Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Indianapolis Marion County Public Library Board of Trustees held its regular meeting on September 30, 2026, at the Glendale branch. President Ray Beterman called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. with a quorum present. The meeting featured a branch presentation, financial updates, and approval of several resolutions.
Branch Manager Jenna Maddox presented an overview of the Glendale branch, which opened in its new building on March 30, 2024. Key statistics for the past year included over 178,000 visitors, 471 programs with 17,468 attendees, and more than 500,000 physical items checked out. The branch ranks first in checkouts and check-ins and second in door count and new cardholders. The building is LEED Gold certified with solar panels covering 71% of energy costs. Upcoming partnerships include a program with Hollis Adams for adults with developmental disabilities. The branch also celebrated Library Card Days with strong patron turnout.
Resolution 33-2026: Brainfuse Online Tutoring and Job Assistance Service Renewal The board considered renewal of the Brainfuse service at a cost of $85,000. In its first year, the service provided 620 live tutoring sessions, 6,607 resource accesses, and workforce development coaching. Patron satisfaction was high: 96% were glad the service was offered, 94% satisfied, and 93% would recommend it. The resolution passed unanimously.
Resolution 34-2026: Purchase of Storage Servers The board approved a contract with David Port Group for $36,190 to purchase two Dell Power Storage servers for the Central and LSC locations. The purchase followed a competitive bidding process. The resolution passed unanimously.
Resolution 35-2026: Update to Policy 503 on Library Supported Community Resources The board approved an updated policy that aligns with current services, including the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis and Digital Indy. An amendment was added to include language about seeking grants from the library foundation. The amended resolution passed unanimously.
Resolution 36-2026: Third Amendment to Mechanical Services Contract with Ellis Mechanical The board approved a one-year extension of the mechanical services contract through December 31, 2027. The amendment includes a 9% increase in preventive maintenance costs (from $53,000 to $61,000) and a 5% increase in hourly rates for reactive maintenance. The contract has seen no increases in previous years. The resolution passed unanimously.
Dr. Riolo provided an update on the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. Highlights included a save-the-date for Circulate Night on March 12, 2027, and 277 donors making gifts in the past month. Top corporate and foundation donors supported initiatives such as the Black Health Fair and the Marion County Internet Library.
CEO Gregory Helmer presented an overview of August and September activities. Key data for August: 213,901 visitors (slightly down), circulation of 705,129 (up 2.3%), and 33,987 public PC uses (down slightly). A story of impact highlighted staff connecting a veteran with VA services. Library Card Days resulted in 297 new cards on Saturday alone, double the typical output. The "Heart of Every Neighborhood" series continues with the next event on December 14 at Central Library. Staff recognition awards were given to multiple employees. Upcoming events include a certification workshop and waterway exploration.
Good evening. Like to call to order the uh meeting, the regular meeting of the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library Board. Can we have a call of the role? Mr. Baderman. Present. Ms. Johnson. Present. Dr. Matada. Present. Dr. Clausio. Present. Dr. White. Robert. And Miss Sweater. Present. We do have a quorum. Thank you very much. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Glendale branch. Thank you for joining us for our September board meeting of the Indianapolis Public Library. My name is Ray Beterman, president of the Board of Trustees. It's appropriate that we're gathered here on the third and final day of a great celebration, library card days. Library Cloud Day. Library card. I was just gonna I got a little bag. So uh we've been um giving these out. Um and this is uh pretty pretty awesome. I wanted um we're gonna hear a firsthand report uh from the Glendale branch manager in a moment um that's gonna include some information about library card day. Um but library card day is a celebration about the power of a library card uh from free books and resources to learning and technology to free audiobooks, ebooks, movies, and music streaming, uh as well as all the other free opportunities available to the through the Indianapolis Public Library. Every card holder represents a new connection to the library and to our community, and every returning patron is a reminder of the enduring role that libraries play in people's lives. Uh, thank you to the library foundation for helping make this grand celebration possible and for investing in our library. And thank you to our staff and to our patrons for showing Indianapolis that the library belongs to everyone. Uh, congratulations, everyone. All right, uh short, short little intro today. So that's good. Um, because we're gonna 46 minutes. All right. Uh now I'd like to invite the Glendale branch manager, um, Jenna Maddox to please step forward and present uh her report. I have a whole list of questions too. President Bieterman, members of the library board, welcome to the Glendale Branch Library. Um, we're excited to have you all here today. Um so the Glendale and Broaderville area have enjoyed library services since the 1930s, but we moved into this brand new building March 30th, 2024. We're lucky to have 25 staff members, 26 volunteers, soon to be 27 volunteers, and we also have one intern.