Puyallup Library Advisory Board Meeting - March 16, 2026

The Puyallup Library Advisory Board met in person in the Puyallup Library Board Room on Monday, March 16, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:39 p.m. Chair Melanie Fuemmeler presided; Vice Chair Justine Ziemer and Board Members Sarah Weishaar and Kimberlee Gerstmann were present. Board Member Alice Ferguson was absent. Library Director Nicole Erickson and Administrative Clerk Yessenia Abarca represented staff. The board approved routine items, adopted a revised Meeting Room Policy, and received updates on library operations, the Friends of the Library, and the Library Foundation.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the March 16, 2026 agenda as published by a 4-0 vote.
• Re-elected Melanie Fuemmeler as Chair on a motion made by Fuemmeler and seconded by Ziemer; passed 4-0.
• Re-elected Justine Ziemer as Vice Chair on a motion made by Weishaar and seconded by Ziemer; passed 4-0.
• Approved the January 5, 2026 draft minutes on a motion by Weishaar, seconded by Ziemer; passed 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizen comments were offered at the meeting, and no written comments had been submitted to the City Clerk's Office.

Discussion Items

• Meeting Room Policy Update & Review: Library Director Nicole Erickson presented the 2026 revision of the combined meeting room and study room policy. Changes include: removing the routine use of the movable divider in the meeting room because it is unwieldy and has injured four staff members; allowing study room reservations to be canceled when a group arrives more than 30 minutes late; requiring a verified library card in good standing for meeting room reservations; continuing to allow food and drinks; retaining online reservations, with meeting rooms limited to one booking per month and study rooms to one 3-hour slot per day; and adding posted room-reset guidelines, including a photo guide limiting chair stacks to five high. The policy was reorganized into two pages. Board members asked about food and drink, online reservations, and posted guidelines. The board approved the policy update 4-0.
• Library Director's Report: New people counters have been installed at the library entrances; unlike the older laser-beam units, the new counters scan head and shoulders, distinguish arrivals from departures, and provide more accurate reporting for staffing, hours, program evaluation, and grant applications. The library is hiring a library assistant because of an internal transfer. Monthly statistics show circulation is up even though door counts are slightly down, meaning patrons are borrowing more per visit; card holders total 70,434. The children's area improvement project, funded by a Puyallup River Watershed grant, will add decorative and safety-oriented elements; the first piece is arriving early because of a grant reporting deadline, with the remainder expected by the end of August. The library director expressed that the project will be implemented incrementally over multiple years and that another grant is being pursued.
• Friends of the Library Report: The Friends are operating well, managing donations and reporting book sale revenue weekly, and have resumed accepting donations after clearing a surge. The next book sale is April 18. The Friends are actively seeking volunteers because many members are retired and there are concerns about succession planning.
• Library Foundation Report: The Foundation's silent reading event at the Lazy Ballerina was well attended. The Foundation is focusing on supporting a public recording studio by converting a study room into an ADA-accessible space. The plan includes purchasing a Zen sound booth and seeking a state library capital facilities grant for matching funds; a $20,000 donation was noted, with the hope of doubling it to $40,000 for the booth next year. Board members said the studio would benefit patrons who already use study rooms for music despite noise issues from glass doors. In response to a question about Library Giving Day, Director Erickson explained the library cannot fundraise directly but can post informational materials, while the Foundation posts materials with QR codes; the Foundation is working to strengthen its Instagram presence.
• Board Member Comments: Members discussed Washington statewide reciprocal library card programs, noting that residents can obtain multiple cards from different library systems. Director Erickson explained differences in funding and reciprocity, gave Fircrest as an example of a community that pays for Pierce County library service, and noted Puyallup does not offer interlibrary loan but uses a patron-driven purchase request program instead.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the updated Meeting Room Policy for 2026 by a 4-0 vote.
• Re-elected Chair Melanie Fuemmeler and Vice Chair Justine Ziemer.
• Confirmed the next regular in-person board meeting for May 18, 2026.
• Meeting adjourned at 6:39 p.m.