Minneapolis Public Library Information Center Annual
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MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY & INFORMATION CENTER ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY LIBRARIES ATHENAEUM 1985 Volume I CONTENTS VOLUME I ADMINISTRATION CENTRAL LIBRARY SERVICES ATHENAEUM 1985 Director of the Library .•••.•.....•.......•..••.••..... 1 Associate Director . • . • . • • . • • . • . • . • • . • • • • • . • • • 5 Accounting Office • . • • . • . • . • . 8 Building Staff • . • • . • . • . • . 9 INFORM . • . • . • • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • • • • . • 15 Interlibrary Loan • . • • • . • . • • . • • . • . • • • • . • • . • • . • 20 Personnel Off ice . • • • • • . • . • . • . • • . • • • • • . • • . • . • 24 Public Relations Office ..•..••.••....•..•...•.•..... 36 Chief of Central Library Services ..••••...•..•..••..•.. 41 MARS Advisory Committee .•.......•...............•... 45 Central Library Book Selection Office ••............. 50 Subject Departments Art, Music, Films . 58 Business and Economics .•.•..••.•......•...••.••.• 67 Children' s Room • . • . • • . • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • • • . • . 7 7 Government Documents • . • . • • . • • • . • • . • . 85 Municipal Information Library .•••.•..........• 91 History and Travel . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • 94 Minneapolis History Collection .............•.. 102 Literature . • . • • . • . • . • . • . 106 Sociology . • . • . • . • . 113 Technology and Science . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • 120 Shelving . • • . • . • . • . • • • . • . • . • . • . • • . 136 Chief of Technical Services ...........•................ 139 Acquisitions/Electronic Data Processing Department .. 147 Catalog Department . 160 Circulation Department •••.••.•.•••.•..•............. 172 Inventory Conversion Specialist .••..••..•........•.. 179 Preparations Department ••••••...••...•.•....•..••.•• 181 Athenaeum . 189 ANNUAL REPORT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR 1985 The year began auspiciously with many outstanding programs commemora ting the Centennial of the Minneapolis Public Library. Beginning with the well-attended "One Hundred Years of Enlightenment" birthday party celebra tions in all the community libraries and at the Central Library on March 2, to highlights such as the 'dinner of the century' with the Librarian of Congress, Daniel Boorstin, as speaker, or the censorship exhibit and programs featuring author Anthony Burgess, the year was filled with noteworthy events creating awareness and appreciation of the Library. Parallel with the public festivities, major behind-the-scenes activities which promise to influence operations include implementation of the automated circulation control system (MAX), reorganization for greater emphasis on children's services, continued discussion with the City Council for financial assistance relating to the proposed Central Library site development, partici pation in the city-wide classification (pay equity) study, and preparation of procedures for statewide borrowing reciprocity. With the completion of the computer site in January, the Geac computer and peripherals were installed and staff trained in its operation. In October the interface between the Library's online cataloging service and (MAX) became operational, inaugurating the online inventory of new books. Online circula tion at Webber Park, the test site, is expected to begin early in 1986. Plans were finalized to establish a Children's Services Department, with staff complement commensurate with other Central Library subject departments, designed to coordinate and enhance services to children. The new reorganiza tion also requires a children's librarian in each of the four district libraries where there is currently only two. In mid-year, the Library Board received City Council approval to establish guidelines and criteria for the proposed real estate development on the site of the Central Library with the Joint Venture group of Bor-Son Investment Properties, Inc. and Thorbeck and Lambert, Inc. Architects. Late in the year the Board approved an agreement with Laventhol and Horwath, in association with Dick Bergner, for financial consultation on the project for the sum of $47,500 to be paid from the Walker Library Segregated Fund. In March, the Board authorized an expenditure of $15,000 to participate in the city-wide classification study by the firm of Mercer-Meidinger. To assist in completing the questionnaires, which all employees were required to submit, several sessions of instruction wre conducted under the direction of the Personnel librarian. Job evaluation committees, representing all city departments, were established to review and assess the questionnaires. Work is expected to be completed in 1986. -5- Meetings arranged by the Office of Library Development and Services were attended by the Associate Director, representatives from MELSA and other regional library systems to hammer out procedures for MELSA partici pation in a statewide borrowing reciprocity agreement. This program, tenta tively scheduled to begin in July, 1986, on a two-year experimental basis grants borrowing privileges to anyone in the state of Minnesota with a library card from their home library. Disposal of the Library's museum inventory was finally completed. As per agreement, the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) inventoried the rock and mineral collection submitting a 39-page catalog of some 2,000 items listing identification, description and approxiamte value of each entry. The Library Board approved the donation and transfer of this collection as well as certain metal and wood display cases to MGS in March. Similar Board action, the same day, donated the vertebrate and invertebrate collection to the James Ford Bell Museum. In May, the Board donated the fossil collection to the Geology Depart ment of Macalester College following receipt of a catalog of the specimens in the same format as provided by the other institutions. The space created by the transfer of the museum collection is to be used by the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library. Planning began in the fall for remodeling of the area whereby the Friends' offices and book sorting area could be moved from the third floor. Library Board policy No. 5100.3, relating to protection of privacy of patrons, was challenged for the first time by an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department in September when a customer of the Meadows Restaurant in the Radisson University Hotel departed leaving a sizeable restaurant bill and a Minneapolis Public Library book. To locate the individual, the police officer requested a search of our circulation files since the book contained the transaction card. This information was refused by the Associate Director pursuant to Board policy and the state Government Data Practices Act, requiring a search warrant granted as a Court Order to authorize disclosure. Such a Court Order was served and the information then released. Interestingly enough, this incident occurred during the Library's Censorship exhibit and lecture by Anthony Burgess. Claudia Korsun, cafeteria operator, served notice of termination of her contract, effective in December. Rather than solicit for another operator to provide on-site food preparation which ultimately always became a mutually unsatisfactory arrangement, a decision was made to provide only vending machine service. On December 18, the Board approved an agreement with the Department of Jobs and Training, State Services for the Blind, under their Business Enterprises Program for vending service which will begin early in January. The Accounting Office, under the competent supervision of Laura Dahlen, streamlined many activities with the relocation of the IBM PC into that office and the use of the Lotus 1-2-3 software. Monthly financial statements, trust statements, stock inventory, etc. are now generated much more efficiently. Another major accomplishment was the issuing of a long-overdue updated Stock Room Supply Catalog -- a project involving Building Maintenance, Accounting Office and Public Relations staff. With the new catalog came revised requisitioning procedures designed to save everyone time and frustration. -6- Frances H. Naftalin was elected Board President for the eighth consecutive year at the annual meeting in January and Richard Rapson was elected as the Board's representative on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. Other action of the Board during the year included: --Approval of participation in the Youth Coordinating Board. --Approval of a contract with OCLC in the amount of $347,000 from capital funds for the conversion of retrospective catalog records from 1890-1967. --Approval of a one-year labor agreement with Local 70 of the Inter national Union of Operating Engineers. --Renewal of a two-year lease for the Pierre Bottineau Library. --Adoption of new policy regarding the installation of plaques in library buildings. --Approval of CLIC requests for 1986 in the amount of $991,076. A 1986 operating budget of $11,734,920 was approved in December with estimated revenues of $11,919,290 and authorized appropriations in the amount of $8,697,889 for personnel service and $3,037,031 for other than personnel service with an anticipated carryover balance on December 31, 1986 of $184,370. The Trust Fund investment account had interest and income of $63,634, representing a $7,636 increase over last year. The Board authorized reinvest ment of this income with provision it be withdrawn by staff as needed to re plenish Account #300-0036 at National City Bank. Early in the year came notification that the Library was named one of five beneficaries