09/19/2003LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
CITY OF CLEARWATER
September 19, 2003
Present: Judy Melges Chair
Howard Adler Board Member
Frederick Dunn Board Member
Glenn Garte Board Member
Katherine Merriam Board Member
Jan Regulski Board Member
Absent: Tom Leavy Vice Chair
Also Present: John Szabo Library Director
Susan Doel Administrative Analyst
Chair Judy Melges called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. at the Main Library.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order.
ITEM #1 – Welcome
Chair Melges welcomed Katherine Merriam back after an extended illness.
ITEM #2 – Minutes
Member Glenn Garte moved to approve the minutes of the May 16, 2003 meeting as submitted. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
ITEM #3 – Library Director’s Report
a) Main Library Project Update
Tremendous progress has been made on the new Main Library project during
the summer. The curtain wall installation is complete. Interior spaces are defined by drywall. Sidewalks are poured. Due to the construction of a chlorination building in the northwest
corner of the property, the construction trailer was removed and temporary offices for Turner Construction have been set up in the northern first floor office area of the new building.
Construction is on schedule for a spring opening. Member Jan Regulski questioned the reduced amount of keystone on the building. Mr. Szabo explained that reductions to the project
to keep the construction cost within the budget included:
moving the mechanical equipment from the roof to the courtyard;
bringing the portico back 30 feet;
reducing the terrace outside the café to half the size;
reducing keystone to the following areas: an exterior coping band around the bottom of the third floor, a small band around the lower exterior of the entire building, a 30 foot wall
at the south entrance to the building, an interior wall behind the circulation desk, and an interior wall at the end of the grand concourse by the grand stair.
The reduction of keystone was a critical path decision. The remaining exterior surfaces will be painted stucco.
b) East Library – Branch Manager
Mr. Szabo reported East Branch Manager Matthew Moore retired in August.
Librarian II Ann Scheffer is Acting Branch Manager until an announcement of a new Branch Manager is made.
c) FY 03/04 Budget
1. Staffing: 10 FTE positions for new Main Library and 2.5 FTE positions
for North Greenwood Branch Library were included in the City Manager’s
budget and approved by the City Commission.
Beach Branch Library: Although City Manager Bill Horne did not recommend keeping the Beach Branch Library in next year’s budget, the City Commission voted 3 - 2 to fund the branch.
To fund the branch, the Library’s materials budget will be reduced.
d) North Greenwood Branch Library – shift in hours of operation
In response to community interest for more evening hours for students, one
additional evening was added to North Greenwood Branch Library’s hours of operation by shifting the hours for Thursday effective 9/11/03. The new hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. with no additional costs to the operating budget.
e) Countryside Branch Library – Florida Native Plants Landscaping Project
A partnership project of Parks & Recreation, the Cooperative Extension
Service and the Library resulted in a Florida native plants landscaping project at the Countryside Library on 9/13/03 with 150 – 200 volunteers. Plants will be labeled and four programs
on Florida native plants will be held at the library over the next few months.
f) Carpeting – meeting rooms
New carpeting was installed in the East Library’s meeting room in
September. Countryside Library’s meeting room will be completed in October.
g) Clearwater Bar Association & Alpha Kappa Alpha partnerships
Both the Clearwater Bar Association’s Reading for Literacy program and the
Alpha Kappa Alpha’s homework help programs are held weekly at the North Greenwood Branch Library.
h) Leadership Pinellas – Leadership Collection, Main Library
A partnership with Leadership Pinellas will fund a collection of books,
materials, and periodicals about leadership. Carmen Heidt of the Reference department is working with Leadership Pinellas on this collection of resources, which will be available for
the general public.
ITEM #4 – Unfinished Business - None
ITEM #5 – New Business
Member Fred Dunn expressed interest in getting a statement from the
Board on the USA PATRIOT Act. Much discussion followed on both sides of this issue. Chair Melges questioned the Library’s stance on this issue. Mr. Szabo, speaking as Library Director,
explained that Florida’s statute protecting the confidentiality of library records is one of the best confidentiality laws in the country. The USA PATRIOT Act, however, a federal law,
overrides the state law. It prohibits library staff from discussing a request with anyone. Both the American Library Association and Florida Library Association have major concerns
with particular sections of the USA PATRIOT Act, as controls were already in place to provide this information with a court order.
Member Regulski suggested a statement that will support the concerns of
the library associations regarding the Patriot Act and confidentiality and privacy issues. Member Dunn questioned the availability of a patron’s library record, to which Mr. Szabo responded
that those records are not kept in our computer system after the completion of the patron transaction.
Member Garte suggested a statement that the Board endorses the laws
but is concerned that no one takes advantage of abuses of the law.
Member Adler suggested a statement that the Board endorses the
American Library Association’s policy. Mr. Szabo will provide the American Library Association policy statement to the Board for discussion at next month’s meeting.
ITEM # 6 – Reports
a) Foundation
Chair Melges announced the Foundation’s Annual Meeting will be held in November at the Hog Fish Grill Deep Sea BBQ (formerly Young’s BBQ) - date and time to be announced. The Capital
Campaign will now focus on contributions from the community and is confident they will meet their goal. Something is planned for telecast on the Jazz Festival’s Trinitron screen.
b) Friends
Mr. Szabo reported that the Friends Board is discussing the bookstore/gift shop for the new Main Library. Mr. Szabo also informed Board members that Friends Board
member Georgia Eason, who would be 100 on her next birthday, and Elliott Hardaway, former Library Director, passed away in August.
ITEM #7 – Board Comments
In response to Member Garte’s question about the status of the new Main Library’s coffee shop, Mr. Szabo reported the options vary widely. The request for proposals is being finalized,
and a national vendor is being sought.
Mr. Garte noted that Seminole’s library seems very small, since the 70,000 square feet is not all library space and is shared by St. Petersburg College functions.
In response to Member Regulski’s question at a previous meeting regarding the use of C-VIEW for library programs, Mr. Szabo noted that C-VIEW is aware of library programs and selects
ones they are able to cover.
ITEM #8 – Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 a.m.
_________________________
Chair
Attest: Library Board
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Administrative Analyst