HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-21-2023-BLT-APPROVED MINUTESCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Board of Library Trustees Newport Beach Central Library 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Meeting Minutes Monday, August 21, 2023 – 5:00 p.m. I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER – 5:00 P.M. Chair Paul Watkins called to order the regular meeting. II. ROLL CALL – Roll call by Administrative Support Specialist Francine Jacome. Trustees Present: Chair Paul Watkins, Vice Chair Dorothy Larson, Secretary Lauren
Kramer, Trustee Doug Coulter Trustees Absent: None
Staff Present: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Annika Helmuth, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Andrew Kachaturian, Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Erin Spivey, Adult Services Coordinator Gabriela Leman, Literacy Services Coordinator Avery Maglinti, I.T. Manager Tara Finnigan, Assistant City Manager
Staff Absent None III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Secretary Lauren Kramer led the Pledge of Allegiance
Library Services Director Melissa Hartson introduced Literacy Services Coordinator Gabriela Leman and Adult Services Coordinator Erin Spivey. Literacy Services Coordinator Gabriela Leman spoke a few words and provided a brief
history of her background and experience in Library services. Adult Services Coordinator Erin Spivey provided a brief history of her background and
experience in Library services.
IV. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC - Waived V. CONSENT CALENDAR Administrative Support Specialist Francine Jacome read the Consent Calendar Notice to the Public.
Chair Paul Watkins called for any requested items to be pulled for separate action or discussion. A. Consent Calendar Items
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1. Minutes of the July 17, 2023 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Vice Chair Dorothy Larson referenced page one of the July draft minutes and asked that her reasoning for declining the nomination for the position of Chair be included in the record. Her preference is to service under an existing Chair before accepting that type of position. 2. Patron Comments
Chair Watkins referenced Handwritten page 13 under patron comments: and reported that Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Andy Kachaturian did a great job indicating how someone could return borrowed material by mail. Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot provided good information about book club opportunities, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Annika Helmuth was very polite in indicating that they don’t have chess availability but there are other puzzle and game opportunities, and Cultural
Arts Assistant Camille Escareal-Garcia’s comment about The Sully Band and response to the rhythm and blues comment was well done. Thank you to Adult Services Manager Lightfoot in comment #8 regarding addressing the Sound Lab. 3. Library Activities Monthly update of library events, services, and statistics. Library Services Director Hartson provided a written update that was submitted in the meeting packet. 4. Expenditure Status Report
Monthly expenditure status of the library’s operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department.
Chair Watkins noted that on page 24, the Library expenditures for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 were 7% under budget, and they are getting off to a good start for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which can be found on page 25. The budget for the year is
$10 million dollars which he had expected to reach next year and instead reached that goal this year. 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 Vice Chair Larson, seconded by Secretary Kramer, and carried (4-0-0-0) to approve the Consent Calendar with the minor change to the July draft minutes. AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Coulter, Larson
NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES:
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VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review 6. Information Technology Update Information Technology (IT) Manager Avery Maglinti reported the projects IT has done for the Library throughout the past year, in addition to the 900 help desk tickets that were resolved. Some of those projects included replacing all the PC’s in the media lab and installing new software, replacing all public laptops, a security camera upgrade at the
Central Library, with additional cameras added, installing dedicated video conferencing hardware in the Staff Conference Room, installing a new projector in the Friends Meeting Room, adding a wireless access point to the Friends Bookstore, and replacing all barcode scanners at all branches, which are higher quality and interact with smartphones. They added features to the Library website that allows ADA accessibility for people that are visually impaired. The City as a whole has focused seriously on cyber security for the past
year. A cyber security vulnerability assessment was conducted, along with training for new tactics of prevention. The Library sits on the City’s network, so anything done for the City also benefits the Library, who has a lot of internet traffic. They worked on adding Multi-Factor Authentication for City emails, which allows for authentication from outside the city while adding another layer of security for the City. They are in the process of rolling out an enterprise password manager that is an optional tool for staff to easily manage their passwords or generate complex passwords. The City’s password requirements keep getting stricter. Upcoming projects include replacing all the public copiers, upgrading the Library ILS and catalog system in the spring, and the City is updating their data system this next year. All the Library systems sit in the Civic Center’s data center and all of that hardware will be upgraded.
7. Review of The Friends Meeting Room Policy (NBPL 14) Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees review and approve revisions to
Library Policy NBPL 14, The Friends Meeting Room. Library Services Director Hartson directed everyone to Handwritten page 27 for the policy
and reported that this policy assists staff in managing outside reservations for the Friends Meeting Room. The Library hosts a number of events in the Room throughout the year, and the policy states priorities for use, beginning with the Library and its support groups, which include the Library Foundation, and Friends of the Library. The Room is available for cultural arts programing, and it has three other levels of priority reservations. Library Services Director Hartson explained that there are a few minor grammatical edits and updates, and changes for consistency throughout the policy. There was an addition to the policy to include a requirement that completed applications should be submitted at least fourteen days in advance of an event date, which is intended to provide staff with the opportunity to review the documentation to ensure all required documents are included; and allow leeway for additional time that may be needed for any missing information.
Vice Chair Larson referenced item F on Handwritten page 30 regarding the attendee limitation of 187 persons, she understood the room capacity was closer to 220 persons.
Library Services Director Hartson responded that she would need to provide a follow-up for that after doing some research.
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Jerry Kappel, NBPLF CEO, stated the Fire Marshal’s documentation on the wall shows a room capacity of 200 persons. Chair Watkins commented that is a change that can be added. Motion made by Trustee Coulter, seconded by Vice Chair Kramer, and carried (4-0-0-0) to approve Library Policy NBPL 14 with the minor change to the room capacity in Item F. AYES: Watkins, Coulter, Kramer, Larson NOES:
ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 8. Adult Services Update Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot will provide the annual update on reference services, and collections and programming for adult patrons.
Library Services Manager Lightfoot reported the Library service staff at all locations is the first point of contact for patrons, and they provide instruction on use of databases, downloadable services and can be reached at the reference desk in person, by telephone or through email. There have been many staff changes this year, the biggest being her own promotion and hiring Erin Spivey as her replacement as the Adult Services Coordinator. Jeremy Rodriguez was promoted to Librarian II at the Central Library. Alex Johnkins was promoted to Mariners Branch Librarian II, filling the vacancy left by Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Andy Kachaturian’s promotion. Leah Duffy was hired as a Librarian I to replace Jeremy at the Mariners Branch. There is a current vacancy for Librarian I at the Central Library that is in the recruitment process, in
addition to four part-time Library Assistant vacancies. They had a very successful year in adult programming. The spring Storyteller’s Writing Workshop was extremely popular. The program continues to sell out and reaches capacity within minutes of registration opening.
They hosted several very popular authors such as Dr. Michael Roizen, Dr. Christine LePort, Nabil Ayers, and California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick. All the Meet the Author events were well attended along with many other events such as Sunday Musicales, the
Zine program, and Digital Saturday. There were outreach events as well, in which visits were made to the OASIS Senior Center and the City Employee Health Fair. Staff development and training continues to be a priority for Newport Beach Public Library and as a result, has invested in a year of online training hosted by Ryan Dowd, an advocate for the homeless and other vulnerable populations. Two staff members attended the California Library Association Conference and gained valuable ideas and network opportunities. Library Services Manager Lightfoot and Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Annika Helmuth attended a Design Institute hosted by Library Journal. The Library has added a collection of 4K Blu-rays based on patron suggestions and over 100 of those items have collectively circulated over 1,800 times. The Library is actively participating in what used to be Lynda.com and has since been bought out by LinkedIn
and renamed LinkedIn Learning. The database provides thousands of classes on a variety of topics such as finance, computers, leadership skills, programming languages, and many more.
Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 9. Collection Development for Children’s Books
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Staff will provide a report on the process by which books are evaluated for age appropriateness and placement in the Children’s Room within the framework of the Library’s Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2). Library Services Director Hartson reported that this item is in response to the questions and comments regarding the conversation from the July meeting regarding the process by which books are evaluated for age appropriateness and placement in the Children’s Room within the framework of the Library’s Collection Development Policy. The children’s collection has over 80,000 items. It primarily serves children from birth through sixth grade, as well as parents and caregivers who work with the children. It is a continuous process
of rotating books in and out of the collection. Staff follows the Collection Development
Policy NBPL 2. It is a statement of guidelines for staff to follow when developing and maintaining the Library’s collection of materials. Staff uses these guidelines to determine which books end up in the Children’s collection. Often, selection starts at the book vendor level, which is Brodart. Within the Brodart website, a number of tools are available to help staff decide which books they select. Information for each listing may include the author
and illustrator, if applicable, the publisher, age range, grade level, subject headings, series, annotations, reviews, book format, and physical description. Reviews in professional journals are a widely held standard resource used within the profession for assisting staff members in their evaluations. They are designed to present information needed for selection decisions. Generally, they are timely, contain a concise summary and critical appraisal of the book as a whole, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and list the age or grade level suitability for children’s books. Staff often looks to publishers and standards set by third-party reading achievement and assessment tools such as Accelerated Reader, when available. These additional resources establish reading comprehension and interest-level ratings for each book. During this process, items are evaluated according to the difficulty or readability of the text, the content and age
appropriateness of a book, and the book’s classification. Staff relies on well-established publishers of children’s materials, such as Scholastic, Candlewick, Dial Books for Young Readers, and Puffin. Staff also rely on the Library’s existing collection as a guide and
evaluation in terms of demand for an author’s previous works. Significance is given to award-winning books. Purchase suggestions from Library patrons are encouraged and receive serious considerations. Some materials may be judged primarily in terms of artistic
merit, scholarship, or their value as individual documents; others are selected to satisfy the recreational and entertainment requests of the community. The Policy was last amended by the Board of Library Trustees at the August 15, 2022 regular meeting. Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees review the policy (NBPL 2) and provide direction regarding possible amendments to the policy, which would be prepared and returned to the Board’s consideration at a future meeting, or the Board could create an ad hoc committee to work with staff to prepare proposed amendments for the Board’s future consideration. Vice Chair Larson appreciated the report and noted that anyone interested can find a
written version in the Agenda Packet. Vice Chair Larson suggested forming an ad hoc committee as this process won’t be decided in an hours’ time. It needs to be carefully considered and will take time.
Secretary Kramer agreed and was glad to see it agendized for transparency and to give the community an opportunity to be heard.
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Chair Watkins opened the meeting to public comments. Public Comments Dianne Wells provided comment regarding the Policy having not been updated since 1990 and believes it should be, as there appears to be a lack of community missing from the policy. Parents, community, and taxpayers should be involved in evaluating books. Chair Watkins clarified the policy has been updated ten times since 1990. The most current Policy can be provided via email if Ms. Wells is interested.
Trustee Doug Coulter said she could have his and provided her with his copy. Sydni Webb provided comments regarding not being able to allow her children to browse content in the library due to inappropriateness, which results in conversations they should not have to be exposed to. She provided reference to the book “T’was the Night Before
Pride” as an example and stated the Library should be a safe place as children’s brains are still developing and they should not be exposed to adult topics. Chris Webb provided public comment and thanked the Board and staff for all they do. This is a tough topic and referenced material he was reviewing that was inappropriate for his work environment, it should not be in the Children’s Department of the library. Rebeka Sinclair provided comment and thanked the Board for their commitment to the community and believes the current challenge is a symptom of a larger problem. She participated in the Summer Reading Program with her children and believed that this isn’t a problem just within Newport Beach libraries, it’s happening across the country. One of
the resources listed in the report has been taken over by liberal ideology and should be reviewed as to whether they are adequate resources for children’s materials.
Janice Horn provided comments regarding her trust in the Library staff for selecting reading materials and is appalled at the backlash the Library has been receiving. Books provide knowledge and experiences that may otherwise be missed. Book bans prevent
cultural experiences, and Ms. Horn provided statistics regarding children’s reading materials. Haley Jenkins provided comments regarding the ALA’s Bill of Rights and the Freedom to
Read statement and stated that in regard to children’s literature, their statements go against common sense, Ms. Jenkins urged the Board to seriously consider what the freedom to read anything means in regard to children. Josh Zeyak provided comment and believed that an ad hoc committee would be appropriate for this item. The current guidelines leave wiggle-room for error and in an environment where the reading materials are rotated in and out, third-party resources
should not be used for evaluations. The community should be involved in that process. Karen Clark provided comment regarding her discouragement from what she’s heard thus
far. She would hate to see Newport Beach get the notoriety for book banning that Huntington Beach received. She has great respect and trust in the Library staff.
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Joni Nichols provided comment regarding children and teens having the right to information of their choosing. The Library has the responsibility to provide that variety of information. It is the parent’s responsibility to determine what is appropriate for their children without imposing on the rights of others. Secretary Kramer agrees that an ad hoc committee would be beneficial, and it’s important for people to be allowed to express their opinions, and there will always be a wide variety of opinions. This is a public library and, while she may personally feel a particular way about the topic, the Library is an extension of the public square.
Vice Chair Larson stated she would be happy to serve on an ad hoc committee. She agrees that all of the children’s books should be physically reviewed and believes that they are already reviewed once an issue has been pointed out by a member of the public. Chair Watkins agreed and appointed himself and Vice Chair Larson the members of the ad hoc committee. There are certain rules pertaining to ad hoc committees: there will be
no set meeting schedule, there will be monthly reports provided to the Board, and the ad hoc makes recommendations, there is less than a quorum, it sunsets in one year, it will not be subject to the Brown Act, and it will be advisory in nature. Vice Chair Larson stated they would appreciate as much written feedback as possible and encouraged the public to submit their comments in writing as well. Motion made by Trustee Coulter, seconded by Secretary Kramer, and carried (4-0-0-0) to create an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendation on amendments to NBPL 2 Policy.
AYES: Watkins, Coulter, Kramer, Larson NOES: ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENCES: 10. Draft Joint Use Agreement between the City of Newport Beach and Newport-Mesa Unified School District Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees approve the draft Joint Use Agreement between the City of Newport Beach and Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Library Services Director Hartson directed their attention to Handwritten page 54 for the draft of the Joint Use Agreement between the City of Newport Beach and Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the use of the Mariners Branch Library. A cooperative agreement was entered into by the City and District in 2002. The agreement was to share a portion of the Children’s Room for joint use. Since the opening of Mariners Branch in 2006, there has been an established area that is reserved for Mariners Elementary School
library use during school hours. There is a separation in the middle of the room, one side is for secure use by the school and the other side is available and open to the public. The District has its own staffing to administer their library instruction to their students, the City
has staffing on the public Library side to serve the public that visit during school hours. The agreement calls for the continued joint use of a portion of the Children’s room at the Mariners Branch for a term of 20 years, with another 20-year extension. It formulates a
school library advisory committee which will meet on an annual basis to designate the
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school library’s hours for the year and to discuss joint use throughout the year. There is a section that addresses the Library collection as proposed. The Library does make the selections for the public library, the school will be responsible for reviewing those selections that are on the school side. Anything deemed not supportive of their curriculum, age inappropriate, or not relevant will be moved to another section of the joint use library or to another City library. This partnership has worked well since 2006. There are some exhibits mentioned in the Agreement that were not finalized in time for this staff report. Staff will be taking the Agreement before City Council at an upcoming meeting on September 12, 2023. The District will also take the agreement before the School Board of Education meeting.
Chair Watkins opened the item to public comment. Public Comment Dianne Wells commented about her concerns for the length of the term of the Agreement
and believes given the community input in the previous item, this agreement should be given the same time and consideration as the inappropriate material in the children’s area of the libraries because the parents will not be present for the children who use the library during school hours. A member of the public provided comment that she would like to get a definition of what the school would consider as age appropriate or not supportive of their curriculum. Haley Jenkins expressed a concern for the length of time of this agreement and the process of forming the committees will take and the material that the children will be exposed to during the interim.
Trustee Coulter inquired if they should wait until they have resolved the children’s collection matter prior to approving this agreement.
Vice Chair Larson responded that this is essentially a real estate agreement, and the result of the Collection Development Policy will cover all libraries once it is resolved. This is an
operating agreement for use of public resources and can be determined as it is. Secretary Kramer suggested the consideration of having a one-year option to terminate by either party. Motion made by Vice Chair Larson, seconded by Secretary Kramer, and carried (3-1-0-0) to approve the draft Joint Use Agreement between the City of Newport Beach and Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Trustee Coulter commented he is against moving forward with the Agreement because it eliminates any possibility of some corrective action that would be advantageous to the
community. Chair Watkins requested the comments for this item be shared with Council during their
review. AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Larson
NOES: Coulter
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ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 11. Lecture Hall Update NBPLF CEO Mr. Kappel provided a written report and made copies available for attendees of the meeting. All of their programming kicks off in September. 12. Balboa Branch Replacement Update
Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Helmuth reported that she attended the Design Institute Conference and presented a report to the ad hoc committee. They helped to provide clarity on how they define flexibility for specific projects and how it relates to future programs offered through the Library. They are not yet into the specific of material, but rather the areas used for programming. They have been working with Corona del Mar Branch with what has been working well for them during their reconstruction process and
ways in which they can make improvements, such as adding windows that open, or having outdoor programming space. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 13. Library Services Report of Library issues regarding services, patrons and staff Library Services Director Hartson reported that the International Literacy Day Celebration will take place on September 14, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The August 20, Concert on the Green featuring Tijuana Dogs was canceled yesterday because of the tropical
storm. They are looking to reschedule. Public Works is beginning a Capital Improvement project at the Mariners Branch. They are doing major work on the HVAC system that will begin on August 22. The air conditioning may be out for up to three weeks. Last month
they had a very successful Summer Reading Program for children and adults. There were over 1900 participants in the combined age groups and read for a combined 516,515 minutes.
Vice Chair Larson commented that the Literacy event conflicts with the Witte meeting schedule. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. B. Monthly Reports 14. Library Foundation Liaison Reports A. Library Foundation Board Report on the most recently attended meeting. Chair Watkins reported that Mr. Kappel’s monthly report was so complete they don’t need
a recap. The next meeting will be Monday September 11, 2023 at 5 p.m. B. Library Live Lectures Committee Report on the most recently attended meeting.
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Chair Watkins stated that Library Live will kick off in September. C. Witte Lectures Committee Report on the most recently attended meeting. Chair Watkins reported that Witte Lectures will kick off next month. 15. Friends of the Library Liaison Report Trustee update on the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board
meeting. Trustee Coulter reported that the Friends of the Library continues to pursue opportunities for sales in the Library. The donations are collected, the week ending August 19, all Children’s books were 50% off. Hardback Fiction regularly starts at a dollar, Gift books were on sale for two for a dollar the week ending August 12, large paperback book fictions
regularly start at a dollar, and oversized book sales are two for a dollar but were on sale the week ending August 26 at five for a dollar. Last year’s profits were $203,668, and that was a 9.2% increase over the prior year. There are 843 members and eight were new and twenty-six renewed their membership. The volunteer appreciation luncheon will be held Tuesday November 28, 2023. More details will be forthcoming. July 2023 book sales were $15,605.95. That is up about $465.66 from the prior year. The new book sale will be on October 6 for members only, three books for a dollar from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It is open to the public on Saturday October 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at $3 per bag and the bags are supplied. Chair Watkins received and filed the report.
16. Literacy Services Liaison Report Trustee update of the most recently attended Literacy Services Advisory Board.
Chair Watkins stated this was covered in a prior item.
Chair Watkins received and filed the report. VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
None 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 – 6:38 p.m.
The next meeting will be September 18 at 5 p.m.
Submitted by: Paul K. Watkins
Chair Approval of Minutes