Minutes - Parkland Regional Library

Libraries Advisory Group (LAG) Meeting – March 14, 2011
In attendance:
Bashaw Public – Cindy Hunter, Bentley Public – Suzanne Moore, Blackfalds Public – Carley
Binder, Brownfield Public – Darvy Gilbertson, Camrose Public – Jo-Anne Cooper, Carstairs
Public – Marg Reid & Joanne Merrick, Coronation Public – Margo McPhail, Donalda Public
– Shannon Gillund, Forestburg Public – Cathy Kells, Mary C. Moore Public – Christina
Petrisor, Olds Public – Lesley Winfield, Penhold Public – Myra Binnendyk, Ponoka Public –
Norma Jean Colquhoun, Rimbey Public – Jean Keetch, Rocky Public Library –Cathie
MacDonald, Stettler Public – Deborah Cryderman, Sundre Public – Michael Baird, Sylvan
Lake Public – Shannan Sword
PRL – Ron Sheppard, Anna Alexander, Marquita Bevans, Lauralee Gilmour, Karyn
Goodwillie, Susan Grieshaber-Otto, Joanne Mokry, Colleen Schalm Mares, Tim Spark, Sharon
Thompson
Meeting called to order at 10:10 a.m.
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Additions to the Agenda
- APLEN PR-COM – Marketing Campaign – Karyn Goodwillie (after #4)
- Transit bag weight – add to #6 – Jo-Anne Cooper
3. CAP Update – Tim Spark
• Using Community Access Program (CAP) grant money, PRL purchased new CED’s
for 48 libraries. 44 have already been installed and 4 still need to be installed
(Blackfalds, Ponoka, Lacombe, Nordegg).
• PRL also purchased FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer with CAP funds which will be
used to manage the CEDs.
• PRL purchased FortiMail – this is an email security software to eliminate problems
with spam.
• A question was asked if computers could also be bulk purchased for the libraries to
save money. Tim Spark indicated that if PRL headquarters purchased large numbers of
computers, there could be a savings of 15-20%. There would need to be a guarantee of
higher volume purchasing.
• Those in attendance indicated an interest in PRL bulk purchasing hardware and
software. A survey will be sent to see how many libraries would be interested in bulk
computer purchasing.
1

4. PRL Budget Considerations
• A copy of PRL’s 3-year budget was handed out. 2012 and 2013 are projected budgets.
A survey on PRL services was also distributed.
• PRL is beginning the budget process and would like an indication from member
libraries regarding which PRL services should be prioritized for budget spending.
Municipal Affairs has guaranteed the current per capita funding rates and will be using
the 2010 population rates for grant purposes. The survey handed out at the meeting is a
precursor to an online, more comprehensive survey that will be sent to all libraries.
• Ron Sheppard reviewed the items listed on the survey. The highlighted areas are new
service requests.
• Sheppard reviewed the responses to the survey collected today. Four areas were
identified as being 100% in importance (book allotment, communications and
marketing assistance, management of library computers, NoveList online database).
Marquita Bevans gave a quick overview of Bibliocommons.
APLEN PR-COM – Marketing Campaign (addition to agenda)
• This year’s marketing initiative, funded by Alberta Public Library Electronic Network
(APLEN), will include TV, radio, and newspaper ads.
1) For the new campaign, three variations of the marketing initiative were presented
with Make It Yours selected by the majority present. It contains more components
that include what is available in libraries in addition to books and was identified to
be a simple and proactive statement.
• APLEN Standing Committee will meet on Friday and will make a decision on the
selections from libraries throughout the province.
Lunch break at 12:15 – 1:00
Summer Reading Club - Sharon Thompson showed the artwork for the Summer Reading poster.
March 16 th is the deadline for ordering materials. Because the Summer Reading Club order form
did not include any plastic book bags this year, a suggestion was made that PRL make a bulk order
for all libraries. A discussion followed on preferences for types of bags (cloth or plastic).
Thompson will investigate further and notify libraries as soon as possible.
5. Horizon Best Practices – Marquita Bevans
2

• Q: Can fines be restricted to a certain amount? (e.g. set a maximum of $5 per item.)
When fines are charged up to the value of the book, patrons want to keep the book, so
would like for the overdue fines not to add up to the cost of item.
o Answer: It is not possible in Horizon. Fines will accumulate up the amount found
in the item record under ‘Price.’ It is not possible to change this.
• Q: Is there a possibility of linking all cards within a family?
o Answer: This is not possible in Horizon right now. It is a feature we are looking
for in a future ILS.
• There was a comment at the LAG meeting that to be able to search for a borrower by
phone number would be useful. Marquita will look into seeing if this can be built into
Horizon.
• Do not leave items with a status of “newly acquired.” Check in every item when
received. If you know a local patron has expressed interest in the title, place a hold for
that patron prior to checking it in.
• Item status: Display Area. Discussion about how this status should be used occurred
and it was decided that item status ‘display area’ will now show up on the pull list.
• Horizon note “Hold cancelled and re-inserted in queue” explained: This happens
when a book that has a hold on it is checked out by a local patron without a hold. The
patron (from another community) with the hold is bumped and reinserted into the
queue. Best practice recommends that library staff place a hold on the book for their
patron before checking it out. This practice brings the local patron’s request to the top
of the queue and will prevent the note showing up for other patrons. It is worth noting
that the library checking out the item to their own patron is keeping with the rules of
interlibrary loaning as agreed upon by the libraries (locally owned items go to local
patrons first before other libraries’ patrons); however, the patron who receives the
‘Hold cancelled and re-inserted in queue’ note will not see it that way. The note is
frustrating and confusing for patrons.
• Discussion was held regarding damaged items procedure. It was recommended that the
lending library contact the patron’s library regarding a damaged item and include
details such as patron’s account number, value of the item, etc. After sending an email
to the library manager of the patron’s library, put a note on the patron’s account to
remind staff to speak to patron. Do not have your patron talk to damaged item’s library
directly. Marquita will work on more precise instructions for everyone dealing with
damaged items. Library staff need to take time to examine each item (and each disc) at
check-in (CKI) and check-out (CKO). It is possible to re-CKI an item in damaged
mode if the damage is recognized after CKI.
3

6. Transport Best Practice
• Weight of bags – A concern was reported that some of the bags arriving at libraries are
weighing more than 20 pounds. Bags at PRL are weighed before leaving the building
so as not to exceed the 20 pound limit. PRL staff will talk to van drivers regarding the
practice of picking up bags and dropping at libraries later in the run to see if that is the
cause of the heavy bag problem. Scales could be purchased for vans to weigh bags
before taking them. PRL staff will follow up with this issue.
• DVDs in transit – Be sure to pack items that are traveling via van or courier in
sufficient bubble wrap. Removable Scotch tape can be used to tape slips directly on
covers without damaging them.
• Barcode label ALL items including Fast Adds.
• Some libraries barcode DVD cases but not the discs inside; some libraries label the
inside of the case instead of affixing a barcode on the outside of the case which causes
additional staff time because staff have to type in each barcode number instead of
scanning it. Please identify the outside of each case with the barcode and the library’s
name. Write the barcode and the library’s name on each disc, too (either with a discsafe
marker or a doughnut label). The library’s name is preferred to the national library
code to avoid confusion if the discs are sent out of system or get confused with a
patron’s personal collection.
• PRL has lots of bubble wrap. Attendees asked that when requests are sent via email for
supplies, a response is made by PRL so local library staff know the message was
received.
7. Opportunities available via videoconferencing – Lesley Winfield
• There are a lot of videoconferencing opportunities for training etc. If libraries do not
have a videoconferencing suite, there may be one available elsewhere in the
community.
• There are about 13 videoconferencing sites in the PRL region, only 1 is at a public
library.
• PRL has investigated setting up its own bridge. Pricing for hardware and bridge (for 6
libraries) could cost about $30,000, for all 50 libraries it would cost approximately
$150,000. Using other bridges is sometimes a problem because of scheduling.
• PRL will continue to seek opportunities for videoconferencing around the region
through the formation of partnerships.
4

8. Website resource list
• PRL is compiling a regularly updated resource list for library websites (e.g. book lists).
If libraries want to opt in, they need to contact Lauralee (lgilmour@prl.ab.ca or
Helpdesk (helpdesk@prl.ab.ca). This list can appear on a library’s homepage and it
will not disturb the current website. Lists will be updated every two weeks by PRL.
9. Out of county ILLs
• Some systems cover postage for out of province/country ILLs. Attendees indicated
they do not have many out of province ILLs. Currently, local libraries are covering the
shipping costs. Consensus was that there is no concern about damaged items for out of
province ILLS.
10. Disk-Go-Roboto info/procedures
• Susan Grieshaber-Otto and Sharon Thompson demonstrated the new disc repair
machine. Discs will be repaired using the “light mode” unless indicated with a note
attached to an individual protector sleeve. Every time a disc is repaired, some of the
disc surface layer is removed. Medium and heavy repair options are also available.
• Change the status of each disc in Horizon that is sent for repair either to processing,
damaged, or mending.
• Cases were distributed to all public libraries. The maximum number of discs sent into
PRL for repair at any one time is 20. They may be sent on the REGULAR van run
only. Be sure all discs are clearly marked with library’s name.
• Always try cleaning the disc manually before sending to PRL for repair.
11. PRL Promotional doodads
• At the time of PRL’s 50 th anniversary, a lot of promotional items were purchased but
have been used up. PRL is looking to purchase some promotional items and asked for
suggestions. Items recommended by attendees include: pens, clipboards, coil books,
nylon foldable bags. Please forward any other suggestions to Grieshaber-Otto at
sgrieshaberotto@prl.ab.ca.
Next LAG Meeting Date – June 13 th
Meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
5