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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04 16 26 LABMinutes 04 16 2026 LAB Library Advisory Board Minutes April 16, 2026 Assembly: The Library Advisory Board met in the Regular Session on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 1:30 pm at the Pine Valley Library. Board Members Assael, Shaun EXCUSED Carbone, Liz EXCUSED Clinton, Ann ABSENT Colin, Emily EXCUSED Dodd, Scott PRESENT Haragan, Ellen PRESENT Kozik, Lynn PRESENT Lawler, Patricia PRESENT Niggl, Paul PRESENT Salter, Tiffany EXCUSED Sheridan, Earl ABSENT Withrow, Diane PRESENT Staff Members & Board Reps. Morgan, Melanie PRESENT Petcovic, Monica (Friends Rep) PRESENT Mays, Yvette PRESENT Wurtzbacher, Lisa PRESENT Savage, Tiffany PRESENT Farley, Andy PRESENT Call to Order Chair Patricia Lawler called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. The board warmly welcomed Melanie Morgan, Library Director, and Diane Withrow, Board Member. Introductions were made by all attendees. Database Spotlight Library Associate Andy Farley presented an overview of the library’s Heritage Hub database. This unique resource provides access to centuries of obituaries and death notices from thousands of newspapers and funeral homes across the United States. Heritage Hub enables patrons to explore family histories and learn more about their ancestors, offering an invaluable tool for genealogical research. Agenda Review The agenda was approved as presented. Minutes 04 16 2026 LAB Approval of Previous Minutes The minutes of the March 19, 2026 meeting could not be approved due to lack of quorum. Friends of the Library No Report Library Foundation No Report. Next meeting in May. Director’s Report Statistics Melanie Morgan highlighted a new analytical tool developed by Librarian Kelly Colacchio in collaboration with the IT Department. The Library Dashboard aggregates data from the library system and allows filtering by branch, day, time, and other metrics. It provides snapshots of checkouts, self-checks, computer usage, new borrower registrations, meeting room bookings, and other transactions. Once fully developed, the Dashboard will offer valuable insights to support staffing decisions, programming, and other operational planning. Budget The library’s continuation budget was prepared and submitted to Finance. Generally, 20% was added to lines that would need more funds due to Northchase being open. Staff Shout Out Clelia Tufts, a Library Associate at the New Hanover County Public Library’s Pine Valley Branch was awarded the SmartStart Children’s Champion Award on April 14, 2026. Clelia has made countless meaningful contributions to the success and well-being of young children in our community. She consistently demonstrates professionalism, creativity, and innovation, going above and beyond to provide high-quality early literacy experiences for families. Library Reports: Main Library-“Tar Heels Go Walking”, an educational walking tour for 3rd graders, finished up for this year in March. This is a collaboration between New Hanover County Schools, Historic Wilmington Foundation, NHCPL and other partners. The Main Library is one of the kids’ favorite stops and more than 1500 kids came through on the tour this year. Local History staff, Tech Minutes 04 16 2026 LAB Services staff, and Children’s staff do a great job coordinating and presenting for these tours and this year was a year of transition for both the Historic Wilmington Foundation and the Main Library. We and all involved will sorely miss Margaret Miles and her live rendition of the Spoonerism, Rindercella in the future, but we are looking forward to next years and years to come “Tar Heels Go Walking” program. Jennifer Finlay, Local History Librarian, is joining a meeting with Historic Wilmington Foundation as part of their Education Committee to plan out the program again for next year on April 17th. Northeast Public Library- On March 21st Northeast Library held Cape Fear Fandom Faire, a free family-friendly celebration of comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and all things fandom that has been held at our location since 2018. This event includes several small events, ranging from watercolor workshops, story times, Pokémon and Dungeons and Dragons events, as well as our popular cosplay contest. The event also features a vendor marketplace featuring local small businesses. This event is an incredible opportunity to connect with our community, especially our teen population or people who may not have come to the library in a while but are excited to connect with other fans. Our cosplay contest this year had 25 participants, 75% of whom are teens in our community. Pine Valley Library- Pine Valley continues to see fantastic community engagement across its programs! Our Family Storytime, Read to a Dog, Minecraft Program, and Stop Motion sessions have all been drawing wonderful attendance. In addition to our popular monthly Teen Art Club, we’re excited to host a special LEGO Dot Relief Program designed especially for tweens and teens—offering another creative outlet for young makers. Don’t forget our ongoing book clubs: Fiction Book Club, which was held on April 13th, the Nonfiction Book Club will meet on April 21st, and our Seniors 55+ Epic Adventures Book Club will gather on April 30th. We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces! Pleasure Island Library-We're wrapping up two short programming series this spring for kids in the 8-12 age range. Pat, one of our CPT's, led a 3-part series - No More Panic: Your Research Toolkit for students in upper elementary grades showing them available databases for research projects and broke down types of resources. I led a monthly Coders Club this year introducing kids to beginning robotics and block coding. The PI team recently welcomed two volunteers as well, who are both doing an amazing job assisting with shelving and sorting donations. Northchase Library: The Northchase Library is on target for opening at the end of June or early July. Tentative dates: • Staff visits-April 23 and 24 • Furniture- April 27th • Books -May 19th • Designated staff transition to Northchase Library on May 19th Minutes 04 16 2026 LAB Statement concerning staffing adjustments regarding opening of the Northchase Library: Our new Northchase Library will open this summer, and we are excited about the opportunities and expanded access it will bring. Some staff within the library system will be moving to that branch, and throughout that transition our focus will remain on providing meaningful, high- quality programs for our community. Thank you for your continued support and love of our library. Old Business LAB Bylaws The bylaws are in the review process with the clerk to the board and legal. A revised draft will be provided to the LAB once it is completed Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m. The next meeting will be held on May 21st at the Main Library These minutes are intended as a summary of actions and discussions and are not a verbatim transcript of the Library Advisory Board meeting.