MINUTES
July 25, 2023 5:30 p.m.
East Lansing Public Library Board of Trustees Special Meeting
Library Large Meeting Room
950 Abbot Road
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 5:34 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Trustees present: Amy Zaagman, Pamela Smith, Ameenah Asante and Polly Synk. Trustee Shawn Nicholson was absent. Also in attendance were Executive Assistant to Director Shori Teeple and seven guests from public.
3. Opening
3.1 Approval of Current Meeting Agenda
Synk moved
Smith seconded
All in favor
4. Communications
4.1 Correspondence received from staff member related to staffing needs.
5. Audience
5.1 Public Comment - limited to five minutes per person
- None
6. Old Business
6.1 None
7. New Business
7.1 Interviews of Interim Director candidates:
- Leslie Rout (5:45 pm)
- Angelo Moreno (6:40 pm)(adjusted time: 6:10 pm)
- Betsy Hull (7:35 pm)(adjusted time: 7:00 pm)
- Lauren Douglass (8:40 pm)(adjusted time: 7:45 pm)
7.2 Interview questions asked of all candidates included the following:
1. Tell us briefly about yourself and why the position of the Interim Director of the East Lansing Public Library is of interest to you.
2. We are interested in any experience you have in library administration. Please share the largest number of people you have supervised, either in your current position or a previous one. How would you sum up your approach to personnel management?
Follow up question: Do you have any experience supervising unionized employees? There are currently two bargaining units at the East Lansing Public Library. What will your approach to working with employees covered by the negotiated contracts?
3. Please share your experience with fiscal management, including but not limited to: budget creation detailing the scope and size of the budget, monthly financial reports, and account monitoring experience.
4. What specific methods will you use to communicate with staff, solicit feedback, and ensure that staff can bring ideas and questions to your attention?
5. What specific methods will you use to communicate with the board of trustees?
6. In this interim management situation, what do you feel are the primary responsibilities of the interim director? What support do you need from the board to complete this assignment effectively?
7. East Lansing is a diverse community in a number of ways: ethnically, culturally, racially and economically with the unique aspects of a university town. ELPL strives to serve our community in a welcoming and inclusive manner. Give us ways you will seek to continue and strengthen this tradition.
8. Closed Session for discussion following interviews
Zaagman moved
Smith seconded
Roll call vote
All in favor
Board entered Closed Session at 8:13 p.m.
Special Meeting called back to order at 8:58 p.m.
Motion to extend offer of 6-month Interim Library Director position to Angelo Moreno
Asante moved
Smith seconded
All in favor
9. Adjournment
Zaagman adjourned the meeting at 9:01 p.m.
Board of Trustees
Amy Zaagman, President
Pamela Smith, Vice President
Ameenah Asante, Secretary
Shawn Nicholson
Polly Synk
City Council Liaison
George Brookover
Staff Liaison
Vacant
