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[Library Board on April 22, 2024.]
HAVE ORDER.THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS FROM THE FEBRUARY 12TH MEETING, AND PERHAPS YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK OVER THOSE AND HAVE ANY, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ALL IN FAVOR OF, OF APPROVING MINUTES AS PRINTED, PLEASE SAY YES.
THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND, UH, TAKE PART IN THE RECOGNITION THAT IT WAS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY NICE.
UM, IF YOU HAD A SCHEDULED CONFLICT AND YOU WERE NOT THERE, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU WERE WELL REPRESENTED BY YOUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND LOTS OF STAFF MEMBERS.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT, IT WAS JUST, IT'S AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT ALL OF OUR LIBRARY STAFF BRING TO THE TABLE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
UM, AND THANK EVERYONE, BOARD, CITY COUNCIL AND CITY ADMINISTRATION FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDE THAT'S, UH, SO VITAL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.
SO, AND THIS RECOGNITION, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, WAS YOUR NUMBER 19.
SO NEXT YEAR WE GET TO HAVE A BIG PARTY.
ANYWAY, YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY NICE.
AND SO YOU'RE PART OF SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
THE FIRST ITEM IS INTRODUCTION OF NEWLY HIRED STAFF.
UM, WE HAVE TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS WITH US TONIGHT THAT I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE.
UH, ONE MANY OF YOU KNEW, UM, BARBARA ROBINSON, WHO WAS THE MANAGER AT NORTH GARLAND LIBRARY, AND SHE RETIRED THIS PAST YEAR.
SO WE HAVE A NEW, UH, NORTH GARLAND BRANCH LIBRARY MANAGER, CARLA VANDI, AND CARLA COMES TO US THROUGH, UH, LOS ANGELES.
AND WORKED FOR THE LOS ANGELES, UM, PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CARLA ON OUR TEAM.
SHE IS BILINGUAL, UM, SPEAKS SPANISH, HAS YOUTH SERVICES BACKGROUND, UM, AND SOME SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
SO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL, UH, WITH THE CITY OF GAR AND YES.
UM, 20 PLUS YEARS OF, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARIANSHIP WITH LOS ANGELES PUBLIC.
SO YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
JULIE, JULIE, UH, IS
UM, JULIE HAS PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR THE CITY AT, UM, GPNL IN AN OUTREACH, UM, POSITION, AND THEN HAS SOME OTHER LIBRARY EXPERIENCE.
UM, I BELIEVE AT S PUBLIC LIBRARY, BUT WE, WE STOLE HER BACK, SO YEAH, HAPPY TO BE BACK.
UM, LIVED IN GARLAND FOR LIKE 10, 10, 11 YEARS NOW.
PROUD GARLAND RESIDENT AND NOW EMPLOYEE AGAIN.
SO YEAH, EXCITED TO BE HERE AND FIND NEW, LIKE OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO, YEAH, JUST REALLY EXCITED TO GET STARTED.
NICE TO MEET, NICE TO MEET YOU'ALL.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM START ON OUR TEAM.
AND WE WILL BE POSTING FOR A FEW MORE POSITIONS IN THE NEXT LITTLE FILE, SO BE READY.
WE'LL BE INTRODUCING NEW STAFF.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO ME.
WE'LL SEE YOU AT YOUR RESPECTIVE LOCATION.
ALRIGHT, UH, THE NEXT DIAGNOSIS, PLAN ON PROGRAM UPDATES.
SO WE DID NOT MEET IN, UM, MARCH, AND I WANT TO, UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UM, AND IT MAY BE A LITTLE LONG ON SOME PARTS TODAY.
'CAUSE THERE, THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING ON ALL OF OUR, UM, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WHICH
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IS A GOOD THING.SO, AS PROMISED, MS. TERRY, UH, THE REALLY EXCITING THING THAT I CAN REPORT ABOUT THE WEST GARLAND LIBRARY PROJECT IS THAT WE OFFICIALLY HAVE A SLAB.
UH, IT KEPT GETTING DELAYED BECAUSE OF WEATHER.
THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD BE READY AND SAY IT'S GONNA BE POURED ON THIS DAY, AND THEN IT WOULD RAIN, IT'S GONNA BE POURED ON THIS DAY, AND THEN IT WOULD RAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT? SHAMPOO, RINSE, AND REPEAT.
LIKE I KNOW OVER AND NOBODY, LIKE, I DON'T WANNA NOT HAVE THE RAIN BECAUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY WE WILL WANT
BUT I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A SLAB ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
AND I UNDERSTAND I DID NOT RIDE BY THERE TODAY, BUT THEY'RE STARTING TO PUT UP SOME STEEL, UM, ON THE PROJECT AS WELL.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE, UM, MORE, UH, FORWARD MOVEMENT MOVEMENT ON THIS PROJECT.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DEFINITELY SEE THE PROJECT START TO TAKE SHAPE WITH THAT SLAB BEING POURED.
I THINK THEY CALL IT GOING VERTICAL GOING.
AND I CAN ATTEST TO THAT THEY HAVE GONE VERTICAL.
CAN SEE THROUGH THE FENCE, BUT IT'S THERE.
WE'LL JUST KEEP TAKING PHOTOS.
AND FRANKIE, UM, THIS PROJECT IS STILL LOOKING TO COMPLETE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR WITH THE OPENING DATE, UH, SOMETIME IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025, BARRING ANY, UM, ANY DELAYS OF ANY KIND.
UM, REMEMBER THIS PROJECT IS BEING DONE IN TWO PHASES.
ONE, THE EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS, WHICH ARE STILL BEING DONE ON THE BUILDING.
UM, THE, UH, SCREENING, REMEMBER THE, THE BIG YELLOW SCREEN THAT GOES ON TOP OF THE LIBRARY PORTION AND IT SAYS LIBRARY AND, UM, BIG YELLOW LETTERS.
ALL OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEING PUT UP.
I THINK THEY'RE GETTING READY TO INSTALL THAT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS ON THAT PORTION OF THE LIBRARY.
UM, THEY'RE STARTING TO, UH, LET'S SEE, PUT THE, THE NEW, UM, GOSH, DRAWING.
PERHAPS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT THE PILLAR WRAPS? WELL, THE PILLAR WRAP, BUT THEY HAVE TO BUILD THE NEW PILLAR OR THE, THE CASE AROUND IT TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE WRAPS ON IT.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN CONCENTRATING ON, ON THE, THE EXTERIOR PROJECT IS, UM, A PUBLIC ART COMPONENT OR A PUBLIC ART ASPECT OF THE, THE PROJECT.
SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE OF THESE IMAGES, UM, AN ARTIST WAS SELECTED, THERE WAS A COMMITTEE, UH, MS. TERRY GOT TO SERVE ON THE, THE COMMITTEE, UM, THAT LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS, UM, IN THE DFW AND ACTUALLY THE TEXAS AREA.
UM, AND THIS PARTICULAR ARTIST WAS SELECTED ALANA, SHE IS FROM AUSTIN.
UM, AND SHE ALSO, SHE'S A REALLY COOL JOB, BEAUTIFUL JOB OF, UM, USE OF COLORS, BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT SORT OF HAS HINTS OF AN ASIAN FIELD THAT FITS WITHIN THE, THE NORTH GARLAND COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TEMPLE BEING BEHIND THE LIBRARY AND THE GOLDS AND THE REDS THAT ARE THERE.
UM, WE FELT LIKE THIS, THIS REALLY FIT, UH, THE, THE SHOPPING CENTER.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE, IT'S A STRIP CENTER.
UM, THERE'LL BE TREATMENTS ON BOTH WING WALLS ON THE END, UM, AND THEN EACH COLUMN WILL GET A TREATMENT AS WELL.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE ONE COHESIVE, UH, TREATMENT INSTEAD OF JUST BLOCKING.
UM, PHASE TWO, WE'VE OFFICIALLY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN FEBRUARY, WE'VE OFFICIALLY KICKED OFF THE PHASE TWO, UH, OF THE INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS FOR NORTH.
NORTH HAS A MUCH, MUCH SMALLER BUDGET FOR THE INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER, UM, PROJECTS.
UM, THAT'S, UM, FUNDED THROUGH THE 2019 BOND.
THIS PARTICULAR, UM, MODIFICATION IS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON FURNITURE, SECURITY, UH, AND TECHNOLOGY.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN TO NORTH, YOU KNOW THAT THE FURNITURE IS WELL LOVED AT NORTH.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN WELL LOVED AND USED AND IT, IT'S NEEDING, UM, TO BE UPDATED.
AND WE'RE STARTING TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT PIECES AND HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO, UM, BRING THAT TOGETHER TECHNOLOGY.
WE WANNA BE ABLE TO OFFER THE SAME PIECES OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY LIKE WE'RE GONNA OFFER IN OUR OTHER STUDY ROOMS AT WEST AND AT CENTRAL AND EVENTUALLY SOUTH AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE, UM, A COHESIVE, UH, AND UNIFIED OFFERING AT EACH OF OUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
IT'S A FACTOR WITH ALL OF THE PROJECTS, BUT IT'S ESPECIALLY A FACTOR WITH THIS, UH, PARTICULAR PROJECT BECAUSE THERE'S,
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UM, THE NEED IS GREAT, REALLY OUT IS BIGGER THAN THE, THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE FOR THE, THE PROJECT WELL CENTRAL LIBRARY.UH, WE'RE GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT CENTRAL TODAY.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT ALL OF THE, NOT ALL OF THE, UH, VAST MAJORITY OF THE, UM, BID FOR ALL OF THE FURNISHINGS, UM, IS GOING TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL ON MAY 4TH.
UM, THIS ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH BUYING ALL THE CHAIRS, THE TABLES, THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES THAT'LL GO THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LOCATION.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE, THE FINISHES IN HERE BEFORE, AND SOME OF THE, UM, CONCEPTS, THERE ARE SOME REALLY COOL PIECES THAT ARE BEING INTRODUCED AT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION.
UM, SOME INDIVIDUAL, UH, LIKE PODS THAT ACT ALMOST AS A, A STEADY ROOM, BUT IT'S NOT A STEADY ROOM.
UM, SOME COLLABORATIVE AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR TEEN AREA THAT'S LIKE BANK SEATING, BUT ALSO HAS A MONITOR.
SO IF THEY WANT A GAME OR SHARE THE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON A PROJECT, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SOME SPECIAL PIECES DOWN IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA THAT ALLOW FOR A LOT OF MOVEMENT, A LOT OF PLAY, A LOT OF CREATIVITY THAT REALLY WORKS WELL FOR CHILDREN.
WE DO HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT ARE CRITICAL PATH ITEMS, UM, THAT DEPENDING ON HOW FAST WE'RE ABLE TO EXECUTE COULD AFFECT, UM, THE TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, ONE IS THE, ONE IS THE ROOF AND DRAINS.
UM, THE ROOF AND SKYLIGHT ARE BEING, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN FEBRUARY, WE NEED TO HAVE A NEW ROOF PUT ON THE, THE BUILDING.
SO THEY'RE GONNA OVERLAY THE ROOF, REPLACE THE SKYLIGHT, UH, WHICH IS ALL OF, UH, I THINK ALL OF THOSE PLANS HAVE JUST ABOUT BEEN FINISHED FOR THAT.
UH, THOSE INSTALLATIONS, THE ROOF DRAINS ARE BEING LOOKED AT AS PART OF, UM, REPLACEMENT AS WELL.
SEEING IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY MAY BE END OF LIFE, SOME OF THEM ARE AT END OF LIFE.
AND DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE ALL OF THEM NOW, OR SHOULD ONLY THOSE THAT ARE AT CRITICAL NEED, UM, SHOULD THOSE ONLY BE REPLACED.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, UPGRADING SOME MECHANICAL THINGS WITH THE ELEVATOR WHILE THE, THE BUILDING IS CLOSED.
SO I THINK FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO UPGRADE AND REPLACE SOME OF THE CONTROLS ON THE, THE ELEVATOR.
UM, AS WELL AS I THINK, UH, THE, THE CAB ITSELF IS BEING RECARPETED AND SOME, UM, SOME DAMAGE THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAB EXPERIENCED DURING THE MOVE OUT IS BEING, UM, REFINISHED SO IT LOOKS BETTER.
UM, THE ELEVATOR IS ONE OF THOSE CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IT OPERATIONAL TO BE ABLE TO, TO OPEN THE LOWER LEVEL.
UH, SO THAT IS GONNA BE A CRITICAL THING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO HAVE THE GOAL IS TO GET IT OPERATIONAL, EVEN IF IT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY, UH, PERFECT ON THE INTERIOR.
WE CAN COVER OVER SOME THINGS AND MAKE IT PRETTY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WHILE THEY MAKE SOME OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A FUNCTIONAL WORKING ELEVATOR TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THAT BOTTOM FLOOR.
UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, CENTRAL, THE THE BULK OF CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR WITH A GRAND OPENING AT THE BEGINNING OF 2025, ESPECIALLY IN THAT FIRST QUARTER, REALLY TARGETING
WE'RE, WE'RE FAST MAKING PLANS TO MAKE A BIG CELEBRATION, WHICH, UM, ALL OF YOU WILL BE A PART OF THAT CELEBRATION, PROBABLY MAYBE BE ASKED OR ASSIGNED ROLES DURING THE
BUT WE WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL A PART OF, UH, A PART OF THAT GRAND OPENING AND ACTUALLY ALL OF THE, THE OPENINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE FOR EACH ONE OF OUR LIBRARIES.
UM, WITH CENTRAL, WE'RE DOING A REALLY SPECIAL, UH, ADDITION TO THIS OR THIS, THIS PROJECT HAS A SPECIAL COMPONENT WITH A PUBLIC ART PIECE, UM, THAT WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER, UM, SHARED SOME OF THE, THE CONCEPTS OR THE, THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING FOR THIS ART PIECE.
SO YOU'LL REMEMBER THE, THE BIG STAIRCASE THAT'S IN, UM, CENTRAL, UH, SKYLIGHTS OVER THAT STAIRCASE, AND THAT THAT SKYLIGHT STILL WILL BE OVER THE, THE MAIN STAIRCASE WHEN IT REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC.
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WITH OUR ARCHITECT.AND THEN, UH, SHE INTRODUCED US TO A, AN ARTIST, A LOCAL ARTIST IN THE DALLAS AREA THAT, UM, CREATES THESE REALLY AMAZING, UM, PIECES.
AND WE, WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT REALLY CELEBRATED GARLAND'S DIVERSITY, CELEBRATED THE LIBRARY, CELEBRATED CURIOSITY AND LIFELONG LEARNING.
AND CARLIN, HER NAME IS CARLIN RAY, THE ARTIST.
UM, SHE'S ABLE TO REALLY DO THIS IN A FUN AND COOL WAY, UH, THAT KIND OF INCORPORATES ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IN FACT, I HAVE A BOOKLET HERE THAT I'LL PASS AROUND IF, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT SOME OF HER WORK.
UM, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, LIKE WORKSHOPS TO, TO TALK THROUGH WHAT WE WANTED, THE PIECE TO REPRESENT, KIND OF HOW WE WANTED IT TO LOOK.
UM, AND SO WHAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT IS THE, THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADED FOR THE ART PIECE.
UM, IT'S GOING TO BE ALMOST LIKE A, A MOBILE OVER THE STAIRCASE.
UH, AND WE'RE TRYING TO, TO GET IT TO, TO BE AS WIDE, YET AS DENSE AS WE WE CAN BECAUSE OF THE, THE SIZE OF THE, THAT AREA THAT IT'S COVERING.
SO THE TITLE OF THE PIECE IS A STORY WAITING TO BE TOLD, UM, AND WHAT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE HERE, AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT IN MORE IN JUST A SECOND.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT OBJECTS.
THERE'S DIFFERENT LETTERS, THERE'S DIFFERENT COLORS, AND THEN WHAT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE ARE LIKE PAGES OF BOOKS, AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME LARGE BOOKS AS WELL.
SO IT'S REALLY YOUR, YOUR STORY LEAPING OFF THE PAGE.
UM, WE ARE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT LETTERS, UM, DIFFERENT SHAPES, DIFFERENT PIECES OF GLASS TO WHERE THEY LOOK LIKE PAGES FALLING OUT OF A BOOK.
UM, ALL DIFFERENT COLORS AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE ALMOST EVERY FONT YOU CAN THINK OF IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, UM, BEING INTRODUCED.
AND THAT IS IN PART TO CELEBRATE THE, THE DIVERSITY OF GARLAND.
AND NONE OF US MAY LOOK THE SAME OR SOUND THE SAME, BUT WE ALL HAVE A WAY OF COMMUNICATING AND BEING ABLE TO, TO TELL OUR STORIES.
SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE CONSIDERATIONS WITH SOME OF THE COLORS AND THE, THE TEXTURES OF THE GLASS TOO.
UM, WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT SHAPES THAT ARE GOING TO BE INTRODUCED, AND SOME OF THIS CAN BE USED ALMOST LIKE A SCAVENGER HUNT WITH, UM, KIDS OR, OR EVEN ADULTS TO BE ABLE TO SEE, CAN YOU FIND DIFFERENT, UM, PIECES IN THE, IN THE ARTWORK, IF YOU'LL NOTICE, YES, CURIOSITY IS REPRESENTED AND THERE ARE SOME LARGE BLOWN SHAPES THAT ARE REALLY MORE ORGANIC AND, UM, REALLY HELP FILL IN SOME OF THE AREA OF THE SHAPE AS WELL, OR THE PIECES AS WELL.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON, UM, THIS IMAGE, SO THE LOUVERS THAT ARE GONNA BE ALL AROUND THE BUILDING, THE COLORFUL LOUVERS, UM, CARLIN AND HER TEAM ARE USING AS MANY OF THOSE SIMILAR COLORS IN THE, THE CREATION OF THE PIECES OF GLASS SO THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
I WILL SAY WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE SOME MORE, UM, WARMER SHADES, SOME REDS AND SOME ORANGES INTO THE PIECE TO HELP, UM, BRIGHTEN IT UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK CATCHING THE SUN, AS YOU WERE SAYING AS IT'S COMING THROUGH, THE SKYLIGHTS WILL BE REALLY BEAUTIFUL AS WELL.
SO JUST IMAGINE THIS, BUT WITH A FEW MORE, UM, REDS, MAYBE SOME ORANGES, SOME GOLD.
THE REALLY EXCITING THING IS WE, UM, GOT TO DO A STUDIO VISIT LAST WEEK TO CARLIN'S STUDIO.
UM, AND AS SUCH, WHAT CARLIN DOES IN HER STUDIO IS SHE'LL MAKE,
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UM, MOCKUPS, UM, AND THEN TALK WITH A CLIENT ABOUT, DO YOU LIKE THIS? DO YOU LIKE THIS? THIS IS THE WAY THAT THIS IS GONNA BE.SO WE COULD SORT OF, WE COULDN'T SEE THE ENTIRE PIECE, BUT SHE HAD MADE SOME MOCKUPS OF SOME DIFFERENT THINGS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO START TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK, HOW IT'S GOING TO HANG.
YOU COULD SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS TOGETHER.
AND THESE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM, UM, THAT INITIAL VISIT WHERE HER CONVENIENCE, IT'S IN, IT'S THE, OH GOODNESS.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY, IT'S A COOL EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, SHE HAS DIFFERENT PIECES IN HER STUDIO, BUT YOU CAN GO IN AND TOUR THE STUDIO.
I THINK THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT, UM, KILNS WHERE THEY, UH, FIRE EVERYTHING THERE AND, UH, SHE HAS AN ENTIRE WALL THAT IT'S ALL THE, THE COLOR THAT THEY INTRODUCE INTO THE GLASS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM.
UM, BUT IF YOU'LL NOTICE UP IN THE TOP CORNER IS OUR CURIOSITY.
WE GOT TO
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE, BASED OFF OF THIS, SOME LETTERS BLOWN UP TO BE A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN WHAT THEY WERE ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE.
SO I THINK YOU MAY SEE A CURIOSITY SPELLING WITH THOSE LARGER LETTERS IN THE PIECE.
SO THAT IS, THAT'S THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE WHERE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ACTUALLY ONSITE VISIT, UH, CARLIN AND HER TEAM WILL COME AND THEY'LL BRING SOME PIECES TO START, UM, BEING ABLE TO IMAGINE THOSE PIECES IN THE SPACE, UM, GO THROUGH SOME MORE DESIGN.
AND THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE A VERY SPECIAL, UM, COMMUNITY COMPONENT WITH THIS PROJECT THAT MEMBERS, UM, AT THE COMMUNITY WILL GET TO BE INVITED TO SOMEWHERE.
WE'LL FIND MAYBE AT THE ART CENTER OR, UM, SOMEWHERE IN DOWNTOWN THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO COME, UH, AND ACTUALLY GET TO HELP COLOR THE, THE LETTERS AND SOME OF THE SHAPES, UM, ON SITE.
CARLIN AND HER TEAM WILL TAKE THEM BACK TO THEIR STUDIO AND FIRE THEM.
BUT YOU'LL, IT'LL BE A CHANCE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO BE A PART OF THIS, UH, COMMUNITY ART PROJECT.
UM, IT'LL, IT WILL BE VERY COOL.
AND I THINK, UM, ALL OF YOU MAY GET AN INVITATION TO TAKE PART IN THAT AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO IT THROUGH A COMMUNITY LOTTERY THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AND YOU WANNA BE A PART OF IT, THAT YOU'LL GET TO THROW YOUR NAME IN A HAT AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO PICK A LOT OF DIFFERENT NAMES OUTTA THAT HAT FOR, UM, THAT DAY TO BE ABLE TO COME AND TAKE PART IN THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, MY LAST UPDATE THAT I DO NOT HAVE A SLIDE FOR IS ABOUT SOUTH.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE SOUTH, EXCUSE ME, SOUTH PROJECT, UM, WORKING THROUGH SPACE PLANNING AND ALIGNMENT WITH THAT PROJECT TO SEE, UH, HOW MUCH THE PLAN THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST, OR WHAT'S THE ESTIMATE OF THAT PROJECT, UH, VERSUS WHAT DO WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECT.
AND THEN GO THROUGH A, A PROCESS TO SEE WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH? SO IN THE COMING MONTHS, UM, FOR BOTH SOUTH AND NORTH, THERE'LL BE MANY MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, UM, AND THOSE PATHS MOVING FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO, TO IMPLEMENT THOSE PROJECTS.
THAT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON
AND I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE CREATIVITY AND THE, THE GOAL OF INVOLVING LOTS OF PEOPLE WANNA GO THROUGH.
THE NEXT ITEM IS BUDGET UPDATE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF PUTTING TOGETHER OUR FISCAL YEAR 25 OPERATING BUDGET PACKAGE AND REQUEST.
I FEEL LIKE WE WERE JUST HERE
UM, I DO, I, UH, WANNA HOLD OFF ON GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS ON THE, UM, THIS PROCESS QUITE YET OR TONIGHT, AND PAUSE AND BRING THAT BACK NEXT MONTH FOR LOOKING AT IT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE FOCUSING HEAVILY ON.
ONE IS, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM,
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ASKING FOR, UH, A NEW POSITION FOR THE NEW WEST GARLAND LIBRARY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET EXPECTATION AND SERVICE NEEDS AT THAT LOCATION.UM, LOOKING AT, UH, DURING 2020 WHEN, UM, THE PANDEMIC HIT, WE HAD SOME POSITIONS THAT WERE UNFILLED POSITIONS AND HAD NOT BEEN FILLED IN A WHILE, BUT SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE BANKED AND WE'D LIKE TO UNBANK THOSE POSITIONS AND HAVE THEM ADDED BACK INTO THE MIX OF THINGS.
AGAIN, WITH CENTRAL AND WITH WEST COMING ONLINE, WE NEED MORE HANDS ON DECK TO BE ABLE TO, TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND EVOLVE, UM, PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES AT THE LIBRARIES.
UM, AS WELL AS, UH, A FEW OTHER THINGS.
UM, OUTREACH SERVICES IS GROWING.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN OUTREACH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES TO GO OUT TO AND, UM, SERVE ON A REGULAR, UM, SCHEDULE AND REGULAR BASIS.
AND I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF BEING ABLE TO DO THIS IS HAVING A BOOK MOBILE OR SOME KIND OF LIBRARY SPECIFIC, UM, MOBILE
SO THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE, THE REQUEST AS WELL.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A SNAPSHOT.
WE HAVE A, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASKS FOR THIS, UH, OPERATING BUDGET, UM, THAT HAVE TO BE BALANCED WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASKS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT WE WILL GET SOME, UH, MAYBE NOT ALL, BUT, BUT SOME OF THOSE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? THAT'S IT.
AND THE NEXT ITEM IS THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION REPORT.
SO EVERY YEAR, POOR WILL
UM, IT'S FROM THE, UH, AN ANNUAL REPORT WITH DIFFERENT STATISTICS SPENDING, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT, UM, PREVIOUS YEAR, UH, THAT HELP US MEET OUR ACCREDITATION STANDARDS.
KAREN, I HAVE THE, THE PRINTED COPY THAT YOU MADE FOR ME.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO PASSING THAT ON? THERE'S NONE, LEMME START THIS DIRECTION.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS TO MEETING, UM, AND RECEIVING ACCREDITATION, UM, BY THE STATE.
IT INCLUDES US BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE'S INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROGRAM, UM, AND THAT'S THE PROGRAM THAT ANY OF THE OTHER, UM, LIBRARIES, WE, WE CAN LOAN MATERIALS OUT, UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING OR IF IF THEY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING, UH, WE GET TO PARTICIPATE IN TECH SHARE AT A MUCH REDUCED RATE, AND THAT PROVIDES A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATABASES AND ELECTRONIC RESOURCES THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD WITHOUT THAT, UM, WITHOUT, WITHOUT THAT REDUCED PRICING.
I THINK SOME OF IT'S THE GALE DATABASES, UM, LET'S SEE, LEARNING EXPRESS, UM, SOME LEGAL FORMS JUST REALLY OPENS UP THE, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, DATABASES THAT WE CAN OFFER THE PUBLIC.
IT ALSO, UM, ALLOWS US TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SOME OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANTS THAT THE STATE PROVIDES.
AND WE SHOULD KNOW IN JUNE ABOUT THE BIG GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR BY THE STATE OR FROM THE STATE
MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED, UM, THAT WE SHOULD IT'S UP TOO HIGH.
BUT WE SHOULD KNOW IN JUNE IF WE'RE AWARDED A BIG GRANT THAT WILL BE USED FOR, UM, CENTRAL LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE A LITTLE TEAM THAT WORKS ON IT AND KYLE IS REALLY A HARD WORKER ON THIS.
SO ONE OF OUR, AND THEN EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY PITCHES IN WITH STATISTICS AND STUFF, STUFF LIKE THAT.
DEPENDING ON WHAT AREA, AREA YOU WORK IN, YOU SUBMIT YOUR STATS FOR YOUR AREA.
BUT, UH, HE AND KYLE ARE THE ONES THAT TRACK IT DOWN AND, UH, WORK THROUGH THE, IF, IF THERE ARE ISSUES WHERE WHAT YOU'VE SUBMITTED ONE YEAR IS TOO DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT YEAR THAN IT'S FLAGGED AND YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT.
AND SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, WITH THE CHART THAT I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT.
UM, ONE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 22 AND 23,
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THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED USERS HAS DECREASED.PART OF THAT IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH A MASSIVE DATABASE CLEANUP OF OUR PATRON, UM, USERS.
UM, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CARD DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE USING THE CARD.
SO WE, WE HAVE A, A PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UM, TO PURGE OLD USERS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM FOR, FOR A LONG TIME.
IT IS ALSO PART OF, UH, A REQUIREMENT BY THE STATE THAT WE ROUTINELY GO THROUGH OUR DATABASE AND CLEAN THE DATABASE UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCURATE DATA.
UM, OUR LIBRARY VISITS HAVE INCREASED.
UM, THAT'S EVEN WITH THE CENTRAL LIBRARY CLOSING IN APRIL AND US MOVING OVER TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY EXPRESS.
IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE THE NUMBER THAT NUMBER INCREASE, ESPECIALLY IN LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE NOT HIT PRE PANDEMIC NUMBERS YET FOR, UM, FOUR VISITS, BUT I'M ENCOURAGED THAT WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY AND FULLY EXPECT FOR, UM, THIS NUMBER TO INCREASE, ESPECIALLY WITH CENTRAL AND WEST OPENING NEXT YEAR.
IF SOMEONE CHECKS OUT AT A KIOSK, DOES THAT COUNT AS A VISIT? IT COUNTS AS A CIRCULATION.
NOT AS THEIR VISIT, BUT THAT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
UM, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE NEXT TWO, UM, LINES WITH PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM ATTENDANCE, AND THAT DIRECTLY LINKS BACK TO LIBRARY VISITS, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW THE INCREASE, NOT JUST IN THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, BUT THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE COMING TO THOSE PROGRAMS. MM-HMM.
UH, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS OUR STEM STEAM MAKER STYLE PROGRAMS ARE FILLING UP AS FAST AS, AS WE PUT THE WORD OUT, THAT, THAT THERE'S AN OPENING FOR IT.
UM, ALMOST ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS IN SPANISH LANGUAGE ARE FILLING UP FASTER THAN OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED IF THERE'S REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
SO WE CLEARLY, WE SEE THAT THERE IS A NEED AND WANNA CONTINUE TO BUILD, UM, AND SERVE, SERVE THAT NEED, UM, ESPECIALLY AT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS.
BUT I'LL SAY, ESPECIALLY AT SOUTH, WE'RE FINDING THAT THE EARLY LITERACY, UM, AND FAMILY PLACE PROGRAMS ARE FILLING UP QUITE QUICKLY.
UM, AND THAT IN SOME CASES THEY HAVE HAD OVERFLOW OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS AT SOME OF THOSE, UM, PROGRAMS TO WHERE THEY'VE HAD TO THINK ABOUT MOVING FROM THE STORY TIME ROOM INTO THE MEETING ROOM OR A BIGGER ROOM TO BE ABLE TO, TO HOLD THE, THE GROUPS THAT ARE COMING IN, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL PROBLEM TO HAVE.
UM, BUT I THINK CONCENTRATING ON PROGRAMS IS, WE'VE SEEN A REALLY NICE, UM, RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITH, WITH RESTRUCTURING SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS, PROVIDING SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND RESPONDING TO WHAT PATRONS WANT WITH SOME PROGRAMS AS WELL.
UM, MOVING FROM THAT, THE TOTAL CIRCULATION, THIS INCLUDES ECONTENT AND PHYSICAL CONTENT HAS DECREASED.
UM, IF YOU SEPARATE THE TWO OUT, OUR ELECTRONIC CONTENT, EBOOKS, EAU BOOKS, MAGAZINES, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE THROUGH LIBBY HOOPLA CANOPY THAT CONTINUES TO TO GO UP, UM, IT JUST DOESN'T OUTPACE THE DECLINE IN THE PHYSICAL CIRCULATION OR THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION, UM, CIRCULATION OF THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION.
UM, WE ARE GOING THROUGH MEASURES TO WEED OUR COLLECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PURGING OLD THINGS OR THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T BE ON THE SHELF TO BE ABLE TO GET NEW MATERIALS OUT ON THE SHELF TO REVAMPING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, UM, PURCHASING.
I FULLY EXPECT THIS NUMBER TO CHANGE AGAIN NEXT YEAR WITH THE WEST AND WITH CENTRAL COMING ON BOARD.
UM, BUT I DO THINK WE ARE IN A KIND OF A PIVOTAL MOMENT WHERE WE SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR DEVICES.
THIS IS VERY, VERY CONVENIENT.
IT DOESN'T, UH, NEGATE OR ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR PHYSICAL LIBRARY MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY FOR, UM, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO LEARN SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH KEEPS, KEEPS PROVING THAT THE, THE PHYSICAL MATERIAL IS REALLY GOOD FOR EARLY LEARNERS, NEW LEARNERS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO ELIMINATE OUR PHYSICAL COLLECTION, BUT
[00:35:01]
IT, I THINK WE'RE KIND OF AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT WITH BALANCING E-CONTENT AND PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS.ALSO, THERE'S, UH, SURVEYS, MULTIPLE SURVEYS, UM, AND THE PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE THAT TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRINT MATERIALS FOR YOUNG ADULTS.
AND THEY USE IT AS A BREAK FROM THIS.
AND THEY ACT, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PREFERENCE WHEN THEY'RE READING FOR PHYSICAL, UH, THE, THE DEAD TREE BOOKS, AS WE LIKE TO CALL 'EM,
AND, UM, HEATHER, HEATHER COLSON, WHO'S THE MANAGER OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND SHE HAS, UH, CHILDREN IN THAT AGE GROUP, AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY READ.
YEAH, HARPER HAS, MY DAUGHTER HAS HER OWN LIBRARY.
YEAH, HE'S GOING BROKE, BUT, UM, HE'S SUPPORTING, UM, HABIT
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO, HOW, HOW THAT'S GONNA PLAY OUT AS WE, AS THEY GROW UP.
THAT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE, WE, THAT IS PART OF THE IMPORTANCE, NOT THE ONLY IMPORTANCE, BUT THAT IS ONE REASON WHY YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT, UH, THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION UP TO DATE AND KEEP BUYING THE THINGS THAT ARE INTERESTING.
AND SO WE DO THAT AND, UH, COMPUTER USE HAS DECLINED, BUT AGAIN, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN WITH THEIR LAPTOPS OR SOME OTHER MOBILE DEVICE.
SO THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS WERE REDUCED WHEN WE MOVED OVER TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY EXPRESS.
UH, THE COMPUTER USE DOES NOT, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AT ALL, JUST FROM THE, THE ACCESSIBILITY OF MORE PEOPLE HAVING THEIR OWN DEVICES AND COMING IN AND RELYING ON THE WIFI OR, UM, THE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO, TO PLUG IN OR, UM, TO WORK WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR DEVICE.
BUT THIS GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THIS YEAR'S AT REPORT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY, UM, I JUST, I GUESS INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER LIBRARIES AND SIMILAR TRENDS IN USAGE AND BEHAVIOR, NOT OF COURSE SEPARATED FROM THE FACILITIES YES.
THAT ARE CLOSED, BUT IS THAT PRETTY CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD? YES AND NO.
UH, IT DEPENDS ON, DEPENDS ON THE AREA.
I WILL SAY THERE ARE A LOT OF LIBRARIES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME, UM, THING WITH VISITS GOING UP.
UM, THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM ATTENDANCE GOING UP.
UM, THE SAME THING ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE COMING IN WITH THEIR OWN DEVICES, UH, WIFI USAGE CONTINUING TO INCREASE, UM, AND E-CONTENT CONTINUING TO INCREASE.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHERE, WHICH LIBRARY SYSTEM AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THAT LIBRARY SYSTEM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION IS SEEING A DECLINE IN USE OR IF, UM, IF IT'S SEEING AN INCREASE IN USE.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE SEEING AN INCREASE, UH, IN USE.
UH, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, I WILL SAY ACROSS THE BOARD, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ECONTENT, UM, BEING CHECKED OUT.
OURS GENERALLY OUTPACES A LOT OF SURROUNDING LIBRARIES AND THE, THE INCREASE, UM, I'LL SAY SURROUNDING LIBRARIES AND OTHER COMPARABLE LIBRARIES IN THE NATION AS FAR AS HOW FAST, UM, THE INCLINE OR THE, THE INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF CIRCULATIONS FOR E-CONTENT.
BUT YEAH, THOSE NUMBERS ARE, ARE CONFUSING TO ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY TELL DIFFERENT STORIES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE REGISTERED USERS DECLINE IS THE SHOCKER AND IT'S, IT'S QUITE A BIG NUMBER.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DATABASE CLEANUP AND HOW MUCH THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE 20 SOME THOUSAND, UH, DECLINE? SURE.
[00:40:01]
FOR ALL OF IT,UM, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS THAT AT OLD ACCOUNTS, SO YOUR, YOUR LIBRARY CARD IS GOOD FOR FOUR YEARS OR IT'S VALID FOR FOUR YEARS.
IF, UH, WHEN IT EXPIRES, YOU COME IN, RENEW YOUR ACCOUNT.
UM, AND IT'S GOOD FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
THERE ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS THAT WERE OPENED AND THEY WERE USED FOR A, A SMALL PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN THEY WERE NEVER, UM, UH, RENEWED.
AND IT COULD BE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
IT COULD BE SOMEBODY LIKE THE FAMILY MOVED AWAY.
UM, IT COULD BE THEY MOVED TO A DIFFERENT TOWN OR A DIFFERENT AREA WE'RE USING GARLAND'S LIBRARY WASN'T, UM, CONVENIENT FOR THEM ANYMORE.
BUT IT, IT, WE HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT MEASURES AND DIFFERENT, UM, CRITERIA OR NOT GOOD DIFFERENT CRITERIA STANDARDS MAYBE.
NO, THERE HAS TO BE MAYBE STANDARDS.
THERE HAS TO BE POINTS WHERE WE'RE GOING IN AND LOOKING AT THAT OLD DATA AND PURGING IT FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM AND TO FREE UP SPACE, UH, WITHIN THE SYSTEM AS WELL AND HELP IT RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY AND, AND FASTER.
UH, WE HADN'T, HOPEFULLY NO ONE FROM THE STATE IS SOLICITING
WE
AND SO LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, THERE'S GOING TO BE A SIZABLE DECREASE IN US CLEANING UP THAT OLD DATA.
WE'RE ALSO CLEANING UP SOME OLD DATA TO WHERE WE'VE HELD ON TO PATRON ACCOUNTS THAT MAYBE HAD A FINE OR MAYBE HAD, UH, SOMEONE CHECKED OUT SOMETHING AND THEY, THEY DIDN'T RETURN IT.
WELL, IF IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS, CHANCES ARE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT SURE WE WANT THEM TO RETURN IT ANYWAY.
I PROBABLY DON'T WANT THEM TO RETURN IT.
AND THEN EVERYBODY, WE'RE FINE FREE.
SO THOSE OLD FUNDS ARE, ARE PURGED OUT, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
BUT EVERYONE DESERVES A, A SECOND CHANCE OR SOME GRACE WITH IT TOO.
IF IT'S BEEN THAT LONG, WE INVITE YOU TO COME BACK.
IN MANY CASES, WE WON'T EVEN CHARGE YOU A REPLACEMENT FEE FOR THAT CARD.
UH, WE JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THE, THE CARD TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEVY OF SERVICES AND, UH, RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
PART OF ME THINKS THE REGISTERED USERS, AT LEAST IN MY UNEDUCATED ASSESSMENT, IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE LIBRARY VISITS BECAUSE TO ME, THAT TELLS A STORY OF THE LIBRARY BEING RELEVANT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IT SERVES.
AND THE FACT THAT THAT NUMBER IS UP IS KUDOS TO YOU WHILE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE OFFLINE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS ARE UP.
I THINK IT'S JUST TELLING THAT, UH, THE LIBRARY REMAINS VERY RELEVANT TO PEOPLE'S LIVES.
I KNOW SINCE WE HAD OUR, OUR FOSTER PLACEMENT MM-HMM.
SO IT'S BEEN JUST A TREMENDOUS HELP FOR FAMILIES AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE CONCENTRATION IS ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE ON HELPING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PRO PROGRAMS. YES.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO DRAW PEOPLE IN AND, UH, MAYBE A, A DEMOGRAPHIC THAT HASN'T TYPICALLY GONE TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC.
THE SPANISH LANGUAGE OFFERING.
UM, I WILL SAY THOUGH, I AM GLAD YOU MENTIONED 'CAUSE I THOUGHT GARLAND WAS LIBRARY FINE FREE.
BUT IN THE REPORT IT SAID THAT WE STILL HAVE FINES.
I DON'T KNOW IF, WAS THAT AN OVERSIGHT OR THAT MUST BE AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART THAT WE NEED TO CHECK THE OTHER BOX.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
NO, WE ARE FINE FREE THERE STILL, THERE'S STILL FEES.
SO IF, WAS IT, IT WAS, IT ASKED IF THE LIBRARY STILL ASSESSES FINES.
AND THEN I THINK IT SAID, WHICH SURPRISED ME, THE NEXT ONE WAS, UH, IS THERE A FEE FOR OUT OF CITY RESIDENTS? AND WE DON'T, WE DO NOT.
IS THAT COMMON? IS THAT
UM, WE HAVE, THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS THAT WILL DO RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR SISTER CITIES SURROUNDING CITIES WILL, UM, OFFER OUR RESIDENTS A CARD AT THEIR LOCATION OR THEIR SYSTEM AT NO CHARGE.
[00:45:01]
PRETTY BIG SERVICE AREA.UM, DALLAS IS ONE OF THOSE EXCEPTIONS.
AND, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A PRETTY HEFTY, UM, FEE FOR NON-RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO USE.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN WENT FREE.
I'M JUST THINKING YOU RECORDING 23, YOU LOOKING AT, YOU'RE GOING BACK AWAY.
AT THE TIME WE WERE NOT, I JUST DON'T REMEMBER THE, A COUPLE DAYS.
OCTOBER ONE OF 22, I THINK BEEN LONG.
AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC YES, MA'AM.
WE DID, WE DID HAVE, UH, SOME DIFFICULTY WITH, WITH SOME OF THE STATS, UM, BECAUSE WE CLOSED CENTRAL, UH, IN MAY OF APRIL, UH, APRIL OF, UM, 23 MM-HMM.
AND SO WE HAD PART OF THE YEAR THAT WE WERE OVER THERE AND WE HAD COMPUTERS AND WE HAD ALL OF THIS.
AND THEN WE HAD PART THAT WE HAD FEWER COMPUTERS AND ALL.
SO, UM, THEY HAD TO DO SOME MATH THERE AND, AND, UH, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE STATS.
BUT LUCKILY THE STATE HAS A VERY DEDICATED AND VERY RESPONSIVE TEAM THAT HELPS WITH EVERY YEAR WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND EVERY, EVERY YEAR THEY'RE VERY GRACIOUS IN ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
AND YOUR STAFF, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A MASSIVE EFFORT AND EVERYBODY GETS TO PLAY.
SOME GET TO PLAY MORE THAN OTHERS, BUT, ALRIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? ALRIGHT, IF NOT, UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS LIBRARY PROGRAMMING.
AND FOR THIS, I I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO KATHLEEN, BUT I WANT TO, UM, WANTED TO GIVE Y'ALL A PREVIEW OF OUR SUMMER PROGRAM, UH, SUMMER PROGRAMMING THAT'S COMING UP THIS YEAR.
UH, AND A COUPLE OF THOSE CHANGES.
AND THEN ALSO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER AT NEXT MONTH TO TALK ABOUT A VERY FUN AND NEW PROGRAM FOR ADULTS IN GARLAND.
SO THAT'LL BE A TEASER FOR NEXT MONTH.
UH, I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND THE THEME FOR THE COLLABORATIVE SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM IS A NATIONWIDE PROGRAM.
AND SOMETIMES WE USE THEIR THEME.
AND SOMETIMES WE WILL, UH, MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS ONE ADVENTURE BEGINS AT YOUR LIBRARY, IS THE NATIONAL THEME.
UH, BUT WE ARE LAUNCHING, UM, SUMMER ADVENTURE AT YOUR LIBRARY.
YOU'LL NOTICE IT DOESN'T SAY READING.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE IT A BROADER FOCUS.
UH, WHEN WE, IN, IN LOOKING BACK AT OUR PREVIOUS YEARS AND, AND OUR STATISTICS, THERE ARE SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE FOCUSING ON JUST THE READING AND WE OFFER THE READING.
WE OFFER SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
SO OUR PROGRAM DOES RUN JUNE THROUGH JULY.
WE'VE HAD THAT IN THE PAST TOO.
AND THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS, UH, THEY'LL REGISTER AND THEN WE SEE A DROP OFF.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT MAKE, WE'RE NOT REQUIRING REGISTRATION.
THIRD THING IS IT'S OPEN TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH THROUGH AGE 17.
SO YOU NOTICE THE ADULTS ARE NOT ON THERE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE ADULT PROGRAMS, IT'S JUST THAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT DIRECTED AT THEM.
AND WE, LIKE I SAID, WE WILL HAVE, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS.
UM, WE DO HAVE ACTIVITY BOOKMARKS, AND I THINK THAT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.
AND THAT GIVES THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN COLOR IN.
AND IT'S, THIS IS FOR THE, UH, UH, K THROUGH SIX GRADE.
AND WE HAVE IT FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND THERE ARE, THERE'S A ACTIVITY FOR EACH DAY AND THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ONE AND DO SOMETHING EACH WEEK.
AND THAT IS EITHER, UH, READ, VISIT THE LIBRARY OR ATTEND A LIBRARY PROGRAM.
SO THAT PART'S UP TO, TO THEM, WE'RE JUST ENCOURAGING THEM TO INTERACT WITH THEIR LIBRARY.
AND AFTER THEY'VE FILLED THAT OUT FOR EACH WEEK, THEY CAN TURN THAT IN AND THEY CAN COLLECT UP TO EIGHT PRIZES.
AND THE REASON, ANOTHER REASON WHY WE DID IT THIS WAY IS
[00:50:01]
FAMILY VACATIONS.WHEN WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING WHERE THEY, IT IS, UM, YOU HAD TO TURN THIS, UH, FORM IN BY THIS WEEK AND IN THIS WAY IT'S JUST LIKE, IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER.
SO WE'RE HOPING SOME OF THESE CHANGES AFTER EXAMINING POSSIBLE REASONS WHY WE'VE, WE'VE LOST SOME OF THE PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS THAT THIS WILL HELP.
'CAUSE IT MAKES IT, IT'S SIMPLE.
IT'S SIMPLE FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HELPING THE PEOPLE COME IN.
AND IT'S, UM, SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD FOR THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING.
AND THEY GET A, THEY GET A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO.
UM, WE'VE GONE WITH THE RUBBER DUCKS IN THE MIDDLE.
UH, MAY OR MAY NOT SURPRISE YOU THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THESE FOR LIKE THE, THE LITTLE BITTIES, BUT THEN WE'VE HAD THE OLDER KIDS THAT WANT THESE AND THEY'LL SAY, CAN I HAVE THAT? AND WE'LL SAY, WELL, 'CAUSE WE BUY CERTAIN NUMBERS FOR WHAT WE EXPECT.
AND WE'LL SAY, WELL, WE'VE GOT THESE PRIZES FOR YOUR AGE GROUP.
SO NOW ANYBODY THAT WANTS THE LITTLE RUBBER DUCKS THAT CAN GET THEM, WE HAVE THE SHOE CHARMS THAT ARE ON THE LEFT AND THAT IS FOR CROCS OR YOUR CROC LOOKALIKES.
UH, AND THOSE ARE FOR ALL AGES ALSO.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS.
AND SO THEY CAN MAKE IT WITH BEADS.
THEY CAN MAKE IT JUST THE, UM, ONES WITH THE YARN.
AND THE STAFF WILL HAVE THEM ALSO.
THEY WILL MAKE THEM AND THEY CAN TRADE WITH THE STAFF.
SO, AND IF YOU, WE'VE GOT A RULE THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE AND SOMEBODY COMES UP AND THEY WANNA TRADE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE TRADE.
SO WE'RE MAKING
SO, UH, WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET JUST THIS ITEM OR THAT ITEM.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING IT WIDE OPEN.
WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT, WE WILL, I SAY THAT WE WILL NOT BE GIVING AWAY THE SMALLER ITEMS TO THE VERY YOUNG ONES.
SO NO BEADS AND NO, UH, SUIT, SHOE CHARMS. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU CAN PICK WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT.
BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE WE, WE PULLED SOME KIDS OF VARYING AGES AND DO RECOGNIZE, ESPECIALLY THE, THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS ARE INCREDIBLY POPULAR RIGHT NOW.
YES, WE DID DO OUR, WE DID INTERNAL, UH, RESEARCH
WE'RE KICKING IT OFF WITH A DOWNTOWN, UH, A PARTY THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE DOWNTOWN GARLAND SQUARE JUNE 8TH AT SIX.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE'VE HIRED A DJ.
WE BOUGHT OUR OWN BUBBLE MACHINE.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE CRANKING OUT THE BUBBLES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE BOUNCE HOUSES AND THEN THE KONA ICE ICE SNOW CONES FOR THE FIRST 150 KIDS.
BUT YOU, WE WILL ALSO HAVE THEM WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE THEM.
AND THEN TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE THIS YEAR PROGRAM.
SIF TRIP TRIBUTE, BUT VERY POPULAR.
THIS PERSON, UH, THE, THE, UH, LEAD SINGER IS ACTUALLY FROM, I BELIEVE MCALLEN TEXAS.
AND, UM, SHE IS, UM, BEEN, SHE'S BEEN ON ALL TYPES OF SHOWS AND SHE'S DOING CONCERT.
SHE'S DOING OTHER CONCERTS IN THE, IN THE AREA EARLIER AND AFTER US.
UH, BUT OURS IS NOT GONNA BE A CHARGE.
UH, NO, OUR CONCERT WILL BE FREE.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE SUMMER ADVENTURE PROGRAM.
BUT WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ALL OF THE, THE WORK AND THE FUN THAT KIDS WILL BE HAVING THROUGH THE SUMMER.
AND ALSO ATTRACT OTHER PEOPLE TO LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND THE
[00:55:01]
EXISTENCE OF THE LIBRARY.AND AGAIN, THIS TRANSFORMATION THAT WE'RE MAKING, AND IT'S NOT ALL, IT'S, IT IS TRADITIONAL SERVICES, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE THAN TRADITIONAL SERVICES AS WELL.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN BY GOING ON THE SQUARE AND DANCING TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND THERE'LL BE BOOTHS FOR, SORRY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, A BOOTH SET UP THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS THERE AND CAN AND TRADE THOSE.
YOU CAN TRADE THEM AND THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND IF IT GOES WELL, HOPEFULLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO EVERY YEAR.
AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ARE HELPING US BE ABLE TO PUT ON AS WELL.
NOW NOTICE ON THE JUNE 8TH, THE OPENING, YOU HAD A TIME AND THE WEATHER WILL BE MORE ACCOMMODATING.
JUNE OF AUGUST 2ND, WE DO NOT HAVE A TIME YET.
THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND THAT.
UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING, SO THE EVENTS TEAM IS HELPING US WITH THIS PROJECT.
AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, THEY'VE PURCHASED, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE USED THEM YET, BUT I THINK, I THINK THEY'VE PURCHASED SOME MISTERS TO HELP, UM, COOL CROWDS AND COOL PEOPLE DOWN.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE SOME DIFFERENT THINGS IN PLACE TO HELP PEOPLE COMBAT THE HEAT.
I THINK PROBABLY HAVING SOME WATER STATIONS AND SOME DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, OUT DURING THAT TIME AS WELL.
IT PROBABLY DO NOT QUOTE ME ON THIS.
I I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE A 7, 7 30 START DATE OR START TIME TO HELP.
THE SUN WON'T BE STRAIGHT OVERHEAD AND IT, IT BLAZING STILL GONNA BE HOT.
THERE'S JUST NO OTHER WAY AROUND.
BUT MAYBE WE'LL HAVE CLOUD COVER.
MAYBE THERE'LL BE A NICE BREEZE GOING THROUGH.
IT'S, AND I JUST WANTED, THAT'S THE, THE, OUR END OF SUMMER CELEBRATION CONCERT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK MENTION OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMS. WE WILL STILL HAVE, UM, SUMMER STORY TIMES AND THAT BEGINS JUNE 3RD AND ENDS JULY 25TH.
UH, WE WILL HAVE PROGRAMS EARLY.
LITERACY IS AGES ZERO TO FIVE, YOUNG AUDIENCES, AGES SIX TO 12, TEENS, 13 TO 17, AND ADULTS 18 AND OLDER.
AND THEN FAMILY PROGRAMS FOR, UM, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
WE HAVE A PAINT LIKE SERIES THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED WITH WILL CONTINUE.
AND THAT IS PAINT LIKE VAN GOGH, PAINT LIKE MATISSE.
AND THAT IS FOR PARTICIPANTS, 21 AND OLDER BECAUSE WE DO HAVE WINE WITH THAT.
AND YOU CAN COME, UH, THAT IS, UH, CURRENTLY BEING SU UH, SUPPORTED BY, FUNDED BY DOWNTOWN GARLAND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
AND IT, IT HASN'T YET WITH THE FRIENDS.
'CAUSE WE'RE STILL, WE STILL HAVE THE WINE FROM THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS, UM, GARLAND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, BUT IT WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE FRIENDS.
AND UM, WE DO MAKE, IT'S 20 ONES AND 21 AND OLDER AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR LICENSE IF YOU, IF YOU DECIDE TO DRINK.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SECURITY THERE.
WE HAVE OUR, A MARSHAL THERE HASN'T GOTTEN OUTTA HAND YET.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN GET WILD.
LIKE YOU HAVE AN ALLOTTED AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN HAVE.
WINE WALKS AND DOWNTOWN, WE ARE SEEING A VERY DIFFERENT CROWD COME THROUGH THE YOUNGER, YOUNGER LIKE TWENTIES, EARLY THIRTIES, UH, STARTING A CAREER THAT, THAT THAT AGE GROUP THAT'S REALLY HARD TO ATTRACT AT THE LIBRARY.
'CAUSE LIFE IS SO BUSY, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING AND THEY'RE SEEING SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE OFFERING AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
EVEN ISSUING LIBRARY CARDS AT THOSE EVENTS.
OH, A QUICK ASIDE WITH THAT, HOW MANY DID, UH, 78 WE PARTICIPATED IN AN OUTREACH, UM, EVENT THIS PAST SATURDAY WITH THE, UM, I THINK IT'S PRE-KINDERGARTEN OR KINDERGARTEN ROUNDUP THAT GISD HAS AND ISSUED 78 LIBRARY CARDS ON THE SPOT FOR YOUNGSTERS AND FAMILIES.
THAT IS THE MOST WE HAVE EVER DONE.
[01:00:01]
SO, UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, MAKER CLASSES AND MAKER FEST.WE, SO WE HAVE A WHOLE SPECIAL SUMMER MAKER FEST SERIES AND PART OF THAT IS, UM, FAMILY STUFF.
BUT WE'RE ALSO DOING, UH, CRAFT, CRAFT QUEST.
AND WE ARE DOING ANOTHER CRAFT WITH PRIDE EVENT AT, UH, SOUTH GARLAND.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA INVOLVE PAINTING, EMBROIDERY AND BEATING CRAFTS.
WE WILL STILL HAVE PAID PERFORMERS AND WE HAVE DANCE PARTIES FOR, THESE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPE FOR FAMILIES FOR TEENS AND FOR ADULTS.
AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE BOOK CLUBS WITH DIFFERENT GENRES.
AND FOR THOSE ARE, IT'S PICKING UP.
SO WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF PROGRAMS. WE JUST FINISHED WORKING AND SENT TO PUBLICATION THE LATEST OFF THE SHELF.
THAT WILL BE READY IN MAY 1ST.
AND Y'ALL BE SURE, WELL I GUESS WE'LL SEND IT.
TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING AND HAND THOSE OUT.
ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, WE'LL JUST, WE WE'RE GONNA PUT IT LIKE THAT AS AN ART BOOZE
ALL OF THEIR PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER ARE FREE.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE REGISTRATION 'CAUSE THERE'S LIMITED NUMBER OF, UH, PEOPLE.
UM, I SEE WE'VE GOT SOME
OUR NEXT MEETING IS MONDAY, MAY 13TH AND A CITY COUNCIL UP.
UH, GOING BACK TO THE AGENDA, THE NEXT ITEM IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IF ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS ONCE YOU GET ENOUGH DATA ON FLOATING BILLS.
WE'LL YES, THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MAYBE IF THE NEXT MEETING OR JUNE AN UPDATE ON THE PS SURE.
AND KINDS OF THINGS AND, AND HOW THAT'S GOING.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN A WHILE I THINK.
AND I BELIEVE I OWE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE BRANDING PROJECT AS WELL.
SO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THEN WE'RE ADJOURNED.