2023 08 11 - Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Meeting Information

Date: August 11, 2023
Location: Tofield Public Library

Attendees: Jen Anheliger (Chair), Larry Tiedemann (Treasurer), Barbara Smith, Maxine Fodness, Kelly Chamzuk, Vicky Lefebvre, Leslie Cusack, Matthew McLennan

Guests: Jodi Dahlgren (LMC Chair), Sydney Baxter (Manager Tofield Public Library); Indigenous Advisory Circle Members: Mary Jane Quinney (Frog Lake), Katie Blair (Beaver Lake).

Regrets: Dwayne Spicer (Vice-Chair), Josh Crick

Staff: James MacDonald

Land Acknowledgment - Tofield Municipal Library

We acknowledge that our library is located on Treaty 6 Territory. We express our gratitude to the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples that protected these lands and their stories for generations. We honor them by sharing their stories.

1. Approval of the Agenda

M1: Leslie Cusack moved to approve the agenda as presented.
Carried.

2. Approval of previous minutes of June 9th.

M2: Barb Smith moved to approve the minutes of June 9th, 2023.
Carried.

3. Reports 

3.1 Executive Director's Report

M3: Larry Tiedemann moved to waive the 2023 membership levy for the municipality of Legal should they join the Northern Lights Library system at any time in 2023.
Carried.

M4: Kelly Chamzuk moved to accept the Executive Directors report as information.
Carried.

3.2 Financial Report: Budget Vs. Actuals

Briefing note: Budget lines over by 10%. (Computer Server Infrastructure 6114 & Computer Software 6121) This is the result of last year's late decision to adopt Deepfreeze and is an anticipated overage. The OROS expenditures are also over by 10% and anticipated as we draw down the reserve in that area.

6616 shows a negative budget line. This is an adjustment by the auditor from 2020. We understand that a membership fee was inadvertently charged twice that year.

Library levies are nearly all paid. 

M5: Maxine Fodness moved to accept the financial report as presented.
Carried.

4. Indigenous Advisory Circle

Briefing Notes: Introductions of those in attendance. Discussion of the role of the IAC. Q&A regarding funding and establishment of library services in Indigenous communities.

Elizabeth Métis Settlement hired two people with the funds we provided through the OROS grant. The province met with them on July 31^st regarding the establishment of a library board. They may have a board in place this fall. We are working with Bell to get quotes for the province on establishing a Supernet connection at the seniors centre where they plan to house the library. Things are moving quickly here.

Cold Lake Public Library requests funding for board books to be distributed at pop-up services in Elizabeth Settlement and Cold Lake First Nation.

We have been investigating a new website for residents of reserves and settlements. The concept is to produce a simple and clean method to identify nearby library services and enhance the online registration process with participating libraries. We would launch this site in conjunction with radio advertising. Seeking feedback from the Indigenous Advisory Circle. 

Our Stronger Together conference is coming up in November. We want to send any IAC members interested in attending. This could be a cost borne by our OROS budget. Jessie Morris has provided a proposal that includes potential costs. 

M6: Barb Smith moved to approve the Cold Lake Public Library's request to fund their board books project.
Carried.

M7: Kelly Chamzuck moved that we accept Jessie Morris' proposal of offering to send members of the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the coming Stronger Together Conference in November at a cost not to exceed $5,600.
Carried.

5. Happiness Project

Briefing Note: The Happiness Project (also called the Happiness Programme in the UK) is a first-of-its-kind activities service that blends interactive, sensory light technology with a structured and guided programme of training and support. The activities are based around a growing collection of interactive light games, proven effective for people with cognitive challenges, from painting pictures and brushing leaves to popping bubbles and playing tennis. The result is the UK’s best magic table projector, providing the very best sensory activities available and a great piece of tech for all ages and abilities to enjoy together.

The device is available through The Alberta Library. Pricing is yet to be determined. Danielle Nauss is here to demo the product. 

Library Tour and Lunch 12 - 12:45

6. Public Computers and Microsoft Offices Licenses

Briefing Note: As we've rolled out Deepfreeze on all the public computers in the system, we've been upgrading everyone to Office 2019. We were under the impression that we had more than enough licenses to accommodate everyone. Our Microsoft Admin Centre registers 575. We've learned that this number is our MAK activations, which is the number of activations we're licensed to, not the actual number of licenses we're permitted to activate simultaneously.  We actually only have 50 Office 2019 licenses, all bought in 2018. We need about 225 licenses.

We do not have easily retrievable records indicating which libraries purchased 2019 licenses and which did not. The latest Office software is the 2021 version.

The system purchased 2013 Office licenses for everyone and then discontinued that practice. My understanding is that we got an exceptional deal on that software.

M8: Matthew McLennan moved to approve the purchase of 2021 Office licenses for all public library computers in the system at an estimated cost of $35,000.

7. Draft Budget

Briefing Note: This is a first look at the budget for 2024 and the presentation that will be made to the Board on August 25th. Link to presentation | Link to draft budget

M9: Larry Tiedemann moved that the draft budget be presented to the Board.
Carried.

8. Stronger Together Conference

Briefing Note: In the past, we have sent members of the Executive to the Alberta Library Conference. We budget for Board professional development each year. The Executive should consider sending a couple of Executive members to the conference.  

A: Executive Director to reach out to the Executive to identify 2 members willing to attend the Stronger Together.

9. In-Camera – Personnel – standing performance evaluation discussion.

M10: Leslie Cusack moved to go in Camera at 3:00 pm.

M11: Kelly Chamzuk moved to come out of Camera at 3:18 pm.

10. Next Meetings

General Board
Friday, August 25, 2023 (IN-PERSON) 10 am
Friday, November 24, 2023 (ONLINE) 10 am

Executive Committee
Friday, October 13, 2023, at 10:00 am - in Cold Lake (online option available)

Policy Committee
TBD.

The Executive discussed the December 8th meeting being held at Northern Lights Library System and the potential for a combined holiday party with the staff. 

11. Adjournment

M12: Barb Smith moved to adjourn at 3:19 pm.