Neill Public Library Board of Trustees

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 [Regular Meeting] Regular Meeting [3:00 p.m.] [Young Room, Neill Public Library] Page 1. Library Board Order of Business: Unless cancelled, the regular meetings of the Neill Public Library Board of Trustees are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3pm at Neill Public Library at 210 N Grand Avenue. Notices of cancellation or special meetings, complete board agendas, and meeting minutes are posted on this web site. 2. Instructions to make public comment 3. Call to Order 4. Agenda 4.01 A motion to approve the minutes from the Regular Meeting on February 18, 2026. 3 2-18-2026 Board Minutes - draft.pdf 5. Announcements and Reports 5.01 Friends of Neill Public Library Report 5.02 City Council Report 5.03 Financial Report 6 February 2026Financial Report.pdf 5.04 Director's Report 7 February2026DirectorReport.pdf February2026GeneralOverview.pdf February2026MaterialsCircOverview.pdf 6. Regular Business 6.01 Facilites & Services Final Report 6.02 Comprehensive Plan Update 12 Neill Public Library - Comprehensive Plan - Draft.pdf Page 1 of 14  6.03 Intellectual Freedom Discussion 6.04 Library Developments 6.05 Upcoming Meetings Next meeting is Wednesday, April 25, 2026 7. New Business 7.01 New business from any member of the Library Board of Trustees 7.02 New business from any member of the public. 8. Adjournment 8.01 A motion to adjourn the meeting Page 2 of 14  MINUTES NEILL PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Regular Meeting February 18, 2026 Young Conference Room 3:00 p.m. 1. Call to Order – Kate called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm 2. Agenda a. Roll Call Present: Kate Watts Chair Whitney Callahan Trustee Mary Jane Neill Trustee Karen Weathermon Trustee Ann Parks Member Ex-Officio Stacie Echanove Library Director Lori Lewis Administrative Liaison Minh Elan AS Manager Kate Ffolliott AS Technician Zulema Martinez Circulation & Reference Supervisor Excused: Keith Petersen Trustee Unexcused: None LWV Observer: Deb Olson b. Mary Jane Neill moved and Whitney Callahan seconded approving minutes from the January 21, 2026 Regular Meeting. All voted and the minutes were accepted as presented. 3. Announcements and Reports a. Friends of Neill Public Library – Stacie gave the Friends report. i) The Friends held their annual meeting last week, and it was nice to see a couple of Trustees there. ii) They have tentatively filled the Vice President, and the Co-Treasurers will be filled soon. b. City Council Report – Ann gave the City Council report. i) City Council is beginning our annual goal setting, and it was lovely to hold an open house and hear from the community. They received much feedback, both good and bad. ii) It was lovely to hold this in the library as we had such a great turnout. Community members may continue to respond through the end of the month through an on-line form, and staff will be allowed input as well. iii) Mary Jane asked how/if the library is a part of the City goal-setting. Ann responded that it may be a good idea for the Board to write something up for the library that they would like included in the goals. c. Financial Report – Lori gave the Financial report. d. Director’s Report –Stacie gave the Director’s report. Discussion followed regarding the circulation statistics. 4. Regular Business a. Comprehensive Plan Update i) Ariel Medeiros, City Planner, returned to give an update on the status of the Comprehensive Plan. ii) Whitney Callahan gave an update on the meeting that the Board had with staff in regards to the Comprehensive Plan. She asked Ariel about whether the Board/Staff should write detailed items of Page 3 of 14  what we want on the list, or if they should give her points and allow her to add the information. Ariel was open to both ideas. Discussion followed. iii) Ariel is willing to come back to the April meeting to review what the subcommittee puts together and how to include that content in the Comprehensive Plan. b. Facilities & Assessment i) We shared the draft of the BERK Final Assessment with the Board and opened the floor for their impressions and questions. ii) Karen was concerned that the end of the report is lacking in envisioning what the future would look like and what we can do to make things better in the short-term. iii) Mary Jane liked how BERK suggested that programming could be increased with community collaboration. She was also concerned that the price tags seemed high for what BERK was recommending. iv) There were great concerns over the population numbers being higher than what OFM estimates. Also, that the numbers on Exhibit 2 are backwards; 2024 – 2040 are reversed. v) There was discussion about interior/exterior signage, staff space concerns, and if they can be more specific as to what they are envisioning with the improvements. vi) The Board agreed it’s fair to tell them we are disappointed with the results, particularly in the recommendation sections. The majority of the report is about who we are now, and not who we can be in the future. The Board has concerns about BERK presenting to Council without the Board/Staff knowing what will be presented, given the number of errors and lapses in the report. c. Intellectual Freedom Discussion – No challenges since our last Board meeting. d. Library Developments i) Stacie reported that Lori is looking into Paylocity scheduling so that we can possibly move from WhenToWork. ii) Stacie completed onboarding for Karen Weathermon letting her know how the Boards operate, etc. iii) Pullman Farmer’s Market is looking to change its location this summer. They are considering somewhere on Kamiaken or in the library’s parking lot. iv) Minh is looking into the Sherrod Endowment funding and how it could be used for mobile shelving. v) Stacie handed out copies of the Aspen Weekly, which highlights Neill Public Library as one of their partners. vi) Stacie handed out copies of the Library’s Annual Report. (1) She also gave credit to Kerry Darnall for copy editing and to Megan Otto for creating the cover of the annual report, and she gave the highlights. (2) Stacie proposed having the departments come to future Board meetings to present on their individual department highlights. (a) March – Adult Services (b) April – Youth Services (c) May – Circulation & Reference (d) June – Technical Services (3) The Board asked if we will continue to invite new staff, which they will. Stacie asked if they were interested in the meeting the casual staff, and they would like to meet them. e. Upcoming Meetings i) Next meeting, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. ii) Mary Jane will not be here but can possibly zoom in as necessary. 5. New Business a. Library Goals Discussion – Whitney indicated that we have that built into the BERK study, but we can circle back if necessary. b. New business from any member of the Library Board of Trustees. c. New business from any member of the public. Page 4 of 14  i. Deb Olsen – indicated that the LWV will be doing a presentation on the upcoming Youth Art Competition which is focused on local government – 90% Happens Locally. ii. The art competition runs from now through March 31, 2026. 6. Adjournment of Regular Meeting a. Being no further business, Karen Weathermon moved and Whitney Callahan seconded adjourning the Regular meeting. All voted and the meeting adjourned at 4:39 p.m. Minutes taken by: Lori C. Lewis Printed Name: Page 5 of 14  February Financial Report Description Budget Expenditures YTD Budget YTD Expenditures YTD Available % EXP Salaries and wages $1,162,950.56 $83,239.78 $193,825.09 $168,331.07 $994,619.49 14.47% Benefits $361,633.84 $32,763.39 $60,272.31 $65,516.79 $296,117.05 18.12% Wages/Benefits $1,524,584.40 $116,003.17 $254,097.40 $233,847.86 $1,290,736.54 15.34% Materials $130,087.00 $9,080.70 $21,681.17 $16,186.62 $113,900.38 12.44% Programming $16,235.00 $378.20 $2,705.83 $378.20 $15,856.80 2.33% Supplies $14,700.00 $1,413.12 $2,450.00 $3,002.43 $11,697.57 20.42% Total $2,168,353.09 $142,667.16 $361,392.18 $337,909.32 $1,830,443.77 15.58% Adjusted total $1,707,476.40 $127,587.14 $284,579.40 $255,340.73 $1,452,135.67 14.95% Adjusted total excludes significant one-time charges including insurance, interfund, capital, and public- service software licenses Page 6 of 14 Director’s Report – February 2026 Administration • Stacie, Zulema, Kate & Beck (representing Admin, Circ Ref, & Adult Services) participated in a Flood Tabletop Exercise to help develop flood response procedures. Participants considered different flood situations and discussed impacts on their respective departments and consequent staff capacity. Since the library is directly in the flood path, it was determined that library staff could provide offsite support with communication functions and emergency shelters. • Stacie attending the Annual Friends meeting and distributed the Library’s Annual Report • The Library met with BERK to provide feedback and finalize the Services & Facilities Assessment • Library celebrated staff members Minh & Nora for their completion of their MLIS degrees Adult Services Minh Elan, Adult Services Manager • NPL’s integrated library system was connected to the Washington State Certification Portal, giving library cardholders access to workforce learning tools, such as self-paced courses, practice tests, exam vouchers, and remote proctoring. These tools can be used to obtain industry-recognized software and information technology certifications. • Minh Elan participated in WDLC Executive Advisory Committee meetings and projects. o The EAC began a test of “Lucky Day” titles to determine their impact on hold times. “Lucky Day” titles are regular titles that are converted to “first-come, first-served” titles. These allow users in the hold queue to skip the line and read the book if they are ready to borrow it immediately. The test will conclude in three months. o The EAC developed the 2026 Workplan, which includes continued investigation into a change in the consortium’s governance and/or cost-sharing model, updating the Collection Development Policy, and reviewing the policy regarding reordering expired titles (i.e., reordering after 6 holds). Circulation & Reference 210 N. Grand Avenue, Pullman, WA 99163 509.334.3595 www.neill-lib.org Page 7 of 14 Zulema Martinez, Circulation & Reference Supervisor • Casual circulation staff completed their 2025 annual reviews, including aspirations for the coming year. • Zulema met with the Joint Council of Librarians of color to finalize schedule of events, caterer decisions, and field trips and outings. • Zulema, along with Stacie, Lori, and Kate, met to discuss initial impressions of BERK report. • Megan designed and created a “Love your library” display, soliciting love letters from patrons to NPL on heart-shaped cards • Marisa continued restocking the popular “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover” display in the south entry. More than half of the materials in the display have checked out. Love Your Library Interactive Display • Circ/Ref Staff held a long-overdue Circulation Staff Meeting to go over information about the City Budget and impact for the library and Circ specifically Technical Services Paul Slaughter, Technical Services Supervisor • Tech Services began duties unpacking and labeling received Ingram book orders • 759 individual items added to catalog • 330 items removed from catalog (withdrawn and lost) • Work continued on refining new cataloging procedures • Work continued on updating NPL’s holdings with OCLC 210 N. Grand Avenue, Pullman, WA 99163 509.334.3595 www.neill-lib.org Page 8 of 14 Youth Services Rachael Ritter, Youth Services Manager • Collaborations with the League of Women voters 2026 Visual Arts Competition • Collaboration with Whitman County Public Health for Dental Health Month – Guest at Storytime & dental supplies for Grab & Go bags. • Out-of-School Programming o Youth Services hosted a Science Extravaganza where youth of all ages were invited to tinker and Dental Health Month Storytime learn about STEM manipulatives! o Movies in the Library continued featuring Dog Man. • Second Saturday featured a variety of successful program for youth including: Maker’s Club (DIY Valentines), Pokemon Card Trading, Teen Crafternoon (Teabag Bookmarks) & Teen Trivia. 210 N. Grand Avenue, Pullman, WA 99163 509.334.3595 www.neill-lib.org Page 9 of 14  February Director's Report - General & Program Overview 2026 Month / 2025 2026 YTD / 2025 Total Month Comparison YTD Comparison Library visits 34552 50.6% 10.2% Computer sessions 635 -0.5% -3.4% Wifi unique clients 747 -6.6% -9.2% Wifi sessions 470 -1.3% 0.7% Public print jobs 1104 -22.1% -9.4% Circulation & Reference Checkins- actual 10645 -5.3% -1.5% New library cards 169 11.9% 0.3% Self-CKO % 37.9% -32.1% -16.9% Mtg room use- count 16 23.1% -21.1% Technical Services New items 759 26.7% -0.8% Program Participation 2026 Month / 2025 2026 YTD / 2025 Adult Attendees Month Comparison YTD Comparison Ongoing programs 265 201.1% 107.1% One-time 60 -30.2% 22.0% Adult outreach 17 -58.5% -49.3% Adult online 2 -50.0% 42.9% Adult passive 67 Adult Total 411 87.7% 82.3% Youth Attendees Month 2026 YTD Youth 0-5 373 -22.8% 2.2% Youth 6-11 90 260.0% 93.3% Youth 12-18 20 -60.8% -63.3% Youth all ages 72 -34.5% 4.3% Youth outreach 0 Youth online 0 Activity bags 400 0.0% 0.0% Youth Total 955 -34.1% -19.9% All Programs 1366 -18.1% -6.2% Page 10 of 14  February Director's Report - Materials Circulation Overview Adult Circulation Adult % of Adult Circ Month 2026 YTD Fiction/Nonfiction 26% -15% -11% Audio/Video 16% -23% -10% E-circulation 57% 22% 18% Total Adult 16271 1% 4% Fiction/Nonfiction Audio/Video E-circulation Youth % of Youth Circ Month 2026 YTD Youth Circulation Picture books 27% -14% -12% Fiction/Nonfiction 43% -20% -15% Young Adult 7% -3% 1% Audio/Video 4% -3% -17% Juvenile E-circulation 9% 5% 10% Picture books Fiction/Nonfiction Young Adult Audio/Video Young Adult E-circulation 9% 47% 18% Juvenile E-circulation Young Adult E-circulation Total Youth 12501 -10% -8% Total Totals % Total Circ Month 2026 YTD Physical circulation 53% -16% -2% E-circulation 36% 23% 18% In-house circulation 11% 25% 21% Total circulation 32293 -2% 0% Physical circulation E-circulation In-house circulation Page 11 of 14 There aren’t many truly public places left in America. Most of our shared spaces require money or a certain social status to access. Shopping centers and malls exist to sell people things. Museums and galleries discourage loiterers. Coffee shops expect patrons to purchase a drink or snack if they want to enjoy the premises. One place, though, remains open to everybody. The public library requires nothing of its visitors: no purchases, no membership fees, no dress code. You can stay all day, and you don’t have to buy anything. You don’t need money or a library card to access a multitude of on-site resources that includes books, e-books and magazines, job- hunting assistance, computer stations, free Wi-Fi, and much more. During extreme heat or cold, the library also serves as a warming and cooling center, providing a safe place for people to take shelter from dangerous weather. And the library will never share or sell your personal data. In a country riven by racial, ethnic, political, and socioeconomic divides, libraries still welcome everyone. Libraries maintain history, and more importantly, truth. While libraries offer free educational resources, they are also sustainable, help to build communities, are transparent with all the services they provide and contribute to increasing the economy. In short, libraries change lives! What would become Neill Public Library (NPL) opened in 1922 as the “Children’s Summer Library” in the basement of the Presbyterian Church (Greystone Building). By 1926 it was open year-round and had moved into two rooms in Pullman’s City Hall. Two years later, the library moved to the Emerson Building on Main Street. In 1927, the City of Pullman provided its first direct funding to the library—which by this time served adults as well as children. Those city funds paid for a part-time librarian, new books, book repairs, and maintenance and operation expenses. In 1940, the city formally accepted library ownership. In 1962, the library moved into an existing building at its current Grand Avenue location. The current NPL building replaced that original structure in 1992, and the “Heritage Addition,” funded by donations private donors, expanding the facility to its current size in 2004. The Neill Public Library has served as a central anchor for the Pullman community for more than a century and remains one of the most heavily utilized public facilities in the city. With nearly three times the number of visits per 1,000 residents compared to peer libraries, the facility functions as a vital “third place” for residents of all ages. Located in downtown Pullman, adjacent to transit and within walking distance of surrounding neighborhoods, the library provides accessible space for reading, studying, gathering, technology access, and community connection. The current 14,000-square-foot facility is well located and widely viewed as welcoming, yet it no longer adequately supports contemporary library service demands. Limited space constrains collections, seating, study areas, and program offerings, while narrow aisles, minimal quiet space, and limited assistive accommodations restrict equitable access. High circulation rates, paired with an average-sized collection, result in reduced material availability, and the lack of space requires ongoing weeding to accommodate new acquisitions. Community feedback consistently identifies expanded collections, additional seating, and improved multi-functional spaces as priorities for improvement. The open layout makes it difficult to host simultaneous Page 12 of 14 activities without displacing other users, and the absence of dedicated study rooms or acoustically separated program space limits flexibility. Community members have expressed strong interest in expanded adult programming, additional teen-focused space, private study rooms, and technology-enabled learning environments. Over the next ten years, the City should plan for a phased facility expansion that aligns with national library benchmarks. Expansion would allow for widened aisles and improved ADA compliance, additional study rooms, acoustically separated meeting and program spaces, expanded collections for children, teens, and adults, improved staff work areas, and upgraded building systems to support modern technology and safety standards. A strategic investment in expanded and modernized facilities will ensure that the Neill Public Library continues to serve as Pullman’s civic heart—supporting literacy, lifelong learning, workforce development, and community connection for the next generation. Goals & Policies: This element provides goals and policies for library programs and services. Goal 1: Create opportunities for supporting literacy, lifelong learning, and workforce development. Policy 1.1: Develop a plan for a regional facility that provide both indoor and outdoor facilities and serves as a community gathering place. Policy 1.2: Develop and implement a Library Strategic Plan and update every three to five years. Policy 1.3: Provide study rooms, acoustically separated meeting and program spaces. Policy 1.4: Expand collections for children, teens, and adults. Goal 2: Maintain high quality and accessible spaces. Policy 2.1: Upgrade library facilities on an ongoing basis to ensure that people of all abilities have access and inclusion in the enjoyment of the facilities, such as widened aisles and improved ADA compliance. Policy 2.2: Improved staff work areas Policy 2.3: Upgraded building systems to support modern technology and safety standards Policy 2.4: Provide assistive technology, such as video magnifiers, low-vision computer stations, etc. Policy 2.5: Periodically review the design of the existing facilities to reflect changing needs and desires of community members. Goal 3: Continue to provide a comprehensive set of educational and recreational programs as needs change over time. Policy 3.1: Develop new and expand existing programs for the youth, adult, and senior population in Pullman that meets their needs and interests. Policy 3.2: Develop a cost-recovery policy recognizing the library as a public good, and promoting programs that serve a broad range of the community. Maintain free programs that promote equitable access for all ages and incomes. Page 13 of 14 Policy 3.3: Provide outreach for Pullman School District students and underserved populations. Page 14 of 14