HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-01-21; Library Board of Trustees; MinutesApproved;
MINUTES
ITEM #3
MEETING OF: LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
PLACE OF MEETING: Georgina Cole Library Community Room
1250 Carlsbad Village Drive
CALL TO ORDER:
Chair Bill Kamenjarin called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Library Board Trustees Benson, Bradley, Kamenjarin, and Swette
Absent: Trustee Lignante
Also Present: Heather Pizzuto, Library Director
Dave Curtis, Deputy Library Director
Suzanne Smithson, Deputy Library Director
Carol Naegele, Principal Librarian
Cheryl Mast, Library Management Analyst
Jessica Padilla Bowen, Library Community Coordinator
Devin Castel, Library Business Systems Specialist
Marg Kealey, NSDCGS Liaison
Carolyn Taylor, League of Women Voters observer
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
On motion by Swette/Bradley the minutes of the regular meeting held December 17,
2008, were unanimously approved as submitted.
MONTHLY LIBRARY REPORTS:
Trustee Bradley asked about the location of Spanish language parenting magazines at
all the Library locations and Deputy Library Director Smithson responded that she was
certain there were several at the Learning Center.
Trustee Benson mentioned the difficulties with the door counters and asked whether
the plan was to try to fix the existing counters at all the facilities or to replace them using
a different method.
Library Board of Trustees Page 2
Minutes of January 21, 2009 Meeting
Library Director Pizzuto responded that both of those were possibilities and the Library
has put a placeholder in the budget planning for 2009-10 in an effort to explore
alternative technologies for door counting.
Trustee Kamenjarin asked if the door numbers for the Learning Center had doubled
those from the two programs last year or was the larger number due to problems with
the counter itself. Principal Librarian Carol Naegele responded that in the past the
Centre de Informacion did not count those individuals who came for programs or
classes prior to the regular open hours, therefore the numbers are not actually
comparable.
Both Trustees Benson and Bradley commented on the learners" goals achievements
reached this past year in the Literacy program.
There was a discussion of the variance in the statistics over the months and the impact
of holidays and reduced hours.
The Trustees also discussed the economy and recent news stories about libraries
having no funds for acquisitions.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WORKPLAN:
Library Director Pizzuto provided the Board with an overview of the history of the
Strategic Directions beginning with the workshop with Joan Fry Williams in November of
2006 during which the Library decided on Strategic Directions instead of a more
traditional five year strategic plan. The Strategic Directions would allow the Library to
routinely look at new opportunities, especially in technology, and to identify on a regular
basis those opportunities that fit within the strategic directions and plan initiatives to
work on year to year instead of following a list of to-do's that might stagnate over a five
year period.
She further explained that in May of 2007, staff attended a workshop to learn the
process of workplanning around strategic initiatives as it is a fairly detailed task of
taking an initiative and developing a workplan around how to achieve it; however,
shortly thereafter staff became completely engaged with the opening of the Learning
Center which was already identified as a primary initiative. It was not until the Learning
Center opened in August that staff was able to get back to the task of looking ahead.
Library Director Pizzuto then reviewed the initiatives the Library anticipates pursuing in
the next fiscal year, which is the precursor to developing the budget and planning the
use of staff time.
The Board discussed specifics of several of the proposed initiatives and "next steps" as
well as ways in which the Library Board can assist.
Library Board of Trustees Page 3
Minutes of January 21, 2009 Meeting
Library Director Pizzuto advised that the actual process of determining specific tasks
will begin in the next fiscal year so that some items will be very tangible and known as
we enter the fiscal year and there will be others that will unfold over the course of the
year. As more detail is developed she will bring that information back to the Board.
She concluded the discussion by stating the last step will be to communicate to the
public the Library's Strategic Directions and Priority Initiatives and we anticipate putting
some information on the website as well as employing other methods of publicizing the
information.
DOVE LANE PARKING LOT UPDATE:
Library Director Pizzuto referred the Board to the drawing included in their agenda
packet and announced that the first phase of the needed improvements to the Dove
Lane Facility parking lot is currently in the bid process. This portion of the project
involves the creation of a drive-through for the book drops at the northeast entrance to
the parking lot. The two existing drive-up book drops will be relocated from their current
positions to this location which is safer, more visible and more easily accessed.
CALTAC WORKSHOP:
Library Director Pizzuto offered the opportunity to the Trustees to attend the CALTAC
Southern Workshop at the Torrance Library on March 14th and asked that they let
Library Administration know by February 9th if they would like to attend in order to make
the early bird registration deadline.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT:
Budget information - Library Director Pizzuto announced the proposed spending
reductions for the current fiscal year will be presented to City Council at their January
27th meeting and the Library has not received any information or instructions on the
budget for 2009/10.
Volunteer Recognition - At the last meeting interest was expressed about learning
more about how the Library recognizes volunteers and additional information will be
provided at the March meeting. Library Director Pizzuto added that at that time she will
also have information about this year's recognition event traditionally held during April
to coincide with National Volunteer Week.
Credit/debit card acceptance at the self-checks - This as a follow up item to last
month's information about testing Authorize.net, the software that is needed to allow the
use of credit/debit cards at the self-checks. Library Director Pizzuto advised that staff is
involved in the testing process with the software that passes the financial information
Library Board of Trustees Page 4
Minutes of January 21, 2009 Meeting
through and it will take several weeks to test the actual transactions before we know if
the gateway will provide us with all the reports and financial information we need.
FOUNDATION REPORT:
Trustee Benson reported that he had attended his first meeting and advised that the
majority of the time was spent in discussing the budget and expenses for the
newsletter. Also discussed were the capital campaign and a possible fund raising event.
Trustee Swette mentioned that there is currently no way to make donations online and
no information on the Foundation's website about where to send one. Trustee Benson
will share this perspective with the Foundation.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT:
Library Director Pizzuto reported that the Friends met last week and heard a similar
presentation from the Library and Arts Foundation presenting the DVD and an overview
of the campaign in terms of taking the DVD out to service organizations. In a similar
manner, the Foundation asked the Friends group for their suggested contacts in service
organizations and individuals who might be willing to view the DVD and have a
conversation around endorsing the campaign.
There was also discussion of a donation that was made through a Carlsbad High
School program of discarded and unsold children's books to be sent to Uganda. She
added that the Friends periodically support such projects when they have an
abundance of materials that either have not sold or are selected for discard.
NSDC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY:
Society Liaison to the Board, Marg Kealey reported on the Society's upcoming trip to
Salt Lake City to do research at the Family History Center. She also reported on
upcoming events including the Spring Seminar on March 28th at the Carlsbad Senior
Center.
LIBRARY BOARD COMMENTS:
Trustee Swette asked for an update on Carlsbad Reads Together 2009 at the next
Board meeting.
Trustee Bradley mentioned that this Board continues to be an Honor Board with
CALTAC as the Library pays the annual membership fee.
Library Board of Trustees Page 5
Minutes of January 21, 2009 Meeting
PUBLIC COMMENT:
None present.
ADJOURNMENT:
By proper motion, (Swette/Benson) the meeting was adjourned at 5:12 p.m.
Cissie Sexton
Administrative Secretary
ITEM # 4
Monthly LIBRARY Reports
for
DECEMBER 2008
Systemwide ...
1. The Library hosted a poetry reading and celebration for the release of the 20th annual
Magee Park Poets Anthology. About 70 people attended and many anthologies were sold.
The Anthologies are printed with the support of the Friends of the Carlsbad Library and are
available for sale at the Friends Bookstore and at Circulation.
2. The Library hosted several holiday concerts. About 60 people attended a jazz holiday
concert featuring local performers the Susanna Kurner Trio at Cole Library. A packed
auditorium enjoyed Flamenco holiday music by the David Maldonado Group on December
14. 60 people at the Learning Center enjoyed a holiday guitar performance by David
Maldonado followed by a talk from poet and educator Francisco X. Alarcon.
3. An evacuation drill was held on December 9 at all three library facilities with the
coordination and support of the City's Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and the Fire
Marshall and his staff. This was the first active test of the Library's Disaster Plan which
was rewritten last year. Lessons were learned at all three sites.
4. Various staff at all Library and Arts sites shared unique information from their areas with
Board members at the Carlsbad Library and Arts Foundation's Annual Retreat on
December 2.
CCL, Dove Lane ...
5. In the Children's area, the Book Nook has been transformed into a "Family Focus Center"
with parenting books, magazines, board books and easy readers. Collections have been
re-arranged, making browsing much easier. We have received a great deal of positive
feedback from our patrons about the changes.
6. December's Children's programming included traditional "Trim-A-Tree" make and take craft
on December 2, followed by Santa's Visit on December 12 (which attracted 276
participants). Then on December 15, Raggle Taggle presented a musical program on
Winter Holidays around the World. The Hanukkah program on December 17 was attended
by enthusiastic children and adults, who sang along as they learned all about the holiday.
7. December's Pizza and a Movie featured a screening of the teen fantasy film Stardust.
Eighteen young adults attended.
Georgina Cole ...
8. The North San Diego County Genealogical Society met in December for its annual
business meeting and holiday luncheon. New officers were installed and the Society's new
president is Gordon Hoard.
9. Amy Davis organized and presented to four groups from the Learning Center's high school
a program about the Carlsbad History Room and Carlsbad history. These presentations
were initiated through an expressed interest by the students in Carlsbad History. The
students were transported to the Cole Library for the presentations.
Monthly Library Reports for December 2008
10. The Tuesday Evening Book Club read "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. Twenty-three people
attended the discussion led by Librarian Missy Shaw. Library Assistant Elyse Roy also
attended the meeting and will be taking over the group starting in January.
11. Children's and Teens programs were clustered in the early part of the month based on
school holiday schedules. Highlights included musician Craig Newton and his Musical
Holiday Revue, Santa's visit, and the holiday storycraft. Holiday stories were read to the
over 125 young children and young at heart while they waited to have their picture taken on
Santa's lap.
12. Cole Circulation Library Technician Dan Wood completed his master's degree in Library
and Information Science from San Jose State University's program in Fullerton, CA.
Learning Center...
13. Statistics for attendance and circulation were down for both Literacy Services and Bilingual
Services during the holiday season due to multiple factors. First, heavy rains deterred
patrons from coming as many of them walk, take the bus, or have concerns about driving in
inclement weather. Second, many of the tutors and learners take time off during the
holidays due to children being out of school, travel for the holidays, or changes in work
schedules.
14. The Learning Center's door counter (which measures visits to the Library) is getting
bumped during the day, which stops the counter from registering and skews the monthly
statistics. City Facilities staff are working on a more secure mount.
15. Three Learning Center staff members participated in the Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony in
downtown Carlsbad. During the event, Lizeth Simonson read a holiday story in English and
Spanish to different groups of children and adults. Each reading was followed by a craft
activity related to the story.
16. Bilingual holiday programs included making ornaments for home and the Learning Center
tree, a Christmas concert with David Maldonado followed by a program with poet and
educator Francisco Alarcon, and a visit by Santa Glaus to the Learning Center where
children could have their picture taken and receive a free gift book donated by the Friends
of the Library.
17. The Learner book club discussed Skipping Christmas. This was the final book club
facilitated by AmeriCorps member lla Schmidt. Next month's book is Holes and Literacy
Assistant Deanna Bougher will be the new facilitator.
18. Continuing literacy learner programs included Writing on the Computer 1, the conversation
group, and Writing and Communication class. A new curriculum, Reading and
Understanding Maps, was introduced.
19. Several in-service opportunities were provided to the volunteer literacy tutors through
brown bag sessions presented by Community Outreach Supervisor Carrie Scott and
Carlsbad High School teacher Judy Gaitan.
20. The two new AmeriCorps members, Deborah Fernau and Leslie Rodwick, completed their
starting paperwork and are ready to begin their service on January 2. The outgoing
AmeriCorps volunteers for the past two years, Geoff Armour and lla Schmidt, were honored
Monthly Library Reports for December 2008
with other Southern California AmeriCorps members at the "Life After AmeriCorps"
celebration held at the Heritage Park Library in Irvine. Both will be continuing as tutors in
the Literacy program.
21. December was an exciting month, with literacy learners achieving 26 of their literacy goals.
Two learners in particular stand out:
• One learner wanted to read Christmas stories to his grandchildren. He and his tutor
worked especially hard on this goal, as the learner is at a very beginning level. The
pair even came in on a Friday, which is not their regular day. Upon closing, the pair
was seen standing under a light at the front of the building, continuing to read! The
learner was able to read two books to his grandchildren on Christmas Day.
• Five years ago, one of our learners was so afraid that she drove around the block
many times before she came in for her initial orientation. Now she has completed all
of her goals, including reading books, searching the Internet, regularly using the
library, and writing letters. As she has completed all of her literacy goals, she has
volunteered to be.a greeter volunteer for our building. In addition, she volunteers at
the Senior Center. We are very proud of our learners' accomplishment.
CARLSBAD CITY LIBRARY
MONTHLY USAGE STATISTICS - DECEMBER 2008
CCL Dove Lane
Reference questions
Circulation
People count
In-House Use of Materials
Cole Library
Reference questions
Circulation
People count
In-House Use of Materials
Learning Center (began Aug 2008; formerly Centro/ALP)
Reference questions
Circulation
People count
In-House Use of Materials
Library-Sponsored Programs
Adult programs
Adult program attendance
Young Adult programs
Young Adult program attendance
Children's programs
Children's program attendance
Computer Users
All Facilities
E-Mail Notification
New Users
Outbound Notices (Hold, Overdue 1 & 2)
New Users Cumulative Total (Began August 2005)
Telephone Notification
New Users
New Users Cumulative Total (Began December 2005)
Facility Meeting Room Use
Events booked
Event attendance
Events cancelled
Volunteer Hours
Total hours
Dec-07
11,560
63,941
28,169
8,638
5,674
27,055
17,633
6,939
179/50
687/102
1.798/*
115/*
10
210
7
94
84
1,934
11,143
583
6,704
23,827
178
6,980
63
2,471
21
1,192.75
Nov-08
12,965
71,641
30,148
7,928
7,441
30,329
16,113
5,835
305
1,292
3,420
280
31
326
10
111
88
2,153
12,429
690
7,064
33,113
221
9,839
60
2,062
20
1,078.15
Dec-08
12,197
70,336
32,111
8,977
6,718
28,645
15,221
4,717
659
1,310
3,967
528
19
513
10
93
89
,_ 2,646
13,134
651
9,662
33,764
201
10,040
62
3,008
18
1,010.25
* Not reported.
*** Door counter not working properly for one week.
ITEM # 5
CARLSBAD
CITY LIBRARY
Strategic Directions
Position the Library as an active leader in the areas of learning, cultural arts, and
enjoyment of reading.
Position the Library as an active partner with other agencies in the areas of economic
development and public safety.
Position the Library as an active provider of information and model of best practices in
the areas of transportation, healthcare, and the environment.
Offer convenient and responsive library service.
Offer personalized and flexible library service.
Promote and celebrate books and reading.
Develop and diversify library collections to sustain/satisfy a broadening range of
residents' needs and interests.
Continually update and refresh Library programs and services to engage all segments of
the community.
Build community by connecting Carlsbad residents with the City, with the Library, and
with one another.
Update staff tools and technologies.
Perform as an information access point and information outlet for the City.
Improve Library facilities.
Update technology infrastructure.
Develop and retain effective Library staff.
Maintain the Library's reputation for excellence and top ranking compared to other
libraries serving similar communities.
Diversify fiscal support sources.
Realign budget with priorities identified each year
Jan 009
1/20/2009
Strategic Directions
WorkPlan In Development
2009-10
CARLSBAD
CITY LIBRARY
Position the Library as an active leader in the areas
of learning, cultural arts & enjoyment of reading
Assess how programs are supported: staffing,
contracts, etc.
Position the Library as an active partner with other
agencies in the areas of economic development &
public safety
Collaborate with organizations supporting smal!
businesses & skill-building for youth & adults
Offer convenient & responsive library service
Laptop computers for in-iibrary usage
CARLSBAD^
CITY LIBRARY
1/20/2009
Offer personalized & flexible library service
Evaluate new functionality enabled by Sirs! upgrade
Determine what "high touch" means in library
services
Promote and celebrate books & reading
Add staff at Learning Center to deliver on early
childhood & family literacy
Develop & diversify library collections
Offer downloadable materials
CARLSBAD^
CITY LIBRARY
Continually update & refresh Library programs &
services to engage all segments of the community
Emphasize services appealing to teens and younger
adults
Build community by connecting Carlsbad residents
with the City, the Library & each other
Market under-recognized services & resources
Increase website functionality
Update technology infrastructure
Offer wireless printing
CARLSBAD */
CITY LIBRARY
1/20/2009
Develop and retain effective Library staff
Connect employees with development opportunities
for targeted growth
Diversify fiscal support sources
Pursue revenue sources with highest potential
Realign budget priorities identified each year
institutionalize annual review of strategic directions
CARLSBAD /
CITY LIBRARY