Puyallup Library Advisory Board Meeting - October 12, 2026

The Puyallup Library Advisory Board met in person in the Puyallup Library Board Room at 324 S Meridian on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Board members present were Chair Fimmler, Vice Chair Zemer, and Board Member Weissar; Board Member Kerstman was absent. With a quorum established, the board approved the agenda and prior meeting minutes, adopted policy updates, received the Library Director's September and October reports, heard from the Friends of the Library and Library Foundation, and adjourned at 6:22 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda as written, without objection.
• Approved the minutes of May 18, 2026, and September 21, 2026, as listed on the agenda. Note: the transcript's initial roll-call discussion referred to a September 23 meeting, but the final motion and the agenda identify the September meeting as September 21, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made in person, and no written comments had been received.

Discussion Items

• Code of Conduct Policy Update: The Library Director presented updates adding items 4.6 and 4.7, responding to a growing trend of items being left plugged into library outlets unattended and of larger-than-personal-use items such as generators and battery packs being brought into the library, which library staff described as fire hazards. One board member asked how unattended plugged-in items would be handled; staff responded that the library would follow its lost and found policy by holding them for one month and then, depending on value, sending them to the police or donating them to a local charity.
• Unattended Child Policy Update: The policy now states that library staff will call the Puyallup Police Department when children are left unattended. The Library Director noted this was added so parents would not be surprised. One board member questioned how the age-of-eight threshold was determined; the Library Director described it as an industry standard and explained that children age 8 and up are expected to follow the code of conduct, while a child must be at least 13 to supervise a younger child.
• Library Director's Report: The Library Director reported that circulation, door counts, and card holder numbers continue to rise, with OverDrive helping drive card holders and circulation. Summer reading had the most finishers ever at 1,800, with roughly three times that number starting; teen participation almost doubled. Prizes were changed to include a book for signing up and a book for finishing. The director also announced the retirement of Bonnie, the children's librarian, after 37 years with the city, with an informal drop-by gathering planned in the meeting room; her successor, Laura Compton from McKinney, Texas, begins Monday, October 26, and will overlap with Bonnie for one week.
• Friends of the Library Report: The Friends held their final book sale of the year, with proceeds not yet reported. They approved the next year's programming budget with a $3,000 increase to offset book costs, partnered with Barnes & Noble for discounts, and supported the rising cost of treasure box items, now about $150 per month compared with the previous $100 budget.
• Library Foundation Report: The Foundation, meeting next door at 5:30, is doing well and completing paperwork and transition work. It has held successful silent reading events and participated in Library Giving Day, and is discussing projects to fund. Its next quarterly meeting is expected in January via Zoom, and a board member volunteered to attend, with January 11 at 5:30 mentioned as the likely date.
• Board Member Comments: Board members shared community observations, including appreciation for the library during Banned Books Week, a toddler's love of library books and story time, an adult son's return to reading through a Bellingham library card, and positive feedback about the children's museum partnership. The Library Director responded that the partnership with Green Trike Tacoma, formerly the Tacoma Children's Museum, draws about 100 attendees at the Tuesday morning session and about 60 at the afternoon session.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the Code of Conduct policy changes by voice vote, with no nays or abstentions noted.
• Approved the updated Unattended Child policy by voice vote, with no nays or abstentions noted.
• Scheduled the next regular board meeting for November 16, 2026.
• Adjourned at 6:22 PM.