City of Laredo, Texas Library Advisory Committee, 28 Oct 2021

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LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE 102721

A

All right, okay,.

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It is five with six minutes, we'll call the speech in order. We can begin with the pledge of allegiance. Please we all stand.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america.

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We have a quorum.

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This time, there's no citizen comments.

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It's time to recognize.

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Now we have the minutes, people want to go ahead and read the minutes from the prior meetings.

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Do you have any corrections or any recommendations for the minutes.

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Those in favor.

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Okay and now for uh communications and announcements: okay,.

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Do have some new staff to introduce to you. I have a with us alejandra velasco.

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She is in a new clerk and she's with us that she started in the technical services department.

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uh Mr quan vidaori a clerk and he is with the children's department.

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I'm sure and also miss sydney rose salinas also in the children's department. So we've got new staff in the children's department.

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Thank you, you're excused.

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E

I have a question: did anybody replace rick.

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I'll give a report on that open the positions.

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um We do have another court that just started at the santo nino branch, but she wasn't able to come over here because they're a little short staff, but her name is.

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Doris gonzalez, as soon as.

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Announcement, you have in your packet the texas library association membership. As you know, the the library pays for your membership.

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So if you could uh go ahead and fill it out and turn it into angie, I believe they're due at the end of december. Yes, and then you can help you fill it out. If you have a question.

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Can I give my.

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Okay, well next week,.

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And also just uh very information there there's a the letter that we received from the texas state library and archives commission stating that we are accredited for this coming year. We met all the requirements.

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We were a little worried because we were close, but.

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I'm at the budget part so that was good.

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Okay, so now we're on to.

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Or the federal court um on the 4th of october, the city council did award a professional services contract to cabazo's architect to uh not to exceed.

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The this includes the schematic design, design, development, construction documents, construction procurement, construction, administration and historical preservation, services that need be.

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The federal uh courthouse where the post office is.

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So that's where we're at! I don't know how long it's going to take the architects to come back with the plans for us, but I'll keep.

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It's huge it's.

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Wasn't is that the area where they were going to make it a museum.

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Uh-Huh, yes, it's huge. It's.

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It's and that's just.

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Yeah architectural.

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And renovations.

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And everything is for the library. The whole thing.

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No, um I don't know if you're ready.

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Senior fitness center.

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Of offices it's office after office after offices, I don't know what to recommend, maybe opening it up a little more, but.

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So we'll see.

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Okay, so then, uh recent and upcoming library programs well.

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No, I also have oh sorry.

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All right just an update on our staffing. We are currently recruiting for library, tech, one at moss and.

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Post it right now and we're currently conducting interviews for the library tech one we still don't have a sufficient pool for the circulation supervisor, so we're waiting on other applications.

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A cdl class b.

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We, what does that require.

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That uh two years, I believe of library, experience or two years.

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Yes, or at a school library or at uh any kind of library, experience that differentiates it from the court, one which is a entry.

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Library, tech, one she had library.

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I'm saying because we needed like a tech one soon. I think you know why.

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Let's see we we're also.

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The recommendations have been made already we're just waiting for them to go to the process, uh show the education and their background checks and, of course, drug and alcohol, and we're still waiting for the approval of to open.

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That was my old position.

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That's her old position, she's now here with us, you're danielle.

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City branch, the one on plum street- and I don't know if.

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They'll, let me hire a circular.

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How far off in the future, we'll be opening that library and we're? I just asked permission to open a custodian at moss also, so we it's a revolving door.

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That's a good thing, so who's.

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A full-timer and one part-timer.

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And so far, if they need uh coverage because for some reason we'll send somebody over there, that's so far, so good that they've been doing okay.

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And there you have the flight.

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An emergency where she couldn't make it. Luckily, we were able to schedule it soon afterwards for november.

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Mom he's going to be here selling the book.

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Do we have that book like in libby or.

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November 13th saturday november 13th.

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We haven't had it in two years.

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Now the the one city one book is there, did you all work, and I know you said the warehouse.

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They need to ask corporate to see if they can purchase it, because there's no guarantee that they're going to sell right.

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That um jesse, the the manager from the one at the outlet used to work with us yeah so.

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We always had that relationship.

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And he was at second and charles. He tried to purchase it.

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You're discussing programs right now, I'd like to just take this opportunity to thank.

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It was just so interesting.

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And she had a room full of people, and uh everything was just.

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For what you're doing? Because it's uh obvious very evident that people and a lot of students were there a lot of students that they really enjoyed? That.

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For the students, so thank you again so much for doing what you're doing it really. You know it was amazing, an amazing event. Thank you for attending and I want every.

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It will be published by.

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Times the ones that.

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Were written here.

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From alexander those were the.

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In fact, last night I also saw that that one of the branches was having a halloween party right, which one would be last night.

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All right, I understand that.

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The fine arts in downtown uh is having an event for their little.

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It will come out in the paper on saturday, because I have one.

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Second, at night, I don't know what time, but I I would like to go to that.

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I don't know yet because I I'm going every day I have been going every day to a different school every day.

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But then, on friday, I'm going to tell me you on monday, I'm going to see tuesday I'll end up at martin high school, with 115 students at the library.

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Thank you again.

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Thank you thank you, and, and look out for the paper on saturday represent the laredo public library. Altar will be because I told them it was awesome.

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Mine is not with all the you know,.

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I'm not an artist, I'm a boy, but not an artist, but they are and- and we want to take this to the community yeah- you.

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Our tradition, that's our people and we should be proud.

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um We're still on the recent upcoming events right: okay,.

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Oh, I'm sorry, you also have the checklist for the for the different branches.

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Not very not a lot, not a lot. um I think it's all. It was also being scheduled when the kids were having tutorials well. It says here.

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Words are not exists, they're.

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The latest, by the way.

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Even before that, yeah no, it hasn't been and we've been uh promoting it, and I know I.

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Saw it so I thank you that I was.

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I thought by the time they get out, I mean I think dinner and it's.

D

Hard, um I don't know, but maybe you could suggest maybe an earlier hour or.

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uh Like two weeks ago, um so when I saw this.

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I said well: okay, we're not opening our library today they can take advantage there, okay, but we are.

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I'll talk to priscilla she's, the one doing the program to see, if maybe do it on a saturday, but she also.

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You can see, maybe we can increase the number. I told him to leave it on there for now see. Maybe, if it'll build up.

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Do you communicate with the libraries from both.

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Librarians, the librarian: do you give it out to all the.

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Library, librarians.

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Directly and uic is because.

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See that I've told you this before I've come to some events where they're, hardly anybody and it's so beautiful. They have so many good things.

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In my case, the reason they come is I get on the telephone and.

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But you know I that's that's the way it works. That's why you have people. It's.

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Just it's hard, there's a lot going on. Oh no! I know they.

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Have to stay late with new requirements by this day, it's our tutorials.

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Yeah, but it's not because they should be covered.

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Even now, saturday,.

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Tutorials they have saturday tutorials.

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Yes, no need for tutorials if you develop a love of reading and the love of writing.

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That's what I did with my kid with my own. You know, but um I say because today I was a triumph and triumph is not a member of lazy or uasd. No.

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It's just talking about the charter and there's.

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Several I had no idea.

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I didn't even know that we had another charter school other than harmony well,.

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This has been going on yeah for 20 years. Triumph triumph, I've.

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Teacher said the principal was your student, it's her name.

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Yeah but yeah and she told me.

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I want you to know that I've been pushing the library program and the living, and I tell them about it all the great things that we have, because they're.

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Right there, no, I know they're out there, they met here on friday for their cancer walk. They can't.

E

Have their way to the parking lot yeah, so I think we have a wonderful library system. You know this library and all the others, and- and you have wonderful things now- we need the community to participate more people. You know more people.

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That's like steel.

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It to your campus and promote to.

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Every campus of.

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Well, uh uh on that note, I don't know how how it works, I'm not responsible for those. We have a parent festival like uh every year.

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If I don't think our district so listens out of the district, we have a bunch of presentations.

D

That's that's at united right.

B

Here at united high school, yes and they and we have all kinds of their every campus- is represented in their hostess parents sign in there, but they do have presentations from our all of our coordinators and stuff on all the programs.

B

I don't know if that's something that the public library should be included.

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In don't know where we've ever gone, no.

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I don't think you ever have all.

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D

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Have the united high school um for high school, no uisd high school? I think I don't remember her name, but she came to your program or saw you program.

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I don't remember her name, I wrote it down and she called me says when we have this, can you all get? Yes, I mean it's going to be done virtually and and the labyrinths are.

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The parent festival is coming up in november.

B

Well, yeah, that's that's the key right. That's been the big, uh I guess a kitty's heel is getting the word out.

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Mm-Hmm, you know because.

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When, during the recession, when other other communities were closing down, libraries left it right, we heard about them shutting down. We there that wasn't happening here in webb county it was. uh We were building.

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Libraries so and really.

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That with technology was highlighted during covid and of course all of our libraries have internet and we've always seen how people like to come in here just to get the internet. But.

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Get outside in their car right.

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Right but upon doing that.

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Seen here in this report, you've seen how the the like, you know, the digital collection, the elite collections have skyrocketed.

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As you'll see when the students start using it that it.

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Know so it's great to see that so.

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That's something I think that should be uh highlighted and really tapped into to any community event or district event, whether it's lisd uic or even our charter schools, about to have a to let.

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Them know this is here.

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This is here to serve you.

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Right, I mean yes, they know we have books.

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We've been doing online stem programs with.

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The private schools.

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Which you know there are several yeah.

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They're catholic ones and.

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Because they're usually.

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A smaller classroom so that we can.

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Something awesome any other comments on. I was wondering about this at the moss branch. It says here that glass cubes on the west side of the building have been damaged by rocks like rocks that were thrown.

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At it- or I I don't know it could have been that from a car. I think it's probably the kittles that were good, because.

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I don't know it turns out, it's not that it's a.

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The fire department so.

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Having we've had.

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A couple of uh consultants go in to give us a price as to how we can fix it, because that that's an ongoing uh we kept getting. No it's the sprinklers on the outside that are, and so they filled some.

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The rain I.

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If the sprinkler head is broken, that's where it's speaking.

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And it wasn't that.

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I was thinking because they uh that the the the water was going because of the slope of it, so the public works had it dirt and filled it. It's still not happening so.

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Is this map is this indoors? Is it's.

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How quickly does it get cleaned up and.

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About no, yes,.

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Yeah, no absolutely we sent.

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We need to get one of those contractors to go in there and fix that one thing we had engineering and risk management from the city go in there and take a look at it when it happened again.

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Or if there's any other observations or comments about the visits.

E

I have a question about rooney. I know it's close, but I know the city of planning is not there anymore.

D

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If the buildings make it uh-huh, and will you be able to use that as a library.

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No um right now, what we're doing is we're taking out.

D

We're not gonna it's.

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Not a library anymore, oh, it's not gonna open anymore. No! That's.

D

Yet what she wants to do with the building building, but it's going to be something else: yeah.

B

Okay, so monthly statistics.

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um Danielle is here, as promised in case yeah, so I.

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Nice, seeing everyone.

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Bye, thank you, nice, seeing you all, even if it's virtual, oh.

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No, this is the look right.

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Can they still.

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The section um they can see me.

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Okay, yeah, it's um it's just it's just.

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Camera on the laptop okay. Just for the meantime,.

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Yes, you also had a question um the last meeting about that you resource.

F

Yeah so so she can show you that yeah. So I guess we can plug in.

E

I have a question: that's e-resource is that audiobooks too, all the electronics they're.

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Because they email books, I know I'm in the audiobooks but everything's on the product. Yeah.

C

Yeah I have some audio books on cds.

F

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Much worked almost.

F

In every department I've been in reference. I've been at a branch tonight, I'm now here in my newest capacity as the technical services librarian.

F

um So my goal here tonight is to explain some of the errors and then why I have again combined some of the stats that you see on the statistics sheet to help fully clear up some of the confusion and redundancy.

F

So in regards to reporting, I mean really, I showed miss solis, the math. I can only sum it up to human error. In the months before I came here, there was a couple people on the interim, and I can sum it up, probably to a little bit of miscommunication and not knowing who to ask for what and where to access it, since there are various ways to access the data from different parts, whether it be through verizon, a sql query.

F

This is a lot of stats, so I think it was probably just more or less not knowing where to pull them from okay, so first under the circulation area under the juvenile collection.

F

On the first thing I went ahead and combined was the juvenile biography under juvenile non-fiction it to me it's just minimal um and it wasn't actually being reported until three months ago, so it wasn't its own line um until about june of this year. So.

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I'm just going to go ahead and combine.

F

It under non-fiction since so there was only 12 last year's last three months. I don't think it's justified to go ahead and put it as its own line and list separately so and.

F

And e-magazines, um which I'll do next month as well as on here? Okay with all of these changes, I'll go ahead and add that as well, so the magazines are a part of the collection of e-collection, because if you use the overdrive app, they purchased rb digital. Who was our magazine provider digitally so they went ahead and purchased them. So now it's actually under the same vendor, so I'm just going to go ahead and combine those as well, um and I think the other one which was the big question for august.

F

If we go down, I went ahead and actually removed. It entirely was the new acquisitions um that was showing print and it was showing me collections. um So this number um was not being.

F

Over from several.

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Months, where are the positions.

F

That would actually remove so you're not going to see it. Oh yeah on the prior. That was one.

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Of the clarifications.

F

So what I did instead is, I went ahead and put it under processing for the tiles added electronically and the volumes added electronically, since really processing.

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The collections digitally since they're on there for simultaneous continuous use, so I just went ahead and combined the print new acquisitions and e-collection new exhibitions under processing. So the new titles added print are where we're going to find the new acquisitions and the e-collections as well are going to be under the title standard, electronic and the bonds added electronic under the processing.

F

I felt it was kind of repetitive and it's the same number so since it was being accurately reported above, we might as well just keep it all in the same area.

F

F

With the volumes added and titles added, so you'll just go ahead and see that I have them um combined as total titles added total volume added, so that way, it's all together in one spot, um instead of being up at the acquisitions and then repeated as titles for drawing added.

F

So with that being said, as I'm learning this position and getting all of the new statistics and finding them, what I want to do is ask your opinion on what statistics are you most interested in? Are you interested in more visual statistics, such as charts graphs? Are you just seeing trends.

F

I can always tailor these to whatever you're more interested, most interested in seeing.

E

I would say I'm interested in the usage as you have it here: the count that I'm very interested in that how many people are coming, and you know using um all that we have at the library as I'm interested in how many people come yeah.

F

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Is kind of bad, so I mean that could always be broken.

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Which and how many.

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You know which had.

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What attendance so.

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This is just kind of all long-term.

D

And we do do that. Every.

F

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Where we give you.

E

As somebody is in charge of your facebook page and your rita bear.

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All that, but how about more to the community, I don't know, put it out in there.

D

Now, every week a calendar.

D

This is interesting. No, no! This is more interesting yeah, so.

E

I think again because if you have so so many good programs- and I see that not enough attendance and the ones I've been- I mean I don't know, but it's just that maybe some of your terms are very leveraged. I don't know where it would fall. You were the expert would help you know in getting out to the community, you know or going to tv or going to radio or calling.

E

I don't know something more because.

D

We found that social media is probably the.

E

A

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We've done research, the newspaper yeah yeah.

E

D

We do go and do the programs at kgns, which is basically the only tv station, but from what we found the getting the word out is social media.

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C

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D

Acne, who gets it you know, other people are, are seeing it.

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And the spanish tv we've done well.

F

Yeah they're always really receptive. I was the one who used to go and they're.

E

Always very receptive.

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To letting us present.

E

It's just, I think we need to let this out more.

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C

D

City pio sends it out: uh that's probably the the widest reach, because it's all media outlets and we always on our own. Each of the branches has access to facebook, so they can promote their own blasts from last night.

E

Where what news did you see at inside.

D

It's partnered with another of the spanish station. I don't remember which one but when they come and do it yeah.

A

When they come.

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They they say: okay, do it again, do it in spanish? Yes, yes,.

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And, of course,.

B

So does anybody uh because I think you would.

F

Yeah, I mean the really cool part, uh well cool, depending.

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On you know your perspective, but then.

F

I'm upgrading we're migrating to a new reporting statistic so that way it's gonna allow me to present in.

C

F

Line graphs bar graphs. So if you do want to see that more visually, because sometimes we as humans tend to grab things more visually than just looking at numbers, and you can see the trends so.

A

F

Mentioning the databases you'll notice, um that tumble books- oh my gosh, tumble books, skyrockets when it's april, because they're doing the testing they're doing the star they're pushing that reading so you'll see it going up and the same thing you'll see mid-semester october november,.

A

Is when those databases.

E

One question one more question: uh when you are reading ebooks or audiobooks, or even you know, electronic books, that book can be checked out by many people.

F

It depends on the platform, um so sometimes like hoopla it'll, be one user for borrow, sometimes they're simultaneous use. Tumblebooks is a great one, for example, where many people can see it at once. If we have multiple copies and overdrive, then yes, you can have multiple people, but it is one person for.

D

User generally, that's the only one.

F

I will say a really cool app that we have is the cloud library which I was mentioning.

A

Because that one actually helps our staff.

F

Austin public library, if we own that title can borrow it digitally and without.

E

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Knowing I'm from.

E

F

Library, that's right. I need to live so that's.

A

F

um And so that's a really nice one as well yeah.

D

That's actually folks in there, because it's a consortium.

D

Have it somebody else might have it and you'll be able to borrow.

F

Yeah and that's actually our highest circulating app that one's really really popular and you'll, see the different trends. Lewisville public library, a patron from there will borrow our digital materials. So.

E

It's really neat, I I think that's wonderful tonight.

D

You're, like you're.

E

F

Yeah you're preaching to the fire yeah. I.

E

E

A

Been pushing it to.

E

Every everyone I know, go, get your library card and go get me. I I question yeah.

F

Yeah, absolutely yeah, absolutely yeah, we've even been doing, I'm sure mrs lisa's told you, but we've been doing the e-library card users, so somebody can just borrow our digital items.

F

So if you go to our website, you can register just from e-card. It allows you to just use digital items, so you don't even need to come in, don't even need to stop by no lines.

F

This is not an obstacle anymore, you just use it digitally wow.

E

F

Really cool yeah, I I I.

E

Like that, it returns itself.

F

Yes, you don't have to use it.

D

D

Yeah the students- they don't really. No, they don't even need it. You go online, get the card and that's see. I didn't.

E

F

We were pushing.

D

It to the students to do it on their own yeah.

F

Yeah and you'll see, the trends is also really cool, you'll see so they're generally to expire within a year. So then, once that expires, they'll check out they'll take out a new card, so you'll see.

F

Borrowing it's kind of a harmless crime. They owe money.

A

But they're checking out stuff. So that's: okay,.

F

You know, but it's very cool.

E

I think the libraries are going. You know yeah yeah from the 21st another direction. I mean, I don't know how to say it. Another 20.. Oh sure I mean we don't have.

F

Them yet the libraries are.

A

Growing organized it's.

F

A growing yeah yeah, it's always changing yeah yeah, absolutely okay! Well,.

F

On november 3rd, so I'll be working over that that week.

D

Maybe you can have a colorful start.

F

Yeah, it's much more. I don't want to represent yeah it's just it's.

F

You know it visually laid out what part of what percentage of the collection circulating. You know things like that.

A

Barbara faskins.

E

D

D

We will, um since we don't, have a quorum presently, we will ask uh angie can uh told the committee to see when they want to have the meeting. Usually we have it in early december december.

E

Yeah and we had said we were going to bring one book and it's changed or.

D

E

E

Is that still, on wednesday december.

D

The 8th, it sounds good, that's usually when we have it the first week in december, okay,.

E

And then, yes, I have suggested that we all bring a book. We used to do it many years ago or several years ago, and then we stopped doing it. So I don't know if you all want to do this. I already have a book.

B

A book to donate right, no.

E

Right, or to donate.

E

That number will get that book. Yeah.

A

E

It's like a book. It's changed.

D

E

Christmas book it could be a cookbook.

A

D

Pull but I think, that's probably the best day since.

C

D

Have a quorum present here: okay,.

E

Okay sounds good, I think. That's it that's all I mean I don't know of anything else.

B

No anybody else, nothing, no, okay! uh So then do we have a motion to adjourn. I saw always the absences.

B

All right meeting this journey.

B