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 1982 Volume I CONTENTS VOLUME I ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL SERVICES CENTRAL LIBRARY SERVICES ATHENAEUM 1982 Director of the Library 1 Associate Director . 7 Accounting Office . 11 Building Maintenance..................................... 13 Personnel . 18 Special Services . 29 Community Outreach . 33 Environmental Conservation Library ... .. 37 INFORM . 42 Interlibrary Loan . .. 45 Municipal Information Library......................... 49 Publicity Office . 50 Chief of Central Library Services ........................... 53 Machine Assisted Reference Service Advisory Committee .... 60 Central Library Book Selection Librarian . 65 Subject Departments Art, Music, Films..................................... 71 Business and Science . 83 Children's Room . 93 Government Documents .................................. 99 History and Travel . 105 Minneapolis History Collection .................... 114 Literature . .. 118 Sociology . 125 Shelving . 131 Chief of Technical Services ................................. 134 Acquisitions/Electronic Data Processing Department....... 140 Ca ta log Department . 153 Ci rcul at ion Department . 165 Preparations Department.................................. 169 Athenaeum . 177 ANNUAL REPORT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR 1982 The impact of the 1982 recession upon the operation of the Library was comparatively mild in contrast to the potential curtailments planned in anticipation of predicted fiscal reductions. It was a year of struggle, however, and there was some erosion of basic services (reduced hours), as well as cutbacks not readily discernible to the general public (materials budget, lag in filling staff vacancies, etc.). Library use in terms of circulation and reference questions was down 1.89% and 5.6% respectively from 1981 reflecting the Saturday closing in May and September; the elimination of bookmobile service as of April 23; and a reduction in acquisition expenditures. Circulation use may also have been influenced by the increased fines for overdue materials and increased reserve charge. The extensive use of the Central Library as a research facility however, was documented by an in-house reference survey conducted in November which indicated in-house use of materials was 265% over the number of items circulated on the survey days. By action of the City Council on February 26, 1982 the Library's 1982 oper ating budget was reduced by $302,000. To accommodate this reduction and in anticipation of further cuts, the Library Board voted to discontinue bookmobile service and extended summer hours to include May and September. An amended 1982 operating budget was approved in March with anticipated revenues of $9,643,512. and appropriations in the amount of $7,174,723. for personal service and $2,218,789. for other than personal service with an expected carryover balance December 31, 1982 of $250,000. A levy of 2.052 mills at a collection rate of 97.7%, plus $2,421,377 in state aids in addition to contract revenues such as MELSA, miscellaneous revenues and the pension fund (MERA) transfer was required for this budget. At year's end, unaudited operating expenditures are expected to indicate a modest 1.75% increase over 1981 operating expenditures (excluding the amount of $250,000. transferred to the City in 1981 for repayment of the Walker Library capital loan). A 1983 operating budget request of $10,393,198 (including the MERA pension fund transfer) was submitted to the City Budget Office in June. The Mayor's recommendation reduced this request by $326,413. A further reduction of at least another $60,000. is anticipated early in the year. The Trust Fund investment had earnings of $48,981.41, an increase of $13,978.46 over the previous year. On April 1, the Library Board accepted the bequest of $91,439.86 from the Albin C. Reed estate and authorized disbursement of the trust by the immediate transfer of $12,539.86 to the Central Library book budget and by investing $78,000. in the Library's Trust Account at the Midland National Bank. Annual income from this investment is to be expended for non-fiction books for the Central Library. -7- The Library Board requested in November that future recommendations for stock purchases from the Trust Office include information on the firms' adherence to Sullivan's principles or their involvement in South African investments. Other financial receipts included $1,000. from the Women's Club of Minne apolis, $1,000. from Dr. and Mrs. Leslie Zieve, $7,672. from NSP for costs incurred in acquiring the Mid-America Solar Energy Complex Library, and $2,441.82 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for maintenance of a local public documents room for their publications. While Harold Kittleson's City Council appointment to the Library Board expired on December 31, 1981, he continued until his successor Ross A. Sussman was named in the spring. In his farewell remarks to the Board in February, Mr. Kittleson expressed his long standing interest in books, his pleasure in serving on the Board as a City Council representative since 1974 and then announced his gift of $500. to establish a 19th Century American Studies Trust Fund. Related Library Board action included approval of an expenditure of $7,000. from the Trustee account for the printing of a new edition of the Directory of Environmental Organizations and in December the adoption of City Council Resolution 82R-189 advocating a nuclear weapons freeze. The major capital project was the remodeling of the exit/entry area of the Central Library. Benefits from this moderate expenditure include not only more efficient and economic operation but improved appearance. Recognition and appreciation is due the Maintenance Department for their time, interest and expertise throughout the remodeling. That the construction was accom plished without closing to the public is testimony also to the cooperation and understanding of the staff of the departments directly involved. While coordination and management of the project was under the able direction of the Superintendent of Buildings, Alex Wakal, John Sanko, Chief Operating Engineer, contributed significantly as did Walter Gegner, Administrative Aide, who assisted immeasurably to insure a smooth transition to the new arrangement. This remodeling brought about the expected benefits to the Library, but, regrettably, the necessity to relocate the Friends Book Shop to a less publicly visible area - first to the second floor and later to the Museum area - has had dismal consequences on their sales. In May came the sudden and unsettling news that the Science Museum of Minnesota would terminate their lease agreement as of June 30 due to fi nancial difficulties. Pressure from individuals and the Mayor's Office for the Library to continue operation of the Planetarium brought Library Board action to assume the responsibility on an interim basis beginning July 1 until outside funding could be found. At the request of the Administration, the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library agreed in September, after weeks of meticulous consideration, to take over the Planetarium beginning January, 1983. An anonymous donor contributed $10,000. to the Friends for this purpose on the last day of the year. -~ The withdrawal of SMM mid-point in the term of their lease was an adminis trative burden for the remainder of 1982. In addition to operation of the Planetarium and planning for its future, an inventory of MPL exhibits and equipment was arranged in anticipation of ultimate disposal, matters of utility and maintenance costs resolved, removal of SMM inventory supervised, and negotiations on cost for property damage started. The Library Board authorized an expenditure of $1,000. for Maxine Haarstick, retired Head of the Minneapolis Science Museum and Planetarium, to take an inventory of MPL property. This was essentially completed in July and August. Doris Northenscold, Chief of the Central Library, supervised an inventory of the book collection and had the items returned to the Library stacks. In early fall a check for $31,543. for agreed upon maintenance and utility costs was received from SMM. At year's end, the matter of property damage assessment is pending, the mammoth task of identifying, locating, and appraising museum items to be disposed of by way of gift, loan, or sale has begun, but no serious discussions are yet underway for the use of the vacated space. Discussions on the future of the two MPL mummies arose several times during this year. Orin Shane, SMM Curator of Anthropology, has indicated an inter est in their inclusion in a traveling exhibit entitled, "Secrets of Science," scheduled for St. Paul in 1984. Since the mummies are no longer on public display at MPL, the Director has been negotiating with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for their long term loan to that institution. Decisions on this matter are expected early in 1983. Throughout the year, Bruce Weir Benidt, author commissioned in 1981 to research and write a literary work covering the history of the Minneapolis Public Library, submitted installments on the work to the Chair of the Library Centennial Editorial Committee. Kristi Gibson, Chair of the Committee, is to be commended for the competent manner in which she is supervising the progress of this project scheduled for completion in book form for sale and distribution by September, 1984. In the interest of obtaining a long-term revenue source independent of the property tax levy, preparation of a request for proposal to sell air rights above the Central Library was begun. Positive response from staff of the City Planning Department and the Community Development Agency as well as private developers indicates merit in pursuing the concept. Low volume and high cost were given as reasons for the termination of the contract with Best Foods Services, Inc., for management of the Cafeteria. Once again a staff Cafeteria committee was helpful in selecting a successor. A new contract with Claudia Korsun, owner and operator of the Breadboard, 400 Marquette Avenue, was approved on August 5. It was an active year with collective bargaining concerns.