CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS AVAILABLE

The commercial says "Life takes Visa." Well, now that GRRL is able to take credit card payments online, so does your library. This is a service that numerous patrons have requested from GRRL and one that should improve customer service. SirsiDynix, who provide GRRL's Horizon software, developed a partnership with a credit card processing company recently. The sofware has been configured to GRRL's requirements, and the service is now avilable to accept credid card payments via the Internet. The system operates easily and efficiently. For people who owe more than $6, a link will appear next to their current balance offering them the opportunity to pay online. The link leads to another screen where they enter their credit card information. You can also get to the credit card information page through a Pay Fines tab when you are viewing "My Account." It still is not possible to make a donation to GRRL via credit card. At this time, software is not compatible with both Horizon and the software used by the Fund Development department. In preparation for the introduction of payment by credit card, a credit card policy was introduced. It states that GRRL is committed to protecting the privacy and security of patrons, and that no GRRL employee will intentionally disclose personal information regarding credit card transactions to third parties except as required by law, to respond to a subpoena or other governmental order, or to collect a valid debt.

CATALOG ENHANCEMENT USE

The GRRL online catalog was recently enhanced by the addition of several features. Many catalog entries now have three sources of additional information regarding books. They are: 1) LibraryThing Other Editions, which shows if the library has other versions of the work such as large print and sound recordings; 2) LibraryThing Similar Books, which provides recommendations for similar books by the same and/or other authors; and 3) LibraryThing Tags, which are lists of characteristics associated with the book. For example, the list of tags associated with "My Family And Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell includes autobiography, Corfu, humor and travel. Each tag links to a list of items that share that tag. These are great features to help people explore the catalog and expand their reading.

A NICE OLD LETTER AT THE LIBRARY

On May 3, staff at the St. Cloud Public Library spent the day doing house cleaning in preparation of the move to the new library later this year. During the cleanup, numerous old scrapbooks were pulled out of storage so that decisions could be made about their future. A staff member looking through one came across a letter handwritten on flowered stationery dated March 3, 1951. It was a letter from Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of "Little House on the Prairie." She thanked the children of St. Cloud for their birthday remembrance, and signed off with "Love and good wishes to you all. Your friend, Laura Ingalls Wilder."

COMPLEMENTARY HOURS DISCUSSION

The GRRL Regional Services Team met to discuss and begin planning for complementary hours in Grey Eagle, Swanville, and Upsala. The goal is to develop a plan whereby people in the geographic area of those libraries would at some point on every day Monday – Saturday have access to library services. (None of those libraries is now open on Tuesdays.) Each library will continue a 20-hour schedule, but hours will be distributed in a reasonable way for the community and regional users so that service availability is maximized. Deputy Director Verne Oleksowicz said he hopes the team will be able to create a process that can be replicated in other areas of the region where libraries are contiguous.

ART CHAIR AUCTION GAINING MOMENTUM

One of the fundraisers that will take place for the new St. Cloud Public Library is an art chair auction. Fifty-two chairs will be painted or decorated to match a book. Each chair already has a sponsor who has paid $150 for the privilege, and each has been assigned to an artist who has volunteered to paint it. (There was no shortage of volunteers.) Some of the book titles are from familiar children's books such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," and some are not, such as "The History of the Ojibway People." Chairs will be displayed at various locations in the community before being auctioned off at a grand opening event at the new library on September 20.

MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT GONE, THEN BACK

The omnibus tax bill written on Sunday, May 18 included a provision suspending all Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and minimum level of support requirements for counties for the years when levy limits are in effect. As the tax bill included levy limits for three years, this meant that library MOE would not be in effect for counties for at least the next three years. MOE limits the ability of counties to reduce financial support and ensures a level of stability for organizations such as GRRL that depend on county funding. When the legislature eliminated MOE requirements, it was a way of giving counties freedom to reduce support if declining tax revenues made it difficult for them to maintain levels of service. Even though GRRL's current board has shown no inclination to reduce support, a door had been opened for them to reduce support for libraries. However, the legislature had unwittingly also opened another door. According to a StarTribune editorial, "Reducing some matching county spending would either make federal dollars evaporate, too, or would require more state spending. The latter figure could be ‘as much as $100 million this biennium,' Gov. Tim Pawlenty said...." Almost as soon as this was understood, a revision to the 2008 Omnibus Tax Bill that restores MOE was written.

BUDGET DISCUSSION BEGINS

The Leadership Support Team met on Wednesday, April 30. The main topic of discussion was the 2009 budget request. Each spring, the Director works with the Leadership Support Team to evaluate needs and priorities for the following year. That information is then put into a budget proposal presented to the Board. The Board makes the final decision on how the budget total is adjusted year to year. That figure usually causes a re-evaluation of how much funding is applied to each line in the budget. Because levy limits are in place for the counties, budgets with increases of 4, 5 and 6 percent are being prepared. The final budget for the library will be approved in July.

ST. CLOUD LIBRARY MOVE BIDS

Bids for moving the St. Cloud Public Library have been received and considered by library staff and the City of St. Cloud. The bids varied widely in price from about $30,000 to about $110,000. The attention to detail within the bids also varied tremendously. GRRL Director Kirsty Smith wants to ensure that a company that has experience moving libraries moves the library. The City awarded the move contract to American Interfile and Library Services of Bay Shore, NY on June 2.

ELK RIVER NAMED "TOP PROJECT"

Elk River Public Library has been selected for a "Top Projects" award by "Finance and Commerce" magazine. This award is reserved for Minnesota's finest construction projects completed in 2007. Selections were based on a variety of criteria, including innovative construction techniques, creativity in design and overall complexity. Finance and Commerce's editorial staff chose the 25 honorees.

AUDITOR'S REPORT AT GRRL BOARD MEETING

The GRRL Board of Trustees met on May 13. The Board heard the annual auditor's report, which once again confirmed that GRRL's financial affairs are in order. The auditor complimented the library's finance department on being well prepared and helpful throughout the auditing process.

ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT

At its May 13 meeting, the Board also received a statistical report prepared by Joan Allen, Virtual Services Coordinator, which included many interesting tables and comparisons. For example:

• Holds have increased from 407,625 in 2003 to 750,583 in 2007.
• Total number of items loaned or borrowed through interlibrary loan has increased from 14,610 in 2003 to 32,059 in 2007.
• GRRL provided 225 adult programs, 122 teen programs and 1519 children's programs in 2007.
• GRRL received 354,172 information request in 2007, a slight decrease from 356,148 in 2005 and 358,280 in 2006.
• Circulation increased from 3,017,174 in 2005 to 3,330,046 in 2007. The largest increase among the counties was in Wright County, which increased from 909,220 in 2005 to 1,037,775 in 2007.
• Registered borrowers increased from 111,631 in 2005 to 116,389 in 2007. This indicates a reversal of a trend that had gone from 116,502 in 2002 to 111,631 in 2005. Wright County had the largest total increase of patron registration: 723.

ELK RIVER SELF CHECK WORKING WELL

The Elk River Public Library now has a self-checkout machine operating. Funding to purchase the machine came from the City of Elk River. Most people have to be oriented to how to use it, said Branch Assistant Jan Connolly, but some patrons have used similar machines in other libraries. It's fairly simple and self-explanatory, she said. Elk River is the first GRRL system library to have self-checkout. St. Cloud is planning two self-checkout machines for its new library. With the implementation of a self-check unit, the $6 limit for patron accounts (fines or charges owing to the library) needed to become a "hard" limit that staff could not override. Otherwise, patrons with accounts greater than $6.00 could use self-check units regardless of the amount of charges on their records. Customers are now prevented by Horizon from checking out library materials if they owe more than $6.00. Customers will need to pay their account to $6.00 or below in order to borrow library materials.