Trustees review midyear budget, metrics and reaffirm board goals

The Board of Library Trustees reviewed midyear reports on strategic goals, performance metrics and the library's role in the city two-year budget cycle, and the board unanimously approved its current goals for the 2024'25 period.

Library Director Janet Stone and senior management staff presented highlights from the midyear report, including the city's two-year budget timeline (FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27), vacancy-driven fluctuations in expenditure lines, and plans for a budget presentation to the Board in April and anticipated City Council consideration of the two-year budget in May. Senior management analyst Elke Cathal walked trustees through metric changes driven by reporting adjustments (for example, separating AWE early-learning device use from subscription searches) and by program timing (summer discovery challenge activity straddling fiscal years).

Trustees and staff discussed trends: continued rise in library visits and Wi-Fi use following COVID-era closures, increased electronic resource usage and program attendance, challenges capturing website analytics for December due to a vendor issue, and the separate tracking of Constant Contact email outreach. Staff said they have started modernization work with IT to update data-entry processes and plan further changes to reporting charts and presentation format.

Trustees also raised governance items during the goals review. Board members asked for clearer attendance expectations and discussed the board's role as liaison to the Friends Foundation; Director Stone said she would check with the city clerk about attendance rules, excused versus unexcused absences and options for liaison coverage. Trustee discussion emphasized making a visible effort to attend library programs and events to demonstrate board support.

Two formal votes were recorded during the meeting. The Board approved the consent calendar by a roll-call vote (Ayes: Trustee Chu; Trustee Lamond; Vice President Tolan; President Carrie Johnson) and later approved the Board's stated goals as written (motion by Trustee Chu, seconded by Vice President Tolan), also 4-0. Staff said the goals were set in September 2024 and will be revisited annually with a midyear check-in and a possible formal revision at the usual yearly schedule.

Board members asked staff to continue reporting back on attendance benchmarks and suggested greater trustee participation at library events to support outreach and volunteer recruitment. The midyear budget recommendations will be presented to Finance and scheduled for February City Council review.