Disaster Preparedness for Libraries

Do you have a plan for how to handle the damage created by a broken pipe and the ensuing flood in your library?  Who will you call for help?  How will you save your materials and what takes priority?  These are just a few of the questions you can have answers on hand for by creating a disaster preparedness plan for your library.  We all like to think that it will never happen, but it doesn’t hurt to be ready just in case.

To get started with your plan, the California Preservation Program created a template that can be modified to suit any library.  The template is quite in depth, but filling in just the first few pages with information on who to call and when is a good place to begin.Continue reading→

Bob Freeman – Q&A

Committee on Open Government (COOG)

Q: Can a board gather in a parking lot, even informally or spontaneously  to conduct library business?
A: No, there is no such thing as an informal meeting

Q: What is executive session – when can it be called and what does a board do after the session ends?
A: From the COOG website:  “…. It is noted that an executive session is not separate from an open meeting but rather is a portion of an open meeting during which the public may be excluded. … First, a motion must be made during an open meeting to enter into executive session; second, the motion must identify the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered; and third, the motion must be carried by a majority vote of the total membership of a public body.  See advisory opinions under “E” for “Executive Session” in the OML Advisory Opinion Index.”

This means that first the meeting must be called to order; you can not begin your meeting in Executive Session and then start the public meeting.  Personnel is not an excuse to go into executive session.
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