Thank you to Marjorie McColm who has volunteered to keep everyone updated on the Richmond Hill Public Library Board meetings.
Background:
Richmond Hill Library Board: Helps to determine the mission of the library, setting the policy that governs the library and moves it forward to meet the changing needs of the community. The Board meets eight times a year.
Board meetings are livestreamed however meeting videos are not available afterwards.
Current Library Board
Councillor Greg Beros, Chair Stephen Chait Regional and Local Councillor Joe DiPaola, Vice Chair Frank DiPede, York Catholic School Board Councillor Tom Muench Regional and Local Councillor Carmine Perrelli Sugantha Raj Mahnaz Shahbazi Rona Wang
Note: The following summary is not to be considered direct quotes or meeting minutes but the best interpretation of the comments made at the meeting.
Recap: Richmond Hill Public Library Board meeting Feb. 22, 2022 at 4pm
All board members were present except for Counselor DiPaola, who was also not present for January meeting.
There was very little on the agenda. Main items:
CEO Darren Solomon announced that vaccine passport requirements will not be required as of February 28, 2022. Also all library sites will be back to regular hours as of February 28.
Presentation by Robin Fribance Director of Experience and Strategy - an update on the Strategic Plan. Click to view draft Strategic Plan 2021-25 (page 7)
Consultation both internally and externally completed. Development of Balanced Score Card.
Hired business analyst to look at the data collected by the library in order to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with a view to creating a “Dash Board” for management and the board.
Review of the Strategic Plan and the 9 priorities which are focused on customer experience and deeper customer relationships.
No mention of expanding customer base or reaching out to communities that may not use the library such as marginalized communities.
Next steps finalizing KPIs and benchmarks. Working automatization of progress tracking and KPI data.
It is anticipated that the dashboard will be ready by October.
Interesting comment by a board member Stephen Chait that the role of the board was not to criticize the strategic plan. Why not?
Councillor Perrelli when asked to pass a motion to accept the staff report update of the Strategic report by Chair Beros, Councillor Perrelli got into an argument about who should authorize the end of the vaccine passport the staff or the board.
Chair Beros indicated that the staff made the decision to implement and so had the authority to suspend according to provincial guidelines.
An argument ensued with the Chair calling Councillor Perrelli out of order.
CAG Side Note: According to the January 28, 2022 meeting minutes, Councillor Perrelli brought forth a motion that the Board remove the proof of vaccination requirement.
The motion failed.
Voting Yes: Beros and Perrelli
Voting No: Chait, DiPede, Raj, Shahbazi and Wang.
Yet at the February 22nd meeting the CEO announced that vaccine passport requirements will not be required as of February 28, 2022.
Chair Beros final comments were how the City Council shook up the library board. That most people of Richmond Hill don’t know anything about the library and think that it is still a warehouse for books. (Which it never was)
Meeting Adjourned 4:45.
Next meeting April 26, 2022 at 4pm