Ainsworth Public Library

AINSWORTH LIBRARY BOARD MEETING ON OCTOBER 5, 2022 @ 5 P.M.

AGENDA

1.         Call meeting to order

2.         Notice of the posting of the Nebraska Open Meeting Act

3.         Roll call

4.         Approve minutes

5.         Approve claims

6.         Monthly Library Report/List of Titles Purchased 7.   Budget update for 2022-2023

8.         Electronic Video Magnifier

9.         Banned Books Week (Sept. 19^th-24^th)

10.       Book Club: October selection is the One Book One Nebraska Title 2022

11.       Humanities Nebraska Program with the One Book One Nebraska Author- Oct. 20

^12.          Fiber Internet Connection Installed

13.       Silent Witness Display for Domestic Violence Week by Bright Horizons

14.       Book Basket Fundraiser

15.       Trunk Treat Safe Treat Downtown

16.       Meetings/workshops:

a.         Thursday Director’s Zoom Meeting:  September 8^th, 22^nd, and 29^th

17.       Correspondence:

a.         Todd Flynn: Articles from “The Guardian” on censorship

            b.         Articles of interest from Library Journals

18.       Set next meeting date/time

19.       Adjournment

The Ainsworth Public Library has announced the book selection for the October read.  We are happy to say that the title will be the One Book One Nebraska 2022 book by Nebraska author Jonis Agee. “The Bones of Paradise” is a multi-generational family saga, set in the unforgiving Nebraska Sandhills in the years following the massacre at Wounded Knee—an ambitious tale of history, vengeance, race, guilt, betrayal, family, and belonging, filled with a vivid cast of characters shaped by violence, love, and a desperate loyalty to the land.  We have extra copies available for readers to checkout.  Stop by the library and get your copy.  

The author was born in Omaha, Nebraska.  She grew up in Nebraska and Missouri, places where many of her stories and novels are set. She was educated at The University of Iowa (BA) and The State University of New York at Binghamton (MA, PhD). She is Adele Hall Professor of English at The University of Nebraska, where she teaches creative writing and twentieth-century fiction. She has won many awards.  They include three books chosen as New York Times Notable Books, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Nebraska Book Award, Nebraska Arts Council Merit Award, Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship in Fiction, Loft McKnight Award of Distinction, and Editor’s Choice Award from Foreword Magazine. 

This author will be speaking at our library on October 20^th at 5 p.m. The Humanities Nebraska program is titled Bones of Paradise: A Novel Examined.  We hope that you can attend this event and meet this Nebraska author.

The Ainsworth Library Board held its monthly meeting on September 7, 2022 at the Ainsworth Public Library.   The meeting was advertised in the local newspaper, local radio station, at the Library, and posted on the library’s website.  The meeting was called to order at 5 p.m.  Roll call showed four members present (Todd Flynn, Stacey Gilliland, Luke Hitchcock, and Alane Lentz). Member Phyllis Leach was absent.   Library Director, Gail Irwin, was also present for the meeting.

Alane Lentz made the motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting.  Stacey Gilliland seconded this with all members voting in favor of.  Luke Hitchcock moved to approve the claims for payment.  Todd Flynn seconded this motion with all members voting in favor of.   The monthly library report for August 2022 was presented as well as a list of titles purchased this month. 

It was noted that the Youth Grant for Excellence ARPA Completion Report was submitted on 8-16-22.  The report was shared with the Board.  A summary was presented on the four grants the library received this winter/spring.  It consisted of the amount of the grants ($7,224), where items were purchased and invoice numbers plus item cost ($7,260.73), shipping/handling ($606.93) and total cost ($7,867.66).  All funds were run through the Library Foundation.  The Foundation also paid for the cost of shipping/handling.

The Board discussed the projected budget for the upcoming year.  The budget hearing will be held soon.

Update was given on the Makerspace Resources on the Nebraska Library Commission’s website.   The Ainsworth Public Library page that list our equipment was shared with the members.

A partnership between the Nebraska Library Commission and the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired will be providing one 20” ONYX Deskset CCTV (electronic video magnifier) to each public library location in Nebraska at no cost.  The unit will remain the property of NCBVI so the agency can repair, replace, or dispose of when or if something goes out on it.  Each device comes with a two-year warranty and lifetime tech support from the vendor.  Their goal was to order the equipment in August and receive/install all devices in the next few months.

A review of meetings/workshops attended by staff was shared on the Nebraska Open Meeting Act on August 5^th; the 2022 Public Library Accreditation Workshop on August 6^th; and the Thursday Directors Zoom Meeting on August 4^th, 18^th, and 25^th.  The Ainsworth Library Foundation Board held a meeting on August 17^th.   They are planning on doing a Book Basket Fundraiser this fall.  The theme will be “Light up to Reading”.  Proceeds will go towards the outside lighting project of LED lights around the windows and doors plus a new pole light. The Library director attended the Nebraska State Advisory Council on Libraries Meeting on August 19^th. 

Correspondence was shared with the Board.  Information from OverDrive was received that informed us that Libby now has tags for users.  These tags can organize books however patrons like, from making lists of books to share with friends or tracking books they want to read to subscribing to favorite magazines.  Information was received on the revamping of the NebraskAccess site that went live on August 26^th.   To better serve the research needs of K-12 students, two databases and a new Explora interface have been added to the lineup.  There will now be three different passwords for the databases.   The passwords will be good for one year.  Business cards with all the needed information has been made for patrons to take with them.  The ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office reported advocacy success with Congress.  The Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 includes the first dedicated federal funding for library facilities in 26 years.  Articles of interest from Library Journals were shared on the topics of fine free libraries; censorship challenges in libraries across the country, and the importance of good Library signage.

The next meeting date/time was set for October 5^th at 5 p.m.   Since there was no further business to come before the Board the meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons.

Books reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship, on the other hand, creates barriers. Banned Books Week is both a reminder of the unifying power of stories and the divisiveness of censorship, and a call to action for readers across the country to push back against censorship attempts in their communities.

The Ainsworth Public Library has a display up featuring some of the books that have been banned through the years.  Some of the titles may surprise you!  From the Dictionary, the Bible, Dr. Seuss books, to favorite classics that we all have read and enjoyed.  Stop by and review the display.   Better yet, check one or two of them out.

Ainsworth Library Board Meeting

September 7, 2022 at 5 p.m.

AGENDA

1.            Call meeting to order

2.            Notice of posting of Nebraska Open Meeting Act

3              Roll call

4.            Approve minutes of last meeting

5.            Approve claims for payment

6.            Monthly Library Report/List of Titles Purchased

7.            Grant update

8.            Budget for 2022-2023

9.            Makerspace Resources on NLC website

10.          Electronic video Magnifier from NLC/Blind & Visually Impaired

11.          Meeting/Workshops:

                a.            Nebraska Open Meeting Act-August 5^th

                b.            2022 Public Library Accreditation Workshop-August 6^th

                c.             Thursday Directors Zoom Meeting:  August 4^th, 18^th, & 25^th

                d.            Library Foundation Board Meeting-August 17^th  (Fundraiser planned)

                e.            Nebraska State Advisory Council on Libraries Meeting-August 19^th

12.          Correspondence:

                a.            Libby now has Tags

                b.            New NebraskAccess website released on August 26th

                c.             ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office  report advocacy success

                d.            Articles of interest from Library Journals

13.          Set next meeting date/time

14.          Adjournment

The Ainsworth Public Library will be closed for the Labor Day Holiday on September 5, 2022.

Have a safe and fun holiday!