The automatic double doors at the Warsaw Community Public Library open not just for patrons, but often when a car drives by the entrance. Then rain, snow and often unpleasant temperatures enter the building, too, explained facility manager Rick Ellsworth to the library board of trustees Monday.

Covering the entrance with a glass enclosure, with doors at the west and east ends, was one of several improvement projects discussed by Ellsworth and architect Mary Ellen Rudisel of Scearce Rudisel Architects of Warsaw.

Rudisel said the entrance could be reconstructed similar to the entrance of the old Lancer gymnasium on the Grace College campus. The glass allows people to see oncoming traffic, but they must turn to exit out the doors.

Ellsworth said new flooring was planned for the audio-visual room and for circulation. Rudisel brought samples of the new flooring, a padded laminate often used in hospitals. She said it was easy to stand on, stain-proof and easy to clean.

Plans also are to move the entrance to Meeting Room C back so people using the office and study room won't bother people in the meeting room. Shelving is also planned for the audiovisual room.

Rudisel suggested the board draft a master plan for capital improvements.

"With a master plan, the next board will have some idea of what you intended," she said. "Think about where you would put more meeting rooms - which way would you go?"

Assistant director Joni Brookins said the month-long trail of Userful's Discover Station, a new public computer management system, went well. She recommended the Linux-based system be installed as the next public computer system. Linux is much more secure, Brookins said, and comments from patrons have been favorable.

Public computer numbers will expand from 16 to 18 or 20; the children's library will have four computers, two more than the current number; and two more word processing computers will be added. All of the units will easily convert to Spanish and a number of other languages.

The board also:

• Heard library hours could be expanded to 60 hours in January - 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday.

• Approved a monetary bonus for employees equivalent to one week's pay. According to business manager Renee Sweeney, the bonus is conservative. In the past, the equivalent of a two-week bonus has been issued.

Sweeney also asked that a "blanket" resolution be approved, allowing Sweeney and Zydek to issue year-end bonuses without coming to the board for permission.

Chamberlain said the bonus would then seem less like a gift of appreciation from the board and more like an expectation. Mark Morrison said it also gave the board an opportunity to increase the bonus.

• Approved 2005 staff salaries and wages, raising the starting rate of several positions.

• Reviewed statistics showing 40,123 items were checked out in November with year-to-date totals given as 459,603.

• Retained the same slate of officers for 2005: Larry Chamberlain, president; Tony Etienne, vice president; John Yingling, secretary; Ruth Jones, treasurer; and Mark Morrison, assistant secretary/ treasurer. At-large members are Joel Curry and Paulette Sauders. [[In-content Ad]]