[ CALL TO ORDER] [1. Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion, and Take Action on Approving the Minutes from the Regular Meeting Held on April 27, 2026 (discussion and possible action).] [00:00:10] >> I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS ARE THE MINUTES. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS? ADDITIONS? >> MY NAME IS MISSPELLED. >> OKAY. ARE THERE NO ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? THEN I WILL STAND IT AS PRESENTED. DO WE VOTE ACTUALLY -- >> WE CAN HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. >> I WILL READ A MOTION THEN TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. AND I NEED A SECOND? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY THEN WE WILL VOTE, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES WHICH WE DID, WE HAVE THE HERITAGE SQUARE HERE. NEXT WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU HAVE A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 3 MINUTES TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM STATE YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU RESIDE FOR THE RECORD. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE, I WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. [2. Review on-order catalog comments and make a recommendation to the Library Director on pending book orders (discussion and possible action).] MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, IS TO REVIEW ON ORDER CATALOG COMMENTS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR ON PENDING BOOK ORDERS. THE LIBRARY HAS RECEIVED NO COMMENTS ON PENDING BOOK ORDERS FROM THE ON ORDER CATALOGS, SINCE THE LIBRARY HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PENDING BOOK ORDERS? AND I NEED A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> YOU CAN SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF THERE IS NONE WE WILL VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [3. Library Director's Report (discussion).] OPPOSED, NAY? THE MOTION CARRIES. WE WILL NOW GO TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MRS. HAMMER FOR THE REPORT. >> THANK YOU. A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE LAST MET, I HAVE A LOT OF UPDATES FOR YOU. FIRST OF ALL TALKING ABOUT THE ABILENE HERITAGE SQUARE PROJECT, GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE. IS THAT A BETTER? >> YES. >> OKAY. SO WE HAD OUR GRAND OPENING ON MAY 16TH, THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE HAS CONTINUED TO EXCEED OUR EXPECTATIONS ACROSS EVERY MAJOR SERVICE AREA. DURING JUNE, THE LIBRARY WELCOMED 40,890 VISITORS, ISSUED 766 NEW CARDS, CIRCULATED 19,000 LIBRARY MATERIALS, ANSWERED 4000 REFERENCE QUESTIONS, 1 1000 COMPUTER SESSIONS AND 533 HOURS OF USE PRESENTING 81 PROGRAMS ATTENDED BY 5444 PARTICIPANTS. PATRONS ALSO MADE EXTENSIVE USE OF THE BUILDING'S NEW AMENITIES INCLUDING 751 STUDY ROOM USES, 857 MAKERSPACE USERS AND 16 MEETING ROOM USERS AND SERVING 186 ATTENDEES. THAT WAS JUST THE MONTH OF JUNE. LOOKING AT THE IMPACT SINCE WE OPENED THE LIBRARY HAS WELCOMED 83,127 VISITORS IN JUST 37 PUBLIC SERVICE DAYS. TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE NEARLY MATCHED THE 83,514 VISITORS RECORDED DURING THE ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR AT THE FORMER MAIN LIBRARY. [00:05:01] THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY RESPONSE CONFIRMS THAT THE NEW LIBRARY IS ALREADY FULFILLING ITS ROLE AS A PREMIER CIVIC DESTINATION THAT EVERYBODY IS COMING TO SEE. WE HAVE ALSO ISSUED 1437 NEW LIBRARY CARDS SINCE OPENING COMPLETED 8262 REFERENCE TRANSACTIONS AND WELCOMED NEARLY 6000 PARTICIPANTS IN LIBRARY PROGRAMS SINCE OPENING. THE NUMBERS TELL US THE COMMUNITY IS NOT SIMPLY VISITING THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH THEY ARE JUST VISITING, BUT THEY ARE ALSO ACTIVELY USING THE SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY AND PROGRAMS THE LIBRARY PROVIDES. ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TRENDS IS THE DEMAND FOR CHILDREN PROGRAMING, SINCE OPENING NEARLY 5600 CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS. SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT CHANGE CAN I THAT IS A HUGE INCREASE FROM THE MAIN LIBRARY. THE BUILDING'S NEW AMENITIES ARE ALSO BEING EMBRACED BY THE COMMUNITY, THE STUDY ROOMS ARE IN CONSTANT DEMAND, YOU CAN GO THERE ANY TIME THEY ARE IN USE. THE MICRO SPACES BEING STUDY USE AND THE MEETING ROOMS SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC COMPUTERS ARE BEING USED. WE ARE SEEING STUDENTS, JOB SEEKERS, BUSINESSES, FAMILIES AND LIFELONG LEARNERS. WE ARE SEEING EVERY ABILENE RESIDENT THAT HAS COME AT SOME POINT. WE ARE VERY PLEASED THE FULL MONTH OF OPERATION, IT IS ONLY 37 DAYS THAT THIS STATISTIC IS FROM. OPENED MAY 16TH, WE HAD A COUPLE HOLIDAYS START THERE, SO IT'S PRETTY AMAZING. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS JOURNEY AT ABILENE HERITAGE SQUARE. IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND STAFF IS HAPPY TO INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THIS SPACE. >> I ALSO HAVE A REPORT ON THE DANIELS AND SEARS RECREATION LIBRARY, THOSE LIBRARIES OPENED APRIL 22ND WHICH WAS RIGHT BEFORE THE LAST LIBRARY BOARD MEETING. AND AS OF THE END OF JUNE HAD COMPLETED JUST OVER TWO MONTHS OF OPERATIONS. WE ARE VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE RESPONSE AT THESE LOCATIONS AS WELL. THROUGH JUNE 30TH, THE TWO BRANCHES WELCOMED 10,228 VISITORS, ISSUED 211 NEW LIBRARY CARDS, SECURED 3904 LIBRARY MATERIALS, ANSWERED 459 REFERENCE QUESTIONS AND PROVIDED 46 LIBRARY PROGRAMS ATTENDED BY 1153 PARTICIPANTS. THESE EARLY RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT RESIDENTS ARE EMBRACING THE NEW RECREATION CENTER LIBRARY MODEL THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDING LIBRARY SERVICES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PEOPLE ALREADY GATHER. SO LOOKING INTO EACH LOCATION INDIVIDUALLY, THE SERIES RECREATION CENTER LIBRARY WELCOMED 5783 VISITORS, SINCE OPENING. AND DANIELS WELCOMED 4445 VISITORS, SEARS HAS ISSUED 144 NEW LIBRARY CARDS AND DANIELS HAS ISSUED 67 FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF 211 NEW LIBRARY USERS. TOGETHER THE BRANCHES HAVE CIRCULATED NEARLY 4000 LIBRARY MATERIALS DURING THEIR FIRST PERIOD OF OPERATION. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS HAS BEEN THE PROGRAMING AT THE LIBRARY, DOING PROGRAMING IN THE SHARED SPACES WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF, SO WE DO PROGRAMING IN THE CLASSROOMS, MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM OR WHATEVER SHARED SPACES ALLOWS TO HAVE BIGGER AUDIENCES DURING THE LIBRARY FOOTPRINT, IT HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD PARTNERSHIP. THESE ARE NOT QUITE AN APPLES-TO-APPLES COMPARISON, BUT WE COMPARED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TWO BRANCHES TO THE FORMER BRANCH, SINCE THESE TWO LOCATIONS ARE STAFFED BY THE STAFF OF THE PREVIOUS BRANCH. SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE STATS REPRESENT FIRST PERIOD OPERATION, IT'S NOT A FULL FISCAL YEAR. BUT MOST NOTABLY, NEW LIBRARY BRANCHES HAVE ISSUED 211 LIBRARY CARDS COMPARED TO THE 82 ISSUED BY MOCKINGBIRD DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025. SO THAT JUST TELLS US WE ARE REACHING MANY NEW LIBRARY USERS WITH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL SERVICE MODEL. SO WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE EARLY SUCCESS OF THESE BRANCHES, AND PILOTING NEW PROGRAMS LIKE THE LAPTOP CHECKOUT PROGRAM WHICH IS GOING VERY WELL AS WELL, INSTEAD OF A FIXED COMPUTER LAB. WE ARE SEEING LOTS OF FAMILIES COME IN, THE REC CENTER AMENITIES AS WELL. AS WELL AS LIBRARY SERVICES. WE ARE BUSY AND WE ARE HAPPY WE ARE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SEE HOW THIS MODEL WORKS FOR US IN THE FUTURE BUT SO FAR, SO [00:10:02] GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS? [LAUGHTER] >> YES THE NUMBER IS -- [LAUGHTER] WE CHECKED ALL THOSE WHEN WE FIRST READ THE NUMBERS, FOR OPENING DAY, OVER 7000 PEOPLE. [LAUGHTER] IT HAS FELT LIKE THAT. SO, WE ARE HAPPY WE ARE PROMOTING THIS IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAM THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. >> ARE THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ACCEPTING BOOK DONATIONS AT ONE OF THE BRANCHES YET? >> THEY ARE PAUSING THAT, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR MORE SPACE AT THIS POINT SO. THEY WILL PUT SOMETHING OUT I THINK WHEN THEY START ACCEPTING AGAIN. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? >> I WILL GO TO THE PARKS BOARD, THERE WILL BE A PARKS BOARD DECISION SO YOU CAN WATCH PARKS BOARD FOR THAT. >> I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION BUT I WANTED TO SAY MY FRIEND SAID THAT HE TAKES HIS SON HENRY TO THE REC CENTER AND LETS HIM PLAY, AND THEN THE WAY HE BRIBES HIM IT'S TIME TO LEAVE AND GO HOME IS THAT HE GETS TO CHECK OUT A LIBRARY BOOK. >> THAT'S GREAT! WE LOVE TO HEAR THAT. PLAYGROUNDS ARE CERTAINLY POPULAR ESPECIALLY AT DANIELS. [INAUDIBLE] >> IS THERE NO FURTHER * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.