Meeting Summary and Briefs: Frankfort Public Library District for Dec. 11, 2025

Frankfort Public Library District Meeting | Dec. 11, 2025

The Frankfort Public Library District Board of Trustees met on Thursday, December 11, 2025, to discuss facility renovations, financial reports, and upcoming changes to state laws affecting public bodies.

President Look called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. Following the pledge of allegiance and roll call, the board approved minutes from the November meeting, with a minor correction noting that a completed HVAC project had finished $26,000 under budget. The meeting concluded at 9:05 p.m.

Briefs:

New Laws Impact Library Operations:
Library Director Amanda Kowalcze reported on several legislative changes effective January 1, 2026. Under the new laws, junk mail is now excluded from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) definition of public records. Additionally, meetings of public bodies are now prohibited on election days. The board also noted that military service has been added as an acceptable reason for trustees to attend meetings remotely, which will necessitate an update to the Board bylaws.

Staff Completes Safety Training:
Library staff members are participating in new safety initiatives. Employees are undergoing Narcan safety training to respond to opioid overdoses. Additionally, a bleeding control station has been installed at the West End of the library, and staff are attending “Stop the Bleed” training.

Friends of the Library Update:
Jeff Slovak, liaison for the Friends of the Library, reported that the group has raised just under $1,000 through the “giving tree” donations since November 17. The Friends also funded new mobile whiteboards for use in the meeting rooms. Slovak announced that the Friends of the Library Art Market is scheduled for March 28.

New Cleaning Service Hired:
The Director’s Report indicated that a new cleaning company has been hired to service the library and is scheduled to begin operations in January 2026.