HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 09-10 Library Minutes Meet
j City of Apache Junction Arizona City
ncilCamb
� City Council Chambers
rr•
at City Hall
= 300 E.Superstition Blvd.
Meeting Minutes Apache Junction,AZ 85119
` Library Board w .ajpl.org
P:(480)474-8555
Thursday,September 10,2020 6:30 PM City Council Chambers at City Hall
A. Call to Order
Vice Chair Schoenbeck called the meeting to order at 6:30pm.
B. Pledge of Allegiance
Vice Chair Schoenbeck led the Pledge of Allegiance.
C. Roll Call
Present: 4- Vice Chair Schoenbeck
Boardmember Borey
Boardmember Graves
Boardmember Walters
Excused: I - Boardmember Biggs
D. Acceptance of Agenda
Board Member Walters moved to accept the agenda as presented. Board Member Borey
seconded the motion.
Yes 4- Vice Chair Schoenbeck, Boardmember Borey, Boardmember Graves, and
Boardmember Walters
No 0
Excused I - Boardmember Biggs
E. Acceptance of the Minutes for November 14, 2019 Regular Meeting and June
18, 2020 Special Meeting
Board Member Walters moved to accept the minutes from the November 14,2019 regular meeting
and the June 18,2020 special meeting. Board Member Borey seconded the motion.
Yes 4- Vice Chair Schoenbeck, Boardmember Borey, Boardmember Graves, and
Boardmember Walters
No 0
Excused 1 - Boardmember Biggs
F. Call to the Public
None
City of Apache Junction,Arizona Paget
Library Board Meeting Minutes September 10, 2020
G. Correspondence and Communications
1. 20-439 Library Board of Trustees appointments and reappointments.
Director Harrison updated everyone that appointments and reappointments are due to expire
October 31, 2020.Applications are due by Tuesday, September 15, 2020. At the November
meeting there will be three new members on the board and the annual election of officers will be
held at that time.
2. 20-440 Receipt of the Glenn Perkins Educational Foundation donation of$20,000.
Director Harrison provided an update. Those who were on the board back in 2017 may recall
the receipt of our first donation of the Glenn Perkins Trust. At that time, a motion was
unanimously approved to accept any and all donations from said trust, notify city council of any
donations and send a thank you note from the Library Board and the staff for any donations
received in the future. Each year since 2017,we have received a check from what is now
known as the Glenn Perkins Educational Foundation. The library received the check on July 2,
2020 and the city council will be notified of the donation at their next meeting on Tuesday,
September 15, 2020. A thank you letter signed by the mayor will be mailed to the foundation as
well. Director Harrison read the letter that would be sent to the Glenn Perkins Educational
Foundation on behalf of the Library Board. Glenn Perkins was a past winter resident of the
Apache Junction area. It has not yet been determined how funds will be used due to present
day circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic. Further discussions will take place at
a future board meeting.
H. Librarian's Report
Director Harrison reported that on August 3, 2020 the library went fine free. This includes no
charges for overdue fines in addition to eliminating fines from current library accounts for all
patrons that are Apache Junction library card holders. Response from the public has been very
positive. The word is getting out and some lost items from long ago have been returned.
Director Harrison advised the board that she had applied for and received three CARES Act
grants from the Arizona State Library. Funds were made available for libraries in Arizona to
prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The grants were awarded in
three separate phases. As part of phase one, the CARES Express grant,we received an
advanced virtual engagement tool kit for virtual programming. The toolkit included a 4k camera,
microphone,filmmaking kit and accessories including storage bag and cables all valued at
about$1,000.00.Those items will be used for filming and making Facebook videos and the like.
Vice Chair Schoenbeck asked if this equipment would be available to the public.
Director Harrison responded that the equipment could be used in the studio for patrons who
wanted to do audio/video recording in-house.
As part of phase two, the CARES Expanded grant,we received mobile WI-FI hotspots. Mobile
WI-FI hotspots are small boxed units that provide WI-FI access on the go. The request included
15 hotspots with a year of unlimited data. The first 12 hotspots would circulate to the public
while the other three hotspots would be used on the Fun Van bookmobile. The Fun Van would
be used to travel around the community, offering WI-FI assistance to people in areas where
there is a need for WI-FI access. Patrons will be able to park in a parking lot where the
bookmobile is located and access WI-FI while there. Within three days of availability all 12 WI-FI
City of Apache Junction,Arizona page 2
Library Board Meeting Minutes September 10,2020
hotspots checked out for a 28 day period. These hotspots provide 20 gigs of data renewed
each month. We are able to turn off service on the hotspots if they are not returned to the library
in a timely fashion. Updates will be provided to the board on how the program continues. The
bookmobile will begin travel within the community next week. Arrangements have been made
with some churches and city parks to allow parking of the bookmobile on their property for a
couple of hours per day. Books will be available on the bookmobile in addition to library card
applications and information to the public about other library services.
Board Member Walters inquired as to how patrons learn about this service. Information on
where and when these WI-FI hotspots are available is on the library website at www.ajpl.org and
the library Facebook page at www.facebook.com/alibrary/.
Vice Chair Schoenbeck asked if we needed additional locations.
Director Harrison stated that we are always in need of locations as we are not sure how
successful the current locations will be.
Vice Chair Schoenbeck stated that the Mountain View Lutheran Church in Apache Junction has
a large parking lot and could possibly host the bookmobile.
Director Harrison indicated that she would get in touch with the church.
The final phase was the CARES Supplemental grant. Funds for technology were received to
help fill in some digital infrastructure gaps.
If you have been to the library recently you may be aware of our drive-up window which has
been very successful. When you pull up to the drive up window there is new technology
available where a patron is prompted to press a doorbell button next to the drive up window that
sends a ringtone to a mobile phone inside the staff area of the library. This allows staff
members to continue to work at their desk or in another part of the library while carrying the
mobile phone with them, and they can quickly respond to the doorbell. One challenge with this
feature is that some areas of the library do not have the digital infrastructure needed to maintain
a consistent WI-FI signal. Since the start of COVID-19, it has become very popular for public
libraries to offer WI-FI access in their parking lots, especially after business hours. Patrons are
parking in these lots so they can get free WI-FI access since places like coffee shops and
restaurants have closed their doors and free WI-FI was no longer available at these locations.
The library does have some WI-FI access in our parking lot but it is not good enough to provide
great access. This supplemental grant will provide four WI-FI access points to enable improved
internet access throughout the library parking lots and one indoor access point for the library
staff area to improve the signal range for the doorbell. Total cost for the WI-FI access points
with licensing is$8,300.00.The Apache Junction Public Library is one of 23 libraries in the state
to be awarded this grant and only one of two Final County libraries to receive all three levels of
the CARES Act grants.
Director Harrison provided an update on implemented actions related to COVID-19.Access to
physical materials and digital products continued through the use of our drive-up window. Since
reopening our doors in early June,we have limited patron capacity within the library. Much of the
available seating has been removed and there is only a scattering of tables and chairs across
the building so as not to encourage patrons to spend too much time inside the library. Signs are
posted around the library limiting computer access to one hour daily. Browsing materials has
also been limited to one hour daily. Computers are cleaned before and after use in addition to a
City ofApaMe Junction,Arizona page 3
Library Board Meeting Minutes September 10,2020
staff roamer who goes around the building every hour making sure high touch areas are
cleaned.
Director Harrison presented some graphs to show library use comparisons in different areas
from April through August 2019 and April through August of 2020.
Chart#1 is the Patron Use Comparison-April to August 2019/2020. Patron use includes
drive-up transactions, dropping off of materials and calls made to our central call center in
addition to in-person door count visits.
Chart#2 is Drive Up Window stats-April to August 2020 only. There was no drive-up available
in 2019.
Chart#3 is Circulation of Physical Materials 2019/2020 comparison. This includes all physical
materials available for checkout.
Chart#4 is Digital Checkouts of Materials 2019/2020 comparison which includes all digital items
available for checkout such as the Cloud Library, Greater Phoenix Digital Library, Hoopla,
Freegal, RBdigital and more.
Director Harrison updated the board on library programming. Programs continue in very small
groups, remaining socially distant and requiring masks be wom. We have started a new
homebound book program called"Books by Mail." This program allows patrons in Apache
Junction, San Tan Valley and Gold Canyon to request up to three large print books be mailed to
their home for free. Patrons are provided with a return mail bag to send books back to the
library.
Vice Chair Schoenbeck asked if we were cross referencing with the Parks&Recreation
department and who they deliver senior meals to as a way to inform possible homebound
patrons who may not be aware of this service.
Director Harrison stated that was a great idea and she would check into doing that.
I. Old Business
None.
J. New Business
None.
K. Requests for Future Agenda Items
None.
L. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 7:03pm.
Acting President
City ofApache Juncgon,Arizona page 4