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Library Advisory Board reports new programs, digitization effort and grant wins
Summary
The Library Advisory Board reported increasing teen engagement, new makerspace and digitization efforts for local newspapers, grants from H-E-B and Texas Commission on the Arts, and asked council for continued support for LED lighting and storage improvements.
The Lago Vista Library Advisory Board presented its annual report to council, highlighting expanded teen programs, volunteer recruitment, and a grants-driven makerspace initiative. Board chair Mike Zadel said the board has added a teen library group that has produced volunteers and that partnerships — including an AISD representative on the board — have expanded programming.
Zadel and library director Jan Steele described several grants that funded summer programs and equipment: an H‑E‑B donation for a mobile makerspace cart, a Lions Club contribution for summer reading, a Texas Commission on the Arts grant to underwrite performers, and a women’s club grant for young-adult book collections.
The board also reported progress on historical-preservation work. Library volunteers have been in contact with the University of North Texas for a newspaper-digitization project (Portal to Texas), which could digitize an initial batch of pages at no cost; the board said rights/permission from the newspaper owner (Hearst Corporation) remain under negotiation and that the city attorney has assisted in outreach.
Board members asked council for help with storage improvements (insulating and HVAC for a back storage room), completion of a already-budgeted LED lighting upgrade, and longer-term facility optimization and expansion funding. Several councilmembers said the LED work is budgeted for the current year but recent unplanned building repairs have delayed some projects.
Ending: The council thanked the board for the report and asked staff to follow up on the insulation request for historic materials storage, to confirm LED funding status, and to work with the library director on digitization permissions.
