Saint Mary's County Library board approves routine finance and policy items, expands kids' checkout and schedules 2020 meetings

The Library Board of Trustees for Saint Mary's County approved a series of routine governance and budget items at its October meeting and heard progress reports on digital collections, strategic planning and the new Leonardtown library building.

The board voted to approve the September minutes and to accept the monthly EALs (expenses) and the treasurer’s report. Trustees also approved the board’s recommended spending plan for 2020 from two Vanguard investment accounts that support board-funded programs and interns. The board amended and approved separate programming and materials policies (removing an introductory paragraph and placing a reference to American Library Association guidance as a footnote) and approved expanding children’s library cards to allow up to five items of print, audiobooks and multimedia kits at one time. The board set its January and February 2020 meeting dates for Jan. 13 and Feb. 10.

The meeting opened with awards and staff recognitions before moving to governance business. Michael Blackwell, director of Saint Mary’s County Library, provided the director’s report and delivered several operational updates, including the status of digital resources and the new Leonardtown facility. “Our new library is progressing. The outside is almost completely finished now,” Blackwell said, adding that drywall is up in the library portion and that furniture selections are complete.

Why it matters: the votes set the board’s near‑term spending priorities and library operating rules, and the board discussed trends and tradeoffs in digital collections that affect patron access and budget management.

Most important actions and votes - Minutes: Trustees approved the September minutes (motion moved by Beth Roth; seconded by Jim Hanley; motion carried). - EALs (monthly expenses): Trustees voted to accept the EALs (motion moved by Sandy Hellenstein; seconded by Jim Hanley; motion carried). - Treasurer’s report: Trustees approved the treasurer’s report showing a PNC checking balance of $710 and Vanguard account details (motion moved by Beth Roth; seconded by Jim Hanley; motion carried). - 2020 board-funded spending: Trustees approved the spending column presented as the “right-hand” option for 2020 (board development ~$200; children’s programs ~$2,750; Rudolph intern ~$2,000) and directed the spending from the endowed accounts (motion moved by Beth Roth; seconded; motion carried). - Policies: Trustees approved separate programming and materials policies with the amendment to remove the first paragraph and add a footnote referencing ALA guidance (motion to amend moved by Janice Waldbauer; seconded by Beth Roth; motion carried). - Children’s cards: Trustees approved revising the children’s card limits to allow up to five items including print, audiobooks and multimedia kits (motion moved by Janice Waldbauer; seconded by Sandy Hellenstein; motion carried). - 2020 meeting calendar: Trustees approved meeting dates of Jan. 13 and Feb. 10 (motion moved by Jim Hanley; seconded by Beth Roth; motion carried).

Financial and clarifying details - Checking and investment snapshot (as presented): PNC checking opening/current balance: $710. Vanguard “original” account opening 9/1 value: $79,296.50; withdrawal on Sept. 18 of $3,989.82 (breakdown: $2,680 for summer children’s program reimbursement; $1,309.82 for summer intern reimbursement); value as of Oct. 16: $75,547.60. Dividend paid Sept. 30: $170.24. - Rudolph account opening 9/1: $18,565.43; withdrawal Sept. 18: $516.79 (summer intern reimbursement); Oct. 16 value: $18,104.43; dividend Sept. 30: $38.74. - Proposed 2020 allocations approved by the board (the “right‑hand column”): board development $200; children’s programs $2,750; Rudolph intern $2,000. The board noted a standing target to retain approximately $55,000 as corpus in the primary Vanguard account.

Digital content and Tri‑county issues Blackwell and trustees discussed regional (Tri‑County) decisions about shared digital resources. The board heard that RBdigital expansion of magazine access was under consideration with possible availability in January, and that the transition of Lynda.com to LinkedIn Learning remains on hold; trustees expressed concern about any requirement that patrons create LinkedIn accounts to use instructional content. The board discussed Hoopla usage and costs: the regional budget (Smurla/Tri‑County) recently added $10,000 to Hoopla funding but trustees said that, because some Hoopla titles carry per‑use charges (sometimes about $3–$4), usage by a subset of heavy users can drive high costs. Blackwell said trustees and staff are evaluating whether to restore access to more titles and how to allocate Tri‑County funds.

Policy debate and legal/context notes Trustees discussed the materials and programming policies at length. Jim Hanley, vice president of the board, objected to the opening paragraph as drafted, saying, “I don't like that first paragraph. I don't see its purpose or value,” and trustees agreed to remove the paragraph and add a footnote pointing to American Library Association statements (ALA Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read/View) as guidance rather than embedding ALA text directly into local policy.

Facilities and operations Blackwell reported the Leonardtown relocation remains on schedule: exterior work nearly complete, interior drywall progressing, furniture selected and delivery planning under way. The board noted they expect to remain in the current Leonardtown location through January and discussed move logistics and additional computer purchases (approximately 30 more computers will be needed for the new site). Blackwell said the capital campaign letter is returning donations and the library expects to have funding to cover outstanding needs.

Community programs and events Blackwell outlined upcoming programs tied to Read Across Maryland month (financial literacy events, Paws to Read on Oct. 26, teen cybersecurity capture‑the‑flag on Nov. 9) and previewed a November 4 appearance by the One Maryland One Book author at College of Southern Maryland in La Plata. The board also noted a soil‑collection ceremony on Nov. 1 connected to Equal Justice Initiative commemoration work.

What the board did not decide Trustees discussed strategic planning with the regional consultant and Smurla/Tri‑County partners; the full strategic plan remains under review and will be presented to the board for final approval before public release. No new long‑term borrowing, changes to library service levels, or new contract awards were approved at this meeting.

Meeting close The meeting was adjourned after public reminders, announcements and a thank‑you from the director.