Board accepts minutes, announces $5,500 Wonderbooks grant and staff changes; program attendance surges

The Duchesne County Library Board approved the November minutes, heard an announcements about a new grant, and reviewed monthly statistics and staffing changes during its Jan. 20 meeting at the Roosevelt branch.

Approval: The board moved to approve the November minutes; Jesse Walker moved, Jenny Adams seconded, and the chair called a voice vote. All present answered "Aye" and the motion carried.

Grant: Staff announced a $5,500 grant from the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation to support 'Wonderbooks' at the Duchesne Branch, and credited Laurie Ann Potter with managing the award. Staff explained Wonderbooks pair an audio playaway inside a physical book so the reader can listen while they read; the program has been especially popular with picture-book patrons and is expanding into junior fiction formats.

Programs and staffing: Staff reported large holiday programs: two graham-cracker/gingerbread events drew 225 participants at each location, including what was described as the highest-attended event in Duchesne in a decade (a 125% increase over the prior year). Staffing changes were also announced: cataloger Sammy Merrill accepted a head-cataloger position with the Colorado Public Library System and was replaced by Sarah Francis as associate librarian.

Circulation notes: The presenter said Blackstone digital checkouts showed about 90 circulations last month as that service rolls out to patrons. The board set its next meeting for Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. at Duchesne Library and adjourned at 5:02 p.m.