The annual book sale at the Alva Public Library will continue through the end of September. Library Director Sandra Ott said at Monday's board meeting that the Friends of the Library had raised about $700 so far in the sale. The Friends group will use the funds to benefit the library.

Books are displayed in the meeting room downstairs, accessible by the stairs or the elevator. This year the staff has grouped the books according to topic. History books have been especially popular. The fiction display has been grouped alphabetically according to author so browsers can easily look for their favorite authors. In addition to the books, there are some bins with digital media such as DVDs and CDs available.

The books are not price-marked. People choosing books are asked to make a donation. This way those with less money can still afford to buy books, and individuals who want to help the library financially can donate more.

Present for the Monday afternoon board meeting were Chairman Lynn Wilt and members Patty Harkin, Marilyn Clyne, Len Reed, and Chris Eckhardt. April Ridgway and Taylor Dowling were absent.

Going over the statistical report, Ott said juvenile checkouts are down as expected with the start of school. She said the 883 checkouts in July were unusually high. In August juvenile checkouts were down to 553. Numbers in all other areas have been holding steady. Someone donated their collection of DVDs and CDs to the library, adding 193 items to their collection.

The library saw an increase of people using library computers on the internet with 112 in August compared to 71 in July. Wifi use in August was 1547, but Ott said some of those could just be people with cellphones passing by. Others use the wifi inside the library on their devices or access it from parking areas outside.

Library staff removed 397 books and materials from circulation in August. Ott said they went through the fiction section, checking for duplicates and for how many times books are checked out. If they have not been checked out in 10 years, the books are removed to free up space for newer selections.

Grant Opportunity

Ott said the library is to receive a "recovery grant" from the state. The local library will receive just under $9,000. While the money could be spent on hot spots for students who don't have access to the internet, the Alva schools have taken care of that need.

The library's internet speed is good inside the building, but it can be slow for those accessing wifi from the parking area. She said they are looking at adding a couple of internet sites with one in the pocket park and one at the corner to provide better external internet speeds.

Inside the library is looking at furniture needs like some computer tables and computer chairs that will be easier to wipe down after use. They may also use the money for another hand-sanitizing station to place in the youth library.

Ott said they were given two weeks to pull together and submit how they will use the grant.

Library Policies

Staff members have gathered the library policies approved over the years. In doing so, they found they have lost the dates that some were approved. Ott passed out current library policies and asked board members to read them. At the next meeting, they will discuss any changes needed and possibly vote to approve all the policies.

A policy for use of the new photo and video editing equipment was discussed. However, it appears the internet policy and guidelines already in place will cover that use.

One update will be to the borrowing and use policy to remove wording about fines which are no longer assessed.

Little Explorers

Last week the library started offering weekly Little Explorers activity bags for preschoolers. The demand has been high enough that they are going to start preparing more bags. They had started with 25. Parents report the children are enjoying them, and this helps keep the children connected to using the library.

Currently the library is using extra bags from the summer reading program. Some families return the bags, but they will eventually need to purchase more. It was suggested some sewing groups like OHCE might be interested in making bags for this purpose.

The library is hopeful that they can return to in-person Little Explorers meetings by spring, depending on coronavirus cases.

Director's Report

Ott told board members maintenance will be needed on the back wall of the library. In the basement level, the wall is starting to have some bubbling from drainage issues. The texturized wall in the juvenile section features some paintings of Native American figures.

Marione Martin

In the hallway downstairs at the Alva Public Library are bins of DVDs, VCR tapes, CDs and computer games for sale by donation.

Repair will be made using firring boards on that wall and covering it with sheetrock. This time it will not be texturized. Since this job is cosmetic, not structural, it will not require consultation with an engineer.

Ott added that the library hopes to use money from the state to refurbish the youth department of the library.