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A QUORUM.SO I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LIBRARY BOARD.
TONIGHT IS SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2026.
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
THESE ARE THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 24TH, WHICH ARE, UM, BEHIND YOUR AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS? UM, I HAVE AN ITEM, UM, THAT I'D LIKE TO REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION.
UH, WHEN WE MET IN AUGUST, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD POSTPONE THESE STRATEGIC PLAN PRESENTATION TO SEPTEMBER, AND IT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
UM, ARE WE ALLOWED TO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OR DO WE NEED TO JUST DISCUSS IT REALLY AT A FUTURE MEETING? THAT'S MY OVERSIGHT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND AND CURIOSITY FEST PRESENTATION THAT GOT MOVED ON.
OH, WE CAN, THAT IT IS MY OVERSIGHT.
WE CAN BRING THAT BACK IN OCTOBER.
UM, THEN I'LL CALL FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
UH, ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
UM, RECENTLY THERE WAS A CHANGE IN POLICY THAT SAYS, UH, CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR CANNOT SERVE FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.
SO WE WILL HAVE, UH, A NEW CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UM, COME OCTOBER.
SO THE, UM, WE ELECT A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR PRESIDES AT THE BOARD MEETINGS.
SO IF THE CHAIR IS ABSENT, UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER DUTY OF THE CHAIR, UH, IS TO REPRESENT THE BOARD TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ON ITEMS RELATED TO THE LIBRARY.
AND, UH, THAT MIGHT ENTAIL GOING TO, UH, A MEETING OR CONTACTING A COUNCIL PERSON.
AND I MIGHT ADD THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU ARE ALL ALWAYS WELCOME TO CONTACT YOUR OWN COUNCIL PEOPLE OR ANY COUNCIL PEOPLE ABOUT MATTERS RELATED TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE ELECTION PROCESS, ANY BOARD MEMBER MAY MAKE A NOMINATION.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A NOMINATION, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOU ARE NOMINATING.
THE FIRST POSITION IS BOARD CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS? DOROTHY? I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE KAREN WOOD FOR CHAIR, PLEASE.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION? I MOVE THAT NOMINATION CEASE.
I'LL SECOND AND SECOND TO THANK YOU TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS.
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, UM, PROCEED TO THE VOTE.
SO, KAREN WOOD HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE POSITION, POSITION OF CHAIR.
KAREN HAS BEEN ELECTED CHAIR FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THE, UH, NEXT POSITION IS BOARD VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DOROTHY WHITE FOR VICE CHAIR.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION? OKAY.
THANK YOU TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES.
SO WE WILL PROCEED TO THE VOTE.
DOROTHY WHITE HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE POSITION OF VICE CHAIR.
WE HAVE ELECTED OUR OFFICERS AND, UM, SO WE'LL CHANGE SEATS IN OCTOBER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, BEING WILLING TO, TO SERVE.
I THINK WE SHOULD THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD JOB FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY FAITHFUL TO YOU EVERYWHERE,
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, 2026.
ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND AND CURIOSITY FEST UPDATE.
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KAREN AND DOROTHY.AND AGAIN, I WILL ECHO THANK YOU MS. TERRY FOR YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, WE HAVE DAPHNE FERRIS AND NICOLE BURTON WHO ARE GONNA COME UP AND DO A PRESENTATION ON THIS YEAR'S.
ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY JUST HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THE CURIOSITY FEST.
HELLO, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T MET ME BEFORE, MY NAME IS DAPHNE FERRIS, AS SHE JUST SAID.
AND I'M THE, UH, SENIOR, UH, PUBLIC SERVICES LIBRARIAN.
AND I WORK PRIMARILY WITH ADULT PROGRAMMING.
AND LIKE SHE JUST SAID, WE JUST CONCLUDED THE ONE BOOK ONE GARLAND PROGRAM FOR 2026, OUR THIRD YEAR DOING IT.
AND WE HAD OUR EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR PROGRAM ON SATURDAY.
SO I JUST AM GONNA GO OVER WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR, AND I HAVE SOME PICTURES TO SHOW.
SO THIS YEAR, UH, THE PROGRAM RAN JUNE 6TH THROUGH THIS PAST SATURDAY.
AND, UH, WE HAD, THIS WAS A SYSTEM-WIDE PROGRAM.
AND I'M GOING TO, FOR THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE BOARD, I WILL JUST GO OVER ONCE AGAIN OUR PROGRAM GOALS WITH ONE BOOK ONE GARLAND.
THIS IS A CITYWIDE READING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS, AND IT AIMS TO PROMOTE LITERACY, SPARK MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS, AND BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH A SHARED READING EXPERIENCE.
UH, AS FAR AS THE BOOK SELECTION FOR THIS YEAR, UM, WE HAD A COMMITTEE THAT CHOSE THE BOOK.
THIS YEAR WE HAD A COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF FIVE BOOK CLUB MEMBERS, UM, BOOK CLUBS, LIBRARY BOOK CLUB MEMBERS, AND THEN THREE STAFF.
AND, UH, THE WHOLE PROCESS LASTED FROM SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH DECEMBER 30TH.
AND ON OCTOBER 22ND WAS WHEN WE FIRST GOT TOGETHER IN PERSON AND EACH OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED TO BRING A BOOK TO SUGGEST FOR, UH, THE 26TH.
AND AT THAT, AND AT THAT MEETING, EACH PERSON PUT THEIR BOOK FORWARD AND TOLD EVERYONE A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT ALL OF THE BOOKS.
AND THEN WE VOTED FOR A SHORTLIST OF FOUR BOOKS.
AND THEN, UH, AT THAT POINT, I REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE AUTHORS OF THOSE BOOKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE AVAILABLE TO SPEAK, THAT WE COULD AFFORD THEM.
WELL, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN THINGS.
AND, UH, THEN EVERYONE READ ALL FOUR OF THOSE BOOKS.
AND THEN IN DECEMBER, WE VOTED, WELL, DECEMBER 30TH ACTUALLY, WE VOTED ON OUR BOOK OF CHOICE.
AND THEN, UH, IN FEBRUARY, KAREN SIGNED THE CONTRACT WITH THE AUTHOR.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE BIG, WE, UH, CHOSE DWELLING BY EMILY HANK KL.
AND, UH, THIS WAS, UH, DEFINITELY, WELL, EACH YEAR THE BIG'S BEEN VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, THIS WAS OUR FIRST, UH, FAIRY TALE.
UM, AND THIS PARTICULAR WRITER AT THE TIME, WE, UH, MADE THE AGREEMENT WITH HER.
SHE STILL LIVED IN THE HILL COUNTRY.
SHE WASN'T ORIGINALLY FROM TEXAS.
BUT, UH, SO FAR WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CHOOSE PEOPLE FROM THE AREA, FROM THE REGION, FROM AT LEAST TEXAS.
UM, ANYWAY, UH, THIS IS THE BOOK.
THIS IS A DEBUT NOVEL FOR THIS, UH, WRITER.
AND JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO, UH, DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THESE ARE OUR OTHER TWO BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
UH, OUR INAUGURAL, UH, ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND WAS IN 24, AND WE HAD, UH, RE Z WORTHHAM COME OUT.
AND HE HAS VERY STRONG TIES TO GARLAND.
HE WAS A GREAT PERSON TO START OUT.
UM, AND HE WAS VERY GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME WITH US.
HE WAS A GREAT, JUST A GREAT PERSON TO START OUT WITH.
AND HE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE COMING TO THE LIBRARY IN, UH, NOVEMBER TO DO A BOOK SIGNING ON A NEW BOOK THAT HE HAS COMING OUT.
UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD MARCELLA FUENTES, UH, COME TO THE LIBRARY AND THE HER BOOK IS CALLED TAMALES.
AND THAT WE HAD OUR BIGGEST, UH, TURNOUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR.
THERE WERE 90 PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP FOR THAT.
ANYWAY, THIS IS, SO THIS THIRD, THIRD YEAR DOING IT, I JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE THE
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OTHER KINDS OF BOOKS WE'VE DONE.UM, SO WE HAVE OUR BOOK THAT WE INVITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO READ, AND THEN WE HAVE RELATED PROGRAMMING IN SUPPORT OF IT.
AND SO EACH OF OUR LOCATIONS HAD AT LEAST ONE EVENT.
UM, AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY WE HAD A KICKOFF, WHICH WAS AN AFTER HOURS PAINT AND SIP.
AND THEN WE OF COURSE, HAD THE FINAL EVENT THIS PAST SATURDAY.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT WRITING PROGRAMS. UH, THE NORTH GARLAND LIBRARY HAD, UH, A LOCAL AUTHOR, CINDY JAY VANOUS.
SHE CAME AND TAUGHT A CLASS ON FAIRYTALE WRITING.
AND, UH, AT THE WEST GARLAND LIBRARY, UH, THEY HAD A LITTLE WORKSHOP WHERE EVERYONE WAS ENCOURAGED TO BRING THEIR OWN ITEM, SOME KIND OF OBJECT THAT THEY WERE GONNA WRITE ABOUT.
AND IT WAS WHAT, HOW, HOW IS THIS OBJECT IMPORTANT TO YOU? HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO MEMORIES? THESE ARE SOME OF THE THEMES FROM THE BOOK TOO.
UM, ANYWAY, THAT WAS IN THAT WRITING WORKSHOP.
AND THEN THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY HAD THE ONLY CRAFT THIS TIME.
AND THEY, UH, CREATED, UH, BOOK NICKS.
UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, LIBRARIANS IS A VERY TALENTED ARTIST, AND SHE TAUGHT THE CLASS, UH, HOW TO DO THESE.
UH, THIS WAS A WATERCOLOR PAINTING CLASS, AND SHE GAVE THEM TWO DIFFERENT, UH, VERSIONS TO TRY.
AND THAT PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING, UH, QUITE OFTEN, IS FRIENDS COMING TOGETHER OR FAMILY MEMBERS.
THIS PARTICULAR PICTURE IS OF A MOM AND HER DAUGHTER, AND GRANDMA AND AUNT, YOU ALL CAME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND THAT WE JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS LOVELY.
UM, THEN THIS IS THE PICTURE OF CINDY VANOUS, THE, THE, UH, AUTHOR WHO TAUGHT ABOUT FAIRYTALE WRITING AT THE NORTH GARLAND LIBRARY.
UM, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT CLASSIC ELEMENTS OF FAIRYTALES, BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SHAPING MEMORABLE STORIES, UH, GAVE PRACTICAL TOOLS, UH, FOR WRITING STORIES OF THEIR OWN.
AND TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PUBLISHING TOO.
AND THEN THIS IS THE WEST GARLAND LIBRARIES, UM, PROGRAM THAT I SPOKE ABOUT THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE INTIMATE GROUP, UM, THAT WAS ALSO VERY WELL RECEIVED.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE PICNIC THAT WAS CREATED.
SO, UH, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY'S MAKERSPACE STAFF CUT OUT ALL THE PIECES AND THEN SENT IT OVER TO SOUTH GARLAND.
AND THEN STAFF THERE, UH, UH, LED PATRONS AND PUTTING THESE TOGETHER.
AND, UH, PATRONS CHOSE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE, BUT THEY'RE LITTLE FIGURINES IN THE WINDOWS.
THEY HAD SEVERAL LITTLE, UH, OBJECTS TO CHOOSE FROM TO KIND OF, UH, SHOW THEIR, IT IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THEIR PERSONALITY.
AND, UH, NIK, IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S THIS DECORATIVE THING THAT YOU PRINT ON YOUR BOOKSHELF AMONGST YOUR BOOKS,
AND THEN THIS IS FROM SATURDAY.
UH, THERE, UH, IT STARTED OUT WITH, UH, EMILY HUNT KL.
UH, AFTER I INTRODUCED HER, SHE, UH, HAD A READING FROM HER BOOK, AND THEN SHE TOOK QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
AND THEN AT THE END SHE SIGNED BOOKS.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD SUCH WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL QUESTIONS FROM OUR, FROM OUR, UH, AUDIENCE MEMBERS, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP TO THESE THINGS.
THEY READ THE BOOK IN DEPTH AND THEY HAVE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS, VERY THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS.
AND IT, I, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS LIKE THAT LAST YEAR ALSO.
AND I ALSO WANNA TELL Y'ALL, I MET AT THE END WHEN WE'RE KIND OF SHUTTING THINGS DOWN, A GROUP OF LADIES THAT HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE BOOK CLUB, SO NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE LIBRARY WHO CAME LAST YEAR.
SO THEY CAME THIS YEAR AND, UH, THEY WERE JUST DELIGHTED.
THEY LOVED READING THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE ASKED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO READ.
THEY HAVE THEIR LITTLE GROUP DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BOOK, AND THEN THEY PLAN TO ATTEND THIS.
UM, AND THEY SAID, THIS IS WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO GOING FORWARD AS LONG AS WE'RE DOING THIS.
AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE VERY HAPPY, UH, WHICH JUST THRILLS US KNOWING
UM, AND HERE'S SOME NUMBERS JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
UM, THE THREE YEARS HERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, LOTS OF AUDIO BOOK READING
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RIGHT OVER THERE.UM, IT FROM 1 61 IN OUR FIRST YEAR TO 363 AUDIO BOOKS CHECKED OUT OF THIS BOOK FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UH, AND EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR.
UM, IT'S VARIED AS FAR AS THE NUMBERS THERE, BUT WE SEEM TO HAVE PRETTY STEADY PARTICIPATION AND WE REALLY ARE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
ALSO, THE COMMUNITY ASPECT OF THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO US TOO.
I MEAN, OF COURSE, BOOKS WE'RE ABOUT BOOKS.
THAT'S OUR CORE BUSINESS AND WE'RE GLAD PEOPLE ARE READING AND WE'RE HAPPY PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP TO THESE THINGS TOO, AND MAKING CONNECTIONS.
AND TERRY WAS SAYING TO ME EARLIER HOW SHE'S SEEING SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE SHOW UP TO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. IT IS WONDERFUL.
THERE'S REALLY A COMMUNITY THAT BEING BUILT WITH PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
UM, WE HAVE STARTED THE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING, UH, OUR NEXT BOOK AND WE'RE GONNA TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
WE KEEP TWEAKING THE PROGRAM EACH TIME.
'CAUSE WE'RE STILL EARLY IN THIS PROCESS.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER GET TO PERFECT, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS TIME WE HAVE A SMALL GROUP OF STAFF WHO ARE GOING TO, UM, GATHER UP A GROUP OF POTENTIAL BOOKS AND WE ARE GONNA NARROW DOWN THE LIST AND WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE THE BOOK.
SO INSTEAD OF HAVING JUST A FEW LIBRARY BOOK CLUB MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP TO ALL OF OUR BOOK CLUBBER.
AND WE HAVE QUITE A FEW BOOK CLUBS.
AND WE'D HOPEFULLY THEY WILL PARTICIPATE.
AND WE'D REALLY LIKE THEM ALL TO HELP US CHOOSE OUR NEXT BOOK.
AND, UH, SO PROBABLY IN THE DECEMBER JANUARY TIMEFRAME IS WHEN WE'LL ASK, UH, THE BOOK CLUBBER
AND THEN IN MARCH WE DO OUR, OUR PROGRAM PLANNING FOR THE NEXT ROUND.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU PLAN OVER THE SUMMER.
IS THAT A TEAM OF LIBRARY STAFF THAT GET TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH THAT? BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT EVERY YEAR.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL WONDERFUL.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
SO THAT'S GOTTA BE A PROCESS IN AND OF ITSELF.
WHEN WE GET TO THE PROGRAMMING PART, WE, UH, GET THE PROGRAMMING LIBRARIAN TOGETHER, ANNOUNCE THEM TO HELP COME UP WITH PROGRAMS TO WORK THE, TO HAVE SOME KIND OF CONNECTION TO THE BANK.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THINGS VARIED TO ONE.
UH, LAST YEAR WE REALIZED WE HAD TOO MANY CRAFT PROGRAMS. I MEAN, WE DEFINITELY HAVE OUR CRAFTERS OUT THERE WHO LOVE THAT.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND ALSO HAVE SOME, UH, THERE'S GREAT INTEREST IN WRITING IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW TOO.
YOU'LL HEAR WHEN NICOLE TALKS ABOUT, UH, CURIOSITY FEST.
UM, SO THOSE, SO WE KNEW WE DEFINITELY NEEDED TO DO SOME WRITING PROGRAMS TOO, BUT WE DISCUSSED IT.
UH, WE, WE COME UP WITH OUR PROGRAMS IN SPRING TIME.
WE REALLY THOUGHT THE QUESTION FASCINATING.
PEOPLE REALLY GOT INTO THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK YES.
AND WERE REALLY JUST VERY DEEPLY INVOLVED IN SOME THINGS.
THAT WAS, I AGREE AS FOR THE NUMBER OF BOOKS, EBOOKS AND ON YOUR BOOKS.
SO YOU HAVE THAT LIKE A GOAL OF HOW MANY THAT YOU WANNA SEE IN YOUR METRICS.
LIKE, LAST YEAR WE HAD THIS MANY, YOU WANNA INCREASE BY 10% OR 20%? NOT QUITE THAT SPECIFICALLY.
I MEAN, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO JUST SEE MORE PARTICIPATION AS TIME, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT SPECIFIC, I'LL SAY WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY CAREFUL ON THOSE THAT THEY CUT.
UM, SAY THOSE STRONG KATHLEEN HAVE JUST THE ONE COPY ONE USER, BUT THAT WE HAVE A LIVE, THERE'S A COST IN DOING SIMUL USE.
AND BOTH THE EBOOK AND THE, IT'S A NEGOTIATION EACH TIME.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I, DEALING NICOLE'S TIME, THUNDER, THE AUTHORS ARE, AND THE PUBLISHERS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH SO FAR HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD TO MEET US HALFWAY OR TRY
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TO, TO WORK ON WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE CHARGING FOR US TO.I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN LIBRARY PROGRAMS TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN.
YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN EVERYTHING BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY
WE DO LOVE SEEING YOU COME TOO WHEN YOU CAN WE JUST KEEP GOING? OH, OKAY.
MY NAME IS, UM, IS, UM, NICOLE BURTON.
UM, I PRIMARILY, UH, DO ADULT, UM, ADULT PROGRAMMING AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
AND THIS YEAR I WAS THE ONE THAT PRIMARILY ORGANIZED, UH, THIS YEAR'S C CURIOSITY FEST.
UM, I ALSO HELPED WITH THIS EVENT LAST YEAR AS WELL, BUT THIS YEAR I KIND OF TOOK OVER EVEN MORE FOR THIS EVENT.
SO TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT THE EVENT ITSELF, UM, WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS EVENT, UH, TWO UH, TIMES NOW.
UM, WHAT IT IS IS IT IS AN ANNUAL, UM, SORT OF AN ANNUAL LITERARY EVENT.
AND THE IDEA IS TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE ALL THINGS, UM, ALL THINGS BOOKS PRETTY MUCH.
UM, NORTH TEXAS HAS A VERY LARGE LOCAL AUTHOR POPULATION.
GARLAND ITSELF ALSO HAS A VERY LARGE LOCAL AUTHOR POPULATION.
SO WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THIS EVENT.
AND THEN THE PAST TWO YEARS WE'VE SLIGHTLY TWEAKED THE OTHER PROGRAMMING OFFERED.
SO THIS IS JUST A VERY BRIEF, UM, A VERY BRIEF REVIEW OF WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE IT DOES VARY A LITTLE BIT FROM THIS YEAR'S EVENT TOO.
UM, FOR LAST YEAR WE ACTUALLY HAD CURIOSITY FEST SAME DAY AS THE ONE BOOK, ONE AUTHOR EVENT.
UM, AND WE WERE TRYING TO SORT OF HAVE IT TO LIKE KIND OF DO LIKE A SOFT INTRODUCTION TO THIS NEW EVENT BY USING OUR EXISTING PROGRAM.
UM, SO THIS WAS THE DESIGN THAT WE USED FOR LAST YEAR'S EVENT.
LAST YEAR, IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT EVENTS.
UH, WE HAD A LOCAL AUTHOR SHOWCASE.
UM, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A VENDOR EVENT THAT WE HAD SET UP WITH LOCAL AUTHORS WHERE THEY COULD SELL THEIR BOOKS, THEY COULD DO BOOK SIGNINGS, THEY COULD MEET MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAD A COUPLE, UM, WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR, UM, TWEENS, TEENS AND ADULTS.
WE HAD TWO LOCAL AUTHORS COME IN TO TEACH THESE, UM, UM, THESE, UM, UM, THESE WRITING WORKSHOPS.
UM, AND WE ALSO DID A CHILDREN'S EVENT AS WELL BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS SORT OF AN ALL, UM, ALL, UM, AGES EVENT TOO.
SO THERE WAS A SPECIAL CHILDREN'S STORY TIME THAT WAS PIECE.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE, OF THE NIGHT, UM, IS WHEN WE HAD OUR ONE BOOK, ONE AR AUTHOR EVENT AS LIKE, KIND OF LIKE THE MAIN HEADLINER.
SO THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE EVENTS WE HAD LAST YEAR.
UH, THE PETE CATT STORY TIME IS HERE ON THE LEFT.
UH, HOW WE COUNTED THE ATTENDANCE WAS WE SORT OF JUST ACCOUNTED OVER EACH OF THE SEPARATE EVENTS BECAUSE THEY ALL TOOK PLACE IN SEPARATE SPACES.
UM, FOR OUR PETE, THE STORY TIME, WE HAD 300 ATTENDEES FOR THAT.
UM, THE SECOND PHOTO HERE IS FROM OUR ADULT, UM, WRITING WORKSHOP.
UH, FOR THE ADULT, UM, WRITING WORKSHOP, WE HAD 23 ATTENDEES FOR OUR TWEEN TEEN ONE.
UM, THE NEXT PHOTO SHOWS JUST A FAMILY INTERACTING WITH, UM, SOME LOCAL AUTHORS.
AND OUR MAIN SORT OF SHOWCASE, UM, LIKE VENDOR SPACE, UH, WE GET ABOUT 185 ATTENDEES FOR THAT, UM, PROGRAM.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE NIGHT FOR THE EVENING WITH THE AUTHOR, WE HAD 91 ATTENDEES, UM, FOR THAT PART OF, UM, SO THAT SORT OF, KIND OF GOES OVER WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
IT WAS A LOT GOING ON LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WHEN WE SORT OF WERE LIKE REASSESSING, LIKE HOW WE WANTED TO PLAN THIS YEAR'S EVENT, WE DECIDED TO MAKE CURIOSITY FEST ITS OWN EVENT ON A SEPARATE, AND THIS WAS BECAUSE WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SOME PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED WHY THE EVENTS WERE BACK, WHY THEY HAD DIFFERENT NAMES.
SO WE, UM, LISTENED TO THAT AND WE WANTED TO MAKE THEM TWO MORE SEPARATE.
SO THIS WAS THIS YEAR'S EVENTS, UM, DESIGN.
AND FOR THIS, UM, WHAT WE MAINLY DID WAS WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE LOCAL AUTHOR SHOW.
UM, THIS YEAR AT CENTRAL LIBRARY WE HAVE, UM, UNVEILED OUR LOCAL AUTHOR, UM, AS WELL.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY LOCAL AUTHORS BOTH IN, UM, IN, UM, IN GARLAND AND
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IN NORTH TEXAS.WE KNEW THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THIS TYPE OF EVENT AGAIN.
SO IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD EXPAND SORT OF ASPECT.
SO THIS YEAR, UH, THIS IS OUR FULL LIST OF PARTICIPATING AUTHORS.
WE HAD 58 PARTICIPATING AUTHORS THERE, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, I TOOK A COUPLE OF SCREENSHOTS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WEBSITE TO SORT OF SHOW YOU HOW PATRONS COULD ALSO NAVIGATE, UM, THE INFORMATION.
UM, WE INCLUDED THE AUTHOR NAMES AND THE LINK TO THEIR WEBSITES OR THEIR, UM, OR THEIR LIKE AUTHORS TOO TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT THEIR TITLES.
UM, AND THEN THE MAIN EVENT THAT WE DID IN ADDITION TO THE SHOWCASE WAS WE WANTED TO KIND OF GO AWAY FROM THE WRITING WORKSHOPS, UM, SORT OF INCLUDE EVEN MORE OPTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS AND FOR, UM, OUR PATRONS AS WELL.
SO WE DECIDED TO TRY DOING, UM, LIVE AUTHOR, UM, LIVE AUTHOR, UM, READINGS WHERE AUTHORS COULD READ FROM THEIR BOOKS.
UM, HOW WE NARROWED THIS DOWN WAS WE ASKED AUTHORS WHO WAS INTERESTED IN DOING A LIVE, UH, A LIVE AUTHOR READING.
AND THEN WE TOOK THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT AND THEN WE, UH, SLOWLY, UM, WHITTLED IT DOWN TO SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE JUST GONNA DO GARLAND BASED OFF.
SO WE HAD A TOTAL OF 15 GARLAND BASED AUTHORS THAT AUTHOR READINGS.
SO WE HAD THEM HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LIBRARY SO PATRONS COULD, UM, GO TO LIKE A DESIGNATED SPACE FOR IT AND ALL THESE SPACES.
UM, IT WAS DONE IN A WAY SO THAT IT SORT OF FELT LIKE ITS OWN KIND OF SEPARATE, UM, EVENT SPACE FOR IT.
BUT IT ALSO LIKE GAVE THE COMMUNITY, UM, OPTIONS SO THEY COULD ATTEND MULTIPLE OF THESE IF THEY, UM, THIS YEAR WE, WE CREATED MAPS FOR THE EVENT.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK I HAD THE NUMBERS BEFORE.
SO FOR, UH, THE 2025 CURIOSITY FEST, WE HAD ABOUT 48 AUTHORS, BA UM, AND ALL THE AUTHORS WERE IN JUST ONE PROGRAMMER THAT FIRST EVENT.
SO WE DIDN'T CREATE MAPS SINCE IT WAS SORT OF IN ITS OWN SPACE.
WHAT WE DID IS WE EXPANDED HOW MANY AUTHORS, UM, WE HAD PARTICIPATING AND TO MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE A FULL BUILDING EVENT AS WELL.
WE SPLIT THE AUTHORS UP INTO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AROUND CENTRAL LIFE.
SO WE HAD AUTHORS IN ONE OF OUR LARGER PROGRAM ROOMS. WE HAD AUTHORS IN OUR ROUTINE SECTION AND AUTHORS ALSO DOWNSTAIRS IN OUR CHILDREN FREE TIME ROOM.
AND WE TRIED TO POSITION ALL THE AUTHORS SO THAT THEY WERE, UM, ARRANGED, UM, BY, UM, BY GENRE AND AUDIENCE AGE, LIKE ADULT AUTHORS, TEEN AUTHORS.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL TO, FOR PATRONS IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR LIKE A SPECIFIC AGE OR A SPECIFIC, UM, TYPE.
SO WE HAVE THESE MAPS AVAILABLE SO PATRONS COULD NAVIGATE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, UM, THEIR OWN PACE.
AND THESE ARE SOME IMAGES FROM THE DAY OF.
SO, UM, THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS FROM OUR, THE LIVE AUTHOR READING THAT WAS IN OUR CHILDREN'S AREA.
WE HAVE THESE LARGE, UM, SORT OF LIKE STAIRCASE SEATING IT GOING DOWNSTAIRS TO THE CHILDREN'S SECTION.
SO WE SAID, OKAY, WELL WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE MORE OF LIKE A STORY TIME TYPE FEEL FOR THAT.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE PERFECT TO HAVE ACE.
AND THEN THE AUTHOR SET UP A MICROPHONE SO THAT THE SOUND COULD LIKE PROJECT UPWARD AND SITTING THERE.
UM, THE VERY MIDDLE SHOWS A FAMILY INTERACTING WITH AN AUTHOR IN OUR TEAM SECTION.
AND THEN THE IMAGE ON THE FAR RIGHT IS AN AUTHOR INTERACTING WITH PATRONS DURING HIS LIVE AUTHOR READING.
WE LIKE HONESTLY LET THE AUTHOR SORT OF DO THEIR OWN FORMAT FOR IT.
UM, SOME READ LIKE A FULL CHAPTER, SOME JUST READ A COUPLE, UM, LIKE DIFFERENT EXCERPTS.
UM, THIS AUTHOR IN PARTICULAR DECIDED TO GIVE ALL THE ATTENDEES FOR HIS AUTHORING A FREE COPY OF HIS BOOK.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF GIVE THEM THEIR OWN WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE THEIR OWN MATERIAL TOO.
UM, THESE ARE FROM, WELL ON THE LEFT IS FROM SOME AUTHOR BOOTS, UH, THAT WERE IN OUR ADULT, UM, AUTHOR AREA.
UH, THE ONE IN THE CENTER'S FROM A LIVE AUTHOR READ.
AND THEN THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS YOU HOW THE AUTHORS WERE, UH, SET UP IN THE CHILDREN'S STORY AS WELL.
SO THIS YEAR'S EVENT WAS, I WOULD SAY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAD ABOUT 400 ATTENDEES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY.
UM, THE EVENT RAN FROM 2:00 PM TILL AROUND 5:30 PM UM, AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS, AND A VERY GREAT THING AS WELL IS ALL OF OUR LIVE AUTHOR DEANS HAD ATTENDEES.
THERE WASN'T A SINGLE AUTHOR THAT DIDN'T HAVE SOMEONE SHOW UP.
AND FOR THE LIVE AUTHOR READINGS ALONE, THOSE ATTRACTED A HUNDRED OF THOSE 400.
UM, I WANNA MENTION AS WELL, UM, ON AUGUST 23RD WHEN WE HAD THIS EVENT, IT WAS AN EXCESSIVE HEAT, UM, WARNING OUTSIDE AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, A WEATHER KIND OF FIGHTING AGAINST US PEOPLE.UM, AND THEN LIKE WE DID DURING THE FIRST YEAR, WE ASKED AUTHORS FOR THEIR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE EVENT.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT, UM, AUTHORS WHO WE DIDN'T HAVE TOO MANY PARTICIPATE IN BOTH YEARS, UM, WHICH WAS KIND OF NICE AS WELL BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE EVEN MORE AUTHORS, UM, COME IN AS LIKE FIRST TIME PARTICIPANTS.
THE ONES THAT DID PARTICIPATE BOTH YEARS SAID THAT THEY LIKED HOW WE SPACED OUT THE EVENT THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
UM, THEY LIKED THE SPACE, THEY LIKED BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND MEET, UM, EITHER FELLOW AUTHORS, UM, OR MEET PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST INTERESTED.
UM, AND EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED SEEMS VERY EXCITED TO COME BACK IN, UM, IN UM, IN FUTURE YEARS AS WELL, WHICH IS ALWAYS NICE.
UH, WE ASKED AUTHORS THIS YEAR, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT ABOUT CURIOSITY FEST? 2026.
UM, AND THESE ARE ALSO, UM, SOME MORE KINDA LIKE PERSONAL STORIES.
UM, BUT LIKE OVERALL EVERYONE HAD AN VERY ENJOYABLE TIME.
UM, AND IT WAS KINDA A NICE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AUTHORS TO MEET THE COMMUNITY, UM, SELL THEIR DIFFERENT WORKS, BUT THEY COULD ALSO SORT OF NETWORK WITH, UH, YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS AS WELL SINCE WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE.
UM, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA ADD THIS TOO.
AND THEN FOR NEXT YEAR, SO THIS IS ONLY OUR SECOND YEAR DO DOING C CURIOSITY FEST.
UM, WE HAVEN'T BEGUN THE PLANNING STAGES YET FOR NEXT YEAR'S EVENT.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALREADY FAIRLY CERTAIN WE'RE GONNA ADJUST A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH LIKE THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING AS WELL.
KIND OF LIKE THE, UM, ONE BOOK EVENT.
WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO FIND LIKE THE BEST FORMAT, UM, THAT THIS EVENT COULD HAVE.
UM, SO NEXT YEAR LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE JUST SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TWEAKING THINGS, UH, BASED OFF OF BOTH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE AUTHORS, BUT ALSO, UM, WAYS TO MAKE THE EVENT KIND OF FLOW BETTER TOO.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? NICOLE? IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TOWARD PERHAPS DOING THIS TWICE A YEAR? I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN AND GETTING DIFFERENT SEASONS MIGHT HELP.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT? WE, WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED DOING IT TWICE A YEAR.
I THINK IT WOULD JUST DEPEND ON BOTH OUR PROGRAM, BUT ALSO ON LIKE THE MARKETING FOR IT TOO.
UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY DO.
ARE WE PAYING THE AUTHORS TO COME TO THIS CURIOSITY? NO.
SO ALL OF THE AUTHORS, UM, WE ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE INSTEAD, SO WE DON'T PAY ANY OF THE AUTHORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT.
UM, WE ALSO ASK THE AUTHORS AS PART OF THEIR PARTION SINCE WE ARE NOT, UH, PAYING ANYONE, BUT FOR A LOT OF AUTHOR EVENTS, UM, ESPECIALLY VENDOR EVENTS, A LOT OF TIMES THE VENDORS ARE REQUIRED FEE.
WHAT WE ASKED INSTEAD WAS TO DONATE TO OUR FRIENDS LIBRARY.
AND ALMOST ALL THE AUTHORS DID.
UH, WE ASKED FOR A $25 MINIMUM DONATION AND ALMOST EVERY SINGLE OFFER, WHICH WAS THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I'M KIND OF DIGGING IN MY MEMORY BANKS FROM LAST YEAR AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
SO I KNOW, UM, TEEN PARTICIPATION WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO, UM, IMPROVE.
DID YOU SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT IN, IN THE TEENS WHO SHOWED UP OR INCREASE? YEAH.
UM, HAVING THE AUTHORS IN THE DESIGNATED KIND OF TEEN SECTION MM-HMM
UM, A A LOT, A LOT MORE FAMILIES WENT THROUGH THERE.
UM, AND IT FELT MORE LIKE FAMILIES AND ALSO TEENS THAT WERE FOR THOSE TEEN AUTHORS, THEY COULD MORE EAT, UM, BY LIKE PEOPLE AND LIKE THE AUTHORS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING.
AND THE OTHER THING, AND AGAIN, I'M GOING FROM MEMORY, SO FORGIVE ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THERE, I THINK I REMEMBER THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION LAST YEAR ABOUT LIKE THE NAME AND LIKE THE ACTUAL EVENT.
SO PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A, LIKE A MAKER'S EVENT AND THEN IT WAS AUTHORS.
SO DID YOU SEE, UM, LIKE DID YOU HAVE BETTER OR MORE SPECIFIC MARKETING OR ANYTHING? OR WERE PEOPLE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE EVENT IS? MM-HMM
YEAH, I THINK THAT DEFINITELY SEPARATING CURIOSITY FEST FROM THE ONE BOOK PROGRAMMING.
THAT DEFINITELY HELPED THE PUBLIC, UM, KIND OF UNDERSTAND, OKAY, THIS IS A SEPARATE EVENT.
UM, WE REALLY FOCUSED HEAVILY ON THE LOCAL AUTHOR SHOWCASE SO PEOPLE KNEW THAT KIND OF RIGHT FROM THE LIKE START, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY LIKE, LOCAL HEAVY EVENT.
UM, IT WAS KINDA DIFFICULT THIS SUMMER TOO BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IF WE HAD SUCH A SPEED, I FEEL LIKE ATTENDANCE WAS AFFECTED PROBABLY BY THAT.
WE HAD THE EVENT RUN FROM 2:00 PM TO FIVE 30 AND WE COULD DEFINITELY TELL BY THE TIME THE LIKE FIVE O'CLOCK HOUR CAME ATTENDANCE WAS AS WELL.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE A TIME OF YEAR THING AS WELL.
WE, UM, WE MIGHT LOOK AT A COUPLE THINGS TO DECIDE LIKE, DOES IT NEED TO CHANGE? LIKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, MONTH IT'S IN, WE HAD IT IN SEPTEMBER THE FIRST MONTH, WE HAD IT IN AUGUST THE SECOND MONTH.
[00:35:01]
SO WE'RE JUST SORT OF LIKE TWEAKING LITTLE THINGS TO SEE LIKE WHAT GETS BETTER ATTENDANCE, WHAT DOESN'T.WE UTILIZING, I MEAN IT'S REALLY PRETTY OUT FRONT WITH THE GREEN SPACES AND ALL THAT.
ARE WE UTILIZING THOSE, YOU KNOW, I COULD ENVISION HOW THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ADVERTISING PEOPLE DRY NOT IN AUGUST
THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, WHEN THE WEATHER PERMITS THERE ARE DIFFERENT PRO OUT THAT WE'VE LEARNED OUR LESSON
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DECISION TO SEPARATE THIS SEPARATE CURIOSITY FEST FROM ONE BOOK, ONE GARLAND WAS, WAS A WIN ALL THE WAY AROUND.
WAS, WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT MISSED ABOUT HAVING THE TWO TOGETHER OR WAS IT JUST NOPE, THIS WAS THE RIGHT MOVE, WE'RE GLAD WE DID THIS? WELL, I'LL SAY BOTH OF THE EVENTS FOCUS ON, UM, ON, UM, SO IT'S NICE HAVING TWO SEPARATE AUTHOR EVENTS.
UM, IF WE COULD GET THE IDEAL SCENARIO WHERE THEY COULD BE CONNECTED, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND LIKE PEOPLE DEFINITELY LIKE ALL THE LOCAL AUTHOR, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AND THE LOCAL AUTHORS ALSO SEEM TO REALLY ENJOY EVENTS AS WELL.
WHEN WE FIRST, UM, WHEN WE FIRST, WELL, WHEN WE DID THE FIRST YEAR'S EVENT, WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS AROUND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY REALLY AS WELL.
UM, LIBRARIES HAVE BEEN DOING THESE SORT OF LIKE LITERARY FESTIVAL FIVEISH YEARS.
UM, SO WE, WE WERE TRYING TO SEE LIKE WHAT TYPES OF PROGRAMMING, UM, OTHER LIBRARIES HAD TO GET IDEAS.
BUT I WILL SAY OUR LOCAL AUTHOR EVENT HAS THE MOST AUTHOR OUT OF ANY OTHER SYSTEM.
UM, AND IT, IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY, THE, THE LIKE DAY BEFORE OUR EVENT, UM, I BELIEVE HALF PRICE, THEIR LOCAL AUTHOR, UM, EVENT AND THEY JUST HAD ABOUT 20, LIKE PEOPLE DEFINITELY SEEMED TO, TO APPRECIATE THAT WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO DID YOU GET MANY, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE LOCAL AUTHOR COLLECTION? YES.
UM, MOST OF THE AUTHORS, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHEN IT WAS A LOT OF THE AUTHORS, UM, WHEN THEY FIRST APPLIED FOR CURIOSITY FEST, UM, AND WE HAD THEM APPROVED, UH, WE SENT THEM INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL AUTHOR COLLECTION.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN GETTING, UM, MORE SUBMISSIONS TO THE LOCAL AUTHOR COLLECTION SINCE IT WAS UNVEILED.
AND I BELIEVE APRIL MAY OF THIS YEAR MAY STILL PRETTY NEW.
AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF GET LIKE A STEADY, LIKE, IT'S NOT LIKE A TON OF LIKE ITEMS EVERY MONTH OF TWO'S DEFINITELY A STEADY AMOUNT, UM, ASK ABOUT IT AND OUR SYDNEY.
UH, I WAS THERE AND UH, ONE OF THE FUN THINGS ABOUT BEING ON THE BOARD IS I GOT TO GO AROUND AND TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I'M ON THE BOARD.
AND THEY WOULD SAY, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL ACCEPT A REFLECTED GLORY
UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS A TERRIFIC USE OF SPACE AND IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE HOW MUCH SPACE IS IN THE LIBRARY.
AND I REALLY, UM, UM, I THINK SEPARATING BY H GROUP WAS REALLY, REALLY SMART.
UH, I THINK THE ONLY, THE ONLY NEGATIVE, AND I'LL PLEASE PUT THAT IN YOUR QUOTES, IS THAT, UM, I REALLY WANTED TO SUPPORT ALL THE AUTHORS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE SAID THAT TOO, BUT YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY BUY EVERYBODY'S BOOK.
AND SOME PEOPLE HAD, UM, UH, BOOKMARKS OR KEY CHAINS OR LITTLE, I DON'T KNOW, LITTLE CHOCH KEYS THAT, THAT THEY WERE SELLING AND UH, BUT EVERYBODY SEEMED REALLY HAPPY TO BE THERE.
SO A TERRIFIC EVENT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BOTH OF THESE EVENTS IN FUTURE YEARS.
I DO JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS AND THE DOESN'T GO IT, IT IS A, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE BOOK, ONE GIRL, IT'S ALL A YEAR.
I LIKE OUR, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY FEES.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER, UM, LAST YEAR, I THINK IT WAS IN THE, THE FIRST OF THE YEAR I CAME AND WE TALKED ABOUT A NON-RESIDENT FEE FOR NON-RECIPROCAL, UM, LIBRARIES.
[00:40:02]
I DROPPED THE BALL ON THAT.NOBODY GOT CHARGED ANYTHING LAST YEAR,
AND COUNCIL DID, UM, APPROVE AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, UM, AN INCREASE TO THAT NON-RESIDENT FEE FOR NON RECIPROCATING LIBRARIES.
SO AS OF OCTOBER ONE, WE WILL BEGIN CHARGING A $50 FEE TO, UM, RESIDENT OR NON-RESIDENTS WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THE MESQUITE PLANO RICHARDSON RALLY AT SAXE AND WILEY CITIES.
WE'VE STARTED TO ROLL OUT SOME MARKETING FOR THIS AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO, TO TAKE PLACE.
UM, I I WILL TELL YOU THE, UH, THIS IS CAUSING THE BIGGEST HEADACHE FOR, UH, DALLAS RESIDENTS.
SO OUT OF ALL OF OUR LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS THAT WE, UH, CURRENTLY HAVE, ABOUT 20% ARE NON-RESIDENTS.
OF THOSE 20% THAT ARE NON-RESIDENTS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE DALLAS RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT DALLAS IS NOT A RECIPROCATING LIBRARY.
THEY CHARGE OUR RESIDENTS, UH, $250 TO GET A LIBRARY CARD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WORK WITH OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
UH, IF, IF WE NEIGHBOR YOU, WE WANNA BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS AND, AND WE DO A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER.
BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO, TO PROVIDE A LIBRARY CARD ALL OVER THE PLACE OR ACCESS ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDED WITH TAX FUNDS.
WE NEED TO PUT OUR RESIDENTS, UM, FIRST AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY HAVE WHAT RESOURCES THEY NEED BEFORE ALLOWING OTHER, OR AT LEAST DON'T CHARGE, UH, OUR PATRONS OR DON'T CHARGE OUR RESIDENTS.
WE WON'T CHARGE YOUR RESIDENTS.
BUT THE, UM, WE'RE ALREADY CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR DALLAS CARD HOLDERS.
YOU SAT DOWN WITH DALLAS, SAID, THIS IS GOOD.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
HOW CAN WE WORK BETTER TOGETHER? IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE OPEN TO AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT JUST TO REITERATE TO, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD TO COME INTO ANY OF OUR LIBRARIES.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD TO USE THE WIFI.
UM, TO COME TO MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS, BROWSE THE COLLECTION, ASK A REFERENCE QUESTION.
YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD TO USE.
YOU KNOW, CHECK OUT A STUDY ROOM, CHECK OUT THE TO COME IN, USE THIS SPACE, UH, COME TO A MEETING IN THE SPACE, A PROGRAM, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ARRESTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE.
AND WIFI, WIFI IS OPEN, UH, AND FREE.
THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN AS WELL, THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN AS WELL.
UM, ONE THING I'M MEANT TO SAY IS WE DO HAVE SOME SURROUNDING CITIES, UH, FORNEY MURPHY.
UH, THEY DO NOT HAVE LIBRARIES THAT IN THEIR CITIES AND HAVE BEEN ASKED THE QUESTION A LOT.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE CITIES? WE'RE STILL CHARGING THOSE RESIDENTS A $50 CHARGE.
THEY CAN'T RECIPROCATE FOR OUR, UM, WE'RE HOPING, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'LL RESIDENTS WILL AT WEST DEMAND A LIBRARY FOR THEIR SCHOOL AT SOME POINT AND THEN WE CAN.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, SO IF A DALLAS CITY RESIDENT WANTED A GARLAND LIBRARY CARD, IT WOULD BE $50 CORRECT.
PER YEAR, EVEN THOUGH YEAR GOING THE OTHER WAY, IT WOULD BE TWO 50.
UM, BOARD MEMBERS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
I'VE ENCOUNTERED SOME MISINFORMATION FROM PEOPLE.
UM, I MET SOMEBODY AT THE RICHARDSON LIBRARY WHO TOLD ME, UM, FAIRLY HARSH WORDS THAT, YOU KNOW, GARLAND WAS KICKING EVERYBODY OUT.
I'M PARAPHRASING BADLY, BUT, UM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY AND I TOLD HER THAT THAT WAS REALLY NOT TRUE AND THAT THE RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS STILL, UH, WAS STILL IN PLACE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION, BUT YOU CAN HELP SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT THAT RESIDENCE
UM, AND I'M, AM I, UH, AND FOR THE FEES THAT WE DO COLLECT, DO THOSE GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND? CORRECT.
SO HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION WITH THE OTHER CITIES LIKE, UH, MURPHY,
[00:45:01]
WHO HAVE NO LIBRARIES, HAVE WE BEEN DISCUSSION WHETHER THEIR CITIES WANT TO PAY OUR CITY A CERTAIN AMOUNT? WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT DISCUSSION AS OF YET.I THINK THAT'S, UM, NOT A BAD IDEA TO DO, TO HAVE SOME KIND OF SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE OFFSETTING THAT COST.
I THINK THE CITY OF ADDISON HAS SOMETHING SIMILAR, UH, WITH CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT DOWN THE ROAD.
SO WHEN THEY DO OPEN THEIR OWN LIBRARY, WE ORDER ESTABLISHED OR THEY MAY OPEN KIND OF RECIPROCITY WITH THEM.
JUST USE OURS AND PAY US MORE MONEY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.
THE NEXT ITEM IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND BOND PROGRAM UPDATES.
SO QUICK UPDATE ON OUR TWO OUTSTANDING PROJECTS THAT HAD NORTH AND SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY THAT ARE PART OF THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN, WELL, IT WASN'T WHEN LAST WE MET, I DON'T THINK I DID.
UM, A LOT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT NORTH.
SO THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM, UH, THE BID WAS AWARDED, THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM CAME ON SITE.
THEY'VE BEEN, UM, DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, SECURING THE BACK WORKROOM AREAS.
UM, IMPROVED LIGHTING ACCESS CONTROLS, UH, INTERIOR SECURITY CAMERAS.
THEY'VE ALSO REPLACED THE CARPET IN A COUPLE OF PLACES AT NORTH.
UM, AND I REGRET THAT I DON'T HAVE THOSE PHOTOS TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU.
UH, AND INSTALLED SOME DECORATIVE LIGHTING WITH IMPROVED LIGHTING IN A COUPLE OF PLACES.
UM, NORTH WE WILL BE DOING, UH, THE FURNITURE INSTALLATION.
SO ALMOST ALL OF THE PUBLIC FURNITURE THAT'S AT NORTH.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN TO NORTH LATELY.
IT'S SERVED, IT'S BEEN WELL LOVED, WELL USED, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REPLACED.
FURNITURE IS ACTUALLY, UH, BEING DELIVERED THE WEEK, UH, AND INSTALLED THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9TH.
UM, SO WE WILL, UH, WE'RE TENTATIVE, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY TENTATIVE, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9TH TO ALLOW, UH, THE FURNITURE INSTALLATION TEAMS TO COME IN, INSTALL EVERYTHING, UH, REMOVE THE OLD FURNITURE THAT'S THERE, BUT THEN ALSO ALLOW OUR IT TEAM TO COME IN AND SET UP ALL THE, THE COMPUTER EQUIPMENT ON THAT NEW FURNITURE.
UM, WE DO HAVE A TOWN HALL, UM, UH, DISTRICT ONE'S TOWN HALL IS NOVEMBER 9TH AT, UH, NORTH.
THAT WILL STILL TAKE PLACE AT NORTH.
WE'VE GOT THE ROOMS SECURED AND THERE'S A, A EASY WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WILL NOT AFFECT THAT TOWN HALL.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULING OUR CELEBRATION EVENT ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH.
EARLY VOTING HAPPENING AT THE
AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY, BY THIS WITH HAVING IT OVER IN THE SEPARATE AREA.
AND YOU SAID IT'S THE TOWN HALL THAT'S THE NINTH, YES.
BECAUSE THIS BOARD MEETS THAT NIGHT AND, BUT THAT'S NOT A CONFLICT.
I WOULDN'T WANT A CONFLICT WITH A CELEBRATION.
IT JUST, UH, GIVES YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH, UH, WITH NORTH.
WE'RE ACTUALLY RUNNING ON SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW WITH NORTH.
UM, WE MAY TECHNICALLY, UH, BE IN Q4 FOR THAT GRAND OPENING, UM, CELEBRATION, BUT WE'RE ALL, WE ALMOST MADE IT MM-HMM
BUT NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SOUTH
SO SOUTH IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE VERY DIFFERENT PROJECTS GOING ON AT SOUTH.
UM, WE'VE GOT THE INTERIOR RENOVATION THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE 2019 BOND.
WE'VE GOT THE EXTERIOR RENOVATION WITH THE PARKLET THAT IS FROM GRANT FUNDS.
AND WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT TO ADDRESS SOME PLUMBING AND STRUCTURE ISSUES OF THE BUILDING
[00:50:01]
ITSELF.THE INTERIOR RENOVATION, WE HAVE THE ARCHITECT ON BOARD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT A LOT.
SEVEN 20 DESIGN IS DOING THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE, UH, BIDS FOR THE PROJECT ACTUALLY CLOSED ON FRIDAY.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS REVIEWING ALL OF THOSE BIDS THAT CAME IN.
ONCE THOSE, UH, BIDS ARE REVIEWED, SCORED, IT'LL GO TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING BEGINNING, UH, WORK ON THIS PROJECT IN THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER.
AND CONSTRUCTION IS SUPPOSED TO LAST AIR QUOTES, UM, ABOUT FOUR TO SIX MONTHS.
SO THE EXTERIOR RENOVATION YOU REMEMBER, AND I'VE GOT SOME OTHER IMAGES FOR OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS THAT I CAN SHOW YOU.
UM, IT'S, UH, TAKING SOME OF THE PARKING THAT WE HAVE AND PUTTING A PARKLET THERE.
THERE'S, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A VERY MINI SQUARE THAT'S GONNA BE ADDED.
UM, THIS IS BEING MANAGED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS THE SOURCE OF THE GRANT.
DSGN IS THE ARCHITECT WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH.
PROJECT IS NOT OUT FORBID QUITE YET, IT SHOULD GO OUT BID VERY, VERY SOON.
AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE, THE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE BEGIN IN VERY LATE NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THE PROJECT'S ESTIMATED TO TAKE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
UM, THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR IS ON A VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE AND DEADLINE BECAUSE IT IS FUNDED WITH GRANT FUNDS.
WE START, IT'S GOTTA STOP BY A CERTAIN PERIOD.
IS THAT A WATER FEATURE THAT I SAW ON THE DOCK? UH, IT'S NOT A WATER FEATURE.
IT'S MADE TO LOOK LIKE A WATER FEATURE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY BLUE, UH, MADE TO LOOK LIKE A RIVER.
ONE DAY WE'RE GONNA GET WILL HIS WATER FEATURE
UH, AND SO FOR OUR NEW PROJECT, UM, WE HAVE A MAJOR PLUMBING ISSUE AT SOUTH THAT'S, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRENCH UNDER THE BUILDING TO REPAIR SOME PLUMBING FOR SOME SANITARY SEWER, UH, ISSUES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, WE'VE HAD CORE SAMPLES TAKEN.
UH, I SHOULD SAY OUR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TEAM IS ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES.
THEY'RE MANAGING THIS PART OF THE PROJECT.
UH, THEY'VE HIRED A GEOTECH COMPANY.
THEY'VE COME AND DONE UM, CORE SAMPLES.
WE'VE HAD PRESSURE TESTING ON THE BUILDING.
UM, THIS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING THEIR HARDEST TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GET ALL OF THIS WORK DONE BEFORE THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS ACTUALLY START.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME OR IN MID-SEPTEMBER AND STILL HAVE TO ONBOARD AND GET, UH, CREW TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK.
SO WHAT DOES THAT ALL MEAN? UM, IT MEANS WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT SOUTH A LOT MORE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THERE'LL BE SOME BIG DECISIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN THE COMING MONTHS, ESPECIALLY AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT, UH, THE IMPACT STAFF, THE IMPACT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE, UH, NEED TO STILL HAVE A PRESENCE IN SOUTH GARLAND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE NECESSARY RESOURCES AND SERVICES OUT ORLAND AREA.
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IF THIS WAS NORTH OR WEST BECAUSE WE'VE GOT CENTRAL AND OTHER LIBRARIES REALLY COULDN'T REFER PATRONS.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE FOR AT LEAST TWO OF THREE PROJECTS THAT CONSTRUCTION'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS, UM, IS THAT WITH HAVING THE INTERIOR AND ESPECIALLY THE EXTERIOR PROJECTS GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE CAN DO A REALLY BIG GRAND RIO JUST LIKE WE DID FOR, FOR OUR OTHER LOCATION.
WELL, AND I THINK IT WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT INTERIOR RENOVATION OF THE EXTERIOR RENOVATION.
SO WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE.
IT'S JUST GETTING TO THAT POINT OF, TO CELEBRATE AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION.
WITH THAT GRANT FUNDED PROJECT, HAVING A TIGHT WINDOW OF WORK OPPORTUNITY, DO YOU HAVE FLEXIBILITY AS TO WHEN START THAT.
DO YOU HAVE A LONG RANGE FORECAST METEOROLOGIST ON STANDBY
[00:55:01]
UM, THAT IS A REALLY GOOD POINT THOUGH.
I NEED TO, LEMME TALK TO THE ARCHITECT BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONCE YOU START IT, YOU'VE GOTTA GET IT DONE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF, IF YOU GET WEIRD ICE STORMS FLOATING THROUGH YEAH.
A WEEK AND A HALF LONG SHUTDOWN, YOUR PROCESS COULD BE CUR FLUFFED,
I THINK LONG RANGE PREDICTIONS ARE WET WINTER.
WELL, IF HAROLD TAFT WERE STILL ALIVE, WE COULD COUNT ON HIM.
DANIEL, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? HOW LONG OF A CLOSURE DO YOU EXPECT DURING, UH, DURING CONSTRUCTION? UM, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT SIX MONTHS FOR SOUTH TO, TO BE IMPACT.
BUT I THINK THE BIG TAKEAWAY IS IT'S BUILDING'S NOT GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE, BUT WE'RE GONNA SET UP SOMETHING FOR THOSE SERVICES.
THERE'S A BIG CHURCH DOWN THE ROAD.
YEAH, BUT I, I GUESS THE, JUST USING THE KIOSK AT LONG WIND IS NOT GOING TO CUT IT.
BUT BILL, WE, WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM AT SOUTH.
WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT TEAM OUTREACH.
THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITIES THEY'LL NEED TO HAVE A CORE THIS IS BEING OFFERED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO 2026 CLUB CURIOSITY PROGRAM.
AND, AND KATHLEEN IS GOING TO GO OVER THE PROGRAM, THE TAKEAWAYS AND I THINK SOME NUMBERS.
AS I MENTIONED, UM, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR WE USED THE, UH, COLLABORATIVE SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM, CSLP.
UH, WE USED THEIR NATIONAL THEME AND THIS YEAR WAS UNEARTH HIS STORY.
AND THE GRAPHIC THERE IS WHAT OUR MARKETING TEAM AND OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNER CAME UP WITH, UM, WITH OUR CLUB CURIOSITY AND OUR CURIOSITY, THE CAT WITH THE DINOSAUR, UH, DESIGNS.
AND THAT WAS ON ALL OF OUR INFORMATION THAT WE WENT OUT.
UM, THIS SUMMER WE HAD A, UH, KICKOFF EVENT AND IT HAD DINOSAUR THEMED CRAFTS, GAMES, ACTIVITIES, SNACKS.
AND THIS YEAR WE WORKED WITH ALTRUSA, UH, AND WE HAD A FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY.
AND THEN, UM, AT THE EVENT, PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED THEIR FIRST ACTIVITY, UH, TRACKERS, UH, THEIR WEEKLY TRACKERS.
AND THEY WERE OFFERED IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND VIETNAMESE.
AND I HAVE THAT ON ANOTHER PAGE.
UH, FOR THIS YEAR WE HAD, UH, SOME OF THE SAME PERFORMERS BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY POPULAR LIKE PEROT, UH, TECH TRUCK AND JAMES WON MAGIC SHOW, BUT WE ALSO HAD NEW ONES, UM, LIKE DINOBO.
AND HE TALKS ABOUT, UM, HE BRINGS FOSSILS AND HE HA HE WAS REALLY POPULAR.
AND, UM, THEN WE ALSO HAD THE MIKE WILLIAMS MAGIC SHOW, WHICH WAS ALSO A VERY POPULAR SHOW.
SO THOSE WERE OUR TWO NEW ONES THAT WE ADDED FOR THIS YEAR.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MAGIC MIKE
ALTHOUGH THAT WAS WHAT WE ENDED UP NAMING IT.
UM, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT
SO IN ADDITION TO THE PAID PERFORMERS, THE STAFF PUTS IN A
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LOT OF WORK TO CREATE THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DURING THIS TIME.AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR THE ALL AGES, UM, AND INCLUDING FAMILIES.
SO THESE ARE OUR REGULAR STORY TIMES, UH, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE HAVE LITTLE ART EXPLORERS AT SOUTH GARLAND AND PLAY AND LEARN, UM, AT CENTRAL AND NORTH.
AND THAT'S JUST A, LIKE A FREE PLAY TIME FOR THE FAMILIES TO COME IN AND, UM, THEY GET TO THE KIDS, GET TO PLAY WITH ALL OF OUR, THE TOYS THAT ARE THERE AND THEY GET TO MEET WITH EACH OTHER.
SO YOU, AGAIN, YOU HAVE THAT COMMUNITY THAT, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH OTHER THINGS.
UM, WE HAD DINOSAUR THEMED STEAM LABS WHERE WE HAD GEO CRACK GEODE CRACKING THAT WAS VERY POPULAR.
WE HAD, UH, THE DYNO AND VOLCANO DAY, WHICH TALKED ABOUT HOW THOSE TWO THINGS, UH, OVERLAPPED.
AND THEN THEY MADE, UH, DINOSAUR MINIATURES AND THEY MADE VOLCANOES.
VOLCANOES ARE ALWAYS FUN TO MAKE.
AND THEN WE HAD A PROGRAM ON, UM, CALLED AMAZING ARCHEOLOGISTS.
WE ALSO HAD OUR MAKER LAB PROGRAMS WHERE THE KIDS WERE ABLE TO MAKE DINOSAUR PLUSHIES.
DINOSAUR DIORAMAS AND NOTHING TO DO WITH, UM, DINOSAURS, BUT THEY MADE WORLD CUP T-SHIRTS BECAUSE THAT WAS GOING ON TOO.
AND, UH, FOR TEENS WE HAD UNO TOURNAMENTS AND, UH, THE, UH, MANGO, MANGO DRAWING COURSE FOR TEENS.
WE HAD ESCAPE ROOMS. UH, THOSE WERE FUN PEOPLE.
WE HAD A K-POP PARTY AND AGAIN, WE HAD WORLD CUP FAMILY EVENTS WHERE THEY EITHER HAD CRAFTS OR THEY HAD, UH, GAMES WHERE THEY, UH, EMPHASIZED THE BIG WORLD CUP EVENTS THAT WERE GOING ON THIS YEAR.
SO SOME NUMBERS FOR THE KICKOFF EVENT NOW.
WE HAD, UH, 1,388 VISITORS AT CENTRAL LIBRARY THIS PAST YEAR, COMPARED TO 500 VISITORS THAT WE HAD ON DOWNTOWN SQUARE, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND THAT WAS WHEN WE WERE, WE DID NOT HAVE, UM, THE LIBRARY WAS NOT OPEN YET.
AND JUST THE, THE INCREASE CAN BE, UH, ATTRIBUTED TO, UH, LARGER SIZE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
UH, WE HAD INDOOR AND OUTDOOR EVENT.
I MEAN, SO THEY COULD GO, IF YOU GOT TOO HOT YOU COULD GO INSIDE.
AND JUST THE FACT THAT IT WAS AT THE LIBRARY, I THINK THAT DREW MORE PEOPLE TOO.
I'LL SAY ALSO, UH, PARTNERING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS MM-HMM
SO ALTRUSA, GISD, THEY ACTUALLY WERE FLOORED WITH THE NUMBER OF, UM, CHILDREN AND FAMILY.
IF YOU CAME THAT DAY, IT WAS TOTAL CHAOS
UH, AND THE GISD CREW THAT CAME OUT TO, UM, LOOK AND I THINK THEY, THEY HAD A COUPLE OF BOOTHS AND TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM AND, UM, WHERE THEY WERE GONNA BE SET UP.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT, SO ON THAT DAY WE GAVE OUT, UM, AND I'M SORRY, OVER THE ENTIRE SUMMER PROGRAM, WE HANDED OUT, UH, 4,802 TRACKERS, UM, WHICH WAS AN 8% INCREASE FROM THE LAST YEAR THE TRACKERS RETURNED THAT WE HAVE RETURNED.
CONTINUE TO LAG BEHIND THE NUMBER THAT ARE HANDED OUT, BUT I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET A ONE-TO-ONE.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, EACH YEAR WE TRY TO IMPROVE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT ALWAYS KNOWING THAT YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAND OUT.
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET 'EM ALL BACK.
SO, UM, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRACKERS RETURNED FOR OUR TEAM GROUP, WHICH AGAIN, THIS IS A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBER.
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130 IN 2026.AND WE LOOK AT THAT AS, UM, A REFLECTION OF THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR TEENS, THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR TEENS THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THEM, WHICH IS NOT EASY
AND, UM, SO WITH ALL OF THESE, WE, WE LIKE TO TAKE WHAT WE LEARN AND THEN IMPROVE ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL INCREASE NEXT YEAR TOO.
UM, WE HAD THE 16 PERFORMER PROGRAMS WITH THOSE PERFORMERS THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
BROUGHT IN 1,808 ATTENDEES FOR AN AVERAGE OF 113 ATTENDEES PER EVENT.
THE LIBRARY STAFF HOSTED 67 PROGRAMS AND WE HAD A TOTAL OF 2,827 ATTENDEES.
AND THEN OUR WEEKLY STORY TIMES TOTALED 99 PROGRAMS WITH 4,134 ATTENDEES.
SO WE WE'RE REALLY THRILLED WITH THAT.
ALWAYS WANNA DO MORE, BUT WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
FOR THE BENEFITS, THE WHOLE REASON WHY WE DO THE SUMMER PROGRAMS, UH, THE BENEFITS, UM, THERE'S SOME THAT GO ACROSS THE AGE, AGE GROUPS, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR BABIES AND PRESCHOOLERS, WE HAVE, WE CONTINUE OUR, UM, ATTEMPTS TO BUILD ON THE EARLY LITERACY, THE, UH, THE DIFFERENT THINGS WHEN THEY LEARN IN STORY TIME, UH, IS NOT JUST THE THE CHILD BUT THE CAREGIVER TOO.
LEARNING, UM, THE TALK, SING, READ, WRITE AND PLAY PRACTICES AND JUST PLAY, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOO, AND MAKING THE PARENTS, UM, COMFORTABLE OR THE CAREGIVER COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, PRACTICING THESE THINGS AT HOME.
AND THEN THAT ALSO, JUST ATTENDING THOSE STORY TIMES, UH, IT HELPS PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESS.
THEY HAVE THEIR ROUTINES, THEY HAVE TO FOCUS, THEY HAVE THE ATTENTION.
AND THEN BUILDING THOSE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS WITH THE OTHERS IN THE ROOM.
MOVING ON TO THE ELEMENTARY AGE KIDS, UH, I'M SURE SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE SUMMER SLIDE AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT SUMMER READING PROGRAMS WERE ESTABLISHED WAS TO HELP MITIGATE THAT BY KEEPING THE KIDS READING AND KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN, UH, LEARNING SO THAT WHEN THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO LEARN, UH, THE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO LIKE HAVING INTERESTING, UH, PROGRAMS TO BOOST CURIOSITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING, LIKE OUR STEAM AND MAKER LABS THAT HAVE HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANT THEM TO, UH, GET USED TO GOING TO THE LIBRARY AND BECOME ENGAGED, UH, AND CHECK OUT MATERIALS AND, UM, RETURN, UH, TO THE LIBRARY FOR THE PROGRAMS FOR MORE BOOKS, AND THEN PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS FOR TEENS.
UH, WE LIKE TO, WE, WE'VE HAD PROGRAMS THAT ARE TEACHING, HELPING THEM DEVELOP THEIR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS, UH, CREATIVITY.
WE HAVE, UH, MAKER PROGRAMS, WE HAVE WRITING PROGRAMS. WE HAVE, UM, THE DRAWING, THE, LIKE THE MANGA AND THEN COLLABORATING, WHICH WE ALSO HAVE NOT JUST WITH, UH, THE PROGRAMS, BUT WITH OUR, UM, UH, TAB.
BUT THE TEEN, TEEN ADVISORY BOARD ADVISORY, I WAS GONNA SAY ACTIVITY, I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND THEY WORK TOGETHER AND THEY ACTUALLY GET, UM, FOR THAT THEY GET VOLUNTEER HOURS.
UM, SO IT HELPS THEM AND IT, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY LEARNING STUFF WHILE THEY'RE, UH, WORKING TOGETHER AND THEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
AND THEY DO THAT THROUGH STEAM PROJECTS AND IN CHALLENGES THAT, UH, WE HAVE FOR THEM THAT THEY HAVE
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IN THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. THIS, THE SECOND ONE PART OF IT, THE FOSTER BELONGING IN A SAFE THIRD PLACE, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO DO WITH ALL AGES.AND WE'VE, THIS YEAR, I THINK, UH, FROM JUST FOR ME, I'VE HEARD SO MANY STORIES THAT HAVE REALLY IMPRESSED UPON ME THAT PEOPLE ARE USING IT FOR THAT.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEETING OTHER PEOPLE.
THEY ARE USING IT AS A SAFE THIRD PLACE.
AND WHENEVER I LEAVE WORK, I ALWAYS WALK BY STUDY ROOMS AND THEY ARE ALWAYS FULL.
THEY'RE EITHER STUDYING, SOMETIMES THEY ARE HAVING LIKE, UM, THE, A GROUP OF 'EM, SOME OF THEM I WALKED BY A YOUNG LADY YESTERDAY THAT HAD, UH, HER PHONE ON A, UM, TRIPOD,
IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS DOING SOME KIND OF PRESENTATION AND I REALLY, IT REALLY, UH, IMPRESSES UPON YOU WHAT SERVICES WE ARE PROVIDING AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THAT.
THE LAST GROUP, UH, WAS OUR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AND OUR PROGRAMS DURING THE SUMMER, UH, ENCOURAGE THE FAMILY READING TIME AND LEARNING AT HOME.
IT ALSO WITH, UH, THIS GROUP, IT IMPROVES THEIR AWARENESS OF LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND GIVES THEM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IT GIVES THEM GREATER, UH, CONFIDENCE IN SUPPORTING LEARNING WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
UM, SOME PARENTS START OUT AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY COMFORTABLE, UH, DOING THAT.
AND THIS BY SEEING HOW WE, UH, WORK WITH THEIR CHILD, UH, IT GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE IN DOING THE SAME THING.
AND THIS IS NOT A SMALL, UH, ITEM AT THE END.
THE REDUCING SUMMER COSTS WITH FREE STRUCTURED OPTION ENRICHMENT OPTIONS, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYTHING JUST KEEPS GOING UP.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THESE PROGRAMS, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE PROGRAMS, UH, DURING THE DAY OR UM, AT ALL OF THE LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE SOME FAMILIES THAT GO FROM ONE LIBRARY TO THE OTHER AND KIND OF MAKE A DAY OF IT.
SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING ALSO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK WE'RE ALL SOLD ON THIS
YOU KNOW, SUMMER READING PROGRAMS HAD A LOT OF, A LOT OF FUN THIS YEAR.
AND I THINK, UH, THE THEME NEXT YEAR IS MYSTERIES.
AND, BUT YEAH, THEY ARE ALREADY, UM, I HAVE A MEETING, MY FIRST POST SUMMER MEETING WITH THE YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIANS ON WEDNESDAY AND THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING ON NEXT YEAR'S PROGRAM.
I THINK IT WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL AND THIS YEAR CENTRAL TO BE OPEN AND HAVE TO NEW FACILITIES LIKE WE AND NUMBER REALLY SHOCKED.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE AGENDA, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ANYTHING THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IN A FUTURE MEETING? NO.
THERE BEING NO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE ARE ADJOURNED.