Winooski Memorial Library Committee

5/5/2022 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: P. Doherty, J. Wignall, C.N. Khajehali, C. Moore (delayed arrival) City Staff Present: N. Eddy Guests Present: None Call to Order by: N. Eddy Meeting Start Time: 6:37 PM Minutes Recorded by: J. Wignall II. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: Approved Motion by: P. Doherty Second: C.N. Khajehali III. Public Comment None IV. Committee Member Updates l The city will do some recruiting for committee members for the next fiscal year. l N. Eddy will connect with Thomas Renner to ask about potential Friends of the Library members. l The library committee meetings used to be in person, so the group discussed meeting in person again. The general public could be invited to attend as well. The group agreed to consider in person meetings going forward. l In April, C.N. Khajehali visited the library and brainstormed ideas about making the area more welcoming, including moving some of the pallets, cleaning up, and adding some plantings. N. Eddy is planning for some pop ups in the back that would be temporary to ensure supervision of the space, including using the bistro tables and hosting kid-centric events. Butternut Station is scheduled to be complete around July/Aug. The library has a request in to remove the pallets and other items that have collected in the back, including the overgrown tree. The basketball courts in the back are maintained by the city. Frankie spends time in the back on Fridays. V. Library Updates Programming  V. Library Updates Programming April’s programming remained the same as last month, including STEAM and Lego clubs. During the school break the library hosted a movie matinee and there was a spring/summer camp that visited for story time. There was a story walk in Richards Park. This Saturday will include the urban bird programming with Audubon, as a rain date. The library is also ramping up for the summer program, Oceans of Possibilities, which will run from June 20 through Aug 22. The library received a grant to host a performance or activity for the kids. Offbeat Creamery will be donating cones as giveaway prizes. August will include a celebration wrap up in the back. Adult programming included the monthly book club, writing group, English courses, and Arabic language learning. About 13 people attend the Arabic class each week. The Restorative Justice circle is still happening. The library will have green bags for Green Up Day. May 21 will be the plant swap at Richards. The poetry typewriter worked out well throughout the city and people engaged. Monthly Stats Most stats were comparable to the previous month. Wireless use increased. OverDrive Authentication Users now need to enter a password when accessing materials through OverDrive or Libby. As of March 21 when the authentication went into play, 60 previously expired cards have been renewed. The number of active users increased to 1,097 from 914 (approx. 20% increase) with the inclusion of online use. Hoopla This service will soon be available for library users. There are 1.1M digital items in the collection. It provides materials on demand (no waits). It is a pay per use model. Similar to Kanopy, the library can set a limit per month. The library pays $1000 to begin and then that is used until running out to cover the expenses. The library anticipates starting with 4 per patron. This will be up and running in about 4-6 weeks. Vermont Department of Libraries The library submitted the application for additional ARPA funding today. About 1/3 is earmarked for collection development, and additional funds are allocated for outreach, pop up events outside of the library, more Lego sets, and robotic kits. That money will be available by June 15 and needs to be spent by Sept. VI. Library Card Application The application includes language around being a “property owner” on the current form. The group discussed this language and eligibility for a card if you do not live in Winooski and only own property (and pay into the tax base). The group agreed to not make any changes right now. VII. Other Business Strategic Plan for the Library VII. Other Business Strategic Plan for the Library The library currently does not have a strategic plan. The group discussed the utility of having a specific strategic plan or yearly goal setting. The library already works within the city’s strategic plan. In the past the library has defined specific goals. Goals or a strategy could help prioritize time and funds for the library. There could be some outcomes within the master plan that the library could work towards. Efforts could be related to initiatives such as the outdoor space, children literacy, or understanding community needs. Community demographic information could help inform goals, such as what might be available in the equity report. A plan and goals would help with prioritization and would help understand achievements over the past year and compare from year to year. For example, language courses could help increase interactions across diverse communities, coupled with analyzing the demographics of attendees. It would be helpful to align with the city’s master plan when possible and demonstrate progress in advancing the goals of the city and facilitating positive outcomes for the city, especially to advocate for funding and resources. N. Eddy will go through and identify areas where the library can support the city and bring it to the committee for the next meeting. VIII. Adjourn Decision: Adjourned at 7:36 PM Motion by: P. Doherty Second: J. Wignall