HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-04-2024 Library Board Packet
LIBRARY BOARD
Library—Community Room, 3939 Central Ave NE
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
5:30 PM
AGENDA
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC
Members of the public who wish to attend may do so in-person, or by using Microsoft Teams Meeting
at columbiaheightsmn.gov/joinameeting: ID 258 492 181 742, Passcode GWnPxW. For questions, please contact
Administration at 763-706-3610.
Auxiliary aids or other accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available if the request is made at least
72 hours in advance. Please contact Administration at 763-706-3610 to make arrangements.
CALL TO ORDER
1. Approve the Agenda
2. Library Board Photoshoot with CH Communications
3. Review/Approve Library Board Minutes from November 6, 2024
4. Review 2024 Operating Budget
COMMUNITY FORUM: At this time, individuals may address the Library Board about any item not included on
the regular agenda. All speakers need to state their name and connection to Columbia Heights, and limit their
comments to five (5) minutes. Those in attendance virtually should send this information in the chat function to
the moderator. The Board will listen to brief remarks, ask clarifying questions, and if needed, request staff to
follow up or direct the matter to be added to an upcoming agenda.
OLD BUSINESS
5. Update on CHPL Foundation Grant
6. ALA CORE Forum (Makerspaces, Hybrid Spaces, Unstaffed Hours)
7. Discussion of Spiritual Care/Meditation/Prayer Space
NEW BUSINESS
8. Collection Location Practices: ACL/CHPL
9. Proposed 2025 Fee Schedule
10. Accept and Receive 2024 Gifts to the Library
DIRECTOR'S UPDATE
11. MLA Leadership Role
12. October Board Report
13. Board Books
ADJOURNMENT
1
A COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY
3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421
BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Drafted
11/7/2024
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC
Members of the public who wished to attend could do so in-person, or via Microsoft Teams at columbiaheightsmn.gov/join-a-meeting and entering
Meeting ID 258 492 181 742 and passcode GWnPxW at the scheduled meeting time. For questions, please call the library at 763-706-3690.
The meeting was called to order in the Library Community Room by Rachelle Waldon at 5:32pm.
Members present: Rachelle Waldon; Melanie Magidow; Chris Polley; Carrie Mesrobian; Amina Maameri; Justice Spriggs
(City Council Liaison). Members remotely present: N/A. Members absent: N/A. Others present: Renee Dougherty (Library
Director); Nick Olberding (Board Secretary). Public present: N/A.
1. The Meeting Agenda was amended to include an update on unstaffed hours and was approved.
2. The Minutes of the October 2, 2024, Library Board Meeting were amended to include a title correction and book
addition to the Board Books section of the Minutes, then moved and approved with amended changes.
3. Review of 2024 Operating Budget: 83.33% of the year and 72.37% of the budget expended.
a. Gas (43830): Due to another warm fall the gas budget for the year will likely be underspent.
b. Building Maintenance (44020): This budget line will be overspent due to some unforeseen plumbing
problems, A/C system repair, and roof maintenance.
c. E-Books (42183): Still no word from Anoka County Library whether the pricing model for CHPL will be
changing, but Renee will meet with their director in December.
Community Forum: Opportunity for public input. No correspondence and no public in attendance. The City website
has a contact form for each Board/Commission for the public to submit questions or concerns:
https://www.columbiaheightsmn.gov/government/boards_and_commissions/index.php After clicking desired group,
scroll to the bottom of their page to find the contact form.
Old Business:
4. Staffing Update: Two new Pages began training on October 21st; Naati is a student at Columbia Heights High
School who is bilingual in English and Oromo; Gordon comes with experience at St Paul libraries and Anoka County
and is bilingual in English and Korean.
5. 2025 Budget Presentation to the City Council: Renee gave a 2025 proposed budget presentation to the Council on
October 7. The library’s 2.5% increase over 2024 is a smaller percentage than some other departments, mainly
due to the departure of two long-term employees earning at the top of the pay scales and replacement hires
lower on the scales. Additionally, there were cuts to the physical print/audiobook budget due to decrease in
demand in favor of e-books/e-audiobooks. Additional dollars were budgeted for youth programming after the loss
of the federal 21st Century grant; replacement of five-year old staff computers; and increased City administration
costs. The Council did not recommend any changes.
6. New Website: The new Library website (chplmn.org) quietly went live last Friday. The Board was excited to see it
and were happy with the appearance. Staff will be trained on editing and updating the page later this month. The
Board was advised to send thoughts, concerns, and suggestions going forward. They asked us if we would be
soliciting feedback on website use; no current plans yet. Training will hopefully include access to analytics to
understand the most popular sections of the new website. Redirects on the City website worked, but the link to
the Library page of the City website in Google search results was broken; Renee will bring this to the attention of
Communications staff who managed the site build.
2
Item 3.
New Business:
7. Approve 2025 Library Holiday/Closed Dates: The Board was presented with a list of the proposed closed dates for
2025 with the verbal addition of Saturday, July 5th (Anoka County Library notified us this week that they will be
closed that day, so Heights will also close for consistency). Also of note, even though it is still a city holiday, the
Library intends to be open on Good Friday in 2025. The Board had no concerns about the proposed closed dates
for next year; they moved and approved the list with amended changes.
8. Discussion of Prayer Space and Equipment at the Library (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/religionqa):
Amina wondered about the amount of demand for prayer space during open hours, and whether the Library could
have several prayer rugs on hand to use in the building. There are occasional requests for a private room for
prayer which are generally accommodated when space is available. She noted that patrons sometimes silently
pray in the open spaces as well. The discussion included thoughts on what is expected in a public space like a
library; expectations for privacy and ways of providing it; tax funding; religious materials; reflection spaces; and
nursing spaces. The Board will consider policy needs, signage, and examples of other libraries that have these
types of amenities. The discussion was tabled to allow the gathering of more research on what other local libraries
are doing. The ALA states that libraries may provide religious texts and/or materials but should not prioritize or
favor any specific faith or religion, and items of this nature should reflect its community.
9. Approve 2025 Library Board of Trustees Meeting Dates: The Board was presented with a list of the proposed
meeting dates for 2025 continuing the standard of 5:30pm on the first Wednesday of each month, except for
January 1 (which falls on New Year’s Day) which was pushed to January 8. Members decided to cancel the July
meeting, as has been tradition for the last several years. A motion to approve the 2025 Library Board Meeting
Dates with the amended cancellation of July was moved and approved.
Director’s Update:
10. September Board Report: Provided as a FYI.
a. Jane Austen Tea: It was mentioned that this looked like a very awesome event.
11. Board Books:
a. Justice: A People’s History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have
Shaped Our Constitution Peter Irons
b. Chris: Everyone’s Awake: Read-Aloud Bedtime Book Colin Meloy; Cuckoo Gretchen Felker-Martin
c. Carrie: The Familiar Leigh Bardugo
d. Melanie: Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal Rachel Naomi Remen
e. Renee: North Woods Daniel Mason
f. Rachelle: The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri; Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
g. Amina: Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers Gordon Neufeld/Gabor Maté MD
h. Nick: I, Robot Isaac Asimov
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:42 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicholas P. Olberding
Recording Secretary, CHPL Board of Trustees
3
Item 3.
Fund 240 - LIBRARY
2024 YTD ACTIVITY FOR
AMENDED BALANCE MONTH ENCUMBERED UNENCUMBERED % BDGT
ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION BUDGET 11/27/2024 11/27/2024 YEAR-TO-DATE BALANCE USED
41010 REGULAR EMPLOYEES 515,400.00 445,484.03 57,158.88 0.00 69,915.97 86.43
41011 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES 144,300.00 92,775.66 12,888.23 0.00 51,524.34 64.29
41020 OVERTIME-REGULAR 700.00 897.05 90.84 0.00 -197.05 128.15
41050 ACCRUED LEAVE ADJUSTMENT 0.00 637.50 0.00 0.00 -637.50
41070 INTERDEPARTMENTAL LABOR SERV 500.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00
41210 P.E.R.A. CONTRIBUTION 48,000.00 40,473.63 5,171.55 0.00 7,526.37 84.32
41220 F.I.C.A. CONTRIBUTION 50,500.00 40,976.08 5,317.22 0.00 9,523.92 81.14
41300 INSURANCE 82,800.00 75,219.36 6,831.90 0.00 7,580.64 90.84
41400 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION 0.00 22.18 0.00 0.00 -22.18
41510 WORKERS COMP INSURANCE PREM 5,000.00 2,539.88 248.94 0.00 2,460.12 50.80
42000 OFFICE SUPPLIES 1,200.00 1,203.61 71.98 0.00 -3.61 100.30
42010 MINOR EQUIPMENT 100.00 2,108.78 1,191.28 0.00 -2,008.78 2108.78
42011 END USER DEVICES 3,300.00 2,954.44 0.00 0.00 345.56 89.53
42012 OTHER TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT 0.00 2,337.94 0.00 0.00 -2,337.94
42030 PRINTING & PRINTED FORMS 700.00 772.00 0.00 0.00 -72.00 110.29
42170 PROGRAM SUPPLIES 1,000.00 666.38 0.00 0.00 333.62 66.64
42171 GENERAL SUPPLIES 7,300.00 6,295.83 0.00 0.00 1,004.17 86.24
42175 FOOD SUPPLIES 100.00 13.97 0.00 0.00 86.03 13.97
42180 BOOKS 55,000.00 42,397.85 2,717.75 0.00 12,602.15 77.09
42181 PERIODICALS, MAG, NEWSPAPERS 7,800.00 6,917.14 15.00 0.00 882.86 88.68
42183 E-BOOKS 15,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 15,000.00 0.00
42185 COMPACT DISCS 4,700.00 1,272.43 0.00 0.00 3,427.57 27.07
42187 BOOK/CD SET 800.00 794.57 0.00 0.00 5.43 99.32
42189 DVD 6,500.00 4,898.64 131.17 0.00 1,601.36 75.36
42280 VEHICLE REPAIR AND PARTS 0.00 656.06 0.00 0.00 -656.06
42990 COMM. PURCHASED FOR RESALE 300.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 300.00 0.00
43050 EXPERT & PROFESSIONAL SERV.5,400.00 4,571.62 370.87 772.85 55.53 98.97
43105 TRAINING & EDUCATION ACTIVITIES 700.00 380.00 0.00 0.00 320.00 54.29
43210 TELEPHONE 900.00 805.41 0.00 571.78 -477.19 153.02
43220 POSTAGE 200.00 15.45 0.00 0.00 184.55 7.73
43250 OTHER TELECOMMUNICATIONS 3,200.00 2,616.92 0.00 0.00 583.08 81.78
43310 LOCAL TRAVEL EXPENSE 500.00 107.60 107.60 0.00 392.40 21.52
43600 PROP & LIAB INSURANCE 12,300.00 10,250.00 0.00 0.00 2,050.00 83.33
43800 UTILITY SERVICES 7,000.00 5,129.42 0.00 0.00 1,870.58 73.28
43810 ELECTRIC 46,300.00 36,032.10 3,422.03 0.00 10,267.90 77.82
43830 GAS 16,600.00 5,362.46 563.53 0.00 11,237.54 32.30
44000 REPAIR & MAINT. SERVICES 18,700.00 16,935.49 0.00 800.00 964.51 94.84
44010 BUILDING MAINT:INTERNAL SVCS 43,800.00 36,500.00 0.00 0.00 7,300.00 83.33
44020 BLDG MAINT CONTRACTUAL SERVICES 29,000.00 26,004.43 2,492.00 2,493.20 502.37 98.27
44030 SOFTWARE & SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS 18,800.00 13,932.36 0.00 3,717.48 1,150.16 93.88
44040 INFORMATION SYS:INTERNAL SVC 87,800.00 73,166.70 0.00 0.00 14,633.30 83.33
44050 GARAGE, LABOR BURD.300.00 1,128.00 0.00 0.00 -828.00
44330 SUBSCRIPTION, MEMBERSHIP 700.00 411.00 0.00 0.00 289.00 58.71
44375 VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION 200.00 35.72 0.00 0.00 164.28 17.86
45180 OTHER EQUIPMENT 0.00 491.86 0.00 0.00 -491.86
47100 OPER. TRANSFER OUT - LABOR 18,600.00 15,500.00 0.00 0.00 3,100.00 83.33
TOTAL EXPENDITURES: 1,262,000.00 1,021,691.55 98,790.77 8,355.31 231,953.14 81.62
EXPENDITURE REPORT FOR CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
PERIOD ENDING 11/30/2024
Fiscal Year Completed: 91.53%
4
Item 4.
Columbia Heights Public Library
Fine/Fee Schedule 2025
Drafted: November 2024 Approved: 12/x/2024
Cards Replacement Library Card $2.00
Out-of-State/Non-resident Library Card $60.00 (annually) Retail Earbud Headphones $2.00
Flash Drive (2-4GB) $5.00 Retail (used sale cart) Hardcover Book $1.00
Trade/Oversize Paperback $.75
Mass Market Paperback $.50
Children’s Hardcover Book $1.00
Children’s Paperback $0.25
DVD $1.00
Audiobook $2.00
Audio CD $1.00 Print Print/Copy (black & white) $0.10/page
Print/Copy (color) $0.50/page Replacement Lost or Damaged Materials
List (depreciated) price of item, plus:
$8.00 processing charge for print material
$10.00 processing charge for media material
Magazines = $6.00 or list price (if higher)
Barcode $0.50 (if 5 or more barcodes are missing/damaged)
RFID tag $0.50 (if 5 or more tags are missing/damaged)
Book Jacket $0.50 (if 3 or more are missing/damaged)
Compact disc Jewel case (CD) $0.75
CD book case (up to 10 in a case) $2.50
CD book case (11-24/case) $5.00
CD book case (25+/case) $15.00
DVD case (1-4 in case) $1.00
DVD case (5+/case) $2.50
Compact disc or DVD insert (1 page) $1.00
Compact disc or DVD insert (multiple pages) $3.00 Misc Referral to Collection Agency $12.00
Dishonored check fee $30.00
Misc. Variable
5
Item 9.
Columbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – October 2024
BUILDING
• Central Roofing completed recommended repairs.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLECTION
• New books were selected from reviews in the June and July issues of Booklist, Kirkus Reviews
and School Library Journal. Recent adult nonfiction in the 600s, 800s, and 900s (health,
parenting, gardening, cooking; literature; and biographies and histories) as well as adult and
youth DVDs were ordered. Easy non-fiction on construction and vehicles, missing titles in series,
“I Spy…” and “Splatoon” books were purchased.
• Weeding was completed in adult fiction L-Z, romance, and western.
• Adult displays celebrated book month, cat month, painting and drawing techniques, and
Hispanic Heritage month.
PROGRAMS AND SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES DATE INTENDED AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE
Daycare Storytime 10/2 Children (0-5) 11
English Language Conversation Circle 10/2 Adult 6
EL Conversation Circle 10/3 Adult 2
Storytime 10/7 Children (0-5) 35
EL Conversation Circle 10/7 Adult 7
Walk & Talk Book Club 10/8 Adult
Social Media: Finding Authenticity 10/8 Adult 2
EL Conversation Circle 10/9 Adult 8
ICS 1st Grade Field Trip 10/10 Children (6-11) 14
Saturday Scribes: Alison McGhee 10/12 Adult 12
Storytime 10/14 Children (0-5) 47
EL Conversation Circle 10/14 Adult 5
Tinker Time: Leaf Suncatchers 10/15 Children (6-11) 43
Book Club: “Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” 10/16 Adult 12
Mystery Book Club: “Once There Were Wolves” 10/16 Adult 4
EL Conversation Circle 10/16 Adult 4
Mayor’s Monarch Pledge: Seed Paper and Citizen Science 10/17 Adult 8
EL Conversation Circle 10/17 Adult 6
Storytime 10/21 Children (0-5) 56
EL Conversation Circle 10/21 Adult 5
ICS 2nd Grade Field Trip 10/22 Children (6-11) 23
DIY Teen: Candy Shaker Charm Keychain 10/22 Young Adult 9
North Park ELL Family Night at the Library 10/23 All Ages 106
EL Conversation Circle 10/23 Adult 4
EL Conversation Circle 10/24 Adult 3
Somali Kebed Weaving 10/26 Children (6-11) 29
Storytime 10/28 Children (0-5) 49
EL Conversation Circle 10/28 Adult 5
EL Conversation Circle 10/30 Adult 2
EL Conversation Circle 10/31 Adult 3
Tiny Art Self-Directed 60
STAFF
• Elizabeth Ripley, Adult Services Librarian
o Met with the Friends of the Library.
o Led a “Seed Paper and Citizen Science” program with Mayor Marquez Simula sharing
National Wildlife Federation Mayor’s Monarch Pledge initiatives in Columbia Heights.
o Met with the MELSA Jobs and Small Business team.
o Met with the Columbia Heights Senior Consortium.
o Met with the MELSA Adult Programming team.
6
Item 12.
Columbia Heights Public Library 2. Library Board Monthly Update – October 2024
o Attended the 55+ Hiring Event sponsored by Anoka County Career Force.
o Met with the Director for a yearly Performance Evaluation.
• Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian,
o Hosted Sahra from Child and Teen Check
Ups at a storytime.
o Assisted kids and grownups paint leaf
suncatchers at Tinker Time.
o Contracted the Somali Museum of
Minnesota to teach a Kebed Weaving
class with grandmothers sharing a
traditional weaving technique.
o Taught a DIY Teen class on candy shaker
charms.
o Hosted the first Immaculate Conception
field trips of the 2024-2025 school year.
First and second-grade classes visited for a
brief tour with time to independently
explore the collection. Staff assisted
students in finding books that piqued
their interest. Nearly all first graders
arrived with library cards ready to check out books on the self-check kiosks. While many
second-graders did not yet have library cards, several students and families visited the
library after the field trip to obtain cards and prepare for future visits.
o North Park School for Innovation sponsored an English Language Family Night at the
library again this year. Dinner was provided, books and gift cards were raffled off, Eliza
gave a brief overview of library cards and library services, and families had time to
explore the library. Unfortunately, parking constraints led to a delayed start and
logistical challenges. Eliza created a form in English and Spanish to help with library card
applications, but there was still difficulty communicating how MELSA applications differ
from those for residents of Columbia Heights. After the event, two families came to the
library the following Saturday to check out books with their new cards and to use
computers.
o Attended Columbia Academy EL Family Night at McKenna Park to make buttons with
families and pass out information about the library.
o Attend Prodeo Academy’s Family Night to greet families as they made their way to
sample lessons by Prodeo teachers. Many families took library info cards, but some said
they lived in Hennepin County or already had cards in different library systems.
o Attended the Minnesota Library Association conference on October 24 including
keynote addresses from Mychal Threets and Cindy Hohl, ALA president. Outstanding
breakout sessions included “Games in Libraries”, “Custom AI Chatbots”, and
“Extroverting Like a Professional” sessions.
• Renee Dougherty, Library Director,
o Participated in the ACL public service team and city division head meetings.
o Met Will Rottler and Winnie Coyne numerous times about the new library website. The
new site launched November 1.
o Met with the adult book club for discussion of “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.”
7
Item 12.
Columbia Heights Public Library 3. Library Board Monthly Update – October 2024
o Attended the Columbia Heights Public Schools Communication Advisory Council
meeting.
o Met with Library Supervisor Al Mamaril and Adult Services Librarian Elizabeth Ripley for
their annual performance reviews.
o Attended a lunch in honor of Fire Chief Charlie Thompson with city division heads and a
formal reception upon his retirement.
o Attended a pinning ceremony for new Fire Chief Dan O’Brien.
o Presented the proposed 2025 Library budget to the City Council at a work session on
10/7.
o Extended conditional offers of employment to Naatii Ahmed and Gordon Silva who
began training as Pages on 10/21.
MISCELLANEOUS
• The Law Librarian held office hours on the fourth Thursday.
• Eight adult volunteers donated 32 hours.
8
Item 12.