[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6622819,"mediaKeyId","2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c","parentId",2781262,"title","Board approves Feb. minutes; welcomes new District 3 commissioner and interim assistant director","audioSeconds",68,"startMs",61000,"endMs",129000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c&start=61&end=129","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c/thumbnail_61000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6622819/Dallas/Dallas-County/Texas/Board-approves-Feb-minutes-welcomes-new-District-3-commissioner-and-interim-assistant-director","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622819-d7d8913df5f39c56ca0c2ca4ca7d74fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775039916&Signature=OVfFgAEYYRvktEZ2KdJhSulxUxyuRDYngmx3z97fn6YETwscVkqssGXW8HIXyh8Yj4qFCqa-Iza1TGo2StWkZRyefQvQgvdrJCYxn2jIEwEwjZfOkmPSZSNkhG23WqcRsBinWA1m8GaApxzz7QJTsy0aJ9F6-jk9xz32wcUa~AO4LAA9sstzK1tfcIeLEMzrl9j5W19-JWsgCpqxXr5YVygv-FQP7i6qTJtKzNLWrYaIhGBB6J5AHJ122kT7-bCvTf~cr4wfvxVXsNYnIApSOT7SbVuM6ExhyMt6T4n6q2U~SDfSXObOPIxtDxsOBJZOci1cd~MTIcen8qGFteNVWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dallas","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Municipal Library Board approved minutes from its Feb. 25, 2025 meeting by motion on March 25. A motion to approve was made by Commissioner Harding and seconded by Commissioner Staggs; the board recorded an affirmative vote and the motion carried.

Chair remarks included a welcome to Mistika, identified in the meeting as the District 3 commissioner newly on the board. Staff also announced Melissa Deese as interim assistant director for customer experience; Deese introduced herself and described her responsibilities as overseeing public-service supervision, internal and external communications and consistency of policy implementation across branches.

Ending: The meeting adjourned at 6:02 p.m.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Dallas - Municipal Library Board Meeting - Mar 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Municipal Library Board voted to approve minutes from the Feb. 25 meeting; the chair welcomed Mistika, a District 3 commissioner, and staff introduced Melissa Deese as interim assistant director for customer experience.","taxTitle","Dallas, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2781,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6622826,"Library bond projects advance: bathroom renovations, HVAC work and security upgrades planned",348,3021000,3369000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c&start=3021&end=3369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c/thumbnail_3021000.jpg","/articles/6622826/Dallas/Dallas-County/Texas/Library-bond-projects-advance-bathroom-renovations-HVAC-work-and-security-upgrades-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622826-7fca0fc23e98d9cd3e6d1585d889d948/orig.mp4?Expires=1775039916&Signature=iPphxYcUXiV5TocIzirAQDuXSjWL5G6MnpIms-Xd~hvQDi57cbh8iOmohcDFUBAQq~xWhxT30~78w52hqzAWvp6LFyppudPjrLqbZHff9izsmnIZmQUodLJjhi1iR~THKkIemGgggH5NWO92eMxP8hdaupu0EPExGhyYPdHWwYfSE8m2-oYazO0xiJ4JKMF7d854RZLgWAOz38vCl8prRfpgkGRIoQvWNW50jgXJJCVKcc~xcaWSeU0a30u0sraZi8XeHgeNIgPPpEdtmG1KTr8vXoznTQTPtdmv~q151ThU2tYoFs6fMUP0rEj4RIdz33rPGoDB6gRRHFRW6v~YCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Library facilities staff briefed the Municipal Library Board on March 25 about bond-funded projects and other capital work across the system.

Staff said bathroom renovations authorized by city council in February will begin construction in fall 2025 and are expected to be complete by February 2026. When asked who received the contract, staff identified GP Cooper Industries. The Preston Royal branch request for qualifications is open and closes April 11; final construction there was scheduled for fall 2027.

The Park Forest and North Oak Cliff branches are slated for later phases of the bond program; staff said they are exploring multi-use concepts that could pair libraries with housing or senior housing in collaboration with the Office of Economic Development and Facilities and Real Estate Management.

Major maintenance and mechanical upgrades were described: full HVAC replacements at Lockwood and White Rock began recently (White Rock expected complete in April; Lockwood in June or July), a chiller ordered for Dallas West with temporary chillers deployed, a boiler replacement completed in February at Rottweiler Park, and Skyline branch improvements aligned with the CCAP plan.

Staff also described public art procurements: an RFQ for Forest Green is closed and a selection is expected this summer with design and installation through fall 2026; Victory Park artist selection RFQ is underway with authorization expected by year-end and project completion planned for early 2027.

Security upgrades at the Central Library will add cameras, stairwell coverage and badge-reader access for staff doors; staff said the new system will increase quantity and quality compared with current floor-by-floor systems. Interior light renovations and new furniture were also planned for the Sixth and First floors, and a First Floor bathroom renovation is expected to finish by the end of the calendar year.

Ending: Staff said signage replacements for Lancaster-Keith (monument sign), Lakewood and Skyline are under study for possible use of remaining bond funds, and staff offered to share bond audit and arts-and-culture presentation materials with the board.","Staff reported timelines, contractors and sites for bond-funded projects including Central bathroom renovations, branch RFQs, HVAC replacements and public art selections; security camera upgrades with the marshal's office were also described.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6622829,"Library staff warn of possible impacts after executive order affecting IMLS funding",308,2668000,2976000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c&start=2668&end=2976","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c/thumbnail_2668000.jpg","/articles/6622829/Dallas/Dallas-County/Texas/Library-staff-warn-of-possible-impacts-after-executive-order-affecting-IMLS-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622829-2db5395e1862f401cf9debdfe221974a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775039916&Signature=ZxyxTQsqEEweeRTmXkhISGIegZBLGpIpHHj8YgdPdnNiuBQkK-Gi1gBrmFYykEB8ab6XZkZDFvd4DZyEgAe3CoC56Zi~2EHBWQeFIX8GK4BXQKyph076qu~bkKwPv9gjRZ9C72mcd-r7-qeyouNmBPQrI-JUnIVZXldIFIRUceb8tFC0ci7WtPBDdsSf~4jr6-g4QZ1gq66w8OiIALK3~c6XwSQMcbqDVyWpY2zFGBOPs8UA-frMpj5WTW4WKcBzfppP6-nxY2EBwpsy5uy5hb0rupLAfCVnvCdI7JiTM5qbAh~gYuXcFHiuZ58tqDDv0FBlCfvGNAq8mtWybW5tiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Library staff updated the Municipal Library Board on March 25 about potential effects from a recent executive order that would close the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Staff said the library has benefited from IMLS-supported funding passed through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Examples included a grant that helped start the music instrument lending program, subsidies for statewide databases and interlibrary loan participation, and support for programs such as GED testing, English-language classes and memory-care backpacks.

Staff noted the federal fiscal year 2025 funding was in place and the continuing resolution contained FY26 funds, but said the implications of the executive order for FY26 pass-through funds were unclear. The presenter said she had a meeting scheduled with the state librarian to get further details and that the state library has historically passed through between about $30,000 and up to roughly $150,000 to support local projects (amounts varied by program and year).

Staff also warned that statewide database contracts (Techshare, Gale and Textquest were named) are costly and that changes to contracts could materially affect access to research and homework resources. The library pays separately for some services (for example, Brainfuse homework help), but staff said loss or reduction of Techshare-provided resources would be consequential.

Ending: Staff said they would pursue information from the state librarian on the executive order's impacts and consider reallocation options if federal pass-through funding were reduced.","Staff said an executive order to close the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) could affect federal pass-through grants that support programs such as instrument purchases, databases and interlibrary loan; the state librarian was due to brief staff.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6622834,"Dallas library outlines suspension system, cites 247 suspensions last fiscal year",653,1573000,2226000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c&start=1573&end=2226","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c/thumbnail_1573000.jpg","/articles/6622834/Dallas/Dallas-County/Texas/Dallas-library-outlines-suspension-system-cites-247-suspensions-last-fiscal-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622834-964fab954822b577a37f1c60e0346d0f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775039916&Signature=ertumcPnU-bnnLZ1mWqbhFO3FVO9AafyisxbLgsa1qZpGFo6f4rwFGIv6kjaK531NDGlVESVWhI75iblazK371HLzIhr0IiAuUBJd3-TLpIj2lWex-h9CwzOyWc3cwY6EG3E5ra3d0YfSuyuINX0XdzGiVKleDXi7WzCRXYP0y2gzQlDg4XSrB-~0jVtBisD7hrsSclrTueKsyF64fYOBRuw0DNo0OxkmYSMr80nDBQ~eeewxk9-aQ2fxfLwRaI5V52xYuyJon-5wSCWb75FSpzzzFvhzwVBI6dCO~WdI3Hr5KSWS4DrhwKgrtawOcTBShfPh6dpifqwVeWNDPyhcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Heather (surname not provided in transcript), a library staff presenter, gave the Municipal Library Board a detailed overview of the library\u0000code of conduct and the system the library uses to enforce it, including staff-issued suspensions that apply across all 30 branches.

Heather told the board the code of conduct focuses on four broad expectations: respect for other customers and staff, respect for library property and materials, obedience to the law, and compliance with staff requests. The full two-page code is posted on the library website in English and Spanish; an abbreviated, public-facing summary highlights those four areas.

The library phased in a staff-issued suspension system beginning in late 2019 and fully implemented after pandemic closures and staff training. Under the suspension policy, staff managers can suspend patrons from all library locations for periods from one day up to three years; an appeal goes to the assistant director for customer experience. Heather said the system reduces reliance on criminal trespass affidavits, which are limited to a single location and a three- to six-month period and require police response.

Heather said the library recorded 247 suspensions during the previous fiscal year and 47 so far in the current fiscal year. She described common practice: suspensions are calibrated to conduct and context (for repeated minor infractions the suspension period may increase; violent incidents may prompt immediate suspension and a concurrent criminal trespass affidavit). Two exceptions to suspensions were noted: sleeping during declared inclement-weather refuge periods and insufficient supervision of children (which staff address through child safety procedures rather than suspension alone).

The library maintains a secure suspension database and typically records a photo of the suspended individual (either taken by guards or captured from security footage) so staff can identify repeat entrants. Heather said staff have discretion in enforcement because front-line staff understand the history and severity of behaviors at each location.

Board members asked about process and counts; Heather said most suspensions are in the one- to six-month range but did not provide a full breakdown by branch. She also described the library\u0000service-animal policy: in Texas, service animals are legally limited to dogs; staff may ask two legal questions (is the animal a service animal, and what service does it perform). Library policy requires animals to be leashed and vaccinated; a service animal that repeatedly soils the facility or behaves aggressively may be suspended (the library recently suspended a service animal for six months after repeated incidents).

Ending: Heather said the staff-issued suspension system gives the library faster, systemwide tools to address behavioral issues while preserving an appeal path to the assistant director for customer experience.","Library staff reviewed a revised code of conduct and a staff-issued suspension system that can bar patrons systemwide for up to three years; staff reported 247 suspensions last fiscal year and 47 so far this fiscal year.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6622839,"Dallas Public Library music classes expand instrument lending, serve thousands",1308,228000,1536000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c&start=228&end=1536","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781262-a453bfc26beaa317e0ea3c3ce8ba716c/thumbnail_228000.jpg","/articles/6622839/Dallas/Dallas-County/Texas/Dallas-Public-Library-music-classes-expand-instrument-lending-serve-thousands","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622839-918754ab684cfd9a1348d959f9412462/orig.mp4?Expires=1775039916&Signature=fflPeULiR7uGO0Ojqe5US0mlxE5iB8EtsCW8XP5op21-M6XhesoIRAiD~MMLegHClHv4PcupETmP3CPvJBfkFFkGPVfriAu~Ls-CrTkX73HfjgsXoIHRsGNFOntQnpuzjsJIZXKZ3PmyD4a179yMjUjfWihkzYAGyZ0~RDkRwZq1HFfes7jzcUaSd-pZcDKx48jdwhtRJypjaJD-6F6bOBJEdXf6H9PUA5XhE-O-NNBbxadC9MtvFxUJ3XVRiIlbdRUSO5ls5hwifm~ZTTE9GWkCf~UOW1DSEG-1cN93rcfg-3SXR1eKozNSydAlDGnt-bYBZu2wTWC0qgIWNpZxsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tiffany Bailey, manager of the library\u0000Fine Arts unit (Central Arts, Movies and Music), told the Municipal Library Board on March 25 that the Dallas Public Library\u0000music program has grown from a single volunteer-led class in 2013 to a multi-branch instructional program that serves roughly 250 students per semester.

The program provides free beginner-focused classes, a standardized curriculum, and an instrument-lending collection that allows enrolled students to check out instruments as they would books. Bailey said the circulating collection now includes about 200 instruments, roughly 47 of which are available for checkout, and that the program has enrolled about 9,000 course enrollments to date (not all unique individuals).

Bailey said the program was launched to increase access to arts education in neighborhoods with higher shares of low-income households and people of color. The program's instruction covers basic technique, music reading, rhythm and ensemble skills; each semester culminates in a quarterly recital. Bailey told the board the program aims to support beginners and to guide students who are ready toward next-step opportunities such as the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra.

Program growth was enabled by a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission that funded two part-time contract instructors and helped the library purchase instruments for the lending collection. Bailey said class scheduling currently averages 17 classes per week across Central and branch locations, with daytime classes skewing toward adults and homeschool families and afternoons toward school-age children. She said classes generally run about an hour, with roughly 45 minutes of playing time once students are settled.

Bailey described current goals as maintaining full classes, improving regular attendance, increasing volunteer support to one volunteer per branch, expanding programming for seniors, and adding two additional branch locations (South Dallas and West Dallas were named as possibilities, including a Pleasant Grove location). She asked the board to encourage community members to request music programming at their home branch and to consider instrument donations (guitars and ukuleles cited as especially useful).

Board members asked about standards for ending instruction for an enrolled student; Bailey said staff refer students who have progressed beyond the beginner curriculum to other community options. She identified Ondre Salimira, a University of North Texas jazz studies graduate, as the current instructor who has taken over after longtime volunteer Bill Smith retired.

The overview noted program metrics: about 250 students per semester (about 1,000 annually) and roughly 9,000 enrollments since inception; Bailey clarified that the 9,000 figure includes repeat enrollments. She said the program maintains a curriculum binder for consistency across locations and a seasonal instrument maintenance routine.

Ending: Bailey asked for volunteer referrals and instrument donations to support expansion; the board flagged the upcoming Friends of the Dallas Public Library Literary Alliance luncheon on April 9 as an outreach opportunity.","Library staff detailed a decade-long music program that offers free classes, an instrument-lending collection and volunteer-led instruction; program relies on past state grants and seeks branch expansion and volunteers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves Feb. minutes; welcomes new District 3 commissioner and interim assistant director

Library bond projects advance: bathroom renovations, HVAC work and security upgrades planned

Library staff warn of possible impacts after executive order affecting IMLS funding

Dallas library outlines suspension system, cites 247 suspensions last fiscal year

Dallas Public Library music classes expand instrument lending, serve thousands