Library Board Meeting Date: November 12, 2025
To: Library Board Members
From: Natalie Draper, Library Director
Title
2026 Library Board Priorities.
Body
Action Requested:
The Library Board discusses priorities for 2026.
Summary Report:
Accessibility, Safety, and Sustainability are the primary areas of focus for the library in 2026 so in addition to the strategic plan reports there will be periodic reports focused more specifically on projects we are undertaking to achieve these goals. In January the Board may discuss this work forming the basis for a new strategic plan for the library.
Projects:
• Have a plan in place to install hearing loop in Bunday Room, service desks
o Hearing loop is a technology that allows patrons with hearing loss to hear better than with simple amplification. City Hall utilizes this in Council Chambers.
• Drafting new policies
o meeting room use
o Accessibility
o Artificial Intelligence (mostly with respect to patron and personnel privacy, vendor policies, and best practices for review)
o Warming/cooling shelter activation (this would be a city-wide policy)
• Finalizing grant-funded project to replace shelving in children’s, expand teen space
• Ensuring WCAG 2.1 compliance for our website, online documents, and social media accounts (deadline is 4/2027)
• Continuing work on the site plans with landscape architects, city departments.
o Review current options attached
o Plans are coming along, proceeding to explore funding options. Possible Local Option Sales Tax campaign, other fundraising and grant-seeking
o The three priorities for the site plan are: Sustainable, Accessible, Safe.
• Achieving certification as a “sustainable library”. “The Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) provides library leaders with a proven path forward to co-create libraries and communities that will thrive in the coming years. The Sustainable Library Certification Program and the SLI community of practice focuses your leadership to enable your library, and ultimately your community, to become more environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically feasible.” <https://www.sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/>
o This is a national effort led by a library system in upstate New York. We could be the first in Minnesota to be certified.
o We will be looking for at least one board member to serve on a sustainability team with staff. I expect the time commitment to be minimal.
Proposed schedule of 2026 meetings:
All meetings are subject to change. This schedule will be more filled out in January.
Jan 14: Sustainability presentation, approve site plans
Feb 11: Data/strategic plan committee, typically library legislative visits happen in Feb
Mar 11: Approve annual report
Apr 8: Public Library Association conference, present annual report to Council
May 13:
Jun 10:
Jul 8:
Aug 12:
Sep 9:
Oct 14:
MONDAY Nov 9: The regular meeting had to be moved because of the Veterans Day closing.
Dec: Winter Walk
Special projects, trainings, or events may alter sub-committee schedule.
Description of standing committees:
*New* Sustainability
Short term commitment to work with staff
Data/Strategic Planning:
Responsible for reviewing annual report data before full board approval, presenting report to full board at March meeting; review and update strategic plan as needed
Advocacy:
Assists Library staff in preparing award nominations and seeking letters of support for grant applications; identifying opportunities to advocate for library; supporting Library at budget presentation; may also participate in Legislative Week meetings with state representatives
Policy:
Works with staff policy committee to identify polices in need of revision and reviews draft policies; with Director, presents drafts to full board for approval
Budget:
Review funds; support staff efforts to seek grant funding (as needed); discusses upcoming budgetary needs; reviews budget request to county, city; capital campaign (as needed)
Library Board members may serve on any subcommittees they wish. 2-3 Board members should serve on each subcommittee for it to be effective. No more than 3 voting members including voting youth member may serve on a subcommittee. Ex-officio board members (FFNPL representatives) and all youth members are welcome to participate in any sub-committee they wish. Library staff will set the agenda and be present for all sub-committee meetings.
• The full board meets in Council Chambers on odd months: January; March; May; July; September; November.
o This allows us to meet statutory requirement to approve the annual report in March for April deadline
• Standing and ad hoc subcommittees would meet as needed on even months in Library Bunday Room: February; April; June; August; October; December.
o Standing subcommittees are Policy Review; Strategic Plan; Advocacy; Finance
o Library staff and Director will be present at all subcommittee meetings
• Board members would remain available on odd months for participation in subcommittees with the goal of 2-3 board members serving on committees, including a voting youth member and as many non-voting youth members as are available.
o Subcommittee members may select a representative to report back on related agenda items at the following meeting of the full board.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
N/A