20 October 2025, Staff Meeting

 

The staff meeting started with an introduction of Michelle and a new hire in her second week. We then looked at the Inspiration Celebration follow up. Looking at the workplace culture. Most of the staff is new to libraries and this was a good refresher for everyone to understand the culture of the community and the library. 

Discussed the issue of the library not getting the upper grades to visit the library. Anita had talked with the school librarian and found out that students were checking out from the school library. That library does not have the current holdings that are available at the Lillie M. Evans location. They noted that they had seen a decrease in the number of students using the library for special projects. Probably utilizing online searches versus talking to the information  professionals at the library.

The dream big items were brought up. These are items that the library may add in the coming years. Items included with the Books that talk and more space for the Large Print books. 

The Library has a wheelchair for loan and are looking at adding a knee scooter.  The biggest items on the list were an electronic outdoor sign and also the possibility of a self-checkout machine. I did make a comment on that one. My current library has self-checkout, and it does work. The Lillie M. Evans Library is one that is really community engaged. They know almost everyone that comes in the door. That is the charm of the library.  Self-checkout would erode the warm feeling of the library.

The last item was a banner of over the Library of things. The Library has a large area for those items.

Discussed the long range plans as they look at the mission and vision statements. Looking at different inventories that need to be taken. Plans for patron and community surveys to develop a long range plan.

The library is in several tax increment finance zones (TIF). The final entity the High School has signed off on the completion of TIF district number 4. Those monies should be issued to all the agencies that took part in the program. That will be a boost for the library funds.

The Friends book sale brought in $1,459.12 in revenue. The leftover books were donated to a group that maintains 56 little libraries throughout the state.

Upcoming events of importance Halloween Trunk or Treat on Sunday. The Halloween Hot Dogs at the Library. The Tree lighting and Holiday Stroll was discussed.

The youth activities reading dragons and Flight Path were also mentioned as popular events. The large upcoming show is the Fiber Art show.

PLA Forces: Force 5 The challenge of Leadership. The Director took the staff meeting to discuss the library and the culture of the library and the community. With a lot of new faces in the staff in the last two years she wanted to instill the values that are necessary to be a successful library, Covering the desks, greeting patrons, engaging patrons with what is new in the library.

Force 2 The evolving role of the public library. Discussed the services that the library provides at all the different levels from Children to Senior citizens. The library has a worked on modernizing the collection and spotlighting new books for the community. They have also increased the library of things. Making aware of staff of the hidden patrons that check out books online and may rarely set foot in the library. Letting the visiting patrons know about those services as well as physical books. Adding services like Hoopla has increased the libraries costs. It has also allowed more patrons to be aware of new items available.

Work total 1 hours                  Semester total 66