Sauk County Library Board

Sauk County Library Board
Minutes
November 16, 2021, 3:30 p.m.
Rock Springs Community Library & Community Center

Board Members Present: Mary Boda, Joel Chrisler, Joan Fordham, Peggy Heidenreich*, Carolyn Kotchi-Aslaksen, Terry Slack, Alternate Rob Nelson*

Others Present: Tamara Ramski (SCLS), Sue Ann Kucher (Reedsburg), Nick Studnicka (Plain), Becky Anderson (Rock Springs), Natalie Jones (LaValle), Jessica Bergin (Baraboo), Lisa Renier Thomas* (Spring Green), Marty VanPelt* (SCLS), Lauren White* (Prairie du Sac)

*Attended Remotely

1.Fordham called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Kucher verified compliance with open meeting law.

2.Kotchi-Aslaksen moved and Chrisler seconded to accept the agenda. Motion passed.

3.Heidenreich moved and Chrisler seconded to accept the minutes. Motion passed.

4.The Sauk County Board approved the 2022 budget presented by the Auk County Library Board. A presentation by the Sauk County Library Board was not required to the Finance Committee. Motion made by Slack and seconded by Kotchi-Aslaksen to disperse funds as defined in the final budget presented to the Sauk County Board. Motion passed. A motion was made by Boda and seconded by Kotchi-Aslaksen to split the Technology Funds of $20,000.00 equally between all ten libraries. Motion passed. Future needs for technology expenses are to be forwarded to Sue Ann Kucher for budget planning for next year.

5.  SCLS Report – Martha Van Pelt and Tamara Ramski

SCLS Personnel

Mark Ibach, SCLS Consulting Service Coordinator, is retiring.  His last day will be December 30, 2021.  His duties included public library administration, supervision of the consultant team and serving on the SCLS management team.

Tracie Miller, formerly Wyocena Library Director, has been hired to be the new public library administration consultant. Tracie will have Mark’s phone number or she can be reached at traciemiller@scls.info.

Jean Anderson, SCLS Continuing Education Consultant, has been promoted to

SCLS Consulting Service Coordinator.  She will continue in her duties as the Continuing Education Consultant in addition to supervision of the consultant team and serving on the SCLS management team.

Jody Hoesly, SCLS Data Services Consultant is also retiring.  Her last day will be 2/11/2022.  Her position will be posted in-house for application by SCLS staff.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Library Services Team continues to hold weekly meetings with the 16 Public Library Systems’ Directors. 

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

These are statewide competitive grants to receive federal funding.

After many meetings and surveys involving the members and staff, the SCLS submitted 3 pre-applications on behalf of its member libraries (details are below).

DPI is currently working through the scoring and ranking process on pre-applications with final decisions on funding expected mid- to late-November. Those selected to move forward with funding will submit a final application through WISEgrants. 

  ARPA pre-Applications submitted by SCLS:

1. Hybrid Library Service Model: Unlocking resources

Requested $155,104
Pickup lockers (for 8 libraries that indicated interest).

Libraries will receive assistance establishing proper network connections and power.
SCLS will assist with setup and training of library staff.
SCLS will integrate the locker with the ILS and possibly curbside pickup software to provide the maximum ease of use for library staff and patrons.

2. Library Space and Safety Improvement: RFID and moving towards contactless checkout

Requested $161,969
RFID (for 13 libraries that indicated interest, it will bring the total of tagged SCLS libraries to 40 out of 53).

SCLS will provide staff tagging stations.
RFID tags (purchased in bulk).
Self-checkout machines (with setup, installation and training).
Staff to tag materials in libraries with limited resources.

3. Libraries Open Doors for Community Resilience

Requested $140,940
Equipment to deliver public programs and to help community members connect with one another and the wider world (21 libraries indicated interest).

Movie equipment bundle.
Outdoor programming bundle.
Hybrid meeting equipment.

Materials and equipment to support the educational, workforce development, and digital needs of community members: (26 libraries indicated interest).

Public outdoor USB charging stations.
Community-specific materials that are readily available for circulation.

 

SCLS New Building

SCLS has submitted an offer to the City of Madison to purchase 4.12 acres of land on Fen Oak Drive in Madison to build its new headquarters.  The intent is to save money by building. The new building will combine both administration and delivery services.  It will be cheaper for SCLS to own one combined building versus renting two buildings.  While leasing, the rent goes up every year and SCLS pays taxes through the rent.  If SCLS owned the building, it would not pay taxes.  It also provides a fiscal asset.  COVID has opened the door to new experiences and the design is to be flexible for all work experiences. While more staff is working remotely, there is mandatory on site meetings for all staff at HQ and Delivery still needs a physical building.  Administrative staff works on site.  The building needs to house a data center and meeting rooms for staff and member meetings. 

New building timeline:

Purchase land by February 1, 2022.
Break ground in spring 2022.
Move in June 2023.

 

6. Library Reports –

Carnegie-Schadde Memorial Public Library, Jessica Bergin
Library Expansion delayed due to funding delay of USDA loan; currently working with Senator Baldwin’s office to track the application; have also applied for grant funds for the last 6 million since loan process has not gone as expected.  Will be offering annual Turkey Bingo for participants to win Thanksgiving food items.

 

Lavalle Public Library, Natalie Jones
Library is open.  Currently looking at replacing children’s furnishings.

 

Ruth Culver Community Library, Prairie du Sac, Lauren White

18 adults came for author Jennifer Rude Klett Saturday, November 6 and was well-received by the audience. 
Teens really enjoyed making Zen gardens 11/10, especially experimenting with coloring the sand. 
Teen bags for October were gone within 2 weeks (40 bags). 
We are prepping for Holly Jolly Sauk Prairie. In addition to the window display, we will have candy bracelet take and makes for kids and felt gingerbread men take and makes for adults. The theme this year as a Willy Wonka/ Candy Land theme chosen by the Chamber and there will be many new activities around the community including fizzy lifting drink stations and a chili cook-off. We are not participating in the cook-off this year due to Covid-19.  
We are planning to do a tween & teen writing contest in December, which was suggested by some of the teens. 
The Friends fall book sale was 11/18-11/19 and was the first regular sale since November of 2019. 
As of November 1, we’ve now moved inside in the community room, and have had our first week inside.
Craft bags continue to be very popular, with the two types of fall ornaments last week being our most popular set of crafts ever.  We had 157 craft bags taken, with another 49 Halloween coloring sheets taken. The crafts prior to that (glow stick broomsticks and oil pastel spider webs) were also extremely popular, with 152 bags taken over the two-week period.  
In addition to the craft bags, we’ve also created a craft corner in the children’s area with a craft and all the supplies needed to do it in the library. These are out for two weeks, with new crafts on opposite weeks from the craft bags. Our inaugural craft, a bat paper puppet, had 54 copies taken.  
We’ve also added a set of five in-library children’s activity kits, which are sitting behind the desk and which patrons can ask to use in the library. So far, the Spirograph Kit and Weaving Kit have been used.
120 bookmarks have already been taken for the Culvers Winter Reading Program.    
We’re in the process of adding a new library collection: VOX Books, which are picture books that have an attached MP3 player so that readers can read along with the title. We hope to have them joining the collection in December and plan to slowly add more titles to the collection in 2022.  
We are currently working with SCLS to apply for an ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grant, but it is unclear which services will be fully funded at this time. Currently we are looking at RFID kits and labels and a new display screen for the lobby. Once grant recipients are awarded funds, we will have a better idea of what our plan is moving forward. 

Spring Green Community Library Report Lisa Renier Thomas

 

COVID-19 Response

Masking required, and we are cleaning more, otherwise we are pretty much operating as we did pre-pandemic. We continue to offer curbside service and delivery/pick up service through a partnership with a local non-profit.

 

Staffing

Held a small volunteer orientation in late July; some volunteers are back working on a very limited basis. New Youth Services Librarian (Grace Moran) began September 14. Held a staff training and retreat on October 29 including CPR/First Aid and ALICE training. My last day with SGR is November 24. Beginning as SKC director December 1!

 

Programming

Summer Reading Program included two Story Walks, outdoor activities, and reading incentives for children and adults (awarded two prize-packs per week to children, one every other week for teens/adults). Arts for All Wisconsin traveling art exhibit all of August. Outdoor scavenger hunt all of September. Family Storytime with David Daniel of

American Player’s Theatre September 8. Library “Truck Show” (with public works, police, and EMS rigs) September 16. “An Evening with the First Lady” (Sauk County Historical Society) October 5. Giant Pumpkin “Guess the Weight” contest all of October (a 520- pound pumpkin was donated by a local grower). Story Hike at Bakken’s Pond November 6.

 

Regular programming includes one outdoor storytime/week (moving indoors beginning in December), Take-and-Make activity kits for families and adults, and a Monthly “Junior Chef” virtual cooking program

 

Formalized a "Local Art at the Library" program to provide River Valley artists with the opportunity to exhibit and promote their work free of charge. Each month we host a show by different local artists or art groups in the Community Room and Glass Case Galleries. Our artists have ranged from students to those beyond retirement age, and from gallery owners and Fall Art Tour veterans to those debuting their first show.

 

Awarded 1K grant from UW-Madison East Asian Studies Department for programming and collection development (same grant RKS awarded last year). Like everyone, waiting to hear back regarding ARPA grant funds (expressed interest in RFID tagging station, outdoor lockers, wireless printing, book e-bike).

 

 

Kramer Library and Community Center, Plain, Nicholas Studnicka

At Plain, we are still working on RFID tagging and it is going well. The teen section and JVFIC are done along with half of LP and FIC. I hired a new part-time staff person who started in September of this year and is working out so far. We started fall storytime outside with sporadic results we had the first indoor storytime today Nov. 16 and will continue to have in-door storytime hopefully until Dec. 21. The library will be closed Nov. 25-27 for Thanksgiving. We also will have our first senior lunch and movie this Thursday, Nov. 18th.  The event is catered by the new restaurant in town, which opened at the beginning of October.

The tables for the new conference room showed up still looking at ordering new office chairs for the conference room and staff areas. The new opening hours seem to be going well at the library. I will be on vacation Feb. 6-19 of 2022.

 

 

 

Reedsburg Public Library, Sue Ann Kucher

Lockers have been installed to handle curbside/contactless pick-up of materials.  The lockers also allow patrons to pick up before and after regular library hours.  We’re participating in Fit Families program, offering information and programs to encourage children and families to create healthy habits.  Friends of the Reedsburg Public Library will host Grateful Bread fundraiser on Monday, November 22.

 

Rock Springs Public Library, Becky Anderson

Applied for a grant for RFID Tagging.

Holding storytime Wednesdays at 1030, to include  a story, snack and crafts.  Homeschool program includes games and demonstrations – Math and science incorporated into baking and other programs of note.  SCAN school as returned to visiting the library.  Working on creating an afterschool program. 

Ordering small tables & chairs, a magnetic white board and bulletin boarders for childrens area. Received East Asian Grant and looking at programming ideas for the grant perod.  Contract for renewal of mural artist for library.  Hosting meetings in Community center, including 4H and Sauk County Library Board.

 

 

7.2022 Meeting Schedule: January 18, 2022, May 17, 2022, July 19, 2022, November 15, 2022.

8. Adjournment @ 4:40 Motion by Kotchi-Aslaksen and seconded by Slack. Motion passed.