HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2025-05-14CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 14, 2025
Library Advisory Board Library
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503.697.6583 706 Fourth Street PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.ci.oswego.or.us
Present: Patrick Walsh, Lilisa Hall, Pat Walls, Mark Pontarelli, Joy Fabos, Seth Pauley, Liberty
Planck, Councilor Verdick, Enid Rittman, Anisha Oruganty, Kent Watson
Staff Present: Melissa Kelly, Donna Harlan, Andrea Milano, Joshua Macias
Absent: none
1. Call to Order
The Library Advisory Board (LAB) meeting was called to order at the Lake Oswego Public
Library (LOPL) on Wednesday, May 11, 2025, at 7:03pm.
2. Minutes
Motion to approve was made by Pontarelli and seconded by Pauley. The April 9, 2025 minutes
were unanimously approved by LAB.
3. City Council Update – Rachel Verdick
The dry side of the LORAC is now open with the water side to open as soon as state
requirements are completed.
Stafford Road closures are starting.
The Farmer’s market is now happening.
The Budget committee has met, the budget has been distributed and Council is
going to approve it.
4. Public Comment - None
5. Library Manager’s Presentation – Andrea Milano, Youth Services and Technical
Services Manager and Joshua Macias, Adult Services Librarian
Library Collection Development
Milano shared with LAB the collection policy and process when adding items to the
library.
LOPL’s materials collection policy is consistent with professional library collection
development practices, and items don’t need to meet every criteria on the list to be
considered when adding to a collection.
Staff look closely at self published books, but the majority of items added to our
collection are selected through a standard process of reading reviews from professional
journals.
Staff also accepts suggestions from patrons.
Staff receive a monthly report from LINCC which is the Purchase Alert Report (PAR).
This provides a snapshot of items that are on hold throughout the LINCC system. From
here staff follow a ratio of 1 to 5 to assist us in determining if we need to add multiple
copies of a book.
Staff are intentional about auditing titles in our collection to include content created by
authors from diverse backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. We obtain this information
from our vendors and community partners.
Milano explained and shared slides with LAB providing statistics related to diversity
markers.
Milano then discussed LOPL’s World Languages collection for children and adults.
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 14, 2025
Library Advisory Board Library
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503.697.6583 706 Fourth Street PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.ci.oswego.or.us
o Currently the largest world language collections are in Chinese, Korean and
Spanish as those are the top three non-English languages spoken in our
community, but we have 15 languages represented in the adult collection and 24
represented in the children’s collection.
o April Younglove, Adult Services Librarian manages the World Languages
collection for adults and have invited community members who speak various
languages to participate in a volunteer advisory team to suggest book purchases.
o Younglove also sends out a bi-monthly World Languages enewlsetter and runs
the World Languages cinema program for adults.
o In the Children’s library, we have our Global Stories program which includes a
First Saturday read aloud where community members read to the group in their
own language and share their culture.
LOPL also curates a collection in a variety of formats to suit individual needs,
interests and learning styles which include Dyslexia friendly fonts and a small
collection of memory books specifically for patrons with dementia. Books are
available at different levels for different stages.
o Libby’s accessibility features include adjustable text size in 15 languages.
o The children’s library has a collection of books in braille.
o We provide referrals to the State Library for the Talking Books and Braille
collection.
Macias explained that LOPL is currently in a one to one relationship with ordering
and removing a book due to space.
Ideally, we strive to have 75% of the shelf full. This makes the collection more
inviting, aids in keeping our collections current and provides for ease in shifting
books and shelving when needed.
Macias states the key to weeding is to keep our collection flowing and relevant.
Librarians at LOPL have different collections at the library where they are
responsible for weeding and keeping the collection current.
LOPL uses CREW: A Weeding Manual for Libraries from the Texas State Library
and Archive Commission as well as professional discretion in determining if a book
should be weeded.
Librarians are able to pull reports from Bluecloud Analytics, using different filters to
determine which books should be weeded from a particular collection.
Throughout the presentation, LAB members asked questions that Milano and
Macias answered with great explanation and detail.
6. Student Survey Presentation – Anisha Oruganty
Oruganty presented a draft of her student survey presentation full of great details
from the students who participated in the survey.
Oruganty will be presenting the survey results to City Council on July 1.
LAB members offered support, suggestions and their time in supporting Oruganty as
she works on her final version to present to Council.
7. Director’s Report
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 14, 2025
Library Advisory Board Library
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503.697.6583 706 Fourth Street PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.ci.oswego.or.us
Budget Update
Kelly shared that the City’s biennium budget was approved by the Budget
Committee and will officially be approved by Council in the coming weeks.
Donation Agreement
The library has a donor who will be naming the library as their beneficiary to receive
funds upon the donor’s passing. These funds will be distributed to the city, and then
invested in an Oregon Community Foundation Endowment Fund.
o The library will be required to use the funds for the library collection per the
donation agreements.
o Currently, the library receives funds from the Bischoff Endowment that is
similarly structured.
Bookmobile Update
LAB was advised that the library Bookmobile is scheduled for delivery in August.
o Library staff are planning the initial route.
o Kelly advised LAB that staff is working on being able to have holds pick up
available at Bookmobile stops.
o Staff training is in the planning stages for driving and parking.
o The bookmobile will be fully outfitted, with staff only needing to add supplies
and our collection.
o The vehicle will come with an upgraded Wi-Fi system so we have internet
everywhere we go.
o More staff, using some vacant FTE we have, will be able to support our
service hours.
o A pilot route is anticipated to be late September at the earliest.
Lake Oswego Reads wrap up
Our 19th LO Reads was another great year.
We continue to work on engaging youth in the books and events.
The baskets donated by LAB were beautiful and much appreciated.
There was some group discussion related to observations and suggestion for
improvements for next year, including cooking classes, engaging more youth, a local
author, and more advertising.
Discussion was had regarding engaging the schools, how that worked in the past
and how it could possibly be looked into again.
LAB special meeting June 5
Guest Noah Siegel, of MSH Strategy, will be on hand to discuss strategy goals and
how to prepare for a future library campaign.
Madison Thesing will also be joining us.
It is a public meeting, and will be recorded and posted on our website if you can’t
make it.
Boards and Commissions recruitment update
Applications closed on May 11.
There are four applicants for two adult positions plus the alternate position.
We have three applicants for the two youth positions.
Many more adults and youth applicants listed LAB as their second or third choice.
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 14, 2025
Library Advisory Board Library
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503.697.6583 706 Fourth Street PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.ci.oswego.or.us
Interviews are scheduled for the end of the month.
8. Old Business
Work group assignments and scheduling
Two workgroups have been created.
o New library visioning workgroup.
o Existing library needs work group.
o Communication and storytelling workgroup to come in the future.
o Walsh will not be assigned to a workgroup to avoid having a quorum, and will
bring us together for updates at group meetings.
At the June meeting, goals and objectives will be discussed with the workgroups
scheduled to meet in July, August and September at 5:30 pm on the dates of our
regularly scheduled LAB meetings.
o The library meeting room has been reserved.
o The volunteer services office is also available.
LAB members were asked to let Melissa and Donna know of any information they
need.
Discussion was held related to the workgroups and scopes of work.
Goal is to go before Council in November.
Library research fieldtrip
Our date is June 27 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Kelly is working on putting an itinerary together with more information to be shared
at our next meeting.
9. New Business – Kent Watson
Watson explained why he stepped down from LAB, and since he is part of the
Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library, he will continue to attend LAB meetings
as the Friends Liaison.
Watson plans to continue supporting the library in any way he can.
10. Chair Remarks
Walsh encouraged LAB to tell friends to sign up for Imagination Library from Dolly
Parton. Signing up was very easy. Children below 6 can sign up.
Please remember we are playing the long game when it comes to the library and
need to pace ourselves.
Thank you all for giving your time, heart and brain power to contribute to LAB
meetings. Walsh expressed that he is continually impressed by all.
11. Youth Liaison Remarks
Rittman shared a story from Ohio where someone checked out 100 books and
burned them. Rittman sees this as a serious issue and inquired about what we can
do to prevent something like this from happening, and if it did happen here what
would we do.
o Kelly responded that we would buy the books again.
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO May 14, 2025
Library Advisory Board Library
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503.697.6583 706 Fourth Street PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.ci.oswego.or.us
12. Friends of the Library Report
Booktique sales increased by $2000 in April.
The Friends are participating the upcoming Portland Book Week.
We will have two more author signings coming up and Watson has helped to
connect the BOOKtique with Ingram to purchase the author’s books and sell them at
the events.
Friends are in process of voting in new members.
Grant fund requests from the library were approved.
A Volunteer appreciation luncheon will be held in July.
13. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn was made by Planck, seconded by Pauley. The meeting was adjourned at
9:45 pm. A Special LAB meeting will be held June 5, 2025. The next monthly LAB meeting will
be held June 11, 2025.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Harlan