HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-08-2025 Library Board MinutesA COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PUBLIC LIBRARY
3939 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421
BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Approved
2/5/2025
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 271 987 908 772 and passcode T2uo3T8N 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; Justice Spriggs (City Council Liaison).
Members remotely present: N/A. Members absent: Amina Maameri. Others present: Renee Dougherty (Library Director);
Nick Olberding (Board Secretary). Public present: N/A.
1. The Meeting Agenda was approved.
2. The Minutes of the December 4, 2024, Library Board Meeting were moved and approved.
3. Review of 2024 Operating Budget: 99% of the year and 88.85% of the budget expended; we will still be paying
2024 bills through the first week of February.
a. E-Books (42183): We have not been invoiced for e-books by Anoka County Library.
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.
New Business:
4. 2024 Year-End Highlights: The Board was shown a preview of the year-end stats (see below). Most totals
surpassed last year and some had significant gains. The Board was excited to see the numbers continuing to grow
and they expressed hope of surpassing 100,000 visits in 2025. On a related note, it’s great to be receiving the
parking lot expansion in the spring because the lot has been frequently full over the last year (including tonight)
and if visitors keep increasing, we’ll need that space even more often.
5. Update on Strategic Directions: Renee provided the Board with a sample progress on the Strategic Directions set
by the Library Board last year.
a. Collections: Implementation of merchandising strategies; more books on display; a 5.8% increase in library
cardholders; and piloting one-on-one technology help by appointment…
b. Communications: New website launched in November; All Are Welcome signs added to entrances;
prayer/meditation/sensory space table tents placed around building; Spanish language basic training for
staff…
c. Outreach: Increased school visits and introductory open houses with CH Public Schools, Immaculate
Conception, Metro North Adult Basic Ed, Prodeo Academy, Bultum Academy, and the Dwelling Place
(domestic violence shelter)…
d. Space: Upcoming parking lot expansion (and the CHPL Foundation grant); headphones added to public
computers; device charging stations; expansion of open hours on Friday/Saturday…
Director’s Update:
6. November Board Report: Provided as an FYI.
a. Puzzles: Elizabeth Ripley and Carrie Mesrobian are working on planning our next Puzzle Contest with a
puzzle swap session to follow.
7. Board Books:
a. Chris: Gideon Green in Black & White Katie Henry; Peculiar Woods: The Mystery of the Intelligents Andrés J.
Colmenares; The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine Rashid Khalidi; You Hurt My Feelings (2023) Nicole
Holofcener (streaming on Kanopy) b. Carrie: A Mind to Murder P.D. James
c. Melanie: Emily’s House Amy Belding Brown
d. Renee: Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt
e. Rachelle: Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone Benjamin Stevenson; Brave New World Aldous Huxley
f. Justice: Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don’t See Richard Kahlenberg
g. Nick: If Beale Street Could Talk James Baldwin
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:21 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicholas P. Olberding
Recording Secretary, CHPL Board of Trustees