SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of March 2, 2006

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A REGULAR meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Chairperson, Edward Edwards, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 2006 at the Administrative Conference Room, Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Dawn Wilcox, Allison and Partners; Celia Carroll, Ocean Park Branch Manager; Greg Mullen, City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

No report.

 

Communications from the Public

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of February 2, 2006.  Vice Chair Stern seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Greg Mullen, City Librarian, gave a report on the activities of the Friends of the Library Board meeting of March 13 to the Library Board.

 

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

The Friends of the Library are developing a membership campaign. A subcommittee is in the process of creating a direct mail piece that will be sent to all Santa Monica residents. Additionally the subcommittee is seeking donations to support the membership campaign mailing.

 

 

On the average the Friends used bookstore receives in donations and sells approximately 500 used items a day. Currently there are fifty people a month who volunteer in the used bookstore. Books that do not sell are donated to local nursing and convalescent homes or the Veterans Administration.

 

 

The Friends Board made slight revisions to their membership form. The base membership rate is now $25.00 up from the previous rate of $10.00. However students and seniors 62+ will still pay $10.00.

 

 

Dawn Wilcox, Director, Social/Cause Marketing, Public Affairs from Allison & Partners gave a report on the Grand Opening and three year marketing plan in development for the Library.

 

Report on Grand Opening and three year Marketing Plan

A year ago Allison & Partners began developing the proposal and finally began work with Library Staff in June of 2005. Allison & Partners’ original goal was to successfully open the new Santa Monica Public Library with the engagement and involvement of the community, media, elected officials; to achieve high attendance at library events; to create on-going positive buzz; obtain positive editorial coverage; increase the number of library cards in circulation and build perception of the new library as a hot trendy destination.

 

 

A few of Allison & Partners specific duties with relation to the Grand Opening included:

  • Coordination of the Grand Opening ceremony and celebration
  • Managing the design team of EMJAY Creative; development of illustrations and collateral materials; placement of advertising
  • Production of media materials and media outreach
  • Production of a Public Service Announcement with Rhea Perlman
  • Attaining corporate sponsorship from Verizon ($10,000); Comerica ($5,000); Gas Company ($700) sponsorship for the Animal Guys program; Whole Foods & Izze donated refreshments for 500 for the Grand Opening event
  • PR support for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium
  • Henry Winkler appearance at the Wave of Tales story telling festival

 

 

500 – 600 people attended the Grand Opening ceremony. More than 5000 people visited the Main Library on the grand opening day and checked out over 6000 items.

 

 

22 million people have been affected by the print, bus sides and internet paid advertising. The Library garnered 6.8 million earned (unpaid) media impressions through news coverage, articles and mentions.

 

 

The starting budget for the project was $85,000. Allison & Partners raised almost fifty percent more through corporate sponsorship and in kind donations. Verizon contributed $10,000, Comerica Bank $5,000, The Gas Company $700 and from Allison & Partners a $24,000 in kind donation.

 

 

Currently Ms. Wilcox and Library staff are developing a three year marketing plan which will include a media list, ideas for events, messaging and measurement. Board discussion followed.

 

 

Greg Mullen, City Librarian, gave a report on the New Main Library. There are some maintenance issues that need to be addressed. Mr. Mullen discussed these issues with the City Manager’s office and feels that action will be taken to correct the problems. Currently there are not enough custodians assigned to the Library to keep up the cleanliness of the building.

 

Update on the New Main Library

Staff from Morley, the construction management firm, is working on punch list items.

 

 

Mr. Mullen talked to the Board about reorganization of Library divisions. Currently in terms of the budget the Library is divided into 4 divisions – Administration, Information Management, Main Library and Branch Libraries. However, the management structure is divided into City Librarian, Assistant City Librarian and three Principal Librarians who all work at the Main Library. 

 

Library Budget

Mr. Mullen feels a better way to look at the library budget would be programmatically and to reallocate funds in a programmatic way. Therefore the structure would be Administration, Information Management, Reference and Public Services. These divisions have responsibility across all the libraries not just at the Main Library. The Branches would be integrated into this system.

 

 

At a prior Library Board meeting Lucy Dyck from Transportation Management addressed the board regarding parking availability at the Fairview Branch. The Board received a recap of a survey completed a year ago by the Friends of Sunset Park Neighborhood Association. The Friends of Sunset Park received 100 responses to the neighborhood survey and of those responses 38 people wanted to allow Library staff to park on the street. However, the neighborhood streets around the Fairview Branch are posted for preferential parking.

 

Follow up on Parking Availability at the Fairview Branch

Ms. Dyck explained that City Council approves preferential parking based on the local community demand. The impetus for change would have to come from the residents on the block adjacent to the Fairview Branch.

 

 

Recently enforcement of the parking meters along Ocean Park Blvd. was changed. Parking meter enforcement now ends at 9pm instead of 6pm allowing for more turn over at meters in front of the Branch.

 

 

An issue City Council is considering would allow employees to park in preferential parking at 10th and Pico as part of a pilot program. City Council approved the first reading of the notice at the February 28 Council meeting which issues 20 permits to staff to park in preferential street parking at 10th and Pico. If the pilot program is successful other programs could start elsewhere in the City.

 

 

Staff distributed information on activities and programs planned for Citywide Reads 2006.  Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the selected title.

 

Report on Activities Planned for Citywide Reads

Mr. Mullen has discussed the idea of having a Library Board plaque located in Library Administration with the City Manager. Staff will provide mock ups of several plaques.  

 

Library Board Plaque Discussion

No report.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

Chair Edwards will be attending the CALTAC Workshop in Library Leadership in Burbank on March 11. State Librarian, Susan Hildreth, will speak. Chair Edwards will give a report to the Board at the April meeting.

 

Secretary’s Report

CALTAC Workshop in Burbank

The Library Boardmembers will attend the March 13 Annual Board and Commission Dinner.

 

Annual Board and Commission Dinner

On March 30 from 7-8:30 pm the Library will participate in the City’s Leadership Series. The Leadership Series is an educational program for the community to communicate how the City works and the duties of different City Departments. After a short presentation and introduction to Library services, Library staff will give tours of the new Main Library.

 

Leadership Series

A new feature at check out places a block in user records allowing Library users to have a maximum of three DVDs checked out at any time.

 

Check Out Item Limit for DVD’s

120,000 people have visited the new Main Library since the Grand Opening in January. A 30% increase in traffic in the Main Library.

 

Library Statistics

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda: mock ups of the Library Board plaque; discussion of the one hour internet use limit; a report on the docent and guides program from Librarian, Judith Graham; a report on the CALTAC workshop from Chair Edwards; an update on the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum lease; a discussion of alphabetizing the periodicals in the popular materials area; and a back of house tour.

 

Agenda Building

Chair Edwards moved to adjourn the meeting.  Boardmember Breisch seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:55pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

 

 

 

 

Approved:

 

 

Greg Mullen

Edward Edwards

City Librarian

Library Board Chair