Library Board Approved Minutes - September 3, 2020

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

  1. Call to Order and Roll Call
    • President Kathy Van Iten called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.
    • Present: Lowery, Runez, Van Iten, Lawrence, Zeimet
    • Absent: Englesby, Gorres
    • Also present: Library Director Berg
  2. Approval of Agenda
    • Motion to Approve as presented: Lawrence
    • Second: Zeimet
    • Action: All approved
  3. Approval of Minutes of August 6th, meeting.
    • Motion to approve minutes: Runez
    • Second: Lowery
    • Discussion: None
    • Action: All approved
  4. Public Presentations / Communications
    • Director Berg noted flyers about the upcoming Fall Festival and the Friends’ Do-it-Yourself Book sale.
  5. Approval of Bills
    • Motion to Approve the Bills: Runez
    • Second: Zeimet
    • Discussion: Berg noted that this is an extremely short bill run due to how early this meeting falls in the month.
    • Action: All Approved
  6. Reports
    1. Director's - Berg reported that she and a few staff members were going to attend the virtual Association of Rural and Small Libraries annual conference this year. It has a number of topics of interest and DPI is paying for it. Berg mentioned that she had met with Leggett and Hall from the village and architect Dave Cameron to look at options for dealing with the broken fire shutter. The book study on Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi is being facilitate by two H.S. Social Studies teachers Brittany Brazzel and Amy Jambor. A Woke Book week is being planned for the same time as the book study using a Bean Stack ( the library’s reading program app) designed reading challenge on diversity topics. After Labor Day evening hours until 7 p.m. will be added to Monday through Thursday). Berg inquired about moving the meeting time of the library board meeting to later since the building would now be open into the evening and since Gorres was now working past 3 p.m. It was suggested that the next meeting start at 4 p.m.
    2. President's - Van Iten noted she would be unable to attend the October library board meeting.
    3. Village Update - Lowery reported that there had been discussion at the village board about recording Zoom meetings but record retention might be problematic. The Community Development Authority is going now and some money has been allocated for start-up. A development agreement with Hooper Corp. has been signed. The village budget discussions are starting and will be wrapped up by December.
    4. School Update - Runez reported that the Annual Meeting was held and the tax levy set.
  7. Old Business
    1. Discuss and possibly approve an equity/ social justice/ inclusivity statement
      • A draft statement had been sent out for editing. Links to the ALA documents were made and Berg ended the document linking to Dr. Martin Luther King’s Six Steps of Non-Violent Change. After discussion it was determined that Zeimet would make the edits he wished to see and those changes would come back to the library board at the October meeting.
    2. 2021 Budget
      • Berg walked through the proposed budget and revenues. There was consensus that this draft could be moved on to the village administrator. A final budget will be approved once the village process is completed.
    3. Discussion and Possible approval of Memorandum for Dane County Libraries’ Ripple Project
      • Motion to approve: Zeimet
      • Second: Lowery
      • Discussion: Berg had talked to the director of Dane County Library Service about the Ripple project. The document is more a letter of intent to participate rather than a legal document.
      • Action: All approved
  8. New Business
    1. None.
  9. Future Agenda Items
    1. 2021 Budget
    2. Equity/ Social Justice Statement
  10. Adjournment
    • Motion to Adjourn:
    • Second:
    • Action: All approved.

Meeting was adjourned at 3:56 p.m.

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