HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_LAB_03.05.2019Minutes ofthe Meeting ufthe
Library Advisory Board
City ofGeorgetown
March 5,2U19
The Library Advisory Board met on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the first floor Conference Room, Georgetown
Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street
MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Lindsay Cooper, Cale Hart, John Hudson, Michael Kelley, Thom Sinwell, Linda Schaffer and
RichardTh|dmann.
STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Eric Lashley — Library Director.
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chair Cooper.
A. Citizens wishinig to address t . . None were present. No action required.
Lindsay Cooper, Chair, Cooper asked
the veteran board members tuintroduce themselves to Hart andThie|mann. She then asked Hart and
Thielmann to introduce themselves to the board. No.action required.
C. Lashley, Library Director. Lashley
reviewed the bylaws and noted the board is also responsible for processing a reconsideration for library
materials when apatron issues acomplaint tothe board. Lashley reviewed the attendance policy, noting that
members must attend at least 75% of the meetings or they can be removed by City Council. Lashley reviewed
other roles of the board such as the importance of updating the strategic plan and officers' responsibilities. No
action required.
D. Consideration and possible action tp_qpg(gytMinutes from the FebruAni 5 2019 Libr t Advis
Me
gkn&, — Lindsay Cooper, Chair. Motion by Kelley; second by Schaffer to approve the February 5, 2019
meeting minutes, Approxed7'O.
Discussion nnri n—rihip action to elect a Vice -chair �jncl SgqLqtar , — Lindsay Cooper, Chair. Motion by Kelley;
second byHudson toelect Thom 5inweUasVice'cha|r. Approved7'0. Motion byS|nxxeU;second byHudson to
elect Michael Kelley asSecretary. Approved7-0.
F. —Lindoay[ouper. Following brief
discussion, motion bVSchaffer; second byHart tokeep the regularly scheduled meeting time for the Library
Advisory Board on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m, in the first floor staff conference room of the
, `Eric Lashley, Library Director. Lashley showed the board anarticle
from the cfformer board chair Pete Rose and former board member Pat Baldwin
(attached). Lashley reported staff member Patrick Lloyd was interviewed for the NBC Nightly News with Lester
Holt onMonday, February 18. The story was about social workers in libraries and could run anytime in the next
^
2months
Lashley noted the Red Poppy Plaza shade structures had finally been installed after months of delay,
The library hosted a Black History Banquet on February 22,
The library purchased 20 Chromebooks for patron checkout using the IMLS National Medal award funds.
Lashley reviewed the monthly statistics with the board and explained tothe new board members the
complexities ofcirculating e'books.
Lashley also reviewed significant donations and gifts given 10the library, read patron comments from the
suggestion box and an e-mail regarding the |ibn*n/s use of patron photo in its publicity (s1tached). No action
H. , Director,
Lashley presented areport from the library's chi|dnen's staff documenting the engagement with members uf
Georgetown BQ. There was discussion from the board concerning the Uben/s objectives in regards to
programming for students ofG|SD. Hudson reviewed for the new members the focus groups heconducted with
each high school, Lashley asked for guidance toget buy -in from G|5DAdministration. Kelley asked Lashley to
change the agenda item inthe future toallow for action items. Hesuggested, "Discussion and possible action
regarding interaction with the Georgetown Independent School District." After much discussion, Hudson
reiterated the need to place objectives for G|SD inthe context ofthe strategic plan. No action vequined,
Considera Ian, — Eric Lashley, Library Director. Lashley
will distribute acopy cfthe strategic plan tuthe new board members. Hudson felt the library isbehind schedule
on drafting the new strategic plan, Heemphasized hewanted measuneab|eobjectives and suggested the board
schedule a retreat tnfinish the p|an. The board looked ettheir calendars, but Cooper suggested they bring back
objectives they would like to incorporate into the plan at the April Board meeting. Cooper asked Lashley about
the S2O,8QOgrant given tothe library bythe VV.D.Kelley Foundation, Cooper asked tohave anagenda item
added for the next board meeting to discuss how those funds can be used in the future. Hudson suggested if
the strategic plan included a major author event, the funds could be used for that purpose. No action taken.
Respectfully submitted,
\��, k, "I
Michael Kelley
Lindsay Coo,
Chair
Greetings,
I am very concerned about the fact that my Georgetown Public Library (GPL) has either no regard for
their image or wishes to portray an acceptance of aberrant or deviant behavior or persons in their
imaging. Similarly, | would think that GPLwould want toencourage people toattend their events, not
make them want toflee for their lives.
Your use ofanimage depicting aman who looks like either eDK8S-I3 gangbager,acriminal, anex-
convict, or some sort of carnival attraction (and I'm fairly certain he is at least one of those) is not only
dista1efu|,but makes mywife, myyoung children, and | never want tucome back toGPL.
is this person just a member of the general public or a volunteer or an employee? If this person is a
volunteer or employee,vvhatkindofbockgroundcheckispedbrmedbeforesomemne|spermittedtu
spend time with young children, such as is depicted in the advertisement below? Also, please explain
your intent in depicting someone who, in my estimation, represents approximately O.001Y6of
Georgetown's resident demographics,
'
My wife, who regularly enjoys taking our Iand 2year old children to theUbmrydu——thedeybv
herself is now concerned that she will encounter an individual like this, which, if you're not playing some
politically correct game or acting puckish, is someone most people in our community would never invite
todinner, to put itpolitely.
I do hope that our honorable Mayor or the decent Members of our City Council would also request an
explanation for GIPL's selective use of informal deviance in advertisement, so I have copied them all in
expectation and anticipation mfyour reply.
Jacob Culberson
Dear Mr, Culbeeen,
I would be glad to answer some of your questions about the photo used in our most recent newsletter.
The photo was one of over 100 photos taken by one of our staff members at the 2018 Spring Children's
Party. The patrons |nthe photo are efather and daughter who attended the party. VVeoften take
photos at our events and we always ask permission of the subjects if it is alright to us them for our
publicity,
The photo was not staged nor posed, | personally selected this photo because itshows anactual patron
reading tohis daughter intheir library, | love the smile onboth oftheir faces, Tumeitshows everyone
is welcome at their library. It depicts the importance of childhood literacy. In my opinion, more parents
should be reading to their children. ,
Aspreviously mentioned, the subjects |n the photo are regular patrons ofour library. The father is
always friendly and loves spending time with his daughter in our children's room,
|nregards tobackground checks, all volunteers and staff members must pass mbackground check to
work inthe library,
I am truly sorry if you and your wife feel unsafe at the library. I assure you the library is a very safe
place, | have worked atthe library for approximately 23years, | have two children who used the library
growing up and I would not tolerate a violent or unsafe environment for my children or any other
resident in Georgetown.
The Library is a public space where everyone has a constitutional right to peacefully assemble and
enjoy. Aslong aspeople behave themselves, they are welcomed atour library,
|fyou have any other questions orconcerns, please feel free tocontact me.
Eric P.Lashley
Library Director
(512)930-25I3
General
Access
w/ GPLprovides free library cards for all GKSDstudents &staff, Many teachers use the hold service ^
hmobtain books for use intheir classrooms.
• Each GiSDschool has aGPLaccount for school use.
�• GPL delivers materials to the GISD Administrative Offices once a week for school librarians and
teachers to use. A mail carrier from GISD also picks up materials from the library once aweak.
GPLvvae instrumental in bringing back this service aMer8|SD cancelled itlast year,
w^ GPL staff seeks out GISD summer reading lists to have on hand at the library for students.
Second Hand Prose puts these books inospecial section each summer,
• GPLoften provides free books 0oG|SDlibrarians and teachers.
• GPLpurchmeos and displays the Red Poppy and San Gabriel River Readers list books,
m* Bethni identified and loaned 200+ books that provided cross -curriculum support for use in middle
mohoo|puppwtshows. '
programming that supports GHSDliteracy and STEM learning initiatives,
*m The annual Summer Reading Program utGPLserves G|SD students and their families.
^w GPLhosts the G|SD Student Art Show each spring.
Outreach
• Bethn\and Melissa attend G0D librarian meetings when possible.
• Elementary school students tour the Library etthe end nfeach school year.
°* Bmthniand Sheri represented the library atthe G|SD Resource Fair for teachers &staff.
w" Bethniattends G|8D Family Literacy Nights,
• Bethniand Eric attend Career Days etG|GDelementary schools,
• Bethniattended B|SORead Across America Day.
• Bathniassisted G0D ESL teachers with finding information towrite agrant for Spanish language
partnered with EHSD tobring inmdistrict speech therapist for aFamily Place Libraries
• Patrick is in talks with GISD about placing a social work intern at one of the elementary schools,
Access
• Melissa isinregular contact with the middle and high school librarians connecting them tmlibrary
resources.
• The library loans book club kits with YA titles to GISD teachers for use in their classrooms.
'• Melissa often pulls individual mongatitles tosend imG|SDlibrarians,
• The library promotes community resources for teens, including college fairs and VVodhfoma
piL
• Monthly programs
• Weekly Teen Advisory Board meetings -
�• Monthly D&Dsessions
• Monthly Teen Writing Group
ww The annual Teen Summer Reading Program at GPLseee participation from many G|SID students
and continues hosupport literacy during out-o[schoV| months.
• Students from (3|5D's ASAP program attend summer library programs as part oftheir weekly
activities.
* The Teen Summer Art Show sees participation from many B|SOstudents,
* The library hosted a workshop for new teen drivers and their caregivers that was well attended by
GISID families.
TeenSpace provides �`��mplace for GIS[]students to study, hang out, play board
games and video games, make art, browse the teen book collection, and exist as valued
members of the community after school and on weekends.
Outreach
°* Melissa sends posters for teen library events to the middle and high schools snlibrarians may �
promote them totheir students,
@° Melissa and Bethni met with the middle school librarians to show them how to run a video game
tuurnament.yvhich they will be introducing to their school Ubnshee. KAn|isao and the librarians are
in talks about doing ajoint G|SDkGPLvideo game tournament,
+. Melissa makes annual visits to the GISID middle schools to promote the Summer Reading
Program,
Melissa represented the library at a teen pregnancy resource fair hosted by GISID.
- �
* Melissa works with the Kiwan|ato secure funding for the annual G|�Omiddle school Battle of the
Books program, which iathen hosted etthe public library.
w, The library hosts a teen intern each summer in partnership with GISDIThe Nest.
* The library has hosted participants in ASAP's Career Cruisin' program, who shadowed Eric for a
day.
,
� The library hosts many teen shelving volunteers
^* Teen Advisory Board is an option for teens who do not want to shelve. Teen AdvisoryBoard
assists the Teen Services Librarian with planning and promoting library services for teens,