The Los Alamos Library Board spent much of its meeting reviewing a draft library work plan for the coming year, discussing priorities, outreach and how best to present the plan to the county council.

Board members and staff agreed to highlight a small number of high-impact items for a concise presentation to council, with the outdoor classroom identified as the top project for the year. Other items singled out for prominence included the seed library, the Library of Things collaboration and continued efforts to make meetings accessible, including hybrid meeting options at the White Rock branch.

Why it matters: The work plan frames the board’s priorities, guides outreach and can be used to request funding or council support during the county budget process. Board members emphasized clarity and brevity for a council-facing presentation, and recommended adding specific examples or metrics where appropriate.

Key points and requests

- Public engagement and outreach: Board members recommended continued monthly summaries and suggested using the library website and social channels to send readers to deeper materials. Staff will post the meeting recording and publish comment panels and surveys about the outdoor classroom.
- Projects to highlight: The board agreed to front-load newer collaborative efforts (seed library, Library of Things, outdoor classroom) in the 1.1 activities section and to retain other recurring initiatives in the plan’s later sections.
- Accessibility and hybrid meetings: Board members described hybrid meetings at White Rock as an accessibility improvement and recommended highlighting that as an accomplishment/ongoing activity.
- Policy updates and alignment: Staff reported that library system policy revisions (aimed at clarifying language and improving accessibility) will be presented to council on Jan. 20; board members asked that the work-plan accomplishments include brief explanations of the policy outcomes.

Operational and program details discussed

- Attendance and circulation: Staff reported December circulation numbers — 21,061 in-print items and 8,901 digital items (digital circulation ~30% of total) — and program attendance figures for New Year’s Eve events: about 200 attendees at the Mesa location and about 75 at White Rock.
- Staffing: Library staff reported being short approximately 1.75 full-time equivalent positions, including one library associate vacancy at White Rock; recruitment was underway.
- Meetings schedule: The board confirmed a preference for 10 meetings per year with quarterly sessions in White Rock to maintain outreach balance.

Quotations

Gwen (library staff member) framed the board’s role: "This work plan is your opportunity to get in front of council and say this is what we do." A board member suggested, "front load the newer activities" so council sees the library’s most significant new collaborations first.

Decisions and next steps

Board members asked staff to incorporate the meeting feedback into a revised draft and to circulate it to the vice chair for iteration before the February meeting, when the board intends to vote on the final work plan. Staff will also ensure the meeting recording and materials are available online for public review.

Ending

The board will finalize the work plan in February after small edits and additional input from the vice chair and other members. Staff will also continue scheduled outreach and post meeting summaries and project materials for public comment.