Trustees discuss study‑room demand, seating and nearby housing likely to increase library use

Anna, library director, told the Board the study rooms were in use about 69 percent of available hours in the past year. She said that consistent use in the 60–70 percent range suggests space planning may be needed and that the staff will monitor both percent use and percent of hours fully booked.

Trustees discussed adding tables and seating by shifting reference shelving to open space; Anna said staff are reviewing shelving and reference collections to create room for more seating as winter and more indoor use approach.

The board discussed the library’s role in extreme weather and power outages. Anna recalled a recent heat or power event when door counts spiked (one day exceeded several thousand entries), and trustees suggested tracking counts on cooling/warming center days as a workload metric.

Trustees also heard that a surface parking lot (Lot 12 across Mercy/shoreline) is slated for an affordable housing project and that additional nearby residential developments are expected to increase library demand; staff said loss of parking is an anticipated consequence.

On staffing, Anna said the library still has two librarian vacancies (one youth, one adult) and noted that Milton (Melvin in transcript) recently retired two weeks prior; recruitment in coordination with HR is planned.

Board members suggested volunteers and Friends assistance for large weekend events when regular weekend staffing is limited.