SANTA MONICA PUBLIC
LIBRARY BOARD
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Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of November 1, 2007 |
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To Be Approved |
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A REGULAR meeting of the |
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Call to Order |
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PRESENT: |
Boardmember
Blackwell, Boardmember Breisch, Chairperson Edwards, Boardmember
Oppenheim and Vice Chair Stern |
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Roll Call |
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ALSO PRESENT: |
Carol Agate, Disabilities Commission; Diane Bednarski,
Principal Librarian for Information Management; |
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Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the minutes
of the |
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Approval of the
Library Board Minutes |
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Diane Bednarski, Principal Librarian for Information
Management, gave a report to the Board on Library technology and the
Information Management Division. |
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Technology Report |
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She reported that the vacant Librarian I cataloging
position has been filled and recruitment for the vacant Librarian III
position in Information Management has begun. |
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She updated the Board on new services in automation. On
October 10 staff preformed an upgrade to the Library catalog, Unicorn
Integrated Library System, bringing the catalog up to the current release.
The enhancements offered by the upgrade were primarily behind the scenes and will
set the stage for future enhancements. Future enhancements will be more
visible to the public and staff. |
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Future implementations will allow for more flexibility in
managing holds with ‘demand management’. Demand management will allow patrons
to place holds on non-print materials that are on order. Staff will also be
able to limit by type of material the number of items a patron can have on hold.
Future enhancements to the Unicorn system will take place in March and April
2008. |
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The 2008 release will include features such as: books by mail,
on-line patron self-registration and family cards that allow family members
to borrow on others behalf. |
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Also in October the Library deployed the City’s web splash
page that requires all wireless Internet users to read and accept a
disclaimer/policy statement prior to getting wireless access for the day. |
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The Library was invited to participate in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)
Content Cooperative Library. OCLC is the main company that provides database
records describing books and materials for libraries. Beginning in November
OCLC will grant the Library a one-year free subscription to its CONTENTdm
digital content management solution. This system allows for the management of
digitized objects such as photographs and newspapers. The Library will test
the system and assess the feasibility of acquiring CONTENTdm as a permanent
solution for the Image Archives and the Pacific Palisades Collection. |
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The Main Library will be deploying a patron-enabled
Kwik-case unlocking station to allow patron to check out DVDs and music CDs
at the self-checkout station without requiring staff assistance to remove the
security cases. |
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Self-checkout stations will be installed at the Fairview
and Montana branches. The RFID tagging at Ocean Park is scheduled to begin in
January 2008. |
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In February 2008 the Library is scheduled to have its
staff and patron workstations upgraded through the City’s Computer Equipment
Replacement Program. |
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Information Management is also making some improvements to
ongoing processes in the Library. Options for outsourcing the cataloging and
processing of DVDs are being assessed to decrease the turnaround time from
receipt to shelf-ready status. |
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Board discussion followed. |
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Boardmember Oppenheim nominated the current cabinet of
Edward Edwards, Chair and Dan Stern, Vice Chair. Boardmember Breisch seconded
the motion. The motion carried in a unanimous voice vote. Boardmember Edwards
will continue to serve as Chair and Dan Stern as Vice Chair. |
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Election of Chair and
Vice Chair of the Library Board |
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Chair Edwards made a report on the Friends of the Library October
8 Board of Director’s meeting. |
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Report from the
Friends of the Library, a Library Support Group |
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There was a slight increase in the Friends’ memberships. A
letter to welcome new members is being sent out to those who join. Recently,
the Friends received several donations totaling $2,200 for collection
development. The Friends are holding a volunteer brunch to honor all library
volunteers on Dec 2. There will be a catered brunch with entertainment and
prizes. The Bookstore continues to receive about 1200 donations a day. |
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Jim
Lynch’s The Highest Tide was
selected as the Santa Monica Citywide Reads 2008 title. It is the story of
13-year old Miles O’Malley and one transformative summer he spends navigating
the mysteries of Puget Sound surroundings and his relationships with family
and friends. |
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Update on Citywide
Reads |
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Boardmember
Oppenheim who was on the Citywide Reads selection committee reported on how
the title was selected. The community nominated 99 titles for Citywide Reads
2008 and members of the selection committee voted for their top three picks. The
books receiving three votes were short listed. Then the committee selected
the top three titles from the short list and of those The Highest Tide fit the best with the Santa Monica community. |
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The Board discussed the expanded language for Library Rules of Conduct. Library staff will make amendments to the language based on the Library Board’s comments and the item will appear on the December Board agenda. |
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Expanded language for
Library Rules of Conduct |
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The Board reviewed the California Public Library
Organization Report on California Public Libraries which talks about the
different types of public libraries their structures and different funding
sources. |
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California Public
Library Organization Report on California Public Libraries |
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Mr. Mullen, City Librarian, gave a report on the
California Library Association (CLA) Conference. Eighteen Library staff members
and two Library boardmembers attended the October conference held in Long
Beach. Three staff members made presentations at CLA on the topics of career
and volunteers. Staff distributed packets to the Board of reports from Library
staff who attended CLA. |
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Report on the
California Library Association Conference |
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The Board discussed several recent articles from American
Library Journal and Library Journal. They reviewed the article Future
Reading by Anthony Grafton from the November 5, 2007 issue of The New Yorker. |
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Nationwide Current
Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles |
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Staff distributed an article from the calendar section of
the November 1, 2007 Los Angeles Times
on the Santa Monica Public Library’s chess week held at Main and the Branch
libraries. |
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The City Manager is holding neighborhood meetings to
update the community on how the city has responded to the community’s
concerns and to discuss Santa Monica’s needs and priorities as the 2008-09
budget planning cycle begins. |
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Secretary’s Report Community Meetings on
Budget Priorities |
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In California public libraries belong to library cooperatives
authorized by the California Library Services Act (CLSA) to encourage
cooperation among public libraries. Currently there are 15 systems in the
state of California. |
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Metropolitan
Cooperative Library System (MCLS) |
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Santa Monica belongs to the Metropolitan Cooperative
Library System (MCLS) which has 33 member libraries in southern California. Los
Angeles County, Pasadena, Inglewood and Palmdale libraries are members of the
Southstate Cooperative Library System. The Santiago Library System is a third
system in Orange County. MCLS has begun a discussion of merging these three
geographically intermingled systems into one system. |
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All Santa Monica Libraries will be closed November 12 for
a staff in-service training day at the Main Library. The day will include:
Michael Porter who will speak on the future of libraries, social networking
and gadgets; a catered lunch; entertainment; customer service presentations;
and a team building exercise. |
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November 12 Staff In-Service
Training Day |
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The Library Board asked that the following items be
included in next Library Board agenda: a report on the Friends of the Library
volunteer brunch; a report on the staff in-service training day; a review of
the Library’s emergency plan; a review of maintenance related to the green
features of the Main Library; and an update on the Library Board plaque
design. |
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Boardmember Breisch moved to adjourn the meeting. Boardmember Stern seconded the motion. The
motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm. |
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Adjournment |
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Attest: |
Approved: |
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Edward
Edwards |
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City
Librarian |
Library
Board Chair |
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