[Library Advisory Board on August 26, 2024.]
          [00:00:07]
          ALL RIGHT. MICROPHONES ON. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. CALLING TO ORDER OUR LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING FOR, AUGUST 26TH, 2024, MISSING TASHA. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. TASHA. AND IRENE. I'D LIKE EVERYONE TO FOCUS ON THE CALL TO ORDER. LET'S GET THE STAFF SPOTLIGHT FOR ERICA. ERICA. 
          ARENA. ERICA ARENA. COME ON UP. ERICA THIS IS ERICA. SHE'S OUR BRAND NEW LIBRARIAN. YOU GUYS, SHE IS SO BRAVE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ERICA. YOU'VE BEEN WITH US ABOUT THREE WEEKS. TWO WEEKS, TWO WEEKS. THERE YOU GO. WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. SO, ERICA ARENA, I'VE HAD MY MASTER'S IN LIBRARY SCIENCE SINCE 2005. I GOT IT IN TUCSON, ARIZONA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA THERE AT SEARLS. I'VE WORKED MOSTLY STEADILY THROUGHOUT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, I TOOK A BREAK WHEN I HAD I HAD TWINS, AND SO I STAYED HOME WITH THEM FOR A WHILE. AND THEN WE MOVED OVERSEAS FOR A LITTLE WHILE. WE LIVED IN ITALY, SO I DIDN'T WORK THEN, BUT I WORKED AS I STARTED OUT AS A YOUNG ADULT LIBRARIAN IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY. I WORKED AS A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN AS A REFERENCE LIBRARIAN. AND THEN JUST LIKE A STRAIGHT UP LIKE COVERING THE DESK KIND OF LIBRARIAN. SO YEAH, I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS IT. I'VE WORKED MY I WAS MARRIED TO SOMEBODY IN THE MILITARY. WE MOVED A LOT, SO I WORKED IN MULTIPLE LIBRARIES IN TEXAS AND IN GEORGIA AND IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. SO BIG LIBRARY SYSTEMS LIKE TUCSON HAD 24 BRANCHES AND REALLY SMALL RURAL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, TOO. IN GEORGIA, IT WAS A VERY SMALL SYSTEM. SO YEAH, THAT'S MY BACKGROUND. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ERICA? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO WELCOME YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE IN A GREAT ENVIRONMENT. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE IT. I THINK THAT THIS IS PROBABLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO RETIRE. OKAY, I'M BEING HONEST. I PLAN AHEAD FOR YOU. SO JUST WELCOME. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE. THANK YOU. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT SO FAR. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S VERY, VERY KIND. GOOD. GLAD TO HEAR IT. YEAH. 
          OKAY. AND IF YOU GUYS WILL RECALL, ERICA IS TAKING OVER, DAVID'S OLD DUTIES, SO HE'S. HE USED TO DO, LIKE, THE SENIOR OUTREACH DEVICE DROP IN AT THE SENIOR CENTER, SO THAT'S SOMETHING ERICA WILL TAKE OVER EVENTUALLY, RIGHT NOW, SHE'S JUST TRYING TO GET HER FEET WET AND LEARN ALL THAT STUFF, AND SHE'S ALREADY PLANNING A JEWELRY MAKING PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT MONTH, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I LOVE I'M EXCITED TO BE DOING ADULT PROGRAMING. I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF IT, BUT IT'S MOSTLY BEEN CHILDREN. SO NOW I GET TO BE A GROWN UP. SO MUCH FUN. WELL, EXCELLENT. WELL AGAIN, WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS. AND I MEAN, I CAN SPEAK FOR, YOU KNOW, MYSELF, BUT I THINK I SPEAK FOR A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO INTERACT WITH. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY. AND MADE BETTER BY JUST AN INCREDIBLE LIBRARY. AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE A PART OF IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHTY. YOU'RE ALL DONE. THANKS, ERICA. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THE MINUTES HAVE CHANGED, OR AT LEAST THE FORMAT OF THE MINUTES HAVE HAVE CHANGED SINCE RECENTLY, SO IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER GOING THROUGH AND REVIEWING AND APPROVING OUR MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, SO IF EVERYONE WANTS TO TAKE ABOUT 60S JUST TO LOOK OVER THE MINUTES, MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA. 
          ALL RIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS BEING REQUESTED, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, AS IS FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, MOTION TO APPROVE. I SECOND. 
          SO OKAY. MOTION PASSES. 5 TO 0 WITH TWO BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT. EASY ENOUGH, MOVING ON TO OUR 
          [00:05:06]
WORK SESSION, OPHELIA WILL TAKE US THROUGH OUR LIBRARY. FINE. ELIMINATION PRESENTATION FOR CITY COUNCIL. OKAY, SO I ORIGINALLY PRESENTED THIS INFORMATION TO YOU GUYS LAST MONTH JUST TO FEEL YOU OUT AND SEE HOW YOU ALL FELT ABOUT IT. AND EVERYBODY SEEMED ON BOARD AND FOR IT. SO I THINK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO GO DOWN AND PRETEND YOU GUYS ARE COUNCIL BECAUSE THIS WILL HELP ME PRACTICE. AND KIND OF A SIMPLE I SIMPLIFIED IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH ON THEIR AGENDA. SO WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE QUICKER, AND THE CITY MANAGER HAS ASSURED ME THAT HE'S GOING TO LET THEM KNOW AHEAD OF TIME SO THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT IT IS. SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE JUST HEARING IT FIRSTHAND. AND THEN, Y'ALL CAN TELL ME IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD OR IF YOU HAVE ANY POINTERS. AND THEN IF YOU GUYS WOULD BE WILLING TO DO KIND OF A VERBAL. YES. LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING THIS ON THE SEPTEMBER 10TH AGENDA. SO IF YOU'RE A FREE IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 10TH FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I WILL KNOW BY NEXT WEEK IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE FOR SURE. IF NOT, IT'LL BE ON THE NEXT ONE IN SEPTEMBER. BUT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE 10TH, SO LET ME MOVE DOWN IF YOU WILL INDULGE ME. 
          I DON'T GET TO DO THIS VERY OFTEN, SO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SHE'S ALREADY SENT IT TO ME. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET ME SPEAK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT LIBRARY FEES, SO LET ME MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SLIDE HERE, A GOOD LIBRARIAN ALWAYS CITES HER SOURCES. SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE THESE THREE ARTICLES HERE. AND THESE ARE THE SAME ARTICLES THAT I PRESENTED TO OUR LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD, WHO SOME OF THEM ARE PRESENT HERE TONIGHT, AND THEY YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT THE FIRST TWO ARTICLES ARE FROM 2017 AND 2018, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHEN THIS MOVEMENT REALLY GOT STARTED, SO WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE CURVE ON THAT TIMELINE. AND THEN THE THIRD ARTICLE FIND FAREWELLS. LJ STANDS FOR LIBRARY JOURNAL. LIBRARY JOURNAL IS ONE OF THE RESPECTED PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS IN THE FIELD. THEY JUST PUBLISHED THIS IN 2022 AND IT'S FULL OF DATA. BUT THE MOST THE BIGGEST THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS THAT LIBRARIES CHARGING PATRONS OVERDUE FINES DROPPED FROM 92% IN 2017 TO 36% IN 2022. SO IT'S A HUGE DROP IN LIBRARIES THAT CHARGE FINES. SO THIS IS A HOT TREND HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IS THAT IS THAT LIKE ACROSS THE NATION? YES. ACROSS THE US. CORRECT. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE FIND WELL TIMES HAVE CHANGED. BEFORE IT WAS THOUGHT AS A IT WAS A MOTIVATOR, RIGHT. TO GET YOUR THINGS BACK ON TIME. 
          YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY. GET THOSE THINGS BACK ON TIME. SO THAT'S ONE REASON WHY FINES WERE ORIGINALLY ENACTED. THE OTHER IS PATRONS THINK OFTENTIMES WHEN THEY PAY A FINE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY. YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND PAYING THE FINE BECAUSE THIS IS COMING BACK TO YOU, AND YOU GUYS GET THAT MONEY AND YOU GUYS GET TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT. AND THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE FEES GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE CITY. IT DOESN'T COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY, AND THEN AS FAR AS MOTIVATING THINGS TO COME BACK ON TIME, WE'RE FINDING IT ACTUALLY HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. AND IF SOMEBODY REALIZES THAT THEIR THINGS ARE LATE, INSTEAD OF BRINGING THEM BACK, THEY JUST GO, OH, WELL, I'M JUST GOING TO NOT GO. I DON'T WANT TO FACE THAT. I'M JUST NOT GOING TO GO TO THE LIBRARY, AND I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP ALL THE STUFF. AND THEN WE LOSE ITEMS AND WE LOSE PATRONS. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL ASHAMED OR THAT THEY AREN'T WELCOME, OR THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHAKE A FINGER AT THEM OR WHATEVER WE WANT. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT WAY. SO, THAT'S KIND OF THE REALITY OF IT. SO I KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS REALLY WANT TO SEE IS THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE NUMBERS. RIGHT? AND I DO WANT TO STRESS THAT I DID CHECK WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND DEBBIE FRISBIE DID DOUBLE CHECK ME. SHE DID THE MATH TOO. AND SO MY MATH IS CORRECT, AND SHE WANTED ME TO STRESS THAT THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE'RE SHOWING UP HERE IS THE PERCENTAGES OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FEES THE CITY TAKES IN, NOT THE GENERAL FUND ITSELF. IT'S JUST THE FEES. REGARDLESS, WITH $4 MILLION IN FEES THAT THE CITY COLLECTS, IF WE TOOK ALL OF THE LIBRARY FEES, EVERYTHING THAT WE CHARGE FOR, IT WOULD EQUAL 0.875% OF THAT TOTAL AMOUNT. SO IT'S LESS THAN 1%. IF WE JUST LOOK AT THE OVERDUE ITEMS ALONE, IT'S 0.4265%. SO LESS THAN HALF A PERCENT OF TOTAL CITY FEES, WHICH IS LITERALLY A DROP IN THE BUCKET. IT IS NOT MUCH AT ALL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL BIG PICTURE. SO HERE'S WHAT FINES COSTS THE LIBRARY STAFF TIME, EXPLAINING THE FINES, STAFF STRESS. I COULD I WISH THERE WAS A WAY I COULD QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY OUR THAT WE PAY STAFF IN TALKING ABOUT FINES AND TRYING TO COLLECT THE FINES. AND MY GUESS IS THAT THAT MONEY FAR 
          [00:10:07]
OUTWEIGHS WHAT WE ACTUALLY COLLECT IN FINES, IT'S JUST INFERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. IT'S CREATING A COMBATIVE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO. WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME IN AND FEEL WELCOME. IT HAS THAT ELEMENT OF SHAME THAT WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO FEEL WHEN THEY COME INTO THE LIBRARY, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, INSTEAD OF PEOPLE JUST COMING IN AND TURNING THE STUFF BACK IN AND FACING THE FINES, THEY DON'T. THEY JUST DON'T. WE END UP LOSING THOSE MATERIALS AND THEN IT LESSENS LIBRARY USE BECAUSE THEY DON'T COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY. SO WE DON'T WANT THAT EITHER. WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE THERE AND TO USE IT. SO FINE. 
          FREE IS ALL AROUND US. SO THESE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES HERE IN NORTH TEXAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FINE FREE, WILEY IS ONLY ONE OF FIVE CITIES THAT I'M AWARE OF IN THE METROPLEX THAT STILL CHARGE FINES. THAT'S WILEY ALLEN, ROCKWALL, AZLE AND GREENVILLE. EVERYBODY ELSE, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IS FINE. FREE SO HOW WOULD THIS WORK? BASICALLY, CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD BE TO ELIMINATE OVERDUE FINES FOR THE LIBRARY, WE CAN BEGIN AS EARLY AS OCTOBER 1ST, COINCIDING WITH THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. WHENEVER YOU SAY GO, WE CAN DO IT. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, I CAN BRING BACK MORE INFORMATION. IF YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL THE BEGINNING OF THE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT A CALENDAR YEAR, NOT A FISCAL YEAR, WE CAN DO THAT. WE'RE VERY FLEXIBLE. IT'S FOR ON OUR END IT'S VERY EASY. IT'S LITERALLY WE CHECK A BOX AND THERE'S NO MORE FINES, THAT'S HOW EASY IT IS ON OUR END. THEN PATRONS WITH LOST ITEMS ON THEIR ACCOUNTS COULD RETURN THOSE ITEMS WITH NO FEAR OF BEING FINED. IT'S LIKE DONE. NOTHING HAPPENED. THEY JUST BRING IT BACK. AND OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD SHOUT IT TO THE ROOFTOPS. WE WOULD PUT IT ON ALL OUR FACEBOOK. WE WOULD PUT IT, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE ON ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA, ON OUR WEBSITE, ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BRING THOSE BACK SO THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN BRING THOSE ITEMS BACK, COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY WITHOUT FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS. SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? AND LET'S ASSUME THAT, OKAY. SO SEPTEMBER 10TH, YOU GO IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL. DO YOU MAKE THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION, THEY'RE ALL AMENABLE TO IT. HOW SOON COULD THEY ACTUALLY ACT ON IT? THAT NIGHT. THAT NIGHT. 
          IT'LL BE ON. IT'S GOING TO BE IN THEIR REGULAR AGENDA SO THEY CAN VOTE TO. THEY'LL HAVE TO VOTE. 
          THEY CAN EITHER VOTE TO TABLE IT MEANING THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION. THEY CAN VOTE TO VOTE IT DOWN. SAY NO WAY. OR THEY CAN VOTE TO GO AHEAD WITH IT AND APPROVE IT. AND THEN AS FAR AS MAKING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY ORDINANCE, I THINK THAT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER. BUT IT IS RETROACTIVE. SO IT WOULD BE FROM THAT NIGHT ON. WHATEVER THEY DECIDE, THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND ACT. EXACTLY. SO IF THEY SAY YOU'RE FREE TO DO IT, OCTOBER FIRST, EVEN IF IT TAKES US TWO MONTHS TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE, IF THEY SAID OCTOBER 1ST, WE CAN DO IT. OCTOBER 1ST IS THERE A PLAN FOR THE LIBRARY TO BECAUSE LIKE, I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED IN TO SEE KIND OF HOW THE USAGE AND SORT OF PATRON VISITATION AND ALL THAT STUFF COMES UP IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AFTER THIS IS DONE. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE REPORT ON THAT. WE GET THAT IN YOUR MONTHLY REPORT. 
          EVERY MEETING. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY DO A COMPARISON WHERE WE MAKE IT LONGER TO SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS. ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN. MY THINKING IS IT'LL IT'LL SPIKE RIGHT THERE AT THE BEGINNING. AND THEN MAYBE KIND OF EVEN OUT A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN ONCE SUMMER COMES AROUND AND PEOPLE REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE FINES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE. IT'LL SPIKE AGAIN. 
          BUT WE'LL SEE. THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHAT ALL THE OTHER LIBRARIES HAVE TOLD ME. AND THEN IT'S JUST GOING TO BE YOU SPEAKING. YES. OKAY. AND YOU MAYBE HAVE SOME STAFF IN ATTENDANCE TO. YES. 
          STAFF WILL BE HERE. YES. AND THEN HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS WILL BE HERE AND WE'LL CALL IN OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, TOO. EVERYBODY WILL BE HERE. YEAH THREE, THREE ITEMS. YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY ONE IS. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS THIS, OKAY, I JUST, I IT'S JUST SO UNDER Y FINE, THE SECOND BULLET POINT, I THINK, IS, IS RELEVANT, MY QUESTION IS HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SAY, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU JUST EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT PART OF THE LIBRARY MONEY IS COMING, REALLY COMING FROM FINES, BECAUSE IT'S COMING THROUGH THIS OTHER WAY. YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH. OKAY. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT THROUGH A LITTLE BIT. HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT IF YOU KEEP THAT STATEMENT AS IS. OKAY, THAT'S A GOOD POINT THING. UNDER REALITY OF FINES, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU HIT THE FIRST BULLET POINT. YOU'RE RIGHT. I COMPLETELY MISSED IT. 
          YES. AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE. YES. TO HIT ABOUT DISADVANTAGED, FAMILIES AND ECONOMIC. WELL, PATRONS IN GENERAL. AND MY THIRD POINT IS SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THE CHART OF FREE LIBRARIES, FIND FREE LIBRARIES. I NOTICED AT LEAST THREE TYPO IN NAMES IN 
          [00:15:07]
DUNCANVILLE, MINERAL WELLS AND ROWLETT POP OUT AT ME. OH YEAH, LOOK AT THAT. THE OTHERS I FOR SOME I DON'T KNOW AS WELL TO KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE SPELLED CORRECTLY, BUT I THINK EACH ONE NEEDS TO BE DOUBLE CHECKED FOR SPELLING. THANK YOU. SO MUCH. I COPIED AND PASTED THIS FROM. 
          WELL, I WON'T SAY IT WAS FROM ANOTHER LIBRARY'S PRESENTATION, SO THANK YOU. I DIDN'T EVEN BECAUSE SHE HAD JUST DONE IT AND SHE SAID, HERE, LET ME SEND YOU MINE. AND I WAS LIKE, GREAT. AND I JUST COPIED AND I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK. SO THANK YOU ELSE'S ERRORS. I DON'T WANT TO CALL HER OUT. SHE'S A GREAT LIBRARIAN. BUT YEAH, OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ROBERTA, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. OPHELIA. YES. DO WE KNOW THAT THAT 0.4265 OR 15,000, 20,000, WHATEVER IT IS? YES, SIR. DO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT MONEY GOES IN THE CITY, OR IS IT. IT'S JUST PART OF THIS BIG 4 MILLION BUCKET, PART OF THE BIG 4 MILLION BUCKET. SO IT GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND, THE GENERAL FUND IS USED FOR EVERYTHING FROM, I MEAN, LIKE, IT JUST GETS DISTRIBUTED IN WHATEVER IS NEEDED. SO LIKE WE DO SOMETIMES BENEFIT FROM THE GENERAL FUND, LIKE THE WATER CAME OUT OF THAT ONE YEAR. WELL, IT CAME OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH WAS THE EXTRA MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND. BUT SO BUT YEAH, IT'LL GO ANYWHERE. IT'S JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT IS NEEDED. OKAY. YEAH AND WHAT IS NEEDED IS DECIDED KIND OF LIKE BY COUNCIL. OKAY, YEAH. 
          YEAH. GENERAL FUND IS PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT EXCEPT PUBLIC SAFETY AND PARTS OF PARKS AND REC. AND I THINK I REMEMBER YOU MENTIONING EARLIER THAT THIS WON'T APPLY TO DAMAGED ITEMS LIKE THAT WOULD STILL BE FINE. THAT MIGHT MIGHT BE WORTH ADDING IN HERE AS WELL, JUST IN CASE IT COMES UP. BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE TOO SIMPLIFIED TO JUST POINT OUT THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE DOING OVER, I MEAN, A DAMAGED AND LOST, IT'S JUST OVERDUE. YEAH, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE ITS OWN POINT. JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND TO SAY. IT OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, I CAN ADD THAT IN. THAT'S A GOOD POINT TOO. YEAH. THANK YOU. I WAS GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT HE SAID, ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS? OH YES. SO LIKE, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF GONE IN DETAIL, LIKE WE'VE DELVED DEEP INTO THIS, SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF IT, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THEY WERE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS. AND I THINK TO HIS POINT, ALSO IS LIKE, I WANT LIKE, I KNOW WHEN YOU WERE PRESENTING IT LAST MONTH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN I WAS HEARING YOU TALK WAS, OKAY, SO THE FINES WILL BE ELIMINATED. 
          BUT BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT IF THERE'S BOOKS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYTHING GETS WIPED OUT. 
          CORRECT. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THEY'RE GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT, IF THAT'S EVEN GOING TO BE A QUESTION ON THEIR MINDS. IT VERY WELL MAY BE. SO I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK IT'S A GOOD POINT TO MAKE THAT THIS IS I TOOK OUT THAT SLIDE ABOUT THE NETFLIX MODEL AND ALL OF THAT, JUST BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE BIT ZIPPIER, BUT I WILL SOMEHOW ADD IT INTO ONE OF THESE POINTS THAT IT ONLY WE'RE ONLY ADDRESSING OVERDUE FINES. WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING LOST. WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING DAMAGED. IF YOU HAVE A LOST OR DAMAGED ITEM, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT. AND IF YOU'VE GOT AN ITEM ON YOUR ACCOUNT THAT'S GONE TO LOST, YOUR ACCOUNT IS FROZEN. YOU CANNOT USE THAT CARD UNTIL THAT IS DEALT WITH. AND WHAT I MEAN BY DEALT WITH IS JUST BRING IT BACK, BRING IT BACK AND ALL IS DONE. I MEAN, AND IF THEY TRULY DID LOSE IT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THAT'S JUST THE WAY YOU KNOW. BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT'S AT HOME SOMEWHERE, OR MINE ALWAYS FALL UNDER THE SEAT OF THE CAR WHEN I CAN'T FIND THEM, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S USUALLY WHERE I TELL THEM TO CHECK THE FIRST TIME. I'M LIKE, DID YOU CHECK UNDER THE SEAT OF THE CAR? THAT'S WHERE MINE ALWAYS END UP. BUT YES, VERY GOOD POINT. I WILL PUT THAT IN THERE. I'M KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT OTHER. MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME BRAINSTORM THIS. 
          WHAT OTHER NUMBERS? THEY MIGHT ASK? LIKE, ARE THEY GOING TO ASK ME? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBERS, ALL THE FINES AND FEES ARE SHOWN THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO ASK LIKE FOR THAT. ARE THEY GOING TO ASK ME IN A YEAR TO COME BACK AND SHOW? I MEAN, WHAT WOULD THEY DO THEN? I DON'T KNOW, REMOVE IT. I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY'D RESCIND IT AT THAT POINT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO LIKE IF I'M IMAGINING MYSELF IN CITY COUNCIL, LIKE I WOULD HAVE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY OF FINES OR WHY WE SHOULD FINE OR WHAT IT CAUSES US, YOU KNOW, THE MISSION STATEMENT IS TO INSPIRE, INFORM AND INTERACT. AND IF WE ARE INTERACTING WITH OUR PATRONS IN A WAY THAT'S CONFRONTATIONAL OR A WAY THAT ISN'T GOING TO GET THEM TO COME BACK, THEN NOT ONLY ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS WONDERFUL CITY SERVICE THAT WE OFFER FOR NOT, BUT WE'RE LOSING THOSE PEOPLE. WHY SHOULD THEY SUPPORT THE LIBRARY IF THE LIBRARY TREATS THEM THIS WAY OR WHICHEVER, I THINK YOU KNOW, ANECDOTES OR JUST KIND OF AN IDEA OF, HEY, THESE ARE INTERACTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, MY LIBRARY STAFF HAS AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A $1 PROBLEM OR A $10 PROBLEM OR WHATEVER THE FINE IS. YOU KNOW, WE WANT THESE PEOPLE. I'D RATHER THEM. I'D RATHER LOSE $10 AND HAVE THEM IN 
          [00:20:01]
THE LIBRARY. RIGHT. WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY NO AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S WORTH BAD OR NEGATIVE. YEAH, REPUTATION. BECAUSE IF THEY COME TO THE LIBRARY, MAYBE THEY STOP AT THE REC CENTER, MAYBE THEY BUY A REC PASS, MAYBE THEY BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN OUR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW? RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT COULD LEAD TO SO MANY OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND I TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY BEING THE WELCOME CENTER OF THE CITY ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE WE'RE THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN WALK IN FOR FREE. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. YOU DON'T BUY ANYTHING. YOU CAN HANG OUT ALL DAY. YOU CAN USE THE FREE AC, FREE WI-FI, WHATEVER YOU KNOW. 
          AND SO, YES. AND I REMEMBER, I THINK LAST MONTH I TOLD YOU GUYS ABOUT BECAUSE IT HAD JUST HAPPENED, THAT I'D WALKED OUT TO THE CIRC DESK AND CHERYL WAS HELPING A WOMAN AND EXPLAINING A FINE. AND I WENT BACK TO WHATEVER I WAS DOING, AND I CAME BACK 15 MINUTES LATER AND SHE WAS STILL TALKING TO HER ABOUT THE SAME FINE. AND IT WASN'T A HUGE FINE. IT WAS JUST PEOPLE FEEL THEY TAKE IT VERY PERSONALLY. THEY GET VERY UPSET ABOUT IT. SO IT'S JUST NOT WORTH THAT. IT'S LIKE HOW OFTEN DURING, LET'S SAY, A GIVEN WEEK OR WEEKEND, ARE THESE INTERACTIONS TAKING 15 MINUTES A DAY? BUT YOU KNOW, AND NOT ONLY THAT, NOT ONLY IS THAT PERSON UPSET NOW WE HAVE A LINE OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THIS INTERACTION IS TAKING SO LONG. THEY'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GET OUT OF THERE, BUT THEY CAN'T GET OUT OF THERE BECAUSE THIS PERSON IS BUSY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT JUST CAUSES A WHOLE DOMINO EFFECT. SO IS STILL COLLECTING FINES IN LINE WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT OF THE LIBRARY. YEAH AND I WOULD SAY NO. I WOULD SAY NO TO YEAH, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD HELP OR BENEFIT FOR THIS PRESENTATION, BUT CONSIDERING YOU HAVE THIS DATA OF PREVIOUS CITIES ELIMINATING THE FINES, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW EVEN A HANDFUL THAT IT THEY TOOK A LOT TO DELIBERATE ON IT OR DID IT HAPPEN THAT NIGHT WHEN THEY PRESENTED IT TO THEIR CITY COUNCILS? DID IT HAPPEN? I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK, THE MOST RECENT ONES THAT I'M AWARE OF HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY. OKAY. AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL HELP YOUR CASE IF YOU WILL. RIGHT. BUT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO SAY. I MEAN, JUST HEARING THIS DATA ALONE TO ME IS NOT ARGUMENTATIVE. IT'S A NON-NEGOTIABLE. THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT THAT'S THE TRAJECTORY THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TOWARDS. RIGHT? SO I THINK JUST TRYING TO HELP BUILD YOUR CASE, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT. FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, THAT, HEY, SO-AND-SO, CITY SO-AND-SO, CITY SO-AND-SO CITY ALL DID IT THAT NIGHT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL HELP. OKAY. 
          I'LL HAVE TO SEE, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN FINE. FREE SINCE 2017, 2018, 2019, LONG TIME, YOU KNOW. SO, AND I'M SURE AT THE TIME I KNEW, BUT I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. BUT LIKE THE MOST RECENT ONES ARE LIKE THE ONE THAT JUST POPPED UP IN MY HEAD. THE MOST RECENT ONE, I THINK, WAS, ROYSE CITY, AND THEY DECIDED THAT SHE SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE A FIGHT, AND SHE WENT UP THERE AND LIKE, IT TOOK FIVE MINUTES AND THEY WERE LIKE, YEAH, DONE. OKAY AND THAT WAS IT. SO SHE WAS LIKE, ARE. SO THAT WAS GOOD. OFF OF THAT, IT'S VERY SIMILAR. I WOULD POSIT LIKE 2 OR 3 POSITIVE PRESS RELEASES FROM SOME OF THESE CITIES HELP STRENGTHEN THE CASE. IF LIKE, YOU COULD. I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, LIKE I SAID, THEY ALWAYS TELL US TO ON THE SIDE OF BREVITY ON THESE PRESENTATIONS, I CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THOSE AS A IF THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION. I'M, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT AND I DO ACTUALLY HAVE A DOCUMENT WITH LINKS AND LINKS AND LINKS OF MORE ARTICLES THAT JUST TALK ABOUT GOING FINE, FREE OF PRESS RELEASES FROM CITIES GOING FINE, FREE, THAT I COULD VERY EASILY SHARE WITH THEM IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT FOR SURE. 
          BUT I CAN GO BACK AND CHECK THOSE TO GET THOSE DATES AND SEE HOW QUICKLY IT HAPPENED, BECAUSE ON SOME OF THEM, IT DID HAPPEN WITH A FISCAL YEAR. SOME OF THEM PREFERRED CALENDAR YEARS, SOME JUST LIKE AN ARBITRARY DATE. WE'RE GOING TO JUST START ON THIS DAY OR YEAH. SO I'VE GOT THE INFO, SO I'LL HAVE IT AT THE READY. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK ALONG THOSE LINES, SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR BACK POCKET, YOU KNOW, NOT ON THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION, BUT SORT OF WE ALWAYS CALL THEM BACKUP SLIDES. SURE, WOULD BE A FEW, A FEW OF THE CITIES THAT DID THAT, WHAT THEIR PERCENTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR INCREASE LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE HARD NUMBERS OF AFTER THEY DID THIS TWO YEARS LATER, THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT. THEY WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, 20,000 PEOPLE USING THE LIBRARY TO 30,000 PEOPLE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. BECAUSE I'M SURE AT LEAST ONE PERSON ON THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO ASK, WELL, OKAY, ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS. WHAT HAPPENED THERE? WHAT'S THE RESULT? YEAH, JUST HAVING A COUPLE TO CITE WOULD BE PERSUASIVE. I THINK FOR OKAY, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND I THINK THAT'S A TREMENDOUS POINT BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LIBRARIES ON HERE. AND I KNOW THAT GARLAND HAS JUST RECENTLY DONE A BIG EXPANSION OF THEIR LIBRARY. I KNOW THE FRISCO LIBRARY IS GORGEOUS AND MASSIVE, AND BOTH OF THOSE LIBRARIES ARE ALSO FINE, FREE, CORRECT, AND SO I IMAGINE AND YOU MAY FILL IN THE GAPS OF WHAT I KNOW, BUT 
          [00:25:01]
LIBRARY FUNDING IS TIED VERY CLOSELY TO HOW OFTEN IT'S USED, THE NUMBER OF PATRONS THAT COME THROUGH THE DOOR, AND THE NUMBER OF MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING CIRCULATED. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. SO IF WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE IN, THEN THE CITY CAN'T IGNORE THAT. THE LIBRARY IS A PRETTY VALUABLE INSTITUTION. THAT IS BEING USED BY ITS CITIZENS. RIGHT AND YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT EVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE SURROUNDING THAT COME MOST PEOPLE COME INTO WYLIE, MAYBE THEY'RE COMING TO THE LIBRARY OR THE REC OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY MAY STOP TO HAVE LUNCH, THEY MIGHT COME AND SHOP, THEY MIGHT. THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE. SO SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY SUGGESTING THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, AND I'VE NEVER ATTENDED A COUNCIL MEETING. SO I CAN'T PRETEND TO BE IN THEIR BRAINS. BUT IF I LOOK AT THE CHART THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE UP AND I SAY, OH, SO WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A LITTLE OVER $15,000, OPHELIA, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT INCREASING ANY OF THESE OTHER LINE ITEMS TO MAKE UP SOME OF THAT? FOR INSTANCE, THE DAMAGE TO LOST ITEMS, INCREASING THE COST TO REPLACE THOSE? I'M JUST SAYING SOMEBODY'S PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE THAT, YEAH, THEY COULD THEY COULD IF, IF AND I'LL BE HONEST, IF I WAS GOING TO RAISE ANY FEES, IT WOULD BE RENTAL ROOM FEES OR RENTAL ROOM FEES ARE SO LOW AND WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF, ISSUES WITH THAT THAT I THINK WOULD BE ELIMINATED IF THEY WERE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WE DO IT LOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE. BUT, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY, IF THAT'S YOUR DIRECTION, THAT YOU CAN ELIMINATE OVERDUES. BUT WE WANT YOU TO INCREASE OTHER FEES. WE CAN DO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT. WELL. AND I THINK ALONG WITH THAT TOO, I THINK FOR ME, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, I MEAN, $4 MILLION SOUNDS LIKE A LOT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF IT, THAT'S WHEN IT'S REALLY LOW. SO MY HOPE IS, IS THAT THAT WILL BE THE POT FOR THEM TO GO TO. IT'S ONLY THIS MUCH. SO, YEAH. AND FOR ME TO KEEP STRESSING, WE MAKE $4 MILLION IN FEES. THIS IS ONLY 15,000 OF THAT, WHICH IS LIKE NOTHING YOU KNOW. SO YEAH, THIS IS ALL REALLY HELPFUL. ANYTHING ELSE? BECAUSE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO THROW AT ME. SO I JUST WANT TO BE READY. THIS IS ALL REALLY GOOD. AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL JUST HAVE I KNOW I HOPE THEY GO WITH IT TOO. BUT I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW THAT I SENT THE PRESENTATION THAT I SHARED WITH YOU GUYS WITH MY MANAGER, WHO'S LETTY YANEZ, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND THEN SHE SHARED IT WITH THE CITY MANAGER. AND ORIGINALLY THE CITY SECRETARY SUGGESTED THAT WE DO A WORK SESSION ON THIS TO GIVE COUNCIL ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEN GO BACK AND AT A DIFFERENT DATE AND PUT IT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR A VOTE. AND THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THAT'S SILLY. THIS IS A NO BRAINER. JUST PUT IT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA. SO THAT'S THAT'S A POSITIVE THING. AND WHAT SUPPORT WOULD YOU LIKE FROM US FOR SEPTEMBER 10TH, YES. IF YOU ALL CAN BE HERE THAT DATE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I WOULD POINT OUT THESE ARE OUR LIBRARY BOARD MEMBERS HERE SUPPORTING THIS. YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT HARDER TO SAY NO WHEN THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT THEY APPOINTED TO SUPPORT US, YOU KNOW, OR TO GUIDE US WHO HAVE MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION. AND THEN TODAY, IF WE COULD JUST GET A VERBAL YES, GO, YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT THIS FOR THE RECORD, THEN THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TAKE A LITTLE VERBAL VOTE ON THIS? ALL RIGHT. SO ON THE MATTER OF SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY GOING FINE. FREE PRESENTING A PRESENTATION AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, SEPTEMBER 10TH. I FOR ONE, I VOTE I VOTE YAY! I THINK THAT WE SHOULD GO FIND FREE. SECOND. THIRD. YEP ALL RIGHT. IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS UNANIMOUS. ALL ALL EYES, ALL ALL YESES. HAVE IT, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT IN YOUR ENDEAVOR. THANK YOU. AND THEN THAT WAY, I CAN SAY THAT, TOO, THAT THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED IT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. ALRIGHTY LOVELY. I THINK IT'S GOING TO DO GREAT AND DO A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS FOR OUR LIBRARY. AND OUR PATRONS. THANK YOU, MOVING ON, OUR SECOND WORK ITEM. REVIEWING OUR MONTHLY REPORT. OKAY. OUR MONTHLY REPORT. LET ME GET THER. AS YOU GUYS KNOW, OUR SUMMER ENDS AT THE END OF JULY, AND 
          [00:30:01]
THEN WE TAKE A BREAK IN AUGUST SO THAT WE CAN GET READY FOR ALL OUR FALL PROGRAMS AND TO GIVE OUR STAFF A BIT OF A BREAK. PLUS, SCHOOLS WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AUGUST 8TH, SO EVERYBODY WAS BACK IN SCHOOL REALLY EARLY THIS YEAR. SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE THERE'S NO STORYTIME. THAT'S WHY THAT NUMBER WENT WAY DOWN. THE KID EVENT NUMBER IS STILL PRETTY HIGH BECAUSE OF THAT HARRY POTTER PARTY FELL DURING THAT TIME, WE STILL DID A LITTLE BIT OF OUTREACH AND OUR BUSINESS EXCHANGE ON WEDNESDAYS. OH, THAT THING HAS EXPLODED. WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING ABOUT 38 TO 42 PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. AND THERE ARE NEW BUSINESS OWNERS THERE EVERY WEEK. SO IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING. IT'S BEEN A REALLY FUN THING TO BE A PART OF, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR CIRCULATION IS STILL GOING REALLY STRONG, STILL LOTS OF VISITORS. A LOT OF NEW BORROWERS STILL COMING IN, WHETHER THEY'RE NEW TO WILEY OR NEW TO THE AREA, OR HAVE BEEN HERE AND JUST HEARD ABOUT US. 
          WHATEVER, EITHER WAY, WE LOVE IT COME. WE LOVE HAVING THEM COME. SO, THAT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD AND OUR HOLDS HAVE JUST BEEN OFF THE ROOF AS WELL, JUST VERY, VERY BUSY, THEN YOU'LL NEXT SEE OUR, DATABASE NUMBERS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT DATABASES THAT WE HAVE. AND THEN AT THE VERY END, THE LIBRARY APP NUMBERS. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S STILL GROWING PRETTY STEADILY, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROMOTE THAT AS WELL. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS? YES, MA'AM. I DO NOT HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE NUMBERS, BUT I HAVE A DIFFERENT SORT OF QUESTION RELATED TO STATISTICS. HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE FOR YOU TO MAYBE ONCE A YEAR, EITHER CALENDAR YEAR OR FISCAL YEAR, TO GIVE US PULL OUT? NOT ALL OF THESE, BUT SOME OF THE PRIMARY STATISTICS FOR, LET'S SAY, THE LAST THREE YEARS. SO THAT WOULD BE VERY EASY. I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. YEAH. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, TOTAL CIRCULATION FOR 2022 VERSUS 2024, NUMBER OF STORY TIME. YOU KNOW, NOT ALL OF THESE, FIT REAL WELL INTO THAT. BUT I THINK SOME OF THE PRIMARY ONES WOULD BE VERY ENLIGHTENING AND ALSO SHOW THE USE OF THE LIBRARY OVER THE PAST 2 TO 3 YEARS. YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT THING TO DO NEXT MONTH. ROBERTA. 
          THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR. SO I'LL HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS FOR THIS ONE. SO WE CAN DO WITH THREE YEARS BACK. IS THAT GOOD FOR EVERYBODY? THREE YEARS. OKAY. AND I THINK AND I KNOW YOU GIVE US THE NEW BORROWER STATISTICS, BUT IF YOU HAVE A WAY OF PULLING OUT LIKE TOTAL NUMBER OF BORROWERS ON THE BOOKS FOR EACH YEAR. YEAH I CAN DO THAT. TOTAL NUMBER. THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE'RE SITTING AT AROUND LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT AND IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, SO IT'S GROWN I'M GUESSING. BUT I THINK THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT, IT WAS RIGHT AROUND 51,000 CARDHOLDERS. YEAH I KNOW, IT'S CRAZY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT SUGGESTION. THAT'S NO PROBLEM. WE CAN DO THAT NEXT MONTH. MOVING ON TO OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES, WE'VE GOT OUR LIBBY USAGE THERE. FOLLOWED BY IF I CAN TURN THE PAGE, HOOPLA AND KANOPY, ALL OF THOSE ARE STILL GOING STRONG THIS FY 25, THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WE'RE ABOUT TO START IN OCTOBER. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED AN INCREASE IN AUDIO VISUAL BECAUSE OF THE DIGITAL MATERIALS. IT'S WE JUST CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT. IT'S BEEN SO MUCH USE. AND SO, TYPICALLY WE TRY TO KEEP OUR BUDGET AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY ASK US TO DO. BUT THIS LAST YEAR, I DID ASK FOR A SLIGHT INCREASE BECAUSE OF THAT, AND IT WAS APPROVED. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. WE ALSO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE EVER WE'VE EVER MOVED MONEY FROM PHYSICAL BOOKS TO DIGITAL. THAT'S HOW, CRAZY THE NUMBERS ARE. HOW HOW MUCH USAGE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN. SO NOT A LOT, BUT WE DID MOVE SOME MONEY FROM BOOKS INTO DIGITAL. SO PARTICULARLY FOR THE KIDS STUFF, THAT STUFF'S JUST BEEN GROWING. SO JUST A FUN FACT. YOU ALL MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN. AND THEN, HOOPLA. WE'VE, HAD TO PUT A CAP ON BECAUSE, LIKE, I SAID, IT'S JUST BEEN GROWING AND GROWING. PEOPLE HAVE FOUND HOOPLA AND LOVE IT, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT WE'VE REQUESTED A SLIGHT INCREASE FOR THAT AS WELL. AND THEN CANOPY IS STILL DOING PRETTY GOOD. SO AND THEN AS I KNOW, YOU REQUESTED A SLIGHT INCREASE FOR THE HOOPLA IS THAT FROM THE VENDOR OR SO. 
          WELL, THE WAY WE YOU DO IT IS YOU GIVE EVERYBODY, EVERY CARDHOLDER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CREDITS AND THEN YOU PAY PER USAGE. SO EVERY TIME SOMEBODY USES A CREDIT, THEN WE GET CHARGED FOR THAT CREDIT. SO WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO IS GO BACK TO HOOPLA AND PUT A CAP ON HOW MUCH WE CAN ACTUALLY SPEND, SO WE LOWERED THE NUMBER OF CREDITS. I THINK IT USED TO BE TEN. NOW WE'RE DOWN TO EIGHT. AND THEN WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE TITLES 
          [00:35:04]
THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE COLLECTION BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHERS. 
          SO THE HIGHER END TITLES, WE HAD TO GO, OH, WE CAN'T AFFORD THOSE. SO WE'RE KIND OF KEEPING IT AT THE CORE COLLECTION. YOU GOT TO TRY TO KEEP THAT NUMBER STABLE. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS? OKAY NEXT PART OF ALL OUR MEANING MEETINGS, TRAININGS AND HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN WHATEVER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION THERE AT THE END GIVE YOU ALL A MINUTE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. AND THEN, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          OH, WOULD YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT, ON PAGE 15, THE WFRJ NARCAN IMPLEMENTATION MEETING? SURE WFRJ IS WILEY FIRE RESCUE. SO WHEN I MET WITH COUNCILMAN STRANG LAST, I THINK IT WAS IN THE SPRING, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, NARCAN AND, THE INCREASE OF THE. OH, MY GOSH, THE DRUG NAME JUST LEFT MY HEAD. THANK YOU. FENTANYL INCREASE OF FENTANYL, PARTICULARLY IN TEENS. 
          AND HE ASKED IF WE HAD EVER EXPERIENCED THAT, IF WE'D EVER HAD ANY PATRONS COME IN AND WE'RE LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE PATRONS COME IN SOMETIMES. AND YOU THINK, ARE THEY ON SOMETHIN? BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW IF THAT'S JUST THEM OR YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC. IT'S KIND OF THAT WAY. BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYONE OVERDOSE OR PASS OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I HAD TOLD HIM THAT I WAS AWARE THAT SOME PUBLIC LIBRARIES DO TRAIN THEIR STAFF TO USE NARCAN, AND HE THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA. AND SO THAT'S WHAT STARTED THIS CONVERSATION WITH WILEY FIRE RESCUE, AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AS WELL. SO IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF HOW DO WE. WELL, AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO BRING IN ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THEN PARKS AND REC WANTS INTO AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO IT. SO THEN WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO A TRAINING SCHEDULE, WHO'S PAYING FOR IT, HOW WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH IT. LUCKILY, THE CITY ALREADY HAS A VERY ROBUST SAFETY PROGRAM. SO EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS A SAFETY LIAISON AND A SAFETY BACKUP, AND THEY GO TO MONTHLY TRAININGS, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHECKING ALL THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO MAKING SURE THE AED WORKS, TO MAKING SURE OUR, FIRST AID KITS ARE ARE ALL STOCKED. SO IN OUR DEPARTMENT, LISA IS THE SAFETY LIAISON. SHE'S THE PRIMARY PERSON. AND LAURA IS HER BACKUP. SO SHE WAS INVOLVED IN THESE MEETINGS AS WELL. SO BASICALLY, WE ALL DECIDED THAT NARCAN IS REALLY NOT THAT EXPENSIVE. AND IT TAKES A LONG, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE SOME RIGHT NOW AND IT DOESN'T EXPIRE FOR TWO YEARS. SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TWO DOSES OF IT WITH THAT'S KEPT WITH THE AED AT EACH IN EVERY BUILDING THAT'S GETTING TRAINED, THAT'S PARTICIPATING. AND, THAT WAY WE HAVE IT AT THE READY. SO THE LIBRARY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THE GUINEA PIGS FOR THE TRAINING, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR IN-SERVICE MEETING ON TUESDAY, NEXT TUESDAY COMING UP. SO, THE PARAMEDIC THAT'S DOING THE TRAINING FOR US, THIS IS GOING TO BE HIS FIRST TIME DOING IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO BE THE GUINEA PIGS FOR THAT. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. BUT THEY'VE BOUGHT LITTLE LIKE TRAINING, NARCAN. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE HOW HARD YOU HAVE TO HIT IT AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. BASICALLY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE DOSAGES THAT WE'RE GETTING REALLY ISN'T ENOUGH TO NECESSARILY, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY WHEN YOU GIVE NARCAN, THE PERSON CAN WAKE UP AND BE VERY VIOLENT. BUT ACCORDING TO WILEY, FIRE RESCUE, THE DOSAGES THAT WE ARE GETTING IS JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM BREATHING. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO, BECAUSE IF IT TAKES THEM A LITTLE LONGER TO GET TO US AND THEY STOP BREATHING AGAIN, WE CAN GIVE THEM ANOTHER DOSE. SO, THAT'S KIND OF THE IDEA BEHIND IT. SO YEAH. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND SHOUT OUT TO WILEY FIRE AND RESCUE FOR THEIR SUPPORT. YES. THAT THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL. AND THEY'RE HAVING LITTLE BAGS MADE WHERE WE CAN KEEP IT. THAT'S GOT THE LOGO. SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS. AND YEAH THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE ABOUT IT. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WE TALKED TO BEFORE GOING IN THIS DIRECTION, WE, I MET WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I MET WITH THE FIRE CHIEF, AND I WAS LIKE, IS ARE WE IS THIS OVERKILL? LIKE, ARE WE REALLY LIKE, DO WE REALLY? AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANSWER WAS NO, THAT THINGS ARE JUST GETTING WORSE. AND, THEY, THEY THINK IT'S GOING TO GET A LOT WORSE BEFORE THINGS GET BETTER. AND IN MY MIND, I WOULD RATHER BE AHEAD OF IT. YOU KNOW, IF MAYBE THAT'S NOT WHY THIS PERSON'S PASSED OUT ON THE FLOOR. BUT IF THIS CAN KEEP THEM ALIVE, THEN IT'S MORE THAN WORTH IT. AND I'D RATHER JUST BE READY FOR IT AS OPPOSED TO HAVE IT BE A REACTION TO SOMETHING BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENED. SO BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING, THEY CARRY IT IN THEIR PURSE. SOME I HAD HEARD SOME OF THE OTHER 
          [00:40:04]
DEPARTMENTS SAYING THEY CARRY IT ON THEM. SO I WAS LIKE, OH, OKAY, I DIDN'T KNOW. I MEAN, THESE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, FIRE RESCUE PEOPLE. SO I GUESS THEY'RE USED TO IT. BUT IT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED TO ME. BUT BUT ANYWAY, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S JUST THE, THE STATE THAT WE'RE IN. SO YEAH. OPHELIA, WHAT'S THE WLG MASTERCLASS SESSION? WLG IS THE WOMEN LEADING GOVERNMENT. SO THE WOMEN LEADING GOVERNMENT IS, THERE'S ONE FOR EACH STATE, ACTUALLY, AND THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY, OF ALL THINGS, THE CALIFORNIA ONE. BUT THEY HAVE A VERY ROBUST TRAINING WEBINAR SERIES. AND IT'S LIKE FOR 100 BUCKS, YOU GET 12 OF THEM AND IT'S INCREDIBLE. AND EVERY MONTH IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC. SO THIS ONE WAS HOMELESSNESS. AND OH, THAT ONE WAS HARD, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT AN ANSWER. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A HARD IT'S A DIFFICULT TOPIC. AND, SO THERE WERE A LOT OF, THE CITY THAT WAS PRESENTING WAS TALKING ABOUT KIND OF WHAT THEIR APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM WAS, AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT STATE. SO THEY HAD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE HERE. AND BUT JUST HEARING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE, IT'S HARD. IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT SITUATION DON'T WANT TO BE HELPED. SO WHAT DO YOU DO THEN? SO IT WAS IT WAS, BUT IT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT, RESOURCES THAT THEY HAD, WHO THEY PARTNER WITH TO GET THINGS DONE, WHICH DON'T NECESSARILY TRANSLATE ALWAYS TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT GETS YOU THINKING. SO IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. QUESTION, JULY 30TH, YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A STUDENT WHO WANTED TO START AN ENGLISH TUTORING PROGRAM. YES SO WE HAVE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, WE HAVE THE NATIONAL HONOR JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY DOES MATH TUTORING AT THE LIBRARY, AND A SUBSET OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE WITH. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE GROUP. YOU MIGHT KNOW, JUSTIN, THAT ARE FUTURE TEACHERS. TAFFY. YES, WANTED TO START AN ENGLISH ONE WHERE THEY HELPED WITH, READING COMPREHENSION, MAYBE REVIEWING TERM PAPERS OR WHATEVER PAPERS THAT KIDS NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED. GRAMMAR EVEN HANDWRITING. THEY WERE WILLING TO DO THAT. SO WE MET WITH HER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THEY WOULD NEED, WE'RE RIGHT NOW SHE'S KIND OF VERIFYING TO BE SURE THAT SHE HAS ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS THAT CAN COME ON MONDAY NIGHT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE SO BUSY. BUT MONDAY NIGHT'S THE ONLY NIGHT THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT THAT WHERE THE ROOMS AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY. SO THAT'S THE ONLY NIGHT THAT WOULD WORK FOR US. SO SHE'S RIGHT NOW KIND OF IN A RECRUITING MODE, TRYING TO GET ENOUGH KIDS TO SEE IF SHE'S GOT ENOUGH TO COME ON THAT NIGHT. AND I KNOW THEY ALWAYS NEED HOURS. THE PROBLEM IS, DOES IT WORK WITH THEIR SCHEDULE? SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT RIGHT NOW. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL WORK OUT. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TOUCH BASE AGAIN AT THE END OF THIS WEEK. AND, WE'LL BE ABLE TO START OFFERING THAT AS WELL. 
          ALL RIGHT. WE WANT TO MOVE INTO LOOKING AT OUR UPCOMING PROGRAMS. FOR LATE AUGUST. 
          SEPTEMBER. THAT FIRST ONE I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE ZERO PROOF COCKTAILS. THAT'LL BE REALLY FUN, REGISTRATION OPENS NEXT WEEK, Y'ALL. IF YOU WANT TO COME. ALL OF THE, MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED. THE BEYOND THE BAR IS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT DOES IT. THEY'VE DONE IT FOR OTHER LIBRARIES. THEY JUST KIND OF COME IN AND SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE TWO FUN COCKTAILS WITHOUT ANY ALCOHOL IN THEM. SO THAT'LL BE REALLY NICE, WE HAVE ANOTHER 3D PRINTING DEMO COMING UP, STORY TIMES, BOOK CLUBS. EVERYTHING COMES BACK IN SEPTEMBER, SO WE ARE READY. 
          WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT, SO CAN'T WAIT. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM AT ALL? LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE READING CHALLENGES? AND I DO, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T I DID NOT HAVE THEM LAST TIME. SO I CAN BRING THOSE NEXT TIME. YES I KNOW I SAW THE, THE WINNERS ON THE, THE WINNERS OF THE GRAND PRIZES. YEP. I CAN BRING THAT NEXT TIME, ZACH. NO PROBLEM. OH, IT WAS THE WINNERS ON THE WEBSITE OR. YES. OR ON THE FACEBOOK, FACEBOOK, FACEBOOK. YEAH. THE WINNERS. I THINK THEY WERE ON FACEBOOK AND THEY WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. BUT YES, I CAN BRING THAT NEXT TIME. ALL RIGHT. THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. IF I COULD GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, WE WILL WE WILL FINISH UP OUR OUR MEETING. 
          [00:45:04]
A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I SECOND. 
          THAT EVERYBODY PUT IN THEIR. OH TWO TO TRY TO TRY AGAIN IT SHOULD BE GREEN. YEAH. GOT IT. 
          SURVEY SAYS. MOTION TO ADJOURN PASSED 5 TO 0. THANK SENIOR. THANK YOU EVERYO
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.