HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01 Library Board UpdateColumbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – January 2024
BUILDING
• Access card readers at the telecom room and north workroom doors were repaired on 1/9.
• Adams Pest Control inspected the building on 1/17.
• A shortage of custodial staff resulted in one evening, 1/10, when the building was not cleaned.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLECTION
• Shifting continues in adult, juvenile, and young adult fiction to align with merchandising rules
and better highlight books in the collection.
• Weeding was completed in adult science fiction and large print collections.
• Slatwall endcap displays included New Year’s resolutions, short stories for short days, and books
related to tea in honor of National Hot Tea month.
PROGRAMS AND SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES DATE INTENDED
AUDIENCE
ATTENDANCE
English Language (EL) Conversation Circle 1/4 Adult 2
Daycare Storytime 1/5 Children (0-5) 12
EL Conversation Circle 1/8 Adult 6
EL Conversation Circle 1/11 Adult 4
Tinker Time: Polymer Clay 1/16 Children (6-11) 15
Book Club: Klara and the Sun 1/17 Adult 12
EL Conversation Circle 1/18 Adult 5
Active Agers Book Club at Murzyn Hall 1/19 Adult 8
EL Conversation Circle 1/22 Adult 7
DIY Teen: Candle making 1/23 Young Adult (12-18)
15
EL Conversation Circle 1/25 Adult 1
Family Storytime 1/29 Children (0-5) 27
EL Conversation Circle 1/29 Adult 6
Contemporary Tapestry Weaving 1/31 Adult 7
STAFF
• Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian,
o Launched the winter session of Family Storytime and welcomed at least one new family
as a result of outreach visits in December.
o Helped youth and grownups explore
polymer clay at Tinker Time. Kids learned
how to work with clay to avoid color
transfer, how to warm clay to make it easier
to work and experimented with using tools
to create texture and detail. Each
participant went home with instructions to
bake their creations or returned the next
day to pick up those baked in the toaster
oven.
o Taught “DIY Teen: Candles” for fifteen teens
who made and decorated candles. Teens
took turns learning to safely use a hotplate
to melt wax in a double boiler and a digital
thermometer to know when to add color
and scent.
Columbia Heights Public Library Library Board Monthly Update – January 2024
o Met with Tucker and Sophie from Eastside Food Co-op to discuss a partnership event to
celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Richard Scarry’s “Cars, Trucks, and Things That Go.”
Eastside will be releasing a line of Richard Scarry themed items at the Co-op and asked
to partner with a library to offer a free, drop-in event for kids and families to celebrate
the anniversary on April 20 from 1-3 pm.
o Met with Kristen Stunkel, Jodi Gadient, Katie Holznagel, Keith Windschitl and Renee
about the possibility of applying for an Afterschool Community Learning Grant from the
Minnesota Department of Education.
o Installed a new Imagination Station, “Party Planners” for the early literacy play space.
Kids can develop fine motor skills by cutting wooden vegetables, practice writing by
addressing pretend invitations, use a party planning worksheet to plan and initiate
conversations with caregivers, and engage in lots of pretend play. Additional new toys
were also rotated into the youth area. They included wooden trains for the train table,
Mega blocks for building, a new sensory puzzle, search and find alphabet bags, and
window blocks for the light table.
• Elizabeth Ripley, Adult Services Librarian,
o Made three deliveries to At-Home patrons.
o Prepared a bulk loan for a new institutional borrower, Personal Care Senior Living.
o Facilitated the Active Agers book club discussion of “There, There” by Tommy Orange.
o Met with the
Friends of the
Library on 1/11.
o Attended the
Division Head
meeting on 1/8.
o Met with Friend
Veronica Johnson to
plan the March
puzzle contest.
o Met with Emma
Bute, CHPS
Communications
Coordinator, to
discuss adult
enrichment
programs and
community engagement opportunities.
o Hosted the Contemporary Tapestry Weaving class for adults.
• Renee Dougherty, Library Director,
o Met individually with Georgia Cook, Eliza Pope and Winnie Coyne for annual
performance evaluations.
o Participated in a Library Board retreat on strategic objectives on 1/13.
o Facilitated Adult Book Club discussion of “Klara and the Sun.”
o Participated in the Anoka County Library public service team meeting and weekly city
division head meetings.
Columbia Heights Public Library Library Board Monthly Update – January 2024
o Met with ACL Director Colleen Haubner, City Manager Kevin Hansen, Communications
Coordinator Will Rottler, and CHPS teacher Sarah Honeywell on various topics.
o Made a presentation about library and school partnership activities at the joint City
Council/ISD 13 School Board meeting on 1/29.
o Completed a webinar: Building Authentic Relationships with Underserved Communities.
o Began meeting with Recreation and school district staff about a potential afterschool
learning centers grant from the MN Department of Education.
• Matthias “Rin” Gorman began work on January 2 as a part-time Library Supervisor.
MISCELLANEOUS
o One incident of indecent exposure/public masturbation occurred on 1/3. The individual was
asked to stop the behavior and other patrons called the police.
o The Anoka County Law Librarian met with one person.
o Traditionally, Winter Reads has focused on adults, but in 2024 includes a component for
youth. While Anoka County requests that patrons participate via Beanstack, Columbia
Heights patrons typically prefer paper forms. Youth can pick up a BINGO card at the Ask Me
desk, complete it, and win a snowman sticker sheet, scratch off bookmark, and CHPL
temporary tattoo. Youth can participate as many times as they would like.
o Adult participants in Winter Reads were also encouraged to decorate and write cards for
seniors through ACCAP’s senior kinship program. Five finished cards were created and
delivered to ACCAP.
o By month end, 31 Winter Reads book reviews and/or BINGO sheets were completed. Every
adult participant gets a notebook and is eligible for a weekly prize drawing for a hat.
o One half of the glass display case featured a weaving display by Library Friend Kaye Reiners;
the other half featured a Winter Reads promotion by Friend Kathy Super.