SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of August 4, 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, August 4, 2005 at the Montana Ave. Branch Library, 1704 Montana Ave., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Susan McCarthy, City Manager; Gordon Anderson, Assistant City Manager; Councilmember Robert Holbrook; Jean Ann Holbrook, member of the public; Greg Mullen, Acting City Librarian; Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services; Celia Carroll, Fairview Branch Manager; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

No report.

 

Communications from the Public

Dan Stern, who was reappointed to the Library Board, took the oath of allegiance and was sworn in.

 

Swearing in and Oath of Allegiance

Items V - Public Parking at the New Main Library and VI - City Librarian Appointment Process were tabled until City Manager, Susan McCarthy, arrived.

 

 

Chair Breisch called for nominations in the election of Library Board Chair and Vice Chair. Boardmember Oppenheim nominated Vice Chair Edwards for Chair. Chair Breisch seconded the nomination. The motion passed in a unanimous voice vote. Boardmember Breisch nominated Boardmember Stern for Vice Chair, Boardmember Oppenheim seconded the motion. The motioned passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Election of Library Board Chair and Vice Chair

Chair Edwards called for the approval of the minutes. Boardmember Breisch moved to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of July 7, 2005. Boardmember Oppenheim seconded the motion. The motion passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Greg Mullen, Acting City Librarian, gave a report on the Friends of the Library activities to the Board. At the Friends Board meeting of July 11 they approved their budget for the fiscal year 2005-2006.

 

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

The Friends currently have two ongoing subcommittees. One subcommittee is working on developing a membership campaign which will be launched in conjunction with the opening of the new Main Library. Recently Susanne Trimbath, Vice Chair of the Friends, held an information meeting for volunteers. The bookstore subcommittee continues planning for the bookstore. Co-Chairs, Ellen Mark and Kent Lewis, visited the Peninsula Center Library in Palos Verdes.

 

 

The Friends Board also discussed restoration of the neon lighting at the Montana Ave. and Fairview Branches. The Friends tabled further discussion and investigation of restoration until mid 2006.

 

 

The Board decided on August 25 at 3:30pm for the next tour of the new Main Library construction site.

 

Update on the New Main Library

Mr. Mullen gave the Library Board an update on the ongoing site work at the new Library.

  • Palm trees in the North Parking Garden are being planted
  • Painting of interior and exterior accent walls is ongoing
  • A sealing coat of concrete is being put on the planter walls
  • The precast panels have been sealed and graffiti coated
  • The tiling in the bathrooms is complete
  • Lighting and ceiling tiles are going in
  • Gary Wallack, a local deli owner, has been selected to lease the café in the Library courtyard
  • The book stacks and carpet will be going in
  • The green fences around the building will be taken down
  • Work on sidewalks will begin
  • The water to the building will be turned on
  • The air handlers will be operational
  • The recommendation to award purchase orders for the new Main Library furniture is on the August 9 Council agenda

 

 

 

Library staff has been meeting with Allison & Partners to discuss strategies for the grand opening, media contacts, type of message, graphic elements for the marketing campaign and a calendar of events for the grand opening.

 

 

City and Library staff met with the Martin Luther King Jr. coalition. The coalition is excited about the process of getting the auditorium vestibule ready and selecting an image and quote from Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

The coalition attempted to locate the text of the speech Dr. King gave at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in December 8, 1961. Although they have been unable to locate the full text a Los Angeles Sentinel article containing quotes from the speech has been located.

 

 

The Martin Luther King Jr. coalition is reviewing the information and will make a recommendation to the Library Board regarding their choice of quote.

 

 

Susan McCarthy, City Manager, and Gordon Anderson, Assistant City Manager, discussed public parking at the new Main Library with the Library Board.

 

Public Parking at the New Main Library

The public parking structure at the Library will not only serve Library patrons but also the downtown area. Library patrons will pay $1.00 per hour in the structure as this is the metered parking rate in the downtown area.

 

 

Gordon Anderson, Assistant City Manager, explained that the city is working on a parking strategy in the downtown district. The businesses in the Bayside District assess themselves annually to help underwrite some of the cost of the 2 hour free parking in the downtown Bayside District. Currently metered parking rates are cheaper outside of the downtown area to encourage people to park and use mass transit to get to the downtown area.

 

 

The Library parking structure will have two attendant booths. There will also be meters along 6th and 7th Streets and in the surface parking lot to the North. The Police department will add the Library parking structure to their normal circulation route to provide security.

 

 

Susan McCarthy, City Manager, spoke to the Board regarding the City Librarian appointment process. The position was offered promotionally through the civil service process and the Human Resources department screened the candidates. The raters at the civil service exam will consist of third parties including a mix of City Mangers and City Librarians. The interview panel is scheduled for the morning of August 25th. The results of the panel will be reviewed and an assessment of the qualifications of the individual will be made. The City Manager’s office will make a recommendation to the Library Board and hear any concerns the Board may have. 

 

City Librarian Appointment Process

The City Manager is the official appointing authority and will give careful consideration to the recommendations of the Library Board. If for any reason the applicant does not pass the civil service exam or withdraws the position would be offered on an open basis.

 

 

The Library has the authority to suspend borrowing privileges based on the Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 1.08.030 (b). Library staff is working on developing a Library policy to suspend borrowing privileges. The Board reviewed a draft of the Policy on Suspending Borrowing Privileges.

 

Library Policy on Suspending Borrowing Privileges

Boardmember Breisch moved to accept the Policy on Suspending Borrowing Privileges. Boardmember Oppenheim seconded the motion. Library Board discussion followed.

 

 

The Board suggested revisiting suspension based on fines. They felt the level of the fine should be raised. Library staff will review the wording.

 

 

The Board tabled the item until Library staff develops the procedure part of the policy.

 

 

The Board discussed articles on downloadable digital audio books and loaning MP3 players.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

New staff is being recruited in preparation for the new Library opening in January.

 

Secretary’s Report

Staff Recruitments for the New Main Library

Staff is in the process of developing a docent program to provide tours of the new Main Library. The tours could range from a half hour generalized tour to more specialized tours covering art and sustainability features. For opening day docents will be stationed throughout the Library to answer questions. The five to six week training period will begin in September. Public Services staff is currently working on scripting the tour.

 

Docent Program at the New Main Library

The Branch libraries have begun using receipt printers and accepting credit card payments of fines and fees.

 

Receipt Printers Installed at the Branches

Several Library staff members including: Greg Mullen; Nancy O’Neill, Head of Reference Services; Terry Jacobsen, Librarian I, Reference; Terrie Dorio, Children’s Services, Montana Branch attended the American Library Association Conference in Chicago. Their reports will be forwarded to the Board.  

 

American Library Association Reports

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda: update from the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition; update on the parking fee structure; revisit of the suspension of borrowing privileges policy and procedures; update on grand opening planning – graphics; presentation of Santa Monica Historical Society Museum plans by Ho Nguyen, Director of Operations/Exhibits Designer, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum; wrap up of the Summer Reading Program; update on Teen Council programs and activities.

 

Agenda Building

Discussion of Long Range Library Board Agenda Items

 

Incoming Library Board Chair Edwards thanked outgoing Library Board Chair Breisch for all his hard work and service throughout the past year.

 

 

Boardmember Breisch moved to adjourn the meeting.  Boardmember Field seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:50pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Mullen

Edward Edwards

Acting City Librarian

Library Board Chair