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Fargo Public Library Board - October 15, 2019 Minutes

Regular Meeting: Tuesday, October 15, 2019 Minutes

Board Members Present: Rachael Steenholdt, Mary Batcheller, Jan Ulferts Stewart, Carlos Hawley Jr., Whitney Oxendahl, Scott Beaulier,
Board Members Absent: Carrie Peterson
Staff: Tim Dirks, Sunny Branick, Betsy Dauer
Others Present:

President, Rachael Steenholdt called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM, and a quorum was declared.

Order of Agenda
A motion was made by Carlos Hawley Jr. to approve the Order of the Agenda. Mary Batcheller seconded the motion; motion carried.

Minutes of September 17, 2019 Regular Meeting
Jan Ulferts Stewart made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 17, 2019 meeting. Scott Beaulier seconded the motion; motion carried.

Staff Report
Sunny Branick presented a few highlights of staff updates and events.

Staff updates and Staff development activities:
• Hiring update – still working on filling one part time position at Main and one at Carlson
• Tech Services has cataloged and released a new set of board games that are now available at the Dr. James Carlson Library.
• Bree will be going to Chicago at the end of the month for training in teen advocacy and collaborative learning from YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) and a generous grant from IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services).

Programming:
For a full list of all upcoming FPL activity visit FargoLibrary.org
Upcoming Events & Programs (a partial and incomplete list):
Childrens
• Pumpkin Decorating. Join us for Pumpkin Decorating. Bring your own pumpkin, and the library provide the rest. Cider for everyone while we decorate away. Children ages 3 and up and their families are welcome to attend. Decorating materials will be provided and no pre–registration is required.
• Oct. 23 – Northport Branch at 4 p.m.
• Oct. 24 – Dr. James Carlson Library at 4 p.m.
• Choose Your Own Adventure at the Library. Revisit this popular adventure series as we bring one of the books to life throughout the library! Participants will start out together, make their own adventure choices, and see how their story ends up! Ages 9+.
• Nov. 5 – Carlson Library at 4 p.m.
• Nov. 7 – Main Library at 4 p.m.
• Catch a Train at the Library: Red River Modules Display. November is National Model Railroad Month and we’re celebrating with trains! The Red River Modules Model Railroad Club returns to display and demonstrate model trains. A special train–themed storytime is scheduled and kids are invited to make a train craft throughout the day. All ages are welcome and no pre–registration is required.
• Nov. 16 – Main Library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Train Storytime at 11 a.m.
• Nov. 17 – Main Library from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Teens
• Oct. 15 – Main Library at 6 p.m. Great Science for Teens. We’ll be hosting an all new edition of Great Science for Teens led by Dr. Graeme Wyllie of Concordia College with fun science experiments made just for teens. Grades 6-12. All materials provided. Pre–registration required.
• Decorated Sugar Skulls. Decorate your own sugar skull with candies and colored icing. Ages 10-18. All materials provided. Pre–registration required.
• Oct. 22 – Dr. James Carlson Library at 4 p.m.
• Oct. 24 – Main Library at 4 p.m.

Adults
• Jazz Into Fall concerts continue in October on Sunday afternoons at 2pm at the downtown Main Library. All ages are welcome; concerts are free and open to the public.
• Oct. 20 –KICKS Dixieland
• Oct. 27 –Kathie Brekke & 42nd Street
• One Book, One Community
• Oct. 28 – Fargo Air Museum at 7 p.m. Author Visit with Keith O'Brien. O’Brien will visit as part of the One Book, One Community reading project and share his book Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History. This event is free & open to the public. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library.
• Oct. 22 – Main Library at 6:30 p.m. Mental Wellness Education Series: Self-Care: Myths, Strategies, and the Mind. October is Emotional Wellness Month. In this presentation, Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC, from Prairie St. John’s, will discuss the myths of self-care, how to implement the strategies that truly work, and how our mind and our thinking are the greatest self-care attributes we possess.
• Oct. 26 – Main Library at 10:00 a.m. Golden Girls Trivia. Join us for Golden Girls Trivia! Come alone or with a team - all are welcome! Are you a Rose or more of a Sophia? Come dressed up as one of your favorite Golden Girls; the best costume will win a prize. Not into trivia? We will also provide Golden Girl inspired board games and coloring books during the event. Cheesecake and coffee will be served.

Community Engagement Events (all ages events):
• Oct. 17 – Business After Hours Chamber event
• Oct. 27 – Trunk or Treat event
• Nov. 16 – Pangea event at the Hjemkomst Center

Current Social Media Metrics
• Facebook Followers: 4,894
• Twitter Followers: 1,094
• Instagram Followers: 1,101
• Pinterest Followers: 868

Director’s Report
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to his written report in the Board Packet.

Statistical Reports
Usage
The library had 37,228 registered patrons for the month of September. Attendance was down 5% year to date. Program attendance was up 24% year to date. Volunteer hours were down 5% year to date. Internet signups were down 14% year to date. Print circulation was up 2.88% year to date. Nonprint circulation was up 173% year to date. Total circulation year to date is 802,343 circulations.

Director Dirks asked the Board about the paperback statistics and if they preferred it be removed as it is not circulation counted by our Integrated Library System, Koha. Paperbacks are unreliably counted due to patron reported usage rather than system counted in Koha. The books are donated to the library and placed in spinners for browsing and borrowing.

The Board agreed that the statistic could be removed from the total circulation document. Paperback statistics will no longer be gathered though the service will be continued.

Financials
The year is 75% lapsed while the budget is 71.6% expended. There was $3,520 incoming donations. Expenditures of donations totaled $1,047. Revenue is at $42,013.58 year to date.

Friends of the Library Report
No Friends report.

Unfinished Business
No unfinished business.

New Business
Overview of Community Engagement Programming

Lori West, Branch Services Manager, presented a slideshow overview of the Community Engagement Programming.

Slide content:
Community Engagement
Why We Do It
LIBRARY VALUES
• We offer free, open and equitable access to information, technology, and community resources.
• We are culturally aware and engaged with our community.
• We strengthen our community by valuing and respecting differences to promote inclusiveness.
• We welcome and serve everyone.

Strategic Plan
GOAL 2. PROGRAMMING: Improve patron satisfaction by refining program planning, implementation and staffing, including internal processes.
GOAL 3. COLLECTIONS & SERVICES: Develop collections and services by evaluating relevancy, identifying potential gaps, and exploring innovative opportunities.
GOAL 4. PARTNERING: Develop community partnerships that will increase visibility, maximize resources, and strengthen community collaboration.
GOAL 6. MARKETING: Increase community awareness and support of collections and services by utilizing creative messaging, engaging community outreach, and enhancing our voice via partnerships.

How We Do It
Committee established
Survey of staff
Schedule staff from all departments
Established a budget
Organize supplies for the events
Develop checklists
Reach out to organizations
Be creative
Be flexible

What Have We Done
Red River Market
Over 1400 stopped by our booth
67 new library cards
MSUM Planetarium
Native American Commission Picnic
Fargo United
NDSU Union
Crossroads Powwow

Upcoming Events
Lights On Afterschool/CHARISM
City of Fargo Benefits Fair
Pangea
Home and Garden Show (2020)

2019 Numbers Thus Far
78 events – this includes both offsite events and onsite tours
We’ve reached over 8000 people

Scott Beaulier and Mary Batcheller had to leave around this time, approximately 5pm. This left four Board members present to vote on the remaining action item.

Main Library Merchandising Experience
Director Dirks referred the Board to the to the Merchandising examples in the Board Packet. There is a space on the second floor of the Main library that is proposed to be more of a display and conversational area with tables and chairs. The products shown are examples of what could be selected and the proposed layout. The budget estimate for the project is from Image Group is $47,300. The proposed funding sources are: unrestricted donations of $24,663, endowment distributions of $9,730, operating budget of $9,007, and lastly a request will be made to the Friends in the amount of $5,600 for a grand total of $49,000. The proposed funding was an action item.

After discussion, Jan Ulferts Stewart made a motion to approve the proposed funding sources identified in the Board Packet. Carlos Hawley, Jr. seconded the motion. Board members Rachael Steenholdt, Jan Ulferts Stewart and Carlos Hawley, Jr. voted in favor. Board member Whitney Oxendahl abstained from voting. Motion carried.

Public Comment
No public comment.

Next Board Meeting
The next regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 4:00 PM.

The meeting adjourned at 5:25 PM.