Ann Arbor District Library trustees Ed Surovell and Margaret Leary at the board’s May 19, 2014 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

The rate of 1.55 mills is also lower than the 1.92 mills that the library is authorized to levy. The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. No one spoke during a public hearing on the budget that was held during the May 19 meeting.

The budget includes a 3% raise for AADL director Josie Parker, increasing her current salary of $143,114. As part of an annual director’s evaluation, board president Prue Rosenthal read aloud a letter from the board that praised Parker for her work and accomplishments.

Related to infrastructure, trustees authorized Parker to negotiate with Ann Arbor-based O’Neal Construction Inc. for work related to the downtown library entrance. O’Neal would be contracted to provide construction management services for the entrance’s renovation. This is the next step in a process that began several months ago, with construction to begin this summer.

The board also got an update from Parker about the public elevator for the downtown library, which is out of service. It’s expected to cost about $100,000 to repair and will take several months to fix. That work will also take place this summer, and requires closing the lower level of the building, where many public events are held.

The May 19 meeting included approval of contracts for janitorial services and HVAC maintenance, for three-year periods. Also approved was the renewal of a space-use agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library. FAADL operates a bookstore at the downtown library, with proceeds given to AADL.

The board also got a monthly update on library statistics, “top Tweets” and a viewing of a new video to promote AADL’s summer game, which starts on Friday, June 13, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 31. The video was produced by AADL staff and 7 Cylinders Studio.

2014-15 Budget

The May 19 agenda included authorization of the library’s fiscal 2014-15 budget with a millage rate of 1.55 mills – unchanged from the current rate. [.pdf of budget summary from AADL board meeting packet]

Prue Rosenthal, AADL board president.

The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels. The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees. Salaries, wages and benefits account for the largest portion of the budget expenditures – a projected $8.048 million in fiscal 2014-15. The budget also includes a 3% increase in the library’s contribution to employee health care costs. Other major line items include materials ($1.75 million); utilities ($448,000); programming ($320,000); and repair/maintenance ($312,000).

The legal expense line item is increasing from a budgeted $50,000 this year to $96,000 in FY 2014-15. That reflects the start of union contract negotiations.

The board held a public hearing on the budget on May 19, but no one spoke. Trustees had been briefed on a draft budget at their April 21, 2014 meeting,

2014-15 Budget: Board Discussion

Discussion was brief. Margaret Leary asked about the 3% increase in the merit raise pool, suggesting that the language in the budget packet could be clarified. AADL director Josie Parker explained that the entire available pool of funding for merit pay will be increased by 3%, but it doesn’t mean that all workers will get a 3% raise. Staff could receive varying increases, depending on their performance – some might be higher than 3%, some might be lower.

Rebecca Head highlighted the fact that the board is not levying the full amount of the millage that it is authorized to levy. Leary noted that this is the same millage rate that was levied last year.

Outcome: On three separate unanimous votes, the board approved the budget, set the millage rate, and designated the budget as a line-item budget with a policy for disbursements.

Downtown Library Entrance

The board was asked to authorize the library director, Josie Parker, to negotiate with Ann Arbor-based O’Neal Construction Inc. for work related to the downtown library entrance. O’Neal would be contracted to provide construction management services. This is the next step in a process that began several months ago, stemming from the need to replace the entrance doors.

Rendering of the new design for the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building entrance. (Image by InForm Studio.)

At the board’s April 21, 2014 meeting, the board had authorized Parker to hire a construction manager for the project. At that meeting, trustees also allocated $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, gave an update on the process at that same meeting.

The existing teal porcelain panels that wrap around the front facade, part of architect Alden Dow’s original design from the mid-1950s, will be replaced with a “concrete skin” panel. The entrance will continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building. A heated sidewalk is proposed along the exterior edge of the steps.

The new design also will address accessibility concerns that have been raised by the public.

The overall project is now expected to cost about $250,000.

Downtown Library Entrance: Public Commentary

During public commentary at the start of the May 19 meeting, Don Salberg read from the library’s purchasing policy, as adopted by the library board in December 1995, with revisions in September 1996, August 2001, and June 2006. It states that the library will encourage, by any legitimate means, active and vigorous competition for library district business, he said. Salberg also read an excerpt stating that if the cost of goods, supplies or services can reasonably be expected to exceed $27,000 then specifications shall be prepared describing the type of goods, supplies or services that might be needed.

He said he was reviewing the policy because he doesn’t think it’s being used in the selection of a construction firm for the front entrance work. The AADL director has told him that no RFP (request for proposals) will be issued, Salberg said, although the work is expected to cost more than $27,000. “I ask the library board to insist that the executive director follow its own purchasing policies and ensure that the selection of the construction firm for replacing the front of the library will be decided by competitive bidding, if bids are submitted by more than one firm.”

This process would allow for local firms to compete, Salberg said, which he noted may not have been the case previously when the library hired Allerton-Hill consultants of Columbus, Ohio, Lansing-based EPIC-MRA, and InForm Studio of Northville. “The Ann Arbor community will benefit if its tax dollars are retained by contracting with local companies,” Salberg concluded.

Downtown Library Entrance: Board Discussion

During her report from the board’s facilities committee, Margaret Leary noted that the work with O’Neal is not for construction of the whole project, but rather for the project’s management. The facilities committee was recommending approval of the resolution.

Nancy Kaplan.

Ed Surovell, another facilities committee member, asked AADL director Josie Parker to respond to Don Salberg’s public commentary. Parker replied that the construction manager has oversight for the project. They look at construction documents, determine whether the design is feasible, and work with architects on the project’s budget. The construction manager then bids the work, she said, and subsequently manages the project as construction takes place. “They make sure it’s done on time, in sequence,” Parker said. The construction manager handles the permitting process, inspections, stormwater mitigation, safety, and any other aspect of the project.

Parker also noted that the construction manager will be responsible for helping AADL stay open during the project.

Surovell confirmed with Parker that the three new library branches – Malletts Creek, Pittsfield, Traverwood – were handled in the same way. Skanska was construction manager for Malletts Creek and Pittsfield, and O’Neal was construction manager for Traverwood.

Leary stressed that the library has extensive experience with O’Neal that’s been very satisfactory. She noted that Parker had requested qualifications from O’Neal, which had in turn been provided to the facilities committee.

Parker pointed out that the library policies allow for a request for qualifications (RFQ) to be used rather than a request for proposals (RFP) for this type of work.

Nancy Kaplan noted that O’Neal is a local firm, based in Ann Arbor.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the resolution authorizing Parker to negotiate with O’Neal Construction for construction management services.

Director’s Evaluation

Earlier in the meeting, the board met in closed session to discuss the director’s evaluation. Barbara Murphy, chair of the director’s evaluation committee, attended that session but left before the rest of the board meeting due to illness. Other committee members are Jan Barney Newman and Rebecca Head.

AADL director Josie Parker.

Prue Rosenthal, board president, read aloud a letter that outlined Parker’s accomplishments, including her appointment to the state Commission for Blind Persons and the fact that no union grievances were filed this year. [.pdf of letter]

For the past four years, given the economic climate, Parker has requested that her salary remain unchanged, and the board has agreed. This year, the board is giving her a 3% raise. Her salary prior to the raise is $143,114.

The board gave Parker a round of applause.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Later in the meeting, the board voted to go into closed session at the start of their next meeting, on June 16, for the purpose of continued discussion of the director’s evaluation. This session was at Parker’s request.

Director’s Report

AADL director Josie Parker congratulated staff for putting on Visions 2014, a vendor fair held on May 14 at Washtenaw Community College for people who are blind and physically handicapped. About 500 people attended, from as far away as Grand Rapids, Gaylord, Toledo and Detroit. Parker said that consumers and their caregivers told her how difficult it is to get information about these services, especially for people who live in rural Michigan or Ohio, so they appreciated the vendor fair. “Right now, there’s nothing else like it in Michigan,” she said.

The event also drew librarians and staff from the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons. Parker pointed out that the event included a contractor from the Business Enterprise Program (BEP), which the bureau oversees, to manage the food vendors.

In particular, Parker praised AADL managers Terry Soave and Tim Grimes, who held the most responsibility for the event. Soave is the library’s outreach & neighborhood services manager. Grimes serves as manager of community relations and marketing. They received a round of applause from the board.

Director’s Report: Elevator Repair

Parker also reported that the public elevator for the downtown library isn’t working. It’s the same problem that took the freight elevator out of commission a couple of years ago, she said. Leaks had developed in the hydraulic piston, causing it to fail a weight test.

Ed Surovell.

It will cost about $100,000 to repair, and AADL is working with Schindler Elevators on the project. The work will be more difficult to manage because it’s in the public space, she noted. The repair work will be staged in the building’s lower level, but there will be noise and some emissions when the workers are welding.

Parker said that when workers remove the piston that operates the elevator – buried deep underground – dirt falls into the hole. Depending on how compacted it is, workers will need to drill down to remove the dirt. That drilling is what causes most of the noise and vibration, she said. The new piston will be brought in as 15-foot segments through the front entry, she said, but that will likely occur before the library opens in the morning.

The elevator won’t likely be functional until the end of August, Parker said. There won’t be public access to the lower level during the work, so programming that’s scheduled there will have to be moved. It’s helpful that the bookstore operated in the lower level by the Friends of the AADL isn’t open during the summer, she said.

For people who can’t use the stairs, they can ask the library staff to escort them to the freight elevator. That’s coordinated with security staff, Parker said. Everyone else will be using the stairs.

Parker pointed out that this work will be occurring while the front entry renovations are underway. That’s why the oversight of O’Neal Construction is more important than ever, she said.

Agreement with FAADL

A resolution was on the May 19 agenda to extend the Ann Arbor District Library’s space-use agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library for one year. The current agreement expired on May 21. [.pdf of agreement]

FAADL operates a used bookstore in the lower level of the downtown branch at 343 S. Fifth Ave. Proceeds of the store – about $90,000 annually – are given to the library.

Agreement with FAADL: Board Discussion

Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, noted that this item had been reviewed by committee members on May 8. At that same meeting, the committee discussed the desire by FAADL to have the carpet replaced in the bookshop. Under terms of the agreement, that’s the responsibility of the library, she noted. So the library will be replacing the carpet sometime this summer, along with carpet in other areas of the downtown library.

AADL director Josie Parker noted that work to repair the public elevator will be staged in the lower level, so the timing of the carpet replacement will be pushed back a bit. She reported that all of the carpet in the lower level – including the multi-purpose room, where events are held – will be replaced.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the agreement with FAADL.

Finance Report

Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, presented the April 2014 financial report at the May 19 meeting. That job was previously done by Ken Nieman, associate director of finance, HR and operations, whose last day was May 2. Nieman took a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California.

Eli Neiburger.

AADL director Josie Parker thanked Neiburger for stepping in, saying he’s working hard to make this transition seamless for the board. [.pdf of finance report]

Through April 30, the library has received 98.4% of its budgeted tax revenue for the fiscal year. The library had $10.076 million in unrestricted cash at the end of April, with a fund balance of $8.433 million, up from $8.415 million a month ago. Neiburger noted that it’s not common for the fund balance to increase in any given month, but there’ve been several retirements resulting in some open positions, “so salary expenditure is uncommonly low for this month.”

Four line items – purchased services, software, copier expenses, and supplies – are over budget, but are expected to come back in line by the end of AADL’s fiscal year on June 30. Purchased services are slightly over budget because the library paid for a survey in March. Software reflects a $66,000 purchase made every July for a library automation system, and copier expenses include a semi-annual payment made each September. Several supply purchases were made in April to carry through until the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Neiburger noted that these are the same items that are mentioned every month.

There were no questions from the board. Ed Surovell commented that he appreciated the details about the line items that are over budget, saying that it’s helpful for the public to know.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Service Contracts

Two service contracts – for janitorial work and HVAC maintenance – were on the agenda for board approval. Both contracts are for three-year periods.

Margaret Leary, Ann Arbor District Library, The Ann Arbor Chronicle

Staff and the facilities committee recommended awarding R.N.A. Janitorial a contract through fiscal 2016-17 for a total of $476,748. The current contract expires on June 30, 2014 – the end of the current fiscal year.

Three bids were received for this work, including one from Pioneer Janitorial. The library currently contracts with both Pioneer and R.N.A. for janitorial services. The bid from Pioneer was significantly higher, at $584,618 for the three-year period. Library staff believed that the lowest bidder – CITI Building Services, at $437,115 – did not understand the full scope of the work. [.pdf of staff memo for janitorial services]

For HVAC equipment maintenance and repair, the board was asked to approve a contract with Shambaugh & Son for $259,240 over a three-year period. Shambaugh was the lowest of three bidders. They also hold the current contract with AADL for this work. The new contract would begin on July 1, 2014. [.pdf of staff memo for HVAC contract]

Service Contracts: Board Discussion

Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, explained that the contract for janitorial services was put out for bids. The library staff had a pre-bid discussion with bidders, and felt that CITI representatives didn’t understand the scope of work for maintaining public buildings like those operated by AADL. She noted that R.N.A.’s bid was significantly lower than Pioneer’s.

The rationale for using two firms in the past – R.N.A. and Pioneer – was that it would provide some flexibility and backup, in case one company wasn’t able to do the work, Leary explained. “As a practical matter, that’s never happened,” she added. It was cheaper to just use R.N.A., and its past work has been satisfactory, she said.

Regarding the HVAC contract, Leary noted that it had also been reviewed by the facilities committee. Shambaugh & Son has provided satisfactory service in the past and was the lowest bidder.

Leary pointed out that the board always has the option of rejecting the bids and re-bidding the work. She stressed that it shows the board is serious about putting items out for bid and considering the financial and performance aspects of the bidders.

Outcome: In separate votes, the board unanimously approved both contracts.

Library Stats

The board is provided with monthly library statistics in five categories: Collections, users, visits, usage and participation. The data is compared to year-ago figures, when available. The information was presented by Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development.

AADL collections data: April 2014.

AADL users data: April 2014.

AADL visits data: April 2014.

AADL usage data: April 2014.

AADL participation data: April 2014.

Here are some highlights from Neiburger’s commentary:

• Collections: AADL staff is doing “some serious weeding of parts of the collection that haven’t circulated in a long time,” Neiburger said. So for the first time in many months, the number of books slightly decreased in April compared to March – 415,251 compared to 415,391. It still shows a slight increase compared to a year ago, however. Neiburger noted that Overdrive – a business that provides electronic books to public libraries, which AADL accesses through its membership in the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services – has upgraded recently. The upgrade has made it difficult to tell how many items are in the collection, he said, so this month there’s a question mark for that data point.
• Users: Thanks to efforts of the outreach department, Neiburger said, the number of business/organization cardholders is up 51% compared to a year ago. On the digital side, the number of unique users of AADL’s website is up 16%. He noted that they weren’t able to identify the number of robots that accessed the site in April, “so score one for the robots.”
• Visits: Door visits were down in April for all but the Traverwood branch, which Neiburger attributed to the cold weather and snow. The total number of page visits on AADL’s website increased 22%.
• Usage: Decreases in usage were also attributed to the bad weather in April. Neiburger noted that the 71% drop in webpage usage compared to last year is due to the optimization of pages, resulting in fewer pages per visit. You can view more results on a single page, which causes a drop in the number of webpages viewed. Video usage is up 467%.
• Participation: Meetups increased 51% in April, due in part to a couple of big events, including FoolMoon, which drew a lot of people despite the foul weather. “We had hail in the middle of the event,” Neiburger said. “I told my staff that the last time I was standing in weather like that and not running away I was wearing a tuba and a marching band uniform.”

Neiburger also gave highlights of some “Top Tweets” that mentioned @aadl during April, and showed a video to promote and explain AADL’s popular summer game. Neiburger noted that the game is “very much about immersing in pop culture,” so there are lots of references to that within the video to explain how the game works. The video is posted on AADL’s website. It was produced by AADL staff and 7 Cylinders Studio.

Screenshot from the AADL’s summer game video. The fourth-floor boardroom of the downtown library has been slightly transformed.

Committee Reports

The board has seven committees: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation, executive, and strategic plan. Because membership on each committee consists of only three trustees, which is fewer than a quorum of the board, the meetings are not required to be open to the public under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The board has the option of making its committee meetings open to the public, but has chosen not to do so.

On May 19, four committee reports were given – finance, communications, director’s evaluation, and facilities. The director’s evaluation report is summarized earlier in this article.

Committee Reports: Finance

Chair Jan Barney Newman said the finance committee met to discuss the budget and the positions that the library will be filling. She did not elaborate. Other committee members are Barbara Murphy and Nancy Kaplan.

Committee Reports: Communications

Rebecca Head, chair of the communications committee, reported that the committee met on May 9. Other members are Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal. They talked with Krysia Hepatica, the library’s new social media and marketing technician.

Rebecca Head.

They also reviewed the AADL newsletter, which is in production and will be mailed soon to residents in AADL’s district. It will focus on recent survey results, she said. [The survey had been conducted in February by EPIC-MRA. The board was briefed on the results by Bernie Porn – president of the Lansing-based firm – at their March 17, 2014 meeting.] The second newsletter will go out in September.

The committee also discussed an upcoming AADL board candidate event that will be held prior to the November 2014 election. That will be discussed in more detail at a later date, Head reported. [This year, terms for three board members expire: Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, and Ed Surovell. In addition, Nancy Kaplan is running for Ward 2 city council in the August Democratic primary. She has indicated that she'll resign from the AADL board if she wins. The library trustees are non-partisan positions.]

Committee Reports: Facilities

Margaret Leary, who chairs the facilities committee, reported that they reviewed several items that were subsequently brought forward as resolutions that night, including recommendations for the downtown building’s front entrance renovation, janitorial services, and an HVAC contract. Other committee members are Ed Surovell and Jan Barney Newman.

Public Commentary

Two people spoke during public commentary on May 19. Don Salberg’s commentary is reported earlier in this article.

Lyn Davidge thanked the board for continuing, as they did last year, to hold their summer meetings at AADL branches. Last summer she noticed that there were new faces at some of those meetings, and good turnouts. As the library thinks of ways to better communicate with the public, it’s important to get out and be visible and make it easier for people to know what the board is doing, she said.

However, Davidge told trustees she’s disappointed that the board is meeting at the branches only three times. So she urged them to look ahead as they set their meeting schedule for 2015, and hold more meetings outside of the downtown location.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell.

Absent: Barbara Murphy.

Next regular meeting: Monday, June 16, 2014 at 7 p.m. at the Traverwood Branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive (at Huron Parkway), Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels. The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees. Salaries, wages and benefits account for the largest portion of the budget expenditures – a projected $8.048 million in fiscal 2014-15. The budget also includes a 3% increase in the library’s contribution to employee health care costs. Other major line items include materials ($1.75 million); utilities ($448,000); programming ($320,000); and repair/maintenance ($312,000).

The legal expense line item is increasing from a budgeted $50,000 this year to $96,000 in FY 2014-15. That reflects the start of union contract negotiations.

The budget and millage rate were approved in separate votes. A third vote designated the budget as a line-item budget with a policy for disbursements. All votes were unanimous.

The board also held a public hearing on the budget, but no one spoke.

This brief was filed from the fourth floor boardroom of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Ken Nieman, AADL’s outgoing associate director of finance, HR and operations, has taken a job as CFO of the public library in Sonoma County, California. His last day at AADL is May 2. (Photos by the writer.)

The proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget – for the 12 months starting July 1, 2014 – is based on a levy of 1.55 mills, unchanged from the current rate. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels. The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in the district’s property tax base.

The board is expected to vote on the budget at its May 19 meeting.

Related to the redesigned downtown library’s front entrance, the board authorized the library director, Josie Parker, to hire a construction manager for the project. Board members also allocated $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, has been working on this project for several months. An update was given most recently at the board’s March 17, 2014 meeting.

Before taking action, the board heard from InForm Studio’s Cory Lavigne, who presented a revised design for the project, based on feedback from board members and the public. A large translucent sign that had previously been part of the design is now eliminated, after some board members voiced concerns about security issues that it might cause. A bench in front of the building – originally part of the proposed design – has been removed. Instead, a sign that’s low to the ground is proposed in that location.

The existing teal porcelain panels that wrap around the front facade, part of architect Alden Dow’s original design from the mid-1950s, will be replaced with a “concrete skin” panel. The entrance will continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building.

Lavigne reviewed several other changes, some of which addressed accessibility concerns that were raised in the preliminary design. A heated sidewalk is proposed along the exterior edge of the steps.

The board spent several minutes discussing a suggestion from Ed Surovell, who wanted more than just one flagpole in front of the building. Trustees reached consensus for the details to be worked out by the architect and the facilities committee, on which Surovell serves. Other members of the facilities committee are Margaret Leary and Jan Barney Newman.

The April 21 meeting also marked some transitions in top administrative positions. Associate director Ken Nieman, who has worked at AADL for 14 years, has taken a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California. His last day at AADL will be May 2. That will also be the last day for human resources manager DeAnn Doll, who’s been with AADL for about 15 years. She has accepted a job as director of human resources for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida.

Earlier this year, Celeste Choate – AADL’s former associate director of services, collections and access – was hired as executive director of the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Illinois. She started that position on April 1.

At the April 21 meeting, AADL director Josie Parker noted that change is a constant, “and while we miss people, we look forward to the opportunities that change brings us.”

Downtown Library Front Entrance

The agenda included a resolution that took several steps on renovations of the downtown library entrance.

Rendering of the new design for the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building entrance. (Image by InForm Studio.)

It would authorize the library director, Josie Parker, to hire a construction manager for the project, and allocate $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents. InForm Studio, the architecture firm that previously designed AADL’s Traverwood branch, has been working on this project for several months. An update was given most recently at the board’s March 17, 2014 meeting.

Parker has previously expressed her intent that the cost of the project be kept under $250,000. Approval of the construction budget would come at a later date.

Margaret Leary, chair of the board’s facilities committee, told trustees that Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio met with the committee for a couple of hours on April 8. The committee – including board members Ed Surovell and Jan Barney Newman – had discussed feedback from a March 13 public forum as well as board discussions. Lavigne presented a revised design to committee members, who discussed it and made some tweaks. That design was now being brought before the board.

At the April 21 board meeting, Lavigne reviewed the new design, noting that many of the changes relate to handicap accessibility, safety, and aspects of maintaining the integrity of architect Alden Dow’s original design.

Cory Lavigne of InForm Studio.

The existing teal porcelain metal panels will be removed and replaced with a “concrete skin” rainscreen panel that wraps around the front. Exposed concrete and wood will be incorporated into the soffit of the existing canopy, to add some warmth and color to that element, he said, and to tie in with the brick on the building. Stainless steel will be used in some of the handrails and signs.

A large translucent sign that had previously been part of the design is now eliminated, after some board members voiced concerns about security issues that it might cause. A bench in front of the building – originally part of the proposed design – has been removed. Instead, a sign that’s low to the ground is proposed in that location. Some internally lit translucent material will be used in that sign, Lavigne said. There will also be ground lighting to illuminate the sign.

He described the sign as a design that’s “very civic and formal, and yet retains a new, modern edge which ties into the new materials that we’re using.” The sign will pick up on material in an existing greenish slate wall, using a bluestone material with a somewhat rough finish – with an unpolished surface.

The entrance will continue to be oriented to South Fifth Avenue, with new doors into the building. Leading from the front of the building into the vestibule will be two balanced double doors, which will be easier to open than the existing entry, and a single automatic door that can be opened with a handicap-accessible panel. A matching set of these doors will lead from the vestibule to the interior of the building. The balanced doors would have a six-foot opening. The single door would have a three-foot opening.

Lavigne also described the sloped access to the entrance from Library Lane to the north. There will be stainless steel handrails on both sides of the walkway. The slope has about a 3% incline, he noted. Building code requires handrails for a 5% incline, but the library is choosing to put in handrails as a precaution, even though it’s not required.

On the south side of the building, coming from William Street, there will be a concrete retaining wall that curves around a flagpole and an address sign. New handrails will be installed on the sloping walkway, which has a 2.9% incline.

Margaret Leary, chair of the AADL board’s facilities committee.

A landscaping area on the northern side has been reconfigured, based on feedback from University of Michigan architecture professor Doug Kelbaugh. It will be edged with bluestone material to frame in the area, which will have native grasses and wildflowers that don’t require a lot of maintenance. Existing stormwater drainage will spill into the planter bed, so there will be no need for irrigation, Lavigne said.

The design calls for a heated sidewalk along the exterior edge of the front steps. The walkway under the existing canopy would not be heated – because there’s no need for it, Lavigne said.

Lavigne said that InForm Studio is talking with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority about incorporating the public sidewalk in front of the entrance – on city property – into the project, to eliminate an “awkward” step up from South Fifth Avenue. “It’s quite a drop from the existing curb,” he noted.

AADL director Josie Parker stressed that InForm Studio, not the library itself, is discussing this possibility with the DDA. She noted that eliminating the step at the street would likely require adding another step on the library property – from three steps to four. “The grade has to come from somewhere,” she said.

Steps leading up to the entrance would have handrails at intermediate spots. The flagpole will be lit with an in-ground LED fixture, as would a sign providing the street address.

Lavigne said they’re also considering a new sign that would be high on the library’s west facade, and lit.

Downtown Library Front Entrance: Board Discussion

Barbara Murphy asked about the street address sign. It appeared to be bigger and more prominent than the sign with the AADL name, she said. “I would venture to say that 99% of the people in Ann Arbor, including library staff, have no idea what 343 means.” [The street address is 343 South Fifth Avenue.] She proposed that it be made less prominent than the sign with AADL’s name.

Nancy Kaplan asked for clarification about the front railings. Lavigne explained that there would be a handrail on the northern edge of the steps, next to the landscape plantings. Two additional handrails would line up with the entry doors, and a fourth handrail would be on the far south edge of the steps. The handrails will extend a foot beyond the edge of the steps at the top and bottom.

AADL trustees Rebecca Head and Ed Surovell.

Kaplan also asked about the cost of the balanced doors. Lavigne replied that they are about three times more expensive than regular doors. AADL director Josie Parker said the balanced doors are much easier to use. Because the downtown library entrance is heavily used, “we need the best doors that we can afford,” she said.

Ed Surovell proposed including additional flagpoles, rather than just one. The flagpoles could fly the U.S. flag, the state of Michigan flag, and then a possible third flag that might vary, he said. Responding to a query from Murphy, Parker reported that the existing flag flies continuously – it’s not taken down at night. Lavigne indicated that putting in three flagpoles would be possible.

Margaret Leary said she didn’t want to confuse people by flying the flag for the city of Ann Arbor. “We are in Ann Arbor, but we are not a city library,” she said. “I love the city flag – whatever it is – but the state, the U.S., and the AADL flags are fine with me.”

Surovell said the third flag could be the block M on University of Michigan game days, or flags representing the countries of visiting speakers. “There are lots of things you can do with it,” he said.

Kaplan noted that the proposed entrance design is very clean and uncluttered, and she didn’t want the flagpoles to interfere with that.

Trustees reached consensus for the details to be worked out by the architect and the facilities committee, on which Surovell serves. Other members of the facilities committee are Leary and Jan Barney Newman.

Downtown Library Front Entrance: Resolution

Margaret Leary read the proposed resolution. It authorized the library director, Josie Parker, to continue working with InForm Studio on the next phase of the project, and to hire a construction manager. The resolution also approved the allocation of $18,580 from the fund balance to pay InForm Studio for construction documents.

Barbara Murphy clarified that the construction manager would produce the estimated cost for completing the project. Leary noted that the board will be required to vote on the funding for that work.

Outcome: The resolution was passed unanimously.

2014-15 Budget

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – presented the proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget, which is based on a levy of 1.55 mills, unchanged from the current rate. The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

Ken Nieman.

He began by noting that the original draft budget had been based on a projected 1.5% increase in the tax base. But subsequently, Washtenaw County’s equalization report was released, showing that the increase in AADL’s district is 2.4% for 2014. So the board was provided with an updated budget summary based on that new information. [.pdf of updated draft budget summary] [.pdf of original draft budget, with additional line-item details] The budget reflects $12.568 million in revenues, up from $12.471 million in the current fiscal year.

The budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees. Salaries, wages and benefits account for the largest portion of the budget expenditures – a projected $8.048 million in fiscal 2014-15. The budget also includes a 3% increase in the library’s contribution to employee health care costs. Other major line items include materials ($1.75 million); utilities ($448,000); programming ($320,000); and repair/maintenance ($312,000).

The legal expense line item is increasing from a budgeted $50,000 this year to $96,000 in FY 2014-15. That reflects the start of union contract negotiations, Nieman said.

He described it as “a fairly normal budget, as things go, since we stopped building buildings.” Nieman, who was attending his last board meeting, received a round of applause from trustees.

2014-15 Budget: Board Discussion

Barbara Murphy clarified with AADL director Josie Parker that a budget adjustment would be required when the board decides to move ahead with the front entrance renovation. The funding for that project would be drawn from the library’s fund balance.

Margaret Leary clarified with Parker that expenses for outreach, such as newsletters and other mailings to residents, would be included in the library programming line item, not the communications line item. The programming line item is increasing by $85,000 compared to the current fiscal year.

Ed Surovell asked about the impact of changes to the personal property tax. Nieman replied that at the AADL’s current levy of 1.55 mills, an elimination of the PPT – if it were not replaced in some way – would mean a loss of $635,000 in revenues. In August of 2014, voters statewide will be asked to approve a shift in “use tax” dollars that would replace the personal property tax revenue. Nieman said the 2014-15 budget assumes there will be no change in the amount of revenues related to the PPT.

Parker said that if any changes in projected tax revenues occur during the fiscal year, the library would tap its fund balance. For the next budget approval process, a year from now, one option would be to increase the library’s levy to make up the loss.

Parker noted that there’s an upcoming public forum on the PPT sponsored by the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce. The April 28 luncheon event starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel, 3200 Boardwalk St. Speakers include state Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-District 18) and Mike Johnston, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Outcome: This was not a voting item. The board is expected to vote on the budget at its meeting on May 19.

Audit Services

The board was asked to approve an extension of the audit services contract with the accounting firm Rehmann, for the period of a year beyond the hiring of a new comptroller. The extension would be until June 30, 2015 for a fee of $10,150. AADL director Josie Parker told the board that the contract extension comes in the context of Ken Nieman’s departure, to provide some continuity in the accounting process.

Outcome: Trustees unanimously approved the resolution regarding Rehmann’s contract extension.

Finance Report

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – gave a brief report on the March 2014 financial statements. [.pdf of finance report]

Through March 31, the library has received 98% of its budgeted tax receipts for the fiscal year. The library had $11.038 million in unrestricted cash at the end of March, with a fund balance of $8.415 million.

Three line items – purchased services, software, and copier expenses – are over budget, but are expected to come back in line by the end of AADL’s fiscal year on June 30, according to Nieman. There was nothing out of the ordinary during the month, he said.

There were no questions for Nieman, but board members thanked him for his service to AADL.

Director’s Report

In addition to items in her written report, AADL director Josie Parker highlighted an award for environmental excellence in water quality protection that the library recently received from the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner’s office. Board president Prue Rosenthal read aloud some remarks from water resources commissioner Evan Pratt, describing why AADL had received the award. It included the fact that AADL has been a Community Partner for Clean Streams since 2004, and has helped educate the community about climate change, energy use, and threats to water quality.

From left: AADL director Josie Parker and board president Prue Rosenthal.

The library hosted a sustainability forum, in collaboration with the city of Ann Arbor, and has made a commitment to sustainable infrastructure design. The Malletts Creek, Pittsfield and Traverwood branches were designed to reduce environmental impacts. The Malletts Creek branch, for example, incorporates solar heat, natural daylighting, convection cooling and recycled materials. The branch’s landscaping, including a green roof, is designed for stormwater management.

Margaret Leary pointed out that the three branches highlighted in this award are the three new buildings constructed since 2004. “When we build new, we build environmentally wonderful buildings,” she said.

Parker also called out some parts of her written report. [.pdf of director's report] She highlighted visits from the vice director of China’s Heilongjiang Provincial Library, and the American Library Association president Barbara Stripling. Parker said she was proud that AADL was the host library for both those events in one week.

Library Stats

Each month, the board is provided with library statistics in five categories: Collections, users, visits, usage and participation. The data is compared to year-ago figures, when available. The information was presented by Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development.

AADL collections data: March 2014.

AADL users data: March 2014.

AADL visits data: March 2014.

AADL usage data: March 2014.

AADL participation data: March 2014.

Neiburger reviewed highlights of this information, and also showed the board about two dozen examples of Tweets that mentioned @aadl during the months of February and March. In response to a query from Ed Surovell, Neiburger said there are up to 10 Tweets a day that mention or favorite @aadl. In that case, Surovell said, “reading them is not an insurmountable task.”

Here are some examples mentioned in Neiburger’s presentation:

Tweet about AADL’s deal with Ghostly International.

Tweet about Go Ice Cream unveiling a vegan flavor at AADL.

Tweet highlighting David Erik Nelson’s Chronicle column about the library.

Committee Reports

The board has seven committees: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation, executive, and strategic plan. Because membership on each committee consists of only three trustees, which is fewer than a quorum of the board, the meetings are not required to be open to the public under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The board has the option of making its committee meetings open to the public, but has chosen not to do so.

On April 21, four committee reports were given – finance, communications, director’s evaluation, and facilities. The facilities committee report is included as part of this article’s section on the downtown front entrance design.

Committee Reports: Finance

Chair Jan Barney Newman said the committee hasn’t met since the previous board meeting, but will be getting together soon to review the budget before the May board meeting. Other committee members are Barbara Murphy and Nancy Kaplan.

Committee Reports: Communications

Chair Rebecca Head said the committee has now met with all city councilmembers to discuss issues related to the future of the city-owned Library Lane lot north of the downtown library. The committee also talked about results of the recent EPIC-MRA survey, which had been presented to the whole board on March 17, 2014. The committee discussed what the next steps will be. [.pdf of 2014 survey results] [.pdf of 2014 results compared to 2012] Head said the committee might hold off on that process until a replacement is hired for Ken Nieman, AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations. Nieman’s last day is May 2.

Other communications committee members are Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal.

Committee Reports: Director’s Evaluation

Barbara Murphy, the committee’s chair, reported that the group met to review a draft evaluation of AADL director Josie Parker. The May board meeting will include a closed session for the evaluation. The committee members are Murphy, Jan Barney Newman and Rebecca Head.

Administrative Transitions

Two top AADL administrators will be leaving the organization in early May. The departures were discussed at the board’s April 21 meeting.

From left: AADL trustees Nancy Kaplan and Barbara Murphy.

Ken Nieman, the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations, has taken a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California. AADL Josie Parker noted that they both started working at the Ann Arbor library 14 years ago. Parker was appointed director two years later, she said, and “Ken has pretty much taught me what I know about municipal finance and budgets.”

When she was offered the job of director, Parker asked Nieman if he’d stay at least a year longer to help with the transition. “He came here to solve a big giant problem, and he did it,” Parker told the board. “It never occurred to me that he’d stay, and he has – for a dozen years.” [Parker was referring to financial issues under the library’s previous leadership that included a deficit of nearly $1 million in 2000. Later that year, the library’s former financial director, Don Dely, was found guilty of embezzling $119,387 from the library from 1997 to 2000, according to a report in the Ann Arbor News.]

Prue Rosenthal said she’d miss watching Nieman’s face “when somebody is saying something that is not sensible, or is not smart, or is going on too long, or is upsetting him – which doesn’t happen often but does happen occasionally.” She thanked him for working with the board to help them understand the budget.

Nancy Kaplan, a member of the board’s finance committee, also thanked Nieman for his help, saying it was a pleasure to work with him.

Parker announced that human resources manager DeAnn Doll, who’s been with AADL for about 15 years, has accepted a job as director of human resources for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida. Her last day will also be May 2.

Change is constant, Parker noted, “and while we miss people, we look forward to the opportunities that change brings us.”

Rosenthal characterized it as a “feather in the cap” for AADL to have its employees to move on to jobs at larger institutions. “And warmer climates,” quipped Jan Barney Newman.

Later in the meeting, the board also passed a resolution of appreciation for Patti Miller, who retired on April 11 after 18 years of service at AADL in the former acquisitions department, which is now called collections management.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell.

Next regular meeting: Monday, May 19, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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The $12.568 million budget assumes a 2.4% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees. Salaries, wages and benefits account for the largest portion of the budget expenditures – a projected $8.048 million in fiscal 2014-15. Other major line items include materials ($1.75 million); utilities ($448,000); programming ($320,000); and repair/maintenance ($312,000).

The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The board is expected to vote on the budget at its meeting on May 19.

Ken Nieman – the library’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – made the budget presentation. April 21 was his last board meeting at AADL, as he’ll be taking a job as CFO for the public library in Sonomo County, California. Nieman has worked at AADL for 14 years. His last day there will be May 2.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor boardroom of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

One of two video cameras used to record the May 6, 2013 AADL board meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Nancy Kaplan, chair of the board’s budget & finance committee, said the committee met after the April 15, 2013 board meeting and discussed concerns that had been raised about the proposal to levy a slightly higher millage rate of 1.575 mills. She noted that administration had proposed cuts to allow the rate to remain unchanged.

The main reduction in expenses came from the materials line item, with nearly $100,000 saved by switching from RFID to bar code technology for handling circulation. AADL director Josie Parker stressed that the library is able to secure those savings without impacting the purchase of materials for its collection.

In addition to the budget, the board also approved a one-year extension on the space-use agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library, which operates a used bookstore in the lower level of AADL’s downtown branch at 343 S. Fifth Ave. Proceeds of the store are given to the library.

The board was briefed on a proposal that they’ll be voting on next month to upgrade the fiber-optic infrastructure for the Pittsfield branch. Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and production, described that location at 2359 Oak Valley Drive as a “bandwidth backwater,” with about 2% of the Internet connectivity speed compared to other AADL locations. The recommendation is to hire the nonprofit Merit Network to build and maintain a connection from the branch to Merit’s existing high-speed network. The contract includes a one-time cost of $112,150 and ongoing annual costs of $2,625.

The May 6 session also included two statements from board president Prue Rosenthal, which she read aloud during the meeting. One was a letter from the board to Parker, following her annual evaluation. The board praised Parker’s work over the past year, including the recognition and leadership of Parker and her staff at the state, national and international levels. At Parker’s request, her salary was unchanged for the fourth consecutive year.

Rosenthal’s second statement, read early in the meeting, was in response to issues raised at previous meetings during public commentary about the board’s compliance with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. The board is scrupulous about adhering to the letter and spirit of the law, Rosenthal stated.

At the end of the meeting, resident David Diephuis responded to Rosenthal’s statement, urging the board to videotape its meetings and to allow the public to attend the board’s committee meetings. He noted that the board does meet the requirements of the OMA. “My question to you is what is allowed under the act,” he said. “I believe this community wants more than what’s required.”

The suggestion to videotape the monthly board meetings had been proposed two years ago by trustee Nancy Kaplan but had been supported by only one other board member, Barbara Murphy.

A videotaping of the meeting did occur for the first time on May 6, however. Skyline High junior David Kloiber set up two stationary cameras to record the proceedings. He had been hired by the Protect Our Libraries political action committee, which posted the video on YouTube.

FY 2013-14 Budget

The main items on the board’s agenda related to AADL’s fiscal 2013-14 budget. The board was asked to act on three resolutions: (1) set a millage rate of 1.55 mills – unchanged from the current rate; (2) approve the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2013; and (3) designate the budget as a line-item budget with a policy for disbursements. [.pdf of budget summary from AADL board meeting packet]

The $12.328 million budget assumes a 2.1% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The approved budget and millage rate are slightly lower than the draft proposal presented at the AADL board’s April 15, 2013 meeting. At that time, trustee Ed Surovell argued strongly against even the slightest increase in the millage rate, which had been proposed at 1.575 mills. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees and an increase in hourly base rates for part-time workers. The base rate for part-time workers – known as “casual” employees – hadn’t been raised since 2008, and the administration wanted to make sure that the library’s lower-paying jobs started at more than $9 per hour.

Expenses related to employee salaries, benefits and taxes are by far the biggest part of the budget, totaling $7.995 million – up 3.5% compared to the current fiscal year. Of the non-personnel expenses, the largest line item is for materials, at $1.75 million – down 5.4% ($98,931) compared to the current year’s expenditure of $1.848 million.

FY 2013-14 Budget: Public Hearing

Two people spoke during the public hearing on the budget. Lyn Davidge told the board that it was a little daunting to comment on any budget proposal, because she’s fully aware that there’s a lot she doesn’t know about the budget, and that there’s a lot that the board does know about it. Her concern was the proposed cut to the materials budget – about $99,000 less for the purchase of books, DVDs, and other materials. She hoped the board would address the rationale for this cut, and to let her know if she has misunderstood what this line item actually means.

Don Salberg asked about the proposed 3% increase in the merit pool. No doubt employees deserved it, he said, but he wanted to know if the criteria could be provided to the general public.

FY 2013-14 Budget: Board Discussion

Nancy Kaplan, chair of the board’s budget & finance committee, reported that the committee had met on April 26. At the board’s April 15, 2013 meeting, she noted, some concerns had been raised about increasing the millage. [The committee had originally recommended increasing the millage by 0.025 mills. Ed Surovell had argued strongly against any increase, saying that many taxpayers continue to struggle because of the economic downturn.]

The committee had followed up on those concerns with Ken Nieman – AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – as well as AADL director Josie Parker. They discussed ways to find additional efficiencies while still providing the community with the services it expects, Kaplan said. So now the committee was able to recommend leaving the millage at the current rate.

Margaret Leary said she was glad about the committee’s recommendation, because it’s consistent with how the library has operated in the past, and consistent with what the staff can do – providing a good collection and great services, despite limited resources.

Leary noted that there had been interest expressed during public commentary about the changes that had been made. In reviewing the April draft budget with the current proposed budget, Leary identified three line items that had changed: (1) purchased services had been decreased by $10,000 to $133,000; (2) materials had been cut by about $99,000 to $1.75 million; and (3) library programming had diminished by $37,000 to $235,000.

Seated from left: AADL board members Nancy Kaplan, Jan Barney Newman and  Prue Rosenthal.

AADL director Josie Parker elaborated on those items. The $1.75 million line item for materials that’s proposed in the FY 2013-14 budget reflects about $99,000 in savings from the original draft budget. That line item includes not only the items in the collection, but also includes the materials needed to package and circulate the collection, such as labels and bar codes. The savings is being taken from the latter category.

Specifically, the library is dropping the RFID technology it has used to help manage circulation. That technology is expensive and is no longer being supported by the company that developed it for libraries, Parker said, so the library will be using bar code labeling instead. By changing back to bar code circulation only, the library is able to secure those savings without impacting the purchase of materials for the collection.

Leary paraphrased, noting that the cut has come not from the content, but from the physical processing of the collection. Another example in the past was the elimination of “theft strips,” Leary said, which had been extremely expensive. Leary applauded the administration’s ability to make cuts without impacting the funds available for the collection itself.

Barbara Murphy, who also serves on the board’s budget & finance committee, pointed out that the changes Leary had highlighted were a comparison between the draft budget and the final proposed budget. Some of the changes are smaller if you compare the current fiscal 2012-13 budget with the proposed fiscal 2013-14 budget, she said.

For example, the April draft FY 2013-14 budget had called for an increase of the library programming line item to $272,000, compared to the current fiscal year’s $250,601 for that item. The revised draft budget cuts programming to $235,000.

Jan Barney Newman, another member of the budget & finance committee, said the budget doesn’t show a significant increase in the line item for repairs and maintenance, with the hope that it won’t be needed. In fact, she said, some expenses in that category are unforeseen. [The FY 2013-14 line item for repairs and maintenance is $302,000, a 5.5% increase from $286,338 in FY 2012-13.]

Parker added that any unanticipated costs for repairs and maintenance would be paid for out of the library’s fund balance. As of March 31, the AADL’s fund balance was $8.214 million.

Leary described the budget as conservative. Prue Rosenthal added that the library has a very conservative CFO. Kaplan pointed out that copies of the budget are available at all the branches and online as part of the board’s meeting packet.

Outcome: The budget, millage rate and designation of the budget as a line-item budget – with a policy for disbursements – were approved in three separate unanimous votes. Ed Surovell left after the vote on the millage rate, and did not vote on the budget or line-item resolutions. Rebecca Head was absent.

FY 2013-14 Budget: Additional Public Commentary

During the public commentary at the end of the meeting, Lyn Davidge thanked the board for their discussion and explanation of the line item for materials. She said it would have been nice to have similar explanations for all of the line items that had been changed since the draft budget was proposed. “It was a useful discussion, and I hope to hear more of those in the future,” she said.

Friends of the AADL Space-Use Agreement

A resolution to extend the Ann Arbor District Library’s space-use agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library for one year was on the  board’s May 6 agenda. Friends of AADL operates a used bookstore in the lower level of AADL’s downtown branch at 343 S. Fifth Ave. Proceeds of the store – about $90,000 annually – are given to the library. [.pdf of current FAADL space-use agreement]

Prue Rosenthal noted that she’d had a brief conversation with FAADL board president Pat McDonald, who had told Rosenthal that she didn’t have any concerns about the agreement. There was no other comment on this item.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the one-year extension for FAADL’s space-use agreement.

After the vote, Nancy Kaplan reported that she had attended a recent Friends luncheon. She described them as a “wonderful, dedicated group,” and encouraged others to join the organization.

Director’s Evaluation

During the meeting, board president Prue Rosenthal read a letter that had been given to AADL director Josie Parker, following Parker’s annual evaluation by the board. [.pdf of board's letter to Parker] The evaluation had been conducted by a board committee, and discussed with Parker and the full board in closed session, at Parker’s request.

The letter praised Parker’s work over the past year, including the recognition and leadership of Parker and her staff at the state, national and international levels. However, “Since your salary is equitable with those in comparable positions, and at your request, we have agreed that, for the fourth year in a row, your salary will remain the same.” [Parker's salary is $143,114.]

The letter only indirectly alluded to a major effort that took place over the past year – a proposal to rebuild the downtown library, which ended when voters rejected a $65 million bond ballot proposal in November of 2012:

The Board is pleased that the Library continues to operate with a balanced budget year after year while developing and providing new services and seeing increased use of the Library’s services. It is particularly proud of the fact that this can be accomplished while meeting the need of additional maintenance to the aging Downtown facility.
…
Each year presents new choices and new demands. Ann Arbor is a special community, founded and built on learning and information. The Ann Arbor District Library has increasingly been central to our community and its growth and prosperity. It is therefore incumbent upon us to pay special attention to the strategic goal of maximizing the efficiency and utilization of the meeting rooms in all facilities to provide what the community deserves.

When Rosenthal finished reading the letter, the board gave Parker a round of applause. Parker thanked the board, but did not make any additional remarks.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Director’s Report

Josie Parker highlighted three achievements of AADL staff members during her monthly director’s report.

From left: AADL director Josie Parker and Prue Rosenthal, president of the AADL board.

The library won “best of show” from the American Library Association for AADL’s online annual report. Parker credited Tim Grimes, AADL’s community relations and marketing manager, as well as other staff for this effort. It’s the first time that the library has won for its online annual report. [The video annual report for the library’s 2011-12 fiscal year runs six minutes and features clips from programs and speakers hosted by AADL, as well as describing new online services and content that’s available for circulation.]

Other ALA awards included “best of show” for the 2012 summer game print material for children, and honorable mention for Jump!, a calendar of events for kids. Parker noted that AADL competes with hundreds of other submissions in these categories, and she congratulated everyone who was involved in working on these projects.

Parker also reported that in the fall of 2012, AADL was asked to do a webinar on its “21st century take on reference services.” Reference resources have changed, but instead of forsaking reference, Parker said, AADL decided to recharge it and change it. Celeste Choate – AADL associate director of services, collections and access – was asked along with others from across the country to participate in a webinar. Choate was subsequently asked to do a similar presentation at a Public Library Association conference, and more recently gave it at a meeting of the Massachusetts Library Association.

Finally, Parker noted that Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and production, would be featured on the May 7 edition of On Point, a news analysis show distributed by National Public Radio. Neiburger was on a panel with Tony Marx, the CEO of the New York Public Library, and others talking about the role of libraries in the digital age. Parker said she was very proud that Neiburger is part of that discussion.

Ed Surovell remarked that “any time we share a library podium with NYPL, we have something here to be proud of.”

The board gave the staff a round of applause.

Pittsfield Fiber-Optic Project

The board is considering a proposal to upgrade the fiber-optic infrastructure for the AADL’s Pittsfield branch. A staff recommendation calls for Merit Network to build and maintain a connection from the branch to Merit’s existing high-speed network. [.pdf of fiber-optic proposal]

Merit, a nonprofit based in Ann Arbor, currently provides AADL’s main connection to the Internet. The Pittsfield branch – located at 2359 Oak Valley Drive – is outside of the city of Ann Arbor’s I-Net (Institutional Fiber Network) and currently uses much slower T1 and cable TV connections.

This robot will not be installing fiber-optic cable at the AADL’s Pittsfield branch. It’s a collage by Ava Lowen, a third-grader at Ann Arbor Open. The piece is part of an exhibit of student work that’s on display on the third floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building.

Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and production, gave a brief presentation about the project, describing it as an issue of the library’s ability to meet the public’s demand for bandwidth and connections to the Internet. Pittsfield is the only branch that doesn’t have a high-speed connection, he said. A high-speed connection would provide over 100 megabits of bandwidth. As a comparison, a home cable-modem might be about 4 or 6 megabits.

When Comcast and the city of Ann Arbor were building out a fiber network about a decade ago, the Pittsfield branch wasn’t eligible for a fiber run because of its location outside of the city. Fiber runs allow for nearly unlimited bandwidth, Neiburger explained, because you can always upgrade equipment at either end of the fiber.

The speed of the Pittsfield branch’s connectivity to the downtown library and to the rest of the Internet is about 2% of the speed at the other library locations, he said. “In some ways, it’s a bandwidth backwater, because we’re unable to deliver the data as requested out there.” It reaches “up to capacity and beyond” every day, he added.

After exploring different options, the staff arrived at three alternatives, including the option of keeping the current system. The recommended option is to contract with Merit, an organization that since the 1960s has focused on serving the state’s educational market. Neiburger said that Merit proposed building a new fiber run from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) on Wagner Road over to Pittsfield. It would be much more expensive to build a fiber run – “literally cables hanging from poles,” he said – from the downtown library to the Pittsfield branch.

Merit has a robust fiber network, he said. It includes providing the downtown library’s Internet connection – originating from city hall at Fifth and Huron, then linking to the nearby Ann Arbor Hands On Museum, where Merit has equipment, then connecting to the AADL building at 343 S. Fifth. Merit also has equipment at the WISD, and is able to offer the library a gigabit of bandwidth – 1,000 megabits. The connection would run from downtown to Pittsfield, via the “wire closet” at the WISD and new fiber between the WISD and Pittsfield, which the library would pay for. In this option, the library would pay $112,150 plus an ongoing yearly cost of $2,625. It gives the library a 1,000 megabit connection, compared to the current 1.5 megabit connection – a 600- to 800-fold increase in performance, he said.

Another option would be to contract with TDS, the library’s current phone vendor, to build a new T-3 connection of up to 45 megabits. It would be faster than the current connection, but still only about 5% of the connectivity at other locations. This option has a very low one-time cost, Neiburger noted, but the annual cost for the service would be $27,000.

Given the cost structure and the established location of the WISD infrastructure, Neiburger recommended proceeding with Merit to build a fiber connection from the WISD to the Pittsfield branch. The initial cost of the build would be paid from the library’s fund balance in the next fiscal year, with ongoing annual costs paid out of the communications line item in the budget.

Pittsfield Fiber-Optic Project: Board Discussion

Margaret Leary addressed the process, saying it’s the perfect example of how the board handles these kinds of recommendations. The matter had been initially reviewed by the facilities committee. Leary, who chairs that committee, had reported on the proposal at the April 15, 2013 meeting. Next, the staff is making a presentation this month, and the board will vote on a formal resolution next month.

Jan Barney Newman told Neiburger that people have asked her why the library needs more bandwidth, “because everybody does everything on their cell phone these days.” But the library does need it, she added, so what’s the best way to respond to these questions?

Neiburger replied that the library is about the only institution in town that offers high-speed wireless connections to the public at no charge. People can bring their laptops to the library and get a connection that’s faster than a coffee shop or any other location, he said, and you don’t need any credentials to use it. A lot of people use it to download large files that would take a long time to download at their home. “In many cases we’re providing connectivity that’s faster than what’s available in their own homes,” he said.

From left: AADL trustees Ed Surovell, Barbara Murphy and Margaret Leary.

People work at libraries, he noted – that’s been true for centuries. Now, working involves “consuming bandwidth.” People also use it for Skype to make calls overseas. The library is providing a critical public service, he said, “and we take that responsibility very seriously.” Every year, the library experiences more and more demand for data service.

Referring to Newman’s comment about cell phones, Barbara Murphy clarified with Neiburger that to have any kind of wireless connection, you also need some kind of wired infrastructure. That’s right, Neiburger said – saying that everything that every device connects to is ultimately connected to a wire. Also, he said, a fast mobile connection on a phone might be 400k, or 4 megabits for a really fast connection. For the fiber network, “we’re talking 250 or 300 times that, so it’s on a different scale.”

Prue Rosenthal wondered whether it would have been cheaper to make the connection from the beginning, when the Pittsfield branch was built. Neiburger replied that it wasn’t an option at the time, although the building was constructed with conduit because staff was “hoping that this would happen someday.”

Nancy Kaplan wondered how technology has changed since the branch was built. Would it have been the same speed then as the current proposal? Neiburger explained that after a fiber run is built, “the technology can advance without building new infrastructure.” New equipment can be upgraded at either end of the fiber, he said, “to get more speed out of the same pipe.” Using a highway analogy, Neiburger said fiber provides an infinite number of lanes that you can add, by upgrading equipment at either end.

The fiber run will bring the Pittsfield branch up to the same standard as the other locations, he said, which is state-of-the-art for public libraries. There are organizations that have 10 gigabit connections, but that’s on a scale for institutions like the University of Michigan, he said. If the equipment to run a 10 gigabit connection comes down in price, it’s possible for the library’s fiber to support that.

Outcome: This was not a voting item. A resolution for the contract will likely be presented at the board’s June 17 meeting.

Response to Open Meetings Act Questions

During the May 6 meeting, board president Prue Rosenthal read a statement that responded to issues raised at previous meetings during public commentary about the board’s compliance with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Specifically, complaints have been made that the board’s committee meetings aren’t open to the public.

The board is scrupulous about adhering to the letter and spirit of the law, Rosenthal stated. The board’s bylaws state that all committees are advisory in nature, and don’t have the authority to take final action or set policy on behalf of the full board.

“We do not hold secret meetings,” Rosenthal said. “We do not discuss the library’s business if there are more than three of us in the same place.” All board decisions are made during public meetings, she said, and the committees simply make recommendations to the full board. [Because the committees consist of only three members – that is, less than a quorum of the board – they are not required to be open to the public. There is also no requirement for the meetings to be closed.]

Rosenthal highlighted excerpts from the OMA, which she said she took from the online Michigan Open Meetings Act Handbook. [.pdf of OMA handbook] The OMA requires a public body to give notice of when it meets. “We do this,” Rosenthal said. All decisions must be made at a public meeting that’s open to the public.

She read from the handbook:

All decisions must be made at a meeting open to the public – the OMA defines “decision” to mean “a determination, action, vote, or disposition upon a motion, proposal, recommendation, resolution, order, ordinance, bill, or measure on which a vote by members of a public body is required and by which a public body effectuates or formulates public policy.” The OMA provides that “[a]ll decisions of a public body shall be made at a meeting open to the public,” and that, with limited exceptions, “[a]ll deliberations of a public body constituting a quorum of its members shall take place at a meeting open to the public.”

“We do this,” Rosenthal stated. She then read a section related to advisory committees:

The OMA does not apply to committees and subcommittees composed of less than a quorum of the full public body if they “are merely advisory or only capable of making ‘recommendations concerning the exercise of governmental authority.’”40 Where, on the other hand, a committee or subcommittee is empowered to act on matters in such a fashion as to deprive the full public body of the opportunity to consider a matter, a decision of the committee or subcommittee “is an exercise of governmental authority which effectuates public policy” and the committee or subcommittee proceedings are, therefore, subject to the OMA.

“I believe we do this to the fullest extent of our ability and to comply completely with the law,” Rosenthal said. The board has consulted with lawyers in the past, she added, and will do that again if the need arises. “I hope that will put to rest people’s concern about the Open Meetings Act.”

Response to OMA Questions: Public Commentary

At the end of the meeting, David Diephuis addressed the board, saying he appreciated Rosenthal’s strong statement regarding the state’s Open Meetings Act. He agreed that sometimes people nitpick. But he noted that Rosenthal had addressed the requirements of the act, which the board certainly is following, he said. “My question to you is what is allowed under the act. I believe this community wants more than what’s required.” The OMA doesn’t limit the board, he said. It would allow the AADL board meetings to be filmed, for example, and it would allow the public to attend committee meetings. “That, I think, is the true spirit of the Open Meetings Act.” Allowing the public to attend committee meetings and posting videos of board meetings online would be great ways to increase communication with the community, Diephuis said.

Diephuis pointed out that the AADL’s own philosophy statement states that the library “accepts the responsibility of serving the entire district by providing free and open access to its facilities and services for all members of the community.” Free and open access is a wonderful, worthy value, he said. “I hope that you will embrace that value, and look to open up some of your committee meetings and provide video of this board meeting.”

Public Commentary

Three people spoke during public commentary at the start of the May 6 meeting.

Don Salberg said he wanted to revisit the library’s failed bond referendum. He said he had posed questions during public commentary at AADL’s March 18, 2013 meeting and subsequently received answers. Now he wanted to respond to those answers. He had examined the 2007 report by Providence Associates, which had highlighted needs of the library. One of the premises, he said, was an expectation that there would be a 16% growth in Ann Arbor’s population by 2020. Last year, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) published a forecast of only 6.1% growth in Ann Arbor by 2040, he said. “There’s quite a difference here, and the incremental years have changed the prospects of population growth – this should be considered.” There’s a much less urgent need, he said.

David Kloiber, a junior at Skyline High, was hired by the Protect Our Libraries PAC to videotape the May 6 AADL board meeting.

At the time of the Providence report, there was also a question about how the Internet would impact library services, Salberg said. Since then, when Luckenbach|Ziegelman Architects was hired by the library to develop schematics for a new downtown building, Salberg said the architects stated that very few people were coming to the library to do research because they were using the Internet to do that work.

Salberg said he had attended informational meetings that the library had held last year about the need for a new downtown building, and at those meetings at least three major deficiencies in the existing building had been cited.

One deficiency was that it didn’t have a large enough meeting facility, and that the current basement multi-purpose room only holds about 100 people. When there are large events with overflow capacity, people are directed to another room to watch the event on closed video. But he said he was told there were only 13 instances of this happening last year. “That doesn’t seem like a great demand for additional space by itself,” he said. Although it would be nice to have an auditorium with comfortable seating, there doesn’t seem to be urgency for that. Other issues that were cited about the downtown building included the elevators and outdated electrical facilities, but Salberg felt those issues didn’t present major problems and could be addressed without a new building.

Salberg noted that 55% of the voters had rejected the bond proposal for a new downtown library in November of 2012. One way to look at that is to say that 55% of the voters like the library as it is, he said. There has been some suggestion that the referendum was defeated because voters weren’t property informed, he noted. “I disagree. I think we have an intelligent population and I think they understood what was going on.”

Bob Rorke addressed the board, saying he’d been hired in January by the Protect Our Libraries political action committee to review AADL’s operations and to suggest alternatives for the system’s future direction. From his review, he has concluded that the AADL is well-funded and well-managed. He praised the library staff and management, noting that services have been maintained despite a “substantial” loss in revenues because of the economy.

Rorke said he’s confident of these findings, but less clear about the future direction of AADL. The administration has been proactive in offering new direction and services as the basic functions of lending material and providing reference resources become outmoded, he said. Those new services include podcasts, gaming, ESL programs, and lending of specialized materials like musical instruments and telescopes.

“My question, though, is: Are these initiatives viable in the long term?” Rorke said there seems to be no tactical plan or document that describes why these particular services are being offered, and what their impact has been. Lots of questions remain unanswered, he said, including what the future potential demand for these services will be, what resources are needed to provide these services, and whether there is competition from either new technology or other community organizations.

In November of 2012, voters “resoundingly” defeated a bond issue for a new downtown library, Rorke noted. “Some have suggested that the voters didn’t appreciate the library, and some have questioned whether the communication to the public was adequate. I don’t believe either of these arguments are valid.” Rather, the initiative failed because “the public couldn’t understand how we got from today’s library to the library of the future,” he said. “And after four months of study, I don’t see it either.”

Onna Solomon, left, talks with AADL trustee Barbara Murphy following the library board’s May 6 meeting. Solomon had addressed the board during public commentary.

There is speculation that the library’s future role might be in local media production, local archiving or a public meeting space, but there’s no detailed plan or evidence to support that vision, he said. Rorke said he’s sure the board and administration will challenge this conclusion. Although a vision has been articulated, he concluded, “this is the challenge for the Ann Arbor District Library – to present a factual, realistic plan to support the vision.”

Onna Solomon introduced herself as a new mom with a five-month-old son. She had voted in favor of a new downtown library, and believes that parts of what it represents are very important to the future of Ann Arbor. One of the reasons she settled here is because of the library system. It’s an amazing resource for young families – she uses the library all the time. She also praised AADL’s storytime events, saying it was a wonderful way to meet people that you wouldn’t necessarily meet in your neighborhood. The point of having a larger meeting space is to have a community center that could promote new opportunities. As she raises the next generation of Ann Arborites, Solomon said, “I really see the value in expanding and in changing [the building] in order to meet new needs.”

Present: Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell (left early). Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Absent: Rebecca Head.

Next meeting: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. Traverwood branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive (at the intersection with Huron Parkway). [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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The $12.328 million budget assumes a 2.1% increase in tax revenues, based on an increase in property values. The approved budget and millage rate are slightly lower than the draft proposal presented at the AADL board’s April 15, 2013 meeting. At that time, trustee Ed Surovell argued strongly against even the slightest increase in the millage rate, which had been proposed at 1.575 mills. The library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but in recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.

The budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees and an increase in hourly base rates for part-time workers. The base rate for part-time workers – known as “casual” employees – hadn’t been raised since 2008, and the administration wanted to make sure that the library’s lower-paying jobs started at more than $9 per hour.

The budget and millage rate were approved in separate votes. A third vote designated the budget as a line-item budget with a policy for disbursements. All votes were unanimous.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

From left: Ann Arbor District Library trustees Margaret Leary and Ed Surovell. (Photos by the writer.)

The $12.475 million proposed budget calls for levying the AADL’s tax at a rate of 1.575-mill – a small increase from the current 1.55-mill rate, but still below the amount that AADL is authorized to levy. [.pdf of draft 2013-14 budget]

Ken Nieman – AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – told the board that the budget includes a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees and an increase in hourly base rates for part-time workers. The administration wanted to make sure that the library’s lower-paying jobs start at more than $9 per hour. “It will help us attract people and hopefully also keep people as we compete against other businesses out there,” he said.

The board is expected to vote on the budget and set the millage rate on May 6, but several trustees made comments about the draft budget during the April 15 meeting. Ed Surovell argued strongly against even a small tax increase, and said he wouldn’t be voting for a budget that includes any increase to the millage. It’s estimated that the additional 0.025 mills would increase the amount of the library tax for homeowners by $2.50 per year, for a home that has a taxable value of $100,000. The increase is estimated to result in an additional $185,000 in tax revenues, compared to a 1.55-mill rate.

The April 15 meeting also included a presentation by Stewart Gordon and Alan Haber, who are advocating to put a temporary, artificial ice-skating rink at the northwest corner of the Library Lane parking lot. They asked the board to designate a liaison from the library, to facilitate communications as the project unfolds – they hope to construct and open it by Oct. 15. Several commissioners board members expressed skepticism about the proposal, stressing concerns over financing and security issues.

The board also heard from five people during public commentary. Topics included concerns over the hiring of Allerton-Hill Consulting, and thanks for support the library’s support of the ArborWiki and Old News projects.

FY 2013-14 Draft Budget

The board was briefed on a draft budget for fiscal 2013-14, which will lead up to a vote at its May 6 meeting. The fiscal year begins July 1. [.pdf of draft 2013-14 budget]

Ken Nieman – AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – reviewed highlights of the budget. He described the process of developing the budget, starting with frontline staff input and followed with review by the board’s budget and finance committee, concluding with board approval.

A big part of developing the budget is estimating revenues, Nieman said, noting that 92% of the library’s revenues are collected from property taxes. The draft budget is based on an assumption of a 2% increase in taxable value, he explained. [Later in the week, Washtenaw County released its annual equalization report, which is used to calculate taxable value. Taxable value for properties that pay the AADL millage is estimated to increase 2.11%.]

Nieman also noted that the budget is based on a 1.575-mill tax – a small increase from the current 1.55-mill rate. [Although he did not mention this fact, the library is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills. In recent years the board has set the millage rate at lower levels.]

At 1.575 mills, the tax would be expected to bring in $11.515 million in revenues during the fiscal year, assuming a projected 2% increase in the property tax base. Other projected major revenue sources include library fines and fees ($425,000), penal fines ($195,000), and interest income ($100,000). Total revenues for the 2013-14 budget are $12.475 million, compared to a projected $12.161 million in the current fiscal year.

Nieman also highlighted another line item on the revenue side – a $25,000 transfer from fund balance/restricted funds. The library has several restricted funds on its balance sheet, he noted, including a fund for the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled and the Westerman fund [set up by Scott and Marcy Westerman], among others. “This year, we’re looking at spending some of that money,” he said. [At the board's March 18, 2013 meeting, AADL director Josie Parker had specifically mentioned the intent to use money from the Westerman fund this year – which stands at about $43,000 – to help fund AADL’s summer game. The WLBPD account had a balance of $37,099 as of March 31, 2013. Other restricted funds are the Holtrey fund ($331,620), Keniston fund ($30,287), and Shafer fund ($10,466).]

On the expense side, the budget reflects a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees and an increase in hourly base rates for part-time workers. The base rate for part-time workers – known as “casual” employees – hadn’t been raised since 2008, he said, and the administration wanted to make sure that the library’s lower-paying jobs started at more than $9 per hour. “It will help us attract people and hopefully also keep people as we compete against other businesses out there,” he said.

The library’s 10% contribution to the 403(b) employee health care plan hasn’t increased, Nieman reported. However, the library’s contribution to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) will increase from 24.32% to 28%. Only 18 employees are enrolled in that pension plan. They are employees who worked for the library when it was still part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools system. Overall, total employee-related costs are budgeted to increase from $7.728 million in the current fiscal year to $7.995 million in fiscal 2013-14 – a 3.5% increase.

Other major expense line items include $1.85 million for materials, $440,000 for utilities, and $302,000 for repair and maintenance. Overall, there aren’t any huge increases in expenses, Nieman said.

A public hearing is scheduled for input on the budget at the board’s May 6 meeting.

FY 2013-14 Draft Budget: Board Discussion

Barbara Murphy, a member of the board’s budget and finance committee along with Nancy Kaplan and Jan Barney Newman, said the committee had talked at length about the draft budget, going through it line-by-line compared to last year. She wanted to make sure other board members were aware that it had been reviewed in much more detail, and that Nieman had simply provided the highlights. “We didn’t see any places where major changes were being made or where it wasn’t cut pretty much to the bone,” Murphy said. She characterized it as a very conservative budget.

Ed Surovell began his comments by asking several clarification questions. Responding to his queries, Nieman said the increased millage rate of 1.575 mills would add about $185,000 in revenues compared to a rate of 1.55 mills, assuming the tax base increases 2%. The merit pool – when fully burdened with FICA and pension liabilities – would be about $165,000, factoring in a 3% increase.

Surovell noted that those figures – the revenue increase and merit pool – were roughly equivalent. He said he didn’t have any desire to touch the merit pool.

Surovell then pressed for details about the 2% projected increase in taxable value. Nieman reported that it’s a projection made by the county, and he didn’t yet know additional details. It’s somewhat difficult to estimate, he added, because the AADL collects taxes from properties in the city of Ann Arbor as well as portions of seven surrounding townships – Pittsfield, Scio, Ann Arbor, Lodi, Webster, Salem and Superior. [The AADL's boundary mirrors that of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, with the exception of Northfield Township, which is partly within the AAPS district but has its own library system.]

Surovell noted another complicating factor: The unknown impact of appeals on tax assessments. Nieman indicated that in the last two years, that impact has been “huge.” Parker also reported that state revenues to the library have decreased.

Nieman said he hoped that the draft budget’s projected 2% tax revenue increase is conservative. If that projection is off, “we’ll have to make some adjustments – just like any year,” he said.

Surovell then stated his position: “I’m going to vote no. I don’t think there should be a tax increase – I feel very strongly about that.” Explaining his broader philosophical principle, Surovell said he’s spent his entire professional career dealing with the cost of living in this jurisdiction. [Surovell founded and led Edward Surovell Realtors, which merged with Howard Hanna Real Estate last year.] “I’ve dealt with far too many people for whom a quarter of a mill is either a straw on the camel’s back, or a meal, or a quality meal, or nutrition in general, or transportation, or some other small element of their already small budget,” he said. [A quarter-mill is 0.25. The proposed increase is less than that – at 0.025 mill.]

When Murphy asked how much the tax increase would be on a $100,000 house, Surovell replied: “I don’t care.” He said he cared about how much it meant coming out of someone’s pocket.

Nieman clarified that the 0.025-mill increase on a property with an assessed value of $100,000 – and a market value of $200,000 – would be $2.50 per year.

Surovell said he’d still vote no. “I don’t believe we should be raising our taxes.” It’s possible to figure out how to be a responsible library, provide programming, and not raise taxes, he argued. The AADL is a wonderful library with a “spectacular record disciplined expenditures and disciplined taxation,” Surovell said. “I don’t think we should change that now, even for $2.50.” He told a story about being in a store and watched an elderly woman trying to trade in a small can of peas for something else she wanted. “It told me how rich I was and how not-rich she was,” he said.

People living in Ann Arbor spend an enormous amount to support efforts like the nonprofit Food Gatherers, Surovell noted, adding that he didn’t want to be part of asking for more from residents.

This drawing of a cityscape by Zoe Zhang, on display in the Ann Arbor District Library’s multi-purpose room, is probably not a commentary on density in downtown Ann Arbor. Zhang is a first-grader at Northside Elementary.

He also believes that the library is disciplined enough to find ways to balance its budget without the increase. He added that he’d do nothing to damage the library’s operations, but he thought the staff could manage it. Surovell confirmed with Nieman that the library typically ends the year with a modest surplus. This year, Nieman reported that there will likely be a surplus of about $60,000.

Margaret Leary asked Nancy Kaplan, as chair of the budget and finance committee, to talk about the rationale for the proposed increase. Going into the budget development, Leary noted, the board had been thinking about not increasing the millage, unless a major project emerged. She wondered what had changed.

Kaplan said the first consideration had been to show appreciation for the staff, to retain current employees as well as attract future workers. The committee “greatly used the advice of Ken,” Kaplan said. Committee members had felt that the proposed tax increase – if viewed as spread out over a year – was a minimal amount. She also cited the state’s repeal of the personal property tax. Given uncertainties on the revenue side, she indicated that the committee didn’t want to dip into a non-recurring source of funding to cover expenses. “We felt that this was a very good compromise to be able to do all that we wanted to do, and to be secure in funding.”

Leary wondered whether it would be possible to keep the current millage rate, then use the library’s fund balance if a shortfall developed. [As of March 31, the AADL's fund balance was $8.214 million.] Kaplan replied that her understanding is that the fund balance should not be used for recurring costs. She again stressed that the committee had made the decision on Nieman’s advice.

Newman characterized it as a difficult decision, and said the committee had talked about it a long time. Committee members didn’t agree on all the reasons, she added, but did agree that it was important to raise the base pay of AADL’s lowest-paid employees. The committee felt that action warranted the millage increase.

Leary clarified with staff that the base rate for part-time employees hasn’t been raised since 2008. Nieman reported that the current base is $8.82 per hour. That amount would increase to $9.12. Last year, part-time staff received incremental raises, but before that no raises had been given in recent years.

Murphy said she wanted to respond to Surovell’s comments about having a responsible budget. Contrary to what he thinks, she didn’t think an increase of 0.025 mills is irresponsible. The library has a responsibility not only to taxpayers, but also to AADL’s employees and to the downtown building and its maintenance, and to the library’s collection. “I think that $2.50 a year is a small price to pay” to maintain the library’s quality, she concluded.

Leary pointed out that by increasing the base pay, the library is also retaining and attracting the best staff, which in turn is a service to AADL’s patrons. She said she was torn about this decision. She could see the rationale for the millage increase very clearly, and thinks the reasons are good. The library hasn’t raised its millage for a long time.

The millage was decreased to 1.55 mills after the completion of the new Traverwood branch, Leary noted, and has remained at that level even through the declining economy. On the other hand, she felt that the board had made a commitment to keep the millage at its current rate until they had a specific project that it would be used for. However, it’s such a tiny increase, she said, so on balance she thought she could vote for it.

Board president Prue Rosenthal wrapped up the discussion by noting that the board will hold a public hearing on May 6 to get input on the budget before taking a vote at the same meeting.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Monthly Financials

Ken Nieman – AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations – also gave a brief report on the March 2013 financials. [.pdf of March 2013 financial statements]

As of March 31, 2013 the library had received 98.1% of its budgeted tax revenues for the year, or $10.99 million. The library’s unrestricted cash balance was $10.73 million as of March, with a fund balance of $8.214 million.

Three line items are currently over budget: utilities, communications, and software. The line items for utilities and communications will likely be close to the budgeted amounts for the year, Nieman said, while software expenses are expected to be slightly under budget.

As is his habit, Nieman remarked that there was nothing out of the ordinary in March. The board had no questions on the report.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Ice-Skating Rink

Both Stewart Gordon and Alan Haber have spoken during public commentary at previous AADL board meetings, most recently on March 18, 2013. At that meeting, Gordon told trustees that he hoped the project that he and others were advocating – putting an artificial ice-skating rink on the Library Lane site – would be put on an upcoming agenda for discussion.

The ice-skating rink proposal was subsequently added to the board’s April 15 agenda. Gordon and Haber gave a brief presentation, followed by questions from trustees.

From left: Stewart Gordon and Alan Haber, who are advocating for a temporary artificial ice-skating rink atop a portion of the Library Lane parking structure.

The proposal calls for building an artificial ice-skating rink atop a portion of the city-owned Library Lane underground parking structure. The property is adjacent to the downtown library building at 343 S. Fifth Ave. The temporary rink would be a 32-foot by 72-foot area on the northwest corner of the Library Lane lot, costing an estimated $50,000. Rink organizers seek $25,000 in matching funds from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, plus an “in-kind” contribution of 15 surface parking spaces. The rink would cover those spaces, which would otherwise generate parking revenue. [.pdf of rink proposal]

Gordon described it as a synergistic activity with the library – he imagined families would come to the library to check out books, then go skate, or vice versa. Open from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., it would be a highly programmed site with staff and volunteers on hand, he said, as well as an ice-sharpening service, food cart, chess tables and other activities. The space could be used for other events or gatherings. He noted that the artificial ice would be a type of plastic that requires very little maintenance.

Gordon said the organizers didn’t see the library as supporting the project financially, but he hoped the library could be a partner in “the way that this rolls out.” Specifically, he asked that the board designate someone within the organization to be a regular liaison with organizers. He also hoped that the library could be involved in the assessment part of the project, to see if there’s demand for the rink and if not, whether it should be moved to another location. It’s an experimental process, he said.

Haber noted that the city has discussed using the southwest corner, nearest to the library, as a public plaza. He hopes the city council will re-designate the entire western part of the Library Lane site for public use. One of those uses would be the skating rink. As the city decides how the entire top of Library Lane will be used, the rink could be an experimental use to see how it works out, Haber said. This project would be a relatively inexpensive way to see if this kind of public use would draw people downtown.

It was important to establish a line of communication with the library, Haber said, and to hear the board’s concerns. People like the idea, he added, though there are a lot of questions. He indicated that organizers would be meeting with the city attorney’s office, as well as neighbors like the library, to get their input.

Gordon highlighted the proposed timeline, which he said gives organizers enough time to talk with stakeholders and to fundraise. The target is to open the rink on Oct. 15, 2013.

Ice-Skating Rink: Board Discussion – Urban Planning

Prue Rosenthal thanked Gordon and Haber for their work. She asked about the affiliation between this project and the Library Green Conservancy, which is advocating to put a park on top of the Library Lane structure. Haber replied that he’s been part of the Library Green group since “before it became a group.” But this project isn’t part of the Library Green’s effort, he added. That group is concentrating on trying to get most or all of the Library Green site designated for public use. Within that, he said he’s urging the city to see the site as a civic commons, a place that can become a cultural center for peace and non-violence, a central place “that’s healing and inclusive.” However, the ice-skating rink is a separate project, he said.

Margaret Leary wondered how rink organizers came up with the idea: What was the process and how did they determine that this was a good use for the site? There’s been a huge amount of discussion about this site over the next five years or so, she noted, including the Calthorpe study and the more recent Connecting William Street project. Did the idea come from any of that work? She also asked if the ice-skating rink is consistent with the city’s parks and recreation long-term plan, and whether organizers have spoken to urban planners about this project.

Gordon replied that the rink organizers have been very involved in what’s happening with the city’s parks and recreation unit, and is aware of what the city is planning – “to the extent that they know what they intend to do,” he noted. He pointed out that a subcommittee of the park advisory commission is working on recommendations for downtown parks. Gordon emphasized that the rink is experimental, and could be moved.

The city’s parks staff is not interested in running the rink, Gordon said, because they don’t have the resources or the interest in doing that. In that case, Leary asked, who would staff the rink? Gordon replied that a nonprofit is being formed, which would hire staff.

Leary then asked if the group had spoken to urban planners in Ann Arbor, and if so, what did they say? Specifically, she mentioned Doug Kelbaugh, a professor at the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Wendy Rampson, the city’s planning manager. Gordon said rink organizers have spoken to urban planners in other states and, closer to home, in Dexter – but not in Ann Arbor. Gordon also had talked to a representative of a private rink operated at the Hancock Center in Chicago. He indicated that he’d be happy to talk to local urban planners, too.

Josie Parker, AADL’s director, asked if rinks in these other locations used synthetic ice. The one in Dexter is not synthetic, Gordon replied, but the one at the Hancock Center is. He said he talked to the manager there, who has said the rink has held up well. In response to another query from Parker, Gordon reported that the Hancock Center rink charges $6 per person for each half hour. He said that no charge is planned for the Library Lane rink.

Ice-Skating Rink: Board Discussion – Finances

Ed Surovell pointed out that any use on the Library Lane site is a zero-sum game, and that there’s a “vastness of non-revenue-producing space” between Division and Fourth Avenue. He wondered how to justify using the space for parks or any other non-revenue-producing use when the city is struggling with its budget, and when the Library Lane parking structure was an “extraordinarily expensive” city investment. The city’s parks and recreation department doesn’t have the money to do this project, he noted. “Is this not a private operation that takes away money that ought to be managed and controlled by the city – by all of the people in Ann Arbor, and not just a very small group?”

Parks are deteriorating and in desperate need of money, Surovell continued. Why put the rink at this location, he asked, rather than take the revenue that might come from a taxable building on the site?

A view from the fourth floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building at 343 S. Fifth Ave., looking northwest. The northwest corner of the city-owned Library Lane underground parking structure, seen in this photo, is the site for a proposed ice-skating rink.

Haber responded by saying that Surovell had raised two issues. One was whether it’s beneficial to have non-revenue-producing civic activities in a central place, that contribute to the ambiance, energy and goodwill of the downtown. That’s a value that’s not monetarily measured, Haber said, but “all the data” show that public space downtown has beneficial economic impact for the surrounding area. He noted that the project isn’t seeking money from the city’s parks unit. Rather, organizers are trying to fund the rink through private donations, he said. It’s an experiment – and if it works, then it’s a benefit to the city, he said. Haber believed the project would be self-sufficient, following an initial capital investment.

Surovell asked why the DDA is being asked for funding, if organizers believe the project can be self-supporting. Haber replied that the DDA funding would be used for the initial capital investment. The request to the DDA is for about half of the estimated $50,000 cost.

Surovell wondered why organizers couldn’t raise the entire amount through private donations. Both Haber and Gordon indicated that they could raise the full amount, but Haber said there’s a benefit to a public/private partnership. Surovell replied that there’s significant commercial potential on the site, in terms of tax revenues for the city if a private development is built there. The DDA built and financed the parking structure “rather involuntarily,” Surovell said, and any lost revenue from the site becomes a further contribution to the city.

Leary asked if the DDA would be reimbursed for revenues that would be lost when parking spaces are taken out of commission on the area where a rink would be located. Gordon said that the city council has a resolution to repurpose those spaces for public use. Has such a resolution been passed? Leary asked. “No, but it will be,” Gordon replied, adding. “It may be.” Surovell indicated skepticism about that.

Leary wanted to know how much revenue those lost spaces would take away from the city. Haber noted that there are two ways of looking at it. The DDA estimates that revenues are $20 per day per parking space. On the other hand, he said, that site has never been seen as a permanent parking area. “It’s parking only by default, because the building that was intended to be built there wasn’t built,” he said. [The DDA constructed the underground structure with a foundation that would support a large building. The city issued a request for proposals (RFP) for developing the site, but ultimately abandoned that effort in 2011.]

Haber said there will eventually be some other use on that site: But what happens in the interim? In the short run, some revenues will be taken away, he acknowledged. But those parking revenues weren’t seen as long-term anyway.

Ice-Skating Rink: Board Discussion – Liability

Jan Barney Newman wondered who would own the rink – the nonprofit that Haber and Gordon are forming? Haber replied that these details need to be worked out with the city attorney. He thought it would be the nonprofit, although the materials might eventually be transferred to the city, he said.

Newman also asked about liability insurance. Gordon described three models. In Dexter, the liability for the downtown skating rink is assumed by the village’s omnibus insurance policy, he said. There is also a model for liability insurance that would be specific to the rink, or there could be full liability insurance for the site. “That’s not for us to decide – that’s for the city attorney to decide,” he said.

Haber noted that the new skatepark that’s being built at Veterans Memorial Park is a model for the skating rink. There, you’ll skate at your own risk, he said, but the skatepark will be covered by the city’s liability insurance. That’s the approach he’s suggesting for the ice-skating rink, too.

Gordon added that the skatepark will simply have a sign stating that skateboarders are using the skatepark at their own risk. He said the ice-skating rink would have more than that. There will be staff that will ask skaters to sign a waiver, he said.

Rebecca Head noted that ultimately, the liability does fall to the owner of the property, even if people sign waivers. She wondered what kind of conversations Haber and Gordon have had with the city attorney and planning staff about liability issues. She pointed to the “deep pockets” of government entities, and indicated that because this is a litigious society, “it often falls back to the governmental entity.”

Haber reported that a conversation hadn’t yet happened with the city attorney. [A meeting was scheduled later in the week.] He reported that several councilmembers are interested in the project, with Jane Lumm taking the lead. He noted that the city attorney, Stephen Postema, “doesn’t deal with mere citizens,” so the skating rink organizers have been communicating with Postema through Lumm. The liability issue is one question that’s been posed, he said.

Surovell asked Haber whether it’s fair to say that the rink organizers have a long way to go on this project. Haber said he didn’t think that was true. Surovell pointed out that organizers haven’t gotten the city council or DDA to do anything. Lumm is just one councilperson, and there are a lot of pieces that need to happen at the beginning of a project, not the end, Surovell said.

Gordon replied that the only thing organizers are asking from the library is to identify a liaison for this project. “We’re not asking you to solve our financial problems or our legal problems,” he said.

Rosenthal asked what a liaison would do. Gordon replied that a liaison would be a point person for information, so that organizers could disseminate information quickly to the board. Also, if the library has concerns, a liaison can communicate those to rink organizers.

Ice-Skating Rink: Board Discussion – Security

Nancy Kaplan wanted to know how vandalism and other “misbehavior” would be handled. There needs to be a way to assure that the area is peaceful and inclusive. Haber said there would be a standard code of conduct, and staff would be trained. Organizers have a relationship with the University of Michigan School of Social Work, he said, and he’s interested in developing a field placement option in the downtown area for students at the school.

Rosenthal said the board is focused on the library, and its desire is to make sure the library is a safe space where people can access materials. Head added that the library is open and welcoming to everyone, including vulnerable populations like the elderly, people with small children, and people who use the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled. “Those folks are sometimes harassed, frankly, by people who see the library as a way station during the day,” she said. The library doesn’t begrudge anyone using it, she added, but when there are fights or other altercations, it makes the library not a welcoming place.

Head said the board is very conscious of Liberty Plaza. [The reference was to problems that the city has had with crime at that public plaza, located at the southwest corner of Liberty and Division, about a block away from the library.] The Library Lane site is another public space, she noted, and the library needs assurance from the city that there is adequate security. “If you can gain that, that will go a long way,” she said. “And I really mean adequate security.” It’s important that all library patrons have access to a safe place at the library, she added, “and I say that as a public health official who’s dealt with issues like this for a long, long time.”

When Haber replied that the rink would have at least one person on the site to have their eyes on potential problems, Head said “we need the city to commit to security.”

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Director’s Report

Josie Parker highlighted the continued support by other libraries countywide to help promote the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, which AADL manages. It’s difficult to state a cause-effect relationship, but since other libraries have started putting stickers on their large-print books to promote the WLBPD, there’s been an uptick in people asking to register for WLBPD services, she said. Parker characterized it as a good indication of the type of collaboration that’s always gone on among libraries in this county.

Parker also noted that 2013 is the 21st year of the It’s All Write! short story competition. The contest has three categories: middle school grades 6-8, high school grades 9-10, and high school grades 11-12. There are 335 entries this year. The contest always has international entries, she noted – this year, there’s an entry from Dubai.

High school students from Huron, Skyline, Pioneer, Gabriel Richard and Rudolf Steiner are participating. Every middle school in the Ann Arbor Public Schools district is represented this year, as well as Honey Creek, Greenhills, South Arbor Charter Academy, Mill Creek, and Rudolf Steiner. A middle school student who is home-schooled has also entered the contest.

The stories that win are published and become part of the AADL collection. Prizes are funded by the Friends of the AADL. The awards ceremony is May 11, with A. S. King as the guest speaker.

Parker noted that because of this contest’s success, this year a new short story contest has been added for grades 3-5. Submissions are being accepted through May 6, with the writers invited to an awards ceremony in early June featuring Shutta Crum, a local author and former AADL librarian.

Other information was provided in the board packet, as part of Parker’s written report. [.pdf of director's report]

Committee Reports

The board has six committees: communications, budget and finance, facilities, policy, director’s evaluation and executive. Two of those – communications and facilities – were created as special committees at the board’s Jan. 21, 2013 meeting. Here are highlights from the committee reports made during the April 15 meeting.

Committee Reports: Budget and Finance, Communications.

Nancy Kaplan reported that the budget and finance committee reviewed the draft budget with staff earlier this month, in preparation for presention to the board. The communications committee, which she chairs, had not met since the March board meeting.

Committee Reports: Director’s Evaluation

Jan Barney Newman said the director’s evaluation committee met and reviewed Josie Parker’s self-evaluation. The committee agreed that they “heartily approve of our director,” she said. A full report will be presented at the May 6 meeting.

The board had met in closed session earlier at the April 15 meeting to discuss the director’s evaluation. As Parker had pointed out during the board’s March 18, 2013 meeting, in order for the review to take place during a closed session, the person being reviewed must request it. She had made that request. At the end of the April 15 meeting, the board again voted to hold a closed session on May 6 for the same purpose.

Committee Reports: Facilities

Margaret Leary, chair of the facilities committee, told the board that committee members had met on April 10. They discussed the need to improve a telecommunications line to the Pittsfield branch. Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and production, made a proposal to the committee, which it approved. That proposal will be brought forward at the May 6 board meeting, Leary said.

Also coming to the full board in May will be a resolution to renew the library’s space-use agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library, which operates a used bookstore in the lower level of AADL’s downtown branch at 343 S. Fifth Ave. Proceeds of the store – about $90,000 annually – are given to the library. [.pdf of current FAADL space-use agreement]

Leary reported that the facilities committee has reviewed the agreement, and doesn’t see any reason to change it.

Committee Reports: Executive

Prue Rosenthal reported the executive committee met and discussed “issues at hand.” She did not elaborate.

Public Commentary

Five people spoke during public commentary at the meeting.

John Woodford told the board that he’s lived in Ann Arbor 35 years, and shared some of the same concerns that have previously been voiced by the Protect Our Libraries political action committee. He asked why the board refuses to videotape its meetings, given that the Michigan Open Meetings Act allows for it. He also asked why the library is hiring Allerton-Hill Consulting, which he said is known for its political consulting. In addition to the amount of the contract, he wondered if there are other provisions for travel expenses. [At its March 18, 2013 meeting, Nancy Kaplan – chair of the board's communications committee – reported that $28,000 has been budgeted for this consulting work. Contracts for purchases over that amount must be authorized by the board.]

Woodford said that the Friends of the AADL had contributed $25,000 last year to the library’s failed bond campaign. Does it make sense for the library to spend more money on what looks like another bond campaign? he asked. He said he was aware that a citizens advisory committee has been recommended to the board. “So why are you hiring an expensive consulting firm,” he said, rather than form a citizens advisory committee, especially given that people have already volunteered to serve. Public libraries should stand for freedom of inquiry, expression and information, “so I wonder why any library meetings should be held in secret,” Woodford said. [He likely was referring to the board's committee meetings, which are not open to the public. Committees consist of three board members each, and because that does not constitute a quorum of the board, the meetings are not required to be held in public.]

Woodford concluded by saying that the new campaign “smells mighty fishy to this citizen, and I don’t think a PR outfit can really deodorize it.” The wisest course, he said, would be to have the people who want a 400-seat auditorium organize a campaign for that auditorium, “and not leech off the public library.” He told the board that he’d leave his email address with the expectation that he’d get answers to these questions.

Ed Vielmetti thanked the board and staff for projects that he’s been a part of and had made use of. Specifically, he cited the Old News project, which includes digitization of the former Ann Arbor News collection. He thanked the board for their support in negotiating that deal, and thanked the reference staff for helping him search for various information and get it into circulation.

AADL board member Jan Barney Newman talks with Ed Vielmetti, left, who spoke during public commentary at the board’s April 15 meeting.

He also reported that he’s been working on the ArborWiki project for several years. It was started in 2005 by Matt Hampel, who was a Community High School student at the time. When Hampel graduated, the school system said he’d need to find a new home for the local online encyclopedia, and the library became the site’s host. Vielmetti described the site as a collection of local information. It includes historical information, but also items like the “birthday deals” page and volunteer opportunities for youth and teens. Staff of the library, including Eli Neiburger, have been helpful in making sure the site grows and prospers, Vielmetti said.

Finally, he thanked the administration, especially AADL director Josie Parker, for open access to the library’s suggestion box. If you fill out the “Contact Us” form on the AADL website, you’ll get a prompt response and the answer will be published online for all to see, he said. Vielmetti also recommended that people look at that site “to see what people are experiencing with their library.”

Donald Harrison, an independent filmmaker and former executive director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, noted that last year he had become very involved in the campaign for a bond to build a new downtown library, which voters rejected. This is the third AADL board meeting that he’s attended, he said, and he wanted to acknowledge that the most important thing to come out of that campaign was the education and engagement that happened about the value of the library system. He appreciated being involved in that. Whether someone was for or against the bond, people universally talked about how great the library staff is. Working on the campaign with the AADL board was positive, Harrison said, and it made him want to stay involved.

Although not a lot of people attend the AADL board meetings, he said he thought he represented a lot of people in the community who saw the board’s proposal for a new building as a solid plan. He and others understand that there are a lot of challenges and costly decisions that need to be made. He’s been trying to use the downtown library more, and he feels it could be more of a place where filmmakers, high school students, retired people and others have the chance to interact. He didn’t think the existing building was really set up to do that, and he’d like to find a way to encourage more collaboration and creativity. “I think there is an opportunity cost by not having a really great downtown library,” Harrison concluded. He thanked the board for their public service. “Let’s keep going forward and build a better downtown library.”

At the end of the meeting, Lyn Davidge and Doug Jewett both addressed concerns related to the ability to hear proceedings. Davidge thanked the board members who remembered to speak into their microphones, but said it was still difficult to hear some of the discussion. She wondered if it would be possible to turn up the master volume on all microphones, joking that some people in the room have “aging ears.”

Jewett spoke about the awkward configuration of the podium and microphone that’s set up for people to give presentations or speak during public commentary. It forces some taller speakers to bend over like a pretzel, he noted. Jewett said board members probably don’t want to hear what’s being said, but he urged them to make it easier for people to address the group. AADL board president Prue Rosenthal responded, saying that the board did want to hear everything that was said by the public.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Next meeting: Monday, May 6, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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The AADL is authorized to levy up to 1.92 mills, but the board has in recent years set the millage rate at lower levels.

The board is expected to vote on the budget and set the millage rate on May 6, but several trustees made comments about the draft budget during the April 15 meeting. Ed Surovell argued strongly against even a small tax increase, and said he wouldn’t be voting for a budget that includes any increase to the millage. It’s estimated that the additional 0.025 mills would increase the amount of the library tax for homeowners by $2.50 per year, for a home that has a taxable value of $100,000. The increase is estimated to result in an additional $185,000 in tax revenues, compared to a 1.55-mill rate.

At 1.575 mills, the tax would be expected to bring in $11.515 million in revenues during the fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2013. That amount is based on a projected 2% increase in the property tax base. Other projected major revenue sources include library fines and fees ($425,000), penal fines ($195,000), and interest income ($100,000). Total revenues for the 2013-14 budget are $12.475 million.

Highlights from the expense side include a 3% increase in the merit raise pool for full-time employees and an increase in hourly base rates for part-time workers. The library’s contribution to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) will also increase from 24.32% to 28%, but only 18 employees are enrolled in that pension plan. Overall, total employee-related costs are budgeted to increase from $7.728 million in the current fiscal year to $7.995 million in fiscal 2013-14 – a 3.5% increase.

Other major expense line items include $1.85 million for materials, $440,000 for utilities, and $302,000 for repair and maintenance.

A public hearing is scheduled for input on the budget at the board’s May 6 meeting.

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor conference room at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, located at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Lynn Davidge, left, talks with Sheila Rice before the start of the Aug. 20, 2012 Ann Arbor District Library board meeting. Davidge is the only non-incumbent running for a library board seat in the Nov. 6 general election. Incumbents on the ballot are Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary and Prue Rosenthal. (Photos by the writer.)

Ellie Serras, chair of the Our New Downtown Library campaign committee, spoke during public commentary to brief the board on actions of that group. It was formed earlier this year to support a $65 million, 30-year bond proposal that the board voted to put on the Nov. 6 ballot. Serras described the committee’s outreach efforts, including its website, Twitter account (@OurNewLibrary), Facebook group, promotional mailing, yard signs, and meetings with individuals and groups in the community.

Committee members are committed to this project and they want everyone to know how important it is, she said. ”It’s a life changer.”

In the context of the proposed building project, AADL director Josie Parker told the board that library staff are being asked about the relevancy of public libraries, so she thought it was appropriate to address that question at a formal board meeting by looking at changes that public libraries are facing. Associate director Eli Neiburger described how the library is responding to changes in the publishing industry regarding digital content. Currently, publishers are fairly restrictive in allowing public libraries to access digital content for patrons. So the Ann Arbor library has started negotiating licensing deals directly with creators – including filmmakers of the 2009 “Grown in Detroit” documentary, and the author of the graphic novel “Poopy Claws” – to allow AADL patrons to access those works through online streaming and limitless downloads, respectively.

Associate director Celeste Choate described the library’s non-media, non-traditional collections, which include art prints, energy meter readers, Science to Go kits, telescopes and electronic musical “tools.” The full list of collections is on the “Unusual Stuff to Borrow” page of AADL’s website. Additional collections are in the works, including art tools and kits for science experiments.

Though Neiburger described storage needs for digital media as trivial – he could keep 200,000 copies of “Poopy Claws” on his cell phone, if he were so inclined – the needs for non-traditional physical items are more challenging. The library’s tracking/circulation software is well-suited to adapt, because that system doesn’t care about size, he said. “But the shelf sure does.” It was an implicit reference to some of the arguments put forward in the board’s decision to pursue a new downtown building.

Also during the Aug. 20 meeting, Choate reported on a recent satisfaction survey for patrons of the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, which is operated by AADL and serves over 400 people. The library received high marks from those who responded to the survey, she said. [.pdf of survey results]

Public Commentary: Millage Campaign Update

Ellie Serras, chair of the Our New Downtown Library campaign committee, told the board that the group officially launched in July, the day after the board voted to put the bond resolution on the Nov. 6 ballot. [By way of background, other campaign committee members include Mike Allemang, (treasurer), Sally Allen, Janis Bobrin, Leah Gunn, Debbie Herbert, Norman Herbert, Pat McDonald, Paul Morel, Omari Rush, Paul Saginaw, Ingrid Sheldon and Robin Wax.]

Screenshot of Our New Library website – ournewlibrary.com – for the campaign to pass the Nov. 6 $65 million bond proposal to fund a new downtown library.

Since then, Serras said, the group has been working to get the word out, asking voters to reaffirm their investment in this community and its intellectual sustainability. They’ve developed several outreach strategies, including a website, Twitter account (@OurNewLibrary) and Facebook group. The website so far averages about 20 visits per day, but the important thing is the duration of the visits, she said – about 4 minutes, which she said means people are reading what’s on the site. They have about 100 Facebook fans and 29 Twitter followers. It’s unlikely they’ll get a large number of followers, she said, but what’s important is the quality of those followers. The majority of @OurNewLibrary’s followers themselves have between 200 to 3,000 followers each, which creates a bigger reach, she pointed out.

Last week a letter was mailed to about 1,000 voters asking for their support. Yard signs will be distributed in the next few weeks. There are ongoing meetings with individuals, businesses, and associations. Contributions to the campaign are good so far, she said, illustrating how important the library is to the community. Serras said the committee members feel privileged to work on this effort, because it’s a quality of life issue. It’s for the good of every citizen, who expects the library to be the community’s center for learning, culture and information. The committee is sharing the hard facts about the library’s critical role and relevancy, she said.

The campaign is dedicated to the people who account for the 600,000 visits to the library each year, she said, to the individuals who use the library’s computers and Internet access, who need job training, meeting space, services for the visually impaired and physically disabled – to everyone who uses the library for their own individual reasons, adding up to the common good for all, she said. Serras encouraged board members and others to learn how to use Facebook if they didn’t already know how, to get a yard sign, host a coffee, and help the campaign as much as they can. She said AADL director Josie Parker’s calendar will be filling up with meetings to talk about the bond proposal. The committee is committed to this project and they want everyone to know how important it is, she said: “It’s a life changer.”

The board and staff gave Serras a round of applause.

For additional background on the bond proposal, see Chronicle coverage: “Library Bond Moves Toward Nov. 6 Ballot” and “AADL Board: What’s Your Library Vision?” The AADL also posted a six-page fact sheet on its website with details about the proposal, and has additional information online, including a way for patrons to post comments on the library director’s blog.

Public Library Trends

AADL director Josie Parker told the board that library staff are being asked about the relevancy of public libraries, and she thought it was appropriate to address that question at a formal board meeting. The presentation was made by Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, and Celeste Choate, AADL associate director of services, collections and access. Parker said they didn’t have time at the meeting to be comprehensive, but would touch on a couple of major points regarding the library’s collections.

Public Library Trends: Digital Content

Eli Neiburger’s talk covered some of the same ground as a presentation he’d made to the board in February 2012. He noted that the AADL currently provides access to eBooks through a proprietary service called Overdrive, which allows the library to buy temporary licenses for eBooks that can then be used one at a time by patrons. There are certain technical requirements to use Overdrive, he said, and a lot of people don’t make it through that process of updating software and making other modification before they can use the service.

Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, preps for his presentation on digital publishing trends for public libraries.

In general, the publishing industry wants a distribution method to guarantee that its electronic offerings won’t be widely distributed among users without payment. That’s counter to how computers work – with the ability to easily share files – so libraries are experimenting with other approaches, Neiburger said.

The challenge is to develop licensing models that embrace and deliver on the potential of digital media, as opposed to using technology to emulate how physical objects are bought and circulated. People are accustomed to the immediacy of buying an eBook, so it’s frustrating when they’re told there’s a waiting list to download an eBook from the library. That’s not a good situation, he said.

Neiburger described a matrix to illustrate the current options and potential future of digital media and publishing in relation to public libraries. The X axis showed a range of market types – from closed markets like Overdrive on one end, to open markets like eBay and the Internet on the other. The Y axis ranged from the publishing industry dying back on one end, to a thriving industry on the other. He noted that it’s unlikely publishing would die off completely, likening it to candles that were once critical as a light source but that now are used primarily for ritual or ambiance.

Neiburger described four quadrants of possibilities along these axes.

• DRM (Digital Rights Management) Dystopia (Closed markets/publishing thrives): Publishers keep tight control over content, prices stay high, publishing deals are handled through intermediaries, and there are fights over what can be offered exclusively on certain devices used for reading the digital content. In this scenario, libraries take what they can get. They’d pay more for less content, and would need to find a way to offer supplemental value.
• Platform Wars (Closed markets/publishing “dies back”): Companies like Apple and Amazon lock up rights to digital content, there’s a huge range of quality, and content creators can sign exclusivity deals for their work to be distributed only over certain devices. There would be little interest in working with public libraries, so libraries would have to find a new way, such as focusing on creating new content or historical archives.
• Neo Renaissance (Open markets/publishing thrives): This scenario would be good for libraries, Neiburger said. Price points would be low, devices would be irrelevant, and libraries could buy digital content. Their infrastructure needs would be tied to storing and distributing that content.
• Free Culture Society (Open markets/publishing “dies back”): The dominant price would be free, devices would be irrelevant, publishing deals would no longer be the model, and the role of libraries would be to store and distribute content. That role would drive a library’s infrastructure needs.

Neiburger then gave some examples of how AADL is experimenting with licensing for digital content. One of its first attempts was by striking an agreement with Magnatune, a digital music publisher. In early 2011, AADL negotiated a deal with the firm for about 12,000 songs – or the equivalent of about 1,200 albums. The library bought a license for each of its cardholders at $15 per cardholder – about $10,000 annually – so that anyone can download tracks with no waiting. Magnatune’s standard charge for the service to individuals would be $15 a month. It’s akin to annual subscriptions for databases, paying a flat fee for unlimited use. Though Magnatune doesn’t offer current “hot” performers, it provides a broad collection with a wide variety of genres, including classical, world music blues, hip hop, and alt rock.

Since launching Magnatune in April of 2011, there have been about 62,500 downloads by AADL patrons, Neiburger reported. That works out to a cost per use of about 25 cents per track. He noted that as a rule of thumb for public libraries, anything less than $1 per use is considered a good deal.

Another example of AADL’s alternative approach to licensing digital content is the 2009 “Grown in Detroit” documentary, produced by Dutch filmmakers. The DVD cost $175 and at one point the library had a wait list of 60 people. So AADL approached the film’s creators, who were willing to negotiate a deal to allow library patrons to view the documentary through online streaming video. The library paid a flat fee, and anyone with an AADL card can view it. Since May of 2012, about 300 people have viewed it, Neiburger said – many more than would have had access to a DVD version.

The final example is an eBook version of the graphic novel “Poopy Claws,” about a boy and his cat, Stinky, who doesn’t use the litter box. The library negotiated a digital content license for four years, at a price set by the author for unlimited downloads by AADL patrons – $400.

Neiburger said the next target is audio books. In general, creators know that distributing their work doesn’t erode, but rather builds, their audience, he noted. For “Poopy Claws,” people who read it online might then want to buy the physical copy, or other items like T-shirts, for example.

Nancy Kaplan asked whether the library had enough space to accommodate its needs for digital content. Neiburger said the storage space that’s needed is trivial – he could keep 200,000 copies of “Poopy Claws” on his cell phone. Digital space is extremely compact, he added, and the cost of adding a file is negligible.

Jan Barney Newman asked how much Magnatune paid the musicians who are part of their collection. Neiburger said the company pays musicians 50% of the revenues it receives based on usage.

Segueing to the next part of the presentation, Neiburger noted that the library has built a very efficient system for circulating its traditional collection of materials. But circulation, shelving and building design are set up to house and circulate objects of a certain size. As that changes, one challenge is where and how to store non-traditional collections. The library’s tracking/circulation software is well-suited for it, because that system doesn’t care about size, he said, “but the shelf sure does.”

Public Library Trends: Non-Traditional Collections

Celeste Choate – AADL associate director of services, collections and access – talked to the board about the library’s non-media, non-traditional collections. She had given a briefing on that same topic at the board’s Jan. 16, 2012 meeting.

The collections include  art prints; meter readers to gauge the energy efficiency of home appliances and electronics,; and Science to Go kits that focus on specific themes – prehistoric mammals, for example. The Science to Go kits contain materials that include books, DVDs, Fandex educational cards, and objects like a replica of a fossilized wooly mammoth molar. The full list of collections is on the “Unusual Stuff to Borrow” page of AADL’s website.

A collection of cases holding electronic musical tools at the AADL’s downtown building.

Earlier this year, the library began circulating telescopes, Choate said, in partnership with the University Lowbrow Astronomers. There are seven telescopes now, but because of their popularity, the library has ordered 15 more. So far there have been no problems with the items being broken or not returned, she said.

The most recent collection is electronic musical “tools” – 22 different types are available, including a concertina, Hapi drum, and theremin. Right now, Choate said, this collection doesn’t allow holds or renewals. The items are displayed next to the circulation desk of the downtown library, where patrons can see what’s available. Eventually, the collection will be rolled out to other branches.

They’ve been circulating for about three weeks, and have been well received, Choate said – one patron who’s a musician used a tool on one of his recordings. The aim was to buy items that would stand up well over time, and that weren’t available elsewhere.

Some of the items were passed out to board members, and Eli Neiburger demonstrated how they worked. Josie Parker added that they could be toys, but they’re not. Her son recently returned from Scotland and was determined to learn the bagpipes, she said. So she checked out a set of macpipes for him, which are used by professional bagpipers to practice fingering.

Barbara Murphy wondered if there are plans for more traditional musical instruments. Neiburger said the Hapi drum is a bit like a steel drum, but in general the idea is to offer instruments that local businesses don’t provide, so that the library isn’t competing.

Choate reported that two other collections are in the works: (1) art tools, like a mural projector or yarn ball winder; and (2) science tools, as a complement to the Science to Go kits, which would allow parents and kids to conduct science experiments. She said the library is open to suggestions for other collections as well.

Update: Library for  the Blind & Physically Disabled

Celeste Choate also gave the board an update on a recent satisfaction survey for patrons of the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, which is operated by AADL. Such a survey is required by the National Library Service to be conducted every three years, and is very labor intensive, she said. Staff called or contacted in other ways every patron, to be sure they’re getting the service they want.

Of the WLBPD’s 446 active patrons, 37% (137 people) responded to the survey, which is a high response rate, Choate said. The responses were received by mail, email, or through talking with library staff. Of the respondents, 87% rated their experience as either excellent or good, and 97% would recommend the services to friends or family members.  [.pdf of survey results]

Choate described the results as really great news, and thanked the staff for their work – specifically, outreach and neighborhood services manager Terry Soave, and library technicians Tonia Bickford and Katie Chynoweth.

Finance Report

Ken Nieman, AADL associate director of finance, HR and operations, gave a very brief financial update to the board. [.pdf of financial report] He noted that the three line items currently over budget are expected to come back in line. Those items are: employment costs (because merit increases were paid in July); communications (for an annual internet fee paid in July); and library programming/grant expenses (large purchases for the summer reading program were made in July).

He joked about having to follow the public commentary by Ellie Serras, who had received applause from the board. Jan Barney Newman said they’d applaud him too – and they did.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

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Two attorneys who are advising the AADL on this bond issue – James P. Kiefer of Dykema Gossett and Paul R. Stauder of Stauder, Barch & Associates – attended the meeting and answered questions from the board.

The ballot language states: “Shall the Ann Arbor District Library, formed by the Ann Arbor Public Schools and the City of Ann Arbor, County of Washtenaw, State of Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds, in one or more series, payable in not to exceed thirty (30) years from the date of issuance of such bonds, for the purpose of paying all or part of the costs of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new main library building to be located at the current site of the downtown library building, including costs related thereto?”

In addition, the following informational text was approved by the board for the ballot: “The estimated millage to be levied in 2013 to pay the debt service on such bonds is 0.56 mills ($0.56 per $1,000 of taxable value) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate required to retire the bonds is 0.47 mills ($0.47 per $1,000 of taxable value). In accordance with State law, a portion of the revenue collected may be subject to capture by the City of Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Scio Township Downtown Development Authority.”

The final ballot language will be authorized by the Washtenaw County clerk, Larry Kestenbaum.

Board members asked several questions for clarification, including one that was posed during public commentary by Lyn Davidge. She had asked about the phrase “or part of” in the ballot language, and wondered what that implied. Kiefer told the board that the phrase gives AADL flexibility. While AADL could spend the entire $65 million on the project, he said, if there is unexpected revenue from other sources – a grant, for example, or money bequeathed to the library in someone’s will – then the library wouldn’t be bound to spend the entire amount from the bonds.

After the meeting, the library immediately posted a six-page information sheet with frequently asked questions about the project. The FAQ includes a chart showing estimates of how much individual property owners will pay. For example, the owner of a house with a market value of $200,000 is expected to pay $56 annually, based on a levy of 0.56 mills.

AADL director Josie Parker stressed that the $65 million covers the cost of the entire project, not just the building itself. Other costs include demolition of the existing structure, moving costs and leases for temporary locations. If approved by voters, the bond millage would be initially levied in July of 2013. The new building would be on the downtown library’s current site at the northeast corner of Fifth and William. For additional background, see Chronicle coverage: “AADL Board: Renovation Not the Best Option” and “Campaign Launches for Library Bond.”

This brief was filed from the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. A more detailed report will follow: [link]