* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          WE HAVE A FORUM. 
          [00:00:01]
I'LL CALL THESE TWO ORDERS. 
          [ 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 November 11, 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.]
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 28TH. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE IN ITEM THREE A. 
          THE FIRST LINE? MM-HMM. 
          . 
          MY LAST NAME IS MISSPELLED. 
          I HAVE SPELLED MISS, I HAVE SPELLED MY NAME, MY FIRST NAME AND LAST NAME. 
          SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING. 
          IT'S RIGHT EVERYWHERE ELSE. 
          JUST THAT EXTRA R IN IT TO L. 
          ALRIGHT, WE WILL GET THAT CORRECTED MADAM CHAIR WITH THAT ONE. 
          CORRECTION, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF, UH, OCTOBER 28. 
          2020. 
          FOUR MINUTES A SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES WITH ONE CORRECTION. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU. 
          MOTION CARRIED. 
          DO NOT HAVE GUESTS TONIGHT. 
          NEXT. 
          SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. 
          AND FIRST ITEM THREE A IS PARKLAND PARTNERSHIP UPDATE. 
          YEAH. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, I THINK IT WAS AT THE LAST, UH, IN OCTOBER, UH, MEETING, WE ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH PARKLAND HOSPITAL. 
          UM, JUST TO, UH, REVISIT THAT INITIAL PARTNERSHIP. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT FACETS TO IT. 
          ONE, AN OVERALL PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE CITY IN PROVIDING THE, THE TELEHEALTH PODS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE CITY WITH SOUTH CAROLINA LIBRARY BEING ON THAT, UH, LIST AS AN INITIAL PILOT, UM, FROM THAT PROGRAM, UM, AGAIN, THAT WAS DONE THROUGH A, A WHOLE SERIES OF, UM, UH, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT REPORTS TO MAKE THE, THE BEST DATA INFORMED DECISION THAT WE, WE COULD. 
          UH, THE SECOND COMPONENT, AND I I SHOULD PAUSE THERE FOR JUST A SECOND, UM, TO SAY, CURRENTLY WITH THAT, UH, THE TELEHEALTH, UM, PROJECT, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND BETWEEN PARKLAND HOSPITAL, UH, INITIATED AND SIGNED IT. 
          CURRENTLY WE'RE WORKING, BOTH PARTIES ARE WORKING ON THAT DOCUMENT. 
          UM, OUR LEGAL TEAM HAS TO GO THROUGH IT. 
          THEIR LEGAL TEAM HAS TO GO THROUGH IT. 
          IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WE INITIALLY, UH, I THINK EXPECTED FOR IT TO. 
          I THINK PART OF THAT IS BATTLING SCHEDULES WITH EVERYONE. 
          UM, BUT THAT, THAT IS IN MOTION. 
          UM, ONCE THAT, UM, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IS SIGNED BY ALL PARTIES, IT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          ONCE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES, THEN THE, THE BULK GETS ROLLING WITH ACTUALLY INSTALLING, UM, THE TELEHEALTH POD. 
          I THINK BOTH PARTIES, I'LL SPEAK FOR THE LIBRARY PART. 
          UM, AND PARKLAND WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. 
          UH, AS FAR AS HAVING SOMETHING INSTALLED AND READY TO GO. 
          AGAIN, ALL  ALL CONTINGENT ON BEING ABLE TO GET THAT AGREEMENT DONE. 
          THE SECOND COMPONENT WITH PARKLAND WAS HAVING, UM, MORE OF A LIBRARY CENTRIC, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH PARKLAND, UH, AND UTILIZING SOME OF THE, OR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BRING TO GARLAND RESIDENTS. 
          UM, INITIALLY STARTING OFF WITH THE, UM, A PUBLIC NEED FOR, UH, PROGRAM, UM, ACTUALLY, LEMME TAKE ONE STEP BACK. 
          TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT PARKLAND HOSPITAL HAS FOR THE LIBRARY, UM, WE KICKED OFF THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH A PUBLIC NEEDS PROGRAM FOR THE LIBRARY TEAM ON OCTOBER 29TH. 
          AND THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT SESSION THAT SOMEONE FROM PARKLAND, UM, UM, PATRICK CAME IN AND DID ABOUT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF LONG TRAINING WITH STAFF ON BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, LET ME JUST READ IT. 
          I COULD DO THAT BETTER IF I READ IT. 
          TRAINING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PUBLIC NEEDS TOOLS TO IDENTIFY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS, AND WHERE TO GO FOR SUPPORT AND RESOURCES. 
          AND PARKLAND ACTUALLY PROVIDED A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REFER PEOPLE TO. 
          UH, WE HAVE A HUGE COMMUNITY BINDER, UH, REFERRAL PROGRAM OR A LIST OF REFERRALS THAT FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE PUT, 
          [00:05:01]
UH, REFERRALS OUT, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS. 
          UM, THIS TRAINING WAS GEARED TO STAFF WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC, AND THERE WAS REALLY VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED, UM, THAT PEOPLE COULD PERSONALLY BENEFIT FROM. 
          SO OUR STAFF ACTUALLY ALSO BENEFITED FROM A LOT OF THIS TRAINING TOO. 
          UH, AND THERE WAS A STAFF SELF-CARE COMPONENT THAT WAS ADDED INTO THE TRAINING SINCE WE DO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC AND TRY TO HELP, UM, HELP THE PUBLIC IN THEIR TIME OF NEED. 
          THE, ONCE WE HAD THAT TRAINING AND WE DID A, A STAFF SURVEY TO, TO GET INFORMATION BACK OF WHAT THEY FOUND VALUABLE FROM IT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CONTINUED. 
          UM, THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE A, IT'S CALLED A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS WHO, UH, OF TEENS, AND THIS IS AGAIN, IT'S A, IT'S KIND OF A, A SIX TO EIGHT HOUR WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS AND TEENS THAT THEY LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE RED FLAGS, SOME OF THE SIGNS, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEIR TEEN OR YOUNG ADULT MAY BE GOING THROUGH. 
          AND AGAIN, HOW TO, HOW TO HELP THEM THROUGH THAT, UM, THAT TIME IN THEIR LIVES. 
          SO THE PROGRAM'S A 68 HOUR TRAINING SESSION GEARED TO EQUIP PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS WITH THE SKILLS TO RECOGNIZE COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CHALLENGES, HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND INTERACT WITH A PERSON IN CRISIS, AND THEN HOW TO HELP CONNECT THAT PERSON, UM, WITH SELF-CARE, SELF-HELP, UM, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES AS WELL AS TO REFER TO, UH, PROFESSIONAL HELP AS WELL. 
          UM, THE TRAINING WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A PROCESS NOW TO LOOK AT, DO WE, DO WE HOLD THIS IN, YOU KNOW, AN EIGHT HOUR BLOCK? DO WE DO MORE TIME MANAGEABLE, LITTLE TWO HOUR BLOCKS OR TWO HALF DAY BLOCKS? UM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THAT SESSION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025, PROBABLY AT SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY. 
          UM, AND THEN JUST IN CONVERSATIONS WITH PATRICK AND HIS TEAM, THEY ALSO HAVE SOME DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS. ONE BEING A VICTIM INTERVENTION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS FOR TEENS, UM, AND ADULTS AS WELL THAT WE'LL PROBABLY TRY TO INTRODUCE SOMETIME IN, UM, LATER IN 2025. 
          SO ALL IN ALL, UM, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PARKLAND. 
          IT'S, UM, THE FIRST SESSION THAT WE HAD WITH STAFF, AND WE PURPOSELY WANTED TO HAVE A STAFF SESSION FIRST TO KIND OF GET A GAUGE OF HOW, WHAT TYPES OF RESOURCES THEY PROVIDE, WHAT THE TRAINING IS. 
          UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE AN IDEA FOR WHAT THE, THE MENTAL FIRST MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROGRAM WOULD BE LIKE FOR PARENTS AND CARE, UH, CAREGIVERS. 
          AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          IS THE, UM, THE, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ASPECT OF THE FIRST COMPONENT, WAS THAT NOT REQUIRED FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS SECOND COMPONENT OR THE, THE COMPLIMENTARY? NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE SECOND COMPONENT. 
          UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A, THERE ARE NO GOODS, UH, EXCHANGING. 
          THERE'S NO MONETARY, THERE'S NO GRANT. 
          IT'S JUST, UH, US WORKING TOGETHER TO, TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE COME IN AND, AND BE PRESENTED AT THE LIBRARY, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          IF THERE WERE ANY MONETARY OR GOODS, UH, SOME KIND OF TRANSACTION THAT WAY, THEN YES, WE WOULD HAVE TO, TO HAVE SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR THAT. 
          AND SO IS THAT, UH, ASSUMED THEN THAT THE CITY PLANS ON NOT PUTTING ANY MONEY BEHIND THAT SECOND COMPONENT? IT'S ALL UP TO PARKLAND TO GET, KINDA GET THE WORD OUT AND PROVIDE THE TRAINING AND WE'RE JUST HOLDING THE SPACE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. 
          WE ARE THE HOST FOR IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALL OF THAT, DEPENDING ON HOW THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, CONTINUES TO EVOLVE IT, THAT MAY CHANGE. 
          AND WHAT'S THE SENSE THAT YOU GET FROM STAFF? DO THEY FEEL LIKE THIS IS KIND OF GETTING OUTSIDE OF THEIR WHEELHOUSE? OR DO THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE, THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, TRAINED TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY? UM, I THINK, AND I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ALL STAFF OR I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL STAFF. 
          I THINK, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT INITIAL, UM, TRAINING ON OCTOBER 29TH, THEY REALLY BENEFITED FROM LEARNING SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR, FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE WOULD BE EQUIPPED TO GO AND, UH, ADMINISTER HELP OR AID TO, TO A PERSON, BUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A RESOURCE TO GO AND SAY, THERE IS, IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE OR A PROBLEM, THERE IS THIS SERVICE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN TAKING ADVANTAGE 
          [00:10:01]
OF, OR SOME OF THE, THE TALKING EVEN BETWEEN COWORKERS OF, OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT, THAT REFERENCE TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAND OUT TO A, UM, FOR A COWORKER OR OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. 
          WELL, IT'S, IT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT I THINK, UM, THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, GIVEN JUST AN, THE ANXIETY AROUND OUR CLIMATE OR CULTURE TODAY THAT THESE SERVICES ARE OFFERED. 
          SO I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC. 
          UM, DO YOU ENVISION THAT TEENS AND ADULTS WILL BE ASSESSED OR PROVIDED SERVICES FOR SEPARATELY, OR IS IT, UH, IS IT, I I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, ARE YOU GONNA BE MARKETING THIS AS A TEEN EVENT TO COME AND LEARN MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UH, AND THEN AN ADULT, ADULT EVENT TO COME LEARN MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH? OR IS IT GONNA BE ONE BIG MENTAL HEALTH, UH, FOCUSED, UH, EVENT OR SERVICE? THIS INITIAL ONE, UH, THOUGH IT'S FOCUSED ON TEENS, IT'S REALLY GEARED MORE TOWARDS THE PARENTS AND CARETAKERS. 
          UM, NOW THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE WON'T HAVE ANOTHER EVENT OR SOME KIND OF SOMETHING, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR TEENS, UH, AIMED AT TEENS. 
          BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS AIMED AT PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS OF, UM, HAVING THAT CONCERN OF HOW TO BEST HELP THEIR, THEIR CHILD, THEIR YOUNG ADULT. 
          UH, THE GREAT THING ABOUT PARKLAND IS THEY HAVE RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES. 
          SO IN THE FUTURE, AGAIN, ASSUMING, AND I HAVE NO REASON TO ASSUME THAT, THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP WOULD NOT PAN OUT. 
          THERE CAN BE SOME VERY TARGETED PROGRAMS, UM, COMING FOR ALL AGES AND EVEN LIKE VERY SPECIFIC TO SENIORS OR WOMEN OR, UH, MEN OR, YOU KNOW SURE. 
          AFFINITY GROUPS. 
          YES. 
          AND IS THERE GONNA BE ANY EXPECTATION ABOUT PAYMENT FROM CITIZENS WHO PROVIDE THIS, WHO SEEK THESE SORT OF SERVICES? WILL THEY NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE TO COVER SERVICES OR DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, THE BEST THAT I UNDERSTAND, PARKLAND WORKS WITH ALL PEOPLE, EVEN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE. 
          BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOME INFORMATION THAT WE COULD GET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT BEFORE SENDING THAT REFERRAL TO OR REFERRING SOMEONE TO A PARKLAND RESOURCE. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          AND THEN, UH, ON THE TELEPOD MM-HMM. 
          , UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT HOPEFULLY, UH, THE, UH, ILA WILL BE APPROVED, IT NEEDS COUNCIL APPROVAL, I'M ASSUMING, CORRECT? YES. 
          UM, THE, IF YOU CAN REMIND ME, WHERE IS THE, THE TELEPOD SET TO BE INSTALLED? IS THAT SOUTH GARLAND BRANCH? SOUTH GARLAND. 
          OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          AND THERE'S NO OTHER ONE YET AT, AT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME AT ANY OF THE OTHER BRANCHES ENVISIONED? NOT AT THIS TIME. 
          UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING, AGAIN, ONCE THAT ILA IS SIGNED IS HAVING THE APP, UM, INSTALLED ON THE, THE COMPUTERS AT ALL THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 
          SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE, UM, THE ICON, THE, THE PORTAL. 
          THE PORTAL, YES. 
          THANK YOU,  FROM ANY OF OUR COMPUTERS. 
          UM, JUST MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE POD ITSELF WOULD JUST BE PILOTED AT THE LIBRARY AND THEN BASED ON THAT, LOOKING AT EXPANDING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND YOU SAID THE GOAL FOR THAT IS, UH, TO HAVE THE ILA APPROVED AND THE POD INSTALLED BY THE END OF THE YEAR? HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          THAT MAY BE PUSHING IT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE HOLIDAYS, BUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          GREAT. 
          WELL THANK YOU FOR THIS UPDATE. 
          VERY, VERY, UH, HELPFUL AND, UH, GOOD INFORMATION. 
          SO APPRECIATE IT. 
          JUST A GOOD QUESTION. 
          'CAUSE I THINK I PROBABLY MISSED THE MEETING WHERE IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I'M ASKING SOMETHING THAT WAS COVERED PREVIOUSLY, BUT FOR THE PROGRAMMING COMPONENT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, I GUESS WOULD THE LIBRARY ALSO BE KIND OF FROM A COLLECTION STANDPOINT, ADVISING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVE A COLLECTION OF SELF-HELP BOOKS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT THAT COULD BE CHECKED OUT OR REFERRED? YES. 
          MAYBE A LIST OR, OKAY. 
          YES. 
          AND, UH, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, UM, THINGS THROUGH OUR ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AS WELL AS, UM, LOCATIONS HAVE A PARENTING COLLECTION, ESPECIALLY SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A PARENTING COLLECTION. 
          MM-HMM. 
           SINCE IT'S A, UH, FAMILY PLACE LIBRARY. 
          SO THERE'S, UM, A LITTLE BIT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE. 
          UM, EXCELLENT. 
          AND I GUESS TEENS TOO. 
          SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A 15 ROOM, SO ABSOLUTELY. 
          PERFECT. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE. 
          UH, DO YOU KNOW IF, UM, PARKLAND IS WORKING WITH ANY OTHER, EXCUSE ME, DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY? AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION SENIORS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SENIOR CENTER, 
          [00:15:01]
SO I, OR THEY, THEY'RE WORKING EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE LIBRARY, OR WOULD YOU EVEN KNOW THAT? UM, I KNOW THAT THIS, UH, I BETTER SAY I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE RIGHT NOW. 
          I CAN FIND OUT AS SOON AS I SAY THAT IT, THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT, BUT I CAN FIND THAT OUT. 
          I, I SMILED WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT FIRST QUARTER NEXT YEAR, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. 
          THERE IS A LOT GOING ON AND IT'S RIGHT HERE. 
          . 
          YES. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE LIBRARY PROGRAM AND SERVICES UPDATES. 
          YES. 
          I WANT TO, UH, INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIANS WHO'S GONNA COME UP AND DO A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE HOMESCHOOL LAB. 
          OOH, THAT'S A HARD WORD FOR ME TO SAY. 
          SAY LABORATORY. 
          LABORATORY. 
          THANK YOU. 
           . 
          UM, DOROTHY SHEPHERD IS THE YOUTH SERVICES, OR ONE OF OUR YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIANS, UM, AT SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY. 
          AND ACTUALLY, YOU'RE GONNA SIT WHERE I'M SITTING. 
          DOROTHY THE MIDDLE, YOU GET THE MIDDLE . 
          UM, SHE HAD A REALLY GREAT IDEA AND SHE'S GONNA GO INTO HOW SHE THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE REASON THAT SHE DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN, UM, SOUTH GARLAND. 
          UM, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DOROTHY. 
          THIS IS A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME COME IN AND TALK ABOUT OUR HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY. 
          IT IS PRONOUNCED LABORATORY, BUT I HONESTLY WILL ADMIT THAT SOMETIMES IT COMES OUT AS LABORATORY. 
          'CAUSE I AM A DEXTER KID, SO , UM, SO IT VARIES, BUT IT'S LABORATORY. 
          BUT, UM, YEAH, SO KAREN DID A WONDERFUL JOB. 
          THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME. 
          . 
          UM, I'VE BEEN A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN OR A YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN WITH THE GARLAND LIBRARIES FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS. 
          UM, AND I AM ALSO HAVE A LOT OF HOMESCHOOL EXPERIENCE. 
          I WAS ACTUALLY HOMESCHOOLED FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, UM, THANKS TO MY MOM WHO IS A SAINT. 
          SHE HOMESCHOOLED FOUR CHILDREN THE EXACT SAME WAY, . 
          SO, UM, I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, GRANTED IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE WON'T TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THERE IN THE PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT, UM, I'M GONNA EXPLAIN WHAT HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY IS, UM, THE ORIGIN STORY OF HOW IT CAME ABOUT, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO DURING THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND THEN HOW I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONNECT WITH OUR HOMESCHOOLERS IN THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY COMMUNITY. 
          AND THEN WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO IN THE FUTURE, UM, BASED OFF OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ALREADY WITH THE HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY. 
          SO WHAT IS HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY? UM, IT IS A MONTHLY DROP-IN PROGRAM. 
          IT OCCURS ABOUT, IT LASTS ABOUT TWO HOURS-ISH. 
          WE, UM, SOME PEOPLE COME IN A LITTLE EARLIER, SOME PEOPLE STAY A LITTLE LATER DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY ARRIVE. 
          THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING AND STAY THE ENTIRE TIME. 
          IT'S REALLY SUBJECTIVE TO THEIR SCHEDULE AND WHAT, HOW LONG THEY WANNA TAKE FOR EACH ACTIVITY THAT WE HAVE, UM, IS FOR ALL AGES AND THEIR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS. 
          UM, WE TRY TO GET ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE GREAT FOR ALL AGES, LITERALLY BY LIKE TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS WHO ARE, MIGHT BE THE YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHO ARE NOT IN SCHOOL YET, BUT THEY'RE STILL LEARNING ALL THE WAY UP TO THAT HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. 
          BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, I THINK OUR DEMOGRAPHIC RIGHT NOW IS A LOT OF ELEMENTARY LEVEL KIDS. 
          WE HAVE A, UH, DIFFERENT THEME EACH MONTH AND WE BASE STEAM ACTIVITIES OFF OF THAT THEME. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AT OUR PASSIVE ACTIVITIES, LIKE WE HAVE A PASSIVE BOOK CLUB WHERE THEY CAN FILL OUT A FORM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE READING CURRENTLY. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A TEACHER TALK BOARD, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO GO INTO DETAIL OF EVERYTHING  DO THIS. 
          SO THE ORIGIN OF HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY, UM, IS KIND OF MULTIFACETED. 
          IT REALLY STARTED THOUGH IN APRIL, 2023, I WAS OFFERING A PROGRAM AT THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY THAT WAS CALLED BOOKWORM BOOK CLUB. 
          AND IT WAS NOT DOING WELL AT ALL. 
          , IT WAS A MONTHLY PRESCHOOL TYPE BOOK CLUB WHERE THE PARENTS COULD READ A BOOK WITH THEIR KIDDO AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO THE LIBRARY AND WE WOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT WE READ TOGETHER AND WE WOULD DO DO ACTIVITIES BASED OFF OF IT. 
          UM, ATTENDANCE WAS POOR, IT WAS VERY SPORADIC. 
          AND AFTER SEVEN MONTHS OF DOING THIS PROGRAM, WE WERE DECIDING NOT TO CONTINUE IT INTO THE FALL OF 2023. 
          UM, WE COULD USE OUR RESOURCES ELSEWHERE. 
          UM, I, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, THAT'S WHEN EVERYBODY SHOWED UP WAS APRIL, 2023. 
          [00:20:01]
OUR VERY LAST PROGRAM. 
          I HAD AT LEAST FOUR FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE, WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST WE EVER GOT. 
          UM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS 'CAUSE I HAD TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT CONTINUING THIS IN THE FALL. 
          AND SOME PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, NO. 
          UM, BUT I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO THEM. 
          IT WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AT THE LIBRARY? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TWO GREAT CONVERSATIONS FROM TWO SEPARATE PARENTS. 
          ONE WAS A HOMESCHOOLING PARENT WHO WAS LOOKING FOR IN A PROGRAM DURING THE DAY, LIKE SAY THE AFTERNOON, UM, WHERE THERE KIDS COULD MEET AT OUR HOMESCHOOL KIDS AND JUST HAVE FUN AND MEET AND MAKE FRIENDS. 
          UM, AND THEN I HAD ONE MOM WHO WAS CONSIDERING HOMESCHOOLING BUT HADN'T TAKEN THAT DEEP DIVE TO WITHDRAW HER KIDS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL AND START THAT JOURNEY. 
          AND SHE WAS, SHE WAS KIND OF LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO START IT, HOW TO GO ABOUT IT, CURRICULUMS ALL THAT. 
          AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S SOME RESOURCES THAT I KNOW OF, CHECK THESE OUT. 
          IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW. 
          WE CAN SEE WHAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT. 
          TRY TO GET THE TWO TO MEET TO EACH OTHER TOO. 
          LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, TALK TO EACH OTHER. 
          UM, BUT YEAH. 
          AND AFTER THAT PROGRAM, I, THE IDEA OF HAVING A HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM WAS ALREADY THERE IN MY MIND. 
          BUT THIS PARTICULAR CONVER TIME AND CONVERSATIONS REALLY KIND OF SOLIDIFIED THE THOUGHT THAT WE NEEDED SOMETHING BECAUSE THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A NEED. 
          UM, WE NEED A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO GET TOGETHER AND TO ALSO HELP THEM WITH THEIR JOURNEY INTO THE HOMESCHOOL WORLD. 
          UM, AROUND THAT SAME TIME AS WELL, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE, I HAD SEVERAL ACTUALLY CONVERSATIONS, BUT STARTED FUELING THE IDEA OF HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY. 
          UM, I HAD A PARENT THAT WOULD COME REGULARLY TO MY LITTLE ART EXPLORERS WHO, UM, WHICH IS A ART PROGRAM FOR THE ZERO TO FIVE YEAR OLDS. 
          AND HER, THIS MOM WAS WONDERING IF SHE'D TAKE THE, TAKE THE PLUNGE INTO HOMESCHOOLING. 
          'CAUSE SHE HAS ONE'S ABOUT TO GO INTO KINDERGARTEN AND ONE THAT WAS ALREADY ENROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL. 
          AND THEN I ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, FAMILIES WHERE THEY HAD SOME KIDS ENROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL AND SHE WAS HOMELY SCHOOLING THE OTHER ONES, UM, BECAUSE SHE WAS IDENTIFYING HERSELF WHAT NEEDS THEY NEEDED AND ONE REALLY DOES BETTER IN PUBLIC SCHOOL VERSUS HOMESCHOOL. 
          WELL, THE OTHER ONES WORK BETTER AT HOME. 
          THEN I ALSO HAD A, A GRANDMOTHER COME IN. 
          SHE ACTUALLY CAME IN DURING EARLY VOTING, AND I NEVER HAD MET HER BEFORE UNTIL THAT DAY. 
          BUT, UM, SHE WAS ASKING WHY WE DIDN'T DO STEAM BASED PROGRAMS FOR HOMESCHOOL KIDS LIKE WE DO DURING THE SUMMERTIME. 
          AND I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE AN ANSWER FOR HER OTHER THAN WE WERE TRYING TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE BUSY DOING SCHOOL. 
          BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. 
          , YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA COME, IT'D BE GREAT. 
          UM, SO ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS KIND OF ADD UP. 
          AND SO I STARTED REALLY PAYING MORE ATTENTION THAN I EVER DID ABOUT OBSERVING WHO CAME TO THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY. 
          THERE WAS A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT STARTED COMING IN, UM, TO USE OUR SPACE TO EITHER DO A LITTLE STUDY OR GET THEIR BOOKS. 
          UM, AND THEN A LOT OF MY BABY TIME AND TAUGHT THEIR TIME. 
          MOMS STARTED TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING. 
          LIKE I, THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT. 
          AND IT WAS ALL AROUND THE TIME, ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE VALDI SHOOTING. 
          SO IT'S BEEN, SAFETY WAS A HUGE COMPONENT IN THEIR CONVERSATIONS, BUT ALSO JUST HAVING MORE CONTROL AND FREEDOM OF WHAT THEIR CHILDREN LEARN AND HOW THEY LEARN. 
          SO WITH ALL THAT CONVERSATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS, I KIND OF POKED INTO A LITTLE RESEARCH. 
          UM, BEING FROM A HOMESCHOOL FAMILY, I KNEW QUITE A BIT ABOUT HOW THE STATE OF TEXAS TREATS HOMESCHOOLERS. 
          AND WHAT'S GREAT IS THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS VERY FEW LAWS, IF NOT ANY, ABOUT HOMESCHOOL. 
          HOMESCHOOL IS CONSIDERED A PRIVATE SCHOOL. 
          UM, SO THERE'S NO REGULATIONS REALLY. 
          THEY, UM, LET YOU CHOOSE WHATEVER CURRICULUM YOU'LL HAVE AS LONG AS BONAFIDE, WHICH MEANS IT'S NOT COMING OUTTA A HAT SOMEWHERE. 
          UH, IT HAS TO BE AN ACTUAL LESSON PLAN, UM, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT IT ALSO CREATES A LITTLE DIFFICULTY WITH SOME FAMILIES WHO CAN'T FIND A CURRICULUM THAT WORKS FOR THEM OR THAT THEY CAN AFFORD. 
          SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT SOMETIMES IS A CHALLENGE. 
          AND I KNOW A LOT OF MY FAMILIES STILL BRING THAT UP IN CONVERSATIONS, IS TRYING TO FIND A CURRICULUM, OR IF THEY'RE FAMILIES THAT ARE NEW TO THE LIBRARY AND I TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE, THEY REALLY ASK ABOUT TEXTBOOKS AND WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HAVE YET TO REALLY EXPLORE AND DECIDE IF WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN OUR COLLECTIONS AT THIS MOMENT. 
          UM, ONE SMALL REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES ASK IS THAT THERE ARE SUBJECTS THAT HAVE TO BE TAUGHT, WHICH IS GREAT. 
          UM, MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR READING, THEIR SPELLING, GRAMMAR, MATH AND 
          [00:25:01]
GOOD CITIZENSHIP, WHICH GOOD CITIZENSHIP IS KIND OF NEW TO ME. 
          I DON'T REMEMBER THAT. 
          BUT IT'S BASICALLY CIVICS, UH, OR SO YOU GET A LOT OF TEXAS LAW AND TEXAS, UM, HISTORY IN THERE AND THAT KIND OF COVERS THAT ASPECT. 
          UM, BUT SOME PEOPLE GO FURTHER THAN THAT DEPENDING ON HOW IN DEPTH THEY WANNA GO. 
          UM, HOMESCHOOLING HAS BEEN ON THE RISE SINCE THE PANDEMIC. 
          A LOT OF PARENTS WITHDREW THEIR KIDS OFFICIALLY FROM THE ISDS DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE THEY BECAME MORE AWARE OF THE CURRICULUMS AND HOW THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT. 
          AND THAT WAS A CHOICE THEY MADE. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE THE STA HERE ON THE SCREEN, BUT I DID READ THAT FROM 2021 TO 2022 OR 2020 TO 2021, THE STAT OF NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT WERE HOMESCHOOLING WENT FROM 4.5% TO 12%. 
          IT'S GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT SINCE, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, THERE'S NO REGULATIONS AND NO NEED TO REGISTER YOURSELF AS A HOMESCHOOL FAMILY. 
          THERE'S NO HARDCORE STATS ON ACTUALLY HOW MANY STUDENTS THERE ARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          UM, THERE ARE APPROXIMATING, ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS HOMESCHOOL COALITION, THERE'S ABOUT 500,000 TO 620,000 STUDENTS IN TEXAS. 
          AND THAT'S JUST THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY'RE HOMESCHOOLING. 
          UM, THAT'S NOT COUNTING ALL THE KIDS WHO NATURALLY WENT INTO KINDERGARTEN THAT THAT STARTED THEIR HOME SCHOOL CAREER. 
          SO IT'S APPROXI APPROXIMATION, BUT THERE ARE OUT THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT DO IT. 
          UM, AND THEN DID A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH. 
          THERE ARE A LOT OF CO-OPS NOW THAT WILL HELP FAMILIES TEACH THEIR LESSONS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE NOT STRONG IN A CERTAIN SUBJECT AREA. 
          UM, MATH IS ONE OF THEM. 
          IF I WAS A HOMESCHOOL MOM, I WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO THE MATH . 
          UM, BUT THE DOWNSIDE TO A HOMESCHOOL CO-OP IS THERE'S TYPICALLY FEES AND NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD THOSE FEES OR THEY DON'T MATCH THE, UM, THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT IS SET IN WITH THE HOMESCHOOL CO-OPS THAT ARE IN THE AREA. 
          UM, SO IT KIND OF FUELED MY IDEAS OF LIKE, WHAT CAN THE LIBRARY DO TO BE WELCOMING TO ALL, ESPECIALLY FINANCIALLY. 
          AND SO THIS IS MY LIST OF THINGS THAT I IDENTIFIED WHEN I WAS PLANNING THIS. 
          UM, WE NEED A PLACE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO MEET OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS. 
          UM, WE NEEDED SUPPORT FAMILIES IN OUR JOURNEY, EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT, MAKE IT A WELCOMING SPACE WHERE THEY CAN GET RESOURCES FOR FREE. 
          UM, HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS STEAM BASED ACTIVITIES, UM, FOR THE HOMESCHOOLERS SPECIFICALLY SO THEY CAN LEARN AND DISCOVER TOGETHER. 
          UM, THEN WE HAVE, UH, A HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM DURING THE DAYTIME THAT WOULD WORK WITH A RANGE OF SCHEDULES. 
          AND THAT CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THAT ONE MOM WHERE SHE HAD ONE CHILD IN ISD LIKE A PUBLIC SCHOOL, AND THEN THE OTHER ONES WERE HOMESCHOOLED. 
          THAT'S MY IDEA. 
          HOW MY IDEA CAME UP WITH THE TWO HOUR TIME BLOCK FROM 1215 TO TWO 15 ISH. 
          UM, 'CAUSE A LOT OF FAMILIES GOT INTO THE SCHOOL PICKUP LINE STARTING AT TWO O'CLOCK. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. 
          SO WE HAVE IT EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT THEY CAN CHOOSE HOW LONG THEY STAY. 
          IF THEY HAD TO GO PICK UP ANOTHER CHILD, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SO, BUT STILL COME TO THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES CAN, CONSIDERING HOMESCHOOL CAN MEET AND GET MORE INFORMATION FROM OTHER FAMILIES AND THE LIBRARY. 
          SO LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHETHER TO HOMESCHOOL OR NOT, THEY CAN STILL COME, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE LIKE A PRESCHOOLER. 
          THEY CAN COME AND HAVE FUN, DO SOME FUN LEARNING, AND MEET ALL THE OTHER FAMILIES AND TRY TO CREATE THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT MIGHT HELP THEM DECIDE IF THEY WANNA TAKE THE PLUNGE OR NOT. 
          UM, SO ALL OF THIS COMBINED, I PROPOSED HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY IN APRIL 22, 23. 
          AND IN SEPTEMBER, 2023 WE DEBATE OR DEBUTED OUR FIRST ONE. 
          SO I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY SAY THAT, UM, THAT SNAPSHOT THAT DOROTHY JUST GAVE OF HOW A A NEED IS IDENTIFIED AND THEN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BUILD A PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT SHE AND A, A LOT OF OUR LIBRARIANS DO. 
          AND IT'S A PAINSTAKING PROCESS OF BEING AWARE, BEING OPEN, HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN THE LIBRARY. 
          ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN THE LIBRARY, BUT KEEPING AN OPEN EAR AND AN OPEN MIND, BEING WILLING TO TRY SOMETHING EVEN IF IT DOESN'T WORK, LIKE YOUR PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. 
          BUT I, I LOVE IT WHEN SOMETHING FAILS. 
          'CAUSE USUALLY SOMETHING ELSE COMES IN ITS PLACE. 
          MM-HMM, , IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING, . 
          UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT IS A FULL PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THAT IDENTITY OR IDENTIFICATION TO HOW 
          [00:30:01]
THE PROGRAM COMES TO FRUITION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN DOING HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY FOR JUST OVER A YEAR AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS ALL OUR DATES. 
          SO EACH MONTH WE'VE BEEN HAVING A PROGRAM, UM, NOT COUNTING ALL OUR PROGRAM MONTH OR PROGRAM BREAK MONTHS. 
          UM, SO LIKE DECEMBER, AUGUST, AND MAY. 
          UM, AND THESE ARE THE THEMES THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR. 
          UM, OUR NEXT ONE IS ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THE HUMAN BODY. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR ATTENDANCE STATS, WHICH I LOVE SEEING BECAUSE WE STARTED OUT IN SEPTEMBER, 2023 WITH JUST 14 FAMILIES OR TECHNICALLY FIVE FAMILIES. 
          UM, 'CAUSE I COUNT EACH ADULT AS THE ONE LEADER OF THE FA  OF THEIR FAMILY. 
          UM, SO 19 TOTAL AND AS WE'VE PROGRESSED, WE THROUGH THE 2023 YEAR WE HAVE INCREASED AND IT'S GREAT. 
          AND THEN IN JANUARY, I DON'T TECHNICALLY COUNT THAT  IN SOME RESPECTS. 
          IRONICALLY, OUR WEATHER THEMED LABORATORY WAS ALSO THE SAME WEEK AS BELOW FREEZING WEATHER. 
          AND NO ONE WANTED TO LEAVE EXCEPT FOR ONE FAMILY THAT CAME FROM AUSTRALIA. 
          THEY BUNDLED THEMSELVES UP AND THEY CAME TO THE LIBRARY  'CAUSE THEY HAD BEEN MEANING TO COME AND THEY WANTED TO START IT IN THE NEW YEAR. 
          SO THEY GOT THE WHOLE ROOM TO THEMSELVES. 
          SO IT WAS GREAT . 
          UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE AS WE PROGRESS INTO 2024, OUR ATTENDANCE SKYROCKETS. 
          I'M LIKE, MARCH WAS A SPECIAL EXCEPTION IN THE SENSE THAT IT WAS THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE ECLIPSE PROGRAM. 
          IT WAS LIKE A WEEK BEFORE THE ECLIPSE HAPPENED. 
          SO EVERYBODY COMES OUT AND DROVES TO OBVIOUSLY LEARN AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, GET AS MUCH SWAG, YOU KNOW, ECLIPSE CLASSES AS THEY CAN. 
          UM, WHICH WE DID HAND OUT THERE. 
          AND, UM, THAT BEING SAID, IT WENT UP, YOU KNOW, IT TRIPLED OR, OR DOUBLED RATHER, UM, FROM FEBRUARY TO MARCH, BUT GOING INTO APRIL IT WENT BACK DOWN. 
          BUT IT ACTUALLY WAS HIGHER THAN FEBRUARY'S ATTENDANCE. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY RETAINED SOME OF THE NEW PEOPLE THAT CAME AND WE JUST BEEN GOING STRONGER AND STRONGER. 
          SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WEEK. 
          FINGERS CROSSED . 
          BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY WITH ANY NUMBER THAT'S ABOVE 30. 
          SO, BUT IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL THIS. 
          SO I'M HOPING THAT IT KEEPS GOING. 
          UM, SO THE FORMAT OF HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY, WE TYPICALLY FOLLOW THE SAME TYPE OF FORMAT. 
          SO IT CREATES THE FAMILIARITY FOR THE KIDS AND THE PARENTS AND THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. 
          UM, WITHIN REASON, WE DO MIX IT UP A LITTLE BIT SOMETIMES. 
          UM, WE HAVE THREE COMPONENTS. 
          ONE IS THE LAB TABLE, WHICH IS GENERALLY LED BY ME OR, UM, IF JILLIAN VANDER, GRIFF, OUR OTHER CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN WAS ON STAFF, UM, WHICH SHE'S AT WALNUT CREEK RIGHT NOW. 
          SHE WOULD ALSO HELP WITH THIS TABLE. 
          UM, THESE ARE TYPICALLY A EXPERIMENT OR A PROJECT OR SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION OR DISCUSSION OR SUPERVISION THAN WHAT WE CAN JUST HAVE WITH THE PARENTS AND THEY'RE STABLE. 
          UM, AND SO IT GETS A LOT OF, A LOT OF VIEWS. 
          A LOT OF FAMILIES LIKE TO HANG OUT AND WE JUST TALK ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS. 
          LIKE SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, SOMETIMES IT DOES. 
          IT'S COOL. 
          AND SO IT ALSO SHOWS THEM THAT IF I MAKE A MISTAKE, IT'S OKAY IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE 'CAUSE I MAKE A MISTAKE AS A LOT . 
          UM, THE REST OF THE ROOM IS SET UP WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVITY STATIONS. 
          UM, THREE TO FIVE IS WHAT WE TYPICALLY GO FOR. 
          WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING ABOUT FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE NOW 'CAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY USING THE LARGE PROGRAM ROOM VERSUS OUR TECH LAB ROOM. 
          UM, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH NOW, WE NEED THAT SPACE. 
          AND EACH STATION IS SELF-GUIDED. 
          THERE IS INSTRUCTIONAL SIGNS THAT I WRITE UP, WHICH I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE AND I'LL LOOK COUPLE SLIDES, UM, THAT EXPLAIN HOW TO DO THE ACTIVITY, THE BENEFIT OF THE ACTIVITY AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. 
          AND TIPS OF HOW TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH THE STRUGGLE THAT MAY HAPPEN . 
          UM, AND WE PROVIDE ALL OF THE MATERIALS TO USE FOR THE ACTIVITY, WHETHER IT'S LIKE A TAKE HOME PROJECT OR IF IT'S A GAME THAT WE HAVE ON OUR CLASSROOM IPADS, WE'LL EXPLAIN THIS IS HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME. 
          UM, OR IT'S DEMONSTRATION WHERE IT'S JUST MORE OF LIKE A HANDS-ON LIKE TEST THIS MATERIAL OUT, BUT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE IT WITH YOU TYPE OF DEMONSTRATION. 
          AND SOMETIMES I HAVE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS THAT THEY CAN WATCH. 
          UM, AND THEN SOMETIMES IT'S JUST LIKE, UH, EDUCATIONAL POSTERS THAT I MAKE THAT GIVE THEM MORE INFORMATION. 
          WE ALSO HAVE PASSIVE ACTIVITIES AND THESE WERE THESE BOOK CLUBS FOR ALL AGES. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TEACHER TALK CONVERSATION BOARD AND I'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU PICTURES OF EVERYTHING BECAUSE, SO THESE ARE SOME OF OUR STARTING EXAMPLES OF OUR LAB TABLE. 
          AND THESE ARE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE. 
          UM, THE PAST YEAR, UM, WE STARTED OUT STRONG WITH DOING STRAWBERRY DNA FOR OUR FOOD SCIENCE PROGRAM. 
          AND WE ACTUALLY EXTRACTED LIKE PHLEGM 
          [00:35:01]
FROM A SMASHED UP STRAWBERRIES WITH A, UM, SIMPLE CONCOCTION OF RUBBING ALCOHOL AND SOAP. 
          AND THE KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. 
          AND SO , THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT CAN I DO WITH A SNOT? I'M LIKE, DON'T EAT IT, BUT PLAY WITH IT. 
          WE GOT MAGNIFYING GLASS, SOMEBODY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MICROSCOPE, BUT SOMEBODY, UM, ACTUALLY HAD AN EXTRA ONE THAT THEY NO LONGER NEEDED. 
          AND SO THEY'D ACTUALLY DONATED IT TO US. 
          UM, SO WE'RE, I'M FINDING, WAITING FOR A NEW PROJECT SO I CAN USE THAT. 
          UM, WE MADE WORKING FERRIS WHEELS OUT STRAWS AND CARDBOARD AND THEN WE JUST KEEP GOING FROM THERE. 
          I REALLY LIKE THE ICE MELT ONE. 
          THIS WAS OUR JANUARY PROGRAM WHERE NO ONE CAME EXCEPT FOR THE ONE FAMILY. 
          WE TOOK OUR TIME AND WE WATCHED ICE MELT , UH, . 
          WE PUT DIFFERENT THINGS ON THE ICE, SO SAND SALT AND RUBBING ALCOHOL. 
          AND THEN WE HAD ONE ICE CUBE THAT WAS, UM, UN DOCTORED AND WE WAITED TO SEE WHAT MEL FELT MELT THE FASTEST. 
          AND THE ONE WITH ICE OR UH, SALT MELTED THE FASTEST. 
          ROBIN AND ALCOHOL DID NOT. 
          AND SAM WAS IN THE MIDDLE. 
          BUT THE KIDS JUST LOVED IT. 
          WE, WE ALSO DO ART AND SOMETIMES WITH OUR LAB TABLE, LIKE THE UM, MARCH SOLAR SYSTEM, ECLIPSE PROGRAM, WE ACTUALLY MADE AN ART TABLE WHERE THEY COULD MAKE THEIR OWN DRAWING PICTURE. 
          UM, WITH SOME OIL PASTELS THAT ARE IN, UM, INSPIRED BY ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NASA AND OTHER SCIENTISTS THAT STUDY, UM, DISORDER SYSTEM WITH USING FILTERS. 
          SO ALL THOSE REALLY COLORFUL PHOTOS, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S JUST A FILTER. 
          IT'S NOT REAL TO THE NAKED EYE. 
          UNFORTUNATELY. 
          I, I WAS KIND OF BUMMED WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT . 
          UM, AND THEN WE DID FINGERPRINT LIFTING FOR ESPIONAGE AND SPY OR MYSTERY PROGRAM. 
          THEY HAD TO LEARN HOW TO LIFT A FA FINGERPRINT OFF A BOOKEND AND TRY TO STUDY IT. 
          AND THIS I THINK IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. 
          WE ACTUALLY JUST DID THIS THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER MONTH AND I'M THANK YOU TO ADMIN FOR LETTING ME DO THIS 'CAUSE I WAS REALLY EXCITED AND I WAS LIKE, PLEASE, THEY LET ME USE FIRE IN THE LIBRARY . 
          UM, WE DID OUR PLANES TRAININGS IN AUTOMOBILES, WHICH IS A TRANSPORTATION THEMED PROGRAM. 
          AND UM, THIS WAS A DEMONSTRATION. 
          THE KIDS COULD NOT TOUCH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE STRAWS THAT I HAD. 
          FOR EXAMPLES, WE MADE A, UM, OR I MADE A HOT AIR BALLOON OUT OF TRASH BAG STRAWS, ALUMINUM FOIL AND BIRTHDAY CANDLES. 
          AND IT TOOK A LOT OF ATTEMPTS, BUT WE FINALLY GOT IT TO FLOAT AND FLY IN THE AIR. 
          I ACTUALLY GOT IT TO FLY TWICE. 
          THE SECOND TIME WAS SUPER FAST. 
          SO, UM, BUT THE KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. 
          AND WE HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIKE, LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE IT GO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIFT FASTER AND ALL THAT STUFF. 
          SO IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. 
          THEN UM, WE JUST DID OUR FAIRYTALES AND FOLKLORE. 
          WE MADE FOOD CLOCKS OUT OF DIFFERENT FRUITS AND VEGGIES AND LIQUID AND WE USED A MULTIMETER TO TEST THE VOLTAGE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WAS THE BEST, BEST OPTION FOR A CLOCK, ESPECIALLY FOR CINDERELLA WHO HAS DIFFICULTY FILLING TIME. 
          AND SO THEY REALLY LIKE THAT. 
          AND THESE ARE SOME OF OUR EXAMPLES FROM ACTIVITY STATIONS. 
          UM, THIS IS FROM OUR PALEONTOLOGY PROGRAM BACK IN LAST NOVEMBER IN 2023. 
          SO WE HAD LIKE A FOUR PUZZLE THAT WAS LIFE SIZE DINOSAUR PROTO, UH, PROTO TOPS. 
          AND THEN IF YOU SEE IN THE FAR, I HAD TO LOOK  THAT ONE , UM, THAT GREEN FOOTPRINT. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAD THREE OF THOSE, THOSE ARE LIFE APPROXIMATELY LIFE SIZE OF A T-REX FOOTPRINT. 
          AND WE HAD THREE OF THOSE TO UM, ILLUSTRATE THE STRIDE OF A T-REX. 
          AND THEN WE HAD A LOT OF OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT THEY HAD TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND BUILD WITH UH, PAPER AND ALL THAT FUN STUFF. 
          UM, THIS WAS OUR ENGINEERS VERSUS ARCHITECTS OR ARCHITECTS VERSUS ENGINEERS. 
          AND THE KIDS HAD TO OR WORK ON IF THEY WANTED TO. 
          THEY UM, A MARBLE ROLLERCOASTER. 
          AND I ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE CLIP 'CAUSE THIS KID AND HIS MOM WORKED SO HARD ON IT, , BUT OH NO, IT'S DISTORTED. 
          BUT ANYWAY, THEY COULD RUN THEIR MARBLE MARBLES THROUGH IT AND THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. 
          SO THEY ALL CARRYING THESE BIG GIANT ROLLERCOASTERS OUT AT THE LIBRARY AND THEY, WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING EASY FOR LIKE SAY THE PRESCHOOLERS THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO INCORPORATE IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUILD A TOWER OUT OF PAPER PLATES AND CUPS AND SEE HOW TALL YOU CAN GET IT. 
          MM-HMM  AND THEY REALLY LIKE THAT. 
          AND THEN, UH, THIS IS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM ONE, THIS IS OUR REALLY POPULAR ACTIV STATIONS. 
          WE HAD A POCKET SOLAR SYSTEMS WHERE THEY FOLDED RECEIPT PAPER IN A CERTAIN WAY. 
          IT ACTUALLY ILLUSTRATES THE DISTANCES BETWEEN 
          [00:40:01]
ALL THE PLANETS. 
          UM, WE HAD A MODEL ECLIPSE PAPER ECLIPSE MODELS. 
          UM, WE HAD FLIP BOOKS WHERE THEY CAN TALK ABOUT THE MOON PHASES. 
          UM, WE HAD AN ACTIVITY THAT THE KIDS ON THE FLOOR ARE DOING, UM, WHERE THEY HAD TO LAY OUT PICTURES ACCORDING TO SIZE OF THE UNIVERSE AND SOLAR SYSTEM AND THEY CAN CHECK THEIR ANSWERS TO SEE IF THEY GOT THEIR ANSWER RIGHT. 
          UM, AND THEN I HAD AN EDUCATIONAL VIDEO OF WHAT HAPPENS STARING AT YOUR SOLAR ECLIPSE AND WHAT TO EXPECT. 
          IT'S GONNA GET DARK. 
          THIS IS HOW LONG IT'S GONNA GET DARK. 
          IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR THEM, ESPECIALLY FOR LITTLE KIDS WHO MAY NOT KNOW ENTIRELY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN EVEN THOUGH THEIR PARENTS PROBABLY EXPLAINED IT TO THEM. 
          UM, BUT SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES WE'VE DONE MEMORY TESTS, LOGIC GAMES OR JUST SIMPLE BUILDS WHERE YOU JUST HAVE TO STACK DOMINOES TO TRY TO MAKE A REALLY TALL WALL FOR HUMPTY DUMPTY TO HOPEFULLY NOT FALL OFF OF. 
          UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY LOVES GAMES ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE THEY DON'T REALIZE THEY'RE LEARNING BUT THEY'RE HAVING FUN AT THE SAME TIME. 
          SO THESE ARE OUR PASSIVE ACTIVITY GAME, UM, ACTIVITIES. 
          SO THE BOOK, THE BOOK CLUBS, UM, I HAVE A FORM AND THERE'S ONE FOR EACH AGE GROUP. 
          SO WE HAVE LIKE THE LITTLE KIDS WHICH IS LIKE SAY PRESCHOOL OR TODDLERS ALL THE WAY UP TO ABOUT GRADE FIVE, GRADE SIX. 
          AND THEY CAN LIKE USE AN EMOJI TO TELL ME DID THEY LIKE IT? DID THEY HATE IT? UM, I TRY TO ASK FOR LIKE LITTLE KIDS TOO, LIKE THINK OF SOMETHING, FIND SOMETHING AT HOME THAT MADE YOU THINK OF THE BOOK YOU READ. 
          UM, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE IT AS A REAL BOOK CLUB WHERE WE WOULD LIKE SET ASIDE SOME TIME AND TALK ABOUT IT. 
          UM, BUT WE WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN THAT WE'VE NEVER SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IN THE PAST YEAR. 
          SO THE FORMS COME IN HANDY. 
          UM, WE HAVE ONES FOR THE TEENAGERS AND I JUST INTRODUCED ONES FOR THE GROWNUPS 'CAUSE THEY READ TOO. 
          AND I JUST GOT MY FIRST ONE. 
          MY PARENTS SHARED A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE POTTY TRAINING BOOK. 
          SHE GOT  AND THEN WE HAVE THE TEACHER TALK BOARD, WHICH IS GAINING IN POPULARITY. 
          UM, I POSE A QUESTION TO ALL THE PARENTS AND KIDS CAN EVEN ANSWER AS WELL IF THEY WOULD LIKE. 
          UM, BUT TYPICALLY THE QUESTIONS ARE UM, LIKE TEACHER BASE OF LIKE WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES DO YOU USE IN THE LIBRARY THAT SUPPLEMENT YOUR LEARNING, YOUR YOUR LESSONS AND THEY'LL LIST IT. 
          UM, I'VE RECENTLY ASKED ABOUT LIKE WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR CURRICULUM FROM? UM, DO YOU, HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS? IS IT THROUGH A CO-OP OR IS IT JUST LIKE FACEBOOK GROUPS? YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET MORE INFORMATION. 
          'CAUSE I WILL GATHER ALL THIS INFORMATION AND ACTUALLY SEND IT OUT THROUGH AN EMAIL LIST, UM, FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MY EMAIL LIST. 
          BUT IT'S ALSO PARENTS CAN SEE THAT ON THE BOARD WHILE THEY'RE IN THE PROGRAM AND THEY CAN LEARN FROM IT. 
          AND SO I'M TRYING TO HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE NEW TOO, TO GET ALL THAT INFORMATION. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NERVOUS TO TALK TO OTHER FAMILIES. 
          UM, SO THESE ARE EXAMPLE SIGNS THAT I USE FOR THE ACTIVITY STATION. 
          I MENTIONED THAT I GIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THE ACTIVITY AND THEN THE BENEFITS AND UM, LIKE TIPS FOR PARENTS LIKE, OH, SO IF YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY, HELP YOUR CHILD THIS WAY. 
          UM, AND SO HOPEFULLY MOST PARENTS WHO ACTUALLY LIKE IT, UM, I HAVE ONE PARENT WHO REALLY LIKED THE BENEFITS OF LIKE, WHY DO WE DO THIS ACTIVITY? IT'S JUST A RANDOM GAME AND LIKE YOU'RE SQUEEZING A WATER BOTTLE WITH A MERMAID IN IT. 
          IT'S LIKE THAT'S NOT LEARNING, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS. 
          IT'S, THEY'RE LEARNING THROUGH HANDS-ON ACTIVITY AND SEEING SOMETHING HAPPEN HAS CAUSED AN EFFECT. 
          UM, AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU NEED EXTRA HANDOUTS THAT EXPLAINED ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY IF UM, MYSELF OR THE OTHER STAFF MEMBER THAT'S HELPING MOVE MY PROGRAM CAN'T GET TO THE TABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING. 
          UM, SO LIKE WE DID A MERMAID DROP WHERE IN LIKE A WATER BOTTLE. 
          UM, WE HAD LIKE A LITTLE MERMAID FLOATING, UM, WITH SOME PAPER CLIPS AND IF YOU SQUEEZED IT IT WOULD DROP TO THE BOTTOM AND THEN IT RISE BACK UP WHEN YOU LET GO OF IT. 
          AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW ARIEL IN THE FAIRYTALES, HOW DOES SHE SINK, HOW DOES SHE DIE , YOU KNOW, UM, HOW DO FISH SINK? HOW DO THEY DIE? SO IT SORT OF MAKES THEM THINK AND LEARN AND IF THEY DON'T LEARN IT ALL THE WAY, THAT'S WHEN THE PARENTS CAN COME IN AND GO, WELL LET'S LEARN ABOUT MORE. 
          LET'S GET SOME BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY AND FIGURE IT OUT. 
          THESE ARE SOME POSTERS THAT I'VE DONE, UM, FOR THE LABORATORIES JUST TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION. 
          SOME LIKE, UM, I REALLY LIKE THE MOSO ONE THAT WE DID, UM, ABOUT FOR OUR PALEONTOLOGY PROGRAM. 
          UM, 'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY KNEW THAT WE HAD A MO OF SORE DISCOVERED IN DUCK CREEK. 
          IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS REALLY. 
          AND SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TALK ABOUT GARLAND HISTORY BUT ALSO TO LEARN MORE THAT SOMETHING'S REALLY LOCAL TO US AND THEY CAN SEE THE BONES AND MCKINNEY AT THE HERD MUSEUM. 
          AND THEN I ADVERTISED THAT, OH THE BIG BOY NUMBER 4 0 1 4 WAS COMING THROUGH TEXAS ON ITS NATION TOUR AND IT'S A MASSIVE LOCOMOTIVE 
          [00:45:01]
SO ANY CHANCE THEY COULD SEE IT FOR FREE, LIKE TAKE A TRIP OUT TO FORT WORTH, IT ALSO CAME THROUGH MCKINNEY ON THE WAY TO FORT WORTH. 
          SO SOME FAMILIES WHO MAY BE IN THE AREA MIGHT HAVE GOT SEEN IT. 
          UM, THE QR CODE I GAVE TO THEM WAS UP TO A LIVE MAP SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY TRACK IT AS THEY GO. 
          OTHER INTERACTIVE POSTERS I'VE DONE, UM, FOR OUR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, I'VE WOULD MAKE INTERACTIVE BOOKLETS WHERE IT WOULD BE JUST A PIECE OF PAPER FOLDED AND IT WOULD HAVE A PICTURE OF AN ARCHITECT AND THEY COULD FLIP IT OPEN AND IT WOULD TELL THEM WHO THAT PERSON WAS AND WHAT THEY'RE FAMOUS FOR. 
          OTHER HANDOUTS I HAVE GIVEN DARREN OR HAVE OUT TYPICALLY DARREN HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY. 
          UM, I TYPICALLY HAVE ONE THAT'S, IT OUTLINES EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING DURING THE PROGRAM AND THEN RECOMMENDED WEBSITES THAT ARE EDUCATION BASED, UM, FROM RELIABLE SOURCES, UM, THAT THEY CAN USE TO LIKE SUPPLEMENT THEIR LEARNING FROM TODAY. 
          AND THEN I ALSO DO, UM, LIBRARY RESOURCES. 
          SO WE HAVE OUR HOMEWORK TO HELP RESOURCE WITH HELP NOW. 
          AND THEN, UM, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HIGH SCHOOLERS, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE , THEY JUST DON'T COME TO LABORATORY. 
          WE HAVE THE PRACTICE DRIVING TEST RESOURCE, WHICH IT GETS PICKED UP OFF AND ON. 
          I'M LIKE EVERY SO OFTEN I'LL HAVE TO REPLENISH THAT ONE. 
          SO CONNECTING WITH THE HOMESCHOOL HOMESCHOOLERS IN THE SOUTH GARLAND COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I DIDN'T DO THIS AT THE VERY BEGINNING, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I DEFINITELY, UM, IDENTIFIED THAT I HAD TO DO MORE OF. 
          UM, I CREATED AN EMAIL LIST. 
          I STARTED WITH AN EMAIL LIST AT THE VERY BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER, 2023. 
          AND IT WAS JUST TO REMIND THE FAMILIES, HEY, HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY IS COMING UP. 
          HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. 
          UM, BUT AS WE'VE PROGRESSED INTO THIS YEAR, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THE PARENTS WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM? THIS IS SO COOL, CAN I YOU LIKE, I WANNA DO THIS AT HOME. 
          UM, SO I STARTED DOING UPDATE LIKE RECAPS OF WHAT WE DID DURING THE PROGRAM AND UM, ALL THOSE WEBSITES THAT I WOULD LIST ON THE BACK OF THE HANDOUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE, I WOULD INCLUDE INTO THAT EMAIL AS WELL. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S BECOME MORE OF LIKE A COMMUNICATION THING AND UM, AND I SOMETIMES WILL SEND OUT A SURVEY LIKE, HEY, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED FROM US? COOL. 
          UM, I'VE ONLY DONE ONE RECENTLY JUST TO GET KIND AND GET AN IDEA IF WE'RE DOING GOOD OR NOT. 
          AND SO FAR WE'RE DOING REALLY GOOD . 
          UM, I'VE ALSO PROMOTED PROGRAMS TOO. 
          IT'S LIKE, HEY, I'M LIKE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS IN CO YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS. 
          SO I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. 
          UM, SO I MENTIONED, I ALREADY THAT THE RECAP EMAIL, IT LISTS ALL THE ACTIVITIES LIKE WEBSITES THAT I USE TO GET MY ACTIVITY IDEAS FROM SO THEY CAN LOOK AT IT THEMSELVES AND MAYBE RECREATE, UM, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE HOT AIR BALLOON ONE. 
          IT'S LIKE THE KIDS COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF SAFETY AND LIABILITY, BUT IT'S LIKE IF THEY CHOSE TO DO IT AT HOME, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I GOT MY INFORMATION FROM AND HOW TO DO IT. 
          UM, THEN I TAKE ALL THE RESPONSES FROM THE TEACHER TALK BOARD AND THE BOOK CLUBS. 
          I WILL ACTUALLY LIST THEM ALL OUT SAYING I DON'T NAME NAMES, BUT I'LL BE LIKE, OH WELL YOU KNOW, ONE SUBMISSION FOR THE LITTLE KID BOOKS. 
          IT WAS LIKE THEY READ THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR AND THIS IS WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY SAW AT HOME THAT REMINDED THEM OF THE STORY. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LIST OF RECOMMENDED WEBSITES THAT ARE ON THEME FOR THE MONTH. 
          AND THEN I ALSO HIGHLIGHT TO ONLINE RESOURCES, UM, AT THE VERY END. 
          AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THOSE HIGH SCHOOLERS. 
          UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL FAMILIES THAT DO HAVE THEM. 
          THE HIGH SCHOOLERS JUST CHOOSES NOT TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN. 
          THEY PREFER TO READ IN THE REST OF THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, SO I REALLY HIGHLIGHT OTHER THINGS LIKE UNIVERSAL COURSES. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD COURSES ON THERE AND THEY'RE GREAT FOR HOMESCHOOLERS. 
          AND THEN THE GALE VIRTUAL REFERENCE LIBRARY, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD ENCYCLOPEDIAS ON THERE THAT COULD HELP WITH PROJECTS. 
          BUT I PRETTY MUCH DO ALL SORTS OF ONLINE RESOURCES THAT I THINK WOULD HELP THEM. 
          UM, SO TO CONTINUE ON ON CONNECTING WITH OUR HOMESCHOOLERS, I DO TRY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. 
          SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY HAS GOTTEN SO POPULAR. 
          I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LIKE SAY, HI, WELCOME. 
          I'M MISS DOROTHY. 
          IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS LET ME KNOW. 
          I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF MY GOAL. 
          I'M, I DON'T JUST JUMP IN AND LIKE BOMBARD THEM WITH QUESTIONS, BUT I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME AND TALK TO ME. 
          UM, SO THAT'S PART OF MY PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY IS, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WAY YOU KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY YOU CAN DO LOTS OF THINGS. 
          UM, AND EVEN IF THE CONVERSATION JUST STARTS OUT WITH AN INTRODUCTION, LIKE, HI, WELCOME TO THE LIBRARY. 
          OR ASK HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS HOMESCHOOLED? AND JUST HAVING THAT AND A LITTLE BIT OF KNOWLEDGE, IT'S LIKE, OH, ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS. 
          DO YOU NEED ANYTHING? LIKE, UH, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? UM, BUT YEAH, IT JUST LEADS TO KNOWING MORE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY 
          [00:50:01]
AND ARE WE DOING GREAT? IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH? AND WHAT'S THE OLD TIME GOAL OF MAKING THEM LIFELONG ERS AND LIBRARY USERS? AND SO, AND THIS IS A STORY, A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY OF HOW I'VE BEEN CONNECTING TO HOMESCHOOLERS. 
          I DID A POP-UP PROGRAM DURING GISD FALL BREAK. 
          UM, SO IT WASN'T REALLY MARKETED A LOT OTHER THAN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, OUR WEBSITE AND IN-HOUSE PROMOTION. 
          UM, SO I ONLY HAD FOUR FAMILIES ATTEND. 
          UM, BUT THREE OF THOSE WERE HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES AND TWO OF THEM I KNEW FROM PREVIOUS HOMESCHOOL LABORATORIES. 
          ONE WAS NEW. 
          AND SO WE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET CONVERSATION 'CAUSE WE, WE WEREN'T BUSY WHERE I HAD TO BE ENGAGED HELPING TRY TO EXPLAIN AN ACTIVITY, BUT WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THE BOOK, BUT WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES. 
          UM, THE TWO BOYS IN FRONT OF THE TV, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WITH, I CAN'T TELL WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT IT'S ANIMAL. 
          UM, I HAD, UH, LIVE FEEDS TO LIKE NATIONAL PARKS AND SANCTUARIES SO THEY COULD SEE ANIMALS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT AND WE WOULD JUST TOGGLE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT CAMERAS. 
          UM, SO WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT LIKE, WHERE DID WE FIND, WHERE DID I FIND THESE CAMERAS? I'M LIKE, WELL THERE'S A WHOLE ORGANIZATION THAT COLLECTS ALL OF THEM FOR US. 
          UM, SO A LOT TO EXPLORE. 
          AND THEN I SHOW THEM LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN FROM THE CAMERA FEED YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE A MAP, GOOGLE MAP OF WHERE IT IS LOCATED ON EARTH AS WELL AS LIKE THE WEATHER AND ALL THIS OTHER INFORMATION. 
          UM, BUT IT WAS GREAT 'CAUSE I GOT TO TALK TO THE FAMILIES. 
          UM, THEY'RE THE TWO THAT I KNEW. 
          THEY WERE ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WHOLE PROGRAMS WE'VE BEEN DOING, ESPECIALLY LABORATORY. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IT'S A WAY FOR THEM TO CONNECT. 
          AND ONE OF THE MOMS, UM, ACTUALLY WAS THE LITTLE ART EXPLORER MOM, WHO ABOUT A YEAR OR SO LA EARLIER WAS WONDERING IF SHE TOOK, SHOULD TAKE THE PLUNGE TO GO INTO HOMESCHOOLING, WITHDRAW HER ONE GIRL FROM SCHOOL AND, UM, KEEP HER BOY. 
          AND SO HOMESCHOOLING WHEN HE WAS KINDERGARTEN, WELL SHE, IT TOOK LONG ENOUGH THAT HE WAS ALREADY IN KINDERGARTEN, BUT SHE WITHDREW BOTH HER KIDS THIS PAST SEMESTER SO SHE CAN HOMESCHOOL AND SHE'S ALREADY MAKING FRIENDS, PEOPLE SHE MET AT A LABORATORY. 
          UM, I THINK SHE ALSO MET SOME PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHEN JUST FINDING HOMESCHOOL GROUPS THAT WORK WITH THEM. 
          UM, BUT THEY ALL STARTED TALKING. 
          AND THIS ONE MOM IN BLUE, UM, SHE'S NEW, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HER, BUT THEY ALL STARTED TALKING TO EACH OTHER. 
          AND, UM, TWO OF THE MOMS ARE SPANISH SPEAKING. 
          SO THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW DOING, MAYBE STARTING LIKE A SPANISH CO-OP WHERE THE, THE KIDS COULD GO TO ONE LOCATION AND THEY CAN LEARN TOGETHER AND TO REINFORCE THEIR SPANISH LEARNING. 
          'CAUSE UM, THEY SPEAK BOTH LANGUAGES AT HOME, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE KID. 
          CHILDREN ARE NOT AS COMFORTABLE AS THE PARENTS ARE. 
          UM, BUT WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE, WHEN I WASN'T CONVERSING WITH THE FAMILIES AND I WAS JUST KIND OF JUST IN THE CORNER BEING A LURKER, UM, I, I THOUGHT THINKING, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS GETTING TOGETHER AND DOING THINGS. 
          IT'S LIKE, WELL MAYBE WE NEED A TWEEN PROGRAM WHERE IT'S LIKE THE 10 TO 12 YEAR OLDS. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S A TRANSITIONARY AGE. 
          BUT SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IS LIKE, DO WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UM, BUT ALSO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT SPANISH RESOURCES AND GETTING THEIR CHILDREN MORE COMFORTABLE SPEAKING THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE. 
          UM, MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THERE WHICH LEADS, LEADS ME TO THE LABORATORY AND BEYOND. 
          LIKE THESE ARE JUST IDEAS OF WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO WITH THE GARLAND LIBRARIES AND NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT OR ADDING SOMETHING NEW OR TRYING SOMETHING NEW TO SEE IF IT FAILS OR NOT, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW. 
          TEEN PROGRAMMING, THAT'S WHERE WE FAIL A LOT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE LEARNING MAYBE NOT THIS, LET'S TRY SOMETHING ELSE. 
          . 
          UM, BUT UH, FOR A HOMESCHOOL LABORATORY, I'M ALWAYS A LITTLE TOO CRITICAL SOMETIMES, BUT I ALWAYS THINK, WHAT CAN I DO BETTER? UM, LIKE I'M GONNA TWEAK THE SIGNS HOPEFULLY TO MAKE THEM MORE READABLE. 
          I'M GONNA MAKE THEM LARGER, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE GET. 
          UM, OUR SIGNS NEED TO BE LARGER SO THEY CAN FIND THEM, UM, MAYBE POSSIBLY ADD IN A BILINGUAL COMPONENT TO IT AND THEN POTENTIALLY OTHER THINGS YOU NEVER KNOW. 
          UM, A LOT OF THE LIBRARIES ACROSS THE US DO DIFFERENT ACT, UM, THINGS FOR, TO HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES, BUT WHETHER WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO SEE. 
          BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO TRY SOMETIME. 
          YEAH. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? NO. 
          WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS AMAZING AND I'M, I'M THOROUGHLY UH, DELIGHTED AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          THIS IS GREAT. 
          YOU MENTIONED THE OTHER LIBRARIES. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR EXPANDING THIS TO THE OTHER LIBRARIES OR IS THAT 
          [00:55:01]
SOMETHING YOU'RE STILL HAVING TO KIND OF WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH? UM, CURRENTLY WE DON'T, NO. 
          IT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE'D HAVE TO ASSESS TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE NEED IS IN THE DIFFERENT, UH, LOCATIONS. 
          SOUTH HAD A UNIQUE, UM, NEED THAT, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK CENTRAL WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A NEED WHEN CENTRAL REOPENS. 
          WE DID SEE A NUMBER OF HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES COMING IN BEFORE CENTRAL, UM, CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS. 
          BUT I WOULD SAY SOUTH AND CENTRAL RIGHT NOW ARE THE TWO THAT HAVE THE, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING IN AND UTILIZING THE STAFF. 
          YES. 
          . 
          UM, BUT IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW, WHAT EFFECT OR WHAT IMPACT, UM, WEST'S OPENING MAY HAVE WITH ATTRACTING AND DRAWING IN SOME FAMILIES. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, WHEN IT OPENS. 
          YEAH. 
          I, THAT, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. 
          WHY SOUTH? WHAT WAS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OR THE INFORMATION THAT LED US TO BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE FOCUSED IN SOUTH GARLAND? WELL, I THINK I, I'M LIKE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL THE LIBRARIANS, UM, BUT I PROGRAM, I SET PROGRAMS FOR TO SOUTH CAROLINA 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE I AM STATIONED. 
          AND, UM, I JUST TOOK A CHANCE, LIKE THERE IS, I IDENTIFIED A NEED AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIT IT INTO OUR SCHEDULE. 
          UM, AND PLUS TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, LIKE WE HAVE QUITE A BIT COME THROUGH AND LIKE WE HAVE THE STAFFING THAT CAN BOTH COVER THE SERVICE DESK, BUT ALSO BE IN THE PROGRAM WITH ME. 
          UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER BRANCH LOCATIONS. 
          UM, IF THEY WERE TO HAVE THEIR OWN PROGRAM, IT MIGHT LIKE MAKE THE PROGRAM SMALLER AND INSTEAD, SO IT'S MORE MANAGEABLE WITH THE STAFFING THAT THEY HAVE. 
          BUT I, I CHOSE IT BECAUSE IT WAS MY LOCATION. 
          WELL, AND KUDOS TO YOU FOR, FOR IDENTIFYING A NEED AND CREATING A PROGRAM TO FILL THAT. 
          MM-HMM. 
           I WILL SAY, UH, PERSONALLY I'M KIND OF SPLIT ABOUT THE IDEA OF KIDS BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM MM. 
          UH, FOR VARIOUS REASONS. 
          AND MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT CURIOUS WHEN A PARENT COMES TO YOU AND SAYS, HEY, I'M THINKING ABOUT MAKING THE PLUNGE OR GOING INTO HOMESCHOOLING, DO WE GIVE THEM INFORMATION THAT PROMOTES THE IDEA TO DO IT? OR WHAT, WHAT INFORMATION DO THEY GET? UM, A WHILE AGO, AND I, I ACTUALLY, UM, CHECK ON IT EVERY OFTEN, MAKE SURE THE LINKS WORK. 
          BUT MANY, MANY MOONS AGO, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW LONG AGO I HELPED MAKE A, OR I STARTED MAKING THE, UM, COMMUNITY RESOURCE FILE WHERE IT HAD A LIST OF RESOURCES, LIKE RECOMMENDED WEBSITES TO LEARN ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING. 
          AND IT WAS REALLY MORE LIKE NEUTRAL BASE WHERE LIKE, IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT WITHDRAWN FROM YOUR CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LEGALLY WITHDRAW THEM FROM SCHOOL. 
          OTHERWISE THEY BECOME TRUANT. 
          BUT I, THE LINKS THAT I WOULD PROVIDE WOULD TAKE THEM TO LIKE, SAY THE TEXAS HOMESCHOOL COALITION, WHERE IT GIVES THEM INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HOMESCHOOLING IS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHAT IT ENCOMPASSES AND HOW THEY CAN FIND A COMMUNITY THAT WILL HELP SUPPORT THEM. 
          SO THE INFORMATION I WOULD PROVIDE, I DID PROVIDE ON THAT RESOURCE. 
          UM, IT HELPS THEM GET MORE INFORMATION AND HELP THEM MAKE THAT JUDGMENT CALL FOR THEMSELVES. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY. 
          AND I ACTUALLY CREATED THAT DOCUMENT SO LONG AGO, UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS A MOM WHO WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT WITHDRAWING HER KIDS FROM HER KID FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE HE GOT SUSPENDED, UM, FOR HAVING THE WRONG TYPE OF HAIRSTYLE. 
          AND SHE WAS VERY BAD, MAD ABOUT IT. 
          BUT I ALSO KNEW THIS WOMAN WORKED TWO JOBS. 
          AND THAT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING FOR ANYBODY. 
          HONESTLY, BEING A STAY-AT-HOME MOM AND HOMESCHOOLING IS ANOTHER UNDERTAKING TAKING. 
          SO EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT. 
          AND I HAD NO INFORMATION TO GIVE HER, BUT I SAID, PLEASE GO TO THESE WEBSITES TO HELP YOU MAKE THAT DECISION OR FIND RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP YOU WHEN YOU DO MAKE THAT DECISION. 
          THAT'S LIKE WHERE TO FIND CURRICULUM. 
          SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO FIND CURRICULUM AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE WEBSITES OUT THERE THAT WOULD HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT AT LEAST GET SOME STARTED TO MAKE THAT EDUCATION EDUCATED DECISION ON WHETHER THEY SHOULD. 
          IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GIVE SOMEONE, UH, WE CAN'T BE PRO OR AGAINST IT. 
          NO. 
          WE, WE HAVE TO BE SWITZERLAND AND, AND BE NEUTRAL WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE, YEAH. 
          LIKE, UM, THE ONE MOM WHO HAD APPROACHED ME IN THE LITTLE ARTISTS WERE A PROGRAM WHERE I'M LIKE, I HAVE KNEW HER FOR QUITE A WHILE. 
          'CAUSE SHE WOULD BRING HER SON EVERY MONTH AND WE WOULD CONVERSE AND SHE KNEW I WAS HOMESCHOOLED, BUT SHE WOULD ASK ME, I'M LIKE, ARE YOU GONNA HOMESCHOOL YOUR KIDDO? ARE YOU GONNA DO THIS? AND I WOULDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT 'CAUSE I DIDN'T. 
          LIKE, THAT'S MY PERSONAL LIFE. 
          I'M LIKE, I, I CAN'T TECHNICALLY 'CAUSE I, I WORK. 
          UM, BUT I WAS LIKE, THAT'S REALLY UP 
          [01:00:01]
TO YOU. 
          AND LIKE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR KID'S SAFETY AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH. 
          BUT ALSO THE COMMITMENT THAT COMES WITH IT. 
          BUT IT'S LIKE, THAT'S UP TO YOU. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW SOME KIDS, MY KID WOULD NOT THRIVE WITH ME AS A HOMESCHOOL MOM. 
          PROBABLY. 
          I LIKE THE IDEA, BUT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HOMESCHOOL MY CHILD JUST BECAUSE OF KNOWING MY CHILD'S LEARNING CAPABILITIES. 
          UM, SO IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY. 
          AND SO THEY NEED TO MAKE THAT EDUCATED DECISION. 
          YEAH, I CAN IMAGINE. 
          THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AS A FOSTER PARENT, WE COULDN'T MAKE THAT DECISION IF WE WANTED TO. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          'CAUSE WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP THEM IN IN SCHOOL. 
          BUT THERE WAS A POINT WHERE I WAS IN THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE SO MUCH THAT I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA KICK US OUT. 
          RIGHT. 
          . 
          AND SO, UM, HAVING THIS RESOURCE IS GREAT. 
          UH, DO WE PROVIDE THEM WITH CURRICULUM IF THEY NEED IT? DO WE, THE COLLECT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE, TEXTBOOKS IN OUR COLLECTIONS THAT ARE, THAN THE GISD TEXTBOOKS THAT THEY PROVIDE TO US. 
          UM, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EVER VENTURE INTO THAT AS A CONVERSATION THAT YOU AND I COULD HAVE WITH COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT JUST BECAUSE OF, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF CURRICULUMS AND THERE'S SO MANY THAT CATER TO DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEMS THAT IT'S HARD TO JUST PICK ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD COVER EVERYBODY. 
          AND ALSO, I DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA PROMOTE THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR CHILDREN. 
          IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. 
          UM, I, I'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT THE GISD BOOKS TO MAKE THEM MORE CIRCULATING, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR CALL EITHER. 
          BUT SOMETHING I, I KNOW THERE'S A NEED AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MEET IT YET, UH, IF WE CAN. 
          AND SO IT'S SOMETHING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ADMIN AND OUR COLLECTION SERVICES AND ALL THAT STUFF. 
          IF WE WERE ABLE TO IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND I KNOW YOU SAID NEXT WEEK YOU'RE DOING THE HUMAN BODY. 
          MM-HMM. 
           WHAT, WHAT TIME IN IS THAT, UH, SESSION SCHEDULED FOR? YOU SAID IT'S ABOUT TWO HOURS? YES, FOR TWO HOURS. 
          UM, SO IT'S ON TUESDAY THE 19TH. 
          AND IT'S FROM 1215 TO TWO 15 ISH. 
          TECHNICALLY IT'S 12 TO TWO 30. 
          DEPENDS ON PEOPLE WHEN THE PEOPLE SHOW UP. 
          'CAUSE SOMETIMES THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO GO AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE LIKE TRICKLING IN AND SO IT VARIES. 
          BUT YEAH, IT'S THAT 12 TO TWO ISH. 
          AND IS IT OPEN TO ANYBODY OR OPEN TO ANYBODY? SO EVEN IF THEY WERE OFF FROM SCHOOL, FROM LIKE PUBLIC SCHOOL, WE DON'T CARD THEM AT THE DOOR. 
          SO IF THEY COME IN, THEY'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          I'D LOVE TO GO CHECK IT OUT TOO. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND HAVE FUN. 
          . 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          JUST ONE, JUST ONE QUESTION. 
          OH, GREAT PROGRAM. 
          I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A NEED AND IT'S GREAT THAT THE LIBRARY CAN BE THERE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND, AND, UH, AND HELP OUT. 
          BUT I WAS WONDERING, ARE THE PARENTS REQUIRED TO COME IN AND PARTICIPATE? IT'S NOT A DROP. 
          THEY CAN'T JUST DROP OFF. 
          I DON'T RECOMMEND THAT THEY DROP OFF. 
          'CAUSE I, I REALLY TRY TO PROMOTE THAT THIS IS YOUR, THE TIME FOR YOU AND YOUR KIDS TO LEARN TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY CERTAIN ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED. 
          ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONES WHERE IT'S NOT THE LAB TABLE, IT'S JUST LIKE THE SELF-GUIDED ONES. 
          THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN DO THE PROJECT. 
          AND SO I ALWAYS RECOMMEND PARENTS DO THIS WITH YOUR KIDS. 
          AND SOMETIMES IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY HAVE MULTIPLE KIDS AND THEY'RE FREE RADICALS. 
          UM, BUT , UH, I TYPICALLY PROMOTE THAT THEY ALWAYS STAY AND THEY DO. 
          THEY, THERE'S ONE THING I'VE NOTICED WITH HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES THAT MOST OF THE TIME THEY STICK TOGETHER, UM, ONLY A FEW TIMES WHILE THEY SEPARATE. 
          BUT THE KIDS TEND TO BE OLDER WHEN THEY DO THAT. 
          UM, BUT NO, SO FAR IT'S, THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER LEARNING. 
          SO YEAH, AS IN THERE'S REALLY A COMPONENT FOR THE ADULT TOO TO KIND OF HELP THEM BECOME BETTER. 
          RIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT WAS LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONAL SCIENCE THAT I WROTE WERE LIKE TIPS. 
          AND THEN THE BENEFITS IS I, 'CAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS SOME FAMILIES, LIKE I MENTIONED, IT'S LIKE, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? DOES IT HAVE ANY BENEFIT OTHER THAN JUST PLAYING? AND IT'S LIKE, NO, THERE ACTUALLY IS, THERE'S ALWAYS INTENT BEHIND ALL THE ACTIVITIES WE HAVE, WHETHER IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT OR NOT. 
          SO YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THE, UH, PROGRAM GROWTH AND I APPLAUD YOUR WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT WITH YEAH. 
          MM-HMM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          GREAT JOB. 
          AND MOVE ON TO NEXT ITEM THE LIBRARY GIFT POLICY REVIEW, OR WERE THERE MORE UPDATES TO THE PROGRAM SERVICES? SOMETIMES YOU TEXT ME OUT THERE. 
          IT, THAT, THAT WAS IT. 
          THAT . 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? THE LIGHT IS ON. 
          OH. 
          BUT THE LIGHT DON'T SOUND AS LOUD. 
          SO INCLUDED, UM, IN YOUR HANDOUTS TONIGHT IS A COPY OF THE, UM, LIBRARY GIFTS AND DONATION POLICY. 
          [01:05:01]
UM, AND I BELIEVE THIS WAS A REQUEST TO, TO LOOK AT OUR POLICY AND REVIEW THIS POLICY. 
          SOME TAKEAWAYS, UM, BIG TAKEAWAYS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR POLICY. 
          UM, WE DO ACCEPT MONEY BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS AT THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, ONCE YOU HAVE DONATED, EXCUSE ME, WHEN, UH, YOU'VE DONATED THAT ITEM, THE LIBRARY DOES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF AN ITEM WILL BE ADDED TO THE COLLECTION, UM, BASED ON OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY. 
          UM, JUST REMEMBERING THAT OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY IDENTIFIES WE ARE A POPULAR MATERIALS LIBRARY. 
          UM, WE ALSO, UH, HAVE MATERIALS FOR REFERENCE RESOURCES AND ALSO ARE A CHILDREN'S DOOR TO LEARNING. 
          SO IF AN ITEM DOESN'T NECESSARILY FIT THAT CRITERIA, WE MAY NOT CONSIDER IT FOR ADDITION. 
          ONCE DONATED, THE LIB OR THE, THE MATERIALS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE LIBRARY AND THEY'RE SUBJECT TO THE SAME, UM, WEEDING RULES THAT ANY OF OUR, UH, MATERIALS THAT WE PURCHASE FOR THE LIBRARY GO THROUGH. 
          UH, ANYTHING THAT WE DO NOT KEEP IN THE COLLECTION, UH, OR ADD TO THE COLLECTION IS SENT TO OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ORGANIZATION AND THEY TAKE THE BULK OF THOSE ITEMS, SELL THEM, UM, AT THE, THE ANNUAL BOOK SALE. 
          AND THEN THOSE FUNDS ARE GIVEN BACK TO THE LIBRARY FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE CAN DO. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, MEMORIALS AND HONORS. 
          SO IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HONOR, UM, SOMEONE IN THEIR LIFE, THEY CAN DONATE, UM, MAKE A DONATION TO THE LIBRARY AND WE WILL PURCHASE SOMETHING IN THEIR HONOR. 
          WE DO PUT A BOOK PLATE IN THE, UM, THE ITEM, UM, COMMEMORATING THAT PERSON. 
          AND ALSO THOSE, THOSE ITEMS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME WEEDING STANDARDS, UM, AS ALL OF OUR MATERIALS ARE. 
          AND THEN SPECIAL ITEMS, IT, WE, WE DO GET CALLS FROM TIME TO TIME ABOUT SPECIAL ITEMS. WILL WE ACCEPT AS, AS DONATIONS? UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE, WE REALLY GO WITH BOOKS, DVDS, THINGS OF THAT SORT. 
          NOT SAYING WE WOULD NEVER TAKE SOME OF THE, UM, THE ITEMS THAT ARE GENEROUSLY DONATED TO THE LIBRARY, BUT, UH, SOMETIMES WE DO REFER PEOPLE TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT MAY BE A BETTER FIT FOR THAT ITEM. 
          ESPECIALLY IF, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PIECES OF ART. 
          IF IT'S SOMETHING TO DO WITH GARLAND HISTORY, USUALLY WE'LL, WE'LL REFER THEM TO, UM, THE MUSEUM BEHIND THE CENTRAL LIBRARY. 
          UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF INTERESTING THINGS DONATED OR POTENTIALLY DONATED TO THE LIBRARY. 
          BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TALK THROUGH ANY, UH, CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE POLICY. 
          COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE, YOUR, YOU USED THE PHRASE READING STANDARDS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WEEDING. 
          WEEDING. 
          SO WHEN WE PURCHASE AN ITEM OR WE HAVE SOMETHING DONATED, IT'S HOW LONG WE KEEP IT ON THE SHELF. 
          IS IT, UM, IN GOOD CONDITION, GOOD REPAIRS, THE INFORMATION STILL, UM, RELEVANT AND UP TO DATE. 
          WE, WE USE, UM, CREW. 
          THE CREW METHOD, THANK YOU. 
          AND MUSTY. 
          AND MUSTY. 
          SO IF SOMETHING W-U-S-T-Y MUSTY, IT STANDS FOR, UM, I'M GONNA MESS THIS UP HERE. 
          . 
          HOLD ON. 
          UH, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A MNEMONIC. 
          YOU CAN TELL IT'S HELPING. 
          UM, BUT THE CREW MANUAL IS FROM THE STATE LIBRARY AND WE ALL LEARN IT. 
          AND IT GOES, UH, HAS CRITERIA FOR JUVENILE AND ADULT MATERIALS, UH, FICTION AND NONFICTION AND DOWN TO, UM, BREAKING THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM DOWN INTO THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND SAYING, IT'S OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, MUSTY IS MISLEADING, UGLY, SUPERSEDED TRIVIAL, IRRELEVANT OR OBTAINED SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          ELSEWHERE. 
          SO THE E SO IT'S NOT WHY IT'S IE IT MUST BE M-S-U-T-I-E, MISLEADING, UGLY, SUPERSEDED, TRIVIAL, IRRELEVANT, OR OBTAINED ELSEWHERE. 
          AND CREW IS CONTINUOUS REVIEW, EVALUATION AND WEEDING. 
          SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT WE LEARN IN LIBRARY SCHOOL, WHICH HELPS YOU MAKE OBJECTIVE, UH, DO AN OBJECTIVE REVIEW 
          [01:10:01]
OF THE MATERIALS AND KEEP THE MOST USEFUL, THE MOST RECENT, UH, AND THE MOST UP TO DATE MATERIALS. 
          AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN DO A LOT JUST FROM UGLY  CONDITION. 
          BUT TO ASK LIKE CONDITION, I HAVE THE BEHOLDER. 
          RIGHT. 
          HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING IS UGLY? I DON'T, UH, WELL, JUST BECAUSE IT'S, IF IT'S CONDITION ON A PART CONDITION, CONTENT CONDITION OF THE MATERIAL, AND WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS. 
          IF IT'S WELL LOVED AND WELL USED, DO WE GET A REPLACEMENT COPY OF THAT ITEM? SO I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT IT'S WEEDING. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          I'VE HAD TIMES THAT I WAS FRUSTRATED THAT I WANTED, I'D COME ACROSS SOME REFERENCE TO A A, A BOOK OR SOMETHING THAT'S SERIOUSLY OUT OF DATE. 
          AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND THOSE MM-HMM. 
           FEDERAL LIBRARY LOANS SOMETIMES CAN DO IT. 
          YES. 
          AND IT DEPENDS IF IT'S ANYTHING MEDICAL OR CLIENTS IN GENERAL, UM, WE, THOSE TEND ARE LEGAL. 
          WE TEND TO GET RID OF THOSE, BE BECAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER RELEVANT AND THEY COULD ACTUALLY, UM, GIVE WRONG INFORMATION, GIVE WRONG INFORMATION, IMPOSE A DANGER. 
          UM, SO THOSE WE REMOVE, THEY MAY HAVE HISTORICAL PURPOSE, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR LIBRARY, THAT'S NOT ONE OF OUR PURPOSES. 
          SO IT WOULD, UH, FALL BACK ON INTERLIBRARY LOAN, MAYBE GETTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT FROM A LARGE UNIVERSITY IF THEY KEPT, UH, HISTORICAL REFERENCES ON THOSE THINGS. 
          SOMETIMES THEY KEEP ODD THINGS IN SPECIAL REFERENCE CORRECT. 
          ROOMS WHERE YOU, THEY'RE NON, NON CIRCULATING. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO YOU TO SEE IS IT ABOUT WORLD CAT? YES. 
          . 
          I WAS CURIOUS IF SOMEONE, UM, DONATES WITH MATERIALS TO BE A MEMORIAL, TO BE AN HONOR THEIR NAMEPLATE OR THAT IS PUT ON THAT BOOK OVER TIME AS THAT BOOK DETERIORATES AND MUST BE WEEDED OUT, DOES THE NAMEPLATE GET TRANSFERRED OR DOES IT DISAPPEAR, HAVE A SHELF LIFE, SO TO SPEAK? THAT'S REAL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          USUALLY IT HAS A SHELF LIFE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THAT MAKES ME SAD TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD. 
          , DO YOU MAINTAIN A LIST? SO IF I WERE TO COME AND SAY I WOULD LIKE TO, THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, I HAVE A BOOK IN SO AND SO'S HONOR, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PICK. 
          WOULD YOU HAVE A, A LIST OR, UH, WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OR MAKE THAT SELECTION FOR YOU? SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE, THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC INTEREST OR LOVE THAT THE PERSON HAD AND THEY WANT TO HONOR IT. 
          WHETHER IT'S A PIECE OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, IF IT WAS GARDENING OR WHATEVER. 
          AND WE TRY TO HONOR THAT HISTORY BOOK. 
          WE CAN, WE CAN FIND HELP, FIND THEM A HISTORY BOOK THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR COLLECTION. 
          BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD BOTH SOMEBODY'S COME IN AND IT SAID, I THIS WAS THEIR FAVORITE BOOK. 
          I WOULD LIKE THIS PURCHASED FOR THEM AND IF IT'S AVAILABLE, WE WILL TRY AND DO THAT. 
          BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD WHERE IT IS JUST A SUBJECT AND WE CAN TALK TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, WE FOUND, YOU KNOW, THESE BOOKS. 
          DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK? UM, PERHAPS ONE OF THESE IS, WOULD BE, ONE OF THESE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. 
          I DON'T RECALL THE NAME OF IT, BUT OUTSIDE OF BOOKS, I REMEMBER YOU ALL MENTIONING, UM, LIKE SPECIALIZED COOKIE CUTTERS AND CAKE MOLDS YES. 
          AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          DO Y'ALL TAKE DONATIONS FOR THAT OR? YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OUR LIBRARY OF THINGS. 
          YES, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          WASN'T THAT PART OF THE GENESIS OF WANTING TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS UPDATED, WAS SO THAT YOU COULD GET THOSE DONATIONS? I BELIEVE SO, YES. 
          YES. 
          WHAT, WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION THAT THAT'S FOUND IN THE COLLECTION, DEVELOPMENT AND SELECTION POLICY? OH, I DID NOT BRING THAT. 
          I CAN BRING THAT TO OUR DECEMBER MEETING IF YOU'D LIKE TO. 
          UM, IT'S EXTENSIVE, SO IT'S HARD. 
          YES. 
          IS IT? UM, YEAH. 
          NO, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO BRING IT. 
          WELL IT'S, WELL WE, WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING IT BACK, UM, AT THE DECEMBER OR JANUARY MEETING FOR A REVIEW AND TO GIVE INFORMATION. 
          BY AND LARGE, WE'RE A POPULAR MATERIALS LIBRARY, SO BEST SELLERS, UM, THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, READY REFERENCE, HAVING SOME OF THOSE MATERIALS, UM, AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE RESERVE, UH, THE BULK OF OUR, UH, SHELF SPACE FOR, 
          [01:15:01]
UM, HAVING A GOOD SET OF, UH, REFERENCE RESOURCES THAT, UM, GENERAL REFERENCE. 
          YES. 
          GENERAL REFERENCE OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SPECIALIZED AS A LAW LIBRARY OR A MEDICAL LIBRARY. 
          IT'S JUST A GOOD OVERVIEW. 
          WE DON'T RIGHT. 
          WE TRY AND STAY AWAY WITH AWAY FROM, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD AN ACADEMIC LIBRARY WOULD CARRY, BECAUSE IN GENERAL THAT'S NOT A GOOD USE OF OUR FUNDS. 
          UM, THINGS GET GET PURCHASED LIKE THAT. 
          THEY'RE NOT GENERALLY GONNA BE CHECKED OUT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND, UM, SO, AND WHEN I SAY IT'S EXTENSIVE, IT JUST TO KIND OF RATTLE IT OFF, IT'S TOO, IT'S TOO EXTENSIVE, BUT YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING IT. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, IS IS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE. 
          IF WE'RE NOT GONNA PURCHASE IT, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA ACCEPT IT AS A GIFT. 
          CORRECT? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT IF WE WILL TAKE THE DONATION AND THEN PASS IT TO OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO DO THAT, IF THAT'S JUST DETERMINING IF IT'S PART OF THE COLLECTION OF CORRECT. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL TAKE THE DONATIONS. 
          UH, BUT WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO DECIDE SHOULD IT, UH, BE ADDED, SHOULD IT NOT BE ADDED. 
          AND IF IT'S NOT, THEN IT GETS PASSED TO THE FRIENDS. 
          BUT WE DO LET THEM KNOW. 
          AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL MAKE THE DECISION TO SAY, UM, I'LL TRY DONATING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          AND BECAUSE WE WANT THAT THEM TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, SOMETIMES THEY'RE FINE. 
          THEY'RE LIKE, HOWEVER, IT HELPS THE LIBRARY. 
          AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING WE TELL THEM IS THAT EVEN IF WE DON'T KEEP IT AND WE PASS IT OVER TO THE FRIENDS AND THEN IT GOES INTO THEIR BOOKS SELL AND IT'S SOLD AND THE FUNDS GO INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS WHEN THEY HELP FUND SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS, THEY'RE, IT'S STILL BENEFITING US. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO, MM-HMM. 
          , WE JUST TRY TO BE AS, UM, ABOVE BOARD ABOUT IT AS POSSIBLE AND WE GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IS, UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA. 
          UM, OUR NEXT MEETING IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 16TH. 
          OKAY. 
          KAREN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? OH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, I DO REALIZE WE DID NOT INCLUDE THE, UM, ADDITIONAL OR OTHER ITEMS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE PUT ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE'LL HAVE THAT CORRECTED FOR THE NEXT AGENDA. 
          UM, THINGS TO SEE AT FUTURE MEETINGS. 
          YES. 
          SO AS YOU, AS YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT, WE'LL, UH, AT FUTURE MEETINGS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ALWAYS THOSE AND, AND GET THEM ADDED FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE ARE ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          EAT IT AT HOME.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.