Versión en español a continuación. Library Commission Meeting MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021, 3-4:30 PM Library Commission meeting to be held March 22, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance no later than Sunday, March 21 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the March 22, 2021 Library Commission Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-974-7420 or sharon.herfurth@austintexas.gov no later than noon, Sunday, March 21. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sharon.herfurth@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Library Commission FECHA de la reunion Monday, March 22, 2021, 3-4:30 PM La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación Sunday, March 21 antes del mediodía. Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en 512-974-7420 or sharon.herfurth@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • …
Library Commission Meeting Minutes 17 December, 2020 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING 17 December, 2020 THE LIBRARY COMMISSION MINUTES The Library Commission convened in a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, December 17, 2020 via videoconferencing. Chair Hanna called the Board Meeting to order at 3:08 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair, Catherine Hanna; Vice Chair, Steven Self; Commission Members Julia Aguilar, Patricia Dabbert, JC Dwyer; and Lily Trieu Board Members Absent: Commission Members Deborah Pardo-Kaplan and Daniella Ramos Citizen Communication: None 1. Approval of Minutes from the October 28, Special Called Meeting The minutes of the regular meeting were approved on Commission Member Dabbert’s motion and Vice Chair Self’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commission Members Pardo-Kaplan and Ramos absent. 2. Staff Briefing: Update on Student Library Card Initiative, Emi Johnson, Business Process Consultant, Sr. Emi Johnson, Business Process Consultant, Sr., presented the Student Library Card Initiative update. 3. Old Business a. Discussion and possible action on eliminating non-resident fees. Recommendation 20201217-3a: Support for Equitable Access to Austin Public Library Resources for Students was approved a 6-0 vote. Commission Members Pardo-Kaplan and Ramos absent. 4. New Business: None 5. Discussion of Director’s Monthly Report for September 2020 covering programming highlights, facilities, and APL priorities Questions were asked about increasing holds for youth and adding more curbside locations and/or hours. Library Commission Meeting Minutes 17 December, 2020 6. Future Agenda Items None Adjournment: Chair Hanna adjourned the meeting at 3:59 p.m. without objection.
Director’s Report March 2021 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS HIghlights ____________________________________________________________________ 3 Facilities Services _____________________________________________________________ 7 FY2018 Bond Program Summary ____________________________________________________________ 7 FY2012 Bond Program Summary ____________________________________________________________ 9 Cepeda Branch / Hampton Branch (Site/Civil) Report ___________________________________________ 15 Faulk Building / Austin History Center Monthly Report ___________________________________________ 17 Interior Renovations Monthly Report _________________________________________________________ 20 Roof Replacements & Systems Upgrades Monthly Report________________________________________ 23 Austin History Center _________________________________________________________ 26 Library Priorities _____________________________________________________________ 27 Literacy Advancement ____________________________________________________________________ 27 Digital Inclusion & STEM __________________________________________________________________ 27 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion ________________________________________________________________ 27 Civic and Community Engagement __________________________________________________________ 27 Staff Development _______________________________________________________________________ 28 Workforce and Economic Development _______________________________________________________ 28 APL By the Numbers __________________________________________________________ 29 Virtual Collections Usage February __________________________________________________________ 29 HIGHLIGHTS 3 Bridging the Digital Divide: Austin Public Library Donates Devices to Community Partners In an effort to address the ongoing digital divide, the Austin Public Library (APL) coordinated a widespread device loan program in partnership with community organizations and area school districts. Through individual donations, funding from commissions and boards, the CARES Art, and operational funds, APL loaned laptops and hotspots to the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), Foundation Communities, South Asian’s International Volunteer Association of Austin (SAIVA), and City Departments to support families, individuals, and especially older adults who are isolated and lack access to online information and resources. This effort was driven by a clear need observed in the community, further amplified by COVID-19. Emi Johnson, Director of Innovation and Improvement at APL, described the digital access needs of Austin’s vulnerable populations, which became more critical under the pandemic. The Library found ways to leverage existing funding to provide the access to those in need through technology devices and services. To Catherine Crago, Head of Strategic Initiatives and Resource Development at HACA, this loan represents an innovative means of helping HACA residents gradually develop digital literacy skills. As the loans are long-term, recipients of devices will have the opportunity to take digital literacy courses and eventually adopt those digital tools at their own pace. Beyond the devices themselves, APL also offers support to assist and introduce recipients to virtual materials and resources, The Library’s effort is to remove barriers in as many ways possible. Through community outreach, individuals may Book a Librarian and receive 1:1 assistance and instruction, or receive assistance by phone or live chat. Crago said, “This program liberates library resources so that they can be accessed by residents …
Library Commission Meeting Minutes 22 March, 2021 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING 22 March, 2021 THE LIBRARY COMMISSION MINUTES The Library Commission convened in a Regular Meeting on Monday, March 22, 2021 via videoconferencing. Chair Hanna called the Board Meeting to order at 3:09 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair, Catherine Hanna; Vice Chair, Steven Self; Commission Members Julia Aguilar, Patricia Dabbert, JC Dwyer, Daniella Ramos, Courtney Rosenthal, and Lily Trieu Board Members Absent: none Citizen Communication: None 1. Welcome and introduction of new Library Commission Member Courtney Rosenthal Commission Member Rosenthal introduced herself to the commission. 2. Approval of Minutes from the December 17, 2020 Special Called Meeting via Videoconferencing The minutes of the special called meeting were approved on Vice Chair Self’s motion and Commission Member Dabbert’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commission Member Rosenthal abstained. 3. Staff Briefings: a. FY22 Budget Process, Roosevelt Weeks, Director of Libraries Director Weeks went over the timeline for the FY22 budget and the deadline for budget recommendations from the Commission b. COVID-19 Operations Year in Review, Dana McBee, Assistant Director Support Services Dana McBee described how Library operations changed to meet the COVID-19 related challenges of the past year. c. Student Card Initiative Update, Emi Johnson, Business Process Consultant, Sr. Emi Johnson outlined the ISDs and Charter Schools that are participating in the APL Student Card initiative Library Commission Meeting Minutes 22 March, 2021 4. Old Business None 5. New Business: a. Discussion and possible action on scheduling a Library Commission Planning Retreat The Commission will schedule a planning retreat possibly in May or June, depending on City health regulations for gatherings. 6. Discussion of Director’s Monthly Report for March 2021 covering programming highlights, facilities, and APL priorities Director Weeks gave the update. 7. Future Agenda Items Officer Elections Recommendation in Support of the FY22 Proposed Library Budget Adjournment: Chair Hanna adjourned the meeting at 4:06 p.m. without objection.
