HomeMy WebLinkAboutLBMinutes_2010_09_14BROOKINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SEPTEMBER 14, 2010
MINUTES
The Board of Trustees of the Brookings Public Library met Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at
5:30 p.m. in the Historical Room of the Brookings Public Library.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Amber Peper, Larry Rogers, Gloria Thvedt, and Tami Watson
OTHER PRESENT: Elvita Landau, Nita Gill, and Peg Whalen
President Larry Rogers called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Tami Watson moved to accept
the agenda as presented. Amber Peper seconded. Motion carried.
Gloria Thvedt moved approval of the minutes from the July 13, 2010 meeting as presented.
Amber Peper seconded. Motion approved.
BILLS AND SALARIES – The Board reviewed the list of current bills. Tami Watson moved to pay
all bills and salaries. Gloria Thvedt seconded. Motion carried.
FINANCIAL REPORT – The Board reviewed the monthly finance sheet from City Hall. Our
building maintenance line and janitor supplies line will be over budget, but we still should be within the
total budget at the end of the year.
LIBRARIAN’S REPORT – Items of note are:
• Circulation was down slightly but we are still ahead of last year by 5,000.
• All the fall programs are starting – book clubs, storytimes, author visits.
• Friends of the Library annual meeting was held September 13 with Ann Birney of Ride into
History portraying Rachel Carson.
• The Summer Reading Program registered 1536 young people this year with 12,939 attending
our summer programming.
• The South Dakota Library Association Conference is in Sioux Falls this year. 5 staff members will
be attending.
• Through gifts from Larson Foundation and First Bank and Trust, the Community Common Reads
purchased age appropriate copies of Three Cups of Tea for students in the Brookings Schools.
• DQ is donating 10% of its sales to the Children’s Department from receipts on the second
Tuesday of the month from 5-9 p.m. This will begin October 12.
• The FOL fall book sale will be October 14-17.
HOLIDAY HOURS – Christmas in 2010 falls on a Saturday, which means that Friday is also a day
off for city workers. Elvita suggested to the Board that the Library also be closed on that Sunday.
Tami Watson moved that the Library be closed on Sunday, December 26, 2010. Amber Peper
seconded. Motion approved.
DISCUSSION OF PARENTAL SIGNATURES ON LIBRARY CARD APPLICATIONS – Brookings Youth
Mentoring has asked if the child’s mentor would be able to sign the library card application instead of a
parent, when the parent(s) won’t obtain a card for the child. This probably would involve less than 10
children.
Following discussion, Amber Peper made a motion that the library would allow a mentor to sign
a library card application with the following provisions:
1. Mentors would have to be with the child when getting the card and checking out items;
2. The number of items checked out would be limited to 2; and
3. Those items would have to be returned before any other items could be checked out.
Tami Watson seconded. Motion approved.
FEE FOR PARTIAL DAMAGE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS – A staff member suggested that the
Library charge a fee for partial damage to materials (the material is still usable, but is stained or slightly
damaged in some way). Following discussion the Board took no action.
PENNIES FOR PEACE – Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, will be speaking in
Brookings in November. In conjunction with his lecture and the Community Common Read of his book,
a Pennies for Peace jar has been proposed in the library to help fund his school projects in
Afghanistan/Pakistan. Library policy does not allow outside fundraising in the library. However, the
Board felt the Library was so heavily involved in the Common Read and Mortenson’s appearance in
Brookings that this was an exception. Amber Peper moved to allow a “Pennies for Peace” jar in the
library for Greg Mortenson’s projects in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Gloria Thvedt seconded. Motion carried.
OPTIONS TO RELIEVE COMPUTER LAB CONGESTION – Elvita reported that the computer room
is often full with people waiting in the late afternoon and weekends. Recently two express computers
have been set up for 15 minutes use. Another suggestion was to purchase several low end laptops for
check out to adults for use in the library.
Gloria Thvedt moved to pursue the purchase of three laptops for public use by adults in the
library through the City Manager. Tami Watson seconded. Motion approved.
DISCUSSION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL #5 – REVISION OF CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN’S OFFICE –
This goal was to make the Children’s Librarian’s office more accessible to the public. Tami Watson
moved to authorize Elvita to get cost quotes on renovating the Children’s Librarian’s office and
furniture. Amber Peper seconded. Motion carried.
JUDGES FOR SCARY STORY CONTEST – Gloria Thvedt and Nita Gill volunteered to be judges for
the annual Scary Story Contest.
EXECUTIVE SESSION – Tami Watson made a motion to move into executive session for the
purpose of evaluating the Director. Amber Ohm seconded.
Chair Larry Rogers declared the executive session to be closed. All were in agreement.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Elvita Landau, Director