Minutes

Bryan-Bennett Library Board of Trustees Meeting

September 19, 2023, 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room

Call to Order, Roll Call of Trustees

Bryan-Bennett Library Board President Ed Dolbeare called the September 19, 2023, meeting of the Bryan-Bennett Library Board of Trustees to order at 6:30 p.m. Trustees answering roll call were Mark Decker, Jennifer Dice, Ed Dolbeare, Gary Hahn, Lynn Larimer, Marilyn Lewis, and Joyce Raver.  Trustees Brad Crow and Gayla Wilkerson were absent from the meeting. Library Director Kim Keller and Circulation Clerk Kathy Garren were also present with Assistant Director Jodi Trinkle joining shortly after.

Public Comment- No public comment

Staff Spotlight- Kathy Garren, a lifelong resident of Marion County and a former stay at home mom, has worked as a library circulation clerk for 1 year. Along with her library duties Kathy is involved in several other community entities. She is on the Theatre Board and shows off her acting skills by participating in productions at the theatre. In addition to that she is co starting an Art in Action Group that’s inaugural project was a very successful chalk art program. Kathy states that the patrons at the library and her interactions with them are the best part of her job. She loves to share the books she has read as well as getting their recommendations too. The Board is appreciative of Kathy and all that she brings with her as part of our Bryan-Bennett family.

Secretary’s Report

Approval of August 15, 20233, Board Meeting Minutes

Board members assessed the August 15,2023, minutes. A motion to accept them was made by Trustee Decker and seconded by Trustee Larimer. Roll call vote was taken with all members voting yes. The motion carried.

Treasures Report

Payment of September 2023 Bills

A motion was made by Trustee Decker to approve the September 2023 bills in the amount of $24,348.46. A second to that motion was made by Trustee Hahn. Roll call vote was taken with all members voting yes. The motion carried.

Financial Report September 2023

A motion to accept the Financial Report for September 2023 was made by Trustee Raver and seconded by Trustee Hahn.  Roll call vote was taken. All members voted yes. The motion carried.

Committee Reports

Finance- The Bryan-Bennett Library Board of Trustees requested that the City approve a property tax levy for taxes payable in 2024, equal to 0.15% for library operations and is equal to 0.02% for the library building. Furthermore, we’ve requested a levy at $7,247 for Library Social Security and the levy will include $6,939 that covers IMRF expenses as well as $1695 that will provide for the Library Staff Medicare coverage. A request for $50,000 of sales tax revenue and $11,180 of Personal Property Replacement Tax revenue.

Policy- No reports

Personnel- No reports

Building and Grounds- A committee consisting of Trustee Hahn, Trustee Lewis and Trustee Decker along with Director Keller came up with a plan and a budget for the flagpole corner as well as the west side of the parking lot where a tree needs to be removed. A bid from Top Notch Tree Service was received for a cost of $700 for trimming and $1,400 for removal. It was presented to the board that an amount of $800 in addition to the monies used for the tree service would be required to pay for the additional landscaping that is needed. A motion made by Trustee Larimer and seconded by Trustee Dice was made to allow the committee to proceed with landscape and tree removal as mentioned not to exceed $2,500. Roll call vote was taken with all members voting yes. The motion carried.

New Business

Trustee Decker made a motion to vote on the purposed tax levy handed out by Director Keller. Trustee Raver seconded the motion. All trustees present voted in favor 7-0. The document was signed by all Trustees present and will be sent to the City for review.

State Library Standards were reviewed. An updated job description for library personnel will be forthcoming.

Unfinished Business

The Material Selection Policy has been tabled to allow the Board to review and assess it. It will be on the October agenda

Directors Report

See attachment

Board Members Report

Trustee Decker attended the William Jennings Bryan festival committee meeting. The committee is trying to align a celebration of Bryan alongside the Centennial anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial which would be in the year 2025. The library and its board are excited to be a part of the celebration along with the Daffy Dill club.

Adjournment

The board meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m. after a motion made by Trustee Decker was seconded by Trustee Hahn.

 Respectfully submitted by,

 Jennifer Dice, Board Secretary

Bryan-Bennett Library Director’s Report September 19, 2023

E-Rate Grant

Bryan-Bennett Library received a Funding Commitment Decision Letter for its Category 2 Grant application which will fund part of the communications gear upgrade. Universal Service Administrative Company committed $1,920.07 to the project. The estimated cost of the project is $2,907. This would include installation of a new router, firewall, and switchbox.

SHARE Membership Fee to Increase

The leadership at SHARE will be increasing its annual fee. The fees are calculated I recently attended a virtual town meeting and registered Bryan-Bennett’s concerns. The fee this year is $4,245. With the proposed increase, the fee would be $6,350. Of the $2,105 increase, $500 will include Cloud Library membership and $250 will include Aspen platform membership. Thus making the IHLS/SHARE fee actually an increase of $1,355.

Aspen is an online public access catalog interface. It would integrate the Library’s catalog and e-resources. Eventually, Heartland/SHARE intends to replace the current catalog with Aspen. Bryan-Bennett’s Aspen training for staff will be in March. It will go live at Bryan-Bennett in April.

Fall Fundraiser

Bryan-Bennett Library’s fall fundraiser begins September 21. Staff have made a few fall decorations and fall fashion accessories. These were created with flowers donated by Walmart. There have been materials donated by private parties. Pricing will be as follows:

• Hair accessories: $3.50 apiece
• Fall pins: $3.50 apiece
• Flower arrangement kits: $8
• Ready-made flower arrangements, wreaths, and garlands: $15

The break-even rate would be after $89.61. Proceeds will be used toward the books that will be distributed to youths at the Santa visit in December.

Building and Grounds

JAX resealed the parking lot September 6-8. The lot was striped September 17.

The carpet in the main Library, the Reference Room, the Board Room, the Friends Room and Genealogy on August 18. Ms. Shanafelt and I stayed with the cleaning crew until 8 p.m. Three extra employees worked 9-noon the following day to make sure that all furniture was returned to it spot. The building was ready for regular business on August 21.

The roof over the fiction stacks leaked August 26. Through Carlyle Roofs, the warranty agent, Joiner sent a crew to repair the leak on August 30. The roof leaked in that spot again on September 5. Joiner fixed the roof on September 12.

Misc.

The Salem Chamber will host a Grub and Grow at Bryan-Bennett Library on Thursday, September 21, at noon.

I attended the open house for the Manor at Salem Woods on September 13.

Respectfully submitted by,

Kim Keller

Program Stats as of September 15, 2023

Harry Potter Escape Room from July 29 had twenty-four participants in 6 time slots (all full with wait list of two)

1000 Books Before Kindergarten has forty-three participants. Eight children have completed the program.

In-house use of Chrome Books was once.

Leather Apron Club for September 7 had fourteen children with six adults from six families.

Take Home Story Time Kits were used eleven times in August. Maker Stations were used four times.

Chess Practice for September 21 has two signed up

Puzzle Competition for October 26 has six teams registered

Preschool Story Time on September 15 had eight children with six adults from six families