HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-11-03; Library Board of Trustees; MinutesApproved:
MINUTES
ITEM #3
MEETING OF: LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
PLACE OF MEETING: Library Learning Center, 3368 Eureka Place, Carlsbad, CA
CALL TO ORDER:
Vice-chair Bob Benson called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Library Board Trustees Benson, Hulsart, and Swette
Absent: Trustees Bradley and Lignante*
Staff Present: Heather Pizzuto, Library Director
Dave Curtis, Deputy Library Director
Callie Ahrens, Principal Librarian
Jessica Padilla Bowen, Community Relations Manager
Steve Didier, Library Management Analyst
Devin Castel, Library Sr. Business Systems Specialist
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
By proper motion (Hulsart/Benson) and vote (2/0/1-Swette abstain) the minutes of the meeting
of the Library Board of Trustees were approved as submitted.
MONTHLY LIBRARY REPORTS:
Trustee Swette asked for information on the Transforming Life After 50 fellowship and Library &
Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto explained that the fellowship was awarded to Sr. Librarian
Birdwell who will participate in a number of training programs during the year and then the
Library will utilize what she has learned to evaluate Library programming.
Trustee Benson asked about participation in the computer classes at the Learning Center and
Principal Librarian Ahrens responded that the classes are consistently at capacity for each
session.
Trustee Hulsart questioned the door count statistics indicating lower numbers at all locations
and Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto responded that the Library is not aware of any
particular reason for the decline and will be watching these numbers over the next few months
to see if a trend develops.
Library Board of Trustees Page 2
Minutes of November 3, 2010 Meeting
*Trustees Bradley and Lignante arrived at the meeting and Trustee Benson turned the meeting
over to the chair.
Trustee Bradley asked for additional information on the Homework Zone and Principal Librarian
Ahrens provided a brief overview of the program, available at all three locations, and heavily
utilized during the school year.
Trustee Bradley also asked for clarification on the difference between page views and unique
users for the Web, as reported in the statistics.
Sr. Business Systems Specialist Castel responded that the unique users represents an individual
visiting the website and counts as one, but that same user may visit several pages within the
website and each page is reflected in the page views statistic.
QUARTERLY TECHNOLOGY REPORT:
Sr. Business Systems Specialist Castel explained that this report covers the July to September
quarter and now includes statistics for the current and previous quarter as well as the same
quarter for the previous year. In his analysis of the data he pointed out that there appears to
be a decline in the use of the public computers when compared to the previous year and
explained that in August a key piece of equipment failed greatly reducing Internet speed and
significantly impacting both the patrons who use the computers at the Library and all City staff,
and we are still feeling that slow-down. He explained that the drop in utilization of the Library
computers may be directly related to the difficulties with Internet access and reduction in
speed.
The Board asked when the Internet speed would improve and if the variety of personal
handheld wireless devices now available for Internet access might also be a reason for the
decrease in the computer use. Sr. Business System Specialist Castel responded that Internet
speed is gradually increasing, and as for the impact of the other devices, it was too early to
determine if there is a trend developing.
This quarterly report also contained information on the use of the self-check machines
including the types of transactions. The Library's goal is to have 75% of circulation take place at
self-check machines and the Board was interested in what marketing was being done to
encourage the transition.
Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto and Principal Librarian Ahrens both responded and
explained the various methods being used to promote the self-check option.
Library Board of Trustees Page 3
Minutes of November 3, 2010 Meeting
LIBRARY STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS REVIEW:
Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto presented the annual timeline for review of the Library's
Strategic Directions in preparation for setting initiatives for the next year. The Library staff is
scheduled to meet later in the week to begin the brainstorming session and would like input
from the Library Board.
The Board identified several areas of focus:
• With school libraries less accessible, partner with schools to ensure access to library
services
• Engage all segments of the community by identifying what they are, analyzing market
segments, and re-balance programs/services to ensure needs of these segments are met
• Bring community together, connect in ways similar to Summer Reading Program and
Carlsbad Reads Together
• Serve literacy needs of youth, early childhood literacy, through middle school
MEETING ROOM POLICY CHANGES:
Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto reminded the Board that the Library received a letter
from The Alliance Defense Fund challenging the constitutionality of our meeting room use
policy as it appeared the policy and fee structure discriminated against religious organizations.
It is not the Library's practice to discriminate against religious organizations and the Library
engaged the services of Mary Minow, a library attorney, who reviewed the policy and made
several suggestions in ways to clarify the language to better represent the practice. At the
same time, she was also asked to review the Library's policy on display and distribution of
literature, as both represent public forums.
Attorney Minow's suggestions were then reviewed with the City Attorney's office and a draft
revised policy has now been prepared which will be shared with The Alliance Defense Fund as a
courtesy, for any feedback.
The Board reviewed the changes in detail and Trustee Benson asked about the age limit for
renting the facility (21), and Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto agreed to check with the
City Attorney about a possible change. With that in mind, by proper motion (Benson/Hulsart)
and vote (5-0) the Board unanimously approved the draft version for the City Attorney to
respond to the Alliance Defense Fund challenge.
LITERATURE DISTRIBUTION & DISPLAY POLICY:
Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto referenced the previous agenda item and advised that
this policy is still undergoing some changes and will be brought to the Board for approval at a
later date.
Library Board of Trustees Page 4
Minutes of November 3, 2010 Meeting
DIRECTOR'S REPORT:
Library & Cultural Arts Director Pizzuto updated the Board on the following issues:
Library Board photos: The Trustees will have updated photographs taken at the January
meeting.
Library staffing: Steve Didier, who has been serving as the interim Management Analyst, has
been hired to fill that position on a permanent basis. Librarian Erin Zocco, previously an hourly
employee, has been selected to fill the Reference Librarian position at Cole, vacated by the
promotion of Jacqui Petri to Sr. Librarian in charge of Collection Development and Acquisitions.
Dove Lane Reference Librarian Dione Sobin has requested to reduce her hours from full-time to
hourly. Currently there are two recruitments for hourly staff, one at the Learning Center and
one for the mail room at Dove Lane.
Community event - Halloween on Elm: The Library participated in the hugely successful event
with the Children's Division staff offering a Halloween storytime.
Mini-Golf: The mini-golf fundraiser in the Library is scheduled for November 14th.
FOUNDATION REPORT:
Trustee Hulsart reported that the mini-golf fundraiser was a principal topic of the Foundation's
last meeting. There are also several changes in the Board membership, some of whom
participated in a webinaron strategic board development.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT:
Trustee Hulsart also reported for the Friends, announcing that they made slightly over $2,000
at the last book sale and have scheduled the annual Holiday Boutique at the Dove Lane facility
for the week of December 6th.
NSDC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY:
Board Liaison Marg Keeley reported that membership is increasing at a steady rate. She
reported on the fall seminar, reviewed upcoming events and reminded the Board that they are
invited to attend the annual Holiday Party at the San Marcos Country Club on December 7th.
LIBRARY BOARD COMMENTS:
Trustee Hulsart proposed that the Trustees make individual donations to the Library for the
purchase of a number of items for the collection in recognition of retiring Mayor Lewis' service
to the City. The Board agreed and will send their donations to the Library with the request that
Library Board of Trustees Page 5
Minutes of November 3, 2010 Meeting _____
all the items purchased contain a bookplate "Donated by the 2010 Library Board of Trustees in
Honor of Mayor Bud Lewis."
PUBLIC COMMENT:
None.
ADJOURNMENT:
By proper motion (Lignante/Benson) and vote the meeting was adjourned at 5:36 p.m.
Cissie Sexton
Administrative Secretary
ITEM #4
Monthly LIBRARY Reports
for
SEPTEMBER 2010
Systemwide...
1. Banned Books Week was celebrated in September with displays and publicity highlighting the
freedom to read. The week is sponsored by the American Library Association.
2. The Homework Zone is back in session at all three Library locations with volunteers providing
after-school homework assistance Monday-Thursday afternoons.
3. Staff from both Cole and the Learning Center attended the first meeting of the Carlsbad Youth
Enrichment Services (Y.E.S.) for the 2010-2011school year at the Harding Community Center.
Carlsbad Chief of Police, Garry Morrison, talked to the group about his background and his
desire to work with community organizations that help the youth in Carlsbad. At the end of the
meeting all the community organizations gave a short presentation about the organization they
represented. Community Outreach Supervisor Lizeth Simonson discussed the services at the
Learning Center and youth programs available at all Carlsbad libraries. Homework Zone flyers
and Children's calendars were distributed to the audience.
4. Four staff members attended a Serra-sponsored Infopeople workshop on September 23,
"Stress Management for Library Staff." The workshop was designed to help library staff develop
personal skills and resources to manage stress at the library. Librarians from various San Diego
area libraries attended the workshop.
CCL, Dove Lane...
5. Nearly 150 people attended An Evening with Poet Laureate Kay Ryan on September 16. Ms.
Ryan read some of her poems, signed books, and spoke with poets and poetry lovers of
different ages - seniors, high school students from a local AP English class, and children, among
others.
6. The Cinema Society of Carlsbad featured an award-winning film called As It Is In Heaven on
September 4. Nearly 100 people attended and enjoyed discussing the film after the screening.
7. On September 15, author Candice Reed discussed her book Thank You For Firing Me! How to
Catch the Next Wave of Success After You Lose Your Job to a group of about 20 people. Candice
shares her tips for job hunting and signed books for the attendees.
8. Technical Services Librarian Laura Coleman and Collection Development Librarian Jacqui Petri
attended a full-day session called Ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point, on September 29.
9. Three new volunteers were trained to sort donations to the Library on September 13. These
volunteers worked a total of 33.25 hours in September.
10. Children's staff members conducted eight tours for school groups from La Costa Meadows and
Hope Elementary schools on September 20, 27 and 28.
Monthly Library Reports for September 2010
11. Senior Children's Librarian Barbara Chung attended the regular monthly meeting of the
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Education Committee on September 29.
12. Volunteers in the Children's Division donated 26.5 hours for the Homework Zone and Saturday
Stories during the month of September.
13. Regular pre-school programs started right after Labor Day and attendance has been steadily
growing as people once again make Children's programs part of their weekly routine. In
addition, there were programs for school-age children: Science Saturday, PowerPoint for Kids
and an Autumn Make & Take Craft. Total attendance at all 26 preschool programs was 1436.
Total attendance at our 10 school-age programs was 264.
14. In celebration of National Library Card Sign Up Month, young patrons were asked to bring in
their library cards and show them at the desk. In return, they received a bookmark (with
Arthur explaining the Dewey Decimal System) and a pencil. 121 proud library card holders
come in to show their cards.
15. Senior Reference Librarian Glynn Birdwell attended a 3-day, Transforming Life After 50
fellowship institute in Portland, Oregon.
16. 29.5 hours were contributed by volunteers in the Reference division: 22.5 hours proctoring
exams and 12 hours as computer tutors.
17. Librarians led instruction in 5 different computer classes helping 25 users improve skills.
18. Librarian Heidi Wyner's First Wednesday Book Club met to discuss Armenian Golgotha by
Grigoris Balakian, with 8 members attending.
19. Librarian Dione Sobin's First Thursday Book Club read and discussed Shop Class as Soulcraft by
Matthew Crawford, with 7 members attending.
20. The Monday Night Classics book club met at the Dove Library on September 27 for a discussion
of the classic gothic novel, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. 15 people attended the discussion
led by Senior Librarian Leila Dooley.
21. Teen Services Librarian Darin Williamson hosted three Monday Games & Refreshments
programs with a total of 24 teens enjoying popcorn and games.
22. Pizza & A Movie Night featured The Lightning Thief. 35 teens enjoyed this film tie-in to the
popular Percy Jackson series.
Georgina Cole...
23. The Tuesday Evening Book Club met on September 7 for a discussion of Then We Came to the
End by Joshua Ferris. The Thursday Afternoon Book Club met on September 9 with a discussion
of Freakonomics by Steven Levitt.
Monthly Library Reports for September 2010
24. The Genealogy Division and the North San Diego County Genealogical Society (NSDCGS)
provided 9 programs in September. The two "Focus On" workshops provided hands-on
instruction with State Censuses. The Computer Genealogy Group met on September 14 with
Tom Underbill speaking about "Working with Digital Images." There was a "standing-room
only" crowd of 97 people. Also presenting to a "standing-room" only crowd (101 this time) was
Fred Spong speaking about "Research in England, part one" on September 28. The second part
of the presentation will be in January. Volunteers Margaret Read, Marti Meiners, and
Marianne Meth led the first three of five sessions of the Evening Beginning Genealogy course
on September 15, 22, and 29.
25. On Saturday, September 25, Carlsbad City Library and NSDCGS presented the annual Fall
Seminar at the Senior Center with 72 people in attendance. The Fall Seminar features speakers
who are members of NSDCGS. This year, members Wayne Anderson, Margaret Read, and
Marge Kealey presented case studies on "The Immigrant Experience." All three speakers were
great story tellers and the seminar was a great success.
26. The Carlsbad History Room received a donation of Oceanside-Carlsbad High School yearbooks
for 1933 and 1934 along with a 1934 high school commencement program.
27. 52 hours were volunteered in the Carlsbad History Room in September.
28. Cole Children's volunteers worked 64.75 hours.
29. Children's regular programming resumed after Labor Day. A total of 53 programs were offered
during September with total attendance of 1,778. Total attendance was 55% higher than
September 2009 when 54 programs were offered. The increase in attendance was mostly due
to the storytime programs where there was a 66% increase over last September.
30. One of the special after-school programs on September 21 was a visit from Disneyland's Farley
the Fiddler performing as Johnny Appleseed to an audience of 50 in the Cole Community Room.
31. The weekly TeenScape afternoon program was off to a great start with 14 in attendance for the
first session. An informal survey was offered to the teens as a means for them to provide input
as to what programs and materials they'd like to see at the Library. The last informal teen
survey was held two years ago.
32. On September 26, the Library hosted the Poetic Matrix Poets at Cole Library. Approximately 45
people attended the poetry reading.
Learning Center...
33. In celebration of the National Hispanic Heritage Month two special programs were offered at
the Learning Center. A journey to Mexico through dance, stories and folklore was presented by
Alina Mendez on September 16 and on September 30. Adults and children alike learned to
make Latino paper decorations for festivities.
Monthly Library Reports for September 2010
34. Regularly scheduled youth programs including Toddler Time, Bilingual story-craft, "Puros
Cuentos y Pan Dulce," and the All Star Readers began their "Fall Season" in September at the
Learning Center.
35. On September 9 and 10, three computer classes in Spanish started at the Learning Center.
Writing on the Computer 1: Keyboarding, Writing on the Computer 2: Word Processing and
Writing on the Computer 3: Internet and E-mail. Two classes meet on Thursday mornings and
one meets on Friday morning.
36. Cole Reference Staff taught five computer classes in English at the Learning Center: three
sessions of Basic Internet, one session of E-mail Basics, and one session of Internet Tips and
Tricks.
37. The literacy book club discussed Walk Two Moons. Next month's selection is The Notebook.
38. There were several presentations made to community groups in September:
• Community Outreach Supervisor Lizeth Simonson welcomed a group of parents from
the Head Start Program to the Learning Center on September 9. Information about
library services, children's programs, homework assistance, and the current calendar
were shared with the group.
• Volunteer tutor Mary Lou S. and Community Outreach Supervisor Carrie Scott
presented information about the Learning Center and Literacy Services at a Carlsbad
Kiwanis breakfast meeting held at The Crossings on September 14.
• Learner Fernanda J. presented to the Citizen's Academy on behalf of the Learning
Center and Literacy Services. She did an amazing job and received many compliments.
39. Literacy Services' first "Each One Reach One" open house in celebration of National Literacy
Month was a big success in spite of the unpredictable weather. Throughout the month of
September, literacy program participants were invited to give an Open House invitation to a
friend, neighbor, or family member who would be interested in learning more about the
program. On September 30, 60 people braved the bad weather and enjoyed snacks, Scrabble
games, computer demos, and tours to learn about the program. As a result, over 100 reference
questions were answered, 4 learners signed up for orientations, and 8 potential tutors were
introduced to the program.
40. In honor of National Literacy Month, all learners received a copy of literacy advocate John
Corcoran's book The Bridge to Literacy. The books were purchased with a combination of
donated and state grant funds. John Corcoran, who was a former learner in our program,
generously signed all of the books for the learners.
41. Work was completed on the Learning Center's new lobby, with the exception of minor punch-
list items. The lobby design has received rave reviews from patrons for its energy and beauty.
CARLSBAD CITY LIBRARY
MONTHLY USAGE STATISTICS - SEPTEMBER 2010
CCL Dove Lane
Reference questions
Circulation
People count
Cole Library
Reference questions
Circulation
People count*
Learning Center
Reference questions
Circulation
People count**
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
Web Users (beginning FY2010-11)
Website Page views
Website unique users
Online Usage(beginning FY2010-11)
In-house and remote database usage
Downloadable audiobooks
Facility Meeting Room Use
Events booked
Event attendance
Events cancelled
Volunteer Hours
Total hours
SEP-09
15,237
77,555
33,483
10,791
33,845
14,828
1,071
1.280
4,775
39
602
8
70
67
2,102
17,599
Not collected
Not collected
Not collected
Not collected
82
3,021
15
1,694
AUG-10
13,981
77,963
40,224
10,060
35,537
31,292
1,796
1,184
4,149
34
1,117
4
176
28
2,227
13,570
62,351
24,271
6,937
334
78
3,849
23
1,941.25
SEP-10
13,429
73,030
35,230
9,700
34,172
30,200
2,020
1,444
5,956
51
675
7
93
110
3,760
13,149
53,848
44,858
5,996
302
109
4,613
26
1,704
* Door counter in 2009 not working properly.
**Learning Center door counters down for 1 day in August 2010
I:\UBRARY BOARD\Lib Board Statistics\2010\FINAL Stats SEP 2010.docx
CARLSBAD
CITY LIBRARY
Carlsbad City Library - Technology Report
Jul-Sep 2010
PC Management Sessions
Location
Dove Adult Lab
Dove Adult Lab 2
Dove E-mail
Dove Walk-up
Dove Children's
Cole Adult
Cole E-mail
Cole Children's
Learning Center Children's Lab
Learning Center Adult Lab
Total
Computers
20
3
4
4
9
12
1
8
7
7
Sessions
Apr- Jun
2010
8,352
994
5,785
3,559
1,267
10,568
1,628
2,119
1,267
1,789
Sessions Jul
- Sep 2010
8,732
1,010
5,986
3,697
1,156
10,736
1,114
1,925
1,375
1,596
Pet of
Change
5%
2%
3%
4%
-9%
2%
-32%
-9%
9%
-11%
Sessions
Jul -Sep
2009
11,416
1,395
6,695
4,101
1,885
11,644
1,565
3,054
1,466
1,866
Sessions
Jul - Sep
2010
8,732
1,010
5,986
3,697
1,156
10,736
1,114
1,925
1,375
1,596
Pet of
Change
-24%
-28%
-11%
-10%
-39%
-8%
-29%
-37%
-6%
-14%
PC Utilization Averages
Location
Dove Adult Lab
Dove Adult Lab 2
Dove E-mail
Dove Walk-up
Dove Children's
Cole Adult
Cole E-mail
Cole Children's
Learning Center Children's Lab
Learning Center Adult Lab
Total
Computers
20
3
4
4
9
12
1
8
7
7
Utilization
Apr- Jun
2010
67%
69%
28%
56%
16%
84%
33%
30%
30%
56%
Utilization
Jul -Sep
2010
63%
67%
29%
57%
13%
82%
21%
24%
44%
32%
Pet of
Change
-6%
-3%
4%
2%
-19%
-2%
-36%
-20%
47%
-43%
Utilization
Jul - Sep
2009
81%
80%
32%
62%
23%
86%
29%
41%
32%
58%
Utilization
Jul - Sep
2010
63%
67%
29%
57%
13%
82%
21%
24%
44%
32%
Pet of
Change
-22%
-16%
-9%
-8%
-43%
-5%
-28%
-41%
38%
-45%01
CARLSBAD
CITY LIBRARY
Carlsbad City Library - Technology Report
Jul-Sep 2010
Wireless Users
Location
Dove
Cole
Learning Center
Users
Apr- Jun
2010
3,275
1,818
144
Users
Jul- Sep
2010
3,506
1,811
120
Pet of
Change
7%
0%
-17%
Self-Check User Sessions
Location
Dove Self-Checks
Cole Self-Checks
LLC Self-Checks
Total User Sessions
Total Self-
Checks
5
3
1
User
Sessions
Apr- Jun
2010
31,405
12,402
246
44,053
User
Sessions
Jul -Sep
2010
35,404
13,637
323
49,364
Pet of
Change
13%
10%
31%
12%
User
Sessions Jul
-Sep 2009
30,394
12,299
210
42,903
User
Sessions
Jul -Sep
2010
35,404
13,637
323
49,364
Pet of
Change
16%
11%
54%
15%
Self-Check Item Transactions
Location
Dove Self-Checks
Cole Self-Checks
LLC Self-Checks
Total Item Transactions
Total Self-
Checks
5
3
1
Items
Circulated
Apr- Jun
2010
102,016
34,477
404
136,897
Items
Circulated
Jul -Sep
2010
119,140
39,773
500
159,413
Pet of
change
17%
15%
24%
16%
Items
Circulated
Jul -Sep
2009
104,274
36,910
450
141,634
Items
Circulated
Jul -Sep
2010
119,140
39,773
500
159,413
Pet of
change
14%
8%
11%
13%
ITEM # 6
CARLSBAD 1
CITY LIBRARY
2010-11 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
Position the Library as an active leader in the areas of learning, cultural arts, and
the value 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 on current quality of life
issues in the community.
Offer convenient, personalized and responsive library service.
Build community by connecting Carlsbad residents with the City, the Library,
and one another.
Develop and diversify library collections, programs and services to satisfy a
broadening range of residents' needs and interests and engage all segments of
the community.
Ensure safe, comfortable and inviting library facilities.
Position the Library as a leader in the preservation of Carlsbad History.
Ensure that library information technology systems support community needs to
create an optimal customer experience.
Develop and retain effective Library staff.
Update and improve staff tools, technology and internal processes to optimize
use of staff resources.
Assist City departments to leverage library resources to improve citywide
performance
Deliver value to the community by optimizing efficiency and providing cost-
effective services.
Diversify fiscal support sources.
K:\Strategic Workshop\Strategic Directions Jan 2010 update.docx
1/21/2010
2011 STRATEGIC WORK PLAN TIMELINE
Month
July 20 10
September 20 10
October 20 10
November 2010
December 20 10
January 201 1
February 201 1
March 201 1
April 201 1
May 20 11
June 201 1
July 201 1
Day
Nov. 3
Nov. 4
1-16
Dec. 15
Milestone
Launch 2010-11 initiatives
Communicate prior fiscal year's accomplishments to public via website
Performance measures developed reflecting past year's results; include in
action plan any changes in following year's measures
Revisit strategic directions for next fiscal year with Library Board
Revisit strategic directions and brainstorm initiatives with Division
Heads; half-day activity
Division Heads write up and submit proposed initiatives
Division Heads prioritize initiatives; final discussion at DH meeting
Report out on final directions and initiative process to Library Board
Prepare cost estimates for priority initiatives for next fiscal year budgeting
Final prioritization of initiatives by management team
Develop budget inclusive of selected initiatives for next fiscal year
Confirm initiatives going forward with Division Heads and Library Board
Budget submitted
Develop Friends' funding requests, inform Friends and Foundation of
next fiscal year's initiatives
Develop departmental goals related to initiatives
Submit requests for funding to Friends
Budget adopted, inclusive of any resources for initiatives
Launch current initiatives
Rev. 10/10