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LAB Minutes 01/15/2025Naples, Florida, January 15: 2025 LET IT BE KNOWN that the LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD met on this date at 10:36 a.m. in the Headquarters Library with the following members present: CHAIR: Connie Bettinger— District 3 VICE -CHAIR: Joy White — District 4 Rebeca Seitz — District 1 Marjorie H Gagnon — District 5 Jennifer Ashford — District 2 ALSO PRESENT: Julie Blatt, Library Manager, Naples Regional Library Karen Tibbetts. Operations Support Specialist I Kim Spina, Library Manager, Acquisitions/Technical Services Denise McMahon, Library Manager, South Regional Library Chloe Snider, Library Manager, Headquarters Library Wes Gunther, Library Program Coordinator, Tech Services Andrew Meyer, Library Program Coordinator, Tech Services Jaya Gopalan, Library Specialist 11, Headquarters Library Michelle Galicia, Library Specialist I, South Regional Library Cindy Ruddy.. FOL President Carla Grieve, Collier County Resident. Former LAB Board Member Beth Waniewski, Collier County Resident CALL TO ORDER 1) Grant LAB Member remote attendance (Motion & Approval) • Quorum was met for this meeting and was directed by Ms. Bettinger. No motion or approval for remote attendance was necessary. 2) Introduction of 2025 Library Advisory Board Members • Ms. Bettinger welcomed the two re-elected Library Advisory Board members: Joy White, District 4 and Maggie Gagnon, District 5, and the two newly elected LAB members: Rebeca Seitz, District 1 and Jennifer Ashford, District 2. • Ms. Tibbetts presented the two new members with their LAB name badges. • Mrs. Seitz and Mrs. Ashford briefly introduced themselves. Both indicated that they are excited for the opportunity to serve on the Board and are avid readers and advocates of the Library. • Mrs. Seitz stated that she has been a lover of books since the age of four and wrote her first book when she was eight. She has been in book publishing. and the film and entertainment business for 21 years. She has been a full-time resident for 11 years and was a part-time resident 20 years prior. • Mrs. Ashford stated that she has been a resident for 15 years and has two daughters. She has been bringing her daughters to the library since the first one was three months old. Due to the absence of Catherine Cowser, Library Director; Julie Blatt facilitated today's meeting. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF MINUTES Page 394 of 967 Ms. Bettinger asked for approval of the meeting minutes of November 20, 2024. Ms. White moved to approve the minutes with one minor correction. Mrs. Gagnon seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. Awards and Recognitions 1) Library Division Cheers for Peers Recipients for November and December • Copies of the November and December Cheers for Peers recipients were provided to LAB members. Ms. Blatt explained that the Cheers for Peers program is an internal Library initiative in which Library staff can recognize one of their peers for doing something awesome.. such as filling in for an absent staff member, or making extra effort outside of their normal duties. • She added that this initiative helps to increase morale among Library employees. 2) County Service Awards and VIP Certificates • Ms. Blatt presented VIP awards to the following Library staff members: Michelle Galicia (SR) — November o Karen Tibbetts (AD) — November Jaya Gopalan (HQ) — December • Ms. Blatt stated that Ms. Galicia was recognized by Patti Clemens, Emergency Management Coordinator for her assistance with the County's Emergency 311 Call Center, and Ms. Tibbetts were recognized by Michael Quigley, Division Director of Risk Management for organizing the County's Crowd Manager Certification training program and saving the county money. • Ms. Blatt added that Ms. Tibbetts also sends reminders to staff to ensure that the Library Division is compliant with this training. • Ms. Blatt added that it is really great when Library staff are recognized by someone from a different department or division. • She explained that the 311-call center is manned 24/7 to help provide answers to the public's questions and concerns, particularly when there is an emergency event. such as the recent hurricanes. • Ms. Blatt stated that Jaya has been with the Library for over 20 years and has been an incredible asset in training new hires for the Library. BOARD REPORTS 1) Report of Officers • Ms. Bettinger reported that she attended the Golden Gate Civic Association meeting on Monday and provided updates on Library matters. • Those in attendance wanted to thank the Friends of the Library to provide financial support to continue the Homework Help being provided at the Golden Gate Branch Library, as the original funding through a grant ended at the end of 2024. • Ms. Bettinger reported that she was excited to have a tour of Headquarters and the Administrative Offices, including Tech Services, during the recent new member orientation. • She encouraged the new members to reach out to the other location managers to schedule a tour of their facilities as well. • Ms. Bettinger also wanted to thank Carla Grieve for the years of service she provided to the Library Advisory Board, and recognize her for being instrumental on so many things over the years. 2) Report of Committees Page 395 of 967 Ms. Bettinger reported that the Library Advisory Board typically does not hold many committee meetings. Generally, LAB members meet annually to review the By -Laws. However, recently the committee meetings held pertained to membership and new members for the Board. PRESENTATIONS 1) Report of the Friends of the Library (FOL) • Mrs. Ruddy introduced herself and stated that she is in her second year of her two- year term as President of the Friends of the Library. She has been a member of the FOL for 10 years and was the Secretary for 4-6 years before becoming Vice President, Once her current term is over, she will become the head of Governance for the FOL. • Mrs. Ruddy presented the FOL report as follows: • She reported that the first of the Nick Linn Lecture Series, which is the main fundraising event for the FOL. was held at the Ritz -Carlton Tiburon on Monday. January 13. The speaker was the very popular Kate Quinn, and her presentations were well received in both the more intimate pre -lecture and at the large pavilion venue. • She added that the Nick Linn Lecture Series is a sold -out event. • Homage was paid to Patti DeGroot and her inclusion in the Naples Daily News list of notable persons lost in 2024 was mentioned. • The raffle tickets sales were brisk, and the profit was $2960. Feedback was very positive. • The next scheduled FOL event is the Patti DeGroot Signature Series, a benefit to members, at the South Regional Library on January 17. A presentation of Amelia Earhart will be given by actor Sheryl Faye • On Monday morning, Michael Finkel. author of "The Art Thief' will present at the Hilton Naples for the first nonfiction series event of 2025. This is also a sold -out fundraising event. • The FOL's next board meeting will immediately follow the Patti DeGroot Signature Series on Friday, January 17 in the conference room at South Regional Library at approximately 2 pm. 2) Report of the Library Director a) General Operations i. Facilities & Projects Update • Ms. Blatt reported the following updates: o New flooring was installed in the circulation and office areas at HQ in December o New chiller was installed at EB in December. o New carpet is scheduled to be installed in the children's and story time areas at EB at the end of January. o Construction at the East Entrance at NR started on January 13. c New flooring was installed in the programming room at GG o A gate was installed around the A/C unit at IM for safety o IM has a fire watch due to the fire panel being repaired • Ms. Bettinger expressed her concern that the parking lot issues at IM have still not been scheduled. • Ms. White added that this issue has been going on for decades. • Unfortunately. the County had to acquire new bids for the IM parking lot project, as the original bids were provided during the COVID pandemic, and Page 396 of 967 subsequently, due to shortages of supplies and labors, they were no longer acceptable. • Discussion ensued, and everyone was concerned about the safety of Library patrons and other members of the public due to the many potholes and poor condition of the parking lot that is shared with the Department of Health. David Lawrence Center and CAT buses. • Mrs. Seitz questioned who would be responsible in the event an injury or damage occurred due to the poor condition of the parking lot, and who pays for maintenance expenses. • Mrs. Gagnon stated that she heard that the drainage in some areas has been addressed to minimize flooding: however, much more needs to be done. She reiterated that the potholes are awful and the parking spaces are too small. • Members agreed that the IM Library is vital to the community and residents. It is located close to the school and park. which are used by many families. • Ms. Bettinger added that during emergency events, over 47 agencies and state representatives, utilize the Immokalee Library as a hub for the community. • Mrs. Seitz stated that she came from a rural area growing up and can relate to the issues in Immokalee. She asked if there was anything the LAB could do to help expedite the process. • Ms. Bettinger said that the issue has been brought up at every LAB meeting and that the Library Director discusses the matter with other departments in the hopes of having the issue resolved. • Concern was also expressed regarding the carpeting at EN. as the current carpet is original and approximately 30 years old. Staffing Update • Ms. Blatt reported that there were several resignations during December. Matt Etzel, Assistant Library Director, EB's Library Specialist II and EN's part- time Library Specialist I. • Interviews will be scheduled for a part-time position at EN and another part- time position at EB. • A new part-time Library Specialist I was recently hired for MI. Programming • Ms. Blatt reported that the Reading Reindeer program was held in December. This program is geared toward children and youth to encourage reading during the Holidays. There were 720 participants who read 4,777 books. • A Taylor Swift Birthday Party event was held at Headquarters Library. Cupcakes were provided to celebrate and attendees received a book from the series "Who Is..." and 'What Is.. . • The Genealogy Room at NR is doing well, and they are looking into getting new digital resources. • Ms. Blatt thanked the FOL and the Genealogical Society of Collier County for their support of the Genealogy Room. • Ms. Blatt added that the Genealogy team and volunteers have been invaluable. • Ms. Bettinger added that the Collier County Clerk of Courts has been digitizing records from the 1800s and is working on digitizing court records. • The Library's Annual Book Sale will be held at NR and open to the public on Thursday, March 13 through Saturday, March 17 There will be a sneak peek for FOL members on Wednesday, March 12 from 3-6pm. 4 Page 397 of 967 • Ms. Bettinger reminded everyone to bring either cash or check. • Ms. Blatt stated that the books sold are either former library books or donations. • Mr. Meyer reported that the Homework Help program was a 25-month program held at GG and IM libraries that ended in December He added that free tutoring was provided to K-12 students from 3-6pm for 3 days a week. Most participants were elementary and middle school students. • 594 students participated. 201 from IM and 393 from GG. • 112 students participated in the last two months of the program at GG, and the FOL decided to provide funding to continue the program at this location for 2 hours twice a week until the end of the school year. iv. Operations & Budget Update • Ms. Blatt reported that on the Library's website under "About Us" there is a link, which currently has a recap of the FY23 budget. • Some of the statistics include revenue and expenditures financials, and it also notes the FOL support for FY23 (over $192,000). • There is also a link the County's Office of Management and Budget's financials. • The FY24 information is in final approval and should be added in the next couple of weeks. • The County will begin the FY26 budgeting process in the coming months and will be finalized in the fall. • Ms. Blatt reported that the County's organization for the following Directors has changed: Catherine Cowser (Library): Amanda Townsend (Museums) and Kristi Sonntag (Community & Human Services) are now under the supervision of Michael Nieman, Division Director of Strategic Initiatives. Public Services Department and respective divisions that were once under the management of Tanya Williams and Dan Rodriguez have been placed under other Departments in the County. c Tanya Williams remains closely related to and provides oversight to the operations of both the Library and Museums in the Strategic Initiative group as Manager. • The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) appointed a new Chair and Vice - Chair at their January 14 meeting. Burt Saunders was appointed as the Chair, and Dan Kowal was appointed as the Vice -Chair PUBLIC PETITIONS TO THE BOARD FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION — None PUBLIC COMMENTS ON GENERAL TOPICS RELATED TO THE LIBRARY DIVISION — None UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1) Confirmation from County Attorney's Office Regarding Board Voting • Ms. Tibbetts received a reply from the County Attorney's Office regarding the inquiry if a LAB member participates in a meeting remotely, would their vote count on any motions made during the meeting. • The reply stated: "If the board has a physical quorum present, then a vote should be taken to allow the non -present member to participate remotely. This would include voting on the matters presented during the meeting. " 5 Page 398 of 967 NEW BUSINESS - None PUBLIC COMMENTS ON GENERAL TOPICS RELATED TO THE LIBRARY DIVISION - None ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Library Advisory Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:25 am. Mrs Cowser will update LAB members as to the format of the Library Advisory Board meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the Vanderbilt Beach Branch Library, 788 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples, FL 34108. 239.252.7160. Approved by: Joy White, Vice -Chair Library Advisory Board L Page 399 of 967