Fargo Public Library Board - June 16, 2020 Minutes
Regular Meeting: Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Board Members Present: Rachael Steenholdt, Carrie Peterson, Whitney Oxendahl, Scott Beaulier
Board Members Absent: Carlos Hawley Jr., Jan Ulferts Stewart, Mary Batcheller
Staff: Tim Dirks, Sunny Branick, Betsy Dauer
Others Present:
President, Rachael Steenholdt called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM, and a quorum was declared. This meeting was attended both in person and virtually.
Order of Agenda
A motion was made by Carrie Peterson to approve the Order of the Agenda. Scott Beaulier seconded the motion; motion carried.
Minutes of May 19, 2020 Regular Meeting
Carrie Peterson made a motion to approve the minutes of the May 19, 2020 meeting. Scott Beaulier seconded the motion; motion carried.
Staff Report
Sunny Branick presented a few highlights of staff updates and events.
Staff updates and Staff development activities:
• Page positions – All new hiring has been frozen.
Programming:
All in-person programs have been suspended indefinitely. For a full list of all upcoming FPL activities visit FargoLibrary.org
Upcoming Events & Programs (a partial and incomplete list):
Childrens
• Jun 1 - Magic, Myth & Mirth Magic Show. Magician Jeff Quinn will be performing a brand new magic show this summer and you can have a front row seat! For the 2020 Summer Reading Program, Jeff is making his show, Magic, Myth and Mirth, available to the Fargo Public Library online. This means that you can watch it at home anytime! He'll have tricks involving dragons, royalty, fairy tales and more! Jeff will also perform an original trick completely in rhyme - and there may even be a trick inspired by a certain boy wizard! All ages are invited to check out this family-friendly show available on the website.
• Jun 22 – Crafternoons To Go. This replaces Crafternoons Curbside Pickup which will end Jun. 9 (Date is subject to change pending the reopening of the library). Crafternoons To Go will be available every two weeks, on Mondays at the Dr. James Carlson Library, Wednesdays at the Main Library, and Fridays at the Northport Library. Registration will be required for Crafternoons To Go, and will be open the week prior to the program. For the most up to date information on programs please refer to our website www.fargolibrary.org/kids.
Teen
• Jun 16 – Edible Terrariums. Each week during Summer Reading Program, teens ages 11-18 will be able to pick up a craft packet to make at home. Each week's craft will be available to pick up at all three branches on Tuesdays from June 2 through July 28. Crafts will be available on a first come, first serve basis. One packet per teen, while supplies last. To obtain a packet for curbside pick-up, please call the Carlson Library at 701.476.4040, Main Library at 701.241.1472, or the Northport Library at 701.476.4026 or contact the Teen Librarian at 701.476.5978 for more information
• Teen Outreach with the Vocational Training Center, Fraser, and Gigi’s Playhouse is ongoing. They are delivering Make and Take Crafts to both VTC and Frazer, and working on developing virtual programming for teens at Gigi’s Playhouse.
Adult
• Jun 22-26 – Himmeli Stars. Feeling crafty? We have just the thing! This summer, you can pick up a craft kit to go! These crafts are recommended for adults and all supplies and instructions are provided. Registration is required. Register online or call 701.241.1472. You can pick up your kit during our no contact curbside pickup hours Monday through Friday.
• Jul – GoToMeeting. Online Trivia: The 90’s. First week in July. Register via the event registration page. More details to come, so keep an eye out on the website.
Multigenerational Events
• Summer Reading Program. This year, we are trying something new – the Fargo Public Library's annual Summer Reading Program is going ONLINE and registration started Monday, June 1. This year’s online reading program is Imagine Your Story. The library's free Summer Reading Program is for readers of all ages, from babies to adults.
• Our program has moving to READsquared, an online service designed for readers of all ages to log the time you spend reading and earn free prizes for your efforts. It's easy to register! Visit the FPL's Summer Reading Program website. Or, download the app for Android or for Apple to get started.
• We hope residents of all ages will join us this summer for virtual story times, a new Fargo History Hunt, online book clubs, virtual art sessions, take-and-make crafts, along with other engaging sessions and virtual events.
• Stay-at-Home Book Club. We’ve been having them every Thursday at 7 p.m., but might move to monthly as engagement has declined.
• Jun 29 – GoToMeeting at 6:30 p.m. Virtual Y.A. Book Club – The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. This is a quarterly book club designed for those ages 15-20. However, all adults are welcome, too.
• Jul 13 – FPL Facebook Page at 6:30 p.m. Virtual Tea Time Book Club - Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken. All interested readers are welcome! Register online on the event registration page. Participants will receive an email the day before book club regarding virtual meeting details. Be ready for a great discussion!
• Jul 15 – GoToMeeting at 6:30 p.m. Virtual Classics Book Club - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage. All interested readers are welcome! Register online on the event registration page. Participants will receive an email the day before book club regarding virtual meeting details. Be ready for a great discussion!
Service Updates:
• Sodbuster WiFi – Public WiFi has temporarily become available around the Sodbuster statue.
• Sora - We’ve partnered with Fargo Public Schools to provide Fargo Public Library books to FPS students via Sora, Overdrive’s app for schools (essentially their answer to Libby). This provides a subset of the resources offered with the student digital resources card, but is Overdrive specific. In addition to the school’s Overdrive collection, students are able to see and check out age appropriate material from FPL in Sora using just their student ID card.
• Students do not require a library card. We’d like everyone to get a card, but we recognize that’s not always possible for kids. This helps expand our collection’s reach.
• “Age appropriate” limits is determined by the school. They have controls that allow them to block titles by age group in Sora. We do not interact with this at all, nor does it impact our collection development policy. Parents and kids are welcome to use Libby as well.
• Juvenile material is underutilized in Overdrive. The pandemic has improved checkouts of kids material, but it still lags behind.
• We do get reports on this service from Overdrive. Worth noting that even before this some kids were adding their public library card to Sora to use the collection.
• Students will still use their school as their point of support for technical issues with Sora. We don’t have access to the app to assist them, but can put them in contact with someone at the schools.
Director’s Report
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to his written report in the Board Packet.
Unfinished Business
Annual Circulation Report
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to the 10 Year Comparison of Circulation, Population and Cardholders document in the Board Packet. This comparison was requested by Whitney Oxendahl at the May 18th Board meeting. Whitney Oxendahl stated she would like to see this yearly. She also added that she was wondering if this date could be used to target potential new cardholders in a card campaign. Tim Dirks stated that a card campaign has been discussed but depends on the budget of the project and impacts from Covid 19 on the budget.
New Business
2021 Budget
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to the 2021 Budget document in the Board Packet. Director Dirks is requesting an aggregate net increase of $59,200 for fiscal year 2021. Staffing request for 2021 includes one full time Reference Associate (LA III). Estimated budgetary impact of this position for 2021 is $62,371. Capital request for 2021 includes self-checkout replacements estimated at $30,000. A five year capital outlay schedule was also reviewed.
A motion was made by Carrie Peterson to approve the 2021 Budget Proposal as written. Whitney Oxendahl seconded the motion; motion carried.
Rules of Conduct Draft
Director Tim Dirks referred the Board to Rules of Conduct Draft the in the Board Packet noting the change were shown in red. The added language in the Rules section reads “To ensure a healthy and safe environment for all library patrons and staff, patrons will be required to maintain social distancing at all service points as delineated by floor markers. Patrons are asked to maintain social distancing of six feet from staff and others (outside of their family group) when in library facilities.”
After discussion about this wording being removed if and when the Covid 19 threat is gone a motion was made by Carrie Peterson to approve the Rules of Conduct policy with the draft language as written. Scott Beaulier seconded the motion; motion carried.
Summary Sheets for Action Items
Whitney Oxendahl requested that for future Board meetings the Board Packet include a summary sheet for all action items. This would give some background information on the item to be discussed. This was not an action item though all Board members present agreed this would be helpful.
Statistical Reports
Usage
The library had 41,798 registered patrons, including 256 new registrations for the month of May. Library buildings were closed for the entire month of May due to Covid 19. Virtual and pick up craft program attendance was 1,810. Curbside pick-up started May 4th at all locations. Circulation was down 59.63% compared to May of the previous year. Digital content was up 36.48% compared to May of the previous year. Overall circulation year to date is 290,511.
Financials
The year is 42% lapsed while the budget is 35.95% expended. There was $76,615 incoming donations. Expenditures of donations totaled $6,100. Revenue is at $10,335.51 year to date.
Friends of the Library Report
No Friends report.
Public Comment
No public comment.
Next Board Meeting
The next regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 4:00 PM. The annual meeting will take place immediately following the regular meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 4:51 PM.