SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the SPECIAL Meeting of December 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, December 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 Boardmember Blackwell

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services; Greg Mullen, City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of November 1, 2007.  Boardmember Breisch seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

No public input.

 

Public Input

Chair Edwards gave a report on the November 12 Friends of the Library Board meeting. The Friends approved a $4500.00 request from Reference Services to create master negative reels for the Santa Monica Outlook newspaper microfilm positive reels currently lacking a negative.

 

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

The Santa Monica Outlook newspaper (1875 -1998) is the newspaper of record for the City of Santa Monica.  The Library has master negatives for the majority of the collection (1037 reels of microfilm) however 114 reels lack negatives which means the positive reel is the only existing reel.  The positive reels are the reels viewed by the public so they are vulnerable to damage or loss.

 

 

 

Chair of the Friends, Jon Arenberg, is working on coordinating a science series at the Main Library. The first lecture will be given in February. The Friends’ website is complete. Sixty people attended the Volunteer Appreciation Brunch held at the Main Library on December 2.

 

 

Susan Annett, Principal Librarian for Public Services, presented a report on a workshop she and Judith Graham, Librarian I, attended in November. The three day workshop, Transforming Life After 50 – Public Libraries and Boomers was held in Pasadena.

 

Report on “Transforming Life After 50 – Public Libraries and Boomers”

At the workshop attendees learned how libraries can and are serving Baby Boomers. The workshop was sponsored by the California State Library, the California Library Association and Libraries for the Future.

 

 

Board discussion followed.

 

 

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to approve the expanded language to the Library Rules of Conduct as presented to the Board. Chair Edwards seconded the motion. The motion carried in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Expanded Language for Library Rules of Conduct

The Main Library evacuation plan was updated in 2007 to include changes suggested by the Fire Department. The Main Library has a disaster plan and practices evacuation annually. The Board reviewed a bound copy of the disaster plan.

 

Review of the Santa Monica Public Library’s Emergency Plan

The Board discussed Julie Page’s presentation from the California Library Association Conference Before Disaster Strikes: Ten Things You Need to Know.

 

Before Disaster Strikes: Ten Things You Need to Know

In response to questions from the Board regarding maintenance of the green features at the Main Library staff distributed a list of maintenance activities. The list included:

  • monitoring the cistern system
  • landscape maintenance
  • HVAC system maintenance
  • inspection and cleaning of the Sarnifil roof system
  • monitoring and testing of the Mecho shade automated system
  • monitoring and cleaning the solar electric panels
  • cleaning of the dual glazed windows
  • maintenance of the CO2 system for sub-level parking
  • painting
  • maintenance of the lighting system
  • maintenance of waterless urinals, low flow dual flush toilets and low flow sinks

 

 

Review of Maintenance Related to the Green Features of the Main Library

The Board discussed a letter from City Manager, P. Lamont Ewell requesting input on budget priorities for fiscal year 2008/09. The Board did not have recommendations.

 

Discussion of City Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2008/09

The Board discussed several library journal articles and an article from the New York Times by Lee Smith titled Think Global, Read Local.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

The Board reviewed a design of the Main Library dedication plaque. Mr. Mullen explained that a similar design could be created for a Library Board plaque to hang inside the Library.

 

Secretary’s Report

Library Board Plaque

About 130 Library staff members attended the third annual Staff In-Service Day held on November 12. In the morning session Michael Porter spoke to staff about the future of libraries. Following the morning session a magician entertained staff.  The afternoon continued with a session from Mr. Porter on libraries and technology. The day concluded with a teambuilding drum circle.

 

Report on the November 12 Library Staff In-Service Training Day

Mr. Mullen distributed a survey of the day collected from staff.

 

 

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.

 

Report on the California Library System Consolidation

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 South State 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.

 

 

In November, Mr. Mullen met with directors from the three southern California systems and the systems from the bay area to discuss and hear presentations on consolidation. They discussed the advantages, challenges and the next steps for consolidation.

 

 

Board discussion followed.

 

 

Library staff visited several area libraries to learn about digitization of microfilm, assistive technology and view branch improvements.

 

Library Staff Visits to Nearby Libraries

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda: an update on the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum; an update on the 2008/09 fiscal year budget; an update on Citywide Reads; and a report on joint use at the Edison School.

 

Agenda Building

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

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Mullen

Edward Edwards

City Librarian

Library Board Chair