SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of July 7, 2005

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A REGULAR meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Chairperson, Kenneth Breisch, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 7, 2005 at the Montana Ave. Branch Library, 1704 Montana Ave., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Greg Mullen, Acting City Librarian; Celia Carroll, Fairview Branch Manager; Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services; Migell Acosta, Principal Librarian for Information Management; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

No report.

 

Communications from the Public

Vice Chair Edwards made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of May 5, 2005.  Boardmember Stern seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Vice Chair Edwards made a motion to approve the minutes of the special meeting of the Library Board on May 19, 2005.  Boardmember Stern seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

 

Greg Mullen, Acting City Librarian, gave a report on the Friends of the Library activities to the Board. The Friends are seeking a co-chair for their Grow the Friends membership project. One of the Friends Boardmembers is investigating a membership campaign directed at businesses. Kent Lewis and Ellen Mark the bookstore co-chairs have been visiting Friends bookstores at area Libraries and collecting tips on operating a bookstore.

 

Report from the Friends of the Library, a Library Support Group

At the June 13 Friends Board meeting the Friends proposed their preliminary budget for fiscal year 2005-2006. The Friends also discussed a variety of ideas for fundraising and volunteer activities from the Friends of the Library USA (FOLUSA) newsletter. FOLUSA is a national Friends of the Library organization that publishes a newsletter once a month. The Library Board requested that the FOLUSA newsletter be included in their August agenda packet.

 

 

Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services, gave a final report on Citywide Reads 2005.

 

Citywide Reads Report

Planning for Santa Monica Citywide Reads 2005 began at the conclusion of the 2004 program. The Citywide Reads Advisory Committee — consisting of Library and City staff, Library and Friends’ Board members, City Commissioners, Santa Monica High School faculty and librarians, and community members —selected the featured book, The Kite Runner, a debut novel by Khaled Hosseini.

 

 

Approximately 300 complimentary copies of the book were distributed to interested Library users in the weeks preceding the program. Citywide Reads 2005 featured: 11 public book discussions led by volunteer facilitators; a lecture entitled “What is it that Empire Steals?: U.S. Foreign Policy and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner”; a screening of the 2001 film “Kandahar,” introduced by a historian; an after school program at Santa Monica High School that featured one of the librarian’s experiences as a teacher in Kabul in the 1970s and a demonstration of kite-making and flying by an Afghan émigré; a performance by a World Music ensemble, a children’s kite-making craft workshop, and reading and library promotional booth at the Santa Monica Festival; and the culminating event, “Khaled Hosseini: In Conversation,” at SMC.

 

 

Nearly 300 people attended public book discussions and 800 attended related events, including 650 at the author talk. Total attendance was 2,692.

 

 

Reaction to Citywide Reads 2005 has been extremely positive as to the choice of the book, the program’s overall organization, and the value of community reading in Santa Monica. Citywide Reads 2005 has built on the success of the two prior programs and has now established itself as a community expectation. More information about the program, and an online suggestion form for nominating a book for 2006, is at www.smpl.org/cwr.

 

 

Migell Acosta, Principal Librarian for Information Management, updated the Board on new technology projects at the Library. Mr. Acosta gave the Board a demonstration and pointed out features of the upgraded online Library catalog.

 

Library Technology Update on New Projects

Other new technology projects at the Library include radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging, self check and Smart Access Manager (SAM).

 

 

Mr. Acosta spoke to the Board about the social implications of RFID. He distributed a recent article from the Berkeley Daily Planet regarding RFID. Mr. Acosta stressed that it is not possible to track what patrons are checking out through the RFID tag. The tag itself does not store any information on patrons. The RFID tag on the material does not contain a full barcode and it would be very difficult to extrapolate the full barcode. Mr. Acosta distributed the actual RFID tags for the Board’s review.

 

 

The Information Management Division of the Library is currently assembling a labor force to do the RFID tagging. Tagging library materials will enable self check out and assure better security. Library staff plan to tag all the materials at the temporary Library first and then the material at each of the branches. Lastly the books from storage will be tagged when they are delivered to the new Main Library.

 

 

SAM, the PC control and reservation system software and server are in place. The system is expected to begin managing internet reservations in August.

 

 

Through CALIFA, a California consortium of libraries, the Library was able to get a first year license for downloadable audio books. The audio books are downloadable to your PC and some MP3 players. Library staff is developing instruction and training for the public.

 

 

The Library will shortly begin receiving catalog records for e-Journals. The Library subscribes to a number of on-line databases that carry full text articles from journals that are not carried on the Library shelves. These journals do not currently appear in the catalog but with the addition of the catalog records they will.

 

 

Mr. Mullen reported that there have been some delays related to the site work at the new Main Library. Boron was found in some of the areas where the landscaping will be done. A buried fuel tank containing oil was also found during excavation of the North parking garden. The tank was drained and removed. Site mitigation was done. The soil from the areas was tested and removed. The site work may not be completed by mid October when the building is scheduled to be turned over to the City.

 

Update on the New Main Library

Other work that is ongoing at the site: waterproofing; concrete pouring (paseo, stairs, water feature); grid ceiling installation; application of the graffiti coating; painting and review of the colors.

 

 

No report.

 

Los Angeles Conservancy Tour

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to forward the USA PATRIOT Act resolution adopted by the Library Board on February 6, 2003 to the Santa Monica City Council for continued acceptance of the resolution. Vice Chair Edwards seconded the motion. The motion passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Revisit the Library Board USA PATRIOT Act Resolution

The Board discussed several current library journal articles.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

The City has officially been awarded a grant of $113.241 from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment. The grant is approximately half the cost of conservation, transportation and installation of the Stanton Macdonald Wright mural. Work on conservation of the mural is ongoing.

 

Secretary’s Report

Stanton Macdonald Wright Mural - Update

Mr. Mullen reported to the Board on the Library’s participation in the Santa Monica Festival. He distributed photos of the Library booths which featured the new Main Library building and the summer reading program.

 

Santa Monica Festival Report

Credit cards machines have been implemented at the Temporary Main Library and will soon be in use at the Branch Libraries.

 

Credit Card Machines

The 2005 Customer Survey results show patrons are very happy with the Library. Satisfaction slightly lower for materials and facilities.

 

Library User Survey Results

The Board discussed agenda items for long range agenda planning. Items to be included on the long range agenda are: budget report, Citywide Reads report, summer reading report, branch report, technology report and highlight areas of the collection.

 

Long Range Agenda for the Library Board

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda: a report on grand opening activities, report on the Santa Monica Historical Society museum, tour of the Library construction site, parking at the new main library and a discussion of long range agenda items.

 

Agenda Building

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to adjourn the meeting. Vice Chair Edwards seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

Greg Mullen

Kenneth Breisch

 

 

Acting City Librarian

Library Board Chair