Annual Report, 1996

LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES - 1996

• Dr. John Donovan, President
• Mrs. Pam Brady, Vice President
• Ms. Margaret Buckley, Corresponding Secretary
• Ms. Rozica Adner
• Mr. William Becket
• Mr. Anthony Frosino
• Mr. Kumar Maharaj
• Mr. Ralph Esposito, Liaison, Gates Town Board

The Library Board also provides representatives to the Gates Town Board, Friends of the Gates Public Library and to the Monroe County Trustees Council.

The Library Board of Trustees is the governing body for the library. They approve the library budget; all personnel appointments and library policies; monitor library expenditures; represent the town residents to the library and the library to the townspeople. Trustees are appointed by the Gates Town Board. All trustees must be Gates residents and each serves a five year term in a volunteer capacity. The Library Board meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month (2nd Wednesday of month in December) at 7:00 pm. All meetings are open to the public. Agendas are available from the Library Director a week before the meeting.

New or Expanded Services

• Diaper Decks installed in the public restrooms (courtesy of Friends)

February

• First reference question via e-mail

March

• Security System installed with locking cases for videos
• Development of Fax Poicy for individuals

April

• Internet training for public begins

July

• Double staffing at reference desk

September

• Creation of Foreign Film Videocassette section

October

• Staff cross title groups began: Budget, Customer Service, Facilities, Long Range Plan, Personnel, Technology
• "Staff Recommends" book/media reviews for public
• Developmental Disabilities materials available for loan
• Fourth telephone line installed to handle increased reference calls

November

• Tapecheck video cleaning machine bought (courtesy of Friends)

Mission Statement

Recognizing its role as a major informational, recreational, and educational resource in the community, the Gates Public Library will continually respond to the needs of its patrons of all ages and backgrounds. Further, it will increase its efforts to gain new users in the Gates community and attempt to anticipate the evolving needs of the multi cultural community.

By offering open access to its wide array of materials, services, programs and external resources, Gates Public Library will continue to be an enriching influence in the lives of Gates citizens.

Long Range Goals: 1996 Achievements

• Regular staff training; many librarians attend state library conference
• Performance evaluation process for most employees completed

• Browsers' Fill Rate study completed in September. Compared with previous study as a measure of public success with OPAC

• New Gates residents mailing continued
• Library Link (Director's column) continues to earn public praise
• HOPE project expanded to include Washington Irving school area (program continues despite lack of grant funding)

• Ongoing as necessitated by annual budget process. Fiscal support for traditional library services adjusted to cope with increased technology costs

• Various alternate fund raising proposals explored by staff

• Various aging building concerns explored with Town

• Staff began public classes on use of Internet with great public success
• Infotrac access expanded to include remote (dail-in) access

Gifts and Memorials Received In 1996

The Library Board encourages your gifts and donations to the library. Look for our gifts brochure at the entrance to the library or call the Library Director.

• Friends of Gates Public Library in memory of Al Roche
• Rhoda & Gerry Ride in memory of William Stuewe
• Kate Cliff in memory of Kenneth Kemp
• Dr. & Mrs. P. William Haake in memory of Connor McGrath
• Joyce A. Miller in memory of Frank A. Padalino
• William A. Doty in memory of Virginia P. Doty
• Staff of Gates Public Library in memory of John V. Hanscom
• Staff of Gates Public Library in memory of Harbans Bansal
• Sandra DuBois in memory of Irma Lawrence
• Rochester Aerie #52, Fraternal Order of Eagles, for purchase of large print books
• Staff of Gates Public Library in memory of Irma Lawrence
• Gates Grange 421
• Michael & Lori Rayburn in memory of Josephine Marianetti

Also, the Library Director donated the funding for Gates Public Library's Employee of the Month recognition program.

When money is donated for a gift or memorial, the donor, or the next of kin, suggests appropriate topic(s) and Gates librarians make the actual title selection after comparison with the library's collection. When the book is received a memorial book plate is inserted in the volume, the title inscribed in the library's Gift Registry and the next of kin are notified that the book is being held at the desk so they may be the first people to borrow the book. With this procedure donations are personalized to serve as an appropriate memorial and to complement the library's collection.

The Doty Memorial

In 1993 William A. Doty contributed a substantial gift to Gates Public Library to establish the Doty Family Endowment Fund in memory of his mother, Virginia Pfenninger Doty. By terms of the gift the principal is to be invested for 5 years and thereafter, a portion of the interest may be expended for books and other materials on British and European history or literature. Mr. Doty's gift is the largest single gift made by an individual to the library in its 35 year history. Mr. Doty continued to add to this fund in 1996.

Gifts and Memorials

Horatio Gates Memorial Fund
Thanks to the Town of Gates Bicentennial activities, the Horatio Gates Memorial Book Fund was established in 1977. Only the annual interest from that fund can be spent and only on materials of American historical interest. The fund's name originates from the Revolutionary War General for whom the Town of Gates is named. The fund provides a small but steady source of revenue for the library. In 1996, John C. Chadbourne contributed to this fund. Interest from this fund provides for the library's subscription to "American Heritage" plus other books on American history.

Gates Amita Book Fund
Beginning in 1982, the Gates Amita Club has contributed to the creation or enlargement of the Gates Amita Club Memorial Book Fund to purchase titles of interest to the Italian-American community of Gates. The principal is invested and only the interest is expended. The Amita Club has also regularly contributed to the purchase of Italian language videos. In 1996 enough interest was earned to purchase 3 books: Celebrations, Italian Style, Italian American, and Italian Pleasures.

Freislich Fund
In September, 1988, the Gates Public Library Board of Trustees voted to establish the Freislich Fund from the many donations received in memory of founding Library Board member, Eleanor Freislich, and her husband, Kenneth. The Freislich Fund was established to honor an outstanding Gates Public Library employee or to facilitate a library employee's furtherance of his or her formal education. In 1996 one Annual Freislich Award was presented at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Gates Public Library in May, 1996. Desk Aide, Bryan Dennstedt, who is pursuing his college education while working part time for the Gates library, was presented with the award.

Owellen Fund
In 1995 long time library volunteer, Jack Owellen, left a bequest to Gates Public Library to purchase library materials (in his memory) on medicine, U.S. Navy, baseball, golf and travel.

Library Use, 1996

Library Programs, 1996

The total number of programs held in and out of the library in 1996 (excludes Books to People Displays) was 489, with a total attendance of 13,413.