300 Library Lane Portage, Michigan 49002

(269) 329-4544 Fax (269) 324-9222 www.portagelibrary.info

 

 

NOTICE of PUBLIC MEETING

The Portage District Library Board

will meet in regular session on

September 22, 2014 beginning at 6:00 p.m.

at the

Portage District Library in the Lower Level

Long Lake & Gourdneck Lake Meeting Rooms

for the purpose of conducting library business

PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY BOARD Regular Board Meeting to be held on

September 22, 2014 In the Lower Level Long Lake & Gourdneck Lake Meeting Rooms at 6:00 pm 300 Library Lane, Portage Michigan 49002

AGENDA

I. Start of Meeting

II. Roll Call

III. Comments or Requests from the Public, Board Members, or Library Staff. (5 minutes total)

IV. Adoption of the Agenda for the Regular Meeting of September 22, 2014. (1 minute) (Vote)

V. Consent Agenda (1 minute) (Vote) A. Minutes of the Public Hearing & Regular Board Meeting of August 25, 2014. Pgs. 1-11 B. Review of Capitalization Policy. Pgs. 12-14 C. Review of Internet Policy. Pgs. 15-16 D. Review of Materials Selection Policy. Pgs. 17-26 E. Request for Library Board Approval for Restricted Use of Library Patron Data Base for Year-End Direct Mail

Fundraising Initiative in October 2014. Pg. 27

VI. Special Guest (30 minutes) A. Presentation by Michael Evans, Executive Director of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council. Pg. 28 (Info)

VII. Governance (5 minutes)

A. Initiation of Library Director’s 2014 Evaluation Process. Pg. 29 (Info)

VIII. Ends Development (15 minutes) A. Report on Portage District Library’s 2014 Summer Reading Program. Pgs. 30-33 (Info) B. Update on Book Drop Project. Pg. 34 (Info)

C. Update on Heritage Room Reorganization Project. Pg. 35 (Info)

D. Plans for 2013-14 Annual Report and 2014 Annual Campaign. Pg. 36 (Info)

IX. Monitoring to Assure Compliance with Executive Limitations (10 minutes total) A. Report on Financial Condition for August 2014. Pgs.37-39 (Info)

X. Library Director’s Reports (10 minutes total) A. Marketing Update for August 2014. Pgs. 40 (Info) B. Narrative Report for August 2014. Pgs. 41-43 (Info) C. Statistical Report for August 2014. Pgs. 44-45 (Info) D. Legislative Update August 2014. Pgs. 46-47 (Info)

XI. Process Evaluation (10 minutes total)

A. Suggestions for Agenda Items to be included on the October 27, 2014 Board Meeting 1. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 22, 2014. 2. Review of Audio/Visual Policy. 3. Review of Donations Policy. 4. Review of Fines & Fees Policy. 5. Review of Investment Policy. 6. Review of Resident Non-Resident Policy. 7. Approval of Non-Resident Fee Amount for 2015. 8. Adoption of Schedule of Library Board Meetings for 2015.

9. Approval of Holiday Schedule for Library Hours of Operation in 2015. 10. Follow-Up Discussion on 2014 Library Board Retreat – Visit to GVSU. 11. Progress Report on End Statement #4 (Be a community center to experience & explore local arts & culture)

12. Follow Up Report on 2014 Staff Development Day. 13. 3rd Quarter Financial Report for FY 2014.

PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY Page Agenda for the Regular Library Board Meeting of September 22, 2014

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14. Monitoring Report – Communication & Support to the Library Board. 15. Monitoring Report – Ends Focus of Grants/Contracts. 16. Information about Michigan Blood Drive scheduled at the Library in November.

B. Assessment of this meeting

C. Miscellaneous Items

XII. Adjournment

PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY BOARD Minutes of the Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2015 Budget & Regular Board Meeting

held on

August 25, 2014 In the Lower Level Long Lake & Gourdneck Lake Meeting Rooms at 6:00 pm 300 Library Lane, Portage Michigan 49002

I. Start of Meeting: Board members and staff gathered on August 25, 2014 at 5:30 pm for dinner, (Provided by The Ample Pantry) and the board meeting started at 6:05 pm.

II. Roll Call: Board Members Present: Michele Behr, Stephanie Brown, Betty Lee Ongley. Martha Pacheco, Alisha Siebers and Joe Yantis.

Board Members Absent: Heather Ricketts

Special Guest: Loretta Cipkus Dubray, President & CEO of Global Clinical Connections

III. Comments or Requests from the Public, Board Members, or Library Staff Library Board Chair Alisha Siebers began the meeting and invited comments from those present. A. Comment about Special Visit to the Library – Trustee Joe Yantis commented that his two granddaughters had

visited him recently and they were very pleased when he brought them to the Portage District Library. DISPOSITION: Library Board Members acknowledged Trustee Yantis’ remarks about his granddaughters’ visit to the library and said they were glad to hear that the girls enjoyed themselves. B. Comment about Local Talent – Trustee Betty Lee Ongley said that a former PCHS graduate, Elisabeth Hart

VanDenBerg had just published a children’s book with CD entitled: “Vinnie & Violet: Sweet Buzzard Love.” Ongley said that she knew the author a long time ago as a student and that her Mom had been the school secretary. Ongley said maybe the author could read her book to children at the Portage District Library sometime.

DISPOSITION: Library Board Members acknowledged Trustee Ongley’s comments about Elisabeth Hart VanDenBerg and the children’s book she has published. C. Comment about new Library program – Lawrence Kapture, Head of Adult Services, announced that the library

was conducting its first after-hours program this evening entitled: “Mocktails Mixer.” He said that attendees had to be at least 18 years old and that there would be a movie shown, games and instructions in how to make non-alcoholic cocktail beverages. So far, 23 people had signed up to attend this after-hours program.

DISPOSITION: Library Board Members thanked Kapture for sharing information about the library’s new after-hours program and trustees said they hoped it would go well.

IV. Adoption of the Agenda for the Regular Meeting of August 25, 2014 Library Board Chair Siebers asked if there were any changes needed to the agenda for August 25, 2014, and if there were none, she asked for a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. MOTION: It was moved by Behr and seconded by Ongley that the agenda for the regular meeting of August 25, 2014 be adopted as presented. Vote: 6-Yes, 0-No, 1-Absent (Ricketts)

V. Consent Agenda A. Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of July 28, 2014 B. Budget Amendment to adjust the FY 2014 Budget for the Friends Donation to Fund "Wish List" Items for the

Library MOTION: It was moved by Yantis and seconded by Ongley that the consent agenda for the regular meeting of August 25, 2014 be approved as presented. Vote: 6-Yes, 0-No, 1-Absent (Ricketts)

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VI. Special Guest A. Presentation by Business Owner Loretta Cipkus Dubray – Library Board Chair Siebers welcomed special guest

Loretta Cipkus Dubray and suggested that they go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves. After that, Siebers invited Cipkus Dubray to share her story with the group. Loretta Cipkus Dubray gave background information on herself, indicating that she was originally from Cleveland, OH and moved to the area in 1985 and to Portage in 1988. She said her love of libraries began as a little girl when her parents took her every week to the library and she was allowed to explore topics that interested her. She said that encouragement to read and seek knowledge eventually led her into the sciences and ultimately she became a trained bio-chemist and conducted research for 15 years. Her career path took her into clinical supplies, drug manufacturing, packaging, labeling and distribution and she became a lead manager. Trustees heard how a turn of events for Cipkus Dubray (her Division was closed and she and her co-workers lost their jobs) made her consider other career options and decide to start her own company. She said she signed up for classes at the University of Notre Dame and tried to get all the training that she needed. It was at that point that she came to the Portage District Library and read all about “How to Start Your Own Business.” She said she would take stacks of books out and read whatever was relevant to her and when she felt ready, she launched her new business “Global Clinical Connections” in 2008. She said she has (12) employees now and customers all over the world. Cipkus Dubray stated emphatically that PDL has an awesome business collection, especially the “How to” guides and tapes, and that it really helped her get the information she needed to start her own business. She also complimented Business Librarian Nicolette Sosulski for all the assistance that she had given her. She said that she has been operating successfully for several years and still uses the library for sales and marketing tips. To continue her development, she said that she joined the Small Business and Technology Center and talks often with other business owners and takes part in a business book club. Cipkus Dubray commented that the business resources of the library are an unusual thing and she doesn’t understand why more people aren’t taking advantage of the library’s business resources. When asked if she had any suggestions, she responded that the library could maybe do a “Come meet at the library” campaign and invite people to come to the library and get a tour of the Business Information Center and see the business collection and resources. She also said that operating her business economically had always been her top priority, so tutorials on economical business operations might also benefit business entrepreneurs. She noted that she hires interns at her company and that she requires them to read a relevant book while they are employed with her to encourage their growth as business savvy. Commenting further about encouraging use of the library, Cipkus Dubray said that she has two grown kids, one 19 yrs. old and one 22 yrs., old, and that she thinks the library’s new after-hours programs like the Mocktail Mixer would appeal to them. She said they like going to coffee shops and wherever else is the “happening place to go” so the library should continue these types of programs and pursue concepts that appeal to this age group. When asked if there was anything that she didn’t find at the library, Cipkus Dubray replied that, for her, technology had been the most challenging aspect of starting and operating her own business. So, she suggested that the library might offer a bit more in the technology realm for business owners, perhaps something like: “IT for Idiots!” She said that she had to hire someone to help her understand technology but the interns she has at her company now are “rock stars” and have no issues with technology. However, she remarked that they somehow had missed out on the privacy/security aspect of technology, so the library might consider doing a program on security of information. At this point, Business Librarian Nicolette Sosulski, present at the meeting, asked Cipkus Dubray how many times she had not found what she needed at the library and then had to go to a university library. The response from Cipkus Dubray was: “I got most everything that I needed from the Portage District Library!” DISPOSITION: Library Board Members thanked special Guest Loretta Cipkus Dubray for coming to the board meeting and talking with them about her experiences using the Portage District Library. They also wished her continued success as she left the meeting. Trustee Yantis suggested that Cipkus Dubray be asked if she would provide a synopsis of her remarks and allow it to be placed on PDL’s Facebook page. Trustees and staff agreed that would be a good thing to do.

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VII. Public Hearing A. Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2015 & FY 2016 Budgets and Formal Resolution to Adopt the FY 2015

Budget and Set the Amount of Millage Rate to be Levied for the Library for FY 2015 - Library Board Chair Siebers opened the Public Hearing at approximately 6:15 p.m. and asked for a volunteer to read into the record the Resolution to Set the Millage Levy and Adopt the FY 2015 Library Budget. Trustee Michele Behr read the following Resolution for the record:

RESOLUTION to SET the MILLAGE LEVY for the PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY

and ADOPT the FISCAL YEAR 2015 LIBRARY BUDGET

WHEREAS, in compliance with the requirements of the Michigan Uniform Accounting and Budgeting Act, a balanced budget has been set up for the Portage District Library for the Fiscal Year January 2015 through December 2015; and

WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on August 25, 2014 on the proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Portage

District Library Budget, in compliance with all applicable laws;

WHEREAS, the Portage District Library is recognized by the Library of Michigan as a legally established district library operating in the County of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, pursuant to the District Library Establishment Act, 1989 PA 24 (MCL 397.171 et seq.), with an effective date of March 22, 1998;

WHEREAS, the Portage District Library Board is the governing body of the Portage District Library

with all the powers granted to such a district library board by the Act; including the legal authority to determine the amount of money necessary for the operation of the district library and to levy a tax on the taxable property in the Portage District Library service area; and

WHEREAS, the Portage District Library Board has determined that the levy of a district-wide property tax in an amount not to exceed 1.5 mills is necessary to generate revenue which, combined with other income derived from Industrial Facility Tax Income $11,626, State Aid Income $30,000, County Penal Fines Income $80,000, Local Fines and Fees Income $70,000, Interest Income $15,000, Rental Income $4,000, Other Income $8,950 and Donation Income $6,000 will result in adequate funding to provide library services to the residents of the Portage District Library district; and

WHEREAS, the Portage District Library’s original millage proposition was passed by a majority of

voters in the Portage Public Schools election on June 8, 1998, authorizing the Portage District Library Board to levy a tax annually upon all property subject to ad valorem taxation within the district in an amount not to exceed 1.5 mills on the taxable value of such property;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Portage District Library Board that the following sums

are appropriated for the 2015 Fiscal Year of the Portage District Library for the purposes set forth below:

Operating Expenses Budget Salaries & Wages $ 1,299,610 Fringes & Benefits $ 505,050 Library Materials $ 554,645 Library Supplies $ 97,460 Administrative Services $ 199,810 Buildings & Utilities $ 294,517 Furnishings & Equipment $ 21,884 Other Charges $ 245,058 Total Operating Expenses: $ 3,218,034 Capital Projects Expenses: $ 374,872 GRAND TOTAL EXPENSES: $ 3,592,906

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the total budget for the Portage District Library for Fiscal Year 2015 in the amount of $3,592,906 presented by the Library Director, is hereby approved and adopted by the Portage District Library Board; and

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Portage District Library Board sets the millage levy for the Portage

District Library at 1.50 mills ($1.50 per $1,000) to be levied on real and personal property in the district during the month of December 2014 in compliance with applicable law.

Library Board Chair Siebers noted that there were no members of the public present at the meeting, so no comments or questions were posed about the Resolution to Adopt the Library’s FY 2015 Budget. Siebers then asked for a motion to approve the resolution to set the millage levy for the Portage District Library resolution and adopt the Fiscal Year 2015 Library Budget. MOTION: It was moved by Yantis and seconded by Brown that the Resolution to set the millage for the Portage District Library and adopt the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget be approved as presented. Library Board Chair Siebers asked Library Board Secretary Diane Delach to take a roll call vote on the Resolution.

Trustee’s Name Yes No Behr, Michele X Brown, Stephanie X Ongley, Betty Lee X Pacheco, Martha X Ricketts, Heather (Absent) --- --- Siebers, Alisha X Yantis, Joe X

ROLL CALL VOTE on RESOLUTION: 6-Yes, 0-No, 1-Absent (Ricketts). Resolution adopted unanimously, and Library Board Chair Siebers officially closed the Public Hearing on the Portage District Library’s FY 2015 Budget at 6:20 p.m. Siebers thanked Library Director Klien and Business Manager Foti and staff for a very good job and said that it had been a very smooth budget process. Library Board Chair Siebers then suggested that they pause the meeting for a few minutes to celebrate the birthday of Trustee Joe Yantis. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Joe and then all were invited to enjoy hot fudge sundaes that Joe had chosen for his sweet treat.

VIII. Governance A. Date & Time for the 2014 Library Board Retreat – Site Visit to GVSU Library – Library Director Klien said

that all arrangements had been made for PDL Board members and administrative staff to go on a site visit to Grand Valley State University Mary Idema Pew Library on October 2, 2014 as this year’s Library Board Retreat. Klien said the travel time was about an hour, and that they needed to arrive, park and be in the GVSU library by 1:00 pm. For this reason, Klien suggested that everyone come to the library on October 2nd at 11:15 am in order to leave Portage by 11:30 am. Klien said the other decision to be made was about a meal and it was suggested that the group could either enjoy a box lunch in the car on the trip there or go somewhere afterwards for dinner. A discussion followed and the general preference was to come directly home after the visit, so there would be box lunches ordered. Klien said they could make a final choice on food selection at the September board meeting Trustee Stephanie Brown said she would need to drive separately to GVSU because of time constraints. Klien said she would be sure to have a parking pass emailed to Trustee Brown along with the library staff members who would be driving to GVSU.

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DISPOSITION: The 2014 Library Board Retreat was confirmed for a visit to Grand Valley State University Mary Idema Pew Library on Thursday, October 2, 2014, departing Portage District Library at 11:30 am, and arriving in time for a 1:00 pm tour and presentation at the Mary Idema Pew Library that will end by 4:00 pm. Box lunches will be provided on the trip. B. Final List of Library Board Candidates for the November 4, 2014 Election – Library Director Klien said that

there are (3) trustee positions on the Portage District Library Board with terms that will be coming to an end on December 31, 2014. The election in Kalamazoo County will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 and will provide an opportunity for both current incumbents, and other candidates who have filed nominations, to be placed on the ballot for consideration. These terms on the library board are for four years commencing on January 1, 2015. Klien indicated that the final list of Library Board candidates was as follows: Darrin Hobson First-Time Candidate Martha Pacheco Incumbent Alisha Siebers Incumbent Donna Vander Vries First-Time Candidate

Klien said that, following the November 4th election, the individuals voted into seats on the Portage District Library Board would be invited to an initial meeting with her, and then formally sworn into office at the December 15, 2014 board meeting, for terms that would officially begin on January 1, 2015. Subsequently, the newly seated trustees would be invited to an orientation session and provided all necessary information about serving on the Portage District Library Board.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board acknowledged the final list of board candidates as presented by Klien.

C. Report from Trustee Martha Pacheco, Library Board Liaison to the Friends, on the Friends’ August 2, 2014

Book Sale and the August 11, 2014 Friends’ Board Meeting – Trustee Pacheco announced that the Friends’ Book Sale on August 2nd was very successful and that they had taken in $4,700. She said that one of the reasons that the Friends were doing so well with their book sales was because they had started posting notices of the books sales on Craig’s list and were getting more people coming to the sales now. Pacheco also mentioned that it would be very advantageous if signs could be placed on Westnedge that would read: “Book Sale at the Library” or something like that. Klien responded that the City of Portage had very strict rules about signs around the City and Chris Walker, Marketing Manager, added that she had tried previously to get approval for signs on Westnedge and was not able to do so. Laura Wright, Head of Youth Services, said that the Youth Services staff had also requested permission to place signage along Library Lane during another special library event and their request had been declined too. Trustee Pacheco stated that the Friends Board had taken action at their August 11th board meeting to give $12,000 to the library to purchase the majority of items on the library’s 2014 Wish List. They had approved most of the proposed items except the animatronic mascot and they said that they had not funded it because it would have taken the entire amount that they intended to give the library. Instead, they encouraged library staff to pursue other funding sources for it initially. Klien said it was very generous of the Friends of PDL to contribute $12,000 for various items on the library’s Wish List. Pacheco noted that the next Friends’ Book Sale would be held on October 4th.

DISPOSITION: Library Board Chair Siebers thanked Trustee Pacheco for her report on the Friends’ activities and trustees expressed appreciation to the Friends of PDL for their generous donation to fund Wish List items this year.

IX. Ends Development A. Progress Report on Ends Statement #3 (The library will be a leader in strengthening our community.) – Library Director

Klien told trustees that she felt the library was doing a very good job of strengthening the community. She pointed out that Youth Services staff had participated in a community Baby Expo and that the PDL Teen Advisory Club had collaborated with the City of Portage’s Teen Advisory Board to conduct a “Zombie Night” event at the library that attracted (30) teens.

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Klien also emphasized that the library was showing a lot of community support through various humanitarian activities such as: the Food for Fines Campaign (that restocked the Portage Community Center’s Food Pantry); a “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive; the Summer Reading Kick-Off event; the Art Encounters event and two Blood Drives, one in spring and one in fall. Library Board Chair Siebers said she thought this was a very strong End Statement for the library and she had observed a lot more community outreach being accomplished. “Well done!”

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Progress Report on Ends Statement #3 and trustees commended Library Director Klien and staff for their efforts in strengthening the Portage community. B. Report by Library Director Christy Klien on Attendance at PLA Boot Camp for Strategic Planning – Library

Director Klien said that this had been one of the best trainings she had ever gone through and she really enjoyed it and brought back a lot of ideas to help plan the library’s future. She said that the training had focused on why we do things the way we do and challenged individuals to think about better ways of doing things. Klien said there were also segments of the training that had focused on cost analysis and assessing staff and facilities and resources, all of which would be helpful when they do another round of strategic planning in the future. Trustee Ongley said that there were a lot of questions to be asked about why we do certain things and the cost of these activities. Trustee Yantis said they should be thinking about what has changed and how they can assess what the community needs, deciding what to keep and what to ditch. Klien said that when they do strategic planning again, she would like to have them consider what the needs of the Portage community are and how the library could respond to those needs. She said that the library would need to position itself for the future and decide what is worth continuing as we move forward. Klien ended her remarks by saying that the PLA Book Camp for Strategic Planning was an outstanding training and that she had met a lot of people (64 libraries from 24 states were represented) and had found it very helpful. Klien thanked the Library Board for providing this professional development opportunity for her.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received Library Director Klien’s report about her attendance at the 2014 PLA Boot Camp for Strategic Planning and trustees said they were glad she found it beneficial.

C. Results of Portage District Library’s 2014 “Food for Fines” Campaign – Library Board Chair Siebers asked if

Jill Austin, Circulation Supervisor, would give a report to trustees on this year’s Food for Fines campaign. Austin said that the library had collected 5,732 items and waived $5,450.79 in fines/fees during this year’s Food for Fine campaign. She said she observed that more people seemed to be concerned about the cost of donated food items in comparison to their fines. For that reason, there weren’t as many people this year who were just making food donations without having fines waived. Austin noted that the numbers were a little down this year from last year, however when she said when she reviewed the reports from previous Food for Fines campaigns, the numbers seemed to go up and down all the time. Austin said that she and Library Director Klien had been discussing various aspects of the Food for Fines Campaign and would be addressing things like the best timing for the collection and how long the food drive should run. Austin stated that the Portage Community Center was always appreciative of any donations that came as a result of the library’s Food for Fines campaigns. Austin commented that people have asked why the library doesn’t run the Food for Fines campaign more often and the reality is that it entails a lot of work and staff time. Klien agreed and thanked Jill Austin, Rolfe Behrje, Kathy Morris and Chris Walker for all their efforts to help conduct the Food for Fines campaign and transport donated food items to the PCC food pantry. Trustee Ongley said the library’s Food for Fines campaign is very good public relations and Library Board Chair Siebers agreed.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the 2014 Food for Fines Campaign Report and trustees thanked Library Director Klien and all the staff who worked hard to make the food collection for PCC a success.

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D. Outcome of Proposed 2014 “Wish List” Submitted to the Friends for Possible Funding – Library Director Klien

said that they were very pleased with the funding decisions made by the Friends to donate $12,000 to the library for various “Wish List” items as follows:

ITEM AMOUNT Adult shelving for computer instruction media collection (CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs) to be located in the Adult Non-Fiction collection.

FUNDED: $ 90.00

Estimated Total: $ 90.00 Requested

Adult shelving for holiday CD collection to be located in the Adult Services area

FUNDED: $ 210.00

Estimated Total: $ 210.00 Requested

Atrium Banners & Signage FUNDED: $1,170.00

Estimated Total: $1,170.00 Requested

Banners for (4) light poles outside in front of the library

FUNDED: $1,100.00

(4) Banners $ 550.00 Installation 350.00 Permit 110.00

Estimated Total $1,100.00 Requested

Early Literacy Station for Youth

FUNDED: $3,825.00 Estimated Total: $3,825.00 Requested

Floor Runner for Front Entrance Ramp

FUNDED: $1,600.00

Estimated Total: $1,600.00 Requested

Mission Statement (Framed) Replacement of current ones in the library (1) at front entrance (1) in lower level by the elevator

FUNDED: $ 800.00

Estimated Total $ 800.00 Requested

Preschool Room Restructuring Project FUNDED: $2,205.00 There are (2) Restructuring Scenarios:

Scenario A = $5,000.00 estimated Scenario B = $3,000.00 estimated

Reading Raptor Mascot (Animatronic Dinosaur Costume)

FUNDED: $ -0-

The Friends loved the idea of a library mascot, but did not like that the dinosaur was asking for most of the funding. They advised us to look into refining this with additional funding sources next time. Requested: $5,800.00 to $8,800.00

Silk Floral Arrangements for the Checkout Area/Front Lobby

FUNDED: $1,000.00

Estimated Total: $2,600.00 Requested

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DISPOSITION: The Library Board acknowledged the wonderful donation of $12,000 made by the Friends of the Library to fund most of the items on the library’s 2014 Wish List, and trustees thanked the Friends for their generous support.

E. Announcement about Two New Part-Time Employees at the Portage District Library – Library Director Klien

told trustees that the following two individuals were offered and accepted part-time assignments at the Portage District Library through the end of December 2014: Jay Cotter was hired as the new part-time Maintenance Assistant, to work (20) hours per week, effective August 4, 2014 through December 31, 2014. He will be reporting to Library Director Christy Klien, and will be assigned work that entails maintenance of the library’s facility and grounds. Mr. Cotter was previously employed as Director of Maintenance at St. Catherine’s of Siena Church and U.S. Flow. Mark Johnson was hired as the new part-time Technology Assistant to work (20) hours per week, effective August 6, 2014 through December 31, 2014. He will report to Systems Administrator & Temporary Facilities Manager Rolfe Behrje. Mr. Johnson was previously employed with World Wide Tech Services as a Dell certified technician.

Behrje commented that both new employees have taken to their jobs very quickly and are doing well. Klien indicated that an assessment will be made in late October or early November about continuation of these two part-time positions.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the information about the two new part-time employees at the library and wished them good luck in their positions.

F. Report on “Stuff the Bus” School Supply Collection collaboration with Hiemstra Optical – Library Director

Klien said that Portage District Library was approached by organizers at Hiemstra Optical to participate in their Stuff the Bus school supply drive that supports students in Portage, Kalamazoo, Paw Paw and Parchment. The library accepted their request to be an early drop-off location for this purpose and from July 12th through August 9th collected school supplies in a 3 ft. tall collection box in the public area. Klien indicated that the box was full when it was picked up! Library Board Chair Siebers commented that if PDL does this school supply collection for more than one year, the public would get used to it and there would likely be a better response each time.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the report on Portage District Library’s participation in the “Stuff the Bus” School Supply collection and trustees conveyed their support for this community endeavor.

G. Report on the 2014 Art Encounters Event held at the library on August 9, 2014 – Library Director Klien told

trustees that on Saturday, August 9, 2014, from 12:00 to 3:30 pm, the Portage District Library, in collaboration with the Portage Senior Center, had conducted the 4th Annual Art Encounters event. The program featured local musicians and dancers, and there were painting and knitting demonstrations for adults and interactive arts and crafts for children. Klien remarked that it was a very successful community event with over 250 people in attendance. Trustee Ongley commented that she thought people were missing the community cultural and entertainment events previously offered by the City of Portage. Klien agreed and noted that the library was feeling the impact. Laura Wright, Head of Youth Services, said that the children’s area of the library was definitely reaping the benefit with much more public attendance at youth programs and events. She said… “We are the place to be!” Trustee Yantis agreed and said that he and his wife Sharon had gone to the Music in the Park in Kalamazoo last Sunday and it was obvious from the large crowd size that there is definitely a need. Library Board Chair Siebers said we need to think about this in relation to our programming and the potential for collaborations through the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Gilmore Foundation or Arts Council.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the report on the library’s 2014 Art Encounters event and congratulated Library Director Klien and library staff for conducting this successful community event.

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X. Monitoring to Assure Compliance with Executive Limitations A. Report on Financial Condition for July 2014 – Business Manager Rob Foti referred to pages 31-33 in the board

meeting agenda packet and told trustees that everything was going well with the library’s finances at this stage of the fiscal year. Foti also indicated that there were many projects going on at the library right now including the following:

Book Drop Project: Foti said that he and Library Director Klien had met recently with a group of City of Portage officials (Vicki Georgeau, Bill Deming, Chris Barnes, Stacy French and Derek Henson) about the proposed concept designs for the library’s external book drop and they were all in favor of the suggested improvements. Foti noted that a meeting was planned for August 27th with TMP staff to start the Book Drop Project redesign work. Human Resources Project– Review of Performance Evaluation Process & Compensation Survey Foti stated that the library had engaged HRM Innovations, LLC to draft a new performance evaluation form and to conduct a Compensation Survey and compile the results. He noted that out of (21) libraries emailed the survey, they had received (12) completed returns. The information obtained will be used to help determine pay increase criteria at Portage District Library. Library Director Klien interjected that HRM Innovations staff would also be doing a presentation at the library’s 2014 Staff Development Day on September 26th about the new performance evaluation forms that would be implemented in 2014, and would also be conducting training sessions for employees on goal setting. At another time, they would also be training supervisors on how to conduct evaluations, coaching, counseling and disciplining. In addition, they would be updating the library’s Employee Handbook on an annual basis. Trustee Yantis asked if information could be shared with trustees about the new performance evaluation form so that it could be used for the Library Director’s evaluation as well. Klien said that board members would be kept informed and would also be invited to participate in any training session that HRM Innovations would be doing related to the new performance evaluation forms. Trustee Behr asked for an update on the Personal Property Tax issue. Klien responded that they were optimistic about reimbursement of lost revenue if PPT is eliminated, but also realistic that it could take a long time and might not be reimbursement at the level that was anticipated. Foti commented that there didn’t seem to be any organized opposition to the elimination of the Personal Property Tax, so it was likely that it would be accomplished. He said that he and Klien had met with the City of Portage Assessor and discussed the PPT issue with him. They were told that although the City of Portage was in good shape with its tax base and the economic outlook was starting to look better, there was still some uncertainty about how and when PPT lost revenue would be replaced. Klien stated that they just needed to be prepared in the event that PPT reimbursement turned out to be less than anticipated. Library Board Chair Siebers asked what amount PPT revenue was of the library’s budget and Klien replied that it represented about 18% of the library’s budget.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Report on Financial Condition for September 2014 and indicated their appreciation for the careful attention being given to the PPT issue and the library’s financial planning. B. Monitoring Report for Executive Limitation on Compensation & Benefits for Library Employees – Library

Director Klien referred to pages 34-35 of the board meeting agenda packet and said that the information update provided was self-explanatory and asked trustees if they had any questions. There were none.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Report on Financial Condition for September 2014 and indicated their appreciation for the careful attention being given to the PPT issue and the library’s financial planning.

C. Monitoring Report on Executive Limitation for Treatment of Staff – Library Director Klien referred to pages

36-39 of the board meeting agenda packet and said that the information update provided was self-explanatory and asked trustees if they had any questions, and there were none.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Monitoring Report on Executive Limitation for Treatment of Staff as presented.

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XI. Library Director’s Reports A. Marketing Update for July 2014 – Chris Walker, Marketing Manager, told trustees that she was working on the

library’s Annual Report for 2013-14 that would go out to 22,500 residents sometime in the first part of October.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Marketing Update for July 2014 and trustees said they looked forward to seeing the Annual Report for 2013-14.

B. Narrative Report for July 2014 – Library Director Klien said that the month of July and first part of August were

spent interviewing and hiring a part-time Maintenance Assistant and a part-time Technology Assistant, as well as engaging in considerable work with various library committees. Klien noted that she was also Chair of the Portage Community Center’s Executive Search Committee responsible for conducting the search for a new PCC Executive Director. She said she was also asked to be involved with the group undertaking the renewal of the Portage Senior Center’s accreditation. Klien then invited Supervisors to provide their departmental updates to trustees. Adult Services Kapture said that tonight the library would be holding its first after-hours program entitled: “Mocktails Mixer” and they hoped to have good attendance. Kapture said that there would be another after-hours program at the library on September 15th called “Oktoberfest” and he said they were hoping to have a good turnout for that program too. Youth Services: Wright told trustees that she was serving as Chair of the MLA Spring Institute Conference to be held in March 2015. She also stated that the children’s Summer Reading program had been a lot of fun this year and they had added two other programs. Library Board Chair Siebers said that the Quest program seemed to be very successful and commented that her kids had loved it. Wright said it had been a nice way for the library to address different patron interests by mixing things up a bit. Trustee Behr asked if they ever were able to determine where the visitors to the library were coming from and Wright answered that they had been inundated with so many visitors that all they were able to do was monitor the exhibits. However, Wright said that an interesting observation about the Lego City exhibit was that they thought they had targeted the potential attendees for that exhibit but it had turned out that they had a lot of different ages coming to the library to enjoy that exhibit. This time, however, it had been advertised on MLive, on the radio and in various publications one week before the exhibit so the word had gotten out. Klien remarked that the Lego exhibit has universal appeal too. Facilities & IT Behrje told trustees that the primary focus recently for IT had been the installation of Envisionware to replace the library’s SAM (Smart Access Manager) for public access computer management. He remarked that the new part-time Technology Assistant, Mark Johnson, was helping quite a bit with this transition.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Narrative Report for July 2014.

C. Statistical Report for July 2014 – Library Director Klien referred to pages 43-44 of the board meeting agenda packet and went over some of the usage categories on the statistics sheets. Behrje pointed out that the line for electronic materials had been adjusted to capture previous months’ usage statistics for Tumblebooks, Freegal, and OverDrive (both PDL and MCL). He also noted that the phone statistics had changed too and said that with the new phone system, calls could be automatically tracked.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Statistical Report for July 2014.

D. Legislative Update – Library Director Klien said she was sure that board members were aware that Proposal 1 (the elimination of the Personal Property Tax in Michigan) had passed. She said there was no specific plan for how the reimbursement of lost PPT revenue would be handled, but she said that she would keep trustees informed. Klien mentioned that the 2014 Michigan Library Association Conference would be held in Grand Rapids in October and she pointed out that the new MLA President, Asante Cain, was the Reference, Adult, & Interim Youth Services Coordinator at the Grand Rapids Public Library.

DISPOSITION: The Library Board received the Legislative Update for July 2014.

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XII. Process Evaluation A. Suggestions for Agenda Items to be included on the September 22, 2014 Board Meeting

1. Minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Meeting held on August 25, 2014. 2. Review of Capitalization Policy 3. Review of Internet Policy 4. Review of Materials Selection Policy 5. Final Arrangements for Library Board Retreat – Visit to GVSU Library 6. Report on the 2014 Summer Reading Program. 7. Request for Library Board Approval for Restricted Use of Library Patron Data Base for Year-End Direct

Mail Fundraising Initiative in October 2014.

B. Assessment of this meeting - Trustee Brown said she had really enjoyed the presentation by Loretta Cipkus Dubray and thought they had gotten some really good feedback from her. Trustee Behr agreed and said she had appreciated the remarks that Dubray made about how the library’s business resources had helped with her start up business. Trustee Yantis suggested that Dubray be asked for a synopsis of her remarks and permission to put them on the library’s Facebook page. Chris Walker said she would follow-up on that suggestion and contact Dubray to ask her. The idea of “Borrow before You Buy!” would be a good message to convey to the public.

C. Miscellaneous Items – Library Board Chair Siebers said there were (4) free kittens at her house for anyone interested in adopting!

XIII. Adjournment Library Board Chair Alisha Siebers said if there was no further business to be considered, that she would adjourn the regular board meeting of August 25, 2014.

DISPOSITION: The regular board meeting of August 25, 2014 was adjourned at 7:55 pm.

Recorded and Transcribed by,

Diane Delach, Library Board Secretary

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY

Capitalization Policy 1. STATEMENT of PURPOSE:

It is the purpose of this policy to illustrate the procedures that will be used at the Portage District Library to classify fixed assets as capital assets.

2. SCOPE of POLICY:

This capitalization policy applies to all assets of the Portage District Library. 3. CAPITALIZATION OBJECTIVES:

All purchases under $3,000 will be expensed. Any expenditure over $3,000 will be capitalized if the item purchased has a life in excess of one year or if a repair extends the useful life of the asset beyond its normal life. If the expenditure does not meet either one of these criteria, then it will be expensed. Expenditures include: acquisition, freight and setup costs. Setup costs include those costs that are necessary for the testing, installation, or preparation for operation or use.

4. ENHANCEMENTS:

An enhancement is an internal and/or external addition to capital assets (equipment) that extend life or increase productivity and has a cost of $3,000 or more. Enhancements will be coded as “capital” on purchase orders in the same manner as capital assets.

5. REPLACEMENT:

A replacement is the substitution of an asset with a similar asset which does not increase the service potential of the asset. When an item over $3,000 is slated for replacement, it will be scrapped and removed from inventory completely, and the replacement for the item will be entered as a new capitalized item. An existing item will be “written off” when it is replaced.

6. INVENTORY:

Equipment and furniture will be tagged as soon as possible after receipt from the vendor by Business Services. An annual audit of capital assets will be conducted. This will entail conducting an actual asset count and then reconciling that with the asset accounting system. Any differences will be reported immediately to the Library Director and an investigation and appropriate action taken.

ASSET LIVES

Asset Type Useful Life (years) Furniture 5 Office Equipment 5 Computer Hardware 5 Telephone Equipment 10 Buildings 40 HVAC Systems 20 Roofing 20 Carpet Replacement 7 Electrical/ Plumbing 30 Kitchen Equipment 12 Artwork 5-10 Land Improvements – Structure 20

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7. EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE: This is all movable equipment and furniture costing $3,000 or more and having a useful life of one or more years or if a repair extends the useful life of the asset beyond its normal life. If the expenditure does not meet either of these criteria, it should be expensed. Equipment and furniture will be capitalized in the year of acquisition. Costs include: acquisition, freight, and setup costs. Setup includes those costs necessary for the testing, installation, or preparation for operation or use. Equipment and furniture will be tagged as soon as possible after receipt from the vendor by Business Services.

8. COMPUTER EQUIPMENT/ SOFTWARE: If personal computer software costs are inclusive with the hardware, the software cost will be included as equipment. The criteria in the preceding Equipment and Furniture procedure will be followed for computer equipment. Purchases of major software systems costing $10,000 or more will be capitalized in total provided the software license does not specify that the software be returned or destroyed at the end of the contract. Otherwise, computer software will not be capitalized.

9. DONATED EQUIPMENT: All equipment acquired through donation will be capitalized at fair market value on the date of the transaction. If the equipment is new and an invoice can be furnished by the donor, the cost assigned to it will be the fair market value. If the equipment is used or if no information is available about the cost of the equipment on date of acquisition, then an appraisal will be done to establish the amount to capitalize. Upon establishment of fair market value, the equipment will be tagged and entered by Business Services to the Equipment Inventory Master File.

10. LAND: Land will be capitalized at cost. These include assessments, fees, and commissions to obtain the land. In addition, conveyances, notary fees, costs of demolishing old buildings, grading or otherwise clearing the land will be included.

11. BUILDINGS: Buildings will be capitalized at cost. This will include all payments to contractors, taxes and building permits, architect fees, and interest expense net of investment income on borrowed funds during construction. Also included will be all permanent fixtures and appliances installed as part of the building.

12. IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDING: (Including modular furniture) • Expenditures that increase the capacity or operating efficiency of an asset will be capitalized.

These can be major improvements that add substantially to the value of a building or extend its useful life.

• Improvements to buildings, defined above, costing $10,000 or more will be added to carrying amount of the building on the inventory records.

• In relation to building improvements (which are items removed during remodeling, renovation and rehabilitation) the old cost will be removed from the asset records if the original cost can be specifically identified.

• Repairs will be expensed.

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13. WORK IN PROGRESS:

All construction projects not complete at the end of the fiscal year will be capitalized as “Work in Progress.” At the end of the fiscal year of completion, the amount for that work in progress project will be moved to the appropriate building asset.

14. LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS:

Improvements to leased property which substantially add to its value or extend its useful life may be capitalized. A determination will be made at the beginning of the project if the improvements should be capitalized or not.

15. CAPITAL LEASES:

Property acquired through a capital lease will be capitalized at the time of the inception of the lease.

16. LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS:

Library books and materials will be expensed.

17. DISPOSAL OF EQUIPMENT: When a piece of equipment is no longer usable or needed by Portage District Library, it will be disposed of appropriately. Disposal of equipment includes: sale or donation as surplus property, return to a vendor, cannibalization, trade-in, theft or transfer.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY

Internet Policy

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Portage District Library is:

Helping you Access the World of Information in a Friendly Atmosphere.

Internet Public Access Statement

Through Internet public access, via computers used in the Library, the citizens of Portage are provided entrée to a world-wide network of vast information resources and services. Internet public access has far reaching benefits and value to both library patrons and staff. Internet service has been implemented by the Library in a carefully planned, organized, safe and cost effective manner. Each patron has the right to make use of the library’s hardware and software for Internet public access in order to get information or achieve personal and educational growth. Open access will be maintained in so far as it is possible to do so, but the Library reserves the right to develop reasonable standards and practices as outlined herein and in future policy statements.

Internet Public Access Practices

1. The public access computers at the Library are provided with funds generated by local taxes, and are intended for general public use, regardless of age, sex, ethnic origin, racial origin, religion or economic status. All library patrons under the age of 18 yrs. old must have parental or guardian authorization to use the Internet at Portage District Library. Independent computer users must be able to:

⇒ Read and follow instructions ⇒ Use a computer keyboard and mouse appropriately ⇒ Operate the computer independently and with some degree of computer literacy

(since written instructions and Library staff support will be limited.)

2. The Internet consists of many protocols including, but not limited to the World Wide Web and File Transfer protocols. Thus, the term “Internet” will be used to include all protocols.

3. The library has no control over what the Internet provides, and is not responsible for any

output. The Internet contains information that may be considered inaccurate, outdated, or even offensive to some. Portage District Library is not responsible for information gained via the Internet and assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from its connections to the Internet. The library makes no guarantees, either expressed or implied, with respect to the quality or content of the information available on the Internet. Not all the information available via the Internet is accurate, current or complete. Users are encouraged to be good information consumers by evaluating the validity of information accessed via the Internet.

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4. The library has availed itself of some commercially available software programs to

prevent access to certain Internet sites which may contain information or graphics which have been judged to be unfit for children. Determination of “unfit” content usually is made on the basis of the content being judged to be violent, obscene or pornographic. While such blocking software is known to have limited utility and effectiveness, it is available on public access computers on which the Internet is accessible. However, it is still the responsibility of the parent(s) or guardian(s) to be aware of the types of material which might be available and selected by their children through the Internet at the Portage District Library.

All library patrons under the age of 18 yrs. old must have parental or guardian

authorization to use the Internet at Portage District Library. As with all other library materials and media formats, it is the responsibility of parent(s) or guardian(s) to monitor the information which their child accesses and selects.

5. In order to comply with P.A. 212 of 2000 (MCLA 397.606), minors are prohibited from

accessing or viewing obscene matter (as defined in MCLA 752.362) and sexually explicit matter that is harmful to minors (as defined in MCLA 722.673 and 722.674) on any computers in the Library. The Library staff will monitor compliance with this requirement by periodically checking the public access computers in use by patrons. Subject to other demands on staff time for library services, the library staff will randomly engage in such checking an average of once per hour.

6. Library staff cannot provide in-depth training concerning Internet computer jargon or personal

computer use, although some limited instructional support will be available. 7. Violation of the library’s Internet Policy or Guidelines by a patron will result in his/her loss of

Internet privileges. Repeated violations may result in entire loss of all library privileges. In the event such action is taken, the decision may be appealed within three (3) days to the Library Director whose decision shall be final.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY

Materials Selection Policy I. Purpose II. General Selection Policy III. Specific Selection Policies by Collection

A. Reference Collection B. Periodicals Collection C. Heritage Room D. Adult Collection E. Special Services to Remote Library Users F. Non-Print Media Collection G. Children’s Collection H. Children’s Professional Collection I. Parent/Teacher Collection

J. Teen Collection

IV. Controversial Materials V. Gifts VI. Collection Maintenance VII. Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials

Appendices

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I. MISSION STATEMENT:

Helping You Access the World of Information in a Friendly Atmosphere.

II. GENERAL SELECTION POLICY:

The Library selects material in accordance with guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, Freedom To Read and Freedom To View statements.

A. Authority for selection of materials is delegated by the Library Board to the Library Director and the Director's designated staff.

B. Any library materials so selected shall be held to be selected by the Library Board. C. The selection of materials is characterized by flexibility, open-mindedness, and responsiveness

to the changing needs of the citizens in the Portage District Library service area. Materials are evaluated as complete works and not on the basis of a particular passage or passages.

A work will not be excluded from the library's collection solely because it represents a particular aspect of life, because of frankness of expression, or because it is controversial. The library collection will represent a balanced view.

All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are evaluated by the following standards. Clearly, however, an item need not meet all of the criteria to be acceptable, nor will any single criterion be decisive.

Neither the order of the general criteria nor the order of items in a list of specific criteria indicates relative importance.

D. The following general criteria are used:

1. Present and potential relevance to community needs;

2. Suitability of subject, style and reading level for the intended audience;

3. Importance as a document of the times;

4. Appropriateness and effectiveness of medium to content;

5. Reputation and/or significance of author, publisher or producer;

6. Positive review in one or more appropriate professional journals;

7. Positive critics' and staff members' reviews;

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8. Relationships to existing materials in the collection;

9. Within limits of budgets for materials;

10. Not available, or with limited accessibility, from other lending sources;

11. Insufficient materials available on the same subject;

12. Author or illustrator is local;

13. Format is appropriate to Library use and is not easily damaged;

14. Enhances a specific collection within the Library;

15. Author or producer is already represented in the collection;

16. Literary and artistic merit;

17. Accuracy of content;

18. Popularity with library patrons.

19. Preserve local community information and history.

III. SPECIFIC SELECTION POLICIES BY COLLECTION

In addition to the general criteria listed in Section II.D, each of the library's special collections also employs its particular criteria to select appropriate materials.

A. REFERENCE COLLECTIONS 1. PURPOSE:

To select and maintain a reference collection that meets the needs of citizens in the Portage District Library service area, and, at the same time, to keep the collection at a size that can be efficiently managed and used by the reference staff. (Reference materials do not circulate.)

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

a. Materials that provide facts and information in demand or of potential use by those to be served by the Portage District Library or by staff;

b. Materials, which can be updated, should be current; c. Materials should complement existing materials; d. Academic and/or technical level materials should be within the range of users and staff.

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B. PERIODICALS COLLECTION

1. PURPOSE: To supplement and complement the library’s main collection. The Periodicals Collection is intended to be timelier and more frequently updated than the regular library collection. Most materials circulate, except for the most recent copies of all titles, and a few other exceptions.

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

a. Offers ease of information retrieval, such as, but not limited to, inclusion in a standard periodical index or abstracting journal;

b. Contributes to a balance and range of information; c. Provides lasting value; d. Has high quality of writing and/or design; e. Is within both budget and space constraints for the collection. f. Popularity with library patrons.

C. HERITAGE ROOM

1. PURPOSE: The Heritage Room operates as a function of the Portage District Library. It has been created to serve as a history research center as well as a library archive. The goals of the Heritage Room are to collect, care for, interpret, promote and make available for research and reference, materials which promote a greater understanding of the history of the people and the City of Portage, previously known as the Township of Portage. In order to enhance the local history collection, the Heritage Room will collect and make available published materials covering the state of Michigan, which help to interpret local materials within the scope of a broader historical context.

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

a. The Heritage Room’s primary objective is to preserve and make accessible local

history information for scholars, students and the public. The Heritage Room seeks to document the social, economic, religious, business, governmental and multi-cultural development of the Portage, Michigan area. Emphasis is on primary source materials that provide local history information. Among these primary sources are: manuscript collections, ranging from single letters to extensive records of organizations and businesses; photograph, film and video collections; oral history interviews; newspaper collections; manuscripts and printed maps; scrapbooks; and microfilm copies of Federal Michigan Census from 1840 to 1920.

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b. The secondary objective of the Heritage Room is to document the history of the Portage District Library. It contains the papers of the administration, personnel, programs, Library Boards, and Friends of the Portage District Library.

c. The geographic scope of the Heritage Room and the areas on which the most detailed

collecting should be placed are: the City and School District of Portage, Kalamazoo County, Southwest Michigan, Michigan, Regional and United States.

d. The subject scope of the Heritage Room is as follows: All subjects relating to Portage are collected including, but not limited to: biography, business, buildings, the arts, government, religion, health, recreation, environment, education, and transportation. A special effort is made to obtain materials relating to minorities, and women. It is also important to represent the various social and economic strata of the community, from large corporations, to the lives of workers. Examples include: histories, directories, biographical information, businesses, schools, colleges and universities and association items.

e. The Heritage Room will seek to acquire genealogical material for all counties in

Southwest Michigan. Materials, which are from other areas in the United States, but are relevant to the collection, may occasionally be selected. Genealogical material from other countries, which contributed to the population of the Portage area, may be collected on a limited basis. Genealogy research books, and periodicals will be acquired to aid in research techniques. Researchers of family histories are encouraged to deposit copies of their work.

3. EXCLUSIONS: a. Items, which are accepted into the collection of the Heritage Room, become the sole

property of the Portage District Library. Any item, which is determined to be outside the collecting scope of the Heritage Room, will be separated according to the terms of the material disposition form, which accompanies the Deed of Gift. Separation will only take place after approval has been granted by the Library Director.

b. Items, which were found in the collection prior to January 1, 1997, which do not follow

guidelines set forth in the Heritage Room Policy, will be reviewed by the Heritage Room Library Associate and the Library Director. Disposition will be determined on the basis of relevance to the collection.

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D. ADULT COLLECTION 1. PURPOSE:

To provide citizens within the Portage District Library service area with current informa-tion on subjects of topical as well as continuing interest; differing points of view on con-temporary and controversial issues; historically significant points of view; materials for instruction in areas of interest; and materials for entertainment and recreation.

E. SPECIAL SERVICES TO REMOTE LIBRARY USERS

1. PURPOSE: To help meet informational needs of remote library users within the Portage District Library service area by providing access to and assistance in locating information and materials via telephone, Email and fax. The goal is to increase the quality and quantity of reference library service to more patrons and add depth and substance to library reference service. Remote library users will be provided faster and more personalized service, with the designated librarian doing more of the searching, collecting and retrieval of reference materials, web sites, pleasure reading, viewing or listening

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

a. A ready-reference collection will be utilized, and guidelines followed for providing

services to remote library users, in order to ensure consistent high-level reference service.

b. Provides informative, current and accurate information for remote library users via telephone, Email or fax, within a reasonable timeframe.

F. NON-PRINT MEDIA COLLECTION

1. PURPOSE: To help meet informational needs of citizens within the Portage District Library service area, by providing access to, and assistance in locating, information and materials in non-print formats. The library selects material in accordance with guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, Freedom To Read and Freedom To View statements.

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA: Selection of non-print media materials follows the same guidelines and principles as those for print materials (See II. General Selection Policy).

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G. CHILDREN'S COLLECTION

1. PURPOSE: To provide materials in various formats to meet the needs of children (birth through 5th grade) for recreational, informational, and self-educational use, as well as to supplement their formal education.

H. CHILDREN'S PROFESSIONAL COLLECTION

1. PURPOSE: To provide materials for in-house use by professionals servicing children, such as librarians, teachers, counselors, etc., to guide them in meeting the recreational, informa-tional and educational needs of youth.

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA: To qualify for inclusion in the Children's Professional Collection, a work will fall into one or more of these categories: a. Adult-level reference and other materials about children's authors, illustrators, editors

and publishers;

b. Professional journals relating to children's literature and reading; c. Examples of unusual or notable materials for children; d. Information about children's reading and the reading process; e. Toy books and other items relating to children's books; f. Materials about the development, planning and presentation of programs for children

and adults.

The Children’s Professional Collection is a non-circulating collection, however additional copies of some, but not all, materials in this collection may also be available in the library's circulating collections.

I. PARENT/TEACHER COLLECTION

1. PURPOSE:

To provide materials for parents, guardians, teachers and counselors about parenting, child development, reading and other areas specific to the educational, developmental and recreational needs of youth. Each title is marked “PT” to indicate that it is part of the Parent/Teacher collection, and items are circulated following standard procedures.

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J. TEEN COLLECTION 1. PURPOSE:

To provide teens (6th grade to 12th grade) within the Portage District Library service area with current information on subjects of topical as well as continuing interest to this age group; with materials in age-specific genres; with materials showing differing points of view on contemporary and controversial issues and historically significant points of view; with materials for instruction in areas of teen interest; and with materials for entertainment and recreation. The Teen collection will contain: fictional materials, recreational non-fiction, and a small collection of topical subjects. The core of non-fiction materials for high school students will continue to be determined by the Adult Collection Policy (see section D of the Materials Selection Policy).]

2. SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

a. Teen materials are selected carefully, following general materials selection policy

guidelines, and using reviews and recommendations for age specific materials. b. Special effort will be made to select teen genres, author series and materials of popular

interest to teens.

IV. CONTROVERSIAL MATERIALS

The Portage District Library subscribes to the principles embodied in the following statements of the American Library Association, copies of which are appended to and made an integral part of this policy: 1) Library Bill of Rights, 2) Freedom to Read and 3) Freedom to View.

V. GIFTS

All gifts are subject to evaluation by the general and specific criteria listed in the policy for the relevant collections. Donors are informed that any gifts to the Portage District Library will become the sole property of the library, and may or may not be added to the collection. Any item, which is not added, may be donated to another institution where it might be used, or it may be sold in a Friends of the Library Book Sale. Monies from such sales are used to benefit Portage District Library services and programs.

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VI. COLLECTION MAINTENANCE

As materials become worn, dated, damaged or lost, replacement will be determined by the appro-priate staff member, who will determine whether or not: A. The item is still available and can be replaced;

B. Another item or format might better serve the same purpose;

C. There remains sufficient need to replace that item;

D. Updated, newer or revised materials better replace a given item;

E. The item has historical value;

F. Another networking agency could better provide that or a comparable item.

VII. REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

The Portage District Library Board, administration and staff support intellectual freedom and subscribe to the principles of the American Library Association's Library Bill Of Rights and its statements on Freedom To Read and Freedom To View. The library staff applies the selection criteria described in this Materials Selection Policy and thus endeavor to provide books and other materials that reflect the diversity of viewpoints within the community. When a request for reconsideration is made by a patron, the procedure listed below is followed: A. A member of the library staff explains the selection policy to the patron. If the patron wishes,

he/she may then submit a written Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources to the Library Director.

B. The completed form is reviewed by one or more members of the library staff who have responsibility for materials selection, and by the Library Director. The library staff members objectively review the resource in question to ascertain that the selection criteria and principles stated in Sections I through V were applied in the selection process. The Library Director or a member of the library staff sends a written response to the requester within 14 days of the date that the reconsideration form was submitted. The Library Director also notifies the Library Board of each Request for Reconsideration submitted.

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C. If the requester is not satisfied with the decision of the library staff, he/she may appeal in writing to the Library Director, who then convenes a Reconsideration Committee. This committee will consist of:

1. One member of the Library Board;

2. One member of the library staff with responsibility for materials selection who has not

previously considered the material in question; 3. One resident of the library district other than the requestor, who is chosen by the requestor.

In the case that the requestor does not identify a member for the Reconsideration Committee, the Library Board will select a resident of the library district.

D. In reviewing the request for reconsideration, the Reconsideration Committee employs the selection criteria (described above in this document) and considers other appropriate information, including professional reviews and recommendations, comments from the library staff, and comments from the requester. Library resources are not removed from the collec-tions during the review period. Copies of the materials in question may be checked out as evaluation copies for use by the Reconsideration Committee, the Library Director or other appropriate library staff.

E. Within 45 days, the Reconsideration Committee will recommend an action to the Library

Director, who will reach a decision and inform the requester and the committee in writing of that decision.

F. Should the requester wish to appeal this decision, he/she may make a final appeal in writing

directly to the Library Board which will schedule and conduct a public hearing within 30 days of the final written appeal in order to reach a final decision.

G. No more than one appeal may be initiated on a specific title in five (5) calendar years.

APPENDICES

1. Library Bill of Rights

2. Freedom to Read Statement

3. Freedom to View Statement

4. Request for Reconsideration Form

Adopted by the Portage District Library on: April 20, 2000 Revised by the Library Board: October 22, 2007

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY COMMUNICATION

To: Portage District Library Board

From: Christy Klien, Library Director

Date: September 15, 2014

Subject: Request for Library Board Approval for Restricted Use of Library Patron Data Base for Year-End Direct Mail Fundraising Initiative in October 2014

2014 Annual Campaign Direct Mailing The Portage District Library Fundraising Plan includes an Annual Campaign direct mailing initiative that is carried out in October/November each year. We send this solicitation to all of our previous donors and to all active library users requesting financial assistance to further enhance the library's special initiatives. We believe it is advantageous to send out the library’s Annual Campaign letter prior to Thanksgiving. In order to do this, we need to use the library patron data base for this one-time purpose direct mailing. REQUEST: That the Library Board pass a motion at the September 22, 2014 board meeting to allow the Portage District Library to enter into a contract with our regular printing vendor to use the library’s patron database for the restricted, confidential and sole purpose of sending a direct mailing to previous donors and to active library users in October 2014. The contract with our regular printing vendor stipulates that the printer or any associate or partner of the printer will not use the library’s patron database for any other purpose, nor will the printer share the confidential patron information with any other parties.

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__________________________________________________________________________________ About the Presenter

Michael Evans is Executive Director of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) and has been with the organization since August 2010. He is charged with bringing area adult literacy programs together to better coordinate services for adults wanting to learn how to read or improve their literacy skills. He works daily to raise awareness of adult literacy issues in the community and to gather more support to this cause. Evans is the facilitator of the Adult Literacy Collaborative of Kalamazoo County and the Adult Learning Action Network of the Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo. He serves on the Region 14 Adult Learning Collaborative Board for the State of Michigan. Before coming to the KLC, Evans worked for 15 years in the nonprofit sector in Battle Creek with several organizations including Community Inclusive Recreation, Summit

Pointe, New Level Sports among others. He was Executive Director of Heritage Battle Creek and the Sojourner Truth Institute of Battle Creek and served on many statewide boards including the Michigan Humanities Council, the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission, and the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies. Prior to entering the nonprofit sector, he was a staff writer for the Kalamazoo Gazette. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Western Michigan University where he majored in English and Communications. About the Kalamazoo Literacy Council The Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization committed to enhancing the lives of adults by improving their reading, writing, spelling and comprehension skills. The KLC was founded in 1974 and is the only organization in Kalamazoo County with the exclusive purpose of providing free basic literacy instruction to adults. For nearly 40 years the organization has been the leading voice for the cause of adult literacy, mobilizing and training volunteer tutors to teach struggling adult readers throughout the county. The KLC serves adults ages 18 and older who are reading at or below the 6th grade level. The impact the KLC has had on the thousands of adults it has helped learn to read in its history is substantial. Students have used their improved literacy skills to build work readiness skills, apply for and secure employment, receive advances and promotions and become more self-sufficient in their careers and in their daily lives.

Presentation Focus “The State of Adult Literacy in Kalamazoo County and Why Everyone Needs to Read” This presentation will provide a brief overview about illiteracy rates for adults in Kalamazoo County and the negative impact this has on the community. The presenter will also discuss the strategies that are being used in the “Everyone Needs to Read” Adult Literacy Initiative to reach the more than 25,000 struggling adult readers in Kalamazoo County and how others can get involved. Information For more information about the KLC or this presentation, please call (269) 382-0490 EXT. 222 or visit www.kalamazooliteracy.org

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY COMMUNICATION

To: Portage District Library Board

From: Alisha Siebers, Library Board Chair

Date: September 15, 2014

Subject: Initiation of Library Director’s 2014 Evaluation Process

BACKGROUND: The Personnel Committee, composed of Stephanie Brown, Joe Yantis and me, will be responsible for leading the annual evaluation process of the Library Director this year. Individual board members will be asked to complete an evaluation form based on their own assessments of the Library Director’s accomplishments and performance in relation to the End Statements. These individual evaluations will be compiled and summarized and then a meeting will be held with the Library Director to go over the performance evaluation. The Board Personnel Committee will then meet to develop a recommendation to the Library Board for the Library Director's compensation in 2015 and present a recommendation to the whole board at the December 15, 2014 board meeting, at which time a vote will be taken.

The Library Board Personnel Committee reminds all trustees that we must conduct this evaluation process in compliance with the Open Meetings Act and in accordance with Carver Policy Governance guidelines as indicated below. POLICY GOVERNANCE - EVALUATION of CEO PERFORMANCE: 1. How Does the Board hold the Organization and CEO Accountable

A. Evaluate performance on accomplishments and activities By rigorous monitoring – internal, external and direct inspection Regular collection of data

B. Pins the Evaluation on the Executive Are we achieving our goals? Are we avoiding the unacceptable activities?

2. CEO Performance Monitoring

A. Is there progress on achieving board endorsed goals? B. Is the CEO compliant with Executive Limitation Policies? C. The success of the organization is the evaluation of the CEO

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY 2014 Summer Reading Program

FINAL REPORT

September 5, 2014

The Portage District Library’s 2014 Summer Reading Program was once again available 24/7 online. Participants were able to register, record, and view their reading progress via the internet. The following information reflects the registration and participation of the Portage District Library’s Summer Reading Programs from the summers of 2009 to 2014.

Read to Me

Participation Breakdown

Registration # Who Completed

Total Hours Read

2009 387 632 106 6980 2010 465 739 162 8810 2011 543 787 147 9420 2012 468 700 151 8730 2013 467 688 185 9120

2014 446 718 91 7080

Elementary Readers

Participation Breakdown

Registration # Who Completed

Total Hours Read

2009 864 1372 283 16030 2010 1016 1548 431 20605 2011 1082 1638 431 21310 2012 1012 1554 379 20310 2013 1092 1616 473 22255

2014 953 1508 252 16160

Teen Program

Participation Breakdown

Registration # Who Completed

Total Books Read

2009 494 718 n/a 3105 2010 512 761 n/a 3144 2011 493 744 n/a 2711 2012 398 596 n/a 2565 2013 367 581 n/a 2034

2014 314 571 n/a 1591

Adult Program Participation Breakdown

Registration # Who Completed

Total Books Read

2009 214 312 n/a 1614 2010 200 301 n/a 1957 2011 258 389 n/a 2012 2012 249 342 n/a 2276 2013 268 398 n/a 2392

2014 152 300 n/a 1333

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Changes to the 2014 Reading Programs This summer, the Adult program was revamped and two programs were added for youth. The Family Reading Adventure provided a quest-based experience for elementary-age children and their families. This program also encouraged exploration of many of the different services the library provides. Approximately 1000 people participated. Teens also showed interest in this program, and while unexpected, their participation was welcome. A pre-literacy program was also added for toddlers and young preschoolers and their caregivers. This program was well-received, but had a lighter participation at 170. The Adult Summer Reading program, Literary Elements, encouraged exploring different genres and formats from classics to science fiction; talking books to DVD’s. The people who participated thanked us for nudging them into new reading experiences and offering suggestions to continue trying new titles and series. It also encouraged all of us to get to know collections that we are not that familiar with so we can provide better crossover recommendations to our patrons.

Summer Reading Promotion: The summer reading programs began on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 and ran through Wednesday, August 13, 2014. Staff members visited area elementary schools to promote the summer reading programs and events. The teen librarian resumed middle and high school visits. Flyers were distributed to all elementary students and to the middle and high school classes when staff visited as well. Additional promotion was done within the library with posters, banners, and flyers. Every Portage household received summer event and reading program information in their Portager at the beginning of June. Events and programs were promoted externally through local events websites such as Kzoo Kids and news sources like MLive.

Summer Reading Kick Off Events: This year’s kickoff was hosted in the library on Saturday morning, June 14. The joint city-library family kickoff was discontinued due to the city’s decision to cut their summer programming. The theme for the adult portion of the kickoff whizzed around literary elements and chocolate. To gather “atoms” of a chocolate molecule, participants answered trivia questions about books from each of the ten genres or formats featured in the Summer Reading Program. Once all the “atoms” were filled in, the forms were put in a raffle. Chocolate energy boosts were offered to help stimulate the participants “little grey cells.” We had a small turnout, but those who participated had fun and shared their favorite titles with staff at the genre tables. We are considering some changes next year to make the event easier for parents and less time consuming for busy adults. This year’s family kickoff was held in the lower level of the library. Over 400 people attended the 2-hour program, with 85 people staying to attend a movie following the event. The event’s activities were provided by library staff and Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, and there was a mini booksale hosted by the Friends as well. Feedback was positive about the change in venue and types of activities.

Major Sponsor of the Portage District Library’s Summer Reading Programs: The Friends of the Portage District Library generously donated $10,000 for summer events and prizes for the Portage District Library’s adult, teen and youth 2014 Summer Reading programs.

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Funding through Grants and Collaborations: We partnered with the City of Portage, the Portage Senior Center, the Nature Center, and Portage Community Center.

General Sponsors: (Donations of coupons, small items, in kind gifts & gift certificates): Craftsman Chop Co, Kalamazoo County Fair Grounds, Kazoo Books, Noodles and Company, Pizza Hut, Sarkozy Bakery, Erbelli’s, Great Harvest Bread Company, Chocolatea, Marshall Music, Book Bug, Alfred E. Bike, Lavender Garden Day Spa; Latitude 42

Volunteer Hours: The library could not run our successful Summer Reading Programs without the help and dedication of our teen volunteers. Our teen volunteers come from the VolunTeen Program as well as our own teen volunteer group. 99 teen volunteers gave over 1300 hours of their summer to help us with the summer reading program! Collaboration with the Portage Public Schools: The Portage District Library collaborates with the Portage Public Schools to ensure that we reach as many students as possible. We visit many of the schools and do presentations highlighting the summer reading program and summer events.

Evaluation: Access to the Summer Reading Program: Patrons are able to access the program 24 hours a day via an Internet connection. We had several computers set up in the library that were designated for our Summer Reading participants to register and to submit their reading progress. This year patrons brought their print bookmarks to the library to have them punched for each genre or format they read or used. Some participants signed up for Summer Reading on their own. Summer Programming Highlights: To continue the theme of “literary elements” the adult area hosted “Tea & Cakes, Classics & their Adaptations: A Literary Interlude with Grace Tiffany”. We also took Meet the Chef to Victorian Bakery to learn how to” move out of our element” and conquer our fear of making crusts. On Saturday, August 9,2014 from 12:00-3:30 pm, the Portage District Library, in collaboration with the Portage Senior Center, welcomed about 250 library visitors to celebrate the 4th Annual Art Encounters event. Proving once again that Portage is the place to be for toe tapping, artsy, colorful programs, the afternoon featured the popular local musicians and dancers Whiskey Before Breakfast & Quinn School of Irish Dance; Rhythm Life Collective Drum & Dance and the Portage Senior Center Band. Jennie Miller and Ginny Parnaby filled the library’s Atrium with their classic sound while visitors enjoyed painting and knitting demonstrations. Outside of the library, patron Ben Flaten demonstrated his welding talents and body painting. The Youth Services Department featured interactive art and crafts for all ages including traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. This beautiful artwork is currently decorating the lower level walls of the library. All of this was topped

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off with an Ice Cream Social, a serenading guitar player and African and Irish dancing. Not a toe was left untapping. Youth and Family events saw an increase in attendance numbers; we suspect this is due in part to the loss of city programming as well as a line-up of programs that reflected patron interests. Almost every event was full to capacity, and the week-long display of the Lego City was very popular. The addition of special performers for our preschool storytime slots was also very well-received, and weekly activity-based events for elementary children and their caregivers was a welcome addition as well.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY COMMUNICATION

To: Portage District Library Board

From: Christy Klien, Library Director

Date: September 15, 2014

Subject: Update on the Library’s Book Drop Project BACKGROUND: The Book Drop Project was undertaken this year as a means to achieve End Statement #2 – “Be a safe, welcoming, inclusive destination for families and individuals.” The intent was to investigate the feasibility of making improvements to the library’s external book drop that would makes it safer and easier for users to access from a vehicle. We indicated that we would review past re-design plans; engage an architect or structural engineer for guidance in developing cost effective options; review budget options and a develop a timeline for improvements to the external book drop; solicit bids for the necessary work to be done; set a completion date for the project and advertise the improvements that were made to the book drop when completed. At the July 28th board meeting, trustees were told that the library had met with staff of TMP Architecture and City of Portage personnel to discuss the conceptual plans for improving access to the library’s external book drop. Everyone had agreed that it was necessary to resolve these access and safety issues related to the book drop, and information was shared about the Fire Department’s requirements. Subsequently, meetings were held with Mark Reile and Jim Derks of TMP Architecture to pass on those requirements so they could revise their conceptual drawings accordingly. PROJECT UPDATE: Over the last month, several meetings have been held with library personnel and TMP Architecture to discuss the library’s Book Drop Project and to problem-solve specific issues, such as: The feasibility of moving the fire standpipe currently affixed to the south side of the library’s building

near the existing book drop Encasing the existing piping currently located on the brick exterior wall of the library near the back

door (to avoid tampering and/or damage) Reconfiguring the space in the existing Book Drop Room to accommodate the changes being made to

the exterior book drop.

TMP Architecture will redo their conceptual design drawings and these will be reviewed by the Library Director, Business Manager, Systems Administrator and Circulation Supervisor to determine if they will meet the needs of the library and ultimately improve drive-up access to the library’s external book drop. Engineers are evaluating the current piping and structural conditions of the library building to determine what would be possible to do to accommodate the proposed changes to the external book drop. A Book Drop Committee was formed with library staff members to work on the logistics of internal access to the book drops and to consider how the structural changes will impact workflow and what will need to be done differently. Once the engineers report back on their findings and make their recommendations, then the architects will know the constraints that they will need to work around for the project and they will revise their design drawings accordingly. At the point that design drawings are completed, they will be shared with board members and an RFP will be done to solicit bids for improvements to the library’s external Book Drop.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY COMMUNICATION To: Portage District Library Board

From: Christy Klien, Library Director

Date: September 15, 2014

Subject: Update on Heritage Room Reorganization Project

BACKGROUND: The Heritage Room Reorganization was undertaken this year as a means to achieve End Statement #2 “Be a safe, welcoming, inclusive destination for families and individuals.” The intent was to explore options for inclusion of a youth component in the Heritage Room local history collection and to reorganize the Heritage Room to make the entire collection more accessible for library users.

PROJECT UPDATE: Since the previous report, a great deal of progress has been made on the Heritage Room Reorganization Project as follows:

The Heritage Room was completely dismantled and shelving, furnishings and wall decor were removed and temporarily relocated in a locked meeting room in the library.

All the walls of the Heritage Room were repainted. New shelving has been installed in the Heritage Room that is wall-mounted for safety, is more

adaptive to the room’s dimensions and will allow for easier access to and browsing of the local history collection. Materials are now in a continuous, sequential arrangement on shelves around the room to make searching and retrieval much more user friendly.

New better size tables are on order that will be positioned in the center of the Heritage Room for optimal tabletop viewing of artifacts and materials from the local history collection.

The process to examine, evaluate and re-shelve the local history materials in the Heritage Room is continuing and will be completed by the end of September.

A new section geared for youth has been designated near the front door of the Heritage Room and materials are being placed in that area that will appeal to young patrons.

Further enhancements to the Heritage Room will include such things as spot lighting, wall-mounted portraits and displays, relocation of the Local Archivist’s public service desk to face the entry door to the room, a staff work space in the back area and other finishing touches.

A special thanks goes out to Virgil Kelpin of Interstate Office Interiors for working so well with the library to find the best shelving solution for the Heritage Room local history collection, and for the careful and professional installation of that shelving. Also to be commended are Rolfe Behrje and Rob Foti, for their extra work in helping to temporarily relocate the local history collection. Of course, the greatest acknowledgement and thanks goes to Local History Archivist, Steve Rossio, for conceptualizing, planning, ordering, weeding, painting, reorganizing, packing and unpacking and reassembling the entire Heritage Room that resulted in a remarkable reorganization project. The changes and improvements that Rossio has championed will make the Heritage Room a premier local history center for the Portage community, and will make our local history collection much more accessible to people of all ages. Trustees and guests are invited to tour the Heritage Room to see the wonderful improvements!

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY COMMUNICATION

To: Portage District Library Board

From: Christy Klien, Library Director

Date: September 15, 2014

Subject: Update on 2013-2014 Annual Report and 2014 Annual Campaign The library’s 2013-2014 Annual Report will be distributed in the October edition of the Portager. The Annual Report will be delivered to over 23,000 households within our service area. Special library initiatives from 2013-2014 and special projects for 2014-2015 will be highlighted along with usage statistics and library finances for FY2013 in this year’s report.

The 2014 Annual Campaign is currently in planning stages with a target distribution of the last week in October or the first week in November. The Annual Campaign is sent to approximately 18,000 households. The distribution list is pulled directly from our patron data. The Annual Campaign will run from November 2014 until February 2015.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY Library Director’s Report on the Financial Condition

for August 2014

Executive Limitation Policy on Financial Condition and Activities: With respect to the actual, ongoing financial condition and activities, the Director shall not cause or allow the development of fiscal jeopardy or a material deviation of actual expenditure for board priorities established in Ends Policies. Accordingly, he or she may not:

POLICY: 1. Expend more funds than have been received in the fiscal year to date unless the debt guideline (below) is met.

Director’s Response:

Revenue $ 4,125,861 Expenditures $ 2,368,463 Risk reserve (13% of operating budget) $ 451,940 Building Reserve $ 50,000 Technology Reserve $ 32,305 Debt Reserve $ 60,000 Benefits Reserve $ 68,392 Book Drop Reserve $ 139,254 HVAC Control Reserve $ 15,000 Patio Feasibility Reserve $ 7,500 Lobby Feasibility Reserve $ 7,500

POLICY: 2. Indebt the organization money in an amount greater than can be repaid by certain, otherwise unencumbered revenues within 60 days.

Director’s Response:

No new money has been borrowed that cannot be repaid within 60 days.

POLICY: 3. Use any long-term reserves. Director’s Response:

No reserves have been used.

POLICY: 4. Conduct inter-category shifting in amounts greater than can be restored to

a condition of discrete fund balances by certain, otherwise unencumbered revenues within 30 days.

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Director’s Response:

No Inter-category shifting has taken place.

POLICY: 5. Fail to settle payroll and debts in a timely manner. Director’s Response:

Payroll is processed by Paylocity. (Payroll service) bi-weekly. Payables are also Processed monthly or “as needed”.

POLICY: 6. Allow tax payments or other government-ordered payments for filings to be

overdue or inaccurately filed. Director’s Response:

All reports and tax payments are filed according to policy.

POLICY: 7. Make a single purchase or commitment of greater than $10,000 not already

found in the budget. Splitting orders to avoid this limit is not acceptable. Director’s Response:

No unbudgeted purchase that exceeds $10,000 has been made.

POLICY: 8. Acquire, encumber or dispose of real property. Director’s Response:

No real property has been acquired, encumbered, or disposed.

POLICY: 9. Fail to aggressively pursue receivables after a reasonable grace period. Director’s Response:

All receivables are being pursued according to policy.

POLICY: 10. Fail to provide the Library Board with a one page monthly financial

indicator monitoring report and a quarterly background financial monitoring report.

Director’s Response:

A financial indicator monitoring report is provided each month and a quarterly background financial monitoring report is provided each quarter.

POLICY: 11. Fail to arrange for an external financial audit of the library services. Director’s Response:

An external audit of the library is conducted each year and results presented to the library board.

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POLICY: 12. Fail to have appropriate authorized signatures on bank documents: Library Director, Library Business Manager and Library Board Chair.

Director’s Response:

Appropriate authorized signatures are on all bank documents.

POLICY: 12-A Fail to have a 2nd signature on all checks issued by the Portage District

Library in an amount of $20,000 by one of the three designated individuals on the library’s bank signature card, which would be one of the following: (1) the Library Board Chair, or (2) the Head of Adult Services, or (3) the Head of Youth Services.

Director’s Response:

All checks received the appropriate amount of signatures.

POLICY: 13. Fail to consider approved budget when entering into financial agreements

or collaborations with other entities. Director’s Response:

Approved budgets are considered when entering into financial agreements or collaborations with other entities.

POLICY: 14. Fail to keep the Library Board informed of any grant applications, and

obtain board chair signature when required by granting agency. Director’s Response:

The Library Board is informed of all grant applications and the board chair’s signature is obtained when required.

POLICY: 15. Fail to provide the Board Chair a list of all cash disbursements from the

time of the prior Board meeting to the current Board meeting. Director’s Response:

A list of all cash disbursements has been provided to the Board Chair for review.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY Marketing Update

September 2014

The following marketing activities were conducted at the library during the months

of August 2014 and the first part of September 2014.

Several flyers have been designed this month to promote programing in the library. They were placed within the library as well as distributed to the program sponsors.

The Library’s 2013-14 Annual Report will be distributed through the City of Portage “Portager” the first week of October. Additional copies have been printed to be available within the library as well as an additional 1,000 to be distributed to Texas Township. A Library e-Newsletter was sent out the first week of September to over 15,000 library patrons. Content included library programing, a thank you to patrons for another successful food for fines program, the library databases, a thank you and results of the 2014 Library Summer Reading Program, and Library closings.

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PORTAGE DISTRICT LIBRARY

Library Director’s Narrative Report for September 22, 2014

(Activities in August 2014 and part of September 2014) Administrative Activities: During the latter part of August 2014 and first part of September 2014, Library Director Christy Klien engaged in the following activities:

Participated in weekly Administrative Team meetings on Thursday mornings. Participated in regular library-wide staff meetings on Tuesday mornings for all library employees. Participated in Technology Team meetings on Tuesday mornings. Covered public service desks when needed. Attended the Portage Rotary Club lunch meetings on Wednesdays in August and September. Participated in the August 25, 2014 Library Board meeting and followed up with action items as requested. Met with the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival Steering Committee to discuss PDL role in future festivals on

Tuesday, August 26, 2014. Met with TMP representatives to discuss the Book Drop Remodel Project on August 27, 2014. Attended the Portage Community Center Board meeting on August 27, 2014 Attended the Portage Community Center’s Barn Party on the evening of August 27, 2014. Met with representatives from HRM Innovations, LLC to discuss plans for staff trainings and the new

performance evaluation to be used starting in 2015. Met with Diane Delach and Rob Foti to discuss PDL’s Disaster Plan on August 26, 2014. Arranged for old Heritage Room shelving, furniture and miscellaneous items to be removed from the library

in preparation for the new shelving that was installed on September 3, 2014. Met with Marsha Meyer, Lawrence Kapture, Rob Foti, and Diane Delach on September 4, 2014 to discuss

Portage District Library’s role in future Kalamazoo Poetry Festivals. Met with the members of the library’s Staff Fund Committee September 4, 2014 to discuss plans to recognize

life events in our co-workers’ lives. Met with Rob Foti, Jill Austin, and Rolfe Behrje on September 5, 2014 to discuss plans for the Book Drop

Remodel Project. Met with Stacy Nowicki from the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival on September 5, 2014 to talk about what PDL

would be willing to do for future KPF events. Met with Atrium Committee members on September 9, 2014 to review staff, board and volunteer comments

about the library’s front entrance and to identify questions to be included for a public survey. Met with Portage Community Center Board President, Lori Knapp, on September 9, 2014 to discuss the

Executive Director Search for the Portage Community Center. Attended the Adult Services staff meeting on September 10, 2014. Met with the members of the Staff Lounge Committee on September 10, 2014 to discuss what can be done to

improve the library’s staff lounge. Assisted with the Portage Community Center’s PCOC Strut on September 12th and September 13th 2014. Assisted with the library’s Oktoberfest after-hours program on September 15, 2014. Attended the Rose Street Advisor’s all day seminar with Rob Foti on September 16, 2014.

General Facilities Work:

A. Maintenance:

Roof Leak Working with roofing contractor to trace repair roof leak. Identified the drain pan as the failing part. Roof will be repaired under warranty.

Library Lighting Working with Orion lighting to identify and transition to LED lighting where it is economical and practical.

Library Elevator(s) Working with McNally Elevator to develop a plan for modernizing the original 40 year old elevator. Working with McNally Elevator to replace worn seals in the new large elevator.

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B. Technology

Envisionware Transition

C. Project Planning • Server Installation in Testing Area • Test Clients Installed • Test Printing Environment Installed • Staff Training Plan • Early October Deployment Planned

D. Quote and Project Planning for E-Resource Central and Mobile Circ

• Symphony Upgrade 3.4.1 sp5 • Symphony Web Services Upgrade • E-Resource Central Installation • Mobile Circ Installation

E. Upgrades:

• Vmware vsphere 5.0 to 5.1 to 5.2 • Vmtools upgrade • Veeam upgrade • Spiceworks 7.0 to 7.2

Merchandising: • Postcard-sized flyers were created for the Sell Stuff Online series • Jessica Enget set up a Promotional table at each of her programs featuring flyers of upcoming and

related programming. Also includes feedback surveys and a sheet requesting ideas for future programming.

Networking & Outreach Activities: • Outside organizations are already contacting the library for fall visits. We will begin to schedule

Kindergarten Card visits in the next couple of weeks as well. • Marsha Meyer and Jessica Enget attended a meeting for Reading Together at Kalamazoo Public Library on

August 27th, to brainstorm themes and programming for this year’s selected community read “The Living Great Lakes” by Jerry Dennis. Marsha also attended an education meeting at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art Museum Education meeting on August 20th.

• Lawrence Kapture attended the Midwest Consortium for Library Services meeting on August 6th, and the Southwest Michigan Library Co-Op Board and Council Meeting on August 14th.

PROGRAMMING:

Adult programming conducted in August & the first part of September 2014:

• Art Encounters - 8/9/14 - The Portage District Library, in collaboration with the Portage Senior Center, welcomed about 250 library visitors to celebrate the 4th Annual Art Encounters event. Proving once again that Portage is the place to be for toe tapping, artsy, colorful programs, the afternoon featured the popular local musicians and dancers Whiskey before Breakfast & Quinn School of Irish Dance; Rhythm Life Collective Drum & Dance and the Portage Senior Center Band. Jennie Miller and Ginny Parnaby filled the library’s Atrium with their classic sound while visitors enjoyed painting and knitting demonstrations. Outside of the library, patron Ben Flaten demonstrated his welding talents and body painting. The Youth Services Department featured interactive art and crafts for all ages including traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. This beautiful artwork is currently decorating the lower level walls of the library. All of this was topped off with an Ice Cream Social, a serenading guitar player and African and Irish dancing. Approximately two hundred and fifty patrons attended.

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• Home Brewing 101: Hard Cider How-To – 8/23/14 – 17 attended our final of 3 programs in this year’s Home Brewing 101 series. Our presenter was Jeff Carlson from Grand Rapids, who is a multi-year winner of the National Hard Cider Maker of the Year award, and multi-award winner nationally and state-wide for his hard cider recipes.

• After Hours: Mocktails & Mixer – 8/25/14 – 23 registered/23 attended our first After-Hours program that featured a game room, a movie, and fun instructional “Mocktails How-To” presented by cocktail maven “Traveling Elixir Fixer” Angie Jackson. Her interactive, hands-on presentation was greatly enjoyed by all in attendance and elicited feedback that similar programming is of interest. Those in attendance reflected the targeted/desired demographic: young professionals age 21-30’s.

• One-on-One Assistance – total of 3 appointments, including using Microsoft Word, using a flash drive, and navigating Windows 8 OS.

Youth programming conducted in August & the first part of September 2014: • August continued to be a busy month at the library this year. Summer Reading continued through the second

week, and programming continued through the third week. The Art Encounters youth component was again a popular stop. Other highlights were a visit from Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary and our final Maker Monday, “Big Box Build”.

• The Youth Department is transitioning to the fall with a revamping of storytimes. In response to patrons’ requests and staff input, we have shifted ages to more closely match developmental levels. We have also added an independent storytime for 4-5 year-olds to help preschoolers prepare for kindergarten.

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TO: Portage District Library BoardFROM: Christy Klien, Library DirectorDATE:SUBJECT: Library Statistical Report - August 2014

Aug-14 Aug-13 CHANGE 2014 2013 CHANGECirculation/Collections Total Library Circulation 71,875 73,685 -2.46% 550,359 562,549 -2.17% Adult - Books 20,644 22,145 -6.78% 159,272 174,947 -8.96% Adult - A/V 8,473 7,917 7.02% 59,847 61,388 -2.51% Youth - Books 25,350 25,683 -1.30% 192,801 192,361 0.23% Youth - A/V 5,911 6,463 -8.54% 42,033 46,970 -10.51% Hot Picks 5,778 7,328 -21.15% 43,640 53,593 -18.57% E-Material 4,183 2,437 71.65% 40,065 18,730 113.91% ILL - PDL Requests 917 964 -4.88% 7,105 7,914 -10.22% ILL - Other Lib. Requests 619 748 -17.25% 5,596 6,646 -15.80% Self-Checkout Percentage 62.32% 60.83% 60.86% 57.70% Total Library Collection 197,821 194,446 1.74% Adult - Books 96,214 96,614 -0.41% Adult - A/V 16,805 16,116 4.28% Youth - Books 69,036 65,160 5.95% Youth - A/V 11,083 11,842 -6.41% Hot Picks 4,683 4,714 -0.66% Net Acquisitions 890 387 129.97% 10,298 (5,992) 271.86% Purchased - Books 880 1,501 -41.37% 13,459 11,038 21.93% Purchased - A/V 332 385 -13.77% 3,565 2,834 25.79% Donated - Books 4 2 100.00% 20 34 -41.18% Donated - A/V 3 1 200.00% 22 30 -26.67% Material Discarded (329) (1,502) -100.00% (6,768) (19,928) -66.04% Total In-House Usage* n/a n/a n/a 2,924 2,846 2.74% In-House Periodical Usage n/a n/a n/a 244 215 13.49% In-House Book Usage n/a n/a n/a 2,680 2,631 1.86%Patrons Total Patrons 47,856 48,242 -0.80% Adult 31,217 30,236 3.24% Youth 7,647 8,410 -9.07% Non-Resident 311 316 -1.58% Reciprocal 6,139 6,590 -6.84% Internet User 2,481 2,628 -5.59% Professional 61 62 -1.61% Total Patrons Added 297 335 -11.34% 2,459 2,715 -9.43% Adult 159 208 -23.56% 1,359 1,540 -11.75% Youth 16 21 -23.81% 192 259 -25.87% Non-Resident 3 2 50.00% 34 34 0.00% Reciprocal 45 45 0.00% 366 396 -7.58% Internet User 74 58 27.59% 506 482 4.98% Professional 0 1 -100.00% 2 4 -50.00%

September 15, 2014

Month Statistics YTD Statistics

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Library Building Usage Total Meeting Room Usage 177 190 -6.84% 1,529 1,600 -4.44% Internal/Collaboration 87 89 -2.25% 789 818 -3.55% External/Outside Usage 90 101 -10.89% 740 782 -5.37% Total Program Audience 1,185 1,056 12.22% 21,205 15,441 37.33% Adult 135 493 -72.62% 1,696 1,894 -10.45% Youth 1,050 563 86.50% 17,804 12,140 46.66% Heritage Room 0 0 0.00% 1,705 1,407 21.18% Total Number of Programs 28 12 133.33% 310 301 2.99% Adult 9 3 200.00% 81 78 3.85% Youth 19 9 111.11% 208 206 0.97% Heritage Room 0 0 0.00% 21 17 23.53% Total Volunteer Hours 558 608 -8.22% 4,565 4,640 -1.62% Adult 128 118 8.47% 955 1,241 -23.05% Youth 204 254 -19.69% 1,578 1,587 -0.57% Technical 77 93 -17.20% 744 786 -5.34% Circulation 105 93 12.90% 896 529 69.38% Administration 32 32 0.00% 248 256 -3.13% Community Service 12 18 -33.33% 144 241 -40.25% Total Front Door Traffic 70,334 72,989 -3.64% 511,634 534,331 -4.25% Total Youth Services Traffic 58,239 60,034 -2.99% 364,453 378,203 -3.64% Total Business Center Traffic 3,311 3,211 3.11% 25,350 25,770 -1.63%Information Access/Reference/Research Total Reference Transactions 8,212 8,701 -5.62% 65,902 66,001 -0.15% Adult Phone 500 347 44.09% 3,105 3,016 2.95% Adult Ready Reference 2,699 2,786 -3.12% 20,437 22,430 -8.89% Adult Reference 208 425 -51.06% 1,880 2,078 -9.53% Youth Phone 147 144 2.08% 1,329 1,322 0.53% Youth Ready Reference 2,470 2,741 -9.89% 20,552 19,690 4.38% Youth Reference 408 435 -6.21% 4,092 3,082 32.77% HR Phone 15 27 -44.44% 295 200 47.50% HR Ready Reference 65 417 -84.41% 3,698 3,423 8.03% HR Reference 18 28 -35.71% 357 205 74.15% Circ Phone 695 301 130.90% 3,279 2,171 51.04% Circ Ready Reference 761 631 20.60% 4,913 5,041 -2.54% Circ Reference 226 419 -46.06% 1,965 3,343 -41.22% Total Edutainment LAN Use 429 441 -2.72% 3,667 3,727 -1.61% Total Internet Computer Use 6,036 6,568 -8.10% 46,638 49,913 -6.56% Youth Computers 1,523 1,645 -7.42% 12,820 13,505 -5.07% Adult Computers 4,432 4,594 -3.53% 32,316 33,398 -3.24% Laptop Computer Circulated 81 329 -75.38% 1,502 3,010 -50.10% Total Electronic Transactions 50,055 53,883 -7.10% 416,520 448,987 -7.23% WebSite Hits 36,711 40,459 -9.26% 312,777 341,964 -8.54% WebCatalog Sessions 9,193 9,226 -0.36% 70,487 71,897 -1.96% Licensed Database Hits 4,151 4,198 -1.12% 33,256 35,126 -5.32%* In-house Use Statistics will be done for one week each quarter.

Christy Klien, Library Director

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P R E S I D E N T ' S U P D AT E - S E P T E M B E R 11 , 2 0 1 4

As I write this, tomorrow begins my opportunity to make the ultimate impact on someone. I’ll be a first time father around 3 pm on September 10, 2014. I hear being a father is a lot of things; fun, stressful, exhilarating, a privilege and a lot of hard work. I checked out a couple of books and used MelCat to watch an essential video so I think I’ll be ok. As I contemplate my child’s life (and the need for me to write something for this update) I continue to circle back to you. I’m going to need your help. I want to impart a love of reading and a spirit of lifelong learning in my child’s life. He needs library professionals to continue to do what you do so well while also capitalizing on your innovations. He needs public libraries to welcome him when he comes into your buildings. He needs you to show enthusiasm in his interests and his favorite books. He needs your help to discover new books and new interests. He needs you to develop programming to keep him engaged with your institutions throughout his primary and secondary school years. He’ll now have the foundation of being an excellent reader. Next he'll continue his education where he’ll need help from other library professionals. At an institution of higher learning he’ll need the support of librarians to teach him information literacy, how to cite a paper, how to judge information sources and organize information. When he graduates with an advanced degree I can imagine him going to Consumers Energy and asking a corporate librarian to help him find information for his MBA. That is only a little of what my child and all library users in Michigan need from you. Understand that you make an impact on individuals in your daily interactions. You change their lives and open up an infinite of possibilities to them. I know you can do it Michigan library professionals. Make it an outstanding day!

Asante.

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E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ' S D E S K September 11, 2014

It’s September and back to school. This time of year always seems to me like the beginning of a new year; even more than January. With a new backpack, new clothes and a new teacher everything seemed possible. Of course, it’s not quite that simple, but we can still look at the beginning of fall as a time of opportunity. There are still a few more weeks of this year’s legislative session where we can work for additional revenue in a September supplemental, remind legislators about the importance of penal fines to library funding and push the MLA-initiated District Library Establishment Act legislation. We’ll also remain engaged in Downtown Development Authority issues and changes to the February millage option.

In addition, MLA 2014 is getting close. This year’s work group has clearly pushed the boundaries organizing an innovative and exciting event. We are in Grand Rapids and many of the ArtPrize entries will remain on display. Shopping and dining is fun and plentiful and we’re enjoying the Public Museum, complete with an inside carousel; Oktoberfest at a Kent District Library Branch; and a president’s reception at the beautiful Grand Rapids Public Library where we will be entertained by Tango dancers. Attention all Dancing with the Stars fans, there will be lessons available.

As MLA prepares for next year’s strategic planning development, we are seeking input from you. All members will soon receive a 2014 MLA membership survey. It takes just 10 minutes and your answers are critical as MLA plans for the future. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with the MLA Board of Directors and staff.

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