About the Library

As we address challenges with the building, the library continues to be open for curbside service only, from 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 1pm to 5pm on Saturdays. Please phone the library at 250-627-1345, or e-mail circulation staff on duty at circulation@princerupertlibrary.ca. You may also use our catalogue to place holds for yourself directly:

https://bpr.bc.catalogue.libraries.coop/eg/opac/home

What happened: A drainpipe froze at the point that it exits the building, and water that came down from the roof backed up and found a weakness in a joint. This water coming from the ceiling has been stopped, but we are still unable to use the lights in a high traffic area, and on top of that there is now a bit of a hole between the first and second floors! As you might imagine, local professionals already have their hands full dealing with the consequences of the freezing weather, yet they're helping us as fast as they can.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope to reopen fully soon.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

October 20 2021

Present: Nick Adey (NA), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ, Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Chris Armstrong (CA), Chelsea Keays (CK)

Meeting commenced at 7:15pm

• motion to accept consent agenda by AW, seconded by BT; passed
• Librarian September update
  • the 2021 Library annual book sale finished up late September and while done differently this wear, we made slightly over $2200. In 2019 the sale brought in ~$1700. This year we asked for donations rather than set prices and buyers were generous and the volunteers enjoyed the process more. This is probably a good model to try again.
  • we will try and find volunteers to change remaining books into paper and non-paper for possible paper recycling before the books are sent to the landfill
  • Roof repairs are complete, final painting of skylight area being done in late October.
  • Successful BC vaccine passport printing/laminating service slowing down now. Patrons grateful.
  • JZ will do a cost assessment for possible re-opening of Thursday evenings
  • JZ and Library staff will review how the new patron limit is working (i.e. evidence) and what public relations impact keeping or changing this patron class will have.
  • JZ and staff will try and cost out use of interac terminals and how to minimize costs to library if we can.
  • No Spring 2022 NWLF conference, perhaps in Fall of 2022 in Prince Rupert

Meeting Adjourned at 8:05 pm. Next Meeting at 7pm Nov. 10, 2021.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

September 15 2021

Present: Chris Armstrong (CA), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ, Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Nick Adey (NA)

Meeting commenced at 7:01pm

• Consent Agenda passed. Motion by AW, seconded by BT.
• Discussion Agenda matters:
  • The Board has approved the proposed budget to give to City.
  • JZ stated that the decision of the Library Board to rescind the Positive COVID test policy completed through a email vote around Aug.27, 2021 is in effect from that date. Library staff will be notified.
  • Discussion about the Library Director/Library trustee evaluation committee needing to be refreshed after the departure of expired trustees.
  • Discussion about the 'Kith and Kin' indigenous ancestry search program available at VPL (Vancouver Public Library). JZ and the Chief Librarian at Terrace Public Library have started looking into the program and get back to the PRL Board.
  • Work on the Strategic plan continues and is getting closer to a complete draft.
  • Vaccine gate keeping is NOT required at Public libraries, although our staff is presently busy in processing, printing and laminating patron Vaccine cards for no charge.
  • A new roof is just about complete in the Library. It's been noisy but it will fix the leaks. We appreciate this work by the City.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:30pm. Next Meeting at 7pm Oct 13, 2021.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

June 9 2021

Present: Nick Adey (NA), Chelsea Keays (CK), Brendan Turner (BT), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ, Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Chris Armstrong (CA), Stephanie Lysyk (SL)

Meeting commenced at 7:03pm

• Motion to accept Consent agenda as is, by CdR, seconded by AW, passed.
• Discussion about the COVID-19 positive test policy. The Board will leave the policy in place until early July sometime after the community-wide vaccination clinic and will consider/vote on the matter through email.
• Discussion about the latest draft of the Library's 5 year strategic plan. Trustees are happy with the draft. Although there are two matters which still remain. One is that some feel the present final line is weak and needs to be strengthened. The other is that the whole plan should be reviewed, not for content evaluation, but for the layout and font. JZ will work with one of our trustees who has more experience in publishing.
• Board informed of the submitted grant application to the Prince Rupert and Regional Community Foundation (PRRCF) in order to complete the Juvenile Non-Fiction Re-fresh.
• Discussion about the recently established PRL Centennial Committee. The committee consists of trustees, staff and Friends of the PR Library. An enthusiastic first meeting was held on June 3 and several ideas were floated. JZ will keep trustees informed.
• All trustees were reminded that there Board appointments are time limited and that re- appointments are necessary.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

May 12 2021

Present: Nick Adey (NA), Chris Armstrong (CA), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ, Chief Librarian)

Regrets: n/a

Meeting commenced at 7:01pm

• Motion to remove April Circulation report from Consent Agenda to Discussion Agenda and accept the remaining items on the Consent Agenda as they are by NA, seconded by BT. Passed
• Discussion about the circulation report. Trustees wish the monthly circulation be altered to show an additional year of data to see whether long term trends are evident as 2020 data does not represent a 'normal' year. This will be started in June 2021. 2019 will be on the stats report as well.
• JZ gave May update.
  • The Library received a significant donation in April (actually deposited in May) that will be used to improve either collections or programming or both.
  • Vermin (mice) infestation in Library basement dealt with in April.
  • First evening openings since COVID shutdown of March 2020 occurred on May 5, 2021. We opened to the public until 7pm in order to provide more access to public.
  • 100th Anniversary of Prince Rupert Public Library committee formed from Library staff, Library Board and Friends of the PR Library. Meetings will commence shortly.
  • We began working on a "Cognitive Kits" project with Northern Health. We will be circulating various boxes of cognitive aids meant to re-invigorate brain activity.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

April 14 2021

Present: Chris Armstrong (CA), Cary Dalton (CD), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ, Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Carolina de Ryk (CdR)

Meeting commenced at 7:02pm

• Motion by BT, seconded by CD to accept consent agenda as is, passed.
• Discussion about status of Library. We have been open to the public since April 6, the first business day after the Easter break. Patrons are pleased and staff is doing well dealing with people with the COVID protocols.
• Discussion about Library's Positive COVID-19 test policy. Board is reviewing the policy.
• Discussion about how to approach the development of policies/procedures for potential violent altercations in libraries, this topic's relevance became clear after the stabbing incident in North Vancouver District Public Library in March 2021.
• Discussion about next year's Library centennial anniversary. PRL will be one hundred years old on March 27, 2022. JZ will organize a Trustee/Staff committee to develop an appropriate celebration.
• Two Board committees will be meeting virtually later in April and in early May. While each committee consists only a few trustees, other trustees are welcome to these Zoom meetings if they wish to:
  • The Strategic Planning committee will be meeting on April 22 at 7pm
  • The fundraising/grant-writing committee will be meeting on May 6 at 7pm

Meeting Adjourned at 8:15 pm. Next full Board Meeting at 7pm May 12, 2021.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

March 10 2021

Present: Chris Armstrong (CA), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Dale White (DW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ-Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Andrea Wilmot (AW), Cary Dalton (CD)

Meeting commenced at 7:10pm

• Minutes of February 10, 2021 PRL Board meeting passed, motion by CK, seconded by SL, Passed
• Discussion of present state of Library Services. We are presently closed to the public, but providing services to the Library patrons at the door. We are doing 'curbside pick-up', ILL services commencing March 12. Revised document services and public computer access to begin during week of March 15 to 19. Library management will review service level on March 19, but due to the high COVID-19 infection rate it is unlikely that the Library doors will be fully open until end of March.
• Discussion of wording in PRL "COVID-19 Positive Test" policy. There is a statement in the policy "...all staff members to go home and self-isolate until further notified". This statement is seen by some staff as outside the Board's authority and non-enforceable. The Board is reconsidering the wording in the policy. The Board was attempting to provide support for Library staff by letting everyone know that staff would not have to work in a unsafe workplace and that it was asking staff to 'not report to work' until notified to return by management. The Policy wording will be revised by JZ, and presented to the Board for approval.

Motion to adjourn (CdR) at 8:05 pm


Next Meeting at 7pm (April 14, 2021)

Prince Rupert Public Library
Special Library Board Meeting

January 21 2021

Present: Cary Dalton (CD), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ-Chief Librarian)

Regrets: Nick Adey (NA), Carolina de Ryk (CdR)

Meeting commenced at 7:01pm

The purpose of this meeting was to finalize the Prince Rupert Public Library "Positive COVID-19 test policy". There was discussion about the matter and finally a motion by BT, seconded by CD 'that the Positive COVID-19 test policy be accepted'. Passed.

As well as about questions regarding COVID-19 specifically about 'requirement of negative COVID-19 tests for return to work' and 'self-isolation of staff member if spouse is required to self-isolate. Both questions were answered through the BC CDC website and the answers as well as the references are printed in our COVID-19 Safety manual.

Motion to adjourn @ 7:45 pm

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

January 13 2021

Present: Nick Adey (NA), Cary Dalton (CD), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ-Chief Librarian)

Regrets: n/a

Meeting commenced at 7:02pm

• Motion to accept the Consent Agenda DW, seconded by NA; Passed
• Addition to Discussion Agenda: Tentative PRL Positive COVID-19 policy and idea about iPads in the Children's area
• Introduction to new trustee, Welcome Brendan Turner to the PR Library Board!
• Notice of Resignation of trustee Glenn Groulx.
• Discussion of proposed 2021 Library Board meeting schedule. JZ will revise schedule as per Board's direction and resubmit it for approval in February meeting.
• JZ will commence process of finding a new trustee.
• BT will join the Strategic Planning committee
• Discussion about December 2020 Library activities:
  • JZ and staff completed two grant applications in December (1. A Federal Early Learning and Childcare Innovation grant and 2. Barber Learning Centre Digitization grant for the completion of purchase of all images up to the newspaper's cessation in 2010)
  • Various maintenance issues with building in December (blocked drain and rusted partitions in men's bathroom, broken faucet in janitor's room, broken boiler backflow-preventer, gutter downspout blockage, and various battery failures)
• Discussion about proposed "PRL Positive COVID-19 test" policy.

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

February 10 2021

Present: Nick Adey (NA), Chris Armstrong (CA), Carolina de Ryk (CdR), Chelsea Keays (CK), Stephanie Lysyk (SL), Brendan Turner (BT), Dale White (DW), Andrea Wilmot (AW), Joe Zelwietro (JZ-Chief Librarian)

Regrets: n/a

Meeting commenced at 7:03pm

• Introduction of new PRL trustee Chris Armstrong.
• Motion to accept consent agenda and matters listed under Consent agenda by SL, seconded by AW, passed.
• Amended Discussion Agenda to include two items,
  • Inform new trustees of the various sub-committees and setting a date for next Fundraising/Grantwriting sub-Cmte meeting
  • Outdoor bench idea
• Discussion about matters in Discussion agenda:
  • JZ updated trustees about Library matters in January. The Library has completed another grant application for 2021's Summer Reading Club program. We'll find out in a month or two. JZ will be adjudicating some of the non-BC Library SRC applications.
  • The Library's ReOpening working group met to discuss the possibility of eliminating the 24-hr quarantine of returned items, but ultimately decided not to change this process during this recent rise of COVID infections within our community.