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PCPL outreach boxes considered Wednesday
As part of efforts to expand its outreach, the Putnam County Public Library is looking to set up micro-branches for patrons outside of the Greencastle area.
Relating how library staff members have been working on this for the last several months, Library Director Matt McClelland presented the Library Board Wednesday evening with quotes for installation of new lockers that would have bookshelves and return boxes.
The two quotes were from local contractor Jim Tincher, whom McClelland said came on a recommendation from Black Lumber Company, and Q&A Construction out of Plainfield. McClelland provided that he had discussed the project extensively with both providers.
Tincher’s quote was for $5,640 for four units, and McClelland added that he would be insured though it was not stipulated. Q&A’s quote was for $9,200 for four units, with its proposal being all-inclusive including insurance as well as delivery.
McClelland said the lockers would be semi-portable four-by-six-foot structures, and that it could take four people to move one. This being acknowledged, he said locations would lean toward high-traffic areas, with security cameras also to be considered in the future.
“We brought up about if we’re going to move these in the future, we want to have the base be more rigid,” McClelland said. “But I think both would work on that, the main difference being delivery.”
McClelland said he would reach out to Creekside Structures in the Bainbridge area for a lift and trailer for Tincher’s quote, though this would be an additional cost.
Saying he could get more information about the lockers’ portability and delivery, McClelland assured that he was confident about going with either quote. As such, the board voted to give McClelland the authority to award the project between them.
“I think this is a great next step to that goal of getting out in the greater county more, so I’m glad to see the board’s support,” Board President Kayla Flegal commented after the motion was passed.
In other business:
• The board voted to retain Flegal, Alan Zerkel and Shannon Green as its president, vice president and secretary, respectively, for the next year. They were nominated with their consent by a committee made up of Zerkel, Green and board member Barbara Boese.
• McClelland said that he and Asst. Director Jane Hazelton had been working on the library’s budget for 2023. He provided that the goal was to “try and get a leg up” on how health care costs, state funding and inflation could factor. Nonetheless, they have come up with projections similar to PCPL’s 2022 budget.
“With inflation running eight percent, we’re still going to be very cautious with our spending,” McClelland said, setting the board’s August and September meetings as when the budget is to be considered and approved. It would as such be submitted to the state a month earlier than usual.
Meanwhile, McClelland said the board’s finance committee will meet as the library’s growth quotient is tentatively determined by July 1.
• The board passed a resolution to hire Mason Burress as a part-time assistant in Adult Reference.
• The board approved to set aside a day to close the library and train staff on basic CPR and AEDs. While the trainer conducting the training can be flexible, McClelland said the preferable day is Columbus Day. He noted that this was to get back to having one day of training a year.
With only Tiffany Shields absent, board members Zerkel, Green, Kristin McClellan and Jamie Nees joined McClelland, Hazelton, Flegal and Boese for the meeting.
The next regular meeting of the Library Board is set for Wednesday, July 27 at 6 p.m. in the Kiwanis Room at the library.