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TO: PARMLY BILLINGS LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM: BILL COCHRAN, DIRECTOR RE: REPORT MEETING DATE: JULY 21, 2009 ACTIVITIES REPORT • I participated in the 6-11 meeting of the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness and a 7-8 orientation for the Billings Area Resource Network on Project Homeless Connect. • Systems Administrator Dee Ann Redman and I attended a meeting for the High Plains Bookfest on 6-15. • I joined Library Board Liaison Jean Warner at the 6-16 Foundation Board meeting and tour of the Babcock Theatre renovation project. • Redman was in Minneapolis on 6-16/17 for training for The Big Read. The Writer’s Voice and the Library received a grant for this year’s program which will have programs and discussions centered on Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine. • Redman participated in the State Library’s Network Advisory Council meeting in Helena on 6- 30. She is leaving this council after five years as a member. • I participated in the 7-1 Billings Cultural Partners meeting. • Cindy Patterson and Liz Fellerer attended the Montana Reading Council in Helena, 7-13 – 7- 14. Cindy is the current president of the Montana Reading Council; Liz Fellerer is the President of the Midland Empire Reading Council (MERC), and Ellis is the Secretary for MERC. • Kathy Robins directed an internship for Library Certification student Lindsay Sedlicek, during the weeks of 7-6 and 7-13 • I participated in the 7-8 High Plains Book Award Committee meeting. • Redman will attend a day-long training workshop on stimulus funding for broadband access on 7-17. UPCOMING EVENTS 7-21 Foundation Board meeting, Noon 7-21 Library Board meeting, 1:00 p.m., MSU-B COT 7-23 Classic Cars of Montana and Wyoming, 7 p.m. 7-29 Author Reading of The Sunburned Zebra by Charles Kind, 7 p.m. 7-30 Beautiful Henna Craft Program, 2 p.m. 8-5 The Spectacular Prairie, noon. 8-6 Bananas, Woody Allen Film, 7 p.m. 8-10/15 One Book Montana discussions of The Surrounded 8-13 Library Board meeting, Noon FY 2009 STATISTICS Circulation FY 2009 FY 2008 Change New books 63,957 60,539 5.65% Other Adult books 202,330 190,628 6.14% Teen books 27,479 24,743 11.06% Children’s books 218,109 210,241 3.74% Audiovisual 451,907 454,032 -0.47% Other 16,146 11,354 42.21% Total 979,928 951,537 2.98% Persons in Library 353,770 341,183 3.69% ---PAGE BREAK--- STRATEGIC PLAN STATUS REPORT Completed • Objective 1.3 Improve seating and work space; administrative offices to be moved to 4th floor by 6-30, so space can become new computer lab and study room • Objective 1.5 Safety, functionality and appearance improvements; minor boiler and roof repairs completed • Objective 2.1 Community issue oriented programming; hosted Humanities Montana program Characteristics of the Modern U.S. Presidency 9-26; Library, Foundation, MSU-Billings and Humanities Montana sponsored Can We Talk: A Community Conversation 1-30, attended by 115; a second Can We Talk 3-19; and Gracious Space book discussions facilitated by Mary Hernandez 3-12 and 5-14 • Objective 5.1 Public classes on Internet and electronic resources; new schedule of public software classes being offered starting in October • Objective 5.2 Workstation modified for persons with disabilities; installed and available to public 2-18 • Objective 6.1 Staff information literacy training; all staff completed training, from 9-08 through 5-09, using Learning to Learn: A Guide to Becoming Information Literate in the 21st Century • Objective 7.1 Lifelong learning programs; new lifelong learning book club kits being introduced with facilitated book discussion groups, including Will of the People 9-24; Judging the Lawyers 10-30; Freakonomics 11-25; and The Faith Club 5-19 • Objective 7.2 Cooperative lifelong learning programs; book discussion on American Visions: the Epic History of American Art 1-21 at Library and 1-22 at Yellowstone Art Museum, facilitated by Museum Executive Director Robyn Peterson, with books provided by Library • Objective 7.3 Enhance resources available for self-directed learning; language learning and other resources ordered • Objective 8.3 Program for newborns and parents; Children’s Services, the Friends of the Library, and the Junior Woman’s Club have collaboratively designed and produced materials to be delivered to all newborns at both hospitals beginning in November and Children’s Services worked with the Foundation and Friends to offer a Friday morning newborn and parent program beginning 1-16 In Progress • Objective 1.1 Joint Community Library; Architect Selection Committee met 12-2 and recommended top candidates to State of Montana Department of Administration; High Plains Architects, with LMN Architects and Drew Harrington Associates, was the team selected and are under contract; Memorandum of Agreement between City and MSU-Billings approved at City Council meeting 9-22; Community Library Committee met 7-17, 9-25, 10-16, 11-20,12-9, 2-19 and 4-16; Steering Committee, Library and MSU-B staff met with architect/consultant team 1-20/21, 2-24/25, 3-16/17, and 5-14 • Objective 1.2 Facility Committee recommendations; Facilities Committee met with Funding Committee 8-22 and 12-8 • Objective 1.6 Systematic roving assistance program; draft checklist developed at 9-12 Staff meeting • Objective 3.1 Expand display furniture for books and other formats: display unit/s for new nonfiction being ordered • Objective 4.2/8.2 Marketing program for the online program suggestion function; draft plan developed 8-19 • Objective 5.3 Internet and online classes at retirement facilities; Outreach staff began identifying possible sites at 3-31 unit meeting • Objective 6.3 Links from Library website to recommended Internet resources; Election 2008 pages went active 10-2 • Objective 7.5 Partnership with MSU-B, WHC and others on preservation of and access to historical records; group has submitted a grant application to NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to Smaller Institutions ---PAGE BREAK--- To Be Completed By September 1, 2008 • Objective 1.4 Infomobile public access to Internet and catalog • Objective 4.1/8.1 Focus groups for program ideas • Objective 6.2 Public information literacy classes By January 1, 2009 • Objective 2.2 Community-based process for Library webpage as virtual commons • Objective 7.4 Staff training program on lifelong learning and adult education By June 30, 2009 • Objective 4.1/8.1 Focus groups for program ideas