Board of Somerset County Library Trustees
Regular Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 4:00pm-6:00pm Princess Anne Library

Present: Ann Smith (President), Marlena Turner (Vice President), Lois Outten (Treasurer), Karen Riggin, Father Robert Laws, Beth Holmes-Mayson, Marilyn Cottman, Ed Goyda (Director), Jaime Bradshaw (Branch Manager), Kayla Hodgson (Branch Manager), Nora Hoffman (Administrative Assistant).

Call Meeting to Order

President Smith called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m.

Consent Agenda

Minutes from the regular board meeting on April 17, 2019. Financial reports for the period from July 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019. Financial reports for the period from July 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019.

President Smith asked about dedication of the flagpole mentioned in the April minutes. Mr. Goyda stated that there hadn't been any further discussion and that we were still waiting on the plaque.

President Smith asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Marilyn Cottman made a motion, Karen Riggin seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved.

BRANCH HILIGHTS

Ms. Bradshaw spoke about the Crisfield Library's April and May adult craft programs being well attended and stated that Disney Karaoke was very successful with 26 in attendance. Ashley Gilson had an information table at the Strawberry festival in May, giving library information to about 100 people. Ms. Bradshaw had been in talks with Jayna Grant about combining Crisfield's Halloween Party and parade with the Library's Harvest Party as they did in 2018.

Ms. Hodgson spoke about the Princess Anne Branch's community events in April: Touch-a-

Truck and Earth Day planting. Monthly adult programs continued to be very well attended. Youth Services Coordinator Rebecca Pratte was continuing the distribution of the Early Literacy

Kits. Mr. Goyda and Ms. Hodgson met with the town manager and will be combining efforts with the town for their Halloween celebration.

LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT

Mr. Goyda presented his Director's Report for April-May 2019.

Databases: Mr. Goyda passed out an updated database list, following the State Library's transition from EBSCO to Gale and Rosetta Stone to Mango Languages. He noted that the switch to Mango had already been implemented and that the switch to Gale was expected early in the week of June 16. The State Library was preparing public relations material on the change.

• Governance ITEM**

Fine-Free Libraries: Mr. Goyda reported on discussion from the June 4 meeting of the Eastern Shore Regional Library, noting that Caroline, Queen Anne's, Somerset, and Worcester Counties were prepared to go fine-free beginning July 1, 2019. He recapped previous information from the Enoch Pratt and Calvert County Libraries on their fine-free experiences, and stated that it would benefit the community and increase library usage, allowing patrons that currently do not use the library due to fines to use services. He also stated that it would be best to decrease the lost-item threshold to 21 days, essentially serving as a fourth renewal before the item has to be returned if the patron can check out additional items.

President Smith asked about a sentence in the April minutes stating that "Calvert County saw an increase in overdue books and Enoch also had a 10% increase." Mr. Goyda stated that the minutes were in error, that Calvert saw a decrease in overdue books, and that he believed the 10% increase was referring to Pratt's overall increase in circulation but would check his notes and correct the April minutes.

President Smith requested a motion to go fine-free effective July 1, 2019 and change the lost item threshold to 21 days. Lois Outten made the motion, Beth Holmes-Mason seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved.

One Maryland One Book: This year's title will be What the Eyes Don't See by Mona Hanna-

Attisha on the Flint, Michigan water crisis. There will be programs scheduled for the fall at both branches.

Community Outreach

Author Visit: ESRL's visiting author, Naomi Shihab Nye, visited Greenwood Elementary on April 10, speaking to 130 students.

Crisfield Arts & Entertainment District: Crisfield's Summer Reading Kickoff will be included in a MD State Arts Council video that is coincidentally also being filmed on June 22.

Skipjack Run: We will be sponsoring the Deal Island Skipjack Run on Labor Day weekend.

Statewide Poll: The Maryland State Library was preparing a statewide poll on library services.

Community Partnership

Census Committee: We were working with the Census Bureau to aid census efforts in the county; the State library had also formed a committee to make recommendations to the libraries.

Corbin Gallery: We were continuing to collect art books for the Corbin Gallery; we will include them in our catalog for discoverability, but the Gallery will use their own system for circulation.

Eastern Correctional Institution: We were working with Rachel Stein at ECI on a summer reading program in the prison by using books donated at the branches for prizes.

Photo Exhibition: We were coordinating a photo exhibition with the Somerset County Arts Council. Submissions will be brought to the libraries and transferred to the Arts Council in September.

Walk Somerset: We were hosting indoor walking programs with the Somerset Health Department.

Internal Development

Audit: Rob Davis from Holloway & Marvel will be on-site July 29-30 and Herb Geary from TGM Group will be on-site the week of August 4. They will be using Ed's office to avoid shutting down the meeting room for a week.

• Governance ITEM**

Board term expiration - Father Rob Laws: Father Laws was filling an unexpired term, which was ending in June. A motion to have Father Rob start a new term was made by Karen Riggin, seconded by Beth Holmes-Mason, and was unanimously approved.

• Governance ITEM**

Budget FY 20: The surplus that the library accumulated over a decade ago has been a concern for the County Commissioners. The Library had been getting financially penalized each year to force use of the surplus, and Mr. Goyda had anticipated putting the issue to rest in the next two years. The Commissioners wanted the matter resolved this year. The budget has been modified to show the decreased funding from the Commissioners and increased usage of carry-forward. We anticipate to have the surplus used and get our cash-in-hand back to a reasonable three-month amount this year.

Ms. Turner asked about plans for using the funds. Mr. Goyda stated that the funds are being spent on operating costs get the surplus in line.

Motion to accept FY 2020 budget was made by Marilyn Cottman, seconded by Father Robert Laws, and was unanimously approved.

• Governance ITEM**

Professional Development: Mr. Goyda requested a motion to close the library on August 19 for a Happiness Advantage workshop that he had been trying to schedule for the better part of two years. The motion was made by Beth Holmes-Mason, seconded by Marlena Turner, and unanimously approved.

Timeclock: Mr. Goyda had been working on an in-house solution that would be ready to go early July, pending on server tests.

Youth Services

Garfield Cyber Security: We will be offering a children's online safety class weekly for three weeks in the fall.

Student Cards: We were working with Instructional Technology Supervisor Jill Holland to promote the Student Cards and the new database offerings through the media specialists at the schools.

Summer Reading: We had all materials and supplies on-hand and ready for the kickoff events. Shirts and tote bags went on sale June 1.

Teen Community Foundation Grant: Most of the educational manipulatives from the teen grant are on-site in Princess Anne. The VR Computer has been ordered thru ESRL.

• Governance ITEM**

Board Packets: In the interest of saving postage, Nora Hoffman requested permission to send out the Board packets electronically and to not print the draft meeting minutes. Motion to send out packets electronically was made by Beth Holmes-Mason, seconded by Lois Outten, and unanimously approved.

A motion to enter Executive Session was made by Marlena Turner and seconded by Beth Holmes-Mayson. A roll-call vote was held, with all members voting in favor.

Executive Session – PERSONNEL

A motion to exit Executive Session was made by Marlena Turner and seconded by Marilyn Cottman. A roll-call vote was held, with all members voting in favor.

A motion to appoint Anaiyah Rice as a temporary page was made by Beth Homes-Mason, Seconded by Marilyn Cottman and was unanimously approved.

Ms. Turner discussed the Friendships across Somerset held at the Princess Anne Library. People in attendance suggested that they felt comfortable and were treated kindly at the library. She noted that a children's language share program was in the works.

Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made at 4:45pm by Beth Holmes Mason, seconded by Marilyn Cottman, and was unanimously approved.

Respectfully submitted, Kayla Hodgson Princess Anne Branch Manager