International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
June 8th, 2022
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Paul Nevanen, Darcy Sullivan, Heather Weaver, MaryJo Winkel, Mona Johnson, Dick Peterson, and Ashley Kostiuk.
Meeting was called to order at 4:28 pm.
Minutes – Nevanen moved and Johnson seconded to approve April 2022 minutes. All approved.
Financial Report – Sullivan moved and Johnson seconded to approve May and June 2022 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – May statistics included a steep drop from April 2022 but 10% higher than May 2021, but that is normal most years as we do very limited programming and this year the community has had other things to worry about. We are still 14% above our circulation numbers for year to date in 2021.
I have received an estimate for new computers for the year and the maintenance agreement from Small Town Tech. Our traditional method of covering all the computer costs with the funds from ALS crossover money won’t work for all the costs this year, but we have plenty of funds to work with so I recommend we proceed as planned. We are being told by ALS computer staff that new machines should have at least 16MB RAM, to effectively run Windows, which makes them quite a bit more machine than we’d been getting.
Summer reading started on Monday, June 6th. The last week was been a push to get all the pieces in place. I think we are about ready to go. Decorating will start on Friday, June 3, escape room will be put up on Monday, June 6 and programming will begin on Wednesday, June 8. We are excited for the summer and hope the community is too. Please plan on attending the concerts in the park the next two weeks (and all summer) as they are library sponsored concerts originally scheduled for summer 2020. Wednesday, June 8th is Taiko Drums, and June 15th is a Haitian Dance troupe.
Old Business: There was no May programming. Summer reading programming has begun. Two of the concerts in the park are library sponsored. Kids programming is in person this summer. Monthly career exploration with Ella on 2nd Tuesday, weekly Libratory (STEAM) with Molly and Lila on Wednesdays, storytime with Diane on Thursdays, Big Play on Fridays with assorted staff. We will provide four take out crafts for teens and adults over the course of the summer and have available an escape room all summer.
The quarterly review of the action plan was held. On track for completing items planned. Currently behind on baby bags due to production delays.
New Business: Talked about annual director review, decided to move to July and director will send out form with July packets.
Motion by Nevanen and second by Winkel to accept donation of $1,000 from Packaging Corporation of America, $50 from Darrell Schmidt with $25 in memory of Jim Roberts and $25 in memory of Virginia Milette.
Kostiuk requested the board write a letter to the school board regarding the dropping of library time as a specialty. (Learned additional information, letter written, signed by all board members and sent to school board, superintendent and principal.)
Next Friends of the Library book sale will be Monday, June 13th from 3pm – 5pm.
What are you reading? – Ashley is excited about Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez, Sunburn by Laura Lippman and Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James, Heather is on an Agatha Christie kick and finished Hickory Dickory Dock and is currently reading Sparkling Cyanide. Mona finished a Tom Clancy and hasn’t started another, MaryJo recommended Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, Darcy is reading The Sentence by Louise Erdrich while Paul is reading Poodle Springs by Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker, Diane just started The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz and Dick recommends Madhouse at the end of the Earth : the Belgica’s journey into the dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton and has struggled with Brian Freeman’s books Immoral and Stripped.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13th, 2022 at 4:30 pm.
Meeting ended at 5:10 pm.