Minutes 04-24-02City of Boynton Beach
Library Advisory Board
Minutes: April 24, 2002
Present: Board members: Marva Collins, Marion Grammer, Donna Harmening, Dan
Holthouse, Valerie Pleasanton, Dorothy Walker
Alternates: David Goudsward, Judy Sanders
Library Director: Virginia Farace
Absent: Herb Suss
The meeting was called to order at 3:15 p.m.
The minutes of the March 20 meeting were adopted as distributed.
Correspondence: None
Chair's Report: None
Unfinished business: Dorothy, Dan, Donna and Marion attended the city-sponsored
dinner at Benvenutos and received pins and certificates of appreciation. These items
were distributed to board members who did not attend the dinner.
Virginia thanked Dorothy for representing the library board on a celebrity panel
discussion of Fahrenheit 451 held at Boynton Beach Community High School and said
that a letter of appreciation had been sent to Dorothy. Virginia also thanked Marion for
facilitating a discussion of the book at the library; AAUW and the library jointly
sponsored that discussion.
Judy was thanked for taking pictures at the Family Block Party in Delray. The
Schoolhouse Museum had a booth and handed out frames and bags along with the
Polaroid pictures, which were sponsored by the library. A discussion followed in which
board members were updated on the museum's activities and plans.
New Business: Virginia gave a report on the library's budget request for the coming year.
Staff is working on submitting their needs to Virginia in the context of a "hold the line"
budget (except for the already approved personnel salary adjustments) as directed by the
City Manager. Virginia will finalize and submit to the city by mid-May. Dorothy
suggested that fines be increased, and Virginia said she would survey other libraries.
A discussion followed in which board members made suggestions, based on needs, for
increasing the budget. Dorothy suggested that we review the book budget over the past
five years or so. Virginia will bring the budget information to our next meeting so that
the board can draft a letter with our recommendations.
Virginia reported on the state legislature. Governor Bush has called the legislators back
for the week of April 29 in order to work on the budget. Virginia suggested that the
board might wish to contact legislators, as she will be doing. The following motion was
passed:
"The Library Advisory Board strongly encourages and respectfully requests that the
legislature supports State Aid to Libraries to be funded at $32,400,000 in recurring funds.
We also request that the state aid revision legislation (CS/HB 115) be introduced and
passed, allowing our library to receive the funding directly. We further request that
Boynton Beach City Library be fully funded for a library construction project
@$5oo,ooo."
Announcements: Virginia offered tickets to the Read Together interview with Ray
Bradbury on April 25.
David has volunteered to work on a web site for the library's summer reading program;
he described this program to board members.
On May 3, the new high school will be dedicated. Board members are invited.
The Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research will be held on May 3 and 4 at the
Boynton Beach Community High School football field. Board members were
encouraged to support this event. Virginia will be part of the Museum team.
A Storytelling Festival will be held at the fairgrounds on April 26 and 27. Our library is
hosting a Fahrenheit 451 discussion facilitated by Joyce Waters on Saturday at the
Festival.
The next Library Board meeting will be held on May 29.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00.
Submitted by,
Approved: May 29, 2002
Marion Grammer