[00:00:01]
[I. Call to Order]
4 0 3.CAN WE ALL STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UM, BEFORE WE START THE MEETING, I'D LIKE TO, UM, SORRY.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN AMEND AN AN A, I HAD LIKE TO AMEND THE AGENDA AND I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE NEW ITEMS, UM, TO THE NEW BUSINESS TO CONSIDER AN ADDITIONAL, EXCUSE ME, AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY CLOSURE ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH.
UM, SO, BUT WE WILL DISCUSS IT IN NEW BUSINESS.
UH, IT, THE, THE, UM, COUNTY HAS VOTED TO GIVE THE BUFORT COUNTY'S, UM, EVERYBODY IN BUFORT COUNTY, ALL THE, ALL THEIR STAFF THE DAY OFF SAT ON FRIDAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
'CAUSE CHRISTMAS IS ON THURSDAY, SO IT'S ON FRIDAY.
SO THEY'RE GONNA BE OFF ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT FOR, TO GIVE OUR PEOPLE SATURDAY OFF, WHICH THEY DON'T VOTE ON.
SO WE'LL DO THIS DURING NEW BUSINESS.
SO CAN I HEAR A MOTION TO TALK ABOUT THIS DURING NEW BUSINESS? SO, MOVE.
[III. Introduction of Board & Administration]
UH, HOW ABOUT WE INTRODUCE THE, THE BOARD IN THE ADMINISTRATION? UM, AM AMANDA OR BRENDA, DO YOU WANNA START? BRENDA LATSON POWELL, DISTRICT ONE, TRACY ROBINSON, DISTRICT FOUR.AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, AND WE ALWAYS, UH, AMANDA IS OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE REST OF THE SURE.
I HAVE WITH ME TODAY TWO MEMBERS OF OUR ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
YOU MET THEM LAST, LAST MEETING.
THIS IS ILEANA HERRICK, WHO IS THE SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, AND LEE RAMEY, WHO IS OUR USER EXPERIENCE LIBRARIAN.
AND, UH, ANGELA IS A PROSPECTIVE, UM, NEW BOARD MEMBER FOR OUR DISTRICT.
SO IF SHE CHANGES HER MIND AFTER THE MEETING,
AND DISCUSS OUR BEHAVIOR, BEHAVIOR,
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALL OF YOU.
AND IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[V. Approval of Minutes]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES THAT WERE SENT OUT TO YOU? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES THAT WERE SENT.[VI. Correspondence and Communications]
AND COMMUNICATIONS.I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT THERE ARE, IN MARCH, THERE'LL BE FOUR OPEN BOARD SEATS ON THIS BOARD, ON THE LIBRARY BOARD.
UM, BUT WE HAVE INTERVIEWED, WE HAVE HAD EIGHT APPLICATIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP AND WE HAVE INTERVIEWED ALL OF THEM.
UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE A DECISION TOTALLY YET.
SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BE ON THE BOARD, YOU NEED TO CONTACT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OR LOOK IT UP ON YOUR, ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE AND SEND IT AS AN APPLICATION.
[VII. Library Director’s Report]
HOW ABOUT OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT NEXT? ALL RIGHT.IT'S MY PLEASURE TO, UM, PRESENT TO YOU TODAY.
UM, FIRST AS USUAL, I'LL GO OVER OUR PERSONNEL UPDATE.
SO AS OF NOW, WE HAVE FIVE VACANCIES THAT IS THE LIBRARY OPERATIONS MANAGER, THE SENIOR LIBRARIAN FOR YOUTH SERVICES AT ST.
HELENA, A CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR AT HILTON HEAD, LIBRARY SPECIALIST AT LABO, AND THE LIBRARY ASSISTANT PART-TIME POSITION AT HILTON HEAD.
UM, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, I'M PLEASED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE, UM, WELCOME.
WE WILL BE WELCOMING A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN.
THAT'S A NEW POSITION THAT WAS, UM, ADDED TO OUR ORGANIZATION LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND A SENIOR LIBRARIAN FOR YOUTH SERVICES AT THE ST, UM, EXCUSE ME, AT HILTON HEAD.
SO WE'RE VERY, UM, HAPPY TO BE WELCOMING THOSE PEOPLE VERY SOON.
[00:05:01]
FRAME MY UPDATE, UM, ALONG THE FOUR PILLARS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH ARE COMMUNICATION, USER EXPERIENCE, COLLECTIONS, AND SPACE.AND SO I'LL START WITH COMMUNICATION.
IN YOUR PACKET, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'LL REFER TO AS WELL AS WE GO THROUGH.
BUT OUR GOAL HERE IS TO DELIVER TIMELY, RELEVANT COMMUNICATION, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
I DO WANNA SHARE THAT OUR LIBRARY MARKETING DEPARTMENT HAS COLLABORATED WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND THEY HAVE PRODUCED A FOOD RESOURCE BROCHURE.
AND YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN DISTRIBUTE AT OUR LOCATIONS AND OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO CONNECT RESIDENTS WHO MAY BE SEEKING, UM, FOOD ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME WITH LOCAL, UM, PLACES AND SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT ARE PROVIDING THAT ASSISTANCE.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING TOWARDS A VERY SPECIAL EVENT THAT WILL BE HELD IN THIS ROOM NEXT WEEK WITH FUNDING SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE ARE CALLING IT LITERACY TOGETHER, AND WE ARE INVITING ALL OF OUR LOCAL LITERACY PARTNERS, UH, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO COME TOGETHER AND MEET IN THIS ROOM, NOT ONLY TO MEET EACH OTHER, BUT TO SHARE WHAT EACH ORGANIZATION DOES TO IMPACT THE LITERACY RATES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TOMPKINS OF USC ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF LITERACY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THEN FINALLY TO JOIN TOGETHER AND DECIDE HOW WE MIGHT MAKE STEPS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND COLLECTIVELY TO MAKE A REAL IMPACT ON LITERACY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THAT WILL BE HAPPENING NEXT WEEK, AND THAT IS A DIRECT, UM, FULFILLMENT OF STRATEGY THREE OF OUR GOAL, WHICH IS TO INVENTORY COMMUNITY CONTACTS, PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO DEEPEN COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
UM, DR. PORTER AND MS. MILLER WILL BE REPRESENTING THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR THAT EVENT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
AND MR. PASSMAN MAY BE ABLE TO ATTEND AS WELL.
LASTLY, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION, UM, SOMETHING THAT HIGHLIGHTED RIGHT OFF THE PAGE WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT STATISTICS LAST MONTH, AND THAT IS THAT, UM, OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS, OUR LIBRARIES, OUR LIBRARY STAFF HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NEARLY 200 OUTREACH EVENTS.
SO OUTSIDE OF NORMAL LIBRARY WORK, WE PARTICIPATED IN 200 EVENTS OUTSIDE OF OUR LIBRARY WALLS.
AND NOT ONLY HAVE IT BEEN 200 EVENTS, WE'VE REACHED 10,000 PEOPLE THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE REACHED.
UM, I WANTED TO COMPARE THAT TO LAST YEAR.
SO FOR THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE DID, UM, ABOUT 170 EVENTS FOR, UH, JUST UNDER 4,000 PEOPLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT NOT ONLY DID WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF EVENTS THAT WE'VE ATTENDED, BUT EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WE ARE REACHING TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT LIBRARIES.
DESCRIBE MAYBE TWO OF THE EXAMPLES.
GIVE US TWO EXAMPLES OF THE EVENTS THAT WE PARTICIPATED IN WHERE THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, BIG CROWD.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE HABERSHAM HARVEST FESTIVAL THAT TAKES PLACE IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY RIGHT BEHIND, KIND OF IN THE BURTON AREA.
UM, AND THEY ATTRACT HUNDREDS OF, OF FAMILIES AND, UM, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, IT'S A, I SEE TRACY SHAKING HER HEAD.
THEY HAVE FOOD TRUCKS, THEY HAVE, UH, UH, FAIR RIDE ATTRACTIONS, FAIR, FAIR STYLE FOOD, UM, AND OUR BOOKMOBILE GOES EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S ONE OF THE HALLMARK, UM, EVENTS THAT WE ATTEND.
AND THEN I'LL ALSO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, SOUTH ABROAD, OUR BOOKMOBILE WENT TO THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND ITALIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL ALSO IN THIS, IN THIS PAST MONTH.
AND ALSO INTERACT WITH A VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND, UM, EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW GREAT IT IS TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD AND CONVINCE THEM TO EITHER SIGN UP ON THE SPOT OR CHECK SOMETHING OUT.
THANK YOU THAT, THAT, UM, WE TALKED LAST MEETING ABOUT HOW MANY, HOW MUCH OUR NEW LIBRARY CARD USERS HAD GONE UP, AND THAT'S PROBABLY LINKED TO THAT INCREASED VISIBILITY.
OUR SECOND GOAL OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS RELATED TO USER EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE A COUPLE OF UPDATES, UM, RELATED TO THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVE.
THE FIRST IS AN ONGOING, UH, WEBSITE REDESIGN.
WE ARE DOVETAILING THE REDESIGN OF THE WEBSITE WITH OUR LAUNCHING OF OUR NEW MEETING ROOM, RESERVATION SYSTEM, AND ONLINE EVENT CALENDAR.
SO WE THINK THOSE TWO WILL ALIGN AND WE'RE HOPING FOR AN EARLY 2026 UNVEILING TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, IT'LL BE A VERY ENHANCED, IMPROVED VISUAL EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU VISIT OUR WEBSITE, NOT ONLY FOR THE AESTHETIC, UM, EXPERIENCE OF VISITING OUR WEBSITE, BUT ALSO IT IS NOT, IT WILL BE A DA COMPLIANT WITH THE NEW A DA RULES THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN TERMS OF WEB EXPERIENCE.
[00:10:01]
ALSO WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, IF NOT EVER, UM, WE ARE HOSTING A LOCAL AUTHOR FESTIVAL IN MARCH OF 2026.WE'RE CALLING IT PENN AND PALMETTO.
THE LOGO WAS DESIGNED BY A LIBRARY STAFF MEMBER, AND WE HAVE MORE THAN 30 AUTHORS WHO HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT.
WE WILL HAVE, UH, AUTHORS WHO WRITE FOR ADULTS, AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL AREA DEDICATED TO AUTHORS WHO WRITE CHILDREN'S BOOKS AS WELL.
SO, VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS EVENT HAPPEN.
WILL THAT BE, IT WILL BE IN THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WANTED TO PUT THIS ON YOUR RADAR.
SO YOU AND ANYONE ELSE WATCHING TONIGHT CAN, UM, PLAN TO JOIN US FOR WINTER READING.
LAST YEAR WE PILOTED A WINTER READING PROGRAM.
IT IS NOT AS INVOLVED AS SUMMER READING.
IT'S VERY EASY, BUT IT'S PERFECT FOR THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN YOU WANNA BE COZY AND READING A A GOOD BOOK.
WE DON'T HAVE FIREPLACES MOST OFTEN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE WEATHER KEEPS GOING LIKE IT IS.
IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT BE A, MIGHT BE TIME TO CURL UP WITH A GREAT BOOK, BUT WINTER READING IS ON THE WAY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON YOUR RADAR AS YOU, I DO LIKE TO, UM, WET YOUR APPETITE FOR SOME, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT IS COMING YOUR WAY.
SO, UM, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I DO WANNA SHOW TWO LOCAL HISTORY PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, AMERICA TWO 50 IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.
OF COURSE, BIG EVENTS HAPPENING NEXT YEAR, BUT WE ARE ALREADY GEARING UP FOR A A, A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION.
WE HAVE TWO UPCOMING EVENTS THAT I DO WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO.
THE FIRST IS BY COLONEL NEIL BAXLEY.
YOU MAY KNOW HIM FROM EMERGENCY SERVICES, BUT HE IS A HISTORIAN AND HE'LL BE PRESENTING ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT ON TWO ON NOVEMBER THE 18TH AT OUR BEAUFORT LIBRARY.
AND THEN RICH THOMAS, WHO IS VERY MUCH INSTRUMENTAL INTO THE LOCAL AMERICA TWO 50 COMMITTEE, WILL BE PRESENTING ON DECEMBER THE FOURTH AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY HERE ABOUT THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT MILITIA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
HELENA LIBRARY, UM, LATER IN DECEMBER, WE'LL BE HOSTING THEIR FOURTH ANNUAL UNRATED CHESS TOURNAMENT.
THE UNRATED PART IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S WHY I MAKE SURE I SAY THAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO HOST THAT AT THE ST.
IT DRAWS CHESS COMPETITORS, UM, OF ALL AGES, BUT PRIMARILY CHILDREN AND AND SCHOOL AGE, UM, PARTICIPANTS.
UH, WE SERVE THEM PIZZA AND THEY HAVE A GREAT TIME PLAYING CHESS.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR HOLIDAY MODEL TRAIN SHOW COMING BACK TO BEAUFORT.
THIS IS, ITS 32ND YEAR, UM, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BEAUFORT RAILROADERS GROUP.
AND THAT WILL BE ON DISPLAY DECEMBER THE NINTH THROUGH THE 13TH.
HERE IN BLUFFTON, WE WILL HAVE THE LOW COUNTRY HARP ENSEMBLE PROVIDING A PERFORMANCE AS WELL ON SATURDAY DECEMBER THE SIXTH.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TRY TO INVITE YOU TO TAKE A SELFIE WITH SANTA AT THE LOKO LIBRARY ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER THE 13TH.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN GOING ON AT OUR LIBRARIES AND MULTIPLE REASONS FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN, SIT A SPELL, TAKE A BOOK, AND ENJOY A PROGRAM.
IN TERMS OF SPACE, I WANNA UPDATE YOU ON SOME FACILITIES ENHANCEMENTS WE'VE HAD SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, AS YOU, AS I ANNOUNCED IN OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED AN IMPACT GRANT THAT IS A FEDERAL MONEY THAT GOES TO THE STATE LIBRARY.
AND COUNTY LIBRARIES IN OUR STATE CAN APPLY FOR THOSE GRANT FUNDS.
WE WERE AWARDED AN IMPACT GRANT FOR THOSE MOBILE STUDY BOOTHS THAT I SHOWED YOU LAST, UM, MEETING.
SO WE CONTINUE TO FINALIZE THE ORDER WITH THAT WE HAVE PICKED OUT COLOR AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS FINALIZE THE PAYMENT OF THAT MOBILE, OF THOSE MOBILE BOOTHS.
I, THE VENDOR IS TELLING ME THAT IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 10 TO 12 WEEKS FOR THEM TO ARRIVE.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THOSE LATE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
I ALSO WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ENHANCING THE EARLY LITERACY ROOM IN THIS BRANCH HERE IN BLUFFTON, UM, WITH FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
UM, THE DONOR WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, UM, BUT THEY HAVE PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL DONATION THAT WILL ENABLE US TO ENHANCE THE SPACE TO PROVIDE MORE WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AND A MORE ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR, OUR YOUNGEST, OUR YOUNGEST READERS.
ALSO, OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED, UM, FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN ENHANCE THE TEEN ROOM AT THE ST.
THE FURNITURE AND THE FIXTURES IN THAT ROOM HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THE BUILDING OPENED OVER 10, 12 YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S TIME FOR A REFRESH IN THAT SPACE.
AND OUR FOUNDATION BELIEVES IN THAT PROJECT AND HAVE PUT MONEY ASIDE TO, TO HELP US ENHANCE THAT SPACE.
ALSO, WE'VE HAD POWER WASHING, SO I WANNA GIVE YOU SOME BEFORE
[00:15:01]
AND AFTERS.ON ONE SIDE, YOU CAN SEE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF AREA IN THE CORNER THERE THAT IS GONE ON THE AFTER PAGE.
AND THEN ALSO A MORE, MORE DRASTIC PHOTO BEFORE AND AFTER.
UM, THAT'S ALL THANKS TO OUR COUNTY FACILITIES CREWS, AND WE WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THE, THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO.
I'M NOT AWARE OF A ROOF ISSUE AT LOKO.
ADDITIONAL, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND OUR LAST GOAL OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS COLLECTION.
SO I DO HAVE, UH, THREE UPDATES THAT I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU ALL, ALL IN TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF OFFERING A WIDE RANGE OF COLLECTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY FORMATS.
AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF MY PRESENTATION, WE ARE HIRING A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN WHOSE JOB WILL BE TO MONITOR OUR PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS.
YOU HAVE MET AND HEARD OF OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES COLLECTION, WHO DOES ALL THE MONITORING AND TRACKING OF OUR DIGITAL DOWNLOADABLES.
AND NOW WE WANTED TO COMPLIMENT OUR PHYSICAL COLLECTION WITH THAT SAME LEVEL OF DETAIL AND MONITORING.
SO WE WELCOME THAT PERSON ON DECEMBER THE FIRST, AND SHE'LL GET ACCLIMATED TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND BEAUFORT COUNTY AND START HELPING US NOT ONLY, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR COLLECTION, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT WAIT TIMES AND, AND PROMOTION OF OUR COLLECTION AS WELL.
YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY A LOT IN THIS PRESENTATION, FRIENDS AND FOUNDATION, AND I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN, IN TERMS OF COLLECTION, FRIENDS OF BEAUFORT JUST RECEIVED A $20,000 DONATION, UH, SPENT TO BE SPENT SPECIFICALLY ON BOOKS IN THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT CA UH, COUNT, UH, NORTHERN BEAUFORT LOCATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I'M, WE, I'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR STAFF AND THE FRIENDS OF BEAUFORT TO FIND THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THE DONOR WISHES AND ALSO TO BEEF UP OUR COLLECTIONS WHERE IT NEEDS IT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I HAVE GREAT NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU IN TERMS OF OUR CONSORTIUM, SOUTH CAROLINA LENS.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, YOUR LIBRARY CARD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ALSO WORKS IN SEVERAL OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, ARE THE CURRENT MEMBER LIBRARIES ALL THE WAY FROM ABBYVILLE ALL THE WAY TO YORK COUNTY.
WE HAVE 21 COUNTY LIBRARIES PARTICIPATING RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING THE STATE LIBRARY.
IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED INTERNALLY TO US, UM, THAT BY SUMMER OF 2026, WE'RE EXPECTING THE SEVEN LIBRARIES YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT, UH, TO BE JOINING US.
THAT'S DARLINGTON, DYLAN, GEORGETOWN, UM, MARLBORO, MARION SUMPTER, AND THEN THE CHAPIN MEMORIAL, WHICH IS THE CITY OF MYRTLE BEACH.
WE'RE EXPECTING THEM TO JOIN SOUTH CAROLINA LANDS.
SO NEXT SUMMER, THE STATE MAP WILL LOOK A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE BLUE COUNTIES YOU SEE WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS CONSORTIUM OF SHARING RESOURCES BACK AND FORTH.
I LOVE TO EXPLAIN THIS AS MOST PEOPLE EXPECT, THAT WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING ON REQUEST, YOU MAY GET IT FROM BLUFFTON OR HILTON HEAD OR BUFORT.
THIS KICKS IT UP A NOTCH IN THAT YOU PUT SOMETHING ON REQUEST.
IT MAY COME FROM ONE OF THOSE COUNTIES AS WELL.
SO THIS REALLY IS A COST SAVING MEASURE FOR US, BUT IT'S ALSO RESOURCE SHARING SO THAT MORE BOOKS, MORE COUNTIES, MORE READING, I FEEL LIKE MAKES SOUTH CAROLINA A BETTER STATE.
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IN TERMS OF COLLECTIONS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A A, A DATA DUMP THAT I DID FOR THE FOUR MONTHS THAT, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, FROM JULY TO OCTOBER.
I COMPARED JULY TO OCTOBER OF 2024 WITH JULY TO OCTOBER, 2025.
AND IN TERMS OF OUR CIRCULATION, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, OUR DIGITAL CIRCULATION IN 2024 WAS ABOUT 28%, AND OUR PHYSICAL CIRCULATION WAS ABOUT 72%.
THIS YEAR, OUR DIGITAL CIRCULATION IS 33%, AND OUR PHYSICAL CIRCULATION IS AT 67%.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT DIGITAL IS OUTPACING IN TERMS OF GROWTH OF PHYSICAL, BUT PHYSICAL CIRCULATION IS STILL HOLDING STEADY.
BUT JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ANALYSIS THERE ON KIND OF HOW OUR COLLECTION IS MOVING, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS DIGITAL VERSUS WHAT PERCENTAGE IS PHYSICAL, SO THAT YOU CAN PUT THOSE IN, IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD AS YOU START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHERE OUR COLLECTION MATERIALS, MONEY IS BEING SPENT AND WHY AND HOW AND, AND WHERE THOSE, UM, FUNDS ARE GOING.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY REPORT, MS. CHAIR, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS? NO, BUT THAT'S VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE, UH, DIGITAL IS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE,
[00:20:02]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.[IX. Committee Reports]
IMATS COMMITTEE CHAIR.JOE BOGAS, PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH YOUR REPORT.
UM, IN A NUTSHELL, WE ARE UNDERSPENT TO BUDGET AND WE ARE WELL SERVED WITH OUR IMPACT FEE BALANCE FOR CAPITAL MINIMUM AND THINGS GOING ON IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE SHORT REPORT.
WE'LL GET INTO IT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL HERE AND MAYBE EASIER TO FOLLOW EVERYTHING ON THE SCREEN.
BUT ON THE UPPER LEFT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE STATE AID, AND THESE ARE THE FUNDS THAT EVERY COUNTY GETS, UH, TO SUPPORT ITS LIBRARY MATERIALS COLLECTIONS.
UM, FROM THE STATE, WE'VE RECEIVED OUR FIRST OF THE TWO SEMI-ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS HERE.
UH, YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP WE RECEIVED 257,000.
THIS IS ABOUT A LITTLE LESS THAN 50,000, A LITTLE BIT MORE, THAT 50,000 MORE THAT WE WERE RECEIVED FROM LAST YEAR.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR IS A NICE BUMP OF ABOUT $50,000 OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR.
ALL THESE, ALL THESE, UH, STATE AID DOLLARS ARE AGAIN DEVOTED TOWARDS OUR, OUR BOOKS OR MATERIALS HERE.
UH, SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE SPENT ABOUT $4,800.
SO WE HAVE A CARRYOVER BALANCE OF 252,000 IN THE END.
THIS IS THE WAY THE FUNDS FLOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE HAVE THE TWO SECTIONS THAT WE'VE, UH, TALKED TO BEFORE.
WE HAVE THE OLD SECTION, WHICH IS THE CENTER, CENTER COLUMN.
THE NEW IMPACT FEE BALANCES NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
ON THE LEFT, IN A NUTSHELL, WE'RE ABOUT A LITTLE, A LITTLE MORE THAN $5.4 MILLION IN BALANCE.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN A LIGHT REPORTING PERIOD FOR IMPACT FEE RECEIPTS.
WE'VE ONLY RECEIVED ABOUT 45,000 IN IMPACT FEE RECEIPTS.
UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO EXPENDITURES DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD.
SO WE ARE WELL SERVED ON IMPACT FEES.
JUST KEEP IN MIND, WE HAVE ABOUT $2.4 MILLION IN ENCUMBERED OBLIGATIONS, ITEMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE THE MONIES WILL BE GOING.
WE THIEVES THIS WITH ABOUT A $3 MILLION UNADDRESSED BALANCE HERE.
SO AS FUTURE PROJECTS COME UP, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THEM.
OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL TRUST, UH, 234,000 IN THE ENDOWMENT.
THIS IS THE BIG ANONYMOUS GIFT ENDOWMENT THAT'S BEEN CARRIED OVER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS HERE.
UM, WE RECOGNIZED $480 IN, IN AN INTEREST ON THAT FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DISTRICT COLLECTION.
WE'VE HAD AN EX EXPENDITURE OF ABOUT $440 AND $122 IN DONATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED HERE.
THE NEXT ITEM HERE IS THE LSTS.
THIS IS THE IMPACT GRANT THAT AMANDA, UM, ADDRESSED EARLIER.
SO DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, THE LIGHTS OUT IN WASHINGTON, THESE DOLLARS DID FLOW TO THE STATE AND TO THE COUNTY.
AGAIN, MOST OF THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE, WILL BE SPENT ON THE MOBILE STUDY PODS, WHICH YOU SPOKE TO EARLIER THERE.
SO, LOOKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN FAIRLY GOOD SHAPE HERE.
SO IF WE COULD TURN OVER TO THE NEXT PAGE IN OUR REPORTING.
AND THAT'S OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET HERE.
UM, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR IN OUR COMBINED SPENDING IS ONLY 29% OF OUR BUDGET.
SO BASICALLY WE ARE, WE'RE UNDERSPENT.
MOST OF THE UNDERSPENDING OCCURS ON THE PERSONNEL SERVICES SIDE.
AND YOU CAN SEE ABOUT THE TOP HERE, WE'RE 28% SPENT.
AND AGAIN, THIS REFLECTS THE, THE VACANCIES THAT THE DIRECTOR POINTED OUT EARLIER HERE ON THE OPERATING EXPENSES.
WE'RE A BIT OVER THAT 37% SPEND MOST OF THAT.
AGAIN, IF YOU WANNA IDENTIFY AREAS OF, OF HEAVIER, HEAVIER THAN PROGRAMMATIC, PROGRAMMATIC SPENDING HERE, MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS IS 74 4% THERE.
SO NOTHING REALLY JUMPS OUT HERE.
AGAIN, MUCH OF THIS IS A MATTER OF TIMING AS THE FUNDS AND EXPENDITURES FLOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THERE.
SO, AGAIN, OPERATING FEE, WE'RE LOOKING VERY GOOD THERE.
SO WE CAN TURN IT OVER TO THE LAST REPORT HERE, WHICH IS EXPER MATERIALS EXPENDITURES.
MY, MY FAVORITE REPORT OF ALL THREE OF THESE SO FAR THIS YEAR FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FOUR MONTHS WE'RE $194, A HUNDRED FOR $94,000 SPENT FOR.
[00:25:01]
AGAIN, MOST OF THAT 147,000 OF THAT 1 94 HAS BEEN SPENT ON HOOPLA.THIS IS TIMING BECAUSE MOST OF OUR PHYSICAL ACQUISITIONS EXPENSES COME INTO LATTER PART OF THE YEAR.
BUT AGAIN, I MUST WANNA HARKEN BACK TO WHAT THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR HAD POINTED OUT HERE IS THIS GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING IN DIGITAL RESOURCES HERE.
AND AGAIN, THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF THAT GROWTH IS REALLY IN, IN, IN HOOPLA.
WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE FULL GEAR, WHEN WE ADD WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE HERE, WHAT WE HAVE FROM STATE AID, WHAT WE HAVE REMAINING IN OUR LIBRARY MATERIALS BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT A FULL YEAR, SPENT FULL FISCAL YEAR, SPENT A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT WRAPS UP THE, UH, FINANCE CHAIR'S REPORT.
IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD AND WE CAN BE HAPPY WITH THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN HANDLE? IF NOT, THANK YOU.
UM, THE NEXT COMMITTEE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM IS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
JANINE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE, GO AHEAD, TAKE THE LEAD OR? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE MET, UM, OVER THE LAST PERIOD FROM THE LAST MEETING.
AND THE GOAL WAS TO REVIEW THREE DOCUMENTS, UM, POLICIES AND OR FORMS. THOSE WERE PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET.
YOU'LL SEE IN THE RED LINES THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE.
AND THE FINAL, WE ARE HOPING FOR TO BE THE FINAL VERSIONS.
UM, AND I'LL JUST GO OVER EACH IN BRIEF, BUT REALLY THE GOAL WAS TWOFOLD IN REVIEWING THESE.
ONE WAS JUST TO DO A PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE IN LINE WITH THE CURRENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE LIBRARY, MAKE ANY UPDATES TO OUTDATED MATERIAL OR OUTDATED POLICIES, FEES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THE SECOND WAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THOSE FORMS ARE COHESIVE AND CROSS-REFERENCED TO ONE ANOTHER SO THAT THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER, UM, PURSUANT TO THE, UH, THE POLICIES OF THE LIBRARY.
SO, JUST IN A QUICK OVERVIEW, THE FIRST ONE WAS THE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND THE SUGGESTED REVISIONS.
THERE WERE JUST A FEW REVISIONS TO JUST OVERALL GENERAL LANGUAGE, UM, ENSURING THAT IN THAT COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY, WE ADDED A NEW BULLET POINT, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING MATERIALS AND SUPPORT OF DIGITAL LITERACY AND ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
AS WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
I CAN ASK FOR A MOTION WHEN AFTER YOU'RE DONE.
I, I FIGURED WE COULD JUST GO THROUGH THE CHANGES AND THEN HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM.
IS THAT HOW YOU'D LIKE TO HANDLE IT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT BEFORE? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND FORM WAS THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS FORM.
AND THIS, WE JUST MADE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE USER FRIENDLY BY ADDING SOME CHECK BOXES TO THE FORM AND, UM, ENSURING THAT WE HAD HYPERLINKS TO THE CRITERIA THAT THAT RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE OR THE PROTOCOL FOR RECONSIDERATION WOULD USE.
AND THEN JUST MAKING SURE THAT FORM'S AVAILABLE ONLINE.
QUESTION HERE, UM, ON THE FORM ITSELF, LINE ONE, YOU'RE ASKING THE RECON RECONSIDERATION PETITIONER TO EXPLAIN HOW THE MATERIAL MEETS THE LIBRARY'S CORRECTION POLICY.
IS THAT THE WAY YOU WANTED THAT EXPRESSED? YES.
I THINK THE GOAL, AND AMANDA CAN KIND OF EXPAND ON THIS TOO, IF, IF APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF THE GOALS OF THE LIBRARY.
BUT I THINK THE GOAL OF THE COMMITTEE WAS TO ENSURE NOT WE WERE BEST, WE WERE PROVIDING A SPACE WHERE THEY COULD ARTICULATE, UM, HOW IT MEETS THAT COLLECTION POLICY.
AND CERTAINLY HERE IS WHERE THEY COULD USE THAT SECTION TO IDENTIFY IF THEY FELT IT DID NOT.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK A REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION IS NECESSARILY GOING TO BE THAT IT DOESN'T FIT WITHIN THE CRITERIA OR THE POLICY.
THEY MAY HAVE ANOTHER SUGGESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATELY IN A DIFFERENT SECTION OR, UM, A DIFFERENT TITLE MAY SERVE THE USERS BETTER.
WOULD IT BE MORE CLEAR THEN TO IDENTIFY BOTH HOW IT MEETS AND DOES NOT MEET? WOULD THAT HELP THE PREPARER OF THIS FOR, UH, OF THIS RECONSIDERATION REQUEST? SO I, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A DECISION THAT WOULD BE MADE BY THE GROUP.
UM, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I THINK THAT THE FORM, THE WAY IT'S DRAFTED NOW ALLOWS THAT SPACE WITH THE OTHER ENUMERATED QUESTIONS BELOW, UM, WHERE IT ALLOWS THEM TO INDICATE,
[00:30:01]
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY DID NOT FEEL IT WAS PURSUANT TO COLLECTION POLICY 1.2, THEY COULD CERTAINLY ENUMERATE THAT HERE AND THEN PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION.BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS FROM OKAY.
ELSE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT LANGUAGE? WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, I UNDERSTAND THE LIBRARY DOES NOT CENSOR MATERIALS.
IS THAT WHAT, WHAT THE QUESTION, UM, I THINK JOE WAS REFERRING TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE.
PLEASE INDICATE HOW YOU BELIEVE THE MATERIAL MEETS THE LIBRARY CRITERIA.
IF I WERE REQUESTING SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED RECONSIDERED, MY, I GUESS MY CRITERIA WOULD BE HOW THIS DOES NOT FIT IN WITH THESE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE, AS OPPOSED EXPLAINING HOW IT DOES FIT IN.
'CAUSE BY DEFINITION, EVERYTHING WOULD FIT IN.
PLEASE INDICATE HOW YOU BELIEVE THIS MATERIAL MEETS THE LIBRARY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A VALID POINT.
UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE THIS PIECE BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
ISN'T, ISN'T, SHOULDN'T THIS BE, PLEASE INDICATE HOW YOU BELIEVE THIS MATERIAL DOES NOT MEET THE THAT'S MY POINT.
THAT'S, YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT ON THIS.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T ASK THAT.
WE ASKED FOR PHONE AND, UM, NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.
WE DON'T ASK FOR EMAIL GIVEN THAT SO MUCH COMMUNICATION IS VIA EMAIL, DON'T WE? SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PROCEDURAL QUESTION FOR AMANDA IN TERMS OF HOW THESE ARE PROCESSED INITIALLY AND COMMUNICATED.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THAT INFORMATION GETS COMMUNICATED FROM.
SO AMANDA, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'M, SO, I MEAN, EVERYTHING ASKS FOR EMAILS WHEN YOU SAY, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
UM, IT IT, IT ACTUALLY ALIGNS, UH, JANINE WITH THE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE TO MAKE THIS FORM AVAILABLE TO BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.
SO I THINK EMAILS, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND THEN, UH, I GUESS WE CAN, LET'S SEE.
AND, UM, HOW THE MATERIAL DOES NOT MEET THE LIBRARY'S COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY.
MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE CLEARER.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST FORM WAS THE, OR POLICIES, THE CIRCULATION POLICY.
AND MOST OF THESE CHANGES WERE GUIDED BY THE LIBRARY AND BY, UM, AMANDA JUST PROVIDING TO US UPDATES WITH REGARD TO JUST SIMPLE CHANGES IN GENERAL POLICY, UM, VERBIAGE TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR, UM, REMOVAL OF FEES THAT WERE NO LONGER APPLICABLE, UM, AND WERE NO LONGER USED AND DEFINITION OF RESIDENT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHAT RESIDENT MEANT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, BUFORT COUNTY.
AND THEN JUST KIND OF REVISING THE LANGUAGE WITH REGARD TO, UM, JUVENILES AND TEENS ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSENT IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN THEIR LIBRARY CARD.
UM, I MEAN, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE CHANGES.
ARE THERE ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE, THE BOARD ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
I MEAN, ON THE PACKET THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED BY, BY EMAIL, THE PDF DOCUMENT HERE, THERE WAS A NON-RESIDENT ANNUAL FEE.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT SECTION HERE IN WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PHYSICAL HANDOUT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, THIS IS THE INITIAL LIBRARY CARD.
CA WHAT PAGE ARE YOU REFERRING TO? IF YOU COULD WELL HELP ME WITH THAT.
THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PAGE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PDF DOCUMENT THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED.
UM, AND IT INCLUDED UNDER SECTION NINE, A NON-RESIDENT FEE OF $40.
AND THAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS BEING EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY OF 2018.
CURRENTLY, THE COST IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER.
WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BUDGET VERSUS THE NUMBER OF USERS HERE, THE AVERAGE COST IS CLOSER TO $66.
[00:35:01]
YOU MAY WANNA CONSIDER THAT.OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT GO INTO CONSIDERATION HERE, BUT THAT NUMBER IS A BIT OUT OF DATE.
IS THAT A ONE TIME FEE, AMANDA? SO FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN ZERO FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
UH, IT'S, IT'S ONLY, IT'S AN ANNUAL FEE FEE.
IT'S AN FEE CARD IS ONLY ISSUED FOR ONE YEAR.
IS THERE A, WITH REGARD TO THAT, IS THERE A BENEFIT OR A DETRIMENT? AND I WOULDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS.
IT'S VERY MUCH A QUESTION TO TYING THAT TO A CURRENT BUDGET BECAUSE THERE'S A, A FLUCTUATION THERE.
OR WOULD IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO JUST MAINTAIN A FLAT FEE OF A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A AGREEABLE NUMBER, I GUESS? OH, UH, WHATEVER INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THIS GROUP, I'D BE HAPPY TO KINDA GIVE YOU SOME RESEARCH.
JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT KIND OF DATA POINTS OR CONTEXT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU.
WHETHER YOU WANT THE NUMBER OF NON-RESIDENTS, LIKE HOW, WHAT ARE YOU, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED OR AFFECTED OR JUST GIMME IF YOU YEAH, IF YOU TELL ME WHAT INFORMATION YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE, WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MANY NON-RESIDENTS THERE ARE THAT ARE THIS IMPACTS AND PERHAPS WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING WITH REGARD TO FEES.
IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTIES.
BUT I WOULD THINK WE WOULD HAVE A HIGHER, GIVEN OUR SEASONAL POPULATION AND THAT WE'RE SUCH A VACATION RESORT, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH HIGHER NON-RESIDENT PARTICIPATION FROM OUR VISITORS WHO COME FOR THE WINTER AND WANNA, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CARD ARE ONLY HERE FOUR MONTHS, FOR EXAMPLE.
I THINK THAT, I DON'T THINK THAT HAPPENS IN MUCH IN OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
AND I THINK, I THINK CURRENTLY IT SHOULD ALSO REFLECT THE DIGITAL OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE.
WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE BACK THEN.
I MEAN, YOU GET WASHINGTON, YOU GET THE, UM, WALL STREET JOURNAL, RIGHT.
IN NEW YORK TIMES YOU GET HOOPLA.
SO THERE'S THE CONSIDERATIONS HERE THAT THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THAT DECISION.
IT'S ALSO WHAT THE MARKET WILL PAY
I MEAN, I, I MEAN, AT $40 SEEMS LIKE NOTHING TO ME, BUT I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
UM, SO, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW I'D JUST LIKE TO VOTE ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND THEN MAYBE LOOK AT THAT, AT CHANGING THE FEE, UH, AT ANOTHER TIME.
DO WE ALLOW THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO PAY THIS FEE, UM, DO THEY KNOW WHAT ALL IT INCORPORATES? I MEAN, ALL THE, OKAY, SO IT SAYS WHEN THEY SIGN UP, THIS IS WHO BLOOD.
UM, COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO PASS THESE THREE, UM, UH, POLICIES? POLICIES WITH, I'VE LOST HERE WITH THE AMENDMENTS.
WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE, HAVE ADDED AND HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FEE AT ANOTHER TIME BECAUSE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GET THIS DONE.
MS. MILLER, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON IT, JUST FOR, FOR POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THE AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT YOU JUST PASSED WOULD BE, UM, ADDING EMAIL TO THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION FORM AND THEN ALSO REWORDING QUESTION ONE OF THE RECONSIDERATION FORM TO SAY THAT IT DOES NOT MEET.
THANK YOU JANINE, FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, DID WE WANNA ADD THE PHONE NUMBER AS WELL AS THE EMAIL? WAS THAT THE INTENT OF THE BOARD ON THE RECONSIDERATION FORM? I THINK YOU HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER THERE ALREADY, DON'T YOU? DO WE? YES.
AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR, UM, ASSISTING WITH THAT AND TO AMANDA FOR PROVIDING HER MUCH NEEDED AND VALUABLE PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE WITH REGARD TO THOSE CHANGES.
AND NOW THE STRATEGIC PLANNING.
KATHY COOPER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THE COMMITTEE MET AFTER OUR LAST BOARD MEETING AND DISCUSSED OUR PHASE ONE OF THE PROCESS AND FINDING A PROFESSIONAL TO ASSIST US WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS DIVIDED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CONTACTING POTENTIAL CONSULTANTS AND THAT PHASE HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, AMANDA HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION.
THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AGAIN IN A WEEK OR TWO TO DISCUSS THE BEGINNING OF PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE DATA COLLECTION.
AND FOLLOWING THE DATA COLLECTION WILL BE THE
[00:40:01]
ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA.AND AMANDA IS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TIMELINE FOR US, UM, IDENTIFYING THE MONTHS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE WILL GET WHEN WE NEED A FACILITATOR.
AND SO WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN GET YOU OUT MINUTES TO THE WHOLE BOARD ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT ONCE WE MEET.
DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANKS.
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE.
UH, SEAN IS NOT HERE FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES.
I THINK YOU PROBABLY COVERED THAT.
UM, LIAISONS FOR NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS BRENDA, WERE YOU ABLE TO GO TO THE LAST MEETING FOR COUPLE THINGS FROM THAT MEETING? SURE.
UM, THE FRIENDS OF BUFORT ARE VERY ACTIVE.
THIS IS THEIR MOST, UH, ONE OF THEIR ACTIVE SEASONS.
THEY JUST COMPLETED THEIR ANNUAL WATERFRONT PARK BOOK SALE, UH, LAST WEEKEND.
I DON'T KNOW THEIR OFFICIAL NUMBER, BUT DID SEEM TO BE GOOD.
UH, MS. COOPER WAS ONE OF THE CASHIERS ON SEVERAL DAYS AND WAS KEY TO THE CLEANUP EFFORT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
THEY WILL, UM, THEY WILL MEET TOMORROW TO, FOR THEIR REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING.
AND PERHAPS WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE THEN ABOUT THE PROCEEDS THAT THEY, THAT THEY RAISED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
I OUGHT BE BLUFFED IN FRIENDS.
THE FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON ALSO HAD THEIR ANNUAL MEETING ON LAST WEEK, UM, NOVEMBER THE SIXTH IN THIS ROOM THEY HAD A GUEST SPEAKER, MARK O'NEILL, WHO WAS A LOCAL AUTHOR.
HE WROTE, UM, TO CATCH A SPY, WHICH IS A SEQUEL TO A PRIOR MO, UH, PRIOR BOOK AND MOVIE.
UM, THEIR FINANCE TEAM MEETS NEXT WEEK TO GO OVER THEIR BUDGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, THEIR NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE DECEMBER THE FOURTH.
I HAVE ANOTHER MEETING TO GO TO.
20, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR THANKS FOR COMING AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT.
UM, I DID ATTEND THE HILTON HEAD MEETING.
THEY, UH, CELEBRATED THEIR BIRTHDAY, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, 26TH? ARE THEY? 26TH.
UH, WHICH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT ALSO THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND THEY ARE STARTING TO RECRUIT SOME NEW MEMBERS, WHICH IS KEY TO A, A STRONG BOARD.
SO THEY ARE REALLY WORKING HARD AT GETTING SOME NEW MEMBERS AND GETTING THE OLD MEMBERS OFF BECAUSE THE OLD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN THERE LONG ENOUGH THEY SAID SO
SO THERE, COULD YOU BE MORE BLUNT ABOUT THAT? YEAH,
UM, UH, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION, UH, THEY SENT, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING, BUT THEY GATHERED TOGETHER TO SEND OUT THE APPEAL LETTER.
SO ANYONE WILL BE GETTING AN APPEAL LETTER FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
SO DID YOU MISS NOMINATING COMMITTEE? OH, I MISS NOMINATING.
WHAT WAS THAT? YEAH, BUT I THINK THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE LYNN AND I, WE TALKED ALREADY.
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST ON OUR AGENDA.
YEAH, IT'S LYNN AND I, WE SPOKE EARLIER.
WE ADDED IT BECAUSE THIS, YOU ADDED IT 'CAUSE I, I MISSED IT.
I DON'T HAVE THE, I HAVE, I HAD MY NOTES FROM HOME.
BUT LYNN AND I, WE DID SPEAK EARLIER TODAY AND WE'LL BE GET BRENDA, MYSELF AND LYNN.
WE'LL BE GETTING TOGETHER PROBABLY WHAT, IN JANUARY? OR? WELL, WE, WE SHOULD PRESENT THE NEW BOARD, I THINK IN JANUARY.
SO WE'LL TRY TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS GET OKAY.
SO WE KIND OF LIKE BREEZED OVER SOME THINGS, SO YEAH.
[X. Old Business]
BUSINESS.SO, UM, I THINK I'M GONNA, I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE LARGE MEETING ROOM AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY TO THE DANIELS JAKES COMMUNITY ROOM, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE, TO THE LARGE OF THE LARGE MEETING ROOM TO THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY? DANIEL JAKES COMMUNITY ROOM.
[00:45:02]
SO MOVED.BRENDA, DID YOU SECOND THAT? OKAY.
UM, SO, SO THE LIBRARY IS CONSIDERED, THE LIBRARIES ARE CONSIDERED STEWARDS OF OUR HISTORY.
AND DAVID LAUDERDALE ASKED A WHILE AGO, IF WE WOULD CONSIDER RENAMING THE SOUTH CAROLINA ROOM TO THE DANIELS JAKES CAROLINA ROOM.
UH, THOSE TWO MEN WERE VERY IMPORTANT IN PUTTING A LIBRARY IN THE HILTON HEAD AREA AND ON THE ISLAND.
WE, AT THAT TIME, I'VE GOT A BUG HERE.
AT THAT TIME, UH, THERE WAS NO LIBRARY.
AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A COMMUNITY LIBRARY.
THIS WOULD'VE A LIBRARY THAT, THAT THEY HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME COLLECTING MATERIALS FOR AND DEVELOPING, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
BUT THEY WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN DOING THIS.
WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? OKAY.
UM, SO WE, UH, WE BROUGHT IT
I'M SORRY, THERE'S A BUG HERE THAT'S, I HAVE A MOSQUITO.
UH, SO, SO AT THE LAST MEETING WE BROUGHT A MOTION TO CHANGE THE NAME AND IT, IT WAS NOT PASSED.
UM, BUT IT, BUT THE BOARD SUGGESTED THAT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER WAY OF HONORING THESE TWO GENTLEMEN.
SO WE GOT TOGETHER WITH A COMMITTEE, JANET PORTER, AMANDA AND I, AND WE DISCUSSED IT.
AND WHAT WE'VE CAME UP WITH WAS CHANGING THE LARGE MEETING ROOM AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY AND RENAME IT TO THE DANIEL JAKES COMMUNITY ROOM AND JUST BE A, A NAME CHANGE.
WE WOULDN'T BE DOING ANYTHING PHYSICALLY EXCEPT ADDING MAYBE A PLAQUE, WHICH I'M INVESTIGATING NOW.
UH, SO THESE TWO, THESE MEN WERE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF, OF, IN THE GROWTH OF THE ISLAND.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER PEOPLE LIKE THIS AND THEY AREN'T THE ONLY ONES, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WHEN YOU START, IF YOU, IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO RESEARCH IT, THEY'LL COME ACROSS THE OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND, AND SO THIS IS WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT NAMES OUT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE A REFERENCE AND CAN, IF THEY WANT, THEY CAN INVESTIGATE THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE NOW TO ASK, TO ASK FOR YOUR VOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
I THINK, UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT DAVID LAUDERDALE CALLED THIS TO OUR ATTENTION AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
UM, AND, BUT HE WAS ALSO, HE WAS NOT ONLY RECOMMENDING WE HONOR THEM, BUT HE WAS TRYING TO TELL US HOW TO HONOR THEM BY SAYING THAT IT SHOULD BE THE SOUTH CAROLINA ROOM.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE HAD A CONCERN GIVEN THE HISTORY WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA ROOM.
SO I THINK THIS SOLUTION, UM, IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH DAVID LAUDERDALE IS ASKING, WHICH IS THAT THEY BE HONORED.
UM, AND, UM, WILL, THIS WILL BE IN PERPETUITY AND WE'LL LET THE FAMILIES KNOW.
AND I THINK, UH, I THINK GIVEN THE ROLE THEY PLAYED EARLY IN OUR HISTORY, THAT THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO RECOGNIZE THEM, WHICH IS WHAT DAVID LAUDERDALE WANTED.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
OPPOSED? THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALL OF YOU.
UM, NOW WE HAVE, YEAH, WE HAVE LIBRARY CLOSINGS, BUT WE, UM, OKAY.
SO YOU RECEIVED IN YOUR PACKET THE LIBRARY CLOSINGS FOR 2026.
COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO, TO, CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE LIBRARY CLOSINGS FOR NEXT YEAR? 2026? MOVE SECOND.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THOSE ON THE TRUSTEE MEETINGS? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, A MOTION TO, A MOTION FOR THE, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETING DATES FOR NEXT YEAR.
ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? OPPOSED? WE WOULD COMMENT.
THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE NOVEMBER DATE THAT GOT CHANGED FROM WHAT WE REGULARLY MEET.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S CHANGED BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE VETERANS DAY.
[00:50:01]
VETERANS DAY, SO WE PUT IT TO THE NEXT WEDNESDAY.NOW, SO WE'RE VOTING C THANK, I HAVE TO GET MY NOTES HERE.
[XI. New Business]
BUSINESS, WE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE, THAT WE TAKE THAT WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY, UM, CLOSURE REQUEST.SO THIS IS, UM, DURING THE MEETING THIS PA DURING THE MONDAY COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, THEY APPROVED THAT EMPLOYEES WOULD GET FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26TH OFF AS AN ADDITIONAL PAID HOLIDAY.
SO THEY WILL HAVE THE 25TH, WHICH IS ON THURSDAY, THE 26TH, WHICH IS ON FRIDAY, BUT THEY DON'T VOTE ON SATURDAY.
AND OUR LIBRARY IS OPEN ON SATURDAY.
SO, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE EXTEND THE LIBRARY'S HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE BY CLOSING ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 27TH, GIVING THE STAFF A WHOLE WEEKEND.
IT'S AN UNPAID HOLIDAY SO IT DOESN'T COST THE COUNTY ANYTHING.
UM, AND WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS AS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE COME IN THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS TO THE LIBRARY, BUT WE'RE, I'M GUESSING THAT THIS WOULD BE A REALLY, UH, A NICE GESTURE TO OUR STAFF.
YOU SAID IT'S AN UNPAID DAY, BUT OUR STAFF GETS PAID FOR COMING IN ON SATURDAY, DOESN'T IT? MEANING THAT IT IS THE START OF A PAY PERIOD.
SO A LIBRARY BEING CLOSED ON THAT DAY.
THEY HAVE THE REST OF THE WEEK TO GET ALL OF THEIR 40 HOURS.
MEANING IT JUST TO KNOW ONE POINT SENSE.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT UM, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES GET PAID ON THAT DAY.
THEY WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO, TO HAVE THEIR HOURS TO MAKE THAT UP.
SO I THINK THAT TAKES CARE OF OUR NEW BUSINESS.
[XIII. Announcements]
WILL BE ON JANUARY 14TH AT FOUR O'CLOCK AT THE BUFORD BRANCH LIBRARY.I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN
AND ALL OF YOU PLEASE HAVE A LOVELY HOLIDAY.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ALL EAT A LOT OF TURKEY