Brownsville Public Library System Advisory Board

Brownsville Public Library System Advisory Board November 13, 2023 Minutes Hybrid Present Absent Guests George E. Olivo, Cynthia Bertha Peña Juan Guerra, Lisa Rodriguez, Brenda Treviño, Lizardi-Burlette, Nora I Garza, Beatriz Morales, Kayla Treviño, Lazaro Castro, Alisha Hernandez, Chris Katie Hernandez, Courtney Taylor, Bobbi Vasquez Pineda 1) Call Meeting to Order –Meeting called to order by Mr. George E. Olivo at 5:37pm. 2) Discussion and Action of Approval of Minutes –Ms. Nora Garza motioned for approval. Mr. Chris Pineda seconded. All voted aye, and the minutes approved. 3) Citizen Comment – No Comments 4) Library Board Appointments for December Commission Meeting - Ms. Brenda Trevino informs the Library Board of 3 appointments pending for the December Commission Meeting, stating also those coming to an end can resubmit an application to the City Secretary. Mr. Olivo asks what the deadline for the applications is. Mr. Guerra states the Commission meeting takes place on the 5th of December and the applications are open until the meeting. Ms. Lizardi-Burette arrives and is informed by Ms. Trevino of the end of her appointment and the option to reapply. 5) Discussion of Southmost Library Gates- Mr. Guerra thanks the board for their service and support of the library. Mr. Guerra goes on to outline the options for the gate at the Southmost Library, highlighting the fact that the Main Branch Library does not have a fence. When the Southmost Branch was built, fencing was installed as part of the original plan, but the suggestion is to have the gates open at night to expand library services even when the library is closed. Future plans are to have seating available outside the Southmost branch library; however, that is still pending. Juan Guerra asks for feedback on currently opening the gates to allow patrons to use the Wi-Fi when the library is closed. Ms. Nora Garza informs the board, she doesn’t visit the library late at night and asks about the lighting in the area. Mr. Guerra states the lighting is currently sufficient around the driveway, parking lot, and along the building but is also being upgraded to LED lights. More lights are going to be added when the trail being planned by the Department of Multimodal Transportation is completed in 2 or 3 years. Ms. Alisha Hernandez asked if the fence had been built out of concern for security reasons at the time of construction. Mr. Guerra states that was the perception at the time (2005) but after so long can confirm that there have been more incidents of theft and/or damage at the Main Branch library than at Southmost. Mr. Guerra mentions that the building itself still has security shutters and there will be new cameras installed. Mr. Chris Pineda asks if there is a need to allow patrons to use the Wi-Fi after hours. Mr. Guerra states that Southmost has a higher percentage of Wi-Fi users than the Main branch library. Mr. Olivo shares a time that early in the morning before the library opening there were users close to the building to use the Wi-Fi. Mr. Pineda asked about advertising the Wi-Fi and if there might be a need to patrol the area. Mr. Guerra states that there will be no advertisements, the gates will just not be used. Cynthia Lizardi-Burlette and Nora Garza mention their concerns about liability. Mr. Guerra notes that it would be the same as the patrons using the main branch library; the library is not liable for accidents in the parking lots and nearby roads. Mr. Pineda voices his concern about people coming to the library at night and being attacked. Ms. Hernandez does state she feels both branches should be equal. Ms. Lizardi-Burlette asked if the library has surveyed the community. Mr. Guerra states that the library prefers to be subtle and gives the option of holding off until only the walking gates are available. Ms. Lizardi-Burlette ask if the library can have where the public can access available Wi-Fi. Mr. Guerra states that there is also plan for a pergola at the Southmost Library so the access will be changing. Nora Garza asks about which programs the pergola would be used for. Ms. Courtney Taylor explains the pergola will be used for all types of library events and have outside seating. Mr. Lazaro Castro states that patrons have mentioned how they are not able to return items after library hours due to the book drop being behind the gate at Southmost. Mr. Guerra explains that if the public were going to do something improper or illegal, they would jump the fence anyways; he explains that this is only to allow access to the Wi-Fi and the book drop at southmost branch library. Mr. Guerra also highlights the fact that the gates often need repairs and when they are not working, we leave them open anyways. Leaving them open would cut down on maintenance. Also, if security is an issue the library can always request additional patrols through Sergeant DeLeon. Ms. Lizardi-Burlette asked about the pergola, about the placement and size. Mr. Guerra describes the area where the pergola will be placed on the property, which is on the Southmost side to the right, as you enter the parking lot. Ms. Taylor informed the board that the pergola will be built according to the grant the library was awarded. 6) Library Report - a) Adult Services: Presented by Katie Hernandez. Jose Gonzalez and Bertha Gomez were not available, they were attending an adult program at the Southmost branch library. Ms. Hernandez summarized the Adult Programs for the previous month, including Breast Cancer Awareness, Food and Nutrition Program, and the Book Talk with Coffee. b) Youth Services: Kayla Trevino presents for the Children’s Programs; During the month of October the Trunk or Treat, the library had 22 organizations and over 2000 patrons in attendance. Mr. Pineda asks what is something that can be improved for next time Kayla mentions more assistance in parking so that it's a little more organized. The children's department also hosted Spooky Stem Night, Eclipse Boxes, Toddler Playdate and Story time with a guest author Nani Guevara. Ms. Trevino also presents on the upcoming events for November and the preparation for the Christmas Events for the library, including the addition of Sensory Hour Santa, and the Santa Claws. c) Teen Services: Presented by Beatriz Morales. Ms. Morales summarizes the events of the past month, such as the Comet Exploration and Teen Read Week. Ms. Morales also spoke about the upcoming events for the month of November. d) MakerSpace Services: Lazaro Castro presents on the Makerspace events, Space Landers, Pumpkin Launchers, Exploration Theater and Mario Maker and PlayStation VR. Makerspace added a new Full Spectrum Laser, that is now available to the public—the southmost branch already had its first patron use the laser machine. e) Outreach: Courtney Taylor presents the outreach the library has participated in the past month, such as B-metro, Glady’s Porter Zoo, BPD Spooktacular Halloween Bash, and Mexican Consulate, along with local school events. The library also hosts a table at library events like the Solar Eclipse and Trunk or Treat. Courteny also presents on the Solar Events 2023. f) Friends of the Library: Ms. Bobby Vasquez summarizes the Friends of the Library Book Store changes, such as new updated hours, shelf organization, and donations to the library. Mr. Guerra mentions the Memorandum for the Friends of the Library to use library staff when necessary. 7) Adjournment - Mr. Olivo asks for a motion to adjourn. Ms. Alisha Hernandez motions to adjourn, Mr. Pineda seconds the motion. All in favor. Meeting adjourns at 6:37 PM