Minutes 09-23-20 MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
HELD ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020, AT 6:00 P.M.,
VIA ZOOM ONLINE MEETING, IN BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
Date: September 23, 2020
Location/Time: via Zoom Meeting 6:00 P.M.
https:Ilus02web.zoom.us/j/85831926029
Dial In — (346) 248-7799, Meeting ID 858 3192 6029
Present:
George Feldman, Chair Craig Clark, Library Director
Dr. Stephanie Hayden-Adeyemo, Vice Chair Jeannie Taylor, Assistant Library Director
Marcia Levine Joyce Pernicone, Library Archivist
Elizabeth Sherlock (Arrived at 6:06 p.m.)
Absent:
Ace Tilton Ratcliff
Robyn Boucard
I. Pre-meeting announcement from Craig Clark, Library Director
Craig Clark, Library Director, read a statement explaining how the meeting would
proceed and how the public could participate.
II. Call to Order — Board Chair — Welcome Lindsay Karten, New Advisory Board
Member
Chair Feldman called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. He welcomed new member
Lindsay Karten and requested she introduce herself. Ms. Karten explained she is an
attorney and was born and raised in South Florida, in the Delray and Boynton area for 12
years. She has two daughters and two dogs. She has been a practicing attorney for 14
years.
Self-introductions were made. Joyce Pernicone, the Library Archivist was present.
Approval of Minutes - August 26, 2020
Motion
Ms. Levine moved to approve the minutes. Dr. Hayden-Adeyemo seconded the motion,
which passed unanimously.
Meeting Minutes
Library Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida September 23, 2020
III. Correspondence and Communications - None
IV. Public Audience (Individual Speakers Will Be Limited to 3 Minute Presentations)
None.
V. Chair's Report
None.
VI. Unfinished Business:
Staffing Update
Mr. Clark explained the Library will be hiring four part-time workers that should be starting
in the next few weeks. They still have three part-time Library Aides in Customer Relations
and one part-time Shelver. Mr. Clark was looking forward to them coming on board.
AmeriCorps Program — Jeannie Taylor
Mr. Clark explained they started afternoon school homework help for children and teens
and started English as a Second Language (ESOL) on September 8th. It was slow going
due to COVID. So far, they have held 28 afterschool homework help sessions with
children, the teens had seven sessions and the adult ESOL had six sessions. The Library
offers homework help online, but no one has yet taken advantage of it. Staff is assisting
the children of City staff at the remote Learning Lab group. The Learning Lab group
started August 31st; during the day they are at online schools at the recreation centers
and they then have activities in the afternoon. They had 38 students. After the afternoon
activities, they go back to their locations and get picked up by their parents. He advised
the AmeriCorp program is going well and they are hoping to see more youth come in.
Cares Act Grant Application for $12,950
Mr. Clark explained $1.9M was set aside by the Federal government for Florida Libraries
and Museums. The grants are competitive grants. Library staff applied for a $12,960
grant to fund 10 Career Online High School Scholarships for the next fiscal year. Mr.
Clark advised the grant was not funded. There were more than $5M requested via the
grant applications for the $1.9M in funding.
Career Online High School
Mr. Clark explained the Career Online High School is an online accredited high school
diploma program. The Library had 10 graduates over the past three years. There are
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Boynton Beach, Florida September 23, 2020
currently three students working towards obtaining their high school diploma and the
Library just awarded another scholarship to an individual last week. The student can
transfer their credits from high school and then continue on until completion. Areas of
study includes general studies, airport security and others the student could choose from.
Mr. Clark advised there are three scholarships remaining.
VII. New Business:
Presentation by Joyce Pernicone, Customer Relations Manager
LSTA Grant Award $40,000 & Maker Space Activities
Ms. Pernicone explained the City created a Makers Librarian position for the Maker
Space. A Maker Space is a place where people can come in and learn how to use/create
do it yourself items they can use for gifts or sell on eBay or Amazon. They started the
project with an existing staff person and they had videos of different craft ideas, which
attract a lot of virtual attendees. The Library will convert the online tutorials into a Grab
and Go. Participants can use the online tutorials and then check out the needed materials
at the Library. There will be a Zoom component to do so. The Library is also buying a
laser cutter which allows people to design items on the computer and use the Library's
equipment to convert the item into real life products. The same thing will occur with the
3D printer. A Virtual Reality component affords a 360-degree view and includes videos
such as museum videos. Since COVID, they are using virtual reality for three-
dimensional collaboration. Users can enter a virtual reality space and host a meeting.
The Library will use the grant to help move that forward. It is partly technology and helping
people find an alternative source of income, and it helps to unleash users' creativity. Even
with the COVID restrictions, The Library can still serve the community in this area.
Chair Feldman inquired what items could be sold on Amazon. Ms. Pernicone explained
lots of DIY crafts are easy to make. It could be candles. There are a lot of things you
could buy online and put together. The creativity comes in the design and those items
would be sold online. The Library will get a Cricket Maker to design greeting cards, but
with the equipment, once one makes the card, it can replicate the cards hundreds of
times, which would make the product viable to sell on places such as ETSY. Right now,
their component is the Library programming, which is the only thing they are marketing,
but they introduced the program to the public, they can have programs on marketing and
incorporate your program. People can take how to make it programs for fun or take it and
combine it with business programs and start a business. The City has a business
incubator they are launching and they are putting out a Request for Proposal for different
organizations to come in and host it. Workshops will be provided on marketing, and other
business aspects, so the people they work, with, if they want more depth and detail, can
obtain the knowledge all in the same building. Chair Feldman requested the Board be
apprised of their progress. Ms. Pernicone agreed and stated they will start buying
supplies.
Mr. Clark explained they will be supporting role for the incubator space. The Incubator is
designed for people in the community who may want to start a small business, and they
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Boynton Beach, Florida September 23, 2020
generally have a bay in the Incubator for a six-month period. By teaching patrons how to
use 3D printers and cutters to create prototypes with their equipment, the Library is taking
a supporting role to assist with small business start-ups and assist Library customers as
well. The COVID pandemic is closing a lot down. Programs are better live, but the public
has to be patient and staff has to keep all safe during the pandemic. It was done through
Zoom. There were 15 or 16 people on Zoom and on Facebook Live. Madison Kjosa,
(Maddie) Marketing and Outreach Manager, sent out an email last week to the Library
Board apprising of the meetings. The Friends of the Library will help fund supplies for the
program.
Library Event — Opening Event still in planning stages
Mr. Clark explained the Library will not have an opening even,t but there will be some sort
of event the City will plan, perhaps an author or book signing. He is working with Eleanor
Krusell, Public Communications and Marketing Director, on some type of event.
2020 Read Together Palm Beach County, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mr. Clark explained he has been on the Read Together Palm Beach County committee
since 2012 and the program is hosted by the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County.
This year's collection is The Nickel Boys. He read a review of the book and invited all to
check out the book which is in print and as an audio book in the cloud library. There will
be a finale online in November, which he will keep all posted.
VIII. Library Director's Report/Statistics
August 2020
There were no questions on the report. Customer visits totaled 2,036 in August: down
75% from the temporary site last year due to COVID. Circulation was about the same or
slightly less than at the temporary site, which was good. The eBooks circulation increased
by 45% compared to last year and the eAudiobook RB Digital Cloud eBooks increased
by almost 50%. People are starting to use the Library, especially for the computers.
Kanopy movie streams increased 88% and the Freegal music downloads increased 82%
from last year.
Chair Feldman asked what system patrons have been checking out books with and
learned they are using the new system which is KOHA and they are doing self check-outs
and check-outs on the different apps on the electronic products. Most electronic products
have increased quite a bit. Adult laptop uses were 30 and 11 for teens. The Library did
not have room for several thousand books so staff sent them to Baker and Taylor to sell
for the Library and received about $1,800 in book credits. They were able to sell some
of the books and recycled some that were no longer relevant. The Library also has a
weekly trivia quiz online that Maddie manages and a Creative Cristina's Maker Space
craft videos accessible through their website and Facebook. Library staff was trying to
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be as creative as possible. There were a few positive articles about the Library that were
included in the meeting materials.
Dr. Hayden-Adeyemo asked about the Social Media Facebook likes and how the social
media statistics were organized. She thought it would be good to see the statistics on the
month-to-month to see what changed and what it was attributed too, such as if the Library
started a new program. Mr. Clark will ask Ms. Kjosa to be more specific about the
numbers in the report.
Ms. Levine noted, as a new board member who also sits on another board, the member
involvement is different on this board and the requirements are different. She asked if
there was any involvement Mr. Clark would like to see from a board member, what the
role of the Board was and how one could get more involved. She announced she loves
the library and is a fairly new resident. She loves the Florida room and the view, and that
she was able to go online and reserve and request a book and thought the system was
really great. When she lived in Manhattan, she did not have such an intimate library
experience as it was much more mechanical, but here she does. She commented
everyone is commenting to her about City Hall, the Library, and as she is a member of
the Arts Commission, she receives comments about the public art as well. She
announced there is a lot of talk about the building.
Mr. Clark thanked her, pointing out staff was working hard to make everyone feel
welcome. When COVID is over, members could volunteer and get more involved.
Activities could include giving Library tours, assisting in programs or joining the Friends
of the Library, promoting the Library to friends and family, the community and advocating
statewide and nationally for library funding when needed. Mr. Clark normally sends out
emails at times when it is important to lobby officials for Library funding on the state and
national level. As time moves on and things improve, he would be happy to talk more
about the different types of things Board members can do.
Dr. Hayden-Adeyemo was glad Ms. Levine liked the feel of the Library and was glad Ms.
Levine wanted to do more. She welcomed the spirit of loving the library. Board members
of all advisory boards work to make all boards and everything better for the public. Chair
Feldman agreed as he likes to get involved too. Whenever someone volunteers, they
have to almost force their way in to get involved because everyone is busy. He suggested
creating a written list of volunteer opportunities so outside of the meeting, the members
could assist. Mr. Clark agreed and commented as time goes on they will expand
programming to the public. Yesterday, he met with the board president on the Friends of
the Library and Ms. Pernicone was explaining about maker activities. One woman on the
Friends board sews, and he asked her to teach Christina. Assistance is always needed
and those types of things like hidden skills could be shared. They want to ensure
programs run smoothly, and Cristina could always use an assistant. More opportunities
will come up in the future.
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Meeting Minutes
Library Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida September 23, 2020
IX. Announcements
Next Library Board Meeting — October 28, 2020 —Via Zoom Meeting
X. Adjournment
Chair Feldman announced the next meeting. There being no further business, Chair
Feldman adjourned the meeting at 6:47 p.m.
C - 6U-U?./Catherine Cherry C
Minutes Specialist
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