Metropolitan Library Service Agency
Joint Trustee Board Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (MCIT), St Paul, MN
10:00am-12:00pm
Trustee Members Present:
Anoka: Julie Jeppson Ramsey: Mary Jo McGuire (virtual)
Carver: Lisa Anderson Saint Paul: not present
Dakota: Laurie Halverson Scott: not present
Hennepin: Debbie Goettel Washington: Michelle Clasen (virtual)
Advisory Board Members/Representatives Present:
Anoka: Colleen Haubner (virtual) Ramsey: Pang Yang
Carver: Jodi Edstrom Saint Paul: Maureen Hartman
Dakota: Jen Reichert Simpson Scott: Jen Schultz (virtual)
Hennepin: Scott Duimstra (virtual) Washington: Jacquie Kramer
Staff Present: Jennifer Baker, Abigail Dillon, Nan Her, Gina Goettl, Kathleen James, and Sherry Wichitchu
I. Call to order
Chair Jeppson called the meeting to order at 10:05am.
II. Public Comment
III. Approval of Agenda
Motion to approve the agenda by Goettel. Second by Anderson.
Roll call vote:
ACL – aye HCL – aye SCL – not present
CCL – aye RCL – aye WCL – aye
DCL – not present SPL – not present
Motion carried.
IV. Consent Agenda
a) Approval of meeting minutes from March 19, 2026
b) Approval of checks and financials
Motion to approve the minutes and checks/financials by Clasen. Second by Goettel.
Roll call vote:
ACL – aye HCL – aye SCL – not present
CCL – aye RCL – aye WCL – aye
DCL – not present SPL – not present
Motion carried.
V. Discussion/Action Items
a) 2025 audit presentation – Bill Lauer, LB Carlson
The results of the 2025 audit were distributed in the meeting packet. Bill Lauer, our auditor from LB Carlson, presented the results of the 2025 audit.
The audit was termed to be a clean audit. There were no issues of non-compliance.
Yang entered the meeting at 10:07am.
Halverson entered the meeting at 10:12am.
Duimstra entered the meeting at 10:15am.
Motion to accept the 2025 MELSA audit and authorize submission to the State Library Services Agency of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Office of the State Auditor. Motion by Anderson. Second by McGuire.
Roll call vote:
ACL – aye HCL – aye SCL – not present
CCL – aye RCL – aye WCL – aye
DCL – aye SPL – not present
Motion carried.
b) OverDrive consortium patron account changes
The Advisory Board asked MELSA’s Collection Development Team to propose strategies to assist with our long hold lines and extensive wait times on our popular OverDrive (Libby) titles. While the Collection Development Team has continually worked on several strategies on the back end of OverDrive, there were three public-facing changes that we saw as important to improving access for the metro users: changing the hold limit to 8 holds per user, removing duplicate accounts, and removing non-MELSA users.
All three have been approved by MELSA’s Advisory Board, but as removing non-MELSA users is decision that impacts our relationship with greater Minnesota, we seek the Governing Board’s approval to move forward.
The commissioners are interested in seeing the data on wait times once these changes are made.
Motion to approve discontinuing OverDrive access of non-MELSA users by McGuire. Second by Goettel.
Roll call vote:
ACL – aye HCL – aye SCL – not present
CCL – aye RCL – aye WCL – aye
DCL – aye SPL – not present
Motion carried.
VI. Reports
a) Advisory Board update
At recent meetings, a lot of discussion has taken place about changes to OverDrive access. There has also been discussion about the regional literacy collaborative fund, and some libraries have started spending this money on their projects. The PLA (Public Library Association) conference took place recently in Minneapolis, and it was well attended. They have also been talking about e-book legislation and are hoping this will pass as the current pricing model is unsustainable for libraries.
b) Executive Director update
The Executive Director report was distributed in the meeting packet.
The progress on the e-book legislation went much further than expected this year and efforts will continue into the next legislative session.
On the national level, a report will be released in the fall regarding anti-trust law relating to the big five publishers and e-book vendors. Illinois and New Jersey are expected to pass their e-book legislation this session.
Wichitchu has been working with our new human resources person on the personnel policy manual, and these changes will be going to the Personnel Committee. The building project with MMCD (Minnesota Mosquito Control District) is underway, and the move-in date is projected to be April 2027.
c) Round robin discussion from Advisory Board members about current issues/events at member libraries
RCL is transitioning their ILS. They have also started a partnership with Roseville and Mounds View school districts, focusing on second graders.
DCL reopened their Wentworth Library in West St. Paul at the beginning of May after renovation. They recently held a Teen Job Fair, and 1400 teens attended. They have also begun their collaborative literacy project, focusing on decodable books.
SPPL has started applying RFID tags to books to save time during the checkout process. The Hayden Heights Library renovation broke ground recently and will be done by summer 2027. The Hamline Midway Library will open sometime this summer.
CCL – the Norwood Young America extended access will be implemented soon. The new Chaska Library project is moving forward. They will be meeting with the library board soon to discuss the collaborative literacy initiative project.
WCL has begun the remodel of the Park Grove Library, and it should open in spring 2027. The RH Stafford Library will also be renovated soon. This year is WCL’s 60th anniversary, and they are having a library card design contest.
ACL has a temporary agreement with their first union contract. They also had a staff day recently that included strengths and communications training. They are starting their summer reading program soon. Crooked Lake will be closed later this summer for renovation.
HCL had a re-entry resource fair in April at Minneapolis Central, and there were about 340 attendees. In April, they welcomed five couples to be married at Minneapolis Central as a partnership with Hennepin County Service Centers. Robin Wall Kimmerer was there last week to discuss her book The Serviceberry as part of the Mary Ann Key Book Club.
SCL just brought on two new part-time staff. They have been working closely with the schools throughout the county, and over the summer library staff will be going to school libraries in Shakopee one day a week. They are getting ready to kick off their summer programming and getting their Readmobile out into the community multiple days a week.
Jeppson adjourned the meeting at 11:42am.