Library highlights community reach, prepares new digital platform

Pioneer Memorial Library recorded more than half a million digital visits and nearly 68,000 in-person visits last year, library officials reported during the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday morning.

Library Director Melany Wilks presented trustees with a “bird’s-eye view” of the library’s 2025 activity. The report counted 6,777 cardholders, 67,733 visits and 507,138 visits to the library’s website, catalog, Facebook page and digital platforms.

The library offered 853 programs attended by 29,234 people during the year. Patrons also used the library’s computers, technology equipment and Wi-Fi more than 255,000 times.

More than 49,000 physical and digital items were circulated, including 31,870 printed books. Wilks said the figures were compiled from information included in the library’s annual report to the State Library of Kansas.

Trustees met at 7 a.m. Aug. 18 in the library board room, with Courtney Ress participating remotely. Kiel Roehl and Jo Kraus were absent.

The board approved its consent agenda, including minutes from the July meeting, August financial reports and August payroll.

Before the vote, Wilks explained that a payroll entry error resulted in an incorrect payment. The library corrected the mistake with a reimbursement check rather than rerunning payroll and potentially complicating tax records. Wilks said the transactions were documented in QuickBooks and supported by a paper trail.

The board also received updates on the library’s transition to Springshare, a collection of digital tools that will replace or consolidate several systems used for the library’s website, calendar, room reservations, communications and other services.

Trustees approved a three-year Springshare contract in July at a cost of $9,500 per year. Wilks said the library now has access to the platform, but work remains before it can be made available to the public. Springshare staff will help transfer information from the library’s existing website, booking system and calendar. Library employees will also complete training and make adjustments before the rollout.

In a facilities update, Wilks said acoustic panels ordered for the library basement have arrived and the selected silver color looks good in the space. Staff members planned to prepare the area, with a few trustees expected to help hang the panels this weekend.

The panels are intended to reduce noise in the basement and Youth Activity Center. The board approved the approximately $1,800 purchase earlier this summer.

The library also scheduled Otis Elevator and Fire Alarm Specialist to install a heat sensor in the elevator pit on Aug. 19. The work is intended to bring the elevator system into compliance with state fire-safety requirements.

Trustee Nikol Nolan said a work-study position has been posted through Colby Community College. The library is seeking two or three students who could rotate shifts and assist with the Youth Activity Center and other library duties.

The library has also experienced several staffing changes. A staff member recently left for a position with the Colby Housing Authority, although she is expected to continue working limited shifts at the library. Mariah, a new employee, has begun working at the front desk and may also assist with youth programming.

As part of the meeting, trustees completed their annual training on the duties and legal responsibilities of a public library board.

Wilks said Pioneer Memorial Library was established in 1926 and operates under Kansas statutes governing municipal libraries. A 1988 Colby charter ordinance established a property-tax levy of at least 5 mills for the library.

She said the arrangement provides a stable source of funding, while the city also covers expenses including utilities, property insurance, workers’ compensation and certain payroll-related costs. Donations and memorial gifts remain essential to the library’s operations and improvements, she said.

Trustees discussed the importance of helping residents understand the role community support plays in sustaining the library and its services.

The training also covered trustee terms, appointments, open-meetings requirements and the board’s authority over library policies, finances, property and personnel. The mayor serves as an ex-officio member of the board, although Wilks said mayors have rarely attended during her 18 years at the library.

In other business, the board authorized the library to dispose of Wilks’ 2014 office printer, which is no longer working properly.

Wilks also reported that the library’s recent book sale raised $2,758.86. Two all-in-one computers and one desktop computer with a monitor were sold during the event, leaving one older computer and monitor available for sale.

Upcoming programs include the return of fall story times beginning Sept. 8, Pages in the Park at Fike Park on Sept. 12 and a series of Hispanic Heritage Month movie nights. English as a Second Language classes are scheduled to resume Aug. 27, while Spanish classes are being organized for September.

Before the trustees’ regular meeting, the Pioneer Memorial Library Foundation met briefly and approved minutes from its May meeting and the treasurer’s report. Pat Toth participated in the foundation meeting.

Foundation members also discussed updating the organization’s mission statement and possibly developing a shorter motto as the library prepares a new website. No final wording was adopted.