The next regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Downtown Library.
Minutes from the January 22, 2026 Board meeting:
Meeting of the Board of Trustees
January 22, 2026, 6:00 p.m., East Hills Library
M I N U T E S
The Board of Trustees of the St. Joseph Public Library met on January 22, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at East Hills Library. Trustees in attendance were Rosetta Ballew-Jennings, Kathie Brunner, Bobbie Cronk, Kate Davison, Heidi DeSchepper (via Zoom), Harriet Gordon (via Zoom), Kyla Ward, and LaTonya Williams (via Zoom). Jonht Slayden was absent. Library staff attending were Mary Beth Revels, Crystal Stuck, and Katie Green.
Kyla Ward called the meeting to order, attendance was taken, and Mary Beth Revels introduced staff in attendance.
Upon review of the December 18, 2025 meeting minutes, Kathie Brunner moved and Rosetta Ballew-Jennings seconded that the December 18, 2025 minutes be approved as written. All Trustees in attendance voted “yes”. Motion carried.
Under the Report of the Treasurer, Kyla Ward moved and Kate Davison seconded to approve checks #35900 through #35962, December electronic withdrawals, direct deposits, and journal entries. Seven Trustees in attendance voted “yes,” one voted “no,” and the motion carried.
Bobbie Cronk presented the December Financial Reports. Mary Beth Revels met with accountant Tim Gawatz to review the reports. Audit adjustments were provided to the accountants, and those adjustments are reflected in the December reports. Kyla Ward moved and Rosetta Ballew-Jennings seconded to accept pages 11-34 of the financial report as presented. All Trustees in attendance voted “yes,” and the motion carried.
There were no Committee Reports.
Under Old Business, Mary Beth Revels presented the Library Projects Overview.
Under the Purchasing Policy Update Mary Beth reported that she, Kathie Brunner, and Bobbie Cronk met prior to the meeting, and they will need to meet again to discuss the latest draft. The hope is to get the policy to the auditor and attorney before the next Board meeting so that it can be presented for approval at the February meeting.
There was no other Old Business.
In New Business, Mary Beth Revels presented suggested changes to the existing Weather or Emergency Closure of Library Branches Policy (Emergency – 406). The Board suggested additional changes to the language. Kate Davison moved and Bobbie Cronk seconded to accept the update to the Weather or Emergency Closure of Library Branches Policy, as discussed. All Trustees in attendance voted “yes”. Motion carried.
Next, Crystal Stuck, East Hills Library Branch Manager, updated the Board on recent and upcoming changes to the floor plan in the library. Crystal and her team are undergoing a project to reconfigure the considerable shelving and spaces in the library. The changes will make navigating the collection more accessible and the space more user-friendly and functional. East Hills has also recently added a promotional display wall near the front desk to keep patrons informed and excited about upcoming programs. The library has seen higher patron numbers recently and the variety of reasons were discussed.
There was no other New Business.
Under the Report of the Director, Mary Beth Revels highlighted the kickoff of the Winter Reading Challenge, December’s Spirit Week for staff, and Noon Year’s Eve and the Land of Oz Escape Room at the East Hills Library. Mary Beth also mentioned that meal kits were given away at the December Lotería program at the Downtown Library. The system-wide increase of cardholders was discussed, with SJPL’s Hoopla availability, the influence of BookTok, and the interest in the Romantasy genre being credited for higher library use.
There was no Board discussion or public comment.
The next meeting will be February 26, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., at Washington Park Library.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by consensus.
Harriet Gordon
Secretary