Sauk County Library Board

saukcolibraryboard-20200714-minutes.pdf (84 KB)

Sauk County Library Board Minutes
July 14, 2020 via BlueJean

Board Members Present:  Joel Chrisler, Joan Fordham, Peggy Heidenreich, Sue Meise, Barbara Morford, Rob Nelson,

Others Present:   Sauk County librarians: Sue Ann Kucher(REE), Kris Houtler (REE), Lauren White (PDS), Cathy Borck (WID), Nick Studnicka (PLA), Raina Roloff (NOF), Lisa Renier Thomas (SGR), Emily Judd (SKC), Katie Schofield (RKS), Jessica Bergin (BAR);  Martha van Pelt, SCLS; Linda Kettner, Board candidate; Rob Nelson, Supervisor Alternate.

 Fordham called the meeting to order at 9:00 and verified compliance with open meetings law.
Meise moved and Morford seconded to accept the agenda.  Motion passed.
Heidenreich moved and Meise seconded to accept the May minutes.  Passed by unanimous vote.

Budget discussion.  Sue Ann led the board through the accompanying budget proposals to be presented to the County Board.  Little has changed from the previous year’s approach.  Issues continue to include the inadequacy of book circulation numbers as the basis for funding and how patrons are using a variety of different libraries.  The Wisconsin Dells funding is at 85% which pertains only to Sauk County usage.  The motion to approve by Heidendreich with second by Crisler passed unanimously.

SCLS Report.  Van Pelt reported that libraries continue to get deliveries twice a week.  There is still no ILL statewide service yet, though SCLS itself is ready once systems can handle it.  Though the majority of SCLS staff continue to work from home, they staff the office on a rotating basis and tech staff continue to work.  The three-day quarantine for bins continues, which affects delivery.  SCLS “continues to turn on the taps slowly” to return services to normal.

SCLS and the Madison Library Foundation have contributed over $89,000 to the advantage account for materials reserved for SCLS members only. 

New Candidate recommendations.  Two new candidates were introduced:  Linda Kettner from Spring Green and Carolyne Kotchi-Aslaksen from LaValle.  Their documents have been submitted to the County Board for their decision.

LIBRARY REPORTS.

Baraboo.   Building design passed by the Historic Preservation Office.  Bids are due in January and construction to start next spring.  Building is open with limitations on seating and computers.  All programming is on line, including live FaceBook and on the YouTube channel.

LaValle.  Services continuing with reduced hours.

North Freedom. Open with limitations. Usage is increasing and they have applied for a $4,000 Cares Grant.

Prairie du Sac.  Services still limited and slower demand than usual.  Holding Maker Mondays and Teen Tuesdays.  In July, they are cooperating with a coffee roaster to sell joe as a fundraiser.  Have hired a new children’s librarian.

Plain.  Open limited hours and adding back gradually.  No children’s area and computer use limited.  Some on-line programming underway.

Reedsburg.  Offering regular hours, though computers reduced in numbers and individual wipes provided.  Circ is at 40% of normal and curbside service is popular and likely here to stay.  Programming is via Zoom and Facebook.  Also submitted Cares application for external wireless node service.

Rock Springs.  Open with limitations and use is increasing.  Continuing with virtual programming.  An adult book club is held via Zoom. In the process of hiring a new assistant.  They have met with the architect and plan to break ground mid October of this year.

Sauk City.   The daunting process of moving in the best of times is hard, but especially complicated by covid.  All new shelving added to the difficulty.  Staff and some volunteers worked 4 days to assemble it.  July 6th was the soft opening, but without internet for the first week.  Programming restarted July 14 and a book club meeting was held on the patio with social distancing.  Community is accepting of the limitations and very happy about the new building.

Wisconsin Dells.   Though programming remains limited, the first live activity was a concert on the patio. Though mostly open regular hours, the meeting room is closed and only half of computers available.  June use was 50% of last year.  Staff are required to wear masks and patrons recommended to wear them.

Spring Green
 COVID-19 Response
Beginning July 6, library hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from noon-
4 PM, Thursdays from 2 - 6 PM, and Saturdays from noon until 2 PM. Only the circulation desk,
new releases shelves, and patron computers are accessible. Staff fetch materials for patrons. Regular and frequent cleaning and disinfecting protocols are in place. We are maintaining social distancing guidelines and there is a limit of five patrons inside the library at a time. There is no seating available, and masks are required (extras are available in the lobby if patrons forget their own). Library restrooms and the community room are closed. Returns are quarantined for 72 hours before processing. We are encouraging patrons to continue utilizing virtual services and curbside pickup.

Virtual/Other Programs
Our virtual programs since May have included weekly storytimes and monthly “Junior Chefs” cooking programs. We are utilizing Beanstack for summer reading tracking. Participation is down significantly from last year.

Every Monday we offer a different Grab-and -Go activity kit (one for children/one for teens adults). We don’t have a permanent Story Walk®, so pages have been placed in the windows of downtown Spring Green businesses. The story will be changed out three times over the summer. We also have a “Gnome Hunt” underway. Gnomes are placed throughout the community and moved weekly. Patrons post sightings to Facebook (or email staff so they can post).  (Application to Cares program was successful. --B.A.M.)
 

Respectfully submitted, B. Morford, Secretary, August 22, 2020