Minutes 01-23-02City of Boynton Beach
Library Advisory Board
Minutes: January 23, 2002
Present: Board members: Marva Collins, Marion Grammer, Donna Harmening, Valerie
Pleasanton, Herb Suss, Dorothy Walker
Alternate: Judy Sanders
Library Director: Virginia Farace
Absent: Dan Holthouse
Chair Valerie Pleasanton called the meeting to order at 3:20.
The minutes of the December 5 meeting were adopted as submitted.
Correspondence: Marion sent a thank you letter to Commissioner McCray for his donation to the
library's book fund.
Chair's Report: none
Unfmished Business: Dorothy and Virginia visited the Hester Center to see the computer lab that
was provided by the LSTA Grant. Virginia will try toarrange to have a plaque placed on the door
to acknowledge the grant.
Virginia noted that Commissioner Mack McCray's donation was $2000, $1000 more than he had
originally planned. Comm. McCray also donated $1000 of his discretionary fimd to the scholarship
fund for the Schoolhouse Museum; the fund will provide admission to children in need.
The library allows people to borrow four new (seven-day) books per week. The Board agreed that
this is a sufficient number.
New Business: Several issues that affect libraries will be coming up in the new legislative session:
Gov. Bush has recommended full funding for all grants; this would include the library's
expansion grant. Legislation is also pending that would allow libraries to receive funds
without having them flow through the counties first. However, the Governor's budget has
cut the amount of state aid in half, so the library can still have some funds cut.
Virginia will attend "library days" to meet with legislators and discuss the importance of
these and other issues.
A bill has been introduced mandating libraries to "filter" information on the Internet in
order to protect children. Virginia says that this process does not work as well as staff
monitoring, which our library already provides. A discussion followed on library policies
on filtering.
Library Director's Report: Virginia distributed copies of a SEFLIN press release, which explains
their current services. Our library is a member of SEFLIN.
Our library may not have iBistro and Self Check in place before April, as SIRSI recently took over
the DRA system (a competing automation system that they need to integrate into their company)
and will not have time to work on our library's new software pro,ams.
Announcements: Dorothy gave a report on the African American Book Clubi whiCh is encouraging
family library registration in Jan. and Feb. The club is offering self-directed tours of the library and
will be collecting books to distribute to families.
The Children's Dept. of the library will provide a Harry Potter program.
The Palm Beach Read Together book selection will be announced on Monday, Jan. 28.
Flyers were distributed with information about the Friends library luncheon and Virginia
announced the city's board dinner on April 3.
The city is planning to write a new mission statement and has asked city employees to suggest a list
of common values. Virginia asked Board members to bring a list of their library values to the next
meeting for a discussion.
The city has a new procedure for employee evaluations, which will tie salary to performance.
The next meeting will be held on Feb. 27, 2002.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:45.
Marion G-rammer
Adopted