Present: at library Diane Adams, Library Director, Paul Nevanen, Dick Peterson, MaryJo Winkel, Mona Johnson, Heather Weaver, via zoom Darcy Sullivan
Call to Order: Peterson called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm
Motion was made by Nevanen, seconded by Winkel to approve the September minutes, approved unanimously.
Financial Report and Bills: Motion by Nevanen, seconded by Weaver to pay the bills, approved unanimously.Diane mentioned increase in Marco Technologies contract and Nevanen asked if we were happy with service. Library has made very little use of service, copier was working well. Contacted Marco Technologies and expressed dismay at a 15% increase in contract with no notice, they reduced to 10% increase.
Director’s Report – September we checked out 75 more items than in August to fifty more people. Circulation is still way down over 2019, but that is to be expected, we closed our doors for 2 months and have operated with very limited programming, expecially youth in-house activities since then. I am visiting the preschool classes at St. Thomas every other week but at this point we are not visiting the Head Start classes. Tuesday, October 13th I will be visiting a junior high English class at the high school and presenting new books and digital resources they can use. My presentation will be taped so that the rest of the 7th and 8th grade students can also view it.
Beth and I were able to watch several sessions of the virtual Associate of Rural and Small Libraries conference the week of September 28 – October 2. We have several good ideas of things to try, changes to make and affirmation that we are doing the best we can in this trying time. We will be changing our disinfecting procedures and only quarantining for 24 hours instead of 72 before disinfecting. I also attended a good workshop on policies and procedures and will talk more about that at the board meeting, but think we need to work on redoing our policies and procedures manual.
There are several community programs to try and improve the community. We are participating in the Koochiching County Community Planning Coalition to help improve access, awareness, and availability of aging services and supports in Koochiching County. That group is meeting approximately monthly (via zoom) for the next six months. We are also working with Koochiching Technology Initiative and the Digital Ready Community Initiative out of Purdue University. That initiative will be meeting weekly (also via zoom) for a couple of hours each Wednesday for the next month then occassionally for the next six – twelve. We also continue to participate in the Service Providers Meetings every other month.
Work has begun on creating kits for families with members experiencing dementia that can be borrowed to provide activities and other resources. We are working with Koochiching Aging Options on appropriate and useful items to include.
We have spent the month listening to the walls and floors be drilled and hammered as the crew works rather feverishly to complete the new heating system. It has been a long month, so we will be very grateful when they are done and everything can be dusted and cleaned. Maybe masks are keeping us from breathing flying dust all month.
Old Business:
Upcoming programs – Storytime is going well with 3 – 5 families in attendance each week and another 3 – 5 picking up bags of books and a craft each week.
Budget 2021: No news.
New Business: Due to a session Diane attended virtually at the Association of Small and Rural Libraries conference she will work on changing our policy manual to divide out policies from procedures. Policies should only change infrequently while procedures change depending on circumstances so we don’t want them in the same document. The goal will be to have one a month for approval at board meetings.
Next Friends of the Library sale – November 7th from 12 – 2 will be the next sale. Brief discussion was held about fundraising and Diane will look into getting a quote to install a gas insert in the junior room fireplace.
What are you reading? – Dick finished Impossible First from fire to ice – crossing Antarctica alone by Colin O’Brady and The White Darkness by David Grann, Paul is reading The Paladin by David Ignatius while Heather is enjoying Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, MaryJo read Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer while Mona enjoys End Game by David Baldacci. Diane is trying to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins and Darcy is trying to get through Rage by Bob Woodward
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 12th at 4:30 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 5:15 pm.