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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPPROVED 2018-04-16 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Board of Library Trustees Newport Beach Public Library 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Meeting Minutes April 16, 2018 - 5:00 p.m. I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER – Chair Johnson-Tucker called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL - Roll call by Administrative Support Specialist Elaine McMillion Trustees Present: Chair Jill Johnson-Tucker, Vice Chair Janet Ray, Secretary Paul Watkins, Board Member Jerry King, Board Member Douglas Coulter Trustees Absent: None Staff Present: Library Services Director Tim Hetherton Administrative Support Specialist Elaine McMillion Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs Library Services Manager Natalie Basmaciyan Circulation & Technical Processing Coordinator Melissa Hartson Support Services Coordinator Melissa Kelly Circulation & Technical Processing Coordinator Melissa Hartson Technical Processing Supervisor Julie Duncan III. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS None V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Consent Calendar Items 1. Minutes of the March 19, 2018 Board of Library Trustees Meeting 2. Customer Comments Monthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requests received from customers. Board Member Watkins understood Library Services Director Hetherton is attempting to locate an instructor for genealogy classes. Chair Johnson-Tucker noted all recent customer comments have been positive. Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes April 16, 2018 Page 2 3. Library Activities Monthly update of library events, services and statistics. 4. Expenditure Status Report Monthly expenditure status of the library's operating expenses, services, salaries and benefits by department. 5. Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. Motion made by Board Member Coulter, seconded by Vice Chair Ray, and carried (5-0-0- 0) to approve the Consent Calendar. AYES: Johnson-Tucker, Ray, Watkins, King, Coulter NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review 6. Library Materials Selection and Downloadable Services Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Melissa Hartson will provide the annual update on Collection Development activities. Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Melissa Hartson reported selection of materials begins with the Library's Collection Development Policy. Each librarian is responsible for a specific subject area of selection. Librarians utilize vendor information, publisher reputation, and popularity of an author's previous works, price, selection lists, customer demand, and other tools to select materials. As materials are added to the collection, materials are also removed from the collection. Recent changes to the collection include First in Series stickers, the Lucky Day collection, downloadable audiobooks through Axis 360 and magazines through Flipster, and streaming video through Kanopy. In response to questions, Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Hartson explained that Library staff uses vendor lists and professional review journals to determine new subject areas to add to the collection. All new materials will be purchased for the new Corona del Mar Branch. Approximately 13 staff work on collection development. The current budget amount for general materials is $619,740; with donations, the budget increases to $800,000-$1 million. Currently, $65,000 has been set aside specifically for the Corona del Mar Branch collection. Generally one copy of a book is added to the Lucky Day collection and three or four are added to the general collection. Selection of materials is a continuous process. Few materials are purchased at the end of the fiscal year so that financial data can be finalized. Jim Mosher suggested the Collection Development Policy be placed on the website in a web format with links to Library forms. Perhaps the public should have a larger role in the Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes April 16, 2018 Page 3 selection of materials as materials are purchased for public use. He inquired about Library patrons' direct access to materials in other libraries in Orange County and the state as stated in the Collection Development Policy. Chair Johnson-Tucker commented that Librarians utilize other sources in addition to journals to develop the collection. Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Hartson advised that the public can suggest titles for the Library to purchase, and approximately 25-30 suggestions are submitted weekly. The request form is available on the Library's website. Board Member Watkins did not believe the Board of Library Trustees should be involved in the selection of materials, but suggested that if a Trustee had a burning interest to participate, he/she could be more involved in the collection development process if it would not impede the process. Chair Johnston-Tucker questioned whether the number of staff people determined trustee involvement in other jurisdictions. The Board of Library Trustees receives a detailed report annually, and staff will provide a thorough tour of facilities and processes at a Trustee's request. Technical Processing Supervisor Julie Duncan reviewed the process of purchasing materials from placing an online order through preparing catalog information and preparing materials for placement on the shelf. Shipments are opened on the day of receipt, and individual materials are checked into the Library system within a day or two. Jim Mosher inquired about competitive pricing of materials among vendors and the cost for a vendor making materials shelf ready. Technical Processing Supervisor Julie Duncan advised that pricing is significantly less than retail. The Library pays a cost per item for shelf-ready materials. 7. Further Review of Library Fines Library Services Director Tim Hetherton will provide further information on NBPL Policies and procedures regarding library fines as requested by the Board at their March 19, 2018 meeting. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that a customer's account is frozen when the customer owes $5 or more in fines. The number of frozen accounts changes daily as fines are paid and incurred daily. According to the Records Retention Policy, frozen accounts with a balance of less than $20 and inactive for three years are purged. Customers whose accounts have been purged can apply for another Library card. Accounts with balances of $40 or more are submitted to a collection service, Unique Management Services. Notices are sent to customers by mail and email. Customers with frozen accounts cannot use a public computer, but they can access Wi-Fi. Library staff will negotiate the payment of fines in certain circumstances. An inactive account, whether or not it has been frozen, is purged after three years of inactivity. Frozen accounts can be quantified by address, customer type, amounts owed, or last activity. Staff has discussed denying customers with frozen accounts access to public computers when the customers can read a book while in the Library without checking it out. Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes April 16, 2018 Page 4 In answer to Board Member Watkins' inquiry, Library Services Director Hetherton preferred to retain the $5 threshold. The Library is a public amenity rather than a business. The consensus of the Board was to retain the $5 threshold. 8. Corona del Mar Branch Project Update Library Services Director Tim Hetherton will update the Board on the Corona del Mar Branch Library replacement project. Library Services Director Hetherton reported that abatement work has begun at the closed Branch. Sale of materials from the Corona del Mar Branch netted Friends of the Library more than $3,000. Branch Librarian Annika Helmuth and Library Clerk Haidee Barker are assigned to Central Library until the Branch reopens. Story Times are being held at Grant Howald Park and Community Youth Center; Songs and Stories are being held at Central Library. The book drop will be moved to the parking lot across from OASIS Senior Center, where concierge service is available. The groundbreaking ceremony has been rescheduled to April 24, and demolition of the building will likely begin April 23. Peter Tauscher is the City contact person for the project. Library staff met with IT staff to discuss outlets, connectivity, and Wi-Fi. Gary Bolin is the onsite project manager. Construction work may not begin prior to 7:00 a.m. during the week and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Board Member King suggested Library staff present construction information to the Corona del Mar Residents Association. Chair Johnson-Tucker recommended soundproofing be a primary concern because the fire station will be constructed above the Branch. Board Member Watkins suggested that second story flooring for the fire station be soft materials to dampen sound on the first floor. 9. Lecture Hall Update Chair Johnson-Tucker will provide an update on activities related to efforts to integrate a lecture hall on the Central Library site. Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs advised that the architect has requested additional changes to the contract. Because of the terms of the contract, the architect may not be willing to execute the contract. 10. Library Services Report of Library issues regarding services, customers, and staff. Library Services Director Hetherton indicated staff returned from the Public Library Association conference in Philadelphia with good ideas about resources and services. Children's Services recently held an interesting and successful program to hatch caterpillars. Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes April 16, 2018 Page 5 B. Monthly Reports 11. Friends of the Library Liaison Report Trustee update of the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Board Member Coulter shared the story of a volunteer finding $1,600 in a book at the Friends' Corona del Mar book sale. After nine months, the Friends' revenue totals $166,000, which is 8 percent more than the 2017 total for nine months. Book sales through Amazon.com are proceeding nicely. The number of Friends members now stands at 885. The Friends continue to work on 2/$1 book sales and increasing revenue from the recycling program. 12. Library Foundation Liaison Report Trustee update of the most recently attended Library Foundation Board meeting. Board Member Coulter attended the Library Foundation meeting for Chair Johnson- Tucker. The Foundation approved rules and postponed discussion of the lecture hall until Chair Johnson-Tucker could be present. Toby Larson, NBPL Foundation Board Member, noted Dorothy Larson's term as Chair of the Foundation Board will end on July 1. Cathy Voreyer will be the next Chair. Library Live guest speaker Colson Whitehead is scheduled for April 18. Masha Gessen is scheduled to speak on April 27 and 28. 13. Witte Lectures Committee Liaison Report Trustee update of the most recently attended Witte Lectures Committee's monthly meeting. Vice Chair Ray reiterated that Masha Gessen will speak as the final Witte Lecture on April 27 and 28. The Foundation is seeking sponsors and speakers for the next series of Witte Lectures. VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Jim Mosher commented that closing Central Library for events inconvenienced customers. VIII. BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) None IX. ADJOURNMENT – 6:17 p.m. Submitted by: Jill Johnson-Tucker Chair Approval of Minutes