[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6316180,"mediaKeyId","2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8","parentId",2377383,"title","Board approves annual report; finance update notes donations and CD interest","audioSeconds",26,"startMs",3082000,"endMs",3108000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8&start=3082&end=3108","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8/thumbnail_3082000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6316180/West-Bend-City/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Board-approves-annual-report-finance-update-notes-donations-and-CD-interest","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316180-3f78dbc0a2d1d4f3839de091078b4c6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774877621&Signature=oqn3xFhdtDXHlVOryC5WByeuzcQq32coK06cng69pmNAI04SObznCqi7M2UYiPzQ3PnJS41RfOvA9aAFXGKF1VyM3rNvA5UE1lwMqexVo~fDy5c~0Y5OJwTHvp7H5Hs5eJPZR7jlBBpw4SzFBzzU8CMRn3I2SHxhVcp60kREQfYMDo~IfTrksPTpI30mergogpAWYTxJiBYZky7LYkWXrxcD1tlnmTz3ipl7cfZ9o0GLrHkdk43efj9Gu9BuD4~VrqYdFjH06HB0guMFgfZMaUSw10k6q17i~p9MeUO6ZbfrzmgltaHaOp1-IIAem5UiIGwBmL~SvR91ffhoyiYilQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of West Bend, WI","date","2025-02-19T00:48:54Z","article","The West Bend Community Library Board voted Feb. 18 to approve the library’s annual report and heard a financial update from board members and staff.

The board approved the annual report by voice vote after a motion and second; the meeting minutes do not record a roll-call tally. The approval followed a brief review in which board members confirmed program counts, materials spending and routine items on the report.

On finances, Joseph reported a certificate of deposit balance updated to $47,178.48 as of Jan. 31, 2025 and said the board had locked in a roughly 3 percent interest rate for a 13-month term; he said the balance will appear in the next month’s financial packet. Joseph also reported recent transactions including a friends group donation designated for audiovisual updates, a payment to Advanced Communication Services for TVs, a donation for programming interest income of 15 cents, and a payment to Glenn Gerard Muser Magic Productions for a magic show.

Board members discussed donor restrictions and interest. One board member noted that specific donations and interest earnings are technically scheduled for designated purposes (for example, “emphasis on materials” or “emphasis on travel and geography”) and suggested that when the CD matures the interest should be spent in line with donors’ stated objectives. Another board member said money earmarked for an eventual endowment might be reinvested.

The board also reviewed that the friends group has been fundraising for AV equipment and benches; staff said the friends’ gift covered multiple years of fundraising and that the friends plan additional fundraisers. The board discussed possible uses for large carryover funds and signaled intent to prioritize spending on items such as carpeting repairs in the teen area and other facilities needs before state-level thresholds are approached.

Motion and vote records in the meeting transcript
- Consent agenda (minutes of Jan. 21 meeting and January 2025 expenditures): motion by Joseph; second by another board member; voice vote recorded as “Aye” and chair stated “Motion carries.” Exact vote counts were not specified in the transcript.
- Annual report: motion to approve by a board member; seconded; voice vote recorded and chair stated “Motion carries.” Exact vote counts were not specified.

Board members asked staff to continue providing clear financial reports and to coordinate with the city/system administrator on timing and documentation for financial materials ahead of board meetings. The board adjourned after routine business.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Library Board - February 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The West Bend Community Library Board approved its annual report and heard a financial update covering CD interest, a friends group donation for AV equipment and other expenditures; the board discussed honoring donor restrictions on interest spending and an upcoming endowment fund.","taxTitle","West Bend City, Washington County, Wisconsin","taxId",5138,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6316184,"Board hears concerns about Vega and LEAP software upgrades from Monarch system",728,1704000,2432000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8&start=1704&end=2432","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8/thumbnail_1704000.jpg","/articles/6316184/West-Bend-City/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Board-hears-concerns-about-Vega-and-LEAP-software-upgrades-from-Monarch-system","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316184-684c1a77fc535e9fb12f5eb6c63027af/orig.mp4?Expires=1774877621&Signature=mNJ2kbKW0HLQFpkNDMDUl6v9t2T~gDKNmgpUjMAPlEN5sqwa-6ZUFz-9634IaJO-ZDy8R1s4JsaksI0889AOSPJw189Qp7c75BuAAPyt~~PvpQS1I9xJdYafkQF3KZqf~sjPw41kTmwSh2A5vIn0Y8UCRgguIuaYrrroHiyZXkw65NGViOFxDyNVTtFFzPo2h47yCbuPumghDv3pehhj3tYwuuJhPcDqhocHyIzFPtvY5Hr9-bwqhDfmD2iY1EdjDLMcfKAjnmMQi2e-zzrymoQ2Moo~TQm~X4VsiKNJMURuo1vVu9galRHnbhMvL~2VShIyxyEk0-Dr6K1R0U~2rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Library staff updated the West Bend Community Library Board on Feb. 18 about two software products Monarch has proposed — Vega and LEAP — and raised concerns about functionality, costs and rollout timing.

Library Director Steve told the board that Vega — a third-party layer intended to enhance catalog discovery, programming calendars and promotions on top of the Polaris integrated library system (ILS) — is “under development” and that the library has not yet been billed. He said, “The good news is we haven't paid for that product yet. We haven't gotten a bill for it,” and that the library’s initial share would be $1,500 to start.

Staff described Vega as an all-in-one package that bundles a discovery/catalog enhancement, a program/calendar module and a promote module; they said Monarch and the vendor have not yet provided full documentation showing how those pieces will be broken out or when features will be finished. Steve told the board the catalog enhancements compress multiple records into a single display and provide other discoverability features, but staff found some program and promote features inferior to vendors the library already uses.

Board members and staff discussed LEAP, a web-based client option that can replace some circulation workstations. Staff reported potential savings through fewer installed Polaris clients but cautioned that LEAP’s web-first design may create limitations: offline capability, printing receipts and some reporting functions are different than the current client. Staff said LEAP still relies on an attached client for certain tasks and that Monarch is testing deployments at a system level.

Brandon, who spoke about technical testing, said he had successfully attached multiple machines to a single client in testing but warned that a fully web-based LEAP environment could be vulnerable if the library’s Internet connection fails. The board asked staff to obtain clearer documentation from Monarch and the vendors before committing to changes and to revisit the topic closer to system contract negotiations late in the year.

No formal vote occurred on software purchases or transitions; staff said further documentation and negotiation timelines will come from Monarch and that the library will report back to the board when additional details are available.","Library staff reported ongoing issues with Vega and LEAP products being introduced through the Monarch system, including that Vega is still under development, the library's $1,500 initial share, and potential operational impacts if LEAP replaces current circulation clients.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6316189,"Library communications liaison outlines social media strategy after viral video",757,493000,1250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8&start=493&end=1250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377383-c315e29df9be485e5d7c8e50032cb9a8/thumbnail_493000.jpg","/articles/6316189/West-Bend-City/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Library-communications-liaison-outlines-social-media-strategy-after-viral-video","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316189-b60ff409f19937bd50c4797966529c55/orig.mp4?Expires=1774877621&Signature=jCHQ~Q8QNL7-63zOcb5-9AZQb1iliJIUo5HA7ZarGiHkCVJsD10EzEeuTfa-03S~l3tcoQ0I~jwUflVAbee6FyUneSDchedDYoikE1Le0lxKW2KEMxLk83GlRp8E3tRZcPcdbfxKSFEDUSxBfxhJim0-3CoH5dHy6QnZzTpxYjcxy2U4x-C~TaLZOLFr3if-FPAbwabZ-cIQjkJcMvV8Dc6zq-vbPkR5tHLEoJvo0XIhaFwFx71SquFfldwGTnGdkx6a7WkcG5Hb4l~BXWYs3PgitfI5DqwHWFSZHa8zQReXbXin9VZ2MAemzoxIeFsMpPTp-32aVDj1-UujKhiG1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amber, the library communications liaison, told the West Bend Community Library Board on Feb. 18 that a change in social media approach has driven sharp audience growth and engagement.

The presentation focused on metrics and a new editorial approach: “community driven and reader focused,” Amber said, and recommended shifting emphasis from event-only posts to storytelling about the library, staff and community partners to sustain audience attention.

Amber said the library’s Instagram and Facebook accounts have grown markedly: at one point in her talk she reported 5,558 followers and roughly 2,500 engagements — which she described as about 45 percent of followers — and later told the board the pages had reached nearly 6,000 followers after a viral video that “has been viewed 1,100,000 times, almost 1,200,000 times” and brought about 500 new followers. She compared the library’s engagement to an industry average of about 5–10 percent.

Board members and staff responded positively. A board member asked Amber to share her slides by email; another suggested borrowing aspects of her approach for other nonprofit pages. Library Director Steve praised Amber’s work and encouraged more behind-the-scenes and patron-focused content.

Amber described specific tactics the library will emphasize in 2025: pinned weekly-schedule posts for repeat reference, carousel photo posts and reels that highlight staff, patron interactions and partners; a short video series titled “Cindy in the City” to spotlight local nonprofits and businesses; volunteer and donor spotlights; and reused “best of” archival videos when appropriate. Amber said partnership posts can also help community partners fill volunteer or program needs and build reciprocal reach.

She also flagged content types that perform well for this library — short staff features, POV-style clips (for example, a library cart “ride-along”), and light, story-driven reels rather than pure event promotion. Amber pointed to Milwaukee Public Library as an example of an institution that combines awareness and service information effectively.

The board did not take any formal action on the presentation; members asked Amber to return slides to the board and to continue reporting results at future meetings.","Amber, the library's communications liaison, told the West Bend Community Library Board that recent social media work dramatically increased engagement and outlined a 2025 plan to emphasize storytelling, partnerships and staff/patron features.","actionData","errors"]

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Board approves annual report; finance update notes donations and CD interest

Board hears concerns about Vega and LEAP software upgrades from Monarch system

Library communications liaison outlines social media strategy after viral video