Library Advisory Board Minutes

Cascade Township Library Advisory Board Meeting

Monday, June 5, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.

Attendees:
Charles Fry, Library Advisory Board Chairman
Ron Goodyke, Township Clerk
Diane Cutler, Cascade Library Branch Manager
Maureen Sullivan, Board Member
Jacque Miller, Friends Co-President
Barbara Kalinka, Board member
Marilyn Meyer, Friends Co-President
Richard Vaughn, Board Member
Carol Lautenbach, Board Member

Excused:
Lynne Marie Quinlan, Board Member
Pamela Vander Ploeg, KDL Facilities Planning
Laura Weld, Cascade Library Asst. Branch Manager
Holly Sturges, Board Member
Michael Maier, KDL Board Trustee
Debbie Straub, Friends July 4th 2006 Chair
Brian Currier, Township Trustee

Branch Manager's Report:
Diane Cutler introduced the two new Library Advisory Board Members.

Dr. Richard Vaughn is a physiotherapist in Geriatric Units and a Grand Valley Instructor. Prior to this appointment, he has served on the Cascade Zoning Board.

Dr. Carol Lautenbach is an eighth grade English Teacher in the Godfrey-Lee School district and an instructor at Calvin College.

Diane explained the basic structure of Library Operations, the KDL system, and taxing system that supports staffing and the acquisition of the Collections. In Kent County, 26 municipalities participate in this system, with the exceptions of the city of Grand Rapids, Cedar Springs, Solon Township, and Sparta. Townships and cities own and pay for utilities and the maintenance of the physical location. The Library Advisory Boards were established to provide community input and communicate resources and needs.

KDL is the busiest library system in the State of Michigan. The Cascade Branch has had a remarkable 10-year growth and is now the third busiest in the system. Each of the 6 large branches has a special collection and is not repeated in any other Branch in the county. Cascade is designated the Consumer Health Collection due to a gift in memory of Mary Lou Monger LaClaire in 1996.

A daily delivery system routes between 78 libraries in 8 counties in West Michigan. Books can be borrowed from throughout this system or returned to any library. Michicard allows KDL residents to borrow books from select libraries throughout Michigan. The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (federally funded) provides tapes and players to those who cannot hold a book or who cannot read regular print.

Because of on-line reference databases now purchased by KDL, the Cascade Reference collection has been culled to 1/3 of its previous size. Journals and Biographical Resources from Gale are now digital for approximately $25,000 per year are available at all 18 branches and at home. The Grand Rapids Press is available back to the 1980s. Collections are also being enhanced by the available for recorded downloadable books from KDL.

The Friends of the Library provide support to enhance services for the library. The Friends fund mailbox services for the homebound, large print editions, and padded envelopes for "Snow Birds" to return their books to the Library. Friends contribute funds to purchase additional volumes of books; fund 3 summer programs; provide extra supplies for displays and seasonal decorations, and pay for sign holders and furnishings. Recently, the Friends purchased a Disco Pod, which cleans and refinishes CD's and DVD's. The new main meeting room was named the "Friends' Room" in recognition of their $130,000 contribution.

Friends' Report:
July 4 Book Sale 70,000-80,000 books to sell.
No township employees available for set up so a moving company hired to transport the books upstairs on 4 wheel dollies to the "Friends' Room" the day before.

Next Friends Newsletter will be the Sept./ Oct. to highlight Fall programs.

Building Progress and Finance:
Fund balance $400,000 for major repairs with all bonds on original building retired.

Skutt/Good Endowment: $100,000 toward new building
New endowment has $140,000 for programs.

Few details to fix: one door, motion lighting adjustments, second landscaper, BJ Roark came to the rescue and completed the project.
KDL installed 19 new Dell computers for patrons to use. KDL will provide a tech team to support the small repairs and provided an extra cpu to replace any that goes down during day.
New monitor will be installed to announce events. Library will conserve staffing hours and close Sundays in the summer. Sunday programs will be offered this fall as Sundays have better attendance than Saturdays.

Special Events:
June 12- Summer Reading Club. 25,000 children participated in KDL last summer. 2006 will include 9 major programs from magic to stories to teen programs and movies. Jacque Viol will participate in the string stories with Tassel Park with free refreshments and musical concerts. The Summer Reading Club completers will be acknowledged by letter to their school principal.

Month of Sunday programs:
Oct. 1 Patron appreciation Day will repeat the special treats of last year. Balloons, popcorn, tattoos and music.

Oct. 8 Early Literacy

Oct. 15 Friends Rebook the Wackenhuts for a presentation on French Trees.

Oct. 22 Town Hall meeting of Political Candidates

Oct. 26 Booked for Lunch

Oct. 29 Jonathan Rand from Traverse City "Michigan Chillers" for grades 1-5. (cost to bring him here for 2 hrs. Speaker fee of $1000. Mileage $150. Expect about 600 guests so need to budget $1500. Ron Goodyke said that he would submit this to the Cascade Township Board.

Request has been made to bring Christopher Paul Curtis, a Flint factory worker who has written books with wide appeal. Librarians are looking at partnering with other Libraries in the area to share cost of presentation since he is another Michigan author.

September 11 - Next Cascade Township Library Advisory Board meeting will be held on 2006 at 7:00 p.m. Topic: Are monthly meetings needed now that building project complete?

Meeting adjourned at 8:30.

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