Lawton Memorial Library Board Meeting

                 Regular Board Meeting           Tuesday, January 28, 2025

                                                                                               

*5:15 p.m. Chair Barbara Melvin called the meeting to order at the Lawton Memorial Library, 118 N. Bird Street. Roll call was taken with all board members present: Melvin, Donna Niles, Gail Muller, Georgia Everson, Gwendolyn Hatfield, Carol Persons (phone in), and Kimberly Walker. Also Librarian Lisa Ahler.    

    

*Verification of posting at the Bank, Post Office, and Village Office on January 27, 2025, was given.  

  

*Hatfield moved, Niles seconded to approve the meeting minutes from December 3, 2024. (Carried).

     

*Financial report: Reviewed the 2024-year. The ending balance was a negative $128.66, which was a great job of coming close to what we projected for the year. We received $7,712.63 in donations, with a carryover of $849.32 left to spend from 2024 funds (along with $2,127.77 from 2023). Also, at year end, the auditors made an adjusting entry for 4 additional days in 2024 for payroll, which was accounted for in the 2024 budget. Reviewed a 2024 budget comparison, showing the actual figures of what was received and what was spent, against line items budgeted. The savings has $6,425.73, plus the 3 CDs of $26,228.47, $12,589.23, and $10,000.00. Everson moved, Muller seconded to approve the financial report. (Carried). 

  

*Director/Statistical Report:

**The website is live! The problems have been addressed. Lisa had it up on the new TV to show the board. 

**The People counter, down at the last meeting, is fixed.  

**The new copier is great!   

**We received 2025 library aid funds from Richland County, of $3,732, and Monroe County, of $200, and a $1,500 donation from the Town of Whitestown.     

**The annual report opened last week to work on. It’s due February 21st. It is almost complete, as Lisa will be gone from January 30th to February 16th.

**Dana requested permission to use the library laptop for schoolwork and to come in early on workdays, as well as during other closed library hours, to complete homework. No one had any problem with this.

**Dana & Lisa are hoping to take a couple of Tuesdays and tour nearby libraries and explore how their collections are organized. 

**Something to think about, and have on the agenda for the next meeting, is possibly changing the board meetings to daytime. 

**Programming: Storytime starts back up February 4th. Page Turners and Cookin’ the Books are back in session. Winter Reading Bingo goes through February. February is “Library Lovers Month”. A “Patron Appreciation Week” is being planned. Ethos is having a program March 10th, and Ben Johnston will be here March 31st, for “The Call of the Frog”.     

**Lisa passed out the statistical report for November and December, showing circulation numbers, Groups/Program numbers, and revenue received.       

   

*Friends Update:   

**Carol said the Friends are giving a $500 donation towards the purchase of new tables. The Music in the Park is scheduled for the Summer, and at the end of March, they’re looking to do a chocolate tasting event.      

  

*Business:

**Table Discussion: Lisa went to a showroom in Minneapolis to look at some commercial tables for the meeting room. She passed out info and showed examples on the TV for the board to look over. There were 2 styles she’s looking at, one with a laminate top and the other is wood. The laminate top has a grommet to allow cables to pass. They fold up neatly for compact storage. The size is 24” x 60”. Looking at 4 of them. They have a 1-year mechanical warranty on parts and a 30-day warranty if we don’t like them. No additional shipping charges, included in the price. The cost for the laminate one is $589 and $849 for wood.

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Lisa said they are sturdy, as she tested them out. The board agreed to go with the laminate, as they are easier to clean and have less scratches. We had a group discussion on what color to go with. It was between Walnut and Maple, and with a show of hands, decided unanimously on Maple for the table top. Hatfield moved, Everson seconded to buy 4 of the 24” X 60” laminate tables, with the charming frame of black, with the Maple finish. (Carried). 

 

The total cost for the 4, at $589 each, is $2,356. We have $1,000 in donations, and the rest will be paid from funds we set aside in the savings account. When they arrive, will ask the village workers to help with setting them up, as we only have 30 days to see how we like them. And Wayne Haugrud said he can get them listed on the Wisconsin Surplus Auction to sell.       

 

*Public comments: Barb said Aaron Nemec thanked us for the donation we gave him for the new library sign he did for us. It wasn’t needed, but he was pleased with it.   

     

*The next meeting was scheduled for March 25, 2025, at 5:15 p.m.  

                

*Niles moved, Muller seconded to adjourn. (Carried). Adjourned at 6:12 p.m.

 

                                                                         ___________________________________

                                                                        Kimberly Walker, Village Clerk/Treasurer