HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Library Board - 06/02/2015 Library Board Meeting Minutes
June 2, 2015
Members Present: John B. Keys,Julia Stafford, Abigail Bair, Rachel Buck, Sue Donahoe, and Brian Solarek
Members Absent: Diana Broyles,Jessica Hamilton, and Natalie Rogen
Staff Present: Laura Garcia, Library Director, Norma Gonzalez, Managing Librarian and Sylvia Sanchez, Secretary
Call to Order: John Keys called the meeting to order at 10:32 a.m.
Approval of Minutes
Motion for approval of the May minutes was made by Abigail Bair and seconded by Rachel Buck. Motion passed unanimously.
Friend's Report
Mrs. Gonzalez showed the tote bag which has the Friends and Christus Health Plan logo.The bag will be one of the items given
to Summer Reading Club participants, once they read their first 10 books.
Director's Report
Mrs. Gonzalez stated that Harte Library will be the first to kick-off the Summer Reading Program,Thursday,June 4 at 2:00 p.m.
The Discovery Mobile Planetarium Dome will be used at Harte and Neyland during their kick-offs. An SRC teen program has
been held at Harte for the past two years.This year Neyland and Garcia will also have a Teen SRC program, although theirs will
be more limited. A Caller Times article on the Planetarium program, held at Fannin Elementary School, will be printed first part
of next week. The Libraries under-appreciated role article written by La Retama Club members was made available to Board
members. The monthly library article, which will focus on SRC programs,will be published on Monday. Staff is working on a
new design for adult library cards.The cards will be available in September during National Library Card month. The Food for
Fines drive will also take place in September. A grant for the RFID project will be submitted, by the Friends late next month, to
the Charity League.The City's financial part in this project will be the annual maintenance of the equipment which is estimated
to be about$40,000. Staff has submitted the budget decision packages for the coming year budget. Package one: Security
Guard service at Garcia; Package two: increase hours of part-time custodians from 18 to 25; Package three: increasing hours of
Library Aides from 18 to 20; Package four: $30,000 for technology budget; Package five: 3 Librarian positions for Teen services;
Package six: recreate Collection Development Manager position, which was cut in 2011.The last package shows what would be
cut from the Library budget if the budget has to be cut by$30,000%a 1% reduction.
One of the benchmark cities is Plano. Mrs. Garcia stated that Plano has 4 library locations, 101 non-professional positions and
49 professional (total of 150 positions) and their population is 274,409. Our library system has 6 locations, a total of 53
employees, 22 of these are part-time and our population is 316,381. Mr. Solarek inquired if the City literacy rate is taken into
account when the library budget is decided on. He referred to the article which consistently scores Corpus Christi as having a
low literacy rate. A discussion ensued about how statistics could be used to show a correlation between how funding the
Library affects the literacy rate. Ms. Buck volunteered to assist staff with gathering statistics and information to see what
effects there is between literacy and funding.
Mrs. Garcia mentioned that the Library will partner with Parks and Recreation Centers to offer after school programming in at
risk areas. Programming at the women's shelter will be conducted during the summer to allow for the children to participate
in the SRC program.
New Business
Motion to excuse Diana Broyles,Jessica Hamilton, and Natalie Rogen from today's meeting was made by Abigail Bair and
seconded by Sue Donahoe. Motion passed unanimously.
Public Comment
None.
Meeting adjourned at 11:22 a.m.