Library Board of Trustees

MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MARY RILEY STYLES PUBLIC LIBRARY Held in the Mary Riley Styles Public Library . 120 N. Virginia Avenue Falls Church, VA 22046 July 17, 2024 This meeting was recorded. All members of the public may view this video of this meeting on the City ' s website at http://www.fallschurchva.gov/webcasts 1. CALL TO ORDER Ms. Stein, Board Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:00p.m. 2. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS The following Board members attended the meeting, and exceptions were noted: Elise Stein Robert Leopold Jessie Labukas Janis Johnson- Absent excused Steve Morse Erin Cline Claire McCray - Attended virtually MOTION: I move that the Library Board of Trustees approve electronic participation by Ms. Claire McCray from her home in tonight's meeting, for personal reason(s), pursuant to the Library Board of Trustee' s Policy on Participation in Meetings Through Electronic Means. ' AYE NAY Notes: ELISE STEIN v ~ ROBERT LEOPOLD v Moved: Ms. Stein JESSIE LABUKAS v Seconded: Mr. Morse STEVE MORSE v ERIN CLINE v Others present for the meeting: Council Liaison Marybeth Connelly, Youth Services Supervisor Jess Borchetta, Youth Services Librarian Laura Miller, Library Acting Director Marshall Webster, and Sr. Administrative Assistant Claudia Gutierrez. 1 3.- WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBER ERIN CLINE! \ Mr. Webster and the Board welcomed Ms. Cline to her first official Board meeting. She has been appointed to a full 4-year term, filling the set previously held by Ms. Molly Novotny. Ms. Cline introduced herself; she has been a city resident since 2010. 4.- RECEIPT OF PETITIONS , No Petitions 5. PRESENTATION ON PICTURE BOOK RE-ORGANIZATION PROJECT Ms. Miller introduced herself as a Youth Services librarian, who has been with the library since 2017 and transitioned to selecting and purchasing all of children's materials last year. She presented all the details regarding the new and improved browsing system for the library ' s more than 5,000 picture books. She noted that, in alignment with the library's mission, the new system improves discovery and promotes literacy. The objective of the collection reorganization is to facilitate easier access for patrons. Ms. Miller outlined the various color-coded levels for easy readers and beginners, along with an overview of the different labels. Additionally, she presented data regarding book circulation and the resulting changes in category distribution, comparing the period from June to July in both 2023 and 2024. She presented the new classification system, which divides the collection into different categories based on genre and other criteria, and explained how the books are grouped together on the shelves. The categories include: Stories, Transportation, Favorites, Myths & Traditions, Growing Up, Concepts, Holidays and Nature. All of the books in these categories have been ordered by author name. This was a significant undertaking that required the expertise of our library technology services team, including former Board member Bizzy Bracken who was an intern, all of whom worked on processing books into the different new categories. Many library staff from other departments also provided invaluable assistance by labeling the books and shelving them. The catalog now displays the picture books and their respective categories for the convenience of our patrons. The Board was very pleased with the. presentation and the new system. After the presentation, Ms. Borchetta mentioned the recent program f~r children inviting them to bring their stuffed animals to the library for an overnight stay. Youth Services Librarian Emily Ledbetter took pictures of the animals in different areas and shared them on social media. In all, 16 stuffed animals participated in the program. The children expressed how excited they were to see the animals having fun in the library. Ms. Borchetta also mentioned that a total of 1,304 kids and teens, 396 adults, and 40 city employees have signed up for the summer reading program so far. She also mentioned the use of the Switch in the teen room which is averaging a dozen uses a month since they started tracking. 6. APPROVAL OF JUNE 12, 2024 MEETING MINUTES Upon a motion duly made by Ms. Labukas, and seconded by Mr. Morse, the Library Board approved the June 12, 2024 Meeting Minutes with a minor change. 2 7. LIBRARY REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS June Statistics • 15,545 visits, the second highest month ofFY24, after July 2024, which was 15,868 • Very slight circulation increase • Trends will be included on the library report once the Annual Report gets completed. July and August Upcoming Programs • Friday July 26 - Monday July 29 used book sale • Saturday July 20: Blue Sky Puppets Show • Saturday July 27: Dinosaur Pajama Party • Saturday August 8: Wes Is eli Magic Show Author talks: • Saturday July 20: Black Communities of Fairfax: A History by Etta Wilson, Rita Colberet, Linneall Naylor, Rondia Prescott with Jenee Lindner. • Sunday July 21: Karin Tanabe with the novel The Sunset Crowd in partnership with Bards Alley. • Saturday July 27: S.T. Gibson with the novel Evocation in partnership with Bards Alley. (75 people already registered and more in waiting list) Building Issues • Traffic calming posts around the outside book drop will be installed by the end of July. • The new RTU3 is tentatively scheduled for delivery by the end of July and to be installed early August. • The motor on the vestibule door has been experiencing recurring i:;sues. The City's Department of Public works is coordinating with the contractor to replace the doors motor. New LA-1 Positions & Expanded FY2025 Hours • Interviews have been completed and offers will be made next week. • An announcement about the new expanded weekend hours has been posted on the website. The new hours will start the week of Monday August 19. FY25 LBOT Vacancies • Council appointment committee formed by Mayor Letty Hardi, Councilwomen Marybeth Connelly and Erin Flynn conducted interviews on July 10. The appointment will be made at the August Council business meeting. 3 Next Couple of Months Heads-Up • Mr. Webster will be on vacation from August 2-18 . Youth Services Supervisor Jess Borchetta will be in charge while he is away. • Library board business meeting on August 21 o Review of bylaws o Election of Officers o 2025 Board meeting dates o RemoteNirtual Work Plan procedure • On September 14 the library will have a table and a tent at the Falls Church Festival, which will be covered by library staff and library board volunteers for 1-2-hour shifts. September is also National Library Card Sig-Up Month, so the public will be able to sign up for a library card at the table. The Foundation will participate in the festival ' s beer garden for the second consecutive year. Welcoming Falls Church and the AAUW will also be holding an author talk with Pulitzer prize winning author and journalist Sindya Bhanoo in the library that afternoon. • Library Board meeting on September 18 o Exam proctoring update o Reflections from Falls Church Festival table 8. FINAL DRAFT OF FY24 ANNUAL REPORT Mr. Webster presented the updated Annual Report with the corrections made since the June Board meeting. He included the preliminary numbers but the data will be slightly refined once staff run fuller numbers for the annual Bibliostat (state required data) report. The Annual Report will be presen!ed to Council at their September 91h' s meeting. Upon a motion duly made by Mr. Leopold, and seconded by Mr. Morse, the Library Board approved the final draft of the Annual Report with minor change§. If there are any significant changes to the Annual Report before the presentation to Council, Mr. Webster will notifY the Board. 9. DRAFT MRSPL STRATEGIC PLAN: FY25 12-MONTH WORK PLAN Mr. Webster presented the FY25 12-month work plan associated with the larger MRSPL Strate- gic Plan to the Board, noting that the State requires an updated work plan each year. The 12-month plan identifies action items staff will pursue during FY25, and centers on the four primary focus areas out- lined in the five-year strategic plan: • Elevate Programming, Resources & Spaces to Improve Relevance and Ease ofUse 4  • Expand Outreach, Partnerships & Collaborations with a Focus in the Underserved • Enhance Community Aware ness & Engagement • Increase Investment in Staffing to Expand Access & Hours Some of the key action items included: • Complete migration to new FCHR database, then begin adding new content to platform • Review and update library Disaster Plan • Outline 3-year plan to expand library outreach • Work with City' s new Vietnamese Community Coordinator to explore ways to increase engagement with Vietnamese community in Falls Church • Explore new ESOL program to replace group that recently disbanded • Plan for library ' s 125 Year Anniversary celebration close out • Establish a formal MOA with MRSPL Foundation • Increase weekend hours by additional 2 hours (Sat/Sun 10 am - 5 pm) • Develop plan to conduct survey gauging progress on desired strategic plan outcomes 10. NEW LBOT RESOURCE WEBPAGE Mr. Webster presented a new Library Board Resources webpage (www.mrspl.org/LBOT), which he created to provide library board members with convenient access to a comprehensive set of information and resources, including the Bylaws, Policies, Library Budget, Annual Reports, Strategic Plan, FOIA information, Trustee Newsletter, and other Library of Virginia information. 11. FOUNDATION & LIAISON REPORTS a) FOUNDATION REPORT ' • The Foundation approved the $45K gift after reviewing the presented expenditure plan from Mr. Webster. The check will be provided next week. • MOA is in process. • The Annual Chet DeLong Award Nominations closes on August 2 and once there is a nominee will be presented to Council. • The MRSPL Foundation will have a table on Saturday July 27, 10-1pm at the library's Booksale to promote the Foundation. b) COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT • Many streets project are underway including crosswalks and safe passage. The crosswalk on Oak Street was completed with a new "brick" material. There is a pilot process to change the current red brick to replace the current streetscape standards with this new option. and Broad as a pilot project for the rest of the City. 5  • More pedestrian crosswalks are coming, one in front of the post office and another one at the Falls Church. • West Broad building will open soon, with some apartments already leased. The Whole Foods sign is up in that building. • The Fresh Market grocery store will be into the West Falls project. • There is a School Board seat open. • City Council will begin discussions between Fall and Spring about allowing homeowners to put a small unit on their property with certain parameters. This is to discourage the building of large homes. • The Bike Master Plan is in the works. Kids will be able to walk and bike on different paths; some option paths are waiting to be voted on by the community. There are also some proposed plans on the east, north and southwest areas. • The Hotel located on the West End Plaza is currently open to the public. c) SCHOOL BOARD LIAISON REPORT No report. d) ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL REPORT • A new tourism website coming from the Economic Development Office is currently being designed. • A committee of this Council is reviewing the responses from the City Council Portraits and a result will be forthcoming. • Tinner Hill Historical and Cultural District Group was approved by Council in June. 12. ON-GOING EQUITY DISCUSSION No discussion 13. BUSINESS NOT ON THE AGENDA None 14. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, upon a motion duly made by Ms. Labukas and seconded by Mr. Leopold, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 7:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 6 Marshall Webster Acting Library Director Approved: E~~ Chairperson Copies: Board of Trustees, City Manager, Library Reference Desk, Staff Bulletin Board, City Clerk, Library Web Page. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To equest a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5032, TTY 711. 7  MARY RILEY STYLES PUBLIC LIBRARY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING . July 17, 2024 GUEST SIGN-IN SHEET NAME ADDRESS EMAIL ~~ M:(\U \ N~.i I\t-v@ ~1\~uh.VJc-h v ~ \LO I}J . V:rq><0 J "'cl!. ~~0~~c__ [(..c) v'\ V. rf(,fi o... \j Av e_ \loc.,c.t Jt-~ @_ f l ~ J,-ifC h,. c.. c_ fJ - ' Page 1  7/17/2024 MARY RILEY STYLES Mission, Vision & Values PUBLIC LIBRARY Eagy Readerg - • 8ob loob. Phonic! Sell. and books that Beginnerg focut on one IOIIld at a time - • for the earliett readert. few wordt on the ac_ _ _ • Chapten. lett heaviiU lluttrated. lmaget page, loll of white epace and pictures on 8CCOI1IpiiiU text rather than conveu information. each page. ilmple words and IdeM. Lwger fonl more White BJ)ace. and lhorter than • More worck on the page and increased regular chapter book!. vocatuaru • Longer chapten. tome illurtratlons. more • More complex concepti and ~ llorlet. final rtepping none to regular IOITie lhort chapters chapter books. 1  7/17/2024 IIAD'f·'JO.IUD LIVIL RPody-to-Go Ready to R.ad Pr• Lenl I READY* TO* READ --- AD120t-AD190l Standard Publishers levels Rotdy toltud • • Ready to Go - ....,..,. Pre-t.ewl 1 - on~• World of Rood Inc • • Pr•t- er•nce 1- • ~11- • 2- 280l-S50l • l...,.l2 - . . - . 3-- • ~1 3- ­ Stop 1!z1e ......... I C...Rud • Stop!- ' Reody-to-Reod level 3 450L-9SOL I • My Vtry First- ""'"P • Sttp2- • MyFirst-...nc- • Sttp3- ,..... • 1- Penculn Younc Readers World of Reading • 2- """ 0 t....,_ ,,~ r.. K-~ ........t ... • 3- ~ Green LJcht lltead.rs • • Levell- orance Levell- ~ (!] . . ., _. .._. ._ •~ • I,,.. • ~13- ...... -~- 0! • • • " - ~ ..... ] • Levell- •.-.nc• ~. ..,_, to .... ..., . . ... , . ... • L...,.l2- \,... •••• - <•\'-•• • lewi3-- • 1- 1Amtr b rly IJinl Stories . 2-- • 3 - ,.,..,. • Pink. Red. Yellow- .,.,.,. Timetott..d • 81~. GrHn, Otana•- • Purplt, Gold - ,,... • Level l - ..-.1'\P • lovell- Acorn - ....-fbluo • ~13- - araodlos - bluo/purplo --- ._. ._ . 2  7/17/2024 JE Easy and JBeg 1 year Circulations 10 0 • JE Easy P1nk • JE Easy Oranee JE Easy Yellow • JE Easy Green • Jbeg Blue • Jbeg Purple 3  7/17/2024 ___ ._....__... ~!JOlS ~fJOlS < - - s,v qoog aJn~d Q!JOlS ~!JOlS Aejdsl(] - ..,...................... ~.~~ · 0 . ~ ...a•~ .._...... "' ... . ........ -... ............... 1, ~., .,-_. Stories Stories Stories Stories ........,.......... "' C's > . ~ 11 <---------- S,!) __ • O.lttM - dlolnocM'-- 'tel. o ,.....,,...,..... ....,.....,... Oilllltt- ....,u.e nJ .., • r...,litf.l . ~~l11 14 1 1'1. ·-"- . • ,. ..... _ ........ 1.t'l \~-- • DAIII* .............. .-t til • ,..,.... \l \ • ...,..... '\.1'\ ·-·-""' ...... · --~---~- ('1\ ~ ....,. ........ ._ ...:.. ~.:.:"-- •MEI!P- ~~ 1.1."'""' ·-"' -- • ~ \Ut 0 0.. ..... l lf<f • $MMM ,.,. 0,... ~ ~·""..... IC'I . . . . . ........... 0 ..-. ,.,tt ,,."\ • c-...... ~ .,.,....._... ''\ - ~~'\\. • r......, ....... \' 4  7/17/2024 STORIES ~..._ • BEDTIME • FUNNY • * GENERAL * * HOBBIES & GAMES * D • CARS & TRUCKS • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT• • THINGS THAT GO • EMERGENCY VEHICLES • 5  7/17/2024 D •AUTHORS •CHARACTERS• Flit UND!R 1H! AUTHOR OA CHARACTER NAME • CLASSICS • -- D • FAIRY TALES• MYTHICAL CREATURES • • PRINCESSES • TRADITIONAL • 6  7/17/2024 D • ABCS & 123S • COLORS & SHAPES • • INTERACTIVE • SONGS & RHYMES • 7  7/17/2024 D * BIRTHDAYS * HOLIDAYS * FIND UNDER THE HOLIDAY NAME *ANIMALS* DINOSAURS* FOOD * * OUR WORLD *SEASONS * 8  7/17/2024 • Difference in Circulation by Category June-July 2023 vs June-July 2024 1.2 08 0.6 0.4 I ~ 0. 2 0 Stones TransportatiOn Favorites Myths & Tradrtons GrowmgUp Concepts Holidays Nature 9