Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting – May 20, 2026
Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting – May 20, 2026
The Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting on May 20, 2026, at the Beech Grove Branch. The meeting included branch and department reports, public comment, approval of minutes and contracts, financial updates, policy changes, a CEO salary resolution, and a strategic plan performance review. Key recognitions included the library being named a 2026 Top Workplace by the Indianapolis Star and the unveiling of two new bookmobiles.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes from the executive session on April 20, 2026, and the regular meeting on April 27, 2026, both by unanimous vote.
- Resolution 17-2026: Renewal of OCLC cataloging, metadata, and interlibrary loan subscription services ($115,392.56 for July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027). Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 18-2026: Policy revisions and approvals, including policy 513.2 on library use of circulation records (broadening data analysis for usage trends while prohibiting sale of patron data). Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 20-2026: Award of a design services contract to KRM Architecture for the Central Library restroom update project ($94,300 from bond fund 486). Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 21-2026: Confirmatory resolution for financial, travel, and personnel matters between meetings. Approved unanimously.
- Motion to accept the treasurer’s report for April 2026 for filing for audit. Approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Torres (PSA at Central Library, speaking as a 29‑year employee) praised Barbara Ann O’Leary, a youth technology assistant who recently left the library, for her exceptional engagement with families. He also expressed concerns about Resolution 19-2026 (CEO pay grade expansion), stating that the compensation study data used to justify the increase was not shared with staff or the public. He requested that the information be made available and that the resolution be tabled until transparency is ensured.
- Laura Hammock (Superintendent of Beech Grove City Schools) expressed deep gratitude for the Beech Grove Library partnership. She highlighted how the branch welcomes students, provides library cards, offers a safe space after school, and collaborates on community initiatives such as Prevention Week. She stated that the library is an essential part of the Beech Grove community.
Discussion Items
- Beech Grove Branch Report (Todd Gilbert, Branch Manager): Presented statistics showing increases in door count and circulation over the past year. Notable collections included general fiction and children’s picture books. Programming attendance rose year‑over‑year for youth and adults. Staff achieved three special certifications: dementia‑friendly, safe place for youth, and autism awareness. Board members asked about how dementia training translates into service; Gilbert described staff training and physical space modifications.
- Center for Black Literature and Culture (CBLC) Report (Hallie Rakes, Manager): Introduced the CBLC team and outlined a vision to make the center a “third space” rooted in belonging. A new strategic objective (B 5.5) was added under the “belonging” KPI to boost awareness through new messaging and Instagram (@cblc.indylibrary), which reached about 17% of its following goal. Community partners include Artists at Work, Future Black Leaders, Madam Walker Legacy Center, and Best Life. Upcoming programs include the 9th Annual Bookfest & Juneteenth Celebration featuring Tommy Adeyemi (June 13), 2026 Black Health Fair (October 13), and monthly book clubs. The CBLC will turn 10 in 2027. Board discussion focused on engaging youth, building community trust, accessibility, and the need for lecture series featuring local figures like Dr. Pat Payne.
- Finance Committee Report (Dr. White, Chair; Lena and Mary presented): April financials showed $1.7 million in revenue (including $1 million tax advance), with year‑to‑date expenditures under budget in all categories. The operating budget planned a $12.5 million draw from reserves per long‑term plan to align with external audit recommendations. Discussion addressed the benefit of reducing reserves in line with fund balance policy.
- Diversity, Policy & Human Resources Committee (Dr. Palacio, Chair): Resolution 18-2026 was presented with emphasis on the patron data use policy change. The committee recommended approval. Resolution 19-2026 was then taken up for discussion (see Key Outcomes).
- Facilities Committee Report (Ms. Johnson, Chair; Adam Parsons via electronic link): Presented Resolution 20-2026 for Central Library restroom design. KRM Architecture, familiar with the library from prior projects, will assist in meeting XBE goals for the construction phase. Discussion clarified the direct procurement process and how vendor assistance works in public works bidding.
- Library Foundation Update (read by Board President Ray Beterman): New officers elected May 12; 187 donors in the past month; over $100,000 given to support Book Bonanza, World Culture Celebrations, concert series, and summer reading program. Top corporate donors listed.
- CEO Report (Gregory Hill): Provided output measurements (average daily visitors 6,357, monthly visitors 203,987 – 4% increase; circulation down slightly; program attendance up 19% vs. April 2025; program attendance up 50%). Staff recognition included Star Award winners. The library won the 2026 Top Workplace award and the Spirit Award at the ceremony. Upcoming events: Martin Del Brightwood 125th anniversary (May 30), Scene Central and Kids Central grand opening (June 6).
- Strategic Plan Update (Mary Ann McKenzie, Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer): Reviewed quarterly KPIs with focus on “learning” priority. Noted orange arrows for people count (due to Central Library closure), world language usage (also impacted by closure), and staff survey response rate variability. Highlighted successes: 50% increase in web traffic, growth in digital resiliency programs (attendance up 85% vs. Q1 2025), strong job satisfaction survey results (77–83% positive), and expanded quick reads/decodable books collections. Language accessibility efforts include a Spanish filter on the databases page and librarian‑guided referral for other languages. Summer reading program (theme: “Play Your Way”) will boost multiple strategic priorities. Future strategic plan development will begin in June 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 19-2026 (CEO pay grade amendment): After discussion, the board voted to increase the pay range for Pay Grade 20 (CEO position) to a maximum of $270,000 per year. The motion was amended from the original $265,000 to correct a discrepancy. The amendment was approved unanimously. Board members expressed support for the CEO’s performance and recognized the need to also address frontline staff compensation, with a commitment to review staff pay as a future agenda item.
- The board directed staff to bring forward a review of employee compensation and retention, echoing public concerns and board member comments about turnover and fairness.
- All resolutions and reports were approved as noted.
- The next regular board meeting is scheduled for June 22, 2026, at the Fort Ben Branch Library.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. It's my pleasure to welcome you to the monthly meeting of the Indianapolis uh Public Library Board of Trustees hosted at the Beach Grove Branch. My name's Ray Beterman, president of the Indianapolis Public Libraries Board of Trustees. And before we begin tonight's agenda, let's have a call of the role. Mr. Bieterman. Present. Miss Johnson. Present. Dr. Pacio. Present. Dr. White. Rosen. And Miss Whitter. Present. We can have a floor. Excellent. All right. Well, I've got some exciting news to share. Who's excited? I am. So on May 6th, the library received a wonderful and well-deserved honor. The Indianapolis Public Library was named a 2026 top workplace by the Indianapolis Star. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to acknowledge this achievement and congratulate the entire library team. CEO Hill will share additional details in his report, but I wanted to personally express the board's pride in this recognition, which reflects our strategic priority of being a workplace of choice. Congratulations to everyone who made this possible. And speaking of exciting things happening in Indianapolis in May. Do you know you know where I'm going? It's very exciting. So we host the uh the best race uh in the world uh in one weekend, and it's the Indy 500. But those vehicles, they're not the only impressive vehicles in town. This Saturday, the Indianapolis Public Library will unveil two brand new bookmobiles. Yeah. All right, let's crack for that too. Uh fittingly, the public will get its first look at these uh bookmobiles during the 500 festival parade this Saturday. Uh, the board had the opportunity to get a sneak peek this evening. Uh, very cool looking. The patrons are gonna be in for a treat. Uh, these new bookmobiles arrived just in time for our annual summer reading program, which officially uh kicks off May 30th. And of course, summer reading is not only fun, but it's also free and open to all ages in our community. This year's theme is play your way, which celebrates your neighborhood library branch as a place for creativity, imagination, discovery, and lifelong learning. Participants can earn prizes by tracking time spent reading, listening to audio books, reading aloud, or being read to, uh, making uh the program flexible for readers of all ages and all reading levels. Uh registration's easy uh at any library branch or online, and while you're online, be sure to check out the summer reading kickoff celebrations taking place May 30th at every Indianapolis public library location. Uh thank you to our programming team and branch staff for planning what promises to be a fun-filled summer. Now let's uh learn more about our host branch tonight, Beach Grove. I'd like to invite Mr. Todd Gilbert, uh, Beach Grove Branch Manager. Uh please step forward and give your report.
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