MINUTES
Citrus County Special Library District Advisory Board
August 25, 2016
Floral City Public Library
The regular meeting of the Citrus County Special Library District Advisory Board was held on
August 25, 2016 at the Floral City Public Library.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Citrus County Special Library Taxing District Advisory
Board is to be a liaison between the citizens of Citrus County and Library Administration; to be
an advocate for the Library System to elected officials at all levels, and to ensure quality library
services to the community.
CALL TO ORDER
 Meeting was called to order at 8:00 am.
ROLL CALL
 Board members present: Jean Becker, Jane Mazzacua, Gary Rasmussen, Edith Ramlow,
April McLaughlin, Margaret Horsman, Sandy Price, Karen Reaves
 Board members absent: Phyllis Peters
 Board Secretary: Sharon Smith
 Staff Liaison: Eric C. Head
DETERMINATION OF QUORUM
 Quorum present.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
 No Comments.
READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES
 Minutes of July 28, 2016 approved.
REPORT OF OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES
Event Planning Workgroup
 Sandy showed some items that were donated to be used for Door Prizes for LYLE.
 Had a really good kick-off meeting for LYLE. Sandy is very appreciative of Gary taking over
the sponsorships on the west side of Citrus County as it’s the first time in seven years we’ve
had anyone do it over there.
 Phyllis previous suggested using her dingy in the lobby and Marge Montana suggested that
it would be great if there could be a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder as well. We have
two people who have volunteered to do it, one of which is Karen Reave’s husband.
 Karen will be meeting with Rosie to finalize the menu. Beverages are set.
 Sandy passed out copies of the Silent Auction letters and Sponsor letters to be used.
Ben needs the donor information completed on the back of the Silent Auction letters and
Sandy personally signs thank you letters to the sponsors donations as well as high value
items that are donated for Silent Auction.
 Already have our Publisher headline sponsor. Eric received a verbal from Suncoast for
$2, 500. He is also working on Duke and Bright House Networks.
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LYLE is a Library Foundation Fund event. US Family Foundation (501c3) is the manger of
the fund. All monies go to the Library and stay in Citrus County. We do not share any
monies collected with any other charity or county entity. Please let anyone know this if they
have any concerns.
As agreed, Sharon will be preparing the letter going to the US Family Foundation requesting
the start-up money of $7,500 for LYLE. The Friends of Central Ridge will be managing those
funds for the event.
Eric is going to be working polishing the messaging for this year’s event. Last year’s
message general about needs at Coastal and Lakes Region. Now it needs to be a little
more specific about what we’re planning; how we’re going to do it; what kind of timeline and
what the target dollar figure is so people will have a better feel for the projects.
Sandy hopes everyone can make it to the event and some will work the event.
o April reminded everyone ask for wine to be donated for the event. It helps with finalizing
silent auction gift baskets etc.
There are already about 50 items in the closet for the Silent Auction.
REGULAR BUSINESS
Director’s Report
 Eric mentioned the article in the paper about Phyllis and her selection as a 2016 Woman of
Impact in Citrus County and would like to have a photo op with Phyllis and Sandy, who was
a Woman of Impact last year. This would make for a great story.
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Eric went over the 2nd quarter statement from the US Family Foundation, Library Foundation
Fund. The balance is at $186,927. It was under $50,000 before the Love Your Library
Events began so in seven years it’s almost quadrupled in size. It’s at the point that we can
start to put together a structured plan and hopefully start to seek grant funding to match it
and do the substantial renovation at Lakes and Coastal Region Libraries. We expect to be
going over $200,000 after February 2017.
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For those that didn’t get an opportunity to review the Preliminary Budget Detail which Eric
handed out at the last meeting, it passed at the July Budget Hearing. Two of the
Commissioners were very positive about the Libraries and complimented the staff.
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We are holding four positions open for a very specific reason. We know that the revenues
from the ad valorem tax are still not sufficient to cover all expenditures. In October, our last
payment to the County for the Homosassa Library will occur at $179,750 but the price of
everything else has gone up. It’s a matter of balancing and living within our means and
maintaining a sustainable budget. The Tax Collector noted in a recent article that growth is
never going to be what it was before because statutorily we’re limited to any increase in
taxation to property is capped at 3%.
o Margaret asked if it was the proper time to think about library fines to being implemented.
o Eric suggested it could be researched. Libraries our size typically brings in $20,000 $25,000 per year in fines but you have to weigh that against the time and expense to
collect it. Interestingly enough, we have had libraries contact us as to how we operate
without fines.
o April brought up the conscious fund and how people put money into it voluntarily and
Sandy asked how much money we make from it.
 We average about $7,000 - $8,000 a year.
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Sandy added that if you were to do fines and get $25,000 but then take out the expenses
involved, we are probably ahead doing it this way. She also suggested making the
conscious fund more visible to the patrons.
Eric asked the Board for a vote of endorsement of the Budget as presented.
o Karen Reaves motioned the Board endorse the Budget as presented.
o April McLaughlin seconded the motion.
o The motion to endorse the Budget as presented was approved unanimously.
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There are four Board members with terms that will be expiring at the first of the year. They
are Jean Becker, Margaret Horsman, Phyllis Peters and Jane Mazzacua who filled an
unexpired term. For those re-applying, please see Sharon for the application forms and she
will email your last applications to you for reference and will start the process for the
Announcement of the expiring terms with the BOCC.
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Debbie McElvey will be retiring. Her last day is Friday, September 23rd and we’ll be doing
something day to celebrate her time with us. Every material you see in our libraries, Debbie
has ordered, touched, or seen. She has been with us for over 24 years. We’ve been
working with someone to take over her duties these past few months and Eric will have more
information on that at the next meeting.
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Eric is still working on pulling together a joint Friends/LAB workshop and is also working on
finding some experts to come in and facilitate the meeting. This is a work in progress.
Public Relations
 Ben passed out a draft of the LAB photos to the Board.
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Ben passed out a press release about the bikes that the kids received from Walmart as
winner of the Summer Reading Program. We had about 538 programs total with around
11,000 people attending. Of that, there were 223 different classes and events for kids with
over 6,000 attending. We also had 700 attend the Tricky Dogs Finale show.
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Ben passed out promotional items, stickers, book marks, etc. September is Library Card
Sign-up Month. We’re working with the schools for the Kindergarten Round-up.
Applications are sent to all the schools, they fill them out then the Youth Librarians pick them
up and then deliver the library cards. We also work with Subway to give the kids a coupon
for a free Subway Kids meal.
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We started a new program for the teens – Get Fired up with Reading. The United Way has
donated five Kindle Fires to us for prizes (We provide space for their Reading Pals program
training). TerriAnne and some of the Youth Librarians came up with the idea to have to
teens read a book and then draw comic, write out a conversation, do a movie poster for their
book, etc., create something fun and to get them to think about the book in a different way.
Then they submit it and we’ll draw one from each branch to win the Kindle Fire at the end of
October. It’s not based on merit of the submission but rather participation.
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At the next meeting, Ben will be going over all the events for October thru December and will
give a rundown of some of the more important things the Board should be aware of.
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Jane Mazzacua commented that Ben is doing a great job and we thank you.
Branch Updates – Eric added this item to give the Branch Supervisors and Managers an
opportunity to let the Board know what’s going on in their individual branches. Each library is a
little different and each community is a little different. Eric introduced TerriAnne, Circulation
Supervisor for Floral City.
 TerriAnne shared an overview of life at this branch.
o Floral City has 3 staff members, herself, Katherine Santino who is our Customer Services
Specialist and Vicky Leon who is our part-time Library Aide. Vicky was actually a
volunteer at the Floral City Library during her high school years and we were delighted
when she became a member of the Citrus County Library team.
o The staff at Floral City wears many different hats as they don’t have an Instruction and
Research Librarian or a Youth Librarian. However, they do offer a full complement of
programs including pre-school stories, special youth programing, and a full summer
reading program for the elementary schoolers and teens, and also offer adult technology
mini-classes.
o Katherine Santino facilitates an Altered Book series and each month features new ways
to alter recycled books into a work of art.
o Vicky Leon has jumped on the Pokémon Go bandwagon and facilitated more releases
and also created a Pokémon Badge activity where youngsters complete a task to receive
a sticker badge. Many of the tasks are reading and library related so we’ve combined the
passion for Pokémon with our passion for reading.
o Being located in the town center, Floral City has a unique opportunity to be actively
involved with the community’s events and traditions. They stay open late for the Floral
City Night of Lights in November during which the Friends host a book sale and the
Library offers games and a craft activity.
o Staff dresses in period costume and offer holiday decoration workshops during the
Heritage Days in December.
o Floral City Library is an active member of the Annual Flag Day Celebration which is held
in the Linear Park.
o The Heritage Council Carolers entertain during the ever popular Stories with Santa. The
popularity is due to the fact that their Santa and Mrs. Claus, aka Frank and Phyllis Peters,
are superb.
o Biking on the Withlacoochee Trail is a big draw to this community and the library staff
serves as ambassadors and guides offering a welcome respite to cyclists who are
constantly coming in to find out what’s in the area.
o In May, the staff Professional Development Day will be held at the Floral City branch.
We’ll be utilizing the Community Building and the Heritage Museum as well for that event.
o The Floral City Friends are a very active group. Every year staff dreams up a décor
design based on the summer reading theme and the Friends bring it to life.
o Recently, the Friends were awarded a $500 grant from Capital City Bank. This will be
utilized for S.T.E.A.M. materials. Staff will be creating on-demand program boxes filled
with S.T.E.A.M. activities which are a new concept they are anxious to try. Some can be
self-directed and others staff directed and the box can be pulled out when needed. They
can be switched out so there could be something different each month.
o Floral City hosts the Carol Cave Collection for Literacy. Carol was an active member of
the Friends of the Library and a member of the Library Advisory Board. When she
passed away her family asked that donations be made in her memory to the Floral City
Friends who then created the Carol Cave Collection for Literacy. People still donate to it
and every year we’ve been able to purchase additional materials for that collection.
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o Space can be a challenge so to stimulate interest in book displays staff has started
creating specialized book marks that will hang on the end of the book so when people are
walking so that when people are walking through the shelves, they can see books that
the library is trying to promote that month.
o Each month in the Youth Room, staff creates an interactive bulletin board that the
youngsters participate in. This month is back to school and students can either color a
lunch box or they can use the clues to create a choice of a healthy lunch in a lunch box
and after they create them, they come up to the front desk and they are posted on the
bulletin board.
o The art teacher from the Floral City Elementary School works with us and brings the
students work here to be put on display. The kids and their families get a big kick about
walking in and seeing their work on display. The teacher said that they take more pride
in their work now that there is a chance that it will be on display for everyone in the
library.
o The Learn, Connect and Play Gaming Night have become a huge hit with the tween and
teen boys and their families.
o Upcoming Fall Programs
 Half Day Happenings which the youth program scheduled when there is a half day of
school.
 Post-It Notes Art for adults where they’ll learn to create pixel art with post-it notes.
 Pumpkin Fun during the Floral City Harvest Fest.
 Adult Games for the Brain on Train Your Brain Day.
 Tampa Bay Shipwrecks or the Civil War by the Florida Public Archeological Network
as well as a variety of other events that Ben has talked about next month.
Eric thanked TerriAnne and the staff for doing an awesome job.
OLD BUSINESS
 None
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NEW BUSINESS
 None
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
 None
NEXT MEETING
 It was announced that the next regular meeting of the Library Advisory Board will begin at
8:00 am, September 22, 2016 at Homosassa Public Library, 4100 S. Grandmarch Ave.,
Homosassa, FL 34446
MOTION TO ADJOURN
 8:54 am
Respectfully submitted: Sharon Smith, Recording Secretary
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