Library Board Preps for New Fiscal Year at Feb. 21 Meeting

The East Lansing Public Library (ELPL) Board of Trustees discussed plans moving into the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, as the library enters a new era with Kevin King set to soon take over as director. 

The Wednesday, Feb. 21 meeting also saw the board approve a liquor license for the annual Books, Bites & Bids event, and Angelo Moreno, who has been serving as interim library director since August 2023, thanked the board for supporting him.

Strategic planning, incident where former library director wrongfully called police among topics discussed by subcommittees. 

The strategic planning subcommittee, led by Trustees Shawn Nicholson and Polly Synk, presented the strategic planning request for proposals (RFP) responses from three different consulting organizations: The Leadership Group LLC, Midwest Collaborative for Library Services and ReThinking Libraries. The board has set aside $40,000 to contract one of these companies to help form a strategic plan.

Additionally, the January 11 incident subcommittee opened up for final discussion concerning the one-year update they presented at the last meeting. The subcommittee examines an incident that occurred last year when former ELPL Director Kristin Shelley called the police on a Black teenager who she wrongfully accused of setting a fire in the library’s bathroom. 

The board agreed that the one-year update report should be made available to the public.

Moreno provides a presentation about the FY2025 budget. 

With the board of trustees needing to get a budget recommendation to Council by April, Moreno suggested that the board get moving on this discussion and address any questions the following month.

Moreno began his presentation by laying out the mission, vision and core values of the library in order to guide their FY2025 budget. 

“The mission of the East Lansing Public Library is to provide a place and resources where people gather to share information and ideas to enrich lives and foster community,” Moreno said.

The core values of the library are accessibility, community, innovation and knowledge. Moreno emphasized that the implementation of these values depends on the library staff. He named all of the members of the ELPL staff, stating that the importance and success of the library comes from the people who work there. 

Moreno set up the FY2025 budget plan fairly similarly to the FY2024 budget plan after reflecting on FY2024 revenue and expenses.

He highlighted that the vending machine brought in a total revenue of $1,549, twice what was budgeted. 

“Our vending machines have increased something like 600%,” Moreno said. “Twice what was budgeted for the entire year, so keep buying snacks.”

Moreno discussed the FY2025 action plan, with it being centered around staff.

“The bulk of the action plan will not require additional spending as much as it will require a motivated, justly compensated, well-trained staff,” Moreno said.

He discussed what the library will be doing to reflect their core values, such as a “Meet Your Library Open House,” Library on the Go truck improvements to increase accessibility and a redesign for the teen room for innovation needs. 

The board will next reach out to Moreno with any questions they have and prepare to approve the FY2025 budget plan at the March meeting.

ELPL Board approves contract for audiovisual devices, liquor license for fundraising event.

ELPL Head of Technology Services Scott Drapalik asked the board for approval of the contract with AVI-SPL to purchase and install upgraded audiovisual devices throughout the library.

Drapalik is requesting $78,765.52 from the approved FY2024 budget, which has set aside $80,000 for audiovisual upgrades.

“The majority of audiovisual equipment installed prior to and during the 2015 library renovation are aging or rapidly approaching end of life,” Drapalik read from his request. “The library is seeking to contract with an audiovisual consultant to replace existing equipment in the Large Meeting Room, Staff Conference Room, Signage Displays, Public Address system and add audiovisual equipment to the 3/4 Study Room, Local History Room, Maker Studio and East Bay seating area.” 

The request states that the new equipment will enhance usage of these spaces and “create further opportunities for videoconferencing, presentations, guest lecturers and performances, and interactive collaboration.”

The request was approved unanimously by the board. 

The board also unanimously authorized the application for a special liquor license for the Books, Bites & Bids event on April 12, 2024. The annual fundraiser is held at the library, and features food, drinks, family activities and much more.

Additional information and ticket sales for the event can be found here. 

Moreno highlighted the success of ELPL in the diversity audit report. The library was in the 95th percentile for diverse books. 

Moreno concluded by thanking the board and library staff for all of their help as interim library director, the Feb. 21 meeting was his last meeting as interim director before permanent director Kevin King takes over. 

“I would like to take a moment to thank this board for allowing me the opportunity to collaboratively lead the library during these past several months,” Moreno said. “It has been a tremendous learning experience, not just for me but I think for all of staff. 

“One of our coworkers, Susan Melfi, who just left, said something a couple of years ago that has stuck with me,” he continued. “She referred to the library as something like a three-legged stool. The three legs are the staff, the director and the board. The library cannot function without one of these legs. I believe that she was wise to point this out. Further, I don’t believe that any of these legs is more important than the other. That there are no heroes when it comes to librarianship. It is truly a collective effort, whether that is acknowledged or not. This board’s confidence in us in the past few months has meant a lot, and this board’s willingness to be engaged, ask tough questions, and provide leadership is welcomed. And I truly hope that it will continue. There are many people in the library world who believe that a library should be governed by a strong director, a weak board and a staff that knows its place. This library has shown a different, better path, and that has made us stronger.”