The regular meeting of the East Alton Public Library District Board of Trustees was called to order at 7:03 p.m., by President, Sally Hierman at the library. Those in attendance were Van Long, Eileen Long, Charlotte Wiegand, Jerome Podesva, and Beverly Werts. Larry Thatcher did not attend. Also present was the Director, Richard Chartrand. 6 present, 1 absent. Quorum established.                                                                                        

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             Motion: E. Long               Second: Podesva                            Approve the minutes of the December 19, 2013 board meeting.          Roll call vote: E. Long, aye; Podesva, aye; V. Long, aye, Werts, aye; Wiegand, aye; Hierman, aye. 6 ayes, no nays, 1 absent. Motion carried. 

                        ‘Thank you’ card to board from the Rigsbey
                         family; ‘thank you’ card to the board from the
                         staff for the Christmas party and gifts; tech
                         sheet from a library website showing increase of
                         technology usage in public libraries.   

            Motion: Werts          Second: Wiegand                                 Approve wage and expenditures as presented for January 2014.                                                                                          Roll call vote: Werts, aye; Wiegand, aye; V. Long, aye; Hierman, aye; E. Long, aye; Podesva, aye. 6 ayes, no nays, 1 absent. Motion carried.                                 

1.      The library was closed on January 6^th due to the snowpocalypse.    

2.      The audit is finished. Ron may or may not be at the January meeting.               

3.      The Charter installation was completed on January 8^th. Tanna moved the staff computer network to Charter. She did a great job. Hopefully no more stalled and locking computers.              

4.      Special thanks to Andy for constant shoveling and mopping ad nauseum.                      

5.      The snowmen display is courtesy of Sally.                 

6.      As of this writing I have not heard from the state’s attorney.             

7.      In late January we are supposed to upgrade to the next version of the library automation software.                

8.      I will be in Iowa from January 18-20, 2014.                 

9.      On January 10^th, in the pouring rain, Andy climbed on the roof and chopped out an ice dam that was preventing the roof from draining.           

10.  We were given a large donation of DVDs, totaling over 100. They
are now in the workflow process.

11.  I would like to thank the entire staff for their efforts in getting to
work during this inclement weather.

12.  Youth Services: We had a wonderful movie night event. There
were 15 in attendance, and the family movie classic “Christmas
with the Chipmunks” was shown. This DVD had four classic
holiday episodes starring your favorite Chipmunks! Holiday
cookies, goodies, and treats were served. Each child also
received a small stuffed animal (Rudolph) in addition to a
holiday pencil and a traditional candy cane. It was just plain
fun. Next month I will be showing “Despicable Me 2”. The
first movie was very popular.
Story time themes for December were Christmas and holiday
traditions, Santa Claus, and reindeers. Miscellaneous craft
activities were writing their own personal letters to Santa,
designing reindeer ornaments, and making Christmas magnets.
There were a lot of different Christmas books to read ranging
from the traditional to the highly imaginable. However, writing
a letter to Santa was the most enjoyable activity. We even
‘mailed’ their letters in our mailbox. They shared their
excitement with me when letters from Santa were received!
I returned (to their parents) their original letters for them to
save and enjoy. I submitted copies, etc. for your inspection and
enjoyment at your last board meeting. One father, in particular,
was touched that his young daughters ‘received’ letters from
Santa. He actually wept. He had been going through a difficult
time being separated from the children’s mother. This might
have made him a little more emotional, but he shared with me
that his daughters loved coming to the library. Then our group
enjoyed a Christmas party. Each family brought treats to share.
Also, each child received a “Rudolph” stuffed animal, pencil,
and candy cane just like my movie attendees. Lots of holiday
cheer!
SWAYS this month was held at the Tri-Township Library in
Troy. It was also the traditional Christmas potluck. Book
discussions were on several fantasy fictions for the young adult
and juvenile. Next meeting will be at the Edwardsville Public
Library. Also, the performer’s showcase will be held again at
the Fairview Heights Public Library in January. Now is the
time for planning the 2014 summer reading program and
scheduling entertainers.          
Submitted by: Maury Reynolds

              
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