MINUTES
September 21, 2022 at 4:30 p.m.
East Lansing Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Library Large Meeting Room
950 Abbot Road
East Lansing, MI 48823
The East Lansing Public Library occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.
1. Call to Order 4:34 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Trustees present were: Polly Synk, Amy Zaagman, Pamela Smith, Ameenah Asante and Diane Goddeeris. Also, in attendance were Friends President Maureen McCabe-Power, City Councilmember Liaison George Brookover, Director Kristin Shelley, and Executive Assistant to the Director Shori Teeple. There were three attendees from the public.
3. Oath of Office
3.1 City Clerk Jennifer Schuster administered the oath of office individually to all board members.
4. Opening
4.1 Approval of Current Meeting Agenda
Goddeeris moved
Zaagman seconded
All in favor
4.2 Approval of August 17, 2022 Meeting Minutes
Zaagman moved
Goddeeris seconded
All in favor
5. Communications
5.1 None
6. Audience
6.1 Public Comment - limited to two minutes per person
- None
7. Reports
7.1 City Council Liaison Report:
Brookover reported:
- Library board encouraged to monitor city budget.
- Abbot Road Park to be renamed with indigenous name.
7.2 Friends of the East Lansing Public Library Report
McCabe-Power reported:
- Next Friends meeting Monday September 26 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom.
- Anticipated that Memo of Understanding between Friends and Library will be approved and signed at meeting.
8. Old Business
8.1 Intellectual Freedom -- Discussion
- This week is Banned Books Week.
- Data shared:
- Over 1,600 book titles have been challenged nationwide.
- 681 challenges across the country in first 8 months of this year.
- Michigan is sixth in the country for banned/removed books in schools.
- 41 bans recently across four districts in Michigan.
- Article written by Shelley in Feeding the Elephant publication: "Libraries: Champions of the First Amendment".
8.2 Staffing Update - Staff Photo List shared
8.3 East Lansing Welcomes The World: Friday September 30 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
9. New Business
9.1 MSU Homecoming Parade: October 14 with library closing early at 2:00 p.m.
10. Library Reports
10.1 Financial Report
Shelley Reported:
- Printed financial and fund balance reports were shared.
10.2 Director's Report
- A written report was shared.
- Mural dedication: Thursday September 29 at 10:30 a.m. outside front of library.
- Woodlands Library Cooperative has announced opportunity for ELPL board member representation on its board for a 3-year term (October 2022 - September 2025).
10.3 President's Report
- None
10. Adjournment
Synk adjourned the meeting at 5:08 p.m.
Board of Trustees
Polly Synk, President
Amy Zaagman, Vice President
Pamela Smith, Secretary
Ameenah Asante
Diane Goddeeris
City Council Liaisons
Lisa Babcock
George Brookover
Staff Liaison
Kristin Shelley
