February 2026 | Director's Report | Minerva Public Library

Director's Report: February 26, 2026

Prepared by Director Jason Bumbico for the February 26, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting

Our annual performance reviews were pushed back due to scheduling difficulties, but are now on the calendar for the first two weeks of March.

We are implementing a new workflow for scheduling programming, based on a two-month planning calendar, so that we can better communicate on programming needs and market the Library more effectively.
We have been working on a new Adventure Pass program where our patrons will be able to borrow passes to visit regional museums and attractions at no cost. We are currently making final decisions concerning what passes we will offer and what the borrowing process will look like. We are hoping to have these passes circulating sometime this spring.
The Seed Library is up and running for the year. With both vegetables and flowers being offered, it is once again proving very popular with patrons.

AARP is currently offering tax help here at the Library on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registrations and walk-ins are picking up, and patrons have been appreciative of the service.
Upcoming programs include presentations on healthy eating, soup recipes, butter-making, fermentation, and women moonshiners.

With the weather improving, our school visits have been more frequent, and storytimes have increasing attendance, including the new evening storytime as well as the new baby-focused program on Fridays.
We have added a new digital resource, Educate Station, which provides curriculum and teaching materials to parents, with a particular focus on providing resources to homeschooling families.
We are beginning to work on planning the 2026 Summer Reading Program. This year the theme is "Unearth a Story," so expect a lot of dinosaurs.

We were notified that the State Library of Ohio has recommended our Celebrating Ohio Book Awards and Authors (COBAA) grant for funding in the amount of $372.68. This LSTA grant supports the purchase of books by Ohio authors and titles recognized by Ohio-based award programs.
New materials added in January 2026 included:
- Adult books: 131
- Audiobooks: 5
- Movies: 9
- Youth books: 198

We have recently completed a website template refresh and usability improvements, including bringing the site into ADA compliance.
The security camera system that we are currently using has reached end-of-life and will require replacement in the near future.

On Saturday, January 31, we had a significant furnace issue that required Buckeye Mechanical to come out to diagnose and troubleshoot the air handlers. We were closed to the public that day to address the problem.
The inclement weather this winter has resulted in increased snow removal costs, compounded by rising road salt prices due to regional shortages.
We are scheduling the replacement of our remaining POTS phone lines (serving the elevator and fire alarm system) with cellular connections. The upgrade is planned for May and is expected to save the Library over $2,000 annually once completed.