Library Board Agenda Packet - 6:00 PM

OCONOMOWOC PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR BOARD MEETING MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2026 • 6 PM LYKE MEETING ROOM OCONOMOWOC PUBLIC LIBRARY Board Members please notify the Library Administrative Coordinator at (262) 569-2193, ext. 203 or sbartholomew@oconomowoclibrary.org if you are unable to attend. AGENDA I. REGULAR ORDER OF BUSINESS A. Call to Order-A scertain Posting of Agenda-Me mbers Present B. Mi nutes of Previous Meeting C. Comments from Audience D. Finance and Statistic Reports E. Present Vouchers for Payment F. Communications and Announcements II. REPORTS A. Committee Reports (only bold committees will present) 1. Planning Committee - B. Nankee, K. Hansen Last Meeting – December 5, 2022; Next Meeting – to be scheduled 2. Nominating Committee – K. Hansen, B. Nankee, M. Wood Last Meeting – May 16, 2024; Next Meeting – to be scheduled 3. Finance Committee – B. Nankee Last Meeting – June 28, 2023; Next Meeting – to be scheduled 4. Operations Committee – TBD Last Meeting – September 8, 2022; Next Meeting – to be scheduled B. Library Director’s Report* 2 III. NEW BUSINESS A. Discuss Strategic Planning Initialization IV. BOARD REMARKS A. Board President Remarks B. Board Member Remarks V. ADJOURN * Library Director’s Report may include information on Budget/Finance, Building/Facilities, Collection Development/Reference, Communications, Continued System Involvement/Automation, Friends of OPL, Fundraising, Library Operations, Personnel/Continuing Education, Planning, Programming, and/or Public Relations. NOTICE If a person with a disability requires that the meeting be accessible or that materials at the meeting be in an accessible format, notify the Library’s Administrative Coordinator at (262) 569-2193, ext. 203 or sbartholomew@oconomowoclibrary.org, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to request adequate accommodations. Members of other City governmental bodies (boards, commissions, committees, council, etc.) may attend the above noticed meeting of the Oconomowoc Public Library Board of Trustees in order to gather information. The only action to be taken at the above noticed meeting will be action by the Oconomowoc Public Library Board of Trustees. 3 AGENDA REPORT OCTOBER 2026 NEW BUSINESS A. Discuss Strategic Planning Initialization Watch the video "Strategic Planning: An Overview for Public Library Trustees." and discuss key takeaways and establish a planning committee to lead the update of our Strategic Plan. 4 OCONOMOWOC PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 17, 2026 MEMBERS PRESENT Ben Nankee, Jennifer Aultman Kloth, Kasey Metz, Melissa Wood, Roland Johnson MEMBERS ABSENT Lisa Remm, Kerry Hansen, Melissa Howe, Michele Koper STAFF PRESENT Jen Puccini, Shannon Bartholomew REGULAR ORDER OF BUSINESS A. CALL TO ORDER-ASCERTAIN POSTING OF AGENDA-MEMBERS PRESENT Melissa Wood called the meeting to order at 6:14 pm. Agenda was properly posted. B. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING Ben Nankee moved to approve the minutes of the June 15, 2026 Regular Board Meeting. Jennifer Aultman Kloth seconded and motion carried. C. COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE No audience comments D. FINANCE AND STATISTIC REPORTS The July 2026 Financial Report was reviewed. The July 2026 Statistical Report was reviewed. 5 E. PRESENT VOUCHERS FOR PA YMENT Ben Nankee moved to approve the June 2026 vouchers totaling $25,794.38 and July vouchers totaling $29,700.20. Kasey Metz seconded and motion carried. F. COMMUNICATIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS The newsletter and recent articles were provided at the board meeting. REPORTS A. COMMITTEE REPORTS (ON LY BOLD COMMITTEES WILL PRESENT) Planning Committee – B. Nankee, K. Hansen Last Meeting – December 5, 2022; Next Meeting – to be scheduled Nominating Committee – K. Hansen, B. Nankee, M. Wood Last Meeting – May 16, 2024; Next Meeting – to be scheduled Finance Committee – B. Nankee, J. Aultman Kloth Last Meeting – June 28, 2023; Next Meeting – to be scheduled Operations Committee – TBD Last Meeting - September 8, 2022; Next Meeting – to be scheduled B. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Budget/Finance Badger Railing will be installing all new railings at our front entrance in the next couple of weeks. Collection Development/Reference Matthew Murphy has been hired for the position of Database Management Librarian for the Bridges Library System! Matt’s first day will be August 27. Matt has a strong and varied background in cataloging, having spent time as the Head of Cataloging and Metadata at the New York Historical and as the Library Services Manager for Cataloging and Database Maintenance at the Milwaukee Public Library. He has also worked as a Rare Book Cataloger for the New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and as a Content Engineer at 6 Cengage for metadata standards. Matt comes with extensive experience in original and copy cataloging, organizing workflows of large cataloging projects, cataloging policy development, and hiring and training staff in technical services. Friends of OPL Friends of OPL had a board meeting on Monday, August 3. They have nominated three new board members: Kate Kennedy, Broche Fabian, and Anne Zignego. These nominees will be voted in at their November board meeting. Friends Annual Meeting Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30 pm Friends Board Meeting Monday, November 2 at 6 pm Personnel/Continuing Education Jen Puccini attended this year’s Director’s Retreat, which was extremely informative, especially the Strategic Planning session since we are about to work on ours. Programming Lizzie Brazelton and Jen Puccini represented the Library at Kids Fest this year which was a hit. We had 868 people visit our booth. Our summer reading program has officially wrapped up! We had a fantastic turnout this year. Summer Reading Registrations: 2,491 (up 370 from last year) • Ages 0-3: 235 • Ages 4-12: 1287 • Ages 12-18: 297 • Ages 18+: 672 Logged Reading: • 37,152 hours (up 8,000 from last year) Prize Drawing Tickets Submitted: • 13,157 tickets Public Relations Versiti Blood drive gave us a huge compliment stating that we have very successful turnout for our blood drives, more than any other library. We are giving the kudos to our marketing staff, JJ Berger. 7 NEW BUSINESS A. CONSIDER/ACT ON SPECIAL CLOSING FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT - DATE CHANGE Due to Senior Fair happening on October 2, we would like to change our Staff Development day to November 6. The library closes one day a year for Staff Development Day. Jennifer Aultman Kloth moved to approve changing the Special Closing for Staff Development to November 6. Ben Nankee seconded and motion carried. B. EXPANSION/RENOVATION DISCUSSION Let’s have another discussion as to whether we should move forward with expansion or renovation. Jennifer Aultman Kloth moved to table this discussion until more information regarding building repairs are available. Roland Johnson seconded and motion carried. C. DISCUSS STRATEGIC PLAN The library’s Strategic Plan has not been updated since 2022. Strategic Plans should be updated every three to five years. Plans were discussed to set a goal of revising the Strategic Plan. BOARD REMARKS A. BOARD PRESIDENT REMARKS No Board President remarks. B. BOARD MEMBER REMARKS No Board Member remarks. ADJOURN Ben Nankee moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:40 pm. Jennifer Aultman Kloth seconded and motion carried. Shannon Bartholomew, Administrative Coordinator 8 PAGE 1 $1,415,367 BUDGET $1,023,432 72% EXPENDED 75% YR PASSED FINANCIAL REPORT $391,935 28% REMAINING 25% YR REMAINING REVENUE COUNTY FUNDING ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED WAUKESHA 3720 - - - - 200,686 - - - - - - - 200,686 302,849 403,799 50% INTERSYSTEM FUNDING ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED DODGE 3721 - - 27,443 - - - - - - - - - 27,443 20,583 27,443 100% JEFFERSON 3721 - - 99,097 - - - - - - - - - 99,097 74,323 99,097 100% WASHINGTON 3721 - - 560 - - - - - - - - - 560 420 560 100% TOTAL COUNTY FUNDING 2026 -$ -$ 127,101$ -$ 200,686$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 327,786 398,175$ 530,900$ 62% 2025 -$ 116,745$ 882$ 184,923$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 184,923$ -$ -$ 487,473$ 487,044$ 487,044$ 100% 2024 -$ 129,475$ -$ 171,279$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 171,279$ -$ -$ 472,033$ 471,764$ 471,764$ 100% PUBLIC SERVICE CHARGES ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED FINES & FEES 6114 1,581 333 2,383 613 2,164 1,690 1,444 1,651 1,581 - - - 13,441 3,359 4,478 300% COPYING 6116 714 - 1,616 783 651 1,067 617 960 917 - - - 7,326 1,791 2,388 307% ROOM RENTAL 6741 - - - 90 89 40 60 60 - - - - 339 134 179 189% TOTAL SERVICE CHARGES 2026 2,296$ 333$ 4,000$ 1,486$ 2,904$ 2,797$ 2,121$ 2,672$ 2,498$ -$ -$ -$ 21,106 5,284$ 7,045$ 300% 2025 1,711$ 2,729$ 1,227$ 3,708$ 1,362$ 2,421$ 1,432$ 3,311$ 2,634$ 2,136$ 939$ 2,097$ 25,707$ 22,600$ 22,600$ 114% 2024 1, 306$ 2,455$ 2,152$ 2,008$ 1,985$ 2,114$ 2,134$ 2,363$ 2,499$ 2,027$ 1,761$ 1,596$ 24,399$ 22,100$ 22,100$ 110% MISC REVENUE ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED SALE OF PROPERTY 8310 - - - - 951 - - 870 - - - - 1,821 - - - PCARD REBATE 8430 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 716 955 0% TOTAL MISC REVENUE 2026 -$ -$ -$ -$ 951$ -$ -$ 870$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 1,821 (650)$ $955 191% 2025 -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 606$ -$ 785$ -$ -$ 614$ 43$ 2,048$ 1,452$ 3,500$ 59% 2024 -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 728$ -$ 730$ -$ -$ -$ 715$ 2,172$ 1,328$ 3,500$ 62% DONATIONS ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT N OV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED GENERAL 8501 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TOTAL DONATIONS 2026 -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ - 2025 -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ - 2024 -$ -$ -$ - TOTAL DEPARTMENT REVENUE JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED TOTAL DEPT REVENUE 2026 2,296$ 333$ 131,100$ 1,486$ 204,541$ 2,797$ 2,121$ 3,542$ 2,498$ -$ -$ -$ 350,713 404,175$ 538,900$ 65% 2025 1,711$ 119,474$ 2,110$ 188,631$ 1,362$ 3,027$ 1,432$ 4,096$ 2,634$ 187,059$ 1,553$ 2,140$ 515,229 513,144$ 513,144$ 100% 2024 1,796$ 143,125$ 3,088$ 164,403$ 2,214$ 2,172$ 2,355$ 2,181$ 2,831$ 164,694$ 1,607$ 2,111$ 492,576 492,383$ 492,383$ 100% CITY FUNDING J AN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % RECEIVED TOTAL CITY FUNDING 2026 107,821$ 99,611$ (33,697)$ 106,643$ (62,274)$ 105,861$ 145,821$ 100,897$ 102,036$ -$ -$ -$ 672,719 657,351$ 876,468$ 77% 2025 115,124$ (23,645)$ 126,807$ (94,829)$ 86,459$ 105,535$ 99,827$ 126,807$ 92,577$ (86,848)$ 103,298$ 114,869$ 765,980 867,505$ 867,505$ 88% 2024 72,480$ 7,504$ 134,478$ (74,129)$ 89,566$ 103,382$ 94,516$ 122,122$ 96,614$ (83,577)$ 93,395$ 123,980$ 780,330 854,560$ 854,560$ 91% EXPENSES WAGES AND BENEFITS ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED FT SALARIES 111 44,395 40,377 40,377 40,377 41,200 43,013 60,714 40,571 40,738 - - - 391,763 399,928 533,237 73% PT W/BEN 113 6,793 6,284 5,738 5,743 5,652 5,412 8,669 7,037 6,345 - - - 57,674 48,077 64,102 90% PT W/OUT BEN 125 10,097 8,327 9,257 10,097 10,573 9,522 14,365 9,700 10,137 - - - 92,074 114,819 153,092 60% SUNDAY HOURS 126 835 808 834 557 564 - 180 171 487 - - - 4,435 6,614 8,819 50% LONGEVITY 133 12 6 6 6 - 6 2 1 1 - - - 40 54 72 56% FICA 151 4,540 4,083 4,115 4,158 4,384 4,256 6,100 4,216 4,234 - - - 40,085 43,491 57,988 69% WRS RETIREMENT 152 5,054 3,376 3,349 3,330 3,383 3,331 4, 996 3,428 3,399 - - - 33,646 31,924 42,566 79% HEALTH INSURANCE 154 19,780 13,187 13,187 13,187 7,170 13,187 19,780 13,187 13,187 - - - 125,849 118,681 158,241 80% LIFE INSURANCE 155 97 97 97 97 97 110 110 110 110 - - - 926 839 1,118 83% COMP EARNED 164 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TOTAL WAGES & BENEFITS 2026 91,603$ 76,545$ 76,960$ 77,552$ 73,023$ 78,837$ 114,915$ 78,421$ 78,637$ -$ -$ -$ 746,492$ 764,426$ 1,019,235$ 73% 2025 90,657$ 74,133$ 75,112$ 74,859$ 68,680$ 73,326$ 72,422$ 109,494$ 74,703$ 69,953$ 75,667$ 75,887$ 934,893$ 1,011,056$ 1,011,056$ 95% 2024 59,148$ 76,980$ 113,511$ 76,842$ 70,741$ 72,829$ 71,015$ 104,655$ 71,111$ 73,354$ 65,274$ 91,172$ 946,631$ 993,770$ 993,770$ 95% $396,133 BUDGET OPERATING BUDGET $276,940 69.9% EXPENDED 75% YR PASSED $119,192 30.1% REMAINING 25% YR REMAINING Oconomowoc Public Library Board of Trustees TOTAL BUDGET September 2026 9 PAGE 2OPERATING EXPENSES PURCHASED SERVICES ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED SERVICES NON-IT 210 828 1,884 1,387 3,133 23,995 2,162 1,467 2,368 1,272 - - - 38,496 35,020 46,693 82% SERVICES IT 211 710 - 846 3,618 1,197 1,501 3,203 1,291 - - - - 12,365 12,000 16,000 77% PROGRAMS 212 745 1,553 504 591 1,208 3,891 2,746 932 261 - - - 12,432 12,000 16,000 78% ELECTRIC & WATER 222 2,013 1,984 2,233 2,215 2,300 4,026 4,263 3,453 3,202 - - - 25,688 24,750 33,000 78% GAS & HEAT 224 - 1,842 1,577 1,010 744 368 129 62 81 - - - 5,812 8,250 11,000 53% PHONE 225 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 - - - 505 522 696 73% INTERNET 226 160 429 429 429 429 429 1,449 429 241 - - - 4,422 4,455 5,940 74% MAINT CONT NON-IT 240 - 351 359 364 1,196 597 562 574 593 - - - 4,596 4,732 6,310 73% MAINT CONT IT 241 - - - - 3,662 - - - - - - - 3,662 2,625 3,500 105% TOTAL SERVICES 2026 4,512$ 8,099$ 7,391$ 11,413$ 34,786$ 13,030$ 13,875$ 9,165$ 5,707$ -$ -$ -$ 107,978 104,354$ 139,139$ 78% 2025 5,258$ 7,483$ 30,046$ 10,407$ 7,578$ 8,792$ 11,610$ 12,663$ 6,342$ 9,627$ 6,657$ 16,697$ 133,161$ 134,456$ 134,456$ 99% 2024 4,356$ 30,038$ 7,863$ 8,179$ 8,371$ 10,149$ 10,139$ 10,863$ 6,998$ 5,618$ 5,836$ 11,184$ 119,595$ 129,281$ 129,281$ 93% OPERATING EXPENSES ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED POSTAGE 311 100 18 - 100 - - 100 - - - - - 318 270 360 88% P RINTING 313 - - - - 63 - 78 - - - - - 141 300 400 35% MEMBERSHIP DUES 320 50 - - - - 215 - - - - - - 265 599 799 33% BOOKS 321 3,707 7,854 5,952 5,498 9,424 9,531 6,323 10,109 11,242 - - - 69,639 69,000 92,000 76% SERIALS/PERIODICALS 322 4,958 231 136 41 334 41 131 82 41 - - - 5,995 4,875 6,500 92% AUDIO VISUAL 323 465 292 1,103 1,701 894 785 2,400 968 1,982 - - - 10,591 10,500 14,000 76% LIC/PERMIT 324 25 197 466 116 967 73 37 37 154 - - - 2,070 2,430 3,240 64% E-MEDIA 325 62 62 144 49 14,851 50 50 50 50 - - - 15,370 20,195 26,926 57% PUBLICITY 326 - 111 - - - - - - - - - - 111 375 500 22% TRAINING & TRAVEL 330 417 25 - 401 350 - 102 - 12 - - - 1,306 3,000 4,000 33% CAR ALLOWANCE 332 17 11 11 11 11 11 17 11 11 - - - 111 108 144 77% OPERATING SUPPLIES 340 457 2,605 1,647 1,302 2,504 2,278 2,543 1,544 1,831 - - - 16,712 22,575 30,100 56% COMP/TECH EQUIPMENT 345 480 - - - 20 - 3,766 - - - - - 4,266 7,800 10,400 41% TOTAL OPERATING 2026 10,737$ 11,405$ 9,459$ 9,219$ 29,419$ 12,984$ 15,546$ 12,802$ 15,323$ -$ -$ -$ 126,894 142,027$ 189,369$ 67% 2025 17,992$ 11,109$ 20,601$ 5,067$ 6,260$ 21,212$ 13,789$ 5,261$ 11,106$ 17,331$ 18,796$ 36,874$ 185,397$ 186,682$ 186,682$ 99% 2024 6,571$ 28,398$ 12,088$ 10,621$ 9,410$ 15,617$ 12,320$ 6,318$ 17,929$ 6, 457$ 20,582$ 31,835$ 178,147$ 181,733$ 181,733$ 98% M AINTENANCE ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED REPAIR/MAINT BUILDING 400 - 353 52 6,404 1,500 256 9 246 923 - - - 9,743 18,825 25,100 39% REPAIR/MAINT GROUNDS 410 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REPAIR/MAINT EQUIP 435 - - - - - 10 56 - 264 - - - 330 563 750 44% TOTAL MAINTENANCE 2026 -$ 353$ 52$ 6,404$ 1,500$ 266$ 65$ 246$ 1,187$ -$ -$ -$ 10,073 19,388$ 25,850$ 39% 2025 -$ 122$ 17$ 277$ 2,375$ 2,250$ 272$ 503$ -$ 240$ 442$ 807$ 7,304$ 10,750$ 10,750$ 68% 2024 697$ 1,030$ 102$ 527$ 40$ 4,640$ 186$ 390$ 86$ 1,481$ 373$ 199$ 9,752$ 10,750$ 10,750$ 91% FIXED CHARGES ACCT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL A UG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED TECHNOLOGY 509 892 892 892 892 892 892 892 892 892 - - - 8,025 8,025 10,700 75% RISK MANAGEMENT 510 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 2,373 - - - 21,356 21,356 28,475 75% COPIER LEASE 530 - 277 277 277 277 277 277 540 415 - - - 2,614 1,950 2,600 101% TOTAL FIXED CHARGES 2026 3,265$ 3,541$ 3,541$ 3,541$ 3,541$ 3,541$ 3,541$ 3,805$ 3,680$ -$ -$ -$ 31,996 31,331$ 41,775$ 77% 2025 2,928$ 2,982$ 3,140$ 3,193$ 2,928$ 2,982$ 3,166$ 2,982$ 3,061$ 3,061$ 3,289$ 3,441$ 37,152$ 37,705$ 37,705$ 99% 2024 3,014$ 2,989$ 3,067$ 2,989$ 2,989$ 2,989$ 2,989$ 2,989$ 2,989$ 2,819$ 3,090$ 3,084$ 35,994$ 36,390$ 36,390$ 99% JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET 2026 18,514$ 23, 399$ 20,443$ 30,577$ 69,245$ 29,820$ 33,027$ 26,018$ 25,897$ -$ -$ -$ 276,940 297,099$ 396,133$ 70% 2025 26,178$ 21,696$ 53,805$ 18,944$ 19,141$ 35,236$ 28,837$ 21,408$ 20,508$ 30,258$ 29,183$ 41,121$ 346,316$ 369,593$ 369,593$ 94% 2024 14,638$ 62,455$ 23,120$ 22,316$ 20,810$ 33,395$ 25,635$ 20,559$ 28,002$ 16,374$ 29,882$ 35,118$ 332,303$ 358,154$ 358,154$ 93% JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YTD ACTUAL YTD BUDGET BUDGET % EXPENDED TOTAL BUDGET 2026 110,117$ 99,944$ 97,403$ 108,129$ 142,267$ 108,657$ 147,942$ 104,439$ 104,534$ -$ -$ -$ 1,023,432 1,061,526$ 1,415,367.48$ 72% 2025 116,835$ 95,829$ 128,917$ 93,803$ 87,821$ 108,562$ 101,259$ 130,903$ 95,212$ 100,211$ 104,850$ 117,009$ 1,281,209$ 1,380,649$ 1,380,649$ 93% 2024 73,786$ 139,434$ 136,630$ 99,158$ 91,551$ 106,224$ 96,649$ 125,215$ 99,113$ 89,729$ 95,156$ 126,290$ 1,278,934$ 1,351,924$ 1,351,924$ 95% 10 STATISTICAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2026 CIRCULATION EMEDIA CIRCULATION 12,357 11,838 11,598 11,288 10,766 11,223 13,119 12,934 12,522 12,698 12,549 12,217 11,784 11,559 11,506 15,432 15,429 15,433 15,002 15,133 15,320 13,117 13,110 14,076 11,908 12,487 12,550 12,474 12,413 - 11,268 11,401 - 10,817 10,783 - 8,495 8,474 8,449 8,404 8,224 7,803 8,649 9,556 9,382 8,811 8,935 9,138 7,784 8,007 9,029 10,349 10,178 11,670 11,693 11,100 10,549 10,050 9,155 9,553 8,106 8,600 8,902 8,797 8,254 - 8,262 7,499 - 8,041 7,517 - 2,792 2,550 2,638 2,812 2,542 2,377 2,993 3,240 3,067 2,756 2,895 2,509 2,497 2,911 2,671 3,914 4,174 3,663 3,903 3,866 3,293 3,128 3,373 2,710 2,498 2,998 2,629 2,980 2,979 - 2,735 2,634 - 2,616 2,270 - 895 1,065 1,034 1,048 838 986 1,141 1,135 1,172 1,062 1,166 1,095 765 959 789 959 1,396 1,116 1,179 1,515 1,279 1,003 1,060 1,218 859 1,085 892 1,107 1,042 - 971 1,070 - 879 824 - - 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 24,539 23,927 23,719 23,552 22,370 22,389 25,902 26,865 26,143 25,327 25,545 24,959 22,830 23,436 23,995 30,654 31,177 31,882 31,777 31,614 30,441 27,298 26,698 27,557 23,371 25,170 24,973 25,358 24,688 0 23,236 22,604 0 22,353 21,394 0 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec CIRCULATION BY PATRON STATISTICAL CLASS OTHER JEFF WAUK CITY OVERDRIVE 5,979 OVERDRIVE 5,796 OVERDRIVE 8,283 OVERDRIVE 5,438 OVERDRIVE 6,035 OVERDRIVE 7,654 OVERDRIVE 5,402 OVERDRIVE 6,837 OVERDRIVE 8,433 OVERDRIVE 5,029 OVERDRIVE 6,631 OVERDRIVE 7,825 OVERDRIVE 5,072 OVERDRIVE 6,534 OVERDRIVE 8,023 OVERDRIVE 5,650 OVERDRIVE 6,575 OVERDRIVE 8,124 OVERDRIVE 5,332 OVERDRIVE 6,876 OVERDRIVE 8,413 OVERDRIVE 5,364 OVERDRIVE 6,759 OVERDRIVE 8,391 OVERDRIVE 5,078 OVERDRIVE 6,624 OVERDRIVE 8,289 OVERDRIVE 5,863 OVERDRIVE 6,915 OVERDRIVE 6,049 OVERDRIVE 6,889 OVERDRIVE 5,769 OVERDRIVE 7,081 HOOPLA 718 HOOPLA 647 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 706 HOOPLA 638 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 784 HOOPLA 713 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 789 HOOPLA 683 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 538 HOOPLA 663 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 532 HOOPLA 655 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 545 HOOPLA 663 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 548 HOOPLA 693 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 516 HOOPLA 629 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 545 HOOPLA 338 HOOPLA 568 HOOPLA - HOOPLA 570 HOOPLA - - 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Jan F eb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec OVERDRIVE & HOOPLA 11 PROGRAMS VISITS 14 16 27 30 27 31 34 36 38 29 30 33 10 12 16 33 38 35 37 42 40 17 9 14 26 34 36 38 44 - 27 40 - 18 17 - 482 510 575 939 713 766 1,663 1,554 1,171 919 1,127 1,038 1,520 962 2,490 4,449 4,532 4,181 2,800 2,463 1,972 1,867 1,535 1,471 705 1,133 885 986 1,425 - 981 1,079 - 710 896 - 3 5 3 7 5 5 7 6 5 5 4 7 10 6 3 7 8 4 11 10 6 7 5 4 5 4 5 7 7 - 5 5 - 4 3 - 28 33 13 55 16 19 55 22 26 37 9 31 129 678 12 319 276 291 166 88 91 201 308 102 42 25 17 42 21 - 13 22 - 14 16 - 8 22 27 16 16 26 24 20 31 23 16 30 19 20 29 20 23 28 18 23 25 10 20 30 16 19 24 17 19 - 12 18 - 14 17 - 106 371 338 265 244 381 276 314 409 201 382 661 306 315 690 906 1,082 1,156 272 541 423 128 390 522 181 292 306 267 372 - 169 281 - 260 230 - - 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 - 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec ATTENDANCE PROGRAMS OFFERED KIDS PROG TEEN PROG ADULT PROG KIDS ATTEND TEEN ATTEND ADULT ATTEND 9,484 9,830 9,911 10,288 9,275 9,826 11,275 11,165 11,160 11,224 11,887 12,218 9,143 10,138 10,228 14,296 14,346 15,058 14,525 14,108 14,470 12,320 11,028 12,653 9,550 10,990 11,141 11,031 11,361 - 9,635 8,975 - 8,071 8,514 - - 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec VISITS 12 REPORT DATE September 2026 ACCOUNT ACCOUNT NAME EXPENSE AP $20,376.10 210 PROF SERV NON-IT KLEANLINE $570.00 LEGAL $208.33 PLOWING $329.16 S & S WINDOW CLEANING LLC $165.00 211 PROF SERV IT TAYLOR COMPUTER SERVICES, INC $0.00 212 PROGRAMS LAKE COUNTRY CARVERS' ARTS, INC $150.00 WDJT-TV $50.00 224 GAS & HEAT WE ENERGIES $81.05 225 TELEPHONE AT&T $56.07 240 MAINT CONTRACT NON-IT RHYME BUSINESS PRODUCTS LLC $593.40 321 BOOKS INGRAM LIBRARY SERVICES $11,242.36 323 AUDIO VISUAL MIDWEST TAPE, LLC $1,964.03 330 TRAINING AND TRAVEL MARK FRYE $3.63 332 CAR ALLOWANCE PAYROLL $11.08 340 OPERATING SUPPLIES KLEANLINE $300.00 RHYME $708.76 435 REPAIR EQUIP BATTERY PRODUCTS INC $263.52 509 DATA PROCESSING FINANCE DEPT $891.67 510 RISK MANAGEMENT FINANCE DEPT $2,372.92 530 COPIER LEASE RHYME BUSINESS PRODUCTS LLC $415.12 PCARD $2,319.45 212 PROGRAMS AMAZON $35.25 METRO MARKET $26.03 226 INTERNET SPECTRUM $159.99 TMOBILE*AUTO PAY $81.22 322 PERIODICALS WSJ $40.94 323 AUDIO VISUAL AMAZON $18.12 324 LICENSES ADOBE INC ADOBE $36.74 LASTPASS.COM $37.80 METASLIDER $79.00 325 E-MEDIA DISNEY PLUS $26.24 PEACOCK TV $11.54 STARZ ENTER $12.65 330 TRAINING AND TRAVEL BLUE HARBOR RESORT $8.17 340 OPERATING SUPPLIES AMAZON $622.29 OFFICE DEPOT $199.99 400 REPAIR BUILDINGS 1000BULBS.COM $301.72 GRAINGER $621.76 Grand Total $22,695.55 APPROVED BY: LIBRARY DIRECTOR BOARD MEMBERS 13 14 REPORT DATE August 2026 ACCOUNT ACCOUNT NAME EXPENSE AP $19,506.70 210 PROF SERV NON-IT BAKER TILLY VIRCHOW KRAUSE LLP $160.89 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE $7.00 JUDITH G JASON $225.00 KLEANLINE $570.00 LEGAL $208.33 MIDWEST ALARM SERVICES $430.78 PLOWING $329.16 S & S WINDOW CLEANING LLC $110.00 211 PROF SERV IT TAYLOR COMPUTER SERVICES, INC $1,290.75 212 PROGRAMS RYAN MEISEL $225.00 224 GAS & HEAT WE ENERGIES $61.94 225 TELEPHONE AT&T $56.07 240 MAINT CONTRACT NON-IT RHYME BUSINESS PRODUCTS LLC $574.47 321 BOOKS AMAZON $154.35 INGRAM LIBRARY SERVICES $9,918.75 323 AUDIO VISUAL MIDWEST TAPE, LLC $968.42 332 CAR ALLOWANCE PAYROLL $11.08 340 OPERATING SUPPLIES KLEANLINE $400.00 509 DATA PROCESSING FINANCE DEPT $891.67 510 RISK MANAGEMENT FINANCE DEPT $2,372.92 530 COPIER LEASE RHYME BUSINESS PRODUCTS LLC $540.12 PCARD $3,059.02 210 PROF SERV NON-IT JM BRENNAN INC $200.00 TERMINIX $127.13 212 PROGRAMS AMAZON $123.30 ETSY, INC. $6.13 FUN SCIENCE INC. $578.00 226 INTERNET SPECTRUM $159.99 TMOBILE $268.66 321 BOOKS AMAZON $35.99 322 PERIODICALS WSJ $81.88 324 LICENSES ADOBE INC ADOBE $36.74 325 E-MEDIA DISNEY PLUS $26.24 PEACOCK TVLL $11.54 STARZ ENTER $12.65 340 OPERATING SUPPLIES AMAZON $331.59 BAYSCAN TECHNOLOGIES LLC $114.10 DEMCO INC $88.78 GRAINGER $160.10 OFFICE DEPOT $449.85 400 REPAIR BUILDINGS GRAINGER $246.35 Grand Total $22,565.72 APPROVED BY: LIBRARY DIRECTOR BOARD MEMBERS 15 ADULT ITEMS 38,481 ADULT ITEMS 38,127 ADULT ITEMS 37,759 ADULT ITEMS 38,708 ADULT ITEMS 38,984 ADULT ITEMS 39,629 ADULT ITEMS 40,176 ADULT ITEMS 39,855 ADULT ITEMS 38,881 ADULT ITEMS 36,307 ADULT ITEMS 34,756 JUVENILE ITEMS 35,266 JUVENILE ITEMS 35,196 JUVENILE ITEMS 34,492 JUVENILE ITEMS 39,863 JUVENILE ITEMS 41,174 JUVENILE ITEMS 41,201 JUVENILE ITEMS 42,156 JUVENILE ITEMS 43,627 JUVENILE ITEMS 44,090 JUVENILE ITEMS 34,639 JUVENILE ITEMS 34,027 - 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 ITEM CIRCULATION 16 HOLDS 7,096 HOLDS 7,173 HOLDS 6,584 HOLDS 6,420 HOLDS 6,771 HOLDS 6,241 HOLDS 6,561 HOLDS 6,492 HOLDS 6,474 HOLDS 6,637 HOLDS 5,892 RENEWALS 23,920 RENEWALS 24,198 RENEWALS 24,367 RENEWALS 25,829 RENEWALS 26,888 RENEWALS 26,186 RENEWALS 27,960 RENEWALS 28,072 RENEWALS 28,964 RENEWALS 25,770 RENEWALS 25,068 - 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 2024 2025 2026 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 HOLDS & RENEWALS 17 780 842 881 773 845 781 1010 908 977 1,045 1,180 - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 OUTREACH CIRCULATION 18 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,386 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,417 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,597 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,315 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,282 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,494 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,445 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 996 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,003 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,304 LUCKY DAY BOOKS 1,423 LUCKY DAY DVDS 575 LUCKY DAY DVDS 396 LUCKY DAY DVDS 316 LUCKY DAY DVDS 313 LUCKY DAY DVDS 257 LUCKY DAY DVDS 283 LUCKY DAY DVDS 317 LUCKY DAY DVDS 204 LUCKY DAY DVDS 182 LUCKY DAY DVDS 184 LUCKY DAY DVDS 208 - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 LUCKY DAY CIRCULATION 19 BOOKS 62,450 BOOKS 68,151 BOOKS 71,026 BOOKS 60,756 BOOKS 62,820 BOOKS 69,579 BOOKS 72,394 BOOKS 59,193 BOOKS 61,002 BOOKS 69,539 BOOKS 72,092 VIDEO 8,654 VIDEO 8,199 VIDEO 8,809 VIDEO 7,281 VIDEO 7,915 VIDEO 7,436 VIDEO 8,077 VIDEO 6,943 VIDEO 8,087 VIDEO 7,959 VIDEO 7,804 - 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 55,000 60,000 65,000 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 MATERIAL TYPE CIRCULATION 20 EXPLORE PASSES 218 EXPLORE PASSES 217 EXPLORE PASSES 220 EXPLORE PASSES 181 EXPLORE PASSES 221 EXPLORE PASSES 234 EXPLORE PASSES 238 EXPLORE PASSES 204 EXPLORE PASSES 250 EXPLORE PASSES 194 EXPLORE PASSES 180 HOTSPOTS 60 HOTSPOTS 60 HOTSPOTS 46 HOTSPOTS 30 HOTSPOTS 58 HOTSPOTS 72 HOTSPOTS 96 HOTSPOTS 87 HOTSPOTS 93 HOTSPOTS 93 HOTSPOTS 90 EARLY LEARNING KITS 52 EARLY LEARNING KITS 55 EARLY LEARNING KITS 43 EARLY LEARNING KITS 48 EARLY LEARNING KITS 45 EARLY LEARNING KITS 41 EARLY LEARNING KITS 46 EARLY LEARNING KITS 43 EARLY LEARNING KITS 32 EARLY LEARNING KITS 50 EARLY LEARNING KITS 51 ROKUS 165 ROKUS 155 ROKUS 306 ROKUS 659 ROKUS 1,009 ROKUS 942 ROKUS 1,001 ROKUS 867 ROKUS 1,030 ROKUS 993 ROKUS 1,010 - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 LIBRARY OF THINGS 21 ADULT 359 ADULT 414 ADULT 351 ADULT 268 ADULT 308 ADULT 299 ADULT 335 ADULT 257 ADULT 347 ADULT 317 ADULT 337 KIDS 51 KIDS 128 KIDS 69 KIDS 54 KIDS 60 KIDS 121 KIDS 75 KIDS 40 KIDS 42 KIDS 116 KIDS 70 RESIDENT 212 RESIDENT 289 RESIDENT 214 RESIDENT 185 RESIDENT 215 RESIDENT 227 RESIDENT 223 RESIDENT 155 RESIDENT 228 RESIDENT 239 RESIDENT 236 NONRESIDENT 198 NONRESIDENT 253 NONRESIDENT 206 NONRESIDENT 137 NONRESIDENT 153 NONRESIDENT 193 NONRESIDENT 187 NONRESIDENT 142 NONRESIDENT 161 NONRESIDENT 194 NONRESIDENT 171 - 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 NEW CARDHOLDERS 22 ADULT 11,118 ADULT 11,264 ADULT 11,300 ADULT 11,548 ADULT 11,681 ADULT 11,828 ADULT 11,882 ADULT 12,139 ADULT 12,151 ADULT 12,468 ADULT 12,681 KIDS 1,924 KIDS 1,980 KIDS 1,997 KIDS 2,018 KIDS 2,027 KIDS 2,106 KIDS 2,012 KIDS 2,052 KIDS 1,959 KIDS 2,075 KIDS 2,092 RESIDENT 6,788 RESIDENT 6,920 RESIDENT 6,937 RESIDENT 7,117 RESIDENT 7,212 RESIDENT 7,335 RESIDENT 7,345 RESIDENT 7,500 RESIDENT 7,501 RESIDENT 7,740 RESIDENT 7,881 NON RESIDENT 6,254 NON RESIDENT 6,324 NON RESIDENT 6,360 NON RESIDENT 6,449 NON RESIDENT 6,496 NON RESIDENT 6,599 NON RESIDENT 6,549 NON RESIDENT 6,691 NON RESIDENT 6,609 NON RESIDENT 6,803 NON RESIDENT 6,892 - 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 2024 2025 2026 TOTAL CARDHOLDERS 23 Bridges Library System Staff Reports October 2026 Brittany Larson – Library System Director 2026 Jefferson County Library Budget: I presented the budget to the Jefferson County Finance Committee on Wednesday, September 16th. It went well, and there were many Jefferson County directors and trustees in attendance to help support the request and share updates from their libraries. County Library Tax Exemptions: I requested and collected documentation on municipal exemptions for all Waukesha County municipalities and provided it to Waukesha County Administration. All 18 municipalities requested the exemption. Jefferson County municipal exemptions are due to Jefferson County by November 1st. State Public Library System Plan: Each year, Wisconsin public library systems submit a plan to the Bureau of Libraries describing the program and budget for library service to be carried out in the subsequent year as required by Wisconsin Statutes. The staff and I worked to compile details of our 2027 service plans and budget information. This will be reviewed by the Bridges Board at their meeting this month for submission to the Bureau of Libraries by October 30 th. The Bureau of Libraries must certify to the Department of Administration that the system plan conforms to Chapter 43. Systems that submit plans by that date can expect to receive the first state aid payment no later than December 1st. Professional Development: I attended Wisconsin Tech Days webinars on September 14th and 15th. I attended a Wiscnet Mini Conference on September 23rd where the main focus was on AI. As a reminder I will be at WLA October 20th-23rd and will be attending the Bridges Board meeting virtually. Library Visits/Meetings: On September 10th Bridges staff held a New Director Orientation for the Watertown Library Director. I attended a COLAND (Council on Library and Network Development) meeting on September 11th. I attended an Eagle Library Board meeting on September 14th. I performed a site visit at the Prairie Lakes Library System and met with the System Director on September 24th. Strategic Planning: The Bridges 2026 Strategic Planning Process is well underway. WiLS facilitated a discussion with the Bridges Board in September and also met with the Strategic Planning Team for a kick-off meeting to discuss framework on September 28th. I delivered a questionnaire to the Jefferson County Library Services Board in early October. At the November APL meeting WiLS will facilitate a discuss with the Bridges Member Library Directors. A survey will also go out to members in November and I met with WiLS on October 7 th to discuss the building of this survey. Kelly Nelson – Coordinator of Library Development SEWI Libraries Healing Through Connection Discussion Panel – Hosted at the MLK branch of Milwaukee Public Library, this discussion panel talked about how libraries can support children and families. Largely organized by Milwaukee Public Library and MCFLS, I was able to support this event by offering it up to all SEWI Libraries providing advertising and registration. 24 SEWI Libraries Adult Public Programming Meetups – I hosted two Adult Public Programming Meetups at the Watertown and Waterford Public Libraries in September. Librarians discussed programming surrounding AI and education for the public as well as general programs they’ve done and ideas they’re considering. Both were lively discussions. Tech Days Wisconsin – I assisted Angela Schneider from the Winnefox Library System in organizing this year’s Tech Days Wisconsin, a 2-day web conference dedicated to technology topics related to librarianship. Our topics ranged from AI and the importance of educating ourselves to help the public, to AI programming, to AI-generated materials and how we handle them as libraries. All recordings can be found at techdayswisc.org. Trustee Appreciation Event – Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Trustee Appreciation Event a success! 86 trustees, directors, and guests attended. We hope you had a fantastic time! This year’s slideshow of all the amazing things Bridges libraries have done this past year can be found here or by visiting the Bridges Library System YouTube channel. Watertown Visit – I visited the Watertown Public Library to discuss their upcoming staff in-service day and ideas for learning sessions. Upcoming 2026 Events • Bridges Adult Services Meet-Up – Tuesday, November 10, 1:30-3:30 pm, Jefferson Public Library • SEWI Libraries Break-In Kit Workshop – Wednesday, November 18, 1-4 pm, Sussex Civic Center Angela Meyers – Coordinator of Youth and Inclusive Services Inclusive Services • Coordinated the seventh annual Fall Family Day for the Library Memory Project on Sunday, September 27, at Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha. The event drew 111 participants, including one family with more than 20 members in attendance. Activities included live music, Lotería with prizes, planetarium shows, a hand-warmer craft, and an educational presentation on fall bird migration. • In the absence of Eagle’s director, assisted with the Memory Café at Alice Baker Memorial Library. Participants enjoyed music bingo featuring songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Eight people attended, including four who were new to Memory Cafés. Kelly from Bridges sews scented handwarmers at Fall Family Day Library Board Trustees watch a planetarium show at the Horwitz- Deremer Planetarium. 25 Youth Services • Facilitated the Youth Services Meet Up at Watertown Public Library on September 17 with Matt from Bridges. We had representatives from seven member libraries across both counties. Also facilitated the Teen Think Tank Meeting at New Berlin Public Library on September 23 with Kelly and Matt from Bridges, with staff from six libraries across both counties. At both meetings, Matt introduced himself and we briefly discussed AI and publishing. • Coordinated fall book browsing for youth services librarians at The Community Space in Whitewater. Staff from five libraries selected close to 900 books at no cost to add to their collections or use as reading program incentives. • The Kids’ Choice 2026–27 book list is now available on the Bridges Library System website, and public libraries have received their printed promotional materials. • Collaborated with the Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS) and Bridges Library System to plan the Mock Awards program, scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2027, at Franklin Public Library. The Mock Awards provide an opportunity for library staff to read and discuss outstanding children’s and teen literature. Matthew Murphy – Database Management Librarian Site Visits In September, I started visiting Bridges libraries so I could introduce myself in person and get to know the library staff. I also asked each library a few questions about how I could best assist them in their day- to-day work. As of September 30, I have visited 8 libraries: Big Bend, Butler, Eagle, Hartland, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Waterloo, and Watertown. System Meetings I attended the Youth Services Meetup at Watertown on September 17, and the Teen Think Tank at New Berlin on September 23. At both meetings, I introduced myself and discussed some ideas related to cataloging library materials that may have been wholly or partly created with generative AI. Cataloging Requests and Backlogs I began chipping away at tasks that have lain dormant since my predecessor’s retirement; this includes Z records, bibliographic records with no items attached, and name/subject authorities. As of September 30, the name/subject authority work is all caught up, and work on Z records and bibs with no items continues; these are small backlogs and do not affect the day-to-day functionality or use of the catalog. Amanda from the Waterloo library selects books at The Community Space 26 In addition to the above, I have been handling original cataloging requests from member libraries, in order to reduce their backlog of unique materials, mostly “Library of Things” items. Polaris and Vega Enhancements I’ve begun working with Shawn and Mellanie on custom TOMs (type of material) in Polaris, which will assist in rollup functionality in Vega. Additionally, I’ve begun testing out custom Polaris reports but building SQL queries; I plan to work with member libraries to see what custom reports would be most useful to them. Emily Heller – Public Communications Coordinator Outreach at Apple Harvest Festival On Saturday, September 19, Kelly and I attended Apple Harvest Festival at Retzer Nature Center. Due to the rainy day, our booth was moved to a sidewalk to avoid any muddy conditions. Despite the weather, the event had a steady flow of people all day. We counted 501 interactions with attendees, and they had a good time filling our “bookshelf” with their favorite titles. Story Hike Our Fall Story Hike partnership continues through Oct. 31! Hikers are reading The Acorn and the Oak, by Rhonda Accardo, on newly designed signs on the white trail at Retzer Nature Center! Kids’ Choice Award I updated the Kids’ Choice Award posters, flyers, bookmarks, stickers and marketing materials. The promotions toolkit will also include some trending social media images carousel posts for use by member libraries. Advertising - AM 620 “What’s on Tap” Radio Interview Library Director Gerard Saylor from L. D. Fargo Public in Lake Mills joined WTMJ’s Sandy Maxx to discuss the library’s history and current "Build on a Legacy" capital campaign. It aired on September 21. Listen to the Lake Mills interview Consulting On September 16, I held an in-person Marketing Meetup at Hartland Public Library. There were 15 attendees from 12 libraries. We had a great “Steal This Idea” Workshop where we all got to share marketing and promotions that have worked well in libraries. We all left with some fantastic ideas to try. 27 In the news: - Local author wins awards in California book festivals: Waukesha Freeman Article - World Cup fever leads local child to pen book about soccer tournament (Missed in July): Waukesha Freeman Article - New Berlin library adds color analysis kits for checkout: CBS 58 News Story - Delafield Public Library launches 1,000-mile hiking challenge: Fox 6 News Story - The Delafield Public Library has a challenge for you in October: Fox6’s Bret Lemoine Facebook - There Are No Small Towns, Only Small Minds: PEN America Article News Archives Newsletter Data: Industry standard/goal is 44% Open Rate • Marketing Magic: o Oct. 2: 61.45% Open Rate o Sept. 18: 55.42% Open Rate o Sept. 4: 55.42% Open Rate • Monthly Bridges: o Oct. 5: 43.71% Open Rate o Sept. 9: 49.95% Open Rate o Aug. 14: 45.8% Open Rate • Monthly Legislators: o Sept. 1 (Back to School): Legislators – 33.33% Open Rate Staff - 32.35% Open Rate 28 DIRECTOR’S REPORT OCTOBER 2026 BUDGET/FINANCE The city budget workshop for the library wrapped up on Tuesday, October 13. The final city budget is scheduled for approval on November 1. BUILDING/FACILITIES Badger Railings have installed all new railings at the library entrance. They look great. The library building is now 40 years old, and several facility updates are required. We recently completed necessary repairs to our smoke alarm system, though additional work may be needed. City Facilities Manager Ken Bingen has successfully addressed the immediate roof leaks; however, he advises that a full roof replacement is necessary. Ken is currently gathering quotes for the roof, HVAC system, and carpet cleaning. To enhance facility security, the City is actively seeking cost estimates for camera systems across all city buildings. COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT/REFERENCE We are excited to announce two new grants! First, a $2,000 grant from the city’s Utilities Department will help us expand our Library of Things collection. Additionally, Lizzie Brazleton and Natalie Hilmer secured a $3,000 grant from the East Asia in the Upper Midwest Library Program. This funding will allow us to purchase East and Southeast Asia–related materials to enhance our collections and programming, including book club sets, and special events. FRIENDS OF OPL The Friends’ Book Sale was a huge hit this month. Here are the final totals: $18 Beardie Bucks redeemed $80 in new memberships $2461.60 Total collected for books sold. They beat April's total by $330.95! That had been their previous high total. The Quarterly Friends meeting will be November 2 at 6 pm. The Friends Annual Cookie Walk will be held on December 12, 9:30 am-12 pm. Friends are requesting cookie donations for the event. 29 The Friends are a 501 (3)(c) (non-profit) organization created to support the library's mission and assist in fundraising for various library needs, such as Explore Passes to local attractions, Summer Reading Program prizes, and food and vet care for Clementine (the Library's bearded dragon animal ambassador). Follow them on Facebook for more information and opportunities. OPERATIONS Ella Vesico accepted our offer for our Page position. We are thrilled to have her joining our team. We are currently fully staffed. PERSONNEL/CONTINUING EDUCATION Jen Puccini and Natalie Hilmer will be attending the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference this week. Staff Development Day is scheduled for Friday, November 6. The library will be closed on this day. PROGRAMMING Jennie Fidler and Natalie Hilmer participated in the Senior Resource Fair, sponsored by the City of Oconomowoc Senior Cohort, held at the Community Center on October 2. Our Memory Care kits were a highlight at the event. Thanks to a grant from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Foundation, we now have 20 STEM kits available for checkout! Jennie Fidler launched our new STEM Kit Collection featuring hands-on kits designed to help children ages 8– 12 explore science, technology, engineering, and math through engaging activities and books. 30 Approved 12/8/2022 STRATEGIC PLAN 2023 MISSION The Oconomowoc Public Library’s staff, collections, services, and spaces provide the opportunity for our diverse community to explore, discover, learn, and grow, enriching individual lives and our community. STRATEGIC PLAN The Library Board of Trustees supports the staff’s implementation of the Strategic Plan and Mission Statement. Staff use the Strategic Plan and Mission Statement to guide decision making and to define the scope of Library Services. LIFELONG LEARNING We are committed to fostering curiosity and quenching every thirst for knowledge—it’s the core of everything we do, and evident to everyone we serve. • Find effective, innovative ways to support all learners. • Explore additional opportunities to serve older adults and those living with memory loss. • Seek opportunities to grow the collection in creative ways that reflect the growth and changing needs of our community, such as expanding The Library of Things and exploring additional kit-based collections. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT We will partner with individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and schools to deliver relevant and timely services and access to information. • Seek innovative ways to serve current patrons and reach new ones. • Build new community relationships and partnerships. • Explore and engage in Library fundraising activities as appropriate and advisable by the Board of Trustees. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Everyone in our community will recognize themselves in the diversity of our collection and programming. • Ensure that staffing meets the evolving needs of our community. • Develop and maintain inclusive, safe, welcoming spaces and services. Continue commitment to improving the Library facility's accessibility. • Library staff will complete a diversity audit of all areas of the Library collection. 31