HomeMy WebLinkAbout202601 Library Board UpdateColumbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – January 2026
BUILDING
• Northland Refrigeration maintained building and snowmelt boilers throughout the month
despite numerous malfunctions. New boilers will be installed at the end of the heating season.
• The fire alarm system panel began to randomly alarm at the end of the month.
TECHNOLOGY
• Software updates were made to the Bibliotheca self-check kiosks.
• A new keyboard was installed for public computer #6.
• An upgrade to the Sirsi-Dynix integrated library system software was installed.
• Five staff desktop computers were replaced with laptops and docking stations.
• The cost of printing black and white documents increased to $0.20 per page. The cost for
copying should have increased too but took additional time to implement.
COLLECTION
• New books were selected from reviews in the July, August, September or October issues of
Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and School Library Journal. Standing orders and other
items not received in 2025 were reordered. Youth requests and replacements included
additional books from the Pig the Pug series, a book by local Minneapolis author Trung Le
Nguyen Angelica and the Bear Prince, additional manga titles in the immensely popular Blue
Lock series, and books from a variety of “Best of 2025” lists.
• Weeding started in adult mysteries, continued in youth picture books, and was completed in
adult audiobooks.
• Adult displays featured “short reads for short days,” books by Palestinian authors or about
Palestine, international and world language films, job seeking books, and exercise or strength
training books. Youth displays highlighted science fiction books and immigrant stories
PROGRAMS AND SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES DATE AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE
English Language Conversation Circle 1/3 Adult 4
Community Craft Night 1/5 Adult 0
EL Conversation Circle 1/5 Adult 4
EL Conversation Circle 1/7 Adult 5
Daycare Storytime 1/9 Children (0-5) 15
EL Conversation Circle 1/10 Adult 3
EL Conversation Circle 1/12 Adult 5
Tinker Time: Watercolor Winter Forest 1/13 Children (6-11) 18
EL Conversation Circle 1/14 Adult 3
Mayor’s Book Club: The Power of Bridging 1/14 Adult 7
Active Agers Book Club: Saturday Night at the Lakeside
Supper Club (Murzyn Hall)
1/16 Adult 7
EL Conversation Circle 1/17 Adult 4
Library Book Club: The Lager Queen of Minnesota 1/21 Adult 9
EL Conversation Circle 1/21 Adult 2
Fulcrum Health: Pain Management with Chiropractic 1/22 Adult 0
EL Conversation Circle 1/24 Adult 3
EL Conversation Circle 1/26 Adult 3
EL Conversation Circle 1/28 Adult 3
Columbia Heights Public Library 2. Library Board Monthly Update – January 2026
Mayor’s Book Club 1/28 Adult 6
EL Conversation Circle 1/31 Adult 3
Making Whisk Brooms with the Textile Center 1/31 Adult 12
STAFF
Elizabeth Ripley, Adult Services Librarian:
• Met with the Friends of the Library.
• Met with Sam Sleeman of Faith Community Nurse Network on health outreach possibilities for
seniors in the community.
• Met with the MELSA adult programming interest group.
• Co-facilitated (with Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula) a book club centered on the Bush
Foundation book club, The Power of Bridging by john a powell.
• Began Winter Reads, a self-directed program for all ages, on January 5. Participants receive a
card which is stamped/punched every time they visit the library, check out books, or attend a
program. Once the card is completed, adults receive a bookmark or a MELSA-provided hat or
earmuff. Adults can also enter a grand prize drawing. Youth participants receive a snowflake
bookmark and sticker upon completion.
• Made four deliveries to At-Home patrons.
Renee Dougherty, Library Director:
• Attended regular meetings of city division heads, communications committee, library staff, the
Anoka County Library Public Service team and the Minnesota Library Association Board of
Directors.
• With HR Director Kelli Wick, I interviewed six finalists for the Library Supervisor position. Two
were invited for a second interview.
• Met with the city manager about policy and procedures surrounding Immigrations and Customs
enforcement activity within the library.
• Met with the ACL Director.
• Facilitated the adult book club discussion of The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal.
• Participated in webinars on filing the 2025 Minnesota Public Library Annual Report and
preparing for ICE enforcement within the library.
• Attended the retirement party for recreation director Keith Windschitl.
• Met with Youth Services Librarian Eliza Pope for her annual performance review.
Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian:
• Worked with staff at Valley View and Highland Elementary Schools to plan field trips to the
library for kindergartners. Trips were cancelled because of weather and immigration and
customs enforcement activity in the city. Both will be rescheduled later in the spring.
Matthias “Rin” Gorman, Library Supervisor, resigned his position.
MISCELLANEOUS
• Anoka County Law Librarian John Murphy held office hours on January 22.
• Numerous incidents resulted in calls for police assistance including
o A physical fight in the lobby on January 7.
o Shawn Pioske was trespassed from library on January 17 for creating a public nuisance
(yelling, swearing, using xenophobic and racially charged language, spitting/coughing in
Columbia Heights Public Library 3. Library Board Monthly Update – January 2026
faces of library and police personnel.) He returned on January 17, and when reminded
that he had been trespassed and needed to leave the building, started yelling about his
first amendment rights being violated. He was arrested and removed a second time.
o Evidence of drug use was found in the men’s restroom.
o A citizen called about an individual wielding a machete or ax in the area, and police
entered the library to search.
• Conversation Circle leaders noted a decrease in attendance, especially from Spanish speakers.
• Nine adult volunteers donated 29.25 hours. One teen volunteered for 2 hours.
• There were weather-related newspaper delivery issues.
• Immigrations Enforcement agents staged in the parking lot on January 10.