HomeMy WebLinkAbout202303 Library Board UpdateColumbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – March 2023
BUILDING
• One of the two heating boilers failed. Unit two continues to “lock out” for unknown reasons.
Facilities maintenance supervisor Eric Hanson is seeking diagnosis and bids for repair or
replacement. Both boilers were installed in 2016 and seem too young to fail.
• Horowitz performed quarterly maintenance and filter changes on the underfloor variable air
volume control units.
• The community room walls were repaired and repainted. Public restroom paint was touched up.
• The library was not cleaned March 21 – 25 due to a custodial staffing shortage.
TECHNOLOGY
• Marco repaired the staff copier.
• Staff met with vendors about replacing the public multifunction printer/copier this summer
when new equipment is purchased for other city departments.
COLLECTION
• Book displays included Women’s History month, books set in Ireland, and new materials.
• The glass display case featured puzzles to promote the puzzle contest sponsored by the Friends
of the Library.
• Juvenile books on American Sign Language, and series replacements for Dog Man, Captain
Underpants, Dork Diaries, and Hilo were ordered.
• Vox Books will be added soon. Vox publishes picture books with a built-in audio player and small
speaker. Kids can listen using the speaker or headphones. Vox Books will eventually replace the
mixed media picture book/CD kits.
• Weeding was completed in adult nonfiction 100-200.
PROGRAMS, VIRTUAL EVENTS,
SELF DIRECTED ACTIVITIES
DATE INTENDED AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE
English Language Conversation Circle 03/02 Adult 3
Daycare Storytime 03/03 Children (0-5) 22
Doug Ohman’s MN from the Road: Mpls Gems 03/04
Adult 55
Family Storytime 03/06 Children (0-5) 46
English Language Conversation Circle 03/06 Adult 3
Tinker Time: Slime 03/07
Children (6-11) 14
English Language Conversation Circle 03/09 Adult 4
Family Storytime 03/13 Children (0-5) 25
English Language Conversation Circle 03/13 Adult 5
Book Club: Chronicles of a Radical Hag with Lorna Landvik 03/15 Adult 12
English Language Conversation Circle 03/16 Adult 3
Wine and Words Book Club (Murzyn) 03/17 Adult 13
Family Storytime 03/20 Children (0-5) 28
English Language Conversation Circle 03/20 Adult 7
Tinker Time: Let’s Clay Tasty Treats 03/21 Children (6-11) 22
English Language Conversation Circle 03/23 Adult 4
Write Your Life with the Loft 03/24 Adult 17
Friends’ Puzzle Contest 03/25 Adult 31
Family Discovery DIY Birdfeeders 03/25 Children (6-11) 23
Family Storytime 03/27 Children (0-5) 45
English Language Conversation Circle 03/27 Adult 7
Native American Beadwork 03/28 Teen 8
English Language Conversation Circle 03/30 Adult 2
Children’s Area Scavenger Hunt (self-directed) 56
Columbia Heights Public Library Library Board Monthly Update – March 2023
STAFF
• Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian,
o Reports new families at storytime due to the
hiatus of CHPS’s ECFE program.
o Joined four staff from Elpis Enterprises to
assist children of all ages with building
birdfeeders from recycled wood at a Family
Discovery Saturday program. Elpis supplied
precut birdfeeder pieces and wooden jigs to
make assembly achievable for kids. Elpis staff
taught kids (and adults) how to hold a
hammer, to nail together the pieces of the
birdfeeder, and to use a power drill to drill
the hole to hang it.
o Attended multiple 21st Century Community
Learning Center (21CCLC) grant meetings
with Jodi Gadient and Katie Holznagel to create a summer workplan to ensure hours are
distributed between the CHPS locations, Columbia Heights Library and Recreation while
meeting grant requirements.
• Cortni O’Brien, Adult Services Librarian,
o Staffed the Library Board and city division head
meetings during the Director’s vacation.
o Served as staff liaison to the Friends of the Library
at their meeting on March 9.
o Delivered materials to eight “At-Home” patrons.
• Renee Dougherty, Library Director,
o Participated in strategic planning with Anoka
County Library branch managers and senior
management, and Wilder Research facilitators.
o Met with recreation and school district staff to
prepare an application for Cohort 9 of 21CCLC
funding.
o Met with Library Supervisor Georgia Cook and
Library Clerk Winnie Coyne for their annual
performance evaluations.
• Millie Onofre-Giles started training as a Library Page on March 20. A second Page was hired but
did not start due to an unplanned relocation for a family health emergency.
• Library Aide Farrah Briest presented storytime during the Youth Services Librarian’s vacation.
MISCELLANEOUS
• Minnesota author Lorna Landvik visited the book club at the invitation of one of the members.
• A young man sleeping in the women’s room and lobby, and injecting drugs in the lobby was
trespassed from the building on March 14.
PUBLIC COMPUTER USE 2023 2022
Users 1,058 962
Sessions 1,586 1,406
Minutes 66,132 51,999
FACILITY USE 2023 2022
Visitors 6,919 6,274
Study & Meeting Room Use 250 217
VOLUNTEERS Total Hours
Adult 10 61
Teen 0 0