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    • Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees will soon choose a new director
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    Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees will soon choose a new director

    Mars Posted on

    The Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees is set to make a decision on choosing a new executive director.

    The jury received 70 applications, which were narrowed down to five semi-finalists. After an interview process with the Board of Directors’ ad hoc search committee, which included both board members and DBRL staff members, the search committee selected Erin Manger, Associate Director of DBRL Public Services, and Robin Westphal, Missouri State Librarian under the direction of the Secretary of Missouri. of the State, as finalists.

    The two men are scheduled to participate in daylong talks Oct. 21 and 22, including touring library district facilities. A public reception is planned for 6 p.m. October 22 at the Columbia Public Library. This is an opportunity for the public to meet the two finalists, who will also have to prepare a presentation on a given topic during the reception.

    The search for a new principal was necessary after the board chose not to renew the contract of former principal Margaret Conroy. The move follows contentious collective negotiations between the library’s board of trustees and the employees’ union. The contract was approved in December.

    The library is also close to reaching an agreement with the city to be able to provide two electric vehicle charging stations in the Columbia Library overflow parking lot. The council approved a memorandum of understanding Thursday evening with the city after the city received a discretionary federal grant for charging and refueling infrastructure. City approval of the MOU will likely occur in November.

    The city is expected to install charging stations at four locations, including at the library. The total federal grant is approximately $3.6 million, including a municipal match of approximately $902,000.

    More: Board of Trustees votes not to renew Columbia library director’s contract

    One of the two parking spaces with electric vehicle charging stations will be a disabled parking space and both will be monitored by a security camera.

    Installing the library stations is estimated to cost $224,000, with the library covering 20 percent of the cost, or about $44,000, but up to $54,000 depending on bids received by the city. While the city installs the charging stations, the library will benefit from a 5-year maintenance guarantee. Library matching funds are supported by the Dr. Virginia G. Young Libraries Foundation.

    “The library will own the EV stations and be responsible for their operation once installed. The library will set the charging rates and receive that revenue stream upon installation,” explained Mitzi St. John, DBRL public relations director in a press release published Friday. -up email to the Tribune.

    Celebrate achievements

    DBRL staff members and library board members recently returned from the Missouri Library Association’s annual conference with awards in hand.

    Otter Bowman and adult services librarian received the Ronald G. Bohley Award “for their tireless advocacy for intellectual freedom,” as noted in the library board meeting packet. Pam Stone, Holts Summit Branch Manager, received the Library’s Outstanding Employee Award. Sherry McBride-Brown’s family accepted the Meritorious Achievement Award. McBride-Brown died in January. She was the library’s first black librarian and served the community for 47 years. Library Board Trustee Patricia Powell received the Virginia G. Young Award for Distinguished Service. All four were recognized by Manger at Thursday’s board meeting, and the board will likely send more messages of appreciation to the honorees in the coming weeks.

    A memorial garden for McBride-Brown’s contributions is planned at the Callaway County Public Library in Fulton. Located to the right of the library’s main entrance, when completed it is expected to “beautify the entrance and improve the overall security of the branch, while honoring McBride-Brown,” the sign filing states.

    Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general topics for the Tribune. You can reach him at [email protected] or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

    Mars
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