Fargo Public Library Board – April 21, 2026 Minutes
Regular Meeting: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Minutes
Board Members Present: Amy Ouren (Online), Hannah James, John Rodenbiker, Jenna Reno, Kristen
Schipper, Paul Jensen, and Wanda Mengelkoch
Board Members Absent:
Staff: Tim Dirks, Cindy Haff, Megan Lass, Beth Postema
Vice President John Rodenbiker called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. A quorum was met.
Order of the Agenda
Kristen Schipper moved to approve the order of the agenda; Hannah James seconded the motion. The
motion carried.
Minutes of the March 17 Regular Meeting
Wanda Mengelkoch moved to approve the minutes of the March 17 Regular Meeting; Paul Jensen
seconded the motion. The motion carried.
Staff Report
Megan Lass presented highlights of staff updates and events including:
• National Library Week Acknowledgment
• Staffing updates
• Teens
– Take & Make Craft: Marble Snails, May 4, register where you will pick up supplies
• Adults
– Author Visit: Patrick Springer, May 4, 6:30 p.m. at Main Library
– Craft Supply Swap, May 9, 11 a.m. at Main Library
– Plant Swap, May 18, 6 p.m. at Dr. James Carlson Library
• Spring Used Book Sale Crawl (Friends of Fargo Public Library), April 23-25
– Also happening at Moorhead & West Fargo public libraries
Director’s Report
Director Tim Dirks highlighted the Carlson Renovation Project work this month as we have received approval for $300K from the FM Area Foundation, $30K from the endowment & $25K from the Friends of the Fargo Public Library. Director Dirks will begin meeting with Architects this week.
Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business.
New Business
• Coffee Space Re-purposing Funding Proposal
– Director Tim Dirks reported that since the publication of the Board Packet, he has receive word from City Administration that they have the means to cover these expenses. He recommends the Action Item be denied.
– Kristen Schipper motioned to not accept the action item. Jenna Reno seconded the motion. The motion to deny was approved unanimously.
• Library’s 2027 Budget Requests
– Director Dirks developed the 2027 budget request based on identified needs and limited revenue. On Monday, he learned the City is projected to currently 3M in deficit for 2027. He will not be asking for any increases in operating, but will still submit requests for the Library Safety Specialist and $15K in capital funds for a community survey for strategic plan development.
– Kristen Schipper motioned to approve. Jenna Reno seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.
• Library Board Letter to the Mayor & Commissioners
– Per the March 17 Board Discussion, Paul Jensen and Director Dirks collaborated to write a letter to the elected officials stating the Board’s concerns regarding security and safety.
– Paul Jensen suggested it would be strategically better to wait to present the letter to the Mayor and Commission until after the June election.
– Hannah James noted there may be more hesitation from new Board Members.
– Paul James countered that the current Commission will likely hold off on any major decisions until after the election.
– Paul Jensen moved to accept the letter. Hanna James seconded the motion (with a request to update the spelling of her name).
– Jenna Reno asked if the cities listed were the best examples as they are not cities of relatively similar size.
– Paul Jensen responded that given his research, they faced very similar issues and were the best examples available.
– The motion passed unanimously. The letter will be signed and submitted after the June election
• Updated Reference & Information Services Draft
– Deputy Director Beth Postema presented the document which has been reviewed and updated by the Adult Services staff in order to be in line with current best practices
– Amy Ouren moved to approve the draft. Wanda Mengelkoch seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Statistical Reports
March Usage
• Director Dirks noted continued growth in program attendance and volunteer hours
February Financials
• Director Dirks noted a 15.74% increase in circulation overall over last year. With ¼ of the year
complete, the library is at 22% spending on the budget, with revenue of $10K.
• Kristen Schipper asked if the negative circulation numbers were a reflection of being closed on Sundays. Director Dirks responded that we were also closed on Sundays last year. He indicated it would require a deeper dive to understand, but could just be natural fluctuation due to outside factors like weather/environment.
Friends of the Library Report
• There was no one present to present a Friends of the Fargo Public Library report.
• Vice President John Rodenbiker reminded everyone about the Annual Book Sale/Community Book Crawl this weekend.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Next Regular Meeting
The next regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at 4 p.m. in the Commission Chambers.
The meeting adjourned at 4:24 p.m.