SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the SPECIAL Meeting of September 6, 2007

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A SPECIAL meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Chairperson, Edward Edwards, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 6, 2007 at the Administrative Conference Room, Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Jean McNeil Wyner, Chair, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum Board; Iao Katagiri, Vice Chair, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum Board; Ho Nguyen, Director of Development & Exhibits Designer, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum; Kristina Andresen, Andresen Associates Architects; Ellen Braby, Head of Youth Services; Greg Mullen, City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

The Board discussed a written communication from Pascal Ladreyt, President of European Languages and Movies in America (ELMA). Mr. Ladreyt is looking for a space from which to operate his organization. The Library cannot offer space to the organization. However, staff talked with Mr. Ladreyt about ways in which ELMA and the Library could collaborate through programming or development of a DVD collection.

 

Communications from the Public

Boardmember Breisch made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of August 2, 2007. Boardmember Oppenheim seconded the motion. The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Greg Mullen, City Librarian, reported on the Friends of the Library Board meeting of August 13.  

 

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

Robert Graves, Librarian I in Public Services, attended the Friends’ Board meeting in August to report on the September 23 WWII program at the Main Library that will coincide with the PBS showing of the Ken Burns documentary The War.

 

 

Donnae Tidwell, Librarian II in Youth Services, requested funds for a Fall Festival Celebration to reflect the different cultural expressions of the season. The Friends approved $800.00.

 

 

The Friends also approved funds for a luncheon to celebrate the $100,000 raised by the Bookstore and to recognize Bookstore volunteers. The special book sale in July made $2300 in three hours.

 

 

An election of officers was held and one new Boardmember was elected to the Friends’ Board.

 

 

Adele Clark, Membership Chair, is preparing a letter to send to 200 Friends’ members who have allowed their membership to lapse.

 

 

Ellen Braby, Head of Youth Services, made a report to the Library Board on the 2007 Summer Reading Program. This year’s summer reading theme was Get a Clue. The teen summer reading theme was You’ll Never Know.

 

Report on Summer Reading 2007 – Ellen Braby

Ms. Braby reported that 15% more children completed the program than last year. The number of teen programs increased 25% and attendance at the teen programs increased 150%. The number of teens registered increased as many teens “graduated” from the children’s summer reading program.

 

 

As a pilot program this year Youth Services librarians visited the intensive intervention summer school program and took summer reading sign-ups. 35 students of varying ages signed up. Their teacher monitored their reading and brought them to the library to receive prizes. Almost one third of the children received at least one prize for reading.

 

 

Another first this year was a change in the teen program. The grand prize was changed from Border’s gift certificates to a raffle for a Nintendo Wii. Teens received a free paperback book, two raffle tickets and a gift certificate from a local store when they completed their 30 hour reading log. Teens could earn additional raffle tickets by writing book reviews and attending teen programs. The raffle was held at the Teen Summer Reading party.

 

 

Jean McNeil Wyner Chair, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum Board; Iao Katagiri, Vice Chair, Santa Monica Historical Society Museum Board; Ho Nguyen, Director of Development & Exhibits Designer, Santa Monica Historical Society; and Kristina Andresen, Architect, Andresen Associates Architects presented plans for the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum.

 

Presentation of Plans for the Historical Society Museum

Jean McNeil Wyner, Chair of the Museum Board, presented a history of the Museum and an overview of the new Museum on the Library campus. The Museum space will include a permanent exhibit gallery, a changing exhibit gallery, research library, program space preservation, workstation area, online access to digital image archives, archival storage, and administrative offices.

 

 

The cost to build out the 5,000 square foot interior of the Museum is estimated at $2 million. Westoffice Exhibit Designs, a museum exhibit design firm and an architectural firm Andresen Associates Architects have been hired.

 

 

Ho Nguyen, Director of Development & Exhibits Designer and Kristina Andresen, Architect gave a 360 degree virtual tour of the Museum space and gallery exhibits.

 

 

There are four permanent gallery exhibits that will have interactive components including audio visual.

  • The In the Headlines gallery will highlight the Outlook newspaper.
  • The In the Arts gallery will highlight early Santa Monica Bay photographers, City of Santa Monica public art and the film commission.
  • The At Play gallery will highlight the boardwalk and Santa Monica coastline.
  • The At Work gallery will highlight local businesses, buildings, organizations, clubs and the Douglas Aircraft plant. 

 

 

Iao Katagiri, Vice Chair of the Museum Board, presented the Museum’s capitol campaign. Of the estimated $2 million cost almost $900,000 has been raised. More donors are being contacted at various giving levels.  If not all the funds have been raised by the time construction is scheduled to begin a revolving line of credit in the amount of $400,000 has been pledged.

 

 

The next milestones include: delivery of the operating plan, budget, detailed schedule, and detailed construction stats for the build out; completion of the requirements to secure the building permit; issuance of bid packages at the end of October; selection of a contractor in mid January 2008; and start of construction at the end of February 2008. Opening day for the Museum is slated for the end of August or beginning of September 2008.

 

 

Board discussion and questions followed.

 

 

The Board discussed the 2007 Annual Customer Survey results and comments from the public.

 

2007 Annual Customer Survey Results and Comments

Staff will investigate the lapse in delivery of the Library Board journals.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

Mr. Mullen discussed the Library holds’ system. The Main Library is running out of room on the holds’ shelves for items. The number of holds has increased from 70,000 to 130,000 in the past year. There are some 11,600 items on hold on the shelves.

 

Secretary’s Report

Discussion of Library Holds System Issues

Library staff is investigating ways to improve the holds’ system including streamlining the notification process. Some options are: to not allow holds on an item that is available on the shelf; to charge a fine if the hold item is not picked up; to limit the amount of holds a patron can place; or to shorten the amount of time an item is on the holds shelf. Items are currently placed on hold for two weeks. Approximately 100 items a day expire and are removed from the shelf.

 

 

The biggest problem is with DVDs. Patrons are only allowed to check out three DVDs at a time. Some treat the holds’ shelf as their personal rental shelf by placing numerous holds and selecting three items at a time to check out.

 

 

Board discussion and questions followed.

 

 

Staff reported that the Library Board plaque is being designed.

 

Library Board Plaque Update

The California Library Association Annual Conference will take place in Long Beach from October 26-29. A number of Library staff plan to attend and the Boardmembers are encouraged to attend.

 

California Library Association Annual Conference

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda: Library technology update and swearing in of new Library Boardmembers.

 

Agenda Building

Boardmember Breisch moved to adjourn the meeting.  Vice Chair Stern seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:57pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Mullen

Edward Edwards

City Librarian

Library Board Chair