St. Helens library board creates transformational-plan subcommittee and outlines makerspace fundraising, expansion steps

St. Helens Public Library Board members on Feb. 10 voted to create a subcommittee to develop a multiyear “transformational” strategic plan and spent much of the meeting detailing fundraising needs, donated equipment and near-term operational changes for the library’s makerspace.

Board members said the subcommittee will gather information and report to the full board in April, while staff will compile a makerspace status report for the March agenda so the board can advise on priority actions.

The vote to form the transformational-plan subcommittee passed after a motion to establish the group and a second. Suzanne, a board member, moved to create the subcommittee and Jay seconded; the board approved the motion. Suzanne said the subcommittee should collect funding ideas, break large initiatives into manageable tasks and return to the board with recommendations in April. "I move to create a subcommittee to look into the transformational plan to kind of gather information and then report back in April," Suzanne said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Board members framed the vote as a procedural step to make progress on an expansive, multiyear strategic plan without using regular board meetings to attempt the plan’s full work. The decision sets a timetable for staff and board follow-up and separates long-range strategy from day-to-day operations.

Makerspace expansion, needs and donors

Board and staff discussion then focused on the library makerspace, which members described as a high-demand program and candidate for phased expansion. Jay, a board member and lead on fundraising discussions, said the makerspace footprint could expand by about 50 percent and include a storage room. He outlined types of purchases and repairs the space will need, including new flooring, cabinetry, project tables and storage racks.

Board members and volunteers estimated some specific costs. One participant who researched project-table configurations said a four-by-four modular table setup that can combine into larger surfaces is roughly a $5,000 purchase. Board members also described higher-end furniture and cabinetry costs that could push the project’s budget higher but did not provide a single total project estimate; the amount that must be raised was described as "not a number we've come up with" and remains to be refined by the fundraising subcommittee.

The board discussed a mix of possible funding sources: private donors, the Friends group, city funds, state and federal grant programs and pass-through funds from the Oregon State Library and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Jay said he intends to pursue grant opportunities and asked board members to provide names of potential individual or corporate donors. "If you have names of people that can write those kind of checks, even if it's 500 to a thousand at a time, call me," Jay said.

Donations and in-kind support already in place include: - The Friends of the Library purchased a Glowforge laser cutter. - A donor identified as Spencer donated and helped set up a 3-D printer and has volunteered regularly in the makerspace. - Public Works provided funding for eight new laptops to replace older machines used with 3-D printers, the laser cutter and other makerspace equipment; the public works director who coordinated that support was identified only as Mohammed (last name not specified).

Operational adjustments and programming

Staff reported operational changes to handle demand. Makerspace staff member Jana’s appointment schedule was reduced from two days to one (Tuesdays removed; Thursdays extended to 3:00–6:30 p.m.) to free staff time for youth programming. Staff said they saw 19 people in the makerspace on a recent Friday and noted repeat users and introductory appointments converting to regular users.

The board and staff also described volunteers and community partners supporting the makerspace, including a volunteer who purchased a 3-D printer, a new Friday volunteer named Joe, and in-kind connections that could help with flooring and countertops.

Other library business connected to space and services

Library leadership reported the Columbia Learning Center board is vacating a space that will allow the library to relocate its local history materials into a secure, light-protected office. The library plans to use donated metal cabinets from the Learning Center to store local history materials and to set up appointment-based access to the materials.

Staff also outlined programming and community services tied to the library’s public mission: a proposed teen intern (grant applied for), summer library challenge events including family escape rooms, a seed-exchange conversation with county Master Gardeners about possible pollinator gardens in the courtyard, and continuing partnerships with Columbia County public health, Columbia County mental health, SBDC and other local organizations.

Statistics and staffing noted

The director reported 65,737 building visits in 2024 and said the library circulated a high number of items in 2024 (the director listed 65,737 items borrowed in the presentation). The board heard a staffing note that paid staff per capita was 0.4 and that 21 percent of the jurisdiction’s population holds library cards. Staff also reported 27 volunteers logged 954 hours last year and described efforts to recruit a replacement after board member Colleen Oler resigned.

Next steps

The board directed staff to place a makerspace-update item on the March agenda and tasked the new transformational-plan subcommittee to meet, gather information and report back to the full board in April. The board chair said the application deadline for the open board seat will be March 7 and that staff will post the vacancy announcement.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes of the Jan. 13 regular meeting: approved (mover: Jay; seconder: Rob; tally: unanimous as reported). - Motion to approve special meeting minutes of Feb. 1: approved (mover: not specified in the record; seconder: not specified; tally: unanimous as reported). - Motion to create a subcommittee to develop the transformational plan and report in April: approved (mover: Suzanne; seconder: Jay; outcome: approved).

The board adjourned after completing the agenda.