A memorial donation remembers a past library board member.
Additional details about the upcoming architect showcase were discussed March 15 during a brief open session portion of a Moniteau County Library Board of Trustees meeting. The board also discussed financials, including the memorial donation, and the results of the Winter Checkout Challenge program.
While discussing the library's finances, Erin Ogg, circulation manager and bookkeeper, said a $1,275 donation was made to the library in memory of Gail Hughes, a former library board member who died Jan. 21.
"Gail Hughes served the library as a board member for several years, and was instrumental in moving the Wood Place Library to the current location," Library Director Connie Beauchamp said. "It was previously located in a house owned by Elia Wood (Paegelow) on High Street. Gale worked diligently on three separate levy elections, over several years, to obtain tax support for the previous Wood Place Library within the city limits of California."
According to his obituary published in the Feb. 1 Democrat, Hughes was an active citizen who served on several other boards throughout Moniteau County, including the California R-I School Board, California Progress Incorporated board, Moniteau County Historical Society and the Moniteau County Democrat Central Committee. He was also active in several local, state, and national commissions and boards, and won several awards at each level. He was a California resident from 1955-2021.
While Hughes played an important role in moving the library to its current location, the current trustees are tasked with moving the library to a future location to better suit its growing needs.
During her report, Beauchamp said the adult fiction display has been removed due to a lack of space, emphasizing the need for a larger location.
Representatives from three architect firms will present their creativity at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Heyssel Hall on the second floor of the Moniteau County Library at Wood Place, 501 S. Oak St. The firms scheduled to present are: Porter, Berendzen & Associates, of Ashland; Sapp Design, of Springfield and Kansas City; and Simon Oswald Architects, of Columbia.
After seeing architects' completed projects and hearing about their creative process, library trustees will pick an architect during a special open session meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday. From there, the chosen firm will start developing a concept for the new space.
Other business
The library board also:
- Discussed additional expenses and amended the library budget accordingly. Amended expenses included the purchase of the vacant lot at 209 S. Oak St. for the new library, and the Deep Freeze software used to automatically wipe hard drives of public computers after patrons are finished using them. Repairs were also made to several shelves.
- In the director's report, Beauchamp mentioned the library had 139 participants in the Winter Checkout Challenge with 1,794 total entries. Winners of the 13 themed gift baskets were drawn March 1.