HEARTLAND LIBRARY COOPERATIVE BOARD MEETING

November 13, 1996

Heartland Library Cooperative (HLC) governing board members present: Chairman Jeri Canale, Highlands Co.; Vice-Chairman Bonnie Dyga, Okeechobee Co.; Clois Harvey, Okeechobee Co.; Marilyn Buxton, Okeechobee Co.; Gloria Davis, Hardee Co.; Barbara Smith, DeSoto Co.; Paul Erickson, DeSoto Co.; Perry Newport, Highlands Co.; Jeanne Renton, Highlands Co.

Board members absent: Walter Olliff, Jr., Hardee Co.; Sharon Turner, DeSoto Co.; Diana Youmans, Hardee Co.

Other Attendees; Mary Myers, Cooperative Coordinator; Merry Cresswell, L.P. Librarian; Elizabeth Kenney, DeSoto Librarian; Ed Kilroy, Okeechobee Librarian; Dan Dorrell and Mike Carter of Dorrell, Hancock & Carter, CPA's.

Chairman Jeri Canale called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Public notice was read. There were no additions to the agenda. Agenda was approved as read. Minutes of October 2nd meeting were moved for accepted with 3 changes. Page 1- Centrust to Suntrust; concensus to consensus; Page 2- allow to authorize. Seconded and approved.

1. Network Services Manager - Mary Myers reviewed the reasons for the committee's choice of Marcellus Mason Jr. His resume was included in the board packet. Perry Newport moved to approved his hring, seconded. Discussion on employment procedures followed. Mary noted that she will follow the Highlands Co. personnel procedures which use a six month probation period. Part of her job is also to terminate employees. She will inform the board of any termination decision. The motion was carried.

2. Circulation Policies - Board discussion of the recommended policies covered each aspect. Coordinator Myers and librarians Obrakta and Kenney noted that each county library made compromises. There will be no difference, for instance, between a DeSoto patron and a Heartland Cooperative patron. In the near future we will have the same library cards listing all the counties in the Cooperative. For now, each library will issue a free card to any patron from our cooperative counties. The policies of the cooperative must be the same for all to avoid confusion of both patrons and staffs. It was agreed the board can change these policies if a need arises. The circulation policies, just like the long range plans, go before each county's board of commissioners for adoption. Two items were considered for change: rewind fees, and the paragraph giving the libraries the right to change a separate fee if they wished. Perry Newport moved the adoption of the Heartland Library Cooperative circulation policies with: 1- the understanding that they may be revisited; 2- the addition of a .50 rewind fee; 3- removal of the additional library fee changes paragraph. Seconded and carried.

3. Audit Presentation - The letter of understanding concerning the audit services of Dorrell, Hancock & Carter, was discussed with Mr.'s Dorrell and Carter. They said their fees were based on others done in the county that used state grants, and that they would comply with the Auditor General's rules. They would bill less, if less time was used to do the work. Their time depended on how many transactions would take place. Mary noted that our first year would have relatively few transactions. She had budgeted $2,500 for the audit. Mr. Dorrell said they audit employee salaries for the county, so our cooperative employees will be included in that charged to Highlands Co. Only our expenditures will be audited by their company. They will evaluated our internal control system and issue a yearly evaluation. In the light of the expected small number of transactions the first year of the cooperative, Bonnie Dyga moved to accept them as auditors at the budgeted amount of $2.500. Seconded and carried.

4. Monthly Report - Coordinated Mary Myers noted her monthly report will always be included in the pre-meeting information packet. It was noted by Elizabeth Kenney that Tampa Bay Library Consortium (TBLC) had approved our Cooperative's membership Mary informed the board that this membership will OCLC FirstSearch access for us, free training for staff, and free Internet access.

5. Network Installation - Both Mrs. Myers and Mr. Kilroy talked about what we're going to be doing next. Coordinator Myers said we would stay with Galaxy for at least the next year because of the savings. Marcellus Mason hopes to have all installations completed by August of 1997. Ed Kilroy said, the future growth of the cooperative depends on having the best telecommunications system available. Mary Myers said with regulation coming, she would not tie our cooperative to any communications company without an escape clause, because prices are expected to change dramatically with the next year.

6. Bonnie Dyga recommended that we do a news release to local newspapers so our county residents know what this cooperative is doing.

7. Next meeting date is set for January 15, 3rd Wednesday, 10 a.m. Lake Placid Memorial Library meeting room.

Meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn L. Hesselink

Administrative Secretary