International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
August 11, 2021
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Dick Peterson, MaryJo Winkel, Paul Nevanen, Ashley Kostiuk, Mona Johnson and Darcy Sullivan.
Peterson called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm.
Motion by Sullivan, second by Winkel to approve the July minutes. All approved.
Motion by Nevanen, second by Winkel to approve the August bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – We have hired a new Circulation/Youth Services Associate. Molly Larson will start working on Monday, August 9th. Please introduce yourself if you see her. We are excited to bring her on board and get her going. This will be her first library job and first job out of college. She graduated this spring from UMD with a degree in psychology and a minor in early childhood studies. She is very comfortable with working with people and familiar with computers.
July circulation was 10% higher than June and 22% above a year ago. So while we are no where close to where we were several years ago, we are climbing. We are currently 14% higher than last year. Storytime attendance continues to be solid and we are giving out all the weekly libratory bags and the monthly bags for teens and adults. We currently have lots of Kinder Concert bags from the Minnesota orchestra featuring One Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova. Summer reading activities will end Friday, August 13th although we will put up story strolls on Fridays the remainder of August.
My budget presentation to the city council budget committee was delayed until August 9th. I am participating in the city interviews for human resources/safety director this week. Caleb will be on vacation next week. Ella Bahr’s last day with us is August 13th as is Nora Sullivan’s. Lila will work through August 26th and Ellen is interested in picking up a few hours during the school year. I think we will be having her work one evening a week.
Old Business – upcoming programs – summer programming wraps up August 13. We will do story strolls on Thursdays through September 9 with storytime resuming September 16. Planning on doing it outside as long as possible.
Fireplace insert – out to bid
Budget 2022 – council pleased with budget – don’t anticipate change
ARPA – no additional word from ALS, don’t have to be spent until Sept. 2022
New Business – none
What are you reading? – Diane is reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee about Koreans in Japan during after WWII. Paul is reading Jerad Diamond’s Upheaval, while Ashley reads Girl Before by JP Delaney and struggles with One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak and loves Fix-it & Forget-it Slow Cooker Cookbook. Mona continues reading The Last Think He Told Me by Laura Dave. MaryJo enjoyed A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver, Darcy is reading Waterfall by Mary Casanova and Dick finished Last Call by James Grippando and I Marched with Patton by Frank Sisson.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 at 4:30 pm.
Meeting ended at 5:10 pm.