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OH, I NEED MY GAVEL.I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE THAT'S EVERYBODY ORDER IN THE COURT.
I, I HAVE A GAVEL AT MY OFFICE.
BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
EVERYONE WITH THE LIBRARY, EVERYONE STARTED, SO PLEASE IF WE CAN KEEP IT DOWN IN THE WOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR THE WIN ON THAT ONE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WAITING.
WE ARE RUNNING BEHIND, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
WANNA WELCOME DIRECTOR SANDY GA AND, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR WAITING.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WITH NO FURTHER ADO GET STARTED.
I, I, I'M, I'M JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER, VICE MAYOR PROAM, AMY PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIANNE HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, VICE CHAIR MARIO CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, AND I'M SURE OTHERS WILL JOIN.
IS YOURS, DIRECTOR COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ IS ONLINE.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.
I'M JOINED BY OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOHN MIDDLETON, AND WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND ASK TO STAND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF H P'S EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, EDGAR FUENTES, PATRICK ATKINS, LADONNA WEEMS, STEVEN CHAMBERLAIN, AND LORI COVINGTON.
ALSO WITH US TODAY IS NICHOLAS SIKI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HPO FOUNDATION, WHO'S AN ESSENTIAL PARTNER IN LEVERAGING PRIVATE SUPPORT TO EXPAND OUR REACH AND IMPACT.
THIS YEAR BEGAN WITH ONE OF THE MOST COMMON 2025 RESOLUTIONS.
HBO CONTINUES TO BE THE PLACE PEOPLE TURN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IN 2024, WE SAW INCREASES IN VISITS, CIRCULATION, DIGITAL CHECKOUTS, PROGRAM PRESENTATION, PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, PROVING THE VITAL ROLE OF FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
OUR MISSION LINKING YOU TO THE WORLD REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING EQUITY, COMMUNITY LEARNING AND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY FREE OF CHARGE FOR EVERYONE IN HOUSTON.
THIS FISCAL YEAR ALONE, HPL WELCOMED 1.8 MILLION IN-PERSON VISITORS.
A 3% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR DEMONSTRATING THE CONTINUED IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL LIBRARY SPACES AND PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES.
WE SAW A 6% INCREASE IN PHYSICAL MATERIAL CHECKOUTS WITH 3.1 MILLION ITEMS BORROWED, REFLECTING A STRONG AND GROWING DEMAND FOR BOOKS, MEDIA, AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT INFORM, ENTERTAIN, AND INSPIRE LIBRARY PROGRAMS REMAIN AT THE HEART OF H HP'S.
COMMUNITY IMPACT MORE THAN 127,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN LIBRARY PROGRAMS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS A 7% INCREASE.
HIGHLIGHTING THE LIBRARY AS AN ESSENTIAL PUBLIC RESOURCE.
HPL IS A BEACON OF CIVIC LIFE AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
THIS YEAR, MEETING ROOM BOOKINGS INCREASED BY 21% WITH OVER 11,700 RESERVATIONS AND MORE THAN 50,000 ATTENDEES, WHICH IS A 32% RISE USING LIBRARY SPACES FOR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, NON-PROFIT GATHERINGS AND PUBLIC FORUMS, AND IN TIMES OF NEED.
HPL SERVES AS A CRITICAL SAFETY NET DURING EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, AND ARE USED AS COOLING AND WARMING CENTERS WHEN RESIDENTS NEED IT THE MOST.
HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WHICH IS A TABLE OF CONTENTS.
EACH SECTION OUTLINES HOW WE ARE STREAMLINING OPERATIONS AND ALIGNING WITH THE MAYOR'S PRIORITIES.
OUR CORE SERVICES REFLECT OUR BELIEF THAT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION IS FOUNDATIONAL TO A THRIVING SOCIETY.
DESPITE STAFF REDUCTIONS, WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY SERVICES.
CITYWIDE TECH LINK IS ALIGNED TO OUR CORE VALUE OF INNOVATION.
OUR TECHNOLOGY CENTERS FEATURE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING LASER CUTTERS, EMBROIDERY MACHINES, PODCASTING EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS FOR VIDEO AND MUSIC PRODUCTION.
OUR LEAN BUT DEDICATED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TEAM MEMBERS ARE FOCUSED ON INNOVATION, COMMUNITY,
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AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE THROUGH 37 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.OUR DIVERSE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS GO BEYOND BOOKS TO INCLUDE EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS, ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORMS, RESEARCH DATABASES, AND A LIBRARY OF THINGS WITH ITEMS SUCH AS BAKEWARE, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, GARDENING SUPPLIES AND TOOLS.
HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SPACES OFFER WELCOMING AREAS FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND MAINTAIN HISTORIC PROPERTIES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND SERVES AS COOLING AND WARMING CENTERS DURING EXTREME WEATHER.
HPL OFFERS LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN LITERACY AND EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES, INCLUDING PROGRAMS SUCH AS STORY TIMES ART CLUBS, ESL CLASSES, AND CITIZENSHIP PREPARATION.
HPL ALIGNS STRONGLY WITH THE MAYOR'S QUALITY OF LIFE INITIATIVE.
82% OF OUR PROGRAMS DIRECTLY SUPPORT THIS VISION.
OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND DEBT SERVICES AND INTER FUND TRANSFER ARE ALIGNED TO A GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS WITH 18% OF OUR PROGRAMS SUPPORTING EFFICIENT GOVERNANCE.
THIS SLIDE OUTLINES HOW THE LIBRARY PLANS TO ELIMINATE THE GAP OF $1,853,523 WHILE SAFEGUARDING OUR STATE ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS CRITICAL TO THE LIBRARY'S OPERATIONS AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
MAINTAINING ACCREDITATION ENSURES THAT THE LIBRARY MEETS ESTABLISHED STANDARDS OF SERVICE, STAFFING, RESOURCES, AND FACILITIES BY MAINTAINING THIS COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE PUBLIC EFFECTIVELY.
ACCREDITATION ALLOWS US TO RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNTS ON DATABASES, QUALIFY FOR COMPETITIVE GRANTS, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE STATEWIDE INTERLIBRARY LOAN SYSTEM.
THESE BENEFITS ARE VITAL TO DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY COST EFFECTIVE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
TO REMAIN COMPLIANT, WE MUST MAINTAIN AT LEAST ONE ITEM PER CAPITA IN THE COLLECTION.
THE CURRENT BUDGET MUST MEET OR EXCEED THE THREE YEAR AVERAGE OF LOCAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES AND MAINTAIN 40 UNIQUE HOURS PER WEEK TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED REDUCTION WHILE PROTECTING ACCREDITATION, WE PROPOSED A $798,769 REDUCTION TO PERSONNEL COSTS, A TOTAL OF $1,054,754 REDUCTION IN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES AND DIGITAL STRATEGIES WITH THE FOLLOWING BREAKDOWN, A $734,754 REDUCTION FROM ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES SUCH AS UPDATING AND REPLACING SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING LIBRARY SORTERS, TECH LINK TECHNOLOGY, AND ENHANCED SECURITY, A $320,000 REDUCTION FROM DIGITAL STRATEGIES ACHIEVED BY REDUCING AND ELIMINATING CERTAIN SUBSCRIPTIONS, MAINTENANCE AND DIGITAL SERVICES.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE REDUCTIONS WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE LIBRARY'S ACCREDITATION.
HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY HAD 92 RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
IN ADDITION TO THE PERSONNEL COST OUTLINED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, A TOTAL NUMBER OF 27 EMPLOYEES ACCEPTED THE LIBRARY'S VOLUNTARY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PAYOUT OPTION BEFORE APRIL 20TH AND 10 TO ACCEPT IT.
THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT BY THE APRIL 28TH DEADLINE DATE RESULTING IN A REDUCTION VALUED AT TWO MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS.
HPL WILL IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ERNST AND YOUNG EFFICIENCY STUDY FLATTENING OUR ORG STRUCTURE, INCREASING THE AVERAGE SPAN OF CONTROL AND ELIMINATING SUPERVISORY LAYERS.
THE AVERAGE SPAN OF CONTROL WILL INCREASE FROM THREE TO SEVEN DIRECT REPORTS MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS WITH LESS THAN FOUR DIRECT REPORTS WILL BE REDUCED TO ZERO COMPARED TO 36%.
OVERALL, THE NUMBER OF MANAGEMENT LAYERS WILL BE REDUCED FROM EIGHT TO SIX.
CONSOLIDATING STAFF UNDER FEWER MANAGERS WILL CREATE A LEANER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.
WHILE THIS CHANGE WILL IMPACT FUTURE SUCCESSION PLANNING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, IT ALSO PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOPMENT TO DEVELOP NEW LEADERSHIP PATHWAYS.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE LIBRARY'S EXPENDITURES BY FUND.
THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 26 GENERAL BUDGET FUND TOTALS $50,056,632,
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REFLECTING AN OVERALL REDUCTION OF 7% IN THE FUND.THE SPECIAL REVENUE AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND ARE ALSO CAPTURED HERE.
D CHART ILLUSTRATES PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL BUDGET EXPENDITURES.
PERSONNEL COSTS ACCOUNT FOR 73% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
THE REMAINING 27% CONSISTS OF NON PERSONNEL EXPENSES, WHICH INCLUDES COLLECTIONS, PROGRAMMING, AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
OUR INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE REFLECTS OUR BELIEF THAT SERVICE DELIVERY STARTS WITH SKILLED AND COMMITTED LIBRARY STAFF.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS CHANGES ACROSS PROGRAM AREAS WITH REDUCTIONS TIED TO RETIREMENTS AND REALIGNMENT OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
WHILE DEBT SERVICES AND INTER FUND TRANSFER IS FLAT RESTRICTED FUNDS IN ADMINIS IN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES HAVE INCREASED BY NEARLY 1 MILLION.
REDUCTIONS IN OTHER AREAS ARE DUE TO LOSS OF FTES FROM THE RETIREMENTS AND APPROVED BUDGET REDUCTIONS.
THE FOLLOWING SLIDES PROVIDE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS ALONG WITH THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY'S OPERATIONS AND ADVANCING ITS MISSION.
THE DIVISION PROVIDES EXECUTIVE SUPPORT TO LIBRARY LEADERSHIP, ASSISTING WITH DECISION MAKING AND ENSURING SMOOTH COORDINATION OF DAILY OPERATIONS.
IT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, ENSURING THAT THE LIBRARY'S INITIATIVES ALIGN WITH THE LONG-TERM GOALS AND COMMUNITY NEEDS.
IN ADDITION, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGES THE LIBRARY'S BRANDING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS.
THIS INCLUDES MAINTAINING A CONSISTENT AND STRONG BRAND PRESENCE ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS, MANAGING MEDIA RELATIONS, AND PROMOTING THE LIBRARY'S SERVICES AND IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE DIVISION ALSO OVERSEES DIGITAL TOOLS AND COMMUNICATIONS, ENSURING EFFECTIVE AND TIMELY COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE WEBSITE, EMAIL SYSTEMS AND INTERNAL PLATFORMS TO ENGAGE BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE STAFF.
DIGITAL STRATEGIES ENSURES TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION, ACCESS AND SUPPORT FOR ALL LIBRARY PUBLIC SERVICES, INCLUDING THE MOBILE APP, ONLINE CATALOG, BOOK AND MATERIALS, CHECKOUT SYSTEM, CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS, TECH LINK, MULTIMEDIA, AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING STUDIOS, 3D SCANNING AND PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES.
LIBRARY COLLECTIONS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION, ACQUISITION, CATALOGING, PROCESSING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ALL LIBRARY BOOKS, EBOOKS, MATERIALS, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
FLEET SUPPLY AND MAIL DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITIES ARE ALSO INCLUDED.
IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM MANAGES LIBRARY CARDS AND LEARNING LINK SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
NEXT SLIDE, LIBRARY OPERATIONS PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND EXECUTION OF ALL ASPECTS OF LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND SERVICES, CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY AND PUBLIC COMPUTER ASSISTANCE, STAFF ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES, COMPLIANCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF, PASSPORTS AND GRANTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES, CENTRAL LIBRARY AND HISTORIC RESEARCH CENTERS.
THIS IS BY FAR OUR LARGEST PROGRAM WITH OVER 300 FTE SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDING NEARLY 7,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS ANNUALLY THAT HELP TO FILL SOME SERVICE GAPS.
LIBRARY SPACES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ELEMENTS OF THE LIBRARY'S FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS, INCLUDING EXHIBIT GALLERIES, CIVIC ART, FURNITURE, WORKSPACE MAINTENANCE, LIBRARY SHELVING, EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENT PLANS, SAFETY, WELLNESS, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND SECURITY.
NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT EVERY LIBRARY SPACE IS OPTIMIZED FOR SERVICE TO HOUSTON'S RESIDENTS.
LIBRARY INCIDENTS, MANY OF WHICH HAVE BECOME MORE VIOLENT, HAVE DOUBLED FROM 1000 AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR TO 2000 THIS YEAR ACROSS
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MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WITH TWO MONTHS REMAINING IN THE FISCAL YEAR.THIS SHARP INCREASE UNDERSCORES THE ONGOING NEED TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH STAFF AND PATRONS.
DESPITE THE GROWING CONCERN, GSD HAS INFORMED US THAT LIBRARY SECURITY FUNDING WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.
AS A RESULT, WE ARE NOW FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF USING A PORTION OF THE LIBRARY'S OPERATING BUDGET TO ADDRESS THESE SECURITY GAPS.
PLACING ADDED STRAIN ON ALREADY LIMITED RESOURCES NEEDED TO SUPPORT CORE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
LEADER LITERACY AND EDUCATION PROVIDES OVERSIGHT AND EXECUTION OF ALL ASPECTS OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO MANAGES GRANTS LITERACY, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND SPECIAL EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.
TO SUPPLEMENT THE CITY FUNDS, HPL FOUNDATION SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPORTS OUR PROGRAM RESOURCES.
THIS SLIDE REFLECTS DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS AND OR INNER FUND TRANSFERS.
WHILE WE ARE NOT A REVENUE GENERATING DEPARTMENT, THE LIBRARY SUPPORTS THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND THROUGH PASSPORT SERVICES.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT'S REVENUES BY FUND FROM FISCAL YEAR 24, ACTUAL TO FISCAL YEAR 26 PROPOSED.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES REVENUE BY PROGRAM FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AS A REMINDER, WE'RE NOT A REVENUE GENERATING DEPARTMENT.
THE INCREASE IN REVENUE IN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES IS DUE TO INCREASE PASSPORT PROCESSING.
FOLLOWING THE ADDITION OF WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AS A PASSPORT LOCATION, WHILE THE LIBRARY BINDS ENDED FOR LATE BOOKS IN JANUARY, 2023, WE CONTINUE TO COLLECT FEES FOR LOSS OR DAMAGED BOOKS.
DESPITE CHALLENGES AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES, WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL RESOLUTION.
TO SUPPORT THIS, WE LAUNCHED A DYNAMIC MARKETING CAMPAIGN FEATURING THE I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW, COMMERCIAL.
DESIGNED TO SPOTLIGHT OUR TOP SERVICES AND COLLATERAL TO REMIND RESIDENTS THAT LEARNING DISCOVERY AND CONNECTION ALL BEGIN IN THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN WITH OVER 24,000 PARTICIPANTS LAST YEAR.
WE AIM TO EXCEED THAT NUMBER BY 10% IN 2025.
WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE MAKE MUSIC DAY IN JUNE, WHERE OUR FOUNDATION WILL HOST A FUNDRAISER AND WE WILL HAVE A MUSIC BUILD FESTIVAL THAT BRIDGES LITERACY AND UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF MUSIC.
LOOKING AHEAD, WE ARE INVESTING IN TOOLS TO DEEPEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO LAUNCH MORE TARGETED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AROUND OUR BOOKS, PROGRAMS, EVENTS, AND SERVICES.
BEYOND LITERACY, WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN SPACES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
THE BENSON TECH LINK WILL OPEN THIS FALL AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE UNDERWAY FOR HISPANIC HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER.
AND WE'LL PROUDLY COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARIES OF THE JULIA IEN BUILDING HEIGHTS LIBRARY AND THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
THREE INSTITUTIONS ROOTED IN HOUSTON'S CULTURAL FABRIC.
THROUGH IT ALL, HPO REMAINS A BEACON OF ACCESS, EQUITY, AND INSPIRATION LINKING YOU TO THE WORLD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONTINUED SUPPORT.
WE WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN DIRECTOR, FIRST OFF, THANKS TO YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, JOHN.
UM, YOUR WORK IS ALWAYS CUT OUT FOR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL ARE KEEPING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
THE WAY THAT YOU ARE REDUCING Y'ALL ARE POINT BLANK REDUCING OR FORCED TO REDUCE THE BUDGET FOR OUR LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED? SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE REDUCING PERSONNEL.
I'LL GET TO SECURITY IN JUST A SECOND, BUT WILL ANY PROGRAMMING BE IMPACTED AT THIS TIME? UM, WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE QUALITY SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC AND WITH THE, UH, FOUNDATION SUPPORT, UM, THEY SUPPORT US TO HAVE
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A MORE ROBUST, ROBUST PROGRAM.AND AT THIS TIME, WE'RE NOT CUTTING ANY PROGRAMS. UM, BUT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE SERVICES, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS WITH THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, ARE THEY ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE NEEDED RIGHT NOW OR HOW MUCH IS COMING IN FROM THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION? SO, UM, SO THE FOUNDATION, UM, THEY SUPPORT US, UH, WITH PROGRAMMING TO HAVE IT MORE ROBUST AND ALSO, UH, THINGS LIKE THE LIBRARY BOOKS, UH, FROM THE DIFFERENT ENDOWMENTS.
AND THEY DO NOT SUPPORT US WITH ANY PERSONNEL, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED.
AND SO FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR, UM, SO WE ROUGHLY GET, WE RECEIVE ABOUT, UM, SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, UH, IT'S ABOUT 1.43 MILLION TO DATE.
AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 24, IT WAS ABOUT 1.4 MILLION.
AND IN FISCAL YEAR 23 WAS ROUGHLY 1.8 MILLION.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OVER A MILLION, LITTLE OVER MILLION DOLLARS, UM, THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, IS ANY OF THE LIBRARY'S FUNDING, I'M ASKING EVERY DEPARTMENT THIS, UH, RELIANT UPON FEDERAL GRANTS.
SO WE RECEIVE, UM, GRANTS VIA THE FOUNDATION AND VIA CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO CURRENTLY, UH, THE ONLY GRANT THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, THAT IS SUPPORTED WITH THE FTES IS THE ARPA.
SO FOUR POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY PAID THROUGH THE ARPA, BUT VIA THE FOUNDATION, UH, WE GET GRANTS OR WE GET ENDOWMENTS, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMMING TO MAKE IT ROBUST.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME LIBRARY FOUNDATION GRANTS THAT ARE AT RISK OF BEING LOST OR CUT AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE BOARD FEDERAL GRANTS BEING CUT.
SO I'M TRYING TO TEASE OUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND IF THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION THEN WOULD HAVE A SHORTFALL.
UM, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE BIG SAVINGS THAT DID OCCUR WAS THE NEW MONTROSE LIBRARY AND THE MONTROSE COLLECTIVE WITH REDONE CAPITAL'S PARTNERSHIP.
UH, WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN A 25 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR, UH, NEW BUILDING WE WOULD'VE HAD TO HAVE BUILT ENDED UP ONLY BEING A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION.
JOHN, IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE WE USED, UH, A NEW MODEL, UH, WITHIN A CO-OP.
SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY SUCCESSFUL MODEL MOVING FORWARD THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
BUT IF YOU CAN PUT ME BACK IN QUEUE ABOUT OTHER FACILITIES COLLEAGUES, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LIMIT EVERYBODY TO ONE ROUND.
IF YOU CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS ON SHAREPOINT, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL ONES, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR BEHIND AND I WANNA GIVE AMPLE TIME TO HPD, THEN I JUST HAVE ONE.
SO REGARDING SECURITY, WE'RE GOING INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS.
OUR LIBRARIES ARE PACKED WITH KIDS.
WE CAN'T DISCLOSE CERTAIN THINGS RELATED TO SAFETY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA MAKE THAT PUBLIC.
BUT ARE WE, ARE WE IN YOUR BUDGET GOING TO SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE SECURITY PERSONNEL NEEDS? SO WE WILL, WE WILL REVIEW OUR BUDGET TO SEE WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, BECAUSE OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS, IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR US, THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WE WILL WORK WITH GSD AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR FUNDING TO SEE, UM, HOW WE CAN, UM, WORK AROUND, WORK WITH THE CUTS TO MAKE SURE TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF, UH, NOT ONLY OUR WORKERS, BUT THE PATRONS, UH, ON SECURITY SERVICES.
IS IT CONTRACTED BECAUSE I SEE, UH, I SEE IT, IT'S NOT EVEN VERY MUCH TO START OFF WITH.
I SEE ABOUT A $75,000 CONTRACT THAT YOU HAD.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT OR AM I MISSING SOMETHING? THAT IS FOR, UH, HPD TO SUPPLEMENT GSDS CONTRACT FOR SECURITY SERVICES.
SO THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
THAT'S JUST WHAT YOU SUPPLEMENT WITH.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR MIDDLETON, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Y'ALL ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE DEPARTMENTS.
DON'T TELL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT
UM, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU MENTIONED THE 200 VOLUNTEERS, UM, THAT SUPPLEMENT THE WORK.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED THE WOMEN IN RED BEHIND YOU, UH, MEMBERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA.
UH, WE HAVE A NATIONAL, UH, FOCUS ON ARTS AND LETTERS.
UH, SO MUCH SO THAT IN 1945 WE STARTED A NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HAD ACCESS TO BOOKS.
'CAUSE TWO THIRDS DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO LIBRARIES.
AND I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW WITH THE STAFF REDUCTION.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN MENTIONED THE DEMAND THIS SUMMER TO INCREASE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND, AND I, I WOULD HATE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR CHAPTER PARTNERSHIPS, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE AN APPETITE, UM, TO ALIGN WITH LOCAL HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND EVEN OUR COUNTY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPLEMENT AND ALIGN OUR MISSION, UM, WITH THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, SYSTEM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PLUG THAT.
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AND THIS IS MY LAST POINT, AND I'LL ADD TO, UH, SHAREPOINT.YOU TALKED ABOUT NOT CHALLENGING, UM, NOT NOT COMPROMISING OUR ACCREDITATION, BUT CAN YOU REALLY SPEAK TO NOT COMPROMISING THE QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE? THE QUALITY OF THE ACCESS.
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK AROUND REMOVING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, INVESTING IN THAT, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I MEAN, Y'ALL HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
SO CAN YOU JUST REINFORCE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, ABOUT THE STAFF REDUCTION AND THEN HOW WE CAN SUPPORT Y'ALL IN MAKING SURE THAT THOSE PROGRAMS AND THOSE ACTS THAT ACCESS CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITIES? SO CURRENTLY, UM, WITH THE BUDGET CUTS, UH, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, NOT ONLY THIS YEAR, BUT THE PREVIOUS YEARS, IT, UM, IT HAS NOT IMPACTED OUR ACCREDITATION BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THREE, UH, IT'S NOT ONLY THREE FACTORS, BUT THOSE ARE THE THREE KEY COMPONENTS.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ONE ITEM PER CAPITA IN THE COLLECTION AND THE CURRENT BUDGET MUST NOT EXCEED, MUST MEET OR EXCEED THE THREE YEAR AVERAGE.
AND ALSO MAINTAINING OUR UNIQUE HOURS.
AND SO FOR NOW, SO, SO I KNOW THAT, UM, WE'RE ASKED TO DO MORE WITH LESS FUNDING AND WITH, UM, OUR GREAT STAFF THAT WE HAVE, UM, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, WE'RE ALWAYS ASKED TO DO MORE AND WE DO OUR BEST TO FULFILL WHAT'S REQUESTED.
AND SO, UM, ALTHOUGH IT MAY APPEAR
AND SO ANY REQUESTS THAT WE GET, WE TRY TO FULFILL.
AND SO, AND, AND LUCKILY WE HAD THE FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT US, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE OTHER PART, WITH THE PROGRAMMING PIECE.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, UM, JUST A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE, UH, SORO, IF WE CAN QUIETLY DEPART AT ONE 40 SO WE CAN STAY ON TRACK.
AND AS THE PRESENTATION CONTINUES, MY BAD.
1140, I'M ALREADY AHEAD OF Y'ALL.
AND I THINK SHE VOLUNTOLD YOU TO GO WORK AT THE LIBRARIES.
AND THEN CAN I ALSO PUT, I WANNA PUT IN A PLUG, UH, CA COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
BUT, UM, COULD YOU TELL ME WHICH THREE LIBRARIES HAVE THE LOWEST ATTENDANCE? MM-HMM
UM, BEFORE I DO THAT, BEFORE YOU DEPART, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SURE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY CARD,
SO THE, UM, SO THE LIBRARIES, SO THIS IS GONNA ALSO, SO THE LIBRARIES THAT HAVE THE LOWEST ATTENDANCE, IT'S PLEASANTVILLE, MELCHER, AND CASHMERE.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HALEY? OH, YOU SAID THE HIGH, I'M SORRY.
THE HIGHEST OR THE LOWEST? THE LOWEST.
AND WHAT IS CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, LOW ATTENDANCE PER DAY? SO WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE METRICS THAT WE LOOK AT AND SOME OF THE METRICS WE LOOK AT, UM, VISITORS, THE CIRCULATION, COMPUTER USAGE PROGRAM, ATTENDANCE, OUTREACH, WORKSHOP, ATTENDANCE.
SO WE RUN DIFFERENT DATA POINTS.
AND SO BASED ON THE CHART THAT I'M LOOKING AT NOW, UM, THOSE ARE THE LIBRARIES THAT WERE THE LOWEST, UM, THAT THE PATRONS VISITED.
IT'S EITHER VISIT THE CIRCULATION, SO, AND WE, WE CAN RUN THE METRICS IN DIFFERENT WAYS DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE REVIEWING.
AND HOW MANY LIBRARY STAFF MEMBERS DOES IT TAKE JUST TO EVEN OPEN THE DOORS? WE HAVE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF THREE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
SO CURRENTLY, SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE PLEASANTVILLE, SO PLEASANTVILLE, UH, AND TUTTLE SHARE A MANAGER.
SO AT ANY GIVEN TIME, UM, AT ANY OF THE LOCATIONS, THERE MUST BE THREE LIBRARY EMPLOYEES AVAILABLE FOR SAFETY.
AND SO, AND I BELIEVE AT PLEASANTVILLE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT STAFF, FIVE STAFF MEMBERS THERE, FIVE STAFF MEMBERS AT PLEASANTVILLE, AND THEN MAYBE SOME, I THINK SIMILAR AT TUTTLE.
SO IF SOME PEOPLE ARE OFF OR THEY, UH, GET SICK OR THEY TAKE LEAVE, THEN WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OTHER LOCATIONS TO TRY TO JUGGLE THE SCHEDULES AROUND TO ENSURE THAT OUR LIBRARIES DON'T CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE THREE PERSON, UM, EXP THE THREE PERSON ROLE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY FOR NOT ONLY US, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC TOO.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANNA SEE, WANNA SEE ANY LIBRARIES CLOSE, AND WE WANT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS.
BUT AT SOME POINT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FINANCIALLY TO MAYBE SHUT THE DOORS ON ONE OR A FEW OF THESE LIBRARIES? DON'T HATE ME, Y'ALL.
I'M, I'M NOT ADVOCATING TO CLOSE DOWN LIBRARIES, BUT I'M JUST, I'M NO, I'M NOT, BUT I'M JUST ASKING AT SOME POINT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE,
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UH, FOR Y'ALL IN YOUR BUDGET OR WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THAT? I DON'T MIND TAKING THAT QUESTION.UM, WE LOOK AT THOSE MODELS ALL THE TIME.
WE ALSO LOOK AT, UM, THESE NUMBERS, BUT PER SQUARE FOOT.
SO WE CAN'T COMPARE A 3000 SQUARE FOOT LIBRARY TO A 30,000 SQUARE FOOT LIBRARY.
OF COURSE, THE RESOURCES IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAT BRING PEOPLE IN.
SO ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN THESE TINY LIBRARIES DON'T HAVE MUCH USE, UH, NOT MUCH NUMBERS.
SHOULD WE CLOSE THEM? THE OTHER ARGUMENT IS, WELL, IF YOU BUILT A BIGGER LIBRARY THAT HAD ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT THE NEW LIBRARIES HAVE, PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY COME.
YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR NEWER LIBRARIES ARE SOME OF THE ONES WITH THE BEST NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE MEETING ROOMS AND AT EVERY, THEY HAVE TECH LINKS, THEY HAVE ALL THESE THINGS, THESE TINY LIBRARIES DON'T HAVE.
UM, SO WE'RE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS.
UH, OUR GOAL WOULD, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE BIGGER LIBRARIES.
THESE ARE MOSTLY ON THE EAST SIDE, IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE, THEIR OLDER LIBRARIES IN OUR SYSTEM.
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.
SO I'D HATE TO, TO ELIMINATE, UH, ACCESS TO COMMUNITIES, UH, WHEN WHAT WE REALLY SHOULD BE DOING IS PROVIDING, UH, BETTER FACILITIES FOR THEM.
AND TO YOUR TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ALL THE WORK Y'ALL DO TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARIES.
ARE THERE PLANS TO EXPAND PASSPORT SERVICES TO OTHER LOCATIONS? UH, WE GET THAT QUESTION EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S A BIG REVENUE GENERATOR.
UM, THEY'RE CURRENTLY STAFF WITH LIBRARY PERSONNEL, SO IF THEY'RE DOING PASSPORT, THEY'RE NOT DOING LIBRARY SERVICES.
UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN, BUT I THINK WE'D NEED MORE RESOURCES TO HIRE THE STAFF TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
AND THOSE, THOSE REVENUES DON'T GO TO SUPPORT Y'ALL, THEY GO BACK INTO THE JOURNAL FUND, SO YOU COULDN'T USE THEM TO HIRE MORE FOLKS? YES, CORRECT.
SO, UM, LOOKING AT THE COMPARISON IN THE APPENDIX, IT'S, UH, ON THE SCREEN MM-HMM
WE ARE FAIRLY LOW WITH PER CAPITA SPENDING, UH, COLUMBUS, METROPOLITAN, AUSTIN, KING COUNTY, THEY'RE A LOT HIGHER.
ARE THOSE CITY SUPPORTED LIBRARY SYSTEMS? ARE THEY DIFFERENT STRUCTURES? UH, WHY IS IT THAT THEY'RE FUNDED AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN WE ARE? UH, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU SEE CITY, COUNTY, UH, LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE MERGED, UM, THEY ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN A WAY THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE.
SO YOU SEE THESE REALLY BIG BUDGETS BECAUSE THEY'RE FUNDING, IT COMES FROM A TAX BASE PERCENTAGE, JUST LIKE A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, SO IT ELIMINATES THAT FROM THE CITY'S BUDGET AND THE COUNTY'S BUDGET.
BUT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BUDGETS.
UH, THEY ARE TYPICALLY MANAGED BY LIBRARY BOARDS, UM, THAT ARE APPOINTED BY CITY AND COUNTY AND VOTED IN JUST LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO YOU SEE THOSE BIG NUMBERS WE ARE VERY JEALOUS OF.
UM, BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW THAT WORKS.
THE ONES THAT ARE, UH, DEPENDENT SOLELY ON A CITY OR COUNTY, TYPICALLY HAVE LOWER BUDGETS BECAUSE OF ALL THE REASONS THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE TODAY.
AND HAVE Y'ALL HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY ON SHARED SERVICES OR POTENTIALLY ANY KIND OF CONSOLIDATION OR, OR STRUCTURES THAT LOOK SIMILAR TO COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN? UM, NOT CONSOLIDATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY DIRECTOR WAS ONCE AN HPL EMPLOYEE.
UM, WE HAVE A REGULAR RELATIONSHIP.
WE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, SHARING, UH, ALLOWING OUR CUSTOMERS TO, TO SHARE SERVICES.
THEY CAN CHECK OUT BOOKS ON EITHER SIDE.
WE'VE LONG ALLOWED THEM TO, UH, DIGITAL MEDIA FROM EITHER SIDE.
UH, WE'RE ALWAYS, WE MOVE WITH THEM EVERY MONTH.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, UM, I WON'T SAY CONSOLIDATE, BUT TO SHARE SERVICES AND SHARE RESOURCES.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, LOOKING AT OUR CONTRACTS WITH VENDORS TO SEE IF WE GO TOGETHER, UH, TO USE THE SAME SERVICE TO THE SAME VENDOR.
WE MIGHT GET A BETTER DEAL IF WE BOTH GO IN.
SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO AND FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WOULD YOU MIND SENDING THE METRICS THAT YOU SPOKE OF, UM, AND, AND ALSO, UH, INFORMATION REGARDING COSTS.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN EACH, UH, EACH BRANCH? UM, AND FOLLOWING UP ON COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S, UH, QUESTIONS.
I KNOW HARRIS COUNTY HAS SOME PRETTY NICE BRANCH LIBRARIES AS WELL.
THERE'S ONE IN SPRING BRANCH THAT I VISITED A NUMBER OF TIMES.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE THERE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE A COUNTY LIBRARY BRANCH IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A CITY LIBRARY BRANCH? HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT THAT? YEAH, THERE AREN'T MANY.
UM, THE LIBRARY, UH, IN THE VILLAGES I THINK IS ON THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE OF I 10.
UM, WE DON'T SERVE THE VILLAGES REALLY FROM VOSS ALL THE WAY TO ELDRIDGE.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THIS COUNTY AREA.
UH, THERE'S A COUNTY LIBRARY IN WESTVIEW.
OUR CLOSEST LIBRARY IS PROBABLY STILL A LINK.
UM, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE.
UM, THE KINGWOOD LIBRARY AND CLEAR LAKE LIBRARIES ARE LIBRARIES THAT
[00:35:01]
WE HELPED TO BUILD.UH, THEY'RE IN HOUSTON, UH, LIBRARY FUNDS AND BOND FUNDS WENT TO BUILD THOSE LIBRARIES.
AND FOR YEARS WE ACTUALLY HELPED SUPPORT, UH, FUNDING FOR OPERATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THE CITY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE SO FAR AWAY AND THE COUNTY DOES A, THEIR OPERATIONS ARE MORE GEARED TOWARDS, UH, NOT HAVING A CENTRAL LIBRARY, BUT DOING COUNTYWIDE STUFF.
UM, WE AS AGAIN, WE MEET WITH THEM EVERY MONTH.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES PERHAPS TO, UH, SHARE IN SOME RESOURCES, BUT THE CITY IS REALLY BIG.
I MEAN, 650 SQUARE MILES, WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE MORE LIBRARIES FOR COUNTY AND CITY.
UH, SOME RESIDENTS GET, CAN DRIVE TWO MILES OR LESS TO THE LIBRARY.
SOMETIMES THEY DRIVE MORE THAN FIVE MILES TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND THEIR LIBRARIES THERE HAS SOME REALLY BIG ONES AND SOME REALLY SMALL ONES.
AND JUST LIKE WE DO, UH, THERE'S NO REALLY CONSISTENCY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN BUILT OVER SO MANY DECADES AND THINGS CHANGE.
SO WHILE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY OR THE COUNTY ARE UNDER, UM, HAVE TOO FEW FACILITIES FOR THE SIZE OF THE CITY, UH, AND THE DISTANCE THAT WE HAVE TO TRAVEL.
AND, UM, I I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED OVER THE YEARS, UM, DIGITAL RESOURCES BEING, BEING USED, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY.
AND IN FACT YOU, YOU HAVE HAD TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIGITAL RESOURCES MM-HMM
AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT IN A MEETING EARLIER, HOW THAT WAS PRICED AND MM-HMM
AND, UH, IT'S NOT AS CHEAP AS PEOPLE MAY, MAY THINK.
UM, BUT, BUT I HAVE HEARD, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT OVER THE LAST, LET'S SAY 15 YEARS, UM, IN, IN-PERSON VISITS TO LIBRARIES HAVE HAVE DROPPED, UH, FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE LOWER IN TERMS OF IN-PERSON VISITS THAN WE WERE, UH, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
DO, DO YOU WANNA OFFER YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? THERE HAS BEEN SOME DROP, BUT AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE LIBRARY.
OUR NEWEST LIBRARIES, AGAIN, HAVE OVERALL EVERYTHING ARE SEE INCREASES.
I MEAN, THE NEW WALKER LIBRARY COULD SEE 400 PEOPLE A DAY.
UM, A ANOTHER LIBRARY THAT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH RESOURCES.
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF REASONS TO GO THERE IN PERSON, UH, AS THEY WOULD FOR A NEW LIBRARY WITH EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, MONTROSE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, THE OLD MONTROSE HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF PROBLEMS, WHICH IS WHY YOU WANNA MOVE OUT OF IT.
THE NEW MONTROSE, UH, THE NUMBERS ARE HUGE, UH, COMPARED TO THE OLD ONES.
SO IF YOU PROVIDE WHAT PEOPLE NEED, THEY'LL SHOW UP FOR IT.
UH, REGARDING PHYSICAL BOOKS VERSUS EBOOKS, THEY'RE ABOUT 50 50 NOW, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR NUMBERS.
UM, BUT THE EBOOKS CAN COST MORE
UH, SO IT'S A, IT'S A BALANCE.
UM, WE AT ED LIBRARY ALL STRUGGLE WITH THIS.
AND IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY FIGURES ON IN-PERSON VISITS OVER TIME, THOSE KINDS OF TRENDS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON, UH, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN AND RAMIREZ.
WE MET A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND I THOUGHT WE HAD THE FIGURES FOR IN-PERSON VISITS AND THERE WAS SEVERAL OF THE LIBRARIES THAT WERE KIND OF ABYSMAL IN, IN THE NUMBER OF IN PERSON.
DO WE HAVE THOSE FIGURES TODAY? YEAH, THAT THOSE WE LOOKED AT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PLEASANTVILLE MELTER.
I DON'T RECALL WHICH LOCATIONS THEY WERE.
YEAH, I WAS IN THAT SAME BRIEFING.
THERE WAS JUST A LIST MM-HMM
SO I THINK IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO US, THAT'D BE GREAT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND I, I THINK ALSO TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTIONS POINT THAT, UH, I MEAN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DOING MORE ELECTRONICALLY TODAY MM-HMM
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED TO CHANGE OUR MODEL TO KIND OF MATCH THAT.
I MEAN, WHATEVER SOCIETY CHANGES TO, I MEAN, WE CAN'T FORCE THEM TO DO OTHERWISE.
I DON'T SEE ANY GOOD COLLEAGUES IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO.
AND THANK YOU FOR OUR GREAT PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE WILL START WITH TERRY CHEN.
YOU, YOU GUYS CAN STEP DOWN, DIRECTOR, YOU GUYS CAN STEP DOWN AND LET THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS.
THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENTERS.
WE ARE UP AGAINST KIND OF A HARD DEADLINE TODAY AS PUBLIC SESSION STARTS.
SO WE'RE GONNA LIMIT COMMENTS TO TWO MINUTES IF THAT'S OKAY.
I'M A DISTRICT H RESIDENT AND I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH JUNTOS.
WHEN I SAW THAT THE BUDGET FOR LIBRARIES WAS REDUCED BY OVER 7%, ALMOST 4 MILLION CUT, I THOUGHT MAYBE CUTS WERE MADE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND THAT WAS PRETTY TRUE, EXCEPT FOR THE EXCEPTION OF HPD.
IT TURNS OUT HPDS PROPOSED BUDGET IS
[00:40:01]
INCREASING BY 36 MILLION, WHICH TELLS HOUSTONIANS WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE.LIBRARIES LITERALLY KEEP KIDS OFF THE STREETS.
THEY PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE IN A CITY THAT IS ONLY GETTING HOTTER PRONE TO CLIMATE CATASTROPHES, HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED, UM, AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRAINAGE HAS AN OBSESSION WITH INCREASING DEPENDENCY ON, UH, DRIVING CARS INSTEAD OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
BUT DESPITE ALL THIS, I LOVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE I LOVE THE COMMUNITIES IN IT.
UM, WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND LIBRARIES ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DO A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING US SAFE THAN THE POLICE DO WITH A FRACTION OF THE BUDGET.
THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE PLACES OF BELONGING FOR PEOPLE AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE.
KIDS, SENIORS, JOB SEEKERS, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I SPENT EVERY DAY IN THE SUMMER EXCEPT FOR SUNDAYS 'CAUSE THE LIBRARY WAS CLOSED.
UM, MY MOM WOULD DROP ME AND MY SISTER OFF WHEN THE LIBRARY OPENED AND SHE WOULD PICK US UP WHEN THE LIBRARY CLOSED.
UM, THAT WAS ALL WE COULD AFFORD FREE DAYCARE AT THE LIBRARY.
AND THAT WAS OVER 30 YEARS AGO.
AND THINGS HAVE ONLY GOTTEN EXPONENTIALLY MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WOULD DO WITH A REDUCTION IN THESE PLACES, IN THESE SERVICES.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF KIDS TODAY WHO DON'T HAVE RELIABLE BROADBAND OR AFTER SCHOOL PLACES TO GO.
UH, THESE ARE PLACES OF SAFETY, LEARNING AND COMMUNITY.
WRAP IT UP IN A STATE WHERE PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO BE INCUBATORS.
GOOD EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE ISN'T GUARANTEED.
CHILDCARE AND HOUSING ISN'T GUARANTEED.
IN THE LAST THING THIS COUNCIL SHOULD ALLOW IS A DECREASE IN FUNDING IN LIBRARIES.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THEIR FUNDING TO BE REDUCED.
INVESTING IN LIBRARIES IS INVESTING IN THE WELLBEING AND FUTURE OF THIS CITY.
THANK, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'LL NEXT HEAR FROM ELIZABETH YAO TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH REMAN.
UM, I'M JUST HERE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS OF HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, TO NAME MY FAVORITE THINGS BY HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I LOVE THE SEED, UH, LIBRARY OF THE LIBRARY THINGS AT THE LOOSE SKIN LIBRARY.
UM, I LOVE THE JAZZ ARCHIVE OF THAT HAS ORAL HISTORIES OF THE JAZZ HISTORY OF HOUSTON THAT YOU CAN ACCESS ONLINE.
UM, THOSE ARE JUST TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, BUT I WANTED TO, UM, LOOKING AT THE BUDGET CUTS, IT WAS ALARMING TO HEAR BECAUSE, UM, AS TERRY WAS SAYING, THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING PROGRAMS THAT, UM, HPL HAS FOR ALL STAGES OF LIFE.
LIKE I WAS LOOKING AT THE WEBSITES, THERE'S TODDLER STORY TIMES, THERE ARE, UM, TEEN BOARD GAME NIGHTS, AND THERE IS I THINK A SENIOR CITIZENS GROUP AND THERE'S TOMORROW AT THE MOODY LIBRARY, A TEEN DRUM SESSION.
I WAS LIKE, THAT SEEMS AMAZING.
AND THERE'S ALSO LIKE JOB SEEKER HELP.
UM, I THINK, I MEAN THE LIBRARIES ARE WHAT MAKE HOUSTON AMAZING.
UM, I GO TO THE STELLA LINK LIBRARY, BUT I'VE BEEN TO THE HEIGHTS LIBRARY, UM, AND IT'S MANY MORE.
BUT I WOULD JUST DEFINITELY WANT, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THE FUNDING FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, UM, STAYS, UH, IN HIGH PRIORITY BECAUSE IT'S WHAT MAKES HOUSTON WONDERFUL AND GATHERS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
SARAH REMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY SABA BLANDING.
I'M A TEACHER HERE IN HOUSTON AND I'M ALSO HERE TO JUST VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
I GREW UP GOING TO THE MONTROSE LIBRARY AND SEEING THE NEW BUILDINGS, AND I REALLY DO THINK NOURISHING THE CURRENT LIBRARIES, THE SMALLER ONES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WITH UPLIFTING THEM WITH MORE RESOURCES.
AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING REALLY HAS SHOWN HOW VITAL IT HAS PROVEN FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AROUND, AROUND THESE LIBRARIES.
AND FOR PEOPLE COMMUTING TO THESE LIBRARIES.
THESE ARE VITAL SPACES FOR FAMILIES, FOR IMMIGRANTS, FOR PEOPLE SEEKING, SEEKING CIVIC AND LITERACY AND INFORMATION, AND JUST GATHERING SPACES THAT ARE STILL SPACES THAT WE HAVE TO GATHER WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND $3 FOR A COFFEE CUP.
YOU KNOW? AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES AND LIBRARIES AREN'T JUST BOOKS.
WE KNOW THAT IT IS ALSO VITAL, VITAL SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER.
BUDGET CUTS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO THESE LIBRARIES.
IT'S, IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
LIBRARIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FUNDAMENTAL INSTITUTION TO AMERICA, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THE FIRST LIBRARY LIBRARIES, AS WE KNOW IT WAS INVENTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT.
AND THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT, AND THE THE
[00:45:01]
IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION IS SO VITAL.AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS $36 MILLION GOING TO A POLICE BUDGET, A BLOODY POLICE BUDGET, IT IS, IT'S WRONG.
I THINK THAT MONEY SHOULD BE SOURCED TOWARDS COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, SOCIAL SERVICES, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HAPPENING AT THESE LIBRARIES.
SABA BLANDING TO BE FOLLOWED BY HELM AL.
UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS BUDGET.
THE BUDGET DE FUNDS OUR CITY LIBRARIES WITH A 7.2% CUT IN FUNDING OUT OF ALL THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITIES IN TEXAS, HOUSTON HAS THE LOWEST INVESTMENT PER CAPITAL IN LIBRARIES, WHICH IS JUST EMBARRASSING FOR US.
AND, UM, THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE IN A GOOD YEAR WHEN THE LIBRARIES PROVIDE A WEALTH OF SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS ACROSS OUR CITY.
UM, MY FAMILY ALONE HAS BENEFITED FROM THEIR ROBUST BABY AND TODDLER STORY TIMES FUN AND DIVERSE SUMMER OFFERINGS FOR KIDS AND INCREDIBLE AUTHOR EVENTS.
WE UTILIZE A PASSPORT SERVICES THE LIBRARY OFFERS, OFFERS AND MY SEVENTH GRADER DEVOURS BOOKS ON THE LIBBY APP.
NOT TO MENTION CHECKING OUT BOOKS AND FLIP KITS.
I DON'T HAVE TO IMAGINE WHAT HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY OFFERS TO THE REST OF HOUSTON BECAUSE I SEE MY FELLOW HOUSTONIANS UTILIZING SERVICES RIGHT ALONGSIDE ME.
I AM CONFIDENT IN EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
I'M NOT CONFIDENT IN THIS BUDGET, ESPECIALLY AS WE FACE CUTS TO LIBRARIES AND EDUCATION AT THE ISD STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE JUST REPORTED THAT HISD ONLY HAS 23 LIBRARIANS FOR 274 SCHOOLS.
UM, I JUST, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CUTTING HBO'S BUDGET BY 7.2%.
YOU ARE ASKING THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO BE LIKE JESUS, GIVING THEM A COUPLE SMALL FISH AND HALF A LOAF OF BREAD AND ASKING THEM TO FEED THE THOUSANDS.
WELL, I WOULD ARGUE THAT LIBRARIANS TRULY ARE MIRACLE WORKERS.
THIS IS UNREALISTIC AND UNFAIR.
HOUSTONIANS DESERVE TO KNOW HOW MUCH FUNDING THE LIBRARY SYSTEM ACTUALLY NEEDS AND FOR OUR TAX DOLLARS TO BE INVESTED ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND I JUST LOVE THAT QUOTE, IF YOU PROVIDE WHAT PEOPLE NEED, THEY'LL SHOW UP FOR IT.
THANK YOU SA BETTER THAN THIS.
HELEN EROL TO BE FOLLOWED BY ISHA BTA.
MY NAME IS HELENA DAH AND I'M HERE AS A YOUNG ADVOCATE WITH WOODY JUNTOS, A NONPROFIT GROUP SERVING MULTILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS.
TODAY I'M ENCOURAGING YOU TO SUPPORT HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES, WHICH PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY HOUSTONIANS, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES LIKE MINE.
WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE US THE LIBRARY BECAME ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES I FELT WELCOMED AND SUPPORTED.
AND IT GAVE ME FREE INTERNET ACCESS RESOURCES IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND THE TOOLS THAT I NEEDED TO KEEP UP AT SCHOOL, WHICH WERE VITAL FOR ME AS A NEW ENGLISH SPEAKER.
AND AS MY FAMILY SETTLED IN HOUSTON, THAT ACCESS HELPED SHAPE MY FUTURE AS WELL AS THE FUTURE OF SO MANY HOUSTONIANS LIKE MYSELF.
HPL HAS BEEN WORKING TO DIG, DIGITIZE, AND CENTRALIZE ITS RESOURCES, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AT HOME.
BUT THESE EFFORTS ARE NOW AT RISK.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, A FEDERAL EXECUTIVE ORDER THREATENED TO ELIMINATE THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES, AN AGENCY THAT PREVIOUSLY AWARDED HPL $100,000 FOR DIGITIZATION EFFORTS.
ON TOP OF THAT, THE CITY HAS CUT H P'S BUDGET YEAR AFTER YEAR, INCLUDING A MAJOR DIP AFTER 2023 THAT THE SYSTEM IS STILL RECOVERING FROM.
THIS ADDITIONAL CUT OF 7.2% IS UNACCEPTABLE.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THE IMPACT OF THESE CUTS, LIKE WHEN PRINTING SERVICES STOPPED BEING FREE LAST NOVEMBER.
FOR MANY LOW INCOME FAMILIES, STUDENTS, AND OTHER HOUSTONIANS IN NEED, THAT CHANGE MADE BASIC ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND JOB RESOURCES HARDER.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT IT CAN CONTROL HOW MUCH IT VALUES AND FUND THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
IF QUALITY OF LIFE IS TRULY A PRIORITY FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION, THEN INVESTING IN HPL MUST BE PART OF THAT COMMITMENT.
LIBRARIES ARE NOT JUST ABOUT BOOKS.
THEY'RE ABOUT ACCESS, EQUITY, AND BELONGING.
I URGE YOU TO PROTECT AND INCREASE FUNDING FOR HPL SO IT CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITIES WHO NEED IT MOST.
I'M A PROUD SEVEN YEAR HOUSTON RESIDENT, A CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENT AT UT HEALTH AND A YOUNG ADVOCATE, UH, WITH URI JUNTOS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF A BUDGET SMART INVESTMENT PILOTING EXTENDED HOURS AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
DESPITE SERVING MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE, HOUSTON LIBRARIES HAD JUST 0.80 VISITS PER CAPITA LAST YEAR.
WELL BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE OF 2.86, BUT THE DEMAND IS CLEARLY THERE.
IN 2023 ALONE, LIBRARIES SUPPORTED 11.5 MILLION WIFI SESSIONS, OVER 312,000 PUBLIC COMPUTER USERS AND 1.8 MILLION USERS.
WHILE MOST BRANCHES WERE ONLY OPEN 64 HOURS PER WEEK.
A 2024 STUDY IN THE JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FOUND THAT ADDING JUST 10 WEEKEND HOURS TO A LIBRARY BOOSTED USE ACROSS THE BOARD, PEOPLE COME EARLIER,
[00:50:01]
STAYED LONGER, AND THE LIBRARY BECAME MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WITH NON-TRADITIONAL SCHEDULES.AS YOU REVIEW THIS YEAR'S CITY BUDGET, I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER A PILOT PROGRAM TO EXTEND HOURS, EVEN IF JUST AT ONE OR TWO KEY BRANCHES, FIRST, INCLUDING EVENING AND WEEKEND ACCESS.
THIS WOULD OFFER A HIGH IMPACT, LOW-COST WAY TO IMPROVE PUB PUBLIC SERVICE FOR STUDENTS, WORKING PARENTS, JOB SEEKERS, AND OTHERS WHO RELY ON LIBRARIES FOR SAFE CONNECTED SPACE.
AS SOMEONE WHO OFTEN STUDIES LATE NIGHT AS A GRADUATE STUDENT AT UT HEALTH AND JUGGLES MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES, I KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW VITAL EVENING ACCESS CAN BE.
I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THIS CRITICAL RESOURCE OVER INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE HPD.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR COMING WITH A SUGGESTION.
OKAY, ANYBODY, OTHER SPEAKERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN THE CHAMBER? OKAY, SEEING NONE, COLLEAGUES, WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK AND BEGIN WITH HPD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LIBRARIES.
IN FIVE MINUTES, FIVE MINUTES.