International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
November 9th, 2022
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Paul Nevanen, Heather Weaver, MaryJo Winkel, Mona Johnson, Ashley Kostiuk, Dick Peterson
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Kostiuk.
Minutes – Peterson moved and Nevanen seconded to approve the October 2022 minutes. All approved.
Financial Report – Nevanen moved and Winkel seconded to approve November 2022 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – October was a slower month for circulation, we have also seen more socially needy folks. Circulation was down 5% from September and down 8% from October 2021. We are currently 5% above year to date total for the year. Storytime attendance is about 15 – 20 most weeks and we are consistently giving out 10 – 12 libratory bags a week. We gave out 25 take out bags for teens and adults last month and have 50 Up North coloring books to give out this month.
I am working with a couple of teachers at the elementary school and are on track to have a winter reading collaboration there. I have also reached out to the high school English teachers to see if they want to work together on a Winter Reading Challenge.
I attended the Minnesota Library Association conference in Duluth at the end of October and did a presentation with two others involved in the legal kiosk project. It went well and there were several other libraries interested. I also attended a very good session about story stations and will be exploring creating something similar here. I also attended sessions on kitchens at libraries around food literacy, art at libraries, the Minnesota Center for the Book (state book awards and more) and a session about student choice book awards. Now that the school doesn’t have a media specialist, they haven’t been participating in the student choice awards and am at least considering providing that as an option for teachers and individual youth.
Old Business: Fall programming is storytime in person, weekly Libratory take-out bags, and a monthly take-out craft for teens and adults. ALS provided us with the Northland Coloring books as take-out activity for November. Story stations will go up Thursday, December 22 and will be available until December 31.
Policy Manual – haven’t heard back from Betty or Ted Brokaw regarding my questions about the disaster plan.
New Business: Presented a revised Photo/Video policy. It was moved by Peterson and seconded by Nevanen to accept the policy as presented. Presented a Records Retention Schedule to go with the Records Retention Schedule. It was moved by Peterson and seconded by Weaver to accept the schedule as presented.
Held a brief discussion about the Wall Street Journal. We have received a paper copy for years. They now make a digital edition available, it would be about $150 cheaper to go digital and the content would be current as opposed to the paper edition we are usually 2 – 5 days late. It would be nice to continue offering national content. Agreed to switch to digital content in 2023 and see what the public reaction is.
Added Board members to the new business agenda. Ashley Kostiuk and Mona Johnson would like to stay on the board for another term. Darcy Sullivan decided she needed to not seek another term as her music lessons are taking off and they are after school. Brainstormed names and William Frank was top of the list. Adams will reach out to him first. Followed by Gail Rasmussen and Michelle Misner if need be.
Peterson asked if we had a universal street sign for the library. We do on 3rd St at 7th Ave.
Next Friends of the Library book sale will be Saturday, December 3rd from 11 am– 1pm.
What are you reading? – Heather is trying for the third time to read Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky, but can’t recommend. MaryJo loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and recommends The View from Split Rock: a lighthouse keepers life by Lee Radzak, Paul is reading the latest Nelson DeMille The Maze while Dick enjoyed the latest Daniel deSilva Portrait of an Unknown Woman and Jeffrey Archer’s Next in Line. Diane recommends Reading for Our Lives by Maya Payne Smart and The Lady and the Octopus by Danna Staaf and is also reading the rather weird, but enjoyable tale of the early welsh Arthurian legends in The Assembly of the Severed Head by Hugh Lupton. Ashley recommends Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Broken Girls by Simone St. James and Mona enjoyed Killer Bass Helix by Ted Vogel.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 14th, 2022 at 4:30 pm.
Meeting ended at 5:10 pm.