SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of February 7, 2008

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A REGULAR meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Chairperson, Edward Edwards, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the Administrative Conference Room, Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

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

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Carol Agate, Disabilities Commission; Ann Wagner, Librarian I, Youth Services; Julie MacDonald, Librarian II, Public Services; Greg Mullen, City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

No report.

 

Public Input

Vice Chair Stern made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of January 10, 2008.  Boardmember Oppenheim 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 Friends of the Library activities to the Board.

 

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

At the January 14 Friends of the Library Board meeting the Friends approved a request for funds from Public Services to purchase director’s chairs that would be used for programs. They also approved a request from Reference Services for $5000 to start an audiobook collection in Spanish. The request would fund 50 to 60 titles for the initial collection and a subscription of five or six added titles per quarter. Two subscriptions one for Fairview and one for the Main Library are planned.

 

 

Board discussion followed. The Board had questions about how Reference Services and the Fairview Branch plan to publicize the Spanish audiobook collection. Further discussion centered on if the Library catalog interface was available in Spanish and if one could search the catalog solely for Spanish language materials. Staff will follow up with information for the Board.

 

 

Mr. Mullen also reported that the Friends reviewed signage for the Bookstore at the Main Library and that the Friends are in the process of producing several promotional pieces for Friends’ members.

 

 

Ann Wagner, Librarian I, Youth Services, reported on the upcoming March 8 program Super Seuss-a-bration.

 

Read Across America Super Seuss-a-bration

Super Seuss-a-bration is a program collaboration between the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica and the Library. Each year the National Education Association has an event called Read Across America to celebrate Dr. Seuss and promote reading. The Library and the Kiwanis will hold their own Read Across America event - Super Seuss-a-bration on March 8.

 

 

The event that runs all day will include: a movie; crafts; face painting; photos with the Cat in the Hat; and the Super Seuss-a-bration Challenge. The challenge is to come up with a new character crazier than a Lorax, a Grinch, a Sneetch or a Zax. Children are encouraged to draw their character, name it and describe it in a sentence. The Cat in the Hat will distribute certificates to all children who enter the Challenge.  

 

 

The day will conclude with celebrities reading their favorite Dr. Seuss books and a performance from the comedian, Abbot the Average. Children will receive a free Dr. Seuss book and goodies to take home courtesy of the Kiwanis Club.

 

 

Julie MacDonald, Librarian II, Public Services, reported that there are a number of special events planned for 2008 Citywide Reads. Jean Michal Cousteau, Jacques Cousteau’s son, will host a hands on program for people of all ages at the Main Library. The Two Hot Tamales will give a cooking demonstration. Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium will hold a program on the ecology of the Santa Monica Bay. As the finale of Citywide Reads Jim Lynch, author of the Highest Tide, will speak at Santa Monica College. 

 

2008 Citywide Reads

Ms. MacDonald reported that several new initiatives to promote Citywide Reads are being employed. The first is a live interactive blog. The goal of the blog http://www.santamonicacitywidereads.blogspot.com/ is to open an on-line dialogue and give information about the book and programs.

 

 

BookCrossing.com described as a world library is another new promotional initiative. At BookCrossing, you can register any book you have on the site, and then set the book free to travel the world and find new readers. Also on the site you can track the book’s journey around the world as it is passed on from person to person.  

 

 

Mr. Mullen updated the Board on the progress of the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum. The Museum has raised $1.3 million and plans to move ahead with construction of the Museum space. The Museum design team is in the process of hiring an interior designer and has selected four finalists from the bidding contractors. The design team plans to hire a contractor by the end of March. Construction on the Museum space is scheduled to begin in April.

 

Update on the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum

Mr. Mullen distributed a City staff report to the Board. The staff report includes the five year financial forecast and public comment on the budget priorities for FY 2008-09.

 

2008/09 Budget Preparations

Per Board discussion at the January meeting Library staff did a cost analysis of opening the Main Library from 10 am – 5:30 pm on Sundays. The cost would be approximately $150,000 a year. Board discussion followed.

 

 

Mr. Mullen followed up on the January discussion of the changes to the public access internet policy. The current internet policy allows users 90 minutes per day of computer use and requires that a user use their own library or internet card and that the card is in good standing.

 

Public Access Internet Policy Changes

Staff has found that some patrons are using additional library cards to obtain more sessions on the computer. If a patron is found using a library card other than their own, that card will be barred and the pin number changed so that it may not be used again. A letter will be sent to the owner of the card requesting that they come into the Library to reactivate their card.

 

 

Another change is that internet cards will now expire after two months instead of the previous two years. Santa Monica residents and local users will be encouraged to sign up for library cards instead of internet cards.

 

 

The Library will also implement a charge for replacement library cards. Adult users will receive one free replacement card and additional replacement cards will be $2.00 each. Children will receive two free replacement cards subsequent cards will be $1.00 each.

 

 

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the changes to the Public Access Internet Policy as presented to the Board and implement a $2.00 replacement charge for adult library cards and a $1.00 replacement charge for children’s library cards. Boardmember Breisch seconded the motion and the motion passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

 

Mr. Mullen distributed changes to the procedures for revoking Library user privileges. At the January meeting the Board made suggestions for changes to wording in the procedure. Library staff reviewed the document and made necessary changes.

 

Revoking Library User Privileges

The procedure calls for revoking user privileges for 30 days for consistent violators of the Library Rules of Conduct and for repeat offenders privileges may be revoked for one year. User privileges include entering any of the Library facilities.

 

 

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to approve the Procedures for Revoking Library Privileges. Chair Edwards seconded the motion and the motion passed in a unanimous voice vote.

 

 

Mr. Mullen reported that there is potential for development of a joint use library facility with the Edison School. At the recent community priority budget meetings members of the Pico Neighborhood expressed a desire for a community library in their neighborhood.

 

Report on the Edison School Joint Use Project

Mr. Mullen met with staff and the design team of the Edison School project. The Edison campus will be a K-8 school and plans call for the library collection to be in both Spanish and English.

 

 

No report.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

The Board reviewed Library statistics for December 2007.

 

Secretary’s Report

Library Monthly Statistics

The Main Library parking garage has been re-striped in order to improve the flow of traffic in the garage and alleviate traffic congestion.

 

Report on the Main Library Parking Garage

Also rates for the parking garage on weekends and holidays have been changed to $3.00 per day.

 

 

Mr. Mullen reported that he will attend the National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. on May 13 and14 as a representative of the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System.

 

National Library Legislative Day

Self-service check out equipment has been installed at the Fairview Branch. A decasing station is planned for installation at the Main Library.

 

New Self-service Equipment

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in the next Library Board agenda: discussion of a Library Board plaque at the Main Library; a behind the scenes tour of Reference Services and an update on Reference projects; update on Citywide Reads; discussion of the parent reading area in Youth Services; discussion of the video update for the Board and Commission Dinner and an update on the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum construction.

 

Agenda Building

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to adjourn the meeting.  Chair Edwards 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