GCHRLB 06.03.2025 Meeting Notes
Karin’s Note: Once I get the board documents back from an ORR, I will post them with the notes.
Board Members Present: Bill Tinley (Chair - Burke), Windy Beddingfield (Treasurer - Columbia), Richard Flakes (Burke), Hillary Millar (Columbia), David Davis (Columbia), Pat Goodwin (Columbia), Kim Kay (Warren). Late: Amanda Hullum (Columbia)
Also in attendance: Amanda Ham (Regional Director), Devin Morris (Amanda’s Assistant), Julie Walker (State Librarian), Glen Kennedy (CC Deputy County Manager), John Luton (CC Community Services Director), Austin Rhodes (member of CC Library Advisory Board)
Call To Order: 10:30AM
Approval of Agenda: Yay 7, No 0
Approval of Minutes: Yay 7, No 0
Treasurer’s Report:
On track with budget for this year: in the last month of FY 2024.
FY 2025 starts July 1
Approve Treasurer’s Report: Yay 7, No 0
Director Report:
Attended Director Training in May
Summer Reading Program has kicked off across region
Zoo Atlanta pass has been discontinued
New Business
Approval of Budget
Proposed budget is 7/1/2025-12/31/2025: split in have due to CC leaving region as of 1/1/2026. Approved: Yay 7, No 0
Millar: What is info retrieved?
Ham: Databases
Signatory Authority 0 sign for funds being disbursed for region
Amanda & Devin. Approve: Yay 7, No 0
Davis: Are these positions bonded?
Ham: No, they are not bonded. We are working with the State and Julie Walker because our Region was set-up a little differently from other regions.
Approval for Director Salary: Approve: Yay 7, No 0
Public Comments:
Anna Muza: Read a Tweet from a profile “Maia Poet” on X as representing someone who has “detransitioned.”
Karin Parham: Criticized the creation and application of the guidelines during recent Reconsiderations and book categorizations of books regarding the human body, basic reproduction and sexuality. Asked for guidelines to be rescinded.
Marlena Bergeron: Criticized the guidelines and Columbia County’s recent decision to remove itself from GCHRL. Also criticized individuals who have only come to the library to seek out books to challenge in an attempt to tear down the library. Asked for the guidelines to be rescinded.
Ayman Fadel: Discussed GCHRL board members role in previous times vs now. Discussed the ideals of the public library and its history in the US. Also noted that not all countries have public libraries as a resource. Asked for the guidelines to be rescinded.
Kaitlin Giddens: (while holding a sleeping toddler). Recounted that some of her favorite YA books from when she was a teen have now been moved to the adult section. Discussed that YA books are for teens, address topics that real teens face and that references to sex do not mean that the book is “porn”.
Board went into Executive Session: Yay 7, No 0
Board came out of Executive Session: Stated they discussed the guidelines but there would be no vote.
Adjourn: Yay 8, No 0