 Alright, so welcome everyone we see that it's seven o'clock we're so happy that you joined us we see two people in the attendee room. Since there are just six of us total if you'd like to be moved into the panelists room just raise your hand and I'll pull you right in. I'm going to let Alex and Sharon talk a little bit about the framework for tonight and then my job is to take notes and to make sure that we have everything up on the screen to share so that we can get you through all the resources so welcome. And this is being recorded just so everybody's clear on that. So if you'd like to be moved into the panelists room just raise your hand. My name is Angela Mills I work for the town of Amherst I'm really pleased to be here tonight and thanks for joining us. Great. Thank you, Angela. So, with us tonight we have Sharon chariot who is the library director and an equal hopes who is a town counselor but also is on the Jones library building committee as well as the outreach subcommittee so thank you. Everybody for being here tonight. So the idea behind tonight's meeting was to have an event where we talk about the public outreach around the project because we're casting a fairly wide net in the way that we're doing things in hopes of catching as many people as possible. And the benefit of that is there's lots of avenues but the downside that is there are lots of avenues so we thought it might make sense to talk to people a little bit about how they can engage on the project. And so, Sharon and Anika, jump in at any time, anybody in the attendees who wants to jump in I really want this to not be a formal presentation per se. So just quickly, an overview of the public outreach to date so the outreach subcommittee like I said wanted to sort of have as many to engage as many people as possible. And so to do that we wanted to use as many methods as possible and so we want to make sure that we're listening to the community, asking questions of the community but then also keeping the community up to date so those were sort of our primary goals. And so what we've been doing is a combination of in library in person events, going out into the community for events, partnering with other town departments for events, as well as doing virtual events. And so again with the idea of engaging people. So, for example, we did an open house at the library we had of 120 people that came. We did a get out and play with Amherst rec, the bank center open house, and Nico is very kind and let us sit on the on her district for office hours, the senior center. So we're not to apartments again we're trying to make sure that we are reaching a broad scope of people in Amherst and not just the people who are able to attend meetings, or who have computer literacy, or who have just, we want to reach as many people as possible. So we're going to the farmers market every Saturday, we're at Amherst survival center every Thursday. So with the folks we've been to an on tap, we are going to Village Park on Saturday, which is a very large event from what I can tell it's with press and the DPW and Amherst ref and or Miller was telling me today that there's a dumpster that's been brought in I don't know what that signifies but that sounds like a large event gets a dumpster from DPW. So, we've also had gone into the high school. So we were at the lunch block for the high school to collect feedback routines, and coming up we're working with the middle school with Summit Academy with Amherst rec and again just trying to reach as many people as possible. In terms of virtual events we had a community forum last week. And so this design process is an iterative process there's no one point in time. So the schematic designs which is the phase we're in continue to be developed and so last week, literally the design committee got the designs on Friday and then we did a forum three days later so we actually had the public looking at the updated designs before the Jones library building committee the larger committee has even looked at them and reviewed them so, and we'll continue to do that and to make that available. We also district meetings we've been invited some district meetings as well and are attending there. So that's kind of a big brush over brush of community outreach and I see we have some new attendees. So, maybe we can sort of reiterate that this is a freestyle meeting the point of the meeting is to talk about the community outreach that we're doing to show the tools that are available to the community. And then to also invite people to talk with us about maybe different ideas that they have more questions that they have. So, anybody who would like to be invited into the room, you can raise your hand, Andrew will bring you in. We're not looking at a public comment period we're looking at any time you have a question raise your hand and we'll pause and we'll talk. In terms of tools, the ways that people and before I move on to tools Angela or any car Sharon did you want to add anything to the sort of community outreach today. No, I just want to remind everyone that this meeting is being reported so people will post it on the YouTube channel so people can refer to it and people can use it as a sharing like teaching tool. If you have friends or your family members want to find pathways to look at schematic designs or to comment on them. This is the place to kind of navigate that pathway. And one thing. So to the five attendees that are with us. Thank you so much for for joining us. I really, I want to encourage you to raise your hand and come on into the room. You don't need to turn your cameras on so you can, you know, have your pigtails in and be on, be in your pajamas that's totally cool, but really let this be a conversation between all of us. I see a taker. Do I see more takers pressure, peer pressure. Okay. So I think, yeah, there's another person. The hands are going, I feel like I'm on a good game show. Another hand is up. So, Angela, if you don't mind sharing your screen and taking us to the library website, I think that's a good starting point and I'll wait for you to bring in the other person who's got their hand up before. I've seen multiple things of you at once now. So I'm going to have Angela take us to the library website, and it is by no means the only place that you can go, but it's a place that can be a springboard for everything else and so it's a nice place to start. So before I do that. Adele I've tried several times to make you a panelist it's not working for some reason. I'm going to try one more time. I'm going to allow you to talk. And anytime you have a question just unmute and feel free to give us your questions. Okay, so I was with you. Was that a week ago. So I just, I just wondered if there had been any discussion in the intervening time about the location of the Burnett. And that that's basic. Whoops. Yeah so Adele I'll while while Angela is getting her screen sharing ready. Yes, we have spoken with the architects, and, and we have suggested more than once. The, the idea of flipping the, it was coat closet, along with the restrooms along with the art galleries. And we've let them know that we still need a storage closet in there so yes it's in the it's in the works, and I'm hoping to see that on June 24th that's the next design committee meeting where I think the architects will be kind. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you. I actually can't stay, but I just wanted to ask. Thank you so much. Sure. Have a good meeting. Thank you. Thanks Adele. So the Jones library page is the landing page. And if you scroll down. Actually not anymore now you want to scroll back up. So right under when you land on the page there's always these little slides of sort of what's coming and right under those slides. The bottom right says learn more about our building project is sort of the easiest way to get to the building project site page. I'm going to click on that. There is more information on here than probably most people ever ever want to dive into, but on this page are a lot of the tools that we have available. And yeah there's little things across the top that help you sort of get to things quickly. One is called designs and documents that's where you'll find the latest schematic designs. One is the proposed timeline which shows the timeline of events for the project. Those are probably the two main ones right now that you would go to. And the first thing that you see. There's also a link you can see to the Jones library building committee that's the town page. And then our meetings are posted on the town's website calendar. And if you scroll down this first document that you're seeing green is one of the tools that we're using and as I can keep saying this every time because it's going to get tired of hearing me say this but it's so beautifully said that, you know, we have people who are skimmers swimmers and divers right. And so this is our document for the skimmers. The idea behind this padlet is at the May 1 event, you know, we really wanted to just collect from people, what their ideas are and we continue to want to do that but I think that if you haven't been into a new library space. You know what a new space can look like or what the options are like and so the idea behind this is some of these are pictures of the from the designer that we're using some of them are pictures from this library but most of them are pictures from libraries that have been renovated or expanded or built with the idea of when you look through it what we're hoping people do is share with us. What they think about the spaces that they're seeing right if so it's it's meant to be a conversation that triggers, you know, like somebody on this one right here said you know I love the words all are welcome, but the design does not look welcoming and all to me right these materials and colors look cold and uninviting. I mean this is a perfect comment because it's super specific about what they like what they don't like. And the other thing that can happen is at the bottom of each one of these there's a little plus sign, and you can actually upload your own pictures so if you've been to a library or you've been online. I usually go to the three dots Angela is the easiest thing because that will then take you to a folder. So if you've got a picture, you can then upload click upload. And what'll happen is it'll upload the picture it'll put it in a pending for us to approve because this is anybody can do this and we want to make sure we're only getting you know library pictures and not some troll somewhere out in the universe giving us something else so we've had I think 37 people use this with 83 reactions and 66 comments so it's not the place where we're seeing the most from people but for some people this is just a really nice tool and it's broken out by sections so there's you know historic preservation there's a teen space there's sustainability so if you scroll to the right. You swipe on my computer I don't know what Angela does. Yeah there you go, then you'll see all the different areas and then the very last one is dream board and it's things that people have aspirations right you know we don't have a co-working ticker startup space right now but someone thought that was a neat idea right we don't have a space for foosball and this is great giant tree but you know so these are just sort of give us you know this I'm going to just tell you right now this is my mother-in-law she loves this idea she keeps putting it out. So yeah so this is just a place to put up things that you may think are wacky but who knows it may make sense in the building and so there's there's there's no nothing no wrong answer. And we're in schematic design through the end of July and public comments are through July 1 so this really sort of big broad brush tell us everything ends on July one, and then when we move into design development will start to narrow the focus in terms of you know design and exterior design and interior choices and and it will it will be less sort of a tell us your hopes and dreams. The other thing you can find on the library space is there are newsletters so right now we are publishing a newsletter on a weekly basis. And these newsletters are available, either on this site or on the town site. If you click on any newsletter so, Andrew you can just click on the one on the left maybe. Everything in this newsletter is clickable is a link so if you see something in green it's a link. So these give project updates they tell you where we're going to be for outreach they're going to tell you what meetings are coming, but then they also have ways that you can share your comments with us. So, any of those are links so the share the comments you can do the info at Jones library.org. The library images is the link to the green padlet you just saw the submit a comment form is a library comment form so if you don't have an email or don't want to use an email address the comment form allows you to just go ahead and type your comments right in there submit it, and then we get them. So if you send us an email, I'm likely to respond and say thank you but if you do it through the comment, I don't know who you are so I can't respond to you. So if a meeting's been posted and and we have the link I'll also attach the meeting link in there. So that allows you to that allows you to go straight to the meeting. What Angela just. So, yeah, so that's that this QR code is another way you can scan with your phone to get to the padlet. So each week this newsletter changes and it just tells you what's going on what's been discussed and sort of where we've been. I'm going to pause there for a second because I've been talking a whole lot and see if anybody has questions or wants to ask anything or add anything. So what happens if you scan the QR code. You can go straight to that green padlet. And then you can add pictures you can add comments you can add even like a picture. I'm QR code illiterate clearly. I was before this I'm not going to lie, I had to add the app to my phone. I have the app but I've never gotten it to work. You don't have to use it it's okay. Yeah. Nine enough. That's great. I. How do you get this out to the whole community though. I mean there you say there are only five of us here tonight or six or seven. Yes. So the library has a newsletter that it's publishing on Sundays. There's the project newsletter so we've been pushing this on Sundays to the people who get that. And whenever we go to an event we bring copies of all the newsletters with us. But yes, I don't know. I don't know where I can and I and I say as much as I can but that's that's the perennial difficult question about community outreach right. You know where it's to water but you can't make it. Yeah, so we can all share I need to celebrate you again Alex for this newsletter like you've really done a phenomenal job. We talked about this at the last council meeting though was late. Late in the evening but I think that this is wonderful for you know everyone I mean share it whether it's social media email to your friends encourage people to subscribe because I feel once people see it and they really realize how detailed it is and you know everything you can find out it's just you know. It's excellent so. So one other place where we've been collecting a lot of feedback is actually just physically in the library so after the May 1 event, we took the public comments that we gathered at that event. And we put them up in the atrium, and then people have continued to either like them or add to them and so that's been a really great way for us to sort of low hanging fruit because we know we get so many people who come into the library. And they continue to be in the atrium and they continue to add comments to it. And so, just by way so what Angela has linked to are the actual public comment so I will shift gears and you can link to this from the newsletter in the newsletter every week. So what we did was, we set up a process where comments are entered they're given a comment number, they're given a date. It's either the date collector to the data entered them or somewhere around there. The comment, the frequency. So, and the frequency tends to be you know if it's somewhere in a public space we see a frequency to it if somebody's just sent us an email you're not likely to see the frequency. Not because it's not important, but it's just something we're capturing so that we're. So, just, we have 401 unique comments but we have 1524 which frequency so the frequency button was to try to combine comments where they made sense so it wasn't overwhelming. And then what happens is our owners project manager. These are so this is live real time accessible to the public at any point in time. If you put a comment and you can come find it in here. And then our owners project manager looks through the comments, and then prioritizes them based on where we are in the design process. So we're in schematic design right now. So anything that's going to impact sort of how all the pieces fit together how all the program spaces fit together, or if we're making changes to program spaces like Adele's comment about, where's my closet in the Burnett gallery like these are things that need to be addressed early on things like comfortable chairs and laptops and things like that are things that can be discussed later. So the dates that you're seeing in column G are the dates that the owners project manager has assigned for review so you can see that on the Jones library building committee for number 27 reviewed, like the one, the one that's not feasible. They wanted us to trim down to a smaller square footage and that's not feasible because our grant with the nblc we have to keep the building and the program to the size that it is. So, so people can see what's happening and I would say the first review the first bucket that we did it was 88% that were reviewed were put into either agree it's in the design agree we're going to send it off to the architects to look at those so there were very few that were considered not feasible tended to be things like, you know, loft in the children's area which was there was a safety concern about having a loft in the children's area. So those are the kinds of things that were put in the not feasible. But I don't know that this has ever been done before in town and I think anybody who's a detail freak like me it's kind of cool to be able to find your comment and then see what date it's going to be discussed. And, you know, I would say that sometimes when these comments are going in the example I give is the team space, somebody said they wanted speakers, I don't know whether they want speakers that they hear with, or if they want public speakers. So, I would not be sad if that person showed up and clarified more information so. Yeah, and so, and we continue to so an example is, you know, there were comments about the Burnett Gallery about their space needs that were reviewed on May 24. The revised schematics came on May 27. The representative from the Burnett Gallery came on the 27 and said, that looks great. Still not what I want. Can you go back and make these changes and so that's what Adele was actually just asking Sharon at the beginning of the meeting and so, again, this is meant to be a back and forth discussion and community engagement so just because we think we handled something we might have missed something we might have misunderstood something so yeah so that's how that's meant to be. It's very impressive. I think you it's a great it's a good outreach subcommittee with I have other people in the committee who had some really pretty brilliant ideas so it was just a matter of executing what people probably should do. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, which was great. So, I'm excited about it now I just need to figure out how to get. I mean on the one hand right there's seven people at this meeting but we have over 1500 comments today so I feel like we must be great. I mean that means that people have are having their say about what's happening. Yeah, it's really good for those of us who still hear from naysayers. It's like, well, have you spoken up and made that suggestion. Yeah, and it's actually been a really nice opportunity to like I have really enjoyed going to the survival center on Thursdays. We're sort of half talking to people about programming and services and what's available and signing people up in a really easy way for library cards but then also using that opportunity to find out what they want to see for programming and spaces and so there's some really nice synergy being out in the community and having these conversations, which I super like. So if you want to come speak at the Amherst club Sharon I'm sure we'd be happy to have you. You know it's funny. I've been there a couple of times and then you know and then the vote happened and then they reached out to me and I said yeah you just named the date and and they just they wanted to wait a little bit. I said okay, I'm here ready whenever, whenever you are. Okay. And maybe the best time to do that would be when our schematics are done and that way I can give you know I can walk people through that. Oh that'd be great. Okay. Thank you. Anything else. There's a lot of talking so. So this is the joint what Angela's on now is that town website so the Jones library building committee is a town appointed committee. And we are charged with the oversight of the design and construction of the project and so the makeup of the committee is the town manager to residents to trustees of town finance director. And so that's actually who's running with this project, which gets a little confusing because it's a library building but it's a town committee that's actually running all of this at this point. And so you can find the project newsletters where Angela is clicking right now. So if you click on that you can be notified by the town so every time a new newsletter is issued, you'll get a notification that it exists. So this is a good way to just get the heads up hey there's a new newsletter. The plan right now is we're issuing them weekly because we're in schematics and everything's moving very quickly. But as we move into maybe construction documents and later parts that it would probably be less frequent. So it'd be nice to have that heads up when it's coming. All of our meetings are recorded. There's recordings right there so anytime you want to. Yeah, nothing better to do but listen to us. You can go to any of our, any of our meetings so those are the all the community forums the design the outreach, as well as the main meetings. But the best part of watching them once they're recorded it's kind of like a DVR you can fast forward to the parts that don't interest. True enough, true enough. And then oh you know some of the places I didn't talk about Angela actually can you go back to the newsletter 14774. So if you go to the ways to submit comments, which should be scroll up. That's a picture by the way at the high school. But ask a question on Amherst talks. That is a partnership between the town and UMass, which you have to create an email address and password for but if you go to it it's, it's a way where it's again just one more tool, you could ask anything that's done there and it actually, there's somebody at UMass who's controlling it but the question comes to us and then we try to provide sort of a quick response of either like here's where you can find the meeting here's where you can find the document or give people a quick response. I think we'll also try to use it to like right now where we are in schematic design is the designers are giving us for well three alternatives for exterior building materials. And we don't know what the cost difference is yet but in theory it's a cost savings. And so we've gotten we've gotten what sort of looking for renderings we've gotten renderings of what these might look like. And so, once we have them will, that might be a place in addition to the other places where we might send to people and say, you know, what way and what do you think kind of thing. So this one was the initial conversation where they were sort of going through here the sections and hear the different options. And then we just yesterday got the renderings and so we're waiting to get those from the architects. So for me right like I had no idea that it was brick like these go back up one handle. So I had no idea like these are the colors we're really talking about potentially. So it was helpful for me to see, you know, you know, we still have color choices and we have material choices Yeah, that was all really helpful. You know, so Alex, I have created going back to Amherst talks. I've created my own account. It's totally worth playing with. And so I didn't know if maybe Angela could stop sharing unless Angela has an account. And then Alex maybe you could sign in and show people how to use it because it's it's very different from the tablet. Yep. It's cool. Because you know the library is all about cool. Am I sharing. Okay. She's just got a couple of things going on. Yeah, yeah. I think they're getting there. So I tend to use the meeting wherever I'm looking for something I actually use the news. I think it's the fastest way to find things. Let's see. Okay, so that was interesting. Okay, so. The initial questions that were posted on there. You know, you what does a near fund off the wall idea. What many have you seen at other libraries you'd like to see what's your favorite thing least favorite. What would make you so there's a series of questions people can answer. But they also, you know, how important isn't that the building be net zero ready, you know, so there are polls things in there. This person answered those questions. And then, you know, would you spend more time in a quieter active spaces people can vote there. You know, somebody here you know there are concerns about the roof design holding up in winter over the years that's troughs which hold ice boy don't we know it. You know, this is a subject near and dear to our hearts as well. And so, you know, there are responses then right thanks for the feedback. So here's information for you, or, you know, we're previewing exterior material choices here's a link to the meeting come join us so it's just one more way for people to send us and so any comment here also goes into that Excel spreadsheet. It doesn't matter where you put it in whether it goes to the padlet, whether it goes to info at Jones library.org, whether it go it all feeds into that Excel spreadsheet. The beauty of the beauty of this technology or software is so I think it has the potential for conversations with people, as opposed to the comment which is just you submit your comment and, and that's it. So, so this kind of goes back to what Gigi was saying in the beginning, how do you get this out there so I love that Alex you just walked people through it. Because this will be more successful the more people that are there, giving their comments and kind of nicely arguing with one another arguing is just a word but you know what I mean having a conversation. You. Well, this is all our community participation officer who so wisely suggested that we do this meeting so thank you Angela, who has been a phenomenal partner. The town runs with Angela. So true. So true. And I don't even think we know the fraction of it. Yeah, she does a lot. So that's kind of what I had I mean I could talk for hours because this is all I live and breathe these days. People probably want to eat dinner. I, I'm happy to answer questions I'm happy to take suggestions and people have thoughts or ideas about different ways or maybe communities who aren't getting the access to share their feedback. Nothing's off the table. We'd love to hear anything and everything that you know people have to say and you can't think of it now but you think of it later. Please, please tell us. I do think we have to purchase for your mother in law that that bicycle desk. That's a great idea. Yeah, it really is. She's earned it. She's a multi-generational house and I'm not going to lie I call on her frequently to go man the table at this at the farmers market. You know the similar thing that people have shared through I don't know if it was the padlet that I saw it, but for the children's room. I don't get the name of this piece of furniture but on one side of it is a place for a mom or a dad or caregiver to sit and work on their laptop and the other piece of this is a place for your toddler slash baby to hang out and it's like enclosed. It's brilliant. I mean a hard side and a soft side. It takes it takes a bit of square footage, but you know even if the Jones could have one or two of those would be pretty cool. Yeah, anyways. No. Oh, yes, there it is. Oh my gosh. Brilliant. So simple and brilliant. They also have a tree in the library, which is cool. I don't think we're going to get any trees but I would stay away from tree. That's funny based on experience. I remember once trying to grow a fecus tree in a new library space that had very carefully shielded all ultraviolet light out. And of course without ultraviolet rays, the tree died. Be careful what you wish. All right. Well, unless anyone else has anything to add. Now this was great. I just dropped by out of just curiosity to see what was going on. I haven't been as attentive as I should, but anyway, there's a lot to pay attention to. You're all doing a lot of great stuff. Thank you. Thank you so much, Gigi. I don't think people complain that they don't have a voice in this, having seen what you're doing so. I appreciate it. I think it's great. Okey dokey. The brave soul that. My hair is a mess. I went by safely and I'm not, I'm not doing camera. I'm making graham crackers. So, you know, that's awesome. Yeah, also shout out to Hala Lord, who is always here too. She didn't pop up in the meeting. See you. All right, with that. Hey. Oh, we just got a new attendee to end the meeting. Kathy, thank you so much for coming. Adele was here at the beginning of the meeting, asking about the gallery location and the closet. And I was able to let her know that the architects are working on that. So I hope to see news comedics on the 24th. I think it is Friday, the 24th. Do you have any other specific questions? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Try again. I said, I've been monitoring what Adele has contributed. I totally agree. That's great. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Everybody go eat dinner. Thank you, Angela for putting this together. Thank you. I know you have a ton on your plate. I always appreciate you being here. Obviously. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone. Good night, everyone. Bye. Bye.