Winooski Memorial Library Committee

4/1/2021 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: Jess Wignall, Aurora Hurd, Prudence Doherty City Staff Present: Nate Eddy, Ray Coffey Guests Present: None Call to Order by: Nate Eddy Meeting Start Time: 6:35 PM Minutes Recorded by: Jess Wignall II. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: Approved Motion by: P. Doherty Second: J. Wignall III. Public Comment None IV. Committee Member Updates l Library committee members noted their appreciation for frequent library posts. l N. Eddy noted that there are approx. 4500 library cards assigned out, but it is difficult to know who is active vs. inactive. A potential future update could be to consider deleting a patron account if it’s been expired for more than 5 years or some other time frame. V. Library Updates VT Lib Technology Micro-Grant l This is a small $400 grant earmarked for Internet/computer technology. If won, the library would buy a new Chromebook laptop to be available for both in-library use and potential outdoor use to access Wifi, depending on summer programming (e.g., with exchange of collateral). Upcoming April Programming l April is poetry month. There will be pop up events with a roving typewriter across the city, visiting locations such as the school, Misery Loves Co., and Memorial Park, for patrons to use. l The library will be installing a story walk for 2 weeks, which is on loan from Kellogg- Hubbard Library. This will be installed at Memorial Park starting on April 21. l On April 16 the library will host a virtual youth poetry writing workshop with Bianca Stone, in partnership with Winooski School District, to engage students. l There will be another virtual cooking class on April 27 with VT state librarian Jason  patrons to use. l The library will be installing a story walk for 2 weeks, which is on loan from Kellogg- Hubbard Library. This will be installed at Memorial Park starting on April 21. l On April 16 the library will host a virtual youth poetry writing workshop with Bianca Stone, in partnership with Winooski School District, to engage students. l There will be another virtual cooking class on April 27 with VT state librarian Jason Broughton, cooking sweet potato pie. l The third meeting of the adult book club will take place, to discuss Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Monthly Stats  Also of note: l 13 ILLs received/25 provided l 14 youth/2 adult virtual programs with 84 in attendance l 32 volunteer hours completed l 20 new card registrations l Circulation went down but appointments went up. l The database usage was increased, specifically the VT Online Library with 140 sessions. l The Wifi numbers are the number of specific login accounts, but the same people could be using it more than once. Josh Neilson, Youth Services Coordinator l Josh is continuing to work on Dungeons and Dragons, to build out adult and youth groups. l With warmer weather, he will take kids on “Poke Crawls” to capture Pokemon across the city. l The library is planning outdoor programming in May, weather permitting, including story times, outdoor walks, and craft events. VI. Previous Meeting Action Items Code of Conduct Policy Review l The policy was updated based on feedback from previous meetings. l The committee discussed minor word changes but had no further comments. l The next step is R. Coffey will take it to Jessie Baker for city approval. Child Safety Policy Review l The policy was updated based on feedback from previous meetings. l The committee discussed minor word changes but had no further comments. l The next step is R. Coffey will take it to Jessie Baker for city approval. l When these are approved, there will be an approval date on them.  Child Safety Policy Review l The policy was updated based on feedback from previous meetings. l The committee discussed minor word changes but had no further comments. l The next step is R. Coffey will take it to Jessie Baker for city approval. l When these are approved, there will be an approval date on them. VII. Diverse BookFinder Reporting l The committee members reviewed and discussed the Diverse BookFinder (DBF) report, which was ran on Jan 21, 2021. It runs the library’s collection of children’s picture books (K-3 only) against the DBF collection and will let you know the representation of diverse populations and stories across your collection. The DBF collection only reviews books since 2002. l In Winooski’s collection, 171/1073 unique titles match the DBF collection – 16.5%. The report provides little context to that number, but it can be considered an orientation to the collection and a baseline, and the analysis can be revisited over time (e.g., on an annual basis). Two other VT libraries shared that their numbers were 8.5 and 10%. l Library committee members agreed it was difficult to know how to interpret the information, but noted that it could serve to indicate areas where the collection could be expanded (e.g., categories with little to no representation). l It appears that the BIPOC representation of the books aligns well with the demographics of Winooski residents, but it is hard to know how broader groups break down (e.g., which First Nations are represented in the collection). l All of the reviewed books are in English; most bilingual books in the collection are board books or non-picture books. The committee noted that it would be beneficial to explore if there are books in languages spoken by the New American communities of Winooski that could become part of the collection. l Members noted being interested in understanding the circulation of these titles. l Members discussed that the DBF collection is only one aspect of diversity (racial/ethnic) and there are other categories of diversity of interest to the community (e.g., LGBT, diverse abilities). VIII. Outdoor Space Planning l The library committee discussed potential options for using outdoor space at the library. The library owns a 200 sq ft platform that with modifications (e.g., ADA-compliant ramp), could serve to delineate an outdoor space. l P. Doherty noted that setting up and maintaining large pots/plants like those seen with a parklet would require a lot of work on the part of volunteers to keep them looking nice. She noted that the space could be updated over time to build up to bigger and better outdoor space options. l Members agreed that patrons would be very open to using outdoor space in light of COVID. l Members asked if the city has a plan for regular sweeping and removal of trash around the building, which N. Eddy will follow up on. l As an initial step, the library could paint the benches and maintain the space outside the entrance to make it more welcoming. Other thoughts included providing a table umbrella for shade (with some kind of design, such as books, to make it obvious it is a library), providing tables and chairs, setting up plants, and improving signage (especially with expected construction). l The grassy area behind the library will be used for outdoor programming, including story time, singing, and guitar playing. l N. Eddy will explore the potential to partner with volunteers from local corporations to help with setting up an outdoor space. l The library plans to coordinate with the pool for engagement activities as appropriate and able, once it is open and running. IX. Committee Vacancy  l N. Eddy will explore the potential to partner with volunteers from local corporations to help with setting up an outdoor space. l The library plans to coordinate with the pool for engagement activities as appropriate and able, once it is open and running. IX. Committee Vacancy l The committee members reviewed the Position Description for library committee members. It was originally prepared to clarify to volunteers that the position is administrative and planning-oriented. Most of the language comes from the charter for the group. l The group agreed to add a statement around seeking to be representative of the Winooski community when identifying new members. l Any new member needs to be approved by Council, but current members can have input on the membership requirements. l The group discussed strategies and outreach for finding new members, and P. Doherty will work with Molly Schneider to discuss best practices. l The group discussed the potential to have alternates, who could participate and be at meetings, but would not hold decision-making authority. This would ensure a quorum at meetings. l The group agreed to further review the position description in conjunction with the charter, to ensure it reflects the current purpose and authority of the Committee. l The group agreed that providing an orientation to new members, including reviewing the position description, would be helpful. l N. Eddy will confirm if changes to the position description need to get approved or reviewed by Winooski human resources. l P. Doherty will update the description based on today’s discussion and bring it back to the group for next steps. X. Existing Charter Preliminary Review This topic was tabled until next meeting. XI. Other Business None XII. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 PM by N. Eddy, and seconded by P. Doherty.