Winooski Memorial Library Committee

12/1/2022 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: Prudence Doherty, Jessica Wignall, Nikki Khajehali, Colleen Moore City Staff Present: Nate Eddy Guests Present: None Call to Order by: Nate Eddy Meeting Start Time: 6:38 PM Minutes Recorded by: Jessica Wignall II. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: November 2022 meeting minutes were approved Motion by: P. Doherty Second: C. Khajehali III. Public Comment None IV. Committee Member Updates J. Wignall asked about the state library summary of FY2021 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). It compiles stats from libraries across the state, and it’s helpful to use it to compare to other municipalities of similar size. Winooski is under-resourced compared to other comparable cities. The library footprint is limited compared to other cities that have their own library building. Negotiations for Champlain Housing Trust to purchase the Community Center are still ongoing, pending updates around tenants that might be changing. P. Doherty urged the committee to attend the welcome blanket exhibit at the Mill Museum. The group utilized space in Burlington to make the materials – it would be beneficial to the community to have a space for groups to congregate, such as expanded space in the library, though this would require staffing. V. Library Updates Programming lYouth programming continues to be strong, including the first youth graphic novel club meeting with 7 kids and Thanksgiving activities (hot cocoa and crafts).  Programming l Youth programming continues to be strong, including the first youth graphic novel club meeting with 7 kids and Thanksgiving activities (hot cocoa and crafts). l Winooski set up the VT Department of Libraries “welcoming library” – a display of 30 diverse reads centered towards youth, including conversation prompts. It has been popular. l Adult programming is still ongoing, including free veggie giveaway on Wednesdays (starting in December) and indoor coffee socials. l The library just purchased a poetry collection by a previous library clerk. Monthly Stats Usage in November was down a little, but there were 3 holidays. E-book numbers and card registrations were high. Staffing A temporary library clerk will join the library on a more consistent basis to fill gaps for the front desk starting in Jan 2023 for up to 5 months, approx. 15 hrs/week. The library is also accepting applications for substitute library clerk hours. Legislative breakfast is next Fri, from 8 to 9:30 AM. Daisy Berbeco will go to the breakfast. Committee members are encouraged to attend. Budget for FY 2024 The library budget had a final review this week. At this point, the materials budget will not change. The library budget would cover 2 clerks, the director, and the youth librarian. The community services budget will be presented on December 12. C. Khajehali suggested the library consider purchasing something like a GoPro to record library programming to advertise. VI. Vice-Chair Vacancy The duties of the vice chair are to take on the duties of the chair in their absence. The group agreed that J. Wignall would be Vice-Chair, C. Khajehali would be the secretary, and P. Doherty would remain the chair. Motion by: C. Khajehali Second: C. Moore VII. Review of Youth Committee Position Description Nate updated the position description for review, based on last month’s conversation, including the name of the position, the eligible ages, and some of the language choices. The committee continued to discuss language choices to encourage inclusivity. N. Eddy will follow up with R. Coffey about a potential scholarship. N. Eddy will share the approved description with city staff, and then the Committee will plan to present this description to City Council. Decision: Approved  Coffey about a potential scholarship. N. Eddy will share the approved description with city staff, and then the Committee will plan to present this description to City Council. Decision: Approved Motion by: J. Wignall Second: P. Doherty VIII. Discussion of Friends of the Winooski Library P. Doherty noted that previously one person kept the group together but left the area, but it did not quite get off the ground before leaving. For something like a book sale, a Friends group could be responsible for sorting through donations, which is time consuming and requires space (the library does not currently accept donations). Fletcher Free has a memo of understanding with the Friends of the Library. For Winooski there are bylaws and they established a 501(c) with a bank account and a more informal MOU. The librarian would be able to support getting it off the ground. C. Moore suggested advertising at the senior center for members. Ideally we would want something like 3 members to spin up the Friends. IX. Other Business None X. Adjourn Adjourned 7:59 PM Decision: Adjourned Motion by: P. Doherty Second: C. Khajehali