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UM, CALL TO ORDER FOR OUR BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING TODAY IS MARCH THE 11TH AND WE'RE BEGINNING AT 4:00 PM.
SO LET'S STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
LET'S DO INTRODUCTIONS STARTING WITH THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION.
WE'LL START WITH ALICE PLEASE.
ALICE HOWARD DISTRICT FOUR COUNTY COUNCIL.
JAMES MORALE, DISTRICT FIVE LIBRARY BOARD, TRACEY ROBINSON DISTRICT FOUR JOB WITH DISTRICT 11, BERNIE COLE, DISTRICT THREE.
READY MCBRIDE COUNTY LIBRARY, DIRECTOR ANNA-MARIA TABERNAC DISTRICT SIX CHAIR.
HELLO, DISTRICT NINE, JANET PORTER, DISTRICT EIGHT, JERRY THOMAS DISTRICT TWO MONICA SMELL'S COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, SUCH A SOFT VOICE.
DID EVERYBODY HEAR THAT? THAT'S VERY GENTEEL, UH, JOSHUA PERRIER LIBRARY, OPERATIONS MANAGER, AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE KIND OF LIBRARY.
AND WE HAVE ONE GUEST WITH US TODAY WHO WILL BE ON THE AGENDA LATER.
I SEE NOBODY FROM THE PUBLIC FOR COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL ALL REFRAIN FROM MAKING COMMENTS.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 8TH, THAT YOU WERE ALL RECEIVED SECOND, UM, BY ELECTRONIC MEDSEARCH, BERNIE MA MOVES IT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 8TH, SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? IF SO YOU HAVE TO REWRITE THEM.
CORRESPONDING AND MEMBERSHIP, RIGHT.
WE HAVE, UH, ONE LETTER TODAY FROM THE BUFORD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
UH, AND I WILL READ THE LETTER FOR THE RECORD.
THIS IS THE FORM YOU, THAT BUFORD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS PROPOSED AND THE CITY OF BUFORD, THE CLOVER CLUB AND THE FRIENDS OF THE BUFORD LIBRARY HAVE AGREED TO SPONSOR.
I'M SORRY, CO-SPONSOR A ERECTION OF A HISTORICAL MARKER AT THE SITE OF THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY LOCATED AT SEVEN OH ONE CRAVEN STREET.
THE HISTORY OF THE CONNOR GET LIBRARY AND BUFORD WILL BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED AND THEN SENT TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FOR AUTHENTICATION BEFORE IT IS SENT TO THE FOUNDRY TO MANUFACTURER.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE BEAVER COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS INITIATIVE.
PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
WE SIMPLY WISH TO APPRISE YOU OF OUR PROJECT.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOUR BOARD HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
SINCERELY, SINCERELY LILLIAN M HASTE PRESIDENT.
UM, I THINK I'LL SEND HER A RESPONSE THAT WE DID SHARE WITH THE TRUSTEES AND WE HOPE THERE SUCCESSFULLY MEANT.
RAY LIBRARY, DIRECTORS REPORT, FIRST OF ALL, A CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, AS YOU KNOW, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, THE CORONA VIRUS WAS, UH, LISTED BY, UH, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AS A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, AS A TO DATE, THERE ARE NO CASES OF THE VIRUS IN BUFORD COUNTY.
UH, NO KNOWN CASES I SHOULD SAY.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE NOW OVER A THOUSAND CASES IN THE UNITED STATES, UH, AND THEY'RE CONTINUING TO, UH, MULTIPLY.
UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AS YOU SAW FROM MY CORONAVIRUS, NUMBER ONE, UPDATE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN LIBRARY, ADMINISTRATION, LIBRARY, STAFF, UH, AND, UH, WE WILL SEEK THE BOARD'S APPROVAL FOR ANY STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE.
UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE ARE ACTIVELY WATCHING OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UH, AND, UH, UH, WE WILL HAVE MEASURED RESPONSES BASED ON WHAT COMES OUT FROM THE STATE, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, UH, UM, AND, OR, UH, UH, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
UH, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, AGAIN, THERE'LL BE A MEASURED RESPONSE AS TO WHAT ACTIONS WE TAKE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR CLEANING TEAMS THAT CLEAN OUR FACILITIES, UH, HAVE TWO NEW ANTIVIRAL, UH, SPRAYS THAT THEY ARE USING DAILY ON ALL OF OUR DOOR KNOBS, ALL OF OUR SINKS, ALL OF OUR, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING EVEN MICROWAVE, UH, PUSH BUTTONS,
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UH, SO THAT WHEN THEY CLEAN OUR BUILDINGS, ALL OF THAT'S BEING DONE.UH, WE HAVE SIGNS IN THE RESTROOMS, UH, PUBLIC AND STAFF REMINDING EVERYONE TO WASH THEIR HANDS.
AND YOU, SO, UH, AND WE HAVE PURCHASED A BACKUP SUPPLY OF, UH, SPRAY LYSOL SPRAY OF, UH, WIPES, UH, OF RUBBER GLOVES, UH, UM, AND SO, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE A BACKUP SUPPLY ON HAND IF, UH, IF AND WHEN THEY'RE NEEDED.
UH, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE IN SOME CASES NOW AT 14 WEEK WAITING LIST TO ORDER A HAND SANITIZER.
UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING SCOOPED UP AND, UH, AND USED, UH, SO WE WILL KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THAT.
OUR NEXT CONCERN REALLY IS FOR, UH, OUR, UH, SERVICES ON BOOKMOBILE, WHERE WE GO INTO NURSING HOMES, UH, AND NURSE, CERTAIN NURSING HOMES ARE ALREADY, UH, NURSING HOMES ARE, HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO, UH, CLOSE DOWN AND MONITOR WHO IS ENTERING THEIR FACILITIES.
UH, SO WE CAN ONLY ASSUME BASED ON WHAT OTHER LIBRARIES HAVE DONE, UH, THAT, UH, AT SOME POINT WE WILL NEED TO MAKE A DECISION TO STOP BOOKMOBILE SERVICE IN ANY OUTREACH, UH, TO, UH, TO GROUPS, UH, AS ONE OF OUR FIRST STEPS, UH, AND THEN, UH, CONTINUE TO INCREMENTS AS WE, WE ARE ADVISED AND WE WILL SEEK, UH, THIS BOARD'S APPROVAL AS WE GO THROUGH EACH STEP OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, UH, ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT ON THE CORONAVIRUS OR WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, UM, WE THINK ABOUT PEOPLE BEING QUARANTINED, IF THERE'S EVER A TIME WHEN YOU, I DON'T THINK THIS PEOPLE ON TV AT LEAST REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE ON WHO WAS ON THE HYBRID, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, ASKING HOW THEY COULD DOWNLOAD MORE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT PEOPLE BEING QUARANTINED.
IF THERE'S EVER A TIME, WHEN YOU WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF VIDEOS AND BOOKS, THIS WOULD BE IT.
UM, AND SO, UM, I WONDER IF THERE'S ANY, UM, THING THAT YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT WHAT POLICIES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR COMMUNICATIONS FROM LIBRARIES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN WASHINGTON STATE, HAVE THEY BEEN CLOSED? AND IF SO, WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH HAVE THEY DONE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAD MORE ACCESS TO THAN EVEN THEY DID BEFORE? WELL, THEY, THEY HAVE GONE TO VIRTUALLY THE SAME PROCEDURE, SO SEQUENCED IMPLEMENTATION OF NECESSARY THINGS, AS I JUST OUTLINED ALSO WHERE OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT IN YOUR PACKET, YOU WILL FIND OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY IS ALWAYS OPEN.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE WILL BE SENDING OUT IN ADVERTISING TO PEOPLE TO USE OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY, WHERE THEY ARE IN QUARANTINE.
UH, AND THESE WILL BE VERY USEFUL.
UH, AND, UH, SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR FIRST STEPS TO DO THAT.
IT SHOULD BE THE LAST THING IN YOUR PACKETS, UH, NEXT TO THE, BEFORE THE STAFF, NO, LIKE THE SAYING GOES, NEVER LET AN OPERA CRISIS PATENT, YOU KNOW, EVERY CRISIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE, TO SAVE THE LIBRARY AND USE AGAIN IN OTHER WAYS THAN EVER BEFORE ME.
AND, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, AS PART OF THE EFFORT, IF THERE IS A QUARANTINE AND WE HAVE TO CLOSE LIBRARIES, WE WILL ALSO BE SUSPENDING FINES AND FEES, UH, AND, AND EXTENDING THE LIBRARY.
CHECK-IN, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY DON'T INCUR OVERDUE FINES OR FEES, OR THEY'RE NOT CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED BY EMAIL SAYING, YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR BOOK BACK SO WE CAN DO ALL THAT IN OUR AUTOMATED SYSTEM.
UH, AND SO, UH, THAT'S PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, UH, OF OUR PROCESS AND PROCEDURES, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT STAGE, UH, OF SPIRES.
AND SO HOW WOULD THIS, THIS IS A TERRIFIC FLYER.
HOW WILL THIS BE AVAILABLE? IS THIS GOING TO BE, ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING ANYTHING IN NEWSPAPERS? WELL, ANYBODY THAT WILL TAKE IT, WE DO IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU KNOW, WE DO IT THROUGH ALL OF OUR PRESS, UH, UH, CONTACTS.
UH, EVEN WE HAVE TWO MAGAZINES THAT WE NOW WRITE ARTICLES FOR, UH, UM, MONTHLY.
AND SO WE'LL BE INSERTING THIS TYPE OF THING IN THEIR, IN THEIR MAGAZINES ALSO.
UM, NO OTHER QUESTIONS THEN PERSONNEL UPDATE.
THE LAST THING IN YOUR PACKET IS OUR ORGANIZATION CHART.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE GREEN, UH, ON THERE FOR STABBING THAT WE'RE NOW, UH, WE'VE GONE FROM FIVE, UH, VACANCIES TO FOUR, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER, WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW, UH, ON NEXT MONDAY FOR THE BOOKMOBILE LIBRARIAN, UH, POSITION.
UH, SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE HEADWAY, UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S TAKING US, UH, ABOUT AN AVERAGE OF 40 APPLICATIONS
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TO BEFORE WE CAN FIND A ONE OR TWO PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW.UH, AND THAT'S A SYMPTOM OF THE ECONOMY THAT, UH, EVERYBODY WHO IS FULLY QUALIFIED PRETTY MUCH HAS A JOB.
UH, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH MORE APPLICATIONS TO, UH, TO INTERVIEW, TO GET QUALIFIED PEOPLE FOR OUR POSITIONS.
UM, BUT, UH, SO WE'RE, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE LUCKY TO ONLY BE DOWN THIS, THIS FOR, UH, AND WE'LL KEEP TRYING TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
WE HAVE, UH, ONE NEW, UH, POSITION AT BUFORD, UH, THAT WAS VACANT WILL BE FILLED STARTING NEXT MONDAY.
UM, SO WE ARE MOVING THE HIRING PROCESS AND THE STAFFING PROCESS FORWARD, UM, PROJECTS UPDATE.
UH, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE IMPACT FEE STUDIES ARE IN PROCESS AND MOVING FORWARD, BUT NOT REALLY A LOT TO UPDATE ON THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, AND THEN FOR INDIVIDUAL FACILITIES PROJECTS, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, ON MY SPREADSHEET, UH, FACILITY SPREADSHEET AT THE END ON MY MONTHLY REPORT.
SO, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ALL ON, UH, UH, MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT, IF YOU'RE READY TO GO TO FINANCIAL.
SO FINANCIAL REPORT, UH, LIBRARY REVENUES, YOU'LL SEE, UH, UH, IN OUR FINANCIALS, OUR EXPENDITURE REPORT, WE ARE ON TRACK EVEN A LITTLE UNDER WHERE WE SHOULD BE THIS TIME OF YEAR.
UH, AND, UH, SO, UH, SO WE'RE DOING WELL WITH OUR BUDGET EXPENDITURES TO DATE.
UH, AND JOE WILL EXPAND UPON THAT IN HIS FINANCE, THE FINANCE CHAIRS REPORT.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE ON MY FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES.
HEY, BEN, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR RAY.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT INTO MR. BOGUS AND OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
WE GET TO THE EXCITING PART OF THIS MEETING AS USUAL.
I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL FUNDS PAGE, WHICH YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR PACKAGE AND WE'LL WORK FROM, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, UH, STATE AID, A LOTTERY, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THROUGH THE THIRD QUARTER 254,000.
WE'VE SPENT 209,000 LEAVING US WITH A BALANCE OF 44,000.
UM, IF YOU WENT TO, SO IN YOUR, IN YOUR MIND'S EYE, KEEP THAT 209,000 NUMBER IN PLACE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT THAT NUMBER AGAIN.
WHEN WE GET TO THE LIBRARY MATERIALS REPORT, DO YOU SEE HOW ALL OF THIS WERE THEY MIXED TOGETHER, UM, ON IMPACT PACE, WHICH IS THE SECOND COLUMN HERE, WE'RE AT 4.5 MILLION, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE WE WERE THE LAST TIME THAT WE MET.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE OBSERVING SOMETHING IS THAT LIBRARY IMPACT FEES ARE SORT OF SOMEWHAT DECLINING OVER TIME.
UM, WE'VE DURING THIS, DURING THIS PERIOD HERE, UM, WE SPENT ABOUT 63,000 ON HOOPLA, ROUGHLY 52,000 OF THAT 63, UH, CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE BUFORD ACCOUNT NOW TO PUT SOME OF THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, AS I SAID, WE'RE SEEING SOME DECLINES IN REVENUE, BUT OVER TIME, WE'RE STILL SAYING NET RESULTS.
LAST YEAR IN JANUARY, JANUARY OF 19, UH, WE REPORTED $3.7 MILLION BALANCE.
SO WE'VE, THERE'S A NET GAIN, BUT IT'S NOT AS BIG AS WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN PAST YEARS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST REFLECTIVE OF THE COUNTY BEING BUILT OUT.
BUT AGAIN, AS NEW CONSTRUCTION STARTS, WE'LL HELP TO SEE.
YOU HAVE TO SAY MORE, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE AT 4.59, WHICH IS A PRETTY HEALTHY NUMBER FOR US ON THE, ON THE SPECIAL TRUST.
REALLY NOTHING MUCH CHANGED HERE, OR $600,000 EXPENDITURE FOR BUFORD COUNTY FOR GRIFFITH DISTRICT COLLECTION.
BUT BASICALLY THAT IS UNCHANGED.
YEAH, NO CORRECTION THERE JUST 16,009 50.
WAIT, YOU PUT UP FOR A BIGGER NUMBER OUT.
JUST WANTED TO THROW $600 EXPENDITURE MADE THAT THERE WAS, THAT BASICALLY WERE UNCHANGED FROM THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD TO HERE.
SO OVERALL, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SPECIAL FUNDS WHERE WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, UH, MATERIAL X MATERIAL RECEIPTS, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT COMING IN FROM THE STATE AID LIBRARY, THAT LOOKS GOOD, IMPACT PHASE ARE HEALTHY AND SPECIAL TRUSTS.
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ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PAGE BEFORE, BEFORE? OKAY, GOOD.THE NEXT ONE IS REALLY OUR BUDGET UPDATE, WHICH IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE.
AND AT THIS POINT WHERE EIGHT MONTHS THROUGH THE YEAR, ROUGHLY TWO THIRDS OF OKAY.
UM, THE BOTTOM NUMBER BOTTOM LINE NUMBER IS REALLY THE CONTROLLING INTEREST.
WE ARE 66% OF THE, OF THE YEAR SPENT, BUT WE HAVE ONLY EXPENDED 63% OF OUR MONEY, WHICH IS AGAIN HEALTHY.
THE, SO YOU COULD SAY THE LACK OF EXPENDITURES AGAIN, REFLECTED IN WHAT RAY HAD SHOWN ON THE PERSONNEL REPORT THAT OUR VACANCIES THROUGHOUT, AND IT TAKES SOME TIME AND TAKE SOME JUDGMENT TO FILL THESE AND THOSE VACANCIES REALLY CREATE FUNDS THAT CAN BE USED ELSEWHERE WITHIN, WITHIN THE SYSTEM HERE.
SO ON THE BUDGET SIDE, WE ARE GOOD.
AND ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY.
THERE BEING NONE, WE'LL GET TO REALLY, WHETHER IT'S REALLY MY FAVORITE REPORT HERE, WHICH IS NEWPORT COUNTY MATERIAL EXPENDITURE.
AND AGAIN, BRANDON, AND WE'RE TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR.
AND YOU'D LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT.
WE HAVE SPENT 451,000, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY HEALTHY NUMBER, WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT WE'RE ON TRACK FOR ABOUT A $600,000 THING.
I GOT THAT RIGHT EXPENDITURE YEAR, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, UM, TO MY EYES.
AND, AND ALSO WHEN I TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LIBRARY OVER HERE IN THE PATRONAGE, GETTING MATERIALS ON THE SHELVES OR DIGITALLY AVAILABLE IS REALLY THE KEY TO THE WHOLE WHOLE THING.
GETTING BOOKS ON THE SHELVES BRINGS THE PEOPLE IN, BRINGS THE CIRCULATION OFF.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT MAKES THE LIBRARY, THE LIBRARY IN MY EYE.
I'D LIKE TO, AGAIN, JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION HERE.
208,000, WHICH IS REALLY COMING FROM STATE AID.
THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IN THIS, IN THIS COLLECTION HERE IS THAT IMPACT PHASE 173,000 FOR IMPACT PHASE THOUGH, BETWEEN STATE AID AND IMPACT REALLY SAYING THE BULK OF OUR, THE BULK OF OUR REVENUE, THE OTHER ITEMS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NOT AS SIGNIFICANT NUMERICALLY AS WHAT WE GET FROM STATE AID AND IMPACT FEES.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE, WE ARE ALLOWED TO SPEND 5% OF OUR IMPACT FEES ON MATERIAL PURCHASES, DRUG HERE.
SO AGAIN, THE HIGHER, THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BALANCE HERE, MORE THAN WE CAN DIRECT OVER TIME INTO THE LIBRARY MATERIALS.
ANY QUESTIONS HERE, EITHER RAY OR I CAN HANDLE ON THAT.
OKAY, JOE, BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD, GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT THIS FORUM.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FORM, THIS IS LIBRARY
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR FUND SOURCES COME FROM.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE, UH, BUFORD COUNTY, UH, FUNDING, WHICH IS, UH, BY ABOUT 95% OF OUR BUDGET ALL COMES FROM TAX APPROPRIATIONS THROUGH BUFORD COUNTY.
AND THEN WE GET STATE AID FUNDING, UH, OF, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, $283,908.
AND WE GOT SOME LOTTERY FUNDS, WHICH ARE NOT GUARANTEED EVERY YEAR.
AND SO WE NEVER COUNT ON THOSE, BUT WE DID GET SOME LAST YEAR FROM THE EDUCATION LOTTERY, UH, THE STATE AID, UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, NEGOTIATE WITH THE LEGISLATURE EVERY YEAR.
UH, YESTERDAY THE, UH, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED A, THEIR VERSION OF THIS YEAR'S BILL, UH, UH, FUNDING BILL.
AND FOR THAT, THEY DID, THEY INCREASED, THEY RECOMMENDED INCREASING LIBRARY, THIS LIBRARY SYSTEM, ANOTHER $43,000 IN STATE AID FOR THIS COMING YEAR, BUT IT STILL HAS TO GO TO THE SENATE FOR THEIR, UH, APPROPRIATIONS.
UH, AND THEN IT HAS TO GO TO THE GOVERNOR.
SO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS.
SO IT'LL BE JUNE BEFORE WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE BUDGET ALLOCATION IS.
IS THAT MONEY RESTRICTED AS TO CERTAIN EXPENDITURES? YEAH, IT IS TO SOME SOMEWHAT, BUT THERE IT'S NOT SEVERELY RESTRICTED, SO IT COULD BE USED FOR TECHNOLOGY.
IT COULD BE USED FOR MATERIALS.
IT COULD EVEN BE USED FOR STAFFING, BUT IT'S UNWISE TO DO THAT.
IF WE DON'T USE ALL OF IT BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR ON JUNE 30TH, DOES IT GO BACK? NO, BUT, BUT YOU HA WE HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT IT'S SPENT, SO WE HAVE TO EXPAND IT.
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ME, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.UM, WELL, THE COST, BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, THIS IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS.
NONE OF OUR, UH, COUNTY MONIES ARE ALLOCATED TO LIBRARY MATERIALS, HOWEVER, COUNTY COUNCIL THROUGH ORDINANCE, OR HAVE, UH, HAVE, UH, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS HAVE ALLOWED US TO DRAW IMPACT FEES TO SUPPLEMENT THIS STATE AID FUNDING FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH A HEALTHY NUMBER AS JOAN.
SO, UH, AND THEN YOU SEE THE IMPACT FEE NUMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY COLLECTED, UH, AND SPENT IN THAT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FRIENDS IN PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
THERE ARE ALSO NO FUNDS IN COUNTY, BUDGETED DOLLARS FOR PROGRAMMING, CHILDREN, OR ADULT.
ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THAT IS PAID THROUGH THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND OR THE FRIENDS OF THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM BLOCK AND BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD AND BUFORD.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THESE FUNDING SOURCES, WHAT THEY GO FOR EVERY YEAR.
AND IF WE LOSE ONE OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES, IF THERE'S AN ECONOMY DOWNTURN, THEN A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS, BASICALLY ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO DECLINE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THESE FUNDS SOURCES, HOW WE RECEIVED THESE, WHAT WE SPEND THEM ON AND HOW COMPLICATED IT TRULY IS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT WE, UM, WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS TO OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF BEAVER COUNTY AND OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUPS.
AND YOU'LL HEAR DIFFERENT TRUSTEES REPORT ON THEIR VISITS TO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, BUT WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO JOIN THESE GROUPS.
THEY ARE REALLY PART OF THE BACKBONE OF OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS. SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.
THE USE OF THE BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY WAS EMPHASIZED LAST SATURDAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BUFORD CAMPUS, WHEN READ ACROSS AMERICA WAS CELEBRATED 630 GRADE SCHOOL KIDS TO THE UNIVERSITY.
AND, UH, JUST INTRODUCED THEM TO THE BOOKS.
MOST OF THEM WERE KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE.
AND, UH, SO IT'S A THERAPY DOG GROUP MEMBER.
I WAS THERE WITH MY GROUP AND, UH, THE KIDS HAD A GREAT TIME.
PLUS THEY ALSO MAULED THE HECK OUT OF MY CONGRESSMAN WILL, THERE'LL BE 10 OF THEM AROUND HIM, PATTING HIM LIKE THIS, AND HE'S GOING, UH, FERNIE, WHEN DO I GET HIGH HERE? ANYWAY, THAT'S A LITTLE HUMOR.
SO JOE, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, UM, GIVEN THE STOCK MARKET AND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE COULD GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WERE ON THE BOARD IN 2008 WHEN WE HAD THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND GOING INTO A RECESSION AND HAD, YOU KNOW, SO LONG TO CLIMB OUT OF THAT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AT MAYBE THE NEXT MEETING IN MAY, WOULD GIVE SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT THE LESSONS LEARNED WERE AND WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE HERE.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA ECONOMICALLY HOW THINGS ARE IN MAY, BUT I ALSO THINK, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE IMPACT WAS BACK IN 2008, RAY WASN'T EVEN HERE THEN
AND YOU REALIZE THAT REALLY, YEAH.
A MAJOR PORTION OF IT COMES FROM, FROM THE COUNTY, BUT YET THE SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF IT COMES FROM OTHER SOURCES.
AND THESE SOURCES ARE REALLY WHAT MAKES THE LIBRARY, THE LIBRARY, OBVIOUSLY THE COUNTY PROVIDES US WITH THE WHEREWITHAL TO HIT THE BUILDINGS, TO LIGHT IT, YOU KNOW, TO HIRE STAFF AND STAFF.
FOR ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE.
BUT JEFF, WHAT WE FELT, BRINGING IT, BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE LIBRARY IS REALLY THE PROGRAMS THAT RAN MENTIONED THE MEETING ROOMS AND THE MATERIALS, UM, BACK AT THAT TIME.
IT WAS REALLY A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
UM, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LIBRARY SHELVES.
NO BOOKS ARE UP THERE BECAUSE AT, AT THAT TIME, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS, WAS REALLY THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, UM, PROPERTY VALUES DECLINE, AND WHAT PROPERTY VALUE IS DECLINING COUNTY REVENUE GOES DOWN
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AND THE LIBRARY BECAUSE IT IS A MAJOR EMPLOYER OF STAFF.AND I THINK AT THAT TIME WE WERE NUMBER TWO AFTER PARKS AND RECREATION IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY, UM, WAS PRIME TARGET FOR REALLY STAFF REDUCTIONS.
SO IN ADDITION TO MATERIALS BEING CUT BACK, UH, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IMPACT FEE ACCESS TO MATURE THOSE DOLLARS AT THAT POINT, RIGHT? WE WERE ALSO SEEING STAFF NUMBERS COME VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
WE PUT TOGETHER A DOG AND PONY SHOW THAT WENT BEFORE KEY MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL, TRYING TO SELL THEM ON THE IDEA THAT WE REALLY NEED MONEY INTO THE LIBRARY TO KEEP IT GOING AND LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE.
AND I, I WAS INVOLVED WITH THIS AND REALLY YOU COULD CORRELATE THE CENTER VISITS AND CIRCULATION TOGETHER WITH MATERIAL DOLLARS THAT YOU HAD THAT WERE BEING SPENT.
AND WITHOUT THE MATERIAL DOLLARS WHERE WE'RE SEEING ALSO SAYING CIRCULATION AND VISITORS DECLINE.
SO IT'S ESSENTIAL TO KEEP THIS GOING.
AND IT'S ESSENTIAL AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO RECOGNIZE WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE.
YOU HAVE THE FRIENDS, YOU HAVE THE IMPACT FACE, AND YOU HAVE STATE STATE RESOURCES.
AND BETWEEN THAT, THAT REALLY CONSTITUTES THE BULK OF YOUR MATERIAL DOLLARS HIT ANY ONE OF THOSE AND A NUMBER OF START DECLINING.
AND AGAIN, IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OR PROBABILITY OF A RECESSION FACING US.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING PRICES, DECLINE COUNTY REVENUE DECLINES, AND THE COUNTY OF COURSE WILL DO WHAT IT HAS TO DO.
AND IT HAS TO LOOK AT PLACES TO CUT BACK TO THEM, TO BALANCE ITS BUDGET.
THE LIBRARY IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE PORTIONS.
UM, WE, AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
UH, WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR IMPACT FEE ACCOUNT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ACCOUNT THAT WE DRAW ON TO PULL 5% OUT FOR MATERIALS.
SO WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT AND VERY AWARE OF IT AND RECOGNIZE WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE IN THE BACK.
BACK IN 13, WHEN JOE AND I WERE, WE WERE, I WAS THE NEW FINANCE CHAIR AND WE HAD TO GO IN FRONT OF COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE EVERY, THERE WERE SUSTAINING CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE ACTUALLY HAD REDUCED HOURS, IF YOU RECALL, AND REALLY HIT THE COMMUNITY HARD WITH REDUCED HOURS.
BUT THE PRACTICALITY IS WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE COUNCIL, THEY HAVE TO DO, YOU KNOW, FIRE PREVENTION.
THEY HAVE TO DO ALL THE OTHER AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE ONE LITTLE PART OF IT.
WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE IN FEBRUARY THAT YEAR.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR THE, TO KEEP OPEN, BUT THEY REARRANGED THINGS, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE HIT OUR BIGGEST LOW RIGHT THERE.
SHELVES WERE EMPTY OF BOOKS OF NEW BOOKS.
SO, UM, WE'VE COME A GIANT STEP SINCE GIANT, THE FUNDING CAME BACK STARTING AROUND 14, CORRECT? OR SO UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION HERE PRIOR TO RE CORRECT, THE LEADERSHIP WAS VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE IT TOOK OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN BUDGET PRODUCTION AND MEANING TO WHAT YOU SAID, SHORTENED HOURS CLOSE SEVERAL MONTHS EARLY IN THE ECONOMY RECOVERED.
AND THEY STARTED PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
UH, SO WE HOPE WE DON'T SEE THAT AS A RESULT OF THEY'LL HAVE, THE POWERPOINT WAS LET'S MAKE A DEAL.
I DID A POWERPOINT, LET'S MAKE A DEAL AND A DOOR NUMBER ONE, DOOR, NUMBER TWO, DUMB NUMBER THREE.
IT WAS KIND OF, IT WAS, WELL, WHAT STRIKES ME ABOUT THAT COMMENT IS THAT THAT'S FIVE YEARS POST 2008 WHEN THERE WERE SESSIONS, BUT THE COUNTY HAD TO REALLY TIGHTEN UP.
SO, SO I MEAN, IF WE'RE IN THAT SITUATION BASED ON CORONA VIRUS WORLDWIDE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL HERE.
MONICA WANTED TO SAY, OH, MONICA.
YES, I WAS HERE DURING THAT TIME TOO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, IT WAS NOT JUST THE LIBRARIES, BUT EVEN DURING THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE HAD FURLOUGHS THAT YEAR.
AND I BELIEVE AT THE TIME WE ALL HAD TO TAKE FIVE DAYS ON UNPAID LEAVE THAT YEAR TO HELP MAKE ENDS MEET.
AND BASED ON MY EXPERIENCES DURING THAT TIME IN ANOTHER LIBRARY SYSTEM, I'VE WORKED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS WITH THE FRIENDS AND TO BUILD UP THEIR RESERVES.
AND SO THEY ARE ALL, UH, HEALTHY, UH, UM, AS FAR AS THEIR FUNDS AT THIS POINT, UH, UM, BECAUSE I'M ENCOURAGING TO DO THAT, UH, SO THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE THAT DOWNTURN AND HISTORICALLY YOU WILL SEE THAT IT'S ALL CYCLICAL,
[00:30:01]
UH, AND SO THAT THEY ARE READY ALSO TO SUPPORT US IN THOSE THERE'S DIFFERENT TIMES.SO, SO WE ARE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE PREPARED AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME AND WE'VE COME BACK QUITE A WHILE.
AND ACTUALLY AT THIS POINT, WE ARE BETTER THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
HOWEVER, IT DID TAKE YEARS TO COME TOGETHER AND WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT AWARE, WHEREVER THE CONSEQUENCES.
AND I THINK PROBABLY EDUCATED BY OUR EXPERIENCE BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RIGHT STRATEGIC DECISIONS.
NOW, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO REPORT TO THE BOARD, UM, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT WE DISCONTINUED A REPORT TO YOU, WHICH LISTS INCOME THAT COMES IN FROM, UM, LIBRARY SOURCES, THE FINES AND FEES AND OTHER, UH, ANOTHER CHARGES THAT COMES IN.
AND THEN THAT NUMBER IS RECONCILED WITH THE BB AND T BANK ACCOUNT.
AND I'VE REPORTED TO YOU OVER THE, OVER THE MONTHS THAT THIS ACCOUNT WAS GAINING A VERY, VERY HIGH BALANCE NUMBER.
AND I TOOK THIS CONCERN OF MINE TO COUNTY TREASURER, WHO WAS VERY RECEPTIVE.
AND I AM PLEASED TO REPORT TO THE LIBRARY BOARD THAT AS OF LAST MONTH, A $170,000 WAS TAKEN FROM THE BB AND T ACCOUNT AND PUT TO BETTER USE WITHIN THE COUNTY.
AND I THINK THE MORAL OF THE STORY, AT LEAST WHAT I'M WALKING AWAY WITH IS THAT WE HAVE A JOB TO DO HERE.
AND OVER TIME WE DO MAKE AN IMPACT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT JUST IMPLIED, THIS HAS HAPPENED, BUT IT'S A REFLECTION OF ALL OF US HERE THAT WE DO IN FACT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ACCOUNTING FOR SOME TIME AND THE EFFORT THAT WE PUT INTO THIS.
NOW WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET YESTERDAY AND WHAT, AND I BELIEVE THIS, THIS IS A NEVER WENT BACK.
IT'S THE ONE WITH THE PAPERCLIP ON IT.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO TURN TO FOR A MOMENT IS REALLY THE BUDGET SIDE OF THIS.
AND YOU'LL SEE YOUR FAMILIAR BUDGET PAGE HERE, AND IT'S HEADED OFF WITH PROPOSED 20, 21.
SO THIS IS OUR BUDGET PACKET IN THE REQUIRED FORMAT TO THE NEW FORMAT FOR COUNTY, UH, SUBMISSION TO THE COUNTY, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
SO THIS, UH, WAS WHAT YOU WILL SEE, AND THIS WILL ALL, UH, GO FORWARD AND THEN BE REVIEWED BY COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
UH, WE HAVE TO DETAIL AND JUSTIFY EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT IN THIS.
UH, UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, THIS COVER SHEET, UH, OR, UH, REALLY TALKS ABOUT OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND, AND TAKES YOU THROUGH THE WHOLE, UH, REASON FOR OUR BUDGET, UH, OUR STAFFING, ET CETERA.
AND SO THIS THEN WOULD GO INTO A DETAILED BUDGET BOOK WITH ALL OF THIS ONCE APPROVED BY COUNTY ADMINISTRATION COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WE'LL BE IN A FINAL PUBLISHED DOCUMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SOMETIME IN BUFORD COUNTY.
SO, UH, SO THIS IS A SUBMISSION THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED.
SO, UH, THIS IS OUR SUBMISSION AND WE BRIEFED THIS TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, BEFORE SUBMITTING IT.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO ADD, JUST IN TERMS OF GENERAL BACKGROUND, IS THAT AS RAY SAID, WE PULLED TOGETHER A SPECIAL MADE END OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
I THINK THIS WAS FEBRUARY 14TH IN THE AFTERNOON.
AND THE INTENT WAS REALLY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS AND INPUT REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN CHANGED BY THE COUNTY.
AND RAY HAD TO GET THIS IN AND FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS PULLED TOGETHER.
WE REVIEWED THE SUBMISSION HERE AND BASICALLY RATIFIED IT AS DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
THIS IS A BUDGET NEUTRAL PROPOSAL, AND THAT THE NUMBERS HAVEN'T CHANGED FROM 2020 TO 2021.
AND WE ARE AT SORT OF FULL CAPACITY WITHIN A LIBRARY HERE.
UM, IN ADDITION, THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER AND THIS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AS RAY SAID, AND IT GOES TO THE COUNTY BUDGET CYCLE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WAS AN UPDATE TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH ARE TWO PAGES THAT ARE PART OF THIS PACKAGE.
AND LET ME STUMBLE THROUGH THIS AS BEST I CAN.
UM, IN THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS, THERE IS A LIBRARY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN PLACE CALLING FOR AN EXPENDITURE OF $74 MILLION OVER TIME.
[00:35:01]
IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CHANGED TO A MORE REASONABLE NUMBER OF 12 MILLION.OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET 74 MILLION, NO WAY THE $12 MILLION IS A MORE REASONABLE NUMBER AND READ IT REFLECTS THE THREE THINGS.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE NEW RIVERSIDE LIBRARY BRANCH THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
AND THAT COMES IN AT $6.7 MILLION.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A LIBRARY STORAGE ROOM CONVERSION OF SMALLER NUMBER ABOUT 75 MILLION, 75,000.
AND THE REST OF IT IS REALLY THE BURTON WELLS LIBRARY PROPOSAL THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO THOSE THREE THINGS WOULD CONSTITUTE A NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OF ABOUT $12 MILLION, RIGHT? SO FAR I'LL GIVE THE TIMEFRAME FOR THAT 12 MILLION OVER WHAT TIMEFRAME SO MILLION OVER THERE.
IT DEPENDS ON THE, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE ADDITIONAL DETAIL, NUMBER ONE, THE CURRENT, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR FACILITIES, THE LIBRARY PORTION OF THAT AS JOE STATED, $74 MILLION FOR, UH, FIVE NEW LIBRARY BRANCHES, UH, AND THREE RENOVATIONS, UH, THAT WOULD TOTAL THAT 74 MILLION THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED OR INSTITUTED, UH, IN 2010.
SO THIS WAS THE CURRENCY, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LIBRARY PORTION.
SO, UH, LOOKING AT THAT, WHEN I, I GOT HERE, WE CLEARLY SAW HOW UNREALISTIC THAT WAS THAT NUMBER AND THE NEEDS AND NEEDS CHANGE FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES OVER TIME.
SO WE, WE QUICKLY REVIEWED WITH, UH, THE, THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES BACK IN 2016.
UH, IN JANUARY, I BOUGHT FORWARD A NEW PROPOSED CIP SECTION, UH, WHICH, UH, THE COUNTY DOESN'T DO SEPARATE CIP DEPARTMENTS.
LIKE THEY WOULDN'T DO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM WITHOUT DOING A COMPREHENSIVE ALL DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO THE CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER, UH, WAS DUE TO END IN 2021.
SO, UH, BUT, UH, THAT BY STATE LAW THAT CARRIES ON UNTIL COUNTY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES AND APPROVES A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO BACK IN 2016, WE REWROTE AND PROPOSE AND DRAFTED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE COUNTY IS NOW IN THE PROCESS, UH, WITH CONSULTANTS AND EVERYTHING TO DEVELOP THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE LAND AND THEIR NEW PROPOSAL THAN SHOULD BE WITHIN THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE A BLUE OR APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO THIS IS SIMPLY, UH, GOING INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT THAT WE THINK WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR COUNCILS, UH, REVIEW, UH, TO LOOK AT AND THEN DECIDE HOW TO FUND.
SO IT'S PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
IT'S PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IT.
SO WE'RE UNDER THE CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE'VE ALREADY DRAFTED A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THAT.
HOWEVER, COUNSEL HAS NOT ADOPTED, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING AT ALL DEPARTMENTS AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SET PROCESS FOR THAT.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE ADOPTED.
UH, AND AS, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CONCLUDED THIS YEAR.
UH, AND OF COURSE THAT WITH THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING, IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO BE REALISTIC LOOKING AT FUND SOURCES AND EVERYTHING AND HOW WE MIGHT GET THERE, BUT IT'S TOTALLY UP TO COUNTY COUNCIL TO MODIFY, APPROVE, CANCEL, UH, THIS GOING FORWARD AND TO DETERMINE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FIDUCIARY FOR OUR FUNDS, FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM AS TO HOW THIS GOING FORWARD WOULD POTENTIALLY BE FUNNY.
UH, SO WITHOUT GETTING INTO TOO MUCH MORE DETAILED, JOE, I'LL THROW IT BACK.
I HAVEN'T, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S,
THIS IS A, AN ENGINE WITH MANY MOVING PARTS.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT IS IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND HOW IT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME.
AND I THINK IT HAS CHANGED AS FAR MORE REALISTIC THAN SOME HAVE BEEN BEFORE NOW.
RAY SHARED SOMETHING WITH ME BEFORE, WHICH HE HAD SHOWN, BUT YEAH, I DIDN'T QUITE REMEMBER IT.
AND THAT'S WHERE DOES THE, WHERE DOES THE FUNDING COME FROM FOR THE $74 MILLION? AND REALLY THE BULK OF IT WAS REALLY A COUNTY FUNDS WITH JUST A MINOR PORTION COMING FROM IMPACT FEES.
NOW, WILL THAT BE THE CASE FOR OUR 12 MILLION THAT'S IN THE HANDS OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO DETERMINE HOW THAT IS FUNDED? OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT
[00:40:01]
$12 MILLION EXPENDITURE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THAT ABOUT AN IMPACT FOR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN ERROR.SO OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL COUNTY CONTRIBUTION COMING TO MAKE THIS THING A REALITY.
SO THERE WAS 74 MILLION IN THE COUNTY IMPROVEMENT PLAN, UM, BETWEEN 2010 OR 2020, WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SPENT $12 MILLION FOR THE ST HELENA LIBRARY.
THIS IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT THIS IS THE CURRENT CIP WITH FUND SOURCES AND APPROVED APPROXIMATE COSTS FROM 2010.
SO IT SHOWS ALL OF THOSE NEW LIBRARIES THAT WERE PROPOSED, HOW MUCH THEY WOULD COST AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND WHAT THE FUND SOURCE WOULD BE.
AND FOR ALL OF THOSE, IT WAS 25% IN LIBRARY IMPACT FEES, 75% GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, RIGHT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT 12 MILLION FOR 24, 2020 TO 2030 IN PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, IT'S 12 MILLION, 12 MILLION BASICALLY.
MA'AM THE 12 MILLION WAS A GRANT FROM US.
IT'S NOT A GRANT, IT'S A LOAN, IT'S A LOW INCOME ST.
HELENA LIBRARY COSTS, UH, $12 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT.
AND, UH, SO 50% OF THAT WAS A USDA LOW-INTEREST LOAN THAT WILL NOT BE REPAID UNTIL 2042.
ANYTHING ELSE, JOE? I THINK THAT'S QUITE ENOUGH.
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FROM ANYBODY QUESTION FOR JOE? HOLD ON.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE ON, UH, LYNN MILLER IS THE TRUSTEE THAT ATTENDS THE FOUNDATION MEETINGS AND SHE HAS SENT HER REPORTS.
THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN RAISED $20,000.
THERE WAS A $50,000 DONATION MADE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY BRANCHES NORTH OF THE BROAD BY THE ALLEN MASA STATE FASHION SHOW.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED IT AND ATTENDED THE EVENT.
EVERYONE GOT THERE EARLY AND MADE LOTS OF BIDS AND BOUGHT LOTS OF RAFFLE TICKETS.
UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THE CREDIT CARD READER, WHICH SHE'S THINKS HELP PEOPLE LOOSEN THEIR WALLETS TO SAY, SO THEY GET YOU CREDIT CARD TOMORROW.
THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT THE PROFIT ACTUALLY WAS, AND THEY REALLY FEEL IT'S CONTRIBUTED TO A BETTER YEAR FOR THE FOUNDATION.
SO THANK LYNN FOR THAT REPORT, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
UM, LET'S DO BUFORD, BRENDA, YOU'RE ON THAT ONE.
SO I KNOW I, I WASN'T ABLE TO DO FEBRUARY.
IT WAS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER, HOW THEY HAD A RECENT ONE.
AND IT WAS A, IT WASN'T A CATCH-UP MEETING INSTEAD OF A, UM, AND SO I ATTENDED THAT.
AND SO THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF UPDATES EXCEPT FOR THEY HAD A, UH, A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT BOOKS SANDWICHED IN.
AND SO THEY ALMOST DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY MADE ON THAT, UH, FUNDRAISER THIS YEAR FROM LAST.
AND SO THEY, THEY ALSO ARE HAVING A, AN EXTREMELY GOOD YEAR BETWEEN THEIR, UH, WATERFRONT PARK BOOK SALE, UH, AND A BOOK SANDWICH STAND, WHICH ARE THEIR TWO MAIN FUNDRAISERS.
AND SO THEY, THEY ARE VERY ECSTATIC AND VERY HAPPY WITH, UH, THEIR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS THIS YEAR.
AND THEY ARE ALSO ALL OF THE FRIENDS AND THE FOUNDATION, UH, HAVE CONTRIBUTED, UH, A SET AMOUNT TO THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE DOUBLED OUR NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS OVER 7,000.
UH, AND THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF BEAVER COUNTY IS THE PRIMARY FUNDER OF THAT.
SO THEY LAST YEAR, UH, AND THIS YEAR THEY WILL GIVE $10,000 TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, SOLELY, UH, AS THE PRIMARY IMPETUS FOR, UH, THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
UM, BLUFFTON FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, LAURA AND ROZ LITTLE RAZ ISN'T WITH US.
UM, LIKE JAMES, UM, OUR MEETING IN BLUFFTON WAS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER AND RESCHEDULED AND ON THE RESCHEDULED DATE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
SO THEY, UH, YOU GIVE THE REPORTS SO SOME MONTHS I HAVE FIVE BOARD MEETINGS, UH, UM, SO, UH, THEY, THEY ARE ALSO DOING WELL.
THEY HAVE A PRETTY NEW RECONSTITUTED BOARD.
UH, THEY ARE LOOKING AT FUNDRAISERS AND, UH, OTHER THINGS, UH, AND ALL OF THE FRIENDS AND THE FOUNDATION ARE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA LIBRARIES CONFERENCE, UH, GOING TO BE HELD AT THE ST.
SO THE CO-SPONSORS OF THAT FIRST, EVER IN THE STATE CONFERENCE.
SO ALL FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES FROM ALL OVER SOUTH CAROLINA WILL CONVERGE HERE IN BUFORD.
UH, THE SECOND AND 3RD OF APRIL, UH, THE FRIENDS OF ALL THREE OF OUR FRIENDS GROUPS, UH, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, UH, BEAVER COUNTY AND THE PAT
[00:45:01]
COMRIE LITERARY CENTER, UH, LITERACY CENTER ARE ALL CO-SPONSORS OF THAT EVENT.UH, SO WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED, UH, FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES, UH, COMING TO ATTEND THAT, UH, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, YOU SHOULD GO TO THAT.
BUT, UH, BLUFFTON ALSO IS DOING WELL.
JUST ONE POINT FOR WHATEVER WE GOT ANNOUNCING THIS FIRST ANNUAL FRIENDS STATEWIDE CONVENTION, UH, WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE IT SAID THE PRESENTATION WAS GOING TO BE ON FRIDAY THE SECOND.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW.
AND THAT'S BEEN CORRECTED, BUT THE MAIN, THE MAIN PART OF IT.
SO THE, ON THE SECOND, THEY WILL PRIMARILY BE HERE AND HAVING SUPPER IN BUFORD, BUT THEY'RE STAYING AT HOTELS DOWNTOWN, AND THEN THEY WILL BE GOING, UH, DOING A FUNCTION AT THE PACK HOUSE, ROY LITERARY FLEET CENTER THAT EVENING.
AND THEN THE MAIN CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME HELL IN THE LIBRARY BEGINNING AT EIGHT 30 ON FRIDAY, THE 3RD OF APRIL.
UM, LYNN IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO THE HILTON HEAD FRIENDS OF LIBRARY.
SHE SENT A REPORT, I'LL READ IT.
THERE WAS A REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE SPONSORED LAST YEAR.
THE FRIENDS OF HILTON HEAD LIBRARY ARE ALSO UPDATING THEIR BOOKSTORE AND ADDING SOME FURNITURE IN THE LOBBY.
THE OUTDOOR SIGN IS DIFFICULT TO SEE, AND APPARENTLY IT WAS LIGHTED AT ONE TIME.
SO THE COUNTY IS NOW REWIRING IT AND HAVING IT POWER WASH.
SO IT WILL BE VERY NOTICEABLE AND WELL LIT.
THERE ARE THREE POSITIONS THAT WILL SOON BE OPEN ON THE HILTON HEAD, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOARD, JULIE, WHO IS THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN, TALKED ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN NASHVILLE.
I ASSUME SHE WENT BEFORE THE TORNADO.
ONE OF THE SESSIONS THAT SHE ATTENDED FOCUSED ON THE INTERNET AND THE MANY WAYS THAT CHILDREN ARE VULNERABLE.
JULIE ALSO SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS AWARE OF MOST EVERYTHING, BUT SHE LEARNED QUITE A BIT MORE.
AND THE FRIEND SPONSORED THAT, THAT CONFERENCE TRIP.
LYNN MILLER, JANET PORTER, AND TERRY THOMAS TERRIER, JANET OR ROSS.
DO YOU HAVE RISES ON THE PHONE? IS THERE A REPORT? UM, RIGHT NOW THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO REPORT EXCEPT FOR THE, UM, TWO ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITION TO THE CIRCULATION POLICIES THAT, UM, WAS REQUESTED BY THE LIBRARY STAFF ON NUMBER SIX, UM, REGARDING FINES AND FEES ON INTERLIBRARY LOAN FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY IN THE UNITED STATES STATE.
AND NUMBER SEVEN IS, UH, IF APART FROM OF RETURNING AN ITEM ON THE FIFTH DATE AND THEY CANNOT RENEW THE ITEM, UM, I, AND THE REST OF THE BOARD HAD NO PROBLEM WITH BOTH OF THE STATEMENT.
WE REQUESTED THAT IN NUMBER SEVEN, IN STEAD OF USING BACK TO THE LOANING LIBRARY, IT WOULD BE BETTER SOUNDING IF IT WERE BACK TO THE LENDING LIBRARY, A COPY OF THE TWO PHRASES SHOULD BE IN THE PACKET.
UM, SO THIS ONE HERE INTERLIBRARY LOAN.
IT WAS THE RED TO, TO, UH, ADDITIONS FOR IF I WAS TO DO, AND EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE STAY WITH THE MOTION IS SO EARLY ANIKA, PUT IT IN THE RECORD TO THE MOTION IS TO ACCEPT THE CHANGES AS PRESENTED FROM THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND SECONDED BY BERNIE ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PASSING AYE, ANYBODY OPPOSED? THANK YOU, ROSS.
I'M PUTTING THAT THROUGH FOR THE POLICY CHANGE.
YOU HAVE ANY MORE AND MORE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, I DO WANT TO CALL ATTENTION RAY PUT IN OUR PACKET, THE, UM, POLICY REVIEW THAT IT'S SUGGESTED THEY BE UPDATED.
JANET HAD REQUESTED THIS AND THANK YOU.
UH, AND SO WE JUST PUT, UH, PUT TOGETHER A SMALL CHART THAT SAYS WHEN OUR POLICIES WERE LAST UPDATED SO THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT THOSE.
UH, AND, UH, WE NORMALLY STAFF NORMALLY WHEN WE SEE A NEED, THEN WE DRAFTED AND, UH, UH, SEND IT TO THE APPROPRIATE, UH, THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE FOR A REVIEW, AND THEN BRING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE, UH, OTHER THAN WHAT WAS JUST VOTED ON.
WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES AT THIS TIME.
UH, BUT JANET HAD PROPOSED THAT MAY, WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT A SCHEDULE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY SO, SO
[00:50:01]
MUCH TIME IN BETWEEN TO, UH, DO A CONSISTENT REVIEW OF POLICIES AS THE AGE.AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
SO THIS IS THE STARTING POINT FOR, UH, TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING THAT.
AND JANET, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER ON THAT, I CAN KNOW WITH A LOT OF ACCREDITING BODIES AND ACCREDITING BODIES USUALLY REQUEST THAT THERE BE SOME, YOU KNOW, REVIEW EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RELEVANT.
SO I THINK, UH, US LOOKING AT THE ONES THAT WERE UPDATED, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 14 AND 15 AND EIGHT AND NINE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST GOOD PRACTICE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BEST PRACTICE TO DO THAT WITH YOU.
I JUST ASKED RAY OF THE WEBSITE USER AGREEMENT ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2009.
IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED AND RIGHT, RIGHT.
THAT ONE STICKS OUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'LL TALK WITH ROSALIE, BUT I THINK WE'LL START WITH THE OLDEST ONES, THE OLDER, ALL THIS THREE OR FOUR, AND TRY TO MAKE SURE WE GET THOSE REVIEWS FOR SURE.
UH, WE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, AS WE LOOKED AT THESE CHANGES AS JESUS VOTED ON AS STAFF LAW, THAT WE, WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR CIRCULATION POLICY ALREADY.
UH, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE STAFF PROCEDURES FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL BRING TO YOU, UH, ANY, ANY CHANGES ON THE POLICY SIDE.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST, UH, EVEN WHEN WE UPDATED THIS A YEAR AGO AND ALREADY CIRCULATION, UH, PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED SOMEWHAT.
AND SO WE, WE FOUND THAT WE NEED TO REVIEW THOSE AND WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU AT THE END CAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A LENGTHIER DISCUSSION.
JUST LET ME FLY THROUGH CHALLENGE MATERIALS.
THERE ARE NONE CHALLENGES, UM, LIBRARY FACILITIES, YOU HAVE A BRIEF REPORT, BERNIE, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, PROGRESS ON THE NEW PROPOSAL LIBRARY IN BLUFFTON IS, UH, MOVING ALONG BECAUSE IT'S IN A GOVERNMENT SITUATION.
IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN MAYBE A GENERAL COMMERCIAL PRACTICE.
UH, WE HAVE A BUDGET IT'S TENTATIVELY BEEN APPROVED, UH, TOTALING 6.720 6,000,007 24, THE COST OF THE BUILDING AND SO FORTH, BERNIE CLARIFICATION, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT IS NOT APPROVED.
THAT IS A PROPOSED YES PROPOSALS, RIGHT? AND THEN THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR, UH, THIS NEW LIBRARY IS ATTACHED ALONG WITH THAT.
UH, AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'LL READ ALONG, UM, WE HAVE A PROPOSED LETTER, WHICH I WILL READ, AND THIS LETTER WILL BE ASKED TO BE SIGNED BY ANNA MARIE.
TABERNAC OUR CHAIR, BUT IT IS THROUGH ALICE HOWARD BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER, A PENCIL LIAISON TO THE LIBRARY BOARD.
ALICE IS HERE, WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.
RIGHT? UH, AND IT'S TO LAWRENCE P UH, MICK ELLEN DO FOR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER, CHAIRMAN COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, DEAR SIR, ON BEHALF OF THE BEAVER COUNTY LIBRARY, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WE REQUEST YOU FOR COUNTY COUNCIL.
WE HAD THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SUBMIT A LETTER OF INTEREST HE'LL COMMITMENT, INTEREST TO THE BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF IT, POTENTIAL LIBRARY, FACILITY, CIVIC SPACE IN THE NEW RIVERSIDE DEVELOPMENT, UH, INTERSECTION OF ONE 70 AND ONE 46, THE CURRENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR BUFORD COUNTY SPECIFIES A POTENTIAL NEW LIBRARY BRANCH TO ACCOMMODATE POPULATION GROWTH IN THE BOSTON AREA.
THE BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED THIS DEVELOPMENT ON FEBRUARY THE 11TH, 2020.
SO THAT'S ONE MONTH PRIOR TO TODAY IN A LETTER OF INTEREST FROM BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL TO THE BLUFFTON, THE TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORTING A POTENTIAL COUNTY LIBRARY FACILITY SLASH CIVIC SPACE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND EXPEDITING THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
PLEASE ACCEPT THIS LETTER AS SUPPORT FROM THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SO IT'S NOT A COMMITMENT, IT'S A LETTER OF INTEREST.
THEY STILL OF USE TO THE DEVELOPER AND ABUSE TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL.
CAN I HAVE APPROVAL FROM THE TRUSTEES TO SIGN THE LETTER AND SUBMIT IT ALL IN FAVOR, ANYONE OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
IS IT SOUTH CAROLINA? ONE 70 AND ONE 46 OR 46 40.
THAT'S NOT IT RIGHT ON THE MAP.
I HAVE IT'S LIST OF THERE'S ONE 40.
YEAH, IT'S 46 AND I'M TERRIBLE AT DIRECTIONS, BUT THAT ONE I GOT,
[00:55:02]
THAT'S LIKE A PLUS FOR ME TODAY.THANK YOU, BERNIE FOR YOUR REPORT.
UM, NOW I'D LIKE TO GO STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IT'LL BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
IT'S JANET PORTER IS OUR CHAIR.
I SERVED BRENDA LADSON, POWELL, LYNN MILLER, TRACY ROBINSON.
AND WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TODAY.
I'D LIKE TO EVERETT JOHNSON AND ALSO AMANDA THIS TABLE.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SIDE SINCE WE LAST MET.
UM, AND UM, I WANT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT AMANDA AND DEBRA AND, UH, RAY AND I MET A COUPLE OF TIMES TO KIND OF REALLY DEVELOP, UH, WHAT THE APPROACH SHOULD BE.
UM, AND, UH, WHAT THE TIMING, WHAT THE SEQUENCING, ALL OF THAT WOULD BE.
UM, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, UH, DEBRA DEBRA WAS A COUNTY LIBRARY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR MANY YEARS.
AND IN FACT, CHAIRED THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT AND DID A PHENOMENAL JOB, UH, RESULTING IN, UM, THE CURRENT CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THE LIBRARY IS UNDER RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN RIGHT NOW THAT CULMINATES IN 2020.
SO OUR MISSION IS TO HAVE A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN THAT STARTS AND SERVES FOR 2122, 23.
UM, DEBRA, UH, DID A GREAT JOB AT CHAIRING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND IS A CONSULTANT ACTUALLY IN STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO WE HAVE HIRED HER IN THAT CAPACITY.
A MANDATE IS ALSO STAFFING THE COMMITTEE AND HAS DONE A TERRIFIC JOB GETTING US ORGANIZED SO FAR.
WE HAD OUR FIRST, WE PUT TOGETHER A STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND WE JUST HEARD ANNA MARIE REFERENCE THE PEOPLE WE'VE ADDED PEOPLE LIKE JAMES MORRELL.
SO WE HAVE GREAT, GREAT REPRESENTATION.
WE'VE ALSO HAVE, UM, THREE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DIANE BERMAN FROM THE WHO'S PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY, MELISSA MURRAY, WHO'S THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ARTS COORDINATOR FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND VICTORIA SMALL DIRECTOR OF ART HISTORY AND CULTURE AT THE PENN CENTER.
AND SO THIS TEAM PLUS THE SIX, THE SIX BOARD MEMBERS PLUS THEM REPRESENT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING A WEEK AGO, I GUESS, AND I'VE REALIZED LOTS OF A LOT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST WEEK.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO TODAY IS BRING MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ARE ALREADY ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S UP TO BOARD ON THE APPROACH BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S GOING TO ARE GOING TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO I, UM, I HAVE, UH, I HAVE A COPY THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD FOR, NOT EVERYONE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T ON THE COMMITTEE.
I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND, AND I'M GOING TO DO THE FRONT KIND OF THAT ALSO IS THE MACRO VIEW.
AND THEN, UM, DEBRA IS GOING TO GO THROUGH IN MORE DETAIL WHAT OUR APPROACHES.
SO OUR OBJECTIVE OF COURSE, IS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN AT RAY.
RAY HAS SAID QUITE ELOQUENTLY THAT THE LAST STRATEGIC PLAN WE DEVELOPED, SERVES AS THE GUIDEPOSTS FOR WHAT HE DOES EVERY DAY.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE PURPOSE OF A STRATEGIC PLAN IS FOR US AS A BOARD HEARING IN DEPTH FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW, WHAT, WHAT WE WANT OUR PRIORITIES TO BE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, RIGHT? AND, AND WE, AND THAT SHOULD SERVE AS A GUIDEPOST FOR MANAGEMENT IN TERMS OF HOW THEY SPEND THEIR TIME AND ENERGY AND RESOURCES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THE OVERALL, UM, LIBRARY, STRATEGIC PLAN AND CALLS FOR US TO HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION, AND WE'VE REALLY DONE THAT IN JANUARY AND JANUARY THROUGH MARCH OF THIS YEAR, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE GATHERING AND ANALYZING INFORMATION.
DEBRA WILL TALK WITH YOU MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH BEFORE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, A RETREAT WITH THE STAFF AND DEVELOP SOME PRIORITY SETTING AND DRAFT THE PLAN.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A PLAN ADOPTED BY JANUARY OF 2021.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE SCHEDULE.
UM, UM, SO BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, RAY, DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO YOU AND TO THE LIBRARY STAFF? WELL, AS YOU ARE ARTICULATED, UH, I, UH, MANAGEMENT LIBRARY MANAGEMENT USES THE LAST STRATEGIC PLANNING DOCUMENT, UH, ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS, UH, TO GUIDE US IN USING RESOURCES OR IN LOOKING AT NEW PRIORITIES, UH, AND, OR CHECKING OFF WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO SATISFY, UH, THE NEEDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE DOCUMENT.
AND SO IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE TO LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP US ON TRACK SO THAT WE ARE, INSTEAD OF A SCATTERSHOT, WE CAN FOCUS IN ON THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE FOR THEM THE RESOURCES WE PROVIDE.
AND SO I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DOCUMENT SO THAT
[01:00:01]
THE, UM, WE HAD A GOOD MEETING OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.WE PRIMARILY DID THREE THINGS.
THEY, UH, ENDORSED THE APPROACH TO THE, THAT YOU'RE SEEING AHEAD OF YOU.
THEY ALSO APPROACH IT ENDORSED TWO SURVEYS, ONE SURVEY THAT'S GOING TO BE A COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY.
DEBRA KNOWS THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
SO DEBRA REMIND US BEFORE HOW MANY PEOPLE FILLED OUT THE COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY APPROXIMATELY, OR YOU PROBABLY DON'T, YOU PROBABLY KNOW TO THE PERSON 2,841.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW ON THE BOARD, 2,841 OF THESE SURVEYS, THAT WAS, THAT WERE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN HARD COPY IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH WERE COMPLETED THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
SO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE LOOKED AT THAT AND LOOKED AT THAT SCHEDULE AND DEBRA, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT WE, THAT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE DID WAS LOOK AT THE SURVEY DONE OF STAFF.
SO ALL THE STAFF ARE ENCOURAGED TO FILL OUT A SURVEY.
AND I THINK WE HAD TO LEAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTICIPATION BEFORE 98%, ALMOST 98%, 98% PARTICIPATION.
SO THEY, THEY ARE ASKED TO COMMENT ON, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY WISE IN TERMS OF WHAT PATRONS HAVE TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, AND IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT SERVE, UH, THE PATRONS OF THE LIBRARY, UH, BETTER.
SO, SO THE, THE, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS KIND OF ENDORSED THE APPROACH THOUGH, AND THOSE TWO MAJOR SURVEYS.
UM, BUT WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ALSO GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
UH, AND SOME OF YOU, HOW MANY OF YOU MAYBE RAISE YOUR HAND WERE ON THAT COMMITTEE? THE LAST TIME WE WENT THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
IT, AND I'VE TALKED TO LYNN, LYNN WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT LYNN CALLED AND WE TALKED, I BROUGHT HER UP TO SPEED.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK DEBORAH WHO, AS I SAID, WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HER AS A RESOURCE.
UM, NOT ONLY BECAUSE SHE'S AN EXPERT IN STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUT BECAUSE OF HER EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, TO TALK THROUGH IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, WHAT THE APPROACH WAS GOING TO BE BEFORE THAT I DO THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE DEBORAH GOES THROUGH IT IN MORE DETAIL? OKAY.
I THINK THE, UM, THIS WILL BE INCORPORATED WITH THE COMP PLAN THAT'S ONGOING.
THE COMP PLAN WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE COUNTY COMP.
DO YOU WANT TO SHARE THE HIGH MARKS THAT THE MEETING LAST WEEK? OH, UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING A COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, WHICH IS A FOCUS GROUP IN ESSENCE, UM, PUT ON BY OUR, UM, THE COUNTY'S, UM, CONSULTANTS, I GUESS THE FIRM THAT IS HANDLING THE COMP PLAN FOR THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, THE LIBRARY RECEIVED VERY HIGH MARKS FROM THE 25 TO 30 MEMBERS WHO WERE POLLED IN THE, IN ATTENDANCE THAT NIGHT WE BREAK UP HIGH WITH OTHER COUNTY SERVICES AS BEING EXCELLENT IN THAT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY SATISFIED.
IT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ONES.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, DEBRA, DO YOU WANT TO JUST WALK SURE.
I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK MINUTE KIND OF OVERVIEW.
SO YOU WANT IT TO DO EVERY MONTH AND EVERY DATE.
BUT, UM, ONE THING THAT WE LEARNED IN THE LAST PROCESS WAS HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, AS WELL AS THE STAFF AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, AS WELL AS THE BOARD AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.
UM, AND WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS THIS TIME, WE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME REAL IMPORTANT PIECES TO REPLICATE, UH, INSTEAD OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH, BECAUSE THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE ON THE COMMITTEE, REMEMBER BEFORE WE WENT OUT AND WE LOOKED AT 10 OR 15 DIFFERENT LIBRARY SYSTEMS, STRATEGIC PLANNING, PROCESS, AND DOCUMENTS.
AND WHILE THE DOCUMENT IS THE ULTIMATE RESULT, THE PROCESS IS VITAL TO THE DOCUMENT BEING USEFUL TO ANYONE.
SO, UH, SO THE PROCESS, UH, IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE LAST TIME WITH SOME TWEAKS IN IT.
UM, AND SO I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THAT VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE'VE PULLED A COMMITTEE TOGETHER, IT INCLUDES BOARD MEMBERS, IT INCLUDES WORTH TRUSTEES, AND IT INCLUDES COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO REPORT TO YOU TODAY KIND OF GIVING YOU THE OVERVIEW AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND MAKE ANY TWEAKS IN THE PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, WE'RE MEETING WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, MONICA IS GRACIOUSLY PUT US ON HER CALENDAR TO TALK ABOUT SOME, UM, SOME THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO DO A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME, JUST TO KIND OF SEE HOW THEY MESH WITH THE COUNTY IN GENERAL.
AND THEN WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS GATHERING AND ANALYZING INFORMATION STAGE.
AND, UM, JANE ALREADY TOLD YOU ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF THE SIZE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND YOU THINK OF TWO TO 3000 RESPONSES, YOU THINK, WELL, THAT'S NOT SO GREAT.
ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RATE OF RETURN ON SURVEYS IN GENERAL AND IN A COUNTY LIKE OUR SIZE, AND THAT WAS DONE BY THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE AND EVERYBODY STAFF, EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER, WE REACHED OUT TO PUSHING THAT SURVEY OUT.
AND SO THAT'S OUR CHALLENGE AGAIN, TO PUSH THAT SURVEY OUT THROUGH GROUPS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, OUR FRIENDS, EVERYBODY WILL ASK
[01:05:01]
YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS TO HELP DO THAT AS WELL.SO GETTING THE SURVEY OUT, WE'VE MADE A FEW MINOR CHANGES TO THE SURVEY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE SAME ONE.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT TRENDS ANALYSIS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SEE IF THE RESPONSES ARE DIFFERENT, UM, OR BETTER OR WORSE IN, IN THE THAT WE RECEIVED LAST TIME.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN RECENTLY, UM, GONE TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE LIBRARY WEBSITE AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE TRENDS REPORTED THERE.
WE'RE ALSO DOING THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY.
A VERY QUICK OVERVIEW IN APRIL TO THE PROCESS OF THE STAFF IS ON BOARD WITH THE PROCESS KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IF THEY HAVE ANY INPUT THAT WE NEED TO HEAR, BUT ALSO KIND OF INTRODUCING THEIR ROLE IN THE, THE FULL YEAR PROCESS.
AND, UM, AFTER THAT DAY, WE WILL DO A STAFF SURVEY.
LAST TIME WE DID THE STAFF SURVEY, IT WAS ALL OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS.
WE ARE CHANGING THAT WHEN THIS TIME IT WAS HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF WONDERFUL, WELL THOUGHT OUT RESPONSES, BUT IT, IT DIDN'T GIVE US REAL TRENDS THAT WE CAN FOLLOW OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TWEAKING THAT SURVEY INTO A MORE STANDARDIZED QUESTION SURVEY.
AND THEN WITH SOME OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, UM, FOCUS GROUPS WERE A REAL IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DID LAST TIME.
AND EVERY COMMITTEE MEMBER JUMPED IN LED FOCUS GROUPS, RECORDED FOCUS GROUPS.
WE DID ABOUT 20, I THINK 19, WE HAD 20 ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED.
LAST TIME WE DECIDED TO PART OF THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT THIS TIME.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE EIGHT OR NINE SCHEDULED, AND WE MAY ADD ONE OR TWO.
IF WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE DO THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE'RE ASKING MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS AND WE MONITOR THAT EVERY WEEK.
SO WE SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS COMING IN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
SO IF THERE'S A GEOGRAPHIC AREA, THAT'S NOT BEING PART OF THE SURVEY, THEN WE PUSH OUT TO THAT BRANCH TO THAT BOARD OR THAT COMMITTEE MEMBER, WHOEVER, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, HILTON HEAD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GETTING, UH, YOU KNOW, A PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE FROM THEM.
CAN YOU SEND THIS OUT TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ON HILTON HEAD OR WHEREVER SO THAT WE GET, UH, WE GET, WE HEAR FROM EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY, THE FOCUS GROUP IS WHERE IT FOCUS GROUPS ARE, WHERE WE TAKE WHAT WE GET FROM THE SURVEY AND THEN ASK THE MORE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND RESPONSIVE QUESTIONS, UM, BY DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT WE BRING TOGETHER.
SO, UM, THAT IS THE NEXT PHASE OF IT.
AND THEN AFTER THE FOCUS GROUPS, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, AND WELL, ACTUALLY, WHILE WE'RE DOING THE FOCUS GROUPS, I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO EACH OF YOU AT SOME POINT, THIS IS NEW FROM THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU HERE BEFORE, I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO ASK YOU JUST A FEW BASIC QUESTIONS AS A BOARD MEMBER, UM, IN, FOR YOUR RESPONSE AS TO, UH, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS OF, OF WHAT THE NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN SHOULD INVOLVE.
SO, UM, I'LL WORK THROUGH, UH, YOUR COMMITTEE CHAIR AND THROUGH THE, UM, THROUGH THE LIBRARY STAFF TO REACH OUT TO YOU AND JUST FIGURE OUT HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND 20, 30 MINUTES TALKING WITH ME, MAYBE 15, DEPENDING ON HOW
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I SAID TO DEBRA BECAUSE THE FOUR BOARD MEMBERS WERE NOT INTERVIEWED LAST TIME AND I, I REALLY WANTED THAT TO HAPPEN.
CAUSE I THINK WITH THE TIME AND INVESTMENT, YOU'VE ALL MADE AS VOLUNTEERS AND THE THOUGHT YOU'VE GIVEN IT TO IT, THAT YOU HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS, OR YOU WILL HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS BY THE TIME DEBORAH INTERVIEW SHIFT ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M GOING TO SEND YOU THE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE SO THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THEM AND IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU, HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTERACT WITH ME.
I CAN, I NEED TO EITHER HAVE IT IN VOICE OR IN PERSON, AND I'M HAPPY TO COME TO YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE.
SO, UM, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TYPED BACK.
I REALLY WANT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION SO I CAN REDIRECT QUESTIONS TO YOU IF I DON'T, IF I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARIFICATION, BUT I'M TO SEND YOU THE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
AND WE PLAN TO DO THAT IN MAY AND JUNE.
AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK IN JULY TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN UPDATE HERE'S WHERE WE ARE IN JULY.
SO YOU, THE WHOLE FULL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, HERE'S WHERE WE'VE, WE WE'VE GOT COME TO JULY IS ALSO THE TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY STAFF DOES ALL OF THE STATISTICS GET STATISTICAL GATHERING FOR THE YEAR.
AND SO WE'LL BE PULLING ALL THAT INFORMATION IN AS WELL AS DATA ABOUT THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, DEMOGRAPHICS OF CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, PULLING ALL THAT TOGETHER FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT STEPS.
AND, UM, THEN IN SEPTEMBER, WE WILL TALK WITH LIBRARY STAFF ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THE STRATEGIC PLAN WHEN IT HAPPENS.
UH, WE'LL BRING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE BACK TOGETHER TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING BEFORE WE GO FORWARD.
AND THEN ON OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, WE'RE GOING TO USE THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY AGAIN IS A PRIMARY TIME TO REALLY REACH INTO DEEPER LAYERS ABOUT ALL OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE LIBRARY STAFF AND TRYING TO, TO USE THAT DAY BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE TWO DAYS A YEAR TO COME TOGETHER.
AND THAT TIME IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS WE CLOSE ALL THE LIBRARIES AND EVERYBODY COMES ENERGIZED
[01:10:01]
TO, TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THEIR WORK.AND SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT THE LIBRARIES AGREEING TO LET US USE THAT DAY OR THE MAJORITY OF IT FOR THE STAFF TO HELP NOT JUST GIVE THEIR OPINIONS, BUT ACTUALLY REACT TO WHAT WE'VE WE'VE GATHERED TO THAT POINT ALSO HELPS SET THE PRIORITIES AND, UM, AND GIVE THE, THE MORE NUANCED, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO REALLY MAKE THOSE PRIORITIES COME TO THE SURFACE, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE CAN BE SITTING AROUND THE TABLE AND I, IF I ASK EVERY ONE OF YOU, EACH OF YOU WOULD THINK YOU'D KNOW WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE PROBABLY, UH, I HAVE IN MY IDEA OF WHAT THEY ARE LAST TIME, WE WERE VERY SURPRISED.
THE PRIORITIES CAME OUT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE, I THINK ANY OF US THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE, UM, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO THE STAFF DAY IS A CRITICAL POINT OF MAKING THOSE PRIORITY SURFACE TO THE TOP.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL MEET WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WITHIN THE LIBRARY AND MANAGERS, AND JUST KIND OF AFTER WE'VE DONE THAT, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING, WE'LL DRAFT THE PLAN.
WE HOPE TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING FOR RESPONSE TO THAT PLAN.
AND THEN A FINAL DRAFTING, GETTING IT BACK OUT FOR EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT TWEAK.
AND YOU WILL SEE IT AGAIN IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR, UM, AS THE FINAL DRAFT.
UM, SO IN BETWEEN THERE OVER HALF, AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS ON THE COMMITTEE, SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE TOO MANY SURPRISES.
AND, UH, ALSO JANET WILL BE REPORTING TO YOU EVERY MEETING ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU FORMALLY IN JULY.
YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO ME HOPEFULLY AND MAY.
AND, UM, THEN YOU'LL SEE THE FINAL PLAN BACK IN JANUARY.
AND WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO LOOK AT THAT BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO YOU IN A FINAL VERSION AND HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD COME BACK IN THAT, THAT WAY.
SO THAT'S THE VERY QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS.
WE TRIED TO PARK DOWN TO LESS THAN A YEAR, BUT IT JUST DID JUST COULDN'T COME IN AND SHORTER THAN A YEAR, BASED ON THE TIMING OF WHEN YOU MEET, WHEN WE COULD GET THE, TO THE TARGET GROUPS, WHEN THE STATISTICS COME IN, WHEN THOSE STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS WERE, IT'S A YEAR LONG PROCESS.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT BACK.
THE LAST PROCESS TOOK 18 MONTHS BECAUSE WE WERE INTERRUPTED BY A HURRICANE THIS YEAR.
WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE DISRUPTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS AND THE
SO WE WILL READ THAT MAY RETHINK THE FOCUS GROUPS.
AND IF WE HAVE TO DO THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WE'LL COME UP WITH A CREATIVE WAY TO GET THAT COMMUNITY RESPONSE.
IF WE CAN'T DO PUBLIC GROUPS IN, AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR THAT TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT IN CRISIS MODE YET, BUT WE COULD THINK OF OTHER WAYS TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
IF WE NEED TO, I HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT, THEN I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND REACH CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OUR PRIORITIES TO BE, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS TO FOCUS HERE, TO DECIDE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND WHAT WE AREN'T GOING TO DO.
BUT IT'S ALSO A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THE LIBRARY DOES.
UM, EDUCATING THEM BY HAVING THEM PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND DOING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT WHAT THE PLAN TURNS OUT TO BE AND NOT HAVE IT BE AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT THAT JUST WE KNOW, RIGHT.
BUT THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE AND APPRECIATE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF THE GOAL IS NOT JUST TO HAVE A DOCUMENT AT THE END, BUT TO HAVE IT BE A REALLY A GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR NOT JUST THE, ALL OF US, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY ALSO.
SO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE GROUP FOR AMANDA, WHAT IS DOODLE SCHEDULER, DOODLE SCHEDULER? IS IT A WONDERFUL ONLINE TOOL THAT ALLOWS, UM, JUST BY SENDING IN AN EMAIL INVITATION AND ALLOWS YOU TO SELECT A PARTICULAR DATE AND TIME PREFERENCES FOR POTENTIAL MEETINGS? SO I GET TO LOOK AT ON A GRID AND SEE WHEN EVERYBODY'S AVAILABLE, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF BACK AND FORTH WHERE IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UM, IT'S REALLY FREE, FREELY AVAILABLE.
IT'S JUST A MEETING, MEETING ROOM SCHEDULING.
IT'S NOT A MEETING ROOMS, GET A MEETING TIME SCHEDULER TO GET EVERYBODY'S OPINIONS.
IT'S A VERY INSTRUMENT THAT IT'S A VERY COMMON YOU JUST AS A BOARD, LIKE IF WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO SCHEDULE THE CREWS ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, THOSE, ALL THOSE NINE PEOPLE WOULD GET AN EMAIL THAT SAYS GO TO THIS LINK.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO THE LINK, IT COMES UP AND IT SAYS, PUT YOUR NAME IN AND JAMES PUTS HIS NAME IN, AND THEN IT SAYS, ARE YOU AVAILABLE ON MARCH 22ND AT TWO O'CLOCK ON MARCH 23RD OF OUR CLOCK? AND HE JUST CHECKS.
YES, YES, NO, NO, YES, YES, YES.
AND THEN WHEN I GO IN, I CAN SEE WHERE JAMES IS AND WHERE TRACY IS.
AND SO, AND THEN AFTER EVERYBODY HAS REPORTED IN, THEN YOU'VE GOT, YOU CAN JUST LOOK DOWN THE COLUMN AND GO, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, MARCH 2ND, 22ND IS THE DATE WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MOST PEOPLE OR APRIL 3RD.
SO IT'S A REALLY EASY, QUICK WAY TO GET EVERYBODY SCHEDULED OR MAKES IT MAKES EVERYONE'S LIFE EASY.
AND IT'S FREE INSTEAD OF EMAILS BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND
[01:15:01]
FORTH.ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION FOR JANET OR DEBRA? WELL, I WANT TO SAY WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE DEBORAH BACK AMONG US.
SHE WAS A TRUSTEE WITH US BEFORE SOME OF YOU KNOW, BUT SHE LIVES RIGHT NEAR THE LIBRARY HERE AND HER EXPERTISE WILL BE INVALUABLE AGAIN ON THIS SURVEY.
AND THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, I HAVE, UH, JUST, UH, BRING UP, I HAVE SOME INFOGRAPHICS ON YOUR PACKET.
SO NUMBER ONE IS 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW.
JUST SOME OF OUR STATISTICS OR SOME OF OUR OUTSTANDING STATISTICS FROM THE 2019 FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CONTACT US FORM THAT YOU CAN GO TO OUR LIBRARY WEBSITE AND ASK US ANY QUESTION.
UH, THERE ARE THREE OF US ON STAFF THAT RESPOND TO THOSE, UH, AND ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO BETWEEN JANUARY, 2019 AND JANUARY, 2020, WE ANSWERED 781 QUESTIONS.
AND WE REPLIED TO THE PUBLIC, UH, WITHIN 48 HOURS AT ANY QUESTION THAT THEY WANT TO ASK TO OUR WEBSITE.
AND THESE ARE THE CATEGORY BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE ANSWERED.
UH, SO JUST TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER LABOR INTENSIVE, BUT VERY VALUABLE TOOL FOR US, UH, TO, SO THAT ANYBODY CAN ASK US ANY TYPE OF QUESTION AND WE GET THEM ALMOST EVERY DAY.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE THIRD IS OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY IS ALWAYS OPEN SHOWING YOU, UH, AGAIN HOW CRITICAL OUR, UH, DIGITAL SERVICES WILL BE, PARTICULARLY DURING THE HEALTH CRISIS.
UH, AND SO JUST TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE DOCUMENTS NOW WHOEVER'S DOING TRACY.
I'VE READ FOR THE TOP 10, BUT IT'S ONLY FOR, THOSE ARE MY GENRE.
I'M NOT INTO THE CRAWDADS AND STUFF, BUT I'M INTO BELLE DODGY.
IF YOU READ ONE OR NONE, YOU MAY WANT TO BUCKLE DOWN AND READ THESE.
I'M GOING TO GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS ANYONE NEEDS TO BRING UP, WANTS TO BRING UP DESIRES TO BRING UP? OKAY.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING DATE IS BERNIE'S QUESTION IS MAY 13TH AT ST.
HELENA LIBRARY BRANCH AT 4:00 PM.
AND OF COURSE, PUBLIC IS ALWAYS WELCOME.
IF YOU CARE TO COME AND SIT WITH US OR HAVE A COMMENT, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
AND SO I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AND SECONDED ALL IN FAVOR OF A GERMAN.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR MARCH MEETING OF THE LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND.
GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.
PLEASE WATCH NOW AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA ORDER.
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AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.