Metropolitan Library Service Agency
Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
Friday, April 10, 2026
Virtual Meeting via Teams
10:00am-12:00pm
Advisory Board Members/Representatives Present:
Anoka: Colleen Haubner Ramsey: Pang Yang
Carver: Jodi Edstrom Saint Paul: Maureen Hartman
Dakota: Jennifer Reichert Simpson Scott: Jen Schultz
Hennepin: Scott Duimstra Washington: Jacquie Kramer
Staff Present: Jennifer Baker, Abigail Dillon, Nan Her, Gina Goettl, Kathleen James, and Sherry Wichitchu
I. Call to order
Chair Duimstra called the meeting to order at 10:03am.
II. Introductions and Welcome
III. Consent Agenda
a) Approval of agenda
b) Approval of meeting minutes (March 13, 2026)
Motion to approve the agenda and meeting minutes by Kramer. Second by Haubner.
Roll call vote:
ACL – aye HCL – aye SCL – aye
CCL – aye RCL – aye WCL – aye
DCL – aye SPL – aye
Motion carried.
IV. Discussion/Action Items
a) CRPLSA Meeting
(i) Discussion of joint meeting and SLS presentation
The directors enjoyed meeting with the CRPLSA directors and appreciated the data presented by State Library Services. Some of the directors expressed an interest in using similar data during future Advisory Board meetings to assist with decision making.
(ii) OverDrive non-MELSA patrons
CRPLSA directors seemed understanding and open to restricting OverDrive access to non-MELSA patrons, although communication with patrons will be difficult for those users who will be upset. There was also the possibility of allowing checkouts to outside users if there are no holds on the item. Dillon will gather some more information about this process, along with eliminating duplicate users. The Advisory Board will discuss this again at the May meeting.
(iii) Maintenance of Effort
State Library Services communicated that their general counsel will be interpreting the Maintenance of Effort statute (134.34, subd 4, section a) as written and will not be interpreted as it has been in the past.
The numbers will not be retroactive to the past but will be the lowest number from the last three years. They are waiting for more information from State Library Services.
(iv) Updates
Other discussion surrounded the state standards and next steps. State Library Services would like to explore making changes to and adding some of the state standards to statute 134.
The trustee handbook committee has started up again, but it is now in the League of Minnesota Cities’ hands to do the revision of the handbook.
State Library Services would like to know if your library system is doing anything for the America 250 celebration.
MLA is holding a legislative summit this summer.
Changes to RLBSS came out just before the CRPLSA meeting, and several counties experienced cuts to their RLBSS funding due to population decrease. MELSA received a funding increase due to population increase.
b) Round table sharing
(i) E material legislation
There is a lot of support for the legislation on the Senate side. It did not pass through the Commerce Committee and is a long shot in the House.
(ii) PLA experiences
Wichitchu, Dillon and other library staff met with the new OverDrive president. It was a supportive meeting, and the president listened to their concerns.
HCL hosted a few different library tours as part of PLA.
Overall, the feedback was very positive. Several presentations were given by MELSA member libraries.
V. Reports
a) Staff updates
Teen Lit Con is coming up on Saturday, April 25th at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights.
Mosquito Control has a new HR specialist, and they will be shared with MELSA.
Duimstra adjourned the meeting at 11:41am.