OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting - February 25, 2026

Other Meetings (I) — Wednesday, February 25, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (I)
DateWednesday, February 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:06:05

Transcript — Verbatim
0:50

Call to order the um February 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Indianapolis uh public library.

0:57

Can we have a call of the role?

0:58

Yes, sir.

0:59

Mr.

0:59

Biederman.

1:00

Present.

1:00

Dr.

1:00

Rotada.

1:01

Present.

1:01

Dr.

1:02

Closio.

1:03

President.

1:03

And Dr.

1:04

Riolo present.

1:05

Uh, we do have a quorum.

1:07

All right, and we've got one more person.

1:10

And Miss Woodard.

1:11

All right, perfect.

1:12

Perfect timing.

1:14

Perfect timing.

1:16

Um, good evening, everyone.

1:17

It's my pleasure to welcome you to the monthly meeting of the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees.

1:22

My name is Ray Biederman, and I'm president of the board.

1:25

Tonight we are in a special setup from our traditional library bench venue.

1:29

We're assembled at the Mary Rigg neighborhood center across the street from our West Indianapolis branch.

1:35

Because of the limited space in the community room at our West Indy Indy branch, we're grateful to our good neighbor and longtime partner Mary Rigg uh to accommodate our board meeting tonight.

1:46

Uh thank you for your hospitality this evening.

1:49

Um as we begin our February meeting.

1:52

I also recognize that February is Black History Month.

1:55

At the Indianapolis Public Library, we honor the history achievements and enduring contributions of black Americans.

2:03

A wonderful example is our annual Meet the Artist exhibit organized by our library's African American History Committee.

2:10

For the 38th year, Central Library has provided a venue for black artists to share their work that is free and open to all.

2:18

Please consider visit visiting this inspiring exhibit at Central Library if you haven't already, as it will continue through the end of March.

2:26

Now some news.

5:00

So you've already covered the history, so I won't run through any of that.

5:03

But I will let you know a little bit more context.

5:06

So this area was once an industrial powerhouse.

5:09

So this neighborhood was known for the stockyards and the GM stamping plant that provided a lot of jobs here.

5:16

That plant sadly closed down about a decade ago, and the stockyards all closed in the 70s.

5:21

So we've seen a change in the population and the demographics here.

5:26

All right, if you want to go to the next slide, please.

5:30

All right, so who we are.

5:31

So we're a very small staff.

5:33

So myself, I'm the adult librarian and the branch manager, and then we also have a children's librarian that started last summer with us.

5:42

We also have one circulation supervisor, one library assistant too, one part-time juvenile public services associate, a part-time computer lab assistant, and then we have one library security assistant.

5:54

So we're a very small team, but I like to say we're small but mighty.

5:58

There's only seven us seven of us in the building, but you know, we keep that thing running and everyone does an amazing job.

6:05

Um we recently got um Secoa Dementia Friendly Certified because half of our staff have completed that training.

6:12

So that's another thing that we got going.

6:15

If you want to go ahead and go to the next slide, please.

6:19

All right, so to talk about who we serve, um, there's a lot of statistics on the screen and numbers can tell you so much, but I want to talk a little bit more about what these numbers mean for this community.

6:32

Um all of my data was pulled from the Savvy 2023 census.

6:37

Um I'm gonna go over this first, the languages spoken.

6:41

So 18.5% of the households in this neighborhood primarily speak Spanish, and the way that we serve that community is three of our staff members actually speak Spanish to a fluent enough level where they can have one-on-one interactions with patrons that come into the branch.

6:57

Um we see a lot of people that come in to um print documents, make copies of things, copies of passports, documentation.

7:05

So we have staff members that help them with that.

7:08

Um we're also seeing, due to recent current events, that a lot of these patrons aren't visiting us as often as they used to.

7:17

Um, in order to combat that, we're actually working with um WIDC, a development corporation, to put on an international festival in the fall to sort of invite that community back in and remind them that the library is a safe space for everyone.

7:33

Um the next point I want to talk about our poverty rate.

7:37

So, as I mentioned at the start of my presentation, this was once an industrial powerhouse, and when the GM stamping plant shut down, 600 people lost their jobs, and a lot of those people lived in this neighborhood, and suddenly they were without work.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement███████████████████████████████31%
Library Services████████████████████20%
Public Engagement███████████████████19%
Procedural█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis█████5%
Public Works████4%
Public Records Management████4%
Youth Programs███3%
Volunteer Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting - February 25, 2026

The Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting on February 25, 2026, at the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center. The meeting included presentations from the West Indianapolis Branch, volunteer and intern programs, financial reports, policy amendments, and strategic plan updates. All votes were unanimous. Note: The transcript indicates the meeting was called to order on February 23, 2026, but the official date provided is February 25, 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the minutes from the January 30, 2026 rescheduled regular meeting. (Approved unanimously)
  • Approval of Resolution 9-2026 regarding personnel, finance, and travel for January 2026. (Approved unanimously)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the public comment period. However, a public hearing was held regarding the grant of a fee simple right-of-way to IndyGo for the East Washington Street branch. No audience members commented, and the hearing was closed.

Discussion Items

  • West Indianapolis Branch Report: Megan Shepherd, branch manager, presented an overview of the branch's services and community impact. She noted that 18.5% of households primarily speak Spanish, and the branch has three Spanish-speaking staff. The poverty rate and housing insecurity are high: 19.4% of adults are housing insecure, with a 7.1% eviction rate and 20% housing vacancy rate. The branch provides hygiene kits, warming kits, a seed library, and programs including storytimes, book clubs, and teen programs. In 2025, the branch offered 396 programs with 4,250 attendees. Board members praised the branch's community engagement and outreach.
  • Volunteer and Intern Program Report: Wendy Johnson, volunteer resource supervisor, reported that in 2025, 1,000 volunteers contributed approximately 27,400 hours, valued at over $750,000 (equivalent to 13 full-time staff). The library engaged 28 corporate partners. Volunteers support collection support, program support, and the Friends of the Library bookstore. The internship program doubled and now includes library science, social work, and facilities interns. The seed library distributed seeds packaged by volunteers (81% of seeds). The Library Express homebound delivery program serves patrons unable to visit branches. Board members inquired about the educational component of internships and the return on investment for the seed library.
  • Finance Committee Report: Mary Rankins presented the treasurer's report for January 2026. Revenue included approximately $84,000 from e-rate, $23,000 from public printing, and $127,000 in interest income. Expenditures were $4.3 million (10% of budget), with three pay dates and HSA contributions. The report was approved.
  • Diversity Policy and Human Resources Committee: Resolution 06-2026 amended policy 101.9 regarding the naming of organizational assets. The policy allows the CEO to name spaces for gift-related or honorific reasons, with board approval for honorific naming. It also includes a process for removal of names. The resolution was approved.
  • Facilities Committee:
    • A public hearing was held for Resolution 4-2026, authorizing a fee simple right-of-way to IndyGo for a bus stop shelter at the East Washington Street branch. The library receives $4,600 in compensation. The resolution was approved.
    • Resolutions 7 and 8 approved third one-year extensions for lawn and landscape services with Davey Tree Expert Company (0% price increase) and Providence Outdoor Inc. (3% price increase). Both were approved.
  • Library Foundation Update: Roberta Jaggers and Bethany Watson presented the foundation's report. In 2025, the foundation raised $3.6 million, with 1,487 donors (up from 1,220 in 2024). Donor retention rate was 64% (goal 58%). The foundation funded the Meet the Artist exhibit, the Bunny Bag program, concert series, history on stage, and STEAM kits. The Circulate Night at the Library fundraiser is scheduled for April 17, 2026. Board giving was 100% participation, contributing $117,500. The foundation also increased branch designated gifts minimum from $300 to $700.
  • CEO Report – Gregory Hill: Hill highlighted January statistics: 13,862 physical items circulated daily, 6,585 visitors per day, 1,087 public PC uses per day. Top circulating branches: Glendale, Nora, Lawrence. The Leadership Enrichment and Development (LEAD) program launched February 12, 2026, to build managerial capacity. The "Heart of Every Neighborhood" event at Glendale Branch on February 9 had 45-50 attendees. Upcoming events: Lunar New Year celebration March 7.
  • Strategic Plan and Operations Update – Mary Ann McKenzie: McKenzie presented quarterly operations data and strategic plan metrics. Active cardholders increased 17.4% over 2024. Total circulation grew 1.5%, with electronic circulation rising. Public PC usage steady, Wi-Fi usage growing. Study room bookings increased 19% due to new spaces. Strategic priorities: belonging (people count up 3%, web traffic up 16%), learning (circulation per active cardholder down due to rapid cardholder growth), well-being (partner survey pending), workplace of choice (staff engagement mixed, retention stable). Collection diversity measured at 30.5% for physical reading materials. The library exceeded its intellectual freedom impact goal (300,000 people). Workplace of choice objectives completed: good wage initiative employer, staff intranet resource hub launched. Recruitment budget investment in diverse pipelines reached 55% (goal 30%). McKenzie noted that the strategic plan uses a DEIA filter.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolutions Approved (all unanimous):
    • Minutes of January 30, 2026 meeting.
    • Resolution 06-2026: Policy amendment on naming of organizational assets.
    • Resolution 4-2026: Grant of right-of-way to IndyGo for East Washington Street branch.
    • Resolution 7-2026: Third extension with Davey Tree Expert Company for lawn services.
    • Resolution 8-2026: Third extension with Providence Outdoor Inc. for lawn services.
    • Resolution 9-2026: Personnel, finance, and travel for January 2026.
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for March 23, 2026 at 6:30 PM at the Library Services Center.

Meeting Transcript

Call to order the um February 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Indianapolis uh public library. Can we have a call of the role? Yes, sir. Mr. Biederman. Present. Dr. Rotada. Present. Dr. Closio. President. And Dr. Riolo present. Uh, we do have a quorum. All right, and we've got one more person. And Miss Woodard. All right, perfect. Perfect timing. Perfect timing. Um, good evening, everyone. It's my pleasure to welcome you to the monthly meeting of the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees. My name is Ray Biederman, and I'm president of the board. Tonight we are in a special setup from our traditional library bench venue. We're assembled at the Mary Rigg neighborhood center across the street from our West Indianapolis branch. Because of the limited space in the community room at our West Indy Indy branch, we're grateful to our good neighbor and longtime partner Mary Rigg uh to accommodate our board meeting tonight. Uh thank you for your hospitality this evening. Um as we begin our February meeting. I also recognize that February is Black History Month. At the Indianapolis Public Library, we honor the history achievements and enduring contributions of black Americans. A wonderful example is our annual Meet the Artist exhibit organized by our library's African American History Committee. For the 38th year, Central Library has provided a venue for black artists to share their work that is free and open to all. Please consider visit visiting this inspiring exhibit at Central Library if you haven't already, as it will continue through the end of March. Now some news. So you've already covered the history, so I won't run through any of that. But I will let you know a little bit more context. So this area was once an industrial powerhouse. So this neighborhood was known for the stockyards and the GM stamping plant that provided a lot of jobs here. That plant sadly closed down about a decade ago, and the stockyards all closed in the 70s. So we've seen a change in the population and the demographics here. All right, if you want to go to the next slide, please. All right, so who we are. So we're a very small staff. So myself, I'm the adult librarian and the branch manager, and then we also have a children's librarian that started last summer with us. We also have one circulation supervisor, one library assistant too, one part-time juvenile public services associate, a part-time computer lab assistant, and then we have one library security assistant. So we're a very small team, but I like to say we're small but mighty. There's only seven us seven of us in the building, but you know, we keep that thing running and everyone does an amazing job. Um we recently got um Secoa Dementia Friendly Certified because half of our staff have completed that training. So that's another thing that we got going. If you want to go ahead and go to the next slide, please.

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