Sauk County Library Board Meeting

sauk_co_lib_board_minutes_11-26-12.doc (31 KB)

Minutes

Sauk County Library Board

Monday, November 26, 2012

9:00 a.m.

Ruth Culver Community Library

540 Water St. Prairie du Sac

(608) 643-8318

Present:  Judy Ashford, Sue Meise, Bob Wills, Cindy Shanks, Tom Benson, Ken Grant, Bev Vaillancourt

Librarians Present:  Carol Anderson, Spring Green; Jennifer Endres Way, Prairie du Sac; Denise Anton Wright, SCLS; Raina Roloff, North Freedom; Ben Miller, Sauk City; Pam Thompson, LaValle; Maureen Palmer, Reedsburg; Sue Ann Kucher, Reedsburg; Lee Schauer, Rock Springs; Meg Allen, Baraboo; Carolyn Forde, Plain

1.  Judy Ashford called the meeting to order and verified compliance with the open meetings law at 9:03 a.m.

2.  Adoption of agenda: Sue Meise moved and Cindy Shanks seconded a motion to approve the agenda.  Passed unanimously.

3.  Approval of the minutes of the July 10, 2012 meeting at the Spring Green Community Library and the August 1, 2012 meeting at the Reedsburg Public Library   Sue Meise moved Ken Grant seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the July 10, 2012 and August 1, 2012 meetings.  Passed unanimously.

4.  SCLS report – Denise Anton Wright: Denise Anton Wright provided a written report.  Among the presented was a reminder that the online form for the 2012 Annual Report will be available soon. Reports are due to SCLS by mid-February for review.  She indicated that the November issue of the Trustee Update was mailed to all public libraries the second week of November.  Library Legislative Day is set for Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at Best Western Inn on the Park, Madison.  Library board budgets for Green, Columbia, and Dane counties have been approved with in-county reimbursements above the 70% level.

5.  Librarians’ report – Maureen Palmer:

• The Sauk City Library used LSTA Early Literacy funds to purchase a Duplo table and 15 Learn and Build Duplo Book Sets to circulate. The library has also just launched a 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program to further promote early literacy in the community.
• Spring Green Library: Our new updated teen area is now completed!  Teens visiting the Library now have a colorful place to call their own.  The two new chairs are contemporary, yet practical.  These “lunar chairs” are red, faux leather upholstered cushioning cradled inside a sleek fiberglass shell shaped like a half moon.  A double-sided bookcase at the end of the area for Manga and Graphic Novels really finishes off the section.  Teen novels like The Hunger Games or the Twilight series have been very popular lately, plus we have always wanted a special space for teens—so this all seemed like the right timing.  South Central Library System Building Consultant, Deb Haeffner, came up with the new floor plan on a visit to the Library. Funding for the area came from donations and bequests, no public funds were used.

            Also, we have had a real increase in the number of teen volunteers.  Currently,         we have five regular volunteers weekly, and 2-3 that occasionally drop-in and help.  Some are from the eighth grade civics class that has a volunteering           requirement and some are home schooled.  This amounts to about 15 hours a        week of teen volunteer help.  Brenda Francis, Children's Librarian, manages them all with great tact and creativity.

• Reedsburg Library: This year’s LSTA funds were to be used to purchase materials that help create early learning environments for children ages 5 and under. The Children’s Area at the Reedsburg Public Library now has a Coral Reef Activity Center which is a six sided unit that is colorful and inviting to families.  Also purchased was a wall mounted bead maze called Wilber and four tabletop magnetic mazes that teach numbers, colors, shapes and the alphabet. The remaining dollars purchased replacement pieces to the Plan Toys kitchen set.  A staff inservice is scheduled for this Thursday evening.
• Kraemer Library: The Kraemer Library Board purchased three new public computing workstations for library users. The Spring Green Area Arts Coalition mounted their first ever Art at Work program at the library. At the request of Plain residents, the library offered a Yoga sampler program which has received a multigenerational audience.
• North Freedom: Raina reported that the library has received over $52,000 in donations from their Amazon wish list, courtesy of their anonymous donor in southern California.

6.  2013 budget disbursement per County Board approval of the library board’s proposed budget (the budget hearing is Tuesday, November 20, 6:00 p.m.): Cindy Shanks moved and Bev Vaillancourt seconded a motion to disperse the budget as presented in the 2013 Budget including equal division of the technology budget among the nine libraries in Sauk County.  Passed unanimously.

7.  Recommendation of reappointments to the library board, to be forwarded to the county board chair (terms expire December 31, 2012)

            a. Kenneth Grant

            b. Tom Benson

Judy Ashford will forward the names to the County.  Bob Wills asked that the Board should review and discuss the relationship between the municipal and county library budgets.  The issue will be placed on the next meeting agenda.

8.  Review Library Service Plan of the Sauk County Library Board (2011-2015):  This plan will be reviewed and discussed at the next meeting.

9.  Next meeting and adjournment:  Thursday, February 7, 2013, 9:00 a.m. at the Baraboo Public Library.

Bev moved and Bob Wills seconded a motion to adjourn.  Passed unanimously.