Printable Version: Bookmobile Ad Hoc Committee Minutes | October 20, 2009

TENTATIVE AGENDA
FOR THE MEETING OF THE
SPECIAL AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THE
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL
FOR THE STUDY OF THE APPLICATION OF
A BOOKMOBILE FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH
BOARD ROOM OF THE MAIN LIBRARY
7711 GOODWOOD BOULEVARD
BATON ROUGE, LA 70806
OCTOBER 20, 2009
9:30 A.M.

I. ROLL CALL

II. GENERAL DISCUSSION

A. REVIEW OF BOOKMOBILE SPECIFICATIONS

B. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

C. BUDGET IMPACT

D. OTHER

III. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

IV. ADJOURN

ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Minutes of the Special Ad Hoc Committee of the
East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control
for the Study of the Application of a Bookmobile for Community Outreach

October 20, 2009

The meeting was called to order at 9:45 am.

Committee members present were Committee Chairman, Stanford Bardwell, member of the Library Board of Control; Ms. Patience Travasos, Preschool Resource Coordinator for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools; Ms. Patricia Husband, Assistant Director for Branch Services; and Ms. Mary Stein, Assistant Director for Administrative Services. Committee members absent were Ms. Tanya Freeman, member, Library Board of Control, and Ms. Jenola Duke, Chair of the Education Team for the Children’s Coalition of Greater Baton Rouge. Also in attendance were Mr. David Farrar, Library Director; Ms. Brenda Lovett, Library Business Manager; Ms. Rhonda Pinsonat, Assistant Library Business Manager; Mr. Ronnie Pierce, Library Business Office; and Ms. Sarah Crawford, Library Public Relations Specialist.

Review of Bookmobile Specifications:

Mr. Bardwell asked for details concerning the status of the purchase of the two smaller vans. Mr. Pierce explained that the Dodge Grand Caravan Mini-Van and the 1 ton Ford E350 with lift gate were both on State Contract, and that the orders had been placed. The Dodge might arrive within the next few months; the Ford might take longer due to closures of automobile dealerships throughout the country.

The committee discussed the various uses of each vehicle. The smaller van will visit small neighborhood day care centers. The larger van will visit smaller centers but due to having the lift, can also transport sizeable collections of materials to larger centers very easily. The seats should be removable; on occasion, either van might be used to transport library staff to meetings or events. We will “wrap” the vehicles with colorful decals /painted treatment upon delivery. There are many local sign or auto detailing vendors who can do this. Each vehicle design must work around the required City Parish Seal and vehicle numbers. Ms. Husband and Ms. Stein have many samples and examples to look at.

The committee then reviewed the specifications for the 37-foot coach which will be used as a multi- purpose bookmobile. Mr. Bardwell was especially interested in those details which spoke to the vehicle's functionality.

First discussed was the wheelchair lift with swing away bookcase, the two LCD monitors which could be used for either computer instruction or DVD screenings, the location of the awning and whether or not it was waterproofed. Ms. Husband explained that the wheelchair lift is on the passenger side of the vehicle; it is hidden behind a swing-away bookshelf so allow maximum use of space. Ms. Travasos expressed interest in the LCD monitors. The larger monitor is inside; both can be connected to the instructor’s laptop for demonstrations and instruction. The awning will be located on the passenger side of the vehicle and will be waterproof.

Mr. Bardwell asked about seating for patrons. Ms. Stein explained that due to space concerns, there is no large scale bench seating planned for the bookmobile. There will be chairs available for when the vehicle is set up for computer use or instruction. If a small group of children were on the vehicle for a special Storytime, they would sit on the floor on special carpets, just as they do in the Library.

Ms. Stein explained that the vehicle will be "wrapped" at the factory, with complete Library input and control of the design. The design will complement or coordinate the designs for the other 2 vehicles, so they will all be thematically and visually related.

Mr. Pierce presented details related to the alarm system and the digital thermometer, the forced-air heating system and the three cooling systems. The committee reviewed the capacity for 5 PCs on the vehicle as well as multiple electrical outlets both inside and outside, and plans to provide wireless access to the Internet on the bookmobile.

Ms. Husband reviewed the specifications for the exterior rear wall with storage for emergencies and to facilitate continuity of operations. This will help the vehicle serve more than one function.

Mr. Bardwell asked about shelving and material storage. The bookmobile will use a combination of booktrucks (with tie downs) specially designed for bookmobile use, and adjustable storage. The grid design will allow us to modify the interior fittings as either bookshelves or computer desks or a combination of both.

Mr. Bardwell suggested we ask if we could add an exterior storage compartment to the specifications; Ms. Lovett agreed to call a bookmobile vendor to see if such a compartment was possible given the other structural and mechanical specifications of the vehicle. Mr. Bardwell asked about the shoreline. Ms. Travasos was concerned about its location and wondered if people would trip on it. Ms. Lovett said she would check with the vendor on standard practice.

Mr. Bardwell was very appreciative of the flexibility offered by the WiFi and the computers. The bid package was to be finalized this week. Once the vendor is selected, the bookmobile will take up to nine months to build. The delivery date of the small van is soon; Ms. Lovett has already been notified by City Parish to send the license fee.

Some discussion was held on selecting a name for the Bookmobile, a la Library a Go Go. Mr. Bardwell and Ms. Travasos agreed that the name should signify "bringing books to kids."

Partnership Opportunities:

Mr. Bardwell saw two different kinds of vehicles and thus two distinct kinds of partnering opportunities for known neighborhood day care centers, church or school sponsored centers, and commercial day care centers. Mr. Bardwell asked Ms. Travasos to describe the After Care Programs in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, as well as other programs that would benefit from partnering with the Library.

Ms. Travasos described the various Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the parish, as well as the three preschool centers at Southdowns, Rosenwald, and Wyandotte. There are also special programs for teen parents at selected schools. Extended day care runs from 6:30 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening; many after-care programs do have access to their school libraries or media centers but students at the Pre-K centers at Southdowns, Rosenwald, and Wyandotte have no access to library materials at all. Ms. Stein mentioned that there is more than one school system in our parish.

Mr. Bardwell asked how we would manage the program as regards recruiting participants and scheduling. Ms. Stein said that we would expand on what we already did, since we are already visiting schools and classrooms. Ms. Husband has obtained samples of the agreement used at Pierce County, which spells out the responsibilities of the both the Library and the day care center, in order to participate in the program. Library staff will adapt this to our needs. We also have access to professional library materials through ALA and other organizations.

Ms. Travasos spoke of requiring participants to attend a special training session, or of incorporating bookmobile pre-visit site instruction for caregivers into their 3 hour training mandated via VOA. The Day Care Licensing system (A, B, C) and the Quality Point Rating Scale (*, **, ***, ****) was discussed—this is a voluntary rating system, but allows day care providers to be eligible for special programs and gives them credibility.

Special attention was given to who would be served with the various vehicles.

Mr. Bardwell then proposed a second kind of partnership—corporate sponsorship or partnership. The committee discussed possible sponsorship or donor opportunities and possible corporate sponsors. Once our policies and procedures are in place, and our vehicle is under construction at the factory, we can prepare a marketing piece which describes not only the service but also how local organizations or businesses can partner. The committee also discussed special grants such as First Book and RIF as possible sources for books for home-use. Ms Husband mentioned that we might want to consider geographic areas when targeting potential sponsors.

Budget Impact:

Mr. Bardwell asked Ms. Lovett to discuss the budget. The two smaller vehicles cost $19,914 and $38,498. The larger one is unknown until the bid process is complete. However, $428,500 has already been approved in the budget supplement for 2009 so the funds are secured and will be disbursed as the vehicles arrive. Insurance will run $8,000 to $10,000 per year for all three vehicles.

Ms. Lovett, Ms. Husband and Ms. Stein reviewed the hiring process and mentioned that it will take a while to hire the staff; staff budget allotments will not be approved by City Parish, the Mayor's office, and the Metro Council in time to hire this year.

Ms. Stein reported that Children’s Services staff have already ordered and received selected special "Big Books" for the program. Other supplies and library materials will be ordered as well.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:30am.

Printable Version: Bookmobile Ad Hoc Committee Minutes | October 20, 2009

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