Birmingham Public Library Board Minutes

Call To Order

• This meeting was called to order by President Kimberly Richardson. Dora Sims gave the invocation.

Public Voices

• Sandi Lee distributed packets from patron Carolyn McGuire for the board’s consideration. McGuire recently submitted a comment card which is included in the August board packet.

Presentations

• Dora Sims, Advocacy Committee chair, Willie S. Davis III, and Gwendolyn Amamoo, Advocacy Committee members presented an Innovation Award to Claire Stanton, Eastwood for “Make Your Own Halloween Mask Party.” Children will create Halloween masks from paper plates and enjoy snacks.
• The committee also presented an award to the team of Laura Gentry, Haruyo Miyagawa, Lance Simpson, Carrie Campbell, Melinda Shelton, Lisa Smith, and Roy Williams for “Recovering the Classics.” This award will go toward the advertisement of a contest and exhibition of redesigned book covers. Gentry announced Books-A-Millions has officially partnered with BPL for the event.
• Sandi Lee acknowledged Susan Richardson, catalog department, who is retiring after 21 years. Richardson could not be in attendance for the meeting. A certificate of appreciation will be presented to her at the retirement party on August 18, 2016.

Approval of Agenda

• Georgia Morgan Blair moved to approve the agenda. Dora U. Sims seconded the motion, and it was approved.

Approval of Consent Agenda

• Georgia Morgan Blair moved to approve the consent agenda excluding the financial report. Dora U. Sims seconded the motion, and it was approved.
• The budget by account classification report was discussed. Kimberly Richardson asked to get clarification to make sure the expenditures on this report are running cumulative from 2016 and has not reset for the new fiscal year. Sandi Lee explained projections for 2017 will be made once the 2016 fiscal year is closed out. Richardson requested the report be sent to the full board once it is completed.
• Georgia Morgan Blair moved to approve the financial reports. Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch seconded the motion, and it was approved.

Terry Oglesby, City Architect

• Terry Oglesby stated the Trane agreement has been approved by city council. Oglesby has been in contact with Trane through the Mayor’s office. Trane is attempting to expedite the chiller for the Central library. Oglesby will share the scope of work with Sandi Lee in order to coordinate dates and locations.
• Oglesby will check on the status of the East Lake elevators.

Nicole King, City Attorney

• Nicole King was recently promoted to Principal Attorney with the city. Next month, Kayla Lawrence will be joining Attorney King to BPL meetings. Lawrence will fill in for King while she is on maternity leave for three months tentatively starting the last week of October. King is in the process of reviewing the security contract and BPL policies.
• At 4:55 p.m., King recommended the board go into Executive Session under Alabama State Code 36-25-A7 to discuss potential litigation. Dora U. Sims moved for approval. Georgia Morgan Blair seconded the motion, and it was approved.
• The Executive Session ended at 5:22 p.m.

Operational Items Requiring Board Approval

Reports of Committees

Advocacy Committee

• Dora Sims, Advocacy Committee chair, presented Development and Public Relations reports in addition to the minutes. James A. Sullivan shared an event the Young Professionals are planning for October 21. Sims asked Sullivan if YPs have considered using branches for events. Sullivan stated he will bring it up.
• Dora Sims moved for approval of the following recommendations from the Advocacy Committee: award $50 to Eastwood Library, award $50 to Central’s Southern History department, move the “Big Check” to the end of the fiscal year in the 4th quarter rather than the 3rd quarter, and revisit/restructure the guidelines for the “I am BPL” award. Eunice Johnson Rogers seconded the motion, and it was approved.
• Kimberly Richardson stated the strategic plan should be considered while restructuring the guidelines for the “I am BPL” award.
• Georgia Morgan Blair made a correction to the Development report included in the Advocacy Committee meeting minutes. Mrs. Blair’s husband’s name needs to be taken off of the Board Fund notes.
• Richardson requested that the Finance Committee discuss whether the board should be able to view Friends and Foundation financial reports.
• Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch requested BPL to look into contacting Publix for their location opening downtown. Welch stated the Brooklyn Public Library received a percentage of opening day’s sales from the Williamsburg Whole Foods.

Finance Committee

• Georgia Morgan Blair, Finance Committee chair, stated additional trust fund money has been identified and has not been recently used The BPL Hibbert M. Weathers, Jr. Fund will be disbursing $6,016 for the 2016 fiscal year. The BPL Health Workers Fund has a balance of $92,848.81 with $64,722.81 available. This fund is restricted to health related materials. Sandi Lee is working on creating a report, identifying all accounts and their balances.
• The Tutwiler Fund’s projected distribution is $4,060 for August 2016 - July 2017. The Finance Committee has requested a presentation from Regions Bank on the Tutwiler Fund to see if changes need to be made on the proportions of stocks, bonds, and municipal bonds. Kimberly Richardson requested the presentation be made to the full board.
• Kimberly Richardson requested a meeting with an officer from the Community Foundation to get a full grasp of the Hibbert M. Weathers, Jr. Fund and Health Workers Fund and to determine if there are other designated funds that the library can benefit from. Richardson stated this situation highlights the need for someone on staff dedicated to managing and tracking finances of this organization.

Long-Range Planning Committee

• Patty A. Pilkerton, Long-Range Planning chair, reported ten critical issues have been identified as a result of the board retreat. Working with Jim Sisson of Vantage Associates, the ten issues have been divided among four working groups: Funding, Diversity, and Financial Expertise; Support from the City and Public Awareness; Employee Morale, Branch Network, and Leadership; Technology, Research, Archives, Programming. Each working group created a set of action items. Sisson is in the process of compiling the information into a report for the Long-Range Planning Committee. A full plan is expected to be presented at the next board meeting for a vote.

Policy Committee

• Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch, Policy Committee chair, presented recommendations from the meeting on July 21, 2016. Georgia Morgan Blair moved to approve the adoption of the mayor’s executive order, ban the box. Gwendolyn Amamoo seconded the motion, and it was approved.
• Dora Sims moved to approve the revisions made to the board by-laws. Willie S. Davis III seconded the motion, and it was approved.
• Dora Sims moved to approve the revisions to the library rules. Judge Scott Vowell seconded the motion, and it was approved. Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch thanked Sandi Lee for her work on the rules. James A. Sullivan asked about the process of implementing the rules. Welch will work with Lee on consequences for rule violation.
• Sandi Lee provided a summary of the proposed meeting room application and regulations. Each location will have their own customized application. Georgia Morgan Blair made a correction to the regulations on page 8, line 7 to state, “City Ordinance prohibits smoking in any public facility within city limits of Birmingham.”
• Judge Scott Vowell moved to adopt the proposed meeting room regulations and model contract for leasing space in the Birmingham Public Library with the change that cash will no longer be accepted. Gwendolyn Amamoo seconded the motion, and it was approved. Once the corrections are made, Welch stated it will need to be sent to Nicole King, City Law Department.

Unfinished Business

• Sandi Lee reported the Central HVAC system was repaired. The chiller is marginally working. There are a few proposals from Trane on how to rectify the situation, and BPL is waiting for their final decision.
• Kimberly Richardson reported on the Executive Search meeting. Richardson anticipates the search will be shorter this time since a job description is in existence. The anticipated time of completion is early 2017. The next steps are identifying funds. The previous search came from State Aid, and Lee stated there are funds available to allocate for the search. Judge Scott Vowell moved to approve the allocation of up to $10,000 for the executive search. Gwendolyn Amamoo seconded the motion, and it was approved.

New Business

• Phil Amthor, Birmingham Land Bank Authority, asked Gwendolyn Amamoo to bring information to the board. The lot next to Pratt City library has been acquired by the land bank and will be used by the library. A press conference will be held on August 27 at 3:00 p.m. at the Pratt City library.

Director's Report for July 2016

• Sandi Lee reported the U.S. Department of State has requested more information from BPL regarding passport services at some library locations. The information has been sent.
• The city has authorized the advertisement of thirteen available positions at the library. Seven more positions will need to be advertised.
• The 2016/2017 budget has not yet been approved.
• Kaleshia Whitman has four unfinished trailers for the Eat Drink Read Write 2016 that she would like to share with the board.
• Lee requested that BPL take a hiatus from writing grants while there is currently no one available to write grants and to take time to incorporate the strategic planning by focusing in on particular grants that will sustain programming. Richardson stated she will speak with Lee about options and will provide her support.

Board Member Comments

• Kimberly Richardson requested to confirm the source of money allocated for repairs. Lee will check that it is coming from the Trane contract.
• Willie Davis III asked how the meeting rooms for rent are advertised. Lee stated they are generally booked with minimal advertisement. Richardson recommended sharing details of meeting spaces on social media and the newsletter.
• Richardson recommended the book A Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama’s Public Libraries, 1900-1965.

Next Board Meeting is September 13, 2016

Submitted By

Mary McCann, Senior Secretary