Fargo Public Library Board - November 20, 2018 Minutes
Regular Meeting: Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Board Members Present: Rachael Steenholdt, Mary Dickson, Carrie Peterson, Jan Ulferts Stewart, Carlos Hawley Jr., Mary Batcheller
Board Members Absent: Scott Beaulier
Staff: Tim Dirks, Sunny Branick, Betsy Dauer, Jason DeShaw
Others Present:
President, Rachael Steenholdt called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM, and a quorum was declared.
Order of Agenda
A motion was made by Carlos Hawley Jr. to approve the Order of the Agenda. Mary Dickson seconded the motion; motion carried.
Minutes of October 16, 2018 Regular Meeting
Carlos Hawley Jr. made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 16, 2018 meeting. Jan Ulferts Stewart seconded the motion; motion carried.
Staff Report
Staff updates and Staff development activities:
• Nov. 16: Violent Intruder Training
• Nov. 19: Conclusion of Reference Librarian I presentations
• Nov. 30: Refresh of de-escalation training, how to give physical descriptions for 911, and personal safety during an incident
Programming:
Upcoming Events & Programs (a partial and incomplete list):
Childrens
• Nov. 21 - Elephant and Piggie Party. Dress as your favorite character, or make your own themed accessories! Gerald and Piggie will be on-site for storytime and activities.
• Dec. 4 - Libraries Dance! New dance series in partnership with Gasper's School of Dance/F-M Ballet. Kids will spend some time moving and stretching while learning some basic techniques and lessons on different types of dance.
Teens
• Dec. 1 - Harry Potter Escape Room for Teens
• Dec. 11 & 13 - Clay Gingerbread Man Ornament
Adults
• Nov. 25 - “World War I on Screen” Movie Series - All Quiet on the Western Front.
• Nov. 29 - Book discussion featuring Jon Krakauer’s book Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town. Cheryl Dunlap, an educator from the Rape & Abuse Crisis Center, will be present to discuss sexual assault in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
• Dec. 1 - 3rd annual Northern Narratives writing project opens for submissions. Several open writing sessions are planned as part of this project.
Notable Past events & programs (again, a partial list):
Childrens
• Oct. 20 - The National Fossil Day program. Members of the NDSU Herpetology Club and staff from NDSU’s Geosciences Dept. helped us celebrate, and children completed a fossil theme activity; 126 people attended.
• Nov. 15 - America Recycles! Jen Pickett, City of Fargo Recycling Coordinator, talked to children about how our city is doing in the world of recycling. We had activities and a recycled craft for the whole family and participated in a "Day Without a Bag" campaign.
• November 17 & 18 - The Red River Modules Model Railroad Club returned to display and demonstrate model trains. We had a special train-themed storytime and craft, and a representative from Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas conducted a presentation on railroad safety.
Teens
• Nov. 6 & 8 - Held a two successful Homemade Mints programs earlier this month.
• Nov. 15 - Cooking Made Easy for Teens. Learn how to make healthy, filling meals using your microwave and Instant Pot.
Adults
• Oct. 16 - Dr. John Cox from NDSU gave a talk titled “What’s So Great About the Great War?” at the Main Library; 70 attended.
• Oct. 25 - Author P.S. Duffy visited as part of the One Book, One Community reading project and shared her book The Cartographer of No Man’s Land. The event was held at the Knutson Center Centrum on the campus of Concordia College and was free & open to the public; 144 attended. This event was generously co-sponsored by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library.
a. Nov. 4 - Native American Festival and Education kick-off. The Library partnered with the following organizations: Native American Commission, Cultural Diversity Resources, the Plains Art Museum, and the Daughters of the Earth on this project; 130 people attended.
Director’s Report
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to his written report in the Board Packet.
Statistical Reports
Usage
The library had 38,653 registered patrons for the month of October. Attendance was up 2% year to date. Program attendance was up 2% year to date and up 24% compared to October 2017. Volunteer hours were down 9% year to date. Internet signups were down 29% year to date. Print circulation was up 3.91% year to date. Nonprint circulation was up 1.93% year to date. Total circulation year to date is 870,433 circulations.
Financials
The year is 83% lapsed while the budget is 82.23% expended. There was $1,000 in incoming donations. Expenditures of donations totaled $697. Revenue is at $66,308.54 year to date.
Friends of the Library Report
Bob Jansen gave the Friends report. There is not a November Friends meeting. Sales have been increasing at the Friends book store. Several seats on the Friends board are up for election in December including President, Vice President and Treasurer. This Bob’s last Board meeting in his current position with the Friends. The library Board thanked Bob for his years of service with the Friends.
Old Business
Meeting Room Policy Review:
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to the Meeting Room Policy in the Board Packet. No changes were recommended.
Jan Ulferts Stewart recommended removing the fee for non-profit groups to reserve the Northport Community room to match the fee schedule for the Carlson Conference room. There is not a conference room at Northport so non-profits don’t have a free option there. Carlos Hawley Jr. recommended changing the third paragraph in the Reservations section to end with “Groups will be notified either in person, by phone, by mail, email or by fax if their application has been rejected”.
A motion was made by Jan Ulferts Stewart to approve the Meeting Room Policy with the recommended changes. Carlos Hawley Jr. seconded the motion; motion carried.
New Business
Material Challenge Review:
Jason DeShaw, Collection Development/Technical Services Manager, directed the Board to the Collection Development team’s recommendation in the Board Packet regarding the material challenge on The Ungovernable Force. The teams’ recommendation was to retain the item.
Jan Ulferts Stewart made a motion that the item The Ungovernable Force remain in the collection per the recommendation of the Collection Development team. Carlos Hawley Jr. seconded the motion; motion carried.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Next Board Meeting
The next regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 4:00 PM.
The meeting adjourned at 4:50 PM.