District Library amends circulation policy to cut out late book fines

By July 1, those who keep library books too long will be able to return them to the Belleville Area District Library and not get a fine.
At its regular meeting June 11, the library board voted unanimously to accept the new circulation policy where that is spelled out.
The board already had approved doing away with late book fines, but now it has the official policy that makes it possible.
Budget
In her report to the board, Library Director Mary Jo Suchy said she has been working on next year’s budget for a pivotal year for the library. She said it includes items for the new library that are not recurring annual costs, such as the opening day collection project, as well as some computer and furniture expenditures.
She said the budget also anticipates operating the new library and the branch in Sumpter Township.
“I have consulted other library budgets over the past few years in order to estimate the new budget,” she said. “I looked at libraries with multiple floors and somewhat newer construction in order to get some ideas for how much building, maintenance, and utilities will cost.
“Increases to staffing represent the move from two public service desks (circulation and reference) to five (circulation, children’s reference, adult reference, teen, and branch),” she said.
“For a lot of things, we don’t know what they are going to be,” Suchy said.
Architect Dan Whisler said the library has agreed to pay for the parking lot lighting, snow removal, and grass cutting at the new public parking lot, with future repairs to be shared with the City of Belleville.
“Mary Jo asked Ron Traskos to be here tonight and he is not,” said board president Sharon Peters. “He is not,” referrring to the board’s financial consultant. “We try to cover the things we know.”
The board approved the proposed 2019-20 budget of $2,080,400, as presented, and the amended 2018-19 budget of $2,351,800, as presented.
The board also approved moving $1 million of millage funds collected in 2018 to the 2019-20 fiscal year general fund budget, to be in compliance with federal GASBE requirements.
Board member John Juriga asked if the board could change the library’s fiscal year to begin Jan. 1, so this wouldn’t have to be done in the future. Currently the library’s fiscal year is July 1-June 30.
Building Committee chairman Joy Cichewicz said with all the work on the building now under construction, “That is not a priority at this time.”
Suchy said when the library was with the county, it had the county’s fiscal year. Then they were working with the city and went to the city’s fiscal year of July 1-June 30. She said she would look into changing the fiscal year and what it would entail.
In other business at the June 6 meeting, the board:
• Heard Suchy announce the Library Network is ready to test the new library’s first load of order records in the catalog for the Opening Day Collection. She said in the next few weeks staff will work with Baker & Taylor to place a test order of materials to be certain all of the processing, cataloging and record transfers go smoothly. Once items are ordered, the records will be made invisible in the library catalog until they are ready to open the new building, she said;
• Heard Suchy announce three new reference librarians have been added to the library substitute pool: Jennifer Mann, Crystal Corcoran, and Margaret Loebe;
• Heard a ceremonial cornerstone laying has been set for Saturday, June 29, at 1 p.m., with the Belleville Masons doing the ceremony. An ice cream social will follow;
• Discussed a variety of events to precede and follow the soft opening of the library, with the grand opening set for June or July of 2020. President Peters said charter donors may make donations through the end of 2019. “The community has been very generous,” Peters said;
• Heard Suchy say that Juriga’s idea to have a contest to name the number of bricks in the new library is underway for the whole month of June. Prizes for winner were suggested as a coffee mug, T-shirt, and brick;
• Heard Cichewicz report that the brickwork is behind on the new library because of the rain. She said the mullions for the tower part are too thick and were supposed to be thin and they will be getting the thin. A vendor wants $23,000 more and the architect is looking to set a date to discuss this. If there is no resolution, O’Neil general contractor will write a letter that says they are in breech of their contract. Whisler said they can hire someone else with the $140,000 retainage in that contract. Whisler said the steel company had a subcontractor as detailer and there is a disagreement between the two. There will be resolution, he said. Cichewicz said on June 18 representatives of the Belleville DDA will attend the building committee meeting to discuss Fourth Street work. Whisler said builders want the plan by Sept. 1 because they are working out their outside work. Once the building is covered there will be 80 people working inside;
• Heard Juriga say he was driving by and saw a cement truck at the building site. He said he knew all the cement had been poured, so he got out and inquired. He found they had to rip out the cement in both stairwells and replace them because they weren’t level. He said it was a liability issue; and
• Heard Whisler say the workers are almost done with the brickwork on Charles Street and the second floor is pretty much all studded out and they are beginning to install drywall. He said 80% is studded out on the first floor. Peters said the wall where the indoor time capsule was supposed to be has been drywalled. “We need to decide about that,” she said.