International Falls Public Library – Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes – April 10, 2019

Present: Library Director Diane Adams, Paul Nevanen, Ted Saxton, John Dalton, Lindsi Barnhart, MaryJo Winkel

Saxton called the meeting to order: 4:30 p.m.

Review of March 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, Barnhart seconded, motion carried. Dalton signed to pay the bills.

Director’s Report:  Circulation is going up! All three months this year have had higher circulation than the corresponding month in 2018.  We are currently 3% above 2018 circulation to date. Storytime attendance has been low and we aren’t seeing the families using the library at any time so don’t know if we are dealing with sickness, busyness or what. We had ten at the last preschool book club of the school year and thirty attend the Mary Casanova program on April 1.

Summer reading preparation is coming along. The booklet has been sent to the printer at ALS, work progresses on the website and program details are coming along. I will plan on visiting classes the week of May 13 with the second grade visiting the library. Weeding of the non-fiction collection continues with us currently working in the 700s.

Part-time job opening has been posted with ad appearing in the Journal Wednesday, April 3 and Saturday April 6th. Two applications have been received thus far. (I am writing this a couple of days early as I will be having out-patient surgery for a locked thumb on Thursday, April 4th).

Old Business: Upcoming Programs: Storytime continues on Thursday mornings at 10:30am until the end of April. Wednesday, May 8th at 6:00 pm the Sutter Brothers present Sons and Daughters of Northern Lights concert and Wednesday, May 15th at 6:00pm adults can enjoy learning about the Scandinavian art of wire working.

Anna Meyer Bequest – Motion by Barnhart with second by Winkel to hire Kerry Myers for up to $20,000 to build the recording studio with changes to be worked with Eric Kulig.

Digitization Project – museum doesn’t have funds to assist with purchase.

KTI – Koochiching Technology Initiative – The Koochiching Technology Initiative continues to move forward with fund application deadline for the end of April. I will be applying to get equipment to improve wi-fi in Smokey Bear Park, improve our wireless internet connection, add LinkedInLearning  for the community, purchase a years’ subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud for in library use and add a chat/texting reference service to our website. Library contribution of the grant will be with in-kind services and equipment to utilize Adobe Creative Cloud in the recording studio.

New Business: Knudson Grant – library of things – need to begin working on purchasing items for circulation and get city electrician to evaluate stove/oven outlet in meeting room. We have selected the sewing machines we’d like to purchase and will work with Missy Ruelle at Up North Quilters.

Dick sent an email from Hawaii that he is reading The Alice Network  by Kate Quinn, John is reading Blue by Danielle Steel, Paul is reading Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, while Ted is sharing H.G. Wells Graphic Classics with his son. MaryJo enjoyed Best to Laugh by Lorna Landvik and Lindsi is reading the short novels of Dostoevsky and Diane is taking a break from her non-fiction reading and enjoying the light Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar by Olga Wojtas.

Friends of Library book sale: March 26, 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Next board meeting: Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 4:30 p.m.

Adjourned: 5:00 pm

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