PCPL finances stable at year’s end

As 2020 is now winding down, the Putnam County Public Library’s financial standing looks like it will stay in the black.

Mark Hammer of Hammer and Swigart gave a rundown of where PCPL currently stands money-wise during the Library Board of trustees’ regular meeting last Wednesday evening.

As such, Hammer said the library was in a “strong position” with its operating budget, which totaled approximately $247,000 as of a week ago. However, he cautioned about less funding eventually coming from local income tax.

Director Matt McClelland iterated that the library was trying to keep expenses down. He also provided that the majority of PCPL’s funding comes from property taxes, but was preparing for a “hard couple of years” with local income taxes.

Hammer said PCPL’s 2020 local income tax funding will not be finalized until next spring. Still, he projected that $356,000 would come from it.

In his regular report, McClelland said PCPL had seen an increased use of its obituary and reference databases. He added that according to internal statistics, many in the community have also been using the library’s inside and outside WiFi.

As to continuing to function during COVID-19, McClelland said there have been no interruptions in patron services. In the same vein, he provided that the library’s quarantine procedure, as well as protocols such as masks, had been working well.

However, he said employees could be cross-trained in different departments. This would be to ensure that they can keep running.

With how everything stands at the library, board Vice President Tona Gardner said it was exciting to see PCPL “think outside the box.” She credited McClelland and staff for trying to meet the community’s needs and make the library a “meaningful place.”

In other business:

• The board passed a resolution approving a pandemic/epidemic policy for the library to follow. McClelland said this was not specific to COVID-19, but that other area libraries have adopted them.

• The board passed a resolution adopting a background check policy for employees and volunteers. The new policy fulfills a requirement outlined in Senate Bill 410, which was passed by the state legislature in March.

• The board passed a resolution standardizing longevity and how vacation time is earned between full-time staff and support staff.

Board member Kristin McClellan was not in attendance.

The next regular meeting of the Library Board is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. Those interested should contact PCPL for virtual meeting information.