Felton Library Friends Meeting Notes
June 26, 3:30-5, Felton Library Community Room
Facilitator: Marilyn Notetaker: Val
Timothy, Michele, Nancy, Moana, Marilyn, Val, Sabine, Donna
Welcome and introductions.
Opening Question: What’s one thing you enjoyed about the Branch Out event?
The Library World
What’s happening in the system and at the Felton Branch? Phil and/orJackie
Tails to Tale - likely to start in September (third Tuesday of the month; 3 or 4 p.m.)
3 dogs; 1 hour with the three dogs at once (30-minute sessions)
Advance signup with staff
July 8th - new director Christopher Platt
New training coordinator started this week
Staff training, staff days, making sure people do training, custom curriculum once new staff are onboard
Libraries closed Thursday, July 4th
Links Plus – Soft launch started
Loaning system where a bunch of Calif. Libraries can share resources
Can view other libraries catalogs and request things
Not yet advertised
Not accessible from library yet
Losing two staff members
Laura becoming librarian at Boulder Creek
Tia is moving to Scotts Valley
They’ll stay with us until the transition happens
Will hire through transfers
AQI Device now in the building
Monitors air quality in the library
Felton library doesn’t have their own air filters (borrowed previously)
Fence around the generator
Taking over one of the charging stations for the cars
PSPS generator–only goes into action when there is a planned shutoff by PGE (doesn’t work when unplanned power outages happen!)
There is a plan for Felton to get their own generator. Right now, Boulder Creek Library is getting one first.
Jackie’s updates
Graphic novel workshop
Well attended with 14 people (teens!)
DJ Program
No one came!!
Dates were adjusted a couple of times, maybe that had something to do with it?
Taiko drumming
111 people in attendance!!!
Happy Birds Program
207 people!!!!!!
Lifestyle Medicine Book Club
23 people attended
Good recurring program–gaining more popularity
Parent support group
12-16 people per week
Great increase in attendance
Friday Tech Help
Jacki now taking over this temporarily
May not have two per week for a bit due to staff changes
*Programs may have some adjustments due to staff changes
Magdalena’s journal writing summer workshop coming up
Next month: Summer reading program 7/23 Zany Zoe
Jackie did Quail Hollow School outreach today–40+ programs
FLF Reports
Park report Nancy
Michele and Nancy met with Jesse, Parks Maintenance Supervisor
Map showing plantable areas (blue only)
Cannot use mitigation areas
County hired outside firm (Confluence) to maintain mitigation areas–they have a 5-year contract that is almost up
FLF has been weeding those areas and we are asked to continue to do so
Don’t plant anything in areas that are not blue
But, we can request plantings in mitigation areas
Nancy will bring newly laminated zone map to monthly garden work parties (No visible borders to distinguish the various areas unless we have the map)
Mitigation areas = 5-year process of monitoring/oversight.
Future Questions: What happens after the 5 years (coming up soon)? Who will monitor it? Will it be monitored?
Janice Cook (regular volunteer) = UCSC Master Gardener; Nancy also a master gardener–perhaps the requests for plantings can come through them when needed.
Will always need to be riparian/natives
CLL-Programs in 2023-24. Report on evaluation meeting. Ideas for fall Michele
Art, Natural Science, Local History = 3 primary subject areas for CLL
Jessica Goodman (adult services librarian for whole system), Jackie and Phil met with Michele and Nancy to talk about programs
19 CLL programs and 2 OCR programs proposed and led by FLF volunteers in 2023-24
Another meeting July 12 will take place to plan ahead and coordinate with overall library programs in conjunction with CLL
New policy in Fall - library and branch will meet with friends in the fall and plan ahead
Looking for volunteers to get involved in this FLF team–contact Michele if interested
Idea: Perhaps keep a master list of CLL volunteers and their contact info and reach out each year to see if they have new ideas/would like to host again
All CLL programs require FLF team attendee
Some CLL programs lead to recurring programs hosted by the library
Would help to continue advocating for another librarian in Felton to support Jackie
Idea: Invite people during the Wild Roots Community day to propose ideas/lead CLL programs
3-5 next week = ping pong :-)
Add “Ideas for Community Led Learning” to our monthly FLF agenda
Marilyn’s idea: Sing-along
Future Consideration: Perhaps removing the three primary subject areas to broaden offerings for CLL
FSCPL report Michele
Michele is the FLF representative FSCPL
New full time Executive Director: Sarah Beck (replacing Bruce, and Monica who was interim)
Hoping to hire for an administrative assistant
Friends asked to raise $2 million for downtown branch
Discussion
Wentzscope update. Nancy
Coming at end of July
Nancy and Bud met to discuss
We’re getting a 20x macroscope
15x might be better because you wouldn’t have to focus it, but you wouldn’t get the detailed view of some of the smaller things (e.g., pollen, sand)
Specimen pucks
Nancy is in the process of gathering materials
Documenting where they come from, how to order them
Volunteers for assembly–Nancy gathering people
Hand-made Pucks (3 inches wide, ¼ inch thick) = two abrasion-resistant acrylic disks with a vinyl circle to make it opaque, specimen placed on top, ring, cover, sealed
Bud has some pointers on it–could have him on FaceTime to help the group when we put them together
Should start with 6-12 (at least 12!)
Getting materials for as many as 24–make half of them and keep a list of
Mixing in cultural things with natural things is really interesting to people (e.g., stamps, coins, tiny painting)
Damian at Tunnel Tops offered to host us going up to check out their scope (even if it’s closed; open Wed. through Sun.)
Nancy to email all of the people interested and we’ll plan an assembly date. We can look for things to bring.
Nancy can send a Google Doc around to list ideas.
Ideas:
Unique sand specimens
Nancy to talk with Jackie to “ok” this plan, as this will be a library device.
Signage needed?
Where does the library want to store them?
How many doe they want to put out at a time?
Do they want to categorize them?
Branch Out! June 8 event
Budget report.
$1825–mostly for musicians
Ice cream = $150; they sold 124 ice cream sandwiches
Based on ice cream estimate, we guess about 300 attendees at the event
Unexpected expense ($253)–bent tent from Mountain Community Theater
What went well? What could have been improved?
Well:
Music!
When we reached out in January, all of these groups invited said they would come.
Water map
Lots of great things for kids to do/very engaging
Constant flow of people but not overcrowded
Challenges:
County parks showed up late (a little nerve-wracking)
Power needed to stage; difficulty with plug (staff needed to know in advance; more clarity in advance around assignments/crew)
Too many things for kids to do? Scattered? Not as many kids at the feature events (music; Jackie’s reading)
Perhaps have someone going around announcing what’s starting when it happens
Don’t have feature events start at the beginning of the overall event.
More people?
Perhaps increase volume on the music so it could be heard farther away
Perhaps have signage/balloons in downtown Felton letting people know the event is happening
Pull tents closer together?
Invitation from Downtown Felton to have a booth at pie contest in Aug. Nancy
Second annual pie contest August 10th from 10-2
Booths for local organizations
FLF will decline
Report on art in the library Timothy/Nancy
Timothy has joined Nancy and Janet in Art in the Library group
They call up artists and invite them to display.
3-month show for wall art and the display case
July 1st will have new art
Focusing on SLV area artists
Flume sign
Eric Howard (interim library director until 8th of July when new director, Christopher Platt comes on)uggested a sign out there to explain the historical connection.
Landscape architect wanted to have a connection to the flumes that used to be in this area
Lisa Robinson = SLV museum historical connection–wrote some info and we will continue to pursue a sign/bronze sign
Land acknowledgment sign
Has been sent to superintendent of parks
After this meeting, Nancy got an email saying that Parks is developing a policy for land acknowlegments
“Human Nest” : Parks may have other plans for the nest area in the park in the future, but Michele asked parks if we can put a “tree cookie” block building table there in the meantime for the kids
4:30 Purpose and structure of September meeting
Visioning
Have a facilitator? Nancy Sherrod could do this for us. Michele will ask her.
Increasing active membership
Invite a teen from the Advisory Council to join FLF LT?
Create a VP position?
Rotate officer positions (look at other chapters)
Next steps: Summer break from meeting in July. Next meeting: August 28.
Attachments: May meeting notes
New volunteer coordinator will come to our next meeting in August (Lammi; she used to work at the old Felton library location with Phil).
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