Weatherford Public Library Board Regular Session - April 27, 2026
Weatherford Public Library Board Regular Session - April 27, 2026
The Weatherford Public Library Board met in regular session on April 27, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Weatherford Public Library. Chair Debbie Browder presided. The board approved the minutes from October 27, 2025, and received updates on library operations, programs, key performance indicators, and budget goals for FY 2026 and FY 2027.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes of the October 27, 2025, regular session without discussion.
Discussion Items
- Library Highlights: Director Erin Spicer reported that magazines have been moved to a quiet reading space with tables and chairs, and DVDs have been relocated from the front to near the back, consolidating media in one area. A new puzzle collection (donations only) was launched, with nearly 100 checkouts in its first month. The front of the library is being reimagined for displays.
- Friends of the Weatherford Public Library Update: Spicer noted that the Friends' Pictures with Santa event drew 220 attendees, and the upcoming spring luncheon (April 30, 2026) will mark the 40th anniversary, featuring a talk by former FBI agent Janine Cunell and a boot fashion show. The Friends reported one of their most successful fundraising years.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Spicer presented data showing increased visitors and materials checked out (including physical and digital). Monthly visitors spiked in March due to spring break programs. Checkouts by material type: print remains dominant, with e-audio and digital magazines (via Libby) growing to 11% of circulation. New library card signups surged after a spring break event. A zip code breakdown of cardholders from the last three years showed most are from the library's zip code (76086), but many non-residents pay fees from surrounding areas. Spicer noted that GIS mapping is stalled due to staff retirement.
- Budget and Goals for FY 2027: Spicer outlined goals: appeal to all backgrounds, offer diverse programs, strengthen partnerships (especially with Weatherford ISD), and keep the collection relevant. Specific requests for FY 2026 budget include new picture book shelves (on casters, with lighting), a smaller front desk, parking lot striping, and enhanced Wi-Fi. Board member Courtney Butler asked about a year-round partnership allowing WISD students free library cards; Spicer said that would require city council approval but is a staff priority. Currently, WISD teachers can get teacher cards, and summer cards for students were offered last year and may be repeated.
- Summer Reading Program: The theme is dinosaurs, with events including a fossil dig, fire truck visit, water slide, and Saturday events (one coinciding with the Peach Festival). The program aims to increase participation by 5%.
- Other Programs and Initiatives: Spicer highlighted a new neurodivergent adult group (first meeting had 6 attendees, including 2 participants and staff), an adult fiber arts group that grew after a volunteer left, and a successful seed library started by Master Gardener Carol Welch. Board members discussed potential for a library of things (hotspots, projectors, VCRs), a makerspace, a community garden, bluebonnet field, and playground. Volunteers are essential (27 active, including genealogy volunteers), and the library accepts volunteers aged 14+.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Minutes: The October 27, 2025, minutes were approved.
- Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 27, 2026.
- No Formal Votes: No other motions were made or votes taken; all items were for discussion and information.
Meeting Transcript
Anyone want to call the meeting to order. We'll move along to approval of the minutes. I've attached them just to make it easier. But we'll don't see any issues. Go ahead and vote um to where it's one that says presented. Yeah, I'll make a note that it really but not the chair. Moving into item number three A, library highlights. So just to keep y'all up on what's going on at the library, we've kind of shifted things around. I don't know if y'all notice when you came in. Um we have moved the magazines, they are in the back corner. We have moved them to kind of our quiet reading space with a lot of tables and chairs, just thinking okay, if you're coming in and reading magazines, it's kind of a little bit close to all the reading here. Perfect. You're welcome. Oh, for anyone who doesn't know this is DJ Copper. She is our what financial title of the financial special. She does another research. Yeah, make sure we can run. Okay, so the magazines have been moved there just to kind of consolidate the space because they were taking up a lot of shelf space in the corner, and then also to be close to the tables and chairs. Um, and then we put them in these boxes just to make it more visually in particular so you can see what all we have. And then in the place of magazines, we have relocated all of the DVDs. So those used to be kind of one of the first things you saw when you walked in. They're behind our circulation desk, which made some people wonder if they were allowed in those shelves. Um I also didn't like you know, it's kind of an older media. So the first thing you see me walk in is something that a lot of people don't even have DVD players anymore. So moved in the back corner, they seem to be doing really well there. Um and then we've got audio books with it, so kind of helps all the media is one spot in the library. And that brings up the front of the library to do something more displayed, but something that we're kind of throwing around a bunch of ideas right now. And then uh we've added since we've met last a new collection, and you've uh we've got a puzzle collection now, so you can check out puzzles and check. We do take donations. We don't, but we've only for special occasions to purchase um puzzles, all of them are donations, so that's not coming out of the budget. Okay, that's good. Yes, yeah, we have special bands so that they don't come out or anything. Um that's not very successful. They've been moving for a couple months now and the numbers are yeah, very good, like almost a hundred in a month, which I thought was great for brand new collection, but didn't cost us anything. So I think people especially appreciated them in the winter when we were coming on those weather days. That's all I've got for highlights. Um update from the friends. So this was actually from our January meeting. I just you know, we recycled it since we didn't get to meet in January, but just wanted to let highlight the friends that they had a great pictures with Santa event. Um it gets bigger and better every year. So we had 220 people come through to get their measure with Santa and it's completely free, so it's something nice that kids they don't want to go to a big private mall or especially like get everyone in an outfit and you get them some you know a lot of work. So sometimes it's nice to have an option just to pull it. I've done many and many years, but sometimes you'd say the line of range. Twisted around it's been on real, it's a bit of fun. We always love seeing the the outfits, yeah. You know, like I think this one because always there's always like some pretty oh yeah. I don't have those are my day ones. And then this Friday is their big uh spring luncheon. It is the 40th anniversary, so it's a little bit more special for them. Um they've got Janine Cunell, who's like former FBI, she's got a really varied background, uh super interesting.
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