[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
UM, LET'S STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THEIR FOLLOW FOR RICHES STANDS FOR ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
OKAY, WE'D LIKE, LIKE TO NOW INTRODUCE THE, INTRODUCE OUR BOARD AND I AM, UH, LYNN MILLER.
MY NAME'S JANET PORTER AND I'M VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD.
I'LL GET REPRESENTING DISTRICT 11.
BERNIE COLE, REPRESENTING, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SHAUNA KOPA, DISTRICT SIX, ROSALIE RICHMOND, JANINE, ER, DISTRICT NINE.
BRENDA WATSON, POWELL, DISTRICT ONE, AND JOE PASSMAN.
UM, COUNTY COUNCIL, DISTRICT FIVE, AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNTY COUNCIL TO THE LIBRARY BOARD.
YES, WE HAVE KITTY MCKEAN, WHO IS THE MANAGER OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY AND GRACE, WHO IS OUR SUMMER INTERN.
AND I'LL BE INTRODUCING BOTH OF THEM IN MY REPORT.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE IS NOT.
UH, MAY I HAVE AN APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES THAT WERE SENT TO EVERYONE? IS THERE? SO MOVED.
UH, AMANDA, IS THERE ANY CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATION? NO, MA'AM.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT NEXT? YES.
HOW IS, HOW'S EVERYBODY'S SUMMER? GOOD.
UH, THINGS ARE HEATING UP IN OUR LIBRARIES, NO PUN INTENDED, BUT WE HAVE SUMMER READING GOING ON, A LOT OF GREAT ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, AND A LOT OF, UM, WONDERFUL THINGS FOR ME TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
SO, AS USUAL, I'LL HAVE VISUALS ON THE SCREEN AND I WILL ENTERTAIN YOU WITH ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR LIBRARIES.
THERE'S A FEW PICTURES OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM, UH, THE PAST SINCE WE LAST MET.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES FROM THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY WHO PARTICIPATED IN AN OUTREACH EVENT TRYING TO TELL, UM, MEMBERS OF A SCHOOL, LOCAL SCHOOL IN THE PORT ROYAL AREA, UM, TO DO SUMMER READING.
UH, WE ALSO, IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, OUR, OUR PORT ROYAL PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, SHOUT OUT TO THE PERSON THAT DECIDED TO BUY MOBILE SHELVING BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO MOVE THOSE SHELVES OUT OF THE WAY TO HOST, UM, OUR TOUCH A TRUCK EVENT, INCLUDING, UH, CHIEF MYERS, WHO YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE.
UM, READING STORIES TO A ROOM FULL OF CAPTIVE AUDIENCE IN THE BOTTOM CORNER.
WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE HERE IN THIS VERY ROOM AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY AS A PART OF OUR SUMMER READING KICKOFF.
AGAIN, OUR SUMMER READING THEME IS COLOR YOUR WORLD.
SO YOU SEE A LOT OF COLORING, ARTISTIC KIND OF CREATIVITY INCORPORATED THIS SUMMER.
IN THE MIDDLE, WE HAVE A PICTURE FROM OUR LOKO LIBRARY WHERE THEY WERE LEARNING ABOUT ANIMALS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUR THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE TOUCHING AND LEARNING ABOUT.
AND IN THE BOTTOM IS FROM HILTON HEAD, WHERE THEY ALSO HAD AN ANIMAL THEMED, UM, ENVIRONMENTALIST COME AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT CREATURE, WHICH TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS IN THE PHOTO, BUT I WISHED I HAD ATTENDED TO LEARN
I'LL START BY GIVING YOU A LITTLE UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL.
SO WE HAVE THREE, UM, POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF JOINING US, UH, LIBRARY ASSISTANT PART-TIME, AND AT THIS LIBRARY IN BLUFFTON LIBRARY ASSISTANT FULL-TIME AGAIN HERE AT BLUFFTON.
I HAVE A LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR JOINING MY ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM ON JULY 28TH.
IT IS NOW PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, SO I'LL SHARE YOU, SHARE WITH YOU THIS.
UM, WE ARE WELCOMING LEE RAMEY, WHO IS LEAVING THE STATE LIBRARY TO, AS SHE'S IN HER ROLE AS THE YOUTH SERVICES COORDINATOR, SHE'S COMING TO US TO BE OUR USER EXPERIENCE LIBRARIAN.
THE USER EXPERIENCE LI LIBRARIAN POSITION, JUST TO KIND OF REFRESH YOU ON WHAT MY GOAL IS THERE IS TO IMPLEMENT, UH, ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NEW STAFF, UM, AS WELL AS ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF, ULTIMATELY TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE THE USER EXPERIENCE OF EVERYBODY THAT WALKS
[00:05:01]
IN THE DOOR.UM, THIS PERSON THAT'S COMING TO US, LEE IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE.
SO SHE IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO TEACH PEOPLE WHO ARE JOINING US HOW TO LIBRARY AND HOW DO WE LIBRARY.
SO, UM, WE, UH, SENT OUR WELL WISHES TO THE STATE LIBRARY, BUT WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME LEE.
IS SHE RELOCATING? SHE'S RELOCATING AND WE'LL BE HERE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, WE DID HAVE THREE, OR WE STILL HAVE THREE SUMMER INTERNS.
AND I WANTED TO INTRODUCE GRACE.
WOULD YOU COME JOIN ME? GRACE HAS BEEN WORKING HERE AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
SHE'S BEEN WORKING IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA AND JUST KIND OF WANTED TO PUT A FACE TO A PROGRAM SO YOU COULD MEET ONE OF OUR SUMMER INTERNS.
WE'VE HAD SUMMER INTERNS AT, UM, BEAUFORT.
THEY'VE ALSO HAD TIME AT PORT ROYAL AND THE BOOKMOBILE GRACE HERE AT BLUFFTON.
AND THEN ALSO A, UH, INTERN AT, UM, ST.
SO, GRACE, THIS IS OUR LIBRARY BOARD.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY, HEY, HELLO.
TELL US WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE IN SCHOOL AND STUFF.
I'LL BE A SENIOR IN THE, WELL I GUESS IN AUGUST.
AND WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO AFTER YOU GRADUATE? UH, PROBABLY GOOD FOR CO TO COLLEGE.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT MAJOR YET.
WELL, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER LIBRARY SCIENCE.
HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN SO FAR? OH, IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN.
IT'S LIKE A LOT OF, LIKE, DEPENDS ON WHAT DAY.
LIKE EVERYTHING, EVERY DAY IS LIKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
LIKE, OH, ONE DAY I'M SHELVING ONE DAY I AM LIKE HELPING WITH LIKE A PROGRAM.
IT'S LIKE VERY NICE TO LIKE NOT JUST BE DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
GET A LITTLE, DID YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO HAD DONE THE INTERNSHIP OR HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM? UM, ELENA, SHE HAS THIS LIKE LITTLE PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN LIKE GET BEAT, VOLUNTEERED TO HELP WITH THE LIBRARY AND THAT'S WHERE I LIKE SAW ORIGINALLY LIKE, YOU CAN INTERN HERE.
AND THAT'S HOW I LIKE FILLED OUT THE INTERNSHIP PROCESS THROUGH THE WEBSITE.
COULD I ASK YOU WHAT YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT HAS BEEN SO FAR? UM, I DON'T, I THINK PROBABLY LIKE HELPING PEOPLE FIND BOOKS AND BE LIKE, OH, I NEED TO FIND THIS BOOK IN THIS CENTER.
IT'S, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT AREA TO LOOK FOR.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING AND, AND MEETING OUR LIBRARY BOARD.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PASSMAN FOR OFFERING THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TO COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
SO WITH OUR NEW HIRES, PENDING HIRES, OUR SUMMER INTERNS, UM, THAT ALSO LEAVES VACANCIES.
SO WE DO HAVE STILL LINGERING THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, VACANCY LIBRARY MANAGER AT HILTON HEAD INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED BUT ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS THERE.
UM, LIBRARIAN FOR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, I SHARED WITH YOU LAST TIME THAT ONE OF THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE OFFER, REJECTED THE OFFER.
AND SO WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT APPLICANTS AND THEN ONE OF OUR PART-TIME ASSISTANTS AT PORT ROYAL IS GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, AND SO IS LEAVING US TO PURSUE FULL-TIME WORK.
SO WE HAVE THOSE VACANCIES THERE.
I DID ATTEND, UM, A NATIONAL CONFERENCE TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, IN PHILADELPHIA, THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE.
AND WHILE THERE, UM, I SIGNED UP TO BE, UM, IN THEIR JOB HALL.
SO THEY, THEY OPEN UP, UM, AN AREA OF THE CONFERENCE FOR PEOPLE, LIBRARIES WHO ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENTS, WHO HAVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET WITH PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES.
AND SO, UM, EVERY TIME THEY ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT, I SAT THERE AND HAD OUR INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH OF THE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POSITION AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION.
I SPOKE TO ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY, ANY NIBBLES ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT TRYING EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET SOME APPLICATIONS POURING IN FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
AS OF JULY ONE, WE START A NEW FISCAL YEAR, SO THAT MEANS I'M IN THE MODE OF LOOKING AT HOW WE DID STATISTICALLY IN THE YEAR THAT WE JUST CLOSED.
SO FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND KIND OF, UM, 25 RATHER.
AND LOOKING AT HOW THAT COMPARES TO 2024.
SO I'M IN THE PRELIMINARY DATA GATHERING STAGE, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE THESE HIGHLIGHTS WITH YOU BECAUSE I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THEM AND PROUD TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
AND THEY JUST KINDA LEAPT OFF THE PAGE.
SO INITIALLY, LOOKING AT OUR PRINT CIRCULATION BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS THIS LAST YEAR, OUR PRINT CIRCULATION, SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN HOLD IN YOUR HAND, SO A PRINT BOOK, A DVD, AN AUDIO BOOK THAT YOU CAN PHYSICALLY HOLD THAT, THAT CIRCULATION, THOSE BORROWERS HAVE INCREASED ALMOST BY 25,000 ITEMS GONE OUT THE DOOR.
OUR DIGITAL CIRCULATION HAS GROWN BY ALMOST 20,000 ITEMS BORROWED.
[00:10:01]
WE'VE GAINED ABOUT 43,000 UP VERY CLOSE TO 44,000 ADDITIONAL ITEMS BORROWED THIS PAST YEAR VERSUS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.SO THAT LETS ME KNOW PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THE LIBRARIES AND, AND BORROWING ITEMS, BOTH THAT THEY GET OFF THE SHELF AND THEN THAT THEY ALSO GET FROM THE HOOPLA OR FLIPSTER SHELF, OUR DOOR COUNT, OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WALKING THROUGH THE VISIT, UH, THE PHYSICAL SPACES AND VISITING US INCREASED BY 28,342.
SO THAT LETS ME KNOW THAT, UM, PEOPLE ARE ALSO VISITING OUR LIBRARIES FROM AND, AND INCREASING THAT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST GLARING INCREASES IS THE AMOUNT OF NEW CARDS WE HAVE ISSUED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 VERSUS FISCAL YEAR 24.
WE ISSUED 3000 MORE CARDS THIS YEAR THAN WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JANINE, YOU MENTIONED IN THE LAST MEETING WAS WOW TUTOR.COM USAGE IS TRENDING VERY MUCH UPWARD.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE YEAR AT A GLANCE, IT GREW, UM, FROM, I DON'T HAVE TO, IT GREW TO 748 USERS OR USES VERSUS 36 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO IN 20 24, 36 LOGINS OF TUTOR.COM HAPPENED FOR TUTORING ASSISTANCE THIS YEAR, 748 TIMES IT WAS USED.
SO COULD IT BE USED MORE? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY, SEE THAT MUCH OF A JUMP OF AN INCREASE IN USAGE, PARTLY DUE TO, AS WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, AN INTENTIONALITY OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE, PUSHING IT THROUGH OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS, AND THEN MOSTLY, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE WALKING IN TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT'S AVAILABLE.
SO ON THE TRENDING DOWNWARD, UM, WE DIDN'T COUNT AS MANY REFERENCE QUESTIONS ANSWERED THIS YEAR, SO 5,000 LESS THAN WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
OUR CURBSIDE SERVICE IS DOWN BY 277 PICKUPS.
WHEN YOU COUPLE THAT WITH HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK IN PHYSICALLY INTO THE BUILDING, I I THINK THAT'S A, A NEGLIGIBLE TRADE OFF.
AND THEN OUR OUTREACH EVENTS, WE ONLY DID 17 LESS THAN THAN WE COUNTED THE YEAR BEFORE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PAGE? YEAH, AMANDA, YOU KNOW, TO PUT THESE NUMBERS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR PEOPLE, I'M JUST, I DIDN'T DO THE ACTUAL MATH, BUT PRINT AND DIGITAL'S GONE UP BY ABOUT 5%.
ABOUT 7% MORE PEOPLE HAVE COME, BUT WE HAVE LIKE 80% INCREASE IN NEW CAR LIBRARY CARDS.
TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT WE DO KNOW THAT NEW PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO THE AREA? I THINK PART, SO THAT'S PART OF THE EQUATION.
WE DID ADD THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, SO THAT'S PART OF THE QUA.
HAVING ANOTHER LIBRARY IN A TOWN WAS WALKABLE, BIKEABLE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
UM, SO I THINK PART OF THOSE ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, BUT I THINK WE'RE SEEING LOTS OF PEOPLE MOVE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, I LOVE THAT THEY'RE COMING TO THE LIBRARY AS A PART OF THEIR RELOCATION.
UM, BUT ALSO THE ADDITION OF PORT ROYAL AND THEN IN GENERAL, JUST PEOPLE COMING BACK TO LIBRARIES POST COVID AND SEEING THE VALUE THAT LIBRARIES PLAY.
AND HAVING BEEN AT THE NATIONAL MEETING, I REALIZE THAT THE GROWTH WOULDN'T BE TYPICAL, BUT ARE OTHER LIBRARIES REPORTING AN INCREASE IN ACTIVITY THAT DON'T HAVE, NOT BASED ON GROWTH, BUT JUST BASED ON PEOPLE DEMANDING MORE LIBRARY SERVICES? SO OUR CONVERSATIONS ARE A LOT MORE FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE COMPETE WITH THE DEMAND FOR MATERIALS WHEN DEMAND, UH, OR FOR OR WHEN MATERIALS CONTINUE TO GO UP IN PRICE.
AND THEN HOW DO WE, UM, PROVIDE THE DIGITAL PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING FOR EVERY FORMAT.
UM, BUT OUR BUDGETS AREN'T INCREASING TO THAT EXTENT TO KEEP UP WITH IT, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE INCREASING.
UM, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT IN GENERAL, BUT WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS ONCE, UM, THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE EVERY LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY HAS TO SUBMIT THEIR STATS.
SO WE'RE IN THAT COMPILATION PERIOD AND THAT ALL LIVES ON THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES WEBSITE AND WE CAN DO A COMPARISON ON THERE.
SO AS SOON AS IT GETS UPLOADED, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D LOVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA TO SEE HOW WE STACK UP.
USUAL, I DO, I FRAME THE REST OF MY REPORT IN TERMS OF THE FOUR GOALS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THOSE BEING USER EXPERIENCE, COLLECTION, SPACE, AND COMMUNICATION.
SO THE FIRST GOAL IN OUR USER EXPERIENCE, UH, STRATEGY IS TO PROVIDE LIBRARY VISITORS WITH A FRIENDLY, INFORMED, AND USER-FOCUSED EXPERIENCE.
[00:15:01]
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT TO DATE, WE HAVE ISSUED 2000 LUNCHES THIS SUMMER AS A PART OF OUR ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM.IN COMPARISON FOR CONTEXT, LAST YEAR WE GAVE OUT 2,700.
SO WITH ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MORE WEEKS TO GO, WE'LL EITHER MEET OR EXCEED LAST YEAR'S NUMBER OF LUNCHES DISTRIBUTED.
AGAIN, A VALUABLE PROGRAM THAT WE PROVIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, CHILDREN ARE FED MENTALLY WITH BOOKS AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY WITH LUNCHES COLOR.
OUR WORLD SUMMER READING IS STILL ONGOING.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU, GENTLY ENCOURAGE YOU THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SUB, UH, LAND YOU HAVE, YOU'VE SUBMITTED, UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT SUBMITTED YOUR COMPLETED GAME BOARD, YOU CAN DO THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A SUPER READER BONUS ROUND, IF I CAN INTEREST YOU IN THAT
UM, YOU HAVE UNTIL JULY THE 31ST TO SUBMIT YOUR GAME BOARD, UM, AND GET ENTERED INTO WIN OUR GRAND PRIZES.
TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED, HOLD ON, LEMME GET THE REAL, REAL NUMBER THIS MORNING.
THE NUMBER WAS 730 COMPLETED GAME BOARDS ALREADY IN ADVANCE OF THE, UM, OF THE DEADLINE AND REAL TIME ESTIMATE WHILE I WAS SITTING HERE IS 967.
SO THE REAL TIME ESTIMATE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLETED, UH, THE SUMMER READING GAME BOARD ALREADY TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE IS 967.
OUR STAFF KNOW THAT MY GOAL WAS AT LEAST A 3000 COMPLETION NUMBER.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME WAY, SOME WAYS TO GO THERE, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE WILL AT LEAST EXCEED LAST YEAR'S, UM, 2,100 SUBMISSIONS.
SO KEEP READING
IN TERMS OF OUR COLLECTIONS STRATEGY, WE WANT TO OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF COLLECTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY FORMATS.
LAST MONTH I SHARED WITH YOU WHERE WE WERE IN TERMS OF OUR AVERAGE MONTHLY CIRCULATION.
THIS IS BOTH PHYSICAL ITEMS AND DIGITAL ITEMS COMBINED.
IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, OUR MONTHLY AVERAGE OF ITEMS BORROWED WAS 70,182 ITEMS. THIS YEAR WITH ALL 12 MONTHS OF DATA INPUT, WE'RE AT A MONTHLY AVERAGE CIRCULATION OF 73,824.
SO THAT REINFORCES THAT MORE ITEMS ARE GOING OUT AND WE, WE LIKE THAT ALSO IN OUR FLIPSTER APP.
AS OF NOW, CONSUMER REPORTS IS AVAILABLE THAT HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY MADE AVAILABLE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MONTHLY CONSUMER REPORTS ISSUE.
PRIOR TO THIS, THE DIGITAL BUYING GUIDE WAS THERE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT MONTH OF CONSUMER REPORTS PLUS BACK ISSUES.
SO WE'RE SHOUTING THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED US TO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE.
AND SO WE HAVE, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IT GETS USED.
UM, I FORGOT THE NUMBER AND I SHOULD HAVE THAT WITH ME.
BUT BEFORE WE EVEN LAUNCHED IT, IT HAD ALREADY HAD SOME CLICKS, SO PEOPLE HAD ALREADY FOUND IT BEFORE WE EVEN MADE IT LIVE.
SO, UM, THAT LETS ME KNOW THAT WE'RE HITTING ON A RESOURCE THAT PEOPLE WANTED.
AND IF YOU NEED TO BUY A REFRIGERATOR, WE'VE GOT A RESOURCE THAT CAN HELP YOU FIND SOME REVIEWS.
STRATEGY NUMBER THREE IS, UH, OUR SPACES.
SO CREATING WELCOMING, ACCESSIBLE LIBRARY SPACES.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHICH BRANCH? THIS IS HILTON HEAD.
THIS IS THE GARDEN AT HILTON HEAD AS OF A WEEK AGO.
AH, SO WE HAVE IN, IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS SINCE I'VE LAST LAST REPORTED TO YOU, WE HAVE REPLACED EXTERIOR BOOK RETURNS AT LOKO ST.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED COMPUTER TABLES, REPLACEMENT COMPUTER TABLES IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA AT HILTON HEAD.
THE READING GARDEN HAS AT HILTON HEAD HAS BEEN RENOVATED IN PART DUE TO OVERGROWTH, UM, AND ALSO IN PART TO MITIGATE SEVERE FLOODING ISSUES THAT WAS ACTUALLY BACKING UP INTO THE WATER, UH, BACKING UP WATER INTO THE BUILDING.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, UM, INSTALLED BIKE RACKS AT THE PORT ROYAL AND LOKO LIBRARIES.
SO HERE COME THE PICTURES BEFORE ON THE LEFT AND AFTER IS ON THE RIGHT, SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE HAD BEEN INSTALLED TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE FLOODING.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE SIGNIFICANT OVERGROWTH, THE UNEVEN PAVERS, UM, THAT'S BEEN REPLACED WITH THE, THE GRAVEL KIND OF ROCK.
UM, WHICH BASED ON THE RECENT,
[00:20:01]
UM, RAIN THAT WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN HOLDING IT AND KEEPING FLOODING OUT OF THE LIBRARY.HERE'S ANOTHER BEFORE AND AFTER OF THAT.
HERE'S A BEFORE AND AFTER OF THE CHILDREN'S TABLES AND CHAIRS.
THIS WAS IN, UM, HILTON HEAD AS WELL.
SO JUST GIVING THEM AN UPDATED, UPDATED LOOK, UM, AND FUNCTION.
ON THE RIGHT ON THE LEFT IS LIKO EXTERIOR BOOK RETURN BEFORE AND ON THE RIGHT IS AFTER ON THE LEFT IS ST.
AND RIGHT ON THIS ONE IS BEAUFORT ON THE LEFT BEFORE AND ON THE RIGHT AFTER.
AND THE NEW BOOK RACKS, UH, BIKE RACKS, I MEAN AT PORT ROYAL AND LOKO LOKO DID NOT HAVE A BIKE RACK PRIOR TO THIS.
UM, AND NOW THEY DO, AND PORT ROYAL DID NOT AS WELL.
SO THANKS TO OUR FACILITIES FOR INSTALLING NOT ONLY THE BIKE RACKS BUT CONCRETE SLABS FOR THEM TO, TO BE ON.
OUR FOURTH AND FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL IS COMMUNICATION, DELIVER TIMELY, RELEVANT COMMUNICATION BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
SO WE LIKE TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER CONNECT WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC WATCHING AND YOU AS WELL AS BOARD MEMBERS HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR TELL YOUR LIBRARY STORY CAMPAIGN.
WE JUST LAUNCHED THIS ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
OR YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, UM, AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LIBRARY STORY AND YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US WHAT THE LIBRARY MEANS TO YOU.
YOU CAN SUBMIT THAT VIA WRITING OR THERE'S A PART WHERE YOU CAN TELL US THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US, THAT YOU WOULDN'T MIND BEING VIDEOED.
AND WE WILL SEND OUT, UM, A PERSON TO, TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO VIDEO YOU.
WE JUST WANNA COLLECT THOSE LIBRARY VALUE STORIES OF WHAT, HOW YOUR LIBRARY MATTERS TO YOU.
AND THEN I'LL END WITH, UM, SOME UPCOMING PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE CLOSEUP SHOT OF THE FULL HOUSE AT PORT ROYAL.
WE HAVE ORIGAMI MAGIC WITH YASU AIDA.
HE WILL BE AT EVERY ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS JULY 21ST, 22ND, 23RD.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE DATES AND TIMES FOR EACH LOCATION LISTED THERE.
BUT WE ARE PLEASED THROUGH OUR SUMMER READING GRANT IN COMPLIMENTARY FUNDING WITH OUR FRIENDS GROUPS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER THIS PERFORMANCE AT EACH LOCATION.
HE COMBINES STORYTELLING WITH MAGIC IN ORIGAMI.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE A REPTILE MEET AND GREET WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM THE PORT ROYALLE SOUND FOUNDATION THAT WILL BE AT THE LOKO LIBRARY ON TUESDAY, JULY 29TH.
AND IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT PORT ROYALLE IS TURNING ONE AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PORT ROYAL BIRTHDAY PARTY ON AUGUST 23RD.
AND PETE, THE CAT IS GONNA BE THERE.
HAVE A LOT OF FUN THINGS COMING UP.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME BEFORE WE GO INTO YOUR FINANCE TO REPORT? YEAH, AND I UNDERSTAND BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARIES FOR, UH, WITHDRAWAL, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE LIBRARY CARD.
HOW HAS THAT BEEN WORKING? HAS THERE BEEN MUCH ACTIVITY THERE? THERE WE GO.
I'M GONNA LET YOU, I'M GONNA LET, UH, I COULD ANSWER A HOT SPEED.
I CAN ANSWER YOU, BUT I'LL LET YOU HEAR IT STRAIGHT FROM A, UH, ONE OF OUR MANAGERS.
HOW ARE THOSE BEING RECEIVED? SO WE HAVE SIX OF THEM HERE AND I WOULD SAY HALF OF THEM ARE OUT AT A TIME.
UM, WE HAVE, IF YOU WALK AROUND THE LIBRARY, YOU'LL SEE THOSE RED HEARTS UP.
SOME PEOPLE SEE THE RED HEARTS AND ARE LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD THAT.
SOME PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY BEING TOLD BY THEIR PHYSICIANS THAT THIS IS A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN COME.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF, OF EVERYTHING, BUT I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THEY'RE ALL OFF OF THE SHELF ALL OF THE TIME, BUT PROBABLY ABOUT HALF OF THEM AT A TIME AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY POPULAR, SO MM-HMM
IT IS VERY VALUABLE, VERY USEFUL ITEM TO HAVE.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ARE THEY TAUGHT HOW TO USE THOSE MONITORS? SO IN THE BUCKET, KITTY CAN VERIFY THIS AS WELL, BUT IN THE, UM, THEY GET, UM, UH, NICE LITTLE TO-GO BOX A LITTLE CONTAINER THAT HAS, UM, AN INSTRUCTION SHEET WITH VISUALS AS WELL AS A LINK TO A QR CODE FOR VIDEO HELP AND AN ADDITIONAL WEBSITE.
SO WE DON'T INSTRUCT THEM ON HOW TO USE IT, BUT THERE'S RESOURCES WITH THE CUFF OF HOW TO USE IT AS STAFF.
[00:25:06]
GOOD QUESTIONS.UM, BEFORE, AS A LEAD IN INTO THE FINANCE REPORT, I JUST KINDA WANTED TO HIT A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS.
WE ARE ON 100% THROUGH THE YEAR AND WE LEFT ABOUT 1.58% UNSPENT.
JOE'S GONNA GIVE YOU A LOT OF DETAIL ON THAT.
OUR SPECIAL FUNDS THIS TIME DID SEE INCREASE IN THE NORTH OF BROAD IMPACT FEE BALANCE, BUT I REALLY WANNA TALK TO OUR MATERIALS EXPENDITURES.
IF YOU LOOK FROM LAST MEETING TO THIS MEETING, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT WE SPENT $432,000 OR MATERIALS IN THE LAST QUARTER.
A LOT OF BOARDS PROBABLY, THAT PROBABLY RAISES AN EYE, LIKE THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AT THE LAST MINUTE KIND OF THOUGHT.
BUT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW WHY THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
WE HAVE MOST OF OUR RENEWALS FOR OUR LEASE PLANS, OUR DATABASES, THINGS LIKE FLIPSTER THAT YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT.
ANCESTRY, WE HAVE ALL THOSE RENEWALS SET TO COME WITH AN INVOICE ON IN MAY.
SO WE END THE YEAR WITH OUR, UM, THE BULK OF OUR SPENDING ON ITEMS THAT WE'RE RENEWING.
SO THAT'S I THE DETAIL I PROVIDED FOR YOU THERE.
155,000 TO RENEW OUR LEASE PLANS.
THAT ALL HAPPENS IN THE, IN THE FINAL QUARTER, ALSO OUR 42,000 IN OUR DATABASES.
SO THAT'S ANCESTRY, THAT'S, UM, FLIPSTER, YOU HEARD ME SAY THOSE BEFORE.
AND THEN JUST IN THIS LAST QUARTER WE SPENT 73,000 ON PHYSICAL ITEMS, NOT TO MENTION OUR REGULAR SPENDING, BUT IT'S JUST THAT ALONG AND ALONG THE QUESTIONS COME UP BEFORE IS WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE BEGINNING OF A FISCAL YEAR, SO JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, WE'RE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT MUCH AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND, UM, JUST FOR EVERYONE'S INFORMATION, THIS IS THE END OF THE YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO WE'LL BE GOING OVER THIS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL THAN, THAN NORMALLY THAT WE DO.
UM, BE JUST AS EASY TO FOLLOW IT ON THE SCREEN THERE.
THIS IS NOT AS GRAPHIC OR AS COLORFUL AS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE AS INSPIRATIONAL.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS READ THE START OF ON, ON THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER THERE TALKING ABOUT OUR STATE AID LOTTERY.
UM, IN OUR LAST MEETING, UH, BACK A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE DID MENTION THAT 468,000 WAS RECEIVED IN STATE AID.
THAT MONEY IS THERE, IT'S ALL BEEN SPENT, BUT FOR SIX THOU, $6, $6 REMAINS AS A CARRYOVER BALANCE INTO THIS, INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR.
MOVING ONE COLUMN OVER IMPACT FEES, WE HAVE TWO IMPACT FEE SOURCES OF REPORTING SYSTEMS, IF YOU WOULD.
WE HAVE THE OLD SYSTEM, WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO THE SIX DISTRICTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE NEW REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO NORTH OF ABROAD, SOUTH OF ABROAD.
SO PUTTING THOSE TWO REPORTING SYSTEMS TOGETHER, WE HAVE IT.
WE HAVE A CURRENT BALANCE OF ONE POINT OF, I'M SORRY, $5.3 MILLION.
UM, DURING, DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, UM, WE ADDED ABOUT $100,000.
THERE ARE NO EXPENDITURES DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD HERE.
UH, MOST OF THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD HAS BEEN FROM NORTH OF ABROAD AS AMANDA INDICATED THERE.
SO WHILE WE HAVE THIS $5.3 MILLION BALANCE HERE, WE DO HAVE ABOUT 2.3, $2.4 MILLION IN ENCUMBERED OBLIGATIONS, IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURES.
UH, WE HAVE THE PRICHARD LIBRARY, WHICH IS ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS THERE, BLUFFTON PHASE TWO, 800,000 AND HILTON HEAD UPGRADE OF ANOTHER $800,000.
SO YOU SEE, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE ON HAND VERSUS OUR ENCUMBRANCES, WE'RE IN A PRETTY COMFORTABLE SPOT AND CAPABLE OF HAVING, UH, FUTURE OBLIGATIONS OR FUTURE PROJECTS AS THEY MAY COME UP.
MOVING TO THE FAR RIGHT HAND COLUMN, THE SPECIAL TRUST THERE, NOTHING MATERIAL TO REPORT.
WE DID HAVE 300, UH, DOLLARS DONATION TOWARDS THE MATERIALS AND WE SPENT ABOUT $166.
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS THERE.
NOW, MAN, IF WE COULD MOVE OVER TO OUR BUDGET, AND AS AMANDA REPORTED, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SPENT VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE BUDGET.
ACTUALLY, IF YOU TURN TO THE BOTTOM, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, AT THE BOTTOM NUMBERS THERE.
[00:30:01]
UNSPENT FUNDS THERE MOST, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT PERSONNEL SERVICES, 99% SPENT DROP OUT DOWN OPERATING EXPENSES.AGAIN, THIS LOOKS VERY MUCH IN ORDER.
NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY, UH, JUMPS OUT THERE.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE MOVING FORWARD THERE.
AND IF WE CAN MOVE OVER ONTO THE MATERIALS REPORT FOR A SECTION.
NOW, AMANDA REPORTED, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY IN THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD HERE, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE YEAR OVERALL, WE, WE GOT VERY CLOSE TO THE MAGIC NUMBER OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN MATERIAL SPENT.
MUCH OF THIS MONEY IS, WAS SPENT ON HOOPLA.
ABOUT 50%, 55% OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE FOR HOOPLA ALONE.
AND THAT IS THEN FOLLOWED BY LEASE BOOKS 180, 181,000 THEN, AND THEN BOOKS THEMSELVES, 160, 160,000 THERE.
UM, AND WE, OKAY, AS FAR AS THE SOURCE OF MONEY FOR OUR MATERIALS IN THIS REPORTING PERIOD HERE, STATE AID LEADS AT $468 THOUSAND DOLLARS, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY THE COUNTY ITSELF, 449,000.
AND WE DO APPRECIATE THE $35,000 THAT WE RECEIVE FROM FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY THERE.
UM, SO AT, AT THIS POINT TO WRAP UP OUR THREE PRIMARY DOCUMENTS, AND I'D LIKE TO STOP AND SAY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA REPORTING HERE, AMANDA, IF, YOU KNOW, I HEAR GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE APPRECIATE IT, BUT IF THERE'S ONE COMPLAINT I HEAR IT'S HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET A BOOK THAT THEY WANT,
LIKE, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU I COULD DO THIS.
UM, A LOT OF FACTORS PLAY INTO HOW QUICK OR HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR SOMEONE TO GET AN ITEM.
WE GET ITEMS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PRINT COLLECTION, WE HAVE LEASE BOOKS, WE HAVE LUCKY DAY, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE BOOKS THAT WE PURCHASE ON THE DIGITAL SIDE OF THINGS.
WE HAVE BOOK, UH, EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS THAT ARE AVAILABLE INSTANTLY WITH NO WEIGHT.
I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT TITLES ARE AVAILABLE THAT WAY.
AND THEN WE ALSO PURCHASE, UH, EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, THAT'S USUALLY WHERE THE WEIGHT IS OCCURRING, AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY BEST SELLERS.
AND SO IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE, IF WE WANT TO MAKE AN EBOOK AVAILABLE OR AN AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE LICENSE OF IT IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A BOOK ON THE SHELF.
THOSE LICENSES FOR DIGITAL CONTENT ARE DOUBLE OR TRIPLE WHAT IT COSTS TO PUT A PHYSICAL BOOK ON THE SHELF.
SO WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT? IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW, RIGHT? WE HAVE A DEDICATED LIBRARIAN WHO MANAGES OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES AND LOOKS DAILY FOR WAYS TO, TO SHRINK THAT WEIGHT FROM THE PRINT SIDE OF THINGS.
WE JUST HAD OUR MANAGERS MEETING TODAY WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR LEASE PLANS FOR THE, THE PRINT, UM, TO BETTER REDUCE THOSE WAIT TIMES.
SO PART OF THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS MAXIMIZING THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, SMART BUYING AND STRATEGIC BUYING IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE ON HOW WE DO THAT.
AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS HAVING AN INCREASE IN MATERIALS, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
WE DO HAVE AN INCREASE IN MATERIALS, SO IN MATERIALS, MONEY, SO HAVING MORE MONEY, BUT THEN ALSO MAKING SURE INTERNALLY THAT WE'RE STRATEGICALLY USING EVERY PENNY TO LEVERAGE THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS I MENTIONED THAT IS BECAUSE FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE KEY, AND I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD THIS 80% INCREASE IN NEW CARD HOLDERS MM-HMM
AND IF THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE IS THAT THEY HAVE A BOOK THAT THEY CAN'T GET FOR THREE MONTHS, YOU KNOW, OR TWO MONTHS, THEN THAT TURNS THEM OFF INSTANTLY.
AND, AND WE HAVE ALL THESE NEW USERS, WE WANT TO BE SATISFIED.
SO I THINK CONNECTING THAT INCREDIBLE GROWTH WITH THIS QUESTION OF ACCESS AND INVESTMENT IN MATERIALS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT WAY FOR US TO TURN OFF ON THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE.
IT'S, IT'S HARD TO GET 'EM BACK, YOU KNOW, AND WE KNOW THE SOURCE OF WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
IS IT AT A PARTICULAR LIBRARY WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I'M HAVING THIS PROBLEM,
[00:35:02]
MOST OF THE PEOPLE I TALK TO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD, BUT I I'M NOT SURE, LIKE IN THE DIGITAL ARENA, I'M NOT SURE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.MOST OF THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HEAR WHO ARE DISSATISFIED WITH A WAIT TIME IS LESS ABOUT PRINT AND MORE ABOUT DIGITAL.
UM, YOU'VE SEEN THAT 50% OF MY BUDGET GOES TO DIGITAL.
I REALLY, AND 20% OF MY CIRCULATION IS DIGITAL AT THIS POINT.
I CAN'T JUSTIFY MORE MONEY GOING INTO IT.
AND WE ARE, I CAN CONFIDENTLY TELL YOU I'M DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW HOW TO DO TO, TO PROVIDE ALL THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT.
OUR LIBRARY CAN'T BE AMAZON WHERE THERE IS NO WAIT.
I, I WISH IT WERE THAT, THAT CASE, BUT EACH ONE OF US PROBABLY WOULDN'T READ THE SAME BOOK.
SO IF YOU MAXIMIZE THAT BY 200,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A COUNTY, THEY EACH WANT SOMETHING AND THEY EACH WANT IT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO HAVE IT AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IT TO YOU IN THE DIGITAL REALM, THERE AREN'T CONSORTIUMS READILY AVAILABLE TO US IN THE WAY THAT, IN THE PRINT REALM WE'VE JOINED SC LENS TO KIND OF SHARE PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
SO THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE IS COMPLEX AND WE'RE NAVIGATING THAT.
I'M VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I'M ALSO NOT, UM, CONTENT THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'VE ARRIVED OR THAT WE'VE CRACKED IT, THAT WE CAN, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO BETTER.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO, HOW TO MANAGE THAT AND, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, PROVIDE, REDUCE THAT WAIT TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND REALISTICALLY AVAILABLE.
CAN YOU, YOU HIRED A LIBRARIAN, HAVE YOU NOT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS THE WHAT DOLLARS EXACTLY.
MY SECOND POINT IS YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED.
THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS ON THE REVENUE SIDE AND ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE FOR YOU TO HAVE SPENT ALL BUT LESS THAN 2% OF YOUR BUDGET IS COMMENDABLE.
LET'S, LET'S TURN TO OUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET FOR A SECOND, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL GIVE SOME ENCOURAGEMENT AND SOME HOPE
UM, OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET HERE, FISCAL YEAR, UH, 26, WE'RE UP ABOUT $1.1 MILLION FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
UH, WE'RE NOW AT A LITTLE OVER $7 MILLION, ALMOST, UH, ALMOST $7.1 MILLION THERE.
UM, MOST OF THE EXPENDITURE, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS REALLY ON THE PERSONNEL SERVICES SIDE, ABOUT 90% THERE.
THAT IS UP ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS FROM WHERE WE WERE IN THE, IN THE PAST YEAR.
AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE FULL YEAR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PORT BOILER LIBRARY ITSELF.
PLUS, YOU KNOW, NORMAL INCREASES IN, IN SURCHARGES THAT HAVE COME ABOUT YEAR TO YEAR.
ON THE OPERATING EXPENSE SIDE, THE MAJOR NUMBER HERE THAT I WANT TO LOOK AT IS LIBRARY MATERIALS.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, $528,000 AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S UP, UM, AND I 16% FROM WHERE WE WERE.
SO THERE IS SOME HOPE FOR LIBRARY USERS OUT THERE AND WE CERTAINLY THANK THE, THE COUNTY FOR ITS SUPPORT IN THIS AREA HERE.
UM, JUST A WORD ON LIBRARY MATERIALS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FULL YEAR, WE HAVE 528,000 COMING FROM THE COUNTY IN THIS FISCAL.
UM, THE NEW NUMBER ON STATE AID IS 515,000.
IF WE ADD TO THAT AN ASSUMPTION OF ABOUT 35,000 COMING FROM FRIENDS OF LIBRARY, WE ARE OVER A MILLION, ALMOST $1.1 MILLION IN LIBRARY MATERIALS FOR, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS A NICE BOOST FROM WHERE WE WERE.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERY BOOK IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE
I WANNA PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAD A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE THAT AND IN TWO YEARS PER PERSON IN THE COUNTY, BASED ON COUNTY POPULATION, YEAH, WE'VE INCREASED OUR INVESTMENT IN MATERIALS BY 22% PER PERSON.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE THINK, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO FIX IT? WELL, WE'VE INCREASED OUR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BY 22% PER INDIVIDUAL LIVING IN THE COUNTY ON MATERIALS, WHICH IS BIG FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST A TWO YEAR INQUIRY JUST FOR GONNA GET INTO THAT IN JUST A SECOND THERE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS SUCH AS SUCH THAT WE CAN ANSWER OR, OR COUNT
[00:40:02]
OPERATING BUDGET? YEAH, LET'S OVER HERE, WHAT I WANTED TO GO OVER AND SPEND A FEW MOMENTS ON IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT MATERIAL SPEND OVER, OVER TIME.AND THIS IS JUST A THREE YEAR WINDOW THAT I SELECTED HERE.
UH, BECAUSE IN MY ESTIMATION, MATERIALS ARE REALLY WHAT IS BRINGING THE PEOPLE INTO THE DOOR.
THE BOOKS ON THE SHELVES, THE BOOKS, WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO HOOPLA.
THESE ARE THE PRIMARY DRAWS INTO THE LIBRARY MARKETPLACE HERE.
UM, SO IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER TIME, A COUPLE YEARS AGO IN 2023, OUR FULL YEAR MATERIAL SPENT 760,000.
AND AGAIN, IF WE LOOK AT THIS FROM 2023 TO 2026, WE'RE LOOKING AT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I THINK WE'RE PUTTING THE, WE'RE PUTTING THE LIBRARY MATERIALS, BUDGET AND SPEND WHERE IT REALLY HAS TO BE.
AND THIS IS WHAT IT'S BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE DOORS AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THE SHELVES AND LOOKING AT THEM.
OKAY, MOVE OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.
IF WE, WHAT MOST, AS I MENTIONED HERE, MOST OF OUR SPEND IS FOR HOOPLA THIS YEAR WE SPEND 55% OF OUR TOTAL MATERIALS BUDGET ON HOOPLA.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE WERE SPENDING FIVE 412,000 VERSUS 523 NOW.
AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE CIRCULATION GROWTH JUST ON HOPEFULLY HERE, UH, BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE YEARS.
THAT IS, THAT IS SIGNIFICANT HERE.
I WENT BACK AND TOOK A LOOK AT 2021, OUR HOPELESS SPEND WAS 160, 189,000 OR 31%.
SO WE HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN HOOPLA.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A DIGITAL OFFERING AND FROM THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF CIRCULATION, OUR USERS ARE, ARE, ARE, BEAUFORT COUNTY COMMUNITY IS REALLY USING THIS RESOURCE HERE.
AND I THINK WE ARE AGAIN, ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS, THE NEEDS OF OUR LIBRARY PATRONS WHEN WE DEVOTE OUR MONEY AND RESOURCES TO THIS AREA HERE.
IF WE CAN TURN THE LAST PAGE HERE, AND THIS IS WHAT JANET WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND WE WENT OVER THIS IN DETAIL IN OUR PROCEEDING, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
I PRESENTED MATERIAL SPEND OVER TIME REPORT TO THIS BOARD HERE.
AND THIS IS REALLY THIS END OF THE YEAR GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE WHAT WE ARE SPENDING PER CAPITA HERE.
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY POPULATION NUMBERS.
I PULLED OUT A US CENSUS DATA HERE, AND IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE SPENDING PER CAPITA, OUR GROWTH IS SIGNIFICANT.
WE ARE, I THINK WE ARE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY PATRONS HERE.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE, WE SHOULD BE VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF, OF THE LIBRARY MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
WE ARE, WE ARE PROVIDING MATERIALS AT A, AT, AT A BETTER RATE THAN WE COULD HAVE EXPECTED.
AND I THINK WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS HERE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, WE'VE COME A VERY LONG WAY AND SOME OF US ON LIBRARY BOARD HAVE SEEN IN YEARS PAST, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH RESOURCES AS WE HAVE NOW.
I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
THANKS TO THE, TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR SUPPORTING US IN THIS REGARD HERE AND WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S VERY PRIDEFUL.
UM, AS JANET SAID, THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN CAP MATERIALS EXPENDITURE PER CAPITA AND THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS HERE.
SO AT THIS POINT, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS ON THIS OBSERVATION COMMENT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT BECAUSE OF OUR POPULATION? YES.
THE STATE QUALIFIES US IN TIERS.
THERE ARE ONLY NINE OF THEM IN THE 46 COUNTIES IN THIS STATE.
SO THEREFORE, AS WE MATURE IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S OUR TARGET GROUP.
HOW DO WE COMPARE TO THE TIER ONE COUNTIES IN THEIR LIBRARY SERVICES? ARE WE AT ABOVE, BELOW? THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS THE STATE RELEASED THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT QUALIFY AS TIER ONE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT THE, THE NEXT TIME.
CAN I ASK WHAT THAT MEANS? THAT MEANS IT'S ANY COUNTY THAT HAS A POPULATION GREATER THAN 200,000
[00:45:01]
PEOPLE.OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT HAVE OVER 500,000 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY AND WE HAVE A COUNTY THAT HAS LESS THAN 8,000 PEOPLE.
I'LL WRITE MYSELF A NOTE AND THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S OUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
WE ARE NEXT GONNA DO OUR ANNUAL STATE AID DOCUMENTATION.
UH, SO I WANNA REVIEW THAT WITH YOU, BUT IT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE MR. PASSMAN INTO THAT.
UM, STATE AID IS STILL CALCULATED AT 180,000 FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS.
SO WE'RE STILL STUCK AT 2020 CENSUS.
SO IT'D BE GREAT IF THE STATE AID ALLOCATION COULD RISE WITH THE TIER ONE STANDING, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
SO OUR STATE AID, UM, IS MONIES THAT ARE ALLOCATED FROM THE STATE BUDGET TO EACH COUNTY.
SO THOSE COUNTIES THAT ONLY HAVE 8,000 PEOPLE, UM, THEY'RE GUARANTEED TO GET AT LEAST $150,000 IN SUPPORT FOR COUNTIES SUCH AS BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN 8,000 PEOPLE, WE GET $2 AND 50 CENTS PER PERSON BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS.
SO THE NUMBERS FOR THAT, LYNN, YOU HAVE IT HERE, THAT IS 5,000, THAT'S $515,217 FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
SO TO QUALIFY TO RECEIVE ANY ONE OF THOSE PENNIES, UH, THE STATE HAS IMPLEMENTED A PROCEDURE FOR US TO, UM, SUBMIT ELIGIBILITY.
WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THAT.
SO TO DO THAT, THEY'VE RELEASED SEVERAL DOCUMENTS.
THE FIRST DOCUMENTS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE REFERENCING ARE THE SAME AND HAVE BEEN THE SAME FOR EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN A LIBRARIAN.
UM, SO THESE, THESE FIRST ONES ARE NOT NEW.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AID COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION.
YOU DO HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET.
IT BASICALLY STATES THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO FOLLOW ALL OF THE STATE CODE OF LAWS RELATED TO THE EXPENDITURE OF STATE AID.
SO I SIGN THAT AND SUBMIT THAT TO YOU, TO THE STATE LIBRARY.
THE NEXT ONE IS CALLED THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT STATEMENT.
IT LOOKS LIKE I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, HERE YOU GO.
IT SHOWS 2024 EXPENDITURES AT THE TOP AND IT SHOWS OUR PROJECTED 2026 AT THE BOTTOM.
I KNOW YOU WANTED TO SPEAK TO THIS FORM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE CHANGE.
YEAH, I MEAN OF THE WHOLE PACKET.
THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WAS MOST SHOCKING TO ME, THAT FOR USE OF THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING AT THE FORM THAT OUR LOCAL FUNDS EXPENDED WAS 5 MILLION, UM, IN 2024 AND IT'S SEVEN SEVEN OVER 7 MILLION IN 2026.
THAT'S A 40% INCREASE IN TWO YEARS.
NOW, AGAIN, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, OKAY, BUT OUR POPULATION'S GROWN, BUT THE POPULATION HASN'T GROWN BY 40% IN TWO YEARS.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT'S WHERE COMPARING LIKE THE MATERIAL SPEND PER, PER CAPITA MATTERS.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY, 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT CAPITAL OF COURSE, IS PERSONNEL AND IT'S NOT MORE PE IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S MOSTLY BIG SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO MAKE OUR JOBS COMPETITIVE, WHICH ALLOW US TO HAVE A LOWER VACANCY RATE.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS MY, I MEAN IT'S THAT, THAT $2 MILLION IS TWO THINGS.
IT'S PAYING IT, IT WAS THREE THINGS.
'CAUSE OF PLACES LIKE FORT POAL, IT'S ALL THE PEOPLE GETTING SALARY ADJUSTMENTS SO THAT THEY'RE MORE COMPETITIVE.
AND THE THIRD THING IS IT'S THAT INCREASE IN, IN, IN MATERIALS.
AND THAT AGAIN, GOES UP, WENT UP BY 22% DURING THIS TIME PERIOD PER CAPITA MATERIALS WENT UP BY 22%.
SO WE'RE SPENDING MORE PER PER PERSON IN THE COUNTY.
WE'RE PAYING OUR PEOPLE BETTER AND WE HAVE A NEW BRANCH, SO WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
SO IN THAT, THAT FORM IS NOT SIGNED BY LIBRARY STAFF, THAT FORM IS EITHER SIGNED BY THE COUNTY CFO OR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO I WILL SUBMIT THAT FOR THEIR SIGNATURE AND THEN FORWARD TO THE STATE LIBRARY.
THE THIRD DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT IS A STATE AID AGREEMENT IN LIBRARY BUDGET FORM.
IT LOOKS LIKE A EXCEL WORK SHEET.
[00:50:01]
PERSONNEL INFORMATION, RESOURCES, OPERATING EXPENSES.I AM REQUIRED TO REPORT HOW MUCH FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR IS GOING TO BE CONTRIBUTED BY LOCAL FUNDS.
SO COUNTY FUNDS, HOW MUCH WILL BE COMPLIMENTED BY STATE AID, AND THEN THAT EQUALS A TOTAL BUDGET.
SO FOR US, UM, WE WERE GETTING $7,051,891 IN LOCAL COUNTY FUNDS.
THIS DOES NOT INCORPORATE ANY FRIENDS MONIES OR FOUNDATION.
AND THEN YOU COUPLE THAT WITH THE STATE AID, WHICH IS FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FIFTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN DOLLARS.
TOGETHER, THAT GIVES ME A TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET OF SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT DOLLARS.
OUT OF THAT, IT AUTOMATICALLY PUTS THOSE INTO PERCENTAGES.
AND TO QUALIFY FOR STATE AID, MY PERSONNEL PERCENT HAS TO BE BETWEEN 65 AND 70%.
INFORMATION RESOURCES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE 15 TO 20% OF MY OVERALL BUDGET.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE AT 14% OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES.
SO UTILITIES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ALL OF THAT PRINTING THINGS LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE 10 TO 20%.
THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE TO DO IS THAT FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES BEING BELOW 15%, I'M REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE STATE LIBRARY REQUESTING THAT THEY WAIVE THAT PERCENTAGE.
I HAVE THAT LETTER AND I'VE SIGNED IT AND I'M ASKING LYNN TO SIGN THAT SO THAT THEY WILL WAIVE US NOT MEETING THE 15% CUTOFF THERE.
AND IN THAT LETTER I'M SAYING THAT WE'LL WORK WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BECOME COMPLIANT.
THE FOURTH DOCUMENT THAT I'M REQUIRED TO SUBMIT, UM, TO THE STATE LIBRARY FOR PAYMENT OF STATE AID IS NEW FOR THIS YEAR.
AND I APOLOGIZE, CAN I, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION.
UHHUH
SINCE THE FUNDING, THERE'S TWO OF THOSE FUNDING CATEGORIES OUT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE STANDARD PARAMETERS.
SO WE DON'T GET STATE AID FOR THOSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, TO USE STATE AID FOR PERSONNEL? I DON'T AND I USE IT EXCLUSIVELY FOR MATERIALS AND THAT'S WHY I PUT IT IN THAT.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I WILL BUY CIRCULATING MATERIALS FOR IT.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THAT DISCRETION TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION AS WHICH CATEGORY YOU'RE EFFECTIVELY SEEKING OUT FUNDS FOR.
I'M NOT ALLOWED TO USE IT FOR OPERATING EXPENSES.
I'M NOT ALLOWED TO USE STATE AID FOR OPERATING EXPENSES OR THE BUYING OF FURNITURE AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
THERE'S, IT'S DICTATED IN THE LAW WHAT I CAN SPEND IT FOR IT.
WE, I ELECT TO PUT IT ALL TOWARDS MATERIALS AND THAT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE FOR OUR COUNTY.
THE LAST DOCUMENT IS NEW FOR THIS YEAR AND IT IS IN, UM, IN ORDER TO BE COMPLIANT WITH PROVISO 27 1, WHICH YOU ARE VERY WELL VERSED IN, AND THAT IS CALLED THE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT FUNDING CERTIFICATION DOCUMENT.
UM, I WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THAT TWICE THIS YEAR.
STATE AID WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN TWO PAYMENTS IN ORDER TO GET THE FIRST PAYMENT, I HAVE TO SUBMIT ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTATIONS IN ORDER TO GET THE SECOND PAYMENT.
I HAVE TO SUBMIT JUST THE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION FORM A SECOND TIME.
THAT FORM I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH AND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SIGNING.
IT BASICALLY SAYS, AND I'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH WHERE IT SAYS THE ABOVE NAMED COUNTY LIBRARY FURTHER CERTIFIES TO HAVE LIBRARY BOARD APPROVED POLICIES RELATED TO COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS, AND A POLICY THAT CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE AGE AT WHICH A CHILD CAN OBTAIN A LIBRARY CARD WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HAS A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY THAT YOU HAVE REVIEWED AND APPROVED.
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HAS A REQUEST FOR A RECONSIDERATION POLICY AND FORM THAT YOU HAVE REVIEWED AND APPROVED.
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HAS A CIRCULATION POLICY THAT SPECIFIES THE AGE AT WHICH A CHILD IS ABLE TO GET A LIBRARY CARD ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT A PARENTAL CONSENT THAT AGES 17, NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 17 IS ABLE TO GET A CARD WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.
BASED ON THAT, IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT I AND YOUR BOARD CHAIR CERTIFY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
AMANDA, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE STATE LIBRARY, THIS, THIS DOCUMENT IS, IS OBVIOUSLY REQUIRED TO OBTAIN FUNDING FROM THE STATE, ALTHOUGH IT IS DISPERSED THROUGH THE STATE LIBRARY.AND THE STATE LIBRARY HAS INDICATED THAT IT HAS NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO MONITOR OR TO INFLUENCE THE COLLECTION POLICIES BECAUSE THOSE ARE DONE BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SO, OKAY, JUST TO CLARIFY THEN, THAT, THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE IN, I'M COMFORTABLE THAT OUR BOARD IS IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THIS.
UM, THIS IS NOT A MANDATE FROM OUR STATE LIBRARY.
THIS IS A JUDICIAL DETERMINATION OF WHICH OUR STATE LIBRARY HAS NO AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE.
UM, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE DOING OUR JOB, WHICH IS WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE FIND TO BE, WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS IN TERMS OF OUR COLLECTION POLICIES.
AND WE HAVE DOTTED OUR I'S AND CROSSED OUR T'S.
UM, BUT THIS IS NOT THE STATE LIBRARY.
THE FINAL DOCUMENT THAT I SENT TO YOU IN YOUR PACKET, AND I DON'T SEE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE FREELY ON THE STATE LIBRARY'S WEBSITE YET, BUT, UM, THEY HAVE RELEASED, UM, WHAT THEIR REVIEW PROCEDURE WOULD BE IN THE EVENT THAT PURSUANT TO BUDGET PROVISO 27.1, UM, A REQUEST BY A DELEGATE TO REVIEW A LIBRARY'S COLLECTION, HOW THEY WOULD PROCEED WITH RESPONDING TO THAT REQUEST.
AND SO YOU HAVE THIS FULL DOCUMENT TO KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD DO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THEIR PROCEDURE.
I WOULD CERTAINLY INFORM YOU IF I WAS INFORMED THAT WE WERE UNDER REVIEW, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE LETTING YOU KNOW IN NUMBER ONE BECAUSE OUR FUNDING WOULD BE WITHHELD AND FROZEN IF WE'D RECEIVED ANY PAYMENT.
AND I WOULD ALSO KEEP YOU INFORMED BECAUSE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RECEIVING THE RESPONSE FROM THE STATE LIBRARY AS I AM AS WELL.
SO THAT IS JUST ONE NEW DOCUMENT FOR THIS YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REVIEWED THOSE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D LOVE TO ENTERTAIN THOSE RIGHT NOW SO THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT I AM SIGNING ON BEHALF OF BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY.
AND LYNN IS SIGNING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
I I REVIEWED THIS WITH YOU, UH, PRETTY THOROUGHLY AND I, I CERTAINLY AM COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
WE WILL COME BACK SOON FOR, UH, PAYMENT NUMBER TWO.
I KNOW IT WAS LENGTHY, BUT, UM, IT WAS VERY THOROUGH.
UM, WE'LL NOW DO OUR, THE REST OF OUR COMMITTEES.
JOE, YOU HAVE FINISHED WITH YOUR BUDGET REPORT.
IT, IT'S GOOD TO, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW WHAT I LIKE THE COMPARISONS FROM BEFORE.
IT CERTAINLY PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, SO THANK YOU.
UM, OUR NEXT, UH, COMMITTEE REPORT WILL BE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
JANINE, IS THERE ANYTHING TO REPORT? WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
AMANDA'S INDICATED THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS COMING DOWN THE PIKE, SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT FEW QUARTERS WE'LL BE GETTING BUSY WITH SOME NEW POLICIES OR REVISIONS TO POLICIES MOST LIKELY I SHOULD SAY.
UM, MANDY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT OR NOT STRATEGIC PLANNING? WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING TO GET THAT ORGANIZED.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING JANET.
UM, I'M SO USED TO YOU BEING, I KNOW STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, TRYING TO GET, KATHY AND I MET LAST WEEK.
SHE JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DID BEFORE I SHARED YOUR TIMELINE THAT YOU HAD PUT TOGETHER LAST TIME.
AND SHE JUST KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD BEEN DONE IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND SHE MOSTLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE WEREN'T BEHIND.
SO I WAS ABLE TO LET HER KNOW WE'RE NOT BEHIND.
AND I BELIEVE SHE'S EXCITED TO GET GOING IN THE, IN THE NEW YEAR OR IN THIS NEW FISCAL YEAR.
I REMEMBER THAT SHE SAID YOU HAD MET.
SO, UM, REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION.
JANET, IS THERE ANYTHING TO SAY? NO, THERE'S, THERE HAVE BEEN NO REQUESTS.
SHANA, IS THERE ANY, AMANDA COVERED IT ALL IN HER DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
THE, THE BIKE RACKS, THE, UH, FLOOD MITIGATION AT HILAND.
UH, LEAH LIAISONS, UH, BRENDA, WERE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND THE UH, BUFORT? BUFORT HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES NOW, DOES IT NOT BEAUFORT FRIENDS, THE ANNUAL MEETING WAS JUNE 14TH, WHICH AMANDA REPORTED AT.
UM, THEY REPORTED THAT THEY'RE ALL READY TO GEAR UP FOR THE JANUARY 26TH BOOKS SANDWICH 10.
AND IN THE VERY EFFICIENT WAY THAT THEY DO THINGS, THEY PRESENTED
[01:00:01]
A NEW SLATE OF OFFICERS AND THE NEW PRESIDENT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, AMANDA IS JANET HUBERT, SHE'S THE NEW PRESIDENT.UH, CARTER HAS RETIRED, SO THANK YOU.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THEY WILL BE DOING, UH, PLANNING FOR AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.
AND, UH, THEIR EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES WERE WITHIN BUDGET, SO THEY WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR OPERATIONS.
UM, ROSALIE, WERE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND THE BLUFFTON MEETING? NO.
UM, WELL KITTY ALSO PARTICIPATES IN THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL.
THEIR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN AUGUST AND THEY ARE, UM, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM, RECRUITING NEW BOARD MEMBERS, LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE SALES.
THEY'VE HAD GREAT BOOK SALES ALL YEAR, BOTH IN THE LIBRARY AND IN THEIR SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO THERE, THERE REALLY ARE MOVING FORWARD, KEEPING, KEEPING THINGS HAPPENING SO THAT THIS LIBRARY RECEIVES THE SUPPORT THEY NEED.
THE FIRST THURSDAY FIRST, UH, AND UH, HILTON HEAD IS OFF FOR THE SUMMER.
WE DID, UH, HAVE OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON, WHICH WAS VERY NICE.
AND, UM, NO BUSINESS WAS TRANSACTED AT THAT LUNCH.
UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION MEETS IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, SO THAT'S THE, ALL THE LIAISONS.
UH, JANET PORTER IS IN CHARGE OF THE, UH, DIRECTOR'S EVALUATION AND SHE WANTS TO SAY A FEW WORDS THAT'S GOING TO BE REPORTED ON IN SEPTEMBER.
SO ANNUALLY WE REVIEW THE DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCE AND, UM, WE'VE HAD A, I THINK A GOOD PROCESS THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND I, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT IT WILL BE THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH BEFORE BRENDA, UM, AND KATHY WILL BE ON THE COMMITTEE WITH ME FOR, FOR REVIEW OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PERFORMANCE.
AMANDA DOES A, UM, SELF, YOU WILL ALL GET A COPY OF THAT SELF-EVALUATION AND A COPY OF THE FORM.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU SEE FAILURE OF AN ORGANIZATION TO PERFORM, IT'S OFTENTIMES BECAUSE THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHAT GETS TALKED ABOUT AT BOARD MEETINGS AND BETWEEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW YOU EVALUATE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S DOING A, YOU KNOW, LOUSY JOB AT, YOU KNOW, AND NEVER, YOU NEVER TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEIR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL, BUT YOU REALLY LIKE THEM 'CAUSE THEY'RE FUN AND FUNNY OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.
SO THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WAS IN OUR DOCUMENT AND WHICH AMANDA USED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU'RE ASKED TO COMMENT ON THINGS ABOUT HOW SHE'S DOING WITH USER EXPERIENCE, COLLECTIONS, SPACE AND COMMUNICATION, AND YOU'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, I ATTEND THE MEETINGS, BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE.
WELL, A LOT OF THAT WILL BE ILLUSTRATED IN HER SELF-EVALUATION AS TO WHAT'S HAPPENED.
I, I LITERALLY LIFT EVERY COMMENT THAT'S MADE AND PUT QUOTES AROUND IT AND PUT IT IN HER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL.
NOTHING IS ATTRIBUTED TO ANY INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS.
I INTERVIEW THE BOARD MEMBERS, PLUS ADMINISTRATION, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO GET FEEDBACK.
UM, SO YOU'LL GET A YOU BY, IN EARLY AUGUST, YOU'LL GET A RE, YOU KNOW, REQUEST TO SUBMIT COMMENTS TO ME, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE A WEEK TO DO THAT.
AND THEN I'LL DO INTERVIEWS WITH YOU IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST WITH INDIVIDUALS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE LONGER, SOME OF THOSE ARE JUST BRIEF, 15 MINUTE CHECK-INS, ROSALIE, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? OR, ROSALIE, YOU MADE THIS COMMENT.
TELL ME WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN, UM, I, I SEND A DRAFT TO EVERYBODY THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING, AND YOU'LL HAVE TIME FOR FINAL COMMENT BEFORE IT'S PRESENTED TO AMANDA.
AND THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WHOLE EVALUATION PROCESS IS THE CONVERSATION AMANDA AND I HAVE.
AND WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE A, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO'S OBSESSIVE ABOUT WANTING TO IMPROVE HER PERFORMANCE
SO SHE'S VERY ANXIOUS TO GET BOTH, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS ABOUT HOW WELL SHE'S DOING, BUT ALSO CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS THAT WE WILL HELP HER GROW.
SO I WANT YOU TO THINK A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU COULD DO TO IMPROVE HER REPORTS TO US, HER COMMUNICATION SKILLS, ANYTHING.
'CAUSE AMANDA'S, UH, SOMEBODY WHO'S THIRSTY FOR THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION, UM, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR MAJOR JOBS IS TO COACH AND GROW THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SO
[01:05:01]
THAT SHE CAN BE ALL, SHE CAN BE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS WE SERVE.SO, UM, SO THAT'LL BE THE PROCESS AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'D BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM AT THIS TIME.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE REPORTS.
IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS? NO.
IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS? HAVE WE APPROVED? YES, WE DID APPROVE.
UM, UH, OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING WILL, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE SEPTEMBER THE 10TH AT 4:00 PM WITH THE, AT THE BEAUFORT BRANCH LIBRARY.
AND WE HAVE THE, UH, FINANCE MEETING AT 3:00 PM FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE TO HEAR THE FINANCE REPORT
UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? YES.
UH, WE LEARNED A LOT, I THINK, AND IT WAS A GREAT REPORT.
YOU ARE WATCHING BC TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
I AM MEMORY CAMPBELL, AND THIS IS BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOOD TODAY.
THE FOOD HAS BEEN A GREAT PART OF OUR LIFE IN TERMS OF GATHERING FOOD AND PREPARING THEM.
OUR FOOD IS BASED ON THE LAND AND THE SEA.
THE LAND FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICE.
WE DON'T FEEL WE HAVE EATEN DINNER UNLESS WE'VE HAD RICE.
RICE WAS MIXED WITH VARIOUS ITEMS FROM THE SEA, LIKE OYSTERS OR SHRIMP.
AND WHEN THEY COOKED WITH RICE IN ONE POT, WE CALLED IT A RICE OR SHRIMP, OR AN OYSTER PERLOW.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE WATERMELONS AND THE SWEET POTATOES.
SWEET POTATOES WAS ALWAYS EATEN WITH FISH AND FRESH FISH WITH GRAVY AND A SWEET POTATO.
OKRA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FOOD WAYS.
WE, WE, WE RAISED THEM AS WELL AS WE PREPARE THEM WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATOES.
AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THAT A GUMBO.
AND THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
AND SO ENJOY THE FOOD OF THE LOW COUNTRY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY.
THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.