Minutes 01 21 2021 LABMinutes 01 21 2021 LAB Page 1
Library Advisory Board
January 21, 2021
Assembly:
The Library Advisory Board met in Regular Session on Thursday, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx.
Board Members
Baish, Mary Alice PRESENT Brewington, Jan PRESENT
Chadurjian, Denise EXCUSED Conlon, Dennis ABSENT
Damutz, Amy PRESENT Dodd, Scott EXCUSED
Guenther, Joy PRESENT Maurer, Kevin PRESENT
Miles, Linda EXCUSED Montwieler, Katherine EXCUSED
Smith, Ida PRESENT Zimmer, Ronna PRESENT
Staff Members & Board Reps.
Tom Brimberry (FOL Rep), Paige Owens (Library Director), Yvette Mays (Admin)
Welcome
Chair Jan Brewington convened the meeting at 2:02 p.m.
Public Comment
No members of the public present
Agenda Review
Agenda accepted.
Approval of previous minutes
The minutes from the last board meeting on November 19, 2020 were sent to the board prior to
the meeting for review.
Motion: Ronna Zimmer MOVED, SECONDED by Joy Guenther, to accept the minutes of the
11/19/2020 meeting as written. Upon vote, the MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Correspondence
Paige Owens shared the following correspondence:
• The Cape Fear Museum shared a letter to the library’s Children’s Services Coordinator,
Susan DeMarco, they had received at a disaster relief meeting. The letter thanked the
Cape Fear Museum & Library for their shelter activity kits for kids during the hurricane.
• Retired Children’s Librarian, Julie Criser, stated that her husband’s friend commented
how pleased he was with library staff and that the library always has the most current
collection of materials.
Friends of the Library
Tom Brimberry presented the following report:
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• The FOL met a week ago and their budget was approved.
• Focus this year will be on Story Walks
• LEAD Award applications for library staff are open. The deadline is March 31st.
Library Foundation
No report at this time. Their next meeting will be in February.
Director’s Report
Paige Owens presented the following report:
Health and Safety
• One library employee was hospitalized in December due to complications from COVID-
19 but is fully recovered and back at work
Operations
• Service model remains the same for the foreseeable future.
o Schedule: M-Th 10-6; F 10-5
o Curbside and limited indoor services with no seating
o Computer use limited to one hour
Staff
• Staff are being called up for emergency assignments related to the vaccination effort.
• Vacancies:
o Program Manager: Interviewing underway
o Reference Services Librarian: Interviewing underway
o Marketing and Technology librarian: interviewing underway
o Library Assistant: decision made, waiting on paperwork
o Library Associate: will post after Program Manager hired
Facilities
• Pine Valley
o Contracted for automatic doors to adult reading room using McCartney Trust
funds
o Design started on performance deck and walkway to be paid for with funds from
Foundation Pine Valley fundraising
o EcoExplore
▪ North Carolina Arboretum’s ecoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting
Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) initiative for children in
grades K-8. Children make photographic observations of plants and
wildlife, and upload their findings online, in order to earn prizes, badges.
• Main Library
o Third floor staff areas undergoing a major rearrangement (3rd floor space flip)
o Basement clean-up: items going to auction in March
o Story Park: Master Gardener program interested in partnering
• Northeast
o Status quo
• Pleasure Island
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o New tenant next door (an online business)
Budget
• FY20-21 spending is on-track
• FY21-22 proposed budget due January 22. Will cover in new business.
Library Director goals FY20-21
• Community survey: Suspended until Program Manager on board
• Main Library basement clean-up: Continues
• Social work internship: will be responsibility of new program manager
• Fine relief: Budget request for elimination of overdue fines on children’s materials
• LSTA grant application: Applying for funds to support online programming--
APPLICATION DUE MARCH 1, 2021
• Pine Valley landscape: underway
• Policy review: Team led by Leigh Thomas is developing recommendations
• Contract with new public printing vendor by end of FY SPRING 2021: Included in
county’s RFP for a new copier/printing vendor.
Materials Quarantine
All incoming library materials are currently quarantined for 3 days.
The science on the transmission of the virus on materials is inconclusive.
Last we received a statement from the Dept. of Health & Human Services stating that reputable
science indicated that the risk for virus transmission from physical materials are minimal.
An anonymous survey was sent out to all library staff asking for their feedback on the
quarantining of materials. Paige shared the results with the board.
At this time, there will be no change to the 3-day quarantine.
Committee Reports
None.
New Business
Library Fee Schedule
Paige Owens presented the proposed fee schedule for FY22 to the board.
• Cleaned up wording and layout of the schedule – omit redundancies
• No fees for Juvenile materials
• Copy charges TBD after new copier vendor is selected by the county
• All meeting rooms are $5.00 per booking. Only for Non-Profit groups.
Motion: Ronna Zimmer MOVED, SECONDED by Amy Damutz, to recommend the NHC
Administration accept the proposed library fee schedule as written. Upon vote, the MOTION
WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Library Budget Request
Paige Owens reported that the FY22 budget entry is due tomorrow. There are no huge changes
to our regular operating budget.
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The following enhancement requests were made:
• Update public access technology (computers)
• Capital Improvement renovations to the Main Library (if Project Grace is not underway)
• Build and staff the new North chase Library. (build should occur in FY24)
NOTE: We did find additional supply fund in this year’s budget to allow for the purchase of 94
all wood chairs for the main library.
Old Business
None.
Adjournment
Chair Jan Brewington adjourned the meeting at 3:09pm.
Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the Library Advisory Board
meeting.
Next meeting will be held on February 18, 2021