eastern lowa Decategorization Coordinator and
we were awarded a $10,000 grant for the Changing Lives Through Literature program.
This is significant grant and will free up the balance of the other grant used currently for
the teen program. The other grant was not age specific. The $10,000 will be used to
fund programs for youth and the balance of the other grant will be used to start a new
program after the first of the year for female adult offenders. I will be working with Kelly
Francois who is a probation/parole officer with the Illinois Department of Corrections
and is based from the Elm Street Correctional facility.