International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
August 9th, 2023
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Ashley Kostiuk, Dick Peterson, Mona Johnson, MaryJo Winkel, and Heather Weaver
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Kostiuk.
Minutes – Peterson moved and Weaver seconded to approve the July 2023 minutes. All approved.
Financial Report – Winkel moved and Peterson seconded to approve August 2023 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report –July circulation was over 600 above July 2023 and almost 300 above June 2023. That bump puts circulation 1% above year to date over 2022. Program attendance has been all over the map. Some weeks we’ve had good attendance, others not so much. Summer reading programming will basically be done on Friday, August 11th. We still have the program about the local WPA projects on August 23rd and a final summer booksale on August 25th.
I was gone the last two weeks of July and staff survived (as I knew they would). We continue to see many folks needing social services and spending hours just hanging out. We created over 40 new cards for patrons in July, including several temporary residents.
Budget requests are due to the city early next week. I meet with the budget committee on Monday, August 14th. Kostiuk has submitted her board resignation due to her health.
Job postings went out on Tuesday, August 1st and thus far we have three applicants.
Old Business: Summer Reading is winding down. Attendance is all over the map, up some days, down others. We have registered more for summer reading prize books than last summer. Puppet take home kits went out, seven returned for puppet exhibition with puppeteer on Tuesday, August 8th at 3:30 pm.
Fall programming will include storytime and a bi-weekly crafting time. Other programming will depend on who is hired and their strengths and interests.
Building Updates – no progress on steps or doors, reached out for updates, nothing new.
2024 budget – as presented in July, director will present to budget committee on Monday, August 14th.
New Business: Nevanen is willing to serve as president for the remainder of the year. The board brainstormed names for a new board member. Director will create a Facebook post and an application soliciting interested city residents to submit an application.
Next Friends of the Library book sale will be Friday, August 25th from noon – 4 pm and we still need volunteers interested in taking a 2 hour shift.
What are you reading? – Diane is reading The Bullet that Missed the third book by Richard Osman in his Thursday Murder Club series, MaryJo is finishing up Campfire in the Basement by Darrell J Pedersen, a former area pastor, Dick recommends The Ship Beneath the Ice by Mensun Bound about Shackleton’s lost ship the Endurance. Ashley is enthralled by Megan Goldin’s Dark Corners, Heather is reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose (and Diane recommended The Captain’s Dog by Roland Smith for her boys) while Mona is reading Only the Dead the third Jack Carr book about Navy SEAL James Reece and Red Winter by Tom Clancy.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 13th, 4:30 pm
Meeting adjourned at 5:10 pm.