[EBR Library Board of Control on August 15, 2024.]
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WELCOME TO THE EAST BANG ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL.
MEETING MS. KATHY, CAN YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC OF WHICH IT SAYS LIBERTY AND JUSTICE SPRAWL.
HERE, LET THE RECORD REFLECT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA WILL BE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 18TH, 2024.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE.
DO I HAVE ANYONE? UM, OPPOSED TO MOVING ITEM SEVEN B UNDER NEW BUSINESS UP UNDER REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR UNDER SYSTEM REPORTS.
ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT CHANGE? OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS SPECIAL ORDERS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPECIAL ORDERS AT THIS TIME.
NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR.
THE FINANCIAL REPORT FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE READ BY MS. RHONDA PENSAT FOR 2024.
AS OF JULY 31ST, EXPENDITURES ARE $18,061,220 AND 83 CENTS ARE 34 POINT 28% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET THROUGH JULY.
WE SHOULD HAVE SPENT NO MORE THAN 58% OF THE BUDGET CASH COLLECTIONS FROM PROPERTY TAXES FOR 2024 REMAIN AHEAD OF THOSE COLLECTED IN 2023 AS WE ARE APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION AND THREE POINT 89% AHEAD OF THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL REPORT? THANK YOU.
NEXT WILL HAVE SYSTEM REPORTS.
ASSISTANT REPORTS WILL BE READ BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARY STEIN.
WELL, YOU SEE THE WORD FULL SCREEN THERE.
OKAY, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD.
UM, IT'S TOO SOON FOR ME TO GO INTO LOTS OF DETAILS BECAUSE I JUST RECEIVED THIS LIKE THREE MINUTES AGO.
UM, AND ANTOINETTE, DID WE GET COPIES OF THIS FOR THE BOARD YET? YES.
SO USING THE BEAN STACK APP, WHICH IS THE ONLINE APP THAT, UH, THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE TO STAY CONNECTED, UH, LOG OUR BOOKS OR OUR HOURS, OR OUR MINUTES OR OUR PAGES.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO.
YOU CAN TELL THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTION.
UH, A LOT OF MINUTES LOGGED A LOT OF BOOKS, READ A LOT OF BADGES EARNED.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SOME VITALITY WITH THE SYSTEM.
UH, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL OF THE OUTREACH NUMBERS IN MAYBE.
UH, SO THAT NUMBER OF 14,000 TOTAL WILL RISE, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT, ONCE THE OUTREACH NUMBERS COME IN, IT TAKES THEM A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION SINCE THEY DON'T VISIT THE DAYCARE CENTERS ALL 150 OF THEM EVERY DAY.
AND I'LL HAVE THOSE NUMBERS FOR THE STATE LIBRARY AS WELL AS Y'ALL NEXT, UH, NEXT MONTH.
BUT, UH, ON THE WHOLE, I LIKE TO SAY BUSINESS IS GOOD.
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WE HAD WONDERFUL PARTIES AT A FEW BRANCHES, WELL ATTENDED A LOT OF HAPPY PEOPLE.UM, THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES STAFF, UH, EVERY YEAR THEY, THEY, THEY DO SOMETHING AND THEN THEY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID AFTER IT'S OVER.
AND THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER.
SO THE NUMBER ONE THING IS HAVE MORE JUMPY THINGS AND HAVE THE FACE PAINTERS STAY LONGER.
WE HAD NO UNHAPPY PARENTS OR UNHAPPY CHILDREN, EXCEPT FOR THE ONES WHO CRIED WHEN THEY HAD TO LEAVE.
OH, WELL, ALWAYS HAPPY TO MAKE CHILDREN CRY FOR THAT REASON.
UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO SHARE ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UH, A FAMILY, THE LINDER FAMILY.
UH, THEY FINISHED THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM AND DECIDED TO MAKE IT THEIR CAUSE TO SEE IF THEY COULD BLITZ THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN ONE DAY.
AND THEY VISITED ALL 14 LOCATIONS IN A SINGLE DAY.
THEY, UH, VISITED THE CHILDREN'S AND TEEN SPACES IN EACH LIBRARY.
THEY GOT THE STAFF AT EACH LIBRARY TO TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE THERE, KIND OF LIKE IN THE LITTLE PASSPORT.
AND THEY'VE BECOME OUR NEW FAVORITE FAMILY.
IN FACT, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LENDER CHALLENGE.
AND, UH, IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE BEANS STACK APP.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO A PASSPORT WHERE YOU VISIT ALL 14 OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, OR REALLY TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND DO IT LIKE THE LENDERS DID IT IN ONE DAY.
UH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF FILM CAMPS THIS YEAR LED BY CLAY ASHE.
YOU MAY KNOW HIM ALSO AS THE CREATOR OF ZIGGY.
BUT CLAY HAS, UH, WORKED WITH OUR TEENS BEFORE ON FILM CAMPS.
AND THIS YEAR THEY WERE EVERYWHERE AND THEY PRODUCED LOTS OF SHORTS AND THEY WERE HERE FOR THEIR RED CARPET PREMIERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OSCARS OR OSCARS SUCH OSCAR LIKE CREATURES WERE HANDED OUT.
AND, UM, IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE TEENS AND THEIR FAMILIES HERE ON SOMETHING THEY COULD CELEBRATE TOGETHER.
CREATIVE STEMY STUFF, ARTISTIC, UM, COOPERATION, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND THEN SOME CONTENT AS WELL.
Y'ALL READY AND WAITING TO HELP US MOVE THE GONDOLAS FULL OF BOOKS IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN WE START ING THE SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH COLLECTION SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE INTO THEIR TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS WHILE WE WORK ON THE REAL SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY.
SO EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WITH Y'ALL.
WE ARE NOW MASTERS OF OUR OWN FATE, OKAY? 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT THE GONDOLAS AND WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO USE THEM.
AND NOW WE'LL HAVE A TRUCK WITH A LIFT GATE AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE SOMETHING THAT REALLY MOVED US ALL LAST, IT SEEMS LIKE LAST WEEK, TWO WEEKS AGO IN THIS ROOM, THE LINE STARTED IN THIS ROOM, BUT IT WENT ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE COME TO THE CAT CAFE.
WE RAN OUT OF CATS
BUT IT WASN'T JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADOPT CATS, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT CATS.
AND ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PICTURES, THIS FATHER AND SON RIGHT HERE, THAT LITTLE BOY HAS LIKED CATS.
HE'S DRAWN PICTURES OF CATS ALL HIS LIFE.
I BELIEVE HE HAS STUFFED ANIMAL CATS, BUT HE HAD NEVER ONCE MET A LIVE CAT.
AND SO THEY CAME AND THEY, THEY NOW KNOW THAT CATS ARE GOOD.
AND SOME OF THE CATS STAYED IN CAGES.
SOME OF THE CATS WERE MORE LAID BACK AND THEY WERE OUT OF THE CAGES.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO MEET THE CATS WERE VERY SMALL AND SOME WERE VERY TALL.
SO WE HAD ALL KINDS OF, OF CREATURES HERE TO SHARE IN THE LOVE OF CATS.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR CATTER DAY SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ON SATURDAY TAKE PLACE OUT AT CAT HAVEN.
AND THESE WERE CATS FROM CAT HAVEN OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
AND SO IT, IT WAS REALLY LOVELY.
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PEOPLE WERE SAD THAT THEY MISSED IT.AND THEN THEY HAD THE GALL TO SAY, CAN'T YOU DO THIS EVERY SATURDAY? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
BUT WE LIKE TO GIVE EQUAL TIME.
SO WE HAD BAYOU BUDDIES AS WELL, A DIFFERENT DAY, UH, UH, WITH, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ANIMALS THAT DO THERAPY.
UH, IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY FOR CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE ANIMALS IN THEIR LIVES, OR ADULTS WHO MISS ANIMALS IN THEIR LIVES TO HAVE A LITTLE, A LITTLE, UM, FUR TIME.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HE IS A CORGI OR NOT, BUT HE'S JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE.
UH, ONE OF THE BAYOU BUDDIES, WE HOSTED THE SYMPHONY WEEK ALL OVER THE PARISH.
UH, AND THERE YOU SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES TAKEN PLACE, UH, UH, HERE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY.
WE HOSTED THEM OVER BY THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
WE JUST SHOVE EVERYTHING OUT OF THE WAY, AND THEN WE MAKE NOISE IN THE LIBRARY.
AND SINCE THERE'S A HOLE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND FLOOR FOR THE LIGHTWELL, THE SOUND GOES UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR.
SO THIS IS, UH, SYMPHONY WEEK, AS THEY'VE DONE SEVERAL OTHER YEARS IN A ROW.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO WELCOME THE SYMPHONY.
WE WILL BE WELCOMING THEM BACK FOR BTO FEST LATER THIS FALL.
I, WE FEATURED AUTHORS LIVE AT THE LIBRARY.
I HAD MENTIONED TO YOU BEFORE THAT MICHAEL SSON WAS COMING.
THIS IS, UH, A MAN WHO IS BLIND, WHO SURVIVED NINE 11 WITH HIS GUIDE DOG.
UM, THE NAME OF THE BOOK WAS THUNDER DOG.
AND HE'S WRITTEN ANOTHER BOOK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUT VERY SOON, UH, ABOUT HOW TO SHARE WITH CHILDREN WHAT IT'S LIKE WITH A, A SERVICE DOG.
AND KIND OF LIKE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SERVICE DOG.
IT WAS AN INTERESTING PROGRAM.
COMING UP THIS VERY WEEK, WE'LL BE HOSTING A FORENSIC DNA SYMPOSIUM, DECODING STORIES, DNA AND GENETIC GENEALOGY.
IF YOU LOVE TRUE CR TRUE CRIME, YOU SHOULD COME.
IF YOU'RE FASCINATED BY FAMILY STORIES, YOU SHOULD COME.
IF YOU'RE FASCINATED BY THE INNOCENCE PROJECT, YOU SHOULD COME.
IT'S GONNA BE, UH, AN ALL DAY WORKSHOP.
WE WON'T BE PROVIDING LUNCH, BUT YOU'LL BE EXCUSED.
AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME FOOD TRUCKS HERE, BUT WE'RE SURROUNDED BY FOOD, AS YOU KNOW.
ALSO COMING SOON, THE BATON ROUGE ROOM IS HAVING REAL TRACTION WITH THEIR PROGRAMS ON BATON ROUGE HISTORY AND THEIR EXHIBITS.
AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BATON ROUGE NEXT WEEK, UH, HERE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY.
AND THEN NEXT SATURDAY, NOT THIS SATURDAY, BUT NEXT SATURDAY, WE'RE WELCOMING INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN AUTHOR ALKA YOSHI FOR A MORNING PRESENTATION ON HER WORK.
UM, SHE'S THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST AND MANY OTHER WONDERFUL BESTSELLING BOOKS, THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS, THE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPUR.
THESE ARE HISTORICAL SET FROM THE FIFTIES ON.
UH, WE START IN INDIA, WE GO TO EUROPE.
SHE RECORDED A LITTLE TIKTOK KIND OF VIDEO FOR US THAT WE HAVE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, AND IT'S LINKED TO HER PAGE.
UH, I I WANT TO REASSURE YOU THAT, UM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD SHE SAYS.
SHE SPEAKS MORE CLEARLY THAN I DO COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER.
THIS IS A STEM AND STEAM KIND OF PRODUCTION, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR ALL THOSE RELUCTANT READERS OR PARENTS OF RELUCTANT READERS, JERRY OTTA, THE AUTHOR OF WHO WOULD WIN, IS GOING TO BE HERE.
REMEMBER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES AT NIGHT.
WE'LL HAVE A PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, WRITERS, STORYTELLERS, OR JUST ADVENTURES THE NEXT DAY.
AND THE SPECIAL ZOOM CALL WITH JERRY AND ALL OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE MORNING ON THURSDAY.
YOU HAVE TO CONTACT THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES STAFF TO GET THAT SECRET ZOOM LINK BECAUSE IT'LL BE ON A KIND OF A CLOSED ZOOM ACCOUNT.
I'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM PARENTS AND KIDS, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE SWOOPED UP AND PICKED UP THE BOOK AND THEY SAID, I LOVE HIM.
ANYTHING THAT GETS A KID TO READ, WE LOVE
UH, COMING UP SOON, WE'LL BE WORKING AT THE CONNECTING EAST BATON ROUGE NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENTION, ALSO IN SEPTEMBER.
MELISSA EASTON, OUR ARCHIVIST, WILL BE PRESENTING THERE ON TELLING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES.
ANDREW TAMAN WITH OUR CITY KEY AND OPEN DATA
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KIND OF RESEARCH ARM OF IT, WILL BE THERE TO SHARE WHAT THE LIBRARY PROVIDES AS FAR AS LEARNING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN ARMING YOURSELF WITH DATA THAT HELPS YOU MAKE A A, A GOOD DECISION OR A POSITIVE CHANGE.UH, IT'S GONNA BE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER DONE IT.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING A REALLY ROBUST SESSION, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
UH, OUR NEW PROGRAMMING LIBRARIAN, BRANDON RILEY, HAS PUT TOGETHER A SERIES CALLED THE BILL OF OBLIGATIONS.
THIS IS BASED ON AN LPB SERIES, A CITIZENS GUIDE TO PRESERVING DEMOCRACY.
NOT A SERIES, UH, A DOCUMENTARY, WHICH IN TURN LINKS ON THE BOOK, THE BILL OF OBLIGATIONS BY RICHARD HAASS.
RICHARD HAASS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE GOT, UH, WE GOT 10, 10 RIGHTS IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS, BUT THAT SHOULD CORRESPOND TO 10 OBLIGATIONS.
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS CITIZENS TO PRESERVE DEMOCRACY.
SO HE BROKE IT DOWN INTO 10 HABITS, AND BRANDON BROKE IT DOWN INTO FIVE WEDNESDAYS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MODERATOR FROM THE GENERAL, UH, PUBLIC, SOMEONE THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF WILL HELP US WITH EACH ONE OF THESE SERIES.
UH, AS WE KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN, WE'LL SHOW THE, DO THE DOCUMENTARY EACH WEEK, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT FOLLOWED BY THE DISCUSSION BASED ON TWO HABITS OF THE SERIES.
SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND POLITICS ARE ON EVERYBODY'S MIND.
WE ARE GOING TO BE HOSTING VOTING DRIVES WITH THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS.
WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING SOME OTHER PROGRAMS, SOME FOR TEENAGERS.
UM, TAMIKA SET UP SOMETHING BIG AT RIVER CENTER FOR KIND OF LIKE A TEEN CITIZENS DAY WITH MOCK ELECTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING SOME OTHER PROGRAMS WITH, UH, LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS.
SO WE JUST WANNA TAKE THIS FALL AS AN OPPORTUNITY, KIND OF STARTING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENTION TO THINK ABOUT WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHAT DO WE WANT OUR COMMUNITIES TO LOOK LIKE? I KNOW WHAT I WANT MY COMMUNITY TO LOOK LIKE, AND I WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE A VERY NA NOISY, HAPPY MAKER SPACE.
UH, I TOLD SOMEONE, UM, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MAKING GOING ON, AND I FEEL LIKE ELVIS SHOULD BE IN THE BUILDING.
BUT, UH, WE STILL HAVE THAT CALL FOR MAKERS OPEN AND THEY'RE STARTING TO COME IN WITH, UH, MORE AND MORE INTERESTING IDEAS ON HOW TO HIGHLIGHT MUSIC AND SCIENCE AND STEM AND STEAM ACTIVITY.
THERE WILL BE SOME PERFORMANCES, THERE'LL BE SOME MAKING, THERE'LL BE SOME TAKING.
AND OFF TO THE SIDE, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU OUR NEWEST, UH, OUR NEWEST PLANTINGS HERE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY.
BRECK HAS THE GORGEOUS GARDENS.
SO WE'VE PUT THOSE UP AND WITHIN, I WANNA SAY 15 MINUTES OF THE CAUTION TAPE COMING DOWN.
A CHILD WAS ALREADY FINDING THE MALLET AND, UH, BEATING, MAKING THE DRUM SOUND.
LIBRARIES CHANGED LIVE FEATURES THIS MONTH.
REALLY A FUN SERIES ON HER, WHETHER YOU'VE SEEN IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ON YOUTUBE, OR IN THE NEWSLETTER, THE VIRTUAL AUTHOR SERIES.
WE HAD REALLY GOOD, UH, FEEDBACK WITH THE KIDS AUTHORS THAT WE HAD IN JULY.
AND WONDERFUL NEW SET IN AUGUST THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
UH, SOME WONDERFUL FRIENDS OF THE COMMUNITY, TREY GODFREY AND WILL GREEN WILL BE OUR SPEAKERS AT STRICTLY BUSINESS.
AND AS A REMINDER, THAT NEW ONLINE CALENDAR, UH, CLICKS OPEN WHERE IT SAYS THE EVENTS CALENDAR AND THAT LETS YOU SEARCH, FILTER, UH, REGISTER AND DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS THERE.
UH, ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO THROW OUT AT YOU.
UH, I TALKED ABOUT HOW THE BATON ROUGE ROOM IS JUST SEEING MORE AND MORE TRACTION WITH THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE'RE HAVING MORE AND MORE RESEARCHERS COME THROUGH.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW IN 2, 2, 5 AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE, IN LAST WEEK'S PAPER, THE HISTORY OF WHERE DID GO TIGERS COME FROM G-E-A-U-X.
WELL, OF COURSE, THE BATON ROUGE ROOM WAS PART OF THAT ANSWER.
AND IN 2, 2 5 MAGAZINE, TIGER STADIUM TURNS 100, CHRONICLING THE HISTORY.
UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PART OF THAT TOO.
I'M GOING THROUGH PHOTO COURTESY, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY, PHOTO
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COURTESY, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY.IT'S A COLLECTION THAT'S CONSTANTLY EXPANDING.
AND THE MORE PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE IT, THE MORE THEY THINK, HEY, I SHOULD BRING THOSE PHOTOS IN.
THE ONES THAT WERE IN MY GREAT, MY GRANDMOTHER'S TOP DRAWER IN THE ATTIC OR IN THE CLOSET, UH, SAVE THEM, PRESERVE THEM AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO THEM FOR YEARS TO COME.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE AS WE, AS WE PREDICTED, THE MORE WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY, THE MORE WE CAN PRESERVE OUR PRECIOUS PAST.
UH, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN BILLBOARDS UP TELLING PEOPLE TO UPDATE THEIR CHILD'S CARDS.
POSTCARDS WENT OUT, UPDATE YOUR CHILD'S CARDS, EESS WENT OUT, UPDATE YOUR CHILD'S CARDS.
UH, THUS FAR, ABOUT 10%, ONLY 10% HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
SO WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AGO, BUT I'M KIND OF HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT OF THOSE UPDATED CARDS, THE PERCENTAGE IS STAYING THE SAME.
ONLY 1.47% OF OUR PARENTS ARE CHOOSING THE MOST RESTRICTED CARD CATEGORY.
THEY ARE CHOOSING TO STAY WITH THE CATEGORY THEY ALREADY HAD OR EVEN MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT LESS RESTRICTED.
SO TO ME, THAT MEANS WE WERE ON THE RIGHT TRACK ALL ALONG.
AND I'M SAD THAT OUR PARENTS HAVE TO BE INCONVENIENCED.
AND I'M VERY SAD WHEN THE CHILDREN AREN'T ALLOWED TO CHECK OUT BOOKS.
AND THAT IS HAPPENING AND WE'RE TRACKING IT.
AND EVEN THE MOST LUDICROUS, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THE MOST LUDICROUS EXAMPLE, A 16-YEAR-OLD MOTHER CAME TO THE LIBRARY, BUT HER MOTHER WASN'T WITH HER.
SO SHE COULDN'T GET A CARD UPDATED, BUT SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF THE BABY.
SO THE BABY COULD GET A CARD, ONE OF THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL WE'LL BE DEALING WITH FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS.
JUST TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS, UPDATE THEIR CARDS.
ALONG WITH THE, UM, THE VOTER, THE, THE, THE, UH, CIVIC SECTION, UH, I THINK THAT THERE GOING TO BE, UH, QUESTIONS FOR REFERENCE AND WHATEVER ABOUT NEW VOTING LEGISLATION THAT PASSED.
YES, THERE WAS LEGISLATION ON WHO COULD, UM, WHO CAN REGISTER DO ABSENT TO ABSENTEE BALLOTS, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, TO GET PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMETHING ON THE, THE SITE.
HOPEFULLY THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS ALREADY PUT THIS OUT.
UM, BUT YOUR PEOPLE'S FIRST NUMBER TO CALL IS THE, THE LIBRARY OR FIRST, YOU KNOW, TO, TO I'LL JUST CALL THE LIBRARY AND FIND OUT.
RIGHT? SO WHERE'S, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT ALL THAT THAT BE UPDATED AND YES.
AND KNOWLEDGEABLE SO, UH, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE CAN STILL VOTE.
UM, ABSOLUTELY, ESPECIALLY THE ABSENTEE.
UM, THE LEGISLATION IS, UM, WILL BE FOR FOLKS WHO'VE LONG VOTED ABSENTEE, IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE.
AND ALSO YOU CAN'T, IF YOUR CIVIC GROUP LIKES TO REGISTER, GO OUT AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT THEY CALL IT, GO OUT AND GET THE VOTE.
UH, YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT ANYMORE.
YOU HAVE TO BE VETTED THROUGH, THROUGH THE REGISTRAR VOTERS.
YOU CAN'T JUST DECIDE YOU'RE GONNA GO BRING FORMS AND GET PEOPLE'S NAMES.
UH, THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR VOTERS RIGHT IN TOWN.
THEY'RE GONNA DO IT AT EVERY SINGLE LOCATION.
AND IT'S, IT'S SO EASY, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY HAVE TO TRY TO NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, EVEN WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION THERE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW AND GET YOUR DEADLINES DONE.
AND OF COURSE, THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS HAS THAT AT THEIR FINGERTIPS.
AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE, IT IS ROBUST.
SO WE'RE, WE ARE BLESSED IN THAT WAY.
BUT I'LL, I WILL REMIND PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
WE GET QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHERE ARE THE FORUMS? WHERE ARE THE DEBATES? WHERE ARE THE MEET THE CANDIDATES? UM, AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, IF, IF A GROUP WANTS TO HAVE A MEET THE CANDIDATE IN THEIR MEETING, THEY CERTAINLY MAY WE JUST ASK THAT THEY ASK ALL THE
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CANDIDATES.THEY DON'T ALL HAVE TO COME, BUT THEY SHOULD ALL BE ASKED.
AND SO EVERY NOW AND THEN, YOU MAY SEE THAT HAPPENING.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD? UM, YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I CONGRATULATE, UH, THE LENDER FAMILY.
I TRY AND MAKE MY ROUNDS TO THE LIBRARIES.
I'VE NEVER MADE ALL OF THEM IN ONE DAY.
THAT'S ABOUT THE BEST I'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO DO.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THEY'RE USING OUR SYSTEM TILL IT'S FULLEST APPARENTLY.
UM, ALSO WAS HOPING BRYCE WAS GONNA BE HERE, UH, AT THE ZACHARY BRANCH.
I MET ASHLEY CLARK, I BELIEVE HER NAME IS.
OUR BRANCH MANAGER, ASHLEY CLARK, SHE'S THE BRANCH MANAGER.
I WAS JUST WALKING AROUND AND CHECKING THINGS OUT.
UM, AND A NUMBER OF THE COMPUTERS HAD A PIECE OF PAPER TAPED TO THEM THAT THEY COULD FLOP BACK AND FORTH.
'CAUSE APPARENTLY THEY'D BEEN HAVING SOME SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THEIR COMPUTERS, UH, AND THE NETWORK NOT WORKING.
AND SHE HAD A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.
SO I WAS GONNA ASK, UH, BRYCE TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO HER.
UH, APPARENTLY THEY'RE WORKING AND HAD BEEN WORKING GOOD FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, SO THAT WAS A REMNANT FROM ANOTHER ISSUE.
BUT SHE HAD A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT SHE WANTED TO OKAY.
IF YOU WOULD HAVE A BRACE TO REACH OUT TO HER AND MAKE SURE THAT HER NEEDS ARE BEING MET.
THAT I WOULD TRY AND PASS THAT ON AS WELL.
UM, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS GREAT.
I DROVE BY THE SOUTH BRANCH TODAY.
OH, LORI GONNA HAVE A GOOD REPORT.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT UNDER SYSTEM REPORTS.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE, THE DISCUSSION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD LITERACY PILOT IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY MR. DARRYL HURS.
HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? HELLO? SO THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS SAY, HEY, I'M GONNA JAM THE DAY.
I WANNA GO FIRST AND THEN SHOW UP LATE AND END UP GOING LAST.
BUT I DO THANK, I DO THANK EVERYBODY FOR ACCOMMODATING, UM, THE TIME.
AND I REAL, I WILL HAVE TO JET RIGHT BACK OUT TODAY'S ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
UH, BUT TWO THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND I WANNA HIT BOTH OF 'EM AT THE SAME TIME JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM.
IS THAT OKAY? 'CAUSE THEY BOTH, UH, ARE AROUND LITERACY.
SO HISTORICALLY DONE A PROGRAM CALLED LITERATURE AND LAYUPS AND PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY'S BASKETBALL TEAM.
SO I WENT TO SCHOOLS IN NORTH BATON ROUGE WHO, UH, WELL, THE LITERACY RATES WEREN'T AS STRONG.
AND THIRD THROUGH SIXTH GRADE, WE WOULD TELL THEM, HEY, YOU HAVE AN OPTION TO READ A BOOK AT GRADE OR READING LEVEL.
'CAUSE NOT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME.
AND IF THEY DID A BOOK REPORT ALL VOLUNTARY, THEN WE, WE WOULD PROVIDE AN IN-SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAMP AND WE WOULD PROVIDE FOOD RESOURCES, GREAT FUN DAY FOR THE KIDS, AND WE WOULD HAVE TONS OF PARTICIPATION.
SO KIDS WHO NEVER READ A BOOK BEFORE WOULD DO ONE JUST TO BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
AND THE GOAL WAS TO READ SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO SPARK READING, UM, OR CONSISTENT READING OF BOOKS IN WHATEVER SUBJECT MATTER TOUCHES YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND.
RIGHT? AND SO THAT WAS THE FIRST PROGRAM, AND I'M ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR THAT.
I WANNA PICK THREE SCHOOLS AND NORMALLY COSTS ABOUT $2,500.
AND IT'S PROBABLY OVER BUDGETING, BY THE WAY.
UM, SIX BASKETBALL PLAYERS AT SOUTHERN TYPICALLY.
AND THEN THE FOOD, THE FOOD ITSELF.
AND THEN WE DO T-SHIRTS FOR THE KIDS.
UM, SO TOTAL 7,500, UM, THAT WOULD BE THREE SCHOOLS.
AND THEN THE OTHER PROGRAM WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE EXTREMELY AWARE OF.
I TOLD EVERYBODY, I'M UNAPOLOGETICALLY TELLING EVERYBODY, I'M ONLY HERE.
SO LITTLE KIDS IN NORTH BATON ROUGE CAN READ.
BECAUSE BY THIRD GRADE, IF THAT'S WHY WE USE THIRD THROUGH FIFTH, I SAID SIXTH, BUT I'M MEANT FIFTH EARLIER LITERACY RATE IS NOT THERE.
THE BUILDING JAIL CELLS BY EIGHT, BY EIGHTH GRADE.
IF THEY DON'T READ, THEY DETERMINE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PRISON.
BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T READ AND COMPREHEND, YOU CAN'T GET A JOB AND BE FULLY AND GAINFULLY EMPLOYED WITH A LIVABLE WAGE.
SO NOW EITHER WORKING THREE OR FOUR JOBS, OR YOU WORKING AND THEN DOING SOMETHING ELSE TO MAKE SURE YOU SUPPLEMENT THE GAP, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN READ, WRITE, AND, UH, AT SOME POINT DO MATH EQUATIONS AS WELL.
BECAUSE THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO HELPS STOP CRIME, BUT ALSO HELPS GROWTH OF OUR ECONOMY, LONG TERM CHANGING HOUSEHOLD MEDIAN INCOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I PARTNERED, UH, WITH AMBER ALEXIS WITH GO LEARN.
AND HER PARTNER IS, UM, IS, UH, ERIC WITH, UH,
[00:30:01]
BR STEM.AND BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, THEY GO IN, THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY IN A NUMBER OF AREAS THIS SUMMER.
SO AMBER DOES BOTH READING AND, UH, A READING COMPREHENSION AND MATHEMATICS.
AND I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THE MATH DE SUMMER CAMP WITH BRPD THIS SUMMER.
UH, WE HAD GO LEARN THERE WAS IT EVERY DAY FOR MONDAY, THURSDAY, FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT, SO IF WE SHOWED YOU THE SHEET, AND WE HAVE KIDS NAME ON IT, SO WE CAN'T, BUT THE RIGHT THERE WAS A NAME.
IT WAS A GRADE, AND THEN IT WAS A READING LEVEL.
THE AVERAGE WAS AT ABOUT WHATEVER THEIR GRADE IS.
READING LEVEL WAS HALF OF THAT.
SO IF IT WAS EIGHTH GRADE, READING LEVEL WAS FOURTH.
AND I PROMISE YOU IF YOU GO TO READING COMPREHENSION, IT'S PROBABLY WORSE.
AND SO AMBER'S GOING TO COME UP, TELL YOU ABOUT GO LEARN WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THIS WILL BE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE BAT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY DEALING WITH ZION TERRACE.
OKAY? IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE HIGHEST CRIME AREAS IN BATON ROUGE.
IT'S GUS YOUNG BROOKSTOWN, AND THEN ZION CITY, UM, WITH BRE COMBINATION BETWEEN SYSTEMS, THEIR PARKS COM, ALSO EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, NEW SUPERINTENDENT, UH, LAMONT COLE AND THE LIBRARY ALONG WITH MY COUNCIL DISTRICT KIND OF BLENDING ALL OF THAT BECAUSE IT IS THERE AND IT IS A HUGE NEED SO THAT WE CAN MEASURE THE DATA TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO ALL AROUND THE PARISH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WHEN PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE LEARNING, THEY DO WELL.
NOW, ONE, THE ONLY ONE THING I WILL SAY IS, UH, RICHARD LIPSEY WITH LIPSEY FIREARMS HAS SPOKEN WITH MYSELF AND MARY IN THE PAST AND ME RECENTLY ABOUT WANTING TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THE KIDS IN THESE PROGRAMS TO MAKE THEM WANT TO READ.
AND SO AMBER AND I HAVE COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF INCENTIVES.
SO IF IT'S THE WINTER TIME, WE'LL HAVE PARENT PARTICIPATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED OUT OF IT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS.
AND SHE'LL EXPLAIN WHAT THE PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE.
UH, AND $200 PER PARENT WILL GO TOWARDS THEIR KIDS' CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
AND THEN IF IT'S IN THE SPRINGTIME, WE WANT TO TAKE A TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO TO TAKE KIDS WHO'VE NEVER BEEN OUTTA THAT FOUR CORNERS OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO OUT OF THE FOUR CORNERS OF OUR STATE, AND THEN DO EITHER SEA WORLD OR SLITTER BOND OR SOMETHING, MAYBE A DAY TRIP, WORST CASE SCENARIO, AN OVERNIGHT TRIP WITH PARENTAL, UH, GUIDANCE THERE WITH US TO GIVE THAT FAMILY AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE GO ON THEIR FIRST VACATION.
AND SO HE UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE, THE IMPACT, AND HAS COMMITTED HIS TIME, RESOURCES, AND, UH, AND FINANCES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND THERE'S ENOUGH FINANCES TO GO AROUND, BY THE WAY.
SO HOLD ON, TURN OVER TO AMBER.
SO I AM GOING TO, UM, DO A PRETTY DETAILED OVERVIEW OF, UM, THE ACTUAL LITERACY, UM, PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
ABR ALEXIS, UH, BEEN IN EDUCATION OVER 14 YEARS NOW.
UM, I CREATED GO LEARN BECAUSE, UM, I INITIALLY STARTED MY EDUCATION CAREER IN ADULT ED AND, UM, WE WOULD HAVE STUDENTS 16 TO 70, UM, COME IN THAT NEEDED TO GET THEIR GEDS.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHEN I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT SKILL GAPS AND LEARNING.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, UM, ACTUALLY HAVE THEM COME IN, DO A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT, SEE WHERE THEY ARE, UM, AND THEN ACTUALLY TAKE THEM FROM THEIR LEVEL AND THEN MOVE THEM FROM THERE SO THAT WAY THAT THEY COULD PROGRESS SO THAT THEY COULD PASS THE ACTUAL, UH, GED TEST.
UM, SO SINCE THEN, UM, FIRST 10 YEARS, WE DID ONLY PRIVATE TUTORING ONLY, UM, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS SINCE COVID, I'VE ACTUALLY, UM, PARTNERED WITH A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS.
I WON'T READ ALL OF THEM TO YOU.
UM, THIS SUMMER SPECIFICALLY, WE DID SUMMER ENRICHMENT MATH AND ELA, UH, ACADEMICS FOR BATON ROUGE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I DID A WEEK OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING, UH, PARTNERING WITH BR STEM, UM, ALSO URBAN LEAGUE.
AND GLEN OAKS SECURITY DADS, UM, CONTRACTED WITH US TO DO A CT PREP FOR SCOTLANDVILLE HIGH AND GLEN OAKS HIGH SCHOOL.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF READING DATA.
UM, THE LAST, UM, DATA THAT CAME OUT FOR READING FROM THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, UM, FOURTH GRADE NUMBERS, ONLY 28% OF STUDENTS IN LOUISIANA ARE PROFICIENT AT READING.
ALL RIGHT? SO, UM, AND ABOUT THE
[00:35:01]
SAME NUMBER FOR EIGHTH GRADE, 27%.AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BRING THAT TO REALITY, IF LIKE THE FOUR OF YOU STOOD UP
OKAY? UM, OUR 20 23, 20 24 LEAP SCORES JUST RECENTLY COME, CAME OUT.
AND SO FOR K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENTS ON AVERAGE, THIS IS, UM, THE MATH AND READING.
ON AVERAGE, 78% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL, NOT, OKAY.
SO, UM, THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THE FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY LAB.
UM, IT TAKES STUDENTS ON A DIGITAL JOURNEY, UM, THROUGH DIFFERENT LESSONS.
WE START OFF WITH DOING A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT.
UM, I NEED TO THIS IN MY HAND.
UM, WE START OFF DOING A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND OUR FOCUS AREAS ARE ALPHABET SOUNDS, DOLCH, SIGHT WORDS, PHONICS, BLENDING, AND FIND FOUNDATIONAL READING.
UM, AND SO THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING FOUNDATIONAL READING IS BECAUSE BEFORE WE CAN EVEN GET TO COMPREHENDING WHAT WE READ, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO READ, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE START OFF WITH, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS JUST BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR LETTERS, KNOWING THE SOUNDS OF THEIR LETTERS, UM, RECOGNIZING SIGHT WORDS, OF COURSE, PHONICS, PHONEMIC AWARENESS.
UM, AND THEN WE PROGRESS TO THE ACTUAL READING FLUENCY.
AND THEN AFTER WE, UM, PROGRESS FROM READING FLUENCY, THEN THAT'S WHEN WE CAN START WITH COMPREHENSION.
UM, BECAUSE IN ORDER FOR OUR STUDENTS TO COMPREHEND, THEY CAN READ A SENTENCE, BUT IF THEY DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ADJECTIVE OR A VERB OR NOUN, UM, THEY CAN'T COMPREHEND THE SENTENCE.
OKAY? UM, SO WE INFUSE SOME LANGUAGE.
OKAY? SO I CAN READ A SENTENCE, BUT IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORDS ACTUALLY MEAN, THEN I STILL CAN'T COMPREHEND.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH, UM, THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, STUDENTS WILL COME TWICE PER WEEK, UM, FOR TUTORING SESSIONS.
SO THERE'LL BE TWO WEEKLY TUTORING SESSIONS ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS.
UM, WE ALWAYS START OFF OUR FIRST, MAYBE SECOND SESSION.
THEY'LL DO A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT.
OKAY? AND SO THAT ASSESSMENT, UM, WILL LET ME KNOW, OUR TEAM KNOW EXACTLY WHAT FUNCTIONING GRADE LEVEL, UM, THAT THEY'RE ON.
UM, THE SESSIONS WILL, UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY KIND OF ADJUSTED THE TIMES.
WE MOST LIKELY, WE'LL MAYBE DO FOUR 30 TO SIX 30, UM, BASED ON THE SCHEDULE WITH THE HOUSING, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'LL BE AT, WHICH WILL BE THE ZION TERRACE, BRECK, AND THEN ALSO WITH THE BOOKMOBILE.
ALL RIGHT? SO TUTORING MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
UM, THE NEXT SHEET, THIS ONE IS KIND OF SMALL, BUT YOU DO HAVE, UM, THE SESSION AGENDA.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT A SESSION LOOKS LIKE, STUDENTS WILL ARRIVE, UM, AND SO THEY WILL EACH RECEIVE A TABLET.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY IS ONE-TO-ONE, OKAY? THEY EACH RECEIVE TABLET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM.
THEY'LL RECEIVE SOME EARBUDS, AND THEN THEY CAN PICK THEIR LITTLE EARBUD CASE.
AND, UM, AND SO THEY'LL RECEIVE THIS EVERY, EVERY TIME.
UM, WE DO A GROWTH MINDSET ABOUT, IT TAKES ABOUT THREE MINUTES.
SO OUR STUDENTS SAY THE PLEDGE, I BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND MY ABILITY TODAY, I WILL DO MY BEST TO BE MY BEST.
I WILL LISTEN, I WILL FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
I WILL LEARN SOMETHING TODAY, I WILL BE KIND TO MYSELF.
SO WE SAY OUR STUDENT PLEDGE, AND WE DO THIS TOGETHER, AND THEN WE SAY, I CAN STATEMENTS, AND SO THEY RECITE.
I CAN LEARN, I CAN FOCUS, I CAN RESPECT MYSELF AND OTHERS.
UM, AND WE'VE JUST FOUND THAT THIS IS A GOOD, YOU KNOW, JUST A GOOD THING TO START OFF OUR SESSIONS WITH EVERYBODY CONFIDENT THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE SESSION, UM, DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SESSION AGENDA, WE HAVE A READING REFLECTIONS.
AND SO THAT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
UM, IT MAY BE A WRITING PROMPT.
UM, IT COULD BE A SHORT, UM, PASSAGE WHERE THEY HAVE TO ANSWER A COUPLE QUESTIONS, OR IT MAY BE AN ACTUAL READING FLUENCY DRILL.
NEXT WE DO OUR LEARNING SPRINT.
ALL RIGHT? SO WE'RE PROPOSING THIS FOR UP TO 30 KIDS.
AND SO THE STUDENTS WOULD BE GROUPED, UM, TWO SEPARATE GROUPS.
WE'LL HAVE A GROUP OF 15, GROUP B, UH, A GROUP OF 15.
AND SO THE FIRST GROUP WILL DO LITERACY TUTORING FOR THE FIRST HOUR WHILE THE GROUP B IS DOING HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE FOR THAT FIRST HOUR.
WE'LL DO A BRAIN BREAK WHERE WE WILL SERVE DINNER.
UM, THEY CAN GO TO THE RESTROOM BREAK AT THAT TIME, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO OUR SECOND LEARNING SPRINT.
AND SO OF COURSE, THEY WOULD SWITCH.
SO NOW GROUP B IS DOING TUTORING, AND
[00:40:01]
NOW GROUP A IS, EXCUSE ME, GROUP B IS DOING HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE.AND NOW GROUP A IS DOING, UM, I'M STILL SAYING IT WRONG, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
OKAY? AND THEN, SO TO END THE SESSION, WE ALWAYS DO AN EXIT TICKET.
UM, AND OUR EXIT TICKETS ARE TARGETED FOR STANDARDIZED TEST PREP.
OKAY? SO EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE ON GRADE LEVEL, WE STILL WANT TO INFUSE SOME TEST TAKING STRATEGIES AND STANDARDIZED TEST PREP.
'CAUSE NO MATTER WHAT GRADE THEY'RE IN, THIRD GRADE AND UP FOR OUR AGE RANGE, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME TYPE OF EYE LEAP OR LEAP TEST.
AND SO THEN WE'LL CONTINUE, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE ASSESSMENT.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO, UM, PROGRESS MONITORING.
UM, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE SOFTWARE THAT WE USE IS THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE DOING IN REAL TIME.
OKAY? SO IF WE NOTICE THAT A STUDENT IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE STRUGGLING ON A PARTICULAR STORY OR A PARTICULAR SKILL, WE CAN ACTUALLY INTERVENE RIGHT THEN.
OKAY? UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE PROGRESS REPORTS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM, AND THEN WE'LL DO ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT AT THE END.
UM, SO THIS IS A NEW PART OF THIS PROGRAM THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING AN INCENTIVE SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, KIDS THESE DAYS, THEY NEED SOME TYPE OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION, RIGHT? UM, AND SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO FACILITATE THIS PROGRAM WHERE BASED ON THEIR ATTENDANCE, BASED ON THEIR PARTICIPATION, UM, THEY WILL RECEIVE, UM, GO LEARN BUCKS.
I WISH I HAD A PICTURE FROM THE SUMMER WHEN WE DID PAYDAY, BECAUSE THE, LIKE, THE MONEY IT LOOKS, IT LOOKS SO REAL.
UM, AND SO THE KIDS ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT RECEIVING, UM, THEIR GO LEARN BUCKS.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE A TIERED, UM, PRIZE SYSTEM.
AND SO OF COURSE WE WOULD WANT THEM, THE IDEAS FOR THEM TO SAVE UP TO THE BIGGER PRIZES.
BUT, UM, WE'LL HAVE DIFFERENT TIERS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY EARN $30, MAYBE IT'S ONE PRIZE, BUT MAYBE THEY BANK IT AND WAIT UNTIL THEY EARN $60 TO TO, TO GET A, A MORE, UM, A BETTER PRIZE.
ALL RIGHT? AND SO OUR THIRD SESSION OF THE WEEK WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE.
SO STUDENTS HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN TUTORING ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO OUR READING JAM SESSIONS.
UM, EACH FRIDAY WE'LL HAVE LIKE A DIFFERENT THEME.
SO ONE SE UH, FRIDAY, IT MAY BE A PIZZA PARTY, MAYBE IT'S A MOVIE NIGHT.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO INCORPORATE THE BOOKMOBILE, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO STILL ASSOCIATE READING AS FUN.
UM, AND SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CHECK OUT BOOKS, UM, FROM THE MOBILE AS WELL, AND SPECIFIC BOOKS ON THEIR READING LEVEL.
SO WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST CHECKING OUR BOOKS BLINDLY BECAUSE OF THE READING PROGRAM, AND WE KNOW IT WON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT LEVELS THEY'RE ON.
WE CAN ACTUALLY TARGET THEIR BOOK SELECTIONS, UM, THREE SESSIONS.
UM, THREE SATURDAYS WILL BE DEVOTED TO PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS.
SO WHAT WE FOUND OVER THE YEARS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT, UM, THAT ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS TIED TO PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.
SO WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF PARENTS WANT TO BE INVOLVED, THEY WANT TO BE ENGAGED, BUT THEY JUST DON'T KNOW HOW.
OKAY? AND SO THAT'S WHAT THESE SESSIONS WILL BE FOR.
UM, AND WE'LL GO OVER, UM, THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER, COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL, UM, HOW MANY PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES YOU REALLY SHOULD BE HAVING, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY JUST WANNA GIVE THEM A BLUEPRINT OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO, UM, TO, TO, TO INCREASE THE SUCCESS OF THEIR CHILDREN.
UM, EVEN THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO AT HOME.
AND SO WE'LL DO THREE OF THOSE, ONE EACH IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL.
ALL RIGHT? UM, SO IN YOUR FOLDERS, AND I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE A COPY FOR EVERYBODY, BUT IN YOUR FOLDERS, UM, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UM, YOU WILL SEE WE ACTUALLY DID THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE THE PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AND THE, UM, GO LEARN INCENTIVE PROGRAM PILOT.
UM, IF YOU, RIGHT NEXT TO THE, THAT NUMBER IS THE GRADE THAT THE STUDENT, ALRIGHT, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I
[00:45:02]
NUMBER NEXT TO THEIR NAME, GRADE, AND THEN THAT SECOND COLUMN.OKAY? AND SO THEN THE FIRST COLUMN IS AFTER.
SO FOR READING THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM, WE ACTUALLY STARTED OFF WITH ALL MATH.
UM, AND THEN IT WENT FROM FEBRUARY, 2022 TO FEBRUARY, 2023.
UM, IN AUGUST OF 2022 IS WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO, UM, ADD THE READING PORTION TO IT.
UM, SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS.
UM, BUT YOU DO SEE THAT WE HAD, WE, WE HAD SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD GROWTH.
UM, THEY HAD TWO SESSIONS A WEEK.
AND SO AT THAT POINT WE WERE SPLITTING THE SESSIONS BETWEEN MATH AND READING.
SO THAT GROWTH IS ONLY ONE SESSION A WEEK, WHEREAS THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TWO THAT, AND WE WOULD FOCUS ON READING FOR BOTH SESSIONS.
UM, THE NEXT TWO PAGES YOU'LL SEE SOME STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I COULDN'T GO THROUGH
SO IT JUST KIND OF SHOWS THE, THE PROGRESS THAT THEY MADE IN THOSE FIVE MONTHS.
AND SO OUR KPIS FOR THE PROGRAM, UM, NUMBER ONE, HIGH DOSAGE, OKAY? THERE NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST TWO SESSIONS PER WEEK FOR AT LEAST 60 MINUTES.
OKAY? UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERY STUDENT NEEDS TO BE ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING PATH PATH THAT IS BASED UPON A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT, RIGHT? SO WE DO THE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A GROUP OF STUDENTS IN THE ROOM, STILL, EVERYONE IS WORKING ON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLAN.
SO IF MS. MARY NEEDS TO WORK ON PHONICS, SHE'S GONNA BE ON PHONICS.
AND MS. KATRINA NEEDS TO, IF YOU WORKING ON A ACTUAL READING SKILL, MAYBE IT'S MAIN IDEA, UM, CAUSE AND EFFECT.
SO EVERY STUDENT IS WORKING ON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLAN.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE CONSISTENCY.
THE KIDS HAVE TO SHOW UP, THEY HAVE TO COME.
AND SO WITH THOSE RESULTS, THE STUDENTS THAT GREW THE MOST WERE THE STUDENTS THAT WERE CONSISTENT THAT CAME, YOU KNOW, TO, TO EVERY SESSION.
AND THEN OF COURSE RELATIONSHIP.
UM, SO I AM EVEN AS YOUNG AS I AM, BECAUSE I'M ALMOST TELL MY AGE, I'M YOUNG, BUT I AM, I'M AN OLD SCHOOL TEACHER.
AND SO I TREAT KIDS LIKE THEY MIND, OKAY? AND SO, AND, AND ALL OF OUR LEARNING COACHES DO AS WELL.
AND SO RELATIONSHIP IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY WANNA FEEL COMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY WOULD GET EXCITED, YOU KNOW, TO COME.
AND SO, UM, AS LONG AS WE HAVE ENOUGH TUTORING SESSIONS, WE HAVE THE CONSISTENCY, THE KIDS ARE COMING, AND THEN WE HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KIDS, THE GROWTH IS GONNA COME.
QUESTIONS, UM, I, I DO WANNA MAKE A COMMENT.
AND, AND WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IS HALF OF THIS STUFF IS JUST CONFIDENCE.
IT'S THE ABILITY TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN GET THINGS DONE THAT YOUR FAMILY COULDN'T.
AND THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GENERATIONAL CYCLES OF, UH, NO GRADUATION, UH, RATE, WHICH IS ZERO FOR GENERATIONS, RIGHT? OR PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE HAD AN A, A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE, THEY WERE PASSED, BUT THEY WERE IN A PROGRAM THAT DID NOT, UM, AND I WON'T SAY WHICH HIGH SCHOOL IT WAS, BUT SHE ALSO WORKS WITH ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE WORKS, SHE, SHE DOES THIS 24 7, BUT THEY WERE IN 10TH GRADE READING ON THIRD GRADE LEVEL.
AND THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL GRADUATED.
WE WONDER WHY THEY CAN'T FUNCTION IN COLLEGE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A TWO OR FOUR YEAR SCHOOL.
IT COULD BE, UH, UH, GOING INTO BARBERING, WHATEVER IT MAY MECHANIC, BUT STEP MECHANIC, YOU STILL HAVE LEARN HOW TO BE A MECHANIC, RIGHT? EVERYTHING'S NOW DIGITAL AND COMPUTERIZED.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE APTITUDE TO LEARN OR, OR THE, THE SKILL SET, THE SOFT SKILLS, THEN YOU CAN'T LEARN THERE EITHER.
NOW I'M GOING OFF OF EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE IS, VERSUS USING TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT WERE DESIGNED FOR THOSE SPECIFIC FIELDS.
SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS BREAKING GENERATIONAL CYCLES.
AND THE BIGGEST THING YOU HEARD IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE THOSE PARENTS? AND THEN WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM THAT, THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE PARENTS IS TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT YOU CAN LEARN AS WELL.
AND WE CAN TEACH YOU TO TEACH YOUR KIDS AND STAY ENGAGED.
NOT ONLY CAN WE HELP YOUR KID, BUT IF YOU'RE READY, WE CAN HELP YOU TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S TONS OF TOOLS AND
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RESOURCES OUT THERE AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.AND THAT'S WHERE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH WE OA THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ARM.
THOSE TOOLS ARE ALREADY THERE, BUT WE CAN'T ACCESS THOSE PARENTS UNLESS WE GO THROUGH THOSE KIDS, RIGHT? SO IT, IT, IT LITERALLY IS GONNA BE A HOUSEHOLD IMPACT.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S MY COMMENT AND I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR BACK UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM YOU GUYS.
YEAH, DOC, THESE ARE PRETTY SOBERING NUMBERS.
LOOKS LIKE ALMOST 50% DIDN'T EVEN PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM.
ONLY ONE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED JUST BELOW GRADE LEVEL AND MOVE ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
UM, WHICH, UH, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE VERY SOBERING NUMBERS.
UH, BUT I, I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE TRUE
YOU UH, SAID THAT YOU GO FROM SEVEN TO 70 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WELL I'VE GOT A 74-YEAR-OLD THAT I NEED TO GET HELP WITH
HE'S A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR PARAMETERS, BUT HE'S GOOD.
AND THEN I'VE GOTTA STAND UP FOR OUR STAFF, UH, 'CAUSE WE ARE TELEVISED.
YOU SAID THAT ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR COULD PROBABLY READ ON GRADE LEVEL
I THINK THEY ALL CAN, BUT, UH,
AMBER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
YOU, UM, WELL, LOOKING AT THE STATS AND HOW THOSE, SOME OF THEM DIDN'T PARTICIPATE AND, UM, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THAT A LITTLE BIT, WHAT DID YOU FIND WAS THE MAIN REASON WHY SOME OF THE KIDS DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM? TO BE HONEST AND CANDID.
UM, SO THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM, UM, SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I PRESENTED TODAY AND THAT PROGRAM IS THAT GO LEARN IS GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM AT THAT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
I CAME IN TO DO THE PROGRAM AND JUST GAVE THEM THE IDEA, HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
AND SO STUDENTS, THERE WAS NO INCENTIVE TO PARTICIPATE IN TUTORING.
THEY STILL RECEIVED DINNER IN THE EVENINGS.
THEY STILL RECEIVED THE BACKPACKS AND THE, UH, EASTER, EASTER EGG BASKET AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS TOYS AND HAIRCUTS.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I FELT LIKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TIED TO PARTICIPATING, UM, IN THE TUTORING PROGRAM.
UM, THERE WERE OVER A HUNDRED KIDS AT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, ON A GOOD DAY, I MAY HAVE HAD 10.
AND AND THAT'S WHY THE INCENTIVES, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SO IMPORTANT, UM, TO GET PEOPLE TO REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.
RIGHT? AND IT IS NOT TRICKERY.
IT'S REWARDING AND TELLING PEOPLE GOOD JOB.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAD A PAT ON THE BACK ON ATTA BOY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE FOR A LONG TIME.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE HOPELESS PARENTS, THEY TELL THEIR KIDS WHAT THEY CAN'T DO INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY CAN DO.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA STAND IN THE GAP AND NOT ONLY TELL THE KIDS, BUT TELL THE PARENTS, IF YOU WANNA LEARN HOW TO DO THIS, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE TOOLS FOR YOU AS WELL.
AND SO THE, THE KIDS COME FROM A FOR, FOR THE REWARDS, RIGHT? AND EVERY, EVERY TIME YOU EFFORT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUTCOME.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GET OVER THE HURDLE.
IT COULD BE TEST ANXIETY, IT COULD BE, UM, CHALLENGES OF, OF, I'VE ALWAYS FELT IN SCHOOL, BUT AT SOME POINT WE'LL START SEEING THOSE SUCCESSES.
SO EVERYBODY MIGHT NOT ASCEND AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT BEING A PART OF THE PROGRAM, CONSISTENCY IS KEY.
AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU STATED AT THE BEGINNING, LIKE WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS, WHERE IS THIS PROGRAM LIKE GONNA BE FACILITATED AT? I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT PART.
UM, SO, UM, ONE OF THE PARTNERS IS BRECK.
AND SO WE'LL BE USING THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM AT THE CADILLAC STREET PARK, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ZION TERRACE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WE'LL BE TARGETING.
AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE MY, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WITH IT IS I SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS SIMILAR AND THE KIDS DO NOT PARTICIPATE.
AND ONE THING I'VE NOTICED IS LIKE HOW THIS STARTS AT FIVE 30.
IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO GET THERE, YOU KNOW, IS THEY DON'T, THEY MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION OR THEIR PARENTS MAY NOT BE AT HOME.
AND I, I FOUND THAT WHEN IT'S TIED OR IT'S, IT'S, UM, THE PROGRAM IS AT THE SCHOOL THEY ATTEND TO WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME, IT WORKS OUT BETTER.
PARTICIPATION IS HIGHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE, UM, THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE INVOLVED IN IT.
SO THAT'S, AND THEN THAT WAS MY THOUGHT PRIOR TO, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE STATS HERE, IT SHOWS LIKE THERE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT THAT WAS JUST MY, UM, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT DID YOU THINK AND WHERE'S THIS GONNA BE? SO I CAN SAY THAT THE REASON WHY WE DID, UM, THE PROGRAM ON SITE
[00:55:01]
AT DENWOOD VILLAGE WAS SO THAT WE COULD REMOVE THE BARRIER OF TRANSPORTATION.UM, I MEAN IT WAS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE IN THEIR COMMUNITY ROOM.
UM, SO THE KIDS WOULD JUST HAVE, WHEN THEY GOT OFF THE BUS, THEY COULD LITERALLY JUST COME INTO OKAY, COMMUNITY ROOM.
UM, AND, AND IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING WITH, WITH ZION TERRACE.
THE BUS DROPS THEM, DROPS THEM OFF RIGHT THERE AND THEY LITERALLY COULD JUST WALK.
YEAH, I MEAN, OUT, OUT, OUT OF THEIR FRONT DOOR.
SO THIS IS A UNIQUE PARK BECAUSE LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET IS A HOUSING PROJECT WITH A HUNDRED KIDS EVERY DAY, UH, IN THAT, IN THAT GRAY RANGE.
SO THEY WALK OUTTA THE FRONT DOOR THERE AT THE BRICK PARK.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET 50% OF THEM DOING TUTORING PROGRAMS, UH, OR I'M SORRY, DOING HOMEWORK PROGRAMS INSIDE.
AND THEN NUMBER AN HOUR NUMBER TWO, THEY SWITCH WHERE HALF OF THEM GO ON THE BUS, THE OTHER HALF GO DO THE HOMEWORK.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF ALLOWING THEM TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR SCHOOLWORK WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO, UH, TO DO THE, THE, THE LITERACY PROGRAM.
WE WANT THE LITERACY PROGRAM TO HELP IMPROVE THAT SCHOOLWORK AS WELL.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU, UH, CANDACE, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THEM AT THE SCHOOL BEFORE THEY GO HOME IS GREAT.
PUTTING IT IN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY LIVE IS GREAT ALSO, UH, YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO, UH, WE USED TO DO INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
THEY HAD A SCHOOL SOUTH BOULEVARD HERE IN TOWN.
AND I REMEMBER ONE KID IN PARTICULAR, DARREL LAST NAME, H
SO SHE, SHE IS, SHE DID GO TO SOUTH BOULEVARD, BY THE WAY,
THAT'S WHY SHE'S SO AMAZING UP THERE.
MADE KIDS BE INCENTIVIZED TOO.
ASK YOU, UH, UM, HAVE YOU USED OUR, ARE THE AUTO OF THE AUDIBLE BOOKS AVAILABLE? I DIDN'T KNOW IF CHILDREN WHO HAVE SOMETIMES TROUBLE, DIFFICULTY HAVE DIFFICULTY.
I TAUGHT FIRST GRADE AND I KNEW SOME KIDS THAT COULD LEARN THROUGH PHONICS.
UM, AND UH, THEN I TAUGHT REMEDIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR AT A UNIVERSITY FOR WHICH THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY YOU TO TEACH THAT.
BUT I WAS AMAZED THAT THE, UM, THE PEOPLE, THE, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO I HAD AT MY CLASS WHO HAD GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR WHATEVER, COULD NOT, DID NOT KNOW WHAT A COMPLETE SENTENCE WAS.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TEACHING AT A UNIVERSITY LEVEL, REMEDIAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR.
SO, BUT I THOUGHT, UH, CHILDREN WHO HAD DIFFICULTY READING SOMETIMES PROBABLY READ ALONG WITH A, UM, A BOOK THAT THEY COULD LISTEN TO AND READ ALONG.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ANY A PART.
UH, AND WE MAY HAVE SOME OF THAT IN OUR LIBRARIES, BUT, UM, THE SOFTWARE I THOUGHT MAY BE HELPFUL.
THE SOFTWARE THAT, UM, THAT I USE FOR THE LITERACY PROGRAM, IT DOES HAVE, UM, A READ ALOUD COMPONENT.
UM, AND SO IT CAN BE TURNED OFF OR ON.
SO FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED, YOU KNOW, MORE HELP WITH THE READING, THEY CAN READ ALONG, LISTEN TO IT, IT READS DIRECTIONS FOR 'EM.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE LIBBY APP ON OUR, UH, ON, ON OUR, UH, TABLET.
SO WE DO, UM, ENCOURAGE THEM TO LISTEN TO AUDIO BOOKS AS WELL.
AND I GUESS I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.
UM, JUST KIND OF OVERALL, JUST THE, I HAVE MY OWN THOUGHT ABOUT WHY, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT, UM, PARTNER.
BUT I WANT TO HEAR, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK, AMBER, WHY SHOULD THE LIBRARY SYSTEM PARTNER WITH, UM, THIS PROGRAM AND HOW WOULD IT BENEFIT, UM, THE COMMUNITY? AND UM, AND I GUESS THE THIRD THING IS TOO, IS WHAT DO YOU THINK, UM, WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S BETTER TO HAVE IT AT THE FACILITY YOU STATED VERSUS ONE OF THE LIBRARIES THAT'S CLOSE TO THAT FACILITY? UM, SO I, I THINK THAT HAVING IT AT THE BRETT PARK ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT PARTICULAR, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT REMOVES THAT BARRIER OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, IT REMOVES, UM, ANY, IT, TO ME ANY BARRIER.
I MEAN, THE PROGRAM IS THERE, SO I MEAN, WE JUST NEED YOU TO GET THERE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT THERE ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, AS FAR AS THE LIBRARY PARTNERING, UM, WHAT I FOUND OVER THE YEARS IS THAT STUDENTS, THEY HAD JUST LIKE WITH MATH, THAT IT'S LIKE A LOT OF KIDS DON'T LIKE TO READ AND I DON'T THINK IT'S BECAUSE,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, READING IS JUST BAD.UM, AND SO I WANT TO TIE IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE BOOKMOBILE BEING THERE ON SITE ON THE FRIDAYS, BECAUSE YES, WE'RE WORKING MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS, BUT ON FRIDAYS WE'RE STILL DOING READING.
WE'RE STILL GONNA INCORPORATE READING, BUT READING IS FUN.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT, THAT I THINK ABOUT THAT CORRELATES TO ME.
I WANT KIDS TO HAVE A LOVE FOR READING.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL EVENTS WHERE TAMIKA HAS BEEN AND HER STAFF
I LOVE THAT ABOUT HER AND HER STAFF.
AND, AND I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT OF THE WHOLE PREMISE OF THIS PROGRAM IS, AND I TOLD Y'ALL THIS A LONG TIME AGO, I LOVE THE LIBRARY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE HAD WEDDINGS, THEY'VE HAD BAR MITZVAHS, THEY'VE HAD GRADUATION PARTIES, THEY'VE HAD WHATEVER YOU WANT IN THESE PRETTY BUILDINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY'RE ALSO A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
BUT IF YOU START COMPARING GUS TO OTHER STATES, WE HAVE TO START THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
PRETTY BUILDINGS ARE NOT CHANGING OUR EDUCATION LEVEL FOR THE KIDS THAT DON'T WANT IT, OR THE KIDS THAT DON'T KNOW THAT THAT IS THERE TO BE ACCESSED, RIGHT? AND THE NEAREST LIBRARY TO THERE WILL BE THE SKYVILLE BRANCH, ARE THE DELMONT BRANCH, WHICH IS STILL IN A CAR ABOUT FIVE TO 10 MINUTES AWAY.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY'RE SHOPPING AT THE CORNER STORE DOWN THE STREET, THEN HOW WOULD THEY GET TO THE LIBRARIES IN THOSE AREAS? SO THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT MAY BE AT HOME AND HAVE TO STAY AT HOME BECAUSE THERE'S MULTIPLE KIDS.
AND MOM DOESN'T GET OFF UNTIL EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
THE MOM IS, IS WORKING TWO OR THREE JOBS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE EDUCATION LEVEL, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND READING COMPREHENSION, SUBJECT VERBAL AGREEMENT, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND COMMON CORE MATH AND DOESN'T FEEL LIKE OR DOESN'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ACCESS.
AND, AND BY BRINGING A PROGRAM TO THEM AND IN AND INCENTIVIZE THEM IS REALLY JUST A PILOT, RIGHT? I JUST WANNA BE TRANSPARENT.
I'M NOT EXPECTING A HUNDRED PERCENT SUCCESS RATE.
AND WHEN THE PROGRAM HAPPENS, YOU'LL FIND HOLES IN THE PROGRAM AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH TO IDENTIFY THOSE HOLES, YOU CAN ALSO BE SMART ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE GAPS ON THOSE HOLES AS WELL.
BUT WHAT I'LL ASK YOU IS THE OPPOSITE.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T DO THIS? I THINK THAT'S THE LARGER QUESTION.
IF WE DON'T DO THIS, THEN THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THOSE HOUSING PROJECTS WILL BE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH GENERATION PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THOSE SAME HOUSING PROJECTS WHEN THEY GET OF AGE, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY WILL HAVE KNOWN.
AND THE SUCCESS RATE FROM THERE IS TRULY A GENERATIONAL CYCLE BECAUSE THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, AND I, AND I'LL TELL YOU, I'M GONNA LEAVE WITH THIS AND I'M GONNA LET YOU SIT DOWN THERE BECAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR LEGS BEEN A LONG DAY AT WORK.
BUT THE UNITED WAY HAS SOMETHING CALLED THE ALICE POPULATION.
I'M GONNA MESS THE WHOLE ACRONYM UP, BUT IT'S ASSET LIMITED, INCOME RESTRICTED, WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS JUST THE WORKING POOR.
OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS JACKED UP ACROSS THE BOARD WHEN IT COMES TO THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE ON WELFARE AND HA WHO HAVE UM, HOUSING VOUCHERS CAN'T HAVE A MAN THAT LIVES WITH YOU CAN'T MAKE A DOLLAR TOO MUCH.
SO WE WANT OUR DADS IN THE HOMES RIGHT.
BUT I CAN'T HAVE A DAD IN THE HOME, OTHERWISE I LOSE MY HOUSING VOUCHER.
BUT IF I WORK AT FAMILY DOLLAR AND I DON'T MAKE ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY, BUT I'LL MAKE ENOUGH TO START MAKING AN HONEST WAGE, I LOSE THE RESOURCE THAT I HAD.
RIGHT? SO IT CREATES A GENERATIONAL CYCLE OF, I'D RATHER JUST LIVE IN THE HOUSING PROJECTS.
I'D JUST RA RATHER JUST HAVE A, A RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT A RING AND A AND A COVENANT OVER MY MARRIAGE THAN TO DO OTHERWISE BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD WORKING WHAT I GOT FOR FREE.
AND SO I SAY THAT, THAT IT CREATES A MINDSET.
THIS IS MORE OF A MINDSET SHIFT TO SAY YOU CAN DO IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SECOND, THIRD, OR FOURTH GENERATION, UH, CYCLE OF POVERTY.
WE WANNA BREAK THAT CYCLE AND THE LIBRARY CAN BE A PART OF THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, LITERACY EQUALS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IN ANY ENVIRONMENT.
IF I CAN LEARN BASIC LITERACY SKILLS, THEN I CAN PICK UP ANY BOOK TO MAKE MYSELF EDUCATED AND SMART, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, UM, IF I CAN READ, I WON'T BE A PART OF THAT PRISON, UH, PIPELINE THAT, THAT'S THOUGHT AND, AND TAUGHT ABOUT SO MUCH, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THIRD AND EIGHTH GRADE, UH, READING LEVELS.
AND I BELIEVE THE LIBRARY NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THAT CHANGE.
SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING AMBER TO SPEAK TODAY AND CONSIDERING TO MAKE A SUPPORT LIBRARY PROGRAM.
[01:05:01]
YOU.WILL YOU FINISH YOUR STATEMENT? I JUST WANTED YOUR STATEMENT ON RECORD, ON YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE OVERALL.
BUT I, THAT'S WHY I ASKED IF SHE COULD HAVE IT ON RECORD.
PRETTY, BUT WHERE YOU FINISHED FAR? PRETTY MUCH.
UM, BUT LISTENING TO WHAT DARRYL SAID, THE OTHER THING THING IS WE WANNA ENCOURAGE READING AT HOME TOO.
UM, THEM BEING ABLE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOKS AND ACTUALLY TAKE 'EM INTO THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT MAY START A CULTURE OF READING, NOT ONLY WITH THE PARENT, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF 'EM HAVE YOUNGER SIBLINGS.
UM, AND SO, AND THEN I WON'T GET ON MY SOAPBOX ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, READING AT HOME AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE A LOVE FOR READING AND MAKING READING FUN.
ANY, UM, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BY THE BOARD? ANY QUESTIONS? SO ESSENTIALLY YOU WOULD LIKE THE BOOKMOBILE TO COME TO, UM, THE FACILITY ON FRIDAYS.
THAT'S WHAT I JUST NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S REALLY NOT KIND OF A BOARD ISSUE SO MUCH AS IT IS JUST AN AVAILABILITY ISSUE, I THINK.
UM, AND, UH, SO, UM, I, I KNOW THAT I'VE TRIED TO GET THE BOOKMOBILE OUT TO PLACES AND IT JUST WASN'T AVAILABLE.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, IT'S A VERY LIMITED RESOURCE, UH, SO I'M SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET IT OUT THERE.
BUT A, A, A STANDING, WE'LL NEED TO JUST CHECK WITH THE SCHEDULING AND GET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND SEE WHERE THEY STAND ON THAT AND, UH, SEE HOW WE CAN FIT IT IN TO BEST MEET YOUR NEEDS.
AND I WILL SAY, AND I WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE BOOKMOBILE USAGE FROM WHAT I SEE IS LIKE DURING THE DAYTIME COMMUNITY-BASED EVENTS ON THE WEEKENDS.
SO THE EVENING TIME, AM I WRONG? YES.
HOW THE SCHEDULE GOES MOST DAYS, MOST WEEKS.
WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN AT MY NIGHTTIME EVENT, SO I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THAT THERE.
TAMIKA ROBY, UH, OUR MANAGER OF OUTREACH.
UM, THE BOOKMOBILE HAS A ROBUST SCHEDULE DURING THE DAY.
IT'S EITHER AT A PRESCHOOL SITE, A SENIOR SERVICES SITE, OR IT'S AT A SITE WHERE RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT MAKE IT TO A PHYSICAL LIBRARY LOCATION.
UM, WE GO AND WE VISIT THEM, BE IT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER, BE IT THE SALVATION ARMY, WHICH HAS AN ONSITE DRUG REHAB, HOSPI DRUG REHAB SITE FOR 75 MEN WHO LIVE ON THAT SITE.
WE ALSO GO TO CATS BUS STATION, BUT DURING THE WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, THE BOOKMOBILE GOES OUT ON ITS REGULAR COMMUNITY ROUTE FROM ABOUT 4, 4 30 TO ABOUT 7, 7 30 EACH WEEK.
STAFF THAT ARE RUNNING THAT ROUTE ARE ALREADY WORKING THAT IN LIEU OF THEIR ALREADY EIGHT HOURS OF THE DAY.
SO STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO THAT COMMUNITY ROUTE ARE ESSENTIALLY WORKING A 10 TO 13 HOUR DAY WITH NO LUNCH BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE A LUNCH.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF OUR SCHEDULE, I HAVE TALKED WITH AMBER ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING THE BOOK MO ADDING THIS TO THAT BOOKMOBILE ROTATION.
UM, THAT'S WHY FRIDAY HAS BEEN A DAY THAT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US.
WE USED TO GO TO LIVE AFTER FIVE EVERY FRIDAY AS WELL.
I AM WORKING VERY HARD TO FIT THAT FRIDAY INTO OUR SCHEDULE.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT ALREADY TO DISCUSS, UM, AFTER MARY AND OTHER LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION HAD A CONVERSATION.
SO WE ALREADY GO TO ZION TERRACE ONCE A MONTH.
WE GO ON THE SECOND MONDAY, I BELIEVE.
SO WE ARE AWARE OF THE LITERACY ISSUES THAT ARE IN THAT AREA, AND WE KNOW A LOT OF THOSE CHILDREN ALREADY.
SO WHEN SHE TALKED ABOUT HER INCENTIVIZATION PROGRAM, WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ALSO RECOMMEND STUDENTS FOR THAT PROGRAM AS WELL, BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM.
UM, AND WE ALREADY KNOW A GOOD MEMBER OF THE, OF THE POPULATION IN THAT AREA.
SO, ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR US? YEAH.
TAMIKA, DO I NEED TO BUY THE STAFF LUNCH OR SOMETHING? OH, YES, PLEASE.
BUT NO, WE, UM, THE WAY OUR GENERAL SCHEDULE WORKS, MOST STAFF ARE WORKING IN EIGHT TO FOUR.
UM, PRESCHOOLS WANT US TO COME THERE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 12.
USUALLY AFTER THE KIDS HAVE ARRIVED, THEY'VE HAD BREAKFAST.
SO WE CAN PROVIDE STORY TIMES FOR THEM.
UM, THERE ARE SIX STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THAT SERVICE.
THE OTHER FOUR PROVIDE LIBRARY
[01:10:01]
OUTREACH FOR SENIOR SITES.SO SENIORS DO NOT LIKE TO WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING.
THEY LIKE TO LOUNGE IN THE MORNING.
SO WE NORMALLY VISIT THEM BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 AND THREE.
UM, THEY GO ON AVERAGE TO 55 SITES A MONTH.
SOME OF THEM ARE MONTHLY, SOME OF THEM ARE BI-MONTHLY, SOME OF THEM ARE WEEKLY.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE ALSO GO ON THE COMMUNITY ROUTE DURING AUGUST TO MAY.
WE HAVE A REGULAR CHARTER SCHOOL ROUTE ON FRIDAYS AS WELL.
SO STAFF VISIT CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE LIBRARIES ON SITE TO PROVIDE LITERACY ENRICHMENT FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
SO DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR WHEN THIS PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED, SOME OF THESE STUDENTS WE WILL SEE TWICE THAT DAY.
'CAUSE THEY ARE TYPICALLY ENROLLED IN CHARTER SCHOOLS.
UM, SO WE'LL SEE THEM AT SCHOOL ON THAT FRIDAY, AND THEN WE'LL COME SEE 'EM AT HOME.
SO WE SICK OF LOOKING AT THESE KIDS? NO, WE HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH THEM.
AND THEN DURING THE SUMMER, THOSE KIDS ARE ENROLLED IN BRE SUMMER CAMPS USUALLY.
SO SOME KIDS WE SEE ALL YEAR LONG.
SO WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH QUITE A FEW OF THEM ALREADY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AS, UH, COUNCILMAN HERS HAS SAID, WE ALSO GO TO COMMUNITY VISIT COMMUNITY EVENTS ON THE WEEKENDS.
UM, THOSE ARE KIND OF AROUND THE CLOCK.
THEY'RE NOT ON A SPECIALIZED TIMEFRAME, SO SOME EVENTS MAY LAST TWO HOURS, SOME MAY LAST SIX, SOME MAY LAST 15.
SO WE'RE KIND OF A SEVEN DAY A WEEK, MUCH LIKE THE REGULAR OPERATING HOURS OF THE LIBRARY.
BUT SOMETIMES WE OPERATE, WELL, OFTEN WE OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THOSE NORMAL LIBRARY OPERATION HOURS.
TAMIKA, DO YOU ALSO GO TO, UH, NURSING HOMES AND RETIREMENT CENTERS? YES, MA'AM.
MISS KATHY, WE GO TO SEVERAL NURSING HOMES, REHAB HOSPITALS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LICENSED AS WELL.
YOU CAN BE AN UNLICENSED FACILITY.
YOU CAN BE A GRANDPARENT RAISING GRANDCHILDREN IN YOUR HOME.
YOU CAN BE A SENIOR THAT'S AT ASSISTED LIVING SITES.
WE SEE THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF THE BATON ROUGE POPULATION.
SO WE HAVE PATRONS THAT ARE AT ST.
JAMES, WHICH IS A ONE OF THEM.
MARY DOM IS MY FAVORITE LIBRARY PATRON, WHO'S A SENIOR, UH, PATRON.
I'VE KNOWN HER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
BUT WE SEE, SO WE SEE THOSE THAT ARE AT THE TOP ECHELONS OF THAT INCOME BRACKET.
BUT WE ALSO SEE SENIORS THAT ARE AT, UH, NURSING HOMES LIKE JEFFERSON MANOR, WHICH IS FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH MEDICAID.
SO WE ARE SEEING THOSE THAT ARE AT THE LOWER END OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC STRATA AS WELL.
UM, ALL OF THOSE PATRONS ARE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE LIBRARY SERVICES.
THEY RECEIVE MATERIALS, WE HELP THEM WITH THE COMPUTER, WE HELP THEM WITH THEIR LIFESTYLE.
IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE HELPING THEM WITH SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS, UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING THEM, UH, MATERIAL AND RESOURCES TO SUIT THEIR ENRICHMENT AND THEIR EVERYDAY NEEDS.
SO YOU WILL BE TALKING, UH, TO SEE IF ARE THE STAFF WILL BE TALKING TO SEE IF THE FRIDAYS ARE AVAILABLE? YES, MA'AM.
ARE YOU I'VE BEEN IN TALKS WITH AMBER, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK ACTUALLY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND I GAVE HER A VERY REALISTIC, UH, IDEA OF THE, JUST THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BOOKMOBILE.
SO RIGHT NOW THE BOOKMOBILE BATTERIES ARE JUST DYING DUE TO THE HEAT.
IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WHEN THE BATTERIES DIE, THE AIR CONDITIONERS DON'T RUN.
BUT JUST BECAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONER DOESN'T RUN DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE BOOKMOBILE IS NOT IN OPERATION.
BUT IF THE BOOKMOBILE HAS SOME OTHER INJURY OR REPAIR THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR AND THE BOOKMOBILE IS NOT AVAILABLE, I'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED UTILIZING THE LIBRARY FLEET, THE VANS, THE OTHER CARS, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE THE BOOKMOBILE ISN'T ON THE ROAD, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT LIBRARY SERVICE STOPS.
UM, WE PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGH THE USE OF THOSE VANS.
WE WOULD JUST DO SOMETHING INSIDE WITH THE KIDS THAT DAY.
UM, IT WOULD JUST REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE PHYSICAL LABOR FOR THE STAFF.
SO WE WOULD BRING THOSE BOOKS INSIDE FOR THOSE CHILDREN SO THEY COULD STILL BROWSE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IN THE WAY IN WHICH THEY NEED IT.
SO IF THE LIBRARY CHOOSES TO GO THIS WAY WITH THIS PROGRAM, WE ARE, WE ARE DEDICATED TO BEING A, A SOURCE OR A PARTNER IN ANY WAY IN WHICH WE CAN.
AND IF THE CHILDREN'S PARENTS ARE NOT, UH, WITH THEM AND THEY'RE IN THIS PROGRAM, UH, HOW WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO GET A LIBRARY CARD? HOW DOES THAT USUALLY WORK? SO PRIOR TO THE ACTS WITH THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATION, WE MADE ALLOWANCES FOR CHILDREN THAT WERE AT HOUSING SITES BECAUSE FOR THE MOST PART, THERE'S THIS NARRATIVE THAT CHILDREN AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SITES, OR THAT THEIR PARENTS ARE THESE WELFARE QUEENS AND THEY'RE LYING AROUND AND THEY'RE NOT WORKING AND THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
MOST OF THE CHILDREN WE'VE ENCOUNTERED AT HOUSING SITES, THEIR PARENTS ARE AT WORK.
[01:15:01]
HAVE ALLOWED US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE KIDS SIGNED UP FOR LIBRARY CARDS.WE SIGN 'EM UP, UH, WITH TEMPORARY CARDS, AND THEN LATER ON WE CALL THE PARENTS AND WE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS AUTHORIZED.
SO CHILDREN THAT DO NOT HAVE, MOST OF THE CHILDREN AT ZION TERRACE CURRENTLY HAVE LIBRARY CARDS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN UPDATED IN OUR SYSTEM THROUGH THE USE OF THE BOOK MOBILE PROGRAM.
SO WE CALL THOSE PARENTS, WE EMAIL THOSE PARENTS OR LIBRARY STAFF GO KNOCK ON DOORS.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CHILDREN CAN UTILIZE THOSE SERVICES.
SO WE SHOULD NOT HAVE AN ISSUE AS ZION TERRACE, UM, GETTING LIBRARY CARDS IN THE HANDS OF THE KIDS THAT NEED THEM, AS MOST OF THEM ALREADY HAVE LIBRARY CARDS.
I DO WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THE WHOLE WORK THAT YOU DO.
BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE ALWAYS JOHNNY ON THE SPOT WHEN WE CALL, SO WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
I'M JUST THE PERSON THAT SENDS 'EM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
I, I'VE KNOWN TAMIKA SINCE SHE WAS A STUDENT WORKER,
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BY THE BOARD? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE, ON THE AGENDA MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IS THAT A VOTING ITEM? WE VOTE TO APPROVE IT.
Y'ALL KNOW I'M NEW TO THIS THING, SO NO.
JUST GETTING THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WANNA THANK AMBER, I WANNA THANK ERIC.
ERIC IS A SILENT ASSASSIN OVER THERE.
HE REALLY FOCUSES ON STEM AND STEAM AND DOES AN AMAZING JOB.
AND, UH, OH, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ERIC? YEAH.
SO A QUESTION TO ASK, LIKE, UM, I THINK QUESTION, QUESTION TO ASK.
YOU WANNA GO TO THE FRONT, PLEASE? YES.
HE'S WITH BR STEM, AND HE'S GONNA, UM, TALK ABOUT THE, THE PILOT PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO THE QUESTION WAS AS LIKE, WHY OR WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF THE VALUE OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM PARTICIPATED IN THIS? AND, UH, MR. HURST, UH, TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ADD.
SO LIKE THESE DIFFERENT POP-UP BANNERS, TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING THAT THE LIBRARY OFFERS.
AND AGAIN, WITH THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE YOU, THOSE KIDS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE LIBRARY PRI PRIMARILY 'CAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE ACCESS, UM, ESPECIALLY THEY WENT TO THE GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CITY AT GLEN OAKS HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A BRAND NEW LIBRARY IN A SCHOOL.
BUT AGAIN, KIDS DON'T REALLY USE LIBRARIES IN THE SCHOOLS LIKE, LIKE WE WOULD HAVE TRADITIONALLY.
AND SO I THINK FROM A COMMUNITY OUTREACH STANDPOINT BY THE BOOKMOBILE OR THE LIBRARY COMING OUT ON FRIDAYS, IT ALSO GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE KIDS TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, WHETHER IT BE ON JEWEL ROAD OR DELMONT GARDENS OR SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH, LIKE THOSE ARE THE CLOSEST LIBRARIES, UH, TO THESE FAMILIES, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THEM.
I PROMISE YOU, MOST OF 'EM DON'T EVEN KNOW MOST OF THESE ACTIVITIES PLACE TAKE PLACE IN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AND E ERIC IS FROM THAT AREA, BORN AND RAISED AS, AND, UH, STILL DOES A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORK THERE ALONG WITH HIS FATHER.
SO HE UNDERSTANDS THE ENVIRONMENT, THE IMPACT THAT WE CAN MAKE BY, BY RUNNING THIS PROGRAM.
AND, AND LIKE, LIKE THE LIBRARY DOES, LIKE AMBER DOES, HE WORKS WITH KIDS EVERY DAY TO MAKE THEM SMARTER AND BRIGHTER AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR PRISON PIPELINE SLOWS DOWN.
AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO TAKING NEXT STEPS AND TELL EVERYBODY.
THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
GLAD YOU WAITED TILL I REALLY STARTED RAINING FOR Y'ALL TO LEAVE
ALL RIGHT, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS.
OKAY, SO FIRST UP FOR OUR MAINTENANCE, UH, ISSUES FOR THE PAST MONTH.
SO AT MAIN, OUR FACILITY STAFF, UM, HAD DEAD TREES REMOVED FROM THE EAST PARKING AREA, AND THEY'RE ALSO HAVING THE SEAT WALLS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE BUILDING WASHED AND PAINTED AT RIVER CENTER.
UH, A BRIEF STORM CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT DOORS ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD.
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THE BRANCH HAD TO CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL THE AFTERNOON OF MONDAY, AUGUST 5TH TO ALLOW FACILITY STAFF TO GET THE DOOR VENDOR OUT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGES AND PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS.UH, TEMPORARY ACCESS FOR PATRONS WAS PROVIDED THROUGH THE STAFF ENTRANCE, BUT BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, THE VENDOR WAS ABLE TO REPROGRAM THE CONTROLS FOR THE DOORS TO ENABLE PATRONS TO HAVE ACCESS THROUGH ONE SIDE OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
AT ZACHARY, THE FACILITY STAFF HAD A VENDOR TO REPLACE THE MOTOR ON AN AIR HANDLER, AND ALL OF THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND EVERYTHING IS WORKING AGAIN FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT OUTREACH.
THE PROJECT DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED AND THE CONTRACTOR IS WORKING ON THE PUNCH LIST FOR THE MULTI-BRANCH PROJECT.
ALL BRANCHES, EXCEPT DELMONT GARDENS ARE COMPLETE.
UM, A CONTRACTOR WAS HIRED TO LOWER THE LANDSCAPING AND CLEAR THE DOWNSPOUTS AND OTHER MINOR IMPROVEMENTS ON THE SOUTH EXTERIOR OF DELMONT.
THERE'S STILL SOME MINOR WORK TO COMPLETE ON THE EXTERIOR BEFORE ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION CAN BE DONE FOR THE ROOFING PROJECT.
THERE'S NOTHING NEW TO REPORT THIS MONTH, UH, FOR BOILERS FOR EDEN PARK AND GSR.
THE RFP WENT OUT FOR DESIGN PROPOSALS AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES HAS RECEIVED ONE PROPOSAL SO FAR, AND THEY'RE EXPECTING TO GET AT LEAST TWO MORE AT BLUE BONNET FOR THEIR RENOVATION PROJECT.
LIBRARY STAFF ARE MEETING WITH ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND THE ARCHITECT ON FRIDAY, WHICH IS TOMORROW, AND WE STILL ANTICIPATE GOING OUT TO BE IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS.
I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO GO OVER.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE, UH, WE HAVE A NEW ADDITION TO BRANCH SERVICES.
JSA DEVALLE, BRANCH MANAGER AT JONES CREEK WILL BE JOINING US HERE AT ADMINISTRATION.
LATASHA WILLIAMS, BRANCH MANAGER, LIBRARIAN TWO AT SCOTLANDVILLE HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO BRANCH MANAGER LIBRARIAN THREE AT GREENWELL SPRINGS REGIONAL AND STEVEN HOLBROOK WAS PROMOTED FROM LIBRARIAN TWO TO LIBRARIAN THREE IN CIRCULATION.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
ROBERT GRAY FROM ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE RFP.
HE HAS ONE ARCHITECT WHO IS INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT, AND WE SHOULD HOPEFULLY HAVE MORE INTERESTED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
ROBERT PLANS ON HAVING THE NUMBERS FOR THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN BY THE END OF OCTOBER FOR INTERNAL USE.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU SHOULD ALL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED, UH, THE COPY OF THE, UH, PHASE ZERO FACILITIES MASTER PLAN SUMMARY OF 2024.
IF NOT, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE WILL MAKE SURE WE GET A COPY TO YOU.
UH, JUST ONE OTHER QUICK WORD.
UH, SOME OF THE RECENT CLOSINGS THAT WE'VE HAD AMONG OUR BRANCHES FOR LOSS OF POWER OR DAMAGE TO THE BUILDINGS SUCH AS WHAT HAPPENED TO, UH, RIVER CENTER RECENTLY HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE NEEDS FOR CLEAR GUIDELINES DURING THESE SITUATIONS.
THIS ADDRESSES THE LOSS OF POWER, WATER, AIR CONDITIONING, HEAT AND GAS LEAKS.
UH, AMONG THOSE WERE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, WHAT TO DO IN THE CASE OF FOR, UH, EACH OF THE LOCATIONS, UH, SUCH AS CONTACTING FACILITIES, ALERTING BRANCH SERVICES.
HOW LONG IS IT NECESSARY TO WAIT BEFORE CLOSING TO THE PUBLIC IF THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED? QUICKLY REOPENING THE LOCATION WHEN SAFE TO DO SO, WHEN TO DEPLOY STAFF TO OTHER LOCATIONS IF ENOUGH TIME IS LEFT DURING HOURS OF OPERATION, CONTACTING STAFF WHO HAVE NOT YET ARRIVED FOR THEIR SCHEDULE SHIFTS, ASSIGNING STAFF MEMBERS TO STAY AND MONITOR THE BUILDING.
WHAT TEMPERATURES ARE TOO EXTREME FOR HUMAN SAFETY? UH, SO FAR WE HAVE CREATED A ROUGH DRAFT AND WE ARE SHARING IT WITH, UH, BRANCH AND DIVISION HEADS FOR FEEDBACK.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, IN THAT CASE, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TWO OF OUR BRANCH MANAGERS.
FIRST, WE HAVE MS. ALLISON COOPER, MANAGER OF THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH, AND MS. ROBLIN HONEYSUCKER OF CARVER BRANCH.
MY NAME IS ALLISON COOPER AND I MANAGE THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH LIBRARY.
UH, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON, UH,
[01:25:01]
MY CAREER HERE.I STARTED IN THIS LIBRARY SYSTEM IN 2005.
UH, I BEGAN AS A LIBRARY AID AT THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AT, UH, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
SO FROM THE CARVER LIBRARY, I MOVED ON TO THE SCOTLANDVILLE LIBRARY WHERE I BECAME A YOUTH LIBRARIAN.
AND I HELD THAT POSITION, UH, FOR A YEAR OR TWO, AND THEN I MOVED INTO THE REFERENCE DEPARTMENT AS THE REFERENCE LIBRARIAN AT THE SAME BRANCH SCOTLANDVILLE.
AND I EVENTUALLY BECAME THE BRANCH MANAGER OF THE SCOTLANDVILLE LIBRARY IN 2008.
SO I'VE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM HERE FOR 19 YEARS, AND I'M CURRENTLY, OF COURSE, AT THE RIVER CENTER LIBRARY, AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
UH, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL SYSTEM.
UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE I WAS 14 OR 15 YEARS OLD, AND THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING CAREER, UH, THAT I'VE HAD SO FAR.
WELL, I SAY CONGRATULATIONS, BUT YOU
I'M THE BRANCH MANAGER AT CARVER.
UM, I HAVE BEEN A LIBRARIAN 37 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS SYSTEM SINCE 2013.
I STARTED AS A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN AT DELMONT, AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PATSY PARROT CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN CLASSES, BUT I LEARNED
UM, AND THEN I GOT HIRED IN 2018 AS THE BRANCH MANAGER AT CARVER, AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT OVER THERE.
WE HAVE GREAT PROGRAMS, LITERACY PROGRAMS LIKE THE CARVER CUBS WHERE LSU GRADUATE STUDENTS COME DURING THE SUMMER FOR THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AND TAKE CHILDREN FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TEACH THEM HOW TO READ INTENSIVE ONE-ON-ONE.
WE HAD 20 GRADUATE STUDENTS AND ABOUT 45 TO 50 KIDS THIS SUMMER.
SO IT, IT TIES IN, YOU KNOW, TO THE PROGRAM AND STUFF.
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THERE FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, WE HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS THERE.
WE HAVE A, A COMMUNITY PANTRY AND A, A REFRIGERATOR THERE THAT WE HAVE AT CARVER FOR THE, THE 7 0 8 0 2 AREA CODE.
UH, WE'VE HAD, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH LPB DOING, UM, WHAT WAS IT, UH, MOLLY OF DENALI FOR THE PRESCHOOL KIDS LITERACY, UM, AND STEM AND STEAM WORKSHOPS AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE DID IT AT CARVER FIRST AND IT WENT THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LPB STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AT CARVER THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
MR. ER, YOUR COMMUNITY REFRIGERATOR WORKING.
WHAT? HOW'S YOUR COMMUNITY REFRIGERATOR WORKING OUT? UM, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S WONDERFUL.
UH, CARVER'S ONE OF THOSE BRANCHES.
UM, AND I THINK OUR BRANCHES ARE BECOMING, UM, MORE LIKE THIS THAT IS SO VITAL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE, UH, RAILROAD.
WE, WE NEED TO, THAT THE, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF A LIBRARY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR CARVER HAS JUST BEEN, UM, OUTSTANDING.
AND WE DO REALIZE THAT, AND OF COURSE WE LOVE OUR RIVER CENTER LIBRARY ALSO, BUT I, THIS, UH, BUT, UM, IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE, UM, IMPORTANCE OF A LIBRARY, UH, AS IN, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, UH, HOW MUCH PEOPLE NEED IT AND USE IT.
AND IT'S A CENTRAL PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE SMALLEST BRANCH THAT WE HAVE IN WALKINS EVERY MONTH.
UH, THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE,
THIS IS ONE LAST LITTLE THING KIND OF UNDER MISCELLANEOUS.
UH, YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE CITY PARISH FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, BA AND PERHAPS WHEN YOU READ THE BUSINESS REPORT YESTERDAY, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE MOVABLE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES MORE EVENLY.
THAT WAS IN THE BUSINESS REPORT, DAILY REPORT.
THIS IS BASED ON SOMETHING SENATOR KATHY FROM MONROE IS WORKING
[01:30:01]
ON.HE DID NOT PASS HIS LEGISLATION, BUT THEY FORMED WHAT THEY CALL AN SCR, UH, SCR 39, AND THEY WILL BE MEETING WITH, UH, SOME KIND OF PUBLIC HEARING IN SEPTEMBER.
THE DATE IS NOT YET SET, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION FROM, FROM LOCAL INTERESTED CITIZENS WHO MIGHT INCLUDE YOU, MIGHT INCLUDE ME, THEY WANT TO KNOW THE FINANCIAL WELL, THERE WILL BE A FINANCIAL IMPACT FROM THIS.
AND SO I ASK FINANCE, OKAY, GIVE IT TO ME IN VERY SHORT LITTLE WORDS.
UH, IT IT'S BASED ON THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH PROPERTY TAX IS COLLECTED FROM SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NOT A, A, A BUILDING.
IT'S FROM THE RAILROAD COMING THROUGH THAT WE'RE, WE AS A MILLAGE, UH, AS A MILLAGE ENTITY, THE CITY PARISH AS A MILLAGE ENTITY, THE COUNCIL ON AGING MOSQUITO ABATEMENT, EMS, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CENTER.
THOSE WERE JUST THE ONES THAT SHE TOLD ME ABOUT BECAUSE OF COURSE, BRECK IS AN ENTITY.
THE SCHOOL BOARD, ANYONE THAT'S COLLECTING PROPERTY TAXES IS GETTING SOME FUNDS BASED ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS GOING THROUGH THE STATE.
AND SENATOR KATHY WOULD LIKE TO REDO THAT PROCESS AND INSTEAD GIVE US A SHARE OF THAT, BUT BASED ON THE, THE MILES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH OUR PARISH, AND THEN GIVE OTHER FUNDS TO OTHER PARISHES.
SO IT'S NOT A LAW, THEY'RE JUST STUDYING IT.
AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, HE HAS TRIED TO MAKE THIS A LAW IN 2023, AND IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL.
HE TRIED IN 2024, SENATE BILL 2, 2, 1, IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL.
BUT AFTER THAT, HE WAS ABLE TO FORM THIS SCR COMMITTEE 39 TO STUDY THIS.
SO IF, IF IT GOES THROUGH AS HE HAS PROPOSED, WE WOULD LOSE THE FIRST YEAR BECAUSE WE ARE COLLECTING IT RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO EITHER LOSE OR GIVE BACK $800,000.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE JUST WOULDN'T COLLECT IT.
SO OUR, RHONDA, AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, BECAUSE RHONDA AND I WERE BOTH LIKE, WELL, THIS IS DIFFERENT.
UM, SO IT, IT'S STILL UNDER REVIEW, UNDER STUDY.
AS SOON AS I CAN FIND OUT WHEN THE HEARING WILL BE, WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
I'VE ALREADY PULLED SOME INFORMATION FROM THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS, AND I'M, I WAS GONNA LISTEN TO THE HEARING AND, AND SEE WHAT SOME OF THE TESTIMONY WAS AT THE HEARING WHERE IT DID NOT PASS, BUT WHERE THEY TURNED IT INTO A SENATE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW IT.
SO I, I WANNA GET THE INFORMATION AND THEN WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
SO NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT, I KNOW
EVERY ENTITY THAT'S A SEPARATE, THAT'S A COLLECTS, UH, A MILLAGE THAT THE CITIZENS VOTE ON WOULD ESSENTIALLY LOSE MONEY UNDER THIS PLAN.
SO, UH, COUNCIL ON AGING, YES.
UH, WRECK, UH, MOSQUITO ABATEMENT.
THERE ALSO ARE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THE, THE FIRE DISTRICTS AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE CRIME DISTRICTS BECAUSE PEOPLE, UH, UH, THERE'S SOME PARISH WIDE VOTES AND THEN THERE'S SOME, UH, SMALLER VOTES, RIGHT? FOR, UH, FIRE DISTRICTS AND, UM, AND FOR CRIME DISTRICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD IMPACT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF TAX SCHEME, UM, THAT IT, IT APPEARS IT WOULD BE A, A STATE TAX SCHEME THAT THE PARISHES WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WELL, JUST, OUR PARISH WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW IT.
IT'S ONLY FOR, 'CAUSE WE'RE THE ONES THAT COLLECT THIS.
NOW, THE OTHER PARISHES DON'T HAVE IT, AND THEY LIKE IT.
IT'S ONLY FOR EBR, THE, THE RAILROAD TAXES.
I CAN, AS, AS BEST I CAN UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW,
[01:35:01]
WE'RE, WE ARE COLLECTING THE PROPERTY TAX BASED ON, SEEMS LIKE ALL THE RAILROAD TRACK.AND SO, AND I COULD BE VERY WRONG.
SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANNA GO TOO FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE HERE UNTIL I LISTENED TO THE HEARING.
'CAUSE WE JUST FOUND THIS OUT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, LIKE A HALF AN HOUR BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND SO WE COULDN'T REALLY DIG INTO IT.
SO I'M GONNA LISTEN TO THE HEARINGS TOMORROW.
UM, I HAVE 'EM ALL LINKED AND IT'S GONNA BE GREAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH,
AND THEY'RE TALKING TO SOME OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS.
AND I'M SURE THESE OTHER TAXING AUTHORITIES ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS, IN OUR PARISH.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THE ARGUMENTS THEY USED WHEN IT CAME BEFORE THE SENATE IN APRIL.
UM, I WANNA SEE WHAT PEOPLE DISCUSSED ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IN WRITING MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE, YOU KNOW, THE WORDS CHANGE, THE MEANINGS CHANGE.
IT STARTS AS ONE THING MIGRATES TO SOMETHING ELSE, AS WE'VE SEEN WITH LIBRARY LEGISLATION.
SO IT'S AN INTERESTING PROPOSITION THAT WE, WE HAVE A MONTH TO FIND OUT ABOUT AND AS FAST AS WE FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT FINDING OUT SOMETHING THAT'S INCORRECT, I'LL SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
ANY BOARD, UM, COMMENTS UNDER OTHER REPORTS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SO THAT WAS A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO STUDY THIS.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE NO COMMITTEE REPORTS AT THIS TIME.
MOVING ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS UPDATE ON THE SOUTH BRANCH LIBRARY.
MS. LORI, IT WAS LOOKING REAL GOOD THIS AFTERNOON,
WELL ACTUALLY GET IT RIGHT THERE.
SO AT THE SOUTH BRANCH FOR THE PAST MONTH, THE CONTRACTOR HAS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING WORK.
100% OF THE TRANSFORMER PAD HAS BEEN POURED.
100% OF THE EAST PARALLEL PARKING AREA HAS BEEN POURED.
90% OF THE CURTAIN WALL FRAMES ARE INSTALLED WITH GLASS.
100% OF THE GYPSUM DRYWALL HAS BEEN INSTALLED.
85% OF THE DRYWALL HAS BEEN TAPED AND FLOATED.
80% OF ALL THE WINDOWS ARE INSTALLED AND CAULKED.
80% OF THE STOREFRONT GLASS HAS BEEN INSTALLED.
65% OF THE CIRCULATION DESK FRAMING HAS BEEN INSTALLED, AND 35% OF THE CHILDREN'S WING HAS BEEN PAINTED WITH A FIRST COAT.
UH, LIBRARY STAFF HAVE FINALIZED THE FURNITURE PACKAGE WITH THE INTERIOR DESIGNER, AND WE'RE BEGINNING AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO PURCH.
WE'RE BEGINNING THE PURCHASING PROCESS.
UM, THE CONTRACTOR EXPECTS TO HAVE POWER TO THE BUILDING BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND AT THIS TIME, THE COMPLETION DATE IS STILL PROJECTED TO BE DECEMBER 31ST, THOUGH THIS COULD CHANGE.
AND LET ME SHOW YOU A FEW IMAGES.
I TRY TO GET, UM, AN IMAGE OF THE TRANSFORMER PAD.
LAURIE, HOW IS OUR TREE DOING? FINISHED? THE TREE IS SURVIVING.
PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT THE TREE ALL THE TIME.
UH, IS THE TREE STILL ALIVE? IT'S THE TREE.
ALRIGHT, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO GET A PICTURE OF THE TRANSFORMER PAD ACTUALLY COMPLETED, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU IT WAS FORMED AS OF LAST WEDNESDAY.
AND, UM, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN POURED BY THAT FRIDAY BECAUSE I GOT THE REPORT ON FRIDAY THAT IT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT POURED, BUT THEY DIDN'T SEND US AN IMAGE.
AND, UH, I LOVE THE WINDOW, SO I HAD TO INCLUDE A PICTURE OF THE WINDOWS.
SO THIS IS THE CAULKING AROUND THE CLEAR STORY AREA.
SO EVEN THOUGH CAULKING IS A BORING THING, THE WINDOWS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
AND I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE EAST PARALLEL PARKING AREA THAT WAS ACTUALLY POURED.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE THE BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS, AND THIS IS THE FRAMING OF THE EXTERIOR SOFFITS.
ON THE NEXT PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE DOING THE ROUGH ENDS FOR THE OVERHEAD LIGHTING OF THOSE SOFFITS.
ON THIS IMAGE, YOU CAN SEE THAT
[01:40:01]
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF DRYWALL.UM, AND WELL ACTUALLY IN THIS AREA, THE CHILDREN'S WING, THIS WAS HOW IT LOOKED ON JULY 22ND WITH IT JUST BEING THE MUDDING OF THE DRYWALL.
BUT BY LAST FRIDAY WE HAD THAT FIRST COAT OF PAINT DONE.
AND THEN OUR LAST IMAGE IS OF THE CIRCULATION DESK FRAMING, AND THAT'S SHOWING THAT THE 65% WORK, WHICH I SAW IMAGE TODAY, WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY MORE COMPLETE.
SO THEY'RE MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND, ALL OF THOSE AREAS ARE STILL UNPAINTED.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A WHILE BEFORE THEY FINISH, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S COMING TOGETHER AND IT'S LOOKING REALLY GOOD.
ANY QUESTIONS? IS THAT GONNA BE THE ADDRESS, 2210 GLASGOW? YES.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE UPDATE ON THE SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY.
SO FOR THE SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH ARCHIVES UPDATE FOR THE PAST MONTH, THE CONTRACTOR HAS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING WORK.
100% OF THE INSULATION AND SHEET ROCK HAS BEEN INSTALLED.
100% OF THE INTERIOR GLASS AND DOORS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
100% OF THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN PAINTED.
100% OF THE RESTROOM TILES, FIXTURES AND ACCESSORIES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
100% OF THE BRICK TRIM PIECES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
100% OF THE BALL COVERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, LIGHTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE OFFICE AND WORKROOM AREAS.
ALL AC UNITS ARE WIRED INTO DISCONNECT PANELS.
AND THE EXTERIOR ROLLUP DOOR HAS BEEN INSTALLED.
SO IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE SEWER AND WATERLINE TIE IN, SCOTLANDVILLE WAS CLOSED LAST FRIDAY ON AUGUST 9TH.
LIBRARY STAFF STILL ANTICIPATE POSSIBLY GOING OUT TO BED IN LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OR EARLY OCTOBER, PHASE TWO OF THE RENOVATION PROJECT.
UM, THE COMPLETION DATE FOR PHASE ONE IS STILL PROJECTED TO BE OCTOBER 16TH.
SO LET ME SHOW YOU A FEW IMAGES FOR SCOTLANDVILLE.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE INSTALLED GLASS AT THE STOREFRONT AS OF JUNE 28TH.
BY JULY 26TH, WE HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL STOREFRONT COMPLETED.
THIS IS AN IMAGE OF THE BATHROOM HARDWARE AND FIXTURES THAT WERE INSTALLED.
UH, THE LIGHT FIXTURES IN THE ARCHIVE ROOM, UH, AC UNITS THAT WERE CONNECTED TO THE DISCONNECT PANELS, THE BRICK TRIM, AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE SECURITY LIGHT ON THE WALL THERE.
AND THESE ARE THE BOLLARDS ALONG THE WEST SIDE PAVEMENT AT THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
AND THAT IS ALL I BROUGHT FOR YOU TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
ANY BOARD COMMENT UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS PUBLIC COMMENT, MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS, A REQUEST TO AMEND THE 2025 CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE SKYVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY FROM AN ADDITIONAL 478,962 8,300,000 TO REFLECT AN UPDATED ESTIMATE FROM THE ARCHITECTS.
HAS THAT THIS BEEN VETTED WITH, UH, EVERYBODY AND IT'S GOOD.
I MOVE THAT WE AMEND THE BUDGET.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, UM, MR. RONNIE PIERCE SHARING HIS EXPERIENCE FROM THE A L EIGHT CONVENTION IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.
I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO TAKE THIS TRIP.
IT WAS INFORMATIVE, IT WAS EYE-OPENING, AND I HOPE SOME OF YOU CAN POSSIBLY GO TO NEXT YEAR'S CONVENTION.
[01:45:01]
THE FIRST SESSION THAT I WENT TO, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THE ONE THAT I AM LEAST ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT BECAUSE IT INVOLVED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEAND I'M THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT I AM IN NEED OF AN AI FOR DUMMIES BOOK BECAUSE I, I AM TRYING, I AM TRYING TO CATCH UP, BUT I'M STILL WAY BEHIND.
UM, AFTER THAT, I WENT TO A SESSION ON THAT WAS PUT ON BY, UH, SOME CANADIAN ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS ON SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE.
HOW CAN LIBRARIES SET BOUNDARIES WITHOUT CLEAR EXPECTATIONS OF LABOR? THEY, UH, THEY DEFINED FOUR ERAS, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE CASE, UM, IN THE STATES OR DOWN HERE, BUT THEY FIRST DESCRIBED THE GIRL BOSS ERA STARTING IN 2004, WHICH WAS THE RISE OF THE ROCKSTAR OR SUPERSTAR LIBRARIANS.
WHATEVER IT TAKES, NO MATTER HOW MANY HOURS IT TAKES, IF I HAVE TO DO A PHYSICAL LABOR, IF I HAVE TO MAKE, UM, DECORATIONS FOR A PROGRAM, I'M, I'M GONNA GET IT DONE.
I'M GONNA BE THE STAR AND WE'RE GONNA GET THIS, THIS DONE.
UH, 2016 BEGAN THE ME TOO OR TIMES UP AREA WHERE PEOPLE BEGAN, UH, PRACTICING REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY.
AND THEY BEGAN CALLING OUT, UM, TOXIC BEHAVIOR WORKPLACE, I'M SORRY, TOXIC WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR AND IMPOSSIBLE STANDARDS.
2020 CAME THE LOCKDOWN OR THE BURNOUT AREA, WHERE AS, UM, PEOPLE WERE WORKING LESS DURING THE LOCKDOWNS, GENERALLY WORKING LESS DURING THE LOCKDOWNS.
UM, THERE BEGAN TO BE A LOT MORE DISCUSSION, UH, UM, ABOUT BURNOUT.
AND ALSO PEOPLE HAD TIME TO REFLECT ON THEIR WORK LIFE BALANCE AND THE, UH, POTENTIAL DANGERS OF WHAT THEY CALL THE HUSTLE CULTURE.
AND THEN FINALLY IN 2022, UH, THEY DESCRIBED SOMETHING OR, AND WE'RE STILL IN THIS NOW, THEY DESCRIBED SOMETHING CALLED THE QUIET QUITTING AREA OR, OR VILLAIN AREA WHERE WORKERS ARE NO LONGER CONTENT TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND ARE CUTTING BACK.
THEY'RE SAYING NO, AND THEY'RE SETTING BOUNDARIES.
I I DON'T THINK ANY OF THIS APPLIES TO OUR SYSTEM.
I'VE NOT NOTICED IT, BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT THESE, UM, ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS NOTED, UH, FROM THAT POINT FORWARD.
THEY WENT INTO A DISCUSSION OF HOW TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS, HOW TO GET THEM ON THE TENURE TRACK.
SO SINCE THAT REALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO A PUBLIC SYSTEM LIKE OURS, I, I, I JUST DIDN'T GET ANYTHING FROM THAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
PROBABLY THE MOST INFORMATIVE SESSION WAS ONE ENTITLED 10 THINGS EVERY LIBRARY BOARD MEMBER SHOULD KNOW, BUT OFTEN DON'T.
AND I WILL READ THROUGH THESE 10 THINGS QUICKLY.
BOARD SERVICE IS A JOB, IT'S A PART-TIME JOB, BUT A JOB NONETHELESS.
NUMBER TWO, STAY IN YOUR LANE.
DO NOT SUPERVISE, INTERVENE, OR COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF DIRECTLY WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE BOARD, CHAIR AND DIRECTOR.
NUMBER THREE, ORIENTATIONS SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL BOARD MEMBERS.
NUMBER FOUR, AND THIS IS SURPRISING, BOARD MEMBERS CAN BE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MISMANAGEMENT.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS CAN BE HELD PERSONALLY LIABLE IF, UM, IF BOARD MEMBERS RE BREACH THEIR STANDARDS OF FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF I JUST USE AN OUTRAGEOUS EXAMPLE, IF WE AS A BOARD DECIDE THAT, BECAUSE MAINE IS THE SHOWPLACE OF THIS SYSTEM, IF WE DECIDE THAT THE BOOKSHELVES SHOULD ALL BE SOLID GOLD, AND THE STAFF GOES ABOUT AND DOES THAT AND PUTS IN SOLID GOLD BOOKSHELVES AND IT, BUT IT BANKRUPTS THE SYSTEM, IN DOING SO, WE AS BOARD MEMBERS COULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THAT BANKRUPTCY.
NOT THAT WE EVER WOULD, BUT ITS NOT THE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, NOT ONE POSSIBLE OUTRAGEOUS EXAMPLE OF, OR, OR JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
UM, ALRIGHT, NUMBER FIVE, UH, BOARD MANAGEMENT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BOARD MEMBERS.
NUMBER SIX, DON'T ASK FRIENDS TO JOIN THE BOARD WHAT YOU WANT.
A, UM, A A MIXTURE AND, AND, AND A DIVERSE GROUP OF IDEAS.
YOU DON'T WANT SOMEONE, YOU DON'T WANT YOUR BEST FRIEND WHO MIGHT GET ON THE BOARD AND THEN JUST RUBBER STAMP
[01:50:01]
YOUR SUGGESTIONS.YOU WANT THE, THE, UH, THE DIVERSITY, THE DISCUSSION, THE, AND, AND CONSIDERING MULTIPLE POSSIBILITIES.
OKAY? UH, NUMBER SEVEN IS, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BOARD MEMBER TO BE INVOLVED.
UH, WHICH AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN HURST IS, IS TRYING TO HELP US PARTNER WITH OTHER, UM, OTHER GROUPS, OTHER PEOPLE TO INCREASE LITERACY.
UM, NUMBER EIGHT, FUNDRAISING AND ADVOCACY ARE PART OF THE JOB, NOT SO MUCH FUNDRAISING FOR US.
I THINK OUR PROPERTY TAX TAKES CARE OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR NEEDS, BUT I FOCUSED ON THE ADVOCACY PART SINCE I CAME BACK.
I HAVE GONE ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT CENTRAL AREA FACEBOOK PAGES AND SAID, HEY, I'M A BOARD MEMBER.
UH, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE LIBRARY, SO PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW.
I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR A FEW MORE GROUPS WHERE I CAN PUT OUT THAT SAME MESSAGE AND I WILL REPEAT IT EVERY FEW MONTHS AND SAY, HEY, JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS, WHEN I POSTED THIS BEFORE, I'M A BOARD MEMBER, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND I, AND I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO ADVOCATE FOR THE BOARD.
UM, NUMBER NINE IS, UH, ANNUAL EVALUATIONS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED FOR EVERYONE.
AND THEN NUMBER 10, UH, IT GAVE THE ATTRIBUTES OF EFFECTIVE BOARD MEMBERS.
SO, UH, THERE WAS A 69 SLIDE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT WENT WITH ALL OF THIS.
THE PRESENTER DID NOT HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF IT.
HOWEVER, I EMAIL THEM TO MARY AND TO KATRINA AND, UM, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY THEY CAN IN, UM, I'M SORRY, BRING IN SOME OF THOSE SLIDES TO WHAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE AS A BOARD MEMBER.
UH, I WENT TO A SESSION ON PATRON EXPECTATIONS AND SAFETY BECAUSE, UH, WHAT WHAT INTERESTED ME IN THAT SESSION WAS THAT JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING, I SAW AN, UM, I SAW AN INTERVENTION OR AN, AN INTERACTION BETWEEN A SECURITY GUARD AND A PATRON.
AND THE SECURITY GUARD HANDLED IT VERY WELL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PATRON SAFETY AND, AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS.
SO, UM, FROM THAT, WE SHOULD HAVE A, WE SHOULD HAVE CLEAR, CONCISE, AND POSTED GUIDELINES FOR EXPECTED PATRON BEHAVIOR.
MARY TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE IN EVERY BRANCH.
UH, WE SHOULD HAVE A POLICY FOR SUSPENSION AND OTHER CONSEQUENCES WHEN GUIDELINES ARE NOT FOLLOWED.
WE SHOULD HAVE AN APPEAL PROCESS IN CASE SOMEBODY WANTS TO APPEAL THEIR SUSPENSION OR THEIR, UH, FORBIDDEN FROM BEING IN, IN HERE.
UM, WE HAVE TO DESIGN SPACES THAT ARE WELCOMING, BUT YET ALSO PROVIDE A SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UM, BIG, BIG PICTURE OR, OR, YEAH, BIG PICTURE TOPIC THAT YOU GET INTO MORE DETAIL AS YOU DESIGN A BRANCH OR REMODEL A BRANCH.
UM, WE NEED TO TRY TO, WITHIN REASON, DEESCALATE, DEESCALATE, PARDON ME, SITUATIONS WHEN POSSIBLE.
UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, VERY GENERAL, VERY BASIC.
WE ARE NOT MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS.
BUT IF WE CAN TRY TO CALM THE PATIENT, NOT PATRON, PARDON ME, PATRON DOWN, UM, THEN WE SHOULD AGAIN, MAKE GENERAL BASIC EFFORTS TO DO SO TO DEESCALATE, UM, WHEN THERE IS A PATRON INCIDENT, UH, WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER STAFF MEMBERS.
AND, AND OUT AGAIN, A RATHER OUTRAGEOUS EXAMPLE, IF, IF MARY COMES ACROSS A PATRON WHO'S TEARING PAGES FROM A BOOK AND SHE HAND SHE HANDLES IT AND TAKES CARE OF IT, THEN OTHER STAFF MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW, MARY RAN ACROSS THIS SITUATION.
THIS IS HOW SHE HANDLED IT, THIS WAS THE CORRECT THING TO DO, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT.
SHOULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU, YOU HANDLE IT LIKEWISE.
UM, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH OR HAVE AN INCIDENT TRACKING AND REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH I BELIEVE WE ALREADY DO.
AND, UM, FINALLY, UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING I HAD NOT EVER CONSIDERED.
THE, THE PRESENTERS SUGGESTED THAT WE INSTALL WHAT I WILL CALL A MOTION DETECTOR IN PLACES LIKE RESTROOMS, NOT TO SPY
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ON PEOPLE, BUT SHOULD A PATRON ENTER A RESTROOM, THEN THIS DETECTOR WILL MOTION WILL, I'M SORRY, WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AT 6:02 PM SOMEBODY ENTERED THE RESTROOM, IF, AND THEN WITH A PRESET TIMER, 15, 20 MINUTES OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE WOULD DECIDE IT WOULD BE.IF THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER MOVEMENT INSIDE THAT RESTROOM, THEN WHETHER IT'S A STAFF MEMBER OR A SECURITY GUARD, SOMEBODY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED SO THAT, UH, THE SECURITY, I'LL SAY SECURITY GUARD CAN GO INTO THE RESTROOM AND FIND OUT IF THE PATRON IS HAVING A MEDICAL ISSUE.
IF THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING, THEY SHOULD NOT BE DOING WHATEVER THE SITU SITUATION MIGHT BE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS, IF THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MOVEMENT IN A RESTROOM FOR A FIXED AMOUNT OF TIME, SOMEBODY REALLY SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
FROM THERE, UM, I WENT TO TOP TECH TRENDS.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, TOP, TOP TECH TRENDS ARE NOT ALWAYS GOOD THINGS.
UH, YOU KNOW, RANSOMWARE IS RUNNING AMOK.
UM, AND, UM, THE, I WAS HOPING WE WOULD, UH, GET SOME SUGGESTIONS SUCH AS, THE NEXT BIG THING IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, OR WHATEVER IT MAY HAVE BEEN.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE, UH, THE ADVICE FROM THE PRESENTERS WAS THAT WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO HAVE A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OR A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF EACH NEW LINE OF EQUIPMENT OR SOFTWARE OR ELECTRONIC GAMING OR WHATEVER.
TRY TO HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT WORKS OR HOW IT FUNCTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN, UH, WE SHOULD BRING THIS INTO OUR SYSTEM.
UM, IF, IF WE, IF WE FIND OURSELVES WAITING TO DETERMINE IF THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY OR NEW GAMING SYSTEM, IF WE WAIT UNTIL IT BECOMES POPULAR BEFORE WE SIGN ON TO IT AND, AND GET INVOLVED IN IT, THEN WE ARE LEFT WITH, WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP JUST LIKE I AM WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND, AND WE HAVE PATRONS ASKING, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA GET THE NEW PLAYSTATION 10? UH, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE NEW, THE NEWEST, UH, APPLE VIRTUAL REALITY GOGGLES? YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE PATRONS WANTING US TO GET INVOLVED AND HELP THEM AND, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE RESOURCES BRINGING INTO OUR SYSTEM.
AND, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CATCH UP OUR OWN SELVES.
AND FINALLY, UM, USING OUR SYSTEM AS AN EXAMPLE, I, I KNOW THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGER SYSTEMS IN THE STATE, SO UNFORTUNATELY IT FALLS ON THE LARGER SYSTEMS TO, UM, BUY SOME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND TO TRY IT OUT AND SOMETIMES GET BURNED.
YOU, YOU MAY REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A BIG FANFARE WHEN GOOGLE GLASS CAME OUT.
UM, IT WAS A PAIR OF GLASSES WITH A TINY WEB BROWSER IN ONE CORNER OF THE LENSES.
WELL, IT NEVER REALLY CAUGHT ON.
UM, GOOGLE STOPPED SELLING IT, AND THEY EVEN DISCONTINUED SUPPORT.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN I READ, THEY STOPPED SUPPORTING IT.
BUT ANYWAY, IT IS UP TO SYSTEMS LIKE OURS TO, TO UNFORTUNATELY INVEST IN GOOGLE GLASS AND FIND OUT IT DOESN'T WORK, SO THAT WE CAN THEN TELL OTHER SYSTEMS, HEY, THIS IS NOT WHAT IT'S ADVERTISED.
THEY, THEY CAN'T DELIVER ON THEIR PROMISES.
SO SINCE YOU'RE A SMALLER SYSTEM WITH FEWER RESOURCES, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON IT.
UH, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT, UH, SOME, SOMEBODY HAS TO, TO BUY IT AND TRY IT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD BUY EVERYTHING, OF COURSE, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO BUY IT AND TRY IT AND FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, AND THEN INFORM OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS. UM, OKAY.
THEN I WENT TO A SESSION ON PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO READ, WHICH, UM, WHAT THEY, WHAT THOSE PRESENTERS POINTED OUT IS THAT TODAY'S ATTACK ON CONTROVERSIAL TITLES IS
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NOTHING NEW.IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SEVENTIES, THERE WERE ARTICLES PUBLISHED ON OUR VIDEO GAMES CORRUPTING TODAY'S YOUTH, UM, INTO THE EIGHTIES AND THE NINETIES.
THERE WAS A, A PANIC OR A, UM, I WILL LOOSELY CALL THEORY THAT, UM, HIP HOP MUSIC WAS ERODING KIDS' MORALS.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE, I THINK IT WAS THE LATE NINETIES THEN, UH, SENATOR TIP, UH, SENATOR AL GORE, PARDON ME, HELPED HIS WIFE TIPPER GORE TO HOLD CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON HIP HOP AND OTHER MUSIC, OTHER TYPES OF MUSIC.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE INFAMOUS, UH, PARENTAL WARNING LABELS CAME FROM.
IF, IF YOU REMEMBER SEEING PARENTAL ADVISORY STICKERS ON CDS OR SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM TIPPER GORE'S CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, UM, BACK IN THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES WHEN COMIC BOOKS BECAME POPULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WERE, UM, THERE WERE ACCUSATIONS THAT COMIC BOOKS ARE RUINING OUR CHILDREN'S MINDS.
SO TO ADDRESS THAT, THERE SOMETHING CALLED THE COMICS CODE AUTHORITY WAS CREATED, AND, UH, THERE USED TO BE A LITTLE SEAL THAT WOULD APPEAR IN THE CORNER OF THE COVER OF A COMIC BOOK.
AND IF THE COMIC BOOK CARRIED THIS SEAL, THEN IT WAS SAFE.
YOUR CHILD'S MIND WOULD NOT BE ROTTED FROM READING THIS COMIC BOOK
AND THEN FINALLY, IF YOU THINK BACK TO THE FIFTIES, THERE WERE BOOK BURNINGS.
OKAY? UM, UH, SO THE MAIN, THE MAIN POINT OF THE SESSION WAS THAT THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE IN, IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THE, THE UPROAR NOW OVER WHAT I WILL CALL CONTROVERSIAL TITLES IS NOTHING NEW.
SO WE JUST NEED TO, UM, STRAP IN AND, AND, AND BE REASONABLE AND JUST LET IT PLAY ITSELF OUT, BECAUSE IT TOO WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY.
THE, UH, THE LAST, WELL THE LAST ONE THAT I HAVE NOTES ABOUT IS, UM, WAS REGARDING DIGITAL AUDIO BOOKS AND THE LIBRARY MARKET.
UM, I, I LEARNED IN THIS SESSION THAT IT TAKES THREE HOURS TO PRODUCE ONE HOUR OF LISTENABLE CONTENT.
THE, UH, THE NARRATOR WILL READ FOR AN HOUR, AND THEN ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS COME IN AND, AND DO WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE IT PRESENTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO IT TAKES THREE HOURS OF WORK TO PRODUCE ONE HOUR OF CONTENT, UM, PARDON ME, A A, A BOOK THAT TAKES 15 OR 16 HOURS TAKES ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO THREE WEEKS TO RECORD AND PRODUCE.
UH, MULTIPLE DAYS ARE TAKEN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NARRATOR, BECAUSE LIKE RIGHT NOW WHERE MY VOICE IS, IS CRACKING A LITTLE BIT FROM TALKING THIS LONG FOR WHAT, 10 MINUTES MAYBE.
UH, LOTS OF BREAKS ARE TAKEN FOR THE NARRATOR SO THEIR VOICE DOESN'T GET SCRATCHY OR WORN OR, OR, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, OVERWORKED.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT TAKES TWO TO, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES MULTIPLE DAYS AND TWO TO THREE WEEKS FOR A TYPICAL, UM, BOOK TO BE NARRATED AND THEN PRODUCED, UH, ALSO ON TOP OF IT.
ON TOP OF THAT, AS FAR AS THE PRICE OF THE BOOKS ARE CONCERNED, THE AUDIO BOOKS ARE CONCERNED.
UM, IT IS, UH, THE NARRATOR PLAYS A BIG ROLE BECAUSE IN A BOOK, IN BOOKS THAT WERE WRITTEN BY PRESIDENT AND MRS. OBAMA, LISTENERS WANT PRESIDENT AND MRS. OBAMA TO NARRATE THEIR OWN BOOKS, THEY, THEY WOULD NOT BE SATISFIED IF ME AND KATRINA WERE TO TRY TO NARRATE THOSE BOOKS FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND THE SAME THING GOES FOR OTHER TITLES.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, REACHER SERIES THAT IS POPULAR ON ONE OF THE STREAMING SERVICE SERVICES, UH, AMAZON OR NETFLIX.
ANYWAY, IT'S BASED ON A SERIES OF BOOKS THAT WERE WRITTEN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
WELL, WHEN YOU'RE READING THE REACHER CHARACTER, UH, THE, THE LISTENER EXPECTS A BIG MASCULINE VOICE, SAY LIKE MIKE ROWE, WHO DOES THE DIRTY JOBS SHOW, THEY EXPECT A MIKE ROWE USING HIM JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, TO BE THE VOICE
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OF REACHER.THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT PEEWEE HERMAN
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE, THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY, AS FAR AS PRICING IS CONCERNED, UM, IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THERE ARE NO, UH, CHANGES IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, AGAIN, I I I WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO TRAVEL.
IT WAS, IT WAS EYE-OPENING THAT SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY IS AMAZING.
UH, THERE IN THE, UH, VENDOR EXHIBIT AREA, UH, THERE IS A ROBOT, THERE IS A READING ROBOT NAMED LUCA THAT, UM, CAN READ BOOKS TO CHILDREN.
UH, LUCA IS NOT VERY BIG, BUT IT WAS DEVELOPED IN ASIA.
BUT LUCA CAN RECOGNIZE, ALREADY RECOGNIZE 20,000 ENGLISH TITLES AND 70,000 CHINESE TITLES, AND THEN READ THOSE BOOKS TO THE CHILDREN.
ALSO, I SAW A, UM, A BOOK SCANNER.
UH, AND MY THOUGHT FOR THIS WAS THE BATON ROUGE ROOM.
YOU, YOU WOULD SET THE BOOK IN THIS SCANNER AND IT ACTUALLY SCANS AND THEN FLIPS THE PAGE, SCANS AND FLIPS THE PAGE.
AND SO FOR ITEMS THAT ARE EITHER NOT COPYRIGHTED OR PERHAPS THE COPYRIGHT HAS EXPIRED THINGS IN THE BATON ROUGE ROOM, I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD, UM, COULD, COULD HELP THE, THE DIGITAL LIBRARY FOR THE BATON ROUGE ROOM GIVE PATRONS MORE ACCESS TO THOSE KIND OF ITEMS. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THERE WERE MORE PUBLISHERS THAN I THINK I KNEW.
I DON'T THINK I KNEW THAT MANY PUBLISHERS EXISTED.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GO AROUND AND WITH THE IDEA OF GETTING BOOKS THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE APPEALING TO ADULTS, TWO CHILDREN, TWO TEENS, I PICKED UP, I THINK IT WAS 10 TO 12 TITLES, AND HAD THEM SHIPPED BACK HERE AND GAVE THEM, UH, TO MARY AND TO KATRINA TO ADD TO OUR COLLECTION.
I, I HOPE I MADE GOOD CHOICES.
SO ANYWAY, I MEAN, AGAIN, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO GO, YOU, YOU, YOU WILL WALK AWAY WITH A BETTER APPRECIATION OF WHAT OUR STAFF DOES, THE THINGS AND, AND THE, THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH AND THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS LIBRARIES.
RONNIE, I'VE BEEN TO A FEW MYSELF.
UM, AND I FOUND SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, GAVE A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE SOME GOOD HANDOUTS TOO, SOME OF THE BOOKS AND, UH, SOME OF THE AUTHOR SIGNERS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, YOU HAD ORIGINALLY TOLD US THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE BUDGETED FOR ABOUT $2,500, I THOUGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, I THINK MY ORIGINAL ESTIMATE CAME IN AT 27 OR $2,800.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO REGISTER AND, AND LOOK FOR A HOTEL ROOM, ALL OF THE CONFERENCE, UH, RATE HOTEL ROOMS HAD BEEN BOOKED.
SO I ENDED UP HAVING TO BOOK AT A HOTEL, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS EXORBITANT, BUT JUST THE HOTEL WITH THEIR, UH, FEES AND TAXES WAS $2,700.
THAT WAS BY FAR THE SINGLE LARGEST, UM, EX ITEM ON MY RECONCILIATION WORKSHEET.
HOPEFULLY, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, IF, IF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE GONNA DO THIS NEXT YEAR, THEN IT WILL NOT TAKE US LONG TO GET AN APPROVAL TO TRAVEL.
AND SO YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD GET A, UM, A ROOM AT THE CONFERENCE RATE, BUT IN THE END, MY TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT CAME OUT TO, UH, $4,400.
SO I, I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THAT MUCH.
'CAUSE I REALLY WAS ANTICIPATING THE, THE CONFERENCE ROOM HOTEL RATE, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT.
AND I, I INTEND ON GOING TO MORE IN THE FUTURE, UM, BUT I DO INTEND ON PAYING FOR THEM MYSELF.
UM, WITH THE, THE CHANGE IN COST, DO YOU THINK IT WAS WORTH IT? UM, I DO, I DO BECAUSE WHEN, UH, WHEN KATRINA OR MARY OR WHOEVER COMES BACK WITH THEIR EXCITEMENT FROM HAVING BEEN AT THE CONFERENCE, UM, I CAN, I, I CAN USE MY OWN MEMORIES AND REFLECTIONS TO, TO SHARE IN THAT EXCITEMENT BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD
[02:10:01]
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WISH THAT IT HADN'T BEEN THAT EXPENSIVE, BUT EVEN STILL WITH THE PRICE, I'M GLAD I WENT.UM, I WOULD, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL GET THE BEST INFORMATION AND SEEINGS BELIEVING IN A LOT OF CASES.
I, I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HAVE MORE OF OUR STAFF TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS, UH, TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, 4100, 40 $400 IS 10% OF, UH, LIBRARIANS, UH, NUMBER ONE LIBRARIAN, ONE'S INCOME, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY DON'T GET THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OFTEN EITHER.
UM, SO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE, WITH THESE TAX DOLLARS, I WOULD PREFER US TO MAKE SURE AND USE IT AS JUDICIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, MAKE SURE AND, AND, AND LIMIT IT WHEREVER WE CAN.
I'D HATE TO SEE THIS BECOME A BLOATED PART OF OUR BUDGET TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE EVERYONE WANTING TO GO TO EVERY CONFERENCE AND, AND DOING IT.
UH, I COULD SEE WHERE IT COULD GET VERY EXPENSIVE AND TAKE AWAY FROM SOME OTHER WELL, YEAH.
YOU MAY MAY RECALL THAT I FIRST APPROACHED THE BUDGET.
I FIRST APPROACHED THE BOARD WITH MY BUDGET OF 27, 20 $800 AND Y'ALL APPROVED IT.
AND THEN WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE HOTEL WAS GOING TO BE SO EXPENSIVE, I CAME BACK TO THE BOARD THE NEXT, THE NEXT MONTH AND GOT THE ADDITIONAL MONEY APPROVED.
IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK, MR. PIERCE, UM, HAVING BEEN THERE, DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY, UH, THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AND SOME OF THE CONFERENCES AND ALL THAT WE GO TO ARE SO VITALLY IMPORTANT? OH, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
TO US LIBRARIANS, AS FAR AS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOES, YES.
UM, THE ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT, UM, ON SATURDAY NIGHT I WENT TO DINNER WITH SOME, UH, BOARD MEMBERS OR TRUSTEES OF OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS. AND SO WE GOT TO DISCUSS OUR SYSTEMS AND HOW WE OPERATE AND WHAT WE DO.
AND SO THAT WAS ALSO INFORMATIVE TO GET THE POINT OF VIEW OF, OF OTHER SYSTEMS AND, AND JUST A DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT OR THINK ABOUT THINGS.
SO THAT WAS ALSO, THAT WAS INFORMATIVE AND ENJOYABLE AS WELL.
AND, UH, TWO WAS, UH, REASSURE MR. LUTHER.
WE MADE SURE THAT WE, UH, PUT LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET, UH, TO FUND TRAVEL FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE CONFERENCE NEXT YEAR.
ANY ADDITIONAL BOARD COMMENT UNDER NEW BUSINESS? UH, ONLY COMMENTS I WOULD LIKE AFTER LISTENING TO RONNIE IS THAT FOR, UM, AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER HAVING WORKED HERE, UM, UH, PATRON, UM, SECURITY AND, UH, LIBRARIANS LOOKING OUT NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN AND STAFF AND, AND, UM, PEOPLE IN THE LIBRARY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SYSTEM IS ALWAYS SAFE AND SECURE FOR EVERYONE'S LONG BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE DO AND THAT LIBRARIES, UM, WHEN WE BUILD LIBRARIES THESE DAYS, UM, YOU MAKE SURE THAT'S WHO'S EVER ON REFERENCE OR CIRCULATION OR YOUNG ADULT OR CHILDREN THAT YOU HAVE CLEAR VISION.
YOU HAVE, YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR FACILITY, YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR BOOKSHELVES, YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR CORNERS SO THAT YOU HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN EVERY, UH, SECTION IN THE, IN THE LIBRARY GEOGRAPHY IF YOU, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT, UH, THE LIBRARIES ARE DESIGNED THAT WAY TO MAKE IT A SECURE, UH, SPACE.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN, UM, PERHAPS IN REFERENCE OR MAY IN OTHER AREAS, UM, BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OR KNOW HOW TO UNDERSTAND, UM, PATRONS WHO MAY BE, UM, DIFFICULT BECAUSE EVERYONE COMES IN WITH A DIFFERENT PROBLEM, WHETHER IT'S A MEDICAL PROBLEM OR THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOUR HOURS OR THEY ALL HAVE A, A STORY BEHIND THAT.
SO YOU LEARN HOW TO, UM, UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND THEIR DIFFICULTIES AND HOW TO, UH, TO DEAL WITH THOSE FOLKS OR HOW TO DIRECT THEM TO THE, TO WHAT THEY NEED TO AND GIVE THEM THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
UH, SO THAT A LOT, UH, RONNIE HAS IS BEEN FROM PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THE FLOOR DAY TO DAY TO TODAY, AND THE
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DESIGN, THE FACILITIES, A LOT OF THOSE SAFETY ISSUES, UM, HAVE BEEN KNOWN ABOUT FOR QUITE, YOU KNOW, AND ADDRESSED FOR QUITE SOME TIMES NOW.AS FAR AS THE, UM, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, UM, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN VERY GOOD.
UM, AND I CAN ONLY ADDRESS THINGS BECAUSE OF MY GRANDSONS OR WHATEVER YOU MAY KNOW ABOUT WHAT ESPORTS IS OR WHAT KIND OF, UM, PROGRAMMING IS COMING UP AND WHAT'S GONNA, EVEN SOME OF THE UNIVERSITIES TEACH ESPORTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL JUST KEEPING PACE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SOCIETY AND THE, AND THE CULTURE, AND PARTICULARLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN, UM, IN THE, THE PARISH THAT PAYS THE TAXES
AND THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND, OUR PATRONS ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND IN THE, UM, IN THE DIGITAL SPACE AND JUST THE SPACE, THE CULTURAL SPACE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON ALSO.
AND WE ARE THE LARGEST SYSTEM IN THE STATE, AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE A LEADER IN TECHNOLOGY AND PROGRAMMING AND, UH, MANY OF THE SMALLER, A LOT OF THE SMALLER PARISHES LOOK TO US FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THANK YOU FOR GOING AND I REALLY, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
ONE LAST QUICK THING I FORGOT TO MENTION IS THAT IN THE SESSION ON BOARD MEMBERS AND WHAT THEY SHOULD KNOW, THE PRESENTER ASKS FOR A SHOW OF HANDS OF HOW MANY BOARD MEMBERS OR TRUSTEES AS SOME, AS SOME SYSTEMS CALL THEM, WERE IN THE ROOM AND WELL OVER 100 PEOPLE RAISE THEIR HANDS.
OH, THAT'S, SO, UM, I WAS, I WAS FAR FROM THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER TO HAVE ATTENDED THE CONFERENCE THAT THERE WERE POSSIBLY MORE WHO, UM, JUST DIDN'T GO TO THAT PARTICULAR SESSION.
I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, AT THAT ONE SESSION, THERE WERE WELL OVER 100 BOARD MEMBERS OR TRUSTEES IN ATTENDANCE, SO IT'S NOT A TOTALLY FOREIGN CONCEPT THAT, OH, NO, NO, THANK YOU.
THAT WE ATTEND SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, COMMENTS BY THE LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL UNDER NEW BUSINESS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT UNDER NEW BUSINESS? ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO COMMENTS BY THE LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL.
ANY OVERALL COMMENTS BY ANYONE? ALL RIGHT.
DO I HAVE, UM, A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
THE MEETING HAS BEEN ADJOINED.