This is a recording of the Southwest Public Library Board of Trustees. It is February 10th at 7 o'clock PM and we will do a roll call. So in person is Lynn Blair, >> Michael McMahon, >> Kathy Fleback, Tammy Sak Balon,
>> and on Zoom, Andrea Bugby. >> Beautiful. >> All right, so we are ready to go. And there's no public comments um on Zoom either. It's just Andrea. So shall we move on to communications.
So for the um December report, I just listed the number of items we circulated our programs each month. December was a pretty good month. Um adult crafts are popular. Hot chocolate bar, basket raffle, always popular. um the pathways
for parents programs, the prek pals and music. Uh the gingerbread house building we had to reschedule, but we made it a week later and we still got 52 participants for a Saturday morning. That was really good. Um >> that's amazing.
>> And then January January February events are always a little low-key because of the the weather and we don't want to book anything big and have to reschedule. So we just do things that are easily rescheduled. Um just phrasing here. Oh, there's Tracy.
So Tracy Mezoire just joined on Zoom. Um and then I detailed we've been switching to Amazon for our ordering um because of Ingram as I mentioned in our last meeting their unreliability. They seem to have been getting better. So, I think
at the start of the fiscal year, if they continue to be on an upward trend, we'll switch back to them just because their functionality works a little bit better for what we do. But we're with Amazon. We're going to stick with them through the end of the fiscal year. Um, while Ingram continues to improve, and if they
take a nose dive again, then, you know, we'll re-evaluate our ordering. Uh, the American Heart Association, they gave us uh three blood pressure cuffs. Two were here in December, one arrived in January. And so they are all
available for public to check out >> of people checking them out. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah, they work. They work very good. Um and then we are also coordinating on um events for the anniversary of the revolution.
>> Gee, you've got a huge display over there. >> Yeah. Paul's going to do um kind of like a quarterly different display. >> Oh, nice. >> That he'll put up there. How's the memory cafe working? >> So, so it's been it's been hit or miss.
Some of the topics we get some people, some we don't. Um, we're still trying to spread the word. It's one of those things that people they get really excited about and they think, "Oh, that's great, but then if people don't show up, you know, so we're going to kind of um the one we did with the
therapy dog was a a big hit. Um, you know, and then some months it's just been like one or two people." But I mean, if >> that could be because of the weather, too. >> Yeah, we're going to see how it goes through the spring and maybe the warmer weather will bring people out. Um, and
then kind of re-evaluate come fall if it's want to if it's something that we want to continue offering. >> I have something to talk to you about related to that. Yeah, >> that my coworker I will talk to you about after. >> Okay. Um, and then you have January's
report. Um the programs report is basically I I wanted to start incorporating that into the reports that go to um the select board which these do so that they can kind of get an idea of the programs and also the activities and the library usage report. So, some of
these are duplicates of what you'll see in the statistics, but um January programs, we had the grown-up book fair that got a lot of people. The craft programs are popular. Um and then there were a lot of people for the uh
children's programs. Always February, we're going to be doing um Ed the Wizard during winter break. We're going to have a class on proactive gardening. Uh the afterchool lounges for teens will continue. Stop the bleed training. Um, and then we're working on
several grants. I submitted the Sarah Gillette Services for the Elderly. I'm just asking for funds to offer more morning craft programs because those have been very popular. I did mention in the grant um application that, you know, obviously we mainly get seniors in the
morning for our crafts, but they have to remain open for everybody. So, it's not something we can guarantee. is mostly for seniors, but usually the only ones coming to our crafts at 10:00 in the morning are seniors. So, um, and then the children's and teen staff are working on shirt lift children's
services um with some new ideas to improve the teen space and, uh, the children's room. If you haven't been in the children's room, Molly put together a really cute um little activity in the dramatic play area. Yeah, it's like a little mail
room. So they've got you can write letters each like there's different story book characters have their own mailbox. Kids can write letters to them. It's adorable. Um >> so we met with the select board on January 26 to talk about what we have planned for the revolution so far. Um
obviously Paul's doing his displays. I did a social media post on like revolutionary research to kind of get people interested in like researching your ancestors. I'll try to do something like that every other month as I have time because it did get a pretty good response. Um,
and then I think we have about four events booked now. One in April, April, July, and then August. And there there's another one that I'm trying to pin down. So, we've got a few. Um,
the gallery is booked up through the end of February 2027, which is fantastic. we've recruited a lot of people and now we can just kind of let it run itself and we don't have to worry about it. We were really trying to get out there and get artists. Um and then yeah, we've we've obviously
been experiencing an an increase of um nonprofit groups that want to reserve community room. Um so word is spreading about this room that we offer for the community to um if you're a nonprofit to book it for your meeting
and So we will move on to minutes for December. So then this is just for um those state January. This seems so long ago. Um, you still
haven't had anybody challenge uh pulling books or anything like that? >> No. Okay. That's something we don't talk about, you know, since it hasn't happened. We don't want to give anyone any bad ideas. >> Oh, just ask me. I will say, "Oh, really? Give me a synopsis.
>> No, no, nothing yet. Um, but our our um material selection policy has uh we we keep that um I think we updated it in the last year. So, so yeah, it's I think it's a pretty strong policy so that if there ever were something um we have
very clear guidelines on on how we'd handle it. So, >> so we would be prepared. >> The books that you do order, I'm perfectly happy. I mean, you have a wide variety. Yep. >> Including non-fiction. >> That's the goal. Yep.
>> So, any corrections to the minutes? >> Okay, then let's vote on them. What's accepting the minutes? Michael, yes. >> Kathy, yes. Tammy, yes. >> Andrea, yes. >> Oh, and Tracy's nodding. Yep. Thanks,
Tracy. Here, I'll send I'll I'm gonna I'll send you an ask to unmute and see if that helps you because we we did finally get the volume stuff going. So, >> okay. Is that working? >> Yeah, there we go. We can hear you. Okay. >> Okay.
These are December number programs January and January. programs. So overall for the past two months, pretty steady numbers. Um our new door counter is thankfully working well. So that's been going good.
Um numbers still yeah I mean across the board pretty steady. We are experiencing um Libby is still continuing to be used pretty well. So that's that's good to see. >> That's the one if I remember that or
Hoopla that you limited and then >> Hoopla was the one we had to limit. Yep. Yep. Just to be able to kind of manage and control. >> Still been going >> still been going good. I mean obviously the numbers have gone down but you know we may look at it at the start of the
next fiscal year and be like maybe we can put some more into it to just kind of increase you know the monthly cap. Maybe we raise it a little bit. Um but yeah, we'll take a look at that at the start of the next fiscal year. >> Have you had any patron comments or anything that
>> Nope. >> Okay. >> No. um you know it's it seems to be fine but um yeah like I said we can look at maybe increasing it at the start of the next fiscal year but at least just for this year while our budget was already set we really needed to be able to
>> to control the spending on that one because otherwise if you don't put a cap on it it could just be unlimited so one month it could just completely skyrocket and your whole budget's thrown off stuff. And then as far as programs, um, December program numbers, as discussed,
were pretty good. January, again, pretty low-key. You know, we don't do anything big. The weather's the weather's bad. People generally don't want to venture out too much, but we we always try to do a few things. Um, but >> still not bad, right? >> I mean, still not bad. Yeah, still not
bad for January. But >> any questions about numbers, programs? Good that the children's program's still so high because that those are usually like the young kids that I see right for the >> Yep. Yeah. The the young kids. Yeah. They usually >> coming out. >> Oh, absolutely. Yeah. They're I mean
this time of year they're looking for something to do. As long as the weather's good, then then they'll venture out. But with the adult programs in the evening, we tend to not do any big things because it's dark, it's cold, it's >> usually spitting something out of the sky. So,
Okay, if there's no questions about that, I am going to move on to the budget submission. Um, and I'm going to hand around a bunch of different pages, but they're all part of the same packet. It was just easier to print them like this for you guys.
So, So, everybody has a copy of what I submitted to um the town hall. These first couple ones going around are everything we submitted with our budget packet. this last
um Excel spreadsheet with the salaries on it. That is just for your reference for how I calculated uh the salaries for the next fiscal year because obviously we need to know generally what the salaries are in order to come up with
the others in the budget. So, we were asked to do um I met with Nicole um when she was meeting with all department heads about their budgets. Um and for the 5% decrease one, she
suggested just leaving it blank. Um because I I was saying I don't know where we can take 5% off. It's it's extremely lean for what we need already. >> I like that you put down below that it would not meet what you need to meet.
>> Yes. Yeah. So, so if we were to um 5% decrease or level fund um both of them would meet the municipal appropriation requirement, but it does not meet the 19% requirement, which is um Kathy,
we're required to spend 19% of our budget on what they call informationational materials, and that's anything that circulates to the public. Um so, we're required to do that by the state to meet our state aid requirements. So, um, level funded, obviously
self-explanatory, and then the department request. So, what happened with this one is, as I mentioned several months ago, we had some big, um, maintenance issues. So, our maintenance budget was pretty much empty. Um, so
there's there's not much left in it. So I met with um Steve who's the head of buildings and grounds and so he provided the numbers um because the the first two lines under operations the maintenance buildings and
grounds and the maintenance contracts those numbers come from his department and then so we just plug in whatever he suggests. So he um wanted to increase the um the maintenance buildings and
grounds line by a little bit because it was very bare bones before. So that is that was an increase and anytime we increase a line in the budget obviously that makes your budget larger.
So that makes that 19% number larger. Um which is why at theformational materials at the bottom there is a jump because obviously we have to account for his increase in maintenance um increase in salaries
and um I did also I did I Andrea you may not be able to see it as well in the um in the scanned copies because we only do we can only do black and white but um for those of you in person the electricity line which I
highlighted in light orange. Um we as of this month um we were we paid our our last utility bill from Eversource that just came in. Um but we are and I've been working with the accounting department to just alert them that we don't have enough of the line. Um we
would probably be able to pay about half of next month's bill. So we need to >> So is that because the cost has gone up? >> Cost is Yep. Cost has gone up. What happened? Um, a couple years ago, if you remember, they had taken a little bit
away from our electricity line because we weren't using it. Well, now the cost has gone up and we need it. So, um, we had to increase that line a little bit. >> Well, for a few years, we were paying more than the cost of electric to pay for the new lighting around the
building. And that was over a three or four year term or something. >> Yep. Yeah. So they they had cut our they had I think couple fiscal years ago they had cut the electricity line gave us a little bit more in the fuel line um and
f the fuel line appears to be fine. We'll keep an eye on it but it's just the electricity line with the increase of costs and I can imagine this past bill and this current bill the next one that's coming is going to be large as well because it's been hold >> so I'm assuming it's going to be another large bill.
>> I looked at my last gas bill but That's the biggest bill I've ever [laughter] >> Yeah. So, so we're requesting more for the next fiscal year to bring it up to what it kind of used to be um to account for the increase in costs.
Um, and then we're just I'm going to work with the accounting department um to figure out what we need to do to, you know, fill our electricity line for the rest of the year because they they did ask, you know, is there another line we can balance it out of? And I mean, other
than a little bit here, a little bit there, no, not really. You know, our budget is pretty bare bones as it is. So, >> last year's free cash was 4.5 million. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, so it'll be okay there. I'm just I'm I' I've never had to ask
them for more. So, I'm sure there's there's a process to it and we'll we'll work our way through it. But >> that's kind of where we're at right now. Um second page is just the statement of our um the accounts that we have, gift accounts, whatnot, um state aid
accounts. And um the third page is what we are asking for changes in um salaries. So obviously we made sure to include Heather on here um just because she's not part of either the union and
she does not have a contract. So that way she's included in the um in the budget discussions for raises. And this is where we also included that new position that we were discussing. Um, so when when we're asking for more in electricity and maintenance,
I'm not very confident that you'll get anywhere with it, but at least it's on here. Um, >> was there Oh, I don't want to go there. Don't let me go there. They want to do all these electronic signs and we can't
even get a librarian. Oh, they're going to hear it from me. I swear to God. Well, I'll also say um as of right now, they're discussing not having the Saturday budget meetings with departments. I did hear that they're
only going to do them with certain departments, probably the larger departments. So, I don't know if we're going to be included in that >> because I I noticed on the calendar there was nothing for February and there are no meetings. >> But if they had questions, they would
just if they had questions, they would call us in. But if there are no questions, then I think it was mainly to do with the the very small, like you know, you were on the EDC and their budget was what, $500, $1,000. >> Have to wait for all the larger ones to
go the way that they schedule. Last year, somebody hopped into the Zoom when they were >> Oh, yeah. I I came in just after somebody was running by to try to try to solve that. >> That was [laughter] Yeah. So, I don't know if um if we're
going to be included in that um or if they would have any questions. So, I'm I'm still waiting to hear. I I think they're still deciding on what they want to do. >> Oh, no. Sorry. I have >> No, just you're I was reading about Heather and then I had a question and
you answered it in document about >> Yeah. So, going back to uh the five-year projection is blank. Um, and then yeah, the last part is just my um explanation of the budget sheet,
which I I hope helps them in kind of understanding why we do what we have to do with our budget as far as the municipal appropriation requirement and the 19% requirement. Um, and then also to give a another a little more detail because you can't put much in the
spreadsheet, you know, on on why we're asking for what we're asking for with Heather's position and uh the new position. >> Hopefully by now they'll understand the 19% because I think it was last year when we were doing this, you were explaining that um one year it didn't
and they had a lot of red tape to do on their end and I don't think they want to do that again. >> Yeah. the town accountant doesn't want to go through that process. >> Yep. >> Yes. So, um so that's what we have submitted. The last one I sent um with
the salaries on it is just for your reference for how I calculated the salaries. When calculating the salaries in the front page budget sheet, I did not include the new position in the salaries
because I I don't think we're going to get it and it would just throw off the rest of the numbers. If we do get it, that's fantastic. We can move things around to make that 19% work, but I thought it would just be easier to not include it in calculations. And I just
want to go on record saying that I fullheartedly agree with the additional 2500 being asked for Heather to cover um the additional duties while you're >> Yes. Yes. >> I agree. >> And I agree. We need another librarian.
I'll go pick somewhere. >> I'm gonna all the finance people, select men, you you wait. [laughter] Um any other questions? I will absolutely keep everybody in the loop as to if and when we are meeting with the
finance committee. Um >> those used to be posted on, you know, the website. Will they be again? >> They will be. Yep. Yeah. Any any public meeting will be posted on the website. I think they're just still determining >> what or how they want to do it.
>> Yep. >> I read that regularly. >> Oh, good. [laughter] Who's meeting? What's the agenda? >> Beautiful. So, yeah, if there if there are no other questions about >> to the Westfield News
over the next two two or three years, they're going to bring in a little bit of fiber to one part of town >> and they quote Doug in there saying that the library will be included, but it'll be over the next two or three years. Yeah. Which is what we had heard before.
>> Yep. Yeah. I I haven't heard any updates other than, you know, what was in the news, but >> Yep. So, yeah, I would just hope that we get enough notice like if we need to change something with our CW Mars internet line because I know if they they would probably not be happy with us
trying to cancel it in the middle of the year. So, okay. Um, next thing was I I already mentioned I gave you guys an update on the issues with the book vendor deliveries. Um, I don't think there's a need to continue the -ate discussion
from last time. Um, I think that that was something we were just going to hold off and wait on. I did get a quote for the um filtering software which came back at $700 a year which is very high. So, I don't think it's, you know,
especially if, you know, the fiber is coming, you know, we'll we'll hopefully get in on that. Um, but And then yeah, so the CPC discussed our rescended application. So that's all
taken care of. Um we are just waiting on um I'm just waiting on the accounting department to hear that everything was given back to the >> C700 or whatever it is. >> Well, yeah, that that one that one should be all set. That one that one's going to come out of our state aid, so
we'll just pay for that ourselves. And then yeah, just whatever is was originally awarded to us in that account just goes back to the CPC. Um, so I'm sure I'll hear about that once once it's taken care of, but I know they discussed it at their last
meeting and everything seemed to be seemed to be fine. So, we'll just wait on on word about that they'd get their money back and then we can just be done with it and maybe maybe do something on a smaller scale in the future. But as of right now, I think there's enough on
everyone's plate that like let's not let's let's let it coast it out for a little while and then um so the next thing I wanted to um was just to get on the calendar
our schedule of event not our schedule of events our schedule of meetings from through the rest of the year. So, we have a meeting in March, obviously. April will be as normal. May is going to fall on um as it always does, the town
elections, and then the following uh the following week will be the town meeting. So, what would you prefer to do for May? Um, we could potentially move it to um the
first Tuesday in May. The last might be tricky. I don't know when my leave is going to begin. Um, so I may be here. I may not be here. I will probably still be here for the first week in May. I hope I'm still here for the first week
in May. Um, so or potentially we cannot meet in May. Whatever. or anyone prefers to do. >> I say the first Tuesday work for >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> All we'd have to do is just we have to um get the book club to find another
place to meet, but they can they could meet out there. >> What date is, you know, >> that would be May 5th. >> Okay. >> Margarita Cayo. >> Oh, that's true. >> I may be drinking margaritas at that day. [laughter]
>> I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I may be actually heading to Georgia, but I'll let you know. >> Sure. >> My daughter's due the 12th. >> Oh, good. Well, that's exciting. >> Okay. So, we'll do AP. So, March, April,
normal, May, and I can send everybody out a list of the dates, too, so everybody has them. Um, May will be the first weekend. And then for um June, July, and August, I know we usually
don't meet in August. Did we want to keep up with the same meet in June, meet in July, skip August, resume in September? >> Well, there may or may not. I'd say meet in June, and then we can decide at that point.
>> Do we need to meet in July or August? >> So, regular in June then? >> Regular in June. So, yep, that would be June 9th. Yep. And then in June, we'll decide
for July and August. Perfect. All right. And I'll send everybody a list of the dates so everybody has them. Um, especially for Cindy who's not here tonight, so she's aware. Okay, that's a calendar. And then, um,
so schedule. Oh, yep. Next, the next thing I would like to do is Why is Zoom asking me if I'm playing music? No. Um, so I'd like to have um just because with my schedule is going to get obviously
pretty crazy. Um, and then things are going to even the first couple months that I'm back, things are going to kind of be up in the air. Um, I'd love to have um one, preferably two members of the board
who would be able to um step in if I wasn't able to be physically present. Um, if somebody could step in and handle the Zoom, obviously I can write down all the instructions. It's it's not that complicated. Um, and then somebody could just start the Zoom meeting and then I
could join um, virtually if need be, just while I try to get everything settled and figured out, you know, for the future. [laughter] >> I I could be one of the backups. >> Aren't you off at all for Zoom meetings?
I mean, you're going to be on leave. >> Yes. Yeah. But for um, >> if she needed to be home. >> Yeah. if I needed to be home. I I'm anticipating Heather will be able to help out with the Zoom meetings for while I'm gone. Um and then, you know, this is just for like
>> when whenever I'm back, whether it be a you know, probably August, um you know, the first couple months at least through the fall there while we try to get everything >> calm. >> Do we have to get the owl from town hall? >> Nope. That's all here.
>> Every everything's here. I was gonna say I don't I'm working during time. >> Yeah. I mean, if it's some if you'd be okay with being like having Michael and then Yeah. Tammy as a backup. >> I run enough Zoom meetings to know how to >> Okay. Yeah. And then I can just I'll jot down passwords and then just step byep
instructions. Um it's obviously not it's not that complicated really. You just plug everything in that thing hoots and then you log into Zoom and there you go. Yeah. >> Lynn took state money and said the library would buy their own. Actually, we got that from the town. >> Oh, >> they gave us that. Yeah, they gave that
to us. Yeah, >> there's another thousand dollars. You don't disappoint. >> Yeah. So, that came from So, that's perfect. Um and then the other thing to mention that I did not mention with the the budget is
if I am um town meeting is May 19th. If I am not here by then, um I assume Michael will definitely be you usually go, you know, at least if I know somebody's there. Usually nobody has a question about the library budget, but
if it were to happen, um >> you know, I'm if you're there between you and Heather, somebody will be there to >> Heather works the numbers every day of the week. >> Yeah. So between you and Heather, um somebody will be there to answer questions and right if there are any.
>> All right. And then I just have this is something no nothing needs to be voted on. You you don't even need to read it now if you didn't read it at home. This is just a annual report I sent in for the um the that fun little booklet that they
make for all the towns. 2025 reports. Wow. 365. When I read it at home, you know, I took it over to my husband. I said, "See, [laughter] >> he was impressed." >> Oh, good. >> You should tell him that they do a lot
to support the food pantry, too. I will pass that on. Yeah. So this four is what we discussed before about our um program attendance policy. Um, so we discussed last
December, um, we discussed in December, um, how we'd want to word this. And so I just drafted something up for you guys to take a look at. Um, you know, we ask that attendees cancel registration at least 24 hours in advance if possible.
Um, if they don't cancel and don't show up two times in a four-month period, they'll automatically be added to the wait list for the subsequent four months. Um, you know, we're still having issues with people registering and then not showing and so there's empty seats left over, especially like, you know,
for our craft programs that we buy a certain number of supplies. There's usually people on the wait list at >> Yeah. Because some of the programs >> Oh, >> the presenter limits it to like 15 people and then charge you 10 15 each participant.
>> Yep. So, there was that. Um, did you want me to run through them all and then you can all vote on them at the end or did you want to do one at a time? >> We can do them all one all at one time. >> Yeah, there's the program attendance. I had sent everybody. This is a copy of
the um of what we had in our current policy handbook. And then um this is the new version from the American Library Association. So, I was just asking um if we could just replace the and you can kind of tell which one
is the old one. It looks like it was written on a pipe reader or something. And then this is from the old one was adopted 1989. So, there was >> there was there's been updates. So, we should probably include um you know, this this one was definitely updated
much much sooner. So, I would just like to update the new one with the old one. It's It's essentially just um you know, it's the same gist. It just updates it with more modern times. >> Yeah. The last time that was was May
29th of last year, this one >> and then >> Yeah, we had actually talked about this. A lot of this is familiar. >> Yes. Yeah, we had talked about um I think this kind of fit in with some of the ones we discussed earlier in the
year. Um, I can't remember the names of them. Oh, like the freedom to read statement and Yeah. All of those as well. Yep. Yep. And the last one is the um the one on the front is the current one and the one
on the back is the new one that I just drafted again. Um, so the one on the front, our museum pass currently specifies that it's it's we have more than the Springfield Museum essentially. Um, and so I just cleaned up that policy
to just get rid of that. So it's pretty standard across the board. I have a question. It's the new one that says that you have to be a member of the friends of the Southwick library.
Uh that you have to be a friend to borrow the museum pass. >> Some of them. >> Some of them. Yeah. Some some passes are purchased by the friends and are therefore available only for friends members to borrow. >> So may I invite a discussion about that
policy? >> Yeah, please do. And it's actually there's something that we want to address with the friends too. They're actually meeting tomorrow night, so I'm I'm happy to pass anything as well. >> Okay. Well, I think the friends are wonderful. I think they work really hard
and they add so much to the library and they earn money. I think they're a great group. I don't like the idea, the philosophy behind a library is
a free library with free resources. And I feel like pretty much what's available at the library should be available to all patrons. I feel like the friends like maybe once a year when they're having a
renewal drive could say, "Oh, this is a friends only event, but I feel like um it's not within the the philosophical I don't know environs of a library in
general to limit some library services to friends members." Just throwing that out there. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. Let me give you the flip side because I've heard it at friends meetings. It's basically how do we get people to pay their5 or $10 to
be a friend if they're not getting some kind of unique benefits the people who don't give the five or 10 bucks get. and they thought that there may be certain passes that may be more expensive or
whatever that they could have and I think it's only a a handful of passes. >> There's a about five. >> Yeah, I think I I don't know off the top of my head how many passes we do have. It's it's I don't think it's more than 10 to 12.
>> I have a question. It's more of a legality issue, I guess. Um, and I see both sides, by the way. But because the friends are their own nonprofit, can they do that? Because they're the ones purchasing the Can they say this is only going to be for friends members?
Like it's I'm guessing yes. I'm not saying I agree or disagree. >> I guess if they purchase them themselves, then they could they could say so. Yeah. >> Yeah. It would be the same thing as Massachusetts has tens of thousands I
think um 501c charities but we keep getting solicitations in the mail for something called trustees of reservations which own certain land and they own some beach somewhere in eastern part of the state
if the public goes parking is 10 or $20 or whatever but if you're a trustee if you paid for that here. It's free. So, organizations do that kind of thing. Same as if you're a friend of the Children's
Museum in in Hartford, you get in free. Otherwise, it's 10 or 15 bucks a person coming through the door. >> So, Andrea, I I hear what you're saying. Um, I'm just wondering if this is something um, and I I'd be willing to go
with you if you wanted, but maybe we can talk about this with the friends, give them a discussion. I think that I mean, I certainly don't want to go to war with the friends. I think they're wonderful. It's just [clears throat] it's this particular idea like, hey, we're a free library,
but only but and we're here to support the library, but only if you support us. To me, that just doesn't sit well. And it's a free. And Michael, the things that you're talking about are aren't free. A library is supposed to be free. We don't even we don't even have fines
at our library. >> Only only for certain things. Just >> that is true. >> Yeah. The the the big the big ticket item museum passes library of things and the hotspots we do charge fines for because >> we just those are things that we want to have back on time.
>> So Tammy, yes. Um, >> and I'm not saying go to war or argue. I'm just saying, you know, just, you know, just share our thoughts. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, I
>> if you're able to though, I know they're meeting tomorrow night at 5:30. Um, so, >> and I'm a friends with Nancy, so either way. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. and then just just address it and you know
>> and if if you have any ideas on how the friends can get more members used to be 12 15 18 years ago they had like a hundred people would be members now it's more like 30 to 50
>> up there's I can't remember off the top of my head they it's been going up I think >> there's probably a lot of soal like non athlete they don't come to the meeting So, >> yep. >> So, just Andrew, you have my number, so just reach out to me if you want to do
that tomorrow night or wait till next month or however you want to do it. >> Yeah, I think I think starting starting now, they'll probably meet now that the they'll meet in February, March, April, I would I would assume. Yep. >> I um I just just checked my calendar.
And yes, if you're available tomorrow night, Tammy, let's do it. >> Okie dokie. And then would would that be a concern at all, Michael, because I know you're usually there. Would that be a concern if there were three board members? It's not technically a quorum. >> No. So,
>> it's not a quorum. >> So, it should be fine, right? >> Yeah. Is at the friends meetings, I listen to everything. I don't vote on anything. I'm not an officer because I try to separate the trustees from the friends. >> Yeah. I'm a friend, too. I think I might
not have paid yet, but I pass. >> Oh, there's there's time. [laughter] We're only one month into the year. Yeah. So that's that's fine. >> This policy. >> Yeah. We'll we'll we'll wait on that. Um >> Yeah. Sorry, Andrea.
>> Do you have any kind of feeling one way or another or what's done at other libraries on this? >> I I think other libraries, some of them do this, some don't. You know, I don't I don't have a a hard and fast, you know,
opinion on it. It's it's whatever whatever you guys decide. Um I mean I do think I know a lot of our signups for the friends do come from these museum passes. So I know that they'll want to consider that in their discussion. That's where we get a lot of
our signups from as people who want to use the passes because um you know you could sign up to be a friend for five bucks and it the museum passes save you like 30. Yeah. So it it does get them a lot of signups. So, okay,
fabulous. Okay, so we will table that one until a future meeting. So, we would just need the board to approve the program attendance policy if all agree to it, as well as updating the um the
old access for children's and young I like how they say children and young people to videotapes and other non-prints. Um update that to the access to library resources and services for minors, an interpretation of the library bill of
rights. Tammy makes a motion to accept the program attendance policy and the access for children and young people to update >> replacing that. Replace that. [laughter] >> Tracy seconds. >> All those in favor? Michael? Yes.
>> Kathy? Yes. Tammy? Yes. >> All right. So, yeah. Okay. Beautiful. That was all I had. Um, so the next meeting would be March calendar's not
going to be March 10th, I believe. Yeah, March 10th. March 10th, 7 p.m. Um, and yeah, I don't is if there's anything anybody else wants to add. Okay, then we will plan on March 10th at
7 PM. I will see some of you tomorrow evening and have a good night everybody. >> You too. Take care. Bye bye. >> Bye Trace. Bye Andrea. >> Bye. Thank you.