Library - Regular Meeting

Oh, no. That's right. Kelly had a work conflict

last minute. Okay.

But she's still on the board? Yes. Oh, okay. Okay.

Good. And I haven't heard back from Rosemarie. We're we're on.

Okay. Alright. Mean, we have a quorum now. Yes. And we're on. And we're on. Calling to order the library advisory board of the city of Clearwater. It's our pleasure to be with all of you today. And I'm Donna Dennis, chair of the Library Board, and I'd like to take a moment first of all to introduce the members of the board and I'm going to start at this end with Loretta Mitchell. Would you introduce yourself? Tell us where, what part of Clearwater you live in and why you wanted to be on the Library Advisory Board?

Sure will. Good morning. My name is Loretta Mitchell and I live in Clearwater, of course. I live in

the Clearwater Country Club at State right over by the golf course, off the Drew And Babyline in that area. I absolutely love I

have such passion for reading and learning and teaching. I'm a master gardener.

I like to host workshops where I teach people how to grow and how to preserve and how to do all of the fun things in their yards. I'm just happy to be here. I had the pleasure this past November of hosting my first graduation class out at Cloverdale East Library back in November, which turned out to be a huge success. So I'm happy to be here.

Thank you. Thank you. And our newest member, Tanya Landry.

Yes, I'm Tanya Landry. I live in Clearwater, of course. I live in Island Estates, so it didn't take me too long to get here today. The reason why I wanted to join the Advisory Board, a long lover of libraries. Also, my husband and I owned a business that served libraries across the country.

We had a product called Data Planet that we sold to university research libraries across the country, met wonderful libraries, librarians. And then my selfish reason is because I love libraries and I love everything about libraries and I'm passionate about making sure people in the community realize it's a community hub and there's a lot to offer here at the library. So selfish reason and

a broader perspective.

Thank you. Thank you. And Kelly?

I'm Kelly Malizia, former librarian for fifteen years in Pinellas County. I the libraries were my life. I have gone to school to learn more and more about them, and I'm just very passionate about them. So I would like to be involved in libraries for the rest of my life. And this is how I'm doing

it now. Hi,

and I'm Donna Dennis, the chair of the Library Advisory Board. I live on Island Way, so I'm also very close. And, I'm a retired English teacher and secondary reading specialist. Words are my life. And as as a teacher, I had a reputation for using the library more than any other teacher because I taught so many research classes and and from the days of the old card catalog and to modern technology and believe me what I always told my students is I can't teach you everything you'll ever need to know but if you know how to use the library every door is open to So that's why I'm here.

So now we will go on to approval of minutes. Can I get a motion to approve the minutes?

I'll move to approve the minutes.

Thank you. Thank you. Do I have a second? Second. Second. Thank you. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Very good. They are passed. Now, as I look out on our crowd, are there citizens to be heard regarding items not on the agenda? Hearing none, we'll move on to new business. Alright. First of all, we have the library board schedule.

I hope all of you have taken a look at the four dates. Obviously, this is the first meeting of the year and by all means, if you can plan to be here, that's wonderful. If not, please keep miss Obermeyer posted because oftentimes come summer, we don't have a quorum. So it's good to have those on your calendar in advance. Good. Old business items, something I get asked about all the time. I'm going to ask Jen, tell us about the Beach Library update.

I'd love to. As many people know or everybody knows, our Beach Library and Rec Center was severely affected by Hurricane Helene. It was flooded. So that resulted in pretty much getting rid of everything inside the rec center and the library because it was just water damaged. So, you know, to rebuild is a process.

So I've been communicating with the Parks and Rec Director, Arcadre, about the timeline and process to rebuild. So, right now, they are going through their process of rebuilding the rec center, which of course the library is inside. So, that includes drywall, electricity, flooring. So, are in that process getting an architect, getting everything set up. Of course, this is all because of the dollar amount of repairs that requires council approval, of course.

So I believe this spring that will be presented to council for their approval to actually start the actual work of rebuilding the rec center. So during that opportunity to start preparing to rebuild the library. So we will go follow along with the Parks and Rec timeline as well. We have to replace everything. Shelving, collection, furniture, desks, everything, computers, everything.

And of course, that takes some time. So, we are planning and of course, I need to go to counsel probably in mid spring as well for approval to do that. So, you know, I don't have an exact timeline. Parks and Rec hopes pending council's approval that the rec center will be repaired sometime in August. And I hope that we can open up during that time or maybe a little bit after.

It all depends on, you know, when we choose new furniture, how long does that take to get delivered and installed? There's so many moving parts to all this. So, I mean, we were just ordering regular furniture for one of our branches and the furniture rep said, We're looking at sixteen weeks at the minimum to get your furniture. And that was a small project. So until we select a furniture vendor for the Beach Library, we just don't know.

I don't have a firm time line. But what I can tell you is I am certainly proposing that we rebuild the Beach Library, again, pending council's approval. So hopefully by next meeting in May, I'll have a better idea of a timeline or the outcome of council's approval.

With that next meeting being in May, do you think that this will come before the council before then?

That's my hope. My target was like in April.

Okay. So we should be watching the the council agenda to see oh, you'll let us know? I'll let you

know when Because it would be a

good idea for us to be there.

Show up. Yes.

Yeah. So So So I I am I will definitely let everyone on the board know when that date is, when I go to council for that approval. Very good. So I'm very hopeful that they will be very supportive in rebuilding because I have gotten a lot of customer feedback, patron feedback, and resident feedback saying, When is our library going to be open? So, in the meantime, our library staff has been reassigned here at Maine.

There's a Leslie Walbult, she's the branch manager, and we have two part time library assistants. So they are now working at Maine Library during this transition. But we're planning on doing what we call pop up libraries or pop up service and going out into the beach library maybe two days a month two days a week so people can pick up their holds or bring out, you know, a cart of new popular materials that people can check out, maybe some limited programming out on the beach. So, we're planning on providing some service until we can reopen. But until the rec center starts their reconstruction, it's a little difficult to do that right

now. Know that that library has a great book club and that they meet both on Zoom and in person and that that has been ongoing and so.

Yes, we have continued the book club here and we also offer it virtually for people who can't come here. And then we also do there have a very active mahjong club.

Yes, yes, I know several people who've learned mahjong in the last year. Yes. A thing now. Yes.

We have continued that. We have that here at the main library. So we just had to relocate. Well, I So

On behalf of all those people, we they really appreciate that the programs are ongoing Yes. No matter what mother nature throws at us.

So, yes.

I had a couple questions. So,

Jen, do you know the projected the cost for the replacement, total cost for the rec center and the library? Are there any figures that you have that they have given you?

I don't know. For the rec center, I don't know a final cost for the repairs. Okay. The library, I don't have an exact amount. I know what I submitted. But until we start getting with like furniture reps and and start getting exact pricing, I don't know an exact price. I will say it will be costly.

Oh, yeah.

Gee, no

doubt. I was just trying to get

an idea of how much.

Yeah. I mean, you know, I don't want to throw a number out there be wrong, but it will be costly. You know, the city for any storm damage, Helene, Debbie, Milton, they apply for FEMA reimbursement. So that is being done. And also the city has insurance. So we don't even know, you know, we just submitted that recently. So we don't know what the city doesn't know what they're going to get reimbursed from FEMA insurance. So there's so many nebulous There's lot

of variables.

Just there are.

So for the city, I'm guessing they are rebuilding, looking at how to be able to sustain another storm without damage. I mean, I'm guessing that the architects are planning on what materials or what else they could do so that you decrease the impact of future storms if they're to build in that area?

Would be a question for the Parks and Rec Director or the Parks and Rec Board, because I would assume they are. Yeah. I just don't know exactly. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

And then I just had one other thing for whenever it goes to council, I think it would be great for the Library Advisory Board, but also if there are friends of the library and everybody to show up and perhaps wear a certain color or a pin or something so they look out there and they see that there's this groundswell of support for what you're proposing to counsel. Second that idea. Absolutely.

Yeah. So I will keep you, everyone updated, all our stakeholders updated on when we get that on the agenda for the city council. So that's the beach update.

Okay. Thank you so much. Now, let me go right into the director's report and you've got a whole long list of items.

We do. Do have a long list.

Hit it, Jen.

All right. Let's start off with budget preparation. So this is the time of year that we start preparing for fiscal year twenty fivetwenty six budget. So and then it is that is a process too. We do it in pieces.

So we start in January and February and work on one piece and then we, you know, March and April work on another piece. Typically, it's finalized internally around May and then it always goes to counsel in July for a first look. And then they have the opportunity to react and ask questions and whatnot. So, are in the process of doing that. In December, all directors, department directors were given the assignment for a 510% reduction.

So, every director submitted their that 510%. So, the city council has special budget strategy meeting last week, last Thursday. It is on YouTube if you'd like to watch it. It was at the Morningside Rec Center. It's a very high level discussion.

But they were given a list of proposed cuts, reductions. For the library, we are looking to realign our some of our library operating hours. For example, countryside, we're proposing to eliminate Sunday hours at the countryside library as part of the reductions. In addition, the main library will probably be going to Monday through Friday, so we will lose Saturday hours here at

Rats. The main Yeah. So

with our reductions, hours reductions, it does mean a reduction in staffing. So we're this is all just has last week, you know, has it has been presented to us. So we're working through that. We're not filling vacancies as they happen. We have two positions that are vacant right now we are not filling.

So we're working through that. But our hours will be changed definitely by October 1. Everywhere else East and North Greenwood, their hours will remain the same. Okay. And of course, Beach, their hours will be the same when they reopen.

Okay. Okay. So. That is difficult news for Any us to questions on that? Okay. Let's go on to human resources relocation.

I just want to let you know, so I'm sure you've heard our Municipal Services Building is being renovated along with our new city Hall, that they already broke ground and they're working on constructing that. So, in order to renovate the Municipal Services Building, they had to get many, many departments relocated within the city. So, we are the happy hosts and I do say that because they're a wonderful department and we're happy to have them here at the main library. Our human resources department has relocated to our main library. So they're primarily on the 3rd Floor and the 4th Floor.

So about, I think, maybe 23 of their staff members, their entire department came over here. So they'll be here until the new city hall opens. I think that's anticipated to be a two year process. So they will be here until the new city hall opens.

Is there office space for them on those floors?

We made office space. Okay. Very good. Good.

Funny how that works.

So we're happy to have them here. And of course, when the new city hall opens up, Chambers where we're sitting now, that'll be in the new city hall. So we'll get our big room back for our to reserve. So, I just wanted to let everyone on the board know that they are here and we're happy they're here.

Great team.

Great team.

Comic Con?

Our Comic Con, our annual Comic Con. This is probably our eighth or ninth year. It's always extremely successful. It's a family friendly free program that we do every year. And what we've been doing because we've outgrown we've always had it at our main library and we've just outgrown the space. So, we have been rotating it with the rec centers. So last year we had or one year we had a Ross Norton rec center. Last year we had it at the North Greenwood rec center. This year we're having it at the countryside rec center.

Okay.

So that will be March, Saturday, March 15. All day. Wonderful. It's always a great program. People love their comic books and manga and we have vendors and performers and costume contests and lectures and it's just a great day. And again, it's family friendly and so it's a program for all ages. It's a great program. Very proud of that.

Okay. Now going on to Main Library, Museum and or Cultural Organization, RFP.

Yes. So the city council is very interested in looking to see if a museum or cultural organization would like to have space inside this library, the main library. So this was brought up during a CRA meeting, Community Redevelopment Agency downtown. This was brought up I think in November to city council. They are very supportive in looking to see if there are any museums or cultural organizations interested in having a presence in the main library.

So, the CRA and I, we worked together to draft a request for proposals, an RFP. I think last week, the final draft went to the city council for their approval. And they're hoping the CRA is hoping to release that to the world very soon. The RFP will be open for four months. And during that period, organizations can submit proposals for this initiative.

So, we don't know. It depends on the organization and how much space they would like. So we'll just have to see on the proposals that we get. And then of course, this needs city council approval. So we'll get the proposals of an internal staff review and recommendation to city council.

It'll be very interesting to see who responds Yes, to the it will be.

It will

be. So if any of you are involved with other local cultural organizations or museums, keep that in mind, if they'd like to be located here. Okay? So

I'll keep you updated.

Hotel on the Bluff.

Hotel on the Bluff. So they finalized the closing for the hotel that will be on The Bluff which is the grass area right outside our front doors. So they closed at the 2024 on that agreement. I don't know if you've noticed when you came in today, they've been drilling in our parking lot for testing, soil testing. I'm not an engineer, so but they've been drilling in our parking lot in preparation of I do not have a timeline right now of when construction will begin.

Again, I will keep the board updated when I do. And I don't know how long construction is going to take.

How will it impact library parking? Yeah. Always an issue. Always an issue.

It will have an impact on the

No doubt.

I'm sorry. Is it a Hilton property?

I heard it's one of their boutique hotels. I don't know remember the name of it, but it is it's a smaller boutique hotel. So it will have an impact on our parking. Okay.

So we're looking at at keeping available the extra lot across the street that I believe we rent

I have not heard differently.

Okay. Okay. I'm just checking because we've gone through this before where we've had a loss of parking and inadequate parking for the main library. Yeah. And sort I of like the city to explain why. And I really think it's important for them to have regard for adequate parking. This is a well used library with all sorts of programs going on all the time. Not to mention the city bringing in people for the various meetings. So, and parking downtown is getting tougher all the time. We know that because all of us come to things down here.

So that remains a concern. So let's all keep an eye on The that, I

hotel has a formal agreement with the city to provide parking for city staff, which would include library staff and any other city staff members. So that's 50 spaces in the hotel.

That's good.

So they will be building a parking structure?

Yes. Okay.

Yeah. Got you. Yeah. Yeah. Difficulty I think is going to be during the construction process. Because you'll have additional workers plus library staff plus library users. Yeah. And it's like less parking. So, that is a consideration. All right. Let's continue on to the main library art exhibit.

As you know, partner with the Clearwater Arts Alliance. They are fantastic. They have brought in so many great art exhibits. Right now, if you what is the art exhibit that is up is I forgot the name of it. But it will be coming down soon.

It was just a three week transition, and then they will be putting up another art exhibit that I think will be open up for like three months. But it's just a great partnership with them and people do come library. They're I've said this before, there's such synergy between libraries and museums and art. So we're really happy to have them in the space, in the art gallery space.

Do you also partner with Creative Pinellas at the Florida Botanical Gardens? That the separate organization that's create We do. Yeah.

And then they do like art walks.

Down at the Heritage Center. Yeah.

Is Clearwater Arts Alliance considering creating a museum space here in the library? I don't know. I wonder if they would be in, you know, want to throw their hat in the ring.

They were notified about this concept and this RFP that will be coming out, so I don't know.

Okay. So stay tuned. Yes. All right. Tell us about the North Greenwood Night at the Library.

One of

my favorites.

Yeah. I'm

so excited. Every February for in honor of Black History Month, we have Night at the Library at our North Greenwood Library, and we are having ours on the Friday the twenty first. I have that right. The twenty first, so it's right around the corner. We have a whole evening planned. So, if you want to put that on your calendar, you want to I can send you all the agenda. It's just a great community event. Enjoy it every year. I'm glad that we and we partner with various partners in the community. So, again, it's just a great community event.

So, I just want to let you know, put it on your calendars. Like I said, it's right around the corner. It snuck up on us quite, very quickly. So we're just happy to be able to do that again

this year. Good. And sticking with North Greenwood, the mural and building updates.

I am excited to announce our North Greenwood Library is getting a new, an actual mural on the front facade Nice. It is gorgeous. I believe the artist will be here in March and probably take about four or five days to actually complete the mural. But it's really just going to be such a visual enhancement and really let people know that this is the North Greenwood Library and it's just, it's gonna be gorgeous. And I'm sure you've seen all the other murals that the city is around the park and other areas of the city and I'm just so happy that this is our first library to get a mural.

That's so looking forward.

Do you know who the artist is?

I do, but his name escapes me. But I can definitely

follow-up Oh, that's with fantastic. And Krista does such a great job there. Yeah. She's such a great job at

that library. She really does.

Yes, and it's been so wonderful to see so much more city Wherever you go now,

you go,

oh, that's new. That's new. It's Wonderful.

Just making notes here.

Alright. Main library closures, graduation of oh, did you have more Yes, on

and building updates. So the North Greenwood Library was built opened a year after this library, so 2005. And we've done incremental upgrades, but it needs some TLC. So, we are planning to redo the restrooms and the public restrooms. The lobby flooring needs to be redone.

So we are planning to do that. And then also we're getting new furniture for the North Greenwood Library, a new computer carrels, new chairs, chairs, new desks. So, we're upgrading the furniture and the equipment. So, it's a big upgrade and much needed. Much it's showing its age.

And so, like I said, we were doing incremental upgrades, but now we're doing a much larger upgrade. And we're hoping to get that scheduled during the time the muralist is here because we may have to close the building for a week or two while all this is going on. But we're hoping again, a lot of moving parts getting all this all together, but we're hoping to do it all at once, so to reduce the impact on our services.

Are you thinking then of after the improvements are made and the murals done having a big splashy grand opening event or grand reopening.

We are.

And let's get some media attention on it and that would be wonderful.

And maybe a little improvement with that landscaping there, Jen.

Yes. It

could use a little love. It can use Loretta's love

as the Oh, master dance partner. Yes, she's a master gardener at that library. She could make it pop. With a plan. She could make it pop.

Landscaping is part of If

you're doing everything else, you're gonna have

the grand

opening. You want a

little pop in that

landscape. Right.

You're gonna have people come out with cameras.

Oh, that'd be great. We sell them

the redder.

What they call it, curb appeal. Yes. Curb

appeal. Definitely.

So we are working on

I'll donate a pot of

something. Yes.

Yeah. Good. That sounds

awesome. Yes. Okay. Are we done with the North Greenwood?

Yes, we are. We're done.

Okay. Very good. Main Library closures, graduation at Bay Cares Sound and Sea Blues Festival.

Yes. So I'd just like you to be aware of when we have to close for outside factors. So as you know, the Tropicana Field was damaged. Was it Helene or Mill? I think it Milton.

Think it was Milton. The roof. Milton took the roof off.

They would hold many high school and college graduations So they needed to find a new location. So an obvious one was the BayCare Sound. So in May, we will be closing for three consecutive days. They will be holding four graduations per day. Wow. Starting at 07:30 in the morning. I think the last one was into the evening. I'll avoid this area.

Yeah, it's good to know.

Talk about parking.

So we have the parking challenge and then they also use this library as kind of like the lineup for students and preparation. So we will be closing. And I didn't write down the dates for this meeting, but I believe it's the third week in May. We will be closing today.

Okay. And Google is outside that far and wide. Know the twenty

eighth is one of them.

Oh, so maybe it's the fourth week. Yes. Because the third week is Memorial Day.

Yeah. Usually May 31 ish is Memorial Day, right?

Oh, okay. So it's a week.

Know it's closed

the twenty eighth. Twenty eighth, yes. There you go. It's a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Okay. There you go.

It's be closed. Twenty eighth, twenty ninth, right.

Okay, twenty eighth, twenty ninth, '30. Yes. Thank you.

And then the other closure is we have the Sea Festival coming up in March and Saturday, March 1, we will need to close because of the seed blues festival. I believe the doors open at noon. It's a very popular festival. Yes. So we will need to close to the public on the first.

And is the festival, are they using the sound or are they just, I thought I read somewhere they were just using the lawn, is that correct?

I don't know. Could be correct. I hope I don't not know for sure.

Because they did that, you know, for the jazz, but they got canceled for the hurricanes, but it was planned for the lawn and not the sound, which I have a lot

of questions about No, for the city I have not heard that.

But I think that's the same for the Sea Blooms Festival.

Yeah, I don't know the details. I mean, that'd be a question for Parks and Recreation or the Parks and Recreation Board or the City Council if you want to Yeah. I don't know the details.

Yeah, check the Parks and Rec website. They might have more information.

Yeah.

Okay.

They do have that mobile stage I've seen them put down in the green.

Right. They had an event there. In the green, right. I went to. Weird, though. But

they should, I would assume they'd be releasing the lineup and the plans scheduled soon.

Yeah, I think

I've seen

it advertised. Yeah.

Okay. So I just want to let you know that, you know, we will need to close.

Understood. So Okay. And staff development day.

Well, we had it scheduled the week of Milton. So we had to cancel So we have rescheduled our staff development day for Monday, March 24, so we will be closed to the public on that Monday. It will be held here at the main library. And part of the day, our strategic plan has expired. Our library's strategic plan has expired.

So we have someone coming in to help facilitate working through developing a new strategic plan. So, we have someone coming in who does this for a living. So, he will be here on our staff development day to help get staff input and go through this exercise. And again, you know, developing a strategic plan, many parts. So, do have plans to reach out to our stakeholders for input, our citizens for input.

So, it is a plan, you know, a process to develop a new strategic plan. So this is the first kickoff, the first piece of this plan. So I just want to let the board know that we're having staff development day and this is part of the day is the morning.

Now will that entail all the libraries being closed? Yes. So all the libraries are closed on March 20

All of our libraries will be closed on Monday, March 24. Typically, we like in October, we do it on Columbus Day, but and which is not a city holiday, but it's a holiday for some municipalities and some, you know, businesses close. So it was just an easier day for people to, oh, we may be closed. But again, Milton really altered that plan, so. And then each year per our interlocal with our PPLC, we have staff development day.

We alternate every two years. So, next year it will be a countywide staff development day. But this year, it's all municipalities within PPLC do their own staff development day. So this year, it's ours.

All right. Any questions on that? All right. Spring program. We,

you know, we always have wonderful I mean, we're always doing regular programs like our story times, teller times and our maker programs. I just want to highlight some of the big programs, you know, that we have during the spring, which is, you know, we do Easter egg hunts and do stuff for Easter. Day of the Book, Day of the Child, which is a Hispanic focused program in April. So we're we do that every year. And then we just do a lot of outreach programs.

So if there's a community event, we have our outreach team participate. And I don't know if you saw when you walked in today a bicycle or a book Very bike that I tried to show you last

cool.

And actually we had an artist actually, a muralist paint the box. So they've taken it out to some community events already. I know for Martin Luther King breakfast and celebrations, we were in the park with the bike. So we plan on bringing out unfortunately, can't go too far on the bike.

Does she have a name yet?

No, in fact so we had a contest for the And citizens to vote on a I just saw an email this morning. We they have gotten a lot of submissions, so now our staff will be voting on a name for our book bike. So stay tuned.

Have make very good.

It's a great little contest.

And holiday closures.

Yep. Just wanna say for Easter, it is not a city holiday because it falls on a Sunday. But our countryside library is open on Sundays, so we always close for Easter on Sundays. So Countryside will be closed for Easter again this year. And then right around the corner, we have President's Day on the seventeenth. And that is a city holiday, Monday. So we will be closed for Presidents'

Day. Okay. All right. And what's happening with the Friends of the Clearwater Library?

Friends of the Library, well, they we've been getting so many donations. We have been for years. So they continue to have, you know, our book nooks. Here we have a store. At our other libraries, we have areas, Friends Library books sale areas.

So their friends are constantly refreshing and adding books from donations. Some of our really pristine disc cards, we give to the friends for them to sell. So they're very active in refreshing those areas and people buy the books and they're really great prices. And the friends are always so generous to us. So they give us money for programming.

This year they funded the employee of the month and employee of the year. So we're just very grateful for their generosity and fundraising. So I don't think they have a book sale planned.

I wondered about that.

But that doesn't mean that there won't be one this year. They just don't have one plan. Okay. Right.

Sale not planned yet. Okay. Yeah. Very good. And what's happening with the foundation?

Library foundation, I don't they're not very active at the moment. December. So, they're not doing any fundraising. Normally, foundation focuses on large capital campaign and we don't have a big project on the books right now. But they do give us money annually for programming. So, they have been giving us some funding to support our programming. So, again, very generous and I'm very grateful for their support, their ongoing support,

so. Very good, very good. And I know that you can donate to the foundation right online.

Yes, and also our friends and they have and an it's on our website under the Friends of the Clearwater Library. We got them an email so people who want to become members or donate, they can actually email and that goes right to the board members and they can donate if they so desire.

Very good. Because I do believe that the services of the library are so vast and superior that I know a lot of the public is happy to support the work done here. So I always want to tell the public, donate to us. You can do that. That's what I always say.

And all the money comes back

to the library. Exactly. Exactly.

Are so grateful.

Wonderful. All right. Now, to my fellow board members, do any of you have any issues you wish to raise today? All right. Hearing none, then at what is the time? We will now adjourn. Okay. Thank you.