February 9 2022 Board Meeting Minutes

Prince Rupert Public Library
Library Board Meeting

February 9, 2022

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

Regrets: n/a

Meeting commenced at 7:01 pm.

• Two matters added to Discussion Agenda: Employee vaccine mandate or not and a request to all trustees to join SL on the ChiefLib Evaluation committee.
• Motion by BT to accept Consent agenda as is and Discussion Agenda with additions, seconded by SL, Passed.
• Discussion about the unilateral cancellation of Phase 5 of the Turning the Pages project by WCD Inc. JZ will follow up as per trustees' concerns about 'termination rules' and PRL staff labour done up to point of termination. JZ's main concerns are two; get the master microfilms from WCD, ensure they are all accounted for and to cut all ties with WCD, in order to move the project forward.
• JZ gave brief overview about the PRL hosting the 2022 NWLF conference on September 16 , 17 assuming that the Provincial restrictions will allow us to meet in person. As well we discussed the need for a PRL trustee to volunteer to be on the NWLF Board. JZ will ask the NWLF director, Kaitlyn Vecchio, for some details so that one of our trustees can decide to volunteer.
• CA and NA talked about the upcoming meeting between some of PRL trustees, JZ and City Manager Rob Buchan re: the 2030 plan and the possibility of Library being involved in a new building complex. It was stressed that this would be a early stages meeting so that the PRL Board and City Manager can meet and get a common understanding of the Library's needs, the City's responsibilities and limitations and the nature of the project. PRL trustees are happy to work with the City on this matter.
• Our strategic plan is almost complete. JZ will be sending it to all trustees for final approval. It should be ready for the public before the March 9 Board meeting. Trustees think that we should share this plan with City Council as well.
• JZ discussed that we are getting to the right point, COVID-wise, where we could open on Sundays if restrictions are lessened in mid-to-late February. Trustees concurred.
• JZ informed trustees that the Library will be hosting a Northern Health COVID-19 Vaccination clinic on February 10, 11, 12. Hopefully, this will give an opportunity to those people who wish to get vaccinated but are wary of more traditional medical institutions.
• JZ informed the trustees that the 4 new Cognitive kits are ready for circulation. These are tools that will help individuals with cognitive difficulties due to dementia or Alzheimer's to communicate more through interaction with loved ones through the resources in the kits.
• JZ informed trustees that some public libraries in the province were implementing COVID-19 vaccination mandates for Library employees. The matter was discussed.
• SL led discussion requesting that some trustees form a committee to complete a Chief Librarian evaluation process. BT and DW agreed to help with this.

Next Board meeting will be at 7pm on March 9, 2022. Some trustees would like to meet in person again, so trustees and JZ will decide a week or so before March 9 and see if the COVID-19 has changed sufficiently and that all trustees are willing to have a full in-person meeting or a hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:20 pm. Next Meeting at 7pm (Wednesday March 9, 2022).

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