Here’s what the Great Bend Public Library Board of Directors discussed on Monday, Jan. 15:
• Accepted the January financial report.
• Reviewed the monthly circulation report. Activity was down 15 percent compared to December, 2016, but year to date the library has seen a gain of 5.54 percent usage over adult, young adult, juvenile and other combined.
• Heard a report from the library director detailing goals to update policy in coming months.
• Approved Director’s request to approach interim Great Bend City Administrator and newly appointed council for purpose of establishing new relationship between the city and the library.
* Discussed proposed updates to library security.
• Discussed need for new email server for library personnel.
• Board members requested Santy look into options for handrails leading up to the main entrance of the library.
• Reviewed updates to library by-laws. Board members opted not to approve, asking Santy to get input from library personnel. The item will be discussed further at the February meeting.
• The GBPL Board of Trustees will meet next on Monday, Feb. 13.
BY VERONICA COONS
vcoons@gbtribune.com
Gail Santy, the Great Bend Public Library’s new director, has been busy since she officially stepped into her position on Jan. 2. The library’s Board of Trustees sat up and took notice as she reported on a long list of work in progress and goals for the following two months. Top of the list includes a visit to Great Bend’s City Hall to forge a new relationship between the library and the interim City Administrator George Kolb and newly installed City Council. This was met with encouragement by board members who noted that the city has exhibited a history of support for the library as a whole.
In the coming weeks, Santy will be reviewing and wordsmithing new policy to bring the library up to date. Areas in need of scrutiny run the gamut of clarifying the library’s tuition assistance program for employees seeking library science degrees to termination of check-out privileges to those who return items infested with bedbugs.
As she progresses on policy updates, Santy said she will spend more time initially working for the library, but considers it time well spent which the Central Kansas Library System will benefit from in the end.
“All modern libraries need updated policies,” she said. “I feel very comfortable spending this time, as I’m creating policies, which, once approved, we can share with 53 other System libraries.”
Security will also be a main focus going forward, Santy assured board members. Lighting in the library parking lot is being addressed, as well as a host of other security measures with patrons and employees in mind.
After the meeting adjourned, Santy offered to take board members on a brief tour of the storage area in the basement of the library to review work in progress to organize the space for better utilization. This was for informational purposes only. Board members Rose Kelly, Pat Cale, Caren Schnitker and Marla Davidson remained for the tour.
