Unapproved minutes Joint Board meeting 11/20/14

[Rev. Elizabeth]

These are unapproved minutes.

                                                    Fairfax Community Library
                                             Joint Board Meeting, November 20 2014
Present:
Joy Mercer, Debbie Landauer, Toni Jiwatram, Paula Dearborn, Pat McNall, Janel Gamm, Liz Griffin, Mike Clark, Jesse Cronin

There was neither public input nor correspondence.

The conversation about the dynamic between the library’s dual role  as school library, and the public library continued. 
      The school board directors wish the public library to adhere to school policies during the school day. A major  concern is about  which school policies are referred to  and how should they be reconciled with the library policies and the rights of public patrons.  Both students and the public use the library during the course of the school hours.  Mike Clark wants all library staff to follow all school policy.   The School Board directors wish to include the following statement in the section,’Personnel:” staff ( meaning public and school  library staff) will follow school policy during school hours.”  Their concern is that public patrons may be allowed to behave in ways that are detrimental to students. Debbie believes this statement is too broad.   The public library can’t be under school ordinances as it is part of the town and the trustees have full power to run the public aspects and oversee the employees under VT Law.  It is recognized that at times there may be differing procedures for serving public vs. student patrons between the two librarians, but, both staff and  librarians know how to defer to each other should the occasion arise.
It was also noted that because the public library falls under Vermont State Law, the state law may, should issues arise, trump school policy.
Mike brought up a concern that there are 7 hours when there is no town library staff at work. Debbie indicated that the school staff knows when to defer questions and concerns of patrons to her.

In the 2005 Fairfax Community Library policy it was stated that the school librarian is the head  of the entire library, including both town and school.  Should there be day by day issues between the two the school librarian would have the final say. The School Board Directors wish to continue in this manner.  Toni brought up the point that this potentially would make the school librarian be answerable  and overseeing all that the town librarian now does, including budgeting, supervising town staff, scheduling employees. This would put the school librarian in a supervisory role  to which she does not have access.  It was noted again, that historically, the town librarian did not have the academic credentials in library science.  The current librarian has academic and professional credentials in her field. They work collaboratively.

A variety of changes were made to the document, many involving changing a word, using the correct terminology,  of deleting sections no longer relevant, such as the sections entitled “Cataloging,” and “Shelving and “Public Relations.” The section “Supervision” is now entitled Safety and Respect. In the section on Confidentiality the specific VT statute number--122.172 was added. The section on Reconsideration  was amended so that the Joint Board and the Superintendent  will have the final say in concerns over a book that has been challenged. Such changes will be found on the Policy when it is finalized.

The Joint Board still needs to discuss Personnel and add to the section on Safety and Respect.  Jesse Cronin suggested that the Board read the S. Burlington Community Library Patron Code of Ethics  to see if the ideas contained therein, and the format, might be applicable to our situation.

The meeting adjourned at 8:55.

The next meeting will be January 8 2015.

Respectfully submitted


Elizabeth Griffin.