Library Board Minutes 03-11-2014MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING
Tuesday, 11, 2014
5:30 P.M.
Members present: Branch manager Deb Luken, Janet Bridgland, Sandra Lommel, Beth
Metzger, Ralph Olson, Elaine Settergren, Patron Services Supervisor Brandi Canter.
Minutes of the last meeting approved.
Old Business: None
Library Update — Deb Luken:
■ Decrease of 17.6% in circulation for January and February from the same period in 2013.
This is a trend that public libraries are experiencing. Circulation for the 32 GRRL libraries
was down 12.8% from 2013. Ebook and audio books for February 2014 in the system
showed an increase of 80.5 %.
■ Legacy funded Programs were: Drawing Cartoons, Mixed Blood Theatre's presentation
of Black Eagle at the Middle School, Slavery and Slave Songs presented at Swan River
Montessori and Steampunk jewelry.
■ Programs funded by the City of Monticello included Baby Bounce, Toddler Time, Story
Time Rocks, Rainbow Corner, Family Bird program, Snowmen in July, Anime Club, Make
and Take Valentines and eReader /Tablet help.
■ 214 Participants and 62 mugs were given out for the Adult Winter Reading Program
"Make Tracks to your Library ".
■ Library booth at ECFE Family day — Saturday, March 15.
■ Friends book sale April 12 and 14.
■ GRRL annual fund raising program: High Five March 1 — 31. 40% stayed at the Monticello
Library.
■ Community Read —Jerk, California, Thursday April 10 @ 6:30 at MHS Media Center.
■ All staff day — Monday, April 28 at St. Cloud Public Library. All Libraries closed that day.
■ Read down your fines — April 14 — April 19 and August 4 — August 9. Children with fines
can read minutes to pay off their fines.
Patron Services Supervisor Report — Brandi Canter:
• GRRL administration and the Board of Trustees are working on a Library Assessment
Plan that will determine direction for GRRL in regards to how we determine appropriate
service levels. A first draft was provided at the January BOT meeting.
• Sartell is lobbying to be the 33rd branch of GRRL. Direction is needed as to how we
decide when /if to add a branch, as well as how to decide when /if to reduce services
elsewhere.
• More discussion at the February BOT meeting. The group generally did not support the
idea of reducing services /open hours and /or closing branches.
• GRRL Administration presented its first budget proposal for 2015 at the March BOT
meeting. In past years the first proposal was presented in May.
• Proposed budget includes funding for a Sartell Branch without cutting services or
staffing at any other location. Proposed budget shows a significant increase in the
amount that the six counties would be asked to provide in GRRL revenue.
• An increase in the minimum wage could have a significant impact on the GRRL
personnel budget.
• Decreasing circulation in public libraries can be credited to an increase in use of ebooks,
a decrease in the use of staff for help, decrease in number of stay at home parents and
curriculum changes resulting in fewer class visits. It has been suggested to have door
counters at all libraries to prove that the same number of people are coming and that
libraries are busy even though circulation statistics don't show it.
New Business: None
The next meeting will be Tuesday, June 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Lommel, Secretary