HomeMy WebLinkAbout202502 Library Board UpdateColumbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – February 2025
BUILDING
• Northland Refrigeration continued to service malfunctioning heating and snowmelt boilers.
• An electrician repaired lights in the children/teen areas.
TECHNOLOGY
• There were numerous issues with the online printing portal or print release kiosk.
• One of the dedicated catalog computers malfunctioned multiple times.
COLLECTION
• New books were selected from reviews in the October and November issues of Booklist, Kirkus
Reviews, Library Journal and School Library Journal. Adult and youth DVDs were ordered.
Juvenile purchases included replacement of worn books, and requests for To All the Boys I’ve
Loved Before, Hunger Games, and missing volumes from the EJ series Magic Quest.
• Weeding was completed in adult fantasy and large print and in juvenile fiction and readers.
• Adult displays featured Oscar-nominated or winning films, Minnesota authors, heart health and
Black History month. Juvenile displays highlighted Black History month.
PROGRAMS AND SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES DATE INTENDED AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE
Glass Fusing for Families 2/1 Children (6-11)
Storytime 2/3 Children (0-5) 34
English Language Conversation Circle 2/3 Adult 6
EL Conversation Circle 2/5 Adult 5
Ancestral Connections 2/6 Adult 2
Daycare Storytime 2/7 Children (0-5) 12
Pet Beds for Animal Shelters with HeightsNEXT 2/8 Adults 45
Storytime 2/10 Children (0-5) 32
EL Conversation Circle 2/10 Adult 6
Tinker Time: Shrinky Dinks 2/11 Children (6-11) 20
North Park Kindergarten Field Trips 2/11 (Children (6-11) 80
EL Conversation Circle 2/12 Adult 4
ICS 1st Grade Visit 2/13 Children (6-11)
Ancestral Connections 2/13 Adult 4
Arabic Storytime 2/15 Children (0-5) 24
ICS 2nd Grade visit 2/18 Children (6-11)
Evening Storytime 2/18 Children 8
Book Club 2/19 Adult 8
Mystery Book Club 2/19 Adult 4
Conversation Circle 2/19 Adult 4
YSL visit to ECFE (offsite) 2/20 Children (0-5) 10
Storytime 2/24 Children (0-5) 36
EL Conversation Circle 2/24 Adult 6
DIY Teen: Boba 2/25 Teen (12-18) 13
EL Conversation Circle 2/26 Adult 6
Winter Reads 1/6-2/28 Adult 129
STAFF
Elizabeth Ripley, Adult Services Librarian:
• Weeded and shifted the large print collection.
• Met with the Friends of the Library.
Columbia Heights Public Library 2. Library Board Monthly Update – February 2025
• Planned programming for summer.
• Met with potential volunteers and program vendors.
• Made four deliveries to At-Home patrons.
Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian:
• Assisted children and caregivers in creating Shrinky Dink keychains and magnets at a Tinker Time
program.
• Created a DIY Teen: Boba Tea program where teens brewed a strong tea bases and customize
them with flavored syrups and milk. After crafting their perfect boba, teens enjoyed socializing
and coloring.
• Welcomed four kindergarten classes from North Park School for Innovation on field trips where
they enjoyed storytime, participated in a scavenger hunt, colored owl-themed library assistants,
and took a special behind-the-scenes tour of the workroom.
• Visited an ECFE class for parents and babies and presented a sample storytime.
• Met with Anoka County 4-H staff about summer programs on birding and LEGO engineering.
• Selected summer programming to be funded by Legacy and MELSA funds through Anoka County
Libraries.
Renee Dougherty, Library Director:
• Participated in city division head meetings.
• Facilitated the adult book club discussion of Fly Girl: A Memoir by Ann Hood.
• Participated in a two-day teambuilding and norm setting workshop for elected officials and staff.
• Met with staff from the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority staff on how the
library can assist with the April application period for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8).
• Met with staff of the MN Attorney General’s office about an April expungement clinic at the
library.
Rin Gorman, Library Supervisor:
• Conducted three sessions of Tech Assistance.
MISCELLANEOUS
• Anoka County Law Librarian John Murphy held office hours on February 27.
• Eight adult volunteers donated 18 hours. 1 teen volunteer also worked this month.