LA CROSSE COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING MINUTES

April 2, 2008

Meeting Room, Onalaska Public Library

741 Oak Street, South

4:45 PM

CALL TO ORDER:

President Loren Caulum called the meeting to order at 4:45 pm.

ROLL CALL:

Board members, Loren Caulum, Fred Marini, Mary Bach Filla, Barbara Manthei, Andrea Richmond and George Varnum were present. Glenn Seager was excused

APPROVAL OF THE MEETING AGENDA:

Motion by Fred Marini/Andrea Richmond to approve the agenda as written.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Glenn Seager.

PUBLIC INPUT:

Loren called for input from the public, but there was no response.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

Motion by Andrea Richmond/Barb Manthei to approve the March 5, 2008 minutes.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Glenn Seager.

APPROVAL OF APRIL 2008 EXPENDITURES:

1.  Learning to use a new acquisitions module for the Horizon software created a backlog of book and media orders.  More media was ordered in March to alleviate the backlog, resulting in larger than usual April invoices.

2.  The replacement disc cleaner has arrived and is in use.  The accumulation of CDs, DVDs, and audio books waiting to be cleaned are back in circulation.  The bill for the cleaner is in the April invoices.

3.  Although the Public Library Association had assured that tax-free status would be recognized by all PLA-recommended hotels, Chris found this was not true for the La Crosse contingency nor for people from other counties to whom she spoke.  PLA is trying to find out why and get refunds for those who have registered complaints.

4.  Some La Crosse employees spent more money for their meals than the county allowances.  Chris said the restaurants around the convention site were very expensive.  Chris also said the employees knew before the convention what the allowances were and had agreed to pay anything over that, but that the board could approve paying the extra amounts.

Motion by Andrea Richmond /Barb Manthei to reimburse employees at the county recommended allowances.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Glenn Seager.

Motion by Andrea Richmond /Mary Bach Filla to approve April 2008 expenditures. MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Glenn Seager.

ACCOUNT ADJUSTMENTS:

At the end of 2007 Chris requested to carry forward the unused balances of five expense accounts.  Three of those accounts carried forward to the same account for 2008.  Two of the accounts were to be carried into different accounts.  This was not done.  Chris would like to adjust those amounts to the proper accounts.

1.  Due to careful management and changes in routine, Expense Account #69060 Mileage Reimbursement - Employees had $2,129.63 left at the end of 2007.  $1,629.00 was carried forward to the 2008 Mileage Reimbursement account.  Chris wants to adjust that amount to Expense Account # 77080 Training to cover registration costs for PLA. 

2.  In 2007 Finance recommended that telephone advertising be paid out of the general telephone account rather than the promotion account.  Our yellow-page advertising for 2007 was mis-billed to the Village of Holmen but it was too late in the year to correct it before our fiscal year ended.  Chris carried forward the $1,629.00 to 2008 to pay the Berry Company when the invoice arrives.  She would like to adjust the $1,629.00 from Expense Account #71050 Promotions to Expense Account #68050 Telephone so the payment comes out of the proper account.

Motion by Andrea Richmond /Mary Bach Filla to approve both account adjustments. MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Glenn Seager. 

GENRE LABELING:

Although only 1% to 2% of our door count responded to our survey on genre labeling there was a small majority that favored it.  Board members suggested that perhaps a maximum of four genres be labeled.  The county cataloger does copy cataloging that follows the entries made at La Crosse Public Library when they catalog their books.  If our books are the first to be put into the WRLS catalog, only minimum information is entered; LPL then overlays our minimal entry with a full catalog entry.  That is when subject headings are chosen, usually following the Library of Congress catalog entries.  Many authors cross genres, so labeling could allow patrons to find books by their favorite author in only that one genre. 

Chris is planning to update the collection policy this summer and would incorporate a genre label philosophy in that policy.

PLA REPORTS:

Eight employees attended the Public Library Association National Conference from March 26-March 29.  As requested by the board each employee turned in a written report summarizing their experience and what they learned at the conference.  The were pleased to be exposed to new ideas, get reinforcement for projects they have wanted to try, and have old notions challenged. Chris said all the PLA presentations and handouts were available on the PLA website.  The board was glad library employees had the opportunity to attend a national conference and was pleased to see the written reports.

WRLS REPORT:

Loren Caulum attended the bimonthly meeting of the WRLS board on March 25, 2008.  The yearly auditor’s report found no problems with WRLS books.  David Polodna is visiting all the counties in WRLS to update agreements between the counties and WRLS.  This has not been done for about 10 years.

MINDORO & FARMINGTON UPDATE:

The Mindoro School Board and the Farmington Town Board will meet to talk about space for a new joint library.  The Mindoro Elementary School has an existing library that doubles as a community library one evening a week.  The school would like to keep any new library facility in the building, although not necessarily in the same location, or, at least, on the school grounds.  There is an old bus garage that could be remodeled but it is located across from the school, which would require the children to cross the street, sometimes in inclement weather.  A joint library would be available to the school children during the school day and open to the public in the evenings.

FACILITY AND COMMUNITY UPDATES:

On March 31, 2008, ground was broken on the Onalaska addition.  There will be little effect on library operations until June or July when the addition is mostly finished and they have to break through the wall into the library proper.  There is no decision on moving the books and furniture during construction.

The Friends of the Holmen Library are still working on getting a new location for the Holmen facility.  The Village of Holmen offered the Diocese $1.3 million for St. Elizabeth’s church, but has received no reply.

Now that the basement of the Bangor facility has been emptied the Village of Bangor will resume treatment of insects in the building.  Bangor has a new bin for storing CDs which allows patrons to see them individually rather than in cases containing 4 CDs.  Circulation in February 2008 is triple that of February 2007.

Campbell will get a new CD bin as well.

Andrea Richmond left at 6:08 p.m.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:

None

ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 6:22 pm.

RECORDED BY:  Judy Jamesson.  Minutes may be amended or changed at the next meeting.