Meeting called to order by Chairman Kim Hoagland at 4:06 PM in room 309 of the Library.  Action items in bold.

Present: George Love, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Dana Richter, Erin Minne (late), Peck Cho, Kim Hoagland, Faith Morrison, Terry Reynolds, Lynn Bjorkman
Absent: Dee Vincent, June Hawthorn, Karen Hubbard,  Phyllis Johnson
Visitors:  Wil Slough, Karin Cooper (Hitch Engineering)

The minutes of the September meeting were reviewed and approved by acclamation.

Chairman Hoagland introduced Will Slough, who is running for board membership at the Annual Meeting on October 11, 1999.  Wil was welcomed by the board.

Secretary Morrison reported that she has added the names of all the current Friends into a Microsoft Access database; we have 306 members.  The large number of new members are those individuals who donated to the Library as a result of the telethon a couple of years ago.  Technically, their membership has expired, but since it took so long to get their names on our rolls, Morrison has made them members for 1999-2000.  She still needs to learn a great deal about using Access to make sophisticated queries of the data base.  It is now easy, however, to generate the labels for the newsletter.  Morrison also reports that the Fall newsletter went out on time with the information about the annual meeting (more on the newsletter below).

Treasurer Reynolds reports that the book-sale cart is now in operation and took in approximately $40 in revenue its first week making it a success.  He notes that if we sell our books this way, we will have to be particularly aggressive in soliciting donations in the spring for the annual sale.  Reynolds did not bring a detailed accounting report to this meeting due to time constraints (more on book-sale cart below).

Hoagland reported that the Fisher/Library addition, named something like the Center for Integrated Learning with Technology, is currently the top of the university's building list.  It is now 80,000 gross square feet and an $80,000,000 project.  University Librarian Phyllis Johnson has the details, and we can ask her to report on them at the November board meeting.  Hoagland reported that the University is going to commit to raising their match of $20,000,000 by the end of the year 2000.  The details of what the President said on this subject can be found in his Convocation speech.

Hoagland introduced Karin Cooper from Hitch Engineering.  Cooper has been working on a redesign of the first floor of the Van Pelt Library to make it more welcoming and functional.  Cooper indicated that one problem with the entrance is that the triple doors plus the security barrier make a formidable obstacle to entering the Library.  To reduce this barrier, she propose removing one of the sets of doors.  The three doors are there to reduce the drafts felt by the Library staff at the reference desk.  Cooper indicated that there is a fresh-air intake vent directly next to the where the reference librarians work.  To eliminate the draft caused by this vent, Cooper proposes that a duct be installed to move the vent closer to the entry doors.  With the vent relocated, one of the sets of doors can then be removed without increasing the draft.   Cooper also proposed that the flooring be replaced in the entry area extending to the newspaper racks on the east, to the reference desk in the south, and up to the circulation desk on the west.  She proposes that the flooring be changed to an attractive textured ceramic tile that would unite these areas.  Finally, Cooper proposes that the signage in the first floor of the library be changed and coordinated.  Two floor plans were distributed that show the proposed changes as well as a rough indication of the possible costs which ranged from $28,500 to $51,000.  The board discussed the proposals  and thanked Cooper for her work.  Morrison proposed the following action plan with respect to Cooper's proposals.
1. The board needs to discuss if we like and want to adopt the proposed plan.
2. If we do adopt, we need to discuss with Librarian Johnson and other library staff to get their reaction/input.
3. In consultation with the Library staff, we need to decide the scope of the total project.  Morrison suggests that we include new furniture for the OPAC area (on-line public access catalog terminals).
4. We may decide that we need to fund full perspective drawings of the project in order to sell it to donors.
5. We need to raise the needed funds.
The board agreed that this seemed like the right course to follow.

There was discussion on the impact of the new Library addition and how it would affect the desirability of going forward with the lobby renovation.  Erin Minne reported that the building information that Hoagland had given earlier was correct.  She also noted that it takes about 18 months to put up a new building.  This means that the Library addition will be open in the fall of 2002 by the most optimistic estimates.

Hoagland moderated a discussion of the Annual Meeting which is scheduled for Monday, October 11 at 5pm at the University residence with Susan Martin speaking.  Board members agreed to bring the following refreshments:
Faith - chocolate chip cookies
Erin - Humus and chips
Lynn - cookies
Becky - oatmeal brownies
Terry - a gallon of cider
Kim - cheese roll with crackers/paper cups/paper plates (other things not needed, see below)
Wil - 1 gallon cider, brownies, cookies
Dana - crackers/cheese
George - cheese ball and crackers
Karen - absent - something?
June - absent - something?
Dee - absent - something?
Peck - can't make the annual meeting; provided door prizes which George will being
Phyllis - absent - something?

Morrison thanked Terry Reynolds, Kim Hoagland, and Erin Minne for helping to fold, stuff, stamp, and address the 306 newsletters that went out on September 29, 1999.  Morrison also thanked Becky Fitzgerald for a beautiful job in formatting the newsletter.  Hoagland noted that it was the most attractive newsletter yet.

Reynolds noted that the prices on the book cart were about double the usual book-sale prices, and that this price increase did not seem to have decreased enthusiasm for the book-sale cart.  Also, it appears that the honor system is working.  Everyone is encouraged to donate books, CD's, audio and video tapes and even artwork to the Friends card/sale.  These things are all selling well.

Hoagland noted that no committees have met.  Morrison noted that despite this, much good is happening.  Committee work will resume after the Annual Meeting.

George Love has been charged with figuring out how the Friends can benefit from the Econo Foods receipt program that benefits local schools.  Members are asked to save their receipts.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 4, 1999 at 4pm  in room 309 of the Library.

Meeting adjourned at 5:18pm.

Submitted by Faith Morrison, October 10, 1999.