HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-26 - Library Board of Trustees - Agendas & Packet MaterialsA. Call meeting to order - 4:00 p.m.
B. Changes to the Agenda
C. Public Comments on Non-agenda Items Falling within the Purview and Jurisdiction of the Board
D. Approval of Minutes
D.1 Approval of last months board minutes (Gregory)
E. FYI/Discussion
F. Reports
F.1 Director & Staff Reports / Correspondence (Gregory/Department Heads)
THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
LBT AGENDA
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Bozeman Public Library is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting:
Topic: Library Board of Trustees Meeting
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the time for individuals to comment on non-agenda matters falling within the purview of the
Committee. There will also be an opportunity in conjunction with each action item for comments
pertaining to that item. Please state your name, and state whether you are a resident of the city
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comments to three minutes. Please limit your comments to three minutes.
Approve
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F.2 Friends & Foundation Report(Johnson)
F.3 Commission Liaison Update(Madgic)
G. Adjournment
For more information please contact Susan Gregory, sgregory@bozeman.net
This board generally meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Committee meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability and require
assistance, please contact our ADA Coordinator, David Arnado, at 406.582.3232.
In order for this Board to receive all relevant public comment in time for this meeting, please submit via
the Public Comment Page or by emailing comments@bozeman.net no later than 12:00 PM on the day
of the meeting. Public comment may be made in person at the meeting as well.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Library Board of Trustees
FROM:Bozeman Public Library
SUBJECT:Approval of last months board minutes
MEETING DATE:May 20, 2026
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Minutes
RECOMMENDATION:Approve
STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver
information to the community and our partners.
BACKGROUND:Written record of key details discussed during the meeting, which includes
actions taken and next steps. Minutes are the formal document that
captures the date, time, attendees, agenda items, and any motions and
actions taken.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None
ALTERNATIVES:N/A
FISCAL EFFECTS:None
Attachments:
BPL Board Minutes, March 2026.pdf
Report compiled on: March 19, 2025
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Bozeman Public Library
Library Board of Trustees
March 18, 2026
Minutes
Attendance: Library Board Chair Ken Spencer, Trustees Mike Long, Stew Mohr, Pam Henley
(via zoom) and Mike Redburn; Bozeman Public Library (BPL) Director Susan Gregory;
Assistant Director Becky Kasten; Administrative Assistant Lauranna Cossins; Department Heads
Carmen Clark, Ellie Newell, Ben Nielsen, and Sarah Widger; Library Friends & Foundation
Director Janay Johnson, City Commission Liaison Deputy Mayor Doug Fischer
Call to Order: Meeting was called to order by Board Chair Ken Spencer at 4:02 pm.
Public Comment- Introduction of Special Guests- Adriana Guerra from Timor-Leste & Amanda
See from Singapore are both here as Fellows in the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative,
sponsored by the US Department of State. They are here with the Montana cohort of YSEALI,
which is overseen by the University of Montana. Thirty-six young Fellows of YSEALI are
working in communities all over the state. Adriana and Amanda are here for four weeks to learn
about civic engagement efforts by the BPL Friends & Foundation and the Library. They both
work in nonprofits in their own respective countries and are hoping to learn more about the
programs and outreach that the Bozeman Public Library provides, and successful fundraising
practices for nonprofits from the Foundation.
Approval of the Minutes
Action: Trustee Long moved to approve the minutes from the February 18, 2026, Library Board
meeting as submitted. Trustee Redburn seconded. There was no further discussion. The Board
voted unanimously to approve the minutes as submitted.
Action Items
Library Children’s Room Renovation MOU between the City & Library Foundation
Action: Trustee Mohr moved to authorize Library Board Chair Spencer to sign the Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Bozeman and the Bozeman Public Library Friends
and Foundation for the Children's Room renovation project, as submitted. Trustee Henley
seconded. Discussion and clarification took place; this is basically a document spelling out who's
responsible for what in terms of the Children's renovation project. There was no further
discussion. The Board voted unanimously to approve as presented.
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Reports
Correspondence Highlights were presented by Director Gregory:
We received an anonymous check for $3000 in unrestricted funds to apply to the area of greatest
need in the organization. The donor wants to be anonymous but wanted to recognize the
“excellence of the Library.”
“Provide Hot Cheetos!”
“This is the Best library ever- grateful”
“The used book sale is too disruptive to the regular operations in the library- can it be
somewhere else/smaller?”
“Please Sell Bozeman Library hoodies /sweaters! I do campaign work across US & this is one of
my favorite libraries. Thank you guys! I want to buy one.”
“When I place an item on hold, I would like a way to see how many “Holds” are ahead of me.”
“This is more of a suggestion rather than a question. I was hoping that more counter space would
be added to the checkout kiosks. I take my children to the library regularly and we have a large
selection of books we like to check out. Since the renovation, we have had a hard time checking
out our books without them falling on the ground and not having a place to put them. With the
old checkouts, we had plenty of space to do so. Hoping counter space is added to alleviate this.”
Director’s Report- Director Gregory provided her report to the Library Board prior to the
meeting.
Gregory stated she met with Bozeman Police Chief Jim Veltkamp and City Manager Chuck
Winn, and all agreed they will continue to work to try to figure out how to increase the presence
of the Bozeman Police Department security support officers here at the Library.
Gregory presented the Library’s Budget requests to City Manager Winn & the Finance Director
Hodnett for FY27-FY28 years in the City’s annual departmental Budget meetings.
Gregory attended the Broad Valleys Federation Spring Meeting in Butte with Assistant Director
Kasten and Library Board Trustee Mohr. Gregory is the Broad Valleys Coordinator until the end
of June. Mohr is the Chair of the Broad Valleys Federation group, which focuses on library board
trustee participation from the 21 member libraries. The Broad Valleys Federation is one of the
six library federations that encompass Montana. Attendees had training with staff from the
Montana Nonprofit Association and the Montana Local Government office, which is based in
Bozeman at Montana State University.
Department Reports – These were provided in the Board packet prior to the meeting.
Highlights were shared by the four Department Heads (DH).
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DH Clark- shared highlights from the Ultimate Book Nerd program, which asks patrons to read
50 books in 52 weeks from 50 categories. Clark and Library staff have already given out 350
logs for readers to record books they’ve read. The Collection Management staff have purchased
several new Vox books in world languages for the Children’s collection, with the support of the
Friends & Foundation.
DH Newell- stated that Youth Services staff are “deep in the weeds” planning for the Summer
Learning Program, which is the big 9-week push in the summer to prevent the summer slide in
children’s reading skills. Newell and her staff are working with Library administration and the
architects in beginning the actual design work for the Children 's Room renovation, which is an
8-week design process. Newell invited everyone to join Youth Services staff on March 29th to
welcome Rosemary Wells, the well-known children 's book author, to the Bozeman Public
Library. Wells is the author of the beloved Max and Ruby series and 150 other children’s books.
DH Widger- advised the Board that the City of Bozeman has a newly adopted City-wide
volunteer policy. The Library Board had previously approved and instituted an adult volunteer
policy for the library. Widger asked the Board to formally archive that policy so we can follow
the City HR and Legal departments in utilizing the newly adopted City-wide volunteer policy.
Action: Trustee Mohr moved that the Board approve the archiving of our current Library
volunteer policy in lieu of the City volunteer policy. Trustee Long seconded. The Board voted
unanimously to archive the old policy and the motion passed.
DH Nielsen- advised that the “Anne Frank” traveling exhibit is ongoing in the Library lobby
through the end of the month. The exhibit from the University of South Carolina is drawing
huge crowds.
Friends & Foundation Report – Director Johnson stated that the Friends & Foundation had a
used book sale a couple of weekends ago that was very successful. It made around $18,000,
which is a big number. They are starting to meet with landscape contractors about building the
outdoor music garden, hopefully this summer. Johnson and one of her Friends & Foundation
Board members will attend the international Public Library Fundraising conference. She will be
attending along with Marilyn from their Board and the two of them will present a session on how
to successfully merge Friends and Foundation groups.
Commission Liaison Update – Deputy Mayor Fischer shared that the City Commission passed
its priorities for the next 2 years. There are four top priorities to advance Bozeman. The goals are
to make Bozeman a safe and welcoming community, engage meaningfully with the community,
bridge the affordability gap and protect our neighborhoods’ heritage and character.
The meeting was adjourned by Board Chair Spencer at 5:00pm
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Library Board of Trustees
FROM:Bozeman Public Library
SUBJECT:Director & Staff Reports / Correspondence
MEETING DATE:May 20, 2026
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Plan/Report/Study
RECOMMENDATION:Updates & Review
STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver
information to the community and our partners.
BACKGROUND:Departmental news & monthly highlights
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:N/A
ALTERNATIVES:N/A
FISCAL EFFECTS:N/A
Attachments:
May 2026 - Stats Report.pdf
Adult Services & Outreach Board Report.pdf
Collection Management Board report.pdf
Mobile Services Board Report .pdf
Public Services Board report .pdf
Youth Services May report.pdf
Report compiled on: May 13, 2026
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Chart notes: FY20 & FY21 show the impact of the COVID-19 library closure. The decrease in FY23 can be attributed to the library’s renovation and a portion of
the library’s collections going into storage.
May 2026 - Statistics for Library Volunteers since FY13
Charts showing the total number of volunteer hours that we have record of since the 2013 fiscal year, and the average number of adult volunteers since that
same year. These hours average 2.5 FTE per year. FY26 YTD is through March 2026.
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APO Department Report
March - May 2026
Program Highlights
Outreach Highlights
Other Updates
• We had a great response to the Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibit
in March. Thousands of people visited the exhibit and feedback was
overwhelmingly positive. We continue to receive comments from
patrons expressing appreciation. (Ben)
• David conducted many retraining sessions on the new xTool laser cutter
for patrons who were certified on the old machine. Patrons were very
excited to be able to use a laser cutter again and happy that this
machine has more capabilities. David is now beginning intro classes for
new users to learn the laser cutter.
• Vienne Bakery (a Library neighbor) came to the Kitchen Table to show
a full house how French pastries are created. (Emily)
• Due to the plumbing problem on April 9 the Authors and Books
program with Russell Rowland and Allen Morris Jones had to be
canceled. We are excited that this is now rescheduled for our summer
season. (Liz and Becky)
• Our longtime partnership with League of Women Voters continued with
a Meet the Candidates session for the school board elections. (Ben)
• Emily served as a judge for National History Day contest at Montana State University.
• Megan designed new bumper stickers for outreach swag this year, allowing Library supporters to
proudly display their love for the Library.
• Ben and Sonja (BLFF) hosted an outreach booth at Give Big Fest and were able to talk to over 100
people about the upcoming renovation and other Library activities.
• David has been hard at work creating new training resources for the new laser cutter, including
filming all new training videos.
• Emily and Ben attended the Montana Library Association conference in Great Falls and presented
about food programming in the Library. The presentation included Emily doing a full cooking
demonstration in the conference room to showcase the flexibility of food programs.
• Our Memory Café volunteer Suzanne also presented at MLA on how to hold a Memory Café.
• Ben also attended the Pacific Northwest Library Association conference in Portland to present about
makerspaces and creativity in libraries.
Patrons go through the Anne Frank exhibit.
The making of a French Pastry
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Statistics Highlight:
HOOPLA:
Borrow and enjoy audiobooks, eBooks, comics, movies, TV, magazines, or
music everywhere you have a screen-your computer, your phone, your car,
even your TV. All you need is a library card. hoopla syncs across all your
devices, so you can stream titles immediately or whenever you're in the
mood. Most titles can also be downloaded to your phone or tablet. hoopla
offers more content, in more places, than any other digital library platform
and it's all FREE thanks to your public library! Titles may vary based on library
catalog.
Hoopla has been a very popular service for our patrons.
We increased our monthly spending limit in November 2025 and you can
see the difference it made for our patrons. We increased checkouts by 24.2%
over the previous 12 months.
We have also put a marketing spotlight on the Bonus Borrows Hoopla offers
during the last week of every month. Bonus Borrows are extra checkouts for
our patrons who might have already used their monthly allotment. They are
also free for the library, so it is a win-win situation. We increased our Bonus
Borrows checkouts by 65.1% over the previous 12 months.
prepared by:
Carmen Clark (Department Head Collection Management)
COLLECTION
MANAGEMENT
REPORT
MAY 2026
10
Month of
Circulation Instant Bonus Borrows Grand Total
May 2025
June 2025
July 2025
August 2025
September 2025
October 2025
November 2025
December 2025
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
Grand Total 27,358
2,910
3,107
2,451
2,932
2,653
2,435
1,917
1,786
1,821
1,718
1,876
1,752
1,357
181
133
126
51
202
132
110
56
114
70
68
114
26,001
2,729
2,974
2,325
2,881
2,451
2,303
1,807
1,730
1,707
1,648
1,808
1,638
Circulations
Bonus Borrows
Instant
2025 2026
May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Circulations2,435
2,653
1,876 1,7861,752 1,718 1,821 1,917
2,932 2,910
3,107
2,451
Updated: May 8, 2026 at 3:53 AM US/Mountain
Total Circulations
27,358
▲24.2% vs. Prev. 12 Months (22,031)
11,517
Unique Titles
Bonus Borrows
1,357
▲65.1% vs. Prev. 12 Months (822)
$2,491
Library Value
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Mobile Services Report
March/April 2026 Summary
Stop data:
Total Stops: March 42 April 49 Total 91
Total Service Hours: March 40 April 44.75
Total 84.75
Total Patrons: March 753 April 696 Total 1449
Programming Data*:
Total Programs: March 33 Outreach Storytimes
April 39 Outreach Storytimes +1 tabling event at
Earth Day Festival
Total Program Attendees: 1169 Birth-5, 0
Elementary Age Children, 0 Teens, 103 Adults.
Total: 696
*Some Data will overlap with Youth Services Report
Bookmobile Update:
On March 17th, when Kiersten attempted to take her CDL Road test, we were informed that because the bookmobile
was built on a bus chassis and had at least one passenger seat, that it required a passenger endorsement to legally drive.
After consulting with several other city departments, we were unable to get an exemption for this requirement from the
Montana Department of Transportation, and we were forced to pull the bus off the road until we were able to obtain
Passenger Endorsements. While the bus was off the road, the Parks and Rec department graciously loaned us one of
their 15-passenger vans so that we would have additional cargo space to hold a larger browsing collection during this
interim period. Sam Pilch, library custodian, also was able to assist with the testing process by providing licensed driver
supervision to transport the bus to and from the testing site prior while Kiersten and Benjamin both had Permits for the
Passenger Endorsement. We ultimately spent seven weeks operating Mobile Services out of the van before Benjamin
was able to complete the necessary steps to add a Passenger Endorsement to his CDL. Mobile Services able to return
the bookmobile to operation on Tuesday, May 12th. Kiersten will be able to test again to obtain her CDL later in May,
which will bring Mobile Services back up to full operational capacity for the first time since the previous Mobile Services
Assistant left in July of last year.
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Back of 15-passenger van. Kiersten with van and crates at Elk Grove
We had a maximum of 15 crates with us at certain stops
Students browsing through crates brought inside Student browsing at Pass Creek School
at Cottonwood School
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May 2026
Public Services Department Board Report
Prepared by Sarah Widger, Department Head
swidger@bozeman.net, 406-582-2403 (desk), 406-579-9271 (cell)
Hiring Update
Two open 15-hour positions were filled. Evey Krushensky and Sam Dale-Gau joined the Public Services Team
on April 27, 2026. They bring the Public Services Team back to being fully staffed!
Found in the Hub:
Patron compliment showing a mushroom and five stars that says “I love this place!”. We keep it
on the barcode scanner as a daily dose of good energy!
Autumn showing off her brick tower using every brick from the March 2026 Teen Corner Activity:
Visits from School Groups
Ellie Newell showed a kindergarten classroom around
the back workroom and introduced them to the
Automated Materials Handler (AMH). Each child got
to send an item through the sorter to watch the
process. A big hit with kids and adults, alike!
Volunteer Updates
Kate Adams hosted a drop-in volunteer
appreciation event on April 20, 2026.
Charcuterie, fruit, and bubbly waters were
served and there was time for anyone who
joined to chat amongst themselves, something
that volunteers regularly request. We’re so
grateful to our more than 70 regular
volunteers, and to the Bozeman Library Friends
& Foundation who fund the volunteer appreciation events we host twice per year.
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Renovation UpdatesThe architecturaldesigns are nearingcompletion as MSRworks with Martel toprice the differentvariables.The community gaveBIG and the BLFFraised over $133ktowards the project injust 24 hours! I amcompletely blown overby our community’slove of children andtrust in us to buildsomething fabulouswith their donations.Becky and I areenroute to Minneapolisfor the “sit test” to tryout all the furnitureand finish options.
HERE COMES FUN!
YOUTH SERVICES
B O Z E M AN P U B L I C LI B R A R Y
M A Y 20 2 6
Renovation plans firm up; joyful Summer Learning coming soon!
(Left) Two babies explore new gross motor toys purchased with BLFF summer funds. (Right) Kiddosenthusiastically nail wooden shapes cut with BPL’s laser cutter into stumps learning how to safely usereal construction tools. Kids feel trusted and respected when when we invite them to engage in playwork.
Welcome Summer Staff:Matt, Grace, & Elli!Summer Learning’sexhuberance couldn’thappen without theinfusion of 80 hours/weekof staff time to the YouthServices Team. We havetwo new and one returningteam members to helpserve the influx of kids,teens, and their familiesthat we anticipate thissummer.Thank youMadison in HR, Ben N., andBecky who did much ofthe hiring heavy liftingwhile I was out sick earlierthis spring.
Summer Library ScoutsThis year patrons of allages can create their ownSummer Adventure Logsfull of inspiration forreading, exploring science,art, and nature, and usingtheir public library. Aftercompleting challenges ineach category, patronscan visit the Library orBookmobile to pick upembroidered library scoutpatches.
We hope that the all-agesinvitation to play willencourage much learningand fun all summer long.
-Ellie Newell, YouthServices Dept HeadLibrary scoutpatchesdesigned byBen N.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Library Board of Trustees
FROM:Bozeman Public Library Friends & Foundation
SUBJECT:Friends & Foundation Report
MEETING DATE:May 20, 2026
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Plan/Report/Study
RECOMMENDATION:Discussion/Highlights
STRATEGIC PLAN:7.3 Best Practices, Creativity & Foresight: Utilize best practices, innovative
approaches, and constantly anticipate new directions and changes relevant
to the governance of the City. Be also adaptable and flexible with an
outward focus on the customer and an external understanding of the issues
as others may see them.
BACKGROUND:Standing item on the Library Board of Trustees agenda - Friends &
Foundation provides an update of pertinent information for the Library.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None
ALTERNATIVES:None
FISCAL EFFECTS:None
Report compiled on: January 14, 2026
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Library Board of Trustees
FROM:City of Bozeman
SUBJECT:Commission Liaison Update
MEETING DATE:May 20, 2026
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Plan/Report/Study
RECOMMENDATION:Discussion-City of Bozeman Commission Updates
STRATEGIC PLAN:7.3 Best Practices, Creativity & Foresight: Utilize best practices, innovative
approaches, and constantly anticipate new directions and changes relevant
to the governance of the City. Be also adaptable and flexible with an
outward focus on the customer and an external understanding of the issues
as others may see them.
BACKGROUND:Standing item on the Library Board of Trustees agenda - City Commissioner
Liaison provides an update of pertinent information for the Library.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None
ALTERNATIVES:None
FISCAL EFFECTS:None
Report compiled on: April 9, 2025
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