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Home My WebLink About2026-06-15 - Minutes -Fayetteville Fa Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 Public Library quest6.7000 uestions@faylib.org faylib.org Board of Trustees June 15, 2026 4 pm MINUTES Regular Meeting — Walker Room Trustees present: S. Overbey, S. Rodgers, A. Wilburn, C. Davis, B. Park, H. Bradberry, R. Qualls Staff: D. Johnson, W. Fitzgibbon, R. Wilburn, S. Palmer, H. Robideaux, G. Leding, K. Bailey, K. Von Rembow, S. Mitchell, K. Lehman, J. Akins, G. Allen, S. Brown, C. Henry, S. Raines, C. Dennis, J. Tuller, B. Eddins, C. Seller, B. Lee, S. Walker, N. Burgess, T. Ogle, S. Isbell, K. Dodge, C. Boland, A. Crabtree, S. Ruiz, L. McDonald, W. Harris, M. Quinn, S. Landers, E. Tollet, D. Houston, L. Park, S. Demoss, J. Harris, M. Hurley, R. Graves, A. Sherman, M. Ewing, E. Ellis, S. Ellis, J. Smith, R. Canales-Ochoa, A. Girkin, A. Workman, V. McMullen, D. Rudasill, S. Stough, A. Suedel, B. Worthey, A. Taylor Legal: P. Elmore, N. Ortiz Press: D. Curth, S. Ryburn Public: K. Tolman-Razo, B. Thompson, J. Porras, M. Scharfenberg, M. Harper, S. Watson, J. Ray, T. Murphy, H. Toth, N. Toth, A. Fondren, S. Crabtree, J. Hicks, D. Wagner, M. Friend, M. Day, D. Douglas, K. Jones, L. Murabito, G. Gilleran, M. Ivy, R. Young, K. Turk, C. Hitte, D. Thurstenson, A. Hollinshed, V. Gonzalez, K. Robins, T. Nelson, N. Hawkins, B. Taylor I. Call to Order: S. Overbey called the meeting to order at 4:OOpm. II. Roll Call III. Minutes - approve minutes from April 20, 2026: B. Park moved to approve the minutes. H. Bradberry seconded. All voted AYE. IV. Reports A. Key Upcoming Events: Wild for Wednesday, LGBTQ+ resource fair, Crystal Bridges Mobile Art Lab, Speed Friending, and Adaptive Sports Field Day. B. Mission Moment: LifeWorks helped staff identify five new values that support FPL's mission of public access and knowledge: welcoming & inclusive, service & care, trust & respect, collaboration, professionalism & positivity. C. Library Administration 1. Management Reports a. Performance Measures: Rising ebook costs have impacted the materials budget, despite massive patron demand. Use of the Teaching Kitchen fluctuates depending on availability due to the season, type of programs offered, etc. Fayetteville Public Library 401 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.856.7000 questions@faylib org faylib.org b. Strategic Plan progress: Staff continue to connect to the community across various departments. 2. Financial reports: Fund 10 is tracking as expected. Spending and reported revenue is below budget, while property tax revenue continues to perform above budget. The City reduced planned technology funding by $100,000. This will not impact current operations, however the funding loss will be considered in future planning. 3. Informational a. SRC Kickoff: S. Mitchell discussed the SRC Kickoff on May 30th. 545 people registered for summer reading and 3,069 people attended the event, supported by 120 staff and volunteers. Community partners included Raising Canes, Arkansas LEGO User Group, Fayetteville Fire Department, Girl Scouts, Amazeum, Crystal Bridges, UA Department of Biology. b. Legislation updates: On June 11th, FPL's attorneys reported to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments. The state argued that the libraries did not have the standing to sue, as there was no harm from Act 372; library attorneys countered by citing the Crawford County Library and the possibility of incarceration. Staff hope the final opinion of the Court will support Judge Brooks' original decision. c. Strategic project updates: Staff information sessions were held in early May to outline the process and clarify staff roles. Four community focus groups were held, along with several online meetings. Community cafes will take place across the month of June. Staff focus groups and staff surveys representing frontline occupations will take place in July. d. State aid for public libraries requirements: In order to continue receiving $167,000 in state aid, the following must be submitted: annual budgets, audits, minutes of BOT meetings, strategic plan updates, past and present state aid reports, and mandatory training for library board members. Additionally, a recommended 10.39% funding cut was suggested to extend state aid to 20 small libraries. The state's total library budget is $5.6 million. e. Al Committee updates: Staff are drafting a policy for the internal use of Al and are discussing how to educate the community about Al and its impact on society. f. 2026 Blair Distinguished Author: Author P. Everett will speak on September 15 at 7pm. K. Kellams will moderate the discussion, with a book signing afterward. It is free to attend but will be ticketed to manage audience size. V Fayetteville Public Library 401 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.856.7000 questions@faylib.org faylib.org g. Welcome Desk update: Estus Cabinets are working on the new face of the Welcome Desk. A door has been added behind the security gate for staff access and safety. h. CFI offices update: A storage room on level 200 has been emptied. Next month, a contractor will divide the space for a manager's office. i. Bee updates: There are three hives and one super hive. One of these is an observation hive. E. Levi maintains them with the help of staff. The smoker is fully chemical and plant -based. j. Budget timeline update: A 2027 budget kickoff with Managers and Directors will take place in late July. Accounting will meet with the Finance Committee in the fall and hope to introduce the finished budget in December. k. LifeWorks update: LifeWorks will assist in encouraging new values and engagement through additional training such as leadership classes. I. HCM software: FPL's current payroll and timekeeping software, ADP, has given FPL difficulties with payroll flexibility. An RFP was issued to replace the software for the library. m. Policy changes: Code of Conduct changes include specific guidelines around unattended minors at closing and expanded policy on bags and personal items. The rules regarding weapons are aligned with state code. R. Qualls moved to approve the adjustments to the policy as presented. B. Park seconded the motion. All voted AYE. n. HR Report: There are 5 new employees in various departments: IT, Youth Services, CFI, and Facilities. D. Media Update: Website engagement crossed 50% for the first time. Followers have increased on nearly every social media platform. Over 1,500 people have responded to the survey. Staff clarified that Swarm Aero booked the library for an event that was open to the public; FPL was simply the location for it. E. Fayetteville Public Library Foundation monthly report: A give -back night at Sidecar raised almost a thousand dollars. The Foundation tabled at SRC and gave out coffee and promoted Reading of the Greens. F. Friends of the Fayetteville Public Library: R. Wilburn spoke at the last meeting. $5,000 was donated to the Foundation on Library Giving Day. Two members have attended Friends of the Library state training. New business A. Discussion items Report from the Nominating Committee: S. Rodgers, President; C. Davis, Vice -President; A. Wilbourn, Treasurer; H. Bradberry, Secretary. B. Park Fayetteville Public Library 401 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.856.7000 questions@)faylib.org faylib.org moved to approve this nomination series. C. Davis seconded the motion. All voted AYE. 2. Budget adjustment for grants: The library recently received funds from three grants: a federal grant for True Lit, a Schmieding Foundation grant for SRC, and a Walmart Foundation grant for Books and Bites. S. Rodgers motioned to approve as presented. R. Qualls seconded the motion. All voted AYE. 3. Budget adjustment for HVAC: The HVAC affecting the CFI and Youth Services has been in disrepair since December. FPL wants to move forward with original subtractors Harrison Energy Parters to get it fixed. The cost would be pulled from the Facilities Reserve Fund. B. Park moved to approve the budget adjustment. H. Bradberry seconded the motion. All voted AYE. VI. Public Comment: Public comment was given. Adjournment: R. Qualls motioned to adjourn. B. Park seconded the motion. All voted AYE. The meeting adjourned at 6:00pm. Stan Rc d ,ens, Pres*nt Date