International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
January 15th, 2025
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Will Frank, Heather Weaver, Sasha Moss, Maggie Horning, Katie Winkel, Michelle Misner, Mona Johnson
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Frank. Introductions were made with two new board members in attendance.
Minutes – Johnson moved and Weaver seconded to approve the December 2024 minutes. All approved.
Bills – Horning moved and Frank seconded to approve the January 2025 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – December was fairly busy, especially for December which is traditionally one of our slowest months, and we finished the year with physical and digital circulation 4% above 2023 numbers. December Saturday storytime was the most popular of the month and Elementary Fun ended with one family at each of the last two events. And January started off with three kids and two adults at the first Elementary Fun. Fifteen attended the Dennis Warner and the D’s concert on Thursday, January 9th.
I did not get the new kits cataloged before I left for two weeks. That is still on my to do list. We have seen a fair amount of requests for using the skis and snowshoes. The Americinn will be using a variety of our games and such during IceBox Days. And we will have a preschool Story stations event on Saturday, January 18th as part of IceBox Days as well.
We continued to have some issues with computers and printing and struggled with a number of patrons and their mental health issues. We had a patron who several times tried to hide out in the library.
Old Business: Upcoming programs include the story stations on Saturday, January 18th as part of Icebox Days. This will be a drop in program for families running from 10 – 3. Elementary Fun continues on Wednesday afternoons and storytime is Thursday mornings. Crafters’ Café meets alternate Tuesdays and Silent Book Club meets monthly on the second Monday evening of the month. We continue to provide a monthly STEAM kit for families to take home. We had a total of 26 finish the 2024 alphabet book challenge. The 2025 book challenge is 25 prompts for books. It is available online, in the library and every other week I’ll create a social media post that highlights one prompt with possible titles to read.
I’m also very excited to announce that on Thursday, March 20th from 1 – 4 pm we will be hosting “Carving Your Clan” with Jeffrey Tibbetts, M.Ed., enrolled member of the Fond du Lac (Nagaajiwanaang) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and current Program Director at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College. This special workshop blends ceremony, culture and art to deliver a unique hands-on experience. During this three-hour class, participants will carve a physical representation of their choosing from stone, while developing an understanding of the Ojibwe world view. This program, sponsored by Arrowhead Library System, was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACFH). We will be working with the high school Ojibwe program to offer their students some of the spaces in the class.
Knudson grant newspaper archive computer is here but doesn’t have files loaded yet. This will be Priscilla’s last month working for us. The board wanted to know when we were saying farewell to her and to make sure they were notified.
New Business: The director notified the board that Koochiching Aging Options donated three fiction books for youth on dementia. Two picture books and one young adult novel.
Friends of the Library book sale is Saturday, January 18th from 11am – 1pm.
What are you reading? Heather is reading The Unselected Journals of Emma Lion by Beth Brower, a self-published work that she is really enjoying. Sasha is reading Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st century by Kim Fu and says that it is very weird, but she also can’t stop reading it. Will is reluctantly finishing Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, one that Diane is also looking forward to. Katie is reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, A True Home by Kallie George (book 1 of the Heartwood Hotel series) with her girls and Ninth House by Leigh Bardurgo for book club. Maggie is recommending Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson, More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova, James by Percival Everett and I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. Michelle is reading The Women by Kristin Hannah and Freak the Mighty by Philbrick Rodman. Mona just picked up Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva and Kathy Reich’s Cold, Cold Bones while Diane is enjoying the cozy fantasy of Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong and just started The Playful Library: building environments for learning and creativity by Megan Lotts
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12th, 4:30 pm
Meeting adjourned at 5:20pm.