Newspaper Page Text
May 4, 2022
Page 5B
^Reporter
Library returning to normal', preps for Summer Reading
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Activity at Monroe Coun
ty Library is almost back to
what is was in 2019 before
the covid shutdowns, ac
cording to branch manager
Kimberly Claytons report
to the library’s board of
directors at their quarterly
meeting on April 21. She
said that 3,551 people vis
ited the library and 96 new
patrons were added in the
60 days Monroe County Li
brary was open during the
quarter that ended March
31.
Claytons report recorded
1,107 times that computer
assistance was provided to
adults and 108 incidents
of computer assistance to
children and teens, plus
775 other patron assistance
to adults for a total of 1,990
recorded assistance. There
were 5,389 regular items
circulated, 2,499 of them to
adults and 2,890 to children
and teens.
There were no adult or
childrens programs during
the quarter. Clayton said
library staff is preparing
for the annual Summer
Reading Program although
the position of director
of childrens programs is
still vacant. The county is
advertising the position as
part time, 29 hours/week.
It has been vacant since
last fall when Jasa Brown
resigned to accept a teach
ing position.
Clayton said if the posi
tion remains vacant, it
will be the first time the
library has held a Summer
Reading Program with
out a Childrens Director
leading it. However, she
said programs have been
booked and grant awards
and donations have been
obtained to fund the sum
mer program. The library
staff is already working on
various aspects of the sum
mer program, including
decorations, promotions
and reading awards.
“Well make it happen,”
said Clayton.
The full-time position
that was open at the library
will be filled when Sydney
Rozier comes on board
May 2. The quarterly report
showed the library had two
adult volunteers during the
quarter who contributed 26
hours. There were no chil
dren or teen volunteers.
Clayton said she will at
tend the American Library
Association (ALA) Con
ference in Washington,
D.C. June 23-28. It is the
first time the conference
has been held since 2019.
When she attended in 2018
and 2019, besides the infor
mation she obtained, she
was able to buy $1,105.18
worth of materials for
Monroe County Library for
$144, many of them newly
released books.
Jennifer Hudgins said
Friends of Monroe County
Library has budgeted
$1,500 to pay for Claytons
lodging at the conference.
The library board voted to
fund $100 for her to buy
books and other materials.
Clayton said library
patrons are asking more
and more frequently to pay
fines and other fees, like
copier fees, with credit or
debit cards. The library has
the square machine to take
card payments but needed
board approval on where to
deposit the payments. The
board approved depositing
payments into the boards
checking account, as cash
and check deposits are
made. Clayton said the 2.9
percent transaction fee is
deducted before the depos
its are made. For the time
being it will be absorbed by
the library without charg
ing patrons.
Clayton said patrons
sometimes wish to make
donations to the library by
credit or debit card. Ann
Walker Frazier’s family
asked for donations to the
library in her memory,
and Clayton said she has
received donations almost
daily. She is buying books
and related materials with
the funds and will write
thank you notes to the
donors and the family in
cluding how the funds have
been used.
Hudgins said Friends of
the Library made $2,370.50
at its Forsythia Festival
Used Book Sale and added
14 new members during
the sale. It has 21 applica
tions for the $1,000 Friends
of the Library scholarship.
The group recognized local
library workers with a gift
of appreciation for National
Library Workers Day and
National School Library
Month in April. Its next
quarterly meeting is July
11.
Hudgins said the Friends
would like to partner with
the library board to repair
or replace the planters at
the main entrance to the
library and then keep them
filled with flowers. After
discussion, Clayton said
she would ask the county,
which likely installed the
planters, whether it would
repair or replace the dam
aged one and then the
Friends group would be
responsible for flowers. The
county owns and maintains
the library building, and
the large planters would
probably be considered
part of the building.
In response to a question
by board member Ralph
Bass, the board discussed
why a large portion of
its funds are maintained
in certificates of deposit
(CDs). It was decided that
no one currently on the
board knows exactly what
stipulations were placed on
the funds when they were
donated to/acquired by the
library. Members agreed to
contact past board officers
and ask for more informa
tion about the funds in
CDs.
Board member Nipper
Bunn said a meeting is
planned with the Library
Expansion Committee and
county manager Jim Hedg
es. Bunn said the library
needs more room and
the need will grow as the
county’s population grows.
Plans to expand were put
on hold during Covid re
strictions but should move
forward now. Bunn said
there are state programs in
place to provide matching
funds grants for expanding
library facilities.
The next scheduled meet
ing of the library board is
July 21.
Forsyth takes aim at blight, getting grants for water lines
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
In her April 18 manager’s report
Janice Hall told council Ainsley
Hall of Sterling Appraisals will
appraise the properties Forsyth
has listed as blighted. She said a
police officer will be assigned to
accompany her since in the past
she has had the experience of
visiting properties that were sup
posed to be vacant and finding
that they weren’t.
Janice Hall said Ainsley Hall
only appraises residential proper
ties. There are two commercial
properties on the city’s list; they
will be appraised by someone else
from Ainsley Hall’s office. Janice
Hall said the city is working on
the list of properties that Code
Enforcement Officer Jeremy
Malone compiled in October but
is working with him to update
the list.
In other news:
• Hall said city departments
heads asked council to amend its
procedures to raise the limits on
purchases that have to go to city
council for approval. She asked
to raise the limit from $2,500 to
$3,000 on purchases that depart
ment heads can approve and to
raise the limit from $5,000 to
$6,000 on purchases that she as
city manager can approve with
out bringing them to council.
Hall said that increased prices
for chemicals for water/sewer
treatment have taken the usual
purchase over $5,000 and that
orders are delayed waiting for
council to meet. Council ap
proved raising the limits as
requested.
• Hall said the city would start
draining the water tank at River
Forest subdivision in April.
• She said Mauldin & Jenkins,
CPAs, Macon has wrapped up
site work on Forsyth’s 2021 audit,
on track to finishing the audit.
• Hall told council the plaque
recognizing Dexter King has
arrived. She contacted his family
and was told that since most
members reside locally, they
should have no problem coming
to a ceremony. Council set the
ceremony for 5:30 p.m. on Mon
day, May 16 before its council
meeting.
• Council approved a resolution
to apply to the Georgia Depart
ment of Community Affairs for
a Community Development
Bloxk Grant for up to $1 million
for water line replacement in the
Jackson Heights, Brookwood
Drive and Union Hill neighbor
hoods. The city pledges up to
$325,000 in matching funds for
the project.
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