recording. All right. Welcome everyone. Welcome everyone to the library board meeting. It's 400 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025. We're in the city hall uh council chambers and we have a quorum. So, the first thing we'll do is
look at our agenda. We get our agenda uh through our email in advance. So, I would appreciate a motion to approve the agenda. >> I'll move. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any comments? Any reason that we have to add to the agenda? All right. All in favor of approving the agenda say I.
>> I. Post. Same sign. Okay. We have an agenda and the next thing on the agenda is the minutes from our October 9th meeting. Any comments on that? Any corrections or >> I just want to say that I thought Lynn did a lovely job last month.
>> Thank you, Lynn. >> Thank you, Lynn. Thank you, Lynn. Thank you, Lyn. Thank you, Lynn. All right. Is that a motion to accept? >> That's also a motion. Yeah. >> And do I have a second? >> Second. >> All right. Any other discussion? >> All in favor signify by saying I. >> I.
>> Oppos. Same sign. All right. On to the money part. Financial report for October. We are 84.38% through 2025 and our budget is approximately 84.09% expended. Some of the bills that we paid
during October included $6,735 to Ingram for books and CD audio books, $454 to Metro Sales for our two printer contracts, $111 to Riverview Sanitation for our monthly trash service, and $35
to Verizon Wireless for a service to our eight spot spots, which is also a monthly expense. Um, and then just a a couple reminders that I've um included in the past few months. Um, although we used our fund balance for the badge
entry cabling, um, it is still coded to the contractual maintenance building line. So, when you consider that expense actually coming from fund balance, that line is spent at approximately 59.7%. Our subscriptions and memberships line
is over spent because our um department header website license, our lib data license, which is what we use to manage the public computers, and a couple other small technology subscriptions were um budgeted to the computer supplies and equipment line. Um, but the city's
auditor recommends that they actually be coded to subscriptions and memberships, which um, I adjusted in the budget you approved for 2026, but we're just still dealing with the difference in what where that was budgeted for 2025. Um, so that subscriptions and memberships line
will be overspent at the end of the year, but the computer supplies and equipment line will be underspent because of that. Um, and I am still waiting for an invoice from EPCO for our annual magazine subscriptions, which will also be coded to the subscriptions
line. And then our budget is approximately 77.5% expended when we remove the spending for the Melon Foundation grant um, and that badge cabling project. And the Melon Foundation grant is um, reflected in the
library technology grant and library furniture grant lines. >> Okay. I'd be happy to answer any questions. >> Any questions? Hearing none, we'll uh move on to uh October's uh activities report.
>> Um we have two new library pages and a new maintenance technician starting all starting November 24th. >> Um so we'll be training those new staff members and we're very ready to welcome them to the team. And then the open library aid um posting closes this
Sunday, November 16th, and then we'll be able to start the interviewing process for that. >> Um the library was closed on Friday, Octo October 24th to allow library staff to attend a full day of training. Um we had um police chief Dave Borurt as well
as Brown County Human Services staff um their intake social worker Aaron Kissner and their housing resource specialist Mark Bolan um present um the three of them presented together on um services for homeless people in Brown County. Um
it doesn't happen vi f very often, but we sometimes have patrons come in um later in the evening or on Saturdays looking for resources in Brown County. And so we wanted to make sure that staff had a better understanding of what
resources were available and how to connect patrons to those resources and just how some of that works at the county level um so that we can better serve our patrons. Um other topics included um dealing with difficult interactions. Um that was presented
virtually by Deborah Sari from the North American Alliance for Mental Illness um the Minnesota chapter. And then um the rest of our topics were presented by library staff. So we um pres talked about readers advisory which are the
resources and service of helping patrons find books that meet their interests and needs. Um, and then we also talked about best practices for our integrated library system, which is the system we use to manage our collections and patron accounts. And then we also did a
technology training on troubleshooting um, patron devices, focusing on Android or um, iOS devices because we often get requests for how do I do this thing on my iPhone or my iPad or my Kindle. >> I stand accused.
Um, so we just want to make sure that staff are more prepared to help with those questions the best we can. Um, and then we we're planning to have a visit with Minnesota author Amy Greg. Um, but we have to rescheduled due to the author being sick. Um, our programming staff is
still figuring out the the next date for that. And the new episode of Tales of the Town has been released. Um, the topic is the tornado of 1881. So you can find that on our YouTube channel. Um, and that's a partnership with State Street Theater, Brown County Historical
Society, and Newm Community Access Television. Um, to highlight historical stories about New Alm and um, we have actors from the State Street Theater Company and even from NewAt participating in that um, telling those stories.
>> It's it's fabulous. It's just fabulous. I've shared it and all my relatives who are from New Alm are like, "Oh, this is it is fabulous. Just wonderful. So, um they do a nice job with that and we're pleased to keep keep um putting those out. And then the Friends of the
Library had their book sale November 7th through 8th. >> Um our door counts were nearly doubled during those days. So, we had a lot of foot traffic for the sale. Um I'm waiting on final word from the friends on the the numbers for the sale, but um they seemed pleased when I spoke with
them and I just want to say thank you to them for all of the um volunteer hours that they put in for that. It's a lot of work to sort donations, move books around, and then man the actual sale itself. And I in particular want to
recognize the friend's president, AJ Tower. she puts in a lot of work doing that and she does an excellent job. So, thank you to her and to the rest of the friends who volunteered. And then um for the Institute of Museum and Library Services funding um
>> last we knew it the both the House and Senate committees included the funding in the 2026 budget. >> So, at this point it's looking good for the next fiscal year. Um and we have the states have received funding for this
year. So, um, so right now we're not looking at any changes to our interl loan services, but that could still be a topic that we need to contend with in future years. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And then just a few statistics. Our door
count for October was down slightly from 2024. Um, and I think that was mostly due to the day we were closed for staff training accounted for that just that little bit of drop. And that would be the same with our physical circulation. although people still checked out Libby books that day.
And then our computer use continues to trend above last year. And I think this is mainly due to um a dedicated group of teens that we have regularly using that space after school. Um they really jumped up those numbers during the summer, but they've summer, but they've continued to come back this fall. So,
>> right. Um and then um Leroy when he was putting together the stats for our YouTube and Facebook um statistics tables um he noted that our patrons have viewed over 2,000 hours of our YouTube um content now. So um
>> and and it's not just the brand new stuff that we put on there. they'll go back and watch Chad Lewis programs from four years ago that >> um were like virtual programs during the pandemic. So >> um it's interesting how those things continue to find their audiences.
>> Hey, great. I love watching uh Leroy and uh his gang play games, you know. Don't don't forget to read the instructions. uh just tells you how I spend my time, I
guess, you know, but that's okay. That's all right. >> Oh, they do. Any any other uh comments about uh >> I just had a question about the reference the service the questions. It seems like that was a high number. Is that what because of the school opening
up again or it just seemed like a higher number than usual? You know, I can't think of anything that would stand out over the past month about like a specific topic or anything that we were helping with. Um, it's possible that it was due to to school
being open. Um, you know, I I could I couldn't say for sure without checking in with our reference librarian, but I'd be happy to do that and report back next week. >> I was just I was just curious what spiked that number. So, >> I would just like to comment that um it
sounds like you and your staff spent uh a really worthwhile day on October 4 24th um when the library was closed and you know the importance of our library staff being able um to attend uh
meetings and and to learn things. It sounds like from the topics listed that that was a day that was just very well spent. Thank you for supporting us to close for that day. It's um we do a staff meeting once a month and we can only meet for
about an hour. Um and so having an opportunity to extend some of that time and being able to kind of dig into things a little bit more is very helpful. Mhm. Yeah. >> Um, and I had staff fill out kind of an informal survey after the day so we could learn more about lingering questions about the topics we talked
about and then what was, you know, missing from the day and what form it may work better next time. >> Good. Excellent. Anything else? Anything else? All right, we'll move on. What's happening in November? Um, well,
this evening, November 13th, at 6 PM, we have forensic psychologist and true crime author Frank Weber visiting the library. He's visited a few times before and is always um presents very interesting case studies. Um, tonight he'll be walking attendees through
profiling a case that lacked evidence. And then he'll also be talking about his new 2025 book, The Sun. And it's based on a Minnesota that was once called The Crime of the Century. And if anyone wants to stop by early, he'll be there at 6:00 to sign books and answer
questions. And he'll stick around a little bit after the program to do that, too. And then on Monday, November 17th at 6:30 p.m., we have Tales of Crime and Corruption in Brown County in the 1930s presented by Carla Feld. Um, and she'll be talking about stories of
counterfeiting rings, bootleggers, holdups, and gangsters in Brown County. and she'll also discuss the experience of, excuse me, experiences of Brown County residents during prohibition. >> And then we have our teen video club meeting this Saturday, November 15th at
2 p.m. Um, anyone's welcome to attend. Um, I think that's for ages 12, 13 through 18. Mhm. And then we have our junior video game club meeting Tuesday, November 18th at 3:30 p.m. And then no
school movie on Wednesday, November 26th at 2:00 p.m. We'll be watching The Year Without a Santa Claus. >> Mhm. >> And then I just wanted to note that we are closing at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26th, and will remain closed on Thursday, November 27th and Friday,
November 28th for Thanksgiving. >> And then just a preview for December, um we will have our St. St. Nicholas Eve celebration on Friday, December 5th at 3:30 p.m. And then we are having our second annual noon Year's Eve party on
Wednesday, December 31st at 11:00 a.m. at the Civic Center. And so that'll include a free open skate, photo booth, refreshments, crafts, and then a ball drop at noon. >> Oh, fun, fun, fun, fun. >> Sounds like fun. There's a lot of fun at the library. Anyone uh want to uh lift
up anything or make any comments except thank you, thank you, thank you for >> if anyone uh has a chance to see um the tales of crime and corruption, it's pretty it's good and you go, "Oh, so that's why that is that way." Or
um it w it was it's quite entertaining. >> Great. Great. Anything further? Otherwise, we'll move on. Brown County Library Board update. >> Yes. >> Um, the Brown County Library Board met on Monday, November 10th at the Comfrey Area Library.
>> Um, we received our second half of the 2025 county dispers dispersement. That total for Newm was $9,675.30 and that's an equal amount divided between the five or each library received that same amount. Um, at the
meeting, the board members discussed the June appropriations meeting with the commissioners, just um, how that went and um, possible ideas for upcoming meetings. And then um, the individual library directors
gave updates for their libraries. And then the next meeting is Monday, June 8th, 2026 in Hansa. They just meet twice a year in June and November. And Ivonne attended that meeting. And I don't know if there's anything else she'd like to call attention to.
>> No, other than it's just a a really nice formal opportunity for the librarians from the different parts of Brown County to be able to share ideas and learn things from each other. >> Great. >> It's valuable.
>> Great. Thank you. Anything further on that otherwise we'll move on. We have a resolution. one resolution and I will read the re resolution number 202528 approving library closure on Saturday,
July 4th, 2026. The library director recommends that the library board approve closing the library on Independence Day, Saturday, July 4th, 2026. city offices,
including the library, uh will be closed on Friday, July 3rd, uh for Independence Day observation. And the library director confirmed that the city manager has no concerns with closing the library on July 4th, 2026.
So, any discussion? I mean, really, this is this sounds like a no-brainer here, folks. All right. I will have a uh mo a motion to approve the resolution.
>> So moved. Second. >> I'll second. >> All right. Any discussion? Otherwise, secretary, please call the role. >> Sarah, >> yes. >> Dustin, yes. Ruthanne, >> yes. >> Yvonne, >> yes. >> Manan, >> yes. >> Lynn, >> yes. >> Nancy,
>> yes. >> All right, we have a resolution. We're closing on the 4th of July. Great. Is there any other business to come before this board? All right. Any other business? Any other business? All right. Hearing none, we're out. Thank you. Thanks, everybody.