Public Library Board of Directors

BOARD MEMBERS Laura Nicole Miller, President Katherine Bagdis, Vice President Roseann Fitzgerald, Secretary Matthew Noe, Treasurer Christina Andrianopoulos Harriette Chandler Mary Chenaille David Dominguez BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AGENDA Gail Schuyler September 24, 2025 - Green Room Kimberly Smalley Worcester Public Library Sheila Trapasso 3 Salem Square William Wallace CONTACT This Board of Directors for the Worcester Public Library meeting will be • Address: 3 Salem Square held in-person at the date, time and location listed above. Meeting • Phone: 508-799-1655 attendees will additionally have options to participate remotely by • Email: comms@mywpl.org joining online or by phone: • Use the following link to join the meeting via computer • Website: www.mywpl.org https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4360264614?pwd=dx5JnsYiFSaCF RmJOwmFf093t93x2Q.1&omn=87853642071 The Worcester Public Library is committed to Meeting ID: 436 026 4614 ensuring that its public meetings are accessible to Passcode: 7991655 all. Should you require interpretation, auxiliary aids, services, written materials in other formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and Note: If technological problems interrupt the virtual meeting procedures, please contact the library a minimum of 2 business days in advance of the scheduled component, the meeting will continue in-person. meeting. Hay disponibles servicios de interpretación y Application materials may be viewed by appointment at the Main otras adaptaciones con solicitud previa. Branch of the Worcester Public Library between 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., ‫ﺗ ﺘ ﻮ ﻓ ﺮ اﻟﺘﺮ ﺟ ﻤ ﺔ اﻟﻔ ﻮ ر ﯾﺔ و ﻏ ﯿﺮ ھ ﺎ ﻣ ﻦ و ﺳ ﺎ ﺋ ﻞ اﻟﺘﯿﺴ ﯿﺮ ﻋ ﻨ ﺪ اﻟﻄ ﻠﺐ اﻟﻤ ﺴ ﺒﻖ‬ Monday through Friday. अनवु ◌ाद र अ6य आवसह अ'-म अनरोधपचत ◌ु उपल5ध For more information concerning this meeting, please contact the :6छ। Worcester Public Library by email at comms@mywpl.org. Please send Interpretação e outras adaptações estão written comments, requests for reasonable accommodation, or disponíveis mediante solicitação prévia. requests for language interpretation 2 business days or more in advance Përkthimi dhe akomodime të tjera janë në of the meeting. dispozicion me kërkesë paraprake. Kasa nkyerɛaseɛ ɛne akwanya afoforɔ da hɔ Call to Order – 5:00pm ma wɔn a wɔn bɛ bisa ato hɔ. Approval of June 25, 2025 Minutes Phiên dịch và các hỗ trợ khác có sẵn theo yêu cầu trước. President’s notes Report of the Executive Director WPL LEADERSHIP • Monthly Library Report Attached Jason Homer, Executive Director • Safety Report Attached • August 2025 Staff Meeting Attached WPL MISSION • Review of Community Report As the heart of the community, we strive Administration Committee Report to nurture lifelong learning, cultivate • Acceptance of Minutes August 12, 2025 knowledge, and champion • Acceptance of Minutes August 13, 2025 intellectual freedom. • Acceptance of Minutes August 25, 2025 Worcester Public Library Foundation updates New Business Adjourn 1  BOARD OF DIRECTORS WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY Meeting Minutes Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Worcester Public Library 3 Salem Square, Green Room Directors Present: Laura Nicole Miller, President Sen. Harriett Chandler Mary Chenaille Roseann Fitzgerald Gail Schuyler Kimberly Smalley Shela Trapasso Directors Remote: Christina Adrianapoulos David Dominguez William Wallace Directors Absent: Matthew Noe Kathryn Bagdis Staff Present: Jason Homer, Executive Director Sulma Rubert-Silva, Director for Administration and Operations Missy Cutler, Adult Services Tara Jankowski, Manager of Adult Services Peggy Lelievre, HR and Development Manager Angela Bennett, Deputy Director for Youth Services Jen Marien, Deputy Director for Adult Services James O’Malley, Tech Services Kira Higgins-Simmons, Adult Services Guests: Christine Murray, Executive Director, WPL Foundation 1. Call to Order at 5:04 PM President Laura Nicole Miller called the meeting to order at 5:04 PM. 2. Approval of May 28, 2025 Minutes Nicole Miller asked the WPL Board if there were any comments or questions about the May 28, 2025 minutes. Since there were no questions or comments, she asked for a motion to approve the minutes. MOTION TO APPROVE: Sheila Trapasso and SECONDED BY Kimberly Smalley. 3. President’s Notes Nicole Miller began her report by asking WPL Board members to introduce themselves, particularly for the new board members. She asked the directors in one sentence to share their name and perspective, skill, or area of expertise that they are excited to bring to the board. David Dominguez said that he has been on the WPL Board for five years. He is an architect. He also brings the immigrant community point of view since he is an immigrant who has lived in Worcester for 11 years. Christina Andrianopoulos has served on the Board for two years. She brings project management, operations, and extensive marketing and outreach experience to the board. Bill Wallace was invited to speak or comment in the chat but did not respond. Roseann Fitzgerald has lived in Worcester for almost 30 years. She signed up for a library card when I first moved to Worcester. She brings experience in fundraising and an understanding on how to leverage connections between people. Kim Smalley has served on the board for six months. She is a professional librarian who is new to Worcester and a parent of a young child who attends the Worcester Public Schools. She is interested in children’s programming. Gail Schuyler said that she has served on the WPL Board for five years. Being older than most around the table, she brings wisdom to the Board. Sheila Trapasso is a lifelong resident of Worcester. She taught kindergarten in the City for 36 years and brings the perspective of early childhood needs. Mary Chenaille is from District 2. This is her second meeting. She started coming to the Library in 1975. She brings experience working with vulnerable populations. Laura Nicole Miller has served on the Board for two years. She teaches communications and marketing at Assumption University. She worked with Christina on the Marketing Committee and has the perspective as the parent of a small child who loves the Library and the Toothless books (which helps for Collections perspectives). Jason Homer is the Executive Director for the Worcester Public Library who brings enthusiasm to the Board. 2 4. Report of the Executive Director Ø New WPL Board Agenda: ED Jason Homer pointed out the new format for the Board Agenda from the City of Worcester which lists all the board members’ names in the margin. It also adds a feature of language accessibility to public meetings. He noted that the WPL Mission or Purpose is also listed on each agenda. It helps make the WPL Board meetings clearer and more open to our community. Ø Frances Perkins Branch: ED extended the WPL’s appreciation to the Public Facilities department and the Department of Sustainability for the reopening of the Frances Perkins Branch. At the last board meeting, the reopening was discussed. This was pushed back by one week so that all the spray insulation could be installed for the new HVAC system. The branch has reopened and there is new signage around the building that says the branch is open. Ø SummerQuest Summer Reading: ED is excited to share that SummerQuest summer reading has started and encouraged the WPL board to sign up for summer reading. Deputy Directors Angela Bennett and Jen Marien spearheaded the program. Their partnership has been a true collaboration. They worked on the Level-Up T-Shirts which were distributed to the board members who attended tonight’s board meeting in person. He mentioned that he has T-shirts for David, Bill, and Christina for their Level Up Summer Reading. ED noted that staff did some amazing decorations throughout the Library. He urged the board members to visit the Children’s Library. There will be a life-size Candyland in August 2025. SummerQuest is designed to drive members of the Worcester community to enjoy the various activities and collections of the WPL. Ø 2025 Boston Pride for the People Parade: The WPL Foundation paid for a spot in the 2025 Boston Pride for the People Parade on June 14, 2025. Seventy- five librarians joined the march which was the maximum number of individuals from nonprofits who could sign up. The front photo of the Board Report is a photo of the first part of the crew. The WPL gave out just under 500 Banned Books using the new Book Bike. There were many in the crowd who shouted “I Love Books” or ‘I Love Worcester.’ The ED posted a video on TikTok which had 75,000 views. Ø Security at the WPL: At this time, the WPL is down to one security guard, temporarily. There is a plan to have two security guards by June 30, 2025 and there is a third security guard who will be hired. ED noted that there are more Library Staff at tonight’s meeting for them to meet the WPL board and the board to meet staff and understand their concerns. He has no desire to operate safety and security in a vacuum. ED noted that he has to balance security and the First Amendment. Patrons do not need justification to enter the Library. At City Hall, 3 visitors need to fill out a form and sign a terms and conditions to print out a name badge to walk into City Hall. Sen. Harlee Chandler asked what the environment in the WPL is now that the Library has security. ED asked the WPL staff to answer this question. Tara Jankowski, Manager of Adult Services spoke first. She noted that Between August 2024---when our facilities manager was attacked and hit in the head with a skateboard—to now, we have not seen any improvement. “We have had other incidents including a patron who tried to break into Staff Only Offices. We had a patron almost attack me because our security guard Kaseem was not there. This grown drunken belligerent man would have beaten the living daylights out of me. We have had patrons who come to the WPL screaming, under the influence and several drug overdoses. The WPL Librarians have witnessed patrons who vomit all over themselves. My energy as a manager for Adult Services is being directed to safety checking on my colleagues, checking on the people I supervise to make sure they are mentally well enough to continue after they witness an event. I am also in charge of Adult Programs and outreach for the Adult Services Department. None of these tasks are getting my energy because I am focused on supporting my staff. I am joined by two of my colleagues who also do great work. But it is getting to the point that you are just happy that you survived the day.” Senator Chandler interjected and said that it is the Board’s responsibility to know what is happening at the WPL. Depending upon when you arrive at the Library, what would you recommend correcting the situation? Tara responded that Worcester is Massachusetts’ second largest city, and the City needs a day shelter. The Library has been used like a shelter and the WPL librarians have done more for our struggling population than any other City Department. We have expanded our resources and ED Jason Homer has created the Community Resources department. Our City needs to step up and help our struggling population and we need additional security. One security guard is not enough. We need someone at the doors, someone walking around and we need them to look at it through a compassionate lens. Missy Cutler in Adult Services spoke next and mentioned that she was recently sworn-in as the Union Steward. Another concerning incident was a staff member was sexually harassed by the same person. This person has been given an NTO (No Trespass Order), so he is not supposed to enter the WPL. He has entered the WPL at least three times and unfortunately, unless he is caught by the Worcester Police in the building, there is not much we can do about it. He is smart enough to know when to come into the WPL and approached that staff member specifically. The staff member has received support from ED Jason Homer and Sulma Rubert-Silva to file a stalking harassment order. The fact that this 4 individual can enter the WPL concerns all the staff at the Worcester Public Library. He has sexually harassed other staff members and other patrons, including teens. We have one security guard named Don who is doing a great job. We have been assured that we would have additional security from City Hall, which has not yet happened. There are times when Don is on a break and with only one security guard, you are going to have a few hours without coverage. We are relying on custodians to answer a security call. It is unsettling as staff members when we do not even know if we have security. The WPL staff does not understand why a security guard cannot rotate over to the WPL from City Hall. She noted that the Police detail is non-existent, and she has not seen an officer in days. The police officers that did come, would sometimes be visible. There are a lot of shifts, especially on a Tuesday night, they do not come in at all anymore. Sen. Harriet Chandler noted that the WPL Board needs to write a letter to the City Council. We cannot afford to wait at this point in time. Tara responded that this would be very much appreciated by the WPL staff. She noted that Jason has worked hard to advocate for the WPL Staff. Tara also noted that she has heard from some patrons that they do not feel safe at the Library. There was a woman bringing her child in for Storytime and there was a gentleman exposing himself in front of the building. James O'Malley spoke next. He is a manager in the Cataloguing department. He is largely in his office, but he does do librarian turn shifts twice a week. I do get called out when security is not there. A patron was obviously drunk who caused a ruckus. Other patrons who are unhoused obey the behavior rules. There are some unhoused who need help or direction. He noted that a Day Shelter would be good for Worcester, but there are people who will be kicked out of those shelters because of behavior issues. What will happen to them? Sen. Chandler asked if this is a different group of people than what you saw earlier. James O’Malley and Tara noted that there are many new people moving into Worcester, especially in the last two to three weeks. There are towns nearby that do not have the resources and they drop off the people near the WPL. Tara noted that some people have a daily routine to do drugs in the bathroom when the WPL opens at 9:00 AM. The WPL staff are doing everything they can, but they are only Librarians. It is glaring with the speed and precision in which City Hall was able to get their security measures implemented. Sen. Harlee Chandler moved that President Laura Nicole Miller write a letter in the name of the WPL board to the City Manager. It is unacceptable that the WPL staff and WPL patrons feel unsafe in the Library. We have to start with what has been promised to the WPL for their security needs. 5 Nicole Miller agreed with Sen. Chandler. Sen. Chandler asked ED Homer if there was anything else we should add to the letter. ED Homer noted that in New Business, the WPL Board had received a letter from the NAGE Local 495 (National Association of Government Employees) which mentions that Jason Homer is not honest with the board, which personally offends him and is not true. Nicole Miller objected to this characterization. She added that ED Homer is very straightforward with the Board and loops us in. Speaking as the President of the Board and serving on the Administration Committee, she knows everything that there is to know. Jason is doing the best he can. She noted that at the Budget Committee meeting, there were two Councilors who spoke up and said Jason is doing a great job balancing librarians, advocacy, and passion for the audiences. He also must take into consideration the safety of the staff, the safety of the patrons. He needs to balance the resources for library services with resources for safety. Kim Smalley stated that she is impressed with the WPL’s staff’s incredible professionalism—the way the WPL staff speaks respectfully regarding the patrons and has compassion. Gail Schuyler asked if the board should attend a Council Meeting? Senator Harriet Chandler said that sending a letter should be the first step. Missy Cutler noted that as the new union rep, she is aware that Jason has been advocating for the WPL staff. City Hall is aware of all the WPL security incidents reported to the Board at tonight’s meeting. Sen. Chandler said that the letter should include praise for ED Jason Homer, how he has brought national attention to the Worcester Public Library, and his support of the WPL staff. She feels it is important to respond immediately David Dominguez noted that City Hall is very aware of the WPL’s security issues. He agrees that it’s important to show our support of the staff and we as a board need to show more support. As a board, we have an obligation to support the staff of the WPL. Senator Chandler noted that our role is to make sure the patrons can use the WPL. If there was no response to the letter in two weeks, she recommends that the WPL Board have a special session President Nicole Miller requested a motion. 6  Senator Harriet Chandler made the MOTION that President Nicole Miller write a letter with Roseann Fitzgerald on behalf of the WPL Board to the City Council and share with the board. SECONDED by Mary Chenaille. Nicole Miller requested a show of hands in favor of the motion from those in the room and online. The vote was unanimous, and the motion was approved. She requested a second motion that the WPL will enter a special session if the WPL does not receive a response from the letter in two weeks. Sheila Trapasso made the MOTION TO APPROVE a special session which was SECONDED by Kimberly Smalley. The WPL Board approved the motion unanimously by a show of hands. Mary Chenaille shared her work as a volunteer at St. John’s Food for the Poor. She noted that there is no recent police detail at St. John’s. There have been overdoses, and when this happens, they block the facilities so there is no bathroom at St. John’s. The clients wait for the WPL to open so that they can use the WPL bathroom. She noted that there are some people with serious mental illness. We need to do better for them than to leave them out on the street. I’m old enough to remember when Worcester State Hospital closed. At St. John’s there are large men of color who intimidate the patrons. She empathizes with WPL staff and their security issues. Nicole Miller asked if ED Homer had any other information for his executive report and he said he had concluded his report. Nicole Miller thanked ED Jason Homer and the WPL Staff for speaking up at tonight’s meeting. Nicole Miller requested the Finance Committee report. 5. Finance Committee Report (Fitzgerald) The Finance Committee met on June 18, 2025 and the meeting is chaired by Matthew Noe. Sulma Rubert-Silva presented a detailed report for the trust fund needs for FY26 which was $212,500. The Committee reviewed the Trust Fund budget. The request will fund staff development, support of the WPL Foundation, and collection support. The Finance Committee approved the funding request. Fitzgerald asked if there were question on the report and there were none. 6. Administration Committee Report Nicole Miller noted that the Administration Committee recently had an executive session to support ED Jason Homer, particularly as we are going into the summer without any board meetings scheduled. 7  She requested a motion to approve the Administration Committee to serve the duties of the full Board during the months of July and August until the full Board reconvenes in September. Senator Harriet Chandler made the MOTION TO APPROVE the Administration Committee to serve the duties of the full board. SECONDED by Gail Schuyler. The Board approved the motion unanimously by a show of hands. 7. Friends of the Library Report No report because David Dominguez was unable to attend the last meeting. 8. Worcester Public Library Foundation Updates (C. Murray) Christine Murray provided the update. The WPL Foundation has not met since the last board meeting. Christine introduced herself to the new members and would love to chat with them and would be pleased to tell them more about the WPL Foundation. The WPL Foundation is currently soliciting authors for the 11/6/2025 Celebrate Our Library! Fundraising event. They are also soliciting sponsorships for the event. Please send me any ideas for sponsors. They are working on new trustees for the annual meeting to take place on 9/18/2025. They are also working on the budget for the fiscal year which begins July 1, 2025. Roseann Fitzgerald suggested one author who graduated from Holy Cross whose book was chosen for the Read with Jenna Book Club for July 2025 –Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores. 9. New Business Nicole Miller noted that the WPL board received a letter dated June 24, 2025 from the National Association of Government Employees, Local 495 expressing their concern that the WPL administration and Board improve the security at the WPL for the safety of the employees and patrons. The letter was signed by Sean Maher, President of the NAGE Local 495. There was no other new business. Nicole Miller requested a motion to adjourn. 10. Adjournment at 6:05 PM MOTION TO ADJOURN by Sen. Harriet Chandler. SECONDED by Gail Schuyler. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 PM. 8 Respectfully submitted, R. Fitzgerald 9  WPL Board of Directors, Committee on Administration Meeting Report Tuesday, August 12, 2025 In-Person Only Logistics Start Time: 4:33 pm End Time: 5:06 pm In Attendance: Matthew Noe (Chair), Laura Nicole Miller (President, Ex-Officio Member), Roseann Fitzgerald (Member), Katherine Bagdis (Member), Jason Homer (WPL Executive Director) Regrets: N/A Agenda 1.) Call to Order – 4:30pm 2.) Presentation from Director of Innovation and Public Services Candidate 3.) Question and Answers section 4.) Adjourn Notes - The entirety of this meeting was dedicated to Presentation and Q&A with the candidate. Discussion about the candidate and the process is to take place at a later date in an Executive Session, as is the normal process for staff hiring and performance discussions.  WPL Board of Directors, Committee on Administration Meeting Report Tuesday, August 13, 2025 In-Person Only Logistics Start Time: 4:33 pm End Time: 5:10 pm In Attendance: Matthew Noe (Chair), Laura Nicole Miller (President, Ex-Officio Member), Roseann Fitzgerald (Member), Katherine Bagdis (Member), Jason Homer (WPL Executive Director) Regrets: N/A Agenda 1.) Call to Order – 4:30pm 2.) Presentation from Director of Innovation and Public Services Candidate 3.) Question and Answers section 4.) Adjourn Notes - The entirety of this meeting was dedicated to Presentation and Q&A with the candidate. Discussion about the candidate and the process is to take place at a later date in an Executive Session, as is the normal process for staff hiring and performance discussions.  WPL Board of Directors, Committee on Administration Meeting Report Monday, August 25, 2025 Virtual Only Logistics Start Time: 6:01 pm End Time: 6:54 pm In Attendance: Matthew Noe (Chair), Laura Nicole Miller (President, Ex-Officio Member), Roseann Fitzgerald (Member), Jason Homer (WPL Executive Director) Regrets: Katherine Bagdis (Member) Agenda 1.) Call to Order – 6:00pm 2.) Discussion regarding candidates for Director of Innovation and Public Services 3.) Executive Session meeting in accordance with Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 30A, § 21. 4.) Adjourn Notes - This meeting was called immediately into Executive Session. The entirety of this meeting was discussion of the two finalist candidates for the Director of Innovation and Public Services, specifically an opportunity for the Director and the Committee to share opinions on candidates, the process, and next steps. SUMMER COMBINED September 2025 BOARD REPORT  Report of the Executive Director Great Brook Valley: It will be announced and confirmed shortly, but we expect October 2, 2025 to be the day we join the Worcester Housing Authority in a groundbreaking for the new Employment Opportunity Center, which will house the GBV library. We expect updated renderings to share. New Community Report: At the completion of the fiscal year, the Worcester Public Library staff worked to do our first Community Report. Board President Miller included a message in the report which will be distributed at the September Board Meeting. Advocacy Bootcamp: The Worcester Public Library will again host the Massachusetts Library Association’s Advocacy Bootcamp on October 7th from 10am to 3pm. Peanuts Exhibit: We will host the Charles M. Shultz Museum exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversay of the belvied Peanuts comic strip. A free community celebration on Saturday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Main Library. The event will feature the debut of the Charles M. Schulz Museum exhibit Taking Care of Each Other, meet-and-greets with Snoopy, a community art project with Jennessa Burks, a 200-pound Great Pumpkin, themed crafts, photo opportunities, giveaways, and more. Branch locations will also host Peanuts-themed programs throughout October, and visitors can enjoy the Taking Care of Each Other exhibit through January 4, 2026. Beyond celebrating Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, this event is designed to foster kindness and connection while addressing social isolation by bringing neighbors together in joyful, welcoming spaces. It builds on the momentum of WPL’s nationally recognized March Meowness campaign, which earned the John Cotton Dana Award, with funding from that award helping to bring the Schulz Museum exhibit to Worcester. The celebration is presented in partnership with the College of the Holy Cross and the Worcester Public Library Foundation, and will be supported by youth ambassadors and members of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library to ensure a warm, community-centered experience for all. Worcester Pride: Worcester celebrated Pride in September after the students from local colleges returned. The event kicked off with a March where WPL staff was joined by over 12 additional librarians from local libraries celebrating Librarians for Pride. Over 500 people visited the library booth at the festival until a tornado warning shut the festival down. We welcomed 600 people sheltering in place and took the opportunity to do story times and songs with local drag talent, pictured on the cover of this report. Appointed to ALA Presidential Advisory Committee: The Office of the City Manager has taken a strong approach to safety at the library, giving us an additional guard and allowing us to train all 4 city hall security officers to be back up for when we need additional assistance. Our newest hire, Don has been a breath of fresh air and professionalism.  Goal 1 Connect our Community Early Intervention visited a YS meeting to inform librarians about how to connect families to early screening for their young children. Since parents being concerned about development is often a discussion topic in storytime and playtime at the library, staff is now more ready to connect families to this resource. Allison is going to try to host an Early Intervention “open house” this year to ensure families in the community know about this free and amazing resource, and EI has also expressed interest in visiting storytimes to chat with parents afterwards. To celebrate Pride Month we had variety of programs. Pride Shrinky Dink Keychains had 23 participants who got to make their very own mini pride flag keychains! Several children were thrilled to make multiple keychains to represent themselves or loved ones. Around 10 families enjoyed Pride Storytime. 15 people enjoyed crafting and chatting at Rainbow Family Fun. Color sheets were displayed together featuring LGBTQIA+ individuals from the present and the past along with a book display celebrating these individuals and many more. Each coloring sheet had a mini bio to share a little about that individuals life. Over 25 kids participated and colored in pictures! We had 2 programs celebrating Festa Junina! On June 28, 18 people came to our Festa Junina program where we learned how to dance the Quadrilha, the traditional dance of Festa Junina. The room was full of smiles, Brazilian music, and pipoca, the Portuguese word for popcorn which is traditional to eat at Festa Junina. Below is a picture of participants dancing- some of them came wearing traditional outfits for the festival! Expanded Access to Local News: Lee Anne is partnering with NFB-NEWSLINE to expand the availability of local newspapers for patrons who are blind or have low vision. We are working to add the Worcester Business Journal to their service, which already provides access to hundreds of newspapers, Sunday ads, and job postings via a dial-in system. We are eager to grow this service further based on community demand. Allison hosted ALTAS Worcester (Audre Lorde Transformative Arts School) for an upcycled t-shirts program for teens. ALTAS is a local Worcester nonprofit that highlights non-classroom learning by connecting students to their community, and using art to teach justice. The ALTAS instructor brought one of their senior students to help run the workshop, and this teen was able to make connections with the younger teens and provide some on-the-spot mentoring. In turn, this senior was able to gain experience instructing a group. All teens in attendance began a lively discussion about the art and music scene in Worcester, and were trading stories from the different music programs they are enrolled in. It was lovely to see artistically inclined teens, from all across the city, discussing their various opportunities with prompts from ALTAS. continued: Connect our Community Allison arranged for the Worcester’s Division of Youth Opportunities, Mentorship Leadership Experience program, to visit WPL several times over the summer. Teen librarian, Winter, began by giving them a tour of the space and teaching them about our resources so they could walk over from their REC site and visit throughout the summer. Last month, Xuhong visited the Worcester Senior Center for the monthly Friday outreach with the Chinese elder group, an event that is always joyful and well- received. She brought Chinese books, magazines, and summer reading giveaways to share. The group, in turn, offered her cherry tomatoes they had grown in the center’s garden. This simple exchange highlighted why the group is especially fond of the library’s seed bookmarks—just as gardening involves planting a seed and watching it grow, each outreach visit helps cultivate meaningful and lasting connections. This month, the True Crime Book Club welcomed Marcia Biederman, author of The Disquieting Death of Emma Gill, to join their discussion. Members had the rare opportunity to ask questions about her research process—particularly meaningful as parts of the book take place right here in Worcester. Participants were thrilled to engage directly with the author and gain deeper insight into her work. Kira assisted an elderly patron who called the library’s TIS line seeking help verifying the credibility of several charitable organizations. Without access to a computer, the patron had heard about CharityWatch, a site that evaluates charities based on how they use donations. Kira researched the organizations on her behalf, shared their ratings, and located a phone number for future inquiries. The patron was relieved to know her contribution would be used as intended and expressed her appreciation— noting that she donates to the Worcester Public Library (WPL) because of the helpfulness and dedication of staff like Kira. She said every interaction she has had with WPL staff has been positive and that she is grateful to have such a trusted resource in her community. Main South Branch History Blog: Amy authored a blog post about the history of the Main South Branch and shared it with Iris, a former WPL staff member who worked at the branch in the 1980s. Iris responded with heartfelt appreciation, reflecting on her time there as some of the best years of her 41-year career. She recalled memorable moments, including staging a scene with children reenacting the sinking of the Titanic and a video filmed by Chris Kardokas on the branch’s last day. Iris expressed her gratitude that these memories are being preserved and celebrated, saying the post brought back the joy and community spirit of her years at Main South.  Goal 2 Promote Learning & Literacy Children at the FPBL dissected owl pellets, the indigestible part of the owl’s prey they cough up. They learned about owls, their preying and eating habits, and found bones of small rodents, such as skulls and femurs, while dissecting the pellets during this program. The Poop Museum performed their Gross, Weird, Cool Science program for 65 children and families who were both truly grossed out and fascinated by the animal facts they learned! Amy recently connected with a visitor who was photographing the owl statue from the third floor of the Worcester Public Library. When she shared the history and names of the library’s owl statues, he revealed that he is a frequent library visitor and was testing out new camera equipment. Their conversation expanded to include the library’s artwork, and he inquired about resources on the library’s history. He expressed enthusiasm about learning more and photographing additional aspects of the library and its interior. Shortly before closing one evening, another patron asked about a book on New England gravestones that was featured in the local author display on the third floor. Having recently moved back to Worcester, she was planning to explore local cemeteries with her partner. After locating the circulating copy, Amy also shared information about Missy’s upcoming tour of the Worcester Common graveyard and Preservation Worcester’s flashlight tour of Rural Cemetery. Missy reported that the Worcester Public Library’s Cricut craft program is approaching its one-year anniversary and has become a tremendous success. Registration fills within hours, with a waitlist forming quickly and a loyal group of participants who have built friendships through the program. . Melody assisted a music historian from England who was encouraged to visit Worcester to learn about Mechanics Hall. She connected him with the library’s clipping file, the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and Mechanics Hall staff, and set up a one-on-one appointment with Alex for further research. The patron was excited to explore the venue’s renowned acoustics and history. Melody also shared the success of long-time patron who, after receiving guidance from librarians on job searching, application tools, and resume development, he returned in August to share that he had received a job offer in his chosen field. Xuhong helped a senior couple explore audiobook options after the wife recently developed vision challenges. She guided them through the differences between physical and digital formats, helped them install the Libby app, and assisted them in downloading their first eAudiobook. The wife said, “It opens another world to me.” Immediately after, Xuhong helped another patron link his WPL card to Libby and add partner library networks, enabling him to find a sought-after title from CLAMS. He expressed heartfelt thanks—switching to Chinese to convey his appreciation. Goal 3 Nurture Inclusion & Ideas Studio Progress: In our studio, we have successfully approved six books for inclusion in our catalog. While this may seem modest in number, it represents a significant milestone. Joel, who is largely self-taught in audio engineering, has advanced these efforts with valuable guidance from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and our colleague Nancy at Perkins School for the Blind. Our team is becoming increasingly confident in both narration and editing. Sensory Friendly Certification: We are proud to share that Worcester Public Library (WPL) is now certified as a sensory-friendly location through KultureCity. This organization works to ensure that individuals who experience sensory overload can fully enjoy public spaces such as museums, concert halls, stadiums, and libraries. While we continue developing supportive resources—including website updates and circulating sensory-friendly kits—this certification marks the culmination of work that began in 2023 and represents an exciting step forward. Wayfinding for Low-Vision Patrons: We are also collaborating with RightHear, an application that assists individuals with low vision in navigating public spaces. WPL will be installing wayfinding devices that integrate with patrons’ smartphones, enabling them to move more independently throughout the building. We look forward to offering this enhanced accessibility tool in the near future. Goal 4 Invest in Staff Susan was also at the ALA Annual conference. Some of the sessions she attended were Empowering & Innovating Games-based Library Services: National Best Practices for Gaming Collections & Programming and Youth Social Action in the Library: Cultivating Change Makers. Along with attending the Michael L. Printz Awards, Scholastics Readers Theater, and the YA Coffee Klatch (celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Printz Award). She was able to meet a lot of authors, chat with fellow Teen Services Librarians from across the country, and make connections with various publishers. Susan attended a webinar run by the Massachusetts Library System on “Building Inclusive Collections”.  Goal 4 Invest in Staff Starting in June, our Library Social Services Specialist Azajuah began providing onboarding sessions for new hires that introduce them to our underserved populations, such as the elderly and chronically ill, low-income families/ individuals, unhoused individuals, and individuals suffering from mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. She explains the trauma-informed approach and her role at WPL, and provides an intro to verbal de- escalation principles. She stresses the importance of self-care and lets staff know she is available to them going forward. On June 9, our department was joined by Don Fortin, WPL’s new Library Security Compliance Officer. Three weeks later, Patrick Michel joined our team.Don and Pat have quickly become staff favorites, by enforcing the patron behavior policy fairly, consistently, while showing great compassion and respect to everyone. We are so pleased to have them aboard! In June we had Bloodborne Pathogen Training for our LICs. As first responders in the Library it is imperative this group know how to properly take care of themselves in case of emergencies. In July we had a Staff Development Day and welcomed the Executive Office of DEI along with WPL updates from our Executive Director, Jason Homer. The EODEI came to speak with staff about changes in their department and how we can utilize their services moving forward. In August we had (2) two All Staff Friday meetings with staff presented by our Executive Director, Jason Homer around the importance of ARIS and collecting data for WPL funding, as well as a security updates. YS Manager, Allison, and librarians Stacy and Cara attended webinar “Gen Alpha: Trends and Details on our youngest Generation” to help shape future programming and ensure we are meeting the needs, interests, and trends of Gen Alpha. Allison also read select chapters from a new, acclaimed nonfiction title The Disengaged Teen to understand how apathy is causing an alarming mental health trend among teens, post COVID. The book offers tips for tackling this crisis by reframing how we think about and interact with teens. Stacy watched the MLS training Accessible Library Services for Children with Disabilities & their Families which focused on programming ideas and library purchases that would make the library inclusive to all. She learned some new tips, but also realized Youth Services is already doing a lot of the recommended suggestions now! Allison viewed several ALA presentation slides including “Loyalty or Survival? Understanding trauma and employee commitment” and “Urban Library Trauma Study”. Alicia attended ALA’s four-day annual conference in Philadelphia, partially funded by the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award. She participated in programming sessions including Poetry as Makerspace: Making Poetry Visible in Your Library Year-Round and Supporting Youth Mental Health: Libraries as Spaces for Readers to Grow into Writers; readers advisory events including children’s book author and illustrator talks and Youth Media Awards receptions. She networked with youth services librarians from cities and towns of all sizes, fellow Simmons University alumni, publishing professionals, library vendors and service suppliers, and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) directors and staff. She also wrote about her experiences on the ALSC Blog.  Goal 4 Invest in Staff New Hires/Promotions (1) Security Compliance Officer – External Hire – Eff. 6/3/25 (1) GL2 Adult Services – External Hire – Eff. 6/23/2025 (1) Security Compliance Officer – External Hire – Eff. 6/30/2025 (1) L2 N&M – External Hire – Eff. 7/7/2025 (1) L2 Circulation – Internal Promotion – Eff. 8/18/2025 (1) L2 Circulation – COW Internal Hire – Eff. 8/18/2025 Open (1) L2 Circulation – External Hire – Eff. 9/2/2025 (1) Page Circulation – External Hire – Eff. 9/2/2025 (1) Page Circulation – Posted 9/3/2025 – Closes 9/18/2025 (1) Security Compliance Officer – Potential Candidate with COW (1) Projects & Special Events Coord – Working on JD to post (1) Director of Library Innovation & Pub Svcs – Offer accepted! (1) L4 OCOL Branch Supervisor – Pending RFP from City HR Goal 5 Prepare Community for the Future Missy and Katherine are now offering appointments for patrons in the Innovation Center. Missy is offering Cricut instruction and Katherine is offering sewing machine instruction. Several appointments have already been made, and it is proving to be a valuable service. Some patrons cannot attend Katherine sewing class on Saturday mornings, so this gives them the opportunity to learn how to use a swing machine so they can return to use Open Maker Hours. Missy’s Cricut classes are very popular, but giving patrons the opportunity to learn about the Cricut one on one gives them the tools they need to complete projects on their own. Safety Report: The Board’s dedica.on to fixing the issue of safety in the library has helped create new conversa.ons and addi.onal progress, albeit slower than any of us would like. As a first update, the 3rd security guard interviews are s.ll in process aAer 2 failed searches in the Summer months. As part of those conversa.ons, we will be taking full control of security again and it will no longer be under the Department of Public Facili.es. We are deeply grateful for their perspec.ve and the lessons we learned from them, but we are eager to move things in a way that make sense for us as an organiza.on. HR and Development Manager, Peggy Lelievre, is now running point on hiring that role aAer taking over from City Hall, and has some great candidates we hope to decide on in the next week or two. While this process has been slow, we need to get this hiring right and build on the momentum we have gained. Presenta0on on Safety and Safety Staff Mee0ng: APached to this safety report will be the presenta.on I made to staff at the August staff mee.ng. The topic for that staff mee.ng was data, so we worked with both ARIS data and began our discussions around safety data. Two Demos on Incident Repor0ng So<ware: A consistent piece of feedback was in the incident repor.ng soAware and staff not being able to see what is happening. Obviously, we need to walk a line between safety and privacy. We will complete our demonstra.ons of the top two incident tracking soAware and pick one to move to that will help build a bePer tracking system for all staff. (You will see that feedback reflected in the anonymous form below.) Staff Perspec0ve on Security: We were delighted that our staff feedback form has given us a few posi.ve comments about our new security team of Don and Patrick. On 8/19/25 we received this submiPed feedback from a member of the children’s team: “Don For.n has been a wonderful addi.on to the library! His kindness and warmth toward the children and families are unmatched. We can always count on Don to look out for us and our patrons. He is stellar!” Execu.ve Director Jason Homer has also received a lot of posi.ve comments from staff New Dataset on 0me dealing with security: As part of the conversa.on with the staff at the June Board Mee.ng, and con.nuing to discuss with staff, a consistent topic was about aler.ng when things were not rising to the level of incidents. In order to address that as well as begin to make sure what we are doing is sustainable, healthy, and welcoming, Library Administra.on created a new dataset to ask in our tool for tracking ques.ons. The tool launched 9/1 and will be recorded for 3 months so that we might look for clear direc.ons the data will give us. As we look at the data from the first two weeks, this is becoming a space for tracking small problems that are not at the level of “incidents” but are s.ll taking .me away from staff. GBV is really a standout stats-wise. In the first 2 weeks there were 213 submiPed reports. 185 were incident monitoring and 28 were wri.ng reports. If we just calculate the .ming for those 28 reports at the max .me selected, we get 570 minutes or 9.5 hours. Overall, most transac.ons were reported as quickly addressed, with 75.1% of the 213 reports under 5 minutes. We are taking a look at all data and informa.on that we can gather to create an informed decision about the future of safety at the library. Below are the number of issues staff are tracking throughout the day per day per hour. We will take the first month and really deep dive into the data to see if there is anything we can address. New Safety Huddles: Execu.ve Director Jason Homer has offered to meet with staff on a weekly basis to discuss trends in issues in the library and overall strategy for safety. At the .me of wri.ng this, only 4 staff have signed up for these huddles that will being in the next 2 weeks. Library Journal Safety Summit: Execu.ve Director, Jason Homer, and Director of Opera.ons and Administra.on, Sulma Rubert-Silva, aPended the Library Journal Safety Summit in Harkord, CT in early September. At that summit, we were able to hear about challenges and successes of other libraries. In par.cular, there was a very unique training happening out in California that is extremely expensive, and as a result, Jason and Sulma will work on securing funds but may approach the Board to do something radical for the change needed to help this staff and this community. Anonymous Feedback Form: Stemming from the lePer NAGE 495 SubmiPed to the Board, aPached as an exhibit to the full Board Packet, I created an anonymous feedback form to allow staff to share. There were only 7 entries total, and no part was required to submit, staff had the op.on of aPaching files if they chose to highlight anything we were missing. Those ques.ons and comments are below: Ques0on: What makes you feel unsafe that happens at the library Entry 1: This sugges.on falls under the category for public health/safety - patrons who smell very bad. Security has really improved but we need to take measures to ask people whose bad odor affects everyone to leave the building and suggest they "cleanup" and then are welcome to return. Perhaps this is for LIC's to handle. Entry 2: It makes me feel unsafe not having all the informa.on about incidents that happen here. Especially aAer seeing emails that hint at things but don't give all the informa.on (like the email about NTO's we got on 7/24). It leads to me having more ques.ons and my imagina.on taking over. Entry 3: I don't like not knowing what is happening in the building in regards to incident reports. I think we all hear rumors and things aAer incidents have happened but the rumor mill is rarely accurate. Entry 4: Major trauma.c events such as violence, sexual situa.ons, extreme escala.on that are wriPen up and presented and ignored by the city leadership. Entry 5: I actually don't usually feel unsafe per se. Though I recognize that many others do. One heuris.c that I loved from our staff training a couple trainings ago is that there is a difference between "unsafe" and "annoying." I would say that many more patrons annoy staff than actually present a danger. Also, "homeless" and "unsafe" are not synonyms. However, I will say that every .me I've been creeped out enough to google a patron's name, they 95% of the .me have convic.ons or charges for violent acts, so we certainly have poten.al for massive safety issues. Plenty of patrons who might only be "annoying" at WPL have also done stabbings, which I'm sure can unnerve staff. We used to have a guy come to our tech one-on-ones who also served 20 years for bludgeoning his girlfriend with a hammer. And I know staff were not excited to be alone with him in the computer lab. Entry 6: I generally feel safe here and have not felt targeted by any patrons or felt unsafe with any patron interac.on. The only thing that really gives me pause is the idea of patron retalia.on due to the level in which I will interact with the patrons. Ac.ng as LIC puts me more at risk for retalia.on, especially if the patron remembers me or my name. I have come to terms that this is the nature of working in an urban library. And it was my choice to accept this posi.on. I will do my due diligence to maintain this aotude towards safety. Ques0on: What, right now, would make the library a safer place? Entry 1: I'd feel safer being able to have all the informa.on available on incidents. Especially in regards to knowing what patrons with NTO's look like so we can all keep an eye out to help with security. Entry 2: I think that all staff having the choice to look at previous incident reports would be helpful. The informa.on would be accurate and we would be able to know descrip.ons of patrons that need given warning lePers or NTO's. Entry 3: The big issue seems to be that despite the leaderships many aPempts to change the library for the bePer for the staff, patrons, and city, City government does not seem to care about our needs and feel that the only way to change things are more cops and security measure. Turning the library into a police department will not solve the problem. More staffing in areas such as children's that are understaffed and therefore do not have the resources to keep staff in a situa.on where they feel like they are in control of the space all of the .me will help, as will con.nuing to hire staff who understand the nuances of working in an urban library seong. I am seeing a lot of improvement as of late due to bePer staff and new training for security. Entry 4: 3rd security guard will help. We should have more than 3, but that's a city issue. Biggest boPleneck is the NTOs. City is too slow, as we all know. And they default to star.ng with warning lePers, even when every single staff member knows the warning lePer will be an eventual NTO. (I would actually be curious in seeing the percentage of warning lePers that become NTOs, because I bet it's high.) Would love for city legal to have the same level of cau.on about police-misconduct lawsuits that they apparently do for NTOs! I hate the idea of security scanners and think we could get FAR bePer results for much less money and annoyance by just issuing NTOs at a much faster pace, and for a lower threshold of misbehavior. As we saw with [Staff name omiPed] aPack, when stuff happens, it happens fast. BePer to cut problem patrons off at the pass before behavior escalates. Entry 5: I think the things that we are doing now to bePer security are big steps already. I can see that our newer security guards are not biased and will adhere to the patron behavior policy every interac.on with our patrons. I think having other stakeholders’, like the city or the union, buy in could improve morale and concern for safety. Ques0on: What are some of the concerns you have that have that are not being addressed: Entry 1: Odors coming from patrons that impact the ability of others to enjoy using the library. Entry 2: The rela.onship we have with WPD is crucial to maintain safety within the library. Recently, I overhead a staff member speak in a very nega.ve and aggressive tone towards one of the WPD officers as he was exi.ng the staff restroom. The WPL employee told the officer something along the lines of "Don't leave the toilet seat up, you're just visitors here, this is our space and you need to respect it." This completely caught the officer off guard and he was visibly upset by the interac.on, and kind of leA him speechless. He and the other officers he was with leA abruptly aAer that. While I understand the WPL employee's complaint regarding bathroom cleanliness, this conversa.on could have been handled in a much different and less hos.le manner. It put the other library employees in the area in an uncomfortable posi.on to have to apologize to the officer. I'm concerned that more interac.ons like this one could damage our rela.onship with WPD and lead to unsafe condi.ons down the road. Entry 3: The main issue is global; the library is not a social services agency. Yet the city ignores the many humanitarian crises that are going on that result in mental health, housing, and drug addic.on emergencies. We need a day shelter, a safe injec.on site, and bePer resources outside of the library to make an impact. We need a city government whose answer is not "let's ban skateboards" when there is a major violent incident in the library. Hard cover books are not allowed in prisons because they can be used as a weapon, are we banning those next? It's .me to address the real problem, not put a band-aid on it. In addi.on, there is a lot of resentment towards the union who uses library situa.ons to their advantage only, and the rumors in the community of city hall retalia.ng against the en.re library if we are remotely cri.cal. With our current leadership in the library, we are in a place where we can be the first library to really address these issues and make an interna.onal impact on how to do it, but we do not get the support we need from our city government, so it feels like we are stuck with good ideas that we cannot bring to prac.ce. Entry 4: One major issue is that I don't think we have tradi.onally trained new staff in a way that recognizes the vast array of patrons we have. For example, the onboarding document for Periodicals staff I believe s.ll gives pointers such as "smile at the patron, be approachable, ask follow-up ques.ons to make sure the patron doesn't have anything else you can help them with." This is probably good customer service advice for places that are not the Periodicals desk at WPL. Of course, we have staff who are hilariously terrible at customer service, but we also have staff who are SO good at tradi.onal customer service that all of the problem patrons glom onto them. I know we've had stuff like the Dowd trainings, but I don't know that we've had the kind of trainings that have created a permission structure for staff to be able to disengage from patrons in a way that they frankly have to. Some of this is probably easier for me, because I'm a guy and was socialized as a guy, but I think it would be helpful to explicitly have the message of "if someone is hiong on you in a creepy way, and you feel unsafe, you can tell them to go away or you'll have to call security, the library will back you." I would, in all seriousness, be willing to teach a course on this, btw. I legi.mately have an en.re PowerPoint I made on disengaging with problem/rude patrons and not giving them the energy they feed on, aAer a few staff asked me to teach them how I do my "stone face" Entry 5: I really wish I had a solu.on. But unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be one for my concern. You can’t really control retalia.on. But what I can do is control my reac.ons to things to hopefully bePer patron interac.ons in the future. I can also do my due diligence to make sure I maintain healthy boundaries and keep my support network in place. DATA, DATA, DATA ARIS, SECURITY, AND MORE! August 2025  ARIS: Annual Report Information STATE Survey STATISTICS Financial Report State Aid DATA COLLECTION ARIS In compliance with M.G.L., c.78, public libraries are required to submit this data in order to receive State Aid to Public Libraries and to meet the Minimum Standards of Public Library Service. FINANCIAL FORM Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR) Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L., c.78, s.19A) states that a municipality must appropriate a figure of at least the average of the last 3 years' municipal appropriations to the library for operations, increased by 2.5%, in order to be certified for State Aid to Public Libraries. This calculated figure is known as the Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR). A municipality must meet the MAR or apply for and receive a waiver of the MAR in order to be eligible to be certified for State Aid to Public Libraries by the MBLC. Capital appropriations cannot be used to meet the MAR. How to Calculate the MAR The MAR is calculated using the prior 3 years' municipal appropriations for operating expenses or the MAR figure, whichever is higher. The average of the 3 years' figures is increased by 2.5% to determine the MAR figure for the current fiscal year. [(FYaa + FYbb + FYcc) / 3] x 1.025 = MAR for FYdd FINANCIAL FORM STATE AID Staff salaries under State Aid: (1) GL4 (1) GL2 (1) L3 YOU: “JASON, I LOVE DATA, HOW CAN I DIVE INTO THIS?” Compare other libraries, track the history of a specific library, or dive into financial data.  SECURITY UPDATES & DATA INCIDENT REPORTS 1. Be Clear and Factual: Stick to the facts. Include only what was directly observed, and avoid assumptions, opinions, or generalizations. If you are unsure of any details, it is better to leave them out than to make guesses. Be specific about times, locations, and individuals involved. If you are writing a report based on a second-hand account, ensure that you gather all the necessary information from the staff member involved and follow up with any questions before completing the report. 2. Describe the Incident Thoroughly: Provide a complete narrative of the situation, explaining what occurred, who was involved, what actions were taken, and the outcomes. Avoid vague descriptions. A thorough report ensures we have all the necessary information for decision-making and follow-up actions. 3. Use Neutral Language: Remain objective and neutral in your tone. It's important that the report does not reflect personal biases or emotional language, as this could undermine the report's credibility. Additionally, please remember that our communications may be subject to public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act. 4. Follow the Chain of Events: Organize the report logically, from the initial signs of the issue to how the situation was resolved. This helps us understand the full context of the incident and enables a more informed response. 5. Ensure Completeness: Include any supporting details, such as who was present, any verbal exchanges, specific actions taken, and whether there were any witnesses. This adds credibility and helps us follow up effectively. 6. Document Social Service Resources Shared with Patrons: If you have directed a patron to available social service resources, such as where to find showers or laundry services, it is essential to document this in the incident report. Whether you provided information or referred the patron to Azajuah, make sure to include details about the resources shared. 7. Knowledge of Library Policies/Rules/Procedures: It is crucial that all staff members are familiar with the library’s policies, rules, and procedures to enforce them effectively. When staff are well-versed in these guidelines, they are in a better position to handle incidents and document them accurately. WHAT THE DATA TELLS US You can observe spikes in incidents during afternoons, especially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays around 10 AM to 3 PM. CHANGES SINCE 2021 2nd Security Guard New Social Worker Stronger relationship with the Worcester Police Stronger relationship with Health and Human Services. RD FY2026 CHANGES: 3 GUARD! ...STARTING SOON! TREND DISCOVERY In August of 2024, we saw, at that time, the highest number of reported incidents, but often staff’s experiences did not match the data. So throughout the Fall, we spend time refocusing on collecting the data and attempting to build some trust that what is reported will be properly handled. TREND DISCOVERY What we learned was the more we talked about it, the more upset people were getting, and members of leadership pondered, “are we making it worse?” But there is a model in organizational change that helps us understand what is going on... we are in a type of organizational grief. Increased reporting is key to moving to a space where we can begin to address the changes head on. The sharp increase in reporting is an important transitional behavior, it reflects we are no longer in denial of what is happening. Now, we actively engage with the process. TREND DISCOVERY This has opened the door for meaningful problem-solving. Now we have real data to begin to identify patterns, address root-causes, and equip staff with appropriate tools. Stages of Grief in Organizational Change 01 Denial: “This won’t last” 02 Anger: “This isn’t fair / right” 03 Bargaining “Maybe if we compromise” 04 Depression: “Everything feels uncertain” 05 Acceptance: “This the reality” but before we just move to “Acceptance” we have a lot of work to do and trust to build 06 Adaptation: “Let’s make this work” KÜBLER-ROSS CHANGE CURVE The shift in incident reporting is a tangible metric of this transformation. What began as something “hidden” became overwhelm, then action, and now we are moving to solution-making. That arc mirrors our broader change process and affirms that even discomfort can be progress when we lead with empathy, clarity, and consistency. LET’S UNPACK FEBRUARY 2025 The shift in incident reporting is a tangible metric of the transformation we are in. When we break down the numbers we can start to see what is happening on a day to day and no longer just seeing the worst of the worst. CHANGE MANAGEMENT FRAMWORKS CHANGE MANAGEMENT FRAMWORKS OUTCOME GOALS: Psychological Safety: Staff feel heard and respected Clarity: Everyone understands expectations and roles Adaptation: Staff move towards solutions-based problem solving Equity: A fairer, more inclusive workplace for all UPDATE REGARDING SECURITY Shortly after the framework for City Hall Security started, we knew that we needed to express the variability of response*. *the disease, the responsiveness of tissues, and the concentration of the drug at its site of action In practice, the merger of security had many positives and negatives. UPDATE REGARDING SECURITY Due to the challenges of applying a 1 size fits all model, City Hall and Library Security are no longer merging into one department. Rather, the WPL will take all the great lessons we learned and apply it with our change management models. WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT? New Incident reporting software** New data gathering tool for all staff*** Re-work reporting structure with feedback Introducing Monday 9:30am safety huddle**** Increased staff-involvement in communication in safety information New uniforms NEW DATA SET NEED TIME FRAME SEPT 1 - DEC 1 QUESTIONS?