Library director reports on programs, new vendors and staffing

Janine, the library director (identified in the meeting as leading the directors report), updated the board on programming, vendor changes and staffing.

Janine described a speakers consortium that brings national authors to the library online for live or on-demand viewing; early participation figures were modest (12, 9 and 9 for three recent talks). She also reported new daily story times at 10:30 a.m. and a monthly bilingual story time featuring "Miss Crystal," who will lead the last Friday bilingual session each month in Spanish and English. "She did a fabulous job," the director said of the bilingual presenter.

The director said the library is partnering with the Relay Police Department for a children's fingerprinting program intended to teach how fingerprinting works and allow children to practice fingerprinting each other.

On collection development, Janine said Baker & Taylor has gone out of business and the library has transitioned to Ingram as its primary vendor, with Macan added as a supplemental children's vendor. "So we switched over to Ingram, which is the other, like, largest book vendor in the country," she said, and added the library found a smaller seller (Macan) to supplement children's materials.

Staffing remarks noted the new children's librarian Jordan joined in November, completed training and started hosting story time in January; board members described Jordan as "warm and friendly" and said she is settling in well.

Janine said she will follow up about possible Microsoft Office certification offerings and whether the library can provide materials or proctoring; the library currently offers tech-help appointments and will investigate options discussed by nearby county libraries.