MFRL Board of Trustees Archive

MFRL Library Board Meeting

Blacksburg Library

April 15, 2026

Board Members Present:

Sue Mellen, Chair

Kamala Bauers, Vice Chair

Linda Claussen

Megan Doney

Kathleen Martinez

Beverly Martinkosky

Tim Thornton

Board Members Absent:

Michelle Ralston

Affiliate Liaisons Present:

Gunin Kiran, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Affiliate Liaisons Absent:

Judy Rea, President of Montgomery Friends of the Library

Kit Haggard, President of Floyd Friends of the Library

Staff Members Present:

Karim Khan, Library Director

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

Laura Dobbins, Blacksburg Library Branch Manager

Kerri Copus, Library Program Coordinator

Beth Newman, Blacksburg Library Assistant Branch Manager

Library Board Chair Sue Mellen called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Trustee Bev Martinkosky, and seconded by Trustee Linda Claussen to accept the April 15, 2026 agenda.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 18, 2026

Trustee Tim Thornton motioned to approve the minutes and Ms. Claussen seconded the motion.

PUBLIC ADDRESS

None.

BOARD COMMENTS

Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison announced that paving Jessie Peterman Memorial Library’s parking lot is on the Floyd County repair schedule.

Public Library Association (PLA) Annual Meeting Report: Kerri Copus, Library Program Coordinator and Beth Newman, Assistant Branch Manager at Blacksburg Library

Ms. Copus and Ms. Newman recently attended the PLA conference held in Minneapolis where they presented on behalf of MFRL.  They co-presented about the award-winning Sensory Museum program, giving tools on how to scale the program from $0-15,000. Ms. Copus also gave a presentation about the Speed Friending program held at Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and JPML.

They also shared themes seen at PLA including burnout and AI.

Branch Report: Laura Dobbins, Blacksburg Library Branch Manager

 Ms. Dobbins began by saying she is proud that two staff members at Blacksburg Library are in library school with a third to be starting in January.  Staffing is stable with low turnover.

She highlighted the past year’s programming for all ages like Welcoming Week, the Pollinator Garden, PAWS for a Break, Aging in Community, Sewing for All, and Music Therapy, the last two being community-sourced ideas.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Information Items

• Floyd County FY 2027 Budget Process

MFRL budget request was submitted on April 1.  The Board of Trustees approved the request for $121,055 in December. The request includes an increase to hourly compensation of Floyd’s part-time Library Assistants and managers.

• National Library Week

Mr. Khan thanked the Chair and Friends for supporting the effort to provide lunch for Blacksburg on Monday, Meadowbrook on Tuesday, Jessie Peterman Memorial on Thursday staff and breakfast for Christiansburg staff on Friday. Liaisons are welcome to attend as well as ex-officious.

For Board Consideration

2026 Holiday Schedule Adjustment to correct the summer Sunday closure information to reflect this year’s May 24-September 6 closure dates.

Trustee Kathleen Martinez made a motion to approve the motion and Ms. Claussen seconded. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed.

AYE

Mellen                            x

Bauers                            x

Claussen                         x

Doney                            x

Martinez                         x

Martinkosky                   x

Thornton                        x

NEW BUSINESS

Information Items

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Development

Mr. Khan has heard from staff that MFRL needs an AI policy. Montgomery County has their own AI policy but it does not apply to MFRL since the library has its own IT staff.  Staff have differing opinions.  Mr. Khan is crafting a long and a short version and it will be coming to the policy committee for review soon.

For Board Consideration

MFRL Policy 206: Volunteers

Trustee Beverly Martinkosky made a motion to approve the motion and Ms. Claussen seconded. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed.

AYE

Mellen                            x

Bauers                            x

Claussen                         x

Doney                            x

Martinez                         x

Martinkosky                   x

Thornton                        x

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Customer Satisfaction

93% from 1,199 responses.

Mobile Library Update

127 visitors at 33 stops.

Objectives Update

• Completed: Monthly reporting of partnership progress to BOT
• Completed: Monthly teen advisory group meeting at Blacksburg
• Completed: Assessment of outdoor programming progress by April
• DELAYED TO 2026-2027: Production of mobile-friendly website

Financial Report

75% through the fiscal year.

 Statistics

Programming

• 3,377 pounds Floyd Free Fridge
• 700 pounds Meadowbrook Free Fridge
• Author Libby McNamee presented on her book Susannah’s Ride at Blacksburg and Floyd. This program was a partnership between MFRL and Historic Smithfield.
• Local author Barbara Pleasant spoke at Floyd on her new book Floyd, VA 2:42.
• Aging in Community, presented by the Aging in Community Leadership Team sponsored by NRV Agency on Aging, has been a tremendous success at Blacksburg.
• Tech Tutoring for Seniors at Blacksburg is appreciated by patrons.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance helped 92 at Christiansburg and 57 at Floyd
• Twenty received tax assistance at MPL through AARP Tax-Aide.
• Meadowbrook’s Free Book Fair welcomed 62 of all ages.
• Thirty preschoolers from Eastern Montgomery Elementary toured MPL and enjoyed a storytime.
• The Sensory Museum at Christiansburg drew 19 attendees.
• Pi Day was celebrated at Floyd in the pavilion.
• A successful Seed Swap was held in partnership with Floyd Wild Gardeners and Partnership for Floyd.
• Preschoolers at Check Elementary and Floyd Head Start were treated to a storytime visit.
• Adult Reading Challenges underway in March included The Great Escape and the 12 and 52 book versions of Read It Your Way. These challenges use the library’s Beanstack account and can always be found from the library’s homepage or at https://www.mfrl.org/readingchallenge.php .  Great Escape had 176 registered patrons; The ongoing Read It Your Way challenges have 366 patrons signed up.

Partnerships

MFRL collaborated with 47 partners in March.

Collection

Branches continue to weed and evaluate materials.

Facilities and Technology

• Meadowbrook’s new mural over the Library of Things shelves was completed by community member Grace Lamberth.
• Montgomery County General Services replaced dimmed and burnt out fixtures at Blacksburg.
• Hot water in the Blacksburg community room was restored.
• Three replacement units for remaining problem areas with Blacksburg’s HVAC system have arrived and are scheduled for installation in April.
• A leaking toilet was repaired at Blacksburg.

Trustees and Staff

• Laura Dobbins represented the system in a Zoom workshop for VT graduate students/faculty who are applying for NSF Early Career Development Awards. The workshop was designed to identify areas for potential partnership opportunities, outreach and speaking engagements within the larger community.
• Khan attended VPLDA Spring Meeting, NRV Livability in Action Regional Exchange, and in his role as Literacy NRV Treasurer participated in their strategic planning kickoff meeting.
• Library Program Coordinator Kerri Copus attended the 2026 cohort of The Virginia Library Leadership Academy (VALLA).

Incidents

• A patron fell due to dizziness at Blacksburg but declined medical care.
• A hypodermic needle at Christiansburg was found and disposed of.
• A patron appearing to be under the influence and not wearing shoes was asked to leave JPML.
• Staff at Christiansburg notified town police after seeing three teens outside the building appear to be in possession of a stolen street sign.

Reconsiderations

• None.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive — None.

Development — None.

Leadership — Need to appoint Secretary.

Policy — Reviewed Volunteer policy.

Floyd Friends of the Library — None.

Montgomery Friends of the Library — Meeting next week.

Floyd County Building Fund, Inc. — None.

MFRL Foundation — Meet tomorrow.

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM.

Approved by the Library Board

Megan Doney, Acting Secretary

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

MFRL Library Board Meeting

Christiansburg Library

March 18, 2026

Board Members Present:

Kamala Bauers, Vice Chair

Megan Doney

Kathleen Martinez

Beverly Martinkosky

Michelle Ralston

Tim Thornton

Board Members on Zoom:

Sue Mellen, Chair

Board Members Absent:

Linda Claussen

Affiliate Liaisons Present:

Judy Rea, President of Montgomery Friends of the Library

Affiliate Liaisons Absent:

Kit Haggard, President of Floyd Friends of the Library

Gunin Kiran, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Staff Members Present:

Karim Khan, Library Director

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

Salena Sullivan, Christiansburg Library Branch Manager

Library Board Chair Sue Mellen called the meeting to order at 6:55 PM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Trustee Bev Martinkosky, and seconded by Trustee Megan Doney to accept the March 18, 2026 agenda.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 18, 2026

Ms. Martinkosky motioned to approve the minutes and Trustee Michelle Ralston seconded the motion.

PUBLIC ADDRESS

None.

BOARD COMMENTS

Newly appointed Trustee Kathleen Martinez introduced herself.

BRANCH REPORT: Salena Sullivan, Christiansburg Library

 Over the past year, Christiansburg Library has hosted a number of new of noteworthy programs.

At Library Night Out, conceived of as date night at the library and run by Assistant Branch Manager Kelcee Sykes, attendees have joined in on scavenger hunts, played mini golf, and picked up a paintbrush to paint a portrait of their partner.

Both Beth Macy and Ron Peterson drew crowds eager to hear the authors talk at their respective programs.

So far 15 children have had the chance to be Kid Librarian.  Modeled after the Blacksburg Library program, every month a participant chooses a selection of materials for their very own display. Christiansburg has recently reopened applications for the upcoming year.

2025 was the final year of Music on the Lawn as those funds will be used for the library’s 40^th Anniversary Party held on September 12, 2026.  There will be live music, food and games. In addition, a yearlong 40^th Anniversary BeanStack challenge is ongoing with prizes featuring the 40^th Anniversary logo.  Merchandise including tote bags and shirts are also available for sale with proceeds going to the anniversary fund.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Information Items

None.

For Board Consideration

None.

NEW BUSINESS

Information Items

None.

For Board Consideration

None.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Customer Satisfaction

95% from 1,163 responses.

Mobile Library Update

95 visitors at 17 stops (9 canceled due to weather). 36 circulations.

Objectives Update

• Monthly reporting and assessment of partnership to Board of Trustees.
• The monthly teen advisory group has been meeting monthly.
• Creation and publication of MFRL Training Catalog has been delayed to April.
• Digital Staff newsletter launched in February.
• Creation of mobile-friendly website in progress.

Financial Report

66% through the fiscal year. Reports were provided in the packet.

Statistics

Programming

• 1,701 pounds of food were distributed in January from the Floyd Free Fridge.
• 800 pounds of food were distributed in January from the Meadowbrook Free Fridge, Freezer and Pantry. Meadowbrook’s food programs were supported by Agape Center, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Salvation Army/Christiansburg, and Dollar General, along with patron donations.
• The Build a Cat Castle program drew 67 participants of all ages at Blacksburg Library with the help of volunteers from VT’s Kappa Pi.
• New River Community Action to bring VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) to Christiansburg and Floyd. This program is highly appreciated by patrons and helped over 100 patrons with their taxes.
• Jeffrey Bennett held an author talk to speak about his new book, The Black Belt of Virginia. The program was in partnership with the Floyd County Library Building Fund and the Floyd County Historical Society.
• In Floyd, Lisa Thompson visited Check Elementary, Floyd Head Start, and Willis Elementary to read to the preschoolers.
• Meadowbrook’s 2-day Friends of the Library Book Sale raised over $150 to support library programs.
• Meadowbrook had 9 participants join us for our Valentine’s Craft Party. It was a cozy and creative time, and attendees enjoyed making seasonal crafts together.
• Also at Meadowbrook, Pokémon Club continues to be a steady favorite, with 9 participants gathering for trading, playing, and connecting with friends.
• The Homeschool Supply Swap brought in 13 attendees at Meadowbrook.
• Christiansburg Institute hosted an after-hours Black History Month program entitled Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow – A Celebration of Black Excellence for 23 people.
• Nine children came to Christiansburg’s Art for Kids: The Style of Alma Thomas and learned about a new artist and art style.
• Christiansburg’s Library Night Out this month featured Rom-Com trivia and crafts for 10 people.
• NRV Master Gardeners hosted Learn to Grow, Use, and Preserve Your Own Herbs at Christiansburg for 25 people.
• At Christiansburg, The American Red Cross Blood Drive hit 100% of our goal with 20 attendees and 19 successful donations.
• Blacksburg’s Galentine’s Day event on Friday, Feb. 13 drew 19 attendees, who enjoyed mocktails, games (one of which cleverly incorporated questions about items in our collection) and generally had a great time. One comment was “Loved having an event to meet new people and socialize. The activities were a lot of fun.”
• Blacksburg’s new Tech Tutoring program led by Assistant Briana Boye has been growing weekly, with many return attendees. Briana has been using the questions she’s answered for patrons to come up with ideas for improving the program in future sessions.
• The rescheduled Gardening in Winter at Blacksburg had a total of 25 in attendance! We’re looking to schedule a similar program during the Fall.

Partnerships

MFRL collaborated with 33 ongoing partners in February and one new partner, Head Start Check.

Collection

Branches continue to weed and evaluate materials.

Facilities and Technology

Blacksburg HVAC issues are mostly resolved, though the back office and staff lounge spaces are still not getting heat. MC General Services has the repair of this sector on their task list.

Trustee Kamala Bauers asked whether the parking lot in Floyd will be fixed.  Karim said he doesn’t think we’re on a schedule, and Ms. Bauers will ask our Floyd County liaison about it.

Trustees and Staff

• Library Assistant Dorine Shepherd has resigned her position at Meadowbrook.
• Laura Dobbins attended a Mt. Tabor Ruritan to accept a donation, as well as Sustainable Blacksburg and planning meetings for Welcoming Week with the YMCA-VT.
• Lisa Thompson was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Floyd Town Council. Lisa also met with an associate director from the National Library of Medicine via Zoom to discuss how JPML has addressed food insecurity, recovery, and public health.  She also Zoomed with the director of Libraries Connected in the UK to discuss how JPML has partnered with agencies and the Floyd Free Fridge.

 Incidents

• At Christiansburg, a hypodermic needle was found under a table in the public area. Using Bloodborne Pathogens procedure, the needle was disposed of. (2/4/26)
• At Blacksburg, a natural gas odor was noticed on 2/10 near the cooling tower on the Miller Street side. Per procedure, the building was evacuated.  The Blacksburg Fire Department checked the building and reported all clear, and the building was re-opened.
• The Mobile Library scraped a guard rail on Hightop Road in the Merrimac area on 2/18.

Reconsiderations

None.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive — None.

Development — None.

Leadership — None.

Policy — None.

Floyd Friends of the Library — None.

Montgomery Friends of the Library — Income is up from last year at this time because of donations.  Newsletter will go out on April 2.

Floyd County Building Fund, Inc. — None.

MFRL Foundation — Gave $26,000 to Blacksburg collection from Dessy fund and $17,000 from donations (over $1,000 from tax refunds). Also set up account for Christiansburg Library. Karim clarified that this will be a flow-through account for wish list items.

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 7:37 PM.

Approved by the Library Board

Megan Doney, Acting Secretary

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

MFRL Library Board Meeting

Christiansburg Library

February 18, 2026

Board Members Present:

Sue Mellen, Chair

Kamala Bauers, Vice Chair

Megan Doney

Beverly Martinkosky

Michelle Ralston

Tim Thornton

Board Members Absent:

Linda Claussen

Affiliate Liaisons Present:

Gunin Kiran, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Judy Rea, President of Montgomery Friends of the Library

Affiliate Liaisons Absent:

Kit Haggard, President of Floyd Friends of the Library

Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Staff Members Present:

Karim Khan, Library Director

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

Library Board Chair Sue Mellen called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Trustee Bev Martinkosky, and seconded by Trustee Tim Thornton to accept the February 18, 2026 agenda.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: January 21, 2026

Ms. Martinkosky motioned to approve the minutes and Trustee Kamala Bauers seconded the motion.

PUBLIC ADDRESS

None.

BOARD COMMENTS

• Kiran noted that the MCBOS interviewed two people for the MFRL BOT vacancies. When their background checks are complete the Board of Supervisors will be able to vote on them.

.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Information Items

Government Updates

• A Virginia General Assembly bill was introduced to create a model collection development policy for Virginia public libraries. The current bill would disrupt the historical model of local control for Virginia libraries, so the Virginia Library Association and the Virginia Library Director’s Association oppose the bill.
• General Assembly is likely to increase State Aid.

Emergency Closure Recap

• MFRL was closed due to weather 144 in January.
  • Sunday, 1/4 Floyd Closed
  • Sunday, 1/25 all day all branches
  • Monday, 1/26 all day all branches
  • Tuesday, 1/27 all day all branches
  • Wednesday, 1/28 close at 5 pm at B, C, M
  • Thursday, 1/29 Blacksburg closed
  • Saturday, 1/31 all day all branches

Blacksburg Library HVAC Update

• Control unit for boiler replaced on January 30.
• Air handler units are not functioning properly in the foyer, public restrooms, and community room, the back workroom, and story room. Those areas remain at 60F or below.
• Our approach has been to close operations when the temperature in the main public service area is below 60 F unless improvement is imminent.
• Blacksburg staff took actions to increase patron comfort in the circumstances:
  • Provided tea, hot chocolate and coffee free of charge to the community throughout the chilly month.
  • Shared status updates to allow community room users to decide whether to continue with their reservation.

Montgomery County Fleet and Property Management Report

• Montgomery County does not maintain a replacement schedule for vehicles or major building systems other than a replacement schedule for Sheriff’s vehicles and MC IT.
• A new tracking system will be implemented in the next two years by the county. It will include a replacement schedule for all property including:
  • Vehicles
  • Major systems (HVAC)
  • Furniture

NEW BUSINESS

Information Items

None.

For Board Consideration

Policy revisions

MFRL 106:  Hours of Operation

MFRL 108:  Fees for Service

MFRL 305:  Exhibits

MFRL 311:  Library Space

MFRL 313:  Public Performance on Library Grounds

Mr. Thornton moved to change 35 to 20 feet in MFRL 313 and Trustee Megan Doney seconded. All were in favor of the change.

Mr. Thornton made a motion to approve policies 106, 108, 305, 311, and 313 including the amendment and Trustee Michelle Ralston seconded. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed.

AYE

Mellen                         x

Bauers                         x

Doney                         x

Martinkosky                x

Ralston                        x

Thornton                     x

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Customer Satisfaction

96% from 1,108 responses.

Mobile Library Update

29 visitors at 4 stops (11 canceled due to weather). 14 circulations.

Objectives Update

• Monthly reporting and assessment of partnership progress was completed by January 15.
• The monthly teen advisory group has been meeting monthly as well with sporadic attendance.
• Creation and publication of MFRL Training Catalog has been delayed to April.

Financial Report

58% through the fiscal year.

Programming

• 2,154 pounds of food were distributed in January from the Floyd Free Fridge.
• 1,000 pounds of food were distributed in January from the Meadowbrook Free Fridge, Freezer and Pantry. Meadowbrook’s food programs were supported by Agape Center, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Salvation Army/Christiansburg, and Dollar General, along with patron donations.
• Christiansburg Library launched a year’s worth of 40^th Anniversary fun with:
  • A Beanstack challenge which has 164 participants so far.
  • A 40^th Anniversary merchandise store with a unique logo for the 40th anniversary. Twenty-five percent of proceeds from the store will go to the MFRL Foundation to be used for the Christiansburg renovation.
  • Signage and social media
• Other Christiansburg programs included Introduction to Crochet with 11 attendees; Kpop Demon Hunters Party drawing in 54 people; NRV Master Gardeners teaching 18 people to make Holiday Arrangements and a presentation from New River Health District for 13 attendees on Substance Use in the NRV.
• At Blacksburg, successful programs were the Big Jim Believes Supa Epic Party with 28 Dogman devotees; Sensory Museum with 15 attendees, Calm Colors with 17 attendees, Speed Friending with 11 friendly folks; and Visible Mending with 18 patrons joining in.
• Meadowbrook sponsored the EastMont Community Reading Quest which collectively read 50 books in Eastern Montgomery in January.
• Also at Meadowbrook, 17 participants got their creative juices flowing at the Anything BUT a Paintbrush event creating very unique art pieces; Hygge at the Library was a hit with 26 participants and Meadowbrook Murder Mystery Board saw 10 eager sleuths who sifted through clues and crime boards in an effort to uncover the killer.
• Blue Mountain School visited Floyd Library.
• At Floyd, the Big and Little Social Club is very popular right after storytime; 82 folks attended the four January sessions; also popular were Ukulele with Mim, Meditation at the Library, and the ongoing Scrabble Club.

Partnerships

MFRL collaborated with 23 ongoing partners in January.

Collection

• Branches continue to weed and evaluate materials.
• Implemented price cap in Hoopla back in September and furtner knocked it down to $5,000 in December. Either it’s this or stopping Hoopla altogether. Mellen asked whether the cut-off time can be seen and Mr. Khan said, yes, it’s before 7 am most days.

Facilities and Technology

• Floyd’s community room door has been repaired.
• Leaky pipes in both Blacksburg and Christiansburg were repaired.
• General Services replaced a leaky toilet valve at Meadowbrook.
• Bunt out interior lights at all branches were replaced.

Trustees and Staff

• Meadowbrook is currently recruiting for a Library Assistant.
• Branch Manager Laura Dobbins attended a meeting coordinated by the YMCA at VT to discuss collaborative programs for Welcoming Week 2026, September 10-19. This year the theme centers around Community Connections. The group will meet monthly.
• Khan, as Literacy NRV Executive Board member, participated in the process for selecting a new Executive Director of LNRV. The new director at LNRV is Lauren Ellis, who began in January.  Former director Ginny Ayers will work this year to assist in the transition before moving on to support her family business full-time in July.
• Lisa Thompson attended the Floyd Recovery Court and the ARSL Board.
• Lisa Thompson was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Floyd Town Council.
• Welcome Deanna Cox as the new part-time Library Associate for the Mobile library.

Incidents

• A straw with possible drug residue was found after closing on January 14. Bloodborne pathogen procedure was followed and the item was discarded in the trash at the telephone recommendation of the police.

Reconsiderations

• None.
• Had interview with Virginia Tech journalist regarding book challenges.

Ms. Bauers asked whether the FLBF has finished paying for the pavilion. Mr. Khan says he believes so.  Ms. Bauers asked whether tables and chairs will be ordered, and Mr. Khan said we have budgeted the $13,000 the MFRLF gave us for pavilion furniture but first we want to see how people use it before buying anything.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive — None.

Development — None.

Leadership — Ms. Mellen tasked the committee to reach out and find volunteer for new secretary.

Policy — Worked on updating policies.

Floyd Friends of the Library — Started membership drive. Off to slow start but did receive one lifetime membership (worth $1,000). Ms. Haggard showed the group the new sticker that new and returning members can receive.  The FFOL got their investment back on the tshirt and bag fundraiser as they made $1,650 and presented a check to the FCLBF. April is their next meeting.

Montgomery Friends of the Library — Did not meet in February. Received highest ever donation of $3.050. Filled one open position for newsletter editor but still have three others. Next meet in March.

Floyd County Building Fund, Inc. — None.

MFRL Foundation — None.

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 PM.

Approved by the Library Board

Megan Doney, Acting Secretary

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

MFRL Library Board Meeting

Christiansburg Library

January 21, 2026

Board Members Present:

Sue Mellen, Chair

Kamala Bauers, Vice Chair

Deanna Cox, Secretary

Megan Doney

Beverly Martinkosky

Michelle Ralston

Board Members Absent:

Linda Claussen

Board Members on Zoom:

Tim Thornton

Affiliate Liaisons Present:

Gunin Kiran, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Judy Rea, President of Montgomery Friends of the Library

Affiliate Liaisons Absent:

Kit Haggard, President of Floyd Friends of the Library

Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Staff Members Present:

Karim Khan, Library Director

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

Library Board Chair Sue Mellen called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Trustee Michelle Ralston, and seconded by Trustee Deanna Cox to accept the January 21, 2026 agenda.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: December 17, 2025

Trustee Beverly Martinkosky motioned to approve the minutes and Ms. Ralston seconded the motion.

PUBLIC ADDRESS

None.

BOARD COMMENTS

Ms. Cox shared that this will be her last meeting. She has appreciated her time on the board.  She is excited to begin on the bookmobile and thanked everyone.  Ms. Mellen thanked her for being active and involved. 

Ms. Mellen also commented that she attended the indoor zoo event at Blacksburg and appreciated that the presenters used mics so everyone could hear what they had to say.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Information Items

Government Updates

The Public Libraries report by the US Government Accountability Office found many libraries to be in poor physical condition with deferred maintenance. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107262

Floyd Pavilion Project

The Pavilion ownership has been transferred from the FCLBF Inc. to Floyd County as of December 29.  Events set in the pavilion are planned for March. Mr. Khan will talk with MFRL Foundation about purchasing furniture for it.

NEW BUSINESS

Information Items

None.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Customer Satisfaction

95% from 1,109 responses. Happy or Not has rolled out AI summaries which do highlight negative comments.,

Mobile Library Update

21 visitors at 5 stops, with 9 stops cancelled due to weather. The MSU participated in the annual Town of Christiansburg Christmas on Main parade.

Objectives Update

• The Staff Training and Development Committee identified key trainings.
• The Communications Committee met and are working on releasing the first newsletter this month.
• Baker and Taylor going out of business has affected the budget but hasn’t affected circulation.
• Replacing OCLC with a cheaper solution might be a way to get around the fact that we’re paying more with Ingram.
• Ralston asked what the Teen Advisory Council does and how many have attended. Mr. Khan said it’s a social group that will create programs for younger kids. So far 5-7 have attended sporadically.

Financial Report

Reports are included in the packet. We have spent a lot on materials but we should be okay. There is a new line for Overtime, 510020.  This year Montgomery County determined everyone should have nonexempt status.  As such there is a cap on comp time.  One of our employees will receive overtime but not $19,000. 19,000 is the value of comp system-wide. Most will be used as comp leave and not paid to anybody.

Mr. Thornton asked if MFRL is accumulating a lot of overtime does that mean the library needs more people? Mr. Khan said yes, and he did put in a request for a new position in the department where the staff person accumulated a lot of overtime.

Statistics

Circulation at 46,463 for December. Mr. Khan commented that December is always a little slower.  The full statistics are in the packet. Graphs shared on the PowerPoint are depicted below.

Programming

• 2,106 pounds of food were distributed in December from the Floyd Free Fridge.
• 1,000 pounds of food were distributed in in December from the Meadowbrook Free Fridge, Freezer and Pantry. Meadowbrook’s food programs were supported by Agape Center, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Salvation Army/Christiansburg, and Dollar General, along with patron donations.
• American Red Cross blood drives at Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Floyd.
• At Blacksburg, PAWS for A Break on December 11 was an outstanding success with over 400 students and community members turning out to engage in relaxing activities such as making origami figures, coloring sheets, or doing puzzles on Reading Day for VT. A highlight was the visit by 3 therapy dogs.
• The fourth and final session of Empowering Caregivers was held on at Blacksburg December 14 with Robin Weeks, Certified Caregiver Consultant. She discussed the impact caregiving can have on relationships and ways to mitigate the stresses that full-time caregiving can have on close and familial relationships.
• Wrapping up the year at Blacksburg, the Vision Board Creation event had 54 attendees who constructed their vision boards for the coming year using pictures from magazines and recycled cardboard.
• Blacksburg collaborated with Blacksburg Books, the Lyric and the Montgomery County Imagination Library to create a poster to be displayed at the Lyric to promote Reading Activities while the Lyric is closed for renovation during January and February. January’s theme centered around award winning books and movies—with the library promoting the Winter Reading Challenge and our DVD and Digital Resources such as Libby and Hoopla.
• At Christiansburg 12 children and teens learned How to Make Comics About Your Life with local graphic novel author, Denali Nalamalapu.
• Christiansburg Holiday Décor Swap had 12 attendees get new holiday decorations. The remaining supplies was donated to the Montgomery County Emergency Action Program thrift store.
• The NRV Master Gardeners taught 18 people to make Holiday Arrangements.
• Eleven adults attended our Library Night Out: DIY Ornaments
• Gingerbread Creations drew 27 participants in.
• At Christiansburg, the American Red Cross Blood Drive reached 131% of their goal with 21 donors. Floyd’s Blood Drive in December had 10 donors.
• Pimento jars were turned into DIY Snow Globes with 29 people.
• Cookie Decorating at Christiansburg was a hit for 34 patrons.
• Meadowbrook joined the community celebrating the holidays with our Handmade for the Holidays series where each week leading up to Christmas we had a special themed program: DIY Air Dry Clay Ornaments, Cookie Boards, and Decorating Mugs and Hot Cocoa Mixes.
• The festivities continued with Gift Wrapping Party where 8 participants enjoyed cozy vibes while receiving tips on best gift-wrapping techniques.
• 73 children were delighted in meeting the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Max at Meadowbrook’s Take a Photo with Grinch
• 33 participants hopped on board at the Polar Express Craft Party, enjoying a hot cocoa bar and themed crafts.
• Tape Town wrapped up our year by turning the community room into taped roadways, where 11 children used their imaginations to zoom all around.
• Floyd Fiber Friends, a library program led by Angie LeNoir, had the first “Tam”enbaum Tree. Over 100 handmade items, hats, scarves, glove, and mittens, decorated the tree and were free for the taking.
• Floyd’s Lisa Thompson did story time at Check Elementary School and Head Start at New River Community Action.
• Springhouse School and Willis Elementary both came for library tours of Floyd.

Partnerships

New: Agape Center, food bank (M), New World Financial Group, How to Choose and Enroll in a Health Insurance Plan program (B).

Currently 58 unique partners for FY26 including new partners listed above.  Attendance at partnership-based programs and events for July-December 2025: 4,183.

Collection

• Branches continue to weed and evaluate materials.

Facilities and Technology

• There are heating problems throughout the building at Blacksburg. General Services is addressing but it is a complicated fix.

Ms. Mellen asked how old the boiler is.  Mr. Khan said the boiler is 30+ years.  Ms. Mellen also asked if there is a replacement schedule in Montgomery County for libraries.  Mr. Khan said the boiler at Christiansburg was replaced 18 months ago and MPL is fairly new.

• At MPL, General Services painted the new Library Hub space.

• The IT Department received their new van to replace their 16-year old vehicle. Mr. Khan said the Foundation will hopefully pay for a logo on the IT van.

Ms. Mellen inquired if there is a replacement schedule for vehicles, and Mr. Khan said to his knowledge there is only a replacement schedule for public safety. Ms. Kiran added that school buses are on a replacement schedule.  Mr. Khan said MC pays for the vehicles and they are not included in our budget.  We had to ask for a new van as an addendum.

Trustees and Staff

• Welcome Deanne Cox as the new part-time Library Associate for the MSU!
• Deanna has resigned her Board of Trustees appointment as of January 22. Montgomery County now seeks two new Trustees from Districts D and F.

Ms. Bauers asked whether Mr. Khan knows if anyone has applied.  He said he’s aware that some have applied.  After a brief discussion the Board asked Mr. Khan to send out a link outlining the Montgomery County districts.

• Farewell to Marissa Boxler at Floyd.
• Library Program Coordinator Kerri Copus has been accepted to the Virginia Library Leadership Academy for 2026.
• Floyd Assistant Branch Manager Lisa Thompson participated in a study by the Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. They were interviewing libraries who have Narcan on hand.
• Lisa also led a zoom with Douglas L. Jackson, Law Specialist, Central Rappahannock Regional Library and Erin Creighton, Assistant Branch Manager from the Fredericksburg Branch, to discuss how they could partner with their local recovery court.
• Blacksburg Branch Manager Laura Dobbins attended the monthly session of the Latino Advisory Council which was held at the VT-YMCA Welcoming Center to learn about the status of immigration enforcement in the NRV, and to learn more about resources for immigrants in the NRV.
• Gunin Kiran will replace Derek Kitts as the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison to the MFRL Board of Trustees.

Incidents

None.

Reconsiderations

None.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive — None.

Development — Facilitated gifts for staff.

Leadership — None.

Policy — None.

Floyd Friends of the Library — The membership drive begins January 25.  The FFOL are offering a sticker thank you gift to renewing and new members. Patrons will also be able to buy it for $4.

Montgomery Friends of the Library — All book sales were down until December and then went above projected revenue. Donations also exploded and the Garden Tour did better than anticipated.  The newsletter is coming soon.  Will need a new liaison from BoT since Deanna is leaving.  Will be creating a nominating committee because MFOL needs a Vice President.  Also looking for a secretary, membership chair, and newsletter editor.

Floyd County Building Fund, Inc. — None.

MFRL Foundation — Will meet tomorrow.

ADJOURN

Ms. Mellen concluded by welcoming Ms. Kiran back to the Board in her role as MC liaison. The meeting was adjourned at 8:04 PM.

Approved by the Library Board

Megan Doney, Acting Secretary

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

MFRL Library Board Meeting

Blacksburg Library

December 17, 2025

Board Members Present:

Sue Mellen, Chair

Deanna Cox, Secretary

Linda Claussen

Megan Doney

Beverly Martinkosky

Tim Thornton

Board Members Absent:

Kamala Bauers, Vice Chair

Board Members on Zoom:

Michelle Ralston

Affiliate Liaisons Present:

Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, Floyd County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Affiliate Liaisons Absent:

Derek Kitts, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Liaison

Kit Haggard, President of Floyd Friends of the Library

Judy Rea, President of Montgomery Friends of the Library

Staff Members Present:

Karim Khan, Library Director

Marissa Zrim, Recorder

Library Board Chair Sue Mellen called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Trustee Megan Doney, and seconded by Trustee Linda Claussen to accept the December 17, 2025 agenda.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 15, 2025

Trustee Deanna Cox motioned to approve the minutes and Trustee Michelle Ralston seconded the motion.

PUBLIC ADDRESS

None.

BOARD COMMENTS

None.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Information Items

Government Updates

Rhode Island vs. Trump case (IMLS)

In the Rhode Island vs. Trump case (IMLS), the federal district court ruled that the executive branch cannot eliminate the IMLS without congressional authorization. The Trump Administration will appeal.

Floyd Pavilion Project

The pavilion has received a certificate of occupancy. The transfer of the property deed from FCBF to Floyd County is working its way through the courts.  When the county takes legal possession, it will be insured and open to public use. It currently retains construction insurance but authorized entrance is not covered under that.

For Board Consideration

None.

NEW BUSINESS

Information Items

None.

For Board Consideration

Montgomery Board of Supervisors decided the entire day of Christmas Eve will be a paid holiday for full time employees. Trustee Tim Thornton moved to approve the Christmas Eve closure from 9 AM- 12 noon. Ms. Cox seconded the motion.

A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed.

AYE                                                                                                       NAY

Claussen, Cox, Doney, Martinkosky, Mellen,

Ralston, Thornton

Trustee Beverly Martinkosky moved to approve the Addenda of new requested Montgomery county spending for FY2027, and Ms. Claussen seconded.

A roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed.

AYE                                                                                                       NAY

Claussen, Cox, Doney, Martinkosky, Mellen,

Ralston, Thornton

 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Customer Satisfaction

94% and 95% in October and November 2025 from 1,229 and 1,007 responses.

Mobile Library Update

307 visitors and 445 circulations in October and November. The MSU will be off the road until the week after MLK day.  Interviews are underway for a new MSU Associate.

Objectives Update

The Staff Training and Development Committee has met.  The monthly staff newsletter hasn’t launched but it is in progress. We are still searching to see if we can find a vendor whose processing costs less than Ingram’s.  If we did our own processing, it would not save money.  Other goals are being met including monthly teen advisory group monthly meetings, staff survey regarding communication preferences and content, the pavilion’s completion and dedication, and removing furniture and fixtures from the MPL computer lab.

Financial Report

Reports are included in the packet. We are doing okay though have spent more on materials than we planned to.  We will get money from the Dessy investments for Blacksburg purchases from MFRLF.

Statistics 

Programming

• On November 14th, Plenty! was one of ten recipients of the I Partner with My Public Library A team of 27 expert reviewers from 20 states and provinces in the USA and Canada convened during the month of September to examine 36 nominations submitted during Summer 2025 by public libraries in 20 states.
• 4,019 pounds of food were distributed in October/November from the Floyd Free Fridge.
• 1,900 pounds of food were distributed in in October/November from the Meadowbrook Free Fridge, Freezer and Pantry, including a special call for 253 Thanksgiving side dishes.
• Blacksburg Library participated in the Hokie Bugfest at Virginia Tech, and met 400 patrons there.
• Halloween was a big driver/theme of programs, including Getting Scary on the Huckleberry, Meadowbrook Boo Bash and Halloween Costume Swaps at B an F.
• 25 attended sensory programs at all branches in October/November.
• The Sensory Museum at Blacksburg hit its largest turnout yet with 24 participants.
• New York Times Bestselling Author Beth Macy spoke on her new book, Paper Girl, at Christiansburg to 96 attendees.
• Author Ron Peterson returned to Christiansburg and Blacksburg, drawing 57 to hear about his new book Runaway Groom.
• Local author Diane Gray discussed her book Faith, Hope and Perseverance: An Adoptees Journey to Finding Biological Family at Christiansburg.
• LNRV’s Family Reads wrapped up the fall series at Christiansburg and Blacksburg.

Partnerships

New: Heart and Hand Uptown (C), Willis Elementary (F), Women’s Resource Center of the NRV (F). Currently 55 unique partners for FY26 including new partners listed above.

Collection

• Branches continue to weed and evaluate materials.

Facilities and Technology

• General Services is arranging repairs of HVAC at Blacksburg and have loaned space heaters for staff. The staff area is cold!
• At Meadowbrook, Montgomery General Services painted the new Library Hub space.

Trustees and Staff

• Welcome Missy Sanders as new Library Assistant at Floyd.
• Welcome Denise Bolin and Lauren Johnston, new Library Assistants at Christiansburg.
• Farewell to Library Assistant Marissa Boxler from Floyd.
• Interviews are underway for the new position of part-time Library Associate for the Mobile Library.
• Meadowbrook Library Branch Manager Jess Tabor and Youth Services Manager Sarah Pahl attended the quarterly virtual meeting for the Mid-Atlantic Library Alliance (MALiA). Jess is the Secretary for MALiA and Sarah is on the Programs Grant Committee.

Incidents

• Staff person at Christiansburg had a non-critical work-related back injury on 10/9.
• Blacksburg staff resolved an unattended small child situation on 10/12.
• Floyd asked a patron to leave on 11/25 when the patron used vulgarity and an angry tone in the library directed at staff.

Reconsiderations

None.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Executive — None.

Development — Completed holiday staff appreciation goal to deliver baked goods to each branch.

Leadership — None.

Policy — None.

Floyd Friends of the Library — FFOL will hold a membership drive at the end of January.

Montgomery Friends of the Library — The Friends of the Library Bag Sale was very successful with over 200 attendees. They raised almost $850 and were supported by 12 Friend volunteers and 7 Virginia Tech volunteers who donated a total of 53 hours over two days!

Floyd County Building Fund, Inc. — None.

MFRL Foundation — None.

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 PM.

Approved by the Library Board

Deanna Cox, Secretary

Marissa Zrim, Recorder