RECOGNITION OF ANISHINĀBE ALGONQUIN TERRITORY

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

No declarations of interest were filed.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

Minutes 34 – Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Confidential Minutes 10 - Tuesday, 10 May 2022

CONFIRMED

CORRESPONDENCE

·         Follow-up to recent delegation – OPL Board Meeting Packages

CHAIR’S VERBAL UPDATE

National Indigenous History Month

The Chair began by recognizing that June is National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity to honour the heritage, contributions, and cultures of Indigenous people in Canada. He noted that it has been more than one year since the initial devastating news of unmarked graves at residential school sites, and that residential school sites continue to be investigated. He said it is important to remember these ongoing investigations as OPL continues to implement the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report. To mark National Indigenous History Month, OPL is offering readers simultaneous digital access to electronic copies of the book, Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. The Chair noted that Noopiming was OPL’s nomination for the Dublin Literary Award and was recently shortlisted. A recent interview with the author can be found on the Library’s YouTube page.

Employee Recognition

The Chair also mentioned that June is Employee Recognition Month. He took the opportunity to thank all employees for their tremendous contributions to OPL and noted that this past year, they continued to overcome challenges while delivering library services we are all passionate about. Despite the challenges, employees remain committed to serving our customers with passion and dedication. He thanked “Team OPL.”

Ādisōke Update

The Chair was happy to report that construction has resumed on the Ādisōke site after the recent crane operator strike. Drilling and excavation work continues, and foundation walls are being formed. The Chair reminded trustees and listeners that on June 20^th, the project partners and the Host Nation will be meeting to celebrate laying the foundation. For up-to-date construction information, the Chair encouraged everyone to visit Ādisōke.ca.

Repairs at Alta Vista Branch

The Chair provided an update about work on the Alta Vista branch entranceway. The scope of the repairs was larger than expected and will require additional work over the summer. The Alta Vista branch will offer curbside holds pickup services through the rear doors from July 4 to 13^th while these entranceway repairs are being completed.

Congratulations Trustee Mary-Rose Brown

Chair Luloff congratulated Trustee Brown as she and her family welcomed a baby girl last month. Both baby and Mary-Rose are doing well, and everyone is enjoying the baby’s company, in particular her big brother and sister.

MOTION OPL 20220614/1

That the Ottawa Public Library Board receive the Chair’s verbal update for information.

RECEIVED

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER UPDATE

Summer Reading Club Programs

The CEO began by mentioning the recent launch of the TD Summer Reading Club, which is Canada’s biggest bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, interests, and abilities. This program celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators, and stories, and is designed to inspire kids to explore the fun of reading over the summer months. This year, children will have the opportunity to dance, draw, build, play, meet reptiles, parrots, and mythical creatures, and much more. Programs will take place in branches, with some special virtual programming to kick-off and close the summer, as well as weekly virtual storytime for preschoolers. Registration opened June 13^th at 10:00 a.m., and the full calendar of events can be found on the OPL website.

June is Seniors’ Month

The CEO indicated that June is Seniors’ Month, which presents an opportunity to celebrate and honour the contributions that older adults make to our communities. At OPL, we have plenty to keep older adults busy! The CEO highlighted a variety of resources and services that might interest Ottawa’s older population, including: Books clubs, material on ‘aging well’ and retirement, programs, including an array of recorded programs on OPL’s YouTube channel, Homebound Services, and much more. For more information, visit the OPL website.

Summer Hours

The CEO reminded everyone that Sunday hours will be paused for the months of July and August and will return in September, as in previous years. On a related note, as indicated earlier this year, Library opening hours for Monday – Saturday have been reduced for some time due to ongoing staffing pressures. The CEO confirmed that branches and InfoService will continue current opening hours throughout the summer. Staff will keep trustees and the public apprised of when regular opening hours resume. The CEO also shared that starting the week of July 4^th, several rural branches will have their hours adjusted to allow for evening openings until 8:00 p.m., and that Bookmobile will reintroduce stops that had previously been paused during the early days of the pandemic. Customers can refer to the library’s website to verify the hours of their local branch or bookmobile stop.

Farewell and thank you to a long-time Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) volunteer

The CEO wished Penelope Gould a fond farewell as she leaves her position at FOPLA this summer. Penelope has been a member of FOPLA’s Board of Directors for eight years and has spent considerable time as both the Director of Operations and the Manager of the Distribution Centre. Penelope has been a tireless and dedicated volunteer who helped lead the organization through the recent pandemic. The Chair, Vice Chair, and trustees joined the CEO in extending a heartful thank you to Penelope for her work with FOPLA.

MOTION OPL 20220614/2

That the Ottawa Public Library Board receive the CEO’s verbal update for information.

RECEIVED

REPORTS

1.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

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Danielle McDonald, CEO and Alexandra Yarrow, Program Manager, Board and Strategic Services provided a presentation about intellectual freedom at OPL (held on file with the Chief Executive Officer). Ms. McDonald indicated that OPL defines intellectual freedom as "the free and open exchange of lawful information and ideas in a democratic society, respecting individual rights to privacy and choice", and highlighted how the value of intellectual freedom is central to public libraries. The report and recommendations before the Board this evening were shaped by a comprehensive review of OPL’s documents related to intellectual freedom, by both a third-party legal firm as well as peers. Ms. McDonald underlined that OPL is strengthening its commitment to intellectual freedom in three key ways:

1.    Responsibility: The revised Statement addresses legal and peer advice received by OPL, and reduces risks to the organization;​

2.    Equity: The Statement upholds OPL’s commitment to open access to information, removing a barrier to internet access by removing content filtering; and​

3.    Transparency: The Statement will outline a new Appeals process for customers seeking a second review of the Library’s decision regarding an IF challenge. As part of the implementation process if the Statement is approved, staff welcome public feedback regarding the implications of the Statement on Library operations. Lastly, staff will report annually to the Board in a public forum regarding decisions made related to challenges.​ ​

Ms. McDonald noted that a representative from Emond Harnden LLP was in attendance, and should specific legal questions arise during the meeting, the Board could move in camera to discuss items of solicitor-client privilege. She thanked Ms. Yarrow for her tireless work and provided a high-level summary of the recommendations. Ms. Yarrow provided additional details about OPL’s renewed commitment to intellectual freedom as outlined in the report, as follows:

·         The context (Legislative, governance, risks to the organization);

·         Project approach (Phase 1: Research, Phase 2: Governance Model Review, and Phase 3: Implementation);

·         Five key findings from the reviews:

1.    Remove remaining restrictions to intellectual freedom (including discontinuing filters for legal content on computers);

2.    Improve transparency;

3.    Improve training and support;

4.    Provide clear and complete documentation; and,

5.    Align with legislation.

·         Key changes to the Board’s Intellectual Freedom Position Statement, include adding four new sections:

1.    Responsibilities statement

2.    Guiding Principles

§  OPL is committed to upholding the core tenet of intellectual freedom

§  OPL supports unrestricted access to, and lawful use of, the internet

§  OPL welcomes open discussions about intellectual freedom, including challenges to the Library’s decisions

3.    Challenges; and,

4.    Applicability;

·         A broad outline of the implementation process, including revising administrative documents, developing a staff and trustee training plan, and continuing to foster intellectual freedom; and,

·         Information regarding staff’s commitment to report back to the Board: providing status updates during the implementation process, and a close-out report in Q3 2023.

Written correspondence was submitted to the Board prior to the start of the meeting, from the following, as noted:

·         Letter from James L. Turk, Director, Centre for Free Expression (dated June 14, 2022)

Chair Luloff thanked the CEO, Ms. Yarrow, the Intellectual Freedom Ad hoc Committee, and all trustees for their engagement on this file. He also thanked the peer reviewers, Emond Harnden, and other legal advisors.

Trustee Slack thanked staff for taking the time to brief trustees individually.

Trustee King commended staff for the tremendous amount of work undertaken as well as for arranging briefings on the topic for trustees. He emphasized the Library’s commitment to ensuring residents have open and unrestricted access to information without fear of censorship or discrimination. Trustee King asked staff to provide additional details regarding the scale of work undertaken in revising all relevant documents to align with the reviews. Ms. McDonald provided an example related to the Meeting Rooms Policy, regarding the importance of integrating a proper triage process for reviewing applications for a room rental, including asking for all relevant information from an individual or group making the request. Ms. Yarrow provided an example related to the Public Network Access Policy, sharing that staff undertook a review of the practices at other Canadian libraries with respect to filtering, the use of privacy screens, and staff training or customer education programs about internet use, in order to inform the staff recommendations. This review found that very few other libraries filter legal content, and few provide formalized training for staff related to conversations around internet use. She highlighted how OPL partners with Media Smarts for information literacy programming and noted that OPL hopes to expand on this partnership in the coming years. Ms. Yarrow remarked that Catherine Seaman, Division Manager, Customer Experience and her team have been doing great work in that area.

Trustee King was appreciative of this benchmarking work. He noted that it is important for OPL to adhere to its legal responsibilities and said that he is glad that staff sought legal advice on this matter. He was pleased that OPL is aligning with the Canadian Federation of Library Associations statement as well as other industry best practices. He noted that public libraries have a core responsibility to safeguard and facilitate access to constitutionally protected expressions, ideas, and opinions, including those which some individuals and groups consider unconventional, unpopular, or unacceptable. He stated that providing access to good information ensures that we are able to deal with disinformation and misinformation, and this is one of the hallmarks of a democracy. He mentioned that libraries are facing challenges to intellectual freedom but noted that healthy democracies ensure that we are able to also have healthy discussions when these challenges arise. He thanked staff for the in-depth report.

Trustee Brockington stated that updating OPL’s position on intellectual freedom is one of the most important reviews undertaken by trustees during this term of the Board. He went on to share that intellectual freedom is the bedrock of public libraries: libraries must be accessible to all and must offer a wide selection of resources so that people will have the opportunity to learn multiple points of view and to allow for a discussion to occur. Trustee Brockington also mentioned that when he recently attended the Public Library Association’s annual conference, he attended a session about the role of public libraries. He went on to share that everyone has the right to come into libraries and have access to information; it is not the role of trustees or employees to dictate what is the “right” or “wrong” information. The library’s role is to provide access and allow people to absorb that information and make their own conclusions. He thanked everyone who contributed to the report and all the work over the years to get to this point. He underlined that he was very supportive of the recommendations before the Board.

Trustee Kitts commented that while she only recently joined the Board (and the Intellectual Freedom Ad hoc Committee), she was pleased to dive right into this topic. She echoed her colleagues’ comments and thanked staff for their very thorough work. She mentioned that since the modifications to filtering practices will be a change for our customers, the change may pose some new challenges for library staff as a consequence. She asked whether there is a channel for employees to obtain support, and to share their feedback as these changes get rolled out in branches. Ms. Yarrow said staff held a preliminary meeting with the leadership team prior to the Board meeting, to provide some sense of the information that would be presented in the Board report, and to solicit some of their early feedback regarding how they would like to see these changes implemented. This feedback will help guide the tools provided to staff, including: formal training (coming later), staff blog posts, coaching, one-on-one conversations, and more. These tools will ensure that front-line employees are comfortable having conversations with customers about the changes that are coming to internet access. Ms. Yarrow also noted that the changes to filtering will be primarily on computers in children’s areas and workstations that are in high traffic areas in some branches, which together make up less than 10% of the total number of computers in branches. Staff already have conversations with customers viewing content on computers in adult areas that may not be appropriate for a public setting, and there are tips and tricks available for staff to build on. There may be slight differences in conversations they will have in the future, with parents and caregivers, and staff will be working to support those conversations with a number of different tools.

Trustee Kitts asked how much faster the internet browsing experience will be by removing the filter for legal content. Anna Basile, Division Manager, Corporate Services asked Chris Simmons, Manager, Technology Services to quantify the answer if possible. Mr. Simmons said that eliminating the filter for legal content will save a couple of hundred milliseconds on every page load, a slight difference that will add up over time. Trustee Kitts noted that is an important point that impacts the library’s service delivery.

Trustee Begg voiced his full support for the report as a member of the Intellectual Freedom Ad hoc Committee. He thanked the CEO, Ms. Yarrow, other staff involved, and those who assisted in getting the Board to this point. He said that he was very impressed by the work, and happy with the report before the Board today.

Vice-Chair Fisher thanked all those who contributed to the in-depth review of this topic. She specifically thanked the trustees who were part of the Ad hoc Committee and voiced her support for the recommendations. She said two of the important additions to OPL’s processes were the review of best practices and the addition of the appeals process, which provides greater transparency. Ms. Yarrow commented that not every library they reviewed for best practices had an appeal process for challenges. She provided further detail regarding the appeals process using the example of a book in the collection, indicating that a customer would have to bring forward new pertinent information (for example, a legal ruling about a book’s content containing hate speech, plagiarism, defamation) to appeal a decision. A book might also be reconsidered if the publisher retracted the book, or a book is found to consist of false information.

Chair Luloff said that he is passionate about intellectual freedom, which underpins the beautiful society that we live in - as difficult as it sometimes is. He echoed Trustee Brockington’s words, noting that intellectual freedom is the most important policy that this Board has updated during their term. He remarked that we live in very difficult times, where misinformation and controversy are prevalent, and said that reading is intellectual armor and opens our minds to new ideas. Chair Luloff said he embarked on a journey at the beginning of the pandemic to read books that had been banned or had been deemed controversial, to get a sense of the historical context for the report presented today. He highlighted the importance of developing his own opinions about what these authors had to say. He also commented that this Board has tackled numerous governance issues and thanked the CEO for her guidance and hard work in this area. The Chair stated that she is leaving this institution stronger and better than she found it. He extended his heartfelt thanks to the CEO and the Board for their bravery in tackling something that can be controversial but is fundamental to the proper functioning of society. He ended by urging everyone to “read more and hate less.”

There being no further questions, the report was RECEIVED and CARRIED as presented.

MOTION OPL 20220614/3

That the Ottawa Public Library Board:

1.         Receive this report for information;

2.         Reaffirm the governance model as it relates to intellectual freedom;

3.         Approve the amendments to the Intellectual Freedom Position Statement, including the new Guiding Principles, as described in this report, effective upon approval;

4.         Direct staff to align operations with the Intellectual Freedom Position Statement no later than April 1, 2023, as further described in this report, including:

a.   Filtering both wired and wireless public networks for illegal content;

b.   Revising administrative documents;

c.   Developing robust training for trustees and employees; and,

d.    Developing a plan to continue to foster discussions about the importance of intellectual freedom in the community; and,

5.         Direct staff to provide the Board with:

a.   Status updates on implementation, along with a close-out report no later than Q3 2023; and,

b.   Annual reporting on challenges to all aspects of intellectual freedom, as further described in this report, and to update Board Policy 010 – CEO Reporting and Board Monitoring to reflect this reporting timeline.

RECEIVED and CARRIED

2.

PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES IN SOUTH NEPEAN: RIVERSIDE SOUTH AND BARRHAVEN

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Trustee Kitts asked for a status update on the East Urban branch and how it fits with other upcoming priorities. Ms. Basile provided context: in 2016 and 2019, the Board identified three growth projects: Riverside South, Barrhaven and East Urban. OPL’s 10-year capital plan, as well as the 2019 Development Charges (DCs) update projected that the order of projects would be Riverside South, East Urban, and then Barrhaven, based on anticipated growth and the collection of DCs. Given that we have received a significant financial contribution, there would be a reordering of those branches as follows: Riverside South, Barrhaven, and East Urban. In other words, East Urban would be re-prioritized, but not removed from the project list, and the work on the Facilities Framework is anticipated to continue to show a need for a branch in East Urban.

Further to a question from Trustee Kitts regarding whether recent funding allocated by the province to the Barrhaven branch reordered the sequence of projects, Ms. Basile confirmed that this was correct. She said there were more funds in the DCs already accrued and collected for Barrhaven; however, the provincial and federal contribution is equivalent to approximately 60% of the total cost for that facility re-prioritized that project. The provincial and federal funding was also tied to specific timelines.

Trustee Kitts said she will reach out to staff after the meeting regarding how to keep the East Urban branch project on track. She expressed her disappointment at seeing East Urban sidelined, while recognizing there are service gaps in other areas as well. She spoke about the growth in her ward and shared her concerns about the East end seeing significant development in the City, without the necessary investment in infrastructure to handle this. Chair Luloff indicated that he appreciated Trustee Kitts’s comments and echoed the importance of infrastructure to support Ottawa’s growing communities.

Chair Luloff asked whether more DC funding would allow the East Urban location to move ahead more quickly? Ms. Basile stated the DCs can only be used for the capital costs of building the facility, and that there are additional costs and considerations. She stated that the recommendations provided today are based on the information available at this point. Should this information change, staff and trustees may revisit the plans.

Trustee Brockington was supportive of the recommendations before the Board. Noticing the comments made by Trustee Kitts, he referenced the challenges in his ward, which was developed 80 years ago, that currently does not have a library branch. He is open to future discussions regarding accelerating projects and building where the need exists.

Trustee Brockington asked about the budget plan for the operating costs, such as the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees that will be required for the Riverside South branch. Ms. Basile said staff are preparing an appropriate plan over the coming years for anticipated operating costs of $1.45M for Riverside South branch. The plan will also be built considering current needs, including post-pandemic considerations.

Trustee Brockington reminded trustees that OPL’s recent budgets have included a 2.5% increase, rather than a 3% increase, that other budgets presented to City Council this term received. He remarked that exceptional circumstances, such as building a new branch, should be considered outside the standard allocation for the budget in the year the branch opens. He also urged Library staff to keep in mind the operating pressures associated with the opening of the new central library at Ādisōke.

Ms. McDonald stated that she appreciated the points being raised in this discussion. Staff will look at the Facilities and Financial Frameworks in order to recommend future directions for the Board, including budget recommendations.

Chair Luloff thanked the trustees for the excellent discussion.

There being no further questions, the report was CARRIED as presented.

MOTION OPL 20220614/4

That the Ottawa Public Library Board:

1.         Approve the development of a Riverside South branch in partnership with the City of Ottawa (City), as further described in this report; and as follows:

a.   That the branch size be an estimated 15,000 square feet;

b.   That the facility be located on the site as identified and approved by the City;

c.   That the funding for the branch construction, including funds previously drawn from the Development Charges (DCs) and existing OPL funds, be in the amount of $12,772,140 (2022 figures);

d.   That the addition of 11.54 Full-Time Equivalent (FTEs) at an estimated $950,000 (2022 figures) be approved in principle; and,

i.    Direct staff to include the operational funding requirement (staffing and operations) in the appropriate years’ annual budget; and,

e.    That the Rideauview bookmobile stop be decommissioned, upon the opening of the Riverside South branch.

2.         Approve the development of a Barrhaven branch in partnership with the City, as further described in this report; and as follows:

a.   That the branch to be developed be an estimated 30,000 square feet;

b.   That the facility be located on the side as identified and approved by the City;

c.   That funding for the branch consists of the identified $6.5 million (2022 figures) in DCs, and that staff will further confirm project funding in concert with the City; and,

i.    Direct staff to report back via future annual budget processes to draw the available funding; and,

d.   That the Ruth E. Dickinson branch be decommissioned upon the opening of the Barrhaven branch; and,

i.    Direct staff to report back with a plan to decommission the Ruth E. Dickinson branch.

3.         Approve the naming of these facilities as Riverside South and Barrhaven, respectively.

CARRIED

3.

FACILITIES FRAMEWORK

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Chair Luloff reminded trustees that this report is being tabled, and that staff can respond to process or technical questions at this time. Further discussion and debate will occur at the October Board meeting.

Anna Basile, Division Manager, Corporate Services provided a presentation about the draft Facilities Framework. (Held on file with the Chief Executive Officer). Ms. Basile chronicled how staff began working on the framework in late 2019; efforts were subsequently paused due to the pandemic and staffing challenges. She thanked the Finance and Facilities Ad hoc Committee for their patience, advice, and guidance. She mentioned that the practice for reviewing the draft Facilities Framework will be similar to the annual budget practice. Staff are presenting the draft framework, seeking Board approval to proceed with public engagement, and will then return to the Board in the fall with a summary of public input, as well as the final framework for consideration. Ms. Basile spoke about the various elements of the draft Framework, including:

·         Guiding Principles;

·         Content and Assessment;

·         Facility Channel (Variety of spaces as identified in the Service Delivery Framework (SDF), Spaces Strategy);

·         Facility Classification Model (Four types of branches: Central, District, Local, and Rural);

·         Facility Decision Criteria

o   Gateway (Neighbourhood proximity to an OPL branch, coverage access);

o   Prioritization (Neighbourhoods identified having gaps in the Gateway Criteria, using three lens to determine the priorities: Equity, Distance, and Growth);

o   Building (Develops overall facility components including design to meet the service requirements outlined in the SDF (Services Needs, Population Size, Functionality, Sustainability, Aesthetics, and Wellbeing); and,

o   Site (Identify appropriate location for the facility, using best practices, technical expertise, and guided by past public input. Types of factors (Access, Shared Spaces, Physical Boundaries, Site Readiness, 15-minute Neighbourhoods, and Isolated Communities);

·         Long-Term Investment Plan;

·         Monitoring and Evaluation; and

·         Public Engagement Process 2022.

Ms. Basile concluded by saying the draft framework considers both best practices and the specifics of the Ottawa community. It incorporates what staff have learned from community members when discussing recent facility projects. Staff are excited to hear from customers and Ottawa residents about how the Framework can be strengthened, in order to make facilities decisions more transparent.

Trustee Brockington asked about the criteria relating to distance from an existing branch, and whether distance by means other than driving would be included. He provided an example: while the driving distance between the Caldwell neighbourhood and the Emerald Plaza branch is 3.3 kilometres, a trip on transit can take over an hour as there is no direct bus service to the branch.

Chair Luloff said staff can note this comment and stated that a more fulsome discussion will occur in October. Trustee Brockington raised concern that October will be too late to amend the metrics, as public consultation will have already occurred at this point. Ms. McDonald reminded trustees that this public feedback will influence the final Framework and pointed to the report this evening for further explanation.

Trustee Brockington felt that staff should return at the October meeting with an update summarizing public feedback and allow trustees another month to absorb this information before proceeding to review the Framework, noting the municipal election will also be occurring during that time and that new councillors may wish to provide input. Ms. McDonald said staff would have to consider that by looking at the upcoming legislative agenda for the September, October, and November meetings. Chair Luloff and Trustee Brockington agreed that staff’s proposal to consider this timeframe was a reasonable request.

Trustee Brockington expressed concerns about the consultation only taking the form of a survey and indicated he would like to co-host a public consultation session in his ward as many individuals in his ward do not have access to computers. Ms. McDonald indicated this could be considered, recognizing that staff would want to ensure a balance across the City if public consultation sessions were to be held.

Trustee Brockington felt this public consultation could be bundled with other City consultations occurring over the summer. He felt there was value in a “live” session (either in-person or virtual), in which people can discuss with staff. Ms. Basile clarified that that public consultations for the Framework itself would be independent of the City – and that the comment in the presentation about bundling consultations was for project-specific activities (for example: OPL would be involved in City public consultations regarding the Riverside South branch building design in the future). She added that the recording of her presentation this evening may also be made available on the Library’s website to provide additional context to the proposed online survey. Ms. Basile noted that public engagement is not considered valid in the true statistical sense of the word, and she urged for caution to ensure that any proposed revised approach ensured appropriate representation across the City.

Trustee Brockington asked whether staff were planning any in-person city-wide engagement sessions. Ms. Basile said they had not intended to do in-person sessions for the Framework but noted that this could be revisited if that is the will of the Board. She noted that previous in-person consultations hosted by OPL have included locations such as each district branch. Chair Luloff said he would like to look at the feasibility of that with the Finance and Facilities Ad hoc Committee. Trustee Brockington felt a motion may be required and he would work with staff on the wording.

Chair Luloff clarified that since the report was being tabled, a motion would not be procedurally valid, but said that direction to staff might be appropriate on this topic.

Vice-Chair Fisher noted her concern regarding holding public engagement online only, as some residents may prefer in-person sessions, and might not participate online as a result. She stated that she would be supportive of regional in-person sessions. Ms. McDonald said staff will consider this. Ms. Basile clarified that the recommended approach includes an element whereby members of the public can review the draft Framework either online or in-branch, similar to the annual budget practice where copies of the draft budget are available in branches for the public to review. She added that ongoing concerns about the pandemic also played a part in the public consultation plans, which were developed earlier this year. She confirmed that staff will consider these comments, and highlighted that Ms. McDonald noted some of the potential impacts in terms of timelines.

Vice-Chair Fisher asked about the communications plan for the consultation. Ms. Basile summarized the communications approach, including social media, in-branch, digital signage, community newspapers, and bookmarks with the survey link.

Trustee Brockington proposed a direction to staff: that staff consider public engagement holistically, including the possibility of a live in-person or virtual session, and asked staff to address the impacts on the timeline for the final version of the Framework.

Staff were prepared to take direction and explore whether this can be incorporated into the public consultation, and what impacts there will be on reporting back on the Framework to the Board.

Chair Luloff thanked the Board for the discussion and staff for their willingness to work together on a compromise regarding this issue.

There being no further questions, the report was RECEIVED and TABLED as presented.

MOTION OPL 20220614/5

That the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) Board :

1.         Receive and table the draft Facilities Framework; and,

2.         Direct staff to conduct public engagement on the draft Facilities Framework; and,

RECEIVED and TABLED

Staff Direction:

That staff examine the possibility of including a live public engagement session as part of the public engagement plan, within the timeframe identified in the report (July 18 to September 15, 2022).

4.

ADISOKE – CONSTRUCTION UPDATE AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING

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MOTION OPL 20220614/6

That the Ottawa Public Library Board receive this report for information.

RECEIVED

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION OPL 20220614/7

Be It Resolved that the Ottawa Public Library Board meeting be adjourned at 6:57 p.m.