[ NOTICE OF MEETING CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS LIBRARY BOARD Work Session Room of City Hall William E. Dollar Municipal Building 200 N. Fifth Street Garland, Texas October 28, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. A meeting of the Library Board of the City of Garland, Texas will be held at the aforementioned location, date, and time to discuss and consider the following agenda items.]
[00:00:03]
SO I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU.
THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
THOSE ARE IN YOUR BINDER BEHIND THE AGENDA, AND THEY WERE SENT TO YOU VIA EMAIL PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? I HAVE NONE.
MAY HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
AND THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 12TH MEETING ARE APPROVED.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
THE FIRST ONE IS ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
WE ELECT A CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, AND AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE CHAIR PRESIDES AT THE BOARD MEETINGS AND THE VICE CHAIR DOES.
IF THE CHAIR IS ABSENT, ANY BOARD MEMBER MAY MAKE A NOMINATION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A NOMINATION, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE NAME OF THE PERSON THAT YOU ARE NOMINATING.
THE FIRST POSITION IS BOARD CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS? I HAVE A NOMINATION.
UM, IT'S KRISTEN LUCIDO AND I NOMINATE TERRY, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE AS CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF TERRY REGE AS LIBRARY CHAIR.
THE NEXT POSITION IS BOARD VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE KRISTEN LUCCI TO BOARD VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? ALRIGHT, NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF KRISTEN LUCCI.
FOR THE POSITION OF VICE CHAIR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
AND KRISTEN LUCCI IS NOW OUR VICE CHAIR WANG.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND BOND PROGRAM UPDATES.
WE'LL START OFF WITH THE NORTH GARLAND BRANCH LIBRARY.
WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING COMPLETED THERE.
WE HAVE A FEW MINOR THINGS LEFT TO DO.
UH, ONE THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO OR WE'RE HAVING DONE IS THERE ARE SANDBLASTING AND POWER WASHING THE SIDEWALKS IN THE PORTICO AREA.
UH, IF YOU'VE NOTICED, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE, IT'S YELLOW IN COLOR, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE YELLOW, ALL THE DIRT, ALL THE STAINS, UH, A TRIP SOMEHOW STICKS WITH THE YELLOW.
SO WE'RE GOING TO WIPE THAT OUT AND, UH, GO WITH SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE NEUTRAL THAT WE HOPE WILL COVER UP SOME OF THE STAINS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THANKFULLY, BUT ALSO A LOT OF SPILLS, THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
AND THEY, AND ON THAT YELLOW, IT TENDS TO, TO REALLY SHOW UP AND WE HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING RID OF IT.
SO THAT IS OUR, ONE OF OUR SOLUTIONS FOR TRYING TO, HEY, ADAM, HOW ARE YOU DOING? TRYING TO, UH, UH, FIX THAT PROBLEM.
THE OTHER THING, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A PARKING LOT LEVEL, AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE LEVEL AT THE ENTRANCE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, AND THERE'S A SMALL TRANSITION BETWEEN THE TWO MM-HMM.
AND IT'S NOT, IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, IT'S NOT APPARENT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A TRANSITION.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A TRIP HAZARD.
SO, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS PAINT THAT LITTLE TRANSITION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT'S, UH, MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE FOR PATRONS AND PEOPLE WALKING, WALKING BY THERE.
I'LL SAY THOSE TWO ITEMS WILL BE DONE AFTER, UM, EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY PROCEEDINGS ARE DONE.
WENT AND PUT A, UM, A CAUTION TAPE, VERY BRIGHTLY COLORED TAPE ALONG THAT, THAT LITTLE EDGE TO HELP DRAW PEOPLE'S ATTENTION THAT THERE IS A STEP OR GRADUAL, UM,
[00:05:01]
RAISE THERE AT NORTH.SO THERE IS, THERE IS A SIMILAR EFFECT OVER AT THE, UH, WALNUT CREEK.
WELL, IT'S NOT WALNUT CREEK, THE WEST GARLAND, UM, REC CENTER AT HALL BAR.
THEY, I THINK THEY PAINTED THEIRS RED, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, TOO.
AND WROTE, WATCH YOUR STEP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON IT.
WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR HERE AS WELL.
SO FOR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, UH, WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF A TOUR A A WEEK OR SO AGO, TOOK SOME PHOTOS.
UM, THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT IS THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING.
UM, WE, I THINK THE LAST TIME THEY HAD ALREADY PUT THE IRON WORK IN FOR THAT FACADE, BUT NOW YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE STARTING TO, UH, PUT THE, UH, PUT THE, THE FORMS UP FOR, UH, POURING THE CONCRETE, THE, THE SIDEWALKS.
AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, ON SOME OF THE LANDSCAPING.
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS THE WEST, UH, KIND OF A WEST ENTRANCE.
UH, THEY HAVEN'T DONE MUCH WORK ON THAT, UH, BUT THIS MORNING AND TODAY I'VE SEEN THAT THEY'RE STARTING TO WORK ON FILLING IN THAT OUTSIDE EDGE, UH, FOR THAT FACADE ON THE WEST SIDE.
LAST TIME I TALKED A BIT ABOUT ROOF DRAINS AND THAT WE WERE A LITTLE BIT IN A HOLDING PATTERN WITH GETTING SOME OF THE ROOF DRAINS IN.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE PICTURES OF WHAT THESE ROOF DRAINS LOOK LIKE.
THEY GO IN THE CEILING OF THE BUILDING.
UH, SO THEY DRAIN ALL THE WATER OFF OF THE TOP DOWN INTO THE STORM SEWER.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SOME OF WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING, YES, ALL THE ROOF DRAINS IN HOW LARGE THEY ARE.
AND THEN THEY GO DOWN INTO THE STORM, UH, STORM SEWER.
SO WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO COMPLETE WITH THAT.
I THINK, UH, THEY HAVE TO, BEFORE THEY CAN START WORKING ON THE, ON REPLACING THE ROOF, THEY HAVE TO GET THE ROOF DRAINS, UH, IN, IN CASE THERE'S RAIN, ET CETERA.
I THINK I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CEILING GRID BEING PUT IN LAST TIME.
UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF THE CEILING GRID PUT IN, UH, ON THE LOWER LEVEL.
AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH, YOU CAN SEE SOME CARDBOARD LINES, LONG LINES.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE LIGHTS FOR THE LOWER LEVEL.
SO THEY'RE STARTING TO INSTALL, UH, THE LIGHTING AS WELL.
THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS THE CHILDREN'S OFFICE.
AND THERE ARE ALSO STARTING, WE ACTUALLY HAVE WORKING LIGHTS IN, UH, THOSE ROOMS. THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS ALSO, UH, NEAR THE, NEAR THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE CEILING GRID.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE LIGHTS, UH, WITHOUT THE CARDBOARD ON THEM THERE.
I MAY HAVE INCLUDED THEM BEFORE, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
BUT I JUST LOVE THAT THAT ONE ON THE LEFT IS THE MEETING, THE BIG MEETING ROOM AND THE WINDOWS AND HOW LIGHT, HOW LIGHT IT'S GONNA BE.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE OLD LIBRARY, WE HAD WINDOWS, BUT THEY WERE KIND OF SMALL, SMALLER WINDOWS.
SO SOME LIGHT CAME IN, BUT NOT, NOT VERY MUCH.
AND THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS THE, UH, SOUTHWEST ENTRANCE.
UH, SO YOU'LL ENTER THE LIBRARY AND AS YOU WALK IN, UH, YOU'LL, THERE'LL BE A TREE GROVE TO THE LEFT OF YOU.
SO WE HOPE IT'S GONNA BE REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TRANSLATES OR NOT, BUT THIS IS THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
UM, THE, THEY'RE WORKING ON REPLACING THE CEILING THAT'S UP ON THE, THE TOP OF THE, UH, ON THE CEILING OF THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
THEY HAD TO PUT A GIANT SCAFFOLDING SYSTEM IN SO THAT THEY CAN WORK.
YOU CAN SEE THE, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PICTURE, THERE'S A LADDER.
SO YOU COULD, THEY, AND THEY CALL THIS THE DANCE FLOOR.
SO IT'S A GIANT, IT'S A GIANT SCAFFOLDING THAT THEY'VE INSTALLED, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN PUT THE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE FRAMING FOR THE, FOR THE NEW CEILING GRID.
ANOTHER PICTURE OF THAT SCAFFOLDING ON THE LEFT.
AND THEN FROM THE STAIRWELL UNDER, UNDERNEATH ON THE LOWER LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE SCAFFOLDING KIND OF LOOKS LIKE, THE DANCE FLOOR LOOKS LIKE FROM UNDERNEATH.
I WENT UP TO THE FIFTH FLOOR IN THE PARKING GARAGE AND TOOK A PICTURE OF THE ROOF ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE STARTING THE ROOF OVERLAY.
UM, UH, WHEN I WENT BY THERE TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE HAD, THEY'VE DONE PART OF THE OVERLAY ALMOST, UH, ON THE ENTIRE ROOF NOW.
SO, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE, UH, THE ROOFING START.
WHAT DIRECTION IS THAT LOOKING FROM OR TO, SO IT'S LOOKING FROM THE FIFTH STREET, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX PARKING GARAGE.
[00:10:01]
FACING NORTH ON THE GARAGE AND LOOKING WEST, LOOKING WEST TOWARDS.SO THE, THE, UH, MAIN ENTRANCE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, OF THE BUILDING.
YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD POINT OF REFERENCE.
SO WE ALSO DID A NICE TOUR OF THE WEST GARLAND, UH, LIBRARY TWO FRIDAYS AGO, I THINK.
UH, SO WE ALL WENT OUT IN OUR HARD HATS AND OUR LITTLE VESTS AND TOOK A, A QUICK TOUR.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTO PHOTOS.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE THE GREAT PHOTO OF THE BUILDING.
THE, THE FACADE, THE GRAND FACADE, A COUPLE STORIES HIGH AT LEAST.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME POOR FOLKS HAD TO GET UP THERE AND PUT 10 ON TOP OF THAT ROOF.
BUT THEY'VE GOT THE ROOF, UH, ROOF ON.
THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON THE SIDING, UH, OF THE BUILDING.
SO THEY'RE STARTING TO PUT THE SIDING, UH, ON, UH, OF THE BUILDING AS WELL.
THESE TWO PICTURES ARE ALSO OF THAT MAIN ENTRANCE CORRIDOR.
ON THE INSIDE YOU CAN SEE IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, A NICE GIANT CORRIDOR, UM, SEPARATES KIND OF TWO SIDES OF, OF THE LIBRARY BUILDING.
UH, ON THE, ON THIS PICTURE, ON THE LEFT, ON THE RIGHT SIDE WILL BE THE ADULT SIDE OF THE, THE BUILDING ON THE LEFT SIDE.
CHILDREN, UH, STUDY ROOMS, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER, OTHER, UH, AREAS OF THE LIBRARY.
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE MAKINGS OF OUR PATRON SERVICE DESK.
THE SEMI BLUE, UM, CIRCLE THERE.
THAT'S WHERE OUR PATRON, UH, SERVICE DESK WILL BE.
UM, SO THE FRAMING IS COMING ALONG.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE IN A COUPLE OTHER PICTURES, THEY HAVE SOME SHEET ROCK, UH, UP AS WELL, OR DRYWALL AS THEY CALL IT.
THESE ARE PICTURES OF THE ADULT SERVICE AREA, WHICH I ALSO THINK IS GONNA BE REALLY, UH, SPECTACULAR.
THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS FACING TO, UH, OUT TOWARDS WALNUT.
UM, OR YOU'RE LOOKING OUT TOWARDS, UH, WALNUT.
THAT'S WHERE THE COMPUTERS WILL BE.
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT I THINK IS, IS REALLY COOL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER RAISED AREA, UH, ON, UH, ON THAT WALNUT SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE FRAMING FOR THE WINDOWS THAT ARE GONNA BE IN THERE.
SO IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF LIGHT, A LOT OF, UH, SO THIS IS THE READING ROOM AND THE ADULT SECTION.
ONE THING, AND I'M SORRY, WE'LL, I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THIS.
THE GRID FOR THE, THE WINDOW WORK THROUGHOUT MATCHES THE GRID WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE DOWN THE PROMENADE, UM, WITH ALL THE, THE COLORED GLASS AND THE WINDOWS.
SO IT LOOKS, I THINK I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS LIKE FLOW THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE JUST OUTSIDE OF THIS WINDOW WILL BE OUR COVERED, UH, OUTDOOR AREA WHERE WE'LL HAVE OUTDOOR SEATING, UH, AND KIND OF A NICE AREA FOR PATRONS TO HANG OUT OUTDOORS AND ARE WHAT, ONE MONTH A YEAR WHERE YOU CAN REALLY HANG OUT OUTDOORS.
UM, THESE ARE PHOTOS OF THE STUDY ROOMS, INNOVATION LAB, UH, KIND OF THE MAKER AREA.
THE MAKER AREA IS ON THE VERY RIGHT OF THE RIGHT HAND PICTURE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE YAY STUDY ROOMS. UH, WE WANTED, UH, WEST TO HAVE STUDY ROOMS AND PATRONS LOVE THE STUDY ROOM.
SO WE, WE HAVE SOME AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM.
UM, I WAS, I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED WHEN LOOKING AT THE PLANS THAT HOW MUCH SPACE WE WERE GONNA HAVE.
BUT ONE THING THAT STRUCK ME, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT KAREN WHEN WE VISITED OUT THERE, IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NICE SIZE CHILDREN, CHILDREN'S AND TEEN AREA.
UM, THIS DOESN'T REALLY GIVE YOU THE EXPANDED VIEW, BUT YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE PUTTING IN SOME OF THE CEILING ELEMENTS AND THEY'RE PUTTING IN THE DRYWALL.
THERE'S A LOT OF DRYWALL FOR THEM TO PUT IN THE PICTURE.
ON THE VERY RIGHT IS THE CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR AREA THAT WE WILL HAVE RIGHT OFF THE BACK END, UH, OF THE, UH, OF THE LIBRARY.
SO IT MIGHT EVEN BE KAREN IN THERE SOMEWHERE.
OH, SO INSPECTING, MAKING SURE IT'S UP TO STANDARD.
IT'S A FINE WALDO THING THERE.
MY EXPERIENCE WAS GOING INTO THE ADULT AREA AND SEEING HOW BIG IT WAS.
SEEING SOMETHING IN BLACK AND WHITE IN 2D ON PAPER JUST DOESN'T, SEEING IT GO UPRIGHT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO, HOW ARE WE ON COMPLETION? DATES ARE, ARE THEY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME OR AT THIS POINT IN TIME THEY'RE THE SAME.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SPRING FOR BOTH, UM, WEST AND CENTRAL.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET A MORE HARD
[00:15:01]
SCHEDULE OR A FIRM, FIRM UP THE SCHEDULE FOR THE GRAND OPENING FOR BOTH OF THOSE WITH BEING VERY AWARE THAT THEY'RE TWO REALLY BIG EVENTS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AND HOW MUCH STAFF CAN DO FOR MM-HMM.'CAUSE WE WANT BOTH OF THE EVENTS TO BE REALLY BIG BUT ALSO VERY SPECIAL.
SO, BUT ALSO HOPEFULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPRINGTIME WEATHER.
SO I THINK, UM, NO, I DON'T THINK WALNUT IS A MUCH EASIER, UH, OR WEST IS A MUCH EASIER PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WITH BUDGET.
THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GROUND UP, UM, BUILDING.
THERE ARE LITTLE THINGS HERE AND THERE I THINK WITH TECHNOLOGY AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OUTFIT IT WITH AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE INCREASE HERE, INCREASE THERE.
CENTRAL WAS JUST A DIFFERENT ANIMAL WITH IT BEING A RENOVATION AND GOING IN.
SO CENTRAL HAS HAD SEVERAL HITS TO THE BUDGET, UM, IN THE, THE CITY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE WORKED WITH US ON BEING ABLE TO TRIAGE AND FIGURE OUT, IS THIS A NEED OR IS THIS A WANT? UM, MOST OF THEM ARE NEEDS LIKE ROOF, ROOF DRAINS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
BUT IT DOES COME AT A COST OF INCREASING.
SO WHAT THE OVERALL BUDGET, SO PERCENTAGE OVER THE BUDGET ARE WE, I WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK WITH A FIRM NUMBER FOR THAT, FOR CENTRAL.
AND DO YOU THINK THAT AT THIS POINT THOSE SORT OF SURPRISES ARE SORT OF OVER AND FOR CENTRAL? I, YES.
I THINK BY AND LARGE EVERYONE SAY PRAYER, KNOCK ON WOOD, KNOW THEY'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING APART.
SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S NO MORE SURPRISES.
SURPRISES, SURPRISES FOR REASON.
I DON'T, I WILL NOT SAY WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAINTY, BUT I THINK THE, THE BIG THINGS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED AT THIS POINT.
AND SO HOW DOES THE CITY COMPENSATE FOR THAT FINANCIALLY OR SO WITH THE, THE BOND PROGRAM ITSELF, WHEN, I FORGET THE EXACT PART OF THE PROCESS, BUT THEY DID PROGRAM IN AT SOME POINT SOME FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH OVERAGE, UM, OVERAGES, UM, SURPRISES AND ESPECIALLY WHERE INFLATION AND SUPPLY AND DEMAND WERE CONCERNED THAT THINGS WERE JUST GOING UP AND UP AND UP AT A SUCH A FAST PACE.
SOME OF THAT HAS, UM, WE'VE BENEFITED FROM THAT A LITTLE BIT FROM BOTH WEST AND CENTRAL, ESPECIALLY WHERE INFLATION WAS CONCERNED, ESCALATION WAS CONCERNED.
UM, SOMETIMES WITH I THINK THE, WITH CENTRAL, WE'VE HAD TO GO BACK IN THE CIP PROCESS, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UM, PROJECT PROCESS AND, UH, MAKE A REQUEST THROUGH THAT AVENUE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, GAIN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR, FOR PART OF THAT PROJECT.
SO AT THIS POINT, ARE THERE ANY SORT OF DENIALS THAT YOU THINK ARE SIGNIFICANT OR THEY'RE, WERE MO MOSTLY SORT OF MOVING ALONG BECAUSE THEIR NEEDS? UM, I THINK MOST OF THEM ARE MOVING ALONG BECAUSE OF NEEDS AND IT'S NEEDS FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING, BUT ALSO NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE A PUBLIC FACING BUILDING AND OFFER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC TOO.
SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, BUT I CAN GET YOU A NUMBER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT WEST OR CENTRAL? THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
I'M SORRY, SUSAN, DID YOU, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I JUST TOLD HIM THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
WILL, UM, THE NEXT ITEM CONTINUED DISCUSSION FOR OUTREACH SERVICES POLICY DRAFT, EXCUSE ME.
LAST MONTH, UM, WE BROUGHT FORWARD AN UPDATE TO THE LIBRARY OUTREACH AND EVENTS POLICY.
UH, THE ORIGINAL POLICY BEING FROM 2000 AND WHOOPS, I DON'T HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER IN FRONT OF ME.
IS THAT IN HERE SOMEWHERE? THE ORIGINAL POLICY BEING FROM 2003 AND GOING THROUGH UPDATING THAT POLICY AND WANTED TO, WE, WE DISCUSSED MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT.
SOME LANGUAGE IN THE, THE DRAFT POLICY, UM, THAT WANTED TO BRING IT BACK FOR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
JUST AFTER THE, UM, JUST AFTER, IS IT THE AGENDA AND THE MINUTES? WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND IT? IT'S AFTER THE AGENDA AND THE MINUTES.
[00:20:01]
COMING BACK, SEEING IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, ANY DIRECTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE WHERE THIS POLICY IS CONCERNED.
ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU, WE HAVE THREE SENTENCES THAT SAY THE SAME THING.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST JUST STRIKING THE FIRST TWO.
THE LAST SEEMS TO CAPTURE THE FACT THAT THE LIBRARY'S GONNA EVALUATE WHERE RESOURCES NEED TO BE AND THEY'RE CONNECTED TO THE AUDIENCE AND WHAT VARIOUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY NEED.
WE MAY NEED TO GO BACK AND RE-LOOK AT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, SECTION THEN, UM, TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS WITH PAYING ATTENTION TO GARLAND RESIDENCE SPECIFICALLY.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND CHRIS'S CONCERN.
IS IT THAT THEY ARE, MY NAME IS MICHAEL.
IS IT THAT THEY ARE IN YOUR ASSESSMENT DUPLICATIVE OR THAT THEY CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER? NO, THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING.
THAT THE LIBRARY IS ASSESSING THE NEEDS OF THIS, THE GARLAND RESIDENTS, AND THAT'S HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THEIR DECISIONS ON WHERE THE NEEDS ARE.
SO YOU CAN LIBRARY WOULD ADOPT STRATEGY, STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ENSURE THE RESOURCES TO SERVE THE GARLAND RESIDENTS WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE FACE BARRIERS TO ACCESS.
THAT SEEMS TO SORT OF CAPTURE THE SENSE THAT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THOSE AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT HAVE THE MOST NEED.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW, THAT'S THE SORT OF GOVERNING PRINCIPLE IN TERMS OF PROGRAMMING.
KAREN, THE, I KIND OF SEE THEM AS THREE SEPARATE, THE FIRST YEAR PRIORITIZING OR YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, ADOPTING AN APPROACH TO DEAL WITH REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY THE SECOND YOU ARE DEALING WITH, WITH PROGRAMMING THAT THE LIBRARY PUTS ON.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS DIRECTING THE LIBRARY TO ADOPT A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO OTHER RESOURCES.
IS, IS THAT CORRECT OR AM I MISREADING THAT? ARE THEY OTHER RESOURCES OR ARE THEY IN GENERAL PROGRAMS, PROGRAM RESOURCES? EXCUSE ME.
THAT'S THE, WAS THE INTENT, UM, INITIALLY WITH THE, WITH SECTION FOUR.
UM, AND THEN, I'M SORRY, MICHAEL, WHAT WAS THE SO I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE PROGRAM RESOURCES ALLOCATED, AND THAT'S BASED ON WHERE THE NEEDS ARE, UM, NEEDS, UH, AS WELL AS STAFFING AND, UM, MM-HMM.
SO I MEAN, SO, SO WE'VE GOT, THE LIBRARY TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION REQUESTS AND MAKES CHOICES BASED ON BOTH STAFF RESOURCES AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY BEST NEEDS.
IS THAT, SO MY INTERPRETATION IS THAT ONE, NUMBER ONE IS OUT OUTREACH REQUESTS.
THE NEXT ONE PROGRAMS, WHICH COULD BE GENERALLY BE INSIDE, I SUPPOSE PROGRAMS COULD BE OUTSIDE AS WELL.
OH, SO I, AND THEN THIS, I GUESS I, SO PROGRAMS ARE IN, WELL, I'M JUST GIVING YOU MY INTERPRETATION BECAUSE THEY SERVE THE COMMUNITY THOUGH, THE PROGRAMS THAT MM-HMM.
AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE BEING RESOURCES, WHICH COULD BE THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION, THE MAKER SPACE, THE EXPERTISE OF THE STAFF, REFERENCE SERVICES, ALL ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
SO I I, I SEE A DISTINCTION WITH, AMONG THE THREE THINGS.
WELL, IT SEEMS, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE GOT IT RIGHT, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT HELPED ME WRAP MY MIND.
[00:25:01]
HAVE REQUESTS, RESOURCES AND ALLOCATION OR REQUEST PROGRAMS YEAH.PROGRAMS. IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T NEED ALL THOSE WORDS TO CAPTURE THAT IS MY, IS IT THE BOARD'S WISH FOR US TO GO BACK AND TRY TO BE MORE CONCISE WITH THAT PARTICULAR SECTION? WELL, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.
I THINK WE CAN CAPTURE THAT IN FEWER WORDS.
MAYBE WE COULD, BUT DO WE NEED TO? WELL, WHEN I READ IT, WHEN IT WAS SENT TO US, IT TO ME, IT FLOWED.
I MEAN, ONE VIL OFF THE OTHER.
I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY, I I, I DO SEE THAT, TERRY, YOUR EXPLANATION MADE IT CLEAR FOR ME, LIKE THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN EACH ONE.
I, I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE LANGUAGE AS IS AS WELL.
UM, I, I, I DO IDENTIFY EACH SENTENCE IS ADDRESSING ONE DISTINCT NEED, UH, FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE ALL OF THEM IN THIS POLICY, UH, DIRECTIVE.
I GUESS ONE SUGGESTION, 'CAUSE I KIND OF, I CAN SEE, I FIRST READ IT, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE THE, THE HEADER IS AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAMS, BUT THE FIRST SENTENCE TALKS ABOUT OUTREACH REQUESTS.
SO I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE THE FIRST SENTENCE, SORRY, FLIP THE FIRST AND SECOND SENTENCES HELP TO START WITH PROGRAMS AND THEN ADDRESS OUT OUTREACH REQUESTS.
MAYBE THAT WAS, I STUMBLED A LITTLE BIT WHEN I FIRST READ IT.
WE USE RESOURCES MAYBE INSTEAD OF PROGRAMS. YEAH.
OR THAT, WELL, THAT, IF THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT AS WELL.
IF THE TITLE WASN'T LIMITED TO PROGRAMS, BUT MAYBE A BROADER TERM.
AND I DID HAVE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
SO IF, IF THERE'S AN OUTREACH GROUP THAT APPROACHES THE LIBRARY AND WITH THIS POLICY IN PLACE, UM, DEEMS THEMSELVES AS UNDERSERVED OR UNSERVED, HOW DOES A LIBRARY ASSESS WHETHER THEY MEET THAT DEFINITION? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS NOW TO, UH, GO THROUGH A STEP BY STEP TO, TO DEFINE WHAT UNDERSERVED OR UNSERVED WOULD BE.
DOES IT, IS THIS A PART OF THE POPULATION THAT MOBILITY IS AN ISSUE? IS LANGUAGE A BARRIER? UM, DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET COMPUTERS AT HOME? ARE THEY, UM, IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THE, THE DIFFERENT REPORTS THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THE CENSUS AND DIFFERENT, UM, AVENUES THAT WAY, ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE RESIDENTS IN A PARTICULAR AREA, OR LET'S SAY MULTIFAMILY UNIT, ARE THEY, UM, RECEIVING SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO HELP OFFSET COSTS THAT, ARE THERE A LARGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN OR YOUTH THAT LIVE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA? ARE THEY SENIOR CITIZENS? SO DEPENDING ON WHAT, AND SOMETIMES IT'S YES, YES, YES, YES, YES TO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
THEN WE HAVE TO TRIAGE AND DECIDE IT HITS FIVE OF THE EIGHT, IT HITS THREE OF THE EIGHT.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TIME IN OUR AVAILABILITY IN OUR CALENDAR, UH, WE CAN DO IT.
OR WE NEED TO MAKE TIME AND MAKE THIS A PRIORITY TO BE ABLE TO GO MEET THE NEEDS OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, UM, DETERMINING FACTORS TO DECIDE IT NEEDS TO MEET THIS CRITERIA, THIS CRITERIA, THIS CRITERIA IS BEING ABLE TO DEFINE WHAT UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED IS, IS, IS NOT A NECESSARILY AN EASY TASK.
AND, UM, MULTIPLE
SO IF, IF, UH, A GROUP WERE TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, WE ARE CLASSIFIED AS UNSERVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE, DOES THAT HAVE ANY SORT OF PLAY INTO HOW WE WOULD CLASSIFY THEM? OR ARE WE COMPLETELY SEPARATE? AND APART FROM, I, I THINK THE BEST ANSWER I COULD GIVE YOU IS IT MAY, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, WHAT OTHER RESOURCES WOULD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT
[00:30:01]
GROUP? UM, IF THERE ARE RESOURCES, CAN WE PARTNER ON DIFFERENT THINGS BETWEEN THE LIBRARY, UM, AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE NEEDS FOR WHATEVER THAT, THAT NEED IS, OR THAT GROUP IS? I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ONWE'RE DOING IT FROM A SENSE OF A LIBRARY, AND YOU, YOU, YOU CAN'T, THERE'S A BARRIER THERE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SERVICES IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AT THE LIBRARY, BUT ARE CERTAINLY OPEN TO, TO THOSE OTHER DEFINITIONS.
AND, UH, OH, THE WORD JUST FLEW RIGHT OUT OF MY BRAIN, UH, DESIGNATIONS FOR GROUPS.
AND I'M NOT SURE I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
IT IT, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE ANSWER
WELL, AND THE REASON I ASK IS MAINLY BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UM, MULTITUDE OF FEDERAL AGENCIES FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AT THE STATE LEVEL, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN CLASSIFICATIONS FOR DEFINING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST SHOWING UP AND SAYING, HEY, DFPS CLASSIFIES ME AS AN UNDERSERVED YES.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF WE WANNA MAKE IT EXPLICITLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AS DEFINED UNDER THE, YOU KNOW, GARLAND LIBRARY OR SYSTEM OR WHAT, HOWEVER WE WANT TO WORD IT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO BE EXPLICIT WITH THAT, BECAUSE I, I DO ENVISION, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BENEFIT OF THIS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZING THESE GROUPS.
AND SO THERE'S A BENEFIT FOR OUTREACH GROUPS TO COME AND PETITION FOR MORE PROGRAMMING, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, USE OF THE LIBRARY BUILDINGS OR FACILITIES.
UM, AND THEY'LL GET PRIORITY IF THEY MEET THIS CLASSIFICATION.
UM, SO BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE PRECISE, I THINK, IN TERMS OF WHAT, HOW WE DEFINE THOSE, THOSE DEFINITIONS MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE WHAT, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF A PRECISE DEFINITION.
WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS THOUGH, IS A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR LIKE THE NEXT THREE YEAR PERIOD THAT WILL CHOP UP INTO YEAR INCREMENTS OF WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE GOING TO BE FOR OUTREACH.
BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS, THERE ARE A LOT OF UNSERVED, UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN GARLAND.
AND HOW WE'RE GONNA TRIAGE THOSE, UM, THOSE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
SO I THINK MAYBE HAVING THAT PRECISE DEFINITION ALONG WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA HIT THIS, THIS, AND THIS MAY, UH, MAY HELP ANSWER A LITTLE BIT IN PART YOUR, YOUR CONCERN AND QUESTION, UM, OF HOW WE DETERMINE, AND WE CAN COME BACK, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL FLESHING OUT THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WE CAN COME BACK AND PRESENT THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, TO YOU MORGAN, OR SHE'LL LOVE TO COME TALK ABOUT
SO WOULD IT APPEAR IN HERE, WOULD IT BE REFERENCED SORT OF TO ANOTHER ARTICULATED DOCUMENT? SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN AND NOT A PART OF THE, THE POLICY PER SE.
SO IT WOULD JUST REFERENCE AS STATED IN THE CORRECT STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I, I DON'T THINK, UM, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ITEM, I DON'T THINK, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, UNLESS THE BOARD THINKS DIFFERENTLY, I'M NOT ASKING THAT IT BE TABLED FOR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS.
I'M OKAY APPROVING IT PENDING THE INCLUSION OF THAT SORT OF, UH, CLARIFICATION.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I I, I'M FINE WITH IT AS IS, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THAT, UH, DIFFERENTIATION INCLUDED IN THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S CLEAR AS LIBRARIANS, WE, EXCUSE ME, WE WANT TO SERVE THE BROADEST POSSIBLE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY IN AS MANY WAYS AS POSSIBLE.
THEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE PRACTICAL, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS A FINITE RESOURCE.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS POLICY THAT HELPS YOU DETERMINE, I'VE GOT X NUMBER OF REQUESTS, I, I CAN APPROVE THIS SUBSET, BUT NOT THESE, IS IS THERE ANY, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT WOULD HELP YOU EXCLUDE OR, OR SAY NO.
SO WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE, WHEN YOU'RE INUNDATED WITH MORE REQUESTS THAN YOU CAN HANDLE,
[00:35:01]
WHAT IS YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS? THAT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.UM, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS IN THE POLICY THAT HELP US BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION ONE PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
IS IT SOMETHING THAT WILL BENEFIT GARLAND RESIDENTS? UM, HAVING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT BENEFIT GARLAND RESIDENTS? CAN, YOU KNOW US GOING THROUGH A, A WHOLE LIST OF, OF QUESTIONS OF HOW DOES IT BENEFIT GARLAND RESIDENTS? HOW, UH, SPECIFIC IS THAT BENEFIT TO GARLAND RESIDENTS? IS IT A GROUP COMING IN OR IT IS A ORGANIZATION THAT WE NEED TO, TO PARTNER WITH FOR, FOR WHAT? I'M NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION VERY WELL.
I THINK IN PART, WHEN WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO COME BACK AND SAY LIKE, THESE ARE OUR, UH, THESE ARE THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING FOR.
ONE OF 'EM IS, UM, SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING TO SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES AND SENIOR CITIZENS.
THAT IS A, UM, BY THE DEFINITION THAT, THAT WE'LL HAVE, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT FOR Y'ALL.
UM, AN UNDERSERVED UNSERVED POPULATION SERVICES THAT, UH, TARGET COMMUNITIES, THAT MOBILITY IS AN ISSUE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
IT SEEMS LIKE PART, MAYBE PART OF THE ANSWER IS THE REFERENCE TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE ARTICULATION OF THE, THE PROCESS THAT THE LIBRARY IS GOING TO TAKE.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD BE SO SPECIFIC OTHER THAN WE'RE GONNA TAKE THESE SORTS OF VARIABLES INTO CONSIDERATION AND, YOU KNOW, THIS DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCES THAT, AND THAT IS SORT OF THE GUIDING, UH, SORT OF DEFINITION THAT'S GONNA BE USED TO MAKE, UM, FINANCIAL DECISIONS.
I MEAN, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN BE AS SPECIFIC AS LIKE ELDER CARE OR THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
I DON'T, I I DON'T, I'M NOT FAMILIAR HOW THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS SORT OF CREATE THESE CLASSIFICATIONS, BUT IT, THAT, THAT'S TO ME SEEMS TO BE THE ANSWER TO, TO WHERE IT OCCURS IN THIS DOCUMENT, IS A CROSS REFERENCE TO A MORE PRECISE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM THAT GUIDES FINANCIAL DECISIONS ON IT.
I THINK THIS DOCUMENT, ALONG WITH THE CLASSIFICATION, ALONG WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THEN SOME, TO YOUR POINT, MS. SIR, SOME OF THE VERY, UH, REALISTIC THINGS OF, WE CAN ONLY SAY YES TO X NUMBER THINGS BECAUSE OF STAFFING.
AND IF WE'VE SAID YES TO OUR X NUMBER OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SCHEDULING SOMETHING FAR OUT? UM, IS THE NEED NOW, LIKE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE IT, IT, STAFFING TIME, MONEY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ABSOLUTELY A FACTOR.
AND WE
WE, WE ASK THAT THEY BE DONE A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME OUT.
SO WE CAN SCHEDULE, AND WE DO GET SOME LAST MINUTE ONES, UM, DEPENDING ON HOW LAST MINUTE, SOMETIMES WE, WE HAVE TO SAY WE ARE, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, AS IT SAYS HERE, THE AVAILABILITY OF QUALIFIED LIBRARY STAFF.
BUT HOW USEFUL ARE WE GOING TO BE? AND, UH, AND THIS IS EVEN PULLING, WE, WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF THEM BECAUSE WE PULL FROM DIFFERENT, LIKE, CIRCULATION OR LIBRARY ASSISTANTS AND THEIR LIBRARIANS.
BUT IF, IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, WE, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT.
WE ALSO MAY ASK, IS THIS A ONE TIME ONLY OR IS THIS A REPEATING THAT MAYBE WE CAN MEET WITH Y'ALL AT A LATER DATE? SO WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, THOSE VARIABLES AND TAKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT WE
[00:40:01]
WANT TO SERVE, THE UNDER UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED PLUS STAFFING.AND THIS IS WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL DO, UM, IS WHERE WE CAN BRING THOSE TOGETHER, REFER TO THAT, AND, UH, SAY YOU HAVE THREE REQUESTS COME IN AT THE, AT ANY TIMELY MANNER, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THEN, THEN THAT'S WHERE THE OTHER, WHERE YOU HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
BUT EVEN THEN, IT'S GOOD LIBRARIANS, WE ALWAYS
BUT WE DO, WE HAVE TO, BUT WE ALSO, IF WE DO HAVE TO SAY NO, UH, TRY AND PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO AND OFFER A DIFFERENT TIME.
SO MY, MY UNDERSTANDING GOING TO THE CHAIR'S POINT, UM, THIS POLICY WAS MEANT TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PRIORITIZE.
SAY, SAY WE GET THREE REQUESTS COMING IN AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WOULD THEN LOOK TOWARD THE POLICY AND YOU'D SAY, OKAY, UM, TWO OF THEM ARE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, SO WE'RE ACCORDING TO OUR DEFINITION.
SO THOSE ARE GONNA HAVE A, A HIGHER PRIORITY.
ARE YOU ASKING, LIKE, HOW DO YOU DECIDE BETWEEN TWO THAT MEET THESE DEFINITIONS, THESE QUALIFICATIONS? UM, NO, I'M, I'VE GOT THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION THAT, UH, CLEARLY THIS IS, UM, THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING, RIGHT? WE'RE ALREADY GETTING REQUESTS AND MAKING DECISIONS.
SO THERE IS A, A PROCESS FOR MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
AND I REALLY JUST WANTED TO, TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR FROM POLICY INTO PROCEDURE.
AND I GUESS FOR MY QUESTION THEN, IF THERE ARE TWO COMPETING GROUPS THAT ARE LEFT IN THE RUNNING THAT ARE BOTH UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND MEET THIS DEFINITION, THAT'S WHEN YOU GO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEN LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS LIKE TIMING AND RESOURCES AND ALL THAT? YES.
AND I, WELL, I'LL JUST SAY YES, VERY RARELY.
I THINK THERE WOULD BE, YEAH, WELL, HOPEFULLY TWO THAT WOULD BE ON THE SAME DAY, THE SAME TIME WE'VE MADE, WE'VE MADE, I DON'T WANNA SAY MIRACLES HAPPEN BEFORE.
WE HAVE STRETCHED, WE'VE STRETCHED, WE HAVE STRETCHED TOO.
ESPECIALLY IF THE NEED, THERE'S A BIG NEED.
UM, AND IT'S A, IT'S A BIG ASK, BUT, UM, BY AND LARGE, YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
AND THEN MY LAST POINT, UM, KIND OF ALONG THE LINES OF MY FIRST POINT WAS, IT SEEMS LIKE, AND WHEN WE DEFINE, UH, WHO IS, UH, TARGETED IN THIS POLICY, IN SECTION ONE, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS, SENIORS, TEENS, AND OTHERS WHO MAY BE UNDERSERVED.
UM, BUT THEN IN SECTION THREE, WE HAVE AN ADDED DEFINITION FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS, SENIORS, TEENS, AND INDIVIDUALS FACING MOBILITY OR SOCIOECONOMIC CHALLENGES.
IS THAT INTENDED TO BE A DIFFERENT DEFINITION, OR CAN WE MAKE 'EM BOTH KIND OF UNIFORM IN EACH SECTION? I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE BOTH OF THEM UNIFORM.
NO, THAT'S A, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN COME TO CONSENSUS.
ARE WE, IT IT, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE ARE NOT QUITE READY TO APPROVE AS IS, BUT WE WOULD APPROVE, CONSIDER APPROVING WITH MINOR CHANGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
OR CAN WE JUST GO TO ANOTHER DRAFT AND TABLE? I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MO.
I, I I WOULD BE, UH, NOT IN AGREEMENT TO TABLING.
I THINK WE'VE TABLED ENOUGH, BUT I MEAN, UNLESS THE BOARD THINKS DIFFERENTLY, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE WITH, UM, THE, THE CONDI ON THE CONDITION THAT THE DEFINITION OF GROUPS BE UNIFORM IN SECTION ONE, IN SECTION THREE, AND THAT WE REFERENCE THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN DEFINING UNDERSERVED AND UNSERVED COMMUNITIES.
WHAT WAS THAT LAST PART, ADAM, UH, THAT DEFINE, WE REFERENCED THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN DEFINING UNDERSERVED AND UNSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND WE PLACED THAT EXACTLY WHERE? IN FOUR, WITHIN THE DOCUMENT? YEAH.
EITHER IN ONE OR THREE OR FOR, WELL, I WOULD DEFER TO, TO YOU GUYS AS TO WHERE IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, UM, TO INCLUDE.
BUT I THINK HAVING THAT REFERENCE IS A GOOD, A, A GOOD POINT THAT YOU RAISED.
[00:45:03]
WE HAVE A MOTION.SO THE MOTION IS TO, I'LL PARAPHRASE.
UM, THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE DRAFT POLICY SUBJECT TO, UM, SLIGHT UPDATES TO SECTIONS ONE AND THREE TO MAKE THEM UNIFORM AND TO, BY INCORPORATING A REFERENCE TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THE MOTION CARRIES AND THE DRAFT POLICY IS APPROVED.
AND THE NEXT ITEM IS LIBRARY PROGRAM AND SERVICES UPDATE.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WAS OUR INAUGURAL ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND PROGRAM EVENT.
AND IT WENT, UM, IT WAS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN ANY OF US COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED.
UM, AND WE'VE BROUGHT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT UPDATES OVER THE LAST, UH, LITTLE WHILE.
BUT TONIGHT WE HAVE, UM, SENIOR LIBRARIAN DAPHNE FERRIS, WHO'S GONNA GIVE YOU A RUNDOWN AND SOME SPECIFICS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND TALK ABOUT THE EXCITEMENT COMING FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING FOR THE 20 25 1 BOOK, ONE GARLAND PROGRAM.
UM, I'M REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THE FIRST, UM, PROGRAM WENT.
UM, LET ME JUST GET STARTED HERE.
UM, MILLIE CAME, I THINK IN MAY OR JUNE, MAY OR JUNE, MAY OR JUNE TO TELL Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SHE'S THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS PROGRAM TO US, ENCOURAGED US TO DO IT.
THERE ARE OTHER CITIES, UH, LIKE RICHARDSON'S BEEN DOING IT FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS.
AND, UM, I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT TIME FOR US TO TRY TO DO IT TOO.
UM, ALL RIGHT, LEMME JUST GET STARTED.
SO, UM, THE WAY THAT WE MADE THIS PROGRAM HAPPEN IS WE, UM, HAD A COMMITTEE OF 10 STAFF MEMBERS, UM, PRIMARILY ADULT SERVICES LIBRARIANS.
THERE WERE A COUPLE MANAGERS ON THERE, AND THEN ONE STEP, UH, CIRCULATION STAFF MEMBER WHO DOES ADULT PROGRAMMING.
AND THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH WAS, FIRST EVERYONE WHO WAS ON THE COMMITTEE BROUGHT, UH, BOOK A BOOK SUGGESTION, AND THEN WE WOULD MEET AND DISCUSS AND VOTE, AND THEN NARROW DOWN THE LIST.
AND WE HAD A FEW MEETINGS OVER THAT, UH, OVER, OVER TIME.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO HAD TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, IF THE AUTHOR WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO, UH, PRESENT AT OR PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM IF WE COULD AFFORD THEM.
AND ALSO, UM, IF THEY HAD A, A, A, AN AFFABLE PERSONALITY.
AND I, I INCLUDED THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE BOOKS WE WERE LOOKING AT, THE AUTHOR WHEN WE DID A LITTLE LOOKING INTO IT, WAS NOT KNOWN TO BE REALLY GREAT AT THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS, AND REALLY DID NOT WANNA KICK THIS OFF WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT ANYWAY.
UM, BUT, UH, THE PERSON THAT WE DID, OR THE BOOK WE CHOSE WAS HARD COUNTRY, AS YOU GUYS KNOW.
I THINK YOU GUYS ALL GET COPIES OF THE BOOK TOO.
AND THE AUTHOR OF THAT BOOK WAS SO VERY NICE TO WORK WITH.
SO PLEASANT, SO EASYGOING, MADE IT REALLY EASY FOR US.
IT WAS, IT WAS ONE, A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE.
HE SET THE BAR EXTREMELY HIGH.
I KEPT SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE AS EASY NEXT TIME.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS GREAT TO START WITH.
UM, UH, AFTER WE FIGURED OUT WHAT OUR BOOK, UH, WAS GONNA BE, WE SET OUT, UH, WE DECIDED WE WOULD TRY KICKING OFF THIS PROGRAM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER WHEN WE KICK OFF, WHEN WE KICKED OFF THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS, UM, FOR THE SUMMER.
AND THEN WE THOUGHT, WE WILL ENCOURAGE, WE'LL TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND ENCOURAGE ADULTS TO READ THE BOOK, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR RELATED EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER, SO AFTER THE SUMMER.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID
UM, WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT IN MARKETING THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE A GOOD START TO THIS.
WE WANTED TO TRY TO GET IT OUT THERE, HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT IT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND SO WE DID OUR USUAL, THE LIBRARY REGULARLY PUTS THINGS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO, UH, ADVERTISE OUR PROGRAMS. WE DID OUR USUALS, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAD POSTERS PRINTED UP.
UM, WE WENT AROUND, UH, DOWNTOWN AND ASKED BUSINESSES TO PUT OUR POSTER IN THEIR WINDOWS, AND MANY OF THEM DID.
AND THEY WERE SO SUPPORTIVE AND REALLY NICE.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, UH, ETTE FLORIST HERE ON THE, UM, SQUARE HERE, WHEN WE WENT IN THERE, UH, THE MANAGER, HER NAME, HER NAME ESCAPES ME RIGHT NOW, SHE WAS THERE,
[00:50:01]
SHE WAS REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND SAID, WE ARE GONNA MAKE A WINDOW DISPLAY ON THE THEME OF THIS BOOK.AND I DID GO BACK TO LOOK AT IT.
I TOOK, UH, PICTURES A COUPLE TIMES, BUT THEY NEVER WORKED OUT OR ELSE I WOULD'VE INCLUDED IT HERE.
AND, AND SHE CAME TO THE PROGRAM TOO.
SHE BROUGHT HER HUSBAND, SO THAT WAS AWESOME.
UM, BUT WE HAD LOTS OF ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM PEOPLE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, AND WHAT ELSE? OH, AND THE AUTHOR, AGAIN, EASYGOING, HOPEFUL GUY.
HE LIVES IN THE, HE LIVES IN PROSPER, I THINK.
HE CAME DOWN, SPENT SEVERAL HOURS WITH US ON, ON A PARTICULAR DAY AND LET US TAKE PICTURES OF HIM.
WE WALKED AROUND DOWNTOWN AND WE TOOK VIDEO OF HIM.
AND THEN, UH, WE ENDED UP AT SOUTH IN THE RECORDING STUDIO OVER THERE.
AND I ASKED HIM INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, AND WE USED THAT STUFF TO PUT TOGETHER A FEW LITTLE MARKETING, UH, VIDEOS AFTERWARDS.
BUT AGAIN, HE WAS SO NICE ABOUT IT.
UM, THE LAST PART OF GETTING THIS THING GOING IS THAT WE HAD THE, ALL 10 OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE BEGINNING WERE NOT, UH, NECESSARILY INVOLVED IN, IN THE LATTER PART OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, THERE WAS A SMALLER GROUP, BUT THAT ACTUALLY EXECUTED THE PROGRAMS, BUT WE GOT THAT TAKEN CARE OF PRETTY WELL.
WHERE'S THE, OKAY, SO THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE MAN IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HIM,
I SAW SOMEONE HAD, OH, I THINK YOU HAVE, UH, THE OFF THE SHELF PUBLICATION RIGHT THERE.
THESE LADIES ARE MEMBERS OF THE MYSTERY BOOK CLUB, UH, THAT WE HAVE.
AND SEVERAL OF THEM ALSO PARTICIPATE IN OUR, UH, REGULAR FICTION CLUB.
AND THEY ARE JUST SO WONDERFUL.
THEY'RE BIG READERS, THEY'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC.
THEY LOVED PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THEY'RE ON THE COVER, FIRST OF ALL.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHO'S IN THAT, UH, PICTURE.
UH, AGAIN, WE DECIDED JUNE 8TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28TH WOULD BE OUR PROGRAM DATES.
AND THE GOAL, WE HAD TWO GOALS TO GET ADULTS TO READ AND TO ENGAGE IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, PROGRAMS. AND IT'S ALL FREE.
AND THIS IS AN ADULT PROGRAM, NOT FOR KIDS, NOT FAMILY.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL ADULT PROGRAM, AND I'M EMPHASIZING THAT I DO ADULT PROGRAMMING.
I'M REALLY HOPING, OR I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE ARE DOING MORE AND MORE THINGS FOR ADULTS AND PROVIDING MORE SOPHISTICATED THINGS FOR ADULTS.
UM, WE HAD A, A LOGO MADE, THAT'S THE LOGO
SO THAT WAS JUST PART OF THE MARKETING THING.
AND, UM, IT'S PRETTY CUTE LITTLE LOGO.
AND I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED MOST OF THIS STUFF.
I WILL INC I DO NEED TO MENTION THAT.
SO WE HAD HIM, UH, AT OUR KICKOFF AT, UH, THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ATTRACT ATTENTION TO OUR BOOTH.
AND, UH, THEN AFTER THAT HE WENT ON A TOUR OF THE LIBRARY.
SO EACH LIBRARY HAD HIM FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS.
AND THE LAST PLACE THAT HE LANDED WAS THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY, WHERE WE HAD OUR PROGRAMS. AND, UM, YES, HE GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION.
AND, UH, THE MANAGER AT OUR NORTH GARLAND LIBRARY TOLD US THAT A COUPLE OF THE OLDER LADIES ASKED, THEY COULD CHECK HIM OUT.
UM, I DO HAVE A VIDEO TO SHOW YOU IF THIS WORKS.
UM, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, ONE OF THOSE VIDEOS WE PUT TOGETHER FOR MARKETING.
AND IT GIVES YOU, OH, THERE, OKAY.
AND, UM, IT ALSO, IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COME TO ANY OF THE PROGRAMS, YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHAT THE GUY IS LIKE.
THERE'S NO PEACE IN THE HARD COUNTRY WHEN THE, SORRY.
THERE'S NO PEACE IN THE HARD COUNTRY.
WHEN THE, THE FOLKS FROM ONE BOOK ONE GARLAND
[00:55:01]
REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID THAT HEART COUNTRY HAD BEEN CHOSEN AS THE FEATURED BOOK FOR THE INAUGURAL PROGRAM, I WAS NUMBER ONE.AND I, AND I'M AM, I'M OVERWHELMED AT THIS HONOR BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY BOOKS COMING OUT THESE DAYS.
UH, IT, IT, THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF BOOKS HITTING THE, THE, THE MARKET EVERY MONTH.
AND TO, TO BE CHOSEN FOR THAT KIND OF RECOGNITION IS, IS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE.
AND ESPECIALLY IN A, AT A PLACE WHERE I WORKED FOR 35 YEARS, I, I STARTED OUT TEACHING HERE IN GARLAND, UH, AT, UH, SAM HOUSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOVED OVER TO BRANDON BIRD AND TAUGHT AT GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE I MOVED TO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
AND SO TO HAVE FOLKS HERE IN THE GARLAND COMMUNITY REACH OUT AND TELL ME THAT, NUMBER ONE, TO TELL ME THAT THEY LIKED THE BOOK, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT EVERY AUTHOR WANTS TO HEAR.
WE WANTED THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK AND THAT KIND OF REVIEW.
BUT SECOND, TO BE TOLD THAT THIS IS A BOOK THAT IS GOING TO BE READ BY THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT.
AND THAT THIS BOOK IS GOING TO IMPACT PEOPLE IN SOME WAY, IS GONNA ENTERTAIN THEM.
IT, IT MAY JUST GIVE THEM SOME RELAXATION.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT AN AUTHOR WANTS TO HEAR.
AND WHEN I HEARD THAT I, I'VE BEEN CHOSEN THAT HARD COUNTRY HAD BEEN CHOSEN, I WAS ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMED AND, AND HONORED.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS WAKELING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS NOT DOING THAT BEFORE.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS MAKING THE BOOK AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE, WE ORDERED EXTRA COPIES, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS PLUS THE KIOSK.
WE MADE A DEAL WITH, UM, OVERDRIVE, WHICH IS THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES OUR EBOOKS AND OUR E AUDIOBOOKS.
AND, UM, THEY, UH, SO THE DEAL WAS TO HAVE, UH, UNLIMITED CHECKOUTS FOR OUR PATRONS.
THEY COULD IMMEDIATELY CHECK IT OUT.
AND ALSO THEY, UM, UH, OVERDRIVE PUT ON THE LANDING PAGE OF, OF WHERE YOU SIGN IN FOR YOUR EBOOKS AND ADVERTISEMENT FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND A LINK TO THE SPECIAL WEBSITE WE MADE.
UM, AND THEN YOU GUYS GOT COPIES OF THE BOOK, AND THEN WE ALSO GAVE COPIES OF THE BOOK TO OUR REGULAR, UH, BOOK CLUB MEMBERS, AND THEY SEEMED PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UH, SO NOW I'M JUST GONNA SHOW YOU A FEW PHOTOS AND VERY BRIEFLY TELL YOU ABOUT THE FOUR EVENTS THAT WE HAD.
SO THESE WERE IN SEPTEMBER, UH, EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR.
HE, THE AUTHOR WAS, UH, HE, IT WAS, HE WAS DOING A PRESENTATION AND HE WAS DISCUSSING HIS PERSONAL JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION.
HE'S A, UH, A NATURAL PRESENTER.
HE ASKED FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE, AND THEY DID TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THEN AT THE END, HE SIGNED, UH, HE, HE, UH, AUTOGRAPHED BOOKS.
WE, UH, HAD BARNES AND NOBLE FROM FIRE WHEEL THERE.
THEY SENT OUT TO, UM, PEOPLE TO SELL BOOKS.
UH, IT WAS GREAT WORKING WITH THEM.
OH NO, I WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE BOOK CELL AT THAT EVENT, THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE THAT WAS DONATED BACK TO THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
SO THERE WAS A WIN-WIN ACROSS THE BOARD THAT WAY.
UM, THE SECOND ONE WAS CALLED SPECIAL EDITION BIT CLUBS.
WE HAD 46 PEOPLE AT THAT EVENT.
AND, UM, THERE, IN THIS CASE, HE WAS IN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, THE SECOND PERSON NAMED SAM BUCK, MY, AND, UM, HE, BY THE WAY, IS A FORMER STUDENT OF HIS, UM, OF FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF NEAT.
THEY'VE BEEN BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THEN.
AND I FORGOT TO POINT OUT IN A PREVIOUS PHOTO, THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDENT OF HIS WHO SHOWED UP FOR THE PROGRAM, AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, HE JUST KNOWS EVERYBODY AROUND TOWN APPARENTLY.
UM, UH, ANYWAY, HE, THEY ALLOWED QUESTIONS AND, UM, SIMILAR KIND OF SITUATION.
IT WASN'T SIGNING BOOKS, BUT, UM, ALL RIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, THE THIRD EVENT THAT INVOLVED THE AUTHOR WAS A WRITER'S WORKSHOP.
I WILL SAY IN THE FUTURE, IF I DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I PROBABLY WON'T DO IT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE END OF A WEEK
SO THAT PROBABLY, UM, I, MAYBE THAT HAS SOMETHING
[01:00:01]
TO DO WITH IT THERE.SO THERE WEREN'T AS MANY PEOPLE AS I WOULD'VE WISHED FOR TO BE THERE.
BUT, UH, ALSO WE KNEW IT WOULD BE A SMALLER EVENT 'CAUSE IT'S A NICHE INTEREST.
AND HE IS A FORMER TEACHER, SO HE WAS ABLE TO, UH, LEAD SORT OF LIKE A CLASS GIVING, UH, USEFUL INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BECOME PUBLISHED SOMEDAY.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST EVENT, THIS EVENT DID NOT INVOLVE THE AUTHOR.
AND, UH, ORIGINALLY WE WERE GONNA DO THE FIRST THREE EVENTS.
AND THIS WAS ADDED A LITTLE BIT LATER.
AND THE IDEA WAS TO, UH, INCLUDE AN EVENT THAT, UH, OFFERED ACTIVITIES TO PATRONS ON, AND THE THEME BEING, UM, CRIME.
THAT'S WHAT THE BOOK INVOLVES.
UH, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL 'EM? UH, TRUE CRIME.
UM, AND SO WE HAD CYTECH DISCOVERY CENTER THERE, AND THEY PROVIDED, UH, THEY HAD FIVE, SIX INTERACTIVE FORENSIC STATIONS, LIKE, UH, TESTING, DNA BLOOD SPLATTER.
UH, I DON'T REMEMBER THE OTHERS RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
THERE'S SOME, UH, PHOTOS THERE OF, UM, PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD, UH, MATT PESTER FROM THE GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND HE DID A PRESENTATION.
HE GAVE A FEW, UH, HE GAVE SOME INFORMATION LIKE, UH, STATISTICS ON GARLAND'S CRIME VERSUS OTHER CITIES.
AND, UH, WHICH WAS INTERESTING, BY THE WAY, WE APPARENTLY HAVE PRETTY LOW CRIME COMPARED TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
UM, BUT HE ALSO, UH, DID A PRESENTATION ON A CRIME THAT HAPPENED IN THE AREA.
UH, IT WAS, UH, IN 2020 I THINK IT WAS.
UH, SO IT WAS DURING THE COVID HEIGHT OF COVID.
A DART BUS WAS, UH, TAKEN OVER BY A GUY.
AND SO HE WENT THROUGH THE CRIME, SHOWED US, UH, FOOTAGE.
IT WAS EDITED, SO WE WEREN'T SEEING
IT WAS NOT TOTALLY GORY OR ANYTHING, BUT, UM, HE, IT WAS EDITED, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, BUT WE, UH, HE EXPLAINED EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, THIS CRIME THAT WAS INTERESTING.
UM, AND EVERYBODY SEEMED TO BE ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS.
THERE WERE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THERE FOR THAT.
UH, WE PRIDE, WE PROVIDED, UH, PIZZA, LUNCH, AND THEN IN THE AFTERNOON THERE WAS A CRAFT AND THEN A TRUE CRIME, UH, TRIVIA GAME THAT WAS KIND OF FUN.
SO, UM, WE HAD 50 PEOPLE COME TO THAT.
SO I KIND OF PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER HERE.
THIS, THESE ARE THE RESULTS WE WANTED PEOPLE TO READ, AND WE WANTED PEOPLE TO SHOW UP TO THINGS AND ENGAGE.
WE GOT GOOD, WE GOT A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO READ THE BOOK, WHICH IS REALLY NICE.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS FOR OUR, UH, EVENTS, ATTENDANCE NUMBERS.
AND OH, AND I JUST WROTE DOWN A COUPLE THINGS.
I DID MAKE A POINT OF BEING AT THE EXIT, UH, AS PEOPLE WERE LEAVING 'CAUSE I WANTED TO SAY BYE, THANK THEM FOR COMING.
AND, UM, I DID HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE EXPRESS THAT THEY HAD A GREAT TIME AND THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR.
UM, LEMME SEE WHAT I SAID HERE.
UM, THAT, YEAH, WE HAD, AND ALSO THAT THEY WERE GLAD WE WERE DOING THIS KIND OF ADULT PROGRAMMING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M ALREADY WANTING US TO DO.
SO IT'S GLAD TO HEAR THAT THEY'RE SEEING THAT AND THEY'RE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
AND THIS LAST COMMENT ACTUALLY CAME FROM ONE OF OUR BOOK CLUB, UH, BOOK CLUB MEMBERS AT OUR MEETING JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, AND I WANTED TO INCLUDE IT.
UM, AND SHE'S A SUPER USER OF THE LIBRARY.
UM, SHE WAS SAYING HOW HAPPY SHE WAS THAT WE ARE, THAT THIS KIND OF THING, I'M PARAPHRASING, BUT THIS KIND OF THING ISN'T JUST DONE FOR MAYBE HIGHER INCOME AREAS.
AND SHE WAS REFERRING TO US AS WE'RE A BLUE COLLAR TOWN, AND IT'S REALLY NICE THAT WE CAN HAVE STUFF LIKE THIS FOR US TOO.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF NEAT THAT SHE SAID THAT, BUT SHE SEEMED REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT AND HAPPY ABOUT THE PROGRAMS WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE SPENT ON THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SO THE 2,600 THAT WAS FOR THE AUTHOR, AND WE PAID A SMALL LITTLE HONORARIUM TO THE, UH, MODERATOR IN THAT SECOND PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, TO CYTECH THEY, THAT COMPANY THAT CAME OUT TO DO THE, UM, INTERACTIVE SCIENCE, UH, WE DID PROVIDE, UH, FOOD AND DRINKS AT EACH OF THE EVENTS.
AND THEN WE SPEND A LITTLE BIT ON DECORATING AND SUPPLIES, UH, THIS 1, 2, 3, FOURTH ONE THAT INCLUDES THE HAVING THE CONTINUOUS CHECKOUTS OF THE BOOKS.
[01:05:01]
AND, UH, THE FINAL ITEM THAT'S, UH, WHAT WE SPENT ON THE VARIOUS MARKETING THINGS I MENTIONED.AND THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ALSO, UH, HAVE HELPED OFFSET SOME OF THESE CHARGES TOO.
UM, SO THAT IS VERY HELPFUL OF COURSE.
AND I'LL THROW IN REAL QUICK THAT, UM, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE, IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
SO THE MARKETING, THERE WERE SOME FIRSTS WITH THE MARKETING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO REUSE FOR FUTURE EVENTS.
SO THE, THE COST IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UM, FOR SOME OF THOSE MARKETING AND, UH, DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS, BUT WE'LL GET SOME USE OUT OF IT, UH, FROM, WE CAN'T REUSE THE VIS NO
I KNOW A COUPLE OF WOMEN THAT MIGHT TAKE HIM OFF YOUR HANDS.
BUT THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENT BANNERS AND SOME DIFFERENT BIG, UH, THINGS THAT WE HAD AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AROUND THE LIBRARY AND DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN THAT THE, THE MEAT OF IT WE GET TO USE, WE COULD JUST REDO THE INSERTS TO THOSE THINGS.
BUT BUYING THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE ITSELF FOR THE FIRST YEAR.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL SAY THAT I ATTENDED TWO OF THOSE EVENTS AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THEM.
I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU LET ME KNOW THAT I HAVE ASKED THAT ALL MY AT BOOK CLUB MEETINGS AND ANYTIME I'M INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE.
DID YOU GO AND WHAT DID YOU THINK? SO THANK YOU.
I, I IMPRESSED BY THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AND BY THE, UM, FORTHCOMING ANSWERS
I ATTENDED ONE AND WE'LL ECHO SUSAN'S COMMENTS.
SO HERE COMES YEAR TWO, NO PRESSURE.
AND SO I HAVE, UH, SO YES, THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME DOING IT AND WE DEFINITELY WILL NEED TO FINE TUNE SOME THINGS.
AND ALSO AS FAR AS THE BOOK SELECTION, WE WANT IT TO BE EVENTUALLY WHAT THE, WHAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IS IF CITIZENS WERE PICKING THE BOOK, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO OF US ON THE COMMITTEE ALSO.
UM, THIS TIME AROUND, THERE ARE STAFF MEMBERS, UH, ON THE COMMITTEE.
AND BY THE WAY, WE ALREADY HAVE STARTED MEETING.
WE STARTED, UH, AT THE END OF AUGUST, I THINK IT WAS OUR FIRST MEETING.
AND, UM, WE INVITED OUR BOOK CLUB MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE.
AND SO SEVERAL OF THEM, A FEW FROM THAT PICTURE I SHOWED YOU EARLIER ARE ON THIS COMMITTEE AND WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN.
UH, OR WE HAVE, 'CAUSE WE'RE A LITTLE INTO THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT, UH, WE ASKED EVERYONE TO, UH, NOMINATE A BOOK AND THEN WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION AND WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ONE TIME, AND NOW WE'VE KIND OF, WE'RE DOWN TO THREE BOOKS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND SO FORTH.
BUT ON THE RIGHT HERE I HAVE, OUR GOAL IS TO CHOOSE THE BOOK BY DECEMBER, EARLY JANUARY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR PROGRAMS, UH, FIGURED OUT BY APRIL AND THEN AROUND SEPTEMBER AGAIN, TO, TO, TO DO THE PROGRAMS. WE MAY NOT DO AS MANY PROGRAMS. UM, WE MIGHT JUST HAVE ONE THING WITH THE AUTHOR AND THEN SOME RELATED PROGRAMS THAT WE OURSELVES JUST PUT ON THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE THEME OF THE BOOK OR, OR WHATEVER.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT, I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYTHING IN THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS? HAVE WE THOUGHT OF, UH, DOING A CLASSIC TEXT AND OBVIOUSLY THE AUTHOR WOULD BE DEAD, BUT HAVE A SCHOLAR STAND IN AS SORT OF THE AUTHOR AND SORT OF PLAY THE SAME SORT OF SITUATION AS A CLASSIC TEXT? SO SCHOLAR, SOMETHING MORE SCHOLARLY THAN, WELL, I MEAN, JUST SORT OF A CLASSIC, YOU KNOW, FROM SOMEONE WHO'S DEAD, YOU KNOW, LIKE GREAT EXPECTATIONS OR SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT.
UM, WE'RE OPEN TO ALL KINDS OF IDEAS AND ESPECIALLY THINGS THAT WE CAN, UH, IDEAS THAT WE CAN GET FROM, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IF THERE IS A DEMAND FOR THAT KIND OF THING, THEN WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE OPEN TO THAT.
WE ARE TRYING TO PICK, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE READ BY AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY, I I, IT, WE, WE NEED TO APPEAL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE ALSO WANNA
[01:10:01]
KEEP IN MIND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR, UH, CITY ALSO.UM, AND THAT MAY BE IN WHAT WE CHOOSE FOR THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE BOOK OR THE AUTHOR OR, I, I DON'T KNOW IT WE'RE KEEPING AN OPEN MIND.
WELL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING.
EVEN JUST FOR A SMALLER PROGRAM TOO, BY THE WAY.
I, I'VE BEEN LUCKY AND FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO GO AND ATTEND THESE MEETINGS AS WELL.
AND, UM, THE PARAMETERS WERE WIDE OPEN.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A SPECIAL EMPHASIS FOR BEING ABLE TO BRING AN AUTHOR WHO CAN, TO HAVE AN INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION.
AND SO THAT WAS, I THINK, IN THE BACK OF THE MINDS OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, I CAN SAY THAT INITIALLY THERE WERE FOUR BOOKS THAT WERE, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE.
I THINK ONE OF 'EM WE CAN'T GET COPIES OF.
UM, I'M ON THE THIRD ONE AND EACH ONE THAT I READ, IT'S LIKE, OH, THIS HAS TO BE IT.
THIS HAS TO BE THE BOOK THAT WE'RE GONNA DO
AND THEN I READ THE NEXT ONE AND IT'S LIKE, NO, NO, THIS WAS IT.
SO THERE'RE REALLY GOOD BOOKS.
UM, AND THERE ARE ALSO BOOKS THAT HAVE, UH, VIETNAMESE AND SPANISH TRANSLATIONS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I THINK IT WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE AND JUST KUDOS TO YOU AND TO YOUR TEAM FOR DOING ALL OF THAT WITH $6,300 OF BUDGET.
THAT'S NOT MUCH OF A BUDGET AT ALL.
AND I THINK WE GOT A HUGE BANG FOR, FOR OUR BUCK.
UM, I HEARD PEOPLE, UH, OUTSIDE OF GARLAND TALKING ABOUT IT, UM, AND HOW MUCH THEY ENJOYED THE BOOK AND THE EVENTS THEY ATTENDED.
IT'S FUNNY YOU MENTIONED THE, THE BUS INCIDENT.
WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WERE LOOKING AT OUR HOUSE THAT WE BOUGHT NOW IN GARLAND, WE WERE DRIVING TO IT AND WE'RE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF ON MILLER AND A BUS JUST RAN THROUGH THE LIGHT AND THERE WERE LIKE EIGHT CARS CHASING POLICE CARS, CHASING IT.
AND I THOUGHT, WHERE ARE WE MOVING TO
THIS WAS GREAT, UH, GREAT EVENT.
I THINK VIS WAS JUST THE PERFECT INAUGURAL AUTHOR TO, TO KICK IT OFF.
AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, UH, EVEN BETTER THIS NEXT, UH, YEAR.
WE'VE REALLY ENJOYED DOING THIS AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE PARTICIPATING WITH THIS TOO.
AND I'M, I'M DELIGHTED THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MIRROR RICHARDSON REED'S ONE BOOK.
I I'M IN THE RICHARDSON SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO I HAVE ATTENDED A NUMBER OF THEM.
RIGHT? THAT'S NOT WHAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT EXACTLY.
BECAUSE THAT ALREADY, THAT ALREADY HAPPENS, RIGHT? SO I, I DON'T HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL WONDERFUL.
AND IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING LATER, I MEAN, LET US KNOW.
WELL, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A FEW IDEAS FOR AS SEEDS FOR 26 AND 27 EVENTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS LIBRARY STATISTICS.
BEFORE WE GET, SORRY, ONE MORE THING.
UM, SO WE HAVE AT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS, BUT ESPECIALLY AT WALNUT CREEK AND ESPECIALLY AT NORTH, WE HAVE A, UH, GROUP OF KIDS WHO COME IN AND USE THE LIBRARY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
ESPECIALLY LOT OF ENERGY ESPECIALLY.
ESPECIALLY AT NORTH COMING ACROSS FROM WEBB MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING, UH, WITH DIFFERENT THINGS TO BE ABLE TO TAILOR SOME THINGS TO HELP HARNESS THAT ENERGY THAT COMES IN DURING THAT TIME.
'CAUSE IF YOU'VE BEEN TO NORTH, I'M PICKING ON NORTH, BUT
IF YOU'VE BEEN
UM, SO YOU'RE STANDING OUR SIDEWALK WITH THEIR DRINKS.
SO THIS WAS A, AN IDEA THAT WE PUT FORWARD, AND KATHLEEN'S GONNA, UM, TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF IT.
BUT THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
AND I THINK A COUPLE OF, UM, OF US, IT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, HARNESSING THE ENERGY, BUT ALSO TWO, UH, MEETING A NEED.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF HOW I WAS GONNA START THIS, WAS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE ENERGY.
THEY'VE BEEN IN COOPED UP IN, UH, AT SCHOOL.
AND, UH, WHEN THEY GET OUT, THEY JUST NATURALLY COME OVER TO THE LI AGAIN, I'M PICTURING, UM, UH, NORTH, BUT WALNUT TO ACTUALLY ALL OF THE LIBRARIES.
AND A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM DON'T GET PICKED UP FROM SCHOOL.
UM, PICKED UP FROM THE LIBRARY RIGHT AWAY.
SO THEY'VE GOT TIME ON THEIR HANDS.
[01:15:01]
UM, SO THE PROGRAM THAT THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO DO THAT, TO MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME, UH, TO GIVE THEM ACTIVITIES AND TO FEED THEM
AND THIS IS, IT IS A SORT OF A TRIAL 'CAUSE IT STARTED PILOT RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT ENDS IN NOVEMBER, UH, AND IT'S TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 4:00 PM TO FIVE 30.
AND, AND OF COURSE THE FACT THAT IT'S ONLY AT WALNUT CREEK AND NORTH GARLAND.
SO WE HAD PROGRAMS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DO IT, DO IT YOURSELF, BULLET JOURNALS, THE ORIGAMI AND PAINTING.
PAINTING CERAMIC FIGURINES, WHICH THEY LIKE.
AND IF THEY DON'T GET FINISHED, THEY CAN COME BACK AND, AND CONTINUE WORKING ON IT, WHICH IS ALSO, UH, GOOD.
THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING TO COME BACK TO AND WORK ON.
AND THEN JUST RELAXATION, JUST, UH, GAMES, PUZZLES, EVEN COLORING PAGES.
WE'VE GOT COLORING PAGES THERE.
THEY CAN ALSO JUST HANG OUT AND READ.
IT'S, IT IS SEPARATED FROM THE, UM, THE MAIN FLOOR.
UH, LIKE AT NORTH THEY'RE IN THE, THEY'RE IN THE CLASSROOM, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
UM, WHICH IS ALSO, YOU'LL SEE WITH THE, WHEN I GET TO THE STATS, WHY THAT'S A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM BOTH THE STAFF AND FROM THE KIDS THAT THEY ARE, THEY LIKE GOING IN THERE.
THEY LIKE BEING ABLE TO, THIS ISN'T SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT BEING GRADED ON THIS, BUT THEY CAN SHOW THEIR CREATIVITY.
UH, A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN DOING, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE, THE, UM, THE JOURNALS OR MAKING EVEN, UM, THEIR OWN LITTLE, WHAT IS IT CALLED? I'M GOING BLANK HERE.
THE ENES OR THE, WITH THE COMICS, THEIR OWN COMICS AND STUFF.
THE, IT'S THAT, BUT IT'S THE, WHAT IT'S CALLED THE, THE ZINES.
UH, ANYWAY, THEY'RE DOING THINGS LIKE THAT AND IT'S AN OPENING.
THEY ARE, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE NOT BEING GRADED.
THEY CAN, THEY CAN GET IN PAIRS, THEY CAN PAIR UP OR JUST DO THIS ON THEIR OWN.
UM, IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO COME IN AND BUILD THEIR SENSE OF COMMUNITY, BUILD THEIR SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE LIBRARY, UH, AND FOR STAFF TO HAVE A, A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GET TO KNOW AND MAKE A RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, SOME OF THESE KIDS, THEY'RE, THEY ARE SEEING THEM WHERE PERHAPS BEFORE THESE WERE, I DON'T WANNA SAY TROUBLEMAKERS, BUT THEY WERE PEOPLE OR TEENS THAT WERE A LITTLE TOO RAMBUNCTIOUS THAT THEIR BEHAVIOR HAD TO BE CONTROLLED.
AND NOW THEY ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON, AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL AND ARE DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT IT SERVES US LATER ON, UM, PERHAPS WHEN WE NEED VOLUNTEERS.
'CAUSE WE, WE RELY A LOT ON TEEN VOLUNTEERS.
AND TO HAVE THESE TEENS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DEVELOPED THIS RELATIONSHIP, THEY KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW THEM, BUT BEFORE YOU MOVE THAT THE SNACKS, UH, IT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE.
WELL, AND I, WE WERE ALL, THEY'RE HUNGRY.
YOU WANT TO EAT, YOU WANNA BE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE READY FOR SECOND SUP OR LATER
UM, BUT I, I THINK ALSO WE HAVE TO COME TO THE REALIZATION TOO THAT SOME KIDS, THEY'RE, THAT MAY BE THE WHAT? THAT'S WHAT THEY GET.
AND SO THAT'S, DO YOU LEARN ON A, HOW DO YOU LEARN, HOW DO YOU STAY CALM ON A, ON A HUNGRY STOMACH? MM-HMM.
OR IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCING HUNGER.
[01:20:01]
THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS I THINK IT'S IMPROVED, UM, BECAUSE THE TEENS WOULD TAKE OVER THE LIBRARY.SO NOW THEY'RE KIND OF IN THEIR OWN AREA.
AND THE REST OF THE LIBRARY HAS, YOU KNOW, HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE
SERENITY AND CALM A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF HELPED IN A, ON A LOT OF LEVELS, I THINK.
SO THESE ARE OUR, OUR NUMBERS.
UH, WALNUT CREEK HAS BETTER NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY IN OCTOBER.
UH, THE PROBLEM WITH OCTOBER FOR NORTH GARLAND WAS ACTUALLY THREE THINGS.
AND IT'S LISTED ON THE NEXT PAGE.
WE HAD, WE'VE CREATED A, UM, FOR OURSELVES, FOR OUR STAFF, A PROGRAMMING BLACKOUT WEEK, WHICH IS A BREAK BETWEEN, UH, PROGRAMMING SEASONS.
AND BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT WE CANNOT LET OUR STAFF JUST GO, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY WILL, THEY WILL OVER PROGRAM THEMSELVES.
SO WE SCHEDULED A PROGRAMMING BREAK THEN THAT WAS FOLLOWED WITH A, UH, THE FALL BREAK FROM GISD, WHICH WALNUT CREEK EXPERIENCED BOTH OF THOSE TWO.
BUT THE PROB THE, THE OTHER THING THAT NORTH GARLAND EXPERIENCED WAS VOTING AND THE, THERE WAS, UM, STATEMENT THAT IF THIS WEEK ISN'T AS BAD
BUT, UH, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO UNFORTUNATELY FOR OCTOBER, HER, THEIR, UH, NORTH GARLAND'S GONNA BE AFFECTED THEIR, THEIR, UH, ATTENDANCE.
BUT WE WILL BE BACK AT IT WITH NOVEMBER.
SO, AND HOPE TO SEE THAT GO BACK UP.
SO THESE ARE THE, UM, THE, THE COMMENTS OR WHAT STAFF HAS NOTICED WITH THE TEENS.
UM, WE WANT TO, FOR SOME OF THEM, THEY JUST CAME IN MAYBE THE FIRST TIME THEY CAME IN AND PARTICIPATED, AND THEN THEY JUST CAME IN AND USED US AS THE SNACK BAR
WE UNDERSTAND THEY ARE HUNGRY AND, AND WANT THAT, BUT WE ALL, WE REALLY DO WANT TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT TO DO? MM-HMM.
AND I WOULD EVEN SAY MAY GO SO FAR AS TO SAY MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME OF THEM PRESENT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I HAVEN'T SAID THAT TO YOU, BUT TO HAVE THAT WHERE THEY'RE COMING IN MAYBE WITH STAFF TO, TO DO THAT SO THAT IT, THAT IT'S, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THEIR TIME, THEIR SPACE.
UH, WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER IN THE SPACE, SO THEY'RE NOT, UM, IN THE CLASSROOM OR IN THE PROGRAM ROOM BY THEMSELVES, BUT TRYING TO, TO LET THEM TAKE THE LEAD AND TELL US WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT OUT OF THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
WHAT DO YOU WANT BESIDES SNACKS THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY WANT SNACKS.
DID WE MENTION THAT? SO THE NEXT ISSUE THAT WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THE COST OF THE SNACKS AND BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT FOR LONG TERM, BECAUSE THAT BECOMES A, UH, PROGRAM EXPENSE.
AND OUR BUDGET IS LIMITED AND IT HAS TO COME OUT OF OUR LARGER BUDGET.
SO WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY WITH REACHING OUT TO, UH, CITY OR THE RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY, HAVING, UH, THE PARTNERSHIPS IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF.
AND, BUT ALSO RESEARCHING GRANTS.
AND THE ONE THAT I HAVE MENTIONED ON HERE, FEEDING AMERICA'S KID CAFE.
THEY, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, GRANTS WHERE THEY PROVIDE FOOD OR THE FUNDING FOR IT.
UH, FOUR LIBRARY SCHOOLS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:25:01]
THIS IS ONE THAT WE ARE, UH, LOOKING INTO AND WE'RE GOING, GOING TO APPLY FOR.AND HOPEFULLY THAT WORKS OUT BECAUSE AS KAREN SAID, SOME OF THESE IS JUST, IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE JUST HUNGRY TEENS THAT AS AIDAN JUST THE NORMAL EVERY DAY.
LIKE THEY WANT, UH, THAT THEY'RE JUST HUNGRY, BUT THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE FOOD AT HOME.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE PHONE, THE FOOD.
SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST PART IS JUST, UH, WHAT I MENTIONED ALREADY IS THE ISSUES WITH THE OUR BREAK GSDS FALL BREAK AND THEN THE VOTING.
I THINK THAT, I DON'T SEE A WAY AROUND, UH, AROUND THAT, BUT JUST KNOWING THAT IT'S THERE, AND IT MAY HAPPEN IF WE, WHEN WE DO THIS IN OCTOBER, THAT THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN AND, UM, ENCOURAGING THEM, SAY, HEY, THIS IS COMING UP.
SO I, I AM REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE IF THE, THEY COME BACK IN, IN NOVEMBER.
SO THESE ARE, UH, PICTURES FROM WALNUT CREEK AND JUST SOME OF THE, THE PAINTING, THE CRAFTS THAT THEY WERE DOING THERE.
AND THIS WAS FROM NORTH GARLAND.
THE REASON WHY IT'S TAKEN THAT WAY, UH, THEY WERE TRYING NOT TO GET THE, THE FACES, THE CHILD'S FACES, BUT THIS WAS JUST, THEY JUST PUT THE GAMES OUT.
AND LIKE KAREN SAID, THIS IS THEIR TIME.
SO THEY CAN, IT'S NOT DIRECTED AND THEY REALLY ENJOY IT.
ARE THOSE LIKE GUMMIES? ARE THEY CANDY OR IS IT SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL? I THINK IT'S ANYTHING FROM LIKE, BAGS OF CHIPS, CRACKERS, UH, WHATEVER WE HAVE ON HAND.
BUT IT HAS TO BE PREPACKAGED AND, UH, ACCESSIBLE THAT WAY.
AND YOU SAID IT COMES OUT OF FUNDING FROM ANOTHER ALLOCATION? WE'VE BEEN USING, UM, SOME PROGRAM FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO, TO PAY FOR THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR SOME GRANTS OR PARTNERSHIPS OR SOME IN KIND DONATION, SOMETHING THAT WAY TO KEEP THAT PART GOING.
IT IS WE, UH, OUR PROGRAMMING BUDGET.
SO IT IS WITHIN THE PROGRAMMING FUND FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S NOT FROM TAKEN FROM OTHER THINGS, BUT.
AND YOU MENTIONED IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE LONG TERM GOAL.
IS IT TO CREATE AN ESTABLISHED OFFICIAL AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM? YES.
AT ALL LOCATIONS? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL LOCATIONS.
QUITE, I THINK LOCATIONS THAT WE SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF, UM, TEENS SPECIFICALLY.
UH, I THINK WALNUT AND NORTH, HAVING THE, UM, THE NUMBER THAT COME IN AND THE AFTERNOON BEING ABLE TO MEET THAT NEED.
WHEN WALNUT MOVES TO WEST, WE, WE THINK THE SAME THING IS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN, UH, IT MOVES AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO A REC CENTER AND YOU'VE GOT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT IT'S, WE'RE STILL GONNA SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF TWEEN TEENS COME IN AND USE THE FACILITY.
UH, SO WE WANNA KEEP THAT GOING.
AND ARE THESE, UM, SIMILAR TO OTHER AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS WHERE THERE'S LIABILITY WAIVERS THAT ARE SIGNED AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, AN ASSURANCE ON THE PARENTS' PART THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SUPERVISED AND ALL OF THE, THE OTHER RAMIFICATIONS THERE ARE NOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING IN ON THEIR OWN, JUST A GATHERING SPACE FOR KIDS.
AND THAT'S NOT THE, THE GOAL ISN'T TO BECOME A STRUCTURED AFTER.
IT'S TO KEEP IT A, A PLACE WHERE KIDS JUST KIND OF COME AND GATHER.
THEY'RE COMING IN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY THERE.
IT'S, IT'S MORE OF PROVIDING A PROGRAM OR AN ATMOSPHERE THAT WE CAN HELP.
TWO THINGS
SO IT'S NOT DISTURBING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE LIBRARY WANTING TO BE THERE AND, YOU KNOW, FIND A, A QUIETER, UM, SPACE TO WORK OR READ OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE THERE FOR.
AS WELL AS TRY TO, TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH THOSE KIDS AND FIND OUT WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN THERE DOING HOMEWORK.
UH, I THINK SOME OF 'EM WERE DOING TIKTOK VIDEOS THE OTHER DAY, OR, OR LIKE STARTING TO RECORD AND LIKE DO TIKTOK VIDEOS.
IT'S AMAZING THE CREATIVITY AND THE,
[01:30:01]
WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING TOGETHER IF THEY JUST NEED THE SPACE TO DO IT.YOU COULD SET UP SOME RING LIGHTS AND LIKE BACKDROP YES.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SPOKEN WITH WEBB OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT, UM, SCHOOLS, YES.
SO, UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITY ELIG, UM, ELIGIBLE, IT'S A SEP SCHOOL IN GARLAND.
SO THEY HAVE FREE BREAKFAST LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF YOUR INCOME.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'LL, MY, MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS ONE OF THESE SCHOOLS AND THEY ALSO GIVE HER LIKE A FULL THING OF SNACKS EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL.
SO SHE COMES HOME, SHE DOESN'T EAT 'EM 'CAUSE THEY'RE RAISINS, THEY'RE NOT
UM, BUT I, IT JUST, IT'S JUST, JUST CONTEXT I GUESS IN CASE, YOU KNOW, REGARDING SNACKS.
SO IF YOU SEE LITTLE BAGS OF RAISINS ALONG THE PATHWAY TOWARDS THE NORTH NOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED?
I THINK WE WANNA, UM, OR I WON'T SAY WE, I WANNA PILOT IT AT THESE TWO LOCATIONS TO SEE WHAT THE TURNOUT IS AND TO GET SOME OF THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THIS SLIDE, FLESH OUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES.
I THINK SOMEWHERE LIKE CENTRAL OR SOUTH WHERE IT'S A BIGGER FACILITY, UH, WE, WE WILL GET A LOT OF KIDS COMING TO IT.
AND HOW ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, I THINK PAY FOR SOME OF THE THINGS? MM-HMM.
UM, IN THE SAME BREATH, I WILL SAY WE'VE GOT, UH, FOR NOVEMBER SOUTH HAS A REALLY SPECIAL PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, UM, WITH KIDS.
IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR HOMESCHOOLERS.
SOUTH SEES A LOT OF HOMESCHOOLERS AND, AND THAT AREA.
AND THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM THAT'S ONLY BEEN, UH, ONLY BEING DONE AT SOUTH RIGHT NOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME, UM, DOROTHY'S GONNA COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION IN NOVEMBER FOR THAT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROGRAM AND DIFFERENT TYPE OF GOAL, UH, WITH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR INITIAL QUESTION, THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS THAT COME INTO SOUTH.
I THINK THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A, A BIG NEED.
I MEAN, FOR THOSE KIDS TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO FEEL SAFE, FEEL LIKE THEY CAN JUST RELAX AND HANG OUT.
SO, AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE COMING TO THE LIBRARY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE OUTREACH THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO GET THEM INVOLVED.
WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GO TO THE LIBRARY, BUT I WAS A NERD.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER ANY GROUP OF STUDENTS GOING, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS AFTER SCHOOL.
AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO LIBRARY STATISTICS.
YOU HAVE A, A HANDOUT IN YOUR FOLDER AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EMAILED TO YOU AS WELL.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM TONIGHT OR IN THE FUTURE.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE GROUP? I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD.
ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA, WE USED TO HAVE A LINE ITEM WE CALLED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. CAN WE GET THAT PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA AND THEN I'LL SAY THOSE WORDS.
WE CAN, WE CAN TALK WITH, UM, THE CITY SECRETARY IF, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A MECHANISM FOR, FOR SUGGESTIONS AND REQUESTS.
HOW ARE YOU? HOW IS YOUR FAMILY.