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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
MAY I HAVE YOUR INTENTION? YEAH.
CAN YOU COME TO ALL THE MEETINGS AND DO THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, IT'S MOMENTOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE, THEY SAY THEY CAN'T HEAR ME.
I DON'T, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? ARE YOU OKAY? YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW.
THIS IS SO MOMENTOUS DAY FOR US.
NUMBER ONE, WE'RE RECOGNIZING FOUR, UH, DEPARTING BOARD MEMBERS WHO COLLECTIVELY HAVE GIVEN OVER, UM, LET'S SEE, 1548 OVER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE WOW.
AND YOU'LL HEAR THE NUMBERS MORE SPECIFIC IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAS BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR 14 YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AMAZING JUST FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S WATCHING.
OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A FOUR YEAR TERM, AND THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO REAPPLY AND BE, BE, UH, RENOMINATED THREE TIMES.
SO THEY COULD SERVE A TOTAL OF 12 YEARS.
BUT SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, COULDN'T LEAVE AFTER 12 YEARS AND SO STAYED LONGER.
SO WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE THEM.
AND THEN I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED AMANDA AND I ARE TO INTRODUCE FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS WHO WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF ORIENTING YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS NO QUIZ AT THE END OF THE ORIENTATION BECAUSE, UH, WE GAVE THEM A BOOK ABOUT THAT BIG AND, UH, ASKED TO HAVE IT MEMORIZED BY TODAY.
UM, SO YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM.
I'M GONNA ASK THEM TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION WHEN THEY DO THEIR INTRODUCTIONS.
AND THEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE BOARD.
THIS IS A PRETTY TYPICAL SET, SET UP FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE BOARD HERE.
WE DON'T, WE AREN'T USUALLY RECOGNIZING DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, BUT THERE, AND THEN ON THE LEFT, ON THE RIGHT OVER HERE, RIGHT OR LEFT, DEPENDING UPON HOW YOU'RE SITTING, WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE WHO COME IN BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ATTEND.
THIS MEETING IS ALWAYS VIDEOTAPED.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHO'S WATCHING.
AND IF EXCEPT FOR INSOMNIAS AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR SIX YEARS AND NO ONE SAID, I SAW YOU AT THAT BOARD MEETING AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE A LITTLE MOUTHY.
UM, THIS IS ALSO MY FIRST BOARD MEETING AS CHAIR.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, WELCOME WE START ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, BUT WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
AND I'M GONNA ASK AMANDA TO LEAD US IN THIS IN HONOR OF THE FACT THAT THE REST OF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST.
SO, AMANDA, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE ALL.
SO NOW WITH THAT BACKGROUND, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR DEPARTING BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I WANT THEM TO STAY LONG ENOUGH TO HEAR THE INTRODUCTIONS OF THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE THRILLED WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'RE LEAVING WITH THE BOARD IN SUCH COMPETENT HANDS.
AND SO I'M GONNA START WITH ROSALIE RICHMOND.
AND ROSALIE HAS SERVED ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD FOR 10 YEARS.
SHE MADE, SHE WAS A LIAISON TO THE FRIENDS.
AND HER ADVOCACY HAS LED TO MANY DIFFERENT CHANGES.
MOST NOTABLY, SHE RECENTLY ADVANCED THE BLUFF AND BRANCHES LIBRARY'S 2022 RENOVATION PROJECT, WHICH WE ALL KNOW ABOUT.
UM, SHE HAS BEEN A STEADY, CLEAR VOICE ADVOCATING FOR, UH, THE CU OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR CITIZENS.
AND WE APPRECIATE HER YEARS OF SERVICE.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING ROSA.
YOU MIGHT WONDER WHAT ORDER I'M DOING THIS IN.
I'M DOING THIS THE ORDER OF YEARS OF SERVICE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE JOE GANS, WHO SERVED FOR 12 YEARS.
HE SERVED FOR 12 YEARS ON THE BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD.
HE SERVED FOR EIGHT YEARS AS OUR TREASURER AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN WORK IN WORKING WITH THREE DIFFERENT LIBRARY DIRECTORS ON IMPROVING OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE PEOPLE DEPARTING IS THEY REALLY REPRESENT KIND OF THE OLD GUARD.
I MEAN, THEY CAN REMEMBER WHEN AND GIVE US OUR HISTORY.
AND HE REMEMBERS, JOE REMEMBERS, AS DO THE THREE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, WHAT POOR FINANCIAL SITUATION WE WERE IN JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
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HIS LONG HELD, ONE OF HIS LONG HELD GOALS WAS THAT WE ACHIEVE IS THAT WE WOULD ACHIEVE SPENDING A MILLION DOLLARS ON ANNUAL BUDGET FOR MATERIALS.THAT'S, THAT'S VIDEOTAPES, THAT'S BOOKS, THAT'S HULU, ALL THAT.
AND WE PASSED THAT MARK LAST YEAR.
SO JOE NOW FEELS LIKE HE CAN MOVE ON
UM, SO HE'S, HE'S LEAVING A LONG LEG LEGACY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT LIBRARY USERS THROUGH HIS STEADY HAND ON OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION THROUGHOUT BUFORT COUNTY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU REAL QUICKLY, I MET JOE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, 12 YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN I CAME HERE AND I WAS ON THE BOARD OF A A RP AND I SAW THAT WE HAD A LOCAL A A RP ADVOCATE ON THE ISLAND.
AND I, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO I CALLED UP JOE AND SAID, LET'S DO LUNCH.
AND I, I HAD NEVER MET HIM BEFORE AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS ON THE LIBRARY BOARD AND I SAID, OH, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ON THE LIBRARY IF YOU WANT
AND LIKE, AND I THINK IT WAS LIKE FOUR YEARS LATER, HE CALLED ME AND SAID, YOU SAID YOU WANNA BE ON THE LIBRARY BOARD, YOUR DISTRICT REP'S LEAVING, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT? I SAID, THAT'D BE GREAT.
SO I OWE MY TENURE TO MY CONNECTION TO JOE.
THE NEXT PERSON I'D RECOGNIZE DOESN'T NEED AN INTRODUCTION FOR ALL OF YOU EITHER.
AND SHE WAS ACTIVE IN THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY BRANCH BEFORE SHE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, AS SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE WITH THE FRIENDS OF HILTON HEAD LIBRARY FOR HOW MANY YEARS, LYNN? FIVE.
AND SHE SERVED ON THE BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD FOR 13 YEARS, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SHE'S OUR PAST CHAIR, OUR IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR.
UM, DURING HER TENURE, LYNN PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION ALSO, WHICH WE DON'T TALK A LOT ABOUT, OF THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF BUFORT COUNTY EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH THE ART AND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.
SO WE THANK YOU LYNN, FOR YOUR SERVICE IN YOUR REALLY GOOD NEED.
AND FINALLY, BERNIE COLE HAS THE LONGEST TENURE ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD, HAVING SERVED FOR 14 YEARS, TWO YEARS AS CHAIR.
HE WAS THE CHAIR IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO LEAD.
PRIOR TO JOINING THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MR. COLE WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE FRIENDS OF BEAUFORT LIBRARY SERVING AS PRESIDENT AND SUPPORTING THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
I'M GONNA ASK IF ANY OF YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO START, BERNIE? I WOULD LIKE TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET, I WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH LINKS DO WE HAVE? CAN I, WE GOT ENOUGH CORD? YEAH.
COULD YOU GO OVER THE MICROPHONE? THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN A BIG FAN OF LIBRARIES SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID.
THAT'S WHEN LIFE WAS MUCH DIFFERENT.
I LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN IN WESTERN NEW YORK, BUT AT THE AGE OF SIX, I WAS ABLE TO RIDE MY SCHWINN TANKER, BICYCLE,
SO ANYWAY, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT PLEASURE.
A HECK OF EXPERIENCE TO BE ON THIS BOARD.
AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
AND THINK OF OTHER KIDS THAT ARE RIDING THE BIKE, RIDING THEIR BIKES TO OUR LIBRARIES NOW, AND, OH, A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO YOU, BERT EXACTLY.
SO, LYNN, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S BEEN AN AFTER, AFTER SO MANY YEARS, I'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF THINGS AS WE HAVE ALL AND, AND, AND I, I, I'M LEAVING THIS BOARD KNOWING THAT IN SUCH GOOD HANDS THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT REPRESENTING THE SHARING BOOKS TO EVERYBODY AND TO, UM, MAKE, KEEPING IT FREE AND LETTING ALL KIDS AND ALL ADULTS COME AND LEARN.
AND SO, I I'M, I'M VERY, I'M, I'M NOT HAPPY TO LEAVE.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO LEAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS.
WHEN I CAME HERE 10 YEARS AGO, THE LIBRARY WAS CONFIGURED INTERNALLY, TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
IT HAD A BIG SPACE FOR COMPUTERS BECAUSE THEN NOT EVERYBODY HAD A COMPUTER.
IT HAD A ROOM THIS BIG FOR CHILDREN, AND THEN IT HAD THE REST OF THE LIBRARY.
WE NEED A LOT MORE ROOM FOR CHILDREN.
AND SO WE EXPANDED THE CHILDREN'S AREA AND THE LITTLE SPOT BECAME, UH, TAPES AND, UH, MOVIES THAT YOU COULD RENT.
AND THEN WE PUT ON THE THREE, UM, UH, ROOMS IN THE BACK, I BELIEVE, WITH THE GLASS THAT PEOPLE COULD JUST COME AND HAVE MEETINGS IN.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
SO THAT, AND WE UPDATED THE LOOK AND THE CHILDREN'S AREA
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IS A LOT OF BRIGHT COLORS AND SMALL LITTLE BENCHES AND SEATS THEY COULD SIT ON.AND I THINK THEY REALLY ENJOY USING OUR LIBRARY.
AND FINALLY, JOE, I KNOW IS GONNA HAVE A FEW WORDS.
WELL, I WAS LOOKING AT SOME MATERIAL BEFORE COMING HERE.
IN FACT, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN LYNN AND I CAME ABOARD, UH, CAN COME OUT TO THE BOARD.
WE'RE LOOKING AT MATERIAL EXPENDITURES, TOTAL, TOTAL EVERYTHING, BOOKS, VIDEOS, WHAT HAVE YOU OF ABOUT $150,000.
NOW, AS JANICE POINTED OUT, WE'RE NOW AT A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THIS IS REAL PROGRESS, NOT JUST FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, BUT FOR THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US GOING OFF THE BOARD HERE, RECOGNIZING THE GOOD SHAPE THAT THE COUNTY LIBRARY IS IN, THE EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE HERE, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST LEGACY AND THE THING THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO, LOOK, LOOK BACK ON WITH PRIDE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO GET A PHOTO OF THE FOUR OF YOU.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? WE CAN COME TO YOU, BUT WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT FOR, UM, A WAY TO RECOGNIZE THIS MOMENT RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS TRACY, WHO'S OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIAN.
YOU WANT 'EM TO THEY CAN STAND UP.
IF YOU CAN STAND JUST TOGETHER AND I'LL
SO AMANDA, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE LEADERS THAT THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS ARE, THEY HAVE EACH HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.
YOU GUYS, AMANDA'S TALKING TO YOU,
UM, AND YOU, YOU WERE MY FIRST BOARD AND I APPRECIATE YOUR KINDNESS, YOUR, YOUR TEACHABILITY.
YOU TAUGHT ME FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR LEGACY.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR CARE FOR THE LIBRARY.
YOU KNOW, ANYBODY COULD SERVE, BUT YOU SERVED WITH HEART AND WITH PASSION AND I, I PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
AND I DID NOT EXPECT THIS BEAUTIFUL FLOWER THAT CAME, WHICH JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT, UM, WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN BOARDS AND AND LIBRARY STAFF REALLY WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE PEOPLE.
AND YOU, AND YOU ALL ARE A TESTAMENT TO THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY REALLY APPRECIATES ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND THEY REALLY ARE SO SUPPORTIVE OF THE LIBRARY.
COULD YOU JUST HAVE A SEAT DOWN? YOU DON'T WANT ME TO KEEP TALKING? I WANNA SAY, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MEASURES THAT I USE AND THAT I THINK YOU SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, ALMOST 50% OF THE CITIZENS OF BUFORT COUNTY HAVE A LIBRARY CARD MM-HMM
AND THAT YOU GUYS CAN LEAVE THE BOARD KNOWING, UH, THAT YOU, THAT YOU MADE THAT HAPPEN.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, WE, UM, SENT THEM ALL A LETTER ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO THAT INDICATED THAT WE EXPRESSED, WE APPRECIATED WHAT THEY'D DONE FOR US AND THAT IN HONOR OF THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE, WE WERE GOING TO MAKE NAME PLATES BASED ON THE YEARS OF SERVICE.
LIKE FOR JOE WILL BE 14 YEARS AND PUT THEM IN THE 14 BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY THAT THEY, THAT THEY FREQUENT.
SO AND SO, I JUST THINK, I WAS TALKING TO JANINE ABOUT THIS AND SHE SAID, SO 40 YEARS FROM NOW, SOMEBODY'S GONNA PUT TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD OFF THE BOARD AND SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WAS DONATED BY, UH, LYNN MILLER.
SO WE, WE'D NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
THAT WAS REALLY AMANDA'S IDEA.
WE WERE TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING SPECIAL TO DO AND AMANDA SAID, WELL, WE COULD DO BOOK PLATES FOR THEM.
AND THEN WE MAILED THEM BOOK PLATES THAT THEY, THAT HAD THAT FOR THEIR, WITH THEIR NAME ON IT, IF THEY COULD GIVE TO CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN TO MEMORIALIZE THE FACT THAT THEY HAD BEEN SUCH ACTIVE CITIZENS.
NOW I WANT YOU TO MEET OUR NEW BOARD.
'CAUSE I WANT, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I WANT YOU TO, TO MEET OUR NEW BOARD.
SO I'M GONNA START, WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE THIS, A LITTLE OUTTA SERVICE.
I'M GONNA ASK THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS TO EACH INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
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UM, DR.HOW LONG DO YOU WANT ME TO REAL FAST? I CAN DO REAL FAST.
WELL THEN I'LL TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I AM A WIFE AND A MOM, AND THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN, UH, FOUR OUT THE HOUSE, BLENDED FAMILY.
AND THEN WE STILL HAVE A 15-YEAR-OLD.
UM, I'M THE FOUNDER AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF TRI WELLNESS MINISTRIES.
DOING BUSINESS AS TRI HOLISTIC CARE HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND WE JUST CHANGED TO A NONPROFIT TO HELP MORE PEOPLE.
AND I'M A 30 YEAR MILITARY VETERAN.
AND I SAY MILITARY 'CAUSE I DID NAVY AND THEN I DID ARMY.
AND I HAVE, UM, 30 YEARS DISABLED VETERAN.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE AREAS OF INTELLIGENCE.
I'VE WORKED IN THE AREAS OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
I WORKED IN THE AREAS OF LOGISTICS AND THEN PUBLIC AFFAIRS WHEN MY LAST POSITION WAS FOR THE HEADQUARTERS, FOR THE ARMY, WORKING FOR THE FOUR STAR GENERAL, WHO MANAGED OVER 800,000 PEOPLE.
AND THEN, UH, I HAVE A BACKGROUND AS A NURSE AND MATRICULATED INTO ME BECOMING A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR.
'CAUSE I LOVE SEEING PEOPLE TRULY GET HEALED.
UM, AND AS FAR AS BOARDS AND ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY, MY FIRST, UH, ORGANIZATION WAS THE HOLISTIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I WAS THE PRESIDENT EVENTUALLY IN THAT ORGANIZATION, AND I WORK AS THE EMERITUS FOR THEM.
NOW I AM, UH, AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER.
I'M ALSO, UM, A FORMER MEMBER OF ENT, TRUSTEE FOR LIFE UNIVERSITY IS IN MARIETTA, GEORGIA, AS A CHIROPRACTIC SCHOOL.
I AM THE VICE CHAIR, NOT CHAIR YET, VICE CHAIR FOR LOW COUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS.
AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE, BUT I LOVE MY POSITION THERE, HELPING PEOPLE WITH PRO BONO WORK.
AND THEN I'M ON TWO BOARDS OUT OF THE STATE AND THEN A VOLUNTEER BOARD AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, HELPING TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE SICKLE CELL CENTER.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO NOW BEING PART OF THE LIBRARY BOARD AND SEEING HOW I CAN HELP AS THE NOMINATING CHAIR.
AND I, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING ON THE LOW COUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEER, UH, BOARD WITH, WITH DR.
MARY, AND I WAS LIKE, I'D LOVE TO HAVE HER ON THE LIBRARY BOARD.
SO WE'RE GLAD WE PULLED THAT OFF.
SO ANGELA, YOU WANNA GO NEXT? SURE.
UM, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I MOVED TO BEAUFORD, UM, AFTER BUILDING A LITTLE COTTAGE ON DUKE STREET DOWNTOWN.
UM, I MOVED HERE BECAUSE I RETIRED AFTER 32 YEARS OF BEING A LIBRARIAN IN OHIO.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO.
UM, I'VE SERVED ON LIBRARY BOARDS BEFORE BACK IN OHIO, AND I'VE BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF TWO LIBRARIES.
SO I KNOW, UM, BOTH SIDES OF THIS DYNAMIC.
UM, IN MY RETIREMENT, I ACTUALLY OWN A SMALL PUBLISHING COMPANY AND HAVE WRITTEN ONE BOOK MYSELF AND HAVE ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT OTHER BOOKS IN THE CATALOG FOR THE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
UM, AND I'M, I NEED TO GET BUSY ON MY SECOND BOOK.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY GOAL RIGHT NOW.
AND I JUST WANNA ADD, ANGELA AND I SHARE THAT WE'VE BEEN BOTH FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY AND COLUMBUS, OHIO AND OHIO PUT TOGETHER, I THINK THEY HAVE 88 COUNTIES IN OHIO, RIGHT? 88 COUNTIES.
AND I WOULD BE GOOD ON TRIVIA.
AND, UM, THEY PUT TOGETHER A CONSORTIUM OF ALL THE LAW LIBRARIES IN THE STATE.
AND ANGELA WAS CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THAT 88 MEMBER CONSORTIUM.
SO I WAS DIRECTOR OF THE CONSORTIUM.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE ALREADY WE'RE HAVE INCREDIBLY QUALIFIED FOLKS.
WAIT TILL YOU HEAR ABOUT DAHLIA.
SO DALIA, TELL OF YOUR BACKGROUND.
I RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 40 YEARS IN HIGHER EDUCATION AS A PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY.
UM, MY LAST POSITION WAS AS ASSOCIATE PROVOST OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE.
PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD BEEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
UM, MY AREAS OF WORK ARE PRIMARILY AROUND, UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING, NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT, UH, BOARD DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY RELATES TO GOVERNANCE.
AND, UM, I'M STILL AN ACTIVE, UM, SCHOLAR.
I'M STILL PUBLISHING, ACTUALLY.
I'M WORKING ON A BOOK PROPOSAL.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT, UM, ABOUT THAT.
I'M VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M ON THE BOARD FOR MARISOL, WHICH IS LOW COUNTRY HOSPICE.
UM, I'M ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY, UH, ORCHESTRA, UM, LEAGUE, AND ALSO A OTHER NON-PROFIT, UM, FOCUSING ON SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND VOTING RIGHTS.
LIBRARIES ARE JUST AMAZING PLACES.
SO, UM, I'M REALLY HONORED AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
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HEAR ME? YOU SHOULD SPEAK UP.UM, I'M A MOTHER OF TWO COLLEGE STUDENTS.
ONE IS ABOUT TO GET OFF THE PAYROLL, I HOPE, UM, IN MAY.
AND, UH, THEY ARE ON BOTH COSO LA AND, UH, AND MASSACHUSETTS.
UM, I'M A WIFE OF ONE, AND I WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY.
NOW I HAVE A, A, A DIVERSE BACKGROUND.
I HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE IN ENGINEERING AND MASTER'S OF BUSINESS.
AND I, I THINK I WANTED TO BE A SURGEON BY DECIDE NOT TO BE.
SO WE HAVE IN ME 34 YEARS OF CORPORATE EXPERIENCE.
I STARTED OFF IN, IT, ENDED UP IN MARKETING, AND THEN FINALLY IN SUPPLY CHAIN, WHICH WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE, THANKS TO COVID.
UM, I, I AM VERY BLESSED TO, HAD AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER IN THREE BIG COMPANIES.
DUPONT, UH, TEXTILE FIBER SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN MCDONALD'S CORPORATION, AND THEN FINALLY STARBUCKS.
SO I'VE SEEN THE WORLD AND WORKED WITH PHENOMENAL SUPPLIERS ACROSS THE WORLD.
YOU NAME IT, I PROBABLY SOURCED IT.
UM, INDIRECTLY I'VE LED TEAMS OF GLOBAL INDIVIDUALS BOTH IN THE US AND CHINA AND UH, CANADA.
AND, UM, I AM ALSO A TRIVIA PERSON.
SO WE CAN GO TO, UH, JEOPARDY TOGETHER.
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT BEING ON THE LIBRARY BOARD 'CAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER WHO, UM, LEFT US AT 104 AND A HALF YEARS OLD, UM, WAS A ACADEMIC NATION.
SHE, SHE WENT TO COLLEGE BACK, UH, WHEN IT WASN'T NECESSARILY, UM, EASY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN TO GO TO COLLEGE.
SHE FINISHED AT WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY BACK IN 1931.
UH, COULD NOT, COULD NOT GET A JOB THEN, UM, AS A TEACHER BECAUSE OF OUR COUNTRY'S CRAZINESS.
BUT SHE ENDED UP BECOMING A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE.
BUT SHE WAS APPOINTED AT THE LIBRARY LEVEL BY, UH, PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER TO BE PART OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY IN, UM, LEBANON, OHIO.
AND THEN MY DAUGHTER WORKED FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND EVERYWHERE WE'VE GONE, WE'VE FOUND THE LIBRARY.
EVEN IN CHINA, WE COULDN'T READ ONE BOOK, BUT WE DID FIND THE LIBRARY THERE.
UM, I'M PROUD TO BE ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE VERY IMPORTANT WORK TO DO TO KEEP THE LIBRARY ACCESSIBLE, INTELLIGENCE AND ACCESSIBILITY HIGH, AND TO BE A WELCOMING PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE HERE.
LOVE TO CHAT LATER ABOUT, UM, OUR COMMON INTERSECTIONS.
AND I'M PART OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AT THIS POINT TOO.
AND I GUESS WE'LL GO OVER THAT AS WELL LATER ON.
THANK YOU FOR BEING SO WELCOMING AS WELL.
SO, JACQUELINE MENTIONED THE WORD DIVERSITY, AND YOU MAY NOTICE THAT TERRY IS NOW THE ONLY MAN ON OUR BOARD.
DID YOU NOTICE THAT, TERRY? I MISSED THAT.
I WAS, I REPRESENT YOU'RE THE ONLY MAN ON THE BOARD.
I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, BUT I, I'M ONLY HERE FOR ANOTHER NINE MONTHS, BUT, UM, I WISH WE HAD ONE.
CLEVELAND, I CAN ASSOCIATE, I PICKED UP, UH, A WONDERFUL LADY.
SHE SPENT 30 YEARS AT CLEVELAND CLINIC SET OF THE FIRST CLEVELAND, UH, THE HEART FOR THE HEART FIRST SET, THE FIRST CLINIC.
IT WAS FOR THE HEART AND ALL CLEVELAND.
I WAS UP THERE FOR A SHORT TIME AND I ASKED, MY BROTHER'S WIFE WORKED FOR CLEVELAND.
I SAID, DO YOU KNOW ANY GIRLS AT CLEVELAND CLINIC THAT I COULD TALK TO? I WAS, I WAS JUST A YOUNG GUY AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY ASSOCIATION WITH ANY WOMEN.
I WANT SOMEBODY WHO IS, UH, CLASS LOOSE.
AND I CALLED HER AND I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH AN HOUR AND A HALF AND I WENT OVER AND WE WENT OUT TO DINNER AND I LOOKED IN AND THEN YOU MARRIED HER, RIGHT? I SAID, AND THEN SHE INTO MY HOUSE.
AND I SAID, THIS IS KIND OF SILLY.
SHE PROPOSED TO ME AND I ACCEPTED.
SO WE'VE BEEN MARRIED 30 YEARS,
SO YOU'RE USED TO BEING WITH STRONG WOMEN STORY.
SO, UM, SO WITH THAT, WHAT WE DO NORMALLY DO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOARD MEETING REGULARLY IS THAT WE WOULD GO AROUND AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND SAY WHAT DISTRICT WE FROM.
I WANNA THANK ONCE BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANNA THANK ONCE AGAIN THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR COMING.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY, BUT THE LORD KNOWS YOU'VE SAT THROUGH PLENTY OF
SO WITH THAT, UH, AMANDA, DO YOU WANNA START, INTRODUCE YOURSELF? SURE.
UM, MY NAME IS AMANDA DICKMAN.
I AM CURRENTLY PROUD TO SERVE AS YOUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
I HAVE SEVERAL STAFF WITH ME TODAY.
I HAVE OUR, UH, LEADERSHIP TEAM, STARTING WITH LEE RAMEY.
SHE IS OUR USER EXPERIENCE LIBRARIAN.
SHE HELPS WITH, UM, WELCOMING OUR NEW EMPLOYEES.
SHE ALSO ASSISTS WITH PROJECTS AS NEEDED, AND SHE'S A GO-TO FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
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ON STAFF DAY, I KNOW COMING UP VERY SOON BESIDE HER, UM, IS MELISSA PRINCE.I'LL INTRODUCE HER, UH, A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, BUT SHE'S OUR NEWLY HIRED COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN.
UM, AS, UH, BESIDE HER IS TRACY COX.
SHE'S OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR.
SHE'S OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, UM, LIBRARIAN.
SO IF WE'RE HAVING AN EVENT, SHE'S SUPPORTING IT OR DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
SOME KIND OF WAY BESIDE THAT IS, UM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS MY PHONE IF I'M NOT THERE, AND MAKES SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE.
UM, AND THAT INVOICES ARE, UM, PROVI PROVIDED TO ME IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR MY SIGNATURE.
SHE ALSO WOULD BE, UH, UPSET IF I DID MENTION THAT SHE MAKES SURE THAT PAYROLL IS CORRECT,
AND, UM, AND JUST FOR THE LACK OF NOT HAVING ANOTHER CHAIR AT THE TABLE, WE HAVE DARLENE.
DARLENE SIMMONS IS THE HEAD OF OUR TECHNICAL SERVICES.
AND SO IF YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A BOOK GETS FROM A VENDOR TO AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO BORROW, SHE CONTROLS THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
SO SHE'S A GOOD PERSON TO KNOW.
AND THAT IS OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM.
I ALSO INVITED LINDA ANDERSON, WHO IS THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON.
AND I'VE ASKED THAT SHE PROVIDE THE, UM, FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON LIBRARY UPDATE LATER IN THE MEETING.
UM, SHANA KPA, I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX.
TRACY ROBINSON, DISTRICT FOUR, DR.
I SIT ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE, AND I AM THE LIAISON TO THIS BOARD.
AND I WAS THERE FOR THE INTERVIEWS FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, AND HE'S TAKING ALL THE CREDIT.
WELL, I DID MAKE SURE WE MOVE THIS ALONG.
I NOW REPRESENT DISTRICT 11, JANINE MUER, DISTRICT NINE, CARRIE THOMAS, DISTRICT TWO, ANGELA BALDRY, DISTRICT THREE, DELIA MOND, DISTRICT 10, JACQUELINE HOWARD, DISTRICT EIGHT.
AFTER WE DO THE INTRODUCTIONS, AND I'M DOING THIS FOR THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE THEN WE RECOGNIZE ANYONE WHO IN THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, OUR LIBRARY BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT ONLY TAPED, THEY'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND PEOPLE CAN COME AND ARE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE HERE TO DO THAT TODAY.
YOU'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING LATER AS PART OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
SO ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 14TH? HEARING NO COMMENTS? DO I HAVE A MO HEAR A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR JANUARY, 2026.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, KATHY, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU.
THEN WHAT WE DO ALWAYS DO IS WE ALWAYS START WITH THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
SO SHE LETS US KNOW IF THE SKY IS FALLING.
UM, AND MY REPORT WILL TAKE A, A SIMILAR FORMAT EACH TIME SO IT BECOMES FAMILIAR TO YOU AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S COMING NEXT.
I FIRST START WITH OUR PERSONNEL UPDATE.
SO AT PRESENT, AS OF THIS MINUTE, WE HAVE FOUR VACANCIES.
UM, ONE IS THE LIBRARY OPERATIONS MANAGER.
UH, IT HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2026.
IT WAS RECLASSIFIED AND THE, THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE OF LIBRARY INFORMATION SCIENCE WAS REMOVED IN JANUARY TO ATTRACT MORE APPLICANTS.
IT STILL REQUIRES A MASTER'S DEGREE, BUT IT DOES OPEN IT UP TO PEOPLE HOLDING A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE AS WELL AS AN MBA OR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MASTER'S.
UM, WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS NOW, AND I'LL BE WORKING WITH DR. PORTER TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS.
THE OTHER THREE ARE LIBRARY ASSISTANT PART-TIME AT BEAUFORT.
WE HAD A, A STAFF MEMBER WHO WELCOMED A, A YOUNG CHILD INTO THE FAMILY AND IS GOING TO NOW PRIORITIZE HOME CARE FOR THE CHILD AND WAS NOT ABLE TO REJOIN US AFTER GIVING BIRTH.
AND SO THAT IS WHY THAT HAS BEEN POSTED.
AND IT'S BEEN POSTED SINCE JANUARY NINE.
AND THEY ARE ACTIVELY DOING INTERVIEWS AT THIS TIME.
THE SECOND OR THE THIRD RATHER, LIBRARY ASSISTANT PART-TIME AT HILTON HEAD.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN DECEMBER.
THERE WASN'T A CANDIDATE SELECTED.
IT IS NOW REPOSTED AS THAT OFFER FELL THROUGH.
THE, UM, FINAL ONE IS THE BRANCH MANAGER AT ST.
HELENA, UM, RETIRED AT THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR.
THE POSITION WAS POSTED ON FEBRUARY THE 10TH.
AT PRESENT, I HAVE TWO APPLICATIONS AND CURRENTLY SEEKING MORE.
[00:30:04]
UH, WE HAVE TWO, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE PRE-BOARDING PROCESS.UH, LIBRARY SPECIALIST AT LOKO IS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING TO AN OFFER TO THE CANDIDATE AND THE LIBRARY ASSISTANT.
PART-TIME AT PORT ROYAL IS ALSO IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING, UH, ELECTRONIC OFFER TO THE APPLICANT SELECTED.
I'M PROUD TO TELL YOU WE ARE ENJOYING THE EFFORTS AND THE BENEFITS AND THE TALENTS OF TWO INTERNS.
WE HAVE AN INTERN WHO'S WORKING WITH THERESA AND TRACY IN OUR EFFORTS TO GET SUMMER READING READY.
UH, WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE, UM, GRACE LYONS, THAT IS HER NAME.
SHE ATTENDS AN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH GIVES HER THE FLEXIBILITY TO, TO SIT IN OUR MARKETING AND OUR PLANNING OFFICES TO, TO PUT HER TALENTS BEHIND ADOBE AND CANVA AND ALL OF THE DESIGN PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE.
SHE HAS ALREADY MADE, I WANNA GET THIS RIGHT.
SHE IS ALREADY, UM, HARD AT WORK CREATING OUR SUMMER READING MATERIALS.
SO WE HAVE A GAME BOARD SHE'S DESIGNING, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST GAME BOARD WE'VE HAD TO DATE.
I CAN'T WAIT TO UNVEIL IT TO YOU.
UM, SHE'S ALSO WORKING ON THE COMPLIMENTARY SUPER READER, BONUS ROUND GRAPHICS THAT WE PROVIDE AS WELL.
SHE'S WORKING ON FLYERS FOR THE, UM, PERFORMERS THAT WE HIRE IN THE SUMMERTIME TO COME AND EXCITE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ABOUT READING.
SHE'S ALSO DOING ACTIVITY PAGES FOR CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS.
OUR STANDARD READER REWARD CARD.
SHE'S COMPLETED HANDOUTS BI IN OUR BILINGUAL, BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH BOOKMARK CONTEST INFORMATION, WHICH YOU'LL SEE LATER IN MY PRESENTATION.
SHE'S EVEN IN HER SPARE TIME, UH, PITCHED IN TO HELP WITH, UH, PROMOTING NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK IN OUR UPCOMING PENN AND PALMETTO LOCAL AUTHOR FESTIVAL.
SO SHE'S HARD AT WORK AND SHE'S ONLY GIVING US 15 HOURS A WEEK.
SHE'S BEEN A JOY AND WE LEARNED TODAY THAT SHE PLAYS CELLO.
SO I, YOU KNOW, ME AS A MUSICIAN, I'M, I'M IN HEAVEN NOW.
I'M IN HEAVEN HAVING A CELLO PLAYER RIGHT DOWN THE HALL.
UM, ALSO ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY IN OUR LOCAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL AND APPROPRIATELY CALL THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION.
UM, WE, UH, HAVE INTERN, UH, LAURA MOORE.
SHE'S A GRADUATE STUDENT IN HISTORY AT THE CITADEL, CURRENTLY WHERE SHE STUDIES.
BUT SHE'S SPENDING 15 HOURS A WEEK WITH US WORKING, UM, AS A CURATOR.
AND SHE IS SPECIFICALLY WORKING ON PROCESSING, DIGITIZING, PRESERVING, UM, THE BEEKMAN WEBB COLLECTION.
BEEKMAN WEBB IS A GENTLEMAN WHO LIVED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
HE PLAYED A MEAN MANDOLIN AT THE FOOLISH FROG ON TUESDAY NIGHT JAM SESSIONS.
UH, BUT HE RECENTLY PASSED AWAY.
HE ALSO WAS A COLLECTOR OF SCIENCE AND NATURE ARTIFACTS.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT COLLECTION AND NOW MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH AND, AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND GRACE IS WORKING ON OUR SUMMER READING PROMOS, AND WE'RE TICKLED PINK TO HAVE BOTH OF THEM.
THAT WOULD BE, UM, ALL OF MY UPDATES IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PERSONNEL BEFORE I MOVE ON? OKAY.
THE REMAINDER OF MY REPORT WILL BE FRAMED ALONG THE FOUR TENETS OF, OR THE FOUR STRATEGIES AND GOALS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THOSE FOUR GOALS ARE COMMUNICATION, USER EXPERIENCE, SPACE AND COLLECTION.
AND SO MY NEXT UPDATES WILL BE ALIGNED ALONG THOSE STRATEGIES.
WHEN WE LAST MET, I TOLD YOU WE WERE PREPARING TO LAUNCH OUR NEW WEBSITE AND CALENDAR AND A MEETING ROOM RESERVATION SOFTWARE.
WE LAUNCHED THAT SUCCESSFULLY ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY THE 28TH.
HAVE I ASKED IF YOU WOULD, UM, GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT? SO I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANY, UH, SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANYTHING YOU'VE NOTICED.
I HOPE IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT THAT YOU'VE NOTICED.
ANYBODY DOING MEETING ROOM RESERVATIONS OR LOOKING FOR EVENT INFORMATION.
WE HOPE YOU'VE SEEN THE IMPROVED EXPERIENCE THERE.
I WANNA SAY I, UM, TODAY WANTED TO SEE ABOUT IF I COULD FIND THE, EASILY FIND THE POLICY FOR RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS WHERE PEOPLE EITHER WANT TO HAVE A BOOKSHELF DIFFERENTLY OR BANNED BOOK.
I WANNA SEE HOW EASY IT WAS TO FIND THAT.
AND YOU JUST GO UP ON THE FRONT PAGE TO POLICIES.
YOU GO TO REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION, THE POLICY POPS UP, AND THEN THERE'S A LINK TO THE FORM YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT ELECTRONICALLY.
IT JUST GETS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO COME UP WITH SOME, WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IS TRY SOME EXAMPLE LIKE THAT.
WHAT IF I WERE LOOKING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING OR SOMETHING AND TRY IT OUT AND THEN LET AMANDA KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO FURTHER IMPROVE IT.
BUT MY EXPERIENCE DAD WAS LIKE, WOW, THIS IS EASY.
PEOPLE CAN FIND WHAT THEY WANT.
AND JUST TO, JUST TO COMMENT ON THAT, I ACTUALLY WAS HERE LAST YEAR AS A NEWCOMER.
[00:35:01]
I HAD MOVED DOWN HERE TO SAY THAT IN MAY OF 2024.AND THE FIRST THING WE DO IS GET LIBRARY CARDS.
AND I CAME HERE TRYING TO GET A ROOM AND I HAD TO GO TO THE DESK MM-HMM
I'M REALLY PROUD OF YOU ALSO MAKING, MAKING THAT ACCESSIBLE ONLINE.
AND SO THIS WAS A LONG TIME COMING FOR US.
AND WE'RE SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU RECOGNIZED AS A, AS A WORTHWHILE EFFORT ON OUR PART.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WITH COMMUNICATION, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED.
AND I BELIEVE THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE OF, OF THE BOARD IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE REACH THAT OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY HAS RECEIVED.
WE'VE, TO DATE, WHEN IT CLOSED LAST NIGHT, WE HAD RECEIVED 3091 RESPONSES ALL FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY.
TO PUT THAT NUMBER INTO CONTEXT, THE LAST STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED WAS IN 2022.
AND WE RECEIVED 1,388 RESPONSES.
SO WE ALMOST TRIPLED, BUT WE MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR RESPONSE THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNICATION TEAM.
THEY WORKED WITH OUR COUNTY, UM, AND MR. BASSMAN WITH COUNTY COUNCIL TO GET, UM, THE SURVEY IN THE WEEKLY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT THAT GOES OUT TO ALL RESIDENTS WHO ARE SUBSCRIBED TO THE UPDATES FROM COUNTY COUNCIL.
THEY DID TWO E UH, TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THAT, A SEPARATE PRESS RELEASE.
WE SENT THE INFORMATION TO ALL CARD HOLDERS.
WE HAD A PRINT SURVEY IN-HOUSE.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD FOUNDATION OF DATA TO PULL FROM FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WE GO.
BUT THIS WAS THE EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNICATION TEAM TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE SURVEY.
I WANNA COMMEND, UM, ALL OF YOU FOR MAKING THAT SO SUCCESSFUL.
WE, WE DIDN'T SET A GOAL, BUT WE NEVER IMAGINED WE WOULD HAVE THIS RESPONSE.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY TO ME, YOU KNOW, I GOT THAT SURVEY FROM THE LIBRARY AND I COMPLETED IT.
YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I, I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT.
I REALLY WANNA COMMEND KATHY COOPER, WHO'S BEEN CHAIRING OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD.
AND SHE'S DONE A TERRIFIC JOB.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY SHE AND THE COMMITTEE HAVE MADE THAT RETURN POSSIBLE.
IN OUR LAST MEETING, WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE WINTER READING PILOT, OR SECOND YEAR OF THE WINTER READING PROGRAM.
LAST WINTER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY WAS OUR FIRST TIME ROLLING OUT A WINTER READING OPTION.
UM, SUMMER READING IS A FULL COURT PRESS, SO TO SPEAK, WITH HUNDREDS OF PRIZES AND, UM, TONS OF PERFORMERS AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.
WINTER READING, IT'S COLDER OUTSIDE.
THEY, THEY'RE COMING INTO A NEW YEAR AFTER A HOLIDAY TIME.
UH, SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE, UH, NO FRILLS, BUT, UH, EASY TO PARTICIPATE IN READING INCENTIVE IN THE WINTER MONTHS.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 623 PARTICIPANTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE AGE BREAKDOWN ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THIS YEAR WE'RE UNDER THAT SAME MARK, BUT THAT IS STANDARD FOR WHAT WE'VE SEEN YEAR TO YEAR IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION.
ON THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE LAUNCHED SOMETHING, WE GET AN INITIAL PUSH THE SECOND YEAR, IT LAGS A LITTLE, AND THEN WE SEEM TO RESURGE IN A THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR AND FIND OUR FOOTING AS WE GO ALONG.
SO I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING TO US, UM, WE ARE HARD AT WORK ALREADY.
TRYING TO STRATEGIZE OF HOW WE GET IN THAT CHILDREN'S AGE RANGE IS WHERE OUR, WHERE THE DEFICIT REALLY WAS.
HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE CHILDREN TO READ DURING THAT WINTER TIME, AFTER SANTA CLAUS JUST VISIT, JUST VISITED AND THEY HAVE THE NEW BIKE AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE CAPTURE THAT ATTEN UH, ATTENTION DURING THE WINTER MONTHS AND GET THEM READING? SO WE ARE, OUR WHEELS ARE TURNING AND WE WANT THOSE NUMBERS TO, TO START TO GO UP.
AND SO AMANDA, ARE WE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO GET THE COMMUNICATION OUT ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS? RIGHT.
AND THAT IS A GREAT POINT AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
'CAUSE I FORGOT TO, TO MENTION THAT WE WORK VERY HARD ON THE SUMMER READING PORTION OF THAT.
OUR WINTER READING PART OF THAT DIDN'T HIT THE MARK THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S A PLACE WHERE WE CAN STRENGTHEN THAT TIE.
UM, WHEN THEY GO ON BREAK, THEY KIND OF GO ON BREAK.
BUT WE CAN DO BETTER ON THE PLANNING OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A LITTLE MORE SEAMLESS.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT OUR INTERN, GRACE LYONS WAS WORKING ON OUR BOOK BOOKMARK CONTEST.
THAT IS ONE OF HER, UH, GRAPHIC DESIGNS THERE.
THAT IS THE ACTUAL FORM THAT IS IN OUR BRANCHES AND ONLINE RIGHT NOW, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
WHAT WE ASK IS THAT ANYONE, WE HAVE FOUR AGE CATEGORIES THERE.
WE WILL HAVE A WINNER FOR EACH AGE CATEGORY.
UH, WE ASK THAT YOU ON THE SAMPLE BOOKMARK PROVIDED, WE ASK THAT YOU PUT YOUR DESIGN THERE.
YOU ALL ARE ELIGIBLE AS WELL TO SUBMIT YOUR ARTISTIC DESIGNS OR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN OR YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO GET AS MANY, UM, SUBMISSIONS AS POSSIBLE.
WE DO ASK THAT YOU TRY TO TIE IT INTO THE UPCOMING SUMMER READING THEME, WHICH IS UNEARTH A STORY.
SO YOU THINK DINOSAURS, YOU THINK DIRT, YOU THINK FOSSILS,
[00:40:01]
YOU THINK ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND STORIES.UH, WE WILL, UM, SELECT FOUR WINNERS AND WE PRINT THOSE WINNING DESIGNS AND DISTRIBUTE DURING THE SUMMER.
SO IF YOU ARE, IF YOUR WINNING DESIGN IS SELECTED, YOU WOULD SEE YOUR BOOKMARK IN THE BOOKS OF, OF PEOPLE ALL SUMMER LONG.
THIS IS NOW LIVE AND IT WILL END AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SO YOU HAVE THROUGH THE END OF MARCH TO GET THAT SUBMISSION IN.
WE HAVE A FEW UPCOMING PROGRAMS THAT I DO WANNA TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO.
THESE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF PROGRAMS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR WINTER ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, UH, SERIES.
THE, THE ARTIST THAT HAS BEEN SELECTED IS JENNY AND IT'S THREE THREAT THREE.
UM, SHE IS A GEM AND, UH, SHE HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF LOW COUNTRY NATURE AND ART IN HER WORKSHOPS.
SHE HAS THOSE, UH, THREE REMAINING.
BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED OR SOMEONE WATCHING TODAY, UH, IS INTERESTED, PLEASE, UH, GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
AND ON THE EVENT CALENDAR REGISTER TO SAVE YOUR SPOT, YOU WOULD ENJOY, UH, EITHER PAINTING THROUGH LOW COUNTRY SYMBOLS FOR THE ADULT AGE RANGE OR, UH, POETRY BRACELETS IN PAINTING.
SO SHE'S WEAVING ART AND, UM, LITERARY, LITERARY ELEMENTS, UH, IN HER WORKSHOPS.
THIS IS, AGAIN, AS A, AS A SOURCE OF REMINDER, THIS RESIDENCY IS 100% SUPPORTED WITH FUNDS FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THEY PROVIDE A $1,000 STIPEND FOR THE ARTIST AND A PORTION OF THE SUPPLIES THAT ARE USED.
THERE IS NO COST TO ANYONE TO ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS.
AND THAT'S AT THE, UM, THAT'S AT THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
ALSO UPCOMING IS OUR PENN AND PALMETTO LOCAL AUTHOR FESTIVAL.
WE HAVE SPOTS IN THIS LIBRARY ON SATURDAY, MARCH THE 28TH.
UH, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE WE'RE FULL.
WE HAVE UP TO, UH, ABOUT 39 THIRD, 38 AUTHORS WHO ARE GOING TO BE HERE.
UM, AND THEY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THEIR WORK.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE IN THIS ROOM.
THEY'LL BE IN THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ROOM AND THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY, WE ALSO HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA ETVS BOOKS BY THE RIVER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THAT SERIES, BUT THE HOST AND, UM, THE USC PROFESSOR, DR.
CAROLINE WHO WORKS WITH THAT SERIES, THE HOST OF THE SERIES AND DR.
CAROLINE ARE GOING TO BE OUR MODERATORS OF PANELS.
WE HAVE TWO PANELS SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY.
UH, GETTING STARTED WITH WRITING AND THEN ALSO PUBLISHING.
SO COME IN HERE, IT'LL BE SOMEWHAT OF A EXHIBIT HALL OR FAIR OF LOCAL AUTHORS FOR YOU TO TALK TO AND, AND SEE AND LEARN FROM.
AND ALSO SOME PANELS TOO, TO HEAR ABOUT HOW TO GET STARTED.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'LL BE IN ITALY THAT DAY, BUT WE'RE FULL THIS YEAR.
BUT YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IT NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WILL BECOME AN ANNUAL TRADITION.
I WILL ALSO NEED TO TELL YOU, UM, WE, WE WERE AWARDED A $1,200 GRANT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA HUMANITIES COUNCIL, UH, TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMING PART OF THIS EVENT.
SO THEY ARE PROVIDING, UM, SUPPLIES THAT KEEP US, KEEP THE EVENT ROLLING, AND ALSO, UM, SUPPORT THE AUTHORS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING AS WELL.
SO VERY HAPPY TO THE, THE STATE AS WELL AS THE SOUTH CAROLINA HUMANITIES COUNCIL FOR MAKING THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO HAVE ARTS ARTS PROGRAMMING IN, IN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS LIKE OURS.
IN TERMS OF SPACE, AT LONG LAST, THE STUDY BOOTHS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ARE SUPPOSEDLY READY FOR INSTALLATION.
UM, IN THE PAST SIX WEEKS, UH, THE COMPANY HAD TO ONBOARD A NEW INSTALLATION CREW.
SO THEY HAVE NOW BEEN TRAINED AND THEY'RE READY TO BRING THOSE BOOTHS TO US.
I HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF THESE THINGS FOR SIX MONTHS.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM IN PERSON, UM, TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE.
WHO, UM, OR PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC PHONE BOOTH FANS.
IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE
UM, THEY MAKE THOSE FOR LIBRARIES AS WELL.
THEY ARE NOT 100% SOUNDPROOF, BUT THEY DO, UH, CUT OUT A LOT OF THE PERIPHERAL NOISE.
UM, THEY MAKE IT VIRTUALLY SOUNDPROOF.
[00:45:01]
BUT IT'S A SELF-CONTAINED SPACE.IT HAS A GLASS ENTRANCE SO YOU CAN SEE THROUGH, UM, AND IT, THESE WILL HOUSE TWO TO FOUR, DEPENDING ON HOW COMFORTABLE PEOPLE ARE SITTING BY BESIDE EACH OTHER.
AND SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO PUT THEM AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY WHERE THERE IS NO SINGLE TWO PERSON STUDY ROOM AVAILABLE.
AND THEN ALSO AT THE BEAUFORT LIBRARY, WHERE THEY'RE SINGLE USE, UM, STUDY ROOM ONLY ACCOMMODATES ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
THIS IS AGAIN, ALSO GRANT FUNDED BY AN LSTA GRANT PROVIDED TO STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH CAROLINA WHO ADMINISTERS THOSE TO COUNTY LIBRARIES IF THEY APPLY AND ARE AWARDED.
AND IF THE PROJECT IN THIS CASE STUDY BOOTHS MATCH THE CRITERIA FOR THE AWARD.
UM, THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY THAT COMES TO THE STATE, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN LOCAL LIBRARIES.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE AWARDED THAT.
AND WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW COUNTY LIBRARIES WHO ARE EXPLORING STUDY BOOTHS, BUT WE WON'T BE THE LAST, SO THIS IS A PILOT.
AN EXAMPLE OF A PILOT TO SEE WHAT THE USE IS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE MONITORING, USE AND DECIDING WHETHER THERE'S SUFFICIENT INTEREST TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE AT THE OTHER BRANCHES OR MORE AT THE, AT BOSTON AND BUFORT.
THEY HAD THOSE IN THE NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS LIBRARY AND IT WAS GREAT FOR TUTORING SESSIONS, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE A MORE QUIET SPACE, BUT NOT BIG WITH CONFERENCE ROOMS. THEY'RE WELL USED.
THE, WE, WE THINK THE USES FOR THEM WILL SURPRISE US.
'CAUSE PEOPLE WILL USE THEM, UM, FOR STUDYING PURPOSES, TUTORING PURPOSES.
I ALSO THINK THEY'LL BE USED FOR TELEHEALTH OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS AS WELL AS MAYBE JUST A, I NEED TO, I NEED TO ZONE IN AND FOCUS ON WHAT I'M WORKING ON.
SO I THINK THEY'RE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA WANT MORE OF THEM.
AND INSIDE THAT LETTER INCLUDED A $10,000 CHECK FOR USE UNRESTRICTED AT THE BUFORT BRANCH LIBRARY.
THE BUFORT BRANCH LIBRARY BEGAN ACROSS THE STREET AS A CARNEGIE BUILDING.
IT STILL IS A CARNEGIE BUILDING, AND IT HAS THE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION AS A CARNEGIE BUILDING.
UM, EARLY ON IN LIBRARY HISTORY, ANDREW CARNEGIE, UH, PROVIDED FUNDS TO MANY TOWNS ACROSS AMERICA FOR THE MATERIAL, THE COST OF THE MATERIALS TO BUILD A LIBRARY, AS LONG AS THE TOWN WOULD SUPPORT IT, PUT BOOKS IN IT AND HIRE STAFF FOR IT.
BUFORD'S LIBRARY HISTORY IS RELATED TO THAT.
AND THEIR CARNEGIE BUILDING WAS THE, THE FIRST OFFICIAL LIBRARY IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO, BECAUSE OF THAT DESIGNATION AND IN THEIR CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY, THEY ARE SENDING EVERY CARNEGIE LIBRARY $10,000 FOR USE AT THE CARNEGIE BUILDING THAT WAS STARTED.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S RESTRICTED JUST TOWARDS THE PRESENT DAY BEAUFORT BRANCH, EVEN THOUGH THE PRESENT DAY BEAUFORT BRANCH ISN'T THE CARNEGIE BUILDING ITSELF, IT STILL QUALIFIES.
AND SO THERE IS A, UH, THE PICTURE BOOK AREA OF THE, THE CHILDREN'S ROOM HAS BEEN IN NEED OF CARPET AND PAINT FOR SOME TIME WITHOUT A FUNDING SOURCE.
SO WHEN THIS LETTER ARRIVED, IT LOOKED LIKE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THAT.
THE QUOTES CAME IN AND THE LOWEST VENDOR IS 9,990 K
SO TO ME, THAT IS, UH, SERENDIPITOUS.
UM, NOT ONLY ARE THEY THE APPROPRIATE BIDDER BY PROCUREMENT RULES, THEY FIT THE EXACT DONATION AMOUNT, UM, OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT TO, UM, TO GET THAT WORK ACCOMPLISHED.
ADDITIONALLY TO THAT, AND I'M GLAD THE FRIENDS OF LOUGHTON PRESIDENT IS HERE TODAY.
UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, UH, THE FRIENDS OF LHAM WERE THE RECIPIENT OF A $50,000 GIFT.
THE DONOR WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS AS THEY, UM, THEY JUST WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON TO PUT THAT DONATION TO USE IN THE EARLY LEARNING ROOM OF THIS BRANCH.
YOU MAY REMEMBER, ROSALIE, THAT THE, UM, EARLY LEARNING ROOM OR THE WHERE THE, THE BOARD BOOKS AND THE UM, LEGO TABLE, THE CHILDREN'S COMPUTERS, THAT WAS A FORMER PORCH IN THIS ORIGINAL BUILDING, AND IT WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECENT RENOVATION.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO USE THAT FUNDING TO BRING THAT ROOM UP TO SPEED WITH THOSE BEAUTIFUL COLORS YOU MENTIONED AND THE FEEL OF THE NEW KIDS AREA.
AND SO WE'RE PLEASED TO WORK WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ON THAT.
AND THERE WE'RE WORKING FIRST ON THE CARPET AND PAINT IN, IN THAT PROJECT.
SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SPACE THINGS GOING ON, FACILITIES, THINGS GOING ON.
IT'S EXCITING AND WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF COLLECTION.
[00:50:01]
A RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POST THAT WE HAD.THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS AN UNDERRATED LIBRARY RESOURCE OR SERVICE THAT YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT? WE HAD 61 COMMENTS.
WE TYPICALLY GET WHAT TRACY, ONE OR 2, 5, 10 COMMENTS.
AND SO IT, IT REALLY RESONATED WITH ME TO KEEP TRACKING THOSE COMMENTS.
I WAS AMAZED AT WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, UH, WERE REPRESENTED.
HOOPLA WAS MENTIONED ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN TIMES.
OUR STATE PARK PRESS PROGRAM, WHERE WE HAVE STATE PARK PASSES PROVIDED TO US BY THE STATE LIBRARY, BUT ALSO COMPLIMENTED BY EACH OF OUR FRIENDS GROUPS.
UM, WE MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE AND PEOPLE COMMENTED AT HOW WONDERFUL IT IS THAT THEY CAN GO TO THE LIBRARY, BORROW A STATE PACK, PARK PASS, AND, AND GO ENJOY ONE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS.
THEY ALSO MENTIONED WONDERBOOK SEVERAL TIMES.
WONDERBOOK, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, ARE, UM, HARDCOVER BOOKS THAT IN THE FRONT COVER HAVE AN EMBEDDED OR INSTALLED PLAYER, UH, AUDIO BOOK PLAYER SO THAT THE READER CAN READ THE PHYSICAL BOOK AND LISTEN AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE FLYING OFF OF OUR SHELVES.
AND WE CONTINUE TO BUY MORE OF THOSE IN THAT RIGHT.
UM, AND SO SEVERAL PEOPLE MENTIONED THOSE ALSO MEETING ROOMS. UH, OUR BOOKMOBILE WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES AS BEING SOMETHING THEY LOVE THE ABILITY TO FAX, SCAN, OR EMAIL SOMETHING FOR FREE FROM ANY OF OUR LIBRARIES.
UM, ACCESS ONLINE TO THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL THAT WE HAVE UKULELES.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE UKULELES THAT YOU CAN BORROW IN THIS BUILDING? IN THIS BUILDING? THAT'S RIGHT.
THEN WE ALSO DO THE SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM THAT WAS APPRECIATED, THAT WE PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO TUTOR.COM, WHICH IS 24 7 AVAILABLE TUTORING FROM THE COMFORT OF ANY DEVICE THAT OUR ST.
HELENA LIBRARY HAS 3D PRINTING CAPABILITIES AND STAFF THAT ARE ABLE TO ASSIST, NAVIGATE THAT.
OUR STAFF WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES FROM SPECIFIC STORY TIME PRESENTERS TO HELPFUL REFERENCE STAFF, SO SOME PEOPLE BY NAME AND SOME PEOPLE IN GENERAL, THE VARIETY OF OUR PROGRAMS, WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, AND THEN ALSO THE VALUE THAT WE PROVIDE BY PARTICIPATING IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LENS CONSORTIUM.
SO I WANTED YOU TO HEAR FROM 61 COMMENTS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE OF WHAT PEOPLE FIND VALUABLE IN TERMS OF OUR COLLECTION, BOTH IN TERMS OF READING AND, AND RESEARCH RESOURCES, BUT ALSO OUR PHYSICAL SPACE AND, UM, EVENT AND EXPERIENCE TYPE OF RESOURCES.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT IT WASN'T AN ORDER FROM MOST FREQUENT TO LEAST FREQUENT.
SO THE UKULELES WAS MA WAS MENTIONED MORE THAN OUR PROGRAM.
NO, I CAN I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY.
UKULELES WAS MENTIONED ONE TIME, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS BY MELISSA
I SOMEBODY, ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS AND, UH, THAT MELISSA MENTIONED DURING HER, SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR THREE MONTHS.
SO I MENTIONED, I, I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER.
THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO IT.
MELISSA PRINCE IS OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN.
SHE CAME TO US FROM ALASKA, MOVED CROSS COUNTRY
SHE ASKED ME, SHE ASKED ME, DO I NEED A PARKA,
UM, BUT SHE JOINED US, UM, RIGHT BEF RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF LAST DECEMBER.
AND IT'S REALLY BEEN FAMILIARIZING HERSELF WITH OUR COLLECTION WITH EACH PERSON AT OUR BRANCH THAT PARTICIPATES IN COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UM, I THINK SHE WAS WOWED THAT WE HAD UKULELES.
SO I AM FAST WRAPPING TO THE END.
UH, MY LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS WHEN YOU THINK OF LIBRARIES, YOU OFTEN THINK ABOUT BOOKS ON THE SHELVES OR AUDIO BOOKS THAT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM AND, AND READ ON A TABLET OR YOUR PHONE OR LISTEN TO IN YOUR CAR.
YOU DON'T OFTEN THINK ABOUT OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE.
WE PROVIDE A LOT, UH, IN OUR BRANCHES.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS RECENT TO US IS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH NEXUS CARE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BEAUFORT COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG DEPARTMENT, THROUGH, UH, FUNDS THEY RECEIVED THROUGH THE SOUTH CAROLINA OPIOID RECOVERY FUND AND SETTLEMENT.
UM, THEY'VE INSTALLED KIOSKS OUTSIDE OF EACH ONE OF OUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS THAT HAVE, UM, NARCAN AVAILABLE.
THERE'S, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIGN ANYTHING, YOU JUST TAKE IT.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT OPIOID DEATHS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY IS SATURATED WITH NARCAN.
NARCAN DOESN'T, UM, DOESN'T SOLVE
[00:55:01]
ANY PROBLEMS EXCEPT IT GIVES THE PERSON THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE LIVING, TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.UM, SO WE JUST WANTED TO, NUMBER ONE, UM, APPRECIATE OUR FRIENDS AT NEXUS CARE FOR SEEKING US OUT FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE APPRECIATIVE FOR US JOINING THEM IN THAT EFFORT TO SATURATE THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF MY REPORT, AMANDA.
HOW, HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT OUT TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY? COULD YOU SPEAK UP? I CAN'T HEAR.
UH, HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT OUT TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY, THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I FORGOT TO TELL YOU HOW SUCCESSFUL IT'S BEEN.
SO, UM, NEXUS CARE AS ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO COMMUNICATING.
THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL PRESS RELEASES THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE GONE OUT.
THIS ACTUALLY THEIR OWN FACEBOOK POSTS.
SO THEY'RE COMMUNICATING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
SO BOTH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE ACTIVELY SHARING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR CIRCLES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, MOST OF OUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS ARE, ARE PLACES WHERE NOT ONLY RESIDENTS GO, BUT VISITORS GO.
AND SO BEFORE YOU APPROACH THE FRONT DOOR OF THE LIBRARY, YOU WILL ENCOUNTER ONE OF THESE.
SO THEY KIND OF SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES IN SOME WAY.
UM, THEY STARTED WITH 65 BOXES OR 65 DOSES IN EACH OF THE PURPLE KIOSKS.
THEY'RE REFILLING THEM RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY, AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS STARTED TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO WE EXPECT AN INITIAL, UM, INITIAL RUSH ON THE, THE SUPPLY AND THEN IT WILL EVENTUALLY SOMEWHAT PETER OUT, BUT WE'RE REALLY THE NEXUS CARE DIRECTOR.
I, I TEXTED ABOUT HER, I ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THEM IN THIS MEETING, AND SHE SAID, YES, PLEASE DO.
AND SHE SAID THAT, UM, THEY'RE SO PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE AND, UM, ARE ACTIVELY MAKING TRIPS TO OUR LIBRARIES TO RESTOCK AND THEY WILL RESTOCK, I THINK WITH MORE
I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST ADVOCATE FOR EVERYONE TO GRAB ONE AND PUT IT IN YOUR CAR.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU DON'T EXPECT TO NEED, YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT.
AND I HAVE A FLASHLIGHT, I'VE GOT A FIRST AID KIT AND I'VE GOT A NARCAN IN MY, UM, RIGHT BESIDE MY DOOR.
AND THE KIOSK ALSO HAVE, UM, A FACT SHEET WITH THEM SO IT CAN EXPLAIN SOME OTHER USES.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK, UM, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A NURSE ON THE BOARD AS WELL, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE HERE OR SUBSTANCE MISUSE HERE.
BUT YOU, A PERSON COULD, UM, ACCIDENTALLY, UH, TAKE MEDICINES THAT, THAT DON'T MIX WELL AND HAVE AN ISSUE.
THIS, THIS WILL HELP THEM GET TO HELP GET TO EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY MEDICAL HELP.
AND AMANDA, I MIGHT SAY THAT THIS IS A NASAL SPRAY, SO IT'S VERY EASY TO ADMINISTER.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BRIEF FINANCIAL REPORT.
UM, ARE YOU GIVING IT AMANDA, YOUR LIST? JAN WAS GONNA SAY IT'S ON YOUR LIST.
SO A LITTLE NEED OUR NEW TREASURER.
YEAH, OUR NEW TREASURER WILL BE GIVING THE FINANCIAL REPORT.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS ON TWO PRIMARY DOCUMENTS TODAY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE OUR BUDGET UPDATE FOR THE YEAR, WHICH I BELIEVE IN YOUR PACKET IS GONNA BE YOUR SECOND FINANCIAL DOCUMENT.
EVERYBODY HAVE THAT HANDY? THIS ONE.
AND I JUST WANNA REPORT THAT THIS, UM, OUR BUDGET OBVIOUSLY IS THE DOCUMENT THAT TRACKS OUR COUNTY FUNDS, UM, THAT WE USE FOR OPERATING THE LIBRARY, PERSONNEL, SUPPLIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND THE COMMITTEE IS PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE ABOUT NINE MONTHS THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR, OR ABOUT TWO THIRDS THROUGH.
AND, UM, THE LIBRARY AND SPECIFICALLY AMANDA, ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF KEEPING US ON TRACK.
WE ARE CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 58% OF OUR BUDGET.
FROM A PERSONNEL PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE AT 57% AND THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN BUDGET, BUT PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING FILLED, WHICH AMANDA TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN HER DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
AND THEN FROM THE OPERATING SIDE, WHICH IS KIND OF THE OTHER HALF OF THAT BUDGET, WE'RE AT 67%.
SO WE'RE ALMOST PERFECTLY ON TARGET.
THERE ARE NOT ANY ANOMALIES IN THE BUDGET AND WE ARE ON TRACK TO COMPLETE OUR BUDGET, UM, COMPLETE OUR FISCAL YEAR WITHIN BUDGET.
UM, IN TAKING A LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT EXPENDITURES OR ANY CONCERNS OR COMMENTS? NO.
[01:00:01]
THE SECOND DOCUMENT THAT I DID JUST WANNA BRIEFLY COVER WAS THE NEXT DOCUMENT, WHICH IS OUR SPECIAL FUNDS DOCUMENT THAT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT AGAIN, THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR SECOND PAYMENT OF OUR INSTALLMENT OF, OF OUR STATE AID.
MU MOST OF, MOST OF THAT FUNDS ONLY ABOUT 57,000 OF IT HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE.
BUT THAT IS NORMAL BECAUSE THAT IS IN OUR FOURTH QUARTER.
WE'LL HAVE A BIG PUSH AND AMANDA AND HER TEAM WILL BE DOING A GREAT JOB OF GETTING ALL OF THAT MEDIA INTO, INTO THE LIBRARIES AND USING THOSE FUNDS AS APPROPRIATE.
UM, OUR BUDGET OVERALL IS LOOKING GREAT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION IN IMPACT FEES, SOME OF WHICH ARE, EXCUSE ME, WE GOT 5.5 MILLION.
UM, SOME OF WHICH IS TARGETED FOR OUR NEW LIBRARY IN PRITCHARD, BILL AND THE NEW RIVERSIDE AREA.
SOME IMPROVEMENTS HERE TO THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY AS WELL, UM, AND TO HILTON HEAD AS WELL.
BUT OVERALL, OUR FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT IS EXCELLENT.
UM, THE LIBRARY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF UTILIZING EVERY PENNY TO THE BEST OF THE ABILITY AND FOR THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH EVERYTHING.
AND, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THAT $10,000 CARNEGIE GRANT THAT'S GOING TO GIVE THE VIEW FOR KIDDOS SOME NICE NEW CARPET.
UM, EVERYTHING DOES LOOK GREAT THOUGH.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN YOUR PACKET, UM, PLEASE LET KNOW, OR, OR AMANDA CAN ALSO FILL US ON THOSE AS WELL.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WE HAD A FI JANINE HELD A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING RIGHT BEFORE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, MANY OF OUR NEW MEMBERS WERE THERE AND WERE ABLE TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, TRYING TO GET RESPONSES TO SOME OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
SO THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS COMMITTEE REPORTS.
AND THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE REAPPOINT COMMITTEES AND I ASKED ALL OF YOU TO IDENTIFY THE COMMITTEES THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN.
I TRIED AS BEST AS POSSIBLE TO GIVE YOU COMMITTEES THAT, TO GIVE YOU A COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH YOU CAN PASS THIS AROUND, JOE, TO GIVE YOU COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS THAT WERE IN CONCERT WITH YOUR REQUEST.
I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT THESE AND I CAN SEND YOU AN EMAIL IF YOU WANT WITH THE SAME INFORMATION.
WAIT, ARE THERE TWO? NO, THERE'S THIS ONE.
DO WE NEED ONE MORE DOWN? NEED TWO.
UM, SO JUST LOOK AT YOUR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THEM.
UM, THEY, FOR THOSE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WATCHING US FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES, UM, WE HAVE COMMITTEES WHERE A LOT OF WORK HAPPENS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS REPORT IN ON THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.
SO WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, KATHY, YOU WANNA GIVE US AN UPDATE FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE? SURE.
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, MET LATE IN JANUARY AND HAD A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR AMANDA AND HER TEAM FOR MODIFICATIONS IN THE NEW SURVEY.
THE NURSE NEW SURVEY WAS POSTED FOR THREE WEEKS, AND AS YOU JUST HEARD FROM AMANDA, IT CLOSED YESTERDAY.
UM, I WON'T GO THROUGH AGAIN WHERE, WHERE ALL IT WAS POSTED.
HOWEVER, OUR SURVEY WAS BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UM, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SURVEY IN 2022, AMANDA TOLD US HAD 1300 ODD, UM, RESPONSES AND WE'RE WELL OVER A 3000 AND I DON'T THINK YOU EVEN HAVE THE HAND, SO IT WILL BE MORE THAN THAT.
I THINK YOU MEANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 1300 AS OPPOSED TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD 13 ODD 1300 ODD OH RESPONSES.
OVER 3000 HOUSE THAT, AND THAT WAS DIGITALLY AND WE STILL HAVE TO COUNT THE, THE HANDHELD.
YEAH, THE ONES THAT PEOPLE DID.
UM, THE PREVIOUS SURVEY, THE LIBRARY HEALTH FOCUS GROUPS TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INPUT AND THE COMMITTEE DECIDED THIS TIME THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO HOLD THOSE FOCUS GROUPS FOR THIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE DID DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF BOARD MEMBERS CONDUCTING SURVEY INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR THEIR INPUT AND FOCUSING ON OUR FUTURE NEEDS AND PLANS.
ONCE THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE PRESENTED TO OUR BOARD, THEN WE WILL REVISIT THAT POSSIBILITY.
UM, NEXT, AMANDA AND HER STAFF WILL BE ANALYZING THE DATA AND WE'LL SUMMARIZE IT AS FOR ALL OF US, AND
[01:05:01]
THAT ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BOARD RETREAT AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE A SUGGESTED DATE, UM, TO DISCUSS THE FINDINGS OF OUR PRIORITIES, MEASURE THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES, AND WE'LL DRAFT OUR FRAMEWORK FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.I HOPE YOU WILL ALL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT, UH, BOARD RETREAT.
AMANDA, SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS WILL JOIN US FOR THAT.
UM, AT THE JANUARY MEETING, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE USE OF THE COMPANY FAST FORWARD LIBRARIES AS OUR CONSULTANT.
THE OWNER'S NAME IS ALSO AMANDA, AND SHE WILL BE HERE TO LEAD OUR RETREAT.
UH, THE COMMITTEE IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE PLANNING GRANT FROM THE STATE LIBRARY TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF ENGAGING THE PLANNING CONSULTANT AND AMANDA'S IN THE PROCESS OF FINAL LINES ARRANGEMENTS, UM, FOR FAST FORWARD TO COME IN AND HOLD THAT RETREAT FOR US.
AND FINALLY, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE ARE STILL ON SCHEDULE, UH, WITH AMANDA'S ORIGINAL TIMELINE FOR OUR PLANNING PROJECT.
THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DILIGENT, UH, YEAH.
HAS BEEN DILIGENT IN MAINTAINING THAT TIMELINE AND THE SCHEDULE AND GUIDING THE PROCESS FOR THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK WE WANNA REPORT TO PEOPLE ON THE DATE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
NO, YOU WANNA DO THAT AMANDA QUESTION? UM, THE PREFERRED DATE BY AMANDA OF FAST FORWARD IS SATURDAY, APRIL THE FOURTH.
IS EASTER WEEKEND? YOU SURE IS EASTER WEEKEND? YEAH, IT IS SATURDAY, EASTER WEEKEND.
WHAT ARE THE HOURS? NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
I'LL GO BACK TO HER AND SEE WHAT, UH, SECOND DATE.
THEN WE THAT YEAH, WE'LL GO BACK FOR ANOTHER DAY.
I WOULD TELL YOU, UM, SHE'S TRAVELING FROM A FEW STATES AWAY AND SO I A SATURDAY WOULD BE HER PREFERRED.
IS THAT OKAY WITH THE BOARD? IT MIGHT BE THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY.
I JUST, I'LL GO BACK TO HER, BUT IT HELPS ME TO KNOW IF A SATURDAY IS A OPTION.
KATHY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WE HAVE NO REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION AT THIS TIME.
MR. DO YOU WANNA COMMENT, AMANDA? YEAH.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION SINCE YOUR LAST BOARD MEETING, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WANTED TO MENTION THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION POLICY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU STUDY THE WEBSITE, YOU WANNA GO TO UNDER POLICIES AND THEN LOOK AT THE POLICY ON, UH, REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION.
WE, UM, KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN US RECONSIDERING SOME OF OUR BOOKS AND WE SHOULD ALL BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT POLICY.
SO I'D ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, LIAISON REPORTS DO YOU WANNA START WITH NORTH OF, SO YOU FIRST, UM, BRENDA'S NOT HERE, SO AMANDA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT? SO THEY WRAPPED UP THEIR, UM, ANNUAL BOOK SANDWICHED IN SERIES ON MARCH THE SECOND, AND THEY WILL NEXT MEET TOMORROW.
AND SO, UM, THEY'LL BE MARCHING TOWARDS THEIR SUMMER ACTIVITIES.
THEY ASSIST WITH SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM AT THE FOUR NORTHERN LOCATIONS.
AND THEN THEY ARE ALWAYS PLANNING FOR THEIR ANNUAL WATERFRONT PARK BOOK SALE.
UM, THAT WILL BE IN NOVEMBER OF THE YEAR.
SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT ACTIVITY GOING ON.
WHAT IS THE LUNCH PROGRAM? SO THEY DO, IN THE WINTERTIME, BETWEEN MID-JANUARY TO ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, THEY DO A, A LECTURE SERIES CALLED BOOK SANDWICHED IN, AND THEY, UM, ENLIST A COMMUNITY MEMBER, UH, TO REVIEW A BOOK IN FRONT OF THE, AN AUDIENCE AND THEY HOST THOSE TYPICALLY AT THE ART CENTER IN BEAUFORT.
UH, THIS YEAR THEY HAD, UM, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, HE REVIEWED A BOOK OF HIS CHOICE, UM, AND SEVERAL KIND OF NOTABLE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT THE RESIDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO AND IT'S A GOOD EVENT FOR THE FRIENDS.
AND YOU ALL ARE CERTAINLY INVITED TO ATTEND NEXT YEAR, EVEN THOUGH IT WRAPPED THIS YEAR.
THEY WILL HAVE A GREAT LINEUP NEXT YEAR.
AND LET ME SAY, AMANDA FINISHED IT OFF LAST WEEK AND DID A FABULOUS JOB.
SHE, SHE CAME IN COSTUME, SHE SANG TO US, SHE PLAYED HER GUITAR.
WE DIDN'T GET A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THAT IN ADVANCE SO ALL OF US COULD ATTEND AND HOOP AND HOLLER.
WE DIDN'T BEING ABLE TO HOOP AND HOLLER.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'LL MAKE, WE'LL MAKE SPECIFIC TIME.
WE'LL SHOW IT DURING THE NEXT DAY.
UM, IT'LL BREAK UP THE T DM OF THE BOARD MEETING.
YOU KNOW, THE BOOK SANDWICHED IN ARE ALL VIDEOTAPED, SO YOU CAN GO ON THE BEAUFORT FRIENDS
[01:10:01]
OF THE LIBRARY, UH, WEBSITE, AND I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THEM ALL DONE YET, BUT THEY WILL ALL BE UP THERE.HOW DO YOU SELECT THE PEOPLE TO DO THAT? OR IS IT A NOMINATION OR VOLUNTEERING? THE, THE FRIENDS OF BEAUFORT LIBRARY, THEY'RE, UM, THEY HAVE A COMMITTEE WHO, WHO DOES THAT.
SO THEY HAVE A, THAT CHANGES USUALLY YEAR TO YEAR, BUT, UM, THEY JUST, THEY LOOK FOR NOMINATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS AND, AND TRY TO FIND A GOOD LINEUP.
AND YOU'RE GONNA DO PLUS THEN.
WELL, UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
INTRODUCING ME, UH, TO THIS GROUP, WHICH IS, UH, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU EXIST AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A FABULOUS JOB OF SUPPORTING THE LIBRARIES, UH, HERE IN THE AREA.
UM, I, I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A BOARD BEFORE OF ANY KIND.
I LEARNING ABOUT BOARDS AND HOW YOU FUNCTION AND, UH, I'M SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE AMANDA HERE TO LEAD ME THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UH, I AM ORIGINALLY FROM THE MIDWEST.
I'VE MOVED AROUND A LITTLE BIT, BUT MOST RECENTLY I COME FROM CHICAGO.
AND I KNOW NAPERVILLE VERY WELL, NAVY, IT WAS YOU.
UH, AND, UH, MY, UH, HISTORY IS ALL, ALL IN CORPORATE WORK.
UH, I'VE WORKED FOR A COUPLE DIFFERENT CORPORATIONS OVER MY, UH, WORK TIME AND, UH, MY RESPONSIBILITY.
I WAS A LEADER IN EACH OF THE FIRMS THAT I WORKED WITH.
EVENTUALLY, YOU DON'T GET THERE OVERNIGHT.
UM, AND I, UM, HAD RESPONSIBILITIES TO KEEP OUR CLIENTS HAPPY, UH, IN THE OUTSOURCING WORK THAT WE DID.
SO OUTSOURCING WAS A BAD WORD, MAYBE STILL DID FOR A WHILE.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE WORK THAT MY FIRM DID TO HELP REALLY, REALLY BIG CLIENTS WHO COULDN'T DO IT IN HOUSE THEMSELVES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, OR IF YOU'RE AMAZON 120,000, THEY'RE PROBABLY BIGGER THAN THAT NOW.
THEY CAN'T DO ALL THAT WORK IN HOUSE.
WE HAD A SYSTEM THAT DID THAT FOR THEM.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, THEY, THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF LAWS AROUND EMPLOYER BENEFITS, STATE AND FEDERAL.
SO WE HAD TO TRACK THOSE AND KEEP OUR CLIENTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FEDS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UH, THAT WAS PART OF MY JOB IS TO TELL OUR CLIENTS ABOUT WHAT WAS COMING UP.
MY BIGGEST JOB HAD TO DO WITH OBAMACARE.
I HAD TO EXPLAIN OBAMACARE TO OUR CLIENTS AND, UM, AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAD TO DO AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAD TO DO WITHIN OUR SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK FOR THEM.
AND WE DID IT NOT JUST TO GET PAID, WE DID IT BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD THE DATA THAT THE IRS WAS ASKING FOR, UH, IN REPORTS AND THE, THE REPORTS WERE REQUIRED.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE IN THIS ROLE FOR, LET'S SEE NOW, 45 DAYS
UH, BUT I'M REALLY ENJOYING IT.
IT, IT'S A NEW SPARK FOR ME, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO WORK WITH BOOKS AND PEOPLE THAT LOVE BOOKS.
AND THIS LIBRARY IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, UH, GOOD MANAGEMENT AND PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT BOOKS AND WANT TO CONTINUE, UH, TO MAKE THOSE BOOKS AVAILABLE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
IT REALLY IS AN EXCITING PIECE TO ME IN MY TIME HERE.
I'VE FOCUSED ON CREATING, MAKING SURE THAT THAT, UH, THAT THE, UM, LIBRARY IS QUALIFIED AND IS IN NO TROUBLE OF LOSING THEIR, UM, NONPROFIT STATUS.
I'M LOOKING AT THE HIGHER LEVEL RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH THAT.
IF WE SHOULD LOSE A NONPROFIT STATUS, THAT WOULD BE A VERY BAD THING, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE LIBRARY.
SO WE STARTED OFF WITH AN AUDIT THAT WE'VE JUST COMPLETED.
UH, AUDIT HADN'T BEEN DONE FOR WELL OVER FIVE YEARS, AND THE STATUTE SAY YOU NEED TO DO AN AUDIT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, OUR STRATEGY AND OUR STRATEGY WILL CASCADE, UH, FROM WHAT THE STRATEGY IS THAT AMANDA LAYS OUT.
YOU NEED TO MAKE THOSE THINGS CONSISTENT SO YOU'RE ALL WORKING IN THE SAME DIRECTION
[01:15:01]
AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE SAME RESULTS.UH, SO THAT IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA START ON, UH, ON OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS, UH, IN A FEW DAYS.
SO, UH, WHAT ELSE DID I WANT TO TELL YOU HERE? WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON AT THIS LIBRARY.
THE LULU SALE IS ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE BOOKS, THEY'RE VERY GOOD BOOKS, UH, AND THEY ARE VERY INEXPENSIVE HERE.
AND OUR, UH, OUR STAFF DOES A GREAT JOB LAYING OUT THE BOOKS, PUTTING THEM OUT.
YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE LOBBY RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE ARE TONS OF BOOKS OUT THERE.
UH, AND UH, SO IT'S EASY TO FIND A BOOK THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY BOOKS.
IN FACT, WE GET SO MANY BOOKS WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT.
UH, BUT WE GENERATE A LOT OF INCOME WITH THAT SALE AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE THAT SALE IS GONNA BE EQUALLY PROFITABLE THIS YEAR, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY COMING INTO THE LIBRARY AND SAY, CAN I BUY THIS BOOK? EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THE SALE TIME YET.
BUT OUR LULU SALE STARTS ON THIS FRIDAY.
IT WAS ALL DAY FRIDAY, MONDAY, SATURDAY.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK AND CHECK OUT THE BOOKS THAT ARE HERE.
BUT WE GET REALLY GOOD BOOKS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK THAT'S OUTSTANDING.
LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DID I WANT? ARE THE BOOKS DONATED BY JAMES OR THOSE? THEY'RE DONATED.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M AMAZED THAT THE QUALITY OF THE BOOKS GO.
SO I THINK OUR COMMUNITY HERE IS, UH, VERY WELL EDUCATED FOR THE MOST PART.
AND, UM, THEY REALLY ENJOY READING BOOKS THAT ARE HELP, HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T JUST GET FICTION, ROMANCE NOVELS, WE GET SOME OF THEM, BUT WE GET OTHER REALLY BOOKS.
AND, UM, SO I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH THE LIBRARY.
AND I'VE BEEN A BOOK LOVER ALL MY LIFE, AND THIS LIBRARY IS A GREAT LIBRARY.
UH, SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND, UH, I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HELP THIS LIBRARY AND THE BOARD, UH, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOARD HELP THIS LIBRARY WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY WANNA ACCOMPLISH.
WE'RE HERE TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE LIBRARY AND BE EXTRA HANDS FOR THEM FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THAT'S A FEEL GOOD FOR US.
SO LYNN, I DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE THE LIAISON TO THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
IS THERE ANYTHING IMPORTANT YOU WANNA ADD? UM, I, UM, NO, I THINK WE'RE, UM, WE'RE GETTING READY FOR, UM, A CHANGEOVER.
THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE BEEN ON THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE STARTED, WE'VE GOT SOME NEW MEMBERS COMING UP THE PIPE.
SO WE WE'RE GETTING READY TO HAVE A GOOD CHANGE OVER WITH THAT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
ANYTHING FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION? DO YOU WANNA ADD? AMANDA? I MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING THE ARTIST AND RESIDENTS, UH, CURRENT SERIES AND THEY ARE ALSO ONE OF OUR PRIMARY AND MAJOR SUPPORTERS IN ADDITION TO THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUPS FOR SUMMER READING.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THEIR MAJOR SUPPORTING ARMS. THEY WILL HAVE THEIR NEXT MEETING IN APRIL, SO, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO GET READY FOR THAT.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
PLEASE GET BACK TO ME WITH ANY THOUGHTS OR IF YOU WANNA WRITE ME AND SAY, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT COMMITTEE, HOW COULD YOU HAVE EVER PUT ME ON IT? I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING REALLY POLITE LIKE, THIS WILL STRETCH YOU,
BUT I, BUT I'LL SAY THAT EMPATHETICALLY.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IF, UM, AS A NEW CHAIRPERSON OF A COMMITTEE, IF WE WANNA CALL A COMMITTEE MEETING, IS THERE, IS THERE A POLICY TO DO THAT OR DO WE JUST REACH OUT TO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS? WE'RE GONNA SET UP A PHONE CALL.
AMANDA AND I WILL SET UP A PHONE CALL WITH EACH ONE OF THE CHAIRS ABOUT WHAT WE EXPECT AND HOW IT WORKS AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL YOU'LL, YOU'LL GET AN EMAIL ABOUT THAT.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE FOCUSED ON GETTING TODAY, GETTING YOU GUYS INDUCTED AND RECOGNIZING THE BOARD MEMBERS AND DOING COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL DO SOME TRAINING FOR YOU BEFORE YOU WE'RE NOT JUST PUSHING YOU OFF THE CLIFF.
UM, ANY, UH, THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 13TH AT FOUR AT THE BEAUFORT BRANCH LIBRARY HEARING.
NO OTHER COMMENTS DO I HAVE HERE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.
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I, TRACY AND JACQUELINE.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WE ARE ADUR.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY, THE COUNTY UNIT AND SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.
IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.
MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KAISER LING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRIET KLIN WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PALS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SEALS COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.
ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE, SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.
I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BUTT COUNTY.
THEY, IT IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL ON DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BEAUFORD COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING
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AND THE BEACH.SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 RIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.