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February 10, 2026 BOT Meeting Minutes

Allegany County Library System Board of Trustees: Board Meeting Minutes

Tuesday – February 10, 2026 – South Cumberland Library

Printable Word Doc

I. Welcome

  1. Call to Order was at 4:01pm
  2. Roll Call: all present
  3. Adoption of Agenda – Motion made by Bill Bingman, second Katie Weir. Passed.

II. Approval of the Regular Meeting Minutes of January 13, 2026 –

Motion made by Deb Hendrickson, second by Molly McCord. Passed.

III. President Report – Renee Kniseley

Renee Kniseley commended Ashley and Lisa for doing a great job at PACE.  Everyone did well speaking with the delegates in encouraging them to keep library interests at the front of mind.

V. Interim Executive Director Report – Lisa McKenney

  • Policy Update: Nursing Mothers/Childcare Policy Motion made by Bill Bingman, second Molly McCord. Passed
    • Policy Update: Voluntary Sick Leave Donation Policy Motion made by Deb Hendrickson, Second Katie Weir
    • Policy Update: Workplace Violence Policy Motion made by Katie Weir, second Molly McCord
    • Flood Insurance Decision
      • Selective Insurance sent a bill for renewal and a letter stating the library’s RCV (Replacement Cost Value) needed to be updated
        • The insurance bill is $19,682
        • No increase over previous year
        • Same coverage $500K for building and $81K for contents
        • Payment is due on 3/6/26
        • RCV is defined as replacement of the structure at today’s values (ex. Foundation, walls, etc) The current RCV for Westernport Library is 1.2 million.  It is expected to be higher at today’s values. 
      • Since 2007, the library has paid $194,000 in flood insurance coverage for Westernport Library
      • Details, Communication and Recommendation
        • Correspondence and phone call with CBIZ in December and January
        • Explored options for flood insurance for cost comparisons:
        • Philadelphia Insurance Company – Declined due to the large loss
        • Neptune Flood – Declined due to the large loss
        • RT Specialty – Declined to provide quote
      • Renewing insurance given the current state of the building –
        • Question:  If we do not renew with Selective, are we at risk of not being able to pick up insurance later? 
        • Answer:  No, “if you did not decide to renew this policy and wanted to get coverage later then they would not deny coverage due” But, Selective says if it floods again: “if you have severe repetitive losses then we would need to go directly to FEMA” as a last resort.  In other words, if it floods again, flood insurance will most likely be declined as no one will want to take on the risk.
        • Question:  Given the damage to the structure, how would we handle the RCV update?  Would the need to update this figure if the insurance policy renewal could be temporarily put on hold?
        • Answer: The RCV update can be put on hold if the insurance is not renewed
        • Question:  If another flood comes when we have no coverage, what will be the consequences?
        • Answer: The library would need to be responsible for cleanup
        • Question: Does the 1 million from Governor Moore have to be used at 66 Main Street?
        • Answer: No, the Governor’s representative said the Governor wants a Westernport Library.  How we get there is up to us.
      • The recommendation is that we do not pay for flood insurance for the building in this current derelict status Motion made by Deb Hendrickson to accept the recommendation to defer payment of the flood insurance for Westernport Library, second Bill Bingman. Passed by unanimous vote.
    • Budget and financial report:  —Motion made by Juli McCoy, second Jack Coburn. Passed.
    • FY27 budget draft was reviewed.  Although Allegany County’s population decreased by 176 people (67273 to 67097), per capita increased by .10 cents per person.  Therefore, the Library will receive $4588.00 more from the State of Maryland in FY27.

    VI.  Library Administrators Updates

    Marketing and Outreach, including Statistics — Ashley Swinford

    Statistics for January 2026 –

    • General Usage: Most metrics showed a year-over-year decline, a trend influenced in part by an unusually cold and snowy January that reduced access to in-person services.
    • Circulation: Despite the weather, circulation remained strong, even increasing over November and December. (I think it was the storm scare, stocking up incase we got the full two-feet predicted) 
    • Programs: While still in the slow season, attendance remained strong, especially among adult attendees.
    • Digital Users: The cold and snowy conditions may have prompted some patrons to explore the library’s digital offerings, reflected in a notable increase in new digital users. However, total digital users declined by 3% overall. This decrease coincides with WMRL’s decision to reduce the budget cap on hoopla, which has led some users to experience access limits and seek alternative resources. Motion made by Jack Coburn, second by Katie Weir. Passed.

    Ashley reviewed the Public Library Survey compiled over the past 20 years to outline trends.

    • The purpose of this project is to provide long-term context—to show trends, patterns, and relationships across years—rather than to focus on any single data point. The visuals in the packet are meant to support that big-picture view.
    • First, looking at circulation, print circulation is down 48% over the last 18 years. This reflects long-term shifts in how materials are used and accessed, and it aligns with broader national trends in public libraries. This visual helps set the context for how traditional circulation has evolved over time.
    • Next is registered borrowers. This visual highlights several important moments. You can see the introduction of the STAR Card in 2017, followed by a change in reporting methodology in 2019, then the significant disruption during the COVID period. What’s most notable is what happens after that: over the last three years, there has been genuine growth in borrowers of about 230%, showing a strong rebound and renewed engagement.
    • When we look at library visits, you’ll notice that the visits trend closely mirrors the public service hours visual. As hours increase or decrease, visits tend to follow. This reinforces the idea that access—simply being open—plays a major role in in-person library use.
    • Over the past 24 years, the number of library programs offered has increased by 57%. During that same period, program attendance has grown by 361%, demonstrating not just more offerings, but substantially higher public engagement.In addition, meeting room use has increased 369% in just the last six years, highlighting the library’s importance as a space for community connection, education, and civic activity. Taken together, these trends show sustained and accelerating demand for these library services across the system.
    • Looking at collection expenditures, spending is roughly where it was in 2001. While the dollar amount appears similar, the cost of books and materials has increased significantly over that same period, meaning the purchasing power of those dollars has declined.
    • On the next page, income from fines, fees, copying, and printing has decreased 46% over the last 24 years, reflecting changes in service models and reduced dependability on transactional income.
    • The last page shows total operating expenditures compared to total operating income, providing an overall financial snapshot and a long-term view of how costs and revenues have tracked together over time. Most of the larger fluctuations align with capital building projects. During the COVID years, there were a few periods where the balance sheet appeared more positive. Since 2022, however, income and expenses have tracked very closely, leaving little margin. The past two years, in which expenditures have exceeded income, are particularly concerning and important to note in the broader context of long-term sustainability.
    • Finally, staffing trends and wage pressures together tell a clear story. Over the past 24 years, the total number of paid employees has declined by 35%, even as the output and demand of library services has grown dramatically. In other words, the library system is delivering significantly more public service with fewer staff overall. At the same time, long-term wage trends have eroded the system’s competitiveness in the labor market. Over the last 20 years, Maryland’s minimum wage has increased by 191%, while ACLS spending on salaries and wages has only increased by approximately 100%. This gap became especially visible in 2020, when full-time minimum wage earners surpassed ACLS starting salaries for full-time employees for the first time. Taken together, these trends illustrate a system that is operating at higher demand with fewer staff, increased workload pressure, and diminished wage competitiveness—creating another sustainability challenge that affects both workforce retention and the library’s ability to meet future community needs.

    Branch Services— Shea Morse

    Shea provided updates about author Lita Judge’s visit in partnership with the Children’s Literature Center on March 10th at the Frostburg Library; The Winter Reading Games reading challenge during the month of February; Vaccine Clinics at all branches; Partnerships with Mr. Toad’s Pottery including a book cover painting event on February 20; and plans for the Seed to Supper series at South Cumberland Library in partnership with the Western Maryland Extension Office, among other things.

    Human Resources— Alexis Halterman

    Lexi described the work of restructuring and revising job descriptions, and learning the roles of Administrative staff.  She is also working on standardization of training, participating in the planning committee of the Tri County Summit as well as planning a CPR/AED/First Aid training for staff for the upcoming All Staff Meeting.  Lexi is attending the Statewide HR meeting in March.

    IT, including Facilities Updates — Jason Armstrong

    Jason updated work on the South Cumberland HVAC which led to the children’s room being 61 degrees as well as a broken coil in a unit which is estimated at 10K to replace.  We are getting prices for the replacement of the unit for comparison since it does not use the current refrigerant and we would be investing in obsolete equipment.  Jason worked with a local firm to get an estimate for full replacement for HVAC at Washington Street Library and to install emergency lights (required by law) which were not functioning at George’s Creek Library.  He is also working on phone and internet upgrades at 121 Main and porting the old phone numbers for Georges Creek and Westernport to new providers.  He also updated Quickbooks, patched servers, installed a new PC in the ILL Department, and updated switches.

    VII. Public Comment – Requests to Address the Board

    no members of the public were present

    VIII. Closing Remarks & Motion to Adjourn

    Motion made by Jack Coburn. 

    Adjourned at 6:14 PM

    Upcoming Meetings:  March 10, 2026 South Cumberland Library