Library Board Approved Minutes - August 6, 2020

DeForest Area Public Library Regular Library Board Minutes
Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

  1. Call to Order and Roll Call
    • President Kathy Van Iten called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m.
    • Present: Englesby, Gorres, Lowery, Runez, Van Iten
    • Absent: Lawrence, Zeimet
    • Also present: Library Director Berg
  2. Approval of Agenda
    • Motion to Approve as presented: Gorres
    • Second: Runez
    • Action: All approved
  3. Approval of Minutes of July 2nd, meeting.
    • Motion to approve minutes: Lowery
    • Second: Gorres
    • Discussion: None
    • Action: All approved
  4. Public Presentations / Communications
    • Director Berg mentioned that the Children’s librarian was looking for library board members and other community celebrities to read and record bedtime stories for streaming. Someone mentioned that the Rotary might be interested in helping with this and would get the library a contact person.
  5. Approval of Bills
    • Motion to Approve the Bills: Gorres
    • Second: Lowery
    • Discussion: Berg noted that the Alliant bill missed last month’s billing cycle so there are two electric bills this month as well as two for copier/ printer leases. Lots of books and dvds arrived. The rest of the bills are mostly utilities and regular monthly bills.
    • Action: All Approved
  6. Reports
    1. Director's - Berg reported that the drive-in Soggy Prairie concert on July 28th had 98 people as well as 473 who watched the FaceBook live stream/ video. Summer Reading Program dates were extended through August 31st and a community challenge was issued. If 10,000 books were completed by August 31st there would be an additional drive-in concert on September 1st. If 12, 020 books were completed then free ice cream for all attendees. Director Berg spoke about the Harry Potter party-in-a-bag, and the Black Suffrage in Wisconsin program tonight with Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara. Conversations are starting with library staff about adding back additional – evening and Sunday hours and when to start using the Market Street door. Berg commented on the REALM (Reopening Archives, Libraries and Museums) project latest data which resulted in quarantining library materials for four days and a CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) grant the library system is shepherding.
    2. President's - None.
    3. Village Update - Lowery noted that going forward all Village Board meetings were going to be virtual. Lowery mentioned Dahl Drive flooding, the bridge at Innovation drive, a large complex/apartments at Conservancy Place, and that there was talk about joining a Community Block Grant to do community Planning.
    4. School Update - Superintendent Runez report that school would be starting with virtual instruction.
  7. Old Business
    1. Discuss and possibly approve an equity/ social justice/ inclusivity statement
      • A draft statement had been sent out for editing. A suggestion to provide hotlinks to the ALA documents mentioned in the statement and to possibly end the statement with an appropriate quotation. It was decided to bring this back at the September meeting since this type of statement should have the support of the entire board and not all were present at this meeting.
  8. New Business
    1. 2020 Budget
      • Berg noted that this year’s budget looks good except for overspent in supplies which is attributable to Covid-19 supplies – sanitizer, masks, gloves, floor decals, social-distancing rugs, Plexiglas shields, and monitor for SenSource --. If not for those items we’d be pretty much on target. Still no news about the 2021 budget.
    2. Discussion and Possible approval of Memorandum for Dane County Libraries’ Ripple Project
      • Berg had sent out a copy. The number of hours of time commitment for a library our size not knowing what the future will bring or even what funding will be like next year makes it difficult to encourage signing the document. The work is worthy but without more information the board was hesitant to sign it. Berg will talk to the director of Dane County Library Service and get clarification on these concerns. It will come back to the September 3rd meeting.
  9. Future Agenda Items
    1. 2021 Budget
    2. Ripple Project
    3. Equity/ Social Justice Statement
  10. Adjournment
    • Motion to Adjourn: Lowery
    • Second: Gorres
    • Action: All approved.

Meeting was adjourned at 4:18 p.m.

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