ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY BOARD
343 S. FIFTH AVENUE, ANN ARBOR, MI
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021
21-192 I. CALL TO ORDER
Jim Leija, President
President Leija called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
21-193 II. ATTENDANCE
Board Present: Dharma Akmon, Molly Kleinman, Jim Leija, S. Kerene Moore, Onna Solomon
Board Absent: Scott Trudeau, Jamie Vander Broek
Staff: Josie Parker, Eli Neiburger
21-194 III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
(Item of action)
Roll call vote
Vice President Moore, supported by Treasurer Akmon, moved to approve the agenda.
Secretary Solomon, supported by Vice President Moore, moved to amend the agenda to add under New Business discussion of the City of Ann Arbor Unarmed Response Proposal.
A roll call vote was taken on the amendment.
AYES: Akmon, Kleinman, Leija, Moore, Solomon
NAYS: None
Motion passed 5-0.
A roll call vote was taken on the amended motion.
AYES: Akmon, Kleinman, Leija, Moore, Solomon
NAYS: None
Motion passed 5-0.
21-195 IV. CONSENT AGENDA
(Item of action)
Roll call vote
CA-1 Approval of Minutes of October 25, 2021 and November 1, 2021
CA-2 Approval of October 2021 Disbursements
Trustee Kleinman, supported by Treasurer Akmon, moved to approve the consent agenda.
A roll call vote was taken.
AYES: Akmon, Kleinman, Leija, Moore, Solomon
NAYS: None
Motion passed 5-0.
21-196 V. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS
There were no citizens’ comments.
21-197 VI. FINANCIAL REPORTS
Josie B. Parker, Director
Director Parker reported the check register was included in the consent agenda. She noted that the drop in the Fund Balance is attributed to the payment for the Parkland Plaza property and the movement of funds to the Capital Fund.
Total cash receipts through October equal $17,910,846 with expenditures of $5,913,097. Actual cash receipts are at 97.90% of the budget and actual cash expended is at 32.32% of the budget.
Director Parker noted that on the General Fund Statement of Revenue and Expenditures Interest Income shows a deficit of $34,292. This reflects unrealized losses from investment assets that have decreased in value but which have not been sold. This loss may be recovered in the future. The Finance Committee meets annually with representatives from both banking institutions where our investments funds are held.
21-198 VII. COMMITTEE REPORTS
21-199 A. LIBRARY DIRECTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE
Jim Leija, Chair
President Leija reported the committee met on November 15th with Jim Greene, AADL legal counsel and Karen Miller and Brian Hare, Bradbury Miller. While reviewing the proposed timeline from Bradbury Miller, it was determined that the Search Committee can review and interview semi-final candidates, presenting recommendations to the Board for full public interviews of finalists. Board members at any time may add or subtract candidates for consideration.
The Search Committee will complete an initial resume review with Bradbury Miller in February and then conduct a series of semi-final interviews with the intent of bringing a group of three finalists to the Board for consideration.
21-200 VIII. DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Josie B. Parker, Director
Director Parker reported that AADL Library Technician Heidi Morse was recently published in the latest edition of Journal of Digital Media Management. Her paper examined crowdsourcing metadata at the public library using the archives, the African American Cultural Historical Museum and the AADL summer game as examples of methods to compile this data. Congratulations were extended to Heidi.
A CNN video crew visited the Downtown Library last week to do a story on our tools collection, specifically focused on our musical instruments. Collections Manager, Sara Wedell was interviewed. This interview will be part of CNN’s new streaming platform CNN+ and will feature unusual collections of various libraries in 2022. Collections and Tools staff was thanked for all their work.
James Barbatano, a 2019 Fifth Avenue Press author and his family were recently featured on a Fox 2 news segment with a group of storytellers with autism that work with animation to tell their stories.
Watch for a new exhibition coming in December in the lower level of the Downtown Library featuring Zines in the 1980’s and
1990’s. This exhibit was created by the editor of Fact Sheet 5, one of the most influential guides to zines and with the assistance of AADL Library Technician Christopher Becker.
From December 1st through January 31st AADL will be posting a call for artists for inclusion on the Lobbytorium gallery screen. We will be reaching out to community partners and others to try and reach as many underrepresented artists as possible.
Tiny Expo will be held this year online. Online shops will be highlighted on AADL social media sites over the next several weeks.
Several patron social media comments were viewed.
In January public boards will be required to meet in person going forward. AADL will plan on meeting on the 4th floor in the newly renovated space. We will continue to stream our meetings and also continue with the various ways for the public to comment.
21-201 IX. OLD BUSINESS
21-162 A. DISCUSSION OF LIBRARY DIRECTOR SEARCH
Jim Leija, Chair
(Item of discussion)
President Leija led the Board discussion on the draft job announcement received from Bradbury Miller. A posting date of December 1st is the goal.
Feedback from Board members included:
- Adding wording “through open and equal access to cultural, intellectual, recreational and information resources”.
- Qualification request to included engagement with governmental boards. Board engagement and Board relationship is an important facet of this position.
- More deliberate language emphasizing that the position is the public face spokesperson of the Library.
- Adding that relocation costs may be provided into the description will be run by the consultants.
- The description of the Ann Arbor area should be fine-tuned.
- The description of the Library feels incomplete. The Library has a full range of possibilities existing within our services and programs which are not highlighted.
- Budgeting and financial management should be highlighted and expanded on earlier in the description. Also to be included is that we have bargaining units.
- It should be clarified that DEI is already in place and the position will be overseeing that initiative.
- The Library has a perpetual millage which should be listed along with that a number of townships are part of the system and engagement with them is important.
President Leija noted the Search Committee will look at revising the description and provide feedback to Bradbury Miller.
21-202 X. NEW BUSINESS
21-203 A. RESOLUTION ADOPTING POLICY 8.24 COVID-19 VACCINATION AND TESTING
(Item of discussion and action)
Roll call vote
Director Parker reviewed Policy 8.24 COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing. The emergency temporary standard that requires such a policy is currently in litigation. OSHA has suspended action on this standard but has not withdrawn it. If the current litigation upholds the standard the Library will be bound by the standard to the date of its effectiveness according to its original origination. Administration worked with our labor units to provide an acceptable agreement for the change in the workplace rules. This policy will not take effect until the ruling is in effect.
Vice President Moore, supported by Trustee Kleinman, moved whereas, effective November 5, 2021, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an emergency temporary standard requiring private employers with 100 or more employees to require COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing and masking for their unvaccinated employees by December 5, 2021 and; whereas, the State of Michigan has adopted a unique state plan like 21 other states, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has 30 days from the effective date to implement the standard and; whereas, MIOSHA is required to be at least as stringent as the Federal OSHA standard, it is anticipated they will adopt the identical rules and requirements contained within the federal OSHA ETS and it will include government employers;
Now, therefore, be it resolved:
That if the OSHA and/or MIOSHA ruling becomes effective and legally binding upon the AADL, this policy will be the directive of the AADL.
That the Board adopts the proposed Policy 8.24 COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing.
That all resolutions and parts of resolutions that conflict with the provisions of this resolution are rescinded.
A roll call vote was taken.
AYES: Akmon, Kleinman, Leija, Moore, Solomon
NAYS: None
Motion passed 5-0.
21-204 B. RESOLUTION OF THANKS TO LORELEI SHERWOOD UPON HER RETIREMENT
(Item of action)
Roll call vote
Vice President Moore, supported by Treasurer Akmon, moved the Board resolves as follows: that it would like to officially thank Lorelei Sherwood upon her retirement for her service as an employee from July 28, 2000 to October 29, 2021 of the Ann Arbor District Library; that all resolutions and parts of resolutions that conflict with the provisions of this resolution are rescinded.
A roll call vote was taken.
AYES: Akmon, Kleinman, Leija, Moore, Solomon
NAYS: None
Motion passed 5-0.
President Leija and Director Parker both congratulated Lorelei Sherwood on her retirement.
21-205 C. CITY OF ANN ARBOR UNARMED RESPONSE PROPOSAL
(Item of discussion)
Trustee Kleinman informed the Board of her involvement with a broad community based multi-racial coalition of community members who have established a plan and proposal for unarmed safety response in concurrence with the City of Ann Arbor resolution asking that the City Administrator make a plan for an unarmed crisis response program for the City. It is anticipated that the City Administrators plan will be presented to City Council on December 6th.
Trustee Kleinman felt the Library Board should be aware of this process, of both plans, and to possibly participate when the City’s public engagement process begins.
President Leija noted that in general, the Library Board does not comment on City affairs, however it is not without precedent. Action can be taken if there is an impact on the Library.
President Leija noted that this topic will be placed on the January Board agenda for further discussion.
21-206 D. VOTE FOR REGULAR DECEMBER 2021 AADL BOARD MEETING
(Item of action)
Roll call vote
No action was taken on this agenda item.
21-207 XI. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS
Heidi Pratt
Great discussion tonight. Thank you all for your time and commitment of service to our library and the community.
21-208 XII. ADJOURNMENT
President Leija adjourned the meeting at 8:48 p.m.