Sauk County Library Board

Sauk County Library Board Meeting
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Board Members Present:  Joan Fordham, Joel Chrisler, Linda Kettner, Carolyn Kotchi-Aslaksen, Glenn Slaats, Terry Slack

Others Present: Tamara Ramski (SCLS); Natalie Jones (Lavalle), Nick Studnicka (Plain), Emily Whitmore (Spring Green), Sue Ann Kucher (Reedsburg), Lisa Thomas* (Sauk City), Cathy Borck* (Wisconsin Dells), Lauren White (Prairie du Sac), Becky Anderson* (Rock Springs)

*participated remotely

 

1. The meeting was called to order by Joan Fordham at 3:30 PM. Sue Ann Kucher verified compliance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
2. Adoption of Agenda:  Kettner moved to adopt the agenda, seconded by Kotchi-Aslaksen.  Motion carried.
3. Approval of the minutes of the January 2023 meeting:  Slaats moved to approve the minutes from the January 2023 meeting, seconded by Chrisler.  Motion carried.
4. Public Comment:  none
5. SCLS Report – Tamara Ramski:  on file
6. Budget Discussion:
   1. Review Output Performance Measures from Library’s Annual Reports:  Sue Ann Kucher went over the printed report.  She will check on getting Wisconsin Dells info updated.
   2. County Reimbursement Funding Proposal:  Sue Ann Kucher went over the printed report.  Sue Ann will provide us with a spreadsheet at our July meeting.
   3. Consider Formation of Budget Subcommitee:  no action taken
7. Librarians’ Reports – Directors in Attendance:  on file
8. Next Meeting :  Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 3:30 PM in Reedsburg
9. Adjournment:  Business was finished and the meeting was declared adjourned.

 

 

Linda Kettner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCLS Report (Compiled by SCLS Consultant Team Staff)

SCLS Projects: Local Holds Pilot Project Update: A vote of clusters was taken, and it was decided that local holds will continue to be an option for new Adult books at interested libraries.

Intellectual Freedom Continuing Education Needs Survey: · Responses to the survey will be used for planning of an in-person workshop (following July All-Directors meeting).
· Survey link: https://forms.gle/pPXo5VYZPt3tPqHX6 · Closes on Friday, June 16, 2023.

United for Libraries: · United for Libraries, a division of the ALA, is the national association of library trustees, advocates, Friends groups, and library foundations.
· Statewide access to the program for trustees, staff, friends, and foundation members.
· Webinars (Learning Live), on-demand videos, tip sheets and toolkits, digital publications, and practical guides.
· Register: https://www.ala.org/united/login-request/wisconsin

Meetings and Events:  Bus to ALA Exhibits: Saturday, June 24
· ALA Annual Conference at McCormick Place, Chicago.
· Cost for the bus is $30. Attendees responsible for obtaining own exhibit passes ($100).
· Details and registration: Contact Jean Anderson or Tamara.

All Directors: July 20 at Pinney Branch (Madison Public Library)/virtual
· November 16 at Fitchburg Public Library/virtual

Trustee Training Week is scheduled for August 21 – 25.

Reminder: Watch for Top 5 emails and Online Update for information on services, upcoming meetings, and CE opportunities. Meeting minutes are available on the SCLS website.

SCLS New Building:
· Due to a delay in obtaining building permits, the data center move has been  postponed. Internet service will not be cut off on Memorial Day Weekend.
· The Data Center move will likely take place sometime during the last two weeks of June. Updates on this will continue to be provided.
· May 24-deadline to submit the form about the cutover.
· SCLS administration, except for the data center, will move starting May 22.
· Address change will be effective June 1st: 1650 Pankratz Street, Madison, WI 53704
· Due to construction at Pankratz, all SCLS meetings will be 100% virtual for June and July, and possibly longer.
· More details (including cutover information): https://www.scls.info/new-building

 

 

 

 

 

LaValle Public Library  - Natalie Jones

• A new Village clerk has made life much easier here in LaValle. Communication has been restored, there is hope for accurate financial reports and less time spent on battles has allowed my staff and I to focus on real library work. I want to thank nearby libraries that have taken us on as kind of the “orphan little brother” and helped us in donations, guidance and listening ears through these past months.
• We are two shelves away from having gone through each item in the collection. Lost, missing, trace, miscataloged, weeded or damaged issues have been addressed. Now it is time to start all over again. I can’t guarantee every book has an RFID tag, I admit I have been selective on a couple areas, but the project is basically complete.
• Our revitalized Friends group continues their monthly evening story hour with great attendance and success. We have collaborated to set an active schedule of summer programming and reading challenge. I am so thankful for their vitality, input, fresh ideas but mostly their eagerness to be involved.
• Saturday June 10^th the Friends will be sponsoring a Smoothie Bike at the 400 State Trail 30^th Anniversary celebration. Stop by to pedal your way to a refreshing drink.

 

Ruth Culver Library, Prairie du Sac , Lauren White

• The Bank of Prairie du Sac had a community week April 17-21, and they sent over two reading volunteers to read money or bank-related stories at storytime. It was really fun, and it was unique opportunity to talk about saving and spending money with the kids. 
• Early Release: Giant Board Games: We set up a number of giant board games in the community room including Jenga, Kerplunk, Connect Four, and more. We also set up a large floor-is-lava-obstacle course where kids were challenged to make it to the other side without touching the lava. They were also able to move the pieces around to make courses of their own.
•  3^rd Grade Visits: We partnered with the 3rd grade Grand Avenue classes again this year for library cards and class visits. Students were given the opportunity prior to the visit day to submit the library card application to their teachers who brought them in for us to process. Several students already had cards, which was really encouraging. Each of the three visit sessions included a brief look at how to use Linkcat, a few funny picture books read aloud, and some time to select a book to borrow or read in the children’s area. 
• String Painting: Our last STEAM Day of the 2022-2023 school-year was quite messy (in a good way). Kids created a variety of art using string and bubbles to paint with instead of a normal brush. While some of the participants made several different pieces, others really enjoyed mixing up the bubble paint solution and blowing bubbles into the bowl until the bowl was full.
• We had a craft program for adults May 8.  Attendees painted pots to look like toadstools or gnomes.
• Free Comic Book Day was May 6.  We gave out about 230 comics that day alone.
• Teens were really into the Headwear Fashion Show April 25. They decorated hats and headbands and walked the runway after. May 9 we had a mini pie bar. Mini graham cracker crusts and a variety of fillings and toppings were provided.  All 50 take and make bags went out in April.  There will be 48 May bags available with supplies for Nilla Wafer treats, a hex nut fidget puzzle, and Model Magic.  The summer teen events schedule has been made and Late Night will be back by popular demand.
• Meagan went to special interest day at St. Al's May 12 to do a session of shrinky dinks with 12 kids. Everyone had a great time.
• Sauk Prairie World Bike Day is coming up Saturday, June 3 and we will participate with lemonade, sidewalk chalk, and a bubble machine to bike through.
• The Friends of the Library treated the staff to surprises all week during National Library Week and they were much appreciated!
• Staff were gifted personalized tumblers and Costco snacks for National Library Week by Lauren. Jazmin helped to create a staff bingo game where the winner received a pint of ice cream (their choice!)—Caitlin was the winner.  

 

Kraemer Library & Community Center, Plain – Nick Studnicka

Published Summer Library Program flyer with Spring Green and Lone Rock Libraries

Upgrading landscaping and planters; completed steel shingle roof

Seeking new Library Board Members (2), including school representative.

 

George Culver Community Library , Sauk City Lisa Renier Thomas

Ongoing Library Events:

Two Storytimes per week

Weekly Music and Movement Storytime Friends of the Library Bingo: Twice per month Monthly Book Club

Read to a Dog Program: Twice per month Family Storytime and Craft: Once per month

Puzzle Swap (take a puzzle, leave a puzzle): Ongoing

 

Special Events Since Last Meeting:

Wings of Fire Dragon Party, Birdfeeder Building, Sauk County Natural Areas with Mike Mossman,  Life-Size Family Games, Leprechaun Trap Building, Pie Making, Window Box Craft, Earth Day Planters, and worm races. “Shell Week” and “National Library Week” April 24-28: shell-themed storytimes, showed movie Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, gave away bookmarks, candy, and vinyl stickers to all patrons, held book cart naming contest, and hosted biologist Lisie Kitchel who spoke about Wisconsin’s freshwater mussels.^ Merrimac Preserve field trip ^, Stuffed Animal Sleepover, The Apples of Sauk County with Dan Bussey (presentation followed by field trip).^ (^ denotes grant-funded activity)

 

Other

Exterior security camera system being installed this week.

Staffing: We continue to be short-staffed but are interviewing promising candidates this week.

Reevaluating youth services staffing structure.

Following a lull in activity, we held an Open House for our Friends of the Library in February, and have several new members who have reinvigorated the group.

Participating in Sauk Prairie World Bike Day on Saturday, June 3. Will have an all-ages read-aloud on the patio, followed by popsicles and an opportunity to customize your own bike, stroller, or wagon license plate.

Summer Library Program plans (coordinating with Ruth Culver Community Library): Reading incentives and special activities and events for all ages. Using Beanstack and paper tracking with SignUp online registration. Children’s activities include a magic show, variety show, weaving, line dancing, dot painting, pebble art, paper lantern craft, and a team puzzle competition. Program runs June 12-August 19.

 

Spring Green Community Library  Emily Whitmore

• Using the technology money from Sauk County, Spring Green purchased three new computers, two new screens, and a printer.
• Spring Green celebrated Youth Art Month by putting out mini-canvases for patrons to paint, decorate, or color. Once completed, they were displayed. It was really fun to see what teens and kids made.
• In March 2023, The River Valley Area Community Gardens presented a program on garden planning. It was a full house! 
• The community of Spring Green has had a library in it for 100 years this year! The Library hosted a Birthday Party celebration on April 20^th and it was a success.

• We held a Poetry Slam in April for National Poetry Month. It was a great night of teens and adults reading out poems.
• As of April 2023, Spring Green is now circulating Pickleball sets.
• In April, we started two different book groups. One is a classics read-along. We are reading four Toni Morrison novels and some of her essays. The other book group is a standard book group.
• Our Storytimes and Tuesday afternoon movies have been very well with the community.

 

Reedsburg Public Library – Sue Ann Kucher

Recently hired a new Circulation Assistant and an LTE Youth Services Assistant

New calendar, room reservation and program registration software launched at the

 

 

 

Rock Springs Public Library – Becky Anderson

Homeschool/GATHERING PRESENTATIONS: Uganda by Jeanette Kruse, Tammy Koenecke of Mind/Body Harmony: presented how certain body stretches can help mobility and balance. Sunny Morrow from Upham Woods did 2 presentations, 1 Homeschool, 1 Gathering on Plant Energy and healing the body. Liz Radke on Personal Safety, and Jeanne Marg on End of Life Checklist. We had a Talent Show for the Homeschool group with pizzas following to wrap up the program until next fall.

Library Story/Project Themes: Valentines, Iditarod, Dog Sledding, Lions/Lambs, Shamrocks, Bunnies, In-Library Easter Egg Hunt, Earth Day, May Leis, Mother’s Day, Trains, Memorial Day, Otters. We are reading stories for the Littles Story Hour with a project/snack following.

New Staff: Jacky submitted her resignation in February, stayed on to work Mondays, and has agreed to stay on as a substitute. Kristine Blauert from North Freedom was hired in March. She worked in the Balsam Public Library near St. Croix. She moved to North Freedom in October. She is a great addition to our library team and has been reorganizing our Youth Non-Fiction section, entering books, and helping with summer and other programming, FACEBOOK and website updates.

Summer Programming: We have been putting together a summer schedule to include T-Ball, Softball on 3 Wednesday mornings in June. July and August we are planning on highlighting a country from each of the 7 continents ending with Africa and a tour of the Big Cats. We have several reading logs for patrons. We will also be having a rock display from a local patron during the week of July 10 to celebrate International Rock Day on July 13. Rocks to be displayed will be from Amethyst to Chrysocolla to Black Onyx and more. We have small prizes like popcorn and Culver’s custard coupons, and 3 themed coolers for a Checkout Drawing, one each month. Every time patrons check out an item, they will put their name into a drawing and we will pull out a winning name at the end of each summer month.

RECOLLECTION WISCONSIN: Shane finished a big project of the Donna Lange Facebook Rock Springs History Photo Collection. He also refurbished a shelf for the hall to display local history items.

ADCI (Lake Delton) Meeting with Harmony Construction (Madison): Village Board/ Building Committee met with them to discuss crack issues in the library. Agreed on starting with expansion joints above the director’s office door frame and leave exposed to see if holds or continues to crack within a year’s time.

Library Board: One resignation by Susie Clam 15+ years. Another interested person to be approved by the board.

Class Update: Finished Organization and Management of Collections. From this, I will be submitting an update of our Circulation Policy to the Library Board at our next meeting in June.

 

 

Kilbourn Public Library, Wisconsin Dells / Lake Delton – Cathy Borck

 

We just finished up our baseball essay contest. The contest is held annually by the family of a local man in order to share his love of baseball with the youth of the community. Two winners were chosen and each won 2 tickets to a Brewers game and a gift card to cover expenses.

 

We are having an early summer sign up day and special program on Monarch Butterflies by author Bev Davis tomorrow. It is an early release day for the school district so we hope to get a good turnout. Our summer library program kick-off celebration will be held on Saturday, June 3. We also have our first book sale on Friday and Saturday that week. Our Friends group along with the Historical Society have rented our old library building. It sits on the same block as our current building. They will be setting up the top floor of the building for the book sales, so it will be a more permanent site for the sales.

We are having several big events this summer. In June we will be having Duke Otherwise for a musical concert, Upham Woods is doing a program on teamwork and we finish out the month with Family Zumba. In July, we are having a Chick to Egg Launch party put on by an Adams County 4-H program educator and naturalist, Upham Woods will be back with an animal detective program and Dinosaur Dimensions with dinosaur puppets. In August the college mascots will be here and then we finish out the year with our end of summer reading finale with a pint Size Polka Party. In addition we will have weekly story hour and toddler time along with school age and teen activity days.

For the adults we are having 3 Wisconsin authors come. In June, David Benjamin will be here to discuss his book, The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked which chronicles his years growing up in Tomah. In July, retired Milwaukee firefighter, Greg Renz will be here to discuss his novel Beneath the Flames. In August we will have our annual patio party with Sue Berg and we will be discussing her Driftless Mystery series. Also, for the adults we will have a reading incentive program sponsored by local businesses and weekly activities and crafts.

 

We are participating in the Check Out Wisconsin’s State Parks at Your Library program. The Friends purchased 30 passes for us to check out to patrons throughout the summer.

 

We had a longtime library assistant retire at the end of February. We filled her position last month but she will not be able to start now until the end of the summer. In the meantime, our children’s librarian announced her retirement effective August 1. We are interviewing for her position today and tomorrow and we hope to have someone in place by mid-June.

 

One of library board members passed away unexpectedly so we now have an opening our library board. She had been a trustee for many years so we will definitely miss the history and knowledge she brought to the board. She was one of the representatives from the Village of Lake Delton so we will be working with the village clerk there to find a replacement.