Leadership Team Minutes - August 18, 2021

News & Departmental Updates:  

• Experience Passes - Our Day at the Zoo Book Zoo vouchers have been replaced and are being disseminated to the libraries. 
  • Kim Terry was able to secure a verbal agreement with the Oklahoma History Center for another Experience Pass venue. Next steps will be to finalize the agreement and get information and images established for the passes so we can set an implementation date. Other venues are still being checked on to see if there is 1 more that we want to implement this year. 
• Summer Reading 
  • We can be so proud of our community for hitting our summer reading points goal. Prize drawings began this week. 
  • Surveys to gauge the efficacy of Summer Reading and offer feedback on ways to improve will begin on 8/16. 
  • Prize pickup ends 8/31 
• Department Response to the Pandemic Report – Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins, CSD  
  • Working on a way to gather feedback/survey departments on how they responded to the pandemic in a similar manner as done by the libraries.  
• Pivot Developments –  Kimberly Boldt, DOES 
  • Pivot has been building tiny homes to help the community. Emily Williams (DOES) is leading outreach to Pivot participants to help engage them with our libraries services. Kim Rickey is working to update the onsite collection to benefit/meet the needs of the customer age group at Pivot. Other items of discussion/development are as follows:  
    • Library Card Drive - those enrolled in OKCPS can use their student ID number as their library card through a program we call ONEcard; it will likely be more difficult to get others under 17 library cards, but we can work on finding solutions 
    • Giveaway Books - provide 4-5 for each tiny house for residents, or enough for a shelf in the pantry; these would be books residents could take with them when they leave 
• Once COVID is less of a concern, we could also do some more in-depth programs and events! Some ideas: 
  • Book Club - tailored to interest and reading level, library would provide the books and facilitator sessions on How to Use your Library Card, including how to download ebooks or audiobooks, and database training like free Homework Help, how to use online study guides for GED/ASVAB/ACT 
  • Booktalks- brief summaries and conversation about new books in the Onsite Library 
  • Summer Reading sign up - in early June we talk about the reading program, sign up the residents, and then bring them prizes in late July 
  • Storytime Training - for those residents with young children, a primer on how to read and play with your baby and why those skills are important; would bring free board books and other fun giveaways 
  • Library Programs like board game nights, STEM projects, craft events 

Action & Discussion items: 

• RE Commemoration statement - Feedback and approval – Kimberly Francisco, Ralph Ellison Library Manager 
  • Planning continues to honor Ralph Ellison and his legacy for 1 year in celebration of 100 years of library services in NE OKC. We expect this to be a significant library event that reflects our core values. The goal is to launch the centennial website in September 2021.  
  • The proposed statement on the history of the Ralph Ellison Library and our acknowledgement of the past and our commitment to providing access to everyone for library services as we move forward and we continue to improve has been shared with the Chair of the Commission and the feedback was positive and the recommendation is to proceed with the use of the statement.  
  • Edits were suggested during the meeting to enhance the language and these revisions will be made.  
• Strategic Focus Group – Larry White, ED 
  • SFG meeting 08/20 to review and approve strategic framework – then sent to staff, commissioners for input 
  • The strategic framework is being constructed as a bridge to help us get to a comprehensive strategic plan which will take up to two years to complete the process properly.  
  • There are three main goals, 15 objectives, and about 20 deliverables.  
    • Goal #1 – Strengthening Literacy Efforts 
    • Goal #2 – Strengthen Community Connections 
    • Goal #3 – Optimize Resources  
  • The main goals are to do assessments to help us to have to better understanding of what the community needs and how we respond to the needs before we can move forward strategically as an organization.  
• Technology Plan - Larry White, ED 
  • We have added a tremendous amount of technology and resources into our organization for customers and internal operations.  Examples of technology implementations included: Self-check outs, 24-Hour Library kiosks, Access Control, Telematics, HVAC Controls, Mobile app for customers.  
  • The plan will help us determine what our needs are as an organization and what technology we should focus on.  
  • A technology plan workgroup is being formed to begin to discuss technology and how we move forward from here.  
• Policies for reporting suspected child abuse and adults supervising children – Larry White, ED 
  • A small group is being formed to look into our policies and procedures.  
  • This topic came up during our risk management review process for insurance purposes.  
  • We will be working on drafting some language to help clarify or implement policy around reporting of suspected child abuse and adults supervising children.  
  • Kristin Williamson (DOES) provided research, recommendations and a draft procedure on reporting suspected abuse for the committee.
  • Public Services, Volunteers, and DOES staff – will review material provided on the topics and draft an appropriate set of policies to address these topics. Policy drafts should be ready for review for the second meeting in October for LT to review and approve.  
• Management development plans - Larry White, ED 
  • The purpose is to help personnel currently in management positions and help them be more successful in their jobs.  This will include providing various tools, training, and other resources to managers.  
  • This will help to build a management and leadership core within the organization and will help with management development and succession planning.  
• Art Collection Grand Opening - October 18, 2021, tentative based on Covid-19 - Larry White, ED 
  • There will be a small ribbon cutting on Monday August 23rd. This will not be a large crowd/this will be short event.  
  • Tentative there will be an outdoor event on the east entrance of the library to highlight and showcase the new art collection on the 2nd floor.  

Discussion Items: 

• Holiday schedule survey - Larry White, ED 
  • In the past surveys have been performed to get staff feedback on Library paid holidays.  There has been a new federal holiday added and staff requests on the library’s plans for moving forward.  
  • The survey would allow for a couple of options to be presented to the Commission on the recommendation of the next holiday schedule.  
• Serve as Vaccine sites - Larry White, ED 
  • There has been suggestions that the Library consider serving as a vaccination site for COVID-19 
  • Discussion was around community need, library involvement, and locations where it might work.  
  • Jessica Gonzalez (DOES) is leading the effort to see if there is any interest from a community health organization performing vaccines.  
• Customer Service Empathy Research Findings - Larry White, ED 
  • Discussion on the customer service/experience survey. The feedback was helpful for portraying a snapshot in time concerning customer service orientation in our organization but more work is needed to assess how we can better provide internal and external customer service.  

Next meeting: 09/15