Present: Library Director Diane Adams, Paul Nevanen, Dick Peterson, Ted Saxton, John Dalton, Darcy Sullivan
Peterson called the meeting to order: 4:30 p.m.
Review of February meeting minutes. Nevanen made a motion to approve the minutes, Dalton seconded, motion approved.
Financial Report: The current bills were reviewed. Nevanen made a motion to pay the bills, Saxton seconded, motion carried. Dalton signed to pay the bills.
Director’s Report: While February circulation was 8% lower than January 2019 it was 2% higher than February 2018, so we are currently sitting at 1% higher than 2018 to date. Storytime attendance has been pretty low this winter, with most weeks less than 10. We had good attendance at the February preschool book club including three new families.
Preparations are underway for summer reading. Theme will be Track it Down at Your Library with artwork by Betsy Bowen. We are adapting last year’s program which didn’t have a great response but keeping the one program for all ages and incorporating additional activities as dares based on Cedar Rapids Public Library’s summer program.
Old Business: Upcoming Programs: Storytime continues on Thursday mornings at 10:30am. Preschool book club on March 19 with the author Ryan Schroeder and his book Colors of Minnestoa, Mary Casanova here Monday April 1.
Anna Meyer Bequest – I will have an update on the recording studio. We are having a hard time getting bids for the basic construction. We are having to do some negotiating to get a proposal that would accomplish what we want with a quality and price we can accept.
Digitization Project – Still need to reach out to the museum about possibly helping purchase a large scale scanner.
KTI – Koochiching Technology Initiative – meeting on Feb. 12, 4 – 7pm, to talk about first round of funding, I attended the meeting and am hopeful the library will receive some funding.
New Business: We have been working with one fewer part-time employee since September. It has worked because we had two teens sharing one position and they each worked a weekend and an evening. One will be heading off to college this summer, so we are looking at hiring in April one 14-hour per week employee and maybe another student to continue working one evening a week and one Saturday per month. Goal is to post April 1, close April 15 and be able to have someone start by early May so they are up to speed by the time summer reading starts.
John is just starting You Don’t Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark, Dick is reading Bear Town by Frederik Backman, Paul is enjoying Wendell Berry’s World Ending Fire, Ted has been reading lots of kid’s book and did a dramatic reading of The Lorax for Dr. Seuss Day, but no adult titles, Darcy is taking a break from Annie Dillard by reading A Bit of Irish Gold by Phyllis Karsnia and Diane continues her non-fiction reading with Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown.
Friends of Library book sale: March 26, 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Next board meeting: Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 4:30 p.m.
Adjourned: 5:15 pm