St. Johns County Public Library System Library Advisory Board Meeting

February 2026 Minutes

Staff Present

• Debra Rhodes Gibson, Library Director
• Jae Bass, Assistant Library Director
• Heather Sostrom, Public Services Manager
• Amy Ackerman, Support Services Manager
• Amy Delgado, Tech Associate-Resource Trainer
• Niki Johnson, Admin Coordinator

Others Preset:

David Ross, Main FOL President

Krista Joseph, Commission Liaison

Allie Joseph, Citizen

1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:03 AM.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approval of Minutes: Mr. Andrews made a motion to approve the Minutes from the January 14, 2026 meeting; seconded by Ms. Hayes; approved unanimously.
4. Public Comment (Non-Agenda Items Only): None
5. Conversation with Main Library FOL: David Ross, Main FOL President, spoke about the art installation, Art at the Main, and what a good turnout they had for the opening. They were proud that one of their FOL members had (2) paintings included in the display. He reported that the FOL added Venmo to their pay options this month, but it was too soon to say if this increased sales or membership. This prompted a discussion on the use of online payments throughout the FOL’s. Mr. Ross said they had positive feedback when they added books related to Veteran’s Day at their book sale and discussed the funding of different items at Main Library which included some improvements around the library and the new garden. There was a group discussion about the support the individual FOL’s give to the libraries.
6. Commissioner Comments: N/A
7. Board reports:
   1. Ms. Hayes said bookmobile patronage has increased and last month their numbers were larger than Anastasia Island Branch. The Nocatee location has also grown, and staff had (10) crates to bring back after the stop. The FOB is considering meeting somewhere near Shearwater in the hope of increasing membership from that area. Their Little Free libraries are still waiting to be installed. A teenager is tracking the Mill Creek stop activity for a school project. Their next meeting is tomorrow night.
   2. Mr. Cellucci reported that construction will begin shortly on the Ponte Vedra Library Children’s Section and the FOL is still working on fundraising for the project. The Veteran’s Kiosk now has (18) St. Johns County resident stories. This year for their Membership Drive, the group used a QR code to scan which proved to be effective in signing people up.
   3. Ms. Shaw-Stillman said the Anastasia Island Branch had a successful St. Johns Reads program as well as a cat adoption event, and (2) right whale events which explained what to look for and the hot line number to call if you spot one. Their one-day Pop-Up Book Sale raised $1300.00 dollars. They are planning another book sale in March as well as their annual Spring Basket Silent Auction. They are very happy to welcome Harold George as the new Adult Services Librarian.
   4. Mr. Greco reported Michele Kiley, Assistant Branch Manager, is back from her time at Anastasia Library. There was a tour on January 16, 2026 to see the current state of new Hastings Library. The inside is looking good, but the opening has been pushed back to June 2026. The FOL and Hastings Staff have been meeting about opening events. Since the opening will be in the summer, they are considering a soft opening in June and a Grand Opening in the fall to ensure better participation. The FOL had a table at the Hastings Car Show, and they have scheduled a Paella dinner at the Olive Land Farms, which they believe will sell out. Their St. Johns Reads Bigfoot event was a success with over 50 people in attendance. They are discussing the possibility of a Mystery Fundraising Event at the new library. They are currently looking for a new treasurer.
   5. Mr. Andrews reported the animal themed events for SJC Reads were successful. He shared that Bartram Trail has modified scheduling now due to their construction closure. Ms. Gibson explained that this is due to SJC Facilities Maintenance overseeing the installation of a new chiller.
   6. Ms. Meikle said that Southeast Library had a cat and dog adoption event. She spoke with Todd Booth, Southeast Branch Manager, about the final St Johns Read event, the Silent Disco at The Amp which was very successful. Ms. Gibson added that the first stage of the event was family oriented with over (200) people, and the 2nd stage, which was adults only, had a little less. Ms. Meikle said the new Saturday Art Program, where attendees can make whatever art they desire, is very popular. The Southeast Teen Advisory Board has (12) members, and the teens run the meetings and hold elections to fill their (5) Board positions. Discussion about the teen group ensued. AARP tax service at the library is in full swing. The FOL Annual meeting is scheduled for February 18th, and they are actively seeking board members. There was a group discussion about the difficulty the FOL’s face with recruiting.
   7. Mr. Longo said he did not have much to add about Main Library since Mr. Ross’ report included most of the items. He did say that they are getting ready to extend the Art at Main to the Children’s Section and encouraged everyone to look on the break. He also mentioned the new Seed Library installed at Main.
8. Friends of the Library Liaison Report: Ms. Shaw-Stillman reported they had a good turnout at their Ponte Vedra Library meeting, with members from Ponte Vedra, Bookmobile, Hastings and Anastasia Island in attendance. The group discussed online payment and membership enticements, such as bags, shirts or event discounts. There was also a suggestion to monitor where the applications were coming from to determine what events produce the best results. They plan on meeting quarterly, and Ms. Meikle said the next meeting would be March 31, 2026 at Anastasia Island Library and the main discussion will be on book sales. Mr. Ross mentioned that things are in place for current members, and they need to think of different ways to recruit new members.
9. Library System Director Report:
   1. Monthly Statistics and Expenditure Reports: Ms. Gibson said they have the monthly stats but no expense report due to the new Workday system and pulling reports is still a work in progress. She added that they are also updating the stats page. Amy Ackerman, Support Services Manager, said due to a Federal ruling, they are working on updating items on the web page to be ADA accessible. Jae Bass, Assistant Library Director, mentioned that they are planning on speaking to the individual FOL’s about doing the same on their web pages. Ms. Gibson added that they are working on changing the LAB packet as well. 
10. Unfinished Business –
    1. Update on new library projects: Ms. Gibson updated the board on her tour of the new Hastings Library. They are planning on a staff transition in June since they need to vacate the Harris Center by July 1, 2026. She had no updates on the Northwest groundbreaking yet. Ms. Gibson spoke about the annual grant opportunity and said that of the (17) grants submitted, the library at Nocatee is number 2 on the list. She gave everyone a template of a letter that they could use to ask their representative in Tallahassee to fund the project. She asked everyone to please share the information, and that the deadline is March 3rd. Ms. Hayes talked about customizing the letter and how to share it.
    2. Review and Update Annual Board Report to BCC: Ms. Gibson spoke about the annual report and asked for the Board’s input. A brief discussion ensued with several members making suggestions. A motion to allow Ms. Gibson to make their changes and send to the BCC was made by Mr. Greco; seconded by Mr. Andrews and was approved unanimously.
11. New Business:
    1. Tech Demo:
       1. Library Calendar: Ms. Delgado from Support Services gave a demonstration on the Gale Legal Forms database.
12. Final Comments: None
13. Adjournment: A motion to adjourn was made by Ms. Hayes; seconded by Ms. Meikle and approved unanimously to adjourn at 11:00 am.

Next LAB Meeting: March 11, 2026 at Flagler Health at Nocatee