SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the SPECIAL Meeting of October 5, 2006

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A SPECIAL meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Vice Chairperson, Dan Stern, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 5, 2006 at the Conference Room, Fairview Branch Library, 2101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Jon Arenberg, Chair Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library; Greg Mullen, City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst; Phil Wolf, Library Inspector; Cynni Murphy, Image Archives Librarian; Catherine Ronan, Fairview Branch Librarian;

 

 

The Board reviewed two communications from the public.

 

Communications from the Public

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of August 3, 2006.  Vice Chairperson Stern 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 Board, gave a report on the Friends activities. The Friends approved a grant to the Public Services division for a Public Performance Site License for movies through Movie Licensing USA. The grant will add considerably to the programming the Library offers to Santa Monica Public Library patrons. The site license allows the Main Library and all three branches the ability to show movies within library facilities, at any time.

 

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

The Friends are continuing their membership drive. They are preparing a new membership brochure and organizing a Friends of the Library week. The Bookstore continues to do a good business and receive a number of donations.

 

 

At the August meeting the Friends added one new Boardmember, Howard Chung.

 

 

Cynni Murphy, Image Archives Librarian, gave a follow up on the Pacific Palisades Historical Society Agreement. The Board reviewed and approved of the changes that were made to the agreement. The document will be sent to the Pacific Palisades Historical Society for review at their November meeting.

 

Follow up on the Pacific Palisades Historical Society Collection

Phil Wolf, Library Services Officer (LSO) spoke to the Board about the enforcement of the Library rules of conduct.

 

Enforcement of Library Rules and Regulations

He explained that the Library Service Officers (LSO) and Inspectors monitor activity and ensure compliance with the Library’s posted rules of conduct. They identify disruptive behavior or potentially dangerous situations and take action to diffuse disruptive situations.

 

 

Mr. Wolf distributed a copy of the zone patrols. The zones are interior and exterior areas at the Main Library that are patrolled by the LSOs/Inspectors. The LSOs/Inspectors also support the branches and branch managers in dealing with difficult people or situations. Now a LSO/Inspector patrols full time at the Ocean Park Branch.

 

 

LSO/Inspectors are responsible for set up and crowd control for programs at the Main Library and Branch libraries. They provide emergency assistance to the staff and public.

 

 

They troubleshoot problems with equipment such as change machines, copy machines, computers, AV equipment, and microphones at the libraries. They provide information and customer service to the public and branch libraries.

 

 

Mr. Wolf distributed a few of the items the LSOs/Inspectors use on a daily basis to help them enforce the rules of conduct - the Social Services Resource Guide, a notice tag for bicycles and unattended personal possessions and a crate used to measure bag size. 

 

 

The Board moved up Item XIII – 3.

 

Fairview 50th Anniversary Celebration; Canopy, Furniture

Catherine Ronan, Fairview Branch Manager, gave the Board a tour of the Branch. Ms. Ronan gave the Board a brief history of the Branch. The Board saw the new furniture in the children’s area, on the patio and the canopy over the youth patio. All furniture and the canopy were purchased with funds raised by the Friends of the Library Brick Paver Fundraising Campaign.

 

 

Library Staff worked with the City Attorney’s office to update the language in the waiver and release of liability agreement for the meeting room application. Boardmember Breisch made a motion to approve the updated language in the waiver and release of liability agreement for the meeting room application. Boardmember Field seconded the motion and the motion passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of Changes to the Meeting Room Policy

Mr. Mullen distributed photos of the upgrades to the security measures at the Ocean Park Branch. Board discussion followed.

 

Library Security

In addition to the upgraded security measures staffing has also changed at the Ocean Park Branch Library. Celia Carroll is now in charge of the Branch, Wright Rix has moved to the Reference Department and Olivia Narins, a half time Children’s Librarian, has been assigned to the Branch.

 

 

Mr. Mullen discussed with the Board the Library Departmental Budget Objectives for 2006/07.

 

Library Budget Objectives 2006/2007
  • Continue Library programs and services that address the issues expressed in the Community Priorities
  • To support the Sustainable City Plan
  • To support the Active Living priority
  • Apply the 3 year plan developed with a communications firm over the past year to expand and coordinate outreach to residents
  • Develop and implement system-wide adult programming to make use of the new public meeting space at the Main and Branch libraries
  • Expand the Libraries presence in the digital and on-line communities

 

 

Library Staff is planning a restructuring of the Library divisions. In the old model Branch Library Services fell under Administration. In the new model the three Principal Librarians will be division heads; Branch Services will be moved to Public Services; security will be moved from Public Services to Administration; and circulation will be moved from Public Services to Information Management. 

 

Restructuring of the Library Divisions

The Board reviewed an article on genealogy from the May 1, 2006 issue of Library Journal.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

The Santa Monica Historical Society museum lease has been signed.

 

Secretary’s Report

Santa Monica Historical Society Lease Update

Recruitment for the Assistant City Librarian and the Information Management Principal Librarian positions are ongoing. Interviews have been completed to fill five Library Staff II positions. The Library Service Officer position has been filled. Two out of three of the interviews for the Librarian III, Head of Cataloging in Information Management have been completed.

 

Library Staff Recruitments

A packet of information on the citywide customer service standards was distributed with the agenda packet.

 

Citywide Customer Service Standards

The Blik artwork was installed in the Teen Lounge.

 

Young Adult Artwork Installed

Twelve computers were added to the Computer Commons for a total of 61 computers. 

 

Computer Commons Expanded

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda:  a Report on 2006 Summer Reading and a tour of Youth Services.

 

Agenda Building

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to adjourn the meeting.  Boardmember Field seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:59pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Mullen

Edward Edwards

City Librarian

Library Board Chair