BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING AGENDA

Chouteau County Library

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 12:00 pm

Fort Benton

1. Call to order: Dani Engellant calls the meeting to order at 12:01 p.m.
2. Members present:

1. Dani Engellant - Chair, Janet Worrall - Vice chair, Nancy Grossman, Kim Hibl, Nona Danreuther, Emily Wicks - Director, Maren Engen - Assistant Director
2. Guests: Emily Engen, Sissy Felton, Ani Gonzales, Anne Baack, Bill Wood,

Wendy Kamm, Roger Pugh, Michelle Danreuther, Steve Gannon, Bethany DeBorde, Cynthia Lenington, Janet Jordan

3. Additions or changes to the agenda:

1. General housekeeping - See Unfinished Business
2. Good Vibes - See Reports
3. Maren Engen:Collection Development and Management Explained-Director Report

4. Minutes: Action item

1. Grossman moves to approve as presented, Hibl seconds Approved

5. Budget: Action item

1. Question on Visa interest. Propane for Geraldine? Different supplier?
2. Hibl moves to approve as presented. Grossman seconds. Approved

6. Reports:

1. Big Sandy: Themes - Barbies goes to the library, Graphic novels and superheroes. Projects include weeding. No needs/concerns presented at this time.
2. Fort Benton: Themes - Harvest, fair, 4-H, pirates/Arrrgust!, horses, American artists, back to school, sunflowers, ancient civilizations, reader’s choice, YA - dystopian, YA - fantasy kingdoms. Projects include planning for programming for the school year calendar, Friends of the Library launch, People for Periodicals.
3. Geraldine: Themes - (Children) Back to school, pirates, jellyfish, frogs/fireflies, rockets; (Adult) learn something new. No projects at this time. Needs/concerns: Needed timecards which were provided. Concerns about storage space. FBBL is still holding historical artifacts that will need to go back to GBL. Shed and shelving that was requested on the last Lippard-Clawiter grant has not been selected by the foundation committee.
4. Highwood: No change.
5. Good Vibes - Engellant - Board members can share something outstanding they have seen over the last month in the overall system. Thank you to Emily for the web page. Thank you to Sami Jo who is so willing to work with the community, programming to meet community needs, and putting news in the community news letter. Hibl - good rotation of the paperbooks, never the same. Danreuther - Big Sandy does this also.

1. Worrall moves to add good vibes to the reports. Danreuther seconds. Approved. 

7. Director Report:

1. Emily Wicks, Director

1. Conversation with Emily Hazen, Equal Opportunity Specialist - U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

1. Took a phone call on September 14th. This is the first step in the process for us. Emily Hazen reached out as part of the “Rapid Resolution Process.” This means that we will try to see if a plan can be put in place before an official investigation or file would be opened in the case. I explained the steps that we take in the library to try to make it the safest, most comfortable experience for all library patrons.

1. Signs posted at the entrances.
2. Keep the carpets vacuumed.
3. Dusting the book shelves.
4. Wiping down books.
5. Cleaning the litter boxes regularly.
6. Wiping surfaces.
7. Vacuuming/wiping down the blinds.
8. Will put the cat in the office with the door shut if requested.
9. Will pull books and provide curbside delivery.
10. The door to the upstairs bathroom is also always closed and the cat is not in there.
11. The cat is never in the elevator.

2. What other steps could we take to include those with cat allergies:

1. Shut the door to the McLeish Room so that programming can happen in that space. (Only a few feet from the side door to the elevator - the cat is never in the elevator - and a few steps from the elevator to the McLeish Room.)
2. Air purifiers.

2. Community Conversations:

1. Table Talk 1 was well attended and enjoyed by all those present. We had a couple of teen attendees as well as a few people who do not regularly use the library. The folks are looking forward to seeing how the series progresses and what else we have in store. The next Table Talk is October 10 - all are invited.
2. Courtney Cowgill will be here November 13 and 14 to present Locavore News. Her program focuses on local news and local food production. Monday, November 13th at 5:30 will be a panel with Bethany DeBorde of the River Press and Tuesday, November 14th at 12:00 will be an open forum/presentation.

3. Meeting with the commissioners about representation:

1. There had been no official word about representation from the commissioners to the library board. Dani and I met with the commissioners on Tuesday, September 5th. Dani presented the situation and questions about representation to the commissioners. Bob Pasha asked if the commissioners would be allowed to make the final decision. Dani said yes and he said that they would like the following:

1. Highwood - Nancy Grossman
2. Geraldine - Dani Engellant
3. Big Sandy - Nona Danreuther
4. Fort Benton - Kim Hibl
5. At large - Janet Worrall

2. Looking at records over the last month, it does look like there has historically been a representative from southern Chouteau County/Carter/Floweree, not necessarily “at large”.
3. Also discussed that moving forward it is clear what position is needing to be filled.
4. The board also needs to get a signed copy of the by-laws to the commissioners.

2. Maren Engen - Collection Development and Management Explained

1. Next presentation will be in December. Date TBA.

8. Announcements/Dates to remember:

1. 10/9/23 - All branches closed in observance of Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day
2. 10/10/23 - Table Talk 2, 5:30 p.m. FBBL
3. 10/26/23 - Pathfinder meeting, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. FBBL

9. Unfinished Business:

1. General housekeeping

1. Engellant - Reminder about social media:

1. Fort Benton has one Instagram and one Facebook account.
2. Geraldine has one Facebook account.
3. Big Sandy has one Facebook, on Instagram, and one TikTok account.
4. Contact Emily Wicks for more information.

2. Engellant - The board at the last trustee meeting moved that the petition signers please use the reconsideration form we have now updated and adopted, this will also work for everyone else who has written a letter with a concern. It is available at all branches and our website. Please address your concern first to our director. This has been an action that the board has taken. We have read the petition and every other letter that has come across our desks. We have heard each and every one of you that have come to the table with your concerns. Thank you so very much for those concerns, we hear you, we have been and will continue to work on policies helping our libraries. Going forward the petition will not be on our agenda anymore. I want to take a minute and bring to light that it is so wonderful that we have a whole community that is so passionate about our libraries. We truly thank you!

2. Policies: Action item

1. Guidelines for Commenters During Public Meetings - Grossman moves to accept as policy. Worrall seconds Approved
2. Zoom Board Meeting Policy - Needs to go to committee

3. Danreuther: BSBL gutter project update and bids Action item

1. Try the new gutters. May add more later. Need to see how it’s going to work. Worrall moves to use the seamless gutter guy to supply and install the downspouts for $150. Grossman seconds. Approved
2. Door - The two front doors. This will replace the mechanisms for both doors. Danreuther makes a motion to have General Services order and repair the doors in Big Sandy. Grossman seconds. Approved.

10. New Business: No new business
11. Public comment:

1. Michelle Danreuther - See recording for comments.
2. Bill Wood - What happened with the library overview committee? The board answered: We will put together a committee to review the books once a reconsideration form has been submitted. Appointment to that committee doesn’t happen until we get a reconsideration form.

12. Meeting adjourned at 1:08 p.m.
13. Next Meeting:

1. 12:00 Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 - Big Sandy