International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
November 13th, 2024
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Mona Johnson, Will Frank, Dick Peterson, Heather Weaver, Sasha Moss, MaryJo Winkel, Friends of the Library president Amber Hemstad
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Frank.
Minutes – Peterson moved and Johnson seconded to approve the October 2024 minutes. All approved.
Bills – Winkel moved and Weaver seconded to approve the November 2024 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – October physical circulation was better than September and slightly better than October 2023. Digital usage has increased, so while we are 3% below where we were in 2023 for physical items we are 4% above year to date with digital circulation included. Storytime and Elementary Fun attendance has varied from week to week and not according to any schedule we can determine. I was pleased with the 11 in attendance at the Sutter Brothers concert. It was a good number for all the other events happening in the community that day. They performed in the reading area and it was a very nice event. Olivia is doing a changing display for Dinovember and having fun with that. We have brought Jed Kittelson on board and are just beginning to teach him all that is needed but so far so good.
I attended to Elementary School Literacy Fair on Thursday evening and spoke with approximately 50 families and received 6 card applications. We will be working with the school district to work on getting as many kids, teachers and staff as possible cards. I have created a short video to be included in the school newsletter that explains why we believe it is so important for kids to have a card and spend a little time every day reading at home.
Old Business: Elementary Fun will continue until December 18, still trying to decide if we are going to continue it in 2025, attendance is very spotty with a lot of weeks, one family attending. Crafter’s Café continues every other week with an average of six attendees. No November Silent Book Club (due to Veterans’ Day), but it will be held on Monday, December 9th. Storytime will continue until December 19. Cary Griffith, author of Gunflint Falling and Gunflint Burning will present at the library on Tuesday, December 2nd at 5pm. We didn’t do a November take-out craft. ALS is providing a takeout craft for December.
No budget word until after the Truth and Taxation hearing on Monday, December 2.
We received the Knudson grant to purchase a new computer for public access of the newspaper scans. I am working with Small Town Tech to get that machine ordered and set up.
New Business: Weaver moved and Frank seconded to approve the donation from Carsen Slostad in the amount of $100.
Friends of the Library book sale is Saturday, December 7th from 11am – 1pm.
What are you reading? Dick read Patton’s Prayer by Alex Kershaw while Heather is slogging through Mysterious Island by Jules Verne and Mona continues with Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney. Will is reading Back Channel by Stephen Carter about the Cuban Missile Crisis. MaryJo read Wicked by Gregory Maguire in anticipation of the movie while Sasha read two that were just meh Death of a Dyer by Eleanor Kuhns and Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis, while Diane grabbed The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny over the weekend and just picked up Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden and Amber is reading Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11th, 4:30 pm
Meeting adjourned at 5:05pm.