Pictured in front, from left, are Warsaw Community Public Library Board Member Cathi Zdenek; WCPL Board Secretary Jill Beehler; WCPL Director Heather Barron; WCPL Board Member Jenn Hicks; and WCPL Board President Chris Merrill. In back, from left, are WCPL Board Treasurer Ben Rice; WCPL Board Vice-President Barbara Beck; and WCPL Board Member Tim Keyes. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Warsaw Community Public Library Board of Trustees adopted its 2024 budget and approved a staff development date during an Oct. 16 meeting.

For 2024, the library’s budget totals $4,224,000, with $3,754,000 in the general fund and $470,000 in the rainy day fund.

WCPL Director Heather Barron requested Dec. 7 as a staff development day, with the library’s staff meeting at the Center Lake Pavilion. Barron said she’s hoping to have John Yeager with The Yeager Leadership Group attend and help staff go through Discovery Insights, a type of personality-based assessment. Live Well Kosciusko is giving the staff access to Discovery Insights at a discounted rate.

In her report to the board, Barron said her first two weeks working at the library have been positive. She also mentioned a TikTok video by a WCPL patron who was excited about being recognized by librarians without having to state her name when picking up holds.

“We shared that with the whole staff and it’s great to celebrate little things like that that they don’t get to regularly see or hear,” said Barron.

The board also:

• Learned the library received $660 in memorial contributions in honor of Becky Richard, an avid reader who passed away in August.
• Approved an updated resolution for corporation or unincorporated association for the library’s safety deposit box, removing retired WCPL Director Ann Zydek from the resolution and adding Barron.

WCPL’s Board of Trustees’ next meeting is at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13.