International Falls Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
October 9th, 2024
Present: Diane Adams – Library Director, Maggie Horning, Mona Johnson, Will Frank, Dick Peterson, Heather Weaver, Friends of the Library president Amber Hemstad
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 pm by Frank.
Minutes – Johnson moved and Horning seconded to approve the September 2024 minutes. All approved.
Bills – Peterson moved and Weaver seconded to approve the October 2024 bills. All approved.
Director’s Report – September circulation was significantly lower than August, but that is normal. It was almost the same as September 2023, so we remain 3% below 2023 year to date for physical items and are 4% above 2023 year-to date when we include digital circulation. 25 Calligraphy kits were handed out in the first half of September. These were provided by the Arrowhead Library System and created by Lynn Prouty, the calligrapher who presented at the library in April. Crafters Café has had new ladies at both meetings in September, average attendance is 6 – 8. Saturday storytime had 9 participants. I’ve had 8-12 at each of the Thursday storytimes. Elementary Fun has ranged from 0 – 15 participants. Silent book club had 6 readers.
September has been spent adjusting to planning and providing new programs. Caleb attended a technology training workshop at the Arrowhead Library System headquarters and felt it was a worthwhile day. I continue to weed the junior non-fiction, and Kelly and I got through the junior paperback novels to make room for new titles.
Old Business: Fall programming has had very spotty attendance but we have Elementary Fun on Wednesday afternoons, storytime on Thursday mornings, monthly Libratory take-home bags, Crafters’ café every other week, Silent book club monthly and a monthly takeout craft for teens and adults. Sutter Brothers are performing on Saturday, October 26th at 1:00 pm. I will have a table at the MN Power Energy Expo for low-income community members at Backus on October 22 from 4:30 – 6:30.
Budget accepted as presented thus far, but the council wants to make additional cuts so we’ll see what happens.
New Business: Lydia, our newest hire has had to resign. We will be contacting other applicants from June to see if any are still available.
Friends of the Library book sale is Monday, October 7th from 5pm – 7pm.
What are you reading? – Mona just picked up Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney, Dick read Eye for an Eye by Jeffrey Archer and is reading Frozen River by Arial Lawhorn. Amber enjoys the classics and finished All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and started Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden while Heather enjoys River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Maggie continues with her grandchildren’s reading assignments and highly recommends When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, she is also reading Will Weaver’s Power and Light. Will is further in The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien than ever before and also recommends Saturday Cinema on NPR. Diane doesn’t particularly recommend The Bees by Laline Paull, dystopian fiction about bees.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13th, 4:30 pm
Meeting adjourned at 4:50pm.