City of Laredo, Texas Library Advisory Committee, 30 Mar 2023

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: Library Advisory Committee Meeting 032923

Description

Library Advisory Committee Meeting 032923

A

It is 5 14 and we're gonna call to order the City of Laredo Public Library advisory committee, uh we'll stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

A

I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it.

B

Stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all right welcome, yes,.

B

Absent many pies absent.

C

Roberto Ortiz is on his way.

B

Is present Angelica Salina.

C

B

She did tell me that she was going to be absent.

D

B

So she had another Dutch and another present Ed.

A

Oh next on the agenda is the meetings from last last month. If you want to go in and read through them,.

A

C

C

Correction and the first paragraph We are currently using hot pots, no hot spots, no, no hot pot.

A

Hot spots, I find no other error. I know we have a motion to approve the the minutes. With that one correction: do we have a second all, those in favor yeah? Next we move on to Communications and announcements.

B

In your packet, you have a copy of an award letter, um we have now gotten the The Family, Place library, for inner city and in addition, we also got another spot for training, because we only had one person from a basket train, so we're sending another person and it's all being paid for it.

A

Oh I'm, sorry, this is the.

C

Library, archives.

B

She's going so is Anna Garcia and Corina Pena, probably Corina Pena will be spearheading it because she's doing the Children's Program.

B

Also I, don't know if you notice next door, there's been a lot of dirt being moved so I did give you a copy of the PSA. It's going to be a park. It's a Veterans Plaza this one.

B

So um it's gonna have a trail for walking. So if you want to come exercise and come read a book we Are Gonna I, believe share some of uh our parking lot. I. It looks like they made some other parking on the other side, but they're also taking part we're having to remove some sprinkler heads. So they can have five right here. Five parking spots so.

D

A

Before we move on, I think I need to go back to. We have any citizens comments.

D

A

So uh Communications Library staff reports, the library directors update. Yes,.

B

In your packet also, you have a copy of the current uh voluntary contact program assistance program just to let you know that the highlighted part, of course, is us our site and, and it is the site that has prepared the most income taxes and right now we're at 2.5 million in refunds just us, but in total the program is almost at six million dollars.

B

Also, just giving you a little update on um and Bruni, we have resolved the Wi-Fi issue now we're using hot pots, hot pots.

D

B

Fun and so that's been- that's been resolved. We have Internet of seeing people with their laptops just going to use their computer there. um As for the asbestos abatement. Supposedly it doesn't affect the library, so we might not have to close, because we have a separate duct system, an AC.

B

So hopefully that is the case, so we don't have to be sending the the cybermobile so far, I don't have a timeline as to when they're going to start, but it should take about three weeks when they do and then as far as vacancies, we we have a two librarian, two positions that are currently making here at Maine and inner city and we're posting a library assistant.

B

Right here, multiple time here and then we have two part-time positions: one at Brewing, women's basketball that are pending to get posted, and uh in these cases all of them have moved up. So that's why those positions are open, also, the checklist if you want to go ahead and take a look at that. I have a question about this. The.

C

City of Laredo the Vietnam veterans, if it's going to take like 60 days, so that's what they say and it's like in May.

B

Sometime in May, we should um maybe, but you.

C

Know how things go yeah? Is it going to be also part of of the library.

B

No, it's a park. It's a part under the park. The park, okay,.

B

C

More than that, they could come and check the books and and see what wonderful.

B

Okay, it's pretty nice I mean like tourists, they can come.

C

B

And go eat their picnic house.

C

Because so many people don't know like what single says they don't know of the wonderful things I mean my my family was like really they have that damn story time.

B

C

And they have you know so many activities for children. They.

D

C

Presently surprised when I told them yeah.

E

C

Much do I have to bake nothing.

E

Yeah, like you said, the gardening.

D

The pinata making and.

E

You offer the facility for the classes.

D

E

You know we just need to let people know.

D

C

E

Someone said well, if it's on their website, but people don't think about.

C

F

D

E

Know and and some don't get the paper or they.

D

Don't watch them yeah.

A

Do you ever get any feedback from that Marquee.

B

C

The Marquee was going to have some of our activities.

B

It would no the ones that I've seen and the ones that were saying it's just like a running right, yeah, like the ones at schools.

A

It wouldn't be like.

D

B

There or anything like that, just digital, it's too much then before it does that it is I can't unless you don't want me to buy books, no I'm kidding no.

D

F

A

B

That I, don't let people it.

A

Just it looked like just somebody was they were gonna yeah.

C

C

So yeah take a look.

D

At your checklist.

D

D

The same as a program, it's actually really excited.

A

C

Saying like a wall, it could be there, but it could be out of sight because what we don't want them is to see yes, so put a bit more or something, and only you know particular.

B

There are some written on accidents, yeah.

B

D

Any other comments on the monthly checklist just doing the job.

D

A

Just the people there for me get their.

B

Wish list that's next year.

D

No I told you there's some questions for next year, we're putting it in the budget.

B

For next year, it wasn't.

A

They're, probably gonna.

A

Come in okay, if not next on the agenda is the recent and upcoming library, programs and services, and you have your of.

B

Course, your Flyers and just wanted to call your attention to one we're the ones for the the cybermobile we're getting ready to, hopefully by next month, right now, we're getting the wrap from the bottom redone. So it looks a little nicer, but Nikki our new driver is ready to go.

C

Mickey is driving, Nikki is the one that does off on this. Mickey does a lot. She does and then she's also like thick as she tick. Yes,.

B

Somebody from Jerry's Department, no.

C

B

Yes, Department it's um right now we have an interim director there, Mario Luis. Is there right now the tech, the uh IST? Oh honesty,.

C

B

Office Information.

F

Systems systems and Telecommunications I think.

B

So Jerry is under that department.

C

What is T, or is s t t so the information systems Communications.

C

And so there's a higher up higher than gem that Jerry was in charge of he.

B

He's in charge of.

C

The attack yeah.

B

No wait he's under noraida I believe.

F

uh Sounds maybe yeah.

C

That's higher than Jerry she's a Pio, oh.

C

C

C

A

It's the inner city, are they the only ones doing the.

B

Geniality Renee does it, and this is the I, don't know if she's gotten, you would know uh attendance for that. I haven't seen it yeah I, don't think she's getting when Renee puts it on, because the genealogy she usually gets feet.

B

um I think Sylvia's just um is using ancestry.com.

A

B

No they're excellent, so Danielle this one too. Let's give up.

C

A

B

Book a librarian, oh okay, she's.

A

Good and she's good, oh during spring, break.

A

Came in and I was overhearing because they were so loud. They were talking about how they have just attended at their Library. They were talking about all these connections.

C

A lot of good libraries we have to brag. Yes, we can we do this week. We have such a good good.

E

Yeah I think you know I personally like to go on record to commend the library and their staff all your Librarians, all your stuff, because you.

F

Have so many activities and.

E

All of the branches were.

F

E

Levels all interests, and it's.

D

E

Something going on and you know I just wish we could get more publicity.

D

E

Good work that you do that, how much you offer and how responsive you are to.

D

E

C

I'm always saying that too.

D

F

C

That I'm always saying we need more publicity and um yeah and because it is, it is so so nice everything and more.

E

People will take advantage of it because you know, and you can meet all the story. Time and I.

C

Come and I see that they're hurting God is yeah. It.

E

A

B

A

Yeah and you'll be pretty busy with the Easter parties.

E

And your staff is always I've been upstairs several times, checking off books and the person. That's.

F

E

Reading new friendly may I.

C

Help you let me know if you need anything so once again, good very.

E

Yes, very attentive staff. Thank you. Thank you.

E

D

B

Have a man named.

C

Sunday, either Saturday or Sunday.

D

B

The tickets are.

C

B

C

Yeah, oh so you have to buy them.

B

D

B

C

Small, it's a small theater, okay.

C

I love, Ben, Richards. The reason I'm saying is because there's so many good things or the theater groups, you know.

C

Now they have a lot with Mando Lopez, and this one.

D

C

Only reason I don't go is too late, I don't know they start like.

B

At nine I'm already in bed.

B

Concerts Jamie, Lee, Curtises I want to go, see Coldplay, but at noon.

C

No, they they start signing up at 8, 30.

B

One of the parks- yes.

C

B

Kite Festival that had a rock and roll concert.

C

Afterwards, so and they're bringing group of fantasma April 22nd, that's um Trisha, Cortez yeah, a group of fantasma is a Grammy women and a lot of people are from Laredo. They were originally from Laredo. My son Rodrigo knows he used to play.

A

With them I don't know he went to medical school.

D

In high school, his.

C

High school buddy, but then he used to play with many of them. One of them is.

C

Oh yeah yeah and he's also Grammy, and he was just named Austin music of the musician of the year or something that came out of the paper yeah anyway. Yes, so we have a lot of things and letters that we have to buy and.

C

Okay, very quick and I'm glad you have the other videos in English and in Spanish. Yes,.

E

A

Okay, so next we have our monthly statistics.

B

And if you have any questions Danielle's here, she's the one who puts all these numbers together, yeah.

F

The good part is um they're not as astronomical the numbers. As last year we were seeing like 1200 percent, but you're still going to see really good numbers I mean our our attendance overall on programs. If you look at story time alone, it's attendance is up to 127.

F

um Children's programs in general is 143 young, adult programs about 65 percent of the attendance.

F

um Adult programs as well has also done really well. So um everything is getting back to its group, I mean before the pandemic.

D

C

It's really nice to see that we're going.

F

On that upward, Trend, um of course, you're going to see a few things that have gone down like curbside I mean people.

D

F

um You'll see, uh for example, like we're not getting as many proctoring or you.

E

Know maybe other.

F

Things like that, but for the most part everything's going up, which is what's really great, to see um and then I'm sure, with the cybermobile going out and doing that stuff, that's going to help us even more so um it looks really good.

C

I love, ESL, GED up 2 400.

F

Yes, I know and.

C

The other one, three thousand.

F

I know I know my my uh thing has been saying around 2024 I think is when we get those numbers back.

D

F

Not so astronomically percentages that are really high, but um everything's have been really great, um we're starting to track the Wi-Fi sessions um monthly now, which will help us when we do the annual report, so that I won't have to ask for them at that time. We already have them accumulated and things like that I'm, basically just trying to clean it up, um put a little bit of other things like I added the book Librarians and uh those things like that. So.

B

And what you see here is what we report on the next item. Yes,.

F

Yeah, so all of this, um when it comes to the fiscal year, which runs October um through September, what we do is we turn in an annual report to the Texas libraries and archives committee. um This annual report is really important for accreditation and it basically gives us a little sticker and a letter accreditation, but.

A

F

Important part of this is we get reimbursement for interlibrary loans, so borrowing two and from libraries that are outside of Laredo we're eligible for Grants such.

E

F

E-Rite, which is a huge networking and computer discount for our Computing Services our internet. We would not get the internet speeds we have without that program. Family.

B

Place that we family.

F

Place is another one, so those grants are a really big reason why we need to do this and why we fill it out every year. um Yeah, but uh again, everything is really great. um Some of the numbers you'll see it from last year. I gave you a little comparison chart since their software doesn't do it this year. It should be at the end, I think after that, one yeah, okay, yeah, it's just a single page, um so I just put.

D

A back-to-back by the years and, of course,.

F

Things went down like our collections, we do leading I've been cleaning up the catalog, removing items that have been missing Etc, so those things are in there makes it easier for staff to search for the public to search um so cleaning up. The catalog is a big one, um but attendance is up with just what's really great we're seeing people coming in circulation.

F

Circulations of different types are going up as well, so total circulations uh when we're talking about physical children's items, physical items that are not children's adults and teens is up, for example, children's physical items. We only have 35 000 searches this year, it's 98, 000. wow,.

D

F

Everything's going up and it's blowing up really fast and.

B

That's how they're coming in now and.

F

That's because they're coming in, although we're still seeing the digital circulations for adult materials, is up it's from up from 24 000 to 32 000.. um So it's really great to see those attendances up for Early, Childhood programming, student, age events, adult events, our overall General attendance is just up which is what's great to see foreign.

F

And then, if you take a look through the report here, it'll just provide basic information of what you should already know like Miss Lisa and my friend. This is for fiscal year. um How much square footage it goes into expenditures. So how much we're spending on our collection?

F

um How much we spend on print materials versus eating materials? So you can take a look through and browse through.

F

It also goes into then the circulations of which I'm mentioning- and this gives the State Library commission a good snapshot of all the types and subscribers who submit as well as really good data for them to get as well one of the other things that went down. But it's again, I'm just cleaning up the users who are expired that went down, but it's just doing. General purging of Fuller accounts, but yeah.

F

B

F

Perfect, did you have to have any questions feel free to ask?

F

The numbers are looking great people are coming back.

D

F

Still checking out events, which is really great too, as I take advantage of Both Worlds.

D

F

Would say, I loved on the city, manager's coffee I can go grab it yeah of.

B

Course wait to see if they have any questions and I hope he does, because then we're gonna have to hunt him now. It's.

F

B

F

Yeah they're asking um it's usually due by the end of April, but this year, they're asking us to turn it in like tomorrow, um which they never usually asked that early I don't remember.

B

I think the deadline's still able, but they they're.

F

Encouragement so, ideally, we would like to that way. Questions need additional proof for expenditure. Is that where we can turn it in with plenty of time.

C

The Collection comes to Once up here. 226 000 is it for all the libraries right back.

F

Yeah, um the one thing that we did is we removed all of Rooney's prior collection, which was quite large, which.

E

F

23 000 items um and then we do General, weeding removed other items, I've been removing items that are missing status Etc. So that's just general cleanup.

A

Okay, so they got a whole new connection. Yes,.

F

Yeah right now they have about 4, 000 I, think it should actually show here on the monthlies at the very bottom yep.

D

C

Just under four thousand.

F

It's three thousand nine. Ninety two, let's see it's here in the mafia. Yes, all the way at the bottom, it shows their total collections yeah per Branch. Yes, it shows their total Holdings and.

B

She's still ordering some they're just yeah, that's actual books are taking a while to get to us now.

F

Oh yeah, we break it down by branch and then we break it down system wide.

F

Yeah so yeah. As of that report,.

F

226 but now you can see, total volumes are up to 260.

C

A

Sometimes this whole time that it was closed and we can use this the bugs.

F

B

Believe so we we go. If somebody requested a book they weren't coming in to browse the correction. We we go at least once a week to pick up books that are being requested for Curves everything was during the pandemic. Yes, I mean it was accessible, but.

B

Yeah for the most part, because they told us it was closing so um first dibs went to the libraries they they wanted. Some somebody took all their DVD collections.

F

And then other things were older needed to be gotten removed, yeah and then they decided to open yeah. We know it would have saved us a lot of work but yeah well.

B

We got a nice time to go shopping, yeah.

F

B

Rearrange it okay! So that's really nice that we have a nice area for the kiddos. Yes,.

C

Yeah or maybe have a meeting.

F

And we have mobile printing there as well. We just added that too.

D

B

All the staff here and including our maintenance work really hard. Personally, it was like from nothing to you, know, putting up a library and they all worked real hard.

B

Any questions on this.

B

um I, do you know approval of it.

A

So we have a motion to approve the Texas public library annual report for.

D

A

Year, 2022, as it is.

A

A second, so are those approved.

D

A

I'll be right back the schedule for the next thing, just scheduling for our next meeting. It would be April 26th.

B

Is the last Wednesday of the month and time flies? Yes, yes, of course, March.

E

Yeah and once again, I'd like to say that I've been here several times since I became a member and I've always found what I was looking for good. You know I've gone upstairs and looked for several authors that I didn't think you're going to have in your pattern, so you'll be surprised.

B

And as always, if we don't have it, we can borrow it from another Library yeah.

E

No, it was at her face keeping me busy so very.

A

Good selection do we need to go over Committee Member absences.

A

That concludes our meeting. Unless there's any other comments, do we have a motion to adjourn I do so second group, all.

D

D

Thank you so much.