Um, welcome everyone. Uh, welcome to the, uh, New Public Library Board. Uh, it's 400 p.m. on Thursday, June 11th, 2026. We're in the city hall council chambers, and we're ready to begin. Our
first um our first uh action is to approve the agenda which we get in advance by email. Can I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> I'll move. >> All right. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any questions or uh discussion about that? >> I just want to note that under the
librarians report um number 4.4 programming is a duplicate and is an error. So we won't be covering programming twice. >> Oops. That's okay. Thank you. No problem. No problem. Uh so um all right uh all in favor of approving the agenda
with that little uh with that little blip uh say I >> I >> oppose same sign. Okay, we have an agenda. Next thing we have to approve our amendments from our May meeting. Um any uh again we get those uh in advance.
Any uh any uh additions, corrections? If not, I'll take a motion to approve the minutes. >> So moved. >> Do I have a second? I'll second. >> Okay. Motion and a second. Uh any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of approving the minutes signify
by saying I. >> I. Same sign. Okay. We move on to the financial report. >> We are 41.92% through 2026 and our budget is approximately 34.71% expended. Notable expenses for May
included $1,084 to the Sherin for my lodging costs and $359 reimbursement of my travel travel and p per DM costs for my attendance at the public library association conference. Um, as I previously mentioned, $800 of that was
covered by an honorarium from Traverse Due Regional Library. We paid $147 to GOG sheet metal to repair or a capacitor on the children's room HVAC unit um to get that working properly again.
And then $4,490 to Ingram for books and 987 of that was from miscellaneous donations that we've received. We paid $198 to Redwood Fire Inspection for our annual inspection and maintenance for our fire extinguishers.
We have about 16 of those, I think, in the library. >> And then $1,929 to ProQuest for our annual ancestry library edition subscription, which is um software that our patrons can access from within the library to research
their ancestry and genealogy. And then I'm working on obtaining quotes for replacement of um the public computer furniture and our door counters. Both projects will include electrical work um wiring to make that
possible. Um we have the friends have expressed interest in contributing to the furniture project and I will likely request that the project be paid from donated funds. We received a $60,000 donation from Charlotte and Hobart
Anderson's estate several years ago and I would like to use a portion of that to pay for that project and the electrical work um as well as what the friends might be willing to contribute. And then we did budget the door counter project for 2026.
>> Good. >> I'd be happy to answer any questions. >> Any questions, comments? Just continuing thank you to the Andersons. >> Yes. >> Thank you very much. So, all right. We'll move on to your report.
>> Can I ask one quick question? I I just noticed the second to last page the fund 211. Um it shows on the bottom like it's just a I haven't seen it before. Out of balance by $24.98. >> Oops. It's not like it's a huge amount,
but I was just curious if there's anything that we need to do or if that's all on the city finance department. >> I'm sorry, which on which page? >> Um, yeah. So, it's it's the second to last um on the fund 211 balance sheet.
>> Okay. Oh, the 24.98. Um, let's see. [sighs] That I am not positive on. I will make a note of it and um check with the finance department and I can report at our next meeting if that's okay. >> Yeah, of course. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you.
All right. Thank you for your diligence. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Next. >> All right. So, in our librarian's report, um the youth services librarian visited third and fourth grade classes at St. Paul's um in May. She met with 72
students. And then Jefferson Elementary first grade students, about 160 of them, visit the visited the library for tours. And that's something that we do each year leading up to summer reading. And then [clears throat] um she also created a video about the summer reading that was shared with other Jefferson and
elementary grades to make sure all those students are aware of the activities that we have going on at the summer reading program. Uh our assistant library director Megan Kerman and I met with the Traverse Due Regional Library staff and librarians and teachers from the New Middle School
and High School and Riverbed Education District to discuss a potential digital card project. um discussions are in the early phases as we identify our goals and obstacles. And so this would be um a project that would get all of the cards
um all of the students in the area digital cards if the schools wanted to participate in that program. And so that would make it easier for kids who do not have a parent or guardian with them when they visit the library to get the cards because it would be an opt out program
um where they'd all be issued cards if the school is participating unless the parents say they don't want them to participate. And the goal there is to make sure that they have access to li public library resources um and can become patrons of the library easily and
then also to get them access to um our Libby collection and other digital resources that we have available that require library card access. >> That that sounds excellent. Is there um a thought of eventually moving to digital library cards for all patrons?
>> Um we have not considered that at this point. Um it's certainly something we could look at. >> Trend of the future some places perhaps. Yeah. >> Um we do have a lot of patrons who forget to bring their card with them when they visit the library and we do a lot of looking up of cards for patrons
and we just verify information on their account so we can be sure that we have the right patron in front of us. >> Um so we're not super strict on that as far as our policies go um or our practices go. So,
um, we're right now our target date for that program would be the 2027 and 2028 school year, but that may be adjusted as we move along with the project and and see what what steps we need to take. I I
have a question before we move on. Um, I know that there is a active group of uh homeschooled children. I wonder if you make any special effort to reach out to uh the homeschoolers or is that are they are do you you know absolutely that
they're using the library? >> We don't know absolutely that we're reaching every homeschool family in in the community. Um, we do have homeschool families who use the library and um, have spoken with our youth services librarian about the kinds of materials
that might help supplement some of the things that they're looking at in their curriculum. >> Um, but we don't have a formalized >> okay >> outreach for them at this point. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And then our new um, librarian will
start on Monday um, June 15th and that's Khloe Dixon. So, we're excited to welcome her. She has experience with um digitizing and with programming and public libraries, and she also has some academic library experience. So, um I'm
hoping that the schedule will work out for her to come introduce herself at your July meeting. >> Good. Wonderful. Welcome, Chloe. >> Yes. [clears throat] >> And that's it for that's the activities report. >> That's it. Okay. And now we have to move
on to our budget discussion. Uh and we've got quite a quite a extensive um memo. Um >> I apologize Ruthanne. That was it for the activity section. I can still discuss programming. >> Sorry. I'm a dope. Let's move on to the program. I I I do this every month. I
don't know why I I can't get it right. Let's move on to programming. >> Um our summer reading program started June 8th. We have a full roster of kids and teen programs and those can be all be found at our website newalm library.org at choose the library event section. Um tomorrow, Friday, June 12th
at 1:00 p.m. we have Imagination Theat's Dino Dance and Prance show. [laughter] And they um in their show they feature life-size puppetry and blacklights. And I they um performed at the Dyman Free Library in Sleepy Eye today and I saw some of their photos and it looked like
a lot of fun. So >> excited to host that. and that was um funded with arts and cultural heritage funding. >> We are offering a teen escape room on Thursday, June 25th at 2 p.m. Registration is required for that and can be done on our website or by calling
the library 5073598331. And then we have um World War II, the homeront with Carla Feld on Thursday, June 21st, excuse me, Thursday, June 25th at 6:30 p.m. And she's g going to be sharing about how those who were at home during World War II faced
challenges like shortages, blackouts, >> um and other things. >> So, we're excited to have her present that. She um created that program in partnership with the Brown County Historical Society. And then I'll just note that the library is closed on Friday, June 19th for
Junth. >> How was the popcorn? >> It was great. Thank you. Thank [laughter] you to the Brown County Historical Society for um for offering that for our summer reading program starters. >> It was great.
>> 141 kids came to the popcorn wagon. Amazing. >> And got free popcorn for having registered for the reading program that day. >> That's wonderful. It was a hot day. Yes. [laughter] >> Good. Thank you. >> Anything else about programming?
>> No. >> And the Brown County Library Board update. >> Um the Brown County Library Board update met Monday, June 8th. Um and Ivonne also attended as the representative from this library board. Um we met at the Hansa Library
>> and discussed the um board's appropriations request for 2027. Mhm. >> budget. Um and they've decided to request another $5,000 increase. Last year, um our we they had asked for
$5,000 and the commissioners came back with an increase of um 3.35% which um brought the total support for the county for 2026 to $100,000 even. >> So each library receiving an equal
portion of $20,000 of that. Um, so for 2027, the plan is to request $5,000. They've asked me to um write the request for that and focus on um some of the services and impact that the smaller libraries in the county have on their
communities. Um, specifically, Hans Sky has become a real hub for students who go to various schools to meet each other um and get to know one the other kids who are living in their community who they might not really know because they're going to different schools. Um,
so that was a a good meeting. And then um the I'm sorry I don't have the date with me, but in August we'll be meeting with um the county commissioners to request appropriations. Um and the Hanskill and Sleepy Library directors are going to
present present the request at that meeting. >> Okay. >> But I will make sure I have that date at our next meeting and um anyone is welcome to attend that. It's open to the public. >> Anything else update? >> No. >> No. Okay. Okay. Good. Now we can move on
to the budget discussions. >> So in the packet I um put an explanation of the budget um and you have the line by line um draft of the budget. Um if you'd like I can certainly go through my
my notes on that and um give an explanation if that's what you prefer. Well, um, talk talk specifically about the Traverse Doo Library approving, uh, the
decrease in membership fees. >> Yes. So, for 2027, um, the Traverse Due Library Board approved a 24.2% 2% decrease or $7,646 to Newm Libraries 2027 membership
membership fees. Um the fees that we pay to TDS are based on a formula that includes all of the member libraries and those fees cover things like um our integrated library system, our our catalog that we use to manage our
collection and our patron accounts. um our courier delivery service um inter library alone um um where we're requesting items from throughout the state um cataloging that they do for us and a um they do a lot of technology
support for us as well um so TDS adjusted the member fees to account for an increase that they've received in the regional library basic system support sometimes called RLBSS and they received that funding from in the state. >> Okay.
>> Um overall the 2027 member fees decreased by an average about of about 22% for the member libraries. >> Okay. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Uh and then uh you uh the other thing is um
you're you want to you want to continue to outsource the bulk of u of your uh new book processing uh to Ingram? >> Yes. >> You want to explain that? >> Yes. So when we receive books um we order the bulk of our books from Ingram
but we do use other vendors um like Amazon or Thorn Dyke or Fox Books depending on the formats that we're we're looking for. And when those books come in we do a variety of processing to them. So that might mean the um plastic
covers it might mean um Vista foil which is like a sticky thing that can be um co used to cover paperback books. We do taping of books, um, stamping, putting on our spine labels and barcodes, like those kind of things. Um, most libraries
these days are outsourcing is out are outsourcing most of that processing. Um, rather than paying your staff to process books, you let the vendor do that and then your staff can focus on services within the library. >> So, we we would really like to move
towards having the vendor do the bulk of our processing. And there is still some processing that we will have to do because um right now Amazon doesn't offer that. Um so we'll have to process the DVDs and things that we receive from them or if we order a book or two from them because our vendor doesn't have it
available. So it won't completely take processing off of our plates, but it would take the the bulk of the book ordering that we do. >> All right. Let the people who do it all the time do it. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. And then that would allow us to um look at our staffing levels at our service desk, especially since we'll
have the new door counters that we can give us hourly counts at that point. Um so that we'll know we'll be better able to staff our service desk for the traffic and have those staff focused on serving patrons rather than worrying about book processing. And then we can look at other services that we can be
offering. >> Good. Good. Um, no capital no capital projects for the coming year. >> That's fine. That's fine. Um, anyone else? >> I just want to say I think it's a good
use of uh processing ability um to have Ingram do it instead of your staff do it. I think that's a really that opens up why they're there, [laughter] your staff, why they're in the library instead of cutting and pasting, >> right? [laughter]
Taping. That's a really good use. >> Good. Good. Uh, anything else anybody uh sort of uh looked at? I would just note overall that um based on some of the line item changes,
especially the the TD decrease in the TDS fees, um that has put us at an overall change of about 0% with the line items that the library board controls. Of course, we're going to have the increases in staffing and health insurance once the finance department
has those numbers gathered for us. Um, so as of right now, the the 2026 um lines that the library board controls would be pretty much flat between 20 to 26 and 2027, >> right? And that's fine. [laughter] You
know, everything's fine. >> Good, good, good, good. And um so this is our we have to get this uh into the city uh and then it comes back. Will it come back in July? >> Yes. So this is your first look at it and then you'll need to approve those
lines that the board has control over at the July meeting and then after that I enter it into the overall city budget and then um it goes to city council for approval >> um through for through the various steps that they do through the rest of 2026.
>> Good. Anything else? Anything else about the uh draft budget? >> Looks good. >> It looks good. Looks good. Okay, we can move on to our action item. This is resolution uh 2026
07 authorizing our library director to sign Traverse D to Sue Library Cooperative Member Services Agreement and annual addendum. The New Public Library contracts
uh Traverse D to Sue Library Cooperative for services including integrated library system software and support uh cataloging delivery, interl loan technology and networking support uh and
shared electronic collections and services such as Overdrive, the Travers to Sue uh regional library board approved the attached member services agreement. It It's June 20th, 2024.
>> It says Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Uh each member library must sign uh the agreement as well as the attached annual addendum. So this is something we've had before. >> Yes. So, the the date on there, the 2024
um TDS was meant to send these agreements out to us last year, but did not um due to um losing a staff member who passed away and everything that went along with that, I think. So, >> no. Okay.
Um anyway, the annual addendum uh which um outlines the service fees for the upcoming year and the technology support uh offered by uh TDS. The library director recommends authorizing her to sign the member services agreement in
the annual addendum. She has no concerns about the agreement or the addendum. So, >> and I did um ask the city's attorney if he wanted to review these. And he said, "Is this a contract you negotiate?" And it's not really one we negotiate. It's
one that the PDS board approves for us to sign. And it's also a contract that we have signed a version of in the past >> for many decades now. So it's >> it's not a a big change for us or anything here. >> Okay. >> So he felt fine not reviewing it.
>> Good. >> And these are services that we for the most part have been using? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. There aren't any new services here. Um the only thing that really is an update is the addendum piece of it
where it just um outlines our fees for 2027 and then um also indicates the level of support that is um offered by TDS for technology equipment that gets updated in the addendum just because
technology changes so frequently. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Okay. Anything else other uh if not I will take uh a motion uh to approve the resolution >> second.
>> All right. Motion and a second. Uh any further discussion or have we talked about everything? Anything? Any anything otherwise? Uh hearing no discussion. Secretary, please call the role. >> Lynn, >> yes. >> Ivonne, >> yes. >> Ruth Anne, >> yes.
>> Dustin, yes. Oh, we have a we have an addendum. I mean, we have an addendum. We have an agreement. We've got everything everything. We got we given the pen to the librarian. All right. Is there any other business to come before this board? If not, meeting ajourned.
Thank you. Thank you.