Board Meeting Minutes 4/22/2025 (html)
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
LIBRARY BOARD MEETING
SILVER FALLS LIBRARY DISTRICTSilver Falls Library Program Room
410 S. Water St., Silverton, Oregon
Board Members Present: Staff Present:
Ingrid Donnerstag Christy Davis, Director
Dmitry White Stacy Higby
Nancy Miller
Michelle Sanguinetti (Zoom) Public Present:
Megan Smith
Board Members Absent:
None
CALL TO ORDER
Chair White called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m.
REVIEW OF AGENDA
Additions under New Business:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion: To approve the March 25, 2025 Board Meeting minutes as printed/circulated
(Motion by: Dmitry White. Second by: Nancy Miller).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
FINANCIAL REPORT, MARCH 2025
The Board received and reviewed the following reports:
Statement of Cash Disbursements
Check Register
VISA
Motion: To approve the MARCH 2025 Financial Report as presented, including checks #18005 through and including #18038, for a total of $87,131.30.
(Motion by: Dmitry White. Second by: Ingrid Donnerstag).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Auditing RFP update
The contract was included in the Board packet. Ingrid and Michelle reviewed the 2 proposals. The chosen firm, Accuity, quoted a price of $15,000 each year for 3 years. The Library or the firm would need to give 90 days’ notice if we want to change/not renew contract. The references for Accuity were very good. The other firm, Isler (who is our current audit firm) didn’t protest. Accuity will reach out to Isler for our prior year’s audits. Accuity uses a different software system, which we will have to learn. Accuity’s C-REP grant accounting estimate was $2500-5000, compared to Isler’s estimated flat fee of $6,000.
2. C-REP planning grant process
All the documents for the 6-month plan report, including the feasibility study, and all bids will be submitted tomorrow. Did the structural engineers come out for an inspection? No, but Randall Feldhaus and Christy looked at the trusses and sent photos to the engineers. The grant report is due on May 13, the day Christy flies back from overseas travel. The question for the Board to decide is about payment to Sunbreak Energy? We asked Jason Knouse from ODOE if we would receive the final 70% of reimbursement funds when the final report is complete and submitted or when payment has been made. The reply email from Jason said that most grantees use the initial 30% reimbursement (which we have already received) to pay a deposit while some use their own funds and then are reimbursed. Does the Board want to pay Sunbreak nothing yet, the 30% we have received, or all of it? One recommendation is to pay the 30% we’ve received, and then have Randall send a revised invoice. Then once the final reporting has been submitted, we can pay the rest before the final 70% because we know it will be on the way. There was concern expressed that the structural engineers never came out for a site visit. Does the Library have any insurance that Randall’s check on the trusses is adequate for moving forward? It seems like standard practice that the measurements are checked by Randall and signed off on by the structural engineers. Christy will send the final report with all appendices to the Board when she submits it.
3. Parking Lot and City of Silverton Updates
City Manager Cory Misley sent a draft document and we reviewed it. It was scheduled to be discussed at the last work session. City Council voted to approve funding for parking lot improvements.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Phone and telecommunications contracts
We received information on updating our phone systems from 2 vendors: our current vendor, Advanced Communication Systems (ACS), and Dynamic Tech Solutions, the vendor who installed the TV in the Program Room. We also reviewed Microsoft Teams phones as an option. Over the years, CCRLS has made some special exceptions for our Library because we are a special district and not part of a city government. One of these was allowing our phone system to tie into their network, but this exception will not continue when we acquire a new phone system, requiring us to install a dedicated internet connection just for our phones. This cost will be $114/month. The quote from Dynamic Tech Solutions is less up front, but more per month than the one from ACS, but it is the recommended update. We currently pay approximately $360/month with Ziply and Lumen for phone service. The quote from Dynamic Tech is $303/month with a 3-year contract, which will be in addition to the $114/month for internet (also a 3-year contract). Christy will reach out to Doug and Dynamic Tech again to confirm that the phones and CCRLS-networked computer systems are compatible.
2. Review of potential cuts and changes to Institution of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)
Christy has been forwarding emails with information she has received from the State Library. Oregon State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen put in their regular funding request and received no communication in response, but the funds were deposited. She recommended libraries submit their requests for this grant funding as soon as possible in case it gets clawed back. If the proposed federal cuts are implemented, we stand to lose 2/3 of staff at the State Library, and Ready-to-Read grant funds. Our Library receives about $4000/year from this funding source, which is used primarily for youth Summer Reading Programs. The Friends of the Library can be asked to help make up those funds to protect our Summer Reading Programs. The behind-the-scenes work done at the State Library is the biggest potential loss, along with several databases that are purchased with federal funds through the State Library and CCRLS.
3. Oregon Library Association’s Public Library Standards, 2021 edition, pages 20-23 Materials Standards
This section covers the Library’s Materials Standards, including Collection Management and Community Access to the Collection. Our policies in these areas are strong and updated.
Are contracts with primary collection vendors are reviewed at least once every 3 years? We purchase reference materials through a Standing Order contract with Baker and Taylor Books, and we purchase most other books from Ingram. The contract with Ingram is actually negotiated through CCRLS, and we receive a discount of 42-43% off the cover price on 80-90% of the books we buy.
Does the collection reflect the community’s needs? How is this evaluated? Needs are evaluated through circulation statistics and patron feedback. Probably 90% of the collection will be bestsellers, but the remaining 10% pays attention to what the community wants, which means we learn what our patrons would like. Weeding can provide as much information as purchasing. Staff picks, Board picks, and “Did you miss this one?” displays can help boost circulation of materials that are not being checked out. Board Members will submit 8-10 picks each for a display in the next few months.
Does the Library provide access to online databases as appropriate to meet the needs of the community? Yes, we provide Britannica, and others are provided through CCRLS.
Is there value to surveying patrons about what they want? We did a survey as part of the Strategic Plan, and the results were helpful, but surveys take a lot of work and time, and are not generally answered by enough people to guide decision-making. Patrons often make purchase requests for books, DVDs, and E-books.
LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Director Davis reported on the following:
Good things:
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 8:13 p.m.
(Motion by: Ingrid Donnerstag. Second by: Megan).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
__________________________________________
The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in the library program room.
Approved: _________________________(date)
_______________________________________
Dmitry White
Chair, Library Board of Directors
Silver Falls Library District
LIBRARY BOARD MEETING
SILVER FALLS LIBRARY DISTRICTSilver Falls Library Program Room
410 S. Water St., Silverton, Oregon
Board Members Present: Staff Present:
Ingrid Donnerstag Christy Davis, Director
Dmitry White Stacy Higby
Nancy Miller
Michelle Sanguinetti (Zoom) Public Present:
Megan Smith
Board Members Absent:
None
CALL TO ORDER
Chair White called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m.
REVIEW OF AGENDA
Additions under New Business:
- Review of potential cuts and changes to the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
- There is verbiage in the minutes that we didn’t need a fence around solar batteries. Why was it included in the proposal? We didn’t expect fencing to be included in the feasibility proposal from Sunbreak, but must have been necessary.
- For the parking lot upgrades, is $52,450 the actual amount the City will pay? Yes, we got bids for all work that will need to be done and that was the total submitted to the Council for approval.
Motion: To approve the March 25, 2025 Board Meeting minutes as printed/circulated
(Motion by: Dmitry White. Second by: Nancy Miller).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
FINANCIAL REPORT, MARCH 2025
The Board received and reviewed the following reports:
- Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Fund Balances (as of March 31, 2025)
- General Fund Statement of Cash Receipts (as of March 31, 2025)
- General Fund Statement of Cash Disbursements (as of March 31, 2025)
- Check Register – Citizen’s Bank (March 1-31, 2025)
- LGIP Account Statement (as of March 31, 2025)
- Purchase Order – Visa (closing date February 20, 2025)
- Journal Entries (as of March 31, 2025)
Statement of Cash Disbursements
- Why have we only spent 37% of the amount budgeted for Conference/Training? Three staff members are going to the Oregon Library Association conference this week.
- Where are we in the archival project? Archivist Carrie Caster spent a couple more hours going through the closed stacks shelf by shelf, noting which books are here because they’re old books and which were likely here on opening day in 1911, and which belonged to historical Silverton families or figures We will be keeping books about Silverton history and yearbooks, but some items will be better as a transfer to the museum. Christy will bring those to the Board or a committee to discuss transfer. Some examples of books to transfer are death and disease ledgers, and personal scrapbooks. We will have a number of old books that will need to be dealt with. We will create a plan to insert parameters for archival materials into our Collection Development policy. We are getting 1/8-inch tempered glass for display cases in late May. Will the money budgeted carry forward? Technical Services has spent more since these reports were printed, and $1,000 was included in the 25/26FY budget. Is there any discussion about digitizing old books, like the ledgers, so they are searchable? Not really digitizing but when these archival materials are added to the collection, identifying and family information will be included in the cataloging description and will be searchable.
Check Register
- What is the payment to Seattle Public Library? An ILL check out was damaged by our patron.
- Do we pay for regular pest control services? No, about once per year we need ant control in the kids area when store-bought treatments don’t work.
VISA
- Are our problems with Ingram returns improving? The situation has gotten better and their response is getting better, but we still occasionally receive books with damage or publication errors.
- What is the Azuradisk Policool Cleaner? The Asuradisk is a machine that cleans and resurfaces DVDs and CDs, and Policool is the cleaning solutions used in that machine.
Motion: To approve the MARCH 2025 Financial Report as presented, including checks #18005 through and including #18038, for a total of $87,131.30.
(Motion by: Dmitry White. Second by: Ingrid Donnerstag).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Auditing RFP update
The contract was included in the Board packet. Ingrid and Michelle reviewed the 2 proposals. The chosen firm, Accuity, quoted a price of $15,000 each year for 3 years. The Library or the firm would need to give 90 days’ notice if we want to change/not renew contract. The references for Accuity were very good. The other firm, Isler (who is our current audit firm) didn’t protest. Accuity will reach out to Isler for our prior year’s audits. Accuity uses a different software system, which we will have to learn. Accuity’s C-REP grant accounting estimate was $2500-5000, compared to Isler’s estimated flat fee of $6,000.
2. C-REP planning grant process
All the documents for the 6-month plan report, including the feasibility study, and all bids will be submitted tomorrow. Did the structural engineers come out for an inspection? No, but Randall Feldhaus and Christy looked at the trusses and sent photos to the engineers. The grant report is due on May 13, the day Christy flies back from overseas travel. The question for the Board to decide is about payment to Sunbreak Energy? We asked Jason Knouse from ODOE if we would receive the final 70% of reimbursement funds when the final report is complete and submitted or when payment has been made. The reply email from Jason said that most grantees use the initial 30% reimbursement (which we have already received) to pay a deposit while some use their own funds and then are reimbursed. Does the Board want to pay Sunbreak nothing yet, the 30% we have received, or all of it? One recommendation is to pay the 30% we’ve received, and then have Randall send a revised invoice. Then once the final reporting has been submitted, we can pay the rest before the final 70% because we know it will be on the way. There was concern expressed that the structural engineers never came out for a site visit. Does the Library have any insurance that Randall’s check on the trusses is adequate for moving forward? It seems like standard practice that the measurements are checked by Randall and signed off on by the structural engineers. Christy will send the final report with all appendices to the Board when she submits it.
3. Parking Lot and City of Silverton Updates
City Manager Cory Misley sent a draft document and we reviewed it. It was scheduled to be discussed at the last work session. City Council voted to approve funding for parking lot improvements.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Phone and telecommunications contracts
We received information on updating our phone systems from 2 vendors: our current vendor, Advanced Communication Systems (ACS), and Dynamic Tech Solutions, the vendor who installed the TV in the Program Room. We also reviewed Microsoft Teams phones as an option. Over the years, CCRLS has made some special exceptions for our Library because we are a special district and not part of a city government. One of these was allowing our phone system to tie into their network, but this exception will not continue when we acquire a new phone system, requiring us to install a dedicated internet connection just for our phones. This cost will be $114/month. The quote from Dynamic Tech Solutions is less up front, but more per month than the one from ACS, but it is the recommended update. We currently pay approximately $360/month with Ziply and Lumen for phone service. The quote from Dynamic Tech is $303/month with a 3-year contract, which will be in addition to the $114/month for internet (also a 3-year contract). Christy will reach out to Doug and Dynamic Tech again to confirm that the phones and CCRLS-networked computer systems are compatible.
2. Review of potential cuts and changes to Institution of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)
Christy has been forwarding emails with information she has received from the State Library. Oregon State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen put in their regular funding request and received no communication in response, but the funds were deposited. She recommended libraries submit their requests for this grant funding as soon as possible in case it gets clawed back. If the proposed federal cuts are implemented, we stand to lose 2/3 of staff at the State Library, and Ready-to-Read grant funds. Our Library receives about $4000/year from this funding source, which is used primarily for youth Summer Reading Programs. The Friends of the Library can be asked to help make up those funds to protect our Summer Reading Programs. The behind-the-scenes work done at the State Library is the biggest potential loss, along with several databases that are purchased with federal funds through the State Library and CCRLS.
3. Oregon Library Association’s Public Library Standards, 2021 edition, pages 20-23 Materials Standards
This section covers the Library’s Materials Standards, including Collection Management and Community Access to the Collection. Our policies in these areas are strong and updated.
Are contracts with primary collection vendors are reviewed at least once every 3 years? We purchase reference materials through a Standing Order contract with Baker and Taylor Books, and we purchase most other books from Ingram. The contract with Ingram is actually negotiated through CCRLS, and we receive a discount of 42-43% off the cover price on 80-90% of the books we buy.
Does the collection reflect the community’s needs? How is this evaluated? Needs are evaluated through circulation statistics and patron feedback. Probably 90% of the collection will be bestsellers, but the remaining 10% pays attention to what the community wants, which means we learn what our patrons would like. Weeding can provide as much information as purchasing. Staff picks, Board picks, and “Did you miss this one?” displays can help boost circulation of materials that are not being checked out. Board Members will submit 8-10 picks each for a display in the next few months.
Does the Library provide access to online databases as appropriate to meet the needs of the community? Yes, we provide Britannica, and others are provided through CCRLS.
Is there value to surveying patrons about what they want? We did a survey as part of the Strategic Plan, and the results were helpful, but surveys take a lot of work and time, and are not generally answered by enough people to guide decision-making. Patrons often make purchase requests for books, DVDs, and E-books.
LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Director Davis reported on the following:
Good things:
- The Friends of the Library did remarkably well with their bonus sale in March. At the August sale, they usually make between $900 - $1,200 over the course of two days. On just the one Saturday in March they made $1,002 dollars and cleared out a bunch of space for collecting more inventory for the August sale.
- Christy will be leading a panel this Thursday at the Oregon Library Association conference in Eugene. The topic regards Peter Erskine’s solar spectrum art in public libraries. Three other libraries, who’ve also had the prismatic films installed on their windows, will be on the panel and the artist and his assistants will there to discuss the project, show a 15-minute film about it, and try to recruit the remaining 19 libraries needed to complete the 100 Libraries project.
- One of our new interior study room doors – the one in the youth services side – ceased to close. The original contractors, New Dawning, came out and took photos and video. Dawn emailed us several days later to say that the door was damaged by either patrons or staff and that the hinges were bent. She offered that she and her partner Danny could come and repair the door with their half-day fees starting at over $500, and that it would be weeks as they are very busy. We then contacted licensed handywoman Amanda Sommers. She ascertained that there was nothing wrong with the door nor the hinges and that the original contractors had used a single finish nail on the inner casing of the door’s frame. This nail did not reach the stud above the door. The expanding foam put behind the door frame for dampening sound, continued to expand. As the casing wasn’t attached to anything, the foam pushed it down, making the door impossible to close. Placing a level above the frame clearly showed that it was off-kilter. Sommers had the door diagnosed and fixed within 2 hours and she charges less than $50 an hour.
- Two computers in our library were unable to load the Microsoft SharePoint software in order to complete our file migration. City of Woodburn IT and CCRLS IT are communicating. We’re not sure when these computers will be replaced so that we can finish the migration process. Unfortunately, these multiple trips from our IT contractor cost us additional funds, so we’re making certain that both machines can handle the software before calling back Woodburn IT.
- We’re having the library’s windows cleaned, both exterior and interior in May. The library building and its sidewalks will also be pressure-washed in May. The Circulation manager’s laminate on her desk is chipped and coming off in several places, so her desk will be getting new drawer faces and laminate replacement from Oregon Corrections Enterprises before the end of this fiscal year. In June, Amanda Sommers will come back to stain and varnish the new doors and to put a coat of UV protectant on the windows to help muffle sound. We’re also trying to schedule Pace Loren’s to add a vent into the new study room before the end of the fiscal year. lights for parking lot; carpet cleaning;
- The director used 1 hour of vacation leave in March. The director will be on vacation from April 28, returning May 14th or 15th. While she is out Stacy is in charge. Stacy will be gone May 6, and so based on seniority, Spring will be in charge.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 8:13 p.m.
(Motion by: Ingrid Donnerstag. Second by: Megan).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
__________________________________________
The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in the library program room.
Approved: _________________________(date)
_______________________________________
Dmitry White
Chair, Library Board of Directors
Silver Falls Library District
