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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-09-01 LBOT MinutesBoard of Library Trustees Minutes: September 1, 2021 1 PALM SPRINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MINUTES Palm Springs Public Library September 1, 2021 Teleconference via Zoom 1. CALL TO ORDER President McBride called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT Craig Borba Yes Juanita Garner Yes Al Jones Yes Ed McBride Yes David Norgard Yes STAFF PRESENT: Jeannie Kays, Director of Library Services. CITY STAFF PRESENT: Lisa Brock, Library Operations and Collection Manager; Julie Warren, Library Services and Public Relations Manager. PUBLIC PRESENT: None. 2. CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None. 4. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION: (Borba/Garner, 5-0) To approve the consent agenda. 4. A. Meeting Minutes of June 2, 2021 4. B. Library Statistics 4. C. Donation Report 5. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS 5. A. Friends of the Palm Springs Library Julie Warren gave the report. The Friends are working on merchandise to sale including T-shirts, aprons, and stickers. They are celebrating their 50 th anniversary and are starting to plan events for the Fall. For Modernism Week they are planning a house tour, a lecture, and an exhibit. 5. B. Palm Springs Public Library Foundation President McBride gave the report. The Foundation is working on an end of year campaign; they have hired Palm Springs Life to assist with it. Board of Library Trustees Minutes: September 1, 2021 2 5. C. Library Staff Community Survey: The city is conducting a community survey. The first phase includes mailings to 2,700 randomly selected households. Postcards will be mailed to these addresses beginning on Sept. 1 to alert residents that they have been selected to participate. The open participation portion of the survey is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 20 and is available to all residents who were not selected as part of the random sample group. The City will distribute the survey link widely to get maximum participation. Special Election: The Library will be an election assistance center September 10-14. Ballots can be dropped off September 11-13 from 9 am to 5 pm and September 14 from 7 am to 8 pm. Summer Reading Program: June 14-July 24. Had 496 participants. Pre-K and Kindergarteners tracked number of books read and they read 2,254 books. Grades 1 through Adult tracked minutes and they read 180,121 minutes; that’s 3,002 hours. Staffing updates: Welcome back Julie Warren, Library Services & Public Relations Manager. We promoted two part-time Library Assistants to full time. Arun Mayani and Lilia Rodriguez are now full time. Parks & Recreation Department: With the departure of Cynthia Alvarado-Crawford, Library Director Jeannie Kays has been asked to step in as Interim Director over Parks and Recreation. She will be covering for both departments until a replacement can be found. Friends of the Library: Creating merchandise to sell, including t-shirts and aprons. Library Card Sign-Up Month: September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. We encourage you to get a library card. Any resident of California can get a card free of charge. If you live out of state, it’s only $33 a year. Online events: • All the book clubs have announced their selections for this season and have begun meeting via Zoom. • We are introducing a new adult monthly program the second Wednesday of the month: “How Did I Get Here? Capturing Your Memories One Page at a Time: Memoir Writing Basics” This program is facilitated by author and Friends Board member Kathy Weyer. Each month will have a different theme to inspire their memoir writing journey. • Next month author and Desert Ecologist James Cornett will present a lecture on Monday, October 11 via Zoom • The Youth and Teens are doing a monthly pickup craft. For September: Kids are making Sombreros in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month and Teens are making Black Marker Pencil Pouch. Next month the adults will join in the fun and do a pickup pumpkin craft to celebrate Fall. • Finally, the Library is one of four co-sponsors of an author event at the Mizell Center featuring Stephanie Battaglino in conversation with Winston Gieseke of the Desert Sun and special introduction by Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton. The event will be on Wed. Sept. 22 at 6PM at the Mizell Center, the event is free, but you need to register in advance online at Mizell.org/programs. The event will be in-person, but masks and proof of vaccine are required to attend. Door Count Since Reopening May 5, 2021: 27,918 May: 4,897 June: 7,650 July: 7,287 August: 8,084 Arson Fire: On August 5, 2021 a male suspect set the men’s restroom trash can and toilet seat covers on fire. He also tried to burn three books out in the main library atrium. All were damaged beyond repair. Board of Library Trustees Minutes: September 1, 2021 3 Our Security Guard, Kevin Brown saved the day by putting out the fire and identifying witnesses and the suspect. Suspect has not been captured. 6. TREASURERS REPORT Director Kays gave the report. The City is transitioning to a new finance system and the money has not been rolled over into the new fiscal year yet. The Library is still working with the City to move the Friends Book Sale money out of the Trust Fund account. As of July 1st, the trust fund balance was $2,056,467.05. MOTION: (Borba/Jones, 5-0) To accept the Treasurers report. 7. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS 7. A. Election of the Library Board of Trustees Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Trustee Jones nominated Ed McBride as Chairperson and Craig Borba as Vice Chairperson. There were no objections and no other nominations. MOTION: (McBride/Jones, 5-0) To accept the election of Ed McBride and Craig Borba to the office of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Library Board of Trustees. 7. B. Appointment of Library Board of Trustees Treasurer President McBride appointed Al Jones to Treasurer of the Library Board of Trustees. Item 7. D. moved up at this time. 7. D. Discussion of Library Trust Funds investments and local agency investment policy statutes Director Kays, President McBride, and Trustee Borba met with the City Attorney, City Manager, and the Finance Director to discuss the Trust Fund. The City Attorney said that the Library Board has control over the Trust Fund, and should the Board decide to take that money outside the City the Board needs to follow the same guidelines any City organization or Board follows when it comes to investing money. The Finance Director said the City is moving to a new investment company and urged the Board to consider the new company as one of their options. Treasurer Jones asked what return the Trust Fund is getting and Trustee Borba said it is half a percent. The Finance Director invited the Board to participate in the weekly investment call. Trustee Garner said she is interested in finding what the new company can do before making any decisions. President McBride said the Finance Director said the Board can be more involved and have a relationship with the new company to make sure the Trust Fund is handled a certain way. Treasurer Jones said that he has been told that the Library should approach Measure J with a multiyear plan for funds. President McBride said he was charged with setting up a meeting between the Library Board, the Friends of the Library, and the Library Foundation to identify the top priorities for the Library. Director Kays said 7. C. is a key part of this discussion. Trustee Borba suggested having different people come to the Board to discuss how they would handle the Trust Fund. 7. C. Consideration of submitting priorities/areas of focus for the city council visioning session Director Kays gave the report. The City Council is planning to have a visioning session. Every department in the City is working on their own department level priorities as well as the Boards and Commissions. These will be submitted to City Council and then the Department Heads will meet with City Council as a group on November 19 and 20. Director Kays suggested that if the Board wants a joint meeting maybe it should be in December after the Council has set their priorities. Board of Library Trustees Minutes: September 1, 2021 4 Director Kays went over the Department Priority Matrix and shared the ongoing and new priorities. The ongoing priorities are increase library card users and create spaces in the current library facility to meet community needs. The new priorities are review and update library policies with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and create a vision and design for the new library. The Library Board discussed their priority matrix sheet. The Library Board’s ongoing priorities are to establish investment strategies for the Trust Fund so that it grows and secure funding to create spaces in the current library facility to meet community needs. The new priorities are secure funding for Library facilities and leverage community support and awareness. 8. TRUSTEE/STAFF COMMENTS/FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS The Trustees would like a special meeting with the Foundation and the Friends of the Library. Director Kays suggested September 29 at 5:30 pm. President McBride will check the other groups to find out their availability. Trustee Borba suggested that Director Kays include the priority matrix for the Library and Board of Trustees in the meeting packet. Trustee Norgard thanked Director Kays for the orientation and the kind welcome from all the Board members. President McBride mentioned that there are committees that need to be filled and asked members to email him if they are interested in a certain committee. Treasurer Jones said he is interested in the Measure J committee. Trustee Garner is interested in being a Library Foundation liaison. Trustee Norgard said he is interested in Policies and Bylaws. 9. ADJOURNMENT The September meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Jeannie Kays Director of Library Services