HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-23-2024 Fairhope Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting MinutesFairhope Public Library Board of Trustees
Special Called Meeting on Monday, September 23, 2024
Giddens Conference Room
Called to Order at 4:00 by Vice-Chair Andy Parvin
ATTENDANCE: Debra Langham, Dan Stankoski, Randal Wright, Andy Parvin, and
Tamara Dean, Director of the Fairhope Public Library and Assistant Director Rob
Gourlay. Also present for the meeting were approximately 10 observers.
After calling the meeting to order, Vice-Chair Andy Parvin reminded everyone that
the regularly scheduled meeting of the Library Board of Trustees would be on
Monday, October 21at 4:00. This is a special called meeting to review the changes
to the Library’s policies and procedures that were discussed at the regularly
scheduled meeting on August 19. He then asked Randal to read the 5 changes,
additions, and modifications that were proposed for the Library’s policies and
procedures. Rob Gourlay had a copy of the proposed P & P displayed on the stage
screen from the Giddens computer as Randal read them. After each of the five
modifications was read; Randal asked for questions or comments from the Board
Members. There were no questions or comments from the Board members. After
reading and sharing information about the changes, additions, and modifications,
Randal turned the meeting back over to Andy.
The changes to the policies and procedures were written to follow the changes made
to the Alabama Administrative Code for state libraries that go into effect in
December. The changes were written and approved by the Alabama Public Library
Service (APLS) Board of Directors. State libraries must make adjustments to their
policies and procedures and have them approved by APLS in order to receive state
funds.
Changes were made to:
Borrowing Privileges
There will be 4 types of cards for children ages 3-17. Parents must
come into the library to sign a waiver giving their approval for their
child to check out books and choose the category of books their child
can borrow from the library. All cards will look the same, but will show
up differently in the library’s circulation computer program.
• The minimum age to obtain a Library card is 3 years. The borrower types
are as follows:
1. Adult cards are issued to persons 18 years of age and older.
2. Minors-All Access: May borrow from all collections.
3. Minors-Teen Access: May only borrow Teens, Juvenile and
Preschool Collections.
4. Minors-Juvenile Access: May only borrow from Juvenile and
Preschool Collections.
• Cards are issued to minors for persons 3 years old to 17 years old. Minors
must have a responsible party attached to their card. This would be a
parent or legal guardian of said minors. This requires the responsible party
to have their own library account.
• In accordance with Alabama Public Library Service Administrative Code
Section 520-2-2-.03(2)(k) library cards for minors under the age of 18
must require parental approval before a minor’s card is permitted to
checkout materials from the library’s adult sections.
• Teens and Juveniles may be granted cards with access to all collections only
if the parent/guardian of the child first signs a waiver that permits access.
Materials Access
Limited Access for Minors:
• Video checkout—restricted to adult cards.
• There are library sections designated for minors with age appropriate
materials: Teens, Juvenile, and Preschool Rooms.
• In accordance with Alabama Public Library Service Admin Code Section
520-2-2-.03(2)(i), the library makes every effort to ensure that library
sections for youth under the age of 18 remain free of material deemed
inappropriate for minors. The library director and Board of Directors ensure
that materials and resources selected for all sections of the Library reflect
the diverse values, beliefs, and interests of the community. (See the Library’s
Vulnerable Child policy).
• In accordance with the Alabama Public Library Service Administrative Code
Section 520-2-2-03(2)(f)12: The Library Director, working within the policies
approved by the Library Board of Trustees, will give advance approval of
all materials recommended, displayed, or otherwise actively promoted to
children or youth.
American Library Association (ALA) Expenditures
In accordance with the Alabama Public Library Service Administrative Code Section
520-2-2-03(8) (8)any expenditure of public funds to the American Library
Association must be approved by the Library Board of Trustees at a regularly
scheduled public meeting.
Vulnerable Child
Policy Statement:
The Library staff cannot act ‘in loco parentis’, meaning we are not equipped, not
is it the Library staff’s responsibility to provide long or short-term supervision for
children of any age. A responsible parent/guardian or a caretaker 16 years or
older must remain in the building for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years
of age. The word caretaker has been added to the statement giving that person(16
or older) who serves as a caretaker direct responsibility for the child(ren).
Collection Development for Minors
• The Library will avoid placement or purchasing of any material that is
considered obscene, or sexually explicit with the exemption given to age-
appropriate materials with literary, artistic, political or religious value, or of
a scientific nature.
Andy asked for a motion to the changes, additions and modification to the Fairhope
Public Library’s policies and procedures. Dan made the motion, Debra seconded the
motion. Andy restated the motion and called for a vote. Knowing that the changes
were necessary to keep state funding for the Fairhope Public Library all members of
the Board of Trustees voted to accept the changes and approved the new policies
and procedures.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:13.
Respectfully Submitted,
Randal H. Wright