HomeMy WebLinkAboutLBMinutes_2024_05_16BROOKINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
May 16, 2024
MEETING MINUTES
The Board of Trustees of the Brookings Public Library met on Thursday, May 16 at 12:00 pm in the Historical Room at the
Brookings Public Library.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Brittany Shaw, Kathy Miller, Linda Richter, Mark Binkley
OTHERS PRESENT: Ashia Gustafson, Shane Andreasen
1. Call to Order
Brittany Shaw called the meeting to order.
2. Approval of Agenda
Brittany Shaw approved the meeting agenda with no changes.
3. Approval of Minutes
Brittany Shaw approved the meeting minutes from April 11, 2024
4. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda
5. Old Business
6. Old Business
6.1 Approval of Bills
The Library Board members reviewed the March 2024 bills, budgets, and expenditures. Linda Richter moved to approve. Kathy
Miller seconded. Motion carried.
6.2 Library Fee Schedule
Ashia Gustafson reviewed the proposed library fee schedule with the library board. Kathy Miller moved to approve the library fee
schedule and to add convenience charges along with the proposed $25 meeting room charge. Mark Binkley seconded. Motion
carried.
7. Other Items & Reports
7.1 Financial Report
Ashia Gustafson presented the review of the 2024 budget through April to the Library Board members.
7.2 Librarian’s Report
Summer reading programs are open for registration and have received several enrollees in each age group. 96 people attended
the all ages Japan Appreciation Night. 139 people attended the upstairs activities at Fandom Fest while 135 patrons attended
the Star Wars party in the children’s area on May 4. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Event Series
kicked off on May 6 with a talk by Lisa Heth from the Pathfinder Center on the intersection of MMIP and sex trafficking. There
are three more opportunities to attend an MMIP event including: a book club reading of Highway of Tears by Jessica
McDiarmid, a talk by Brenda Hill from the National Indigenous Women’s Research Center discussing MMIP’s connection to
intermate partner violence from a tribal perspective, and a film screening of “Rustic Oracle.” Due to overwhelming usage, the
number of checkouts per month for our patrons for our new service, Hoopla, has been dropped from seven to four. The library is
charged a fee for each checkout on Hoopla, and usage is outpacing the budget. The new microfilm reader is set up and ready
for use in the Historical Room. Nancy Swenson is working on ordering a new public address system for the library. A new
dividing wall for the Cooper Rooms is planned for an October installation. The replacement window project is scheduled to begin
soon. The three part-time positions have been filled and training has begun. Alice Hayes, Circulation Manager, has given notice
of her retirement in September. The Circulation Manager job description is being updated and the hiring process will begin in
early summer. Lisa Solum, Outreach Services Coordinator, has tended her resignation effective Thursday, May 30 and the
outreach position is being evaluated. All full-time library staff have attended the High Performing Organization training
implemented by City leadership and library staff will be looking at ways to incorporate the material. The SD legislators passed
House Bill 1197, which requires public and school libraries to have policies to limit minor access to obscene materials by
January 1, 2025. The South Dakota State Library is holding information sessions for libraries impacted by this law. Some library
staff will attend and explore the potential impacts for the Brookings Public Library. Attending an information session is eligible for
continuing education credits and library board members are highly encouraged to attend. The Friends of the Library have
decided not to contribute financially to the Festival of Books program this year, but several presentations will still be held in the
library’s meeting spaces. The SDLA conference in Aberdeen is set for September 25-27 and board members are eligible to
receive continuing education credits for attending. The public open house for the library remodel project is set for May 31.
8. Next Meeting: Thursday, June 20 at 12:00 PM in the Historical Room
9. Adjournment
The Library Board meeting adjourned at 12:48pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Ashia Gustafson
Director of Library Services