LPL Board of Control Monthly Meeting
20 May 2024
On the Agenda:
- 2024-2025 Annual Budget
AGENDA
Minutes
Proposed 2024-2025 Budget
Budget Narrative (Explanation)
10-Year Pro-Forma (Budget Projection) #1
10-Year Pro-Forma (Budget Projection) #2
Meeting Audio
Pre-Meeting Analysis
Compared to the absolute assaults on our library from the board at the last few meetings, this month is by comparison much more quiet. The only item on the May agenda is the approval of the proposed annual budget by the board, after which it will be sent to the parish council for final approval in August.
A couple of key questions regarding the agenda unrelated to the budget, however:
Why is there no Director Search Committee update? The public has a right to know if any further resumés have been received, as well as any other information pertinent to the hiring process. The job opening will close on May 31 – does the board plan to extend that? What is the next step after applications close?
Why is there no update on the construction of the NE Regional Library? Given the high level of public interest in this topic, it would seem to be a good idea to give a monthly update on its progress. Citizens should not have to go to LCG to find out where in the process we currently stand. Has the citizens committee been seated? If not, when will that take place?
In regards to the budget itself, you can use the links above to look through the numbers. For those not familiar with how to read public budgets, the narrative is a great “plain English” explanation of each line of expense. The Pro-Forma is interesting as well, as it gives a 10-year projection of the growth of the library fund balance.
With an expected surplus of over $800,000 this year, and a projected fund balance of over $28 million in ten years, my biggest question is: when can we re-open on Sundays?
Post-Meeting Analysis
As predicted, the May board meeting was relatively short with budget discussions mostly centered on board members asking Operations Director Larry Angelle to explain specific line item expenses. (Questions by the public about opening on Sunday were not answered.) However, there is one topic which needs highlighting – that of the new tiered card system policy recently put in place to comply with Act 436 (formerly SB7). In the process of explaining the new system, Interim Director Danny Gillane mentioned two things which the public should know and be on the lookout for:
All LPSS school cards (the program currently in place whereby all students’ ID cards also serve as LPL library cards) will revert to the MOST restricted status. This means if you want your child (yes, even high school) to have the ability to check out whatever reading material they want, parents will have to travel to one of the branches to sign an authorization.
Right now, the new tiered card system only applies to NEW cards issued by LPL going forward. When a parent applies for a card, they will be asked at sign-up which level of access they wish their child to have. On hearing this, however, board members asked several pointed questions concerning the legality of setting ALL CURRENT minor LPL cards retroactively to the most restricted borrowing level. This is the OPT-OUT policy Robert Judge & crew pushed back in February 2023. At the time, the board voted to set LPL policy as OPT-IN instead. If board members’ questions are any indication, however, we can expect to see a proposal on the June agenda for making all kids’ cards retroactively restricted.
Just in time for Summer Reading.
May’s Censorship News
- Lafayette library board implements new La. law to limit access to sexually explicit material (The Acadiana Advocate)