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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 11 20 25 LABMinutes 11 20 2025 LAB Library Advisory Board Minutes November 20, 2025 Assembly: The Library Advisory Board met in the Regular Session on Thursday, October 9th at 1:30 pm at the Main Library. Board Members Assael, Shaun EXCUSED Carbone, Liz EXCUSED Clinton, Ann PRESENT Colin, Emily PRESENT Dodd, Scott PRESENT Haragan, Ellen PRESENT Kozik, Lynn EXCUSED Lawler, Patricia PRESENT Niggl, Paul PRESENT Salter, Tiffany EXCUSED Sheridan, Earl PRESENT Smith, Harriet EXCUSED Staff Members & Board Reps. Conners, Dana PRESENT Mays, Yvette PRESENT Zimmer, Ronna (Foundation Rep) PRESENT Petcovic, Monica (Friends Rep) PRESENT Lisa Wurtzbacher PRESENT Welcome Patricia Lawler convened the meeting at 1:30 pm. Agenda Review Approved Approval of Previous Minutes The minutes from the last board meetings on October 9, 2025, were sent to the board prior to the meeting for review. Motion: Earl Sheridan MOVED, SECONDED by Emily, to accept the minutes of 10/9/25 as written. Upon voting, the MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. NHC Friends of the Public Library FOL Representative Monica Petcovic reported that the Friends of the Library Board met on November 10. Key highlights included: • The organization is seeking a new board member with expertise in media. • FOL volunteered at and sponsored the recent Cape Fear Book Festival. Emily Colin thanked the Friends for their support. Minutes 11 20 2025 LAB • StoryWalk signs at Hanover Pines Park need to be lowered. • The Collector’s Showcase book sale on October 4 raised $1,509. • FOL is focusing on fundraising plans to celebrate the Friends’ 50th anniversary in 2026. Foundation Report Monica Petcovic attended the Foundation Board meeting and reported: • Updated board member terms. • A year-end fundraising letter will be mailed out. Online donations will allow the board to capture email addresses. • The Hoffman Trust donated another $75,000 to the Pine Valley Library for Adult only services and programs. • Updates have been made to the website. • Considering larger fundraising ideas. Director’s Report Dana Conners has resigned, with her final day at New Hanover County scheduled for December 23. She will begin her new role as Director of Durham County Library on January 5. Main Library From October 6–31, the new Main Library welcomed 12,061 visitors. During this period, staff held 61 programs with over 800 attendees. The Local History Room recorded 1,544 guests in just three weeks. Northchase Branch The Northchase Branch is scheduled to open in May/June 2026. Following the closure of our book broker, Baker & Taylor, staff have secured a new broker to provide the opening day collection. The facility will be approximately the same size as Pine Valley. Hoffman Trust The Hoffman Trust will contribute an additional $75,000 to the Pine Valley Branch, designated for adult services and programs. Budget Kick-Off Meeting The County is accepting enhancement requests; however, requests may not include items previously cut. Board Discussion The board inquired about the hiring process for a new Library Director. Patricia Lawler expressed her support for the library and emphasized the need for County funding, noting the challenges of moving forward under current financial constraints. Minutes 11 20 2025 LAB New Business Cape Fear Book Festival Emily Colin reported the 2nd year was a huge success. Attendance was up 57%. She thanked the Friends of the Library for their support. Meeting Dates An updated board member list was distributed including meeting dates and locations for 2026. Database Spotlight Jimi Rider presented Pronunciator, a language-learning service offering 164 languages with instructions available in 144 languages. The platform provides multiple learning activities for each language. As with all library databases, Pronunciator is funded by the library and available free to all library cardholders. In addition, the library offers Transparent Language Online, which allows cardholders to learn over 110 different languages. Both databases focus on developing the four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Adjournment Motion: Earl Sheridan MOVED, SECONDED by Emily Colin to adjourn the meeting. The board adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m. Our next meeting will be January 15, 2026 at the Main Library Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the Library Advisory Board meeting.