The Public Library of the District of Columbia Minutes West End Library Wednesday, January 24, 2018 The regular meeting of the Board of Library Trustees was held at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at the West End Library, 2301 L St NW, Gregory McCarthy, President, presiding. Present: Gregory McCarthy, President; Karma Cottman, Vice President; Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer; Faith Gibson Hubbard, Vince Morris and Kamili Anderson. Not in attendance: Victor Reinoso and C. Brian Williams. The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm Introduction of Attendees Attendees stated their names and association. Public Comments There were no public comments. Executive Director s Report Mr. Richard Reyes-Gavilan delivered the Executive Director s Report to the Board. He began by discussing several upcoming events beginning with a year-long suite of programs marking and honoring the 50th anniversary of 1968, titled #DC1968. The Tax Assistance Program resumes at select libraries starting on February 1. The Performance Oversight Hearing takes place on February 22. Best selling author Juno Diaz will promote his first children's book at the Capitol View Library on March 15. Several library staff will attend the PLA conference in Philadelphia on March 22-24 to present two programs, Public Libraries 101: Fundamentals for Support Staff and Breaking Barriers to Employment: Embedding Legal Services in Public Libraries. Finally, he announced that the Morehouse College Glee Club annual concert returns to DC and will take place at First Congregational United Church of Christ. He invited the board to attend. Roll Call Mr. Gregory McCarthy requested roll call. Quorum was reached. Adoption of the Agenda The motion to adopt the agenda was accepted by Ms. Karma Cottman and Ms. Faith Gibson Hubbard. Mr. McCarthy noted that he would like to augment future minutes to include follow-up items. Approval of Minutes The motion to approve the minutes of the September 27, 2017 board meeting was adopted by Ms. Kamili Anderson and Ms. Gibson Hubbard. The motion to approve the minutes of the November 15, 2017 board meeting was adopted by Ms. Anderson and Ms. Cottman. March 28, 2018 1 of 6
Nominating Committee Report In the absence of Mr. Victor Reinoso, Mr. Vince Morris presented the slate of candidates for calendar year 2018. The slate included Gregory McCarthy for President and Karma Cottman for Vice President. Mr. Morris moved that the Board accept the slate of candidates and Ms. Gibson Hubbard seconded. Mr. Morris then called for a vote. All voted in favor and the slate of candidates carried. President s Report Mr. McCarthy delivered his Presidents report. In anticipation of the upcoming Performance Oversight Hearing, he restated the need for officials to understand the importance of sustaining and increasing resources at District libraries so they can continue to serve as community hubs. Discussion on School Engagement Ms. Gibson Hubbard began the conversation on school engagement, stating that it is incumbent upon the library to serve as a place to create greater equity for students and families. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan introduced Ms. Ellen Riordan and discussed her background. Ms. Riordan then presented briefly on current school engagement practices, developments that impact the landscape, and future actions DCPL will employ to strengthen and sustain school engagement. The board then had a lengthy and comprehensive discussion on school engagement. The discussion focused into two major topics: how to improve school engagement and the DC One Card. The main discussion points were: Discussion on Improving School Engagement DCPL's Strategic Plan aims to connect students to resources and support new readers. School engagement is mandated for every neighborhood library and is self-reported in the School Assignment by Ward document. DCPL is formalizing and standardizing its process for school engagement through the creation of a school connection manual. The manual guides staff in all stages of their careers on types of school engagement, when and how to engage schools. Transportation to the library is a barrier for schools and students. School engagement is managed centrally and branch managers are accountable to implement the program with staff at neighborhood libraries. DCPL should find collaborative opportunities/relationships with external organizations for reaching schools, educators and families DCPL's website should be updated to include information specific to schools, educators, and families. DCPL should work with DC Action for Children. The Board would like a cumulative assessment of how many meaningful connections occurred between libraries and schools in the catchment areas. Emphasis should be on kids that have not been to the library. Discussion on DC One Card DC One Cards, issued to DC public and charter school students are fully active library cards that can be used to access materials online and in-person at libraries. While some user information can is available for reporting purposes, DCPL must comply with FOIA and several privacy agreements. DC One Cards are not connected to the library through the Integrated Library System March 28, 2018 2 of 6
Beginning FY18 Q1, student cardholder data reported by DCPL is inclusive of all card types age- 18 and under. Statistics show that kids are accessing the library with traditional library cards more than DC One Cards. However the Board would like to see increased usage of the DC One Card. Advertisement of the DC One Card should be more robust, and target students, families, and educators. The DCPL logo should be on the DC One Card. Regarding school engagement, Mr. Morris expressed that many students should be library users, however, while he served on the PTA he never encountered any outreach from librarians. That led to a board conversation in 2017 where he asked about the methods branch managers engage schools and what DCPL does centrally to ensure that outreach occurs. About the school connection manual, Mr. Morris said the word manual suggests something that is overly complicated and instead encourages implementing mandatory criteria tied to staff evaluation. He recommended a one-page summary of school engagement rather than a manual. Regarding the DC One Card, Mr. Morris asked how DCPL will measure student usage of DC One Card versus traditional library cards. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan explained that both types of cards could be measured; however, the library is concerned with usage by students regardless of what card they used. Ms. Morris said the distinction matters to him because DC One Card users serve as an indicator that the user's school has a good relationship with the library. Mr. Morris asked if DC One Card circulation is captured. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan confirmed that DC One Card circulation reports are now available along with other DC One Card specific reports. Mr. Morris stated that DCPL should do more to take advantage of the benefits of the DC One Card and that it removes barriers to access when students don't feel burdened by having to obtain a library card. He concluded that DCPL should make it a goal to have more DC One Card use than student library card use and that it would be very instructive for the Board to see a branch level breakdown between DC One cards and traditional student library cards. Ms. Cottman asked if there are goals for increasing student usage and Ms. Riordan responded that the specific metrics are evolving. Ms. Anderson said she'd like to see the website evolve particularly for teachers because they propel early student engagement. Ms. Gibson Hubbard thanked Ms. Riordan for her presentation. She added that hiring family engagement coordinators and placing a focus on career readiness in addition to college readiness could enhance school engagement. Finally, she suggested that library staff inform students who use library cards that the DC One Card functions as a library card and suggested staff merge the cards. Mr. McCarthy asked if librarian evaluations link to school outreach. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan explained that librarian SMART goals are tied to the strategic plan. However, school engagement is mandated. Mr. McCarthy stated the need to expose kids that aren't library users to library buildings. He shared an aspirational idea to fund student bus trips to tour local libraries. The trips would serve as a first impression of the library, how to use it and the resources available. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan said the reopening of the MLK Library could present an opportunity for an initiative where every District school March 28, 2018 3 of 6
would receive a paid trip to the library. That would also be an opportunity to ensure all students have a DC One Card. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan acknowledged the board's points and the importance that students use the library as many ways as possible, be it through a traditional library card, DC One Card, or the app. Since Ms. Riordan's arrival, DCPL is trying to ensure the school engagement process is standardized and transparent. Finally, the library is striving to increase usage as part of the Strategic Plan. Mr. McCarthy concluded the discussion. He asked for a cumulative assessment of meaningful school engagement connections. Finally, he asked for a synopsis of potential student data reports produced with both maximal and minimal effort. Contracts Review Committee Ms. Gibson Hubbard delivered the Contracts Review Committee report. Two contract modifications for $350,000 were approved to allow for the purchase of more of print, digital content, materials and selected services from Baker & Taylor Inc. and Ingram Library Services. Lastly, there was a contract modification for Martinez and Johnson Architecture for MLK Library modernization Phase-3 services for $4.3M. Finance Committee Ms. Anderson delivered the Finance Committee report beginning with the FY18 Operating Budget. She stated that as of December 31, 2017, DCPL is one full quarter of the FY18 budget year. The library has expended 20% of its local budget of $59.3M. This represents a similar rate of expenditure in FY17 for the same period. Labor expenditures are at 24% of the PS budget, tracking closely with the time-lapse of the fiscal year. Finally, 62% of the NPS or goods & services budget is obligated which is on par with last year s obligations at this time. Current vacancies are at 29, including ten new FTEs that added with the FY18 budget. There are no known budget pressures. Ms. Gibson Hubbard asked if DCPL had any FTEs taken away in past years based on holdovers. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan responded that in FY16 FTEs were lost due to budget cuts. She asked for a recap of the Library's budget review meeting with the Mayor's office. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan replied that there are many new staff in the Mayor's Budget Office. He had an opportunity to contextualize the enhancement requests through the Strategic Plan, and overall the meeting went very well. Facilities Committee Report Mr. Reyes-Gavilan delivered the Facilities Committee Report. The Palisades Library reopened on January 20. The Capitol View Library reopened December 18 after Phase 1 interior renovation. Exterior renovation is scheduled to begin spring 2018, at which point interim services will start in a modular site that is currently in fabrication on the JC Nalle Elementary School campus. Completion of Phase 2 exterior renovation is anticipated for summer 2018. The Cleveland Park Library is on target for completion in summer 2018. The Southwest Library is wrapping up schematic design, and by the end of 2018 the library will close and begin interim services. The Lamond-Riggs Library due diligence process is complete, and the RFP will circulate in February. The MLK Library modernization is progressing. Special Collections interim services will be relocated in summer 2018 and interim spaces are being identified for Passport Services and the Fabrication Lab. March 28, 2018 4 of 6
Mr. McCarthy inquired about the Tenley Library roof. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan responded that a roof assessment determined that the library can remain open during the estimated two-month repair. Ms. Gibson Hubbard asked how many community engagement meetings have taken place at Lamond- Riggs. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan responded that there had been one meeting to date. Next Councilmember McDuffie will be engaged to nominate a pair of community members to participate in the selection process of the design-build team. Once the selection is final, the next community meeting will be scheduled. Performance Oversight Committee In the absence of Mr. Victor Reinoso, Performance Oversight Committee Chair, Mr. Reyes-Gavilan delivered the Performance Oversight Committee Report. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan stated that the Library Services Performance Report has been updated and now includes an executive summary, trend charts, and more detailed data tables throughout the report. One trend of note is the correlation between decreased gate count and increased Wi-Fi and meeting room, suggesting that the value of each visit is growing. Circulation has also been adjusted to allocate selfcheckouts to home location (aka user library) whereas in the past all self-checkouts were populated into MLK Library circulation. Furthermore, digital library use counts toward the home location associated with a patrons library card whereas, before FY18, digital library circulation was not sorted by location. This change reveals that penetration in a neighborhood may be affected by the digital library as much or more than activity in the physical library campus. Ms. Cottman inquired about the marketing of the digital library. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan stated that at the end of FY17, DCPL launched GoDigital, a campaign to prioritize marketing the online offerings of the library, targeted predominantly to residents in Wards 5, 7 and 8. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan also noted that the community was heavily engaged in focus groups which revealed what devices they used and how they responded to content. This engagement made the campaign more responsive to the target audience. Ms. Gibson Hubbard asked if DCPL markets the GoDigital campaign to schools. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan replied not at this time. Ms. Gibson Hubbard asked for a presentation on the GoDigital campaign at a subsequent board meeting so the board can be more informed and better advocates. Ms. Cottman inquired about the decline in circulation from FY15 Q1 to FY18 Q1. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan replied that there was not a specific reason for the decline and that in libraries it's often difficult to determine small fluctuations. Mr. Morris inquired about the increased student use at the Woodridge Library and asked if students just discovered or were just introduced to the library. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan surmised that given that the Woodridge Library is more isolated than other branches, users are more likely to return to Woodridge for library service where users in other parts of the city may toggle between multiple libraries. He also noted that FY17 was a full year of service at Woodridge, making FY18 stats comparable. Mr. Morris asked why Palisades shows student circulation if it was closed in FY18 Q1. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan stated that the number probably reflects renewals and self-checkouts for users with Palisades set as home location. Mr. McCarthy asked for an update on branch-specific goals. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan explained that circulation was the first branch-specific goal. At the time the goals were set, staff determined an increase of 3 or 5% for each neighborhood library. However, this was before the completion of the Strategic Plan and therefore somewhat arbitrary. Eight goals emerged from the plan as priority measurable goals. Although March 28, 2018 5 of 6
circulation is still one of the eight goals, the assessment of the goals is different. Mr. McCarthy asked if there will be any measures at the end of FY18. Mr. Reyes-Gavilan confirmed and offered to present the eight goals in a subsequent board meeting. Mr. McCarthy concluded with a request that staff report branch specific goals by location in the dashboard. Federation of Friends Report Ms. Susan Haight, Federation of Friends President, delivered the report on Friends activities. Ms. Haight stated that since opening, the new West End Library welcomed roughly 9,700 visitors, circulated 9,600 items issued 950 new cards and saw frequent study room use from university students. The Friends met with the Mayor's Budget Office to advocate for additional monies for maintenance, training and increased FTEs in preparation for the reopening of the MLK Library. Before the Performance Oversight Hearing scheduled for February 22, the Friends plan to hold a budget advocacy training meeting. Finally, the Friends Issues Conference is scheduled for March 24. Library Foundation Report Ms. Linnea Hegarty, DCPL Foundation Director, delivered the report on Foundation activities. Ms. Hegarty noted that the Foundation is making significant investments to support the scholarship and content of the #DC1968 online exhibit. The exhibit has received two grants and will be used as a pilot to solicit donor funding and demonstrate the kinds of projects DCPL intends to host at the new MLK Library permanent and temporary exhibition space. On December 4, 2017, the Foundation Board held a daylong retreat where Mr. Reyes-Gavilan shared DCPL updates and discussed how the Foundation Board could support DCPL's staff and board of trustees. The Foundation's year-end campaign raised more than $160,000, roughly 40% more than previous years and doubled the amount of first time donors. Finally, Ms. Hegarty invited the board to attend the Storytime Gala on Thursday, March 15 at the West End Library. New Business Mr. McCarthy declared an Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter. There being no new business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:40pm. Board of Library Trustees Follow-up Items 1. DC Public Library will explore DC One Card data usage branch by branch and present findings to the Performance Oversight Committee. 2. DC Public Library will explore a presentation on the GoDigital Campaign at a future board or committee meeting. 3. DC Public Library will draft specific FY18 goals per ward/branch by branch and present goals to the Performance Oversight Committee. March 28, 2018 6 of 6