{"id":450,"date":"2012-10-03T12:41:22","date_gmt":"2012-10-03T16:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/south-georgia-library-board-sglb-2012-09-18.html"},"modified":"2012-10-03T12:41:22","modified_gmt":"2012-10-03T16:41:22","slug":"south-georgia-library-board-sglb-2012-09-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/south-georgia-library-board-sglb-2012-09-18.html","title":{"rendered":"South Georgia Library Board @ SGLB 2012-09-18"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\n<\/a>\nThe library board heard citizens at length about a problem that was\napparently news to the board,\nlater considered the problem at length,\ncame up with an interim solution,\nand formed a committee to examine it longterm.\n<\/p>\n

Citizen concerns about rules against after hours library use<\/h3>\n

\nConcerns were raised about hours at the southside library at the monthly meeting\nof the South Georgia Library Board, 18 September 2012.\nApparently rules have recently been changed for\n\nall library branches<\/a>\nso that meetings can no longer be held after library hours.\nThis is a problem for volunteer groups composed of working people.\nIt was unclear what the latest version of the rules is.\nAnd the library board appeared\n\nunfamiliar with the hours of its own libraries.<\/a>\nHowever, they did at the end of their meeting\n\nextensively consider the issue<\/a>\nand apparently come to an interim solution with\na path to a more general solution.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThe rules change may have been due to\n\none incident at one branch<\/a>\n(not the southside branch)\nfor which the library board knew the sponsoring organization.\nQuestions were raised as to why a blanket rules change ensued.\nOne citizen pointed out that\n\ntaxpayers pay for the library buildings<\/a>\nso it’s not clear why they should be prevented from using them;\nschool buildings, too.\n\n<\/a>\nAnother consideration was\n\nelderly parent care<\/a>, because it’s hard to get help for that\nany time other than during the day.\nKay Harris wanted to be sure everyone who wanted to speak had spoken.\nAt least one citizen left\n\na written statement for the record<\/a>,\nwhich is always a good idea.\nThen all the citizens who had spoken left the meeting,\napparently uninterested in anything else the library board was doing.\nInterestingly,\n\na southside library support group<\/a>\nwas in one of the regular report items.\n<\/p>\n

Transparency<\/h3>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nAfter the other citizens left, one of the library board (his nameplate\nsaid Ray Devery)\n\nasked whether Gretchen could stay.<\/a>\nKay Harris without hesitation said yes and moved on to approval of the minutes.\nCongratulations to Kay Harris on knowing the open meetings law\nand sticking to it!\nSpeaking of the minutes, where are they so the taxpaying public can see them?\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n

Regular business<\/h3>\nRegular board business included\n\ncirculation,<\/a>\n\n<\/a>\n\nstory time<\/a>,\nand\n\ncarpet restoration<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nLanier County “volunteered”\n\nprison labor<\/a> for library uses,\na \ntechnology report<\/a> (which included nothing about Internet access),\nfinances\n\nrevenues exceeded expenditures,<\/a> yet the state cut more than $86,000,\n\npayroll<\/a>,\ninsurance webinar, and staff turnover.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThere was a\n\ncommunity relations development report<\/a>,\nincluding festivals,\nkindle use,\n751 total facebook likes and 200,000 reach.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\nRegarding the planned Five Points library, Kay Harris clarified\nthat staff are not supposed to help promote that\n\n“in any way, shape, or form.”<\/a>\nDuring paid hours.\nAfter hours is different.\n<\/p>\n

Board discussion of after hours library use<\/h3>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nA library board that is\n\napproving furlough days<\/a>\nis not in a good position to extend library hours.\nKay Harris proposed\n\nsuspending the rules for southside library<\/a>\nand revisiting the general rules at next month’s board meeting.\n\n<\/a>\nThey considered\n\nleaving after hours use decisions to local branches.<\/a>\nThey wanted to know\n\nhow much after-hours use is there, anyway?<\/a>\nThey discussed\n\nfiduciary responsibility for library branches<\/a>.\nThey discussed\n\nlead time for approving new groups for after-hours use.<\/a>\nAs near as I can tell, they decided to suspend the current\nafter-hours rules for southside library,\nhave Kay Harris appoint a committee to look into the situation,\nand revisit the rules in general at their next meeting.\nI can’t tell when they actually voted on any of that.\nHowever, library director Kelly Lenz has\nconfirmed by telephone that that’s what they decided.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nHere’s\n\na video playlist:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

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