Sauk County Library Board

 

Minutes

Sauk County Library Board

July 24, 2017

Board members present: Judy Ashford, Pat Andreessen, Sue Meise, Peggy Heidenreich, David Wernecke

Librarians present: Carrie Portz, Jennifer Way, Meg Allen, Nicholas Studnicka, Sue Kucher, Emily Judd, Linda Kettner, Pam Thompson, Katie Schofield, and Martha Van Pelt from SCLS.

1.  Judy Ashford called the meeting to order and verified compliance with the open meetings law at 9 a.m.
2. Meise moved and Wernecke seconded to adopt the agenda. Passed unanimously.
3. Corrections to the minutes from May 8, 2017 included the date and the addition of Terry Slack’s name. Minutes approved as amended.
4. Consideration of 2018 Budget request:  Approved and forwarded to the County Finance Committee approved unanimously.
5. SCLS report:  Martha Van Pelt reported on the statewide ongoing evaluation of the 16 library systems currently being discussed to improve the systems and cost sharing. The work groups, steering committee and system directors will produce a Public Library System Redesign Report.

Discussions include delivery speed and efficiency.

The all directors meeting was held. There was a large consensus approving fees. This meeting gives the directors the opportunity to work and talk together.

6. Librarians’ Reports

Pam Thompson- LaValle:  The Library remained dry during recent flooding. Summer library programs included 6 weeks of activities including a water balloon fight at the park. The library received $1000 from the Hartje Foundation for summer programs.

RUTH CULVER COMMUNITY LIBRARY REPORT – 7/14/2017

Children:

· Nature’s Niche Animal Show (School-age children): Monday, June 24 at 1:00.

· Building Day will be held on June 31 (last program of summer).

· New – Chess Club and Book Tastings (storytime for older children to share books as part of the “Reading without Walls” challenge to expand your reading horizons.)

· Coding Club for Grades 4-8 in August including 1) No-Tech Coding 2)Ozobots, 3)Scratch and 4)Lego Mindstorms

Teens:

· Drop-In-Art Night held on June 18.

· Building Challenge: “Straw”ctures coming up on June 25.

· Other programs will include: Dessert Favorites, Soapmaking, Solar Eclipse and Escape Room programs.

Adults:

· Papercrafts for Adults held on Wednesday, June 19.

· Terrarium program was held in May.

· Author Kathleen Ernst, Wisconsin Mystery writer and American Girl Author speaking October 11.

Partnerships:

· Coloring contest in collaboration with the Recreation Department’s Movie Night at the Ballpark (along with Sauk City Library).

· “We Can Festival” to present can donations to Sauk Prairie Food Pantry from our summer reading program.

· Joint Strategic Plan with Sauk City Library has been approved.

 

Reedsburg- Sue Kucher reported:

Summer Library programs included local authors, adult movie discussions, children’s movies, Teens Iron Chef Challenge, Teen lock- in. Attendance has been large, nearly 200 for each movie; 685  children registered for SLP.

Fall adult programs will include the solar eclipse.

 

Rock Springs Library Report - Katie Schofield started as the new Library Director on June 1.

Recent Programs:

Summer Library: Scavenger hunt around downtown, Make a seed bomb, Engineering challenges, and Great Scott Magic. We have had a great turn-out for these programs, especially the magic show. We have two more weeks of the regular summer library program.

Upcoming programs:

July 25 - Science Experiments

August 1 - End of year party & Water Games

August 15 - Frankentoy workshop with Lemonade Workshop  

Reassemble pieces of toys into all sorts of weird and ridiculous combinations using glue guns, tape and your imagination.

August 22 - Songwriting for Youth

Come learn the art of songcraft with performer and singer/songwriter Shawndell Marks.

We are working on programming for the fall - restart the Kitchen Creations classes, and do more art & craft workshops, story-hour once a week.

· Collaborative Summer Reading Program with Sauk City Library.

 

Sauk City Public Library-Emily Judd

Recent Programs:

We recently had an open house honoring six former board members--most of whom have retired from the board in the last year--who served 106 combined years on the board.

The summer has been going well. We’ve had lots of great performers and staff-led science and building events this summer. One of our invited performers who really stood out was Smarty Pants and the Mousetrap Machine Show. The life-size balloon robot and mouse trap design that he left got lots of attention and lasted several weeks after the show.

Family Fort Building in the library after hours was a lot of fun.

Our weekly Bingo continues to be extremely popular. Our Friends have luckily offered to fund Bingo prizes for several more months.

Upcoming Programs:

Construction Site tour-Vintage Brewery

Teen Fidget Spinners

We CAN Festival with Ruth Culver Library-Celebrating our summer-long food drive with games and activities for families at the Community Center. We had to change the location from the New Food Pantry since it’s not quite finished.

Cowchip Parade--Once again this year parents and children who have completed our 1000 books before kindergarten program get to ride on the library’s float.

Activities:

For library card sign up month we’re planning on taking story time out of the building and meeting at different locations around town to help raise awareness of the library.

The plan for our total redesign is finished. We’ll be shifting and rearranging almost the entire library in late September. In addition we’ll be getting new furniture, a couple of shelving units and giving a facelift to some areas. The redesign will double the size of the children’s area and there will be a separate teen area.

 

Spring Green Report – Carrie Portz reported:

· Using Sauk County Technology funds to replace 3 circulation computers and purchase an additional laptop for staff use

· Building Updates - alarm panel and smoke detectors, new book drop

· Interviewing for new Youth Service Librarian first week of August

· Really great turn-outs for Summer Library Program performers – including 180 for Zoozort!

· Looking forward – Eclipse Party & Unknown Craftsman at Taliesin Hillside Theater

 

 

 

 

 

Baraboo – Meg Allen reported:

• Five "graduates" of our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program marched in the Big Top Parade on 7/22
• Based on the citizens' library building project review task force recommendations, an additional request for city funding for the expansion will be discussed as part of the 5-year capital plan update at the Baraboo Common Council meeting on 7/25.
• The Library Board has approved drafting a request for proposals for architectural services.
• The summer reading program runs just two more weeks. The family program on 7/27 will be held at the Mid-Continent Railway and will include a special train ride and a behind-the-scenes tour.  The program will end with Library Palooza Summer Reading Fest on 8/12. Library Palooza will feature live music, carnival activities, games and food.

 

 Plain Library Director’s Report – Nick Studnicka reported

The new youth services librarian has been running the summer library program(SLP) which will be ending the first week of August. We had 62 kids sign up and 36 kids are very active in SLP and 18 adults participating in the adult SLP.

The kids SLP consists of 34 events and the need to read at least 3.5 hrs a week. So far 284 kids total for the events with 81 adults in attendance as well. We have been averaging about 9 people per event with 7 events left to go

We lost power at the library Thursday morning July 20 and had a large pond form in the front of the library.

Planning on the starting Senior Movie and Meal in October and running through May. The library is looking at replacement furniture for the community room and doing some touch up

7.  Next meeting and adjournment:  The next meeting will be held after the county budget meeting.  Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 29, at 9 a.m. at the Baraboo library.

 

Motion to adjourn - Andreesen, second by Wernecke.

 

Submitted: Peggy Heidenreich