Meinders Library
August 7, 2024 Board Minutes
The meeting was called to order by Gery Brockberg at 5:20 pm. Present were Gerald Brockberg, Mary Ann DeGroot, Danielle Thompson, Dan Wildermuth, Emily Williamson, and Jody Wacker. Sharon Wolff and Taylor Spronk were absent. (Danielle Thompson, our city council representative, refrained from voting for this meeting.)
No vote was taken to approve the agenda since the agenda was not previously set. The board followed last month’s agenda. There were no community concerns. Prior minutes from the February and May meetings were distributed. The February meeting minutes were approved with a motion by DeGroot, a second by Wildermuth, and passed unanimously. (The May meeting minutes could not be approved since quorum was not met for this meeting.) There was no old business to discuss.
New business started with a discussion about the board meetings. Instead of meeting quarterly, Williamson brought up going back to meeting every other month to make meetings more frequent and consistent. The board discussed meeting every other month on the even months starting with October, December, February, April, and so on. The meetings will remain on the first Wednesday of those months at 5:15 pm. The new meeting times were approved with a motion by Wildermuth, a second by Brockberg, and passed unanimously.
Next the board discussed policy reviews. Over the next two months, the board will read the following policies and review them at the next meeting in October: Policy 304-307 and 400-406. Lastly, the board also discussed the progress on the construction. The parking lot lights are now on a timer. The bathrooms are not done yet, and the library still needs new signs to be ADA compliant.
Wacker started the director’s report by passing out a report with the numbers for overall usage and the number of attendees at events during August. Wacker pointed out the high number of volunteer hours, and the library would be at a loss without their support. In the report, Wacker is also keeping track of what spaces are being used and how much (such as the conference and STEAM rooms). These reports will include four sample weeks from throughout the year: February, May, August, and November. For circulation, there is still a larger number of adults compared to kids: 15,847 adults and 1,501 kids. However, the overall numbers in circulation and programming are going up, and there have only been programs going on since April due to the construction. The music programs are quite popular, and the library has started streaming clips. Additionally, the library has been collaborating with the museum and school more often.
There was a discussion about the age of the library’s materials. The average age is 1972. Nine years ago, when Wacker arrived, the library received a $10,000 grant to improve the nonfiction. Today the average age of the nonfiction is 2011-2012. The library’s computers were purchased in 2016, and the library will soon need to buy new computers. Having the old computers is a risk for security. For a rough estimate, the computers may cost $700 apiece or more.
Then Wacker distributed copies of the budget as of August 1. The “2024 Actual” column shows the year to date. Wacker has revised the budget to account for when the fire department had to undergo repairs more expensive than anticipated. Wacker is appreciative of the city council for approving an increase in the budget at a previous meeting. In the future potentially, the library may need to look into adding more staff hours or possibly hiring another person if the library hours were to increase.
Lastly, Wacker discussed some final items. The library donated materials to the Rock Valley Public Library after they suffered damage from flooding this summer. On Monday, August 12, a Christian author will be coming. Additionally, there is another music series event coming up featuring a beat boxer from St. Paul, Terrell X.
The meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. with a motion by DeGroot, a second by Wildermuth, and passed unanimously.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 5:15 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Emily Williamson, Secretary