Minutes 07-26-23 Minutes of the Library Board Meeting
Held on Thursday, July 26, 2023, at 6:00 P.M.
At City Hall Commission Chambers
100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida
PRESENT:
George Feldman Craig Clerk, Library Director
Lindsay Karten Jeannie Taylor, Assistant Director
Margaret Newton Tiffany Pagan, Assistant to the Director
Marcia Levine
Ace Ratcliff (Arrived at 6:05 P.M.)
ABSENT:
Thomas Devlin
I. Call to Order— George Feldman, Board Chair
Chair Feldman called the meeting to order at 6:01 P.M.
Self-introductions were made. A quorum was present.
II. Approval of Minutes — June 28, 2023
Motion
Ms. Karten moved to approve the minutes. Ms. Levine seconded the motion. The motion
passed unanimously.
III. Correspondence and Communications
IV. Public Audience (Individual Speakers Will Be Limited to 3 Minute Presentations)
None.
V. Chair's Report — Board Chair
Chair Feldman spoke about ongoing activities on the second floor, noting that there are a
lot of classes taking place.
VI. Unfinished Business:
Staffing Update — Craig Clark
Meeting Minutes
Library Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 26, 2023
Mr. Clark announced that there are two Librarian vacancies, and that one of them, the new
Archivist, will start August 21St, and that staff will be interviewing for the Digital Librarian
position next week. He advised that when filled, the Library will be fully staffed.
Career Online High School Program Update — Jeannie Taylor
Jeannie Taylor, Assistant Library Director, stated that the program has two more
graduates and that they will announce one or both of them at the next City Commission
meeting. She said that, to-date, there are 18 total graduates.
(Mx. Ratcliff arrived.)
Library Advisory Board Report to City Commission — Discussion
Mr. Clark commented that he added a paragraph to Ms. Newton's portion of the Library
Report to talk about the ARPA Grant that paid for classes. He noted that 126 classes
were offered to the public, 369 patrons participated in them, and that there were 209 one-
on-one sessions hosted to-date.
Motion
Chair Feldman moved to accept the report. Mx. Ratcliff seconded the motion. Chair
Feldman announced the report was accepted.
Mr. Clark displayed the Recreation and Parks Board presentation that was given to the
City Commission, to provide the members with an idea of how their presentation would
be handled. He said that the Report is the back-up to the presentation, as Library staff
will create a PowerPoint Presentation to accompany the report, and that the presentation
will be viewed at the next Library Board Meeting. He said that if approved by the Board,
he will request that they make their presentation at the December City Commission
Meeting.
There was agreement Ms. Levine would make the presentation and if not, Chair Feldman
would. As a last resort, Mx. Ratcliff agreed to make the Presentation.
VII. New Business
2023-2024 Library Budget Request
Mr. Clark stated that Tiffany Pagan, Assistant to the Library Director, has handled the
budget for them and would review it with the Board. She said that she has worked at the
Library since she was a high school senior, 20 years ago. She reviewed the overall
budget-$2,584,135 and of that $2,178,749 is personnel, salaries and benefits. The
operating budget, which includes travel, utilities, office supplies, databases, is $295,386;
and cap expenses, which include the print books, DVDs, audio books and any physical
material at the Library) is $110K, which is the same as last year. She noted that
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Meeting Minutes
Library Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 26, 2023
periodicals, magazine and book subscriptions is $57,174. She mentioned it includes their
magazine subscription to WT Cox, which is a one stop shop. She said that staff picks
their subscriptions and they handle them through the individual publishers. She advised
that the budget decreased half a percent.
(Chair Feldman left the dais at 6:26 P.M. and returned to the dais at 6:27 P.M.)
Ms. Pagan commented that they apply for Library State Aid each year, but LSTA grants
were not available last year or this year. She pointed out that they are always looking for
grants, which was how they funded the Creative Edge Studio. She also thanked the
Friends of the Library, as they donate fund to youth programs, and their book leases,
which is when there is high demand for a new title, they can purchase multiple copies,
and keep 20% of what they order and return the rest, which allows the Library to keep up
with supply and demand. She said that the Friends of the Library donate about $34K,
which supports the Summer Reading Club, and helps pay for vendors, program supplies
and entertainers, and that it helps with prizes for the Adult Reading Club which is held
January through March. She mentioned that they could not have the children's programs
they do without them.
VIII. Library Director's Report/Statistics
June 2023 Monthly Reports
IX. Announcements
Next Library Board Meeting —August 30, 2023
Mr. Clark stated that usually they skip the August meeting, and they merge the November
and December meetings, due to the holidays, to the first Wednesday in December. There
was agreement to meet in August, but not in September, and combine the November and
December meetings, and meet the second Wednesday in December which is the 13tH
Mr. Clark stated that he will apprise the Board of the Report Presentation date.
X. Adjournment
Motion
There being no further business to discuss, Chair Feldman moved to adjourn. Mx. Ratcliff
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:32 P.M.
Catherine Cherry
Minutes Specialist
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Meeting Minutes
Library Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 26, 2023
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