DLAC-Minutes 11-15-2016

Minutes Dover Public Library Advisory Commission November 15, 2016 IN ATTENDANCE: Zach Carter, Margie Cyr, Lois Dunning, Beth Petit de Mange, Bob Wetherall Zach called the meeting to order at 5:02pm. OLD BUSINESS MINUTES Beth made a motion to accept the Minutes from July 19, 2016 as written. Lois seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion passed. JULY – OCTOBER, 2016 STATISTICS The statistics for July, August, September and October 2016 were reviewed. Circulation statistics continue to level off reflecting a nation-wide trend. Attendance at programs remains high. STAFFING STATUS The part-time Librarian I position has been filled with a candidate who comes to us from the Chester County Library in Pennsylvania. The vacant Library Page position has been filled and we are waiting for a start date for this new employee. The part-time Library Assistant position which was vacated when Nicholas Coll was promoted to the vacant full-time position is waiting to be advertised. This position will be placed in the Children’s Department. The two part-time Passport positions are being advertised now. COMIC CON 2016 We estimate that more than 10,000 people attended Comic Con 2016. Comic Con 2017 has been scheduled for Saturday, August 19, 2017. The footprint for Comic Con will revert to the original footprint. Feedback indicates that spreading the footprint north of State Street did not benefit the festival. The number of food vendors will be limited in 2017; and the number of merchandise vendors will not increase. It was a great success and we are grateful for our partners, City staff, volunteers and supporters who made the day possible. SENDAK: 50 YEARS, 50 WORKS, 50 REASONS While we do not have official attendance statistics yet, this program was a great success. It is the largest endeavor we have ever undertaken. Partnerships with the Biggs, the Children’s Theater, and the Schwartz Center made it even better. Funding support came from the Kent County Fund for the Arts, the PPG Foundation and The Friends of the Library. COUNCIL ON LIBRARIES REPORT The Council on Libraries has submitted its recommendations for bond bill funding for library building projects across the State. The Council is preparing for the Governor’s Budget Hearing. THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT The Friends’ Book Shop continues to do very well. Many donations have come in and the volunteers are hard at work managing these. A 50% off sale will begin after Thanksgiving and run through the end of the year. DOVER LIBRARY FOUNDATION REPORT The Foundation’s Annual Appeal has gone out to the public; the emphasis this year is on building the Endowment. The Friends of the Library have generously agreed to match dollar per dollar up to a maximum of $5,000 the donations that come in for the Endowment. NEW BUSINESS AV SYSTEM IN THE MEETING ROOMS Beyond the Studs is working on a proposal to have the A/V system repaired/replaced in stages. The system which connects computers to the network is currently not working in Multi-Purpose Room “B” and “C”.

PASSPORT SERVICES Recruiting for the two part-time Passport Clerks has begun. We are considering locating the services in the Lobby area. This will require the installation of some type of office space/area for the services. An alternate location will be the Administration Area on the second floor. NONSMOKING CAMPUS City Council has approved creating a non-smoking campus on City property. We are waiting for signage to be installed. STATE AID FUNDING State Aid funding is of grave concern. A committee has been formed to take a look at state-funded costs which could potentially be eliminated from the State’s Budget in order to make up a projected budget deficit. State Aid for Libraries which includes general State Aid and State Aid for Technology has been identified as possible eliminations from the budget. Mrs. Cyr distributed a chart illustrating the services that State Aid funds and comparing this funding to the amount that the City of Dover funds through its budget. Should this State Aid be eliminated, the Library’s funding for the purchase of audiovisual materials will be eliminated; the budget for book purchases will be decreased by 78%; 100% of technology funding [hardware, software, internet connectivity; support] will be lost; the budget for office equipment and its maintenance will decrease by 62%; office supplies will decrease by 95%; furniture and fixtures will be eliminated; and training for staff will be eliminated. This a potential loss of $387,027 from the Library’s operating budget. OTHER NEXT MEETING: January 17, 2016