Library Board

MINUTES Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:30pm at the Farmington Public Library Multipurpose Room SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE FARMINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD AND THE FARMINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOARD Advisory Board Members Present: Dale Anderson, Judy Castleberry, Mary E. Keller, Maryann Thompson, Paula Nickerson, Dan Sheesley Advisory Board Members Absent: Dr. Carletta Thompson, Richard Gerding Foundation Board Members Present: Billie Curnutt, Jann Weems, Margaret Armstrong, Susan Merrion, Teresa Macaluso, Zang Wood, Roger Lahart Foundation Board Members Absent: Hyla Calcote, Margo Allee, Tom Mullins Farmington Public Library Staff Present: Karen McPheeters, Mary Lee Smith, Jenny Lee Ryan, Caitlin Shaffer I. Call to Order Karen McPheeters, Farmington Public Library Director Introduction of Bill Hi dell and team II. Strategic Planning Process- Questions asked of Board members: What are the top two reasons you use the farmington public library? • iPad instructions- technology instruction • Check out print books, just for enjoyment • Downloadable over the internet from home • Children's books and children's programming • My kids are past that, but definitely children's programming • Of the people you know, why do you think they use the library? o Study (teens) o Access to computers, wifi The library has given you $100,000 of their budget to spend. How would you spend it? • Collections- mostly hard copy, but both hard and electronic • Teen section- Blended zine; focus on kids using the library a little bit more o Youth in general, but teens need to be targeted o Tween space? • Possibly; once you get past a certain age, you start to lost them; tweens are kind of a lost group sometimes • Programming- reach out to the Hispanic and Native American communities o The community in which we live- needs to be a directed, focused effort • How to reach out? • Native American poetry, authors, artists  • Mexican history, literature, books in Spanish o Expand the programming we have • Example: storytelling festival • Reach out to older age groups, and not just the younger children • Programming- expand to group activities; getting together with other people in the community, to share a book reading, an author, a cultural event • Don't lose the storytelling festival o It really is an amazing event o Includes tellers from many different cultures- African, Hispanic, Native American -a great exchange • Solstice parties- are popular, fun Imagine we are renovating the library. What is the one thing you would move, change or reconfigure? What is the one thing you would leave untouched? • Anytime I have company from out of town, I bring them to the library; one is a teacher from New York who has access to many libraries, and she is awed • Children -leave the big storytime doors • Service desks - are they positioned, designed adequately? o They're okay o Earlier today, staff mentioned moving the reference desk more outward near the rotunda- what do you think? • That's a good idea; it's hidden and can be hard to find • Coffee shop- will help create a place where people can gather socially Advances in technology are impacting our daily lives. Have these advances over the past 5 years affected how you use the library? • E-readers- use both print and ebooks, magazines • The impact of technology is greater than we think; I used to spend a lot of time in libraries doing research for the work I do-- it's all on the net; I spend more time reading technical stuff than I ever did; this facility is not very useful to me anymore, it's all online; I'd rather spend a few bucks to buy a book on Amazon than spending money for the gas it takes to drive to Farmington o We're seeing the numbers change (in terms of library usage) but we don't know what it is o So how does the library bring you back in? • It's kids- grandkids; I want to see their grandkids be able to use this facility; I see that magic when kids use the library; it's what will make them good citizens, make them alive (the thrill of discovery) • Databases that you can access with your library card o Business incubator at the college - use databases often, but not everyone knows they exist • I'm local- I've been going to the Farmington Public Library since it was on Orchard o I took my kids to the library; my daughter works at the library in the summer • I'm totally convinced she chose her major because she was a youth teller at the library's festival  For many of you, your kids are no longer in the house- your use of the library has changed as empty-nesters; what will happen as your grandchildren come to the library? What wlil happen after you retire and can choose how to spend your time? o During the summer, daughter babysits and brings the kids to the library- she takes advantage of the free programs and is comfortable here o My use of the library is different, now that I am not bringing my kids in • This library is unique with Flo, and with your crew- a lot of libraries don't provide this family setting, with a human person; it is easier when you've~got someone like your staff here; (it's that need for the human touch) o Do you find the website adequate, easy to use? • Yes The great recession has impacted all of us. Has it changed the way you utilize the library? • Collection suffered, so we suffered • Storytelling festival was reduced, but also became free Should the library work cooperatively with another oragnization to provide services? • If an organization regularly meets or has a presentation at the library, we could draw more people in o Bluegrass music group, for example- weekly use of the library's space would potentially draw more people to the library o Use of the library's multipurpose room? How often is this room used? Weren't we going to rent it out? • Library does not have staff to address the set-up and equipment needs, security, etc. Even when fees are paid, that money does not offset library's costs; civic center has staff dedicated for these purposes • Library's reduced hours create difficulty with optimal timing of evening programs The library has decided to install an express branch. Where should it be located? • Sycamore Park Community Center • In the direction where the town is growing (Foothills area) • That's going in the wrong direction -look at what's happening (Netflix); I disagree with the idea of a vending machine model; we need to consider other options o We've been approached about putting in actual branch libraries; a more automated model would be more cost effective than bricks and mortar and staffing • Is this concept important to people?  o Good question; some people will just buy a book when they want; a reader is going to get the information • How much does a unit like this cost? It seems that that money might be better spent on collections • We need to consider the neighborhoods and the people who live there; not everyone can afford to go and buy the Kindle; addressing literacy is making sure books are available to everybody o I'm thinking ofthe low income kids, whose parents are unable to take them to the library o But do they know about the library enough to use an express branch? o Maybe it would be cheaper to give Kindles away (to these kids) • If we can't have a physical space/building, maybe we could do an express branch without the commitment of staffing o Many libraries are starting to offer e-readers for check-out; maybe this is a way to bring people back to the library • There are distinct preferences, between print and electronic- libraries have to satisfy both, and it is a drain on resources o What do the numbers say- has there been research? • Fpl currently has more print and fewer electronic books, but the usage of electronic is very high • Will be driven by economics; profit margin for publishers o But print books will remain in demand; just the act of teaching children to read- the tactile interaction, turning the pages • Now we're getting to "what's the use of the library"- o It's the increase in electronic books o It's helping people find the book to read, and get the information that is legitimate (not Wikipedia, but information that has been vetted) • There's a clutter out there; there is so much information, don't bother re-doing your net site, it's just a phone book with pictures; what I see as the library's role is to provide information efficiently and effectively, to help sort out all of the books that are out there and sift out the junk • So why come to the library? o It's the authenticity of that book, the social experience o The devices, the social media tools- it's a clutter out there, it's a fad; people are now starting to seek out the conversations, the social experiences What do you think the library looks like in five years? Has it changed- how has it changed? • Larger wireless, larger computer section o We've already identified that people are migrating to wifi with their own devices, rather than using a library computer • Then what do they want? They want comfortable chairs and electrical power  • Many libraries are offering flex-spaces- social areas that can be rearranged to suit the users' needs • We do not have the technology to create videos, animation, etc. - not just for teens, but for use by everyone o Another emerging trend for libraries is makerspace -library provides the tools, equipment and space for people to make things o Affluent community- recognizes the importance of start-up space for emerging businesses; library provides business center services • Co-working spaces- makes perfect sense for the library to provide that kind otspace; business incubator at San Juan College is not necessarily the ideal • Government online applications, health information, workforce solutions partnership, partnership with schools Plan to propose asking these kinds of questions to the general public, "question a week" - target library users, but also non-users • 27% of san juan county population is under the age of 18; a large, young population with low literacy rates; our economic future is really vested in that third grade reading level • Our population must be ready to fill the jobs that come; our population does not have the skills (or cannot pass the drug test) for the existing job openings in this area. III. Adjournment Approved by board on December 17th, 2013