Library Board

Agenda Royal Oak Public Library Board of Trustees Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Royal Oak Public Library Friends Auditorium 222 East Eleven Mile Road Royal Oak, MI 48067 Anyone planning to attend the meeting who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the city clerk’s office at 248-246-3050 at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting. Pages 1. Call to Order 2. Approval to Recess Into Closed Session to Discuss Collective Bargaining Matters Pursuant to Section 8 of the Open Meetings Act 3. Reconvene to open session 4. Announcements/Communications 5. Public Comment 6. Approval of Agenda 7. Approval of Minutes 2 8. Financial Reports 7 9. Director and Staff Report 10 10. Subcommittee/Program Reports a. Strategic Planning Sub-Committee The committee met to discuss a revision to the draft strategic plan. A revised version will be presented during old business. 11. Old Business a. Strategic Plan 19 Discuss and finalize strategic plan. Please note changes on p.5 - Purpose Statement; p. 7 - the last potential outcome; and p. 8 - the strategic direction and the associated description. 12. New Business a. Declare items as surplus 29 Declare computers, monitors and TVs as surplus. 13. Adjournment  Minutes Royal Oak Public Library Board of Trustees January 27, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Royal Oak Public Library Friends Auditorium 222 East Eleven Mile Road Royal Oak, MI 48067 Present: Elaine Asher Shannon Carlson Amanda Cleghorn Michelle Cook Taylor Franklin Joshua Sipes Shannon Tierney Amanda Woods Absent: Christine Jones _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm. 2. Administration of the Oath of Office for Michelle Cook, Amanda Cleghorn and Taylor Franklin 3. Strategic Plan Draft Review 4. Annual Meeting - Election of Officers and Assignment of Sub-Committees 4.a Board Officer Nominating Report and Election of Officers 4.a.1 Shannon Carlson nominated as President; Shannon Tierney nominated as Vice President, and Joshua Sipes nominated as Secretary 4.a.1.1 Approve the Election of President, Vice President and Secretary Moved by: Michelle Cook Seconded by: Amanda Cleghorn Approve the election of Shannon Carlson as President, Shannon Tierney as Vice President and Joshua Sipes as Secretary. 1 Page 2 of 29  Motion Adopted 4.b Sub-Committee Assignments Names in bold are the sub-committee chairs. 4.b.1 Board Nominating Tierney, Carlson, Woods 4.b.2 Budget and Finance Jones, Franklin, Sipes 4.b.3 Facilities/Space Utilization Cook, Asher, Jones, Sipes 4.b.4 Fundraising Committee disbanded until future need identified 4.b.5 Policy and Bylaw Review Tierney, Carlson, Cleghorn, Franklin 4.b.6 Strategic Planning Asher, Sipes, Tierney 4.b.7 Director Goals and Evaluation Carlson, Asher, Cook, Woods 5. Announcements and Communications 6. Public Comment 7. Approval of Agenda Moved by: Michelle Cook Seconded by: Elaine Asher Motion Adopted 8. Approval of Minutes Moved by: Amanda Woods Seconded by: Shannon Tierney 9. Financial Reports 10. Director and Staff Report 11. Subcommittee/Program Reports 2 Page 3 of 29  11.a Budget Subcommittee Adjustments made to the preliminary budget for submission to the city budget process. The final budget will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval in the March meeting. 12. New Business 12.a Patron appeal of trespass Moved by: Shannon Tierney Seconded by: Elaine Asher Uphold the two-year trespass. Motion Adopted Present: Elaine Asher Shannon Carlson Amanda Cleghorn Michelle Cook Taylor Franklin Joshua Sipes Shannon Tierney Amanda Woods Absent: Christine Jones 13. Approval to Recess Into Closed Session to Discuss Collective Bargaining Matters Pursuant to Section 8 of the Open Meetings Act Moved by: Michelle Cook Seconded by: Shannon Tierney Motion Adopted 14. Reconvene to Open Session Moved by: Michelle Cook Seconded by: Amanda Woods Motion Adopted 15. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:44pm. 3 Page 4 of 29  Minutes Royal Oak Public Library Board of Trustees Subcommittee Meeting February 17, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Royal Oak Public Library 222 East Eleven Mile Road Royal Oak, MI 48067 Present: Joshua Sipes Elaine Asher Shannon Tierney Shannon Carlson _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order Called to order at 7:02pm. 2. New Business 2.a Action The sub-committee made revisions to the draft strategic plan. Purpose statement: To empower our community to learn, connect, create and grow through welcoming and inclusive spaces, diverse resources, and meaningful experiences. Strategic direction: Champion ease of access and inclusion through evolving services and spaces. We provide versatile spaces where people can meet, work and play. Innovative collections and technologies meet our community’s needs. Varied and inclusive programs and services provide information, entertainment and cultural appreciation. The subcommittee also instructed Director Irwin to develop communication plans and to include a phrase similar to "striving to be a best-in-class library" and incorporate it into the plan. Moved by: Shannon Tierney Seconded by: Shannon Carlson To revise the purpose statement as discussed and propose to the Board of Trustees. 1 Page 5 of 29  Motion Adopted Moved by: Shannon Tierney Seconded by: Joshua Sipes To revise the strategic direction as proposed and propose to the Board of Trustees. Motion Adopted 3. Adjourn 7:28pm Moved by: Shannon Carlson Seconded by: Shannon Tierney Motion to adjourn. Motion Adopted 2 Page 6 of 29  FY 2024-25 Final Report FY 2025-26 Monthly Financial Reports Sandy Irwin, Library Director January 2026 Revenues  271-000-57403 STATE - AID TO LIBRARY o State Aid Report was submitted. We should be paid before the end of June.  271-000-66500 INTEREST o Gets paid out in June  271-000-69946 TRANSFER FROM ARPA – 460 o Will be transferred when the solar project occurs  271-000-67501 DONATIONS o We had accounted for the Friends donating $20,000. Instead, they paid OverDrive $18,000 directly for eMaterials in January  271-000-67503 MEMORIAL BOOK FUND o This fund is essentially only spent when we receive money for it. Expenditures  We have only spent 46.58% of our budget so far, with 58.9% of the fiscal year completed. Page 7 of 29 02/16/2026 REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORT FOR CITY OF ROYAL OAK PERIOD ENDING 01/31/2026 % Fiscal Year Completed: 58.90 *NOTE: Available Balance / Pct Budget Used does not reflect amounts encumbered. 2024-25 AMENDED YTD BALANCE ACTIVITY FOR BUDGET VS ACTUAL - % BDGT GL NUMBER DESCRIPTION BUDGET 01/30/26 MONTH 01/31/26 DIFFERENCE USED Fund 271 - LIBRARY FUND Revenues Dept 000 - NON-DEPARTMENTAL 271-000-40200 PROPERTY TAX REVENUES 3,977,000.00 3,913,104.28 18,152.34 (63,895.72) 98.39 271-000-57300 LOCAL COMMUNITY STABILIZATION 50,200.00 31,466.81 0.00 (18,733.19) 62.68 271-000-57403 STATE - AID TO LIBRARY 62,400.00 32,024.30 0.00 (30,375.70) 51.32 271-000-57405 STATE - LIBRARY PENAL FINES 75,000.00 86,758.27 0.00 11,758.27 115.68 271-000-64201 LIBRARY COPIER CHARGES 7,000.00 5,878.10 860.80 (1,121.90) 83.97 271-000-65701 LIBRARY SERVICE CHARGES & FINES 5,700.00 5,625.00 300.00 (75.00) 98.68 271-000-65702 LIBRARY REPL MATERIALS FEES 3,000.00 1,144.06 137.08 (1,855.94) 38.14 271-000-66500 INTEREST 126,120.00 77,837.47 0.00 (48,282.53) 61.72 271-000-67100 MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE 1,000.00 2,514.91 1,462.45 1,514.91 251.49 271-000-67501 DONATIONS 20,000.00 5,900.95 5.00 (14,099.05) 29.50 271-000-67503 MEMORIAL BOOK FUND 5,000.00 790.00 200.00 (4,210.00) 15.80 271-000-67570 DONATIONS - MISC LIBRARY 7,000.00 3,105.67 100.00 (3,894.33) 44.37 271-000-69946 TRANSFER FROM ARPA - 460 362,000.00 0.00 0.00 (362,000.00) 0.00 Total Dept 000 - NON-DEPARTMENTAL 4,701,420.00 4,166,149.82 21,217.67 (535,270.18) 88.61 TOTAL REVENUES 4,701,420.00 4,166,149.82 21,217.67 (535,270.18) 88.61 Expenditures Dept 790 - LIBRARY 271-790-70203 WAGES - PERMANENT 1,335,817.00 729,194.47 102,477.34 606,622.53 54.59 271-790-70204 WAGES - TEMPORARY 273,900.00 125,956.69 16,615.79 147,943.31 45.99 271-790-70300 WAGES - OVERTIME 2,000.00 633.01 215.69 1,366.99 31.65 271-790-70401 LONGEVITY PAY 5,719.00 5,712.35 0.00 6.65 99.88 271-790-70402 SICK LEAVE PAY 1,200.00 3,124.60 705.13 (1,924.60) 260.38 271-790-70404 SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL PAY 350.00 257.92 26.25 92.08 73.69 271-790-70407 DUPLICATE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS PAY 4,800.00 2,542.83 400.00 2,257.17 52.98 271-790-70500 DEFERRED COMP - EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION 4,091.00 4,004.66 688.57 86.34 97.89 271-790-70601 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS - GENERAL 16,172.00 3,276.08 499.54 12,895.92 20.26 271-790-70604 PENSION - UAL - GENERAL 5,619.00 10,598.99 1,616.15 (4,979.99) 188.63 271-790-70610 DEFINED CONTRIBUTION 115,077.00 62,601.26 8,836.47 52,475.74 54.40 271-790-70620 RETIREE HSA 51,146.00 27,657.53 3,904.29 23,488.47 54.08 271-790-71101 FICA 123,949.00 64,612.65 8,924.21 59,336.35 52.13 271-790-71102 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION TAX 940.00 245.60 71.16 694.40 26.13 271-790-71201 GROUP MEDICAL INSURANCE 197,851.00 108,802.17 15,640.27 89,048.83 54.99 271-790-71203 GROUP DENTAL INSURANCE 17,110.00 8,785.60 1,279.76 8,324.40 51.35 271-790-71204 GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 2,040.00 1,448.02 203.88 591.98 70.98 271-790-71205 VISION INSURANCE 1,621.00 855.10 133.34 765.90 52.75 271-790-71206 WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE 1,420.00 620.06 78.79 799.94 43.67 271-790-71207 SHORT AND LONG TERM DISABILITY 7,956.00 4,717.03 681.33 3,238.97 59.29 271-790-72701 OFFICE SUPPLIES 7,000.00 1,579.75 147.30 5,420.25 22.57 271-790-72702 OFFICE EQUIP/FURNITURE (NON-CAPITALIZED) 15,000.00 8,178.60 0.00 6,821.40 54.52 271-790-72800 COMPUTER SUPPLIES & PARTS 49,500.00 34,949.89 243.11 14,550.11 70.61 271-790-73200 CLEANING & JANITORIAL SUPPLIES 10,000.00 3,769.18 96.28 6,230.82 37.69 271-790-73300 BUILDING REPAIR & MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES 1,000.00 33.31 0.00 966.69 3.33 271-790-73800 ELECTRICAL & LIGHTING SUPPLIES 1,000.00 239.00 0.00 761.00 23.90 271-790-74500 TREES, SHRUBS & PLANTS 500.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00 271-790-78900 PROGRAM SUPPLIES AND RELATED EXP 56,000.00 27,335.63 1,846.10 28,664.37 48.81 271-790-79001 LIBRARY BOOKS 176,100.00 80,876.67 13,042.66 95,223.33 45.93 271-790-79002 LIBRARY VIDEO & AUDIO RESOURCES 40,000.00 20,036.53 2,759.85 19,963.47 50.09 271-790-79003 LIBRARY ELECTRONIC RESOURCES 35,800.00 22,995.94 0.00 12,804.06 64.23 271-790-79004 LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTIONS 14,450.00 9,241.71 120.79 5,208.29 63.96 271-790-79011 MEMORIAL BOOKS & RESOURCES 5,000.00 140.11 78.94 4,859.89 2.80 271-790-79012 REPLACEMENT BOOKS & RESOURCES 1,000.00 0.00 0.00 1,000.00 0.00 271-790-79102 DOWNLOADABLES - AUDIO, VIDEO, ETC. 211,000.00 92,682.65 8,623.17 118,317.35 43.93 271-790-79900 MISCELLANEOUS OPERATING SUPPLIES 21,000.00 5,108.69 2,265.60 15,891.31 24.33 271-790-80301 DATA PROCESSING SERVICES 55,000.00 39,525.58 13,825.58 15,474.42 71.86 271-790-80302 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 10,450.00 4,629.65 602.70 5,820.35 44.30 271-790-80800 AUDIT SERVICES 1,610.00 1,328.40 90.00 281.60 82.51 271-790-81201 PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE SERVICES 55,600.00 47,309.55 0.00 8,290.45 85.09 271-790-82500 MISC CONTRACTED SERVICES 38,500.00 19,508.68 959.65 18,991.32 50.67 271-790-82801 COMPUTER EQUIP REPAIR & TECH SUPPORT SVC 500.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00 Page 8 of 29  2024-25 AMENDED YTD BALANCE ACTIVITY FOR BUDGET VS ACTUAL - % BDGT GL NUMBER DESCRIPTION BUDGET 01/30/26 MONTH 01/31/26 DIFFERENCE USED 271-790-83200 CLEANING & JANITORIAL SERVICES 61,500.00 32,983.06 5,084.24 28,516.94 53.63 271-790-83301 HEATING/COOLING REPAIR & MAINT SERVICES 40,000.00 7,838.00 962.50 32,162.00 19.60 271-790-83302 PLUMBING REPAIR & MAINTENANCE SERVICES 8,000.00 0.00 0.00 8,000.00 0.00 271-790-83303 ELEVATOR REPAIR & MAINTENANCE SERVICES 26,000.00 0.00 0.00 26,000.00 0.00 271-790-83399 MISC BUILDING REPAIR & MAINT SERVICES 35,000.00 23,801.58 390.00 11,198.42 68.00 271-790-85101 ELECTRIC 70,000.00 38,088.53 4,636.21 31,911.47 54.41 271-790-85103 GAS 19,000.00 8,792.60 2,190.36 10,207.40 46.28 271-790-85105 WATER 7,000.00 3,492.30 0.00 3,507.70 49.89 271-790-85200 TAXES 10.00 4.76 0.00 5.24 47.60 271-790-85300 BUILDING SECURITY SERVICES 3,600.00 1,554.24 0.00 2,045.76 43.17 271-790-85600 PRINTING & DOCUMENT DUPLICATING 5,000.00 382.68 0.00 4,617.32 7.65 271-790-85800 POSTAGE & MAILING SERVICES 6,500.00 1,760.19 0.00 4,739.81 27.08 271-790-86101 TRAINING & EDUCATION 16,000.00 1,413.10 0.00 14,586.90 8.83 271-790-86300 TRAVEL COSTS 5,000.00 2,016.34 1,373.92 2,983.66 40.33 271-790-86500 DUES & MEMBERSHIPS 7,065.00 2,926.00 215.00 4,139.00 41.42 271-790-87501 ADVERTISING & LEGAL NOTICES 11,180.00 7,836.96 500.00 3,343.04 70.10 271-790-92200 MOTOR POOL VEHICLE RENTALS 3,639.00 1,819.50 0.00 1,819.50 50.00 271-790-92600 ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES 113,410.00 56,704.98 0.00 56,705.02 50.00 271-790-92800 INFORMATION SYSTEMS SERVICE CHARGES 80,990.00 40,495.02 0.00 40,494.98 50.00 271-790-96400 BANK SERVICE CHARGES & FEES 2,500.00 3,492.10 186.97 (992.10) 139.68 271-790-96800 MISCELLANEOUS EXPENDITURES 12,000.00 4,238.41 267.18 7,761.59 35.32 271-790-96901 INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE 155,173.00 0.00 0.00 155,173.00 0.00 271-790-97000 CAPITAL OUTLAY 681,515.00 24,561.00 0.00 656,954.00 3.60 271-790-97001 CAPITAL OUTLAY-NON-QUALIFIED 0.00 54,149.38 0.00 (54,149.38) 100.00 271-790-99131 PENSION PRINCIPAL 56,230.00 56,224.49 0.00 5.51 99.99 271-790-99136 OPEB PRINCIPAL 156,080.00 156,071.43 0.00 8.57 99.99 271-790-99531 PENSION DEBT INTEREST 38,200.00 19,591.87 0.00 18,608.13 51.29 271-790-99536 OPEB DEBT INTEREST 106,040.00 54,383.76 0.00 51,656.24 51.29 Total Dept 790 - LIBRARY 4,701,420.00 2,189,738.42 223,506.07 2,511,681.58 46.58 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 4,701,420.00 2,189,738.42 223,506.07 2,511,681.58 46.58 Fund 271 - LIBRARY FUND: TOTAL REVENUES 4,166,149.82 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 2,189,738.42 NET OF REVENUES & EXPENDITURES 1,976,411.40 BEG. FUND BALANCE 1,785,409.42 Page 9 of 29  Board Subcommittees Board Officer Nominating Tierney, Carlson, Woods Budget/Finance Jones, Franklin, Sipes, Facilities/Space Utilization Cook, Asher, Jones, Sipes DIRECTOR MONTHLY REPORT Policy & Bylaw Review Tierney, Carlson, Cleghorn, Franklin February 2026 Strategic Planning Asher, Sipes, Tierney Director Goals and Evaluation Carlson, Asher, Cook, Woods Strategic Plan  The Department heads met with Amanda with Fast Forward Libraries and we are working through the lists of potential activities that were shared during the staff and board workshops.  Over the next several months, we will work with our teams to prioritize our work.  We will be developing a reporting mechanism. Department Reports  The Department heads and I discussed our monthly reports. They are going to be less structured while we dive into our strategic plan implementation phase. Statistics  The same patterns continue – eMaterial use, database use, and public PC use are the only areas where, year-to-date, we have less use than last fiscal year. Facility  We are working with the city’s IT department and Convergent Technologies (who oversaw our security camera project) to upgrade our network throughout the building. o We are applying for Universal Service Fund money to fund the project. o This is a network upgrade that we definitely need, and will come at little to no cost to the city. Policies  I received some policy templates from our attorney with Foster Swift for volunteering and programs (including outreach criteria). o Policy committee: I have to customize them for us (which includes some strategic plan language). Once complete, we can meet to review the drafts.  I have attended multiple webinars on AI and privacy. I am going to develop a policy and some guidelines for staff. Programs  2/15 I partnered with a community member to bring the Michigan Immigrant Resource Center to the library for a presentation on knowing your rights. Page 10 of 29 Outreach  I attended the Chamber of Commerce Coffee Connection at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Professional Development  I arranged for Sgt. Buckley with the ROPD to do a presentation on situational awareness and active shooter information. He presented on 2/10.  I attended a webinar on legal issues with AI with the attorneys at Foster Swift (our library attorney firm). o I will be developing some policies and guidelines for our staff. General News  Our Administrative Assistant and I worked with Cintas to get OSHA compliant first aid kits and cabinets in the library.  I attended a Michigan Library Association webinar about the potential loss of penal fines due to a recommendation from the trial court study group. o MLA’s lobbyist does not see this coming forward anytime soon. Penal fines are in the state constitution and would take a lot to make that kind of change. Civil fines would be easier to amend. o We would not be the only group affected; they are suggesting other funding mechanisms that take funds away from other agencies. o Nothing is moving forward in the legislature at this time.  2/19 I interviewed with Taylor Christiansen with the Royal Oak Review about our Annual Report. Patron Feedback In January, I shared that a patron had wanted us to block Roblox from the youth computers. Instead of removing access, we purchased privacy screens so that those who are not interacting with the computer did not have to see the screens. Several weeks later, I received this response:  With all due respect, this response is very frustrating. Privacy screens? That’s your solution. This is where my children come to play. My young children. This is a youth space. There should not be any access to Roblox in this space. I encourage you to do more research on Roblox instead of just going off of what their “statements” are. Here is a clip of what really happens on Roblox. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ9_TfdkohA/?igsh=djVyMHJzZ2l5dXJt Until you ban it from your computers, this could continuously happen on your property. Under your management. I understand your stance on parents parenting, their children. But when they come to your library without their parents after school, their parents have no idea what they’re doing. As a public service, I think it is your job to continue to protect The citizens of Royal Oak, especially the youth. Page 11 of 29  I encourage you to do more research on what you were allowing to happen. If you want to keep this upstairs on the teen computers or adult computers that’s your choice. But there is no need for this to be in the youth area downstairs. Not only could it be detrimental to the kids using it, but it also puts other kids at risk. It’s not just visually seeing it. You’re also encouraging groups of young boys to come to your library and take up the computers when people could be coming there to study or do something useful. Adding privacy screens will only make this worse. They will then engage in even more disturbing behavior online. You’re now giving them an outlet to do whatever they want. When I was there last time, your librarians were clearly distressed, trying to control the situation that was happening. Snacks all over the computers, multiple children at the computers, loud behavior, etc. This is all because of Roblox. It is creating more issues than just what little kids might be seeing.  I replied: Thank you again for reaching out. I understand that you find it concerning that youth are able to access Roblox; however, it is the responsibility of parents or guardians to guide and supervise their children’s online activities. It is not within the library’s purview to “protect the citizens of Royal Oak” from publicly accessible websites that fall outside our existing, legally mandated filtering. Rather, our responsibility is to protect intellectual freedom and the ability of people to access what they choose, whether it is a book, a movie, or a website. As to privacy screens, we respect the ability of people to use computers with some semblance of privacy, even in a public space. We are required by law to protect the privacy of people using the library, as per The Library Privacy Act of Michigan. I am comfortable with their use in the youth area. Because they are in place, it has reduced the grouping around computers because they cannot see from the sides. When it comes to behavior issues, please let the staff know if you are experiencing a negative environment for youth after school, or at any other time. We will address it, and we will contact parents or guardians to discuss violations of our patron behavior policy. We have and will continue to address behavior issues. If you wish to discuss this further, you and I can meet in person.  Feb 18, 2026: Received an anonymous suggestion for us to add a ramp on the other side of the terrace, by the butterfly garden. o I am not sure if that is possible, but we can investigate it in the future. Security Issues/Suspensions January 2026  9 incidents; 4 on a weekday, 5 on the weekend (4 on the same day)  3 trespasses: o 1-10-26 Threatening language toward staff - 2 yrs (had history of previous incidents) o 1-10-26 Sexual harassment - 1 yr o 1-10-26 Using obscene or threatening language or gestures - 1 month (2nd incident in January) Page 12 of 29 ACCESS SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT January and February 2026 Strategic Plan - Actions and Results Royal Oak Public Library provides opportunities for all to learn, connect, create, and innovate. ● Long Term Goal 4- Ensure best practices in library governance, management, and curation in all areas of the library ○ Todd has begun copy- and original cataloging of new vinyl records, which should improve processing workflows in Tech Services and restore available time to Emily in Youth Services. Professional Development ● Retha completed the TLN Shared System training courses and Todd was trained in cataloging vinyl records. Staff News  Kudos to the team for enduring multiple daily bin emptying trips during the several weeks of severe cold and frequent snowfalls! ADULT DEPARTMENT February 2026 Programs ● ROPL has again been selected to participate in the Michigan Notable Book Tour! We will be hosting author OCC Professor Cheryl Neely to discuss her book No Human Involved: The Serial Murder of Black Women and Girls and the Deadly Cost of Police Indifference. Oakland Community College professor Cheryl L. Neely traces the lives of Black women and girls from Detroit and other major US cities who were victims of targeted killings. Using personal interviews, court records, media reports, and analytical data, Neeley calls attention to serial cases of murder victims revealing why Black females are disproportionately more likely than white women to die from homicide. We will be scheduling an event with Dr. Neely sometime in late spring or summer and will partner with Sidetrack Book to sell copies during the event.  Winter Reading Challenge was a resounding success for adults! 280 adults participated in the Winter Reading Challenge. They completed 1,395 activities, earned 3,535 badges and read for 162,038 minutes. 166 people completed the challenge. The number of adults participating in the Winter Reading Challenge increased by 95% from last year.  All 50 Tiny Art Show painting kits have been claimed, and we are awaiting the finished art projects which will be on display in March. Patrons will again be able to vote for their favorite; this was very popular last year! Page 13 of 29   Megan is hosting a Makerspace Open House on February 24, and nearly 50 people have registered as of February 18.  Donna’s Yoga and Essential Oils events were both very well attended and popular!  Donna has also requested seeds from the One Seed, One State annual seed giveaway program.  March is reading month and several members of the department and working on an interactive program where patrons tell us (and other patrons) the best book(s) they’ve recently read. It will be a great spot to find a recommendation during March – it will be installed March 2.  Andrew has been in touch with the University of Michigan’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory to think about programming partnerships in Fall 2026.  Gillian and Andrew’s PowerPoint Night was fun and while they had only 4 presenters, the 16 people who attended had a great time and asked for the program to be repeated.  Twenty-one patrons attended the Holocaust educational lecture led by the Zekelman Holocaust Center.  January 2026 marked the start of a new book club, focused on non-fiction!  Gillian’s Puzzle Exchange in early February was a smashing success! Patrons were very generous and donated a huge number of puzzles; 50 patrons attended the swap. With the surplus puzzles we now have, Gillian is going to contact Welcome Inn and ask which they would like.  As this summer is America’s 250th birthday, not only are we planning for a fun community picnic on Friday, June 26, the adult department also has several of USA-themed events in the works. It should be a very busy and fun summer!  Woolgatherers, Gillian’s monthly meet-up for all fiber arts enthusiasts is going well, with strong interest. This event was created to meet community demand for a central location where like- minded creative patrons can learn from one another and share their knowledge. Collection Updates  Megan continues to add requested items to the Library of Things collection: parents love the Yoto Mini interactive machines as non-screen ways for their children to learn.  Book Club kits continue to be weeded and update to increase usage.  Gillian is working on updating the YA graphic novel collection and creating a dedicated non- fiction sub-collection which will aide in locating these items. Home Delivery, Makerspace, Local History Room, & Outreach ● Vibe Credit Union has generously increased their Summer Reading Program donation from $1,000 to $2,000 for the 2026 season, which is greatly appreciated. This donation will cover the cost of our Kick-Off Party on Friday, June 12; which will now be marketed as “Presented by Vibe Credit Union.” ● We had 29 Makerspace appointments in January and 9 reservations in February through the 17th. ● On February 18 Donna and Gabby visited the Senior Center to provide technology assistance for seniors’ smartphones, laptops, and other mobile devices. Page 14 of 29  ● Andrew continues to supply book clubs at the Senior Center and Waltonwood Senior Community. ● Gabby mailed 46 items to 17 patrons in January. ● We had 10 appointments to use the Local History Room in January and Gabby is in the process of finding home for the items we own that are outside the collection’s scope (Royal Oak History). Professional Development ● Trevor received a grant from the Library of Michigan for $1,800 to attend the Public Library Association’s conference in April. This funding will cover the cost of the hotel, airfare, and conference registration. Staff News ● Brenna, our computer aide who started in mid-2025, worked her last shift on February 7. She needed to focus on her education and several excellent research opportunities that were provided to her. We were sorry to see her leave, but very appreciate of her high-quality work! ● Our time with only one computer aide was but one day: We hired John and he started work on Monday, February 9. John was a top candidate we interviewed last year and we are very appreciative of his availability and initiative to learn our processes. Patron Feedback ● Two patrons let Bray know that they successfully found a job, after receiving assistance in the lab and using our equipment during their job hunt! ● Two additional patrons complimented the library overall, and another for Bray’s assistance specifically. ● Patron let Megan know how much she appreciated the ability to make t-shirts for her husband’s band, who are going on tour. The patron said she could not have done it without the Makerspace and Megan’s help! ● A patron complimented Gabby on our Local History Room and how grateful she is that we have historical documents. YOUTH SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT January – February 2026 Professional development  Emily registered for Michigan Library Association’s Leadership Academy. She will start participating in this cohort in April. The Leadership Academy helps library professionals build additional leadership skills to effectively manage teams and navigate the challenges of library work. Through five in-person sessions and three Zoom meetings, she will learn about topics such as emotional intelligence, communication, change management, teamwork, finance, advocacy, and working with boards. She is really excited about this opportunity to take her leadership to the next level. Page 15 of 29   All youth librarians completed IT’s KnowBe4 training, “2025 Your Role: Internet Security & You”.  Tracy and Emily attended a 2-part webinar series offered through Ready to Read Michigan, “Foundations of the Science of Reading for Public Library Professionals.” In this series, The Reading League explored the Science of Reading and how libraries can support early literacy development.  Tracy attended MI Financial Wellness Network’s, “Smart Money Kids Read” meeting in preparation for her Smart Money Kids Read Story Time in April during National Financial Literacy Month. Tracy has been partnering with OUR Credit Union for years to offer this interactive and educational story time.  Tracy and I completed IT’s KnowBe4 training, “2026 Common Threats”. Collection Maintenance  We are working on inventory of the J 700s and J 900s. We completed inventory of the magazines.  We finished weeding the J Audiobooks on CD, J 800s and J Biographies. We are currently weeding the YA Nonfiction and YA Fiction collections.  I attended a webinar presented by Library Ideas highlighting their new product, Blinkest. We will be adding this subscription in July. Blinkest offers simultaneous access to summaries of bestselling non-fiction books and podcasts in the form of “blinks” and “shortcasts” in text and audio. PR, Marketing & Partnerships  We sent our digital newsletter for February and released our February youth program flyer. We are currently working on our digital newsletter and program flyer for March.  All remaining programs for this winter/spring session have been published on our event calendar, and we are nearly finished with planning programs for the summer.  We hosted our very first joint Preschool and Early Learning Fair with Ferndale Area District Library. We had around 40 organizations participate and roughly 350 patrons attended. We also released our updated Royal Oak Area Preschool and Child Care Directory. Emily intends to partner with Ferndale again in 2027, following the tremendous success of their previous collaboration.  The Winter Reading Bingo challenge has wrapped. 560 people participated in the challenge, almost double the amount of last year. They completed 2,505 activities, earned 6,674 badges, read 272,129 minutes, and 326 of the participants completed the challenge.  I worked with Samantha Jones from Royal Oak Schools to distribute postcards promoting our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program to the caregivers attending their Kindergarten Information Night. Sam and her team generously took the time to print and distribute the materials.  Oakland County Park’s approved our Recreation Assistance Partnership Program grant. This grant will provide inflatables and other outdoor activities for our Summer Reading Kickoff Party. This year they will be bringing the Blast Off Bouncer, Go Games! and Jump N’ Jam mobile Page 16 of 29  recreation packages to our Summer Reading Kickoff Party in Centennial Commons on Friday, June 12 from 3:30 – 5:30pm.  Erin met with members of Royal Oak Schools administration and teachers to finalize plans for the Oakland Schools Read-In with Kwame Alexander. The library will be hosting the event on Thursday, February 26 from 5 – 7 pm. Registration for this event is nearly full.  Tracy met with Alesha Beistline an Art Teacher at Northwood & Oakland Elementary Schools and Alicia Duncan, the Art Department Visual Arts Teacher at Royal Oak High School to plan and develop our third annual Royal Oak Schools Art Show at the library on Saturday, April 18.  Becca has been busy masterfully creating our promotional materials for summer reading. We will be ready to promote, “Unearth a Story”, earlier than ever before. Patron Feedback One of Jennifer’s Baby Size attendees let Sandy know how good Jennifer is with all the babies. She’s received numerous compliments about how talented she is at leading programming for our youngest patrons. Excellent work, Jennifer! Staff News Volunteers  We have three new volunteers: Morgan, Saffron, and Alexis.  We had 9 weekly volunteers who were here 24 hours a week.  Volunteers completed 31 shifts for a total of 62.5 hours.  Volunteers helped with program prep, cleaning toys, folding brochures, and collection management projects like shelf checks for damaged, lost, missing and not on shelf items, shelf reading, weeding, inventory and item record call number changes. Page 17 of 29  Monthly Statistics January 2026 Jan 2026 Jan 2025 % change Year to Date 24/25 YTD 24/25 Year-End % of total Visits 14,054 13,597 3.4% 119,383 109,104 192,211 62.1% # of cardholders 24,653 24,660 0.0% 25,032 Circulation (includes renewals) Children 15,374 14,934 2.9% 117,665 111,863 193,575 60.8% Teen 1,356 1,258 7.8% 9,783 9,168 15,805 61.9% Adult 12,029 11,805 1.9% 82,579 76,270 133,153 62.0% eMaterials 13,494 20,774 -35.0% 80,284 145,680 249,183 32.2% Other physical items (Library of Things) 560 494 13.4% 3,770 3,215 5,567 67.7% Internet devices (hotspots, laptops) 317 139 128.1% 2,266 1,083 1,869 121.2% Total 43,130 49,404 -12.7% 296,347 347,279 599,152 49.5% Database use 1,790 1,303 37.4% 11,316 11,578 18,603 60.8% Inventory Physical Items 119,756 129,200 -7.3% 124,088 Reference Transactions 2,506 1,341 86.9% 16,168 9,649 17,915 90.2% InterLibrary Loans Lending 2,640 2,446 7.9% 16,898 15,983 27,293 61.9% Borrowing 5,675 5,884 -3.6% 40,142 37,286 66,352 60.5% Public Internet, Wireless & Website Uses (sessions) of public PCs 1,040 1,186 -12.3% 7,600 10,088 15,225 49.9% Uses of wireless logins 1,644 1,572 4.6% 12,706 11,714 20,574 61.8% Website hits 12,237 12,385 -1.2% 80,330 77,601 137,466 58.4% Library App # of new devices 109 109 0.0% 662 625 1,059 62.5% Launches 9,913 8,016 23.7% 59,653 48,272 86,816 68.7% Programs & Outreach # of Programs & Outreach Ages 0-5 13 13 0.0% 73 66 111 65.8% Attendance Ages 0-5 419 502 -16.5% 3,022 2,692 4,539 66.6% # of Programs & Outreach Ages 6-11 4 3 33.3% 28 26 45 62.2% Attendance Ages 6-11 6 28 -78.6% 199 164 1,234 16.1% # of Programs & Outreach Teen 3 1 200.0% 22 12 27 81.5% Attendance Teen 43 14 207.1% 279 92 785 35.5% # of Programs & Outreach Adults 16 11 45.5% 107 79 145 73.8% Attendance Adults 199 138 44.2% 1,333 786 1,541 86.5% # of Programs & Outreach All Ages 3 4 -25.0% 40 36 62 64.5% Attendance All Ages 405 351 15.4% 4,407 2,807 5,467 80.6% Volunteers # of Volunteers 42 30 40.0% 286 254 449 63.7% # of Volunteer Hours 468 281 66.5% 2,148 1,642 2,885 74.5% Room Reservations Study Rooms 333 335 -0.6% 2,642 2,328 4,114 64.2% Small Conference Room 48 59 -18.6% 361 356 620 58.2% Friends Auditorium 1 4 -75.0% 23 21 38 60.5% Makerspace 24 6 300.0% 93 26 72 129.2% Local History Room 10 n/a n/a 36 n/a n/a n/a Woodward Corner Market Circulations *service began in December 2024 32 49 n/a 372 97 342 108.8% Home Delivery # of patrons 17 21 -19.0% 177 76 184 96.2% # of items delivered 46 77 -40.3% 462 267 644 71.7% *began tracking in October 2024 Page 18 of 29 STRATEGIC PLAN 2026-2028 Page 19 of 29 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Process Timeline 4 Purpose Statement 5 Strategic Directions 6 Next Steps 10 Page 20 of 29 Introduction Royal Oak Public Library (ROPL) is an invaluable cornerstone of the community. The library offers a wide variety of resources and programs, selected and developed by knowledgeable staff. Spaces and materials inspire creativity and collaboration, along with quiet reflection and study. To align their goals with the evolving priorities of the community, the library has undergone a comprehensive strategic planning process with feedback from the community and stakeholders. By implementing a new strategic plan, ROPL will renew its efforts to: Foster community connections and provide valuable patron experiences, Champion ease of access and inclusion through evolving services and spaces, and Cultivate an internal culture of growth, learning, creativity, and innovation. Royal Oak Public Library initiated a strategic planning process starting in early 2025. Fast Forward Libraries LLC was engaged in June 2025 to facilitate the planning process in three phases: Learn, Dream, Do. The Learn phase entailed gathering community feedback through a survey, focus groups, and interviews. Board and staff feedback was collected through a survey, as well. In the Dream phase, the Board and staff held workshop sessions to discuss possible future pathways for the library. This document includes the strategic directions and goals that will guide ROPL through the Do phase, as the library executes its vision for the future. 3 Page 21 of 29 Process Timeline June 2025 - January 2026 The Planning Team spent months learning about community needs and developing strategies to advance the library's impact over the next three years. Planning Team June Kick-off Community June to October Input and Learning Report Workshop November Sessions Plan Development December and Review Present to the January - February Board, Transition to Implementation Page 22 of 29 Purpose Statement To empower our community to learn, connect, create, and grow through welcoming and inclusive spaces, diverse resources, and meaningful experiences. 5 Page 23 of 29 Strategic Directions Foster community connections and provide valuable patron experiences Champion ease of access and inclusion through evolving services and spaces Cultivate an internal culture of growth, learning, creativity, and innovation 6 Page 24 of 29  FOSTER COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND PROVIDE VALUABLE PATRON EXPERIENCES We collaborate with local partners to connect our community to needed resources. By expanding the library’s communications, we raise awareness of library services and reach out to meet the community where they are. GOALS: 1.1 Connect with our community and engage local partners to better reach new audiences. 1.2 Implement new communication and marketing strategies to better inform the community of all the library offers. 1.3 Strive to consistently provide meaningful patron experiences that meet individual and community needs. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES: Staff form strong community relationships. Community organizations think of the library as a go-to partner. Community members are more aware of what the library offers. Increased overall library usage. Patrons feel their feedback is valued and acted upon. Library data and patron feedback drive decision making. The community views the Board and staff as setting the gold standard for 7 library services in the region. Page 25 of 29  CHAMPION EASE OF ACCESS AND INCLUSION THROUGH EVOLVING SERVICES AND SPACES We provide versatile spaces where people can meet, work, and play. Innovative collections and technologies meet our community‘s needs. Varied and inclusive programs and services provide information, entertainment, and cultural appreciation. GOALS: 2.1 Provide welcoming, safe, accessible, modern, and comfortable facilities that allow patrons to use the library with minimal barriers. 2.2 Develop ways to make our collections and services more intuitive to navigate. 2.3 Evaluate and reimagine programs and events to meet evolving community needs and interests. 2.4 Build and maintain an exceptional collection designed to anticipate and exceed the evolving expectations of the community. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES: Patrons are comfortable and experience a sense of belonging at the library Patrons report ease of access to the library and resources Increased overall program participation Variety in programs reaches more 8 segments of the community Page 26 of 29  CULTIVATE AN INTERNAL CULTURE OF GROWTH, LEARNING, CREATIVITY, AND INNOVATION We aim to provide a vibrant internal culture where staff can learn and grow. Our staff members support excellent customer service and are the heart of our library services to the public. GOALS: 3.1 Provide professional development and learning opportunities that enhance skills and facilitate growth. 3.2 Leadership empowers staff development and well-being through ongoing evaluation, support, and engagement. 3.3 Decision making is aligned with usage data and patron feedback. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES: Patrons report excellent customer service. Staff are confident in their roles. Staff express satisfaction with collaboration. Staff optimize their skills in their job performance. Continuous improvement practices used. 9 Page 27 of 29 NEXT STEPS Implementation and Evaluation Now that the purpose statement, strategic directions, and goals have been adopted by the Royal Oak Public Library Board, staff will develop an activity plan to guide implementation. Implementation is a continual process. The timing of certain activities will be determined by priority and influenced by various factors, such as funding and other resource allocation. Review and adjustment of the activity plan will happen on a regular basis. Evaluation of progress towards the goals will be ongoing once the plan implementation is underway. The status of activities and progress towards goals will be reported regularly to Trustees and stakeholders. 10 Page 28 of 29 IT Surplus – February 2026 1. (2) Dell 1704FTP – 19” monitors 5. (1) HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF; 1TB SSD; 16GB RAM 2. (2) HP V221 – 21.5” monitors 6. (1) HP EliteDesk 800 G5 SFF; No Hard Drive; 8GB RAM 3. (2) 32” Amazon FireTV (Toshiba); Mfg. date: 2019 7. (1) HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF; No Hard Drive; 8GB RAM 4. (6) HP E190i IPS – 19” monitors Page 29 of 29