SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD
 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of June 5, 2003

To Be Approved
       

A REGULAR meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Chairperson, Gene Oppenheim, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 5, 2003 at the Montana Ave. Branch Library in the Conference Room, 1704 Montana Ave., Santa Monica.

  

Call to Order

PRESENT:

Vice Chair Edwards, Boardmember Field, Chairperson Oppenheim and Boardmember Stern

  

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Wini Allard, City Librarian; Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Service; Ellen Braby, Head of Youth Service

    

The Library Board reviewed written communications from the public. 

 

Communications from the Public

An e-mail communication was received from James Paris, who is concerned about the over-utilization of the new Library by homeless persons.  Ms. Allard responded to Mr. Paris’ concerns and invited him to visit the Temporary Library and give staff his impression of the facility.

    

Ms. Allard also shared with the Board a communication received by the Reference staff complimenting the Library’s fiction collection.

    

Finally an e-mail communication was received from Patrick Percy who is disappointed with the Temporary Main Library.  Greg Mullen, Assistant City Librarian responded to Mr. Percy’s complaint. 

   

The minutes were amended to clarify the information regarding the Friends of the Library paver fundraising campaign for the Fairview Branch Library.  Ellen Mark is the Chair of the Friends of the Library paver fundraising campaign, which will raise funds for furniture and equipment at the Fairview Branch Library.  Vice Chair Edwards made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of May 1, 2003 as amended.  Boardmember Field seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

  

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Jon Arenberg, Chair of the Friends of the Library, reported on the May 12, 2003 Board of Directors Meeting of the Friends of Santa Monica Public Library.  The Friends current efforts are focused on fundraising.  The Friends 2003 budget was adopted at their April meeting. 

 

Report from the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library, a Library Support Group

Mr. Arenberg reported that the Friends have raised $11,300 for the Fairview Branch Library through their Fairview Branch Library paver fundraising campaign chaired by Ellen Mark. 

   

Mr. Arenberg further reported that over $200 was raised on June 2nd by diners at El Torito restaurant (3360 Ocean Park Blvd) in Santa Monica.  When paying the bill, supporters presented a special flier and the restaurant donated 25% of the total food sales to the Friends for the Fairview Branch Library.  The Friends hope to repeat this successful fundraiser. 

   

The Friends continue to focus on locating a space to sort and store the used book donations and to re-establish the book sales. 

   

Ellen Braby, Head of Youth Services reported on the Summer Reading Program.  The theme for this year’s summer reading program is “It’s a Jungle Out There, Swing Into Your Library.”  Youth Services has distributed flyers publicizing the program, which begins June 24, and the activities at each of the library branches and the Santa Monica parks.  Ms. Braby reported that storytimes at the Santa Monica parks are reaching children and families that normally have not come into the Library. 

 

Report on the Summer Reading Program – Ellen Braby

During the Summer Reading Program children keep track of the amount of time they spend reading over the summer.  For every five hours they read, they receive a prize. 

For children who read on their own:

  • five hour prize - clip on bookmark
  • ten hour prize - paperback book and a gift certificate for a kids meal at Rostie Restaurant
  • fifteen hour prize - t-shirt and a piggy bank from the This Little Piggy (local children’s store). 

The read to me or pre-reader group prize for 15 hours read are finger puppets.

   

The Teen Summer Reading Program theme is “Wild About Reading.”  Teens who read 30 hours are invited to a summer reading pizza party and receive a $10.00 gift certificate to Borders Bookstore.   

   

Ms. Allard gave an update on the new Main Library. 

 

Update on the new Main Library

The Board reviewed a packet of information on signage for the new Main Library.  The signage has to be approved by the Architectural Review Board.

    

The Library received a letter from The King Center approving the Library’s use of Martin Luther King Jr.’s name on the auditorium at the new Main Library.  

   

The Board expressed the opinion that the auditorium should be named the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium. 

   

Ms. Allard reported that a new furniture consultant has been hired for the Main Library project.  In an effort to save money the City’s Civil Engineering Department is taking over project management responsibilities for the Main Library project.  Bovis, the current project manager has been released. 

   

Boardmember Edwards reported on a Literacy Residency program established by the Richland County Public Library in North Carolina.  He spoke with the Librarian who is in charge of the Literacy Residency program.  He expects to receive more information regarding the program. 

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends Review of Library Journal Articles

The Board discussed journal articles regarding the the loss of funding to libraries around the country.

    
   

Secretary’s Report

The Boardmembers gave positive feedback regarding the Temporary Main Library.  Staff have also been receiving positive comments from patrons.   

 

Opening of the Temporary Main Library

Ms. Allard reported that the new Main Library will have the address of 601 Santa Monica Blvd.  

 

New Address for the Main Library

Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services gave a final report on Citywide Reads.  The Citywide Reads program was launched during National Library week – April 6.   About 400 people attended seventeen book discussion groups. Two of the book discussions were teen groups.  Book discussions were held at the Branch Libraries and Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs throughout Santa Monica. 

 

Citywide Reads Final Report

Over 1100 people stopped by to visit the Library’s Chinese craft booth at the Santa Monica Festival.  The booth featured the Citywide Reads book Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

    

Boardmember Field reported to the Board that the League of Women Voters and the Library are co-sponsoring a talk by Kelly Hayes-Raitt.  Ms. Hayes-Raitt is a commissioner on the Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women.  She visited Iraq for ten days in February, five weeks before the onset of the U.S. bombings.  She spoke with hundreds of women and children at neighborhood bomb shelters, pediatric hospitals, and in the streets and shops of Baghdad.  Ms. Hayes-Raitt will share their thoughts with attendees.    

  

Special Program Co-Sponsored with the League of Women Voters

The Library will host an in-service workshop for staff on the USA PATRIOT Act with Mary Minow on July 10 from 9am – 11am.  The Temporary Main Library will be closed until 12 noon to allow all staff members to attend.  The Board is invited to attend. 

 

In-Service Workshop on the Patriot Act

Boardmember Field made a motion to cancel the regularly scheduled July 3 Library Board meeting.  Vice Chair Edwards seconded the motion and it passed in a unanimous voice vote.  The next Library Board meeting will be held on August 7 at the Montana Ave. Branch Library Conference Room.

    

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda:  an update on the Main Library and a report on the Mary Minow workshop.

 

Agenda Building

Chair Oppenheim adjourned the meeting at 8:02pm.

  

Adjournment
     

Attest:

Approved:

    

Winona Allard

Gene Oppenheim

Secretary

Library Board Chair