The Los Alamos Library Board reviewed and revised its draft work plan and outreach priorities during a regular meeting, agreeing to emphasize recent collaborative projects and to finalize the draft for approval at the next monthly meeting.

Board members said the 2025 plan should lead with newer collaborations—most notably the outdoor classroom proposal between the Mesa Public Library and Betty Ehart Senior Center, the community-led seed library and the Library of Things project—so those items receive priority visibility in any presentation to county council. Board members also recommended continuing established activities such as National Library Week, monthly meeting summaries and hybrid meeting access in White Rock.

Several board members and staff discussed how the work plan can help the board gather public input. One board member suggested rewording a primary activity from “gather input” to “facilitate discussions and point community members to library resources,” to underscore the board’s role as a conduit rather than an operational arm of library staff.

The board also reviewed recent accomplishments and operational items. The library’s address report included circulation and programming figures: the library reported 21,061 print checkouts for December and 8,901 digital checkouts, the staff member presenting said. New Year’s Eve programs drew about 200 attendees at Mesa and about 75 at White Rock. The presenter said policies will be sent to council on Jan. 20 for review; staffing remains short approximately 1.75 full-time equivalents in White Rock, with recruitment underway.

Board members suggested language clarifications for the work plan: tighten policy descriptions to reflect alignment with county guidelines and add new programming and events policy sections; highlight that monthly board summaries and presentations from staff inform the board’s outreach and help members act as community conduits; and emphasize accessibility efforts, including hybrid meeting availability in White Rock to broaden participation.

The board discussed possible next steps for the work plan and outreach: present the outdoor classroom and other high-visibility projects to county management or council ahead of April budget hearings if additional funding is needed; coordinate with the Department of Public Utilities, Parks and Recreation, the senior center, the Chamber of Commerce and the county’s new Inclusivity Task Force to identify underserved groups and outreach gaps; and place public-facing display panels and surveys in the library to gather community feedback.

Board members agreed to continue refining the draft and to circulate a revised version in the agenda packet for next month so the board can approve the work plan in February. The group also discussed holding quarterly White Rock meetings as a lesson learned from the prior year and continuing to produce monthly summaries to increase engagement.