Public Library Board January 27

Staff Presentation
Erin Rhoades, the Florence branch manager, provided a presentation on the branch’s services and programs, highlighting two programs that have been very successful with the public: the branch’s notary services and bus passes given to patrons who have no other way to get to the library. She did not elaborate on how these are offered or any criteria to be met, but they are popular.

Public Comment
Two library patrons from the Petersburg community attended the meeting. Basically, they indicated they were looking forward to the ad hoc committee’s findings regarding the staffing and expansion of the Chapin Memorial Library (CML). They also expressed appreciation to the Boone County Public Library (BCPL) staff who presented a program that was very well received by the community.

Director’s Report
The new Walton branch is expected to be under budget. There are 4,500 registrants at the Dolly Parton Imagination library. 

A discovery was made in the basement of the old Walton library branch of 8 ft by 5 ft prints by artist Carolyn Williams depicting many scenes from Northern Kentucky, one of which is the local church in Petersburg that still functions today. The pictures were damaged and very large and the BCPL is still trying to decide what to do with them. The originals now reside in protective storage and digitized prints were made of the pictures, several of which were displayed in the Florence branch. The Petersburg citizens at the meeting requested that the print of the Petersburg church be placed in the CML. Director Herrmann indicated the BCPL owns the digital files and is looking at duplicating prints to be placed in other branches depending on the relevance of the scenes depicted.

February 13 is library legislative day and Director Herrmann will be in Frankfort that day. She is closely watching Senate Bill 71, which would change the trustee appointment process by putting the selection of new trustees solely in the hands of the county’s judge executive. She is also watching a pending bill regarding drones, as the BCPL does own a drone of its own. 

A donor offered stock as a donation, which the BCPL as a government entity is not allowed to accept. It was suggested he donate his stock to the BCPL Foundation, but the donor preferred to cash in the stock himself and donated $10,000 to the BCPL, which was placed in the BCPL general revenue section of the budget. 

Treasurer/Accountant Report
Trustee Deborah Dutton-Lambert (DDL) was concerned regarding the volume of small reimbursements to library staff, vendors, etc. It would seem a credit card would be more expedient and less costly than writing all these checks. There are six credit cards the library holds in various departments. Director Herrmann indicated she and her staff will explore this option. 

The accountant representative indicated the independent audit has been completed and will be presented by the auditor at next month’s meeting. $2,086,879.20 in library funds was in a CD at Heritage Bank that matured last week. A motion was made and passed by the Board to open a new CD at Heritage Bank. 

Current assets are a little over $23 million, with fixed assets just under $61 million.

The attorney for the Board was unable to attend but did advise Director Herrmann that the sale of the three acres on the Hebron branch property will close February 11.

Policy Review
The Drug Free Workplace Policy was presented to the Board for its second reading. A motion was made and the Board passed it approving the policy.

Board Self-Evaluation/Trustee Recruitment
The trustees completed a self-evaluation for purposes of the application for new trustees and opened discussion. Trustee DDL expressed her concern regarding the question that will be on the application about intellectual freedom and would like it taken off. There is no problem when it comes to adults, but the idea that young children would be considered to have the “intellectual freedom” to access adult material was concerning to her. Again, Director Herrmann and the rest of the Board indicated they had no problem with this phrase. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and the BCPL policy is to leave the material preferences of children up to the parents. Director Herrmann also indicated that the reference to intellectual freedom for application purposes is a tool that is offered through the Kentucky Department of Libraries & Archives (KDLA). This apparently satisfied the other Board members. 

Suggestions for the application included to check for the applicant’s expertise in education and maybe social services. Geographic location also may be an issue. The Board will also look at Hispanic candidates.

Both trustees, whose terms end June 30, indicated they would re-apply for another term.

LGBTQ+ library materials
DDL indicated her concern with the volume of LGBTQ+ publications in the BCPL. DDL has conducted her own research and concluded that the BCPL, although only a quarter the size of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Library system, has the same volume of LGBTQ+/gender identity materials. Essentially, the Board shut her down. Chairman Jackson indicated he needed to see facts, not just a trustee’s research and ended all discussion on the topic. 

Chapin Memorial Library ad hoc committee
Only two applications were received from the community, so both were approved for the ad hoc committee. Two BCPL staff have also been designated for the committee. DDL expressed her desire to be on the committee given her connection with the community, but Board member Don Trame objected, noting this would allow three residents of Petersburg to be on the committee, which would violate the parameters laid out for the ad hoc committee. A motion was made naming the two community representatives, the two BCPL staff representatives designated by Director Herrmann and naming the two board members, DDL and Vice President Dr. Emily Myers, to the ad hoc committee. The motion was passed regardless of Trame’s no vote. The motion also indicated that an as-yet unnamed fiscal court representative would also serve on the committee.

The Board was required to have a hard stop at 5:45pm and adjourned accordingly.