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SO WHAT'S UP? IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK
[Municipal Library Board Meeting on March 31, 2026.]
AND YOU HAVE A QUORUM.TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 31ST, 2026.
THE CITY OF DALLAS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD.
REGULAR MEETING FOR MARCH HAS BEEN CALLED TO ORDER.
AT 5:00 PM WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
LEGAL NOTICE HAS BEEN POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND THIS MEETING HAS BEEN DULY CALLED WELCOME, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND WELCOME STAFF AND GUESTS.
WE WILL BE BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH A READING OF THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELLIS CITY CODE.
THE MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD IS CHARGED WITH ADVISING THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER, AND THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES ON MATTERS RELATED TO LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND SERVICES.
THE BOARD ALSO ASSUMES A SUPPORTIVE ROLE THROUGH ITS PROMOTION OF THE LIBRARY AND ITS PROGRAMS WITH THAT.
ITEM TWO ON TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
EACH REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKER WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND MAY ONLY ADDRESS THE CHAIR.
MEMBERS WILL NOT RESPOND TO ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT THE MEETING.
ONLY ONE PERSON MAY APPROACH THE MICROPHONE AT A TIME AND ONE PERSON IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE REGISTERED TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S MEETING? MR. SAM STAGGS.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, ON DECEMBER 28TH, 2025, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE NAMED HAROLD PINKER.
THE EMAIL BEGAN AND I QUOTE, I AM A NEW APPOINTEE TO THE MLB END QUOTE.
LATER IN THE RAMBLING AND UNGRAMMATICAL EMAIL HE REFERRED TO, AND I QUOTE, MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBER, CAROL PINKER, TWO EMAILS TO CATHERINE UNW ON JANUARY 13TH AND JANUARY 15TH WENT UNANSWERED.
THOSE EMAILS REQUESTED CLARIFICATION AS TO THE STATUS OF HAROLD PINKER, WHO DID NOT APPEAR ON THE CITY OF DALLAS WEBSITE IN ANY CAPACITY.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT AT THIS TIME, AT THAT TIME, I WAS STILL A MEMBER OF THE MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD.
FINALLY, ON JANUARY 16TH, I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL FROM MAN SHORE AND I QUOTE, THAT EMAIL CAME FROM MLB MEMBER HAROLD PINKER.
THERE IS NO HAROLD PINKER ON THE BOARD.
MY QUESTION IS, IF HAROLD, IF CAROL PINKER REALLY SENT THE EMAIL WHY IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE IS LYING AND SOMEONE IS SENDING FALSE AND FRAUDULENT EMAILS, WHO IS IT? THERE MUST BE AN ANSWER.
OKAY, SO WHAT'S UP? IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND YOU HAVE A CALL.
TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 31ST, 2026.
THE CITY OF DALLAS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD REGULAR MEETING FOR MARCH HAS BEEN CALLED TO ORDER.
AT 5:00 PM WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.
LEGAL NOTICE HAS BEEN POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND THIS MEETING HAS BEEN DULY CALLED WELCOME, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND WELCOME STAFF AND GUESTS.
WE WILL BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH A READING OF THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELLIS CITY CODE, THE MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD IS CHARGED WITH ADVISING THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER, AND THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES ON MATTERS RELATED TO LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND SERVICES.
THE BOARD ALSO ASSUMES A SUPPORTIVE ROLE THROUGH ITS PROMOTION OF THE LIBRARY AND ITS PROGRAMS WITH THAT.
ITEM TWO ON TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
EACH REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKER WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND MAY ONLY ADDRESS THE CHAIR.
MEMBERS WILL NOT RESPOND TO ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT THE MEETING.
ONLY ONE PERSON MAY APPROACH THE MICROPHONE AT A TIME AND ONE PERSON IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE REGISTERED TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S MEETING? MR. SAM STAGGS.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, ON DECEMBER 28TH, 2025, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE NAMED HAROLD PINKER.
THE EMAIL BEGAN AND I QUOTE, I AM A NEW APPOINTEE TO THE MLB END QUOTE.
LATER IN THE RAMBLING AND UNGRAMMATICAL EMAIL HE REFERRED TO, AND I QUOTE MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBER, CAROL PINKER.
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END QUOTE, TWO EMAILS TO CATHERINE UNU ON JANUARY 13TH AND JANUARY 15TH WENT UNANSWERED.THOSE EMAILS REQUESTED CLARIFICATION AS TO THE STATUS OF HEALTH PINKER WHO DID NOT APPEAR ON THE CITY OF DALLAS WEBSITE IN A CAPACITY.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT AT THIS TIME, AT THAT TIME, I WAS STILL A MEMBER OF THE MID LIBRARY BOARD.
FINALLY, ON JANUARY 16TH, I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL FROM WA SHORE AND I QUOTE, THAT EMAIL CAME FROM MLB MEMBER HAROLD PINKER.
THERE IS NO HAROLD PINKER ON THE BOARD.
MY QUESTION IS, IF HAROLD, IF CAROL PINKER REALLY SENT THE EMAIL WHY IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE IS LYING AND SOMEONE IS SENDING FALSE AND FRAUDULENT EMAILS, WHO IS IT? THERE MUST BE AN ANSWER.
UM, NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER, PUBLIC SPEAKER, MIKE HOOK.
SO WE, WE ARE IN AN ERA NOW WHERE OUR KIDS ARE BEING WAY, WAY, WAY UNDERSERVED, UH, BY NOW AS OF DECADES, AND PARTICULARLY THAT DESCRIBES OUR DALLAS KIDS DURING THIS ERA OF WAY UNDER SERVICE AND ACTUALLY ABUSE.
I HAVE MANY, UH, EXAMPLES OF ABUSE, UH, OUTRIGHT ABUSE, UH, GROSS NEGLIGENCE IN THEIR EDUCATION PAY THROUGH 12.
WE CANNOT HAVE OUR NE ANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES GO AWAY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES THAT THERE ARE CHILDREN, PATRONS, THERE ARE ADULT PATRONS.
THERE ARE GRAY HAIRED PATRONS LIKE ME WHO USE THE LIBRARY REGULARLY YEAR TO YEAR, TO YEAR TO YEAR.
IN THIS SAME ERA, WE HAVE GOVERNMENTS, CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL, ACROSS ALL THREE BRANCHES, BREAKING LAW WITH, WITH IMPUNITY.
OKAY, THAT HAS TO COME TO AN END.
I WATCHED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I CAUGHT A VIDEO OF A TEXAS DISTRICT ATTORNEY SMOKING DOPE ON VIDEO.
THEY'RE UBIQUITOUS EXAMPLES OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, UH, JUST ACTING OUTSIDE THE LAW WITH IMPUNITY.
OUR SOCIETY IS CRUMBLING AND COMING APART, AND OUR LIBRARIES ARE CRITICALLY ESSENTIAL, PARTICULARLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES, OUR KIDS, OUR MOMS, OUR DADS, OTHER PATRONS.
THE THE CITIZENRY NEED OUR LIBRARIES.
BOTTOM LINE, THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
OKAY? WE'RE A RICH, RICH CITY AND A RICH COUNTY.
DALLAS COUNTY IS RICH COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
UH, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CLOSING NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES.
OKAY, AND AGAIN, UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
AS A REMINDER, MEMBERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY MUST REMAIN ON CAMERA THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MEETING IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED AS PRESENT.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR CAMERA ON JUST A NOTE THAT THE CHAT IS TURNED OFF IN WEBEX, SO BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO UNMUTE AND THEN SPEAK TO SPEAK DURING THE MEETING.
UM, I'M EXCITED THAT TONIGHT, TONIGHT WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE LIBRARY'S AMERICA TWO 50 PROGRAMMING.
IT'S ESPECIALLY FITTING THAT WE ARE MEETING ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY HOME TO THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY'S COPY, COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
OUR STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD TO CREATE AN IMPRESSIVE LINEUP OF PROGRAMS THIS YEAR.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK DAVID HILL OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARIES YOUTH DISCOVERY CENTER FOR GREETING US THIS EVENING AND FOR ALL HIS HARD WORK, INCLUDING INTRODUCING MY SON TO THE FROG AND TOAD SERIES
I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE LIBRARY FOR OFFERING SUCH OUTSTANDING PROGRAMMING OVER SPRING BREAK TO DALLAS CHILDREN.
I TOOK MY SON TO THE CREATURE TEACHER PROGRAM AT CENTRAL LIBRARY, WHICH HAD TO BE MOVED TO THE AUDITORIUM BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A LARGE TURNOUT FOR THE EVENT.
AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE FAMILIES FILLING THE SECOND FLOOR YOUTH DISCOVERY CENTER HERE, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE EVENT.
MOMENTS LIKE THESE HIGHLIGHT THE LIBRARY'S CRITICAL ROLE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND IT'S IMPORTANT AS A RESOURCE WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT OF SESSION.
A FREE RESOURCE, IMPORTANT, FREE
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OF COST.UM, WE'LL ALSO HEAR AN UPDATE TODAY ON THE LIBRARY SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IT'S ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT THE RESULTS REFLECT STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, INCLUDING A DESIRE TO RESTORE AND INCREASE FUNDING.
MORE THAN 4,000 RESPONDENTS EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT.
AND WE'VE ALSO HEARD SIMILAR SENTIMENTS THAT WE SENT BUDGET TOWN HALLS.
IN ADDITION, RESIDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO SHARE THEIR PRIORITIES THROUGH THE CITY'S ONGOING BUDGET SURVEY.
UM, FINALLY ALSO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WILL HOLD A FORMAL BUDGET WORKSHOP TOMORROW, APRIL 1ST, BEGINNING, BEGINNING THE MEETING AT 9:00 AM AT COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL, WHICH CAN ALSO BE WATCHED ON WHAT? AND LOOKING AHEAD A LIBRARY DIRECTOR MANSUR WILL PRESENT, UM, ON THE LIBRARY TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL, QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 20TH.
ALSO BEGINNING AT I AM IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AND AGAIN, ALL THESE MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED ONLINE.
SO YOU CAN LOG ON AND THEY'RE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THEIR CONVERSATION.
UM, AMERICA TWO 50, AS I MENTIONED, UM, PROGRAM MANAGER KRISTEN CALVERT WILL PRESENT ON THE AMERICA TWO 50 PROGRAMMING THAT'S HAPPENING.
WE NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
FOR SOME REASON, I FORGOT THAT STUFF, SO, OKAY.
OKAY, SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE FEBRUARY 24TH, 2026 MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES TO THE FEBRUARY MINUTES? OKAY.
OKAY, I MISTAKENLY JUMPED AHEAD.
THANK YOU TO MY VICE CHAIR ANN HARDING FOR SPREADING THE AGENDA, NOTING THAT I APPRECIATE IT.
SO, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, KRISTEN CALVERT WAS GOING TO DISCUSS OUR MIRACLE TWO 50 PROGRAM.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU CAN HEAR ME 'CAUSE I HEARD MYSELF.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN HEAR YOU KRISTEN.
AND KRISTEN IS IN, WHICH THAT IS.
KRISTEN, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU, WELL, SHE'S GONNA SHARE A PRESENTATION.
UM, KRISTEN IS IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, WHICH STARTS, I THINK TOMORROW.
AND I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST SAY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ATTEND THESE CONFERENCES AND SEND STAFF TO CONFERENCES BECAUSE OF THE GENEROSITY OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND US, SPEAKING OF THE FRIENDS GENEROSITY, THEY HAVE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH US BEING ABLE TO PUT ON THIS AMERICA TWO 50 PROGRAMMING THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN, I THINK.
IS THAT GOOD? YEAH, ANYONE CAN SEE IT? OKAY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR AMERICA TWO 50 PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE, UH, WE AS A LIBRARY, UM, AND I, OUR STAFF REALLY VALUE, UM, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THINKING ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND, AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH THAT.
WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS YEAR OF PROGRAMMING AND NOT JUST EVEN CELEBRATE, UM, IN JULY.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, WHICH I HOPE YOU ARE, UH, AMERICA TWO 50 IS A CELEBRATION OF 250 YEARS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH A, UH, SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND, UH, WE WANT TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE, UM, THROUGH PROGRAMMING, THROUGH EXHIBITS, AS WELL AS A, UH,
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A CONTEST.SO, UM, AS WELL OUT BOOK CLUBS IS ANOTHER BIG PART OF IT.
AND, UH, IF YOU ARE A PART OF OUR CONTEST, YOU CAN WIN EVERYTHING FROM, UH, NAVS TICKETS, WINGS, TICKETS, STATE PARK PASSES, AND MORE.
SO HOW THIS WORKS, UM, WE HAVE A WEBSITE SET UP JUST FOR AMERICA, TWO 50.
YOU CAN GO TO DALLAS LIBRARY.ORG/AMERICA TWO 50.
AND ALL OF THIS IS EXPLAINED ON THERE.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OUR AMAZING RACE FOR INDEPENDENCE.
UM, LEARN ABOUT THE BOOK CLUBS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, SEE WHAT PROGRAMMING WE HAVE COMING UP, AS WELL AS, UH, THE EXHIBITS THAT WE'RE HOSTING.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THIS SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF IT.
THE BOOK CLUBS ARE KIND OF WHAT STARTED STARTED IT ALL FOR US.
THE GEORGE W. BUSH MUSEUM REACHED OUT TO US AND ASKED IF WE WOULD WANNA COLLABORATE ON SOMETHING, AND THEY HAD, THEY WANTED TO DO, UM, BOOK CLUBS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THIS ALL STARTED.
WE HAVE IN A BOOK CLUB FOR ADULTS THAT TAKES PLACE ONLINE, AND WE HAVE A BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS THAT TAKES PLACE HERE AT THE CENT.
UM, WELL, I'M NOT THERE AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY
UM, SO OUR ADULT BOOK CLUB IS THE LAST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, AND OUR BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH FOR OUR BOOK CLUB.
THIS COMING MONTH WE'RE READING CROOKED BY AUSTIN GROSSMAN.
AND, UH, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF TIME SINCE IT IS TECHNICALLY SO MARCH UNTIL TOMORROW.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING US, PLEASE REGISTER AND READ THE BOOK OR LISTEN TO IT.
UH, AND FOR KIDS, WE'RE READING WHY LONGFELLOW LIED BY JEFF LANTOS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK CLUB IS OUR, UH, ONLINE ADULT BOOK CLUB IS LED BY DIFFERENT LIBRARIANS FROM AROUND THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE GEORGE W. BUSH MUSEUM.
UH, IN ADDITION, WE CE WE'VE APPLIED FOR A GRANT THROUGH PBS AND, UM, FOR FUNDING, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AMERICA TWO 50, AS WELL AS, UH, RIGHTS TO SHOW THE, UH, KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY THAT CAME OUT LATE LAST YEAR ABOUT, UM, IN HONOR OF THE, UH, 250TH BIRTHDAY OF THE COUNTRY.
AND WE'RE SHOWING CLIPS FROM THE DOCUMENTARY AS A PART OF IT AS WELL.
SO IT'S THIS REALLY INCREDIBLE LIKE THOROUGH LEARNING EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT THE BOOK AND YOU KIND OF SEE HOW, UM, DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ASPECTS AND THINGS TIE IN AND IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN REALLY WELL DONE.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU FOR THAT.
IN ADDITION TO BOOK CLUBS, THERE ARE PROGRAMS EVERY MONTH.
SO, UM, WE HAVE PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS, FOR KIDS FAMILIES, AND WE, UM, ARE ALSO, UH, PARTNERING FOR A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMMING.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO INTO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD, THAT WE HAVE COMING UP, BUT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MAYBE REVOLUTIONARY TIMES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THIS IS REALLY A CELEBRATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THROUGH THE LAST 250 YEARS.
SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HISTORY OR DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND KIND OF JUST ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTRY THROUGH TIME.
SO, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT AND, UH, WELL ONLY MENTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING WE'RE DOING, UH, TO POINT OUT, FAMILY DAYS ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE COMING IN JUNE AND JULY AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE AMERICAN, UH, UH, UH, THE ACTUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY.
AND THOSE ARE HAPPENING AT A COUPLE OF OUR DIFFERENT BRANCHES AROUND THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AND EACH ONE HAS KIND OF A DIFFERENT FOCUS AND DIVE INTO HISTORY.
AND THEN WHEN I SAY WE'RE HAVING PARTNERED PROGRAMS, WE ARE, WE HAVE, UH, REACHED OUT TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO THE, THE SYMPHONY, THE DMA, THE ARBORETUM, CLYDE WARREN PARK, AND ANY PROGRAMMING THAT THEY'RE HAVING RELATED TO AMERICA TWO 50, WE'RE, UH, CONSIDERING IT A PART OF OUR LARGER AMERICA TWO 50 INITIATIVE.
AND PEOPLE CAN EARN POINTS, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO IN A MOMENT, AS WELL AS, UM, KIND OF HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT CELEBRATE OUR COUNTRY THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN ONE PLACE ON OUR, ON OUR AMERICA TWO 50 WEBSITE PAGE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THIS, SOME OF THE PRIZES THAT WE ARE GIVING AWAY, UM, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, NEXT MONTH, UH, WELL, I GUESS NEXT MONTH IS TOMORROW APRIL, UH, THE SYMPHONY IS HAVING A GLEE CLUB PERFORMANCE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR AMERICA TWO 50.
AND THEY'VE, UM, GIVEN US TWO TICKETS THAT WERE GIVING AWAY AS PRIZES SO PEOPLE CAN GO TO THAT, UM, IF THEY, IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN OUR CONTEST.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A FAMILY TELL US LAST WEEK THAT THEY WERE
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VERY EXCITED AND HOPING TO WIN THOSE TICKETS,UM, AND ANOTHER GREAT THING THAT'S HAPPENING WHEN WE, UH, TALK TO THE DMA ABOUT THIS, THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON SOME TOURS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THAT PERIOD IN HISTORY OF THE ART EXHIBITS THAT THEY HAD.
SO THAT WAS A KIND OF A COOL COLLABORATION THAT CAME OUT AS WELL.
SO, UM, HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
THIS IS AN ADULT, A PROGRAM THAT WAS HAPPENED FOR ADULTS IN FEBRUARY.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT PROTESTS IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY, AND IT STARTED WITH THE BOSTON TEA PARTY TALKING ABOUT THE MARCHES ON WASHINGTON AND HOW PROTESTS HAVE BEEN A FORCE IN SHAPING AMERICA, UH, AND OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW PROTEST IS SO ESSENTIAL TO A DEMOCRACY, UM, HOW THAT'S HOW PEOPLE GET TO EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS AND HAVE, UH, THAT KIND OF OUTLET THAT'S NEEDED AND EVERYTHING.
AND AS A PART OF THAT, AND THIS IS, THIS IS HONESTLY THE REASON I WANTED TO HAVE THE PROGRAM
AND THEN ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE HAD ALSO DURING SPRING BREAK WAS A LOOK THROUGH TIME WITH THE AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS.
AND THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN, UM, AND A GREAT WAY TO KIND OF TIE TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF POPULARITY FOR AS WELL AS, AND BRING, BRING IN A REALLY FUN PARTNER.
SO AMERICAN GIRL ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH US FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THEY GAVE US A HUNDRED GIFT BAGS AND ACTIVITY BOOKS, AND THEN THANKS AGAIN TO THE FRIEND SUPPORT.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, GIVE AWAY AN AMERICAN GIRL DOLL AS A PART OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO IT WAS JUST SUCH A GOOD PROGRAM.
THERE WERE ALL OF THESE, UM, YOUNG KIDS AT THE PROGRAM AND THEY ALL BROUGHT THEIR DOLLS.
SOME HAD AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS, SOME HAD OTHER DOLLS, BUT, UM, THERE WAS A PLACE TO WATCH THE MOVIE AND THERE WERE CRAFTS AND THERE WERE GAMES AND IT WAS JUST, UH, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD, UM, AND EXCITING PROGRAM LIKE THESE GIRLS, UM, AND THEIR PARENTS WERE LINING UP TO COME IN THE DOOR AND GET THESE ACTIVITY BOOKS.
SO, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
UM, THE GREAT AMERICAN QUILTING BEAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP AND I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL BECAUSE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A TYPE OF LIKE INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM.
UM, AND IT'S HAPPENING AT MULTIPLE BRANCHES THROUGH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE, UM, SESSIONS AT OAK LAWN, LAKEWOOD AND FOREST GREEN THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WHERE PEOPLE CAN DESIGN THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN QUILT SQUARE THAT REPRESENTS WHAT AMERICA MEANS TO THEM.
AND THEN AS WELL AS LEARN THE HISTORY OF LIKE WHAT A QUILTING D IS AND, AND ALL OF THAT SIDE OF, UM, SIDE OF QUILTING AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER THE SQUARES INTO A QUILT AND CREATE A COMMUNITY QUILT.
UM, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE COMING UP.
IT'S, UH, GEARED TOWARDS ADULTS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY LATER THIS MONTH.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU ASPECTS OF, UH, ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT SHARING THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY AND BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND AMERICA'S TWO 50.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT STORYTELLING AS A PART OF OUR COUNTRY'S PAST AND THE DIFFERENT MYTHS AND LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE THAT HAVE KIND OF CREATED, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS WE STILL HEAR ABOUT TODAY, SUCH AS BIGFOOT HERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU SAW DAVID DRESSED UP, I HOPE, ON THE WAY IN.
AND, UM, THAT'S LIKE I I SAID A BIG PART OF WHY WE FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO HAVE THIS, UM, THIS WHOLE YEAR OF PROGRAMMING.
WE ALSO HAVE THROUGH THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY, UH, TEXAS STATE ARCHIVES, A TEXAS AMERICA TWO 50 EXHIBIT THAT'S TRAVELING AROUND.
AND IT'S A STORY OF THE LONE STAR STATE FOR THE PAST 250 YEARS.
I BELIEVE IT'S STILL ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR IF YOU WANTED TO CHECK IT OUT AS WELL.
SO, UM, I ALLUDED TO POINTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING.
AND IN ADDITION, IF SO, IF YOU ATTEND ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS OR GO TO EITHER OF THE EXHIBITS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OR YOU ATTEND A BOOK CLUB, YOU EARN POINTS AND YOU CAN LOG YOUR POINTS IN BEANS STACK, WHICH IS ALSO WHERE WE LOG THINGS LIKE SMART SUMMER AND THE MAVS READING CHALLENGE.
AND YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THINGS LIKE THOSE, UH, SYMPHONY TICKETS NEXT MONTH OR STATE PARK PASSES OR THE, UH, MAVS AND WINGS TICKETS.
AND THOSE DRAWINGS HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND IT'S BEEN, UM, A REALLY COOL AND FUN WAY FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, WE'VE HAD, I WANNA SAY 700 DIFFERENT TICKETS ENTERED SO FAR.
UM, SO PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING AND
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ENTERING AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE.AND THEN THIS IS, UH, OUR PARTNERS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, THAT ARE KIND OF HELPING US COLLABORATE AND COME TOGETHER TO MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN.
AND IT'S BEEN, I THINK, A REALLY GREAT PART OF THIS TO, UM, WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO LIKE THE, UH, FOR INSTANCE THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS MUSEUM OR THE SYMPHONY OR WHOEVER IT IS, AND THEY'VE BEEN EXCITED TO COLLABORATE AND, AND YOU KNOW, EITHER UH, DONATE TICKETS OR COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF PROGRAMMING THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE OVERALL.
I'M GONNA STOP SHARING 'CAUSE I CAN'T SEE YOU GUYS WHILE I'M SHARING.
AND THEN, UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR KRISTEN? WELL, ON YOUR BOOK CLUB, DO YOU HAVE A LIST THAT HAS BEEN CIRCULATED? BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BOOK CLUBS IN THE SYSTEM AND I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU'RE EVEN AWARE OF IT.
DID YOU HEAR THAT? WHO'S AWARE OF IT? WE HAVE THE BOOKS LISTED FOR THE BOOK CLUBS.
THEY'RE ON THE AMERICA TWO 50 PAGE OF THE WEBSITE.
I'LL SHARE IT WITH MY BOOK CLUBS.
UM, KRISTEN, THIS ALL THIS PROGRAMMING IS REALLY SPECTACULAR, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AND I LOVE THE WAY ALL THE DIFFERENT THREADS YOU'VE PULLED.
UM, I JUST HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED FAMILY DAY.
DO YOU KNOW WHICH BRANCHES YOU'LL BE DOING THAT? YOU SAID IT WAS GONNA BE IN JUNE AND JULY.
THE FAMILY DAYS ARE HAPPENING AT, UH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
YEAH,
IF YOU WANNA EMAIL IT, I CAN SEND IT ON TO YOU.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS WHAT AGE GROUP FOR THE CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB, BUT WHAT AGE GROUP ARE YOU AIMING AT? KIND OF MIDDLE GRADE READERS? UM, LIKE, SO GRADES FIVE AND SIX? YEAH.
I'M A RETIRED TEACHER AND, AND I LIKE THAT CREATIVENESS.
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UM, SOMETIMES I, I GET THESE TUNES IN MY HEAD WHEN WE WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I KNOW THAT WAS LIKE BACK IN THE DINOSAUR DAYS WE LEARNED FOLK SONGS AND THE KIDS DON'T KNOW THOSE ANYMORE.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IS THERE SOME WAY THAT, UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
'CAUSE IT'S PART OF TEXAS CULTURE, IT'S PART OF UNITED STATES CULTURE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FOLKLORES AND MYTHS, BUT, UM, FOLK SONGS LIKE, UM, OH GOD, I WAS THINKING ABOUT DAISY, DAISY ON THE BICYCLE BILL FOR TWO.
UM, AND SOME OF THE TEXAS SONGS LIKE BLUE BONNET SONG AND UM, THE COW POKE SONG, JUST LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, AND WE DID THAT IN MUSIC CLASS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN MUSIC CLASS NOW, BUT THOSE KIND OF SONGS WERE IN OUR MUSIC BOOK.
BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE JUST GOOD OLD SONGS AND THEY DON'T OFFEND ANYBODY AND DON'T HAVE CURSE WORDS IN THEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YEAH, IT WAS JUST FUN TO SING, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST THOUGHT I MENTIONED THAT, BUT I LOVED EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
I CAN DEFINITELY, UM, RECOMMEND THAT OR GIVE THAT IDEA TO OUR YOUTH SERVICES STAFF TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED.
UM, AND I HAVE THE DATES AND, AND LOCATIONS FOR THE FAMILY DAYS.
IF YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU THOSE.
JULY 11TH IS HIGHLAND HILLS, AND JULY 25TH IS DALLAS WEST.
I ATTENDED THE PROGRAM ON COLONIAL WOMEN AND IT WAS EXCELLENT AND REALLY BIG CROWD.
I WAS REALLY SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WAS IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR WAS COMPLETELY FULL.
I EXPECTED LIKE 20 PEOPLE AND THERE WERE AT LEAST A HUNDRED.
AND KRISTEN DIDN'T SAY THIS SPECIFICALLY, BUT I THINK THERE WERE 90 PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP FOR THE AMERICAN GIRL DOLL PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE SEEING SOME BIG NUMBERS FROM AMERICA.
DO YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE BIG NUMBERS, LIKE HOW PEOPLE ARE FINDING OUT ABOUT IT? KRISTEN, ARE WE ASKING THAT HOW PEOPLE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM? UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD SPECIFICALLY HOW,
[00:30:01]
I KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE USING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES TO GET THE WORD OUT, BUT I, I AM NOT SURE WE COULD ASK THAT AT SOME OF THE UPCOMING PROGRAMS THOUGH.I SAW A POSTER IN THE CENTRAL LIBRARY BY THE ELEVATOR AND I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT AND SHARED IT WITH MY FRIENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UHHUH AND ALL MY DAR FRIENDS SHOWED UP FOR THE COLONIAL WOMEN'S EVENT.
SOME PEOPLE IN COSTUMES WITH SKIRTS, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE COSTUMES.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR CRYSTAL? UM, CAN YOU, I HAD A QUESTION SPEAK A LITTLE BIT.
A BIT MORE ABOUT THE BOOK CLUBS AND HOW THE BOOKS WERE SELECTED FOR, FOR THE BOOK CLUB COMPONENT? YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT ACTUALLY.
'CAUSE I MEANT TO, IT WAS ON MY MIND.
AND THEN I SAID SOMETHING ELSE, UH, WHEN I WAS PRESENTING, UM, WE HAD, WE ASKED LIBRARIANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN HELPING LEAD THESE.
AND, UH, WE, WE WORKED WITH GEORGE W. BUSH MUSEUM TO COME UP WITH AN INITIAL LIST OF BOOKS AND THEN WE KIND OF HAD THE STAFF HELP CHOOSE FROM THOSE, OR THEY CHOSE SOMETHING ELSE THEY WERE INTERESTED IN.
ONE OF OUR GOALS WAS TO SORT OF WHATEVER ADULT PROGRAM WE WERE HAVING FOR THE MONTH, WE WANTED TO, IF WE COULD KIND OF TIE THE BOOK TO THE PROGRAM, EVEN IF IT WAS A VERY LOOSE TIE.
SO, UM, THOSE COULD HAVE KIND OF GONE HAND IN HAND IN SOME WAYS AS WELL.
WHAT IS THE BOOK FOR THIS MONTH? I WAS CURIOUS IF, YOU KNOW,
MY, THE ADULT BOOK IS CROOKED BY AUSTIN GROSSMAN.
WHY LONGFELLOW LIED FOR THE KIDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE TRYING TO SPEAK.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA REMIND OKAY.
IT, DURING MEETINGS, IT'S JUST BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SPEAKING, BUT DID ANYONE, UM, ON THE WEBEX ON THE BOARD HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DID, BUT YOU SAID ONLY BOARD MEMBERS SPEAK? YES.
UM, ANYONE ON THE WEBEX OR IN PERSON HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, WELL, LOOKING AT OUR CATALOG, THERE'S ONLY ONE COFFEE OF CROOKED IN OUR SYSTEM.
YEAH, THAT'S BEEN A, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A STRUGGLE.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET EBOOK VERSIONS IN OR, UM, EVEN IF WE CAN BUY COPIES AND GET THEM IN QUICKLY.
SO, UH, ONE OF, UH, ONE OF THE, THE MANAGERS WHO'S INVOLVED IN PLANNING THE PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
IF THE LIST GETS TOO LONG OR ANYTHING, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND WAYS AND WORKING WITH ACQUISITIONS TO, TO GET COPIES IN.
SO I BELIEVE IN THE LAST MEETING I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND.
UM, BUT SHE'S BEEN TELLING FOLKS THAT, UH, IF THEY'RE UNABLE TO GET A COPY TO, UM, TO COME TO THE EIGHTH FLOOR AND ASK.
AND SO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU, KRISTEN.
I'VE, UM, ATTENDED AN EVENT ALREADY AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE PROGRAMMING, UM, AND I KNOW STAFF IS EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRAMS TOO.
SO, UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DENISE MCGOVERN, UM, AT OUR MEETING, UM, WITH HER UPDATE FROM THE FRIENDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, THE FIRST THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE SURVEY RESULTS AND THE, UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE, UM, RESIDENT FEEDBACK, UM, OPPORTUNITY THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE CITY AFTER THE JANUARY QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
THE SURVEY WAS OPEN BETWEEN, UM, FEBRUARY 13TH AND FEBRUARY 26TH.
IT WAS A SELF-SELECTED SURVEY.
IT WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND THE LIBRARY WAS REALLY FANTASTIC IN HELPING TO GET PEOPLE PAPER COPIES IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO FILL OUT ON PAPER VERSUS BEING ONLINE.
ALSO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL IN GETTING THE WORD OUT.
I VISIT BRANCHES PRETTY REGULARLY AND THERE WAS NOT A BRANCH THAT I WENT TO THAT DIDN'T HAVE A SIGN AT THE, UM, INFORMATION CHECKOUT AREA THAT HAD A QR CODE FOR THE SURVEY.
UM, THE SURVEY PROVIDED 4,000 RESPONSES ACROSS THE CITY.
AND THE TOP CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH CITY LEADERS WERE THAT LIBRARIES ARE VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT LIBRARIES TO STAY OPEN TO INCREASE LIBRARY FUNDING.
UM, IN THE RESULTS, NEARLY ALL RESPONDENTS,
[00:35:01]
99% SAID DALLAS LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM WITH 94% SAYING THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.97% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THE LIBRARY FUNDING SHOULD BE MAINTAINED OR INCREASED WITH 87% SAYING INCREASE GREATLY.
UM, AND THEN 92% OF RESPONDENTS AGREE THAT THE DALLAS, THE CITY OF DALLAS, SHOULD PRIORITIZE FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES AND WHO AVOID CLOSURE, UM, WITH USAGE.
THERE WERE, UM, PEOPLE ARE USING THE LIBRARIES IN ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT 85% OF THE RESPONDENTS USED IT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
AND 66% SAID EXTENDED LIBRARY HOURS WERE IMPORTANT.
AND 62% SAID THAT, UM, BEING OPEN SEVEN DAYS IS IMPORTANT.
SO IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO GET A LOT OF THESE, OF THIS FEEDBACK BACK.
THERE WERE ALSO, THERE WAS ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE OPEN-ENDED COMMENTS, WHICH WERE ALSO BEING PULLED TOGETHER.
UM, AND SO WE HEARD EVERYTHING FROM, I LOVE MY LIBRARY TOO.
THEY WERE INCREDIBLY, UM, IN, INCREDIBLY VALID IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT IS INFORMATION ON THE SURVEY.
UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT LIBRARY GIVING DAY AND LIBRARY GIVING DAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE THINGS THIS YEAR.
UH, APRIL 1ST IS NATIONAL LIBRARY GIVING DAY.
SO IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OTHER LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER LIBRARY FOUNDATIONS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY ARE DOING, UM, EVENTS THROUGHOUT, UM, TOMORROW TO, UM, TO FUNDRAISE FOR THEIR LIBRARY.
WE ARE AS WELL, THE, YOU WILL SEE VERY POPPY THINGS HAPPEN TOMORROW FROM THE FRIENDS TO GET SOME, UM, INTEREST IN WHAT WE DO AND TO JOIN, UM, JOIN OUR GROUP AS, AS, UM, A MEMBER AND IN NORTH TEXAS.
TEXAS IS LIBRARY GIVING DAYS UP, WHICH IS APRIL 6TH THROUGH THE 13TH.
UM, THIS IS, WE HAVE BOOKMARKS HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ONE.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM TO THE LIBRARIES.
I'M NOT TOMORROW, WHICH WILL BE THE 3:00 PM OKAY.
AND THIS IS SIMILAR TO NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY, WHICH IS NORTH TEXAS GIVING PERIOD.
AND YOU ARE ABLE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE, WHICH IS HOSTED BY COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION AND CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR BRANCH LIBRARY FRIENDS, YOUR LARGE FRIENDS, OR EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE OR OR PARTICIPATE IN THAT ACROSS NORTH TEXAS, YOU CAN GIVE TO WHOEVER THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACROSS THAT TIME.
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO HELP SUPPORT THE GROUPS THAT SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARY.
AND KRISTEN WAS REALLY GREAT IN, UM, IN REALLY REFLECTING ON THAT.
THE FRIENDS OF, UM, THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE HERE TO HELP PROGRAMMING HAPPEN.
IF YOU JUST REALLY LOOK AT IT ALL, WE DO TWO THINGS.
WE HELP PROGRAMMING HAPPEN AND FUND IT TO MAKE IT WORK, HELP PROVIDE PARTNERSHIPS.
SOMETIMES THEY PROVIDE PARTNERSHIPS BACK TO US TO BE ABLE TO DO.
UM, BUT I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE KRISTEN'S RECOGNITION IN THE PROGRAMMING THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE THEY GET THE, THEY GET THE, THE FUNDING AND THEN THEY RUN AND CREATE THESE INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT THEY ARE EXTRAORDINARILY BOUND TO THAT DOING.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE A VERY BIG PART OF IS ADVOCACY.
AND I AM, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT FOR THE TOWN HALLS.
LAST WEEK THERE WAS A FRIEND IN A RED SHIRT AND ALL BUT ONE OF THE CITY COUNCIL TOWN HALLS, I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST FOR THE GROUP TO HAPPEN.
AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE ONE PERSON FORGOT TO TEXT SOMEBODY AND LAURA WOULD'VE SAID, WE GOT IT ALL
UM, I, I WAS AT THREE OF THEM.
UM, OUR, OUR FRIENDS WERE AT OTHERS AND EVERYBODY REPORTED BACK.
THEY WERE ALL REALLY WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS.
LIBRARIES CAME UP AT EVERY TOWN HALL MEETING THAT PEOPLE WERE ON AND THEY WERE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE.
AND A NUMBER OF COUNCIL PEOPLE SAID THAT THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF LIBRARIES.
AND SO NOW IT'S OUR JOB TO HELP MOVE THEM FORWARD TO, TO MAKING THAT HAPPEN AND HOW IT ALL IS GOING IN THE BUDGET.
UH, TOMORROW, AS WAS MENTIONED AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE, PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY CYCLE THEM IN AND OUT IN RED SHIRTS.
UM, THEY KNOW US AND THEY LOVE US.
TWO OF OUR MEMBERS WILL BE SPEAKING DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND UM, AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR, UM, OUR PRESENCE KNOWN IN THE CHAMBER AND AROUND THE CITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS ON THE BUDGETS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT.
AND UM, AGAIN, THE SPRING BREAK PROGRAMS, CATHERINE, WERE THINGS THAT WE HELPED TO MAKE HAPPEN AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON GOOD MORNING TEXAS TO PROMOTE THOSE AS WELL.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE SORTS OF OUTLETS TO BE ABLE TO GO.
I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT TOO ON THE ARTICLE IN THE DALLAS WARNING NEWS ABOUT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND THE WHOLE ARTICLE FOCUSED ON THE LIBRARY SUPPORTERS BEING AT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND HOW THAT WAS THE TOP TOPIC TOPIC AT THE MEETINGS.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, UM, YOU GOT EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION WITH THAT.
AND THANK YOU TO VITALS MORNING NEWS FOR THEIR REGULAR COVERAGE AND OF THE LIBRARY.
UM, ROBIN, UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SURVEY.
UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE PROBABLY ALL SUPPORT, WHICH IS RESTORING FULL FUNDING AS FAR AS THE QUESTIONS THAT DEALT WITH FITS IN RESPONSES TO THE PROPOSED CUT IN FUNDING MM-HMM
[00:40:01]
UM, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT HAD PEOPLE RANK POSSIBLE SITUATIONS THAT WERE NOT IDEAL.
DO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION ON HOW PEOPLE LOOKED AT THAT? I DO.
UM, AND OF COURSE MY COMPUTER JUST DECIDED THAT IT DOESN'T WANT TO TURN OFF.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU A LINK TO OUR WEBSITE THAT HAS THE FULL PRESENTATION ON IT.
UM, AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S THERE, THAT SAME PRESENTATION WAS PROVIDED TO COUNSEL.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, WELL, IT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU AND I CAN I JUST C IF YOU WANT ME TO SEND YOU THE LINK I CAN SEND OH, SURE.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER.
I THOUGHT I HAD SENT IT OUT IT OUT, BUT, OR DPL DO ORG SUPPORT DPL DO ORG.
SLASH THERE'S ANOTHER SLASH ON THERE THAT'S THERE.
I THOUGHT I HAD SENT IT OUT AS PART OF MY WRAP UP EMAIL, BUT WE CAN SEND IT OUT AGAIN.
UM, IT'S SLASH RESIDENT HYPHEN FEEDBACK.
IT HAS A DOWNLOADED PDF F THAT'S ON THERE AS WELL.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE OPEN-ENDED COMMENTS.
UM, SO, SO YOU'RE VIEWING THOSE STILL? IS THAT WHAT YOU, IS THERE A LOT OF THEM? YEAH.
16 THAT IS STILL BEING ASSESSED PROCESSED AS FAR AS RELEASING THE COMMENTS YEAH.
OR SAYING YEAH, I'M, I'M UNSURE OF WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR EVERY RELEASE, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE THEM ALL OKAY.
PUT TOGETHER ANYWAY YET, SO, OKAY.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, OKAY.
UM, THEN MOVING ON TO STAFF REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS UP NEXT, UM, MAN WILL PROVIDE HER REGULAR DIRECTOR'S REPORT AS WELL AS FACILITIES AND BOND UPDATE AND ALSO, UM, MENTION HER, HER NOTES ON THE SURVEY.
YEAH, I, I ASKED CATHERINE IF WE COULD MOVE THE SURVEY RESULTS, UH, TO DENISE BECAUSE REALLY THE, THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE BOARD, INCLUDING DENISE AND THE BOARD CHAIR NICOLE PICKETT, WERE REALLY THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SURVEY.
THE FRIENDS, UH, HIRED THE FIRM AND REALLY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PROCESS.
AND SO THE CITY'S MORE OF A RECIPIENT OF, OF THE SURVEY THAN SORT OF THE GUIDING FORCE BEHIND IT, WHICH IS WHY I ASKED DENISE TO TAKE THIS ONE.
I WILL SAY FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, I, I THINK YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT THE SURVEY IS NOT STATISTICALLY VALID.
WE PUT THAT RIGHT IN THE SURVEY.
IT WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE STATISTICALLY VALID.
SO IT IS NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE CITY.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT, UM, THAT, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
NO SURVEY THAT THE CITY EVER PUTS OUT IS STATISTICALLY VALID.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT, 'CAUSE WE DID ASK PEOPLE TO FILL OUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION THAT IT CLEARLY, UH, IS OVERREPRESENTED IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN.
I WILL SAY THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE SURVEY ISN'T VALUABLE.
IT IS ONE DATA POINT THAT WE ARE USING TO GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE WITH UPDATED RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THAT IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ALL HEARD AT THE TOWN HALLS LAST WEEK WAS VERY VALUABLE.
AND THEN AS CATHERINE MENTIONED, AND DENISE MENTIONED TOMORROW IS A BIG DAY, UH, THERE IS A CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
NOW I WILL, CATHERINE SAID IT STARTS AT NINE AND TECHNICALLY THAT'S TRUE, BUT IF YOU ARE THINKING OF WATCHING AND OR GOING, I I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT DOES START WITH A PRETTY LARGE PRESENTATION, UH, AROUND THE STATE OF HOUSING IN DALLAS.
AND THAT IS LIKELY TO TAKE SIGNIFICANT TIME.
AND SO, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I I AM THAT THAT MAY PUSH OR WILL PUSH THE BUDGET, UH, WORKSHOP UNTIL, UNTIL LATER.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA KEEP AN EYE ON, ON THE STREAMING, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO START.
UM, SO I WILL BE AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP TOMORROW.
I ALSO, I ATTENDED TWO TOWN HALLS, WHICH WAS THE MAXIMUM I COULD ON, ON TUESDAY NIGHT, WE HAD A, UH, THE SECOND COMMUNITY MEETING FOR THE PRESTON ROYAL RENOVATION PROJECT.
AND AT THAT MEETING, I'M SORRY, I'M STEALING SEAN'S THUNDER A LITTLE BIT, BUT AT THAT MEETING, THE ARCHITECT SHOWED THE COMMUNITY THE FIRST DRAFT OF A FLOOR PLAN AND THE SPACE PLAN.
AND, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ANNE HARDING BECAUSE SHE, SHE REPRESENTS PRESTON ROYAL FRIENDS AT THIS MEETING TO SHARE SOME, WHAT I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING NEWS.
SO I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT LIBRARIES THAT HAVE BOND PACKAGES KIND OF ACTIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND PRESTON ROYAL IS THE FIRST UP.
MOVING FORWARD, WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT ALL THREE OF
[00:45:01]
THE LIBRARY BOND PACKAGES INCLUDE AN ALLOCATION FOR PUBLIC ART.SO THERE'S ALWAYS A BIG ART INSTALLATION AT ALL THE NEW LIBRARIES.
IT MIGHT BE A SCULPTURE, A MURAL, SOMETHING HANGING FROM THE CEILING, DEPENDS ON THE LIBRARY.
WE WANT TO, UM, FIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LIBRARY ITSELF.
THE BOND ALLOCATION FOR PUBLIC ART AT PRESTON ROYAL LIBRARY IS $84,000, WHICH TO ME SOUNDED LIKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR ART.
BUT I HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR, UH, OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE THAT THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH MONEY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING OF THE FOUNDATION AND THE INSTALLATION AND ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO THE ART AND PAYING FOR THE MATERIALS AND PAYING THE ARTIST.
AND SO WE ASKED THE PRESTON ROYAL FRIENDS IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO EITHER GIVE OR RAISE A LITTLE BIT EXTRA SO WE COULD GET A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING NICER ART.
AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO GIVE $16,000 TO BRING THE TOTAL UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THEY PLAN TO TRY AND RAISE AN ADDITIONAL $25,000 ON TOP OF THAT.
SO WE'RE REALLY VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE, UM, COME FORWARD AND SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT.
SO THE VISION BEHIND THIS ASK IS THAT I HAVE SEEN WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE PUBLIC ART BUDGET IS INTEGRATED INTO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU COULD VISIT THE RUBY CAREY YOUTH LIBRARY IN FORT WORTH AND LOOK AT THE CEILING.
THE CEILING HAS THE PUBLIC ART.
AND THAT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE ARTIST WAS HIRED, UH, UP AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ARCHITECTS AND THEY DESIGNED TOGETHER.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT WITH PRESTON ROYAL JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF WHEN I STARTED HERE, FRANKLY.
BUT WE WILL GET THERE WITH PARK FOREST AND WITH NORTH OAK CLIFF.
I'M ALSO HOPING THAT FRIENDS BRANCH FRIENDS GROUPS, AND SO I'LL WARN YOU NOW, AMY, I'M HOPING THAT BRANCH FRIENDS GROUPS, UH, WILL HELP SUPPORT PUBLIC ART IN THE FUTURE.
IN WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED IN PUBLIC ART IN MUNICIPALITIES IS THAT OFTEN IT'S COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING AND ENDS UP BEING A STATUE OUT FRONT OR, OR SOMETHING.
THAT'S JUST SEPARATE END OF THING.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS PART OF A GREATER VISION TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS BECAUSE BOND FUNDS ARE OFTEN ENOUGH TO MAKE THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, BUT THE ART CAN TAKE IT TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.
SO THE PRESTON ROYAL FRIENDS ARE GIVING THIS MONEY.
THEY'RE ALSO BY DOING THAT, GAINING A SEAT ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE ARTIST.
AND WE, WE WILL HAVE A PLAQUE THANKING THEM FOR THEIR DONATION.
SO I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THE PARK FOREST PRESIDENT AT, AT THE FRIENDS.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO JOE YET, AMY, AND SHE SAID, WE ARE NOT GIVING 16,000.
I THINK PRESTON ROYAL, UM, HAS A, HAS A BIGGER COFFERS THAN SOME OF THE OTHER BRANCH FRIENDS.
BUT IT'S THE EFFORT AND IT'S THE, IT'S THE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I WILL ALSO PIGGYBACK ON, UH, DENISE MENTIONED NATIONAL LIBRARIES WEEK AND NATIONAL GIVING DAY, AND ALL THE, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO WITH THAT.
I WANNA MENTION SPECIFICALLY NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKER DAY, WHICH IS APRIL 21ST.
AND I KNOW HOW MUCH WE ALL APPRECIATE THE, UH, LIBRARY STAFF WHO SERVE THE COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND SO ON APRIL 21ST, I HOPE YOU'LL GO TO THE LIBRARY AND THANK THEM FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK.
AND I HAVE REMINDED THE BRANCH FRIENDS GROUPS, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY, UM, THOSE OF YOU INVOLVED IN BRANCH FRIENDS GROUPS SAW THAT NOTE.
UM, THAT IT'S, THAT'S A LOVELY DAY TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE STAFF AT, AT YOUR BRANCHES.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, I'M VERY AWARE, YOU KNOW, YOU USED TO GET A MONTHLY DATA REPORT AND THAT WAS WHAT I CALL A ROLLED UP REPORT.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS LARGE NUMBERS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WALKED IN THE LIBRARIES, ALL THE LIBRARIES IN A PARTICULAR MONTH AND HOW THAT COMPARED TO THE MONTH BEFORE.
AND I PULLED THAT BACK BECAUSE TO ME, THAT REPORT, ALTHOUGH INTERESTING, WAS NOT AS MEANINGFUL AS I THINK, AS I THINK WE COULD OFFER BOTH TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC AND TO COUNCIL THROUGH, THROUGH ALL OF YOU.
AND THEN ANNE REMINDED ME, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
MY COUNCIL PERSON ASKED ME EVERY MONTH, WHERE'S MY REPORT? IT WAS A GOOD REMINDER.
AND SO LAST WEEK, SEAN AND I, 'CAUSE SEAN, UH, OVERSEES THE, CAN WE CALL IT THE DATA DEPARTMENT? THE DEPARTMENT OF ONE? YES.
THE ONE PERSON WE
AND WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU IN AT THE APRIL MEETING WITH, WITH A DRAFT AND IT WILL HAVE, UM, IT WILL
[00:50:01]
HAVE BRANCH LEVEL DATA, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN INTERESTED IN, WE'RE I WOULD, I'M HOPING THIS CAN BE A BIT OF AN ITERATIVE PROCESS BECAUSE I'M SURE WE WON'T GET IT A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT, RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.SO I'LL COME TO YOU IN APRIL FOR SOME FEEDBACK, WHAT YOU THINK, UM, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
SO PLEASE OFFER MY APOLOGIES TO DEPUTY MAYOR PERAM WILLIS.
WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING IN IN APRIL.
I'M JUST PLEASED SHE'S SO ENGAGED.
I AM PLEASED SHE IS SO ENGAGED AS WELL.
AND THEN JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON TOMORROW'S BUDGET WORKSHOP, I, YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT ON APRIL 20TH, AS CATHERINE MENTIONED, I WILL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
UM, I THINK TOMORROW WILL REALLY BE INFORMATIVE FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, TOMORROW, THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, THE SLIDES ARE PUBLIC, SO YOU CAN GO AND LOOK AT, AT THE ENTIRE WORKSHOP.
SO WHAT IS HAPPENING TOMORROW IS A PUBLIC PRIORITIZATION WORKSHOP WHERE COUNCIL IS GOING TO PRIORITIZE CITY SERVICES AND FUNCTIONS.
AND THE LIBRARY IS FEATURED PROMINENTLY SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PRIORITIZATION WORKSHOP.
SO IF YOU WENT TO A TOWN HALL LAST WEEK, YOU HEARD AS I DID, COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THAT THEY HAVE FOUND MONEY, THEY'VE SIGNED THIS PUBLICLY, THEY HAVE FOUND MONEY TO RESTORE THE 2.6 MILLION INTO THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET.
WHERE THAT IS COMING FROM, HOW SOLID THAT IS.
I KNOW AS MUCH AS YOU DO, BUT THEY, THESE THINGS ARE BEING SAID PUBLICLY.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT.
NOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WE WERE EVEN JUST BEFORE THE TOWN HALLS BECAUSE I HAD NOT HEARD THAT SAID PUBLICLY.
I HAD HEARD WE DON'T WANT ANY BRANCHES CLOSED, BUT I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT RESTORATION.
SO I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH TOMORROW BECAUSE WHAT IS SAID TOMORROW AND THE DIRECTION THAT IS GIVEN TO CITY STAFF TOMORROW, I'M SURE WILL INFORM THE PRESENTATION ON ON APRIL 20TH.
SO THAT IS REALLY ALL THAT I CAN SHARE ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT.
AND UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO SEAN.
SO, SO THE REPORT'S GOING TO THAT, THAT, THAT WE USED TO GET IT MONTHLY.
UHHUH
BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GONNA BE A ONE-TO-ONE.
THERE WERE A COUPLE THINGS ON THERE THAT I DECIDED TO NOT REPORT ANYMORE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARDS, THAT WAS A MONTHLY REPORT.
SO I DECIDED TO TAKE THAT OFF THE REPORT, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT MOST OF THE MAJOR DATA POINTS, SO, UH, VISITOR COUNT, CIRCULATION, BOTH IN, UM, PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL, IN-PERSON VISITS, VIRTUAL VISITS, ALL OF THAT STUFF.
AND DID WE TALK, WE TALKED ABOUT COMPARISON TO THE YEAR BEFORE.
IS THAT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT? YEAH, WE'RE, SO WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO REPRESENT THE INFORMATION AND PROVIDE CONTEXT TO WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND WHERE WE CAME FROM.
THE, THE ISSUE IS THIS DATA IS, I HAVE NO, I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH SHARING DATA.
THE ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH HOW ACCESS IT, IT WAS VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
SO EVERY TIME SOMEONE WOULD ASK FOR SOMETHING, WE'D HAVE TO THEN GO AND PRODUCE THAT SPECIFIC THING THAT THE PERSON WAS ASKING FOR.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT BY GIVING YOU A MONTHLY REPORT THAT HAS MORE DEPTH, THAT WE CAN STOP THE, UM, THE SORT OF REQUEST FOR CURATED DATA LISTS BECAUSE THAT'S JUST VERY LABOR INTENSIVE FOR US.
SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THIS ITERATIVE PROCESS AND GET THAT REPORT RIGHT SO THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE LIKE A A DASHBOARD? A DASHBOARD? I DO NOT, WE DO NOT HAVE A DASHBOARD.
WE HAVE A PERSON WHO COLLECTS DATA FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES ALL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH AND THEN PUTS IT ALL TOGETHER.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY LABOR INTENSIVE, SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT.
SO IF WE CAN GIVE HER A TEMPLATE THAT'S MORE PLUG AND PLAY WHERE SHE CAN JUST ENTER STUFF, I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO GETTING TO GETTING EVERYONE WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR.
SO, SO I, I WAS JUST AT THE LAKEWOOD BRANCH TODAY AND THINGS ARE A LITTLE QUIET BECAUSE OF THE, THE RESTROOMS ARE UNAVAILABLE AND THE KIDS, THEY'LL COME FOR STORY TIME AND THEN LEAVE RIGHT AFTER, YOU KNOW, WITH LITTLE KIDS, THEY CAN'T UHHUH
SO, SO WILL THEY BE A LITTLE ASTERISK FOR THE LIBRARIES THAT DON'T HAVE RESTROOMS?
I, YOU DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH ASTERISK AND EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT CAN GET OVERWHELMING, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IF THERE ARE, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE NOTICED IN A MONTH AT A PARTICULAR BRANCH THAT IT'S DOWN 40% FROM THE YEAR BEFORE, I THINK WE'D ASTERISK THAT BECAUSE WE WOULD KNOW IT WAS BECAUSE THE BATHROOMS,
[00:55:01]
THE BATHROOMS WERE UNDERGO OR THERE WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, KLEBERG IS GONNA NEED AN ASTERISKANYTHING ELSE FOR ME? SO ON, I THOUGHT BEFORE, LIKE THE COUNTERS ON, UM, LIKE GATHERING THE TRAFFIC INFORMATION ON HOW MANY MM-HMM
LIKE SOME WEREN'T WORKING PROPERLY AT SOME LIBRARIES.
DO YOU WANNA ASK THAT SALLY FIXED? YEAH.
UM, BUT WE HAVE THREE MORE LIBRARIES THAT NEED TO HAVE THEIR COUNTERS REPAIR.
UM, SO THAT IS DUE TO THE CABLING TO THAT ACTUAL DEVICE.
AND SOME OF THAT IS FOR OTHER THINGS.
ARE WE MANUALLY, WE ARE DOING SOME MANUAL COUNTING TO KIND OF HELP MM-HMM
BRIDGE THAT GAP FOR, FOR THOSE LOCATIONS.
UH, BUT WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO FINALLY GETTING EVERYBODY FULLY.
IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS FOR ME OR YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME, I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SEAN TO GIVE THE FACILITIES AND BOND REPORT.
I JUST HAVE A FEW, UH, QUICK UPDATES TO PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, SURROUNDING THE BATHROOM RENOVATION PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
UM, MLK FOR EXAMPLE, WE, WE ARE COMPLETING QUALITY CHECKS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THESE ARE A DA BATHROOM RENOVATION IMPROVEMENTS.
SO EVERYTHING'S BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET COMPLIANCE WITH THE A DA.
SO THERE'S BEEN INSPECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AT MLK THAT HAS BEEN SOME TURNAROUND NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO BRING THINGS TO THE PROPER HEIGHTS AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, OVERALL WHAT WE'VE RUN INTO ACROSS THE BOARD HAS BEEN THOSE FINAL LAST MINUTE TOUCHES HAVE RESULTED IN SOME NEED FOR TILE AND OTHER THINGS THAT'S CAUSED SOME DELAYS BECAUSE THE, UM, THE VENDOR IS TRYING TO SOURCE EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, GIVE OR TAKE, WE'RE LOOKING AT MID-APRIL FOR COMPLETION OF MLK.
OAK LAWN AS OF RIGHT NOW IS LOOKING TO BE TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL.
UH, RENTER IS LATE APRIL, EARLY MAY TIMEFRAME.
UM, MOUNTAIN CREEK IS MID TO LATE APRIL.
AND THEN KLEBERG OF COURSE IS THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BEGIN WORK ON THE BATHROOM, BUT IT WILL BE FINISHED BEFORE THE BRANCH IS ULTIMATELY OPEN.
BUT THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY AND IN COORDINATION WITH ALL THE REMEDIATION WORK THAT'S GOING ON.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, LAKEWOOD IS ACTIVELY GOING ON, WE JUST STARTED THE DEMOLITION PHASE NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND, UH, THAT PROJECT IS LOOKING TO BE MID TO LATE MAY BEFORE IT'S ABLE TO BE FINISHED.
CAN I SAY THEY'VE GOT GREAT SIGNAGE OUT FRONT, YOU KNOW, NO, NO RESTROOMS AVAILABLE AND IN THE, AND THEY HAVE A SIGN FROM THE CONTRACTOR AND IT RESTROOM RENOVATION TO BE COMPLETED.
REALLY? I'LL SHOW YOU THE SIGN.
I BELIEVE YOU WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT TAKEN DOWN.
ON THE OAK LAWN ONE THEY'D LIKE IF POSSIBLE, TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THEY START EARLY VOTING AGAIN BECAUSE THEY HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VOTE IN THE PRIMARY.
AND OF COURSE THE RUNOFF IS GONNA BE A LARGE CROWD.
AND I THINK FINALLY THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS GOT TOGETHER AND THEY'RE GONNA BE NICE TO EACH OTHER
AND IT WAS QUITE A CHALLENGE TO GET THROUGH THERE TO SORT OF ACTUALLY USE THE LIBRARY.
DON'T LET ME OVER PROMISE, BUT IT, IT'S GONNA BE VERY CLOSE.
UM, THE, THEY'RE EAGER TO BE FINISHED AS WELL AND WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE GET EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE ASKED AND PAID FOR.
UM, THE BIG THING OF COURSE IS JUST, UM, THEY ULTIMATELY DO HAVE TO ADHERE TO THEIR CONTRACT.
THERE IS AN END, THERE IS A FINALITY WHERE THERE IS A POINT WHERE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY OPEN THOSE RESTROOMS AS THEY CALL SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION AHEAD OF FINAL INSPECTION.
SO IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA LAND ON THAT AND WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH THE COUNTY.
WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH EVERYBODY AND LETTING THEM KNOW AND, AND WORKING WITH THAT AS BEST WE CAN.
SO OUR FINGERS CROSSED, I GUESS, LONG STORY SHORT MM-HMM.
UM, JUST OTHER QUICK THINGS TOO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, KLEBERG, IT'S STILL VERY EARLY IN THAT RENOVATION PROCESS.
I MEAN THE, OUR PARTNERS IN FRM HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH VENDORS TO TRY TO GET, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF PRICING AND, AND NEXT STEPS FOR THAT.
THE REMEDIATION WORK IS VERY SOON TO START HERE AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LOCKSTEP BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ONLY THE, THE RESTORATION OF THE FACILITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE NEED TO NAVIGATE THE RISK PROCESS TO DECLARE LOSSES AND BE ABLE TO GET THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE FLOOD.
SO WE'RE STILL VERY EARLY IN THAT
[01:00:01]
PROCESS, BUT WE'LL KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED ONCE WE HAVE BETTER IDEA OF TIMELINES ON THAT.UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AND AS YOU'RE DOING THAT, AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE OPENED AN INTERIM KLEBERG RILEY SPACE.
IT'S VERY SMALL, BUT IT IS IN THE KLEBERG REC CENTER NEXT DOOR TO THE LIBRARY.
AND THEY'RE ALSO LETTING US USE THEIR PROGRAM ROOM.
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY CALL IT FOR, FOR PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY HAVE RAISED $16,000 FOR THAT, FOR KLEBERG RILEY.
IT WAS INITIALLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE INTERIM SPACE, BUT FRANKLY THAT'S TOO MUCH MONEY FOR 250 SQUARE FEET.
SO THE DONORS HAVE AGREED THAT WE CAN USE IT FOR THE RENOVATED SPACE ONCE IT REOPENS.
SO SOME, I'M HOPING FOR SOME FUN STUFF FOR THE KIDS AREA, STUFF THEY CAN PLAY WITH THOSE TOY KITCHEN, SOMETHING, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO HAS THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED TO THE, TO THE TEMPORARY LIBRARY? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TOUR SCHEDULED.
I MAYBE I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL ASK DEBBIE IF SHE'S HEARD ANYTHING FROM, UH, THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE INTERIM SPACE.
WE DO HAVE SOME COMPUTERS IN THERE, WHICH WAS A BIG THING AT THE BRANCH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BRANCHES THAT ARE SCHEDULED FOR MAJOR REPAIR OR RENOVATION COMING UP IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO? NOT SIX MONTHS.
RIGHT OUTSIDE OF SIX MONTHS, SOMETIME IN THE NEXT YEAR.
PARK FOREST IS A BOND FUNDED PROJECT, AND THAT SHOULD BEGIN WITH ARCHITECT SELECTION SOMETIME IN THE NEXT LATE, IT'S HARD TO SAY
UM, AND THAT'S A BRANCH THAT IS MOVING LOCATIONS.
I, I'M WAITING TO GET THE UPDATES.
OH, AND OF COURSE PRESTON ROYAL CONTINUES.
SO PRESTON ROYAL WILL THEORETICALLY START CONSTRUCTION IN WINTER AT THE BEGINNING, WINTER OF NEXT YEAR, 2027.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE ENTIRE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE RENOVATIONS OR PROBABLY A YEAR? YES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTION THAT THIS IS JUST LIKE, WE'RE GONNA PAINT AND DO SOME THINGS AND THERE'S GONNA BE TARP, BUT I CAN STILL GO IN THE LIBRARY AND PICK UP MY HOLDS.
AND THAT IS JUST LIKE THEY ARE GETTING THE BUILDING TO THE STUDS KIND OF SITUATION.
SO YES, PRESSOR OIL, THERE WAS NO, YES, IT IS A FULL GUT RENOVATION.
IT WILL BE CLOSED FOR APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS ONCE IT CLOSES, AND IT SHOULD CLOSE IN THE WINTER.
UH, I, I AM DELIBERATELY VAGUE USING SEASONS BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW YET.
WE'RE IN DESIGN RIGHT NOW, SO WE'LL KNOW A LOT MORE AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES.
AND, UM, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SOME KIND OF INTERIM SPACE FOR PRESTON ROYAL.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET LIKE I'VE HAD IN OTHER, IN OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS. AND IF WE DON'T MANAGE TO STAND SOMETHING UP, THEN THERE ARE OTHER LIBRARIES, UH, DRIVABLE FROM, FROM THAT AREA.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM YOU? THAT WAS ALL I HAD FOR TODAY.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL PAP ANYTHING, ANYTHING FOR SEAN? WELL, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ULI THE OTHER DAY OKAY.
AND I LOOKED AT THEIR LIBRARY.
I'M GOING, OH MAN, THIS WAS AMAZING.
THEY HAD LIKE AQUARIUMS BUILT INTO THEIR WALLS AND STUFF.
ALL AQUARIUMS. WHAT A NEAT DESIGN ELEMENT FOR A LIBRARY AND SOME COOL FURNITURE.
I'M JUST WONDERING, WHAT DID IT TAKE OTHER THAN MONEY? WELL, MONEY FAN
I'M LIKE, OH MY GOD, THIS IS LIKE, AND THEY HAD ONE OF THOSE VENDING MACHINES FOR BOOKS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE QUITE, KIDS GET TOKENS FOR VOLUNTEERING AT THE LIBRARY AND STUFF.
I, A LOT OF OUR SISTER LIBRARIES IN THE METROPLEX ARE FANTASTIC.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT PRESTON ROYAL IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE OUR MOST TRADITIONAL, UH, PROJECT THAT WE DO OF THIS BOND CYCLE, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS MORE OF A TRADITIONALLY USED LIBRARY.
IT'S A, IT'S A BOOK LIBRARY AND BECAUSE IT IS A HISTORIC BUILDING, UH, SO WE'RE SORT OF CONFINED BECAUSE IT'S SMALL AND WE NEED TO HONOR THE MID-CENTURY MODERN AESTHETIC AND IT'S BOOK HEAVY.
SO, UM, THAT CREATIVITY AND SPACE, I THINK
[01:05:01]
THE OPPORTUNITY IS STARTING WITH PARK FOREST AND NORTH OAK CLIFF.UH, SO WE HAVE TIME, WE HAVE, WE ALWAYS HAVE TIME.
AND IF, AND IF I MAY, UM, I, I WANNA SAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS WITH PRESTON ROYAL, WE'VE REALLY MADE A POINT TO OPEN IT UP AND BRING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE, WE'RE BEING CREATIVE AS, AS STAFF TO PUSH EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING STRONG, YOU KNOW, SYSTEMS THAT WERE MANA BROUGHT FORWARD.
THE, THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO INTEGRATE THE PUBLIC ART INTO THE DESIGN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEW FOR US.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE USING AND THAT MIGHT SET THE, THE TONE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
AND OF COURSE, AS WE ARE DOING AND FINDING SUCCESS WITH THAT PROJECT AS MONIES AND ARE REALIZED OR FOUND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO LITTLE THINGS HERE AND THERE AT THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE FRONT END OF THINGS.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR ME OR FOR SEAN? ANYTHING FROM ANYONE ON WEBEX? I WANNA MAKE SURE I DON'T MISS.
THAT CONCLUDES I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM, BEFORE WE CONCLUDE.
WE ANSWERED A SURVEY MAYBE IN THE FALL ABOUT MEETING AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE STATUS WAS SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY NEW FACES ON THE MLB BOARD.
UM, UM, WELL, WHEN WE BRING FORWARD NEXT YEAR'S DATES, I WANNA ADDRESS THAT IF, IF WE WANNA APPROVE ROTATING LOCATIONS AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE UNTIL OCTOBER MEETING HERE.
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S OUR YEAR OVER, RIGHT? OH, OCTOBER 1ST.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
I JUST THINK I, I MEAN, I VOTED FOR IT.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GO AROUND TO OTHER LIBRARIES IN THE SYSTEM.
WELL, YEAH, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW FAR OUT YOU THINK IT TAKES TO SCHEDULE.
UM, LIKE DOES IT, I I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE THE, I LOVE THIS IDEA.
AS YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU ALL DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT LIBRARIES.
UM, JUST TAKING DENISE AROUND MM-HMM
FOR EXAMPLE, TAKING HER TO MLK WAS A REALLY MOVING EXPERIENCE FOR HER BECAUSE YOU CAN TALK ALL ABOUT A LIBRARY THAT'S HAS MORE OF A SOCIAL SERVICE BEND TO IT, BUT UNTIL YOU SEE IT AND YOU SEE THE COMMITMENT OF THE STAFF, IT'S REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW THE BOARD ALL OF OUR LIBRARIES, UH, AND, AND WE CAN PLAN THAT OUT ANY, ANYTIME THAT YOU'RE READY.
I KNOW THERE WAS CONCERN AROUND THE TIME OF DAY BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC, SO I, I'M OPEN TO ANYTHING THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO DO.
IS THERE SOMETHING WE MIGHT WANNA LIKE PILOT A COUPLE BEFORE COMMITTING TO AN ENTIRE YEAR? YEAH, THAT'S, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT.
I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT THE IDEA LIBRARY ON SATURDAY.
AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FOLK MUSIC.
THERE WAS BLUEGRASS MUSIC THAT STARTED, UM, THE, THE PROGRAM.
SO, UH, I KNOW THE LIBRARY ALREADY HAS CONTACT WITH MUSICIANS BECAUSE THEY WERE AT THE ADEA LIBRARY.
I WAS SORRY TO MISS THAT PATTY.