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[EBR Library Board of Control on August 21, 2025.]
WELCOME TO THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL.MS. DOLORES, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE SLIDE, THE UNITED STATES REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 17TH, 2025.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? HEARING NONE.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, THE MINUTES WILL BE APPROVED AS DISTRIBUTED.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, SPECIAL ORDERS PRESENTING OF THE MINIATURE FLAGS FROM MR. MARK LEBLA OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN ME TO PRESENT THESE FLAGS.
UM, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THIS PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE FLAG ON JUNE 25TH WITH THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 1 9 5 5 OH.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, UM, I DESIGNED THE FLAG ABOUT A YEAR AGO, UM, STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT, AND IT REPRESENTS BATON ROUGE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, NOT JUST THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, THE WHOLE PARISH.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO IT TO REFLECT WAS SOME OF THE SYMBOLS OF OUR PARISH AND OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE FLAG, IF YOU, IN THE PACKETS THAT I BROUGHT FOR Y'ALL, THE, UM, THE WAVY BLUE LINE REPRESENTS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THAT THE FRENCH EXPLORERS SAILED ON, AND THEY FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE TREE TRUNKS WITH SOAKED IN BLOOD, OR BASICALLY HAD ANIMAL SKINS OR HIDES OR WHATEVER IT WAS THERE THAT THE NATIVE NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION PUT THERE.
AND, UM, SO THAT RED VERTICAL STRIPES SURROUNDING THE WHITE REPRESENTS THE RED STICK.
UM, THE CRIMSON FIELD REPRESENTS THE BLOOD THAT CAME FROM THE RED STICK.
AND THEN THE SHIELD REPRESENTS THE THREE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE CONTROLLED OR HA HA HELD THIS AREA OVER OUR HISTORY.
THE FRENCH FLORIDA LEE, THE UNION JACK OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE, UM, CASTLE OF SPAIN.
SO THOSE WERE THE, UH, THE PRIMARY INFLUENCERS, NOT ONLY OF JUST HOLDING THIS AREA, BUT ALSO CULTURALLY AND, UH, ARCHITECTURALLY AND ANY OTHER SOCIAL THAT WE GOT FROM THESE PARTICULAR COUNTRIES FROM EUROPE.
UH, COUNCILMAN HURST IS PROBABLY GONNA GET HIS SECOND OR THIRD ONE
UM, BUT UH, IT IS FLYING DOWNTOWN ON THE PLAZA.
AND, UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'LL BE FLYING ON THE RIVERFRONT, UH, AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND I HAVE TOLD MS. STOKES THAT I WILL PERSONALLY DONATE ONE FOR THE, THIS BOARDROOM, UH, PROBABLY BE A FEW WEEKS I GET ABOUT TO GO ON VACATION.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF AGREEING TO DISPLAY THEM AT, UM, AT SEVERAL OF THE LOCAL LIBRARIES.
UH, I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD POINT OF HISTORY FOR PATRONS OF THE LIBRARY WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER IT TO SAY, WELL, WHAT IS THIS? AND, UH, SO I WANTED Y'ALL TO HAVE IT SO THAT YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND PATRONS HERE AT THE LIBRARY.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
BUT, UH, I DO APPRECIATE THE ABILITY TO OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS.
UM, MY LATE BROTHER DAVIS RO I'M SURE WOULD APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH.
AND, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND CREATIVITY IN DOING THIS.
I KNEW DAVIS, UH, FROM DDDI WORKING AT THE CITY PARISH, SO I'M, UH, I APPRECIATE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO, TO OUTREACH.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FOR, FOR COMING? AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING.
IF, AND, AND I'M A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU.
I MEAN, I BELIEVE IT SPEAKS VOLUMES THE THE TIME, EFFORT AND, UH, COMMITMENT THAT YOU PUT IN.
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I APPRECIATE THAT ONE DAY IT WAS JUST A TOY AND A GIFT AND, AND IDEA, AND NOW IT'S CHANGING THE WAY THAT OUR, UH, OUR, OUR CITY PARISH REPRESENTS ITSELF.I, I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE A, A UNIFYING SYMBOL FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
SO I'M TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO FLY AROUND TOWN.
UH, UH, IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY THAT WANTS ONE AND I HAVE MY EMAIL, THE FLAG HAS ITS OWN EMAIL ADDRESS NOW.
SO ANYWAY, JUST CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW.
SO AN ACTION ADVERTISING AND FLAGS HAS WILL NOW CARRY IT ON A MADE TO ORDER BASIS.
I DON'T GET ANY MONEY FOR IT, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANT IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO HAVE.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR, THE FINANCIAL REPORT FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE READ BY RHONDA PENSAT FOR 2025.
OPERATING EXPENDITURES THROUGH JULY 31ST ARE $26,437,978 AND 3 CENTS ARE 48.06% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET THROUGH JULY.
WE SHOULD HAVE SPENT NO MORE THAN 58% OF THE BUDGET CASH COLLECTIONS FROM PROPERTY TAXES FOR 2025 REMAIN AHEAD OF THOSE COLLECTED IN 2024 AS WE ARE APPROXIMATELY $2.9 MILLION AND 5.37% AHEAD OF THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FINANCIAL REPORT? THANK YOU.
SYSTEM REPORTS WILL BE READ BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARY STEIN.
YES, I'M TWO FOR TWO WITH TECHNOLOGY.
SO DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE IN THIS PICTURE? THAT'S A LOOKING GROUP.
I WAS, IT ALMOST WAS LIKE ZOMBIES BREAKING THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, UH, WE HAD A WONDERFUL DEDICATION FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL NEW SOUTH BRANCH LIBRARY AT, OUT ON, UH, GLASGOW AVENUE SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH, STANDING ROOM ONLY INSIDE, STANDING ROOM ONLY OUTSIDE.
AND THEN PEOPLE JUST REALLY ENJOYED, UH, THE SPACE, CHECKING IT OUT.
SOME PEOPLE, THAT WAS THEIR FIRST VISIT.
MANY RESIDENTS CAME AND, AND THEY WERE OLD HATS.
AND, UH, I LOVED THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SHOWING NEW PEOPLE AROUND WITH PRIDE.
AND ONE THING THAT WE ESPECIALLY WERE PLEASED WITH, THERE WAS SO MUCH INTERACTIVITY IN THROUGHOUT THE SPACE, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP ROCKS AND GO OUT THERE AND STICK 'EM WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO TO PROTECT VIRGIL.
SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THAT ALL SUMMER, AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL EVENT.
SO, UH, AT EACH ONE OF YOUR, UH, DESKS, I HAVE JUST OUR LITTLE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS THE FACTS ON THE BACK.
AND THEN YOU JUST GOTTA BE WAITING FOR A YEAR FROM NOW FOR SCOTLANDVILLE.
NOW, SOMETHING THAT IS ALSO AT YOUR DESKS, UH, WE HAVE IN THE NEWSLETTER, WE HAVE THE SCHEDULE OF AUGUST THRIVE SESSIONS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THESE FOR TWO WEEKS NOW.
UH, SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE 15 OR 20 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE TWO OR THREE, UH, UH, UH, STAFF WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON THE DESK OR INVITED TO COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT THE PLAN.
WE DIDN'T PRINT ANYTHING UNTIL NOW BECAUSE WE KNEW BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT THE AUDIENCE WOULD GIVE US AND AND THEIR FEEDBACK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO FINESSE WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU.
SO IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU ALMOST HAVE WHAT'S GONNA BE COMING BACK FROM THE PRINTER.
THERE'S GONNA BE A VALUE PROPOSITION LITTLE BOOKLET, WHICH IS BASED ON WHAT PATRONS ASKED US.
PATRONS ASKED US, MARY, HOW MUCH WOULD I SAVE BY USING MANGO LANGUAGES AT THE LIBRARY? AND I SAID, WELL, YOU WOULD SAVE 200 TO $400 A YEAR.
AND THEN THAT PERSON SAID, WELL, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT.
A DIFFERENT PERSON SAID, MARY, HOW MUCH DO I SAVE BY USING DATA AXLE TO BUILD MY MARKETING LIST? AND I SAID, WELL, YOU GONNA SAVE $4,000 AT LEAST.
AND HE'S LIKE, MARY, EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THIS.
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SO THIS IS ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO KEEP GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE.IT WILL BE, UH, ACCOMPANIED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, A LITTLE BOOST ONCE A WEEK.
AND WE HAVE VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THIS OUT THERE.
SO WE HAVE THRIVE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING DAY, NIGHT, WEEKEND, WEEKDAY, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, IN THE PARISH, DEPENDING ON WHO HAD ROOM AVAILABILITY.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE BOOKLET THAT IS A SUMMATION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POWERPOINT SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTATION.
WE CAN DO A FIVE MINUTE PRESENTATION OR WE CAN DO A 55 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
I COULD DO A THREE HOUR PRESENTATION, BUT YOU GENERALLY WERE AIMING FOR 20 MINUTES.
AND THEN QUESTIONS AND PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO THAT.
UM, WE HAD THE BACK OF ONE OF THE NEWSPAPERS ON AUGUST 5TH COVERED, UH, THIS IS CALLED A STADIA.
THIS IS THE WRAP FOR THE NEWSPAPER, WHAT I CALL THE REAL PAPER.
UH, AND IT SUMMARIZES THE THINGS FROM THE BOOKMARK AND FROM PAGE TWO OF YOUR NEWSLETTER, THE AUGUST NEWSLETTER, THE KEY POINTS OF WHAT THE THRIVE PLAN IS.
SO IN FIVE MINUTES OR LESS, THIS IS MOSTLY WHAT, WHAT WE SHARE, AND THEN WE TAKE QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, THE POWER, UH, THE POWERPOINT IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
IT IS ON THE WEBSITE AS ARE PROJECTIONS.
ALL THE FINANCIALS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, FINANCIALS, A SHORT VERSION OF FAQS, THAT'S CALLED ACCORDION.
YOU JUST CLICK THE WEBSITE AND IT SAYS, OH, HERE'S A COMMON QUESTION, AND HERE ARE THE ANSWERS.
AND THEN THE UNABRIDGED SEVEN PAGE, SMALL PRINT, FAQ, THAT CAN KEEP GROWING.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO PRINT THAT.
AS PEOPLE ASK US QUESTIONS, WE'LL SEE IF WE NEED TO TAP 'EM INTO THE FAQS.
UM, SO ALL KINDS OF THINGS IS ALREADY LIVING ON THE WEBSITE.
THE FANS CAME IN AN HOUR AGO, I HAVE THEM, UH, ARE LIBRARY FANS NOW HAVE THE QR CODE ON THE BACK.
SO IF YOU WANT TO FAN YOURSELF, I CAN UNWRAP A PACK AND YOU CAN LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.
EVEN THE BUTTONS NOW HAVE THE QR CODE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A QR WORLD.
WHAT CAN I SAY? UH, SPEAKING OF TECHNOLOGY, I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE CAPITAL AREA CORPORATE RECYCLING COUNCIL WAS HOSTED BY US HERE A FEW WEEK ENDS AGO, AND HAD A FABULOUS EVENT WHERE THEY WERE BRINGING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, THE RECONDITION TECHNOLOGY THAT PEOPLE DONATE TO THEM, AND THEN THEY REWORK IT.
AND THEN YOUR CHILD COULD BUY SOMETHING, UM, FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR LESS.
I REMEMBER AFTER THE FLOOD, WE DROVE DOWN TO CAPITAL AREA CORPORATE RECYCLING COUNCIL AND PICKED UP A LAPTOP FOR OUR STUDENT, UH, FOR, FOR LESS THAN A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
AND THAT GOT HIM THROUGH THE NEXT SEMESTER.
SOMETIMES THEY'VE TAUGHT A CLASS AT CARVER BRANCH AND TAUGHT PEOPLE HOW TO RECONDITION COMPUTERS.
RIGHT NOW, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THEM IS WE ARE ACCEPTING YOUR DEAD DEVICES.
AND THAT'S A BIG RECYCLING CONCERN.
THAT IS A BIG GARBAGE CONCERN.
ALL THESE DEVICES THAT END UP IN A LANDFILL.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BRING US YOUR DEVICES, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY WORK OR ARE DEAD.
AND WE ARE COLLECTING THEM AT ALL 15 LOCATIONS.
THEN THEY, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
THEN THEY SEND THEM IN AND WE GET THEM TO CAR AND CAR.
EITHER RECYCLES THEM, UPCYCLES THEM, FIXES THEM, USES THEM FOR PARTS OR SAFELY DISPOSES OF THEM.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE A FRESH RELATIONSHIP WITH C-A-C-R-C.
YOU KNOW, WE LOVE STEMI STUFF AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH CHESS PLAYERS, OH, I WANNA SAY SINCE THE SEVENTIES, UH, WITH TEACHING CHESS IN LIBRARIES, HAVING CHESS TOURNAMENTS, DOING BIG CHESS DAYS, CHESS FAIRS.
BUT THE MOST FUN THING IS WHEN THE GRAND COMES AND PLAYS EVERYBODY SIMULTANEOUSLY, WHICH IS WHAT THEY DID AT THE SOUTH BRANCH NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND WE HAD YOUNG CHESS PLAYERS AND WE HAD GRANDPARENTS OF CHESS PLAYERS PLAYING, AND HE BEAT THEM ALL.
WHAT CAN I SAY? BUT IT'S JUST SO COOL.
AND YOU'RE PART OF A SPECIAL EVENT.
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SPOTLIGHT ON THAT.MY FAVORITE THING, WHICH IS STEALTH STEM TRICKING KIDS INTO BEING CRITICAL THINKERS THROUGH GAMESMANSHIP.
SO CHESS FOR ALL AT THE SOUTH BRANCH, AND WE'LL SEE MORE OF THAT GENTLEMAN IN THE FUTURE.
UH, CARVER CUBS, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LSU, THE, UH, UH, THE SPECIAL GRAD STUDENTS, UH, THE HOME STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING HOW TO BE READING SPECIALISTS COME IN THE SUMMER AND BUDDY UP WITH THE KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE CARVER BRANCH.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES HERE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WHEN WE TALKED TO THE ARCHITECT AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT SPACE AT CARVER, THEIR SPACE NEEDS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, WE SAID, OH, WELL, WHEN THE CUBS COME.
AND HE'S LIKE, WHAT? TELL ME ABOUT, WHAT ARE THESE CUBS? AND WE'RE LIKE, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE ON THE FLOOR, THEY'RE ON BENCHES, THEY'RE OUTSIDE, THEY'RE IN EVERY MEETING ROOM WE HAVE.
THEY'RE ON THE REFERENCE TABLES.
SO, UH, THAT WAS VERY ILLUMINATIVE FOR OUR ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS TO LOOK AT.
AND WE'RE JUST SO APPRECIATIVE OF THESE VOLUNTEER GRAD STUDENTS LED BY THEIR SENIOR FACULTY MEMBERS, OF COURSE, SPENDING PART OF THEIR SUMMER WITH THE KIDS AND THE PARENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, CALL IN APRIL SAYING, ARE WE DOING CARVER CUBS AGAIN? CAN I SIGN UP? CAN I SIGN UP? HOW FABULOUS IS THAT COLOR? OUR WORLD WAS OUR THEME FOR THE SUMMER, AND WE HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED RESPONSE IN AN INTERGENERATIONAL WAY.
YOU KNOW, THE SUMMER READING THEME IS, IT'S A THEME, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME KIND OF SUMMER CHALLENGE NO MATTER WHAT.
BUT THIS YEAR, PEOPLE, FAMILIES BOUGHT INTO THE THEME AND FAMILIES WERE MAKING ART TOGETHER.
FAMILIES WERE BEING CREATIVE TOGETHER.
FAMILIES DID THE LENDER CHALLENGE TOGETHER, AND I REALLY LIKED THAT ASPECT OF IT.
THERE YOU SEE SOME OF THE FAMILIES MAKING SOME OF THE FRIENDSHIP ROCKS THAT ENDED UP AT THE SOUTH BRANCH, UM, DOING POTTERY, ROLLING THINGS OUT, MAKING COLLAGE.
AND I LOVE THE VARIETY THAT WE'RE GETTING.
WE HAD SOME MUSICAL INTERLUDES WITH SYMPHONY WEEK AND THE BATON ROUGE SYM, UH, SYMPHONY SHOWED UP, POPPED UP AS IF YOU WILL, AT THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH.
AND SINCE IT WAS A LITTLE WARM OUTSIDE, THEY PLAYED INSIDE.
AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL THE TEEN, THE TEEN FILM CAMPS.
WE HAD CAMPS AT A NUMBER OF BRANCHES, MULTI-DAY CAMPS, AND THE TEENS SHOWED UP HERE IN THIS ROOM TO PREMIERE THEIR WORK.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE TRICKING KIDS INTO CRITICAL THINKING.
UH, SATURDAY SCIENCE STARTS AGAIN VERY SOON AGAIN IN A COLLABORATION WITH UNIVERSITY.
AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.
WE ARE OFFERING OUR BACK TO SCHOOL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, HOMESCHOOLING PARENTS, TEACHERS, CAREGIVERS.
WE, UH, DID, WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT AT JONES CREEK, WHICH HAS A LARGE HOMESCHOOLING COMMUNITY IN THAT AREA AND HERE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY.
BUT THE RESOURCES ARE OF COURSE, ALWAYS AVAILABLE EVEN ONCE THE, ONCE THE UH, WORKSHOP IS PASSED AND ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A A LESSON WILL GET ONE, WE ARE GOING TO SCREEN SCENE THE MOVIE IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THIS IS, UH, YOUR HEADS UP FOR THAT.
WE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AND WE WERE LEANING IN ON A HOMESCHOOLING MOM.
HOMESCHOOLERS ARE POWER LIBRARY USERS, Y'ALL.
'CAUSE WE ARE THEIR, WE ARE THEIR LABORATORY, WE ARE THEIR LIBRARY, WE ARE THEIR CLASSROOMS. SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO PLAN THAT FOR AUGUST.
BUT OF COURSE, EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING IS HOMESCHOOLING PARENTS.
YOU COULD DO AS A NON HOMESCHOOLING PARENT OR CAREGIVER.
THE NEW SMALL BUSINESS ENGINE SERIES IS OFF TO A REALLY GOOD START.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE SEVERAL EVENTS.
THEY'VE BEEN PROFESSIONALLY FILMED.
THE, UH, FILMS ARE IN THE LIBRARY'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND THEY'VE BEEN ACCESSED MANY TIMES.
THESE HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS SHARING WITH THEIR LOCAL PEERS AND COLLEAGUES.
AND THE LIBRARY'S PART OF THAT BECAUSE AS I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, IT'S ONE THING FOR ME TO SAY, COME TO THE LIBRARY.
WE'VE GOT GREAT STUFF FOR YOUR BUSINESS, BUT I'M NOT A BUSINESS PERSON.
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SAYS, COME TO THE LIBRARY.AND ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR LIBRARY CARD.
THAT'S WHAT'S BEHIND THE PAYWALL.
ALL THIS FABULOUS STUFF THAT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY AND HELP MAKE YOU MONEY.
SO IT IS A DIFFERENT, IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING, ISN'T IT? AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE JUST DID BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN.
UH, GO TO LINKEDIN AND GIVE THE ALGORITHM SOME LOVE THERE IF YOU CAN.
AND NEXT UP WILL BE CAPITALIZING YOUR BUSINESS VIA INVESTORS AND GRANTS.
YESTERDAY WE HOSTED, UH, VIRTUALLY OF THE STRICTLY BUSINESS SESSION ON PLAN BATON ROUGE.
WE'VE BEEN PUSHING OUT THE SURVEY ALL MONTH AND TRYING TO AGAIN, INVITE OUR COMMUNITY TO DESIGN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, THAT WAS THE PRESENTATION, UH, YESTERDAY.
AND THAT IS ARCHIVED FOR A WHILE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR SIC RHYTHMS, WHICH IS THAT PLATFORM THAT WE CREATED TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL CREATIVE MUSICIANS, ALL DIFFERENT GENRE.
THEIR ALBUMS ARE STREAMABLE STREAMING ON THIS REDICK RHYTHM SITE.
WE'LL HOST A TASTE OF THE DEEP SOUTH HERE IN A FEW WEEKS.
WE SPONSORED THE PAPER TRAIL WITH GENEALOGY AND ARCHIVAL RESEARCH, NOT USING THE COMPUTER.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT REMAINS TO BE DIGITIZED.
WE CANNOT, WE'LL NEVER DIGITIZE IT ALL.
SO SOONER OR LATER YOU GOT TO TALK TO A HUMAN AND SEE WHAT'S IN THAT BOX IN THE BACK IN THE DARK.
WE WILL BE, UH, WELL, LAST NIGHT WE, UH, CELEBRATED COLLEGE TOWN AND EAR EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
DID Y'ALL KNOW THERE WAS A MASTODON IN THE FELICIAN? I DID NOT EVER THINK OF A WOOLY MASTODON BEING UP THE RIVER, BUT, UH, THEY FOUND THE FOSSILS AND THE PALEONTOLOGIST WAS HERE.
UH, NOW THAT SUMMER'S OVER IS GOING BACK TOWARDS MORE AN ADULT AUDIENCE WITH THE NEXT CONVERSATION.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND SOMETHING FUN ACCOMPLISHED TO THE VILLAIN.
AND YOU HAVE AT YOUR DESKS, UH, A LITTLE MOCK UP OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE 48TH, 48 YEARS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, 48TH ANNUAL AUTHOR ILLUSTRATOR PRO PROGRAM WILL FEATURE ROCK STARS OF THE CHILDREN'S LIT WORLD.
BRIAN PINKNEY AND ANDREA DAVIS PINKNEY.
SO THEY'LL, WE'LL BE PUSHING THEM OUT TO ANY SCHOOL CLASSROOM THAT WANTS US WITH A SPECIAL NETWORK, ZOOM, UH, THE TEACHERS OR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS OR HOMESCHOOLING MOMS OR WHATEVER, JUST NEED TO CONTACT THE CHILDREN'S ROOMS STAFF TO GET THE LINK.
UH, THEN THURSDAY EVENING, THE 18TH, THEY'LL BE IN THIS ROOM.
WE WILL TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE TABLE OUT OF THE ROOM AND WE WILL CRAM THOSE CHAIRS IN SO TIGHT.
IT'LL BE LIKE DISNEY WHERE WE TELL EVERYBODY STAND UP AND GET FRIENDLY, AND THEN WE'LL CRAM IN SOME MORE CHAIRS.
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY FOR THE WORKSHOP FOR LIBRARIANS, TEACHERS, WRITERS, ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN THAT CREATIVE PROCESS OR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE.
SO WE GENERALLY GET PEOPLE FROM SOUTHERN B-R-C-C-L-S-U, WE GET STUDENTS, AND THEN SOMETIMES WE'VE HAD THEM DRIVE IN FROM LAKE CHARLES FOR THIS.
I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT DATE FOR THE MAKER FAIR, WHICH IS OCTOBER 18TH.
IT'S GONNA BE REALLY COOL Y'ALL, BECAUSE THE FILM INDUSTRY, YES, IT'S AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, BUT IT'S ALSO JUST COOL.
AND OUR HEADLINER WILL BE INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED STUNT MAN.
I DREW THE LINE AT PYROTECHNICS, BUT THERE WILL BE STUNTS, SAFE STUNTS.
SO, UM, BUT OF COURSE THERE'LL BE THINGS WITH THE FILM TRAIL, WHICH, UH, IS DEDICATED ACTUALLY RIGHT THIS MINUTE DOWNTOWN, UH, THE BATON ROUGE FILM TRAIL, UH, THE ROUGH, UH, UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL.
WE'RE INVITING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE INDUSTRY TO TALK FILMMAKERS, AND THEN THERE'LL BE HANDS-ON KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE STILL ACCEPTING WE FEW MORE VENDOR SPOTS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, SHARE AND PUT THAT ON YOUR
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CALENDAR.LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025.
I'VE BEEN ASKED MANY TIMES BECAUSE THE STATE LIBRARY HAS, HAS, UH, EXPERIENCED SOME FUNDING CHALLENGES, AS HAVE MOST LIBRARIES IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
UH, THEY HAVE SOME FUNDING CHALLENGES, BUT THE BOOK FESTIVAL IS SPONSORED BY THEIR FOUNDATION.
SO THE BOOK FESTIVAL IS ALIVE AND WELL, THEY HAVE OVER 200 AUTHORS ALREADY SIGNED UP.
WE WILL OF COURSE BE THERE AND I HOPE YOU JOIN US THERE TOO.
COMING SOON, WE'LL HAVE SOME NEW RFID CHECKOUT KIOSKS.
THIS WAS THE LONG RESULTS OF A LONG PROCESS TO DO AN RFP TO PICK THE NEXT VENDOR.
AND THIS WILL REPLACE OUR KIOSKS AS THEY BREAK AND REPLACE OUR GATES AS THEY ARE BROKEN.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE A GATE AT THE SOUTH BRANCH YET, OR AN INTELLIGENT RETURN AT SOUTH YET BECAUSE THE, THE RFP WAS FINALLY COMPLETED, UH, ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS COMPLETED AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY EQUIPMENT YET, BUT IT WILL BE COMING SOON.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU TO CHECK IT OUT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GET OUTTA THE WAY.
YES, MARY, QUICKLY, UH, WITH THE NEW SELF-CHECKOUT KIOSKS, ARE WE CHANGING JUST THE KIOSKS OR WILL THERE BE OTHER EQUIPMENT BEING REPLACED OR PARTS OF THE SYSTEM? THE, THE, THE GATES WILL BE REPLACED BECAUSE SOME OF THEM, MANY OF THEM NO LONGER WORK.
THE INTELLIGENT RETURNS SHOULD STAY THE SAME.
SO UNLESS YOU DIDN'T HAVE ONE LIKE SOUTH, THEY'LL OF COURSE GET A NEW ONE.
BUT THOSE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK.
AND OUR AUTOMATIC SORTING EQUIPMENT WILL REMAIN.
IS IF THEY'RE COMPATIBLE, THEY THEY HAVE TO BE OR WE WOULDN'T HAVE ACCEPTED IT, SO, OKAY.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A SURPRISE.
GOING TO OTHER REPORTS, MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS REPORTS WILL BE READ BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARY Z.
SO FOR THE MAINTENANCE REPORT OVER THE PAST MONTH, UH, TREE TRIMMING WORK WAS COMPLETED AT THE BAKER BLUEBONNET CENTRAL AND GREENWOOD SPRINGS BRANCH LIBRARIES.
UH, THE EXTERIOR OF THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY WAS PRESSURE WASHED.
IN ADDITION, THE SEWAGE LINE WAS REPLACED AT THE BRANCH AND REQUIRED A PARTIAL CLOSURE ON AUGUST 6TH.
UH, TO DIG UP THE BREAK ROOM FLOORING, UH, NEW CON NEW CONCRETE HAS BEEN POURED, BUT WE'RE WAITING FOR THE TILES NEEDED TO COMPLETE, UH, REPLACING THE FLOORING.
UM, AT THE CENTRAL BRANCH LIBRARY, CONCRETE WAS ADDED TO AREAS OF EROSION NEAR THE BACK PARKING LOT.
UH, IRRIGATION LINES WERE REPAIRED AT THE BLUEBONNET AND EDEN PARK BRANCH LIBRARIES.
ALSO AT THE EDEN PARK BRANCH LIBRARY, A NEW CONTROL VALVE WAS INSTALLED ON THE CHILL WATER, CHILL WATER ACTUATOR FOR AIR HANDLER UNIT NUMBER ONE.
UM, AT THE FAIRWOOD BRANCH LIBRARY.
MINOR ROOFING WERE REPAIRS WERE DONE DUE TO AREAS AROUND THE SKYLIGHT NEED AND CAULKING AT THE GREENWOOD SPRINGS BRANCH LIBRARY.
A NEW FAN MOTOR WAS INSTALLED ON THE CHILLER.
IN ADDITION, MINOR ROOF REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BY A CONTRACTOR DUE TO LEAKS IN THE STAFF WORK ROOM AT THE JONES CREEK BRANCH LIBRARY.
ROOF REPAIRS ON THE FLAT ROOF WERE COMPLETED BY THE CONTRACTOR.
UH, THE LANDSCAPERS HAVE COMPLETED THE MULCHING WORK AT THE MAIN LIBRARY AND A FEW OF THE BRANCHES, AND THEY ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WORK WILL BE COMPLETED SOON.
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UM, LASTLY, EDEN PARK BRANCH LIBRARY WAS CLOSED TODAY DUE TO THEIR BACKFLOW PREVENTER BEING HIT OVERNIGHT IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT CAUSING THE BRANCH TO LOSE WATER ACCESS.UH, BUT WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO OPEN, UH, TO RIG TO REOPEN TOMORROW.
AND OUR FACILITY STAFF WILL BE GOING OUT TO CHECK TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE WATER SERVICES IN THE MORNING FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY NOTHING NEW TO REPORT.
I WAS JUST INFORMED SHORTLY BEFORE THE MEETING FOR THE MULTI BRANCH PROJECT THAT, UM, ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES EXPECTS THAT TO GO ON.
UM, THE COUNCIL MEETINGS REPORT FOR FINAL ACCEPTANCE SOON, UH, POSSIBLY BY THE SEPTEMBER MID-SEPTEMBER DATE.
THERE'S NOTHING NEW TO REPORT, UH, FOR THE BORROWERS PROJECT FOR EDEN PARK IN GREENWOOD SPRINGS BRANCH LIBRARIES, THE PROJECTS SHOULD GO OUT TO BID BY THE END OF THIS MONTH FOR THE BLUE BARN BRANCH LIBRARY RENOVATIONS.
THE RETILING OF THE PATIO IS ALMOST COMPLETE AND EXISTING FURNITURE IS BEING REFURBISHED.
UM, LIBRARY STAFF MET WITH AN INTERIOR DESIGNER TO DISCUSS PURCHASING TABLES AND CHAIRS TO ADD TO THE PATIO AREA FOR PATRONS.
AND ADMINISTRATION IS STILL DISCUSSING FURTHER RENOVATIONS TO THE BUILDING.
BASED ON THE FACILITY'S MASTER PLAN FOR THE CHILLER PROJECT.
THE MECHANICAL ENGINEER FOR THE PROJECT HAS RECEIVED A TEST AND BALANCE REPORT.
UH, THE CONTRACTOR STILL HAS A FEW ITEMS ON THE FINAL PUNCH LIST THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE.
AND FOR THE BAKER BRANCH RENOVATION, THE REQUEST FOR, FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR AN ARCHITECT IS SCHEDULED TO BE SENT FOR ADVERTISEMENT TOMORROW.
UM, THE SELECTION BOARD WILL MEET TO SELECT AN ARCHITECT ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
AND AFTER AN ARCHITECT IS SELECTED AND THE CONTRACT IS FINALIZED, SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS FOR THE BAKER BRANCH LIBRARY WILL BEGIN.
MOVING ON TO MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS.
UM, MS. KATRINA, WE'LL READ THE MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS.
WELL, I JUST HAD THREE THINGS TO GO OVER AND MARY COVERED TWO OF THEM, UH,
BUT I'M GONNA JUST ADD ON A LITTLE BIT HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT THE SOUTH BRANCH DEDICATION CEREMONY.
I THINK WE COUNTED APPROXIMATELY 200 ATTENDEES, SO IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.
UH, THE STAFF THERE REPORT THAT THE, UH, THE PATRONS WHO CAME WERE STILL SPEAKING VERY DELIGHTEDLY ABOUT THE CEREMONY DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THAT DEDICATION CEREMONY HAPPEN.
IT WAS VERY MUCH A SUCCESS AS FOR THE THRIVE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WELL WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO PUBLICIZE THE, UH, THE LIST AND WE DO HAVE MORE COMING.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT THAT SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
UH, WE, UH, WORD IS APPARENTLY SPREADING AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE, UH, MORE PEOPLE BEGINNING TO ATTEND AT, UH, THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
AS MARY SAID, SOMETIMES WE MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE, UH, AT BLUEBONNET.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT HALF A DOZEN.
AND THEN AT JONES CREEK LAST NIGHT, WE, WE HAD A LITTLE MORE THAN A DOZEN FOLKS SHOW UP.
THE FEEDBACK HAS JUST BEEN FANTASTIC.
UH, THE ATTENDEES HAVE GIVEN US KUDOS FOR THE INFORMATION.
MANY HAVE SAID THEY FEEL A LOT MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF, UH, OF THIS INITIATIVE.
SO FEEL, IT FEELS GOOD TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AS THEY GO TO THE, THE POLLS THIS FALL.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY HAVE ALL SAID THAT THEY SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR.
AND OF COURSE, VOTING DAY IS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH AND EARLY VOTING STARTS NOVEMBER 1ST.
UH, JUST A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP I MENTIONED LAST MONTH.
UH, WE ARE NEARLY READY TO ANNOUNCE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE LOCAL ACADEMIC LIBRARIES WHO HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PARTNERSHIP.
I'VE BEEN SPREADING THE WORD TOO TO THE COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEY HELPED PUT US IN TOUCH WITH MARY KATE PONT, WHO IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UH, TO HAVE THEM COME IN AND GIVE A WORKSHOP ON RECOGNIZING AT RISK INDIVIDUALS, UH, DURING OUR NEXT STAFF TRAINING DAY.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
MOVING ON REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS AT THIS TIME.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, THE UPDATE ON THE SCOTLANDVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY.
[00:35:06]
ALRIGHT? SO FOR THE SCOTLANDVILLE PROJECT THAT IS COMING ALONG WELL, UH, THE NEW PATRON PATRON ENTRANCE AND EXIT FROM SCENIC HIGHWAY IS COMPLETE.THE DEMOLITION ON THE FRONT CANOPY IS FINISHED.
THE SLAB OF THE CHILDREN'S AREA EXTENSION IS COMPLETED.
STRUCTURAL STEEL INSTALLATION IS ONGOING, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING.
DUCT WORK AND MECHANICAL UNITS ARE ONSITE AND BEING INSTALLED FORM WORK FOR THE NEW BATHROOMS. AND MEETING ROOM EXTENSIONS ARE ONGOING.
TRUSSES ARE ARRIVING ONSITE THIS WEEK AND THEY EXPECT TO BE IN INSTALLATION SOON.
AND OF COURSE RIGHT NOW THEY EXPECT THE COMPLETION DATE FOR THE PROJECT IS MID-MARCH OF NEXT YEAR.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, THAT CAN CHANGE.
SO I DO HAVE SOME IMAGES I WANNA SHOW YOU OF THE PROGRESS THAT THEY'VE BEEN MAKING.
SO THIS SHOWS THAT NEW CURB FOR THE PATRONS PARKING LOT THAT WAS COMPLETED AS OF JULY 29TH.
AND WE HAVE THE DEMOLITION OF THE FRONT CANOPY BEGINNING AS OF JULY 29TH.
THE DEMOLITION OF THE FRONT CANOPY AS OF AUGUST 4TH, AND THE CANOPY BEING COMPLETELY GONE BY AUGUST 12TH LAST WEEK.
THERE'S A SLAB THAT WAS COMPLETED FOR THE CHILDREN'S EXTENSION AS OF AUGUST 4TH.
THE STRUCTURAL IS STEEL DIRECTED AT THE CHILDREN'S AREA AS OF THIS WEEK, MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH.
AND WE HAD THE FORM WORK FOR THE CHILLER PADD AS OF AUGUST 4TH.
AND THE CHILLER PADD, THE CHILLER PADD COMPLETED AS OF AUGUST 18TH.
HERE'S THE SLAB AT THE NORTH COURTYARD FOR THE TEEN AREA.
THE EXPANSION WAS COMPLETED AS OF AUGUST 4TH.
AND WE HAVE THE STRUCTURE STILL BEING ERECTED AT THE BLACK HERITAGE EXTENSION AS OF AUGUST 18TH.
SO THAT KIND OF JUST GIVES YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE PROGRESS IS LOOKING LIKE ON THE BUILDING.
I, I WISH WE COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH ONE MEETING WHERE YOU DIDN'T USE THE WORD CHILLER.
I THOUGHT WE MIGHT GET THROUGH IT, BUT NO THERE.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ISSUE.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, NEW BUSINESS, DO YOU HAVE ANY BUSINESS? GREAT COMMENTS BY THE LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, MENTION THE, UM, SICKLE CELL ANEMIA FOUNDATIONS THAT'S SET UP, OPEN THE OTHER ROOM.
I'VE DONE VOLUNTEER WORK WITH THEM OVER THE YEARS JUST TO DO SOME COMMUNITY SERVICE AND THAT'S A GREAT GROUP.
I, UH, MENTIONED IF ANYBODY WANT TO JOIN AND SIGN UP FOR THE WALK RUN ON SATURDAY, UH, SIGN UP ON YOUR WAY OUT AND GET YOUR T-SHIRT.
SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE STOP BY.
OH, THANK EVERYBODY, UH, FOR THE WONDERFUL, UH, GRAND OPENING OF THE SOUTH BRANCH.
IT'S BEEN A, A LONG, LONG TIME, UH, COMING, BUT IT WAS A, A, A WONDERFUL, UH, E EVENT AND, UM, EVERYONE SEEMED SO PLEASED, UM, AND UM, ENJOYED THEMSELVES THERE.
AND I WANT CANDICE TO KNOW THAT I WAS CHASING HER AROUND THE GRAND OPENING
SO I TALKED TO EVERYBODY, BUT YOU OH GOOD.
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW YES, NO, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WASN'T THERE,
AND MARK, THANK YOU FOR THE FLAG.
YOUR THANKS RONNIE FOR, UM, LETTING US KNOW ABOUT WELL, ME KNOW ABOUT THAT
IS THERE ANY, UH, FURTHER BUSINESS HEARING NONE.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE MEETING WILL ADJOURN.
HEARING NONE, THE MEETING HAS ADJOURNED.