Felton Library Friends Meeting Notes
October 25, 2023, 3:30-5, Felton Library Community Room
Facilitator: Jenn Notetaker: Val
Attendees: Valerie Haff, Beth Ahlgren, Timothy Lydgate, Michele Mosher, Donna Ziel, Jennifer Mount (FLF). Jackie (Felton Librarian). Myra Weir, Kari Gunn (Boulder Creek)
Welcome and introductions.
Opening Question: About what percentage of your reading is fiction and nonfiction?
The Library World: Jackie
System Updates:
Yolande’s last day was 10/19. Eric Howard is now Interim Acting Director
Gregory Yeh’s last day was 10/19
Ana Maria Treadwell has been hired as the new Community Relations Specialist and will start 10/28.
Change in supervisors: Jesse Silva will be supervising the Bookmobile staff. David Addison will supervise Tel-Info staff
Aptos- A transformer was installed on 10/15 bringing electricity to the branch! The Library is now waiting for a certificate of occupancy from the County. We will provide a separate email to all staff when we reach this important milestone. An opening date has not been set yet, as we may run into extra slow downs with the holidays.
Live Oak Annex- A punch walk is scheduled for November 2nd. There is no opening date yet, and as a library collection is not included in this building, opening it will be easier and quicker than opening branches.
Downtown Building Project- It was determined that a support wall will need to be added. The consequence of this counterintuitively increases our office space.
Capitola - The Friends of the Capitola Library are paying for a solar roof, but the project doesn’t have a building manager yet.
Boulder Creek- will be getting a generator. No date for installation has been determined yet.
Garfield Park now has a Friends chapter
At Felton:
Programs
Our seed library kickoff program with Karla was a success and we would love to have her return. She has a wealth of knowledge to share with our community, and actually answered important questions for the library, as well. 19 attended.
Latin American Heritage Month “Special Preschool Storytime and Craft” was also a success with 38 people in attendance. Adults applauded at the end! We then made traditional paper flowers.
Breaking down the short Story with Doug Morris was also a success! 9, 8, and 6 people attended each individual date
15 folk attended our Santa Cruz Noir Panel
Food & Crime will have to be rescheduled. The author’s car broke down over the hill. And it was Friday the 13th!
The Teen Generative Poetry Workshop had a talented group of 4 teens contribute
The Public Teen Art workshop with Lea de Wit was a huge success! We had 13 teens contribute, gain community service hours for school, and we will hopefully see some of them return for ACT next month!
Mobile Health Clinic is going well
20 people attended our screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas for Matinee Movie Wednesday and got treated to popcorn as well as making their own pretzel candy creatures with California Film and Cultural Center
Make & Explore has continued to be a hit with both regulars and newcomers
Tomorrow, we will do our Spooktacular Storytime and craft
CreateAbility Hour’s time has been moved an hour earlier, starting at 11 so that Hope Services may bring their clients. It keeps growing! September we had 25 people join us
We look forward to the return of Soul Collage with Peggy Black on the 28th
First preschool storytime in November will be a Dia de los Muertos theme and craft
Doug Morris returns for a NaNoWriMo program for November 7th @4
The Community Ofrenda is already up and will be marketed from today until a week after Dia de los Muertos
Facilities
November 10th and 11th, the library will be closed for Veteran’s Day
Our new Teen Room tables have arrived! We are waiting for fill to return to unpack them together and put them in place
The Teen Art installation is up in the Teen Room and looking fantastic!
Follow up discussion:
:Perhaps connect with Doug Morris and Diane in the future for help in reaching out with high school teachers/students
FLF-funded Programs - Jackie to follow up internally to get the ball rolling on discussions around additional FLF-sponsored programs; funding
Next Youth Services Meeting - Discuss how big programs are planned; quarterly planning (ahead a quarter)
FSCPL Report
Santa Cruz Gives - run by Volunteer Center in Santa Cruz
Application by local non-profit organizations to provide community support
Friends of SCPL applied to help fund the Correctional Centers Program further and were accepted.
Cabrillo incarceration program - Jackie may be able to put Donna in touch with Jesse to coordinate efforts
FLF Reports
Park Team-written report Nancy
Improvements team--check out the first phase of lighting in Teen Room and teen art wall
Treasurer's report-3rd quarter.
[Michele has treasurer’s detailed report information]
CD: SCPL Friends can create a combined CD for all chapters. Discussed investing $60,000 of FLF’s funds for one year. Current CD returns are 5%.
Managed by SCPL Friends treasurer
Where will it be invested?
Who is responsible for tax implications/gains?
Transfer needs to happen by Dec. 1st
Motion approved in concept, with further information obtained from FSCPL Treasurer (highlighted questions above)
2024 Budget discussion
Operating at a deficit in 2024, which is good for spending donor money - group approval for this trend!
Our Community Reads would like us to donate some money
Offer Aptos Friends $300 toward the Our Community Reads program
Land Acknowledgment - Jackie to connect with Marilyn re: land acknowledgement
Backpack proposal update.Beth talked with Phil
Additions:
Monoculars vs. binoculars: easier for kids to use
In the backpacks are field notebooks that might not be appropriate for smaller hands. Possibly include a clipboard with paper instead?
Backpacks are pretty cheesy - need new backpacks; current packs are low quality and may not be sturdy enough for longer-term use
Currently 6 backpacks here at the Felton Library. Ideal to have 8 or 10.
Beth can reach out: Would local shops donate backpacks? Patagonia? REI? Will need to use the SCPL Friends non-profit ID.
Field Guides: coloring sheets with information
Margaret Ingram - Beth is working with Margaret on details
Can print out materials from Quail Hollow website
Would like things to be simple for kids
Ideally a coloring sheet the library can keep a master of and continue to reuse (e.g., kangaroo rat)
Damselflies, dragon flies, bees, lizards (animals specific to the park here)
Idea inspired by Scotts Valley Friends: Set of laminated cards with pictures of acorns, squirrels, etc. that kids can check off when they see them
Next steps: Beth and Margaret talk about how to produce the information they want to put together.
Our Community Reads: The Monk of Mokha by David Eggers Michele
Seeking Events Contributions from other branches
Possibly films that would fit with the book
Seeking support ($) from the chapters
SV & Capitola have each given $1,500
Money would go into the pot. If we host an event, funding can come from that pot.
Extra copies of the book will come to Felton
All-county program because they do a lot on Zoom
Offer Aptos Friends $300 toward the Our Community Reads program
Discussion with SV reps regarding shared programs Timothy
Takeaways:
Focus on adult programs at SV
Felton has a lot going on compared with other branches
23 community-led learning programs in Felton in 2023
Author Talks
In the future, ask authors whether they’d be interested in doing the same talk at BC or Felton in a few months
Share advertising
Include link to Felton newsletter in SV newsletter
SCPL - range of what is paid for adult programs = unknown
Children’s programs = up to $500 / event
Summer Reading Programs
Each chapter contributed $2,500 (SV and Felton)
Tom Noddy program - didn’t seem appropriate to young children
Ping Pong club
SV had a club one of their staff members oversaw, but he left and the volunteer left
We have SV’s old table and Phil will get paddles and balls from SV
We need a volunteer - Timothy & Marilyn are interested in helping
Room in the Community Room - ready!
Future club tournaments/gatherings
Ping Pong waiver - requires librarian oversight (i.e., in the room) for minors; Saturday scheduling is possible, but Jackie is required in other directions on those days
Cannot advertise to teens, but can let them participate if they show up
Advertisement must be for 18 and up
Can it fit under Community-Led Learning?
Should meet about Community-Led Learning on a broader level
Jackie’s programs require long proposals with adult/children program approval, then to marketing, etc. Having Community-Led Learning could be more streamlined
Timing: Aim to start in January
SCPL is changing the way official volunteers are onboarded
RCD Event
Call for 2 volunteers and funding for RCD Living on Rural Properties (see attached flier)
Resource Community Development (RCD)
Living on Rural Properties - has exceeded capacity for Community Room
11/6 at the Community Hall in Felton from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
We’ll contribute $150 for food
We’re co-sponsoring
Val and Timothy may be able to volunteer
Nancy has been the liaison with Angie from RCD
Publicity for programs:
Can SCPL filter by zip code?
Diane Cowan? Marketing?
Friends Donor List?
Brainstorming for how to become larger in our individual communities (beyond the newsletter)
Website
Personal stories still useful to share
Used for promotion to get more folks signed up for FLF newsletter
Park Dedication Event:
Heidi Harris met with Michele, Diane, Nancy to revisit the original idea for a park dedication
June 1st or 8th Diane to check with Library, Nancy with Parks
Family Event
Close parking lot
Food trucks
8–10 organizations already interested in doing tables
Music
Leadership Team. Jenn Mount needs to step down from FLF LT for now
Holiday meeting schedule
No meeting on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving
Meeting on 12/6 for a combined Nov/Dec meeting
Agenda building: OCR program and funds, movie theme ideas, park event; adult library event, connections with teens through the high school (Jackie, Doug Morris, Diane); updates on backpacks and land acknowledgement; FLF-funded programs for youth and adults; pingpong; movies for adults