International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
November 12, 2020
Present: at library Diane Adams, Library Director, Paul Nevanen, Dick Peterson, MaryJo Winkel, Mona Johnson, Heather Weaver
Call to Order: Peterson called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm
Motion was made by Winkel, seconded by Nevanen to approve the October minutes, approved unanimously.
Financial Report and Bills: Motion by Nevanen, seconded by Johnson to pay the bills, approved unanimously.
Director’s Report – October circulation was 500 more than September and within 500 of October 2019. So we are making progress at getting people back to reading and using the library. We distributed 13 wildlife feeder takeout crafts last month and have already given out 12 November takeout crafts, (this is a good month for lots of takeout crafts as we can create as many as are requested, some months it will strictly be on a distribute until gone basis.) Storytime continues with several new families joining the group on Thursday morning, we are seeing anywhere from 10 – 20 attendees each week.
It has been a busy month with community zoom meetings, Arrowhead Library System meetings (also virtually) and an increase in public usage. We did get round one of materials ordered for the Library of Things with items for kits for families providing care or visiting family members with dementia and a variety of items that had been asked for over the last year that we didn’t have including a woodburning kit, an air fryer, apple peeler and corer, a print, slide and negative converter to digital machine and an electromagnetic radiation meter. We still have about $2,500 available in the grant so will be looking for ideas of items that can be shared with the community. One potential idea is to look at getting a shed that can be locked and looking at adding bikes. We had applied for a grant with County health to get bikes several years ago, but were not successful. We continue to look for ways to get people out of cars and into the outside to enjoy where we are. If the Voyageurs visitors center remains closed, I would like to work with them and see if we can figure out a way to check out the skis and snowshoes to people this winter.
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. Takeout crafts have been a fun way to connect with a few patrons each month.
Budget 2021: The City adminstrator reduced our budget request by $3,400. Trying to reduce tax increase to 0%.
Gas fireplace insert – working with Ted Brokaw, Building and Streets Director to get approval. He wants Fire Chief and Building inspector to sign off on and then take to Public Works Committee.
Policies and Procedures – none
New Business: ALS Legacy Art Projects – we can apply for a $3,000 grant to have an artist create art for the library. We’d like to have a mural painted on wall outside bathrooms.
Chilton’s Online Access – ALS is not renewing the subscription, too expensive for use and what is available for new car models is limited. It will not be available after January 1.
Legal Aid – received an email today from Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota that they are looking for partners to place legal kiosks in communities they serve to support their clients who have been struggling with legal assistance. There were two options – one primarily provided information and the other would connect them with legal aid and allow them to print documents, get help and even attend court. Very short turn around, they need to get kiosks in building asap. We already provide quite a bit of information, and have had several people asking about accessing their court appearances remotely. Johnson moved and Nevanen seconded to apply for a Model B Legal Kiosk.
Next Friends of the Library sale – December 7th from 5 – 7 will be the next sale.
What are you reading? – Dick read Fu-Go: the curious history of Japan’s balloon bomb attack on America by Ross Coen, Heather finished The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede and is reading Glass Town: the imaginary world of the Brontes by Isabel Greenberg. Diane is reading the finale of The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, began in 1996, The Return of the Thief, Paul is reading The Black-Eyed Blonde: a Philip Marlowe novel by Benjamin Black, Mona has been substituting and is reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen while MaryJo read Miss Cecily’s Recipe for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman, a pseudonym for Stella Newman.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 4:30 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 5:10 pm.