Lawton Memorial Library Board Meeting

                 Regular Board Meeting           Tuesday, May 20, 2025

                                                                                               

*5:00 p.m. Chair Barbara Melvin called the meeting to order at the Lawton Memorial Library, 118 N. Bird Street. Roll call was taken with board members Melvin, Gail Muller, Gwendolyn Hatfield, Georgia Everson, Donna Niles, Carol Persons, and Kimberly Walker all present. Also present, Librarian Lisa Ahler.    

     

*Verification of posting at the Bank, Post Office, and Village Office on May 19, 2025, was given.  

   

*Two corrections were presented on the March 25, 2025 minutes. Lisa asked the wording to be changed under the public comments section that she received a $500 donation for a “children’s diversity collection” not “a certain book diversity”, and on the fines that Lisa said everyone “who pays fines at WRLS, pays 10 cents a day”, not everyone in WRLS pays 10 cents a day”. Niles moved, Everson seconded to approve the meeting minutes as corrected. (Carried).

     

*Financial report: Reviewed the report from 1/1/2025 thru 5/19/2025. The operating balance is $71,936.79.  Have received $3,775 in donations to date. Corrected a $350 donation listed from the Friends to the Lions Club. The savings account has $5,073.62, plus the 3 CDs of $26,228.47, $12,589.23, and $10,489.56 (which matured on 5-5-25, and was renewed for 9 months at 4.35%.). Hatfield moved, Muller seconded to approve the financial report. (Carried).

 

*Director/Statistical Report:

**There’s been no new news regarding the defunding of the Institute of Museum and Library services.

**Vernon County Clerk Jerry Pedretti was contacted regarding our county trustee assignments we previously discussed. He didn’t know if we had any county appointed trustees and wanted to check further into this. Lisa sent him the state statutes section (43.54) on this and hasn’t heard back from him yet.   

**The Friends of the Library gave us funds to start a LEGO Club and for a collection we are calling S.T.E.M. Sets (3 educational backpacks for circulation-Human Body, Engineering, and Mathematics).  

**The Vernon County Reads author is Beth Amos, and the program is to be at the Westby Performing Arts Center on August 14th, at 7 p.m. The Friends gave a donation in support of this.

**The Lions Club donated $350 to Summer Reading and Go Macro has donated bars again.

**WRLS Directors have voted to implement a change in how “Hold” fulfillment works. It was previously done on a first come first serve basis, but since May 1st, it has been changed to a Local-Hold prioritization. The item will first fulfill any local holds before it is shared with other libraries. This will only benefit us if our patrons place holds on new items. After discussion, we agreed at our next meeting in July that Lisa would pull up an account to look at on the projector, to see how holds work.

 

**Programming: The last Storytime for the summer was today. Attendance has been very low, so we’re planning on conducting a survey in July for Storytime needs. Page Turners, Cookin’ the Books, and Sip & Chat are going well. Summer Reading theme is “Color Our World”. Ben Johnston was here May 19th for “Planting for the Bird”. Only 1 was in attendance.       

**Lisa passed out the statistical report for March and April, showing circulation numbers, Patrons in the library, Groups/ Program numbers, and revenue received.       

    

*Friends Update: Carol reported the Friends group met a week ago, and have given $975 for the STEM kits, Lego’s, and Vernon County reads program. The (2) Music in the Parks and the 4th of July events are their major funding opportunities for helping fund the library activities/programs.

*The gardening around the building has been brought up. The same people are involved with this, and helping lots of other places, too. Thinking about cutting back on some of it. They have a person that would come free of charge to see how we can possibly cut back on things. Some Amish ladies are coming next week to help. If anyone has any suggestions, please give them to Jean (Beck). We need to start planning something on this.    

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*Business:

**Patron’s Letter of Concern: Barb gave a highlight of three letters we’ve received from Ronald and Jill Stoltz. She said they have a great interest in the library, and we need to understand what they’re looking for. We want their viewpoint represented. They wrote they didn’t like the books displayed on a visit they made (back 2 months ago). They’d didn’t care for the left leaning political books or the LGBT books and would like more Christian books. They would like a balance of perspectives to be offered. A $500 donation was given for those certain books, and they have an anonymous donor to offer $500 for a selection of books from another perspective.

   

**They suggested everything Lisa orders is reviewed ahead and asked if we’d change how we display new books. The new books that come in are highlighted by going on the top shelf. The volunteers also put out the new books. They don’t realize what they are, if it’s new, it gets put out. Discussed if the board should approve any books purchased. They agreed no. If Lisa needs guidance, she can check with someone. Looked at the donation policy. It says all donations are up to our discretion. It doesn’t mean they’re going on the shelf. Carol mentioned if someone gives a donation for books, to buy a small amount, to see how they circulate, before buying more. This is a good question to ask if people give a donation.

 

**The board decided to not change the way we display new books, that Lisa does not need approval to buy books, and for specific requests from donations, to use part of the funds to see how they circulate, then use the balance if they go. In our policy, the Board reserves the right to accept or refuse any gifts or donations. The placement and display of an item is also the sole prerogative of the Library Board.   

 

**Barb was bothered, they didn’t feel safe. Discussed, it’s up to the parent/guardian to come with the kids, and monitor what children read. Barb read our mission statement: The mission of the Lawton Memorial Library is to provide quality materials and services that fulfill educational, informational, cultural and recreational needs of the entire community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and businesslike. Barb said she would write to them, letting them know the decisions that were made. 

 

**Discussed an easier way to approach things like this. It lingered a couple of months, as we don’t meet that often. Agreed to have a suggestion box if people want to express an opinion and don’t feel comfortable talking to us. We are good with what we have, and it’s fine if someone questions it.

 

**Discussion of library fines: They are 10 cents per day. Lisa found stats that 57% of the libraries are fine free and 43% charge. It’s found that the fine free patrons are not renewing, knowing they are not going to get fined. Lisa said the average we received from fine money in 2024, was $37 a month, and it’s $24 a month so far in 2025. The board agreed that the fines are fine. Leave as is.

 

*The next meeting was scheduled for July 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.  

                 

*Hatfield moved, Muller seconded to adjourn. (Carried). Adjourned at 6:14 p.m.

 

                                                                         ___________________________________

                                                                        Kimberly Walker, Village Clerk/Treasurer