- The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.
Present: N. Eggenberger, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts
Absent: M. Farell
Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden
- CALL TO AUDIENCE (B. Bachelor, J. Do, L. Golden, A. Iqbal, K. McBride, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, J. Parij, N. Szczepanski) – Teen Leadership Council volunteers Jenny Do and Kiersten McBride were introduced by Teen Librarian Brad Bachelor.
- APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The agenda was approved as amended by unanimous consent.
- APPROVAL OF BUDGET HEARING MINUTES
The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.
- APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.
- COMMUNICATIONS — Director Eva Davis distributed copies of the Community Relations department’s new quarterly publication, as well as the annual Christmas letter from former Library Board trustees George Snow and Cecil Young.
Board Secretary/Treasurer Jane Pandit shared a program from the funeral service for Claire
Guarrella, the mother of the Friends’ Board President, Claire Spas.
E. Davis stated that the board would find two sets of financial reports in their packets. The one
for the period ending 10/31/19 was from the November meeting which was cancelled; the other
reports cover the period ending 11/30/19. As of that date, the library was 92% through the
year; the 4th Quarter Budget Amendment will recognize and adjust for revenues and
expenditures that fall over or under that number.
Early Bird registration for the Public Library Association conference in February 2020 ends
Friday, December 20. Any board members wishing to attend can email Marian Nicholson
before the end of the day.
- TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Trustee Jasmine Lee asked if ENGIE Engineering is on track with the projects the library had contracted with them. They are on track and will be at the library on January 2 to begin the building control software project.
J. Lee also inquired about the status of the library’s agreement with the online service Kanopy,
and if the new contract with CloudLibrary was intended to replace Kanopy. Davis said that
CloudLibrary is a new service, which has the added benefit of allowing library patrons access
to items “owned” by other CloudLibrary subscriber libraries – in effect, interloaning eBooks and
eAudiobooks. Trustee Don Turner asked if libraries were discussing possible over-saturation
by the various e-applications being offered to patrons; for 2020, Davis is looking at “discovery
layer” products which lay over the library catalog search and add in the items made available
through the various subscription applications.
- COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
- UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS — None
- NEW BUSINESS
- Approve 4th Quarter Budget Amendment — N. Eggenberger moved and J. Lee supported a motion to approve the 2019 4th Quarter Budget Amendment as presented.
Upon questioning by D. Turner, Davis explained that various projects and expenditures either
did not occur or came in under budget, not only allowing the library to pay for the 2019
capital projects without requesting a transfer of funds from the Fund Balance, but also
allowing for a transfer of funds into the Fund Balance.
The motion passed unanimously, 19/12-19-1.
- Nomination and Election of 2020 Board Officers — N. Eggenberger moved and D. Turner
supported a motion to nominate and elect the slate of Amy Watts (Chair), Jasmine Lee
(Vice-Chair) and Michelle Farell (Secretary/Treasurer).
The motion passed unanimously, 19/12-19-2.
- Proposed Changes to Library Privacy Act — Davis said that the proposed changes, detailed in various documents provided to the board, were the brainchild of Kent County Library
Director Lance Werner, who worked with his state senator and attorney Anne Seurynck to
solve problems he had been experiencing with the Act. Input from representatives of the
Michigan Library Association and directors of other Michigan libraries is now being solicited.
Davis will keep the board informed.
- CALL TO AUDIENCE – None
- ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 8:09 PM.