AGENDA the Denver Public Library Commission Regular Monthly Meeting Thursday, December 20, 2018, 8:30 A.M

AGENDA The Denver Public Library Commission Regular Monthly Meeting Thursday, December 20, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Denver Central Library 7th Floor Training Room

1. Call to order.

2. Introductions.

3. Approval of minutes from November 15, 2018, Regular Library Commission meeting. Commission

4. Public comment period.

5. Report of the President and members. a. Finalize 2019 committee assignments b. Review 2019 Commission meeting dates c. Update on Foundation/Commission task force d. Overview of January retreat

6. Report of the Friends Foundation.

7. Review and approval of Commission Bylaws a. Redline copy of revised commission bylaws b. Copy of revised commission bylaws for approval

8. Approval of the 2019 Special Trust Fund Budget

9. Approval of the 2019 Strategic Plan

10. Report of the City Librarian.

11. Overview of the 2019 You’re Welcome campaign. Chris Henning and Diana Cordova

12. Other Business. a. Commission refreshments discussion

13. Executive Session to Discuss City Librarian Performance Review.

14. Adjournment. Happy Holidays!

Agenda Item 3 Requested Action: Approval

MINUTES The Denver Public Library Commission Regular Monthly Meeting Thursday, November 15, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Denver Central Library 7th Floor Training Room

Present: Greg Hatcher1, Vicki Hellmer, Alice Kelly, Cathy Lucas, Rosemary Marshall, Carlos Martinez

Excused: Laurie Mathews

Staff: Wendy Copley, Rebecca Czarnecki, Nicanor Diaz, Dana Franklin (SC), Rachel Fewell, Susan Kotarba, Elaine Langeberg, Jenny LaPerriere, Zeth Lietzau, Amber Lindberg, Erika Martinez, Ron Miller, Joe Mills (SC), Stacey Watson, Michelle Jeske

Guests: Jeff Riley, Friends Foundation

1. Call to order. President Carlos Martinez called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m.

2. Introductions. Commissioners, staff and guests introduced themselves.

3. Approval of minutes from October 18, 2018, Regular Library Commission meeting. Commission The October minutes were approved as written.

4. Public comment period. N/A

5. Report of the President and members. Commissioners Vicki Hellmer and Rosemary Marshall attended the reception to celebrate the community curation project happening in partnership with the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC), part of the Smithsonian Institution. Hellmer also attended the Undesign the Redline exhibit opening. This exhibit hosted at Blair-Caldwell connects the intentional and systematic racial housing segregation of the 1930s to political and social issues of today. The exhibit is there through December 15 before moving to the Wellington Webb Municipal Office Building and Hellmer encouraged other Commissioners to attend.

1 Arrived at 8:39 a.m. during the report of the President and members 1 Martinez and Lucas thanked DPL staff for getting out in the community noting that DPL seems to be “everywhere we look.”

6. Report of the Friends Foundation. Jeff Riley Friends Foundation Director Jeff Riley reported on the Friends Board meeting. The budget was presented but still needs approval. He noted that they are looking at who can help be more active around advocacy and how that might inform recruiting efforts. They are also restructuring their development efforts to form a committee to work on larger giving including GO bond supplementation. Commissioner Hellmer, who is the Commission liaison to the Friends Foundation, noted that the budget includes funds for a feasibility study. This would allow the Friends to hire a consultant to do a study for a capital campaign in order to potentially raise funds to supplement the bond and other capital needs, help grow the endowment, and support library programs that are currently grant funded. This would be an assessment of the community’s ability and willingness to support the Friends at higher levels. The Friends’ endowment to the library will be $250,000 this year, down slightly from the $270,000 in past years due to market fluctuations. Commissioners asked Riley about how the advocacy committee will set advocacy priorities. He responded that advocacy priorities will be determined in partnership with DPL. The model that consultant Peter Pearson recommended would not work well in Denver according to City Librarian Jeske and will need to be adapted. Also, given the support from City Council around the need for an increase in the collections budget that will be a priority in 2020.

7. Approval of changes to the Collection Development Policy. Stacey Watson Watson noted that the changes are to help make the policy more clear. The proposed changes are captured in the summary in the Commission packet. Watson was asked what was the the impetus for changing the policy and what is the process? Watson replied that it is standard to review the policy every couple of years to make sure it continues to be in-line with DPL’s mission and practices. Watson noted that the local author issue had come up several times, as an example. The entire Collection Development team looked at the policy together, as did Jim Kroll and the Western History and Genealogy department, as well as the Reference department, and the Executive Team. Upon motion by Hellmer and second by Marshall, the changes to the Collection Development policy were approved.

8. Approval of Commission Bylaws. Commissioner Hellmer reviewed the changes proposed to the Commission bylaws. More substantial changes include: ● Changing the language previously noting monthly meetings as the schedule is changing. ● Commission terms will now begin January 1 instead of August 1. There is also language to clarify that a Commissioner can serve for two consecutive terms, unless you take over someone’s term. In that case you serve the duration of that person’s term. ● Language added to state officers will be elected in December rather than July, in keeping with changing the terms.

2 ● Added language to state that the Secretary can delegate the keeping of minutes. ● Language added to note members may participate by phone. Members are deemed to be present by phone. Discussion occurred around whether or not unanimous approval is required for certain issues. Perhaps for major administrative decisions the Commission may call for ⅔ of a vote and the need for that could be determined by the Executive Committee. The Commission might also want to consider granting a resolution to sometimes have the Executive Committee look at certain issues. Hellmer noted that she would continue to work on some changes and bring the bylaws back for approval in December.

9. Discussion of Commission terms related to Bylaws. Martinez asked if Commissioners were comfortable extending their terms by three months so the Commission may adjust to bringing new Commissioners onboard in January. Everyone was in favor.

10. Approval of Commission Attendance and Participation Expectations The new attendance document was reviewed and will be effective January 1, 2019. Upon motion by Hellmer and second by Hatcher, the attendance and participation expectations were approved. Commissioners will sign the document at the December meeting each year.

11. Discussion of 2019 Committee assignments. The Commission reviewed committee assignments. Martinez will reach out individually to discuss. Lucas noted she has enjoyed being on the Eleanor Gehres committee. Assignments will be confirmed in December.

12. Report of the City Librarian. Michelle Jeske Jeske mentioned some major upcoming retirements including Director of Finance, Security, and Facilities, Ron Miller and Facilities Manager, Michael Murphy. Jim Kroll, manager of Western History and Genealogy as well as Blair-Caldwell also just retired. City Council has approved the 2019 budget and nothing was changed. The bond work is moving along. There is a short list of four architects for Smiley and Byers. It is possible a firm will be selected by the end of the year. An RFQ for Central is also out and there was a meeting for potential vendors to find out more about the project. An RFQ for Blair-Caldwell should go out in the first quarter of next year. Jeske thanked Hellmer and Marshall for attending the reception at Blair-Caldwell and noted that the digitization project was extended thanks to strong community demand. Councilman Lopez and the Mayor attended the fifth ideaLAB opening at Gonzales. It’s in a great space and the view from the street will be of people working together and making things. There is a fabric arts component because that was what the community requested. We received two new staff for the lab thanks to a City budget service expansion. We keep adding to what people can do with their library cards and you can now get tickets to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra with your card through a lottery system. Jeske also noted dates to remember including a R.A.D.A. book club event, another Discover Your Library session with a more general focus, the Friends’ holiday lighting party, and the January 17 Library Commission retreat. 3 Kelly asked about Gonzales noting that Blair-Caldwell has a research area and whether or not there have been requests for something similar at Gonzales. Jeske responded that there have been requests for such and that during the 2007 bond process, the financing we received was for a regular branch library. DPL has strong staffing, security, sustainability and environmental conditions concerns around trying to replicate what is at Blair-Caldwell for another community. We are looking at an IMLS grant that would help us work with the Latino Cultural Arts Center and others on what a new model might look like. We have a desire to do something but are not sure what it looks like yet and it is not practical to do at Gonzales at this time.

13. Understanding Your Library Part III: Use of data. Nicanor Diaz and Jenny LaPerriere See attached slides.

Manager of Adult Services, Jenny LaPerriere talked about the different types of data DPL utilizes and how it is related back to the Harwood community engagement methods. This is about understanding our community’s aspirations and the kind of community people want to live in. Some highlights: ● Can look at usage by hour and see what are peak times. ● Use a menu of opportunity to help branches determine what they want to do and how much budget they need. ● Use a time tracker for programming as an evaluation component.

Manager of Immigrant Services, Nicanor Diaz then followed up to talk about how the data we use helps inform services for immigrants and refugees, as a case study: ● Our Plaza programs connect immigrants to resources and information. We offer Plaza at 10 locations, for 44 hours a week, including two Saturday locations. The programs are all free and intergenerational. There are 35 Plaza staff who speak many different languages and look like the community they are serving. It began with Spanish speakers but has grown as the needs of our communities have changed. ● They look at anecdotal and analytical data to see how communities are changing. We stopped offering Plazas at some locations but started at others as the needs change. ● There was a DPS study on the top languages used in the area and so we translate our materials into those top six languages. ● We use data to direct programs - but it is not just about data. For example, we knew there was a need at Schlessman but were having a hard time getting the community through the doors. We just hired an Amharic speaking librarian and he got the community engaged, and now Plaza there is very successful.

Questions: ● Q: If you live outside of Denver can you participate? A: Yes, anyone can participate. We don’t ask for a library card, name, or where people are from.

● Q: Are you focusing on anything new? A: Going to focus more on citizenship next year.

● Q: What is the age demographic? A: Adults. Mostly 30-50s, followed by children, not many teens. 4

● Q: Can you talk more about service planning and what that is? A: There are lots of ways programming develops but during service planning there is a menu of opportunities to help give branch staff ideas, costs, frameworks, etc. It is an opportunity for branches to meet with the leads of a specific strategic initiative and talk about trying something new and what might warrant stopping.

14. Other Business. N/A

The meeting was adjourned at 9:49 a.m. Minutes submitted by Bec Czarnecki on behalf of Cathy Lucas

5 IMAGINE 2020 Speaker Series Getting to Know Our City Better: How Data Can Guide Community Engagement Efforts The IMAGINE 2020 Speaker Series is intended to:

Continue the conversations that began with IMAGINE 2020 ❶

Keep the Cultural Plan at the forefront of our thinking as a ❷ community

❸ Inspire implementation by all of our cultural partners

❹ Find opportunities for professional development to learn and grow collectively

Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs FIND THE DATA: artsandvenues.com/about-imagine2020

Public Survey Data 2017

Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs

Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs

Denver Public Library

Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs Agenda

∗ Introductions ∗ Library context ∗ Planning tools ∗ Evaluation tools ∗ Case Study: Services to Immigrants and Refugees A little context

Most-visited cultural attraction in Denver

∗ 4+ million visitors ∗ 2,800 daily visitors to Central Library ∗ 13 million online visitors annually ∗ 9.2 million+ items circulated ∗ 400,000+ attendees at programs A little context

∗ Founded in 1889 ∗ Independent agency of the City and County of Denver ∗ Governed by Library Commission appointed by Mayor ∗ 26 locations + 2 bookmobiles and a bike… ∗ 750 staff members ∗ $50,000,000 annual budget Mission The Denver Public Library connects people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.

Vision An inspired and engaged Denver Decision Inputs

∗ Data ∗ City and Mayoral priorities ∗ Library Commission ∗ Community ∗ Customers ∗ Staff ∗ Local and national trends and information ∗ Professional trends and best practices ∗ Partner information ∗ Emergent issues Demographics Now and Analytics on Demand Local GIS data Community Engagement Usage Planning Highlights Strategic Plan Menus of Opportunities Service Plan Evaluation and Outcomes PowerBI: Visualization Outcomes - Quantitative

∗ Attendance ∗ Costs and ROI ∗ Free isn’t free ∗ Compare with capacity (spaces and staff) Outcomes - Quantitative Outcomes - Quantitative Outcomes - Quantitative Outcomes - Qualitative

∗ Surveys ∗ Customer Feedback : in-person, cards & webmaster ∗ Stories Of Impact Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Outcomes - Qualitative Quantitative + Qualitative =

Evaluation of how to proceed and where to go next Case Study: Services to Immigrants and Refugees Case Study: Services to Immigrants and Refugees

Questions?

Nicanor Diaz [email protected] Jenny LaPerriere [email protected] Anne Kemmerling [email protected] Agenda Item 5a Requested Action: Review

Current Library Commission Standing Committees

● Cathy Lucas Selection Committee usually ● WHG Manager or other meets in early May. Meets as staff person needed (usually once) to Eleanor Gehres Award ● CCE staff member choose honoree and prepare for late summer event.

● Michelle Jeske (City Librarian) Executive Committee ● Commission President ● Commission Vice President ● Commission Secretary

● Carlos Martinez In general meets once in June ● Alice Kelly re next year’s budget and once ● Michelle Jeske (City in December re next year’s Finance Librarian) Special Trust Fund. ● Finance Director

● Vicki Hellmer Meets approximately bi-monthly at Central Library. (Subject to change.) Friends Foundation Board Dates and times TBA.

● Rosemary Marshall Committee meets several ● Terry Nelson (Blair) times per year to set timeline, ● Erika Martinez (CCE solicit and review applications, Juanita Gray Community Director) select awardees and plan Service Award ● Hannah Miles (CCE) event. Event held first week of ● Ford-Warren or February at Ford-Warren or Blair-Caldwell Senior Blair-Caldwell Librarian

● Sonya Ulibarri Starting in June, committee ● Erika Martinez (CCE meets twice to solicit and Director) review applications, select Latino Awards ● Consuelo Cosio (CCE) awardees and plan event held ● Nicanor Diaz (Gonzales at Gonzales in September. Branch Manager)

● Laurie Mathews Meets monthly the Friday after ● Bria Ward (HR Director) the Commission meeting, 8:30–10a.m. Location changes Staff Council each month; call any staff council member or check website for info.

WHG = Western History/Genealogy CCE= Communications and Community Engagement HR= Human Resources Agenda Item 5b Requested Action: Review

2019 Commission Meetings

Retreat: 8:15 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ● Thursday, January 17

Regular Meetings: 8:30 a.m. –11:30 a.m.

● Thursday, February 21, Central Library ● Thursday, April 18, Central Library ● Thursday, June 20, Branch Library ● Thursday, August 15, Central Library ● Thursday, October 17, Branch Library ● Thursday, December 19, Central Library

Agenda Item 5d Requested Action: Review

Library Commission Retreat January 17, 2019 Location TBD Draft agenda

Desired Outcomes ● Commissioners have a meaningful opportunity to contribute to future library strategy ● Commissioners have stronger connections to each other, the library and community ● Library team gains a broader community perspective

8:15–8:45 a.m. Breakfast and Ice Breaker (Fun facts about the library activity)

8:45–9:00 a.m. Business (public comments, minutes approval, etc.)

9:00–9:30 a.m. Themes and Trends from DPL Community Engagement and Research ● Staff Presentation

10:00–10:45 a.m. Themes and Trends from DPL Community Engagement and Research ● Commission Discussion and Exercise

10:45–11:00am Break

11:00–11:45 a.m. – SOAR Exercise ● Strengths: What can we build on? ● Opportunities: What are our best possible future opportunities?

11:45–12:00 p.m. – Get Lunch and Break

Working Lunch

12:00–12:45 p.m. - SOAR Exercise ● Aspirations: What do we care deeply about? ● Results: How will we know we are succeeding?

12:45–1:00 p.m. – Optimistic Closure ● How can Commission be supportive? ● What’s the Commission’s role in development of a new strategic plan for 2020 and beyond?

Agenda Item 7 Requested Action: Approval

Bylaws of the DENVER PUBLIC Library Commission As Amended and Restated DECEMBER _____, 2018

I. Authority The Denver Public Library (DPL) Commission derives its authority from the Charter of the City and County of Denver, as follows:

LIBRARY COMMISSION—LIBRARIES

§ 11.1.1 – Commission created.

There shall be a Library Commission, consisting of eight members, who shall serve without compensation and shall be appointed by the Mayor. (Charter 1960, A14.6; Charter 1904, § 125; Ord. No. 428-02, § 1, 6-3-02, elec. 8-13-02)

§ 11.1.2 – General powers. The Commission shall have exclusive control of the public library, branches thereof and reading rooms, of all money appropriated therefor, of all property or money otherwise acquired for such purposes, of the acquisition by purchase, construction, or lease, of grounds and buildings for such purposes; of the administration of gifts and trusts, and power to do any and all things necessary or expedient in connection with library purposes. (Charter 1960, A14.7; Charter 1904, § 126)

§ 11.1.5 – Annual Reports. The Commission shall make an annual report to the Mayor, stating the condition of its trust, the various sums of money received from the library fund and other sources, and for what purposes such sums of money have been expended; the number of books and periodicals on hand, the number added by purchase or gift, the number lost or missing and the general character of such books, the number of visitors, and such other information as may be deemed of general interest. (Charter 1904, § 130)

II. Name

1 The Commission shall be known as Denver Public Library Commission.

III. Mission of the Library Commission The DPL Commission has exclusive control of the DPL system. It sets policy and governs the system, providing overall direction to ensure that the Library provides the best possible service to the community. In addition to representing the community to the Library, the Library Commission represents the Library to the community, building awareness, understanding, and support.

IV. Mission of the Denver Public Library The Denver Public Library connects people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.

V. Membership and term of service The membership of the Library Commission shall consist of eight members appointed by the Mayor, as specified in the City Charter. The Mayor may appoint members for specifically designated terms of four years each, commencing on January 1 of the applicable year or as soon as practicable thereafter and ending on the later of (a) December 31 of the fourth year of such term or (b) the date as of which such member has been reappointed by the Mayor or a successor shall have been appointed by the Mayor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a person is appointed by the Mayor to replace a member who is leaving the Library Commission before the end of his or her term, then the new member’s initial term shall commence upon the effective date of such appointment and shall end on the later of (a) December 31 of the fourth year of the original term of the member who is being replaced or (b) the date as of which the new member has been reappointed by the Mayor or a successor shall have been appointed by the Mayor. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms (including any term described in the third sentence of this paragraph). Any member may resign at any time upon written notice to the Mayor.

VI. Officers and Terms of Office The officers of the Library Commission shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary, elected by and from the Commission annually. No officer shall serve more than two successive one-year terms in the same office.

VII. Duties of Officers

2 1. President. The President shall be the head of the Library Commission and shall have all the powers and duties usually vested in the chief elected officer of a citizen governing board. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Library Commission. The President shall have the right to vote on all matters. The President shall create and appoint such committees as may be needed for the proper conduct of the work of the Commission. The President may initiate the call for special meetings or may call special meetings upon proper request of members of the Commission. (VIII,2) The President shall sign and execute all contracts on behalf of the Library Commission. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

2. Vice President. The Vice President shall have all the powers and authority and perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence or incapacity of the President.

3. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep or delegate to keep all the minutes of all meetings of the Library Commission. The Secretary may delegate the drafting of minutes to a member of the Library staff, but all such minutes shall be approved by the Commission. The Secretary shall execute such other documents as may be required by the affairs of the Library Commission. The Secretary shall have all the powers and authority and perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence or incapacity of both the President and the Vice President.

4. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, and Secretary. The President may call meetings of the Executive Committee from time to time upon reasonable notice to the members of the Executive Committee and may, but shall not be required to, consult with the Executive Committee in the execution of his or her duties as President. Neither the President nor the Library Commission shall be deemed to have delegated any of their respective powers or duties hereunder to the Executive Committee, unless a resolution has been adopted by the Commission providing for delegation of power or authority with respect to a specific matter.

VIII. Meetings 1. Regular Meetings. The Library Commission shall hold a regular meeting at such time and place as the Library Commission shall determine. Written notice of the regular meeting shall be given to the Mayor, City Council, and the public at least four days in advance of each meeting. Written notice and the agenda for such meeting shall be delivered to each member of the

3 Library Commission at least four days in advance of each meeting.

2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Library Commission may be held at any time. The call for a special meeting may be issued upon authority of the President or upon written request of four or more members of the Library Commission. The call for a special meeting shall state specifically the business to be transacted, and no business other than that set forth in the call for the meeting shall be transacted at the meeting. Notice of a special meeting shall be given by mail, by written notice personally delivered, by telephone, or by such other electronic means as may be adopted by the Library Commission. Notice of a special meeting shall include a statement of the business to be transacted. Written notice of a special meeting shall be given to the Mayor, City Council, and the public, as practicable.

3. Open Meetings. All meetings of the Library Commission shall be open to the public, in accordance with City and County of Denver laws pertaining to the meetings of public decision-making bodies. Executive sessions may be convened under conditions permitted by City and County of Denver law.

4. Annual Meeting for Election of Officers. The Annual Meeting for Election of Officers shall be held at the regularly scheduled meeting in December of each year. At least twenty-seven days in advance of the Annual Meeting, the President shall appoint a nominating committee of three members of the Library Commission to nominate candidates for presentation at the Annual Meeting. Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be excluded from consideration for nomination.

5. Transaction of Business at Meetings. All actions of the Library Commission, except the amendment of these Bylaws, shall be taken by a simple majority of members present at any regular meeting. At any special meeting, all actions of the Library Commission shall be taken by a simple majority of the entire Commission. Any member of the Library Commission may request a roll call with individual recording of votes on any matter before the Library Commission.

6. Telephone Participation of Members at Meetings. A member of the Library Commission, under exceptional circumstances, may participate in a meeting of the Commission by conference telephone or similar communications equipment which enables all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other and which permits full compliance with the provisions of these Bylaws concerning public observation of meetings. A member of the Library Commission shall be deemed to be present at a meeting for all purposes

4 under these bylaws, including for purposes of establishing a quorum and voting, at all times when such member is participating in such meeting by the means described in this paragraph.

7. Quorum and Voting. A quorum will consist of a majority of members on the Commission at any time. A quorum will be required for the transaction of business, except that a meeting at which one member short of a quorum is present may transact business, conditional upon written approval of a majority of the Commission within ten days of the meeting. Voting shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, except (a) as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, and (b) if the Executive Committee or Commission determines a particular matter is of sufficient magnitude to warrant a higher voting threshold, then that matter must be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Commission.

8. Order of Business. Each regular meeting of the Library Commission shall include approval of minutes of previous regular and special meetings, reports of committees, reports and recommendations of the City Librarian on financial and other policy matters, actions on policy matters, and a general opportunity for members of the public and members of the Library staff to address the Library Commission.

IX. Major Duties of the Library Commission 1. Adopt policies concerning library services, financial matters, and personnel matters, for the benefit of excellent public library service for the people of Denver. 2. Employ a qualified person as City Librarian, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission, who shall be the chief executive officer of the Denver Public Library under the policy direction of the Library Commission, and who shall serve as the Library Commission’s principal policy adviser. 3. Review and adopt an annual operating budget proposal for inclusion in the annual budget process of the City and County of Denver. 4. Review and adopt an annual operating budget for the Library Commission Special Trust Fund and such other funds as may become available for appropriation and expenditure by the Library. 5. Review and adopt an annual operating budget request to the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation for endowment funds and other privately-raised funds entrusted to the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation by the Library Commission. 6. Review and adopt annual and multi-year strategic plans designed to provide outstanding public library service to Denver. 7. Evaluate the performance of the City Librarian annually.

5 8. Ensure the library is advancing its mission. . 9. Advise the Mayor and the City Council on matters of concern to the Denver Public Library.

X. Amendments 1. Amendment at Regular Meeting. The Commission may amend these Bylaws by three-fourths majority vote of the entire Commission at a regular meeting. Written notice of proposed amendments shall be given to all Library Commission members at least fifteen days in advance of the meeting. 2. Amendment at Special Meeting. The Commission may amend these Bylaws by three-fourths majority vote of the entire Commission at a special meeting properly called for the purpose.

XI. Parliamentary Procedure In any procedural matter not covered by these Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, shall govern.

XII. Adoption Adopted by the Library Commission of the City and County of Denver this xxth of December, 2018. These Bylaws shall be deemed to supersede any previously adopted Bylaws of the Library Commission, and any such previously adopted Bylaws are hereby amended and restated.

6 Agenda Item 7a Requested Action: Review redline version of revised bylaws

Bylaws of the DENVER PUBLIC Library Commission As Amended and Restated DECEMBER _____, 2018

I. Authority The Denver Public Library (DPL) Commission derives its authority from the Charter of the City and County of Denver, as follows:

LIBRARY COMMISSION—LIBRARIES

§ 11.1.1 – Commission created.

1 II. Name The Commission shall be known as Denver Public Library Commission.

IV. Mission of the Denver Public Library The Denver Public Library connects people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.

VII. Duties of Officers

2. Vice President. The Vice President shall have all the powers and authority and perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence or incapacity of the President.

3 Library Commission at least four days in advance of each meeting.

4 under these bylaws, including for purposes of establishing a quorum and voting, at all times when such member is participating in such meeting by the means described in this paragraph.

7. Quorum and Voting. A quorum will consist of a majority of members on the Commission at any time. A quorum will be required for the transaction of business, except that aA meeting at which one member short of a quorum is present may transact business, conditional upon written approval of a majority of the Commission within ten days of the meeting. Voting shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, except (a) as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, and (b) if the Executive Committee or Commission determines a particular matter is of sufficient magnitude to warrant a higher voting threshold, then that matter must be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Commission.

5 8. Ensure the library is advancing its mission. . 9. Advise the Mayor and the City Council on matters of concern to the Denver Public Library.

XI. Parliamentary Procedure In any procedural matter not covered by these Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, shall govern.

6 Agenda Item 7b Requested Action: Approve

Bylaws of the DENVER PUBLIC Library Commission As Amended and Restated DECEMBER _____, 2018

I. Authority The Denver Public Library (DPL) Commission derives its authority from the Charter of the City and County of Denver, as follows:

LIBRARY COMMISSION—LIBRARIES

§ 11.1.1 – Commission created.

II. Name The Commission shall be known as Denver Public Library Commission. III. Mission of the Library Commission The DPL Commission has exclusive control of the DPL system. It sets policy and governs the system, providing overall direction to ensure that the Library provides the best possible service to the community. In addition to representing the community to the Library, the Library Commission represents the Library to the community, building awareness, understanding, and support.

IV. Mission of the Denver Public Library The Denver Public Library connects people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.

VII. Duties of Officers 1. President. The President shall be the head of the Library Commission and shall have all the powers and duties usually vested in the chief elected officer of a citizen governing board. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Library Commission. The President shall have the right to vote on all matters. The President shall create and appoint such committees as may be needed for the proper conduct of the work of the Commission. The President may initiate the call for special meetings or may call special meetings upon proper request of members of the Commission. (VIII,2) The President shall sign and execute all contracts on behalf of the Library Commission. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

2. Vice President. The Vice President shall have all the powers and authority and perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence or incapacity of the President.

XI. Parliamentary Procedure In any procedural matter not covered by these Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, shall govern.

Agenda Item 8 Requested Action: Approve Budget

Denver Public Library (DPL) 2019 Special Trust Fund Budget

The DPL Special Trust Fund (STF) is separate from the General Fund, which is funded by the City and is intended for general operations. Special Trust Fund revenues are generated by the library or by the Friends Foundation for the library, and is spent in accordance with donors’ wishes or is available for discretionary spending. Unspent balances do not lapse and can be carried forward to the next year, unlike the General Fund where the budget expires each year on December 31st.

Revenue of the Special Trust Fund originates from various sources as indicated below. Estimated 2018 actual revenues are provided along with the 2019 proposed budget for comparative purposes.

2018 2019 Estimated Actual Budget Library Revenue Photocopiers & Printers $ 192,365 $ 192,000 Lost Books 89,071 88,500 Meeting Room Rental 60,163 56,000 Trusts & Royalties 50,259 50,000 Western History Photo Sales 45,775 42,500 Grants and Contributions 97,657 40,000 Investment Income 27,855 22,000 Miscellaneous 312,113 10,000 Merchandise Sales 11,501 9,000 Café Rent and Vending 24,363 6,000 Total Library Revenue 911,121 516,000

Friends Foundation Revenue Private Grants & Contributions 143,638 550,610 Endowment 270,000 250,000 Fundraising 220,495 200,000 Total Friends Foundation Revenue 634,133 1,000,610 Total Revenue $ 1,545,254 $ 1,516,610

Many Library Revenue sources are comparable between 2018 and 2019 with a few exceptions. Most significant is the Miscellaneous line which includes an e-rate reimbursement of over $257,000 in 2018 resulting from a wi-fi upgrade; no e-rate reimbursements are anticipated for 2019. Another notable change for 2019 is the decline in Café Rent and Vending line as the Coffee Mug café is now closed at Central. Friends Foundation Revenue is budgeted to be much higher in 2019 because some private grants initially projected to be received in 2018 will actually be received in early 2019. Much of the expenses for the Special Trust Fund are designated for specific purposes based on the source of the revenue. Often a donor or grantor will restrict the funds provided for programs or supplies, for example the New Americans/Plaza program or children’s books. Other funding sources may be more discretionary, and the purpose is strategically identified by the Library’s E-Team. Expense activity for the Special Trust Fund is as follows.

2018 2019 Estimated Actual Budget Expenses New Americans/Plaza $ 343,573 $ 386,610 Western History & Genealogy 356,370 365,000 Collection Development 210,250 210,000 After School Is Cool/STEM 156,512 164,000 Administrative 103,290 100,000 Summer of Adventure 107,404 100,000 Communications & Community Engagement 79,500 80,000 Read Aloud 75,000 75,000 City Librarian Discretionary 52,651 55,000 Public Copier Leases 52,790 53,000 Technology & Strategy 22,831 50,000 Library Programming & Supplies 51,910 40,600 Staff Recognition 81,365 22,000 Career Online High School 15,484 15,000 Total Expenses $ 1,708,930 $ 1,716,210

The projected balance available in the Special Trust Fund at December 31, 2018 is $1,481,892. The budget will change throughout 2019 as additional revenue is generated and opportunities and needs arise at the library. If any single change is over $100,000, we will submit an amended budget to the Commission for approval.

2019 STRATEGIC PLAN

Community Impacts The library measures success in three specifi c COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT areas which positively impact the civic, cultural and Engage Denver communities by listening and better educational health of Denver: understanding people’s values and aspirations, through enhanced strategies including incubator 1. Children enjoy reading and learning and sites, community conversations, outreach and mobile ﬂ ourish in school and life. services. Develop staff training to build internal 2. People connect to resources and acquire the capacity to ensure Turning Outward practices are skills they need to thrive. being used to make decisions that will ultimately 3. We build community through fun, inspiring and empower our city, its neighborhoods and communities creative experiences. to thrive. Continue engaging strategic partners to take actions on community issues identifi ed in community 2019 Strategic Initiatives conversations held 2016-2018. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CHARTING THE COURSE Implement recommendations and observations to Lead stakeholders including staff, Commission and increase positive customer interactions and deliver community thought leaders to help analyze trends quality, consistent service at all locations and online. and data which in turn will be used to develop a future Strengthen our culture of listening to customers and roadmap that guides strategic planning, budgeting and commit to continually improving our services. Focus on resource development for the next decade beginning building strong relationships with our community by in 2020. creating a welcoming campaign.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Conduct a perception survey with staff to understand the current needs of EDI in the organization. Results of the survey will inform the development of a comprehensive equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy.

10 West 14th Ave. Parkway | Denver, CO 80204 | 720-865-1111 | denverlibrary.org What guides our work

Mission ◾ Eliminating barriers to library use ◾ Ensuring our community knows about our The Denver Public Library connects people with services information, ideas and experiences to provide ◾ Hiring, training and supporting a diverse staff enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our that represents all facets of our community community. Intellectual Freedom Vision ◾ Upholding customers’ First Amendment rights, allowing for the freedom of expression and the An inspired and engaged Denver. freedom to explore all points of view ◾ Providing programs, services, exhibits and a Guiding Principles collection which represent many points of view ◾ Providing a place for groups of many We believe people take pride in doing an excellent affiliations and diverse interests to meet and job and are devoted to providing exceptional exchange ideas customer service. We believe powerful results are possible when every person—every day—brings Confidentiality of Use his or her intellect, compassion, creativity and ◾ Respecting our customers’ privacy in the use of unique talents to our common goals. We believe library services that engaged employees produce high quality ◾ Protecting the privacy of personal information work resulting in high customer satisfaction. We believe that with trust, respect, teamwork, Collaboration with Partners communication, engagement and shared ◾ Developing and maintaining relationships responsibility, we create a work environment ◾ Seeking shared goals, common ground and that supports learning, growth, innovation and meaningful outcomes risk-taking. Together we make an extraordinary ◾ Sharing our successes and asking for support difference in our community. when we need it

Our Values The Trust of our Community ◾ Building on the library’s reputation and legacy Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty ◾ Honoring and preserving our community’s ◾ Recognizing that every interaction with every history customer builds loyalty ◾ Caring for the library’s assets ◾ Providing materials and information ◾ Using resources wisely customers want, and providing services at a ◾ time and place customers want Using internal and external data for informed ◾ Finding ways to say “yes” to our customers decision making ◾ Making the library easy to use ◾ Being accountable and transparent in all we do ◾ Listening to our customers and anticipating ◾ Acting with honesty and integrity future needs of our community ◾ Engaging and listening to our community

Equality of Service A Culture of Innovation ◾ Respecting individual diversity and welcoming ◾ Taking calculated risks all members of our community ◾ Empowering staff to be creative ◾ Not judging our customers or their choices ◾ Exploring new ways of providing service ◾ Making library services free whenever possible ◾ Learning as we go ◾ Fostering creativity in the community

Agenda Item 10 Requested Action: Receive Report

City Librarian Report

RECENT NEWS

DPL Receives Grant to Support Work with Older Adults The library and Friends Foundation have been awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant from the NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado foundation supporting improved community services for older adults and their caregivers, formed in 2016 from the proceeds of InnovAge’s sale to a private equity firm. Funding for this project, titled Building Capacity to Serve Older Adults: Transforming Aging at the Denver Public Library, will support two years of capacity-building to serve older adults, including establishing a Services for Older Adults Coordinator, providing comprehensive training on best practices in serving older adults for library staff and conducting pilot projects to determine how DPL can most effectively serve this growing segment of the community in alignment with region-wide efforts.

Pilot projects will be focused around mobile services for older adults, exploring culturally relevant programming for diverse and underserved populations of older adults, developing core programming on topics such as financial empowerment, retirement, caregiving resources, encore careers, aging in place and the sharing economy, and establishing creative aging programming in partnership with professional artists and practitioners, some of whom are 50+ themselves. The results of these pilot projects will set the course for how DPL serves older adults as an organization, allowing it to lead in the field and also inspire other libraries with replicable models adaptable to their communities. DPL will share these findings in partnership with the Colorado State Library.

Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales ideaLAB update The Gonzales ideaLAB is up and running! The lab has been very busy in the first month with new customers stopping by every day. We've had 696 visits in that month, with an average of 19 people per open lab session.

There have been a wide range of customers. Open lab time has been drawing in kids, teens, and adults in equal measure - 283 adults, 118 teens, and 295 kids. Sewing is the most popular activity. We have seen people sew skirts, tote bags, aprons, and even doll clothing. We have also seen awesome projects come out of the embroidery machine, the Cricut cutter, and the tools on our workbench. We already have some regulars and we are excited to see what projects our community of makers will come up with!

Here's some photos of what folks are already doing during open lab - note the number of intergenerational groups of makers:

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Best and Brightest of 2018

With more than 600,000 books published each year, finding the right one for your child isn’t as easy as finding Waldo in his popular picture books. That’s why the Denver Public Library each year assembles a group of library staff to scour the globe for the Best and Brightest Children's and Teen Books of 2018 and present them in an easy-to-digest format for parents and educators alike.

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The Best and Brightest Books of 2018 list is now available on the library’s website (https://kids.denverlibrary.org/blog/best-brightest-childrens-teen-books-2018) and contains recommendations for 219 books of interest to young readers. The list is broken into popular reading categories, including board books, picture books, graphic novels, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography and more. Both English and Spanish books were reviewed for the list.

Parents and caregivers can use the list to find engaging books for their babies, kids and teens, whether reading for education or leisure.

“We do the hard work so parents and caregivers don’t have to,” said Amy Forrester, children’s librarian and coordinator of the project. “We go through a thorough and exhaustive search to find books that will keep kids engaged and learning throughout the year.”

Vetting these books is no easy task. Library staff vie to serve on a Best and Brightest Books committee and are assigned to teams to read and evaluate new materials. Teams read reviews, blogs and news stories to find titles and even test the books in Storytimes at the library and with family and friends.

"This year's titles cover a range of topics that reflect the experiences of the wonderful diversity of our community,” said Forrester. “Many cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, abilities, family structures and more are represented. We hope there's at least one book on this list for every kid in the City and County of Denver that will make them excited to pick up the next book."

In addition to the full list, parents and caregivers can search “Best & Brightest” in the library’s catalog to find the books and put them on hold at their favorite branch.

Community Curation Project Update The Robert F. Smith Fund at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Community Curation Project is connecting African American communities across generational divides by preserving their history through the sharing of personal stories, photographs, oral histories, film, and videos. The digitization process launched in Denver in November at Blair-Caldwell. African American communities were invited to register for free informational workshops at the library, to learn how to capture oral histories, digitize photographs and film, and discover more about local African American history. After the digital process was complete community participants were able to upload their material to a new online NMAAHC app that allows them to share their family history with the world. Participants could keep their personal and family treasures private or donate their curated materials to the Blair-Caldwell Library.

A state-of-the-art, fully equipped digital truck outfitted and funded by Robert F. Smith was driven from Washington, DC to Denver. It was parked in the Blair-Caldwell parking lot and contained film scanners, and audio/visual/cassette digitizing equipment. Still image stations were set up in the research room.

The Digi-Team digitized 20,000 images for individuals, families and organizations/institutions, which included photographs, personal papers, documents, artifacts, and records. They also digitized 110 hours of film and video for community participants. The Digi-Team also conducted numerous interviews of African American elders in Denver, as well as former and current Denver Mayors Wellington Webb and Michael Hancock.

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This project gained a lot of media and community attention with coverage including CBS4, NBC9, Colorado Public Radio, Denver Weekly News, 5 Points News and Urban Spectrum. The team at Blair-Caldwell did an amazing job of managing this whole project!

What's New in the Western History Collection: 2018 Edition The Western History Collection was established in 1929 as a resource for researchers who wanted to learn more about the American West, Colorado and, of course, Denver. That year, the City Council allotted then City Librarian Malcolm Wyer $5,000 (about $73,000 in 2018 dollars) to establish the collection.

This year, our collection development team has been continually adding new materials through purchases from publishers and rare books dealers. We've also added hundreds of items that came to us via donations from the public, as well as books that were previously housed in other parts of the library.

One of our biggest collection priorities is finding unique items that simply can't be found anywhere else. This year we scored big with a pair of Dust Bowl diaries that date back to 1934 and 1935; a letter from a young girl reflecting on her first impressions of the 19th Century American West; a massive parcel map of the Front Range (which is currently undergoing restoration); and a variety of smaller items, such as an unusual pamphlet documenting American support for Japanese military ventures in the 1930s. All told, manuscript purchases accounted for nearly a third of our budget.

The next biggest line item for 2018 was good old-fashioned books. We make an effort to distribute our spending somewhat evenly among our various collections including Colorado Authors, Conservation, and Douglas Fine Printing. A lion's share, however, goes to our Western History Collection. This year we purchased 135 new titles to be placed in the Western History Collection. These include plenty of newly published titles, as well as a smaller number of older titles that had slipped by us in the past.

This year we were pleased to move a large portion of our Colorado Authors Collection from our 6th floor closed stacks to the Gates Reading Room, where they are much more accessible to the public. As part of an ongoing effort to help recognize Colorado authors in general, we purchased 80 new titles to be added to the collection. We were also very fortunate to have received dozens of donated books from Colorado authors who attended the Colorado Book Festival at the Denver Public Library.

Climate change is a huge topic of discussion in casual and academic discussions and that's one of the reasons why we've been paying more attention to our Conservation Collection this year. This collection has its roots in the holdings of author and conservationist Arthur Carhart who worked with City Librarian John Eastlick in 1960 to bring important works documenting the history of the environmental movement to the people of Denver.

Over the years, the Conservation Collection has been beefed up significantly by donations from the Wilderness Society, the Nature Conservancy and a host of other donors. This year, we not only purchased 64 new titles for the Conservation Collection, we also received a generous

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donation from a private party that contained hundreds of books, pamphlets and manuscript materials that are now part of our permanent collection.

Finally, we spent approximately 10 percent of our annual budget on items that will be housed in our Douglas Fine Printing Collection. The bulk of these purchases were handcrafted artists' books that we pick up from dealers or purchase directly from artists. A much smaller number of new titles for the Douglas Collection are works that speak to the history of the printed word. Like all the items in our collection, anything in the Douglas Fine Printing Collection can be viewed by the public (though some items require an appointment).

2018 Caroline Bancroft History Prize The staff of the Western History and Genealogy Department at the Denver Public Library are pleased to announce that Frank Little and the IWW: The Blood That Stained an American Family by Jane Little Botkin is the winner of the 2018 Caroline Bancroft History Prize. Frank Little and the IWW tells the story of a union organizer from a humble background who terrified Montana mine owners to the extent that they hired a group of thugs to murder him. Little's corpse was left as a warning to others who might advocate for the men toiling beneath the earth in the mineral extraction business. Botkins' work is deeply personal as Little was her great-granduncle. He was a black sheep and his family never fully came to terms with his life.

In telling Little's story, Botkin also tells the story of life in early 20th-century mining towns and ably paints a picture of the travails that mining families faced as they struggled to scratch out a living in towns and camps where the mining company was a law unto itself. The Caroline Bancroft History Prize committee was deeply impressed with Botkins' research efforts and her ability to balance the objectivity of a historian and the compassion of a family member.

Frank Little and the IWW is the 33rd winner of the Caroline Bancroft History Prize and its author will receive a $1,000 prize from an endowment left by Denver historian, socialite and library supporter Caroline Bancroft.

2018 Strategic Plan Updates from Initiative Leads

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

Branch Visits The EDI Committee has been visiting branches and departments to include staff in the work that is starting and give them an opportunity to think about where we are headed and to ask questions as we establish a framework for dialogue and change.

EDI Consultant DPL has contracted Angell Pérez to work with the EDI committee to conduct and analyze a staff perception survey to guide us in planning 2019 priorities. Pérez has over 15 years experience providing Diversity, Inclusiveness, Racial Equity training and technical support to a variety of

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non-profit organizations, private businesses and government agencies. Her areas of expertise include providing trainings that build knowledge, develop skills, and shift organizational culture. She leads diverse groups of people to share a mutual vision to achieve common goals within an equity framework that focuses on shared power.

Continuous Learning We continue to take every training opportunity on EDI issues. Rebekah Henderson, a librarian at Cherry Creek and City Librarian Michelle Jeske were able to attend the Facing Race conference in Detroit Michigan. The conference was a unique collaborative space for racial justice movement making. Facing Race is the largest multiracial, inter-generational gathering for organizers, educators, creatives and other leaders. Facing Race offers local community unprecedented access to information and resources on racial equity, includes over 70 workshops and access to over 180 presenters.

COMING SOON

Update on Fine Free As you know, beginning January 1, we will no longer charge customers fines for overdue materials. This is a big change to our operations and a great opportunity for us to engage with customers we may not have seen in a while.

The basics

● DPL will stop charging customers fines for overdue library materials on Jan. 1, 2019. ● We are contracting with Polaris, our Integrated Library System vendor, to proactively clear any fines that remain on customer accounts as of late December 2018 to ensure that many customers start 2019 with a zero fine balance. ● Only overdue fines will be cleared. Customers remain responsible for fees associated with lost or damaged materials and collection referral fees. ● A public information campaign kicks off in late December and runs through March. ● Customers are being encouraged to come in and check their accounts.

Why are we doing this? Potential talking points if needed: Public libraries across the U.S. are beginning to eliminate fines as a way of removing barriers to library access. Specifically, we seek to remove barriers for vulnerable customers who can least afford fines. Research shows that removal of overdue fines can have a dramatic effect in bringing back customers. Conversely, research also shows that fines do not always motivate customers to return materials.

Too often, overdue fines penalize the most vulnerable families and individuals who can least afford them. We want to reverse this trend and get customers back into our buildings and back to accessing materials in the collection. In basic terms, fine elimination:

● Can increase circulation

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● Reduces staff time working on fines ● Creates positive customer interactions ● Can result in fewer overdue items

What is perhaps most striking is that library systems that have gone fine free have not reported any negatives and even say their work is more joyful! We’ve been on this path for a while:

● We have never charged fines for older adults ● In 2008 we stopped charging fines for juvenile materials ● In 2014 we stopped charging fines for young adult materials ● In 2016, we began automatic renewals to help people avoid fines

What happens to the money? You may not know it, but the library does not keep the revenue created by overdue fines. In 2017, we collected $110,339 in overdue fines. That money goes back into the city’s General Fund budget and does not become part of our operating budget. As part of the decision to stop collecting fines, we had to submit an “expansion request” to the city to cover the lost revenue from the fines. The 2019 budget includes a line item to cover those costs.

How will we encourage return of materials? Customer accounts will be blocked from further checkout when one or more items reach 14 days overdue. Accounts will be unblocked when materials are returned.

How will that make a difference? Think carrot vs. stick.

Stick In our current set up, customers continue borrowing until their account balance reaches $5. Since fines don’t write to the account until an item is returned or renewed late (or until fees are assessed when an item goes lost) customers can continue borrowing more items, racking up their future fine potential, even though they already have items overdue. This means they owe a big balance when the items are finally returned.

Carrot With the Long Overdue block, accounts are automatically blocked from further checkout when one or more items reach 14 days overdue. The customer just needs to return the long overdue item(s) to resume borrowing.

How will customers be notified? The Marketing Communications Office is kicking off a public information campaign beginning the last week of December. You’ll see:

● Paid Facebook, Twitter and Google ads (English and Spanish) ● A “fine free” garage banner in Golden Triangle ● Postcards mailed to many customers who have balance due on their accounts (39,000+) (English and Spanish) ● Posters in branches (English and Spanish)

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● Media information (English and Spanish) ● Advertisements in El Comercio de Colorado and on Telemundo. As part of the campaign, customers who receive a postcard at home can bring that card in to a branch location to be entered into a drawing to win one of 15 iPad minis. Customers can also enter the drawing by completing a postcard in the branch. One entry per family per location. We’ll draw the winners at the end of February and notify customers. Winter of Reading 2019

This fifth annual event to engage adult readers keeps getting better and better! As usual you get to complete activities to learn about all the great services the library has to offer.

When: January 2nd - February 28, 2019 Where: Every DPL location and the Bookmobile Summary: Adult customers get a Winter of Reading brochure. They complete five or more activities, and return their brochure to us in exchange for a nifty Winter of Reading mug or pint glass. Done!

Author Visit with Brendan Leonard January 12, 2-4pm Improper City, RiNo, 3201 Walnut St. Brendan Leonard is a writer, adventurer, climber, speaker and a recovering alcoholic. His book Sixty Meters to Anywhere tells Leonard's painfully honest story of substance abuse and his nerve-racking, awkward first years of recovery in the mountains. It wasn’t until he moved to Colorado, three years into sobriety, that he truly fell in love with climbing, and a space where he found freedom and opportunity to become something new. Leonard is a contributing editor at Adventure Journal and a columnist at Outside, and his stories have appeared in Backpacker, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Men’s Journal, Sierra, Adventure Cyclist, and other publications.

Stories of Impact

This month’s stories come from:

Westwood: In July, I received a letter from a DPS Early Childhood Education teacher whose class I had visited for three years in the Westwood community. I presented weekly Read Aloud Storytimes for his four-year-old students. The teacher thanked me and added more about what he had personally learned from my Storytimes.

Here is an excerpt from his letter: "The Read Aloud Program led by you has helped me immensely to become a better teacher, particularly when it comes to reading aloud to my

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students. Through your Read Alouds, I have acquired new skills and ideas that have improved the way I read to my students. Thanks to you, I have become a better teacher and learned a great deal about what reading to preschoolers can look like in a classroom.

You are true expert in early literacy and I am eternally grateful for your time, expertise and patience with my students. I hope you can continue your work with the Read Aloud Program for many years to come to schools across Denver so that our youngest learners can continue to develop a love of reading."

Personalized Reading List service: Our talented team has filled out hundreds of lists, connecting people to their passions. Here’s what one happy customer wrote: Wow, I CANNOT thank you enough! This is absolutely incredible and the neatest library service I have ever seen. Thank you, thank you, DPL, for being so community-minded and hyped on books! All The Light We Cannot See was my NEXT in line for favorite books, so you were spot on (: Otherwise, I haven't read any of the others and cannot wait to try!

And another: My mom passed five years ago and my 97-year-old dad still struggles every day. But going through my mom's possessions with him has been a joy, sharing stories about my mom and their travels around the world. Discovering the story behind a charm bracelet sounds just about right, for right now. I've been dealing with some medical issues and have been turning to books nonstop, according to Goodreads, I'm at 18 books so far this year. All that is to say, thank you.

Central Community Technology Center, Children’s Library and Collections: Iboo is one of our younger customers who comes to ideaLAB with his mom and brother after school. He is always excited to try something new, but is especially interested in textiles. Recently, he announced he would be sewing pants. I helped direct him (and mom) to a computer to search for a pattern. After a few minutes he came to me discouraged and said all the directions he found needed an old pair of pants to measure from, so he couldn't make them today.

I mentioned that the library had lots of books about sewing and maybe we could find a book that could help. He lit up at this and we went on a journey in search of just the right book. He was excited to learn that there were SO MANY books about crafts, and we even went to the Children's Library where Carrie helped us find even more fantastic books.

After looking through what he found, he still couldn't find exactly what he was looking for. At this point though, I wasn't about to give up. His mom took his measurements, and he and I drew a pattern together. He cut and sewed a pair of fleece pants with minimal help from me. Once they were finished, he rushed to pull them on over his clothes and exclaimed, “They look like PANTS!" He was so excited to show them off to everyone in the lab.

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As his mom started to pack everything, she asked if he wanted to take home his pattern to make another pair. He said that he wanted to hang them up in the lab in case someone else wanted to make their own pants. I helped him write some basic directions as I felt my heart grow three sizes.

Highlights from Chief of Staff Denise Boothby

● Completed initial tours at all branches and Central departments, which provided an opportunity to introduce myself to staff and understand more about the unique aspects of each location or department. ● Transitioned responsibility for the E-Team from Michelle, including reporting structure, weekly meetings, retreats, etc. ● Worked with Security Manager Bob Knowles and the City's Emergency Management Services department to create a thorough disaster plan, which includes details regarding special collections, facilities, IT and finance. Submitted first draft to Mayor's office this month. ● Assisted with the planning and coordination of the rollout of Performance @ DPL with HR to begin changes to our performance evaluation process. Early 2019 we will institute a robust training for goal setting throughout the organization, including defining SMART goals and establishing divisional baselines of success. We will pay close attention to defining opportunities for engagement/impact beyond the scope of one's job for every division, so that all employees have access to perform above expectations, if they opt to do so. ● Continue to participate in Activate Denver bond initiatives, including being a part of the planning and evaluation teams for Byers, Smiley and Blair-Caldwell. ● Supported our Finance department with guidance and feedback as we moved through the City's budget process. This included conducting a debrief and survey with department leaders to inform ways that we may improve in 2019. ● Completed series of facility tours with Facility Maintenance leadership for all branch locations as well as Central. This process closed the loop for some of the facility challenges that I heard while touring the first time. Branch seniors were able to get immediate feedback and submit relevant work orders for items discussed. ● Conducted three rounds of open office hours, where I've had the opportunity to meet staff throughout the organization. These conversations led to awareness of process and practices as well as some inconsistencies that required attention.

Highlights - Central, Collections, Technology & Strategy Director Zeth Lietzau We have developed our specifications, selected our upfit vendor, and ordered our three new outreach vehicles - a new large bookmobile, and two transit vans (one focused on youth services, and the other emphasizing lobby stops). Our existing outreach vehicles have been successful this year - the Reading Rockets and Wheelie the bike participated in just under 80 events and engaged with over 4000 community members.

The “Build a Brand” series of 5 workshops for entrepreneurs and small business owners was quite successful, averaging over 30 attendees / week. Additionally, the Community Technology Center is partnering with Denver Parks and Recreation to present two five-week programs on creative technology for adults with disabilities.

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Our Community Resources team continues to grow. We have expanded to four social workers and four peer navigators, and will add two more peer navigator positions in 2019. This will allow us to expand coverage to 7 days/week, and be able to reach all 26 locations. It will also give us the capacity to increase our staff training for classes such as Homelessness 101, Mental Health Awareness, De-Escalation Techniques, Affordable Housing issues in Denver, and What can a Social Worker do for your Library.

The Reference Services department has launched a new Civics on the Go civic literacy pop up program series. 113 customers attended the three programs: Fake News, Elections and Voting, and Relationship Building. Questions answered by our reference staff are up 3.3% from 2017.

Our Western History and Genealogy department has completed a Council on Library and Information Resources grant targeting “Recordings at Risk.” They digitized 250 oral histories of 10th Mountain Division veterans. About 300 hours of interviews are now available on the WHG digital collections site (audio interviews) and YouTube channel (video interviews). Phase 3 of the 6th floor collection storage project now includes adequate lighting, improved environmental conditions, and an additional 2500 linear feet of shelving for archival collections. Working with University of Denver practicum students, we have digitized 200 images of prominent African American photographer Burnis McCloud, who documented mid-20th century Five Points neighborhood. This provided the students with scanning, cataloging and digital asset management instruction.

We added public device charging stations to the Community Technology Center about a year ago. We’ve piloted different types of stations, and based on what we’ve learned about configuration options and how they’re used, we will be adding stations to 14 of our locations in the next few months.

We upgraded our catalog software over the weekend of December 8-9. Enhancements included in this upgrade include: ● The ability for customers to place holds with a single click ● Integrated Goodreads star ratings on items as appropriate ● Lexile reading scores which denote reading level ● Minor back-end improvements that will pave the way for a better staff experience

Select City Librarian Activities

Mayor/Council ● Met with Mayor Hancock ● Met with Mayor’s Chief of Staff Alan Salazar ● Met with Mayor’s Special Advisor Lisa Carpenter ● Met with Councilman Herndon

Library Commission ● Meeting individually with Commissioners ● Met with Executive Committee ● Met with Carlos to plan January Commission retreat ● Met with potential future Commissioner candidate *Vacation week of Thanksgiving 11

Friends Foundation ● Presented mobile services sponsorship opportunity to local company with Foundation Director ● Participated in Friends Foundation/Library Commission Task Force ● Attended holiday lighting party

Community Engagement ● Participated in Women’s Forum holiday gathering ● Thanked Schlessman Library volunteers at annual party ● Presented at Discover Your Library session ● Met with DMNS CEO regarding boards and collaborations

Activate!Denver Facilities Master Plan ● Met with City team to discuss Blair-Caldwell renovation stakeholder working group ● Met with Central Library/Denver Art Museum Public Art team for second time ● Discussed Acoma Plaza construction planning with City and library teams ● Participated in City’s Bond Executive Team meeting ● Met with Re:Vision Director and developer about potential collaboration for new library

Charting the Course ● Working with staff leadership team to coalesce learnings to date and plan 2019 timeline and activities

Early Learning and Out of School Learning ● Participated in Education Compact meeting ● Participated in Denver Afterschool Alliance Board meeting ● Met with Director of Denver Early Childhood Council

Services to Immigrants and Refugees ● Participated in Plaza program at Hampden

Staff ● Met with staff from Reference Services, Children’s Library and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Team ● Celebrated Employee of the Quarter Ashley Kazyaka from Community Technology Center ● Performance reviews! ● Performed Central in charge duties on a Tuesday evening, worked with staff ● Attended Michelle Obama Becoming book talk with staff, guests of publisher ● Attended debut RiNo library program, Murmur, at Improper City ● Led Leadership Team meeting

Professional ● Met with staff from Colorado State Library to share how we prepare for Library Commission meetings and engage Commissioners ● Presented at Library Journal Directors Summit at San Diego Central Library ● Participated in Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries Member Council meeting at U.S. Air Force Academy

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Dates to Remember

● Author Visit with Brendan Leonard, January 12, 2:00–4:00 p.m., Improper City ● Pop Your Mind casual lunch and learn on Practicing Inclusive Design in Cultural Buildings, January 16, 12:00-1:00 p.m., Central Library ● Library Commission Retreat, January 17, 8:15 a.m.–1:00 p.m., location TBD ● Denver Marade, Monday, January 21, 10 a.m., Denver City Park, 17th and Esplanade St. ● Juanita Gray Community Service Award, Saturday, February 2, 1:30–3:30 p.m., Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library

December 2018

*Vacation week of Thanksgiving 13 1,000,000  InPerson visits Online visits 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000 Effective - - April 2018 April

total total website Jan 329,899 446,917 - total total doorcount fromlocations, all as submitted TrackVia to DoorCounts application; data collection methodology changedt Feb 336,543 425,842 Mar 353,808 449,777 Online visits have been updated to alignto updated been havevisits Online visits visits by session, as reported by DUX Apr 366,948 420,404 May 345,882 402,966

2016 Jun 404,599 471,351 Jul 395,650 464,544 Aug 389,450 499,527 Sep 344,023 439,999 Oct 344,861 410,117 Nov 329,891 394,727

317,819 386,115 Denver PublicLibrary

Dec Total By Month Visits with state and federal reporting guidelines and now only reflect visits to DPLs various websites. various DPLs to visits reflect onlynow and guidelines reporting federal and state with Jan 334,372 455,431 Feb 327,983 412,206 Mar 365,814 446,026 Apr 316,985 419,329 May 348,147 415,970

2017 Jun 396,535 398,738 Jul 373,748 399,860 Aug 390,140 426,301 Sep 347,596 363,950 Oct 358,228 359,783 Nov 312,824 359,135 Dec 303,368 340,100 o bemore consistent across all locations in 2015 Jan 343,817 407,805 Feb 317,856 365,587 Mar 351,210 387,625 Apr 340,132 372,874 May 339,412 367,648 2018 Jun 373,958 370,638 Jul 355,894 362,988 Aug 358,219 359,961

Sep 314,831 324,545 In Person Online

. Oct 334,326 336,608 Nov 306,435 324,349 Dec 1,000,000   Materials Downloads 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000 RB DigitalRB Auto - - renewals began renewals - total total circulation of physical materials at locations, all from Polaris ILS - total total downloads,

(e Jan 639,710 87,982 - magazines) added a subscription feature that allows customers opt to customers allowsthat feature subscription a addedmagazines) Feb 602,460 79,834 Mar 639,077 90,434 on June 1, 2016. 1, on June

including electronic books, movies, magazines,and music, as reported by DUX Apr 639,710 87,804 May 587,718 90,219

2016 Jun 780,113 91,201 Jul 768,210 91,916 Aug 762,263 94,077 Sep 705,638 89,786 Oct 719,352 91,271

Nov 707,878 89,334 Total By Circulation Month Dec 691,462 95,633 Denver PublicLibrary

Jan 708,720 103,427 Feb 659,885 91,085 Mar 750,439 104,137 Apr 693,327 100,546 May 683,084 106,191

2017 Jun 718,665 103,184 - in to auto to in Jul 700,158 106,593 Aug 689,926 107,774 -

checkout of new issues for favorite titles i titles for favorite issues of new checkout Sep 642,395 98,411 Oct 677,801 103,971 Nov 644,859 100,652 Dec 627,594 103,933

Jan 676,382 141,697 Feb 607,391 126,597 Mar 665,377 140,534 Apr 626,195 137,728 May 615,981 140,682 2018 Jun 631,281 142,936 n November 2018 November n Jul 634,109 155,958 Aug 636,307 156,625 Sep 594,418 147,299 Materials Downloads Oct 622,978 158,508

. Nov 622,161 163,716 Dec Denver Public Library Monthly Circulation by Branch November 2018

Total +/- Previous 2018/2017 Location YTD Y/Y Circulation Month Year/Year Athmar Park 7,668 (567) (4,251) -17.4% Bear Valley 29,585 (43) (3,797) -13.5% Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library 8,753 251 (892) -5.7% Bookmobile 6,300 (456) (2,034) -23.7% Byers 3,462 (245) (347) -1.6% Central Library 88,931 1,626 (5,740) -11.8% Decker 14,966 146 933 -2.5% Eugene Field 23,114 (360) (1,715) -7.0% Ford-Warren 12,461 6 (903) -5.3% Green Valley Ranch 26,139 (1,822) (2,254) -4.5% Hadley 8,572 (146) 8,568 16.4% Hampden 28,666 639 (970) -14.7% Montbello 9,039 (751) (1,559) -16.4% Park Hill 33,099 454 1,316 -4.4% Pauline Robinson 6,199 (402) (169) -2.2% Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales 24,084 (250) (307) -7.4% Ross-Barnum 8,635 (275) (985) -3.7% Ross-Broadway 14,111 87 (859) -5.3% Ross-Cherry Creek 26,193 (350) (178) -5.2% Ross-University Hills 50,950 1,355 (485) -6.2% Sam Gary 59,402 (720) (1,222) -5.5% Schlessman Family 50,065 1,108 (3,837) -11.0% Smiley 20,621 949 (504) -9.1% Valdez-Perry 3,032 (200) (828) -22.6% Virginia Village 30,119 (859) (874) -7.6% Westwood 4,314 (290) 32 1.8% Woodbury 23,681 298 590 -8.1% Denverlibrary.org Downloadables 163,716 5,208 63,064 Total 785,877 4,391 39,793

Hadley Branch closed for renovation on June 12, 2017 - January 29, 2018 .  New 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 MyDenver card program large DPS database upload in January 2017.Januaryin upload databaseDPS large program card MyDenver Card 0 s - total total number Jan 6,324 Feb 5,834 Mar 5,917 of new library card registrations (including Apr 5,674 May 5,703 Jun 8,387 2016 Jul 6,947 Aug 6,886

Sep 6,575 Month By Cards Total New Library Oct 5,590 Nov 5,421 computer useronly cards), as reported by IT Dec 4,514 Denver PublicLibrary

Jan 64,388 Feb 5,041 Mar 5,488 Apr 5,102 May 5,070 Jun 6,876 2017 Jul 6,280 Aug 6,469 Sep 5,821 Oct 5,464 Nov 4,828 Dec 3,870

Jan 5,679 Feb 4,748 Mar 5,280 Apr 5,042 May 4,903

2018 Jun 6,209 Jul 6,092 Aug 6,117 New Cards New Sep 5,484 Oct 5,165 Nov 4,922 Dec 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000  S attendance figures were not aligned with state reporting definitions andmay include (Appointment Services, Exhibits, andPas Attendance essions 0 Read Aloud program AloudRead

Jan 38,279 - total total number of program sessions offered defined(as -

total total program attendance Feb 46,011 Mar 53,228 Apr 33,345

attendance has been added for Fall semester. Accurate Spring semester data is in process. in is data semester Spring Accurate semester. Fall for added been has attendance May 36,887 Jun 27,547 2016 Jul 25,448 from all locations, as submitted to TrackVia Program & Outreach Tracking application (inlcudes programs,library events, stor Aug 21,688 Sep 38,377 Total Program Attendance By Month By Total Attendance Program Oct 47,489 Nov 39,433

in Attendance) Dec 23,417 Denver PublicLibrary Jan 34,089

, , as submitted to Feb 41,126 Mar 43,072 Apr 45,145 May 40,205 TrackVia TrackVia Program & Outreach Tracking application Jun 30,785 2017 Jul 27,658 Aug 25,601 Sep 39,772 Oct 34,884

siv Nov 27,622 e Programs). Dec 25,521

Jan 27,834 Feb 30,891 Mar 32,700 Apr 35,468 May 29,221 2018 yt Jun 31,987 imes, andtours); prior to 2015, Jul 26,881 Aug 24,582 Sep 45,264

Oct 53,020 Sessions Attendance Nov 41,397 Dec - 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Communications and Community Engagement Earned Media Nov. 15–Dec. 12, 2018

News: Denver Public Library eliminates fines - Fox 31 Denver Public Library Going Fine-Free on January 1 - Westword Denver Public Library to end late fees in 2019 - 9 News Denver Public Library nixes overdue fines to increase visits - Denver 7 Mesa County Libraries sticking with late fees - KJCT8 Mesa County Denver Public Library Gets Rid Of Overdue Book Fines - CBS 4 Denver Public Library to eliminate late fines in 2019 - Fox 31 Denver Public Library is closing a chapter on fines for overdue books - The Denver Post No More Fines At Denver Public Library - Denver Patch Bookworms won’t have to worry about returning their books a little late to the Denver Public Library next year - NBC News Radio Denver - KOA (audio file) The Denver Public Library is Eliminating and Forgiving Late Fees - 303 Magazine Denver Public Libraries help immigrants become citizens - Pacific Standard Magazine The 21 Best Events in Denver, December 4 Through December 10 - Westword King Of Park Hill' Honored With Portrait At Denver Library - CBS 4 Public Libraries Supporting Health and Wellness - Syracuse University News Study: Millennials Are Generation Most Likely to Use Libraries - Ozarks First Those on front lines of opioid addiction - Denver 7 12 amazing films you can stream using your library card - Our Community Now Colorado Denver City Council OKs supervised drug use to save people from overdosing - Denverite Denver safe injection plan - The Colorado Sun Get a cheap book at the Denver Public Library's Winter Used Book Sale - The Denver Channel Things to do in Denver this weekend Nov. 16-18 (For the Family) - Denverite Things to do for art and gallery lovers Nov. 8-11 (Bad Art) - Westword Things to do in Denver this weekend Nov. 9-11(Best Bet) - Denverite Denver Library Hosts Mountain-Climbing Author Who Overcame Drugs - Denver Patch Photo/Resource credits: Wild horses, part one: The misfits - Motor Authority Newsletter Arapahoe To Zuni: Your Questions About Denver Streets, Answered - Colorado Public Radio The exhibition of Elizabeth Yanish Shwayder’s work - The Know, The Denver Post Denver Crime Family: Joe Roma - Our Community Now Hotel Jerome, Redstone Castle featured on new season of Rocky Mountain PBS’s ‘Colorado Experience’ - The Aspen Times

Additional Articles: The 6 Fundamental Skills Every Leader Should Practice - Harvard Business Review