Birmingham Public Library Board Minutes

Call To Order

• Meeting was called to order by President Gwendolyn R. Amamoo.
• Dr. Monique Gardner-Witherspoon gave the invocation.

Star of the Month

• Kimberly Richardson and Patty A. Pilkerton were recognized as "Stars of the Month" for their commitment and service to the Birmingham Public Library and Birmingham Public Library Board.
• Chanda Temple was recognized as a "Star of the Month" for her public relations service and commitment to the Birmingham Public Library.

Approvals

• Georgia Blair moved the approval of the agenda with the "Long Range Planning Committee Report" as an addition. Dora Sims seconded the motion, which passed.
• Judge Scott Vowell moved the approval of the consent agenda with the following corrections to the July 25, 2013 minutes:
  • Under "Director's Report Activities" it should read "we have attended training"
  • Judge Vowell did not participate in the executive session
  • Nicole King recommended that the Library Board enter into executive session to discuss pending litigation
  • Georgia Blair seconded the motion, which passed.

Presentation - Chanda Temple, Director of Public Relations

• Empowerment Week will be held September 11-15, 2013. The Library is partnering with the Birmingham City Schools. All volunteers that would like to read an excerpt from the The Watson's Go to Birmingham please contact either administration or Chanda Temple. The author of The Watson's Go to Birmingham will be speaking at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Thursday, October 10, 2013 and the Library is hoping to have him stop by one of our branches.

Terry Oglesby, City Architect

• The Inglenook Library renovations are underway. The groundbreaking ceremony took place several weeks ago.
• The Pratt City Library construction is moving along on schedule. A walk-through for the public is scheduled for Monday, August 26, 2013.
• The North Birmingham Library is still experiencing difficulties with the existing HVAC system.

Nicole King, City Attorney

• The City has reviewed the gun legislation and a few changes are being made in the City's policy on weapons. Nicole King will review the policy with library administration within the next week.
• It was recommended by Attorney King that the Library Board enter into executive session to discuss pending litigation. Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch moved the approval of the recommendation to go into executive session. Georgia Blair seconded the motion, which passed.

Long Range Planning Committee Committee

• A Long Range Planning Committee meeting was held on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. The minutes are attached.

• Katrina Watson moved to accept the recommendation to choose Color Scheme "A" for Inglenook Library renovation favored by branch head Karnecia Williams. Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch seconded the motion, which passed.
• It is the recommendation of the Long Range Planning Committee that the retreat to discuss strategic planning will be scheduled after Staff Day, which will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2013.

Advocacy, Fundraising, and Development Committee

• The Advocacy, Fundraising, and Development Committee met on Wednesday, August 14, 2013. The minutes are attached.

• Dora Sims moved the approval of the new Library Directory cover. Georgia Blair seconded the motion, which passed.
• Dora Sims moved the approval to recognize past Birmingham Public Library Board members dating back to 2006 with a certificate. Judge Vowell seconded the motion, which passed.
• Dora Sims moved the approval to host a Mayor/City Council "meet and greet" in early 2014. Georgia Blair seconded the motion, which passed.

Director's Report

Finance and Budget Update

• No change--The City Council has not approved a FY2014 Budget at this time. I believe that the library will be funded at the same level as last year for Library Materials and I will let you know as soon as the budget is passed and I know what the actual budget will be. We are able to make purchases and payments because the Budget Office has entered the same amounts in FY2013 budget. They will be changed to the new budget when it is passed. The July budget reports are included in your packet. Let me know if you have any questions

Buildings and Facilities

• The Inglenook project has begun and the Pratt City Branch project is nearing the end. The substantial completion will not be accomplished before a public walk-through that is planned by Mayor Bell for 2:00 PM on August 26. I will send you details as soon as I have them for this event. I hope that all board members can attend. The Mayor's Office is handling the arrangements. We are still waiting for the City Budget to pass so we can order the second half of the furnishings for Pratt City. (I am working with the Mayor's office to coordinate the grand reopening event which will come later.)

Update of Library and Director Activities

• Inglenook Branch will begin its temporary service at the Inglenook Recreation Center on August 19. They will be open from 1-6 Monday through Friday.

• BPL staff participated in the citywide SportsFest at the Crossplex on August 9. We were represented in all events and placed 2nd in the trivia competition (Jim Murray, Mary Beth Newbill, Lynn Carpenter, and Cedric Evans), 2nd place in the women's 3 point shoot thanks to Angela Hall's basketball prowess, and 2nd place for Chris Hare in the half mile walk. We had a great time and are looking forward to next year! (There will be an awards presentation event at a later date.)

• The first of the Education Foundation Parent University programs will take place at Avondale on August 31 and will deal with information about volunteer opportunities for parents and how to get involved in such organizations as PTA.
• The contract for planning the renovation of the Central Library Complex is moving closer to completion. As soon as it is approved by the architects it will once again go before Council for final approval and then signing by the mayor.
• I have visited six branches since the last board meeting with plans to visit more tomorrow, August 16.
• The YP event at Avondale Brewery on July 25 was well organized and attended. Everyone, including board president Gwen Amamoo and her husband, had a great time enjoying the delicious BBQ from Saw's Soul Kitchen, talking with our YPs and their guests, and drawings for various prizes.
• The Jefferson County Library Cooperative (now the public libraries in Jefferson County) has launched a campaign to raise funds for its annual operations. If you received a letter from them, I hope you will respond generously. This organization enables BPL to do so much more and to have a topnotch wide area network and library integrated circulation and catalog system. There is some good news on that front. Several library directors met with Jefferson County Commission president David Carrington last month. He made lots of suggestions to us and was very supportive stating that as soon as possible he wants JCLC back in the county's annual budget. In the meantime he has encouraged us to apply for capital funds for the next three years for network and equipment upgrades and improvements. These funds will be very helpful in JCLC's balancing of its budget and protecting its shrinking emergency fund. The meeting lasted almost two hours and we were astonished with his attention to detail especially the fact that he has read every word of the stack of material that Pat Ryan has sent him in preparation for this meeting. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the Cooperative to BPL and all the libraries in the county. Having access to all the books, DVDs, etc. in the county has been especially helpful since our materials budget was slashed and we can no longer supply the numbers of copies and materials needed by our patrons.
• BPL staff members enjoyed the customer service learning opportunity (organized by Edith Major and Stephanie George) presented by Pete Blank of the Jefferson County Personnel Board training department, on July 23rd, 24th, 30th, and 31st. The final number of attendees was 91% of the entire BPL staff and for the very first time ever I heard no negative comments about the training and lots of positive ones. It was interesting, funny, and perfectly tailored to library customer service including our service to each other in the various behind the scenes departments. (About 20 of our part time staff work other full time jobs so they could not attend.)

• We are very excited to be involved in a second Read-It-Forward The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 project. We are partners with the City of Birmingham who is purchasing the books and the Birmingham City School System in reading this book and promoting discussion of it. The first phase will be the distribution of copies of the books to all fourth grade students in the Birmingham schools and the second will be a community reading project based in our libraries. We will distribute several hundred copies of the book from our libraries. You will hear more about this as we approach the event. Chanda Temple is handling the promotions for us and the city on this project. Yes, we are happy that Chanda is back on the right side of the park although she is still responsible for a couple of projects for the city's 50 Years Forward commemoration.

• Bards and Brews drew over 100 guests on August 2 at Avondale. This program has been a success from its inception and has become a recognizable BPL branded event series.
• Participants in our Teen Poetry Initiative have returned from Chicago where they placed 16th out of 50 in the "Brave New Voices" teen poetry competition. It was the first time a team from Alabama has participated in this competition which started in 1998. You may recall that BPL raised money that enabled these kids to go and participate in this event.
• The Annual School Supply Giveaway by Rotoract on August 10 at Wylam, Avondale, and East Lake Branches was a big success. Katrina Watson and the whole Rotoract team did an excellent job of making lots of kids ready for school year 2014 and parents grateful for the help.

Gifts, Grants, Awards, and Donations

• Pete Hanna Charitable Foundation gave $500 to support Wylam Branch's programs.
• William and Mary Blake gave $500 in honor of David Blake and support of the Fiction Department.

• Wiggins Child Quinn & Pantazis LLC (Samuel Fisher) gave $2800 to purchase an Early Literacy Computer.

• Steven and Stephanie Hunt gave $500 split evenly between North Avondale and Avondale for books.

Upcoming Events

• Public Walk-through of New Pratt City Branch on August 26 at 2:00 PM. (As noted above the building will not actually be complete until later and the library will have the reopening event later.)

• America's Music series has begun. In August Debbie Bond, Shar Baby, and Elnora Spencer will sing the blues at Central on August 22 at 6:30 PM and on August 24 the Tin Pan Alley and the Broadway Musical film program will take place at Central from 2-4 PM. This program is about the 100-year history of musical theater and the story of its relationship to 20th-century American life. For September programs and more details go to http://www.bplonline.org/Americas-Music.aspx

• Bards and Brews will be at the Central Library on Friday, September 13.
• American Association for State and Local History Conference will be here in Birmingham September 18-21. Angela Hall is serving as the chair of the Local Arrangements/Host Committee.

• Programs surrounding the Cities for Life diabetes education grant funded project will continue at many of our locations during September. The full schedule is on http://www.birmingham365.org

• Smart Investing, the finance education series which will be called Making Cents locally, has begun and will continue through May of 2014. A full calendar of events may be found at http://making-cents.org/. This grant funded project is designed to educate the public on personal finance topics and is cooperation between libraries in Jefferson County and Shelby County. The full schedule will also be available on http://www.birmingham365.org.

Exhibits in Central's Gallery

• “Unseen….Unforgotten: Civil Rights Photographs from the Birmingham News” has been rehung in the First Floor Gallery. It will be up until October 31.
• Paintings by students of Professor Sky Shineman, Art Department, University of Alabama, August 12—September 20
• Watercolor Society of Alabama Annual Juried Exhibit, September 23- October 31, Reception September 28

Reminders

• The "Voices from the Storm" anthology, the collection of writings on the effects of the tornadoes in April 2011 and January 2012, has been printed. Please, let us know if you need copies.

• If you would like to support the restoration of Miss Iwate, our Japanese Friendship Doll by making a donation, go to http://www.bplonline.org/programs/Iwate.aspx.

• Dial a Story—Call (205) 226-3650 to listen to a great story over the phone!

• Be sure to check the BPL Blog at http://bplolinenews.blogspot.com/ to keep up with all the activities going on at this library. You can subscribe and have any updates sent to your email if you have not already done so.

• Sign up for the BPLinks newsletter at http://www.bplonline.org/programs/

Unfinished Business

• Samuel Rumore moved to freeze Library Board travel until a policy can be approved. Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch seconded the motion, which passed.

New Business

• Katrina Watson moved to continue the 2013 regularly scheduled Library Board meetings to begin at 8:30 a.m. Samuel Rumore seconded the motion, which passed.
• The Friends Board has voted that a Library Board member will not become an advisory member of the Friends Board.
• A Finance Committee meeting will be held on September 16, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. and a Policies, Procedures, and By-Laws Committee meeting will follow at 1:30 p.m .
• Several Library Board members have pledged to donate door prize money/gift certificates for Staff Day 2013.

Comments

• Kimberly Richardson stated that the Inglenook Library renovation was receiving good attention. She also stated that the Inglenook staff did an excellent job.
• Dr. Witherspoon stated that she was looking forward to the upcoming Digital Bookmobile.
• Dora Sims commended Gwendolyn Amamoo on her presentation to the City Council and the Library Board on doing all they can to keep all libraries open.
• Georgia Blair attended the City Council meeting in which the library was represented very well. Mrs. Blair also urged all Board members to vote in the upcoming election.
• Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch welcomed all visitors to the Library Board meeting and asked that all Library Board members vote in the upcoming election.
• Samuel Rumore stated that he was proud to be a member of the Library Board and also that he has recently visited the Library in Ketchikan, Alaska and urged all Board members to visit public libraries during their travels.
• Katrina Watson stated that it is a pleasure to serve on the Library Board and also that she enjoys seeing the partnerships that exist.
• Dr. Ammon stated that her son recently received a library card and he is very excited.

• Gwendolyn Amamoo attended the Inglenook renovation groundbreaking ceremony and it was very successful. The Mayor and members of the community attended. Mrs. Amamoo is proud of the partnership with the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham City Schools reading The Watson's Go to Birmingham and also stated that she attended the Young Professionals fundraiser at the Avondale Brewery, which was a big success. Mrs. Amamoo also congratulated Renee Blalock and staff for the 91% participation in the Customer Service training and also thanked Chief Rod Gadson for engaging in professional development for the security officers.

Submitted By

Irene S. Blalock, Secretary