* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG. I AM HERE WITH OUR NEXT LEVEL UP VIDEO, WHICH I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO FILM. UM, WE HAVE SHANNON KITCHENS WITH US TODAY FROM, UM, THE LIBRARY, EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY, BUT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE LIBRARY SYSTEM, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO TALK TO SHANNON TODAY AND GO INTO A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE ON SOME OF THE INITIATIVES. SHE'S WORKING FOR US WITH OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, OUR LIBRARY DIRECTORS, JESSICA STALLIONS, AND SHE'S A GREAT LEADER FOR US. I, I SPEAK ABOUT NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP IN THAT I WANT OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR DIRECTORS TO JUST NOT DO THINGS THE SAME OLD WAY AND TO LOOK FOR NEW WAYS. I, I, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN THAT IF YOU'RE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE WORLD AND YOU'RE NOT CHANGING, YOU'RE GETTING LEFT BEHIND. I SAY THAT ALL THE TIME TO OUR TEAM, AND I THINK OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM IS REALLY ONE OF OUR INCREDIBLE EXAMPLES OF NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP. UM, AND BEFORE I INTRODUCE YOU, SHANNON, I WANNA SAY YOU, YOUR, YOU, THE LIBRARY SYSTEMS INITIATIVES WITH BEYOND BOOKS. MM-HMM . UM, AND IT'S KIND OF A THREE-PRONG BEYOND BOOKS THAT WE'RE DOING. UM, FIRST WE DID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE LIBRARY OF THINGS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE, AND WE CAN GET INTO ALL OF THESE A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND THEN THE EXPERIENCE PASSES, AND THEN THE NEW AND UPCOMING MAKER SPACE IS ABSOLUTELY SO EXCITING FOR US, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE TIMING IS HERE FOR YOU TODAY. SO, TALK ABOUT, LET'S GO, LET'S GO QUICKLY BEYOND, BEYOND BOOKS. AGAIN, THREE-PRONG. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF THINGS. SO SHANNON, LIKE, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT LIBRARY OF THINGS MEANS, AND THERE'S SUCH AN EXCITEMENT THERE AND, AND I LOVE BEING PART OF WHEN YOU ALL UNVEILED IT A WHILE AGO. UM, SO THE LIBRARY OF THINGS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU IMAGINE. IT'S, IT'S THINGS THAT CIRCULATE BEYOND JUST BOOKS. SO THINGS FROM COOKING EQUIPMENT, LIKE A STANDING MIXER TO, UM, AN INSTAX CAMERA TO BOARD GAMES. UM, I THINK THERE'S LIKE A PICKLEBALL SET YOU CAN CHECK OUT. THERE YOU GO. IT'S THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE AT HOME OR THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN. AND HERE'S A WAY YOU CAN COME TO THE LIBRARY AND JUST LIKE A BOOK, CHECK IT OUT, TAKE IT HOME, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, EXPERIMENT WITH IT. YOU KNOW, BAKE THAT PIE IF YOU'RE USING THAT STANDING MIXTURE THAT YOU'VE NEVER GOTTEN TO USE MM-HMM . UM, I LOVE THE INSTAX CAMERA. I CHECK IT OUT FOR LIKE, MY KIDS' BIRTHDAY SO THAT WE CAN TAKE LITTLE PICTURES. AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WILL BE LIKE, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEW, BUT THAT'S A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS AT THE VERY LEAST. COMMITMENT. YEAH. YOU CAN CHECK OUT A SEWING MACHINE. Y'ALL HAD AN OVER LOCKER, WHICH IS THE INSIDE STITCHING IF YOU SEE ON IN YOUR CLOTHES, WHICH IS A SEPARATE MACHINE. AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED. I'M LIKE, YOU HAVE AN OVER LOCKER IN THE LIBRARY OF THINGS. THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, UM, INCREDIBLE. I THINK PEOPLE, IF THEY USE IT LIKE THAT, LIKE, LET ME TEST SOMETHING OUT. YEAH. BEFORE I MAKE A PURCHASE, I THINK I MIGHT LIKE THIS. AND IT'S JUST FOR FUN. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY SOMEBODY LIKE ME. LIKE I, I WANNA TRY A LOT OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CRAFTING WORLD. MM-HMM . UM, YOU'RE NOT MAKING THAT FULL COMMITMENT. YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING AND YOU JUST NEED IT THAT ONE TIME. THIS IS LIKE THE PERFECT CHANCE TO, YES, OKAY. I CAN GET IT, USE IT. IF I REALLY LOVE IT, I CAN GET MY OWN. BUT I ALWAYS KNOW LIKE THE LIBRARY HAS IT FOR THAT IF I DO NEED IT AGAIN, AND THEN I DON'T HAVE TO STORE IT IN MY HOUSE. . YES. EXACTLY. AND IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS FOR US AND GROWING TO OTHER BRANCHES AS WELL. SO I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY IN EVERY BRANCH NOW, OR, AND I BELIEVE IT IS IN EVERY GRANDCHILD AND, AND GREAT FOR CHILDREN TOO. THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE OPENED AVONDALE RECENTLY, THEY HAD A BIG TOY SECTION AND THE KIDS WERE THERE AND LIKE, WHO NEEDS MORE TOYS AT THE HOUSE? WE HAVE THESE FANTASTIC, UM, KITS THAT YOU CAN CHECK OUT FOR KIDS THAT HAVE LIKE LITTLE LEARNING GUIDES THROUGH 'EM, AND THEN LIKE ACTIVITIES AND TOYS. UM, I KNOW I CHECKED OUT LIKE AN ENGINEERING ONE FOR MY KID, AND HE BUILT THIS LITTLE LIKE, CONTRAPTION OUT OF THESE LITTLE BUILDING PIECES THAT WAS JUST SO NEAT. AND HE LOVED IT. I LOVE THAT. IT WAS A GREAT, I LOVE THAT. AND THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER PART, WE, WE, UM, OF BEYOND BOOKS WAS THE EXPERIENCE PASSES AND WE KNOW WE LIVE IN AN INCREDIBLE CULTURE HERE IN THE REGION. UM, BUT PEOPLE, A LOT OF LOCALS HAVE NEVER BEEN TO SOME OF THE LOCAL MUSEUMS OR HAVE ENJOYED SOME OF THE LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT. SO TALK, TALK TO ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET THAT THROUGH OUR OWN LOCAL LIBRARY SYSTEM. UM, SO WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE PASS PROGRAM IS THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN MILE PATH THAT ANYBODY COULD, COULD GET, UM, INCLUDING PLACES LIKE THE WORLD WAR II MUSEUM. SO YOU COULD GO AND GET A TICKET FOR THE WORLD WARI MUSEUM AND ACTUALLY GO SEE IT THROUGH THE LIBRARY, SO YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY PAYING FOR IT. J PASS IS ANOTHER ONE. ALL OF THE, THE PERFORMING ONES, YOU CAN GO GET A TICKET TO SEE THE SHOW, UM, THAT MAYBE YOU'D BE HESITANT TO, OR NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD DO IT, BUT LIKE, OR SURE. YOU WANTED TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING LIKE, HERE YOU GO, YOU CAN GET A TICKET, TRY IT OUT. OR IT'S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO PLACES AND SEE THINGS, UM, THAT YOU MIGHT NOT IN THE COMMUNITY 'CAUSE YEAH, I THINK IT'S JUST FANTASTIC. YEAH. BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY. MM-HMM . THAT'S INCREDIBLE. AND THEN THE THIRD PART OF BEYOND BOOKS, WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN REALLY THE LEADER ON. YEAH. AND WE'LL GO MORE INTO THAT. AND THIS IS PROBABLY LIKE FOR YOU, I WOULD [00:05:01] THINK IN, IN YOUR CAREER TO SEE THIS HAPPEN WOULD REALLY, REALLY MIGHT BE THE HEIGHT OF YOUR CAREER. I MEAN, I I YOU'RE YOUNG AND YOU HAVE A LOT TO DO, BUT THIS, THIS'LL GO BACK. I MEAN, WHEN I LOOK BACK, THERE WERE JUST CERTAIN HIGHLIGHTS IN MY CAREER THAT I REALLY ENJOYED. AND THIS HAS GOTTA BE ONE OF THOSE FOR YOU, SHANNON ABSOLUTELY. IS THE MAKER SPACE. AND SO LET'S GO. WE, WE HAVEN'T OPENED IT YET. YOU HAVE BEEN PREPPING IT. I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT A LONG TIME. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. UM, BUT YOU REALLY ARE THE FOUNDER, I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE PARIS SINCE 2010 AND WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING 10 YEARS AGO, YOU BROUGHT OUR FIRST 3D PRINTER INTO MAYBE THAT WAS THE START OF THE MAKERSPACE THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT. RIGHT? THAT WAS THE SEED FOR SURE. THAT WAS THE SEED. SO GO AHEAD. FLOOR IS YOURS ABOUT MAKERSPACE. THIS IS YOUR BABY. SO, UM, I LOVE MAKERSPACES AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE. AND IT'S A THING THAT'S SO SIMPLE TO EXPLAIN. IT'S SO COMPLICATED BECAUSE IT'S A PLACE TO MAKE. UM, IT'S A SPACE TO COME AND LEARN HOW TO USE THINGS OR TO MAKE THINGS. UM, I'VE BEEN DESCRIBING IT AS YOUR ONE STOP MARDI GRAS SHOP. SO YOU COULD COME MAKE YOUR COSTUME, YOU COULD MAKE YOUR BICYCLE FLOAT, AND YOU COULD MAKE YOUR THROWS ALL USING TOOLS IN THE MAKER SPACE. SO IT'S PROVIDING ACCESS TO TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SEWING. SO WE'LL HAVE SEWING MACHINES. MM-HMM . UM, WE'RE TRYING TO PROCURE A LONG ARM QUILTING MACHINE. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THEM IN THE SPACE. SO LIKE, NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE THEM, AND YOU COULD COME IN AND DO YOUR PROJECT, BUT WE'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO USE IT AS WELL. RIGHT. SO WE'LL HELP GIVE YOU ACCESS AND OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS TO DO THESE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA DO THAT HAVE ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE, OH, I WANNA LEARN HOW TO USE A CRICKET, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA PAY $200. AND THEN YOU DO PAY $200 AND YOU OPEN IT UP AND YOU GO, OH, THIS IS SCARY. AND YOU CLOSE THE BOX AND YOU PUT IT BACK ON YOUR SHELF. WE'RE THERE TO BE LIKE, YOU COULD COME INTO OUR SPACE AND WE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO USE THIS. OR YOU NEED A CRICKET TO MAKE THAT BIRTHDAY INVITATION. COME ON IN. YOU CAN MAKE IT ONCE, IF YOU LIKE IT, YOU COULD GO GET YOUR OWN, BUT WE'LL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU TO COME AND KIND OF USE A VARIETY OF TOOLS. THAT'S IT. SO INCREDIBLE. SOMETIMES OUT, EVERY NOW AND THEN I'LL GET A QUESTION FROM A FRIEND OR SOMETHING LIKE, HOW DO YOU MANAGE STRESS? AND YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE THINK IT'S THROUGH EXERCISE AND WE'LL TALK WITH MY FRIENDS. LIKE, YEAH. BUT IF YOU'RE WALKING OR EXERCISING THE WHOLE TIME, YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT STRESSFUL THING. AND I, MY ADVICE NOW IS DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS. CREATE SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS. WHEN I SEW, THE WORLD GOES AWAY. IT'S DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW? AND YOU HAVE TO REALLY CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND SO MAKING THINGS AND CREATING THINGS WITH YOUR HANDS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GOOD AT IT. I MEAN, WE'RE, YEAH, WE'RE KIND OF TRAINED IN LIFE. YOU HAVE TO EXCEED, YOU HAVE TO REALLY, I SHOULD SAY EXCEL. EXCEL IS THE WORD I WANNA USE AND, AND PERFORM. AND WHO CARES IF YOU'RE NOT GOOD AT IT. LIKE WHO CARES? LIKE, SOMETIMES THE, THE CRAZIEST THINGS, IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING A MARDI GRAS COSTUME, IT, THE PROCESS IS MORE FUN. AND THEN YOU GET TO WEAR IT AND SHOW IT OFF. YEAH. THAT IS SO FUN TO DO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF THOUGHT PROCESS THROUGH THE OTHER PARTS OF YOUR LIFE. RIGHT? NO. AND SOMETIMES, LIKE DOING THE PROJECT, MAKING THE THING IN ITSELF IS SO REWARDING. YEAH. EVEN IF IT'S NOT PERFECT, IT'S LIKE, I MADE THIS. I KNOW. AND YOU, YOU LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL I KNOW IF I DO THIS AGAIN, I'VE LEARNED FROM IT. , UHHUH. AND ALSO YOU JUST ARE SO PROUD WHEN YOU HAVE THAT. I KNOW. HAVE YOU MADE THAT? HAVE YOU HEARD OF JUNK JOURNALING? YES. I'M JUNK JOURNALING NOW, AND IT KIND OF BRINGS ME BACK TO, AS A KID, JUNK JOURNALING AS YOU COLLECT PAPERS IN YOUR LIFE, MAYBE A TICKET TO A CONCERT OR MM-HMM . JUST SOMETHING YOU EAT, YOU KNOW, PACKAGING AND YOU JUST LITERALLY CUT IT OUT AND GLUE IT IN PAPER. WELL, SOME PEOPLE DO IT ARE INCREDIBLE, BUT WHAT A FUN THING. IT'S LIKE, MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A CHILD AGAIN. I'M JUST CUTTING OUT THINGS, PASTING IT IN A BOOK. WHAT GREAT MEMORIES. RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE MEMORIES. UM, SO MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE SOME, WELL ACTUALLY WE'RE STARTING KIND OF A PROGRAM TO DO KIND OF JUNK JOURNALING AND COLLAGE. AND ONE THING AT THE MAKERSPACE WE'LL HAVE FOR LIKE THAT IS, UM, SPECIALTY LIKE TOOLS AND THINGS. YES. THERE'S A LOT OF TOOLS TO BUY. I'VE BOUGHT A LOT ALREADY. , YOU'RE LIKE, THIS SEEMS, OR YOU'RE LIKE, YOU, YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING AND IT SEEMS COMPLICATED BECAUSE YOU NEED ALL THESE LITTLE SUPPLIES TO DO IT AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN SURE YOU'D LIKE IT. SO LIKE, WE'RE OFFERING A PLACE FOR YOU TO COME IN TO LEARN HOW TO DO THAT. LIKE, WE'LL HAVE CUTTING MATS. I LOVE IT. SO IF YOU NEED A LOVE PRECISION CUT, UM, YOU FOR YOUR JUNK JOURNAL, THEN YEAH. COME IN. ALSO, WE'LL HAVE A TABLE, LIKE A BIG OPEN TABLE IS SUCH , SUCH A USEFUL THING. UM, SO WE'LL HAVE THAT YOU CAN COME AND DO YOUR JUNK JOURNALING. UM, AND WE'RE STARTING LIKE A LITTLE GROUP TO DO COLLAGE IN JUNK JOURNALING. I LOVE THAT. UM, LIKE MONTHLY AT, AND IT'S SO FUN TO DO THAT CRAFT. ACTUALLY SATURDAY, I HAVE A LOT OF MY SEWING FRIENDS COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT ALL WEEK. LIKE, TO, TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF IN A COMMUNITY IS SO FUN. YEAH. IT REALLY IS. IT'S A LOT OF FUN. OKAY. HOW DID WE GET HERE? I MEAN, YOU HAD A BACKGROUND. I JUST FOUND OUT IN PHYSICS, LIKE, HOW DID YOU END UP AND YOU DIDN'T, YOU WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN [00:10:01] I SAY PEOPLE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN AN ORGANIZATION, WE MIGHT NOT BE AS FAR AS WE ARE. WE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A MAKERSPACE IF ON THAT FIRST DAY YOU DIDN'T APPLY FOR A JOB IN JEFFERSON PARISH. THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT EVERY EMPLOYEE IS IN JEFFERSON PARISH. YOU HAD A BACKGROUND IN PHYSICS. MM-HMM. AND THEN I PIVOTED INTO FILM, SO TALK ABOUT 180. AND THEN I ENDED UP AT THE LIBRARY. AND I THINK IT SERVES AS SUCH A LIKE, FOUNDATION FOR ME TO BE WHERE I AM, BECAUSE STARTING IN LIKE HARD SCIENCES AND THEN MOVING TO THE ARTS GIVES ME THIS INTERESTING INTERSECTION BETWEEN LIKE TECH AND SCIENCE AND THE ARTS, WHICH I THINK IS SO INHERENT IN LIKE A PLACE, LIKE A MAKER SPACE, WHICH IS VERY MUCH TECH MEETS ART, WHERE YOU HAVE 3D PRINTERS, BUT YOU MIGHT BE USING THEM TO MAKE A COSTUME PIECE. SO YOU HAVE THIS, THIS INTERSECTION THERE. UM, THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD UNDERSTAND SO MUCH IF I HADN'T HAD THIS BACKGROUND EXACTLY. OF LIKE, YES, I CAN DO VERY ADVANCED MATH AND ALSO, UH, I CAN FRAME A PHOTO AND, AND YOU WORKED IN THE FILM WORLD. MM-HMM . RIGHT? YEAH. SO YOU JUST, IN THAT WORLD, YOU KNOW HOW FUN IT IS. THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER, HAVING TO ACQUIRE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS FOR SETS, I WOULD THINK. YEAH. OR JUST AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVING TO DO A PRODUCTION. THAT PROCESS IS SO FUN. I WOULD THINK IT IS, IT'S, I LOVE COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY, WHICH IS SO INHERENT IN FILMMAKING. UM, AND IT'S ALSO A VERY RESOURCEFUL INDUSTRY WHERE YOU'RE KIND OF, YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING. UM, ESPECIALLY I DID A LOT OF INDEPENDENT FILM, SO YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS PROJECT AND YOU HAVE TO BE RESOURCEFUL IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT ALL PLAYS INTO WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE MAKERSPACE. LIKE HERE IS KIND OF THIS PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE RESOURCEFUL AND FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES YOU MIGHT HAVE IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS BIG PROJECT. AND LIKE, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A FILM, IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE EACH CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING REALLY, UM, UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO MAKE THIS BIGGER OVERALL PROJECT. AND, UM, I LOVE DOING IT AND I LOVE DOING WHAT I'M DOING NOW. SO IT'S EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO APPLY THOSE SKILLS I LEARNED THERE INTO MY CURRENT JOB. I THINK, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOVE OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, AND I THINK WHEN YOU WALK INTO A LIBRARY, YOU'RE WALKING INTO, UM, YOUR NEXT THING, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST FEEL LIKE IT, YOU'RE, WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA JUST, SOMETIMES LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GO TO THE STACKS AND I PICK A BOOK AND IT'S LIKE, UM, THERE'S A STORY THAT I DON'T KNOW IN MY LIFE YET THAT I'M ABOUT READY TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON OR, AND NOW I I'M LOOKING AT YOU AND YOUR GREAT STYLE AND THE COLORS IN YOUR HAIR. AND I'M THINKING SOME OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE WHEN MY MOM TOOK ME TO THE LIBRARY. I THINK IT WAS ON MEY ROAD. YOU'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE LIBRARIAN THAT I REMEMBER. BUT AS A KID, IT WAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. I WAS WITH MY MOM, BUT MY MEMORY OF THE LIBRARY WAS VERY, LIKE, I WALK IN AND I HAD TO REALLY BEHAVE MYSELF, AND I WAS LIKE, FOLLOWING WITH MY MOM, AND YOU COULDN'T TALK LOUD AND YOU ALWAYS FELT LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT READY TO DO SOMETHING WRONG. YOU, IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THE FREEDOM. I, I JUST FELT LIKE BECAUSE IT WAS SO QUIET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING LIKE EARLY SEVENTIES, RIGHT? LIKE, YOU HAD TO BE REALLY QUIET. THERE'S NO OTHER TIME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF YOU'RE SITTING IN CHURCH, YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY QUIET, BUT THERE'S NO OTHER REALLY TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU JUST HAD TO BE SO QUIET. MOVE FORWARD DECADES. AND WE'RE SUCH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LIBRARY SYSTEM. YES. THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT. RIGHT? YES. THANK GOODNESS. UM, BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE IN A DAY IN THE LIBRARY WORKING? I MEAN, WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC IS FUN IN ITS OWN WAY. CAN BE CHALLENGING. MM-HMM . UM, THE PEOPLE IN THE LIBRARY ARE USUALLY PRETTY HAPPY, RIGHT? YEAH. GOING TO THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, IT'S SUCH A UNIQUE PLACE TO WORK BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS QUIET, SOLITARY PLACE TO GO. YOU THINK OF LIBRARIES AS THIS KIND OF MUSTY BOOK SPACE AND IT'S, YOU HAVE TO BE SUPER QUIET AND THEY'VE REALLY EVOLVED. LIKE, THERE'S STILL THAT QUIET SPACE IF YOU NEED A QUIET SPACE TO GO STUDY OR WORK ON SOMETHING. AND THAT ABSOLUTELY STILL EXISTS. BUT NOW THEY'RE KIND OF THIS BUSTLING PLACE WHERE YOU CAN COME CHECK OUT A BOOK OR GET A MOVIE OR HAVE A A A, YOU CAN MEET WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND HAVE A PLACE TO JUST KIND OF CHILL. UM, OR WE'RE SOON WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME AND MAKE SOMETHING OR GET A, A LIBRARY OF THINGS ITEM TO ENRICH YOUR LIFE. LIKE, IT'S SUCH A ROBUST PLACE. WE OFFER SO MUCH. AND THEN WORKING THERE HAS BEEN SO REWARDING BECAUSE YOU, YOU GET TO INTERACT WITH EVERYONE. YOU GET TO INTERACT WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS AND SENIORS, UM, AND PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. UM, I KNOW FOR ME, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS WAS I HAD STARTED LIKE A BOARD GAME PROGRAM AGES AGO. AND THIS ONE LITTLE BOY WOULD COME EVERY TIME. AND I REALLY GOT TO KNOW HIM. AND, UM, HE EVENTUALLY GREW UP AND THEN LIKE, HE CAME, HE WOULD COME VISIT ME EVERY SUMMER DURING COLLEGE. OH. LIKE, HE WOULD COME BY AND, AND SAY, HI, MS. SHANNON, HOW'S IT GOING? AND IT WAS LIKE WATCHING THIS LITTLE BOY GO FROM THIS TO A, TO A GROWNUP. AND LIKE, I THINK HE ENDED [00:15:01] UP WORKING IN RESTAURANTS. IT WAS JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO GET TO TOUCH SOMEONE'S LIFE LIKE THAT IN AN UNEXPECTED WAY. YOU DID. YOU TOUCHED HIS LIFE. YOU WERE VERY INFLUENTIAL IN HIS LIFE. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S WONDERFUL. AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN SO MANY TIMES WHERE WE GET TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY THAT MAY BE AT A VERY VULNERABLE POINT IN THEIR LIFE. LIKE, I REMEMBER HELPING SOMEONE DO FAFSA BECAUSE IT WAS HIS DAUGHTER. HIS DAUGHTER WAS GONNA BE THE FIRST IN THE FAMILY, GO TO COLLEGE. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY HARD PROCESS IF ANYBODY HAS DONE FAST STUFF. YEAH. AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL YOU'RE AT THE RIGHT SITE AND LIKE, HERE'S HOW YOU CLICK. HE WAS VERY, HE HADN'T USED COMPUTERS BEFORE. SO LIKE HELPING HIM THROUGH THAT PROCESS WAS VERY REWARDING. WHICH IS AN APPLICATION FOR COLLEGE. FOR COLLEGE. YEAH. EXACTLY. SO HE WAS SO EXCITED TO DO IT AND IT'S LIKE, I COULD BE THERE WITH HIM IN THAT MOMENT TO HELP MAKE THIS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF HIS LIFE COME, COME TRUE. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ALL THERE FOR. MM-HMM . IS TO HELP. MM-HMM . UM, WHENEVER I TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY, I WANNA BRING UP THE DIGITAL RESOURCES. WE SPEND, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. IT'S EXPENSIVE FOR US. UM, BUT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE RE I I ALWAYS TELL MY FRIENDS, YOU DON'T KNOW THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU ON, ON OUR, ON OUR DIGITAL SIDE OF THE LIBRARY. I MEAN, PEOPLE THINK MOVIES AND THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY LEARN A LANGUAGE, RECIPES, UM, HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE, UM, I DON'T KNOW. MY SON WAS ON THERE DOING SOMETHING ON THE COMPUTER, HOW HE WAS LEARNING HOW TO DO SOME BUILDING SOMETHING OR I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS DOING AT THE TIME, SO MANY, BUT I WAS SHOCKED THAT THERE WAS LIKE A VIDEO FOR HIM TO DO SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, PHOTOGRAPHY. YEAH. I MEAN, I'M, I'M NOT EVEN GIVING IT JUSTICE. THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES. ALMOST TALK TO TALK TO THE FOLKS ABOUT THE DIGITAL RESOURCES WE HAVE. WE HAVE SO MANY DIGITAL RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN ACCESS FROM YOUR HOME. UM, THAT IT'S ALMOST OVERWHELMING. WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM CRAFT AND HOBBY RESOURCES TO CLASSIC ENCYCLOPEDIAS, TO LANGUAGE LEARNING, TO, UM, EBOOKS AND E AUDIOBOOKS. LIKE ARE, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST COLLECTION OF EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS. UM, LIKE WE ARE VERY WELL INTO THAT. IT'S SUCH A GREAT THING TO HAVE. I ALWAYS HAVE A AUDIOBOOK DOWNLOADED ON MY PHONE. , ME TOO. UH, I THINK WE HAVE THINGS WHERE YOU CAN LIKE, LEARN ABOUT BUSINESSES AND LEGAL FORMS. MM-HMM . UM, IT'S AMAZING THE RESOURCES WE HAVE. AND THEY'RE ALL AVAILABLE WITH YOUR LIBRARY CARD. ALL AVAILABLE WITH, THEY'RE ALL FREE. ALL FREE. AND WE HAVE RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH ORLEANS PARISH. MM-HMM . SO, UM, LIKE I LISTEN TO AUDIO BOOKS AND EVERY NOW AND THEN, IF IT'S A POPULAR ONE, IT'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T ACCESS IT. BUT I NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME WE HAVE RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OR ORLEANS PARISH. I CAN GO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, IT'S AVAILABLE IN THE ORLEANS PARISH SIDE. MM-HMM . SO THAT'S, THAT'S INCREDIBLE. YEAH. YEP. IT, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TOO. SO WE CAN SHARE RESOURCES. LIKE REALLY SHARE THE LIBRARY SPIRIT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. MM-HMM . UM, 'CAUSE WE ARE SUCH A CLOSE COMMUNITY. WE ARE. YES. UM, I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE PERSONAL. YOU'RE A MOM. YES. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN. I'M A MOM TOO. I HAVE TWO BOYS, UHHUH. UM, MY OLDEST IS ABOUT TO TURN NINE AND MY YOUNGEST IS THREE AND A HALF. OH, THERE'S A LITTLE SPACE THERE. . YEAH. UH, SO WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE HOUSE RIGHT NOW. UM, MY OLDEST IS VERY INTO CODING AND COMPUTERS. HE LIKES TO MAKE LITTLE GAMES AND HE'LL USE LIKE SCRATCH TO DO IT. UM, I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT LIKE STEM REES FOR THE LIBRARY. HOW CAN WE ADD MORE LIKE CODING AND ROBOTICS INTO OUR, OUR PROGRAMMING? 'CAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING HAPPENING IN LIBRARY. SO WE COULD DEFINITELY DO THIS. AND HE'S MY INSPIRATION FOR THAT. AND THEN MY LITTLEST IS JUST OBSESSED WITH POKEMON, SO . OH. HE, HE JUST WALKS AROUND IN A PIKACHU COSTUME HALF THE TIME. . AND WE HAVE SOME POKEMON EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY TOO, RIGHT? ME TOO. YES. YEAH. SO HE'LL COME OUT TO THOSE. HE ALSO, HIS FAVORITE THING IS, UH, BOOKS AT BEDTIME. HE'S ALWAYS NEGOTIATING WITH ME TO ADD MORE BOOKS AT BEDTIME. AND SO, UH, I'LL TAKE HIM INTO THE LIBRARY MY DAY OFF AND LET 'EM CHECK OUT SOME PICTURE BOOKS AND THEN WE'LL READ 'EM AT NIGHT. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, GREAT. 'CAUSE YOU GO THROUGH THEM SO MANY TIMES. HOW MANY TIMES CAN I READ THE SAME BOOK OVER AND OVER? I KNOW, BUT THOSE ARE YOUR MEMORIES. THOSE MEMORIES. THAT IS, I MEAN, I HAVE SUCH GREAT MEMORIES BEING A MOM IN THE BOOKS WE WOULD READ. IT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY PRECIOUS TO ME. WELL, SHANNON, I LOVED BEING WITH YOU FOR THIS MOMENT. I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU BECAUSE, UM, WHEN WE OPEN THIS MAKERSPACE, IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR BACKGROUND. IT'S JUST, IT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW IMPORTANT ONE PERSON IS. UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BRING SO MUCH JOY TO SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES AND, AND NEW FRIENDS THAT HAVE NOT MET EACH OTHER YET, BUT THEY'RE GONNA MEET EACH OTHER IN THE MAKERSPACE. LIKE ALL OF THIS POTENTIAL'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN WE OPEN THIS SPACE, THIS COMMUNITY SPACE WITH THIS EQUIPMENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING NEW THINGS AND MAYBE ENHANCING WHAT I DO ALREADY, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR IT . UM, BUT STAY TUNED FOR US. YEAH. UM, ABOUT THE OPENING. AND WE ARE, WE HAVE, UM, THE FIRST ONE'S GONNA BE AT EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY. YES. BUT THEN WE HAVE PLANS TO EXPAND, RIGHT? YES. GO OVER THAT. UM, [00:20:01] WE WILL BE OPENING ONE IN WEST BANK REGIONAL WITH THEIR RENOVATION. I'VE ALREADY BEEN KIND OF WORKING ON THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT. AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE KIND OF MINI MAKER SPACES AT SOME OF THE BRANCHES. UM, MIGHT NOT BE AS ROBUST AS EAST BANK REGIONALS, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU COULD COMMENT INTO. AND THEN IF PEOPLE USE THE SPACE, LIKE REITERATE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE LOST WITH THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN FRONT OF THEM THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO. WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY AVAILABLE TO WALK THEM THROUGH IT. I MEAN, THE EQUIPMENT'S EXPENSIVE. WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE IT ANYWAY, RIGHT? YES. YEAH. AND WE'LL HAVE A STAFF PERSON ALWAYS IN THE SPACE WITH YOU. SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, JUST LIKE IF YOU WERE IN THE LIBRARY ELSEWHERE, IF YOU HAD A QUESTION, THEN THEY'RE HERE TO HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. UM, THEY'RE HERE TO HELP TEACH YOU AND NAVIGATE YOU. OR IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF ISSUE, THEY CAN HELP RESOLVE IT. YOU KNOW, IF THE SEWING THE THREAD GETS JAMMED IN THE MACHINE, THEN WE NO, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. YEAH. WE ALL, WE ALL KNOW THAT. SO WELL, LOOK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH ME, UM, THIS AFTERNOON. UM, AGAIN, PAY ATTENTION. WE'RE GONNA OPEN THE MAKERSPACE SOON. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A BIG HIT. AND IT IS JUST ANOTHER INITIATIVE. WE'RE NOT YOUR OLD LIBRARY ANYMORE, FOLKS. WE ARE NOT YOUR OLD LIBRARY. WE, WE, WE ARE THE HUB OF CREATIVITY AND, UM, MAYBE A LOT OF COOL MARDI GRAS COSTUMES ARE GONNA COME OUT OF THIS NEXT YEAR. I'M HOPING I'M REALLY HOPING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE. LIKE, WE REALLY HOPE Y'ALL ARE GONNA DO, HIGHLIGHT WHAT PEOPLE MAKE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA SEND 'EM ON THEIR WAY. THEY GOTTA COME BACK AND SHOW US THE END RESULT AND THEN WE CAN BRAG ABOUT THAT. ABSOLUTELY. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A LITTLE AREA IN THE MAKER SPACE JUST TO SHOW OFF WHAT'S BEEN MADE. I LOVE IT. LIKE DEFINITELY SHOW OFF, SHOW OFF AREA. ABSOLUTELY. YES. OKAY, SHANNON, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE EMPLOYEE FOR US IN JEFFERSON. HAPPY TO BE HERE. THANKS. THANKS. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.