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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-16-2024-BLT-AGENDA PACKETCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES AGENDA Marina Park Community Center 1600 W. Balboa Blvd., Newport Beach, CA 92663 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 - 5:00 PM Board of Library Trustees Members: Paul Watkins, Chair Dorothy Larson, Vice Chair Lauren Kramer, Secretary Antonella Castro, Trustee Chase Rief, Trustee Staff Members: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist The Board of Library Trustees meeting is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act. Among other things, the Brown Act requires that the Board of Library Trustees agenda be posted at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of each regular meeting and that the public be allowed to comment on agenda items before the Commission and items not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board of Library Trustees. The Chair may limit public comments to a reasonable amount of time, generally two (2) minutes per person. The public can submit questions and comments in writing for the Board of Library Trustees to consider. Please send them by email to the Library Services Department at LibraryBoard@newportbeachca.gov by Monday, January 15, at 4:00 p.m. to give the Board of Library Trustees time to consider your comments. All emails will be made part of the record. The City of Newport Beach’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all respects. If, as an attendee or a participant at this meeting, you will need special assistance beyond what is normally provided, we will attempt to accommodate you in every reasonable manner. Please contact Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting to inform us of your particular needs and to determine if accommodation is feasible at (949) 717-3801 or mhartson@newportbeachca.gov. NOTICE REGARDING PRESENTATIONS REQUIRING USE OF CITY EQUIPMENT Any presentation requiring the use of the City of Newport Beach’s equipment must be submitted to the Library Services Department 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. I.CALL MEETING TO ORDER II.ROLL CALL III.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV.NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC The City provides a yellow sign-in card to assist in the preparation of the minutes. The completion of the card is not required in order to address the Board of Library Trustees. If the optional sign-in card has been completed, it should be placed in the tray provided. The Board of Library Trustees of Newport Beach welcomes and encourages community participation. Public comments are generally limited to two (2) minutes per person to allow everyone to speak. Written comments are encouraged as well. The Board of Library Trustees has the discretion to extend or shorten the time limit on agenda or non-agenda items. As a courtesy, please turn cell phones off or set them in the silent mode. January 16, 2024 Page 2 Board of Library Trustees Meeting V.CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under CONSENT CALENDAR are considered to be routine and will all be enacted by one motion in the form listed below. Board of Library Trustees have received detailed staff reports on each of the items recommending an action. There will be no separate discussion of these items prior to the time the Board of Library Trustees votes on the motion unless members of the Board of Library Trustees request specific items to be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar for separate action. Members of the public who wish to discuss a Consent Calendar item should come forward upon invitation by the Chair. A.Consent Calendar Items Minutes of the Dec 11, 2023 Board of Library Trustees Meeting (pp. 5-15)1. DRAFT OF MINUTES Patron Comments (p. 16)2. Monthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requests received from patrons. PATRON COMMENTS Patron's Request for Evaluation of Library Resources (pp. 17-84)3. Monthly review of evaluations of library resources as requested by patrons with corresponding staff responses. PATRON REQUESTS Library Activities (pp. 85-95)4. Monthly update of library events, services and statistics. DECEMBER ACTIVITIES Expenditure Status Report (pp. 96-97)5. Monthly expenditure status of the library's operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits, by department. DECEMBER EXPENDITURES Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List (p. 98)6. List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. MONITORING LIST January 16, 2024 Page 3 Board of Library Trustees Meeting VI.CURRENT BUSINESS A.Items for Review Balboa Branch Library Replacement7. Staff from Public Works, along with representatives fro COAR Design Group, will present building renderings for the Balboa Branch Library and Fire Station No. 1 Replacement Project. Process for Patron Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources (pp. 99-118)8. The Collection Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee will provide its recommendation for the patron appeals process for evaluation of library resources, and Staff recommends the approved appeals process be incorporated into Library Policy NBPL 2, Collection Development Policy, and subsequently approved by the Board of Library Trustees. STAFF REPORT ATTACHMENTS A-G NBPL eBranch, Database and Downloadable Service Update (pp. 119-120)9. Staff will provide an update and review of the Library eBranch, database and downloadable services. STAFF REPORT Acceptance of Donation (p. 121)10. Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of a donation from the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation. STAFF REPORT Children's Collection Development Update11. The Children's Collection Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee will provide an update regarding their recommendation for a Children's Collection Development Policy. Lecture Hall Update12. Report on activities related to the Library Lecture Hall project. January 16, 2024 Page 4 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Library Services (pp. 85-95)13. Report of Library issues regarding services, patrons and staff. B.Monthly Reports Library Foundation Liaison Reports (pp. 122-124)14. A. Library Foundation Board - Report of the most recently attended meeting. B. Library Live Lectures Committee - Report of the most recently attended meeting. C. Witte Lectures Committee - Report of the most recently attended meeting. FOUNDATION REPORT Friends of the Library Liaison Report15. Trustee update of the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Literacy Services Liaison Report16. Trustee update of the most recently attended Literacy Services Advisory Board meeting. VII.PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Public comments are invited, and non-agenda items generally considered to be within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board of Library Trustees. Speakers must limit comments to two (2) minutes. Before speaking, we invite, but do not require, you to state your name for the record. The Board of Library Trustees has the discretion to extend or shorten the speakers’ time limit on agenda or non-agenda items, provided the time limit adjustment is applied equally to all speakers. As a courtesy, please turn cell phones off or set them in the silent mode. 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) IX.ADJOURNMENT CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Board of Library Trustees Civic Center Council Chambers 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach Meeting Minutes Monday, December 11, 2023 – 4:30 p.m. I.CALL MEETING TO ORDER – 4:30 P.M. Chair Paul Watkins called to order the regular meeting of the Newport Beach Board ofLibrary Trustees and introduced and welcomed Chase Rief, the newly appointed trustee. II.ROLL CALL – Roll call by Administrative Support Specialist Francine Jacome. Trustees Present: Chair Paul Watkins, Vice Chair Dorothy Larson, Trustee AntonellaCastro (arrived 4:37 P.M.), Secretary Lauren Kramer, Trustee Chase Rief Trustees Absent: None Staff Present: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager Annika Helmuth, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Andrew Kachaturian, Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Erin Spivey, Adult Services Coordinator Staff Absent None III.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Trustee Chase Rief led the Pledge of Allegiance IV.NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC - Waived V.CONSENT CALENDARAdministrative Support Specialist Francine Jacome read the Consent Calendar Notice tothe public. A.Consent Calendar Items Chair Watkins inquired if any Trustees had requests to pull an item from the Consent Calendar. 1.Minutes of the November 20, 2023 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Chair Watkins noted the following changes to the minutes: •Handwritten Page 7, second full paragraph/second line of the minutes and statedthe book titled “A Prince and A Night” should read A Prince and A Knight. •Handwritten Page 8, sixth paragraph/last line: Add after the word provided “by theBoard of Library Trustees”, until an appeal has been submitted. 5 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 2 • Handwritten Page 11, top of the page, second sentence: Change “it is for advisory” to “it is advisory.” • Handwritten Page 14, Public Comments until Item 7, second line: Change “the Board finds a way” to “the Board should find a way”. Vice Chair Dorothy Larson noted the following changes to the minutes: • Handwritten Page 8, in Public Comments made by Henry Courtney: add the example of Tom Sawyer as context by Mr. Courtney, who had stated that just because he read Tom Sawyer, it didn’t cause him to lie to his parents. • Handwritten Page 12, Item 10, Jim Mosher’s public comment: Mr. Mosher indicated he was a volunteer, he wasn’t looking to be a volunteer. Vice Chair Larson commented regarding the Budget item in the Consent Calendar and commended staff, who have been able to participate in educational opportunities in the last couple of months without making a big impact on the budget. 2. Patron Comments Monthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requests received from patrons. 3. Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources Monthly review of evaluations of library resources as requested by patrons with corresponding staff responses. Chair Watkins commented that in this packet there were six evaluation requests. He also has a box of close to sixty emails, letters and other materials that he’s accumulated over the past three months from both sides of the Children’s Collection issue. There is a process for evaluations in place that is currently being refined. It begins with a patron request for evaluation; after doing research Library Services Director Melissa Hartson authors a decision. According to the Collection Development Policy NBPL 2, a patron who is dissatisfied with a decision has the right to appeal the decision to the Board of Library Trustees. Since 2004 and until recently, there was only one request for patron evaluation and that occurred in 2004. The Library has never had a defined set of procedures that allow for a dissatisfied patron to appeal a decision to the Board. The Appeal Form is the next item on the Agenda. Ultimately, that appeal request will result in a hearing with procedures in place. The ad-hoc subcommittee created a set of procedures that will be presented to senior staff and the City Attorney for comments and possible revisions. The intended goal is to have that final draft on the Agenda for the January 16, 2024 regular Board meeting for approval and adoption. The most appropriate time to comment on the appeal process will be at the Appeals Process Hearing, and Chair Watkins urged the members of public wishing to comment on the Appeals Form item to defer comments about the process for that time. 4. Library Activities Monthly update of library events, services, and statistics. 5. Expenditure Status Report Monthly expenditure status of the library’s operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department. 6 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 3 Chair Watkins reported that they are 42% through the fiscal year (FY) and under budget by about 3%. 6. Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. Chair Watkins opened the item for public comments and there were none. Motion made by Vice Chair Dorothy Larson, seconded by Secretary Lauren Kramer, and carried (5-0-0-0) to approve the Consent Calendar Items 1-6 with the minor changes to the November 20, 2023 draft minutes. AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Larson, Castro, Rief NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review 7. Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources Appeal Application Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees approve the proposed “Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources: Patron Application for Appeal” form. Library Services Director Melissa Hartson explained that the ad-hoc subcommittee looked at the Patron’s request for Evaluation of Library Resources Appeal Application and created a form as one had never been needed before now. This will allow patrons to request an appeal to be heard by the Board regarding decisions that the Library Services Director has made regarding book evaluations. Trustee Kramer requested clarification regarding the tasks and timeline for requesting an appeal. Chair Watkins explained there are two parts to the process. One is the application for the appeal, the other is the procedures once the hearing takes place. Vice Chair Larson and Chair Watkins have drafted those procedures, which are currently under review by Library Services Director Hartson, senior staff, and the City Attorney. They will return to the BLT on a date prior to January 16, 2024. This appeal form is being proposed for those who want to appeal against the recent decision, in an attempt to expedite that process. Trustee Antonella Castro suggested that she would expect there to be a time period in place for the submittal of the appeal form. Additionally, it should be stated that if an appeal is submitted, the Library Services Director will use their best effort to schedule the appeal at the next Trustee’s meeting, or the following meeting. That would provide a framework for a time period for both sides to work with. Trustee Castro inquired if the appeal form 7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 4 would be available for online submittance, and if the original request for evaluation letter would be attached to the appeal application. Chair Watkins answered there would be a packet provided to the Trustees that included the application for appeal, the original request, and the Director’s decision that was being appealed. His thought would be that the hearings would be scheduled at a separate time than at a regular Board meeting, such as a special meeting, and they could incorporate a time limit. Library Services Director Hartson added that staff could certainly do 60 days, but it would depend on when the appeal is received as there are certain Agenda requirements that staff must adhere to; the appeal application would include the original request letter with the original evaluation decision, and she did not anticipate a long turnaround time for that to be passed on to the Board. Secretary Lauren Kramer inquired if it was Library Services Director Hartson’s preference to include the appeal hearing in a regular meeting agenda or a special meeting agenda. Library Services Director Hartson answered that because the request for evaluation and her responses are now part of the consent calendar, she could see that being another item on a regular meeting agenda, with a special meeting being utilized for the Trustees to hear the first iterations of upcoming appeal hearings. Chair Watkins responded that the timeline has been addressed in the procedures that have been submitted to the City Attorney and senior staff; the form for appeal can be submitted as a handwritten form or a fillable PDF form digitally. The 60-day best effort suggestion can be added to the procedures that are now being drafted and reviewed. Trustee Castro suggested it also be included on the appeal form and/or online where the form is submitted for those who may not have read the procedures. Chair Watkins stated that presently the procedures will be an exhibit to the Collection Development Policy. Trustee Castro commented that it’s more efficient to not have to go to multiple sources to understand the procedures and suggested that the patron request form, the appeal form, followed by the procedures could be listed all together on the website. The time limit for the appeal would be included on the form. The link to the procedures could be a stand-alone link in addition to being an exhibit to the Collection Development Policy. Trustee Castro explained that due to the Brown Act, they have to brainstorm and have discussions in a public forum, thus this wasn’t addressed sooner, and inquired if the Appeal Hearing would include public comment and if all Trustees would be allowed to ask questions during the hearing. Chair Watkins stated the procedures will indicate public participation during the hearing, and Trustees will be allowed to ask questions. Trustee Castro suggested an email address be included at the bottom of the form, possibly the general administration contact information. 8 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 5 Vice Chair Larson suggested the title of the form should include the word appeal for clarity, and suggested Patron’s Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library resources. Chair Watkins opened the item for public comments. Gia Gaffney, Newport Beach Resident, commented she was happy to hear that the Board is taking this topic seriously and putting much thought into creating a procedure. Her hope would be that all trustees would read each case from beginning to end, including the book that’s being challenged. Currently, there are 18 challenges waiting for appeal, and that would require each trustee to read 18 books within a specified time limit; if that time limit is one to two months, which would be a lot of books to read in a month. City Council is encouraging patrons to challenge books on their Instagram accounts, which could spark hundreds of requests for evaluations at a time. Sixty-day timeline is a great goal; the school board typically states they have a 60-day timeline when possible. Haley Jenkins, Costa Mesa resident, commented that she agrees that the trustees should read the books under evaluation review as the Library Service Director does not read the books being evaluated because the decision is not based on content of the book. The reason for the request for evaluation is due to the content of books. Ms. Jenkins requested that the appeal form also include where the book will be located during the appeal process. Chair Watkins responded once the appeal decision has been made, the patron who appealed the decision would be advised of the location of the book. Darla Magaña provided public comment and expressed concern that the request for appeal form is very similar to the request for evaluation form which could lead to a repetitive response on the appeal. She believes staff is doing their research and reading the material, requesting different information on the appeal form may help promote that notion and include staff’s response to the appeal. Bill Dunlap, Newport Beach Resident, asked if the appeal form would include the protocol of what’s being appealed, much like the request for evaluation includes the guidelines for material selection, and suggested the Board be clear regarding what additional or different information will be considered during the appeal. Jim Mosher, Newport Beach Resident, commented that he believes the points are different between the request for evaluation and the appeal, the first being the request for evaluation asks what the reason is for disagreeing with the book and the appeal asks what the patron disagrees with about the response. The second sentence of the top section seems a bit misleading as it gives the impression that whatever procedure is created, it will be the appellant and staff speaking and no one else. He suspected that the City Attorney would note there is a requirement for public comment at all hearings, prior to a decision being made. Chair Watkins noted that changes to the form include mentioning a ‘to the best of the Library’s ability’ the appeal will be heard in a certain period, and a submit to email/physical address with a specified person should be listed on the form. Trustee Chase Reif agreed that the second line in the top section should state that the public would have an opportunity for input at the appeal. 9 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 6 Trustee Kramer added that it should include a time limit for submitting the appeal. Vice Chair Larson suggested that be included in the initial evaluation request result by the Library Services Director. Library Services Director Hartson stated she would be able to do that once the Board has adopted the procedures. Chair Watkins commented that the Board would appreciate the final draft of the appeal form also be included on the January 16, 2024 Agenda. Motion made by Secretary Kramer, seconded by Trustee Antonella Castro, and carried (5-0-0-0) to bring the item back to the Board of Library Trustees with the incorporated comments, as well as procedures that are currently under review, on the January 16, 2024 Agenda. AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Larson, Castro, Rief NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 8. Laptop Borrowing Policy (NBPL 10) Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees review and accept revisions to Library Policy NBPL 10, Laptop Borrowing Policy Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot reported that the bones of the Laptop Borrowing Policy have been working quite well for many years. Staff recommend accepting the minor changes that were made which included capitalization errors and corrections to other policy references, and the location of the checkout desk for the laptops. Chair Watkins added the policy could be found on Page 52 of the Agenda Packet. Trustee Castro inquired if the patron receives a copy of the policy and fee schedule when they check out the laptops. Library Services Manager Lightfoot responded that there are stickers on the top of the laptops which explain the late fees. Chair Watkins opened the item for Public Comment. Motion made by Secretary Kramer, seconded by Vice Chair Larson, and carried (5-0-0- 0) to approve the revisions to the Library Policy NBPL 10, Laptop Borrowing Policy. AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Larson, Castro, Rief NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 10 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 7 9. Review Holidays and Meeting Schedule Staff requests that the Board of Library Trustees review the Library’s holiday and meeting schedule for 2024 and approve as presented. Library Services Director Hartson reported that normally the Board’s meetings are scheduled for the third Monday of the month, however there are two holidays in 2024 that fall on that third Monday so those meetings will be pushed to the Tuesday following those two Mondays. Trustee Chase Reif commented that schools are closed the week of February 20, so there may not be a quorum, and he will be out of town. Trustee Castro stated she would also be out of town that week. Library Services Director Hartson stated that Monday, February 19, is the City’s scheduled observance for President’s Day. Chair Watkins suggested changing the meeting to Monday, February 26. Chair Watkins opened the item for Public Comment. Motion made by Secretary Kramer, seconded by Vice Chair Larson, and carried (5-0-0-0) to approve 2024 Board of Library Trustee meeting schedule as amended . AYES: Watkins, Kramer, Larson, Castro, Rief NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 10. Lecture Hall Update Chair Watkins reported that City Council appointed a committee to negotiate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Foundation that will include an increased financial contributory amount by the public. The shared private and public partnership between the City and the Foundation. The negotiators for the Foundation are Board Chair Kevin Barlow, Board member Mireya Llaurado and Board Secretary Marilyn Krahe, with Foundation CEO Jerry Kappel advising. The City is represented by Councilmember Lauren Kleiman, Mayor Noah Blom with support by Yolanda Summerhill and Dave Webb. The City Council expects to vote at their January 9 meeting. The Library would manage the new Lecture Hall, with the Foundation’s role being the facilitator for the community’s philanthropic support of the Hall construction. Chair Watkins opened the item for public comments, seeing none he received and filed the report. 11. Balboa Branch Replacement Update Library Services Director Hartson reported the Balboa ad-hoc subcommittee has not met recently. They look to meet after the beginning of the new year to consider initial design options that will be forthcoming to the public at a future meeting. 11 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 8 Vice Chair Larson commented in response to Mr. Mosher’s public comment about not being told about a meeting with the architect for this project because the meeting has not yet been scheduled due to conflicts on all party sides. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 12. Library Services Report of Library issues regarding services, patrons, and staff Library Services Director Hartson reported that the Friends of the Library celebrated their Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon last November. There are over 80 regular volunteers who work in the Bookstore in addition to a Board. They recognized combined years of service collectively; among the volunteers they have 706 cumulative service years. The Library is very grateful for the group of very dedicated volunteers and its Board. The Library's Integrated Library Systems (ILS) vendor, SirsiDynix, was unable to reach an agreement with their third-party app vendor, Solus. As a result, Solus has disabled the Library's mobile app, rendering it inoperable. SirsiDynix is working on developing an entirely new app. City IT is working with Library staff to determine the best path forward. There is currently not yet a timeline, however, the Library website has been made to be as mobile friendly as possible. Those who had Library cards on the app can take a picture of the library card and use it on any of the self-checkout machines. There is a possibility that the January Board meeting will be down on the Peninsula as the Balboa branch replacement will be a topic on that agenda. The location has yet to be determined. Chair Watkins opened the item up for public comment. Joni Nichols, Newport Beach Resident commented that she loved the Library app, and it would be helpful if staff could let the public know that it’s no longer working as four books she has already returned are still showing as outstanding on the app. It’s been a great app that not only automatically rechecks out a book for you, but also lets a person know if there are others waiting for the book. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. B. Monthly Reports 13. Library Foundation Liaison Reports A. Library Foundation Board Report on the most recently attended meeting. Chair Watkins reported that the last three pages of the packet is an excellent summary of what the Foundation has been doing with the MOU negotiations, Library Live and Witte Lecture ticket sales and other involvements of the Foundation. Trustee Reif inquired about the number of tickets sold for the sold-out events. 12 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 9 Chair Watkins stated the room seats 200. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. B. Library Live Lectures Committee Report on the most recently attended meeting. Secretary Lauren Kramer stated there is nothing to report this month. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. C. Witte Lectures Committee Report on the most recently attended meeting. Vice Chair Larson reported the Witte Lectures Committee had a subcommittee meeting in November that she was unable to attend. They are continuing to explore the topics that will have relevance in 2024-25, which indicates a great deal of hard work and foresight on their part. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 14. Friends of the Library Liaison Report Trustee update on the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Chair Watkins reported there has been no new meeting since the last Board meeting. Tomorrow morning at 10a.m., Chair Watkins and Library Services Director Hartson will be meeting with the Friends of the Library Board. They are an amazing group who are very passionate and committed to what they do. Chair Watkins noted that after the scheduled meeting tomorrow, Trustee Reif will be the new liaison for the Friends of the Library. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 15. Literacy Services Liaison Report Trustee update of the most recently attended Literacy Services Advisory Board. Trustee Castro stated she met with Literacy Coordinator Gabriela Leman, Literacy Assistant Christina Smith, and Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot regarding the adult literacy program last week and has a meeting scheduled with the advisory board, Pals4PAL, the fundraising arm of the program. They held a holiday potluck on Sunday, December 3. Chair Watkins stated that advisory board member Ms. Rhonda Watkins, attended the potluck that Christina and Gabriela hosted. It was a great event; the attention to detail was spectacular. Chair Watkins received and filed the report. 13 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 10 VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS – Two Minutes per speaker Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, commented about the exceptionally excellent and patron-friendly operation that the Board oversees. There is a van that moves books from branch to branch and thus assumed they have a way to move paper from branch to branch and suggested that van be allowed to carry the handwritten forms submitted by patrons to the Central Library Administration office. Dianne Wells, Newport Beach resident, suggested consideration of additional resources for the book reviews used for book collection. The Book List is a good resource for book review services. Three of many options include the Book Nanny, Cubby’s Book Ratings, and Plugged In. Francine Howard, Costa Mesa resident, commented that she was glad to hear that one commenter stated he did not become a liar by reading Huckleberry Finn. She is surprised to hear so many who do not read the books under review choose to continue allowing them in the children’s collection. Ms. Howard read excerpts from the book Who Are You? and expressed concern over allowing the book to remain in the children’s collection at the Library. Joni Nichols, Newport Beach resident, suggested using the review service of Welcoming Schools, a project of the Human Rights Foundation, which also has a list of age- appropriate books, and responded to the prior public commentor about her experience with a variety of genders. Gia Gaffaney, Newport Beach resident, commented that there are dozens of chromosome combinations possible and intersex babies that lead to a host of psychiatric problems later on. People come to the Library, over a million in Newport Beach alone, there could be a million sides to one issue, the question shouldn’t be who likes or dislikes a book. A library is for children to explore topics they have not been exposed to and learn about people. Haley Jenkins, Costa Mesa resident, read excerpts from a novel titled Flamer on the shelves at Central Library for teens. Ms. Jenkins stated the website includes a theme tab for this book that includes Boy Scouts of America, Comic Books and Juvenile Fiction. Her concern is the Library Services Director, nor the librarians read the books they are reviewing. It is not possible to appropriately review a book for age appropriateness without reading the content. Sydni Webb, Newport Beach resident, commented that the Library should be a safe place without children having to worry about topics being pushed on them. Some of the content in the recently reviewed books that being allowed in the children’s collection could qualify as sexual harassment in the workplace, yet they remain available for children to read. Children should be protected from inappropriate content and read an excerpt from the book Flamer. Debra Klein, Newport Beach resident, expressed concern regarding things she’s seen at schools and now in libraries. She submitted a complaint at a recent meeting that suggested several books that appear that they should be located in the adult fiction section. The book Who Are You? is highly inappropriate for preschoolers. Those who did 14 Board of Library Trustees Meeting December 11, 2023 Page 11 not agree with her comments at a previous meeting are people who do not have young children, only adult children, or none. She understands people want a choice, but the same should apply to the choice of parents trying to raise young children. Darla Magaña, an experienced school librarian, took offense to the idea that a book on a shelf is being forced into the hands of children. She believes the book Melissa is very age appropriate for elementary schools and is sad that it’s not often checked out. Parent’s and librarian choice should also consider and respect children’s choice for books. Annie Vangrow, Newport Beach resident, takes offense as being considered one of the parents who does not have skin in the game, she has several stepchildren and a recent great grandchild. This is about parental choice, which is removed when a book is banned from a shelf. Ms. Vangrow read an excerpt from Library Services Director Hartson’s review results letter. Chair Watkins asked if there were any other public comments. Hearing none, public comments were closed. 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 – 5:52 p.m. 15 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRON COMMENTSDECEMBER 2023Comment #CommentResponseDate ReceivedSource of CommentStaff MemberStaff Member TitleDate Responded to Patron 112/09/2023LetterErin SpiveyAdult Services Coordinatorn/a212/10/2023EmailAndy KachaturianCirc. & Tech. Processing Coordinator12/11/2023312/15/2023 & 12/21/2023Comment Card & EmailErin SpiveyAdult Services Coordinator12/15/2023412/29/2023EmailRebecca LightfootLibrary Services Manager12/29/2023We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the library! Thank you very much for such a thorough and detailed tour. Your library offers some wonderful services. We were particularly impressed with the Media Lab and recording studio. Thank you also for helping us get library cards. We appreciate your time and expertise!This thank you letter was received following a tour of Central Library for five patrons led by Erin Spivey on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.I've booked the sound recording lab for next Tuesday and want to know if patrons should already have previous knowledge before using it. Is there a resource for learning upon arrival? Thank you!You do not need to have prior knowledge of how to work the equipment in the Sound Lab. There are resources to help on the computer in the Lab, and staff is happy to assist with any questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions. Thank you.I’ve had a book on hold for a couple of months. I usually have books dropped off at the community center by my house, but this book seems to be unavailable for an unprecedented amount of time. I have not heard or seen any progress whatsoever on the place in the queue. I have tried re-pressing the hold button. It only notifies me that this title is currently on the way to me, but there has been no progress for, like I said, a while. The title is "Imagine Me" by Tahereh Mafi. Please let me know what you guys can do, or what I can do, to get this book to me. Thanks.I checked this morning and "Imagine Me" was checked in over the weekend. Your pickup location is set for the Newport Coast Community Center, so this will be sent over and be ready for pickup this afternoon. Hope this helps!Please keep the "New Catholic Encyclopedia" (second edition). It is very useful and highly respected. Mission Viejo Public Library and Rancho Margarita Public Library got rid of their sets of these books (first and second editions) during the COVID pandemic. Now I need to drive from Mission Viejo to Newport Beach to use your set which, as far as I know, is the only set in the public libraries in Orange County... Thank you for your prompt and kind attention to my library feedback form. I am pleased to hear that there are no plans to remove the "New Catholic Encyclopedia" from the library’s collection. While I’m at it, I should mention that the gentlemen who let me know of the opportunity to submit a library feedback form were very helpful, informative, and courteous. I’m referring to Jeremy and Greg.Thank you for taking the time to complete a library feedback form. I am pleased to hear that you find our "Catholic Encyclopedia" reference item to be useful. Though I am sorry to hear you now must make a farther drive to access the material, I’m glad that Newport Beach Public Library can meet your needs. We have no plans to remove this item from our collection as it is still being used by our patrons, including you. Thank you again for sharing your feedback, and if there is anything I can do to enhance your library experience, please let me know.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT January 16, 2024 Agenda Item No. 4 MELISSA HARTSON, LIBRARY SERVICES DIRECTOR 2023 Year in Review The Library enjoyed a successful 2023. Here’s a look back at our achievements from the past year: • The Friends of the Library contributed $200,000 for Library programming and collections. The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation donated $42,380 to support Project Adult Literacy (PAL), electronic collections and resources, print materials, update furniture at the Central Library, and replace the umbrellas in the Bamboo Courtyard. • National Library Week featured a full schedule of events to encourage the community to visit the Library. From storytimes with distinguished guest readers, to Coding for Kids, a puppet show, teen storytelling and college prep, and notable speakers hosted by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation. • Increased afterschool programs for children ages 6 to 11 including Coding for Kids, LEGO, Makerspace, Family Game Day, Middle Grade Book Club, BARK: Read to a Dog, and Crafternoon. The number of afterschool programs offered each month increased from an average of seven per month in 2022 to an average of 18 per month in 2023. • In addition to well-attended teen college prep workshops, new programs included a driving workshop for pre-permit teens and a financial literacy workshop for teens. • The Library saw the return of Digital Saturday, which featured presentations on Children’s Databases, Adult Databases, the eBranch, Media Lab, and a guest speaker who spoke about Cybersecurity. • For the first time, the Library hosted a Storytellers 2.0 Writing Workshop to offer next-level instruction to the ever-popular Storytellers Writing Workshop. • Summer Reading Program participation topped previous years. Reader participation saw a 21% increase for all audiences and program attendance far exceeded last year’s totals with a 139% increase. • The City’s IT staff worked with the Library to replace the Friends Meeting Room projector. The updated equipment provides the necessary reliability and improved visibility for Library programs. TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949) 717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director TITLE: Report of December Library Activities – January 16, 2024 Meeting 85 Report of December Library Activities January 16, 2024 Page 2 •New GoPro cameras and photography lighting kits were added to the Tech Toys collection. •Introduced a new read-along collection in November, and it has already proven popular. Read-along books are children’s books with built in audiobook players inside. •A new children’s library card design featuring playful dolphins and the Library’s signature blue colors launched in the spring. •Expanded services to include creating new Library accounts and issuing cards at offsite outreach events. •Project Adult Literacy (PAL) served 86 adult learners with 4,433 volunteer hours completed last fiscal year. In the spring, learners participated in the 22nd Annual Writer to Writer contest and these participants represented a fourth of all winners and runners up for the contest. •Orange County Alumnae Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma selected PAL as the recipient for its annual fundraising event. •Invested in training for staff with the return of all-staff meetings, attending conferences and workshops, viewing webinars, and adding an online training subscription with an emphasis on working with vulnerable populations. •Following a 3-year hiatus, the City Arts Commission hosted the Newport Beach Art Exhibition. The event featured 246 pieces of artwork by 143 artists. The Grand Opening of Phase VIII of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park was also included in the day’s festivities. •The Library created over 9,000 new patron accounts and checked out nearly 1.2 million items in 2023! WHEELHOUSE LIST FOR LIBRARY TRUSTEES •Sunday Musicale: West Coast Wind Quintet Sunday, January 21, 3 p.m. Friends Meeting Room, Central Library •Witte Lecture: Ed Yong Friday, February 9, 7 p.m. Saturday, February 10, 2 p.m. Friends Meeting Room, Central Library •Witte Lecture: Fiona Hill Friday, January 26, 7 p.m. Saturday, January 27, 2 p.m. Friends Meeting Room, Central Library •Sunday Musicale: Duo Unbound Sunday, February 18, 3 p.m. Friends Meeting Room, Central Library •Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Friday, February 2, 1 – 4 p.m. (Members Only) Saturday, February 3, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Friends Meeting Room, Central Library •Library Closure: President’s Day Monday, February 19 All locations •City Council Planning Session Saturday, February 3, 9 a.m. OASIS Senior Center •Board of Library Trustees Meeting Monday, February 26, 5 p.m. Civic Center Council Chambers 86 Report of December Library Activities January 16, 2024 Page 3 REBECCA LIGHTFOOT, LIBRARY SERVICES MANAGER Literacy Project Adult Literacy held an online instructor orientation and information session for current tutors interested in facilitating classes for learners, with twenty tutors registering. Also, an in-person workshop was held for the learners to encourage participation in the 2024 Writer-to-Writer competition. Programming In December, the Central Library featured a Holiday Sunday Musicale concert presenting Seraphour, an all-female, classical vocal quartet. They performed sacred Christmas music from the Renaissance to present day. The audience joined in singing classics like “Joy to the World” and “We Wish you a Merry Christmas.” They were well received with 218 in attendance. Mobile App Library staff has been working closely with City IT to identify a new mobile app vendor. Staff has attended several demonstrations. A decision should be imminent. ANNIKA HELMUTH, BRANCH AND YOUTH SERVICES COORDINATOR Branch Activities The Corona del Mar Christmas Walk was a festive and fun time for all! During the walk, Corona del Mar Branch (CdM) hosted an Open House event attended by 800 patrons. The branch offered light refreshments and fun activities for adults and children including games, contests, crafts, and a photo booth. In a returning partnership, Tamara Fairbanks, Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s Arts Coordinator, directed performances by the Corona del Mar High School Madrigals and the Lincoln Elementary Choir. At Balboa Branch (Balboa), a diseased Blue Gum Eucalyptus tree was removed from the parking lot area. Balboa also hosted Wonderful Winter Crafts on Wednesday, December 20. Participants were invited to make Snowflake Ornaments, Snowman Holiday Cards, and Painted Snowmobiles. Mariners Branch (Mariners) continued weekly LEGO programming, and with the end of autumn, Mariners staff changed the Children’s Room interactive seasonal display from falling leaves to a scene populated with snowflakes designed and decorated by young library patrons. Following similar changes made at the Central Library, the branches interfiled Pop and Rock genre music CDs as many artists appeared in both genres. To note, artists over the years also cross over musically and commercially. This also gives patrons a chance to discover new artists amongst their favorites. Youth Services In December, with school winter breaks and patron’s schedules filled with other commitments, the children’s room quieted, a trend often seen this time of year. During these quiet days, staff take a two- week storytime break that began on Sunday, December 24. For families visiting during the break, patrons are invited to participate in the Winter Bookshelf Book Hunt, a scavenger hunt that promotes information literacy and is fun, too! 87 Report of December Library Activities January 16, 2024 Page 4 Programs Early in December, local author Nycole Freer joined us at the Central Library to read her picture book, Haisley's Birthday Money, followed by some Q & A about financial planning with the adults, as well as a craft where kids made paper buckets (one for each: spend, save, and donate) to help them divide money that they earn or receive. December’s Crafternoon was particularly popular with a winter animal theme. Many of our regular families were in attendance, as well as some new patrons, for a total of 79 participants. Makerspace, Family Game Day, and Middle Grade Book Club, Central Library’s monthly afterschool programs, continued to delight patrons. Class Visits On Friday December 8, Lincoln Elementary’s first-grade students visited the Central Library for a tour of the children’s room, a lesson about library rules and materials, an overview of how to use the Library, and an opportunity to listen to a story. A highlight for the students was a special behind the scenes look at the circulation workroom to witness how books are returned, checked in, and then sorted. Also on Friday, December 8, a Daisy Girl Scout Troop from Newport Elementary visited Balboa after school for a storytime and tour of the library. Following their tour, the troop sat down to complete a bookmark craft. All the scouts left happy and excited to come back soon! Training Library Assistant Victoria Freshwater completed the Niche training webinar Library Programs for Homeschoolers: A Guide, which offered interesting insights into how to best serve our homeschool community. CdM Library Assistant Christina Miramontes completed two Federal Emergency Management Agency trainings required by the City and CdM Library Clerk Daisy Hernandez completed seven online courses on Homelessness through the Niche Academy. Mariners Branch Librarian Alex Johnkins attended an InfoPeople webinar, Graphic Novels and Manga for Teens and Tweens. ANDREW KACHATURIAN, CIRCULATION AND TECHNICAL PROCESSING COORDINATOR Staffing There are currently four open part-time Library Clerk positions and four Library Page positions. One Library Clerk applicant is in the background process. Additional interviews for both positions are scheduled in January. Facilities The fountain in the Children’s Discovery Garden at the Central Library was repaired in December due to an inoperable exterior outlet which was replaced. The breezeway between the Mariners Branch parking lot and Mariners Park has been locked to secure the area outside the chiller enclosure. Door vendor Assa Abloy replaced a faulty sensor on the front doors of Mariners Branch. 88 Report of December Library Activities January 16, 2024 Page 5 ERIN SPIVEY, ADULT SERVICES COORDINATOR Outreach Adult Services Coordinator Erin Spivey lead a tour of the Central Library for the Mental Health Association of Orange County on December 5. Five adult clients and one adult educator were given a tour of the facility, instructed in the use of our eBranch, and each was registered for a library card. Teens Library Assistant Danielle Yang led the monthly Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) meeting, assisted by part-time Library Assistant Anne-Marie Angeloff. Twelve teens attended the December 13, YAAC meeting. The teens enjoyed having hot chocolate and held a holiday used-book exchange. Attendees played trivia, worked on the YAAC book display list for January, as well as completed the YAAC teen interest survey. The survey revealed a variety of program interests, ranging from book clubs to life skills. Collection Development Staff worked diligently meeting patron needs. Patron requests for new titles continued to be very popular. November and December each saw the addition of 59 new items. Several staff members also evaluated donations from local authors and patrons. Thanks to the generosity of these individuals, several items were added to the collection. Library Assistant Chris Hennigan added a large selection of video games to our growing collection in anticipation of new video game systems coming to the library in 2024. Reference Collection The adult services librarians have begun the projected two-year process of refreshing the reference collection at Central Library. Staff are evaluating materials for accuracy, frequency of use, and community needs. For example, Librarian Laurie Sanders relocated the 000 nonfiction items from the reference collection to circulating, Reference Desk, or local history collections. This is done with the hope to dissolve any barriers to use as well using the practice of adjusting item placement when appropriate. Programming Erin Spivey met with several staff members to discuss upcoming programming opportunities, particularly around the 30th Anniversary of the Central Library this coming summer. Training Librarian Laurie Sanders attended a LibraryWorks webinar: “Promoting Your Collections: Messaging, Merchandising, and More.” Erin Spivey completed several trainings on team management, leadership, and library marketing. 89 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 Tracked by #searches A to Z Databases 1740 1695 1229 2435 1137 878 9114 Ancestry 976 937 881 451 789 91 4125 AskART 55 22 71 17 18 9 192 Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow 82 48 43 21 37 20 251 Britannica School Edition 23 4 126 613 50 357 1173 Exploring Race in Society 2 0 14 7 2 0 25 Gale Archives Unbound 1977 7446 1971 2410 7450 2190 23444 Gale Directory Library 17 2 0 77 9 17 122 Gale in Context: Biography 9 7 21 64 18 4 123 Gale in Context: Elementary 10 23 10 30 12 5 90 Gale in Context: Environmental * * * 12 21 1 34 Gale in Context: Opposing View 8 1 33 54 1078 76 1250 Gale Interactive: Science * * * 1 0 0 1 Gale Literature Resource Center 8 2 14 53 15 8 100 Gale Virtual Reference Library 46 28 12 33 209 21 349 HeritageQuest 224 241 140 92 233 95 1025 Legal Information Ref Center 72 65 25 28 33 23 246 National Geographic 24 14 62 38 28 21 187 National Geographic Kids 23 13 45 53 21 3 158 NewsBank 1292 1211 1634 1190 1092 1084 7503 NoveList Plus 48 84 37 423 225 112 929 NoveList K-8 Plus 22 44 22 72 36 0 196 ProQuest 2587 2605 2748 3262 3259 3073 17534 Proquest eLibrary 2 4 1 7 1 0 15 Reference Solutions Business 1883 614 389 481 337 159 3863 Reference Solutions Residential 91 32 34 866 19 156 1198 SIRS Discoverer 0 3 15 260 454 0 732 SIRS Issues Researcher 192 3 4 675 2331 1692 4897 World Book Online 4 8 99 225 49 6 391 Tracked by #page views Artist Works 4 3 3 1 6 5 22 Consumer Reports 3496 2508 2216 2099 3030 2099 15448 CultureGrams 26 45 22 224 30 34 381 Morningstar 5899 5543 3825 4267 4883 4093 28510 RealQuest 11 0 403 5 2 0 421 Tumblebooks 12 24 16 89 19 13 173 Value Line 13295 11823 13609 15082 16193 12548 82550 Tracked by courses LinkedIn Learning 349 190 200 235 162 151 1287 Tracked by books logged Beanstack 10374 4111 3584 3762 3903 1765 27499 Tracked by Hours Used ABC Mouse 27.68 30.40 18.77 20.53 25.83 43.01 166.22 Beanstack 4603 199 103 153 142 119 5319 Rosetta Stone 16.12 47.18 23.15 37.60 24.80 17.23 166.08 Notes: * Began October 2023 ** Information unavailable. Will add when received. Database FY Comparisons YTD 23/24 Proquest Articles Retrieved 2023-2024 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun AVG. Business Databases 1322 943 1235 1568 1498 1756 1387 Newspapers--Current 656 1022 919 941 580 805 821 Newspapers--Historical 1966 3410 1962 2116 2144 2078 2279 Magazines 19 22 12 36 49 1646 297 90 NBPL Website Usage 2023-24 Metric Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Total Users 23559 23192 20322 20852 19689 19396 21168 127010 New Users 22806 22634 19381 19876 18796 18098 20265 121591 Sessions 44852 41809 38321 39420 36151 35900 39409 236453 Pageviews 97997 72390 67543 67569 62349 57142 70832 424990 Sessions Per User 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 -- Pages Per Session 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 -- Avg. Session Dur. (min)3 3 3 3 3 2 3 -- Bounce Rate (%)54 58 56 58 57 60 57 -- Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Total Data Transferred (GB) 2023-24 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 240 157 342 257 478 206 280 1679 CdM 220 242 144 153 108 124 165 991 Mariners 1710 1500 1660 1900 1830 2810 1902 11410 Central 11410 12170 12450 11900 10690 10040 11443 68660 Total 13580 14069 14596 14210 13106 13180 13790 82740 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Total Unique Patrons 2023-24 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 518 445 401 377 331 333 401 2405 CdM 470 449 392 409 330 322 395 2372 Mariners 1575 1578 1679 1789 1541 1279 1574 9441 Central 8775 9524 9451 9593 8811 8795 9158 54949 Total 11338 11996 11923 12168 11013 10729 11528 69167 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Average Number of Patrons Per Day 2023-24 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 44 41 40 37 33 31 38 226 CdM 30 30 26 25 21 21 26 153 Mariners 124 125 139 151 128 109 129 776 Central 654 661 651 684 604 583 640 3837 Total 852 857 856 897 786 744 832 4992 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Average Usage Per Patron (MB) 2023-24 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 474 361 874 698 1440 632 747 4479 CdM 480 552 376 382 336 394 420 2520 Mariners 1110 999 1010 1090 1210 2250 1278 7669 Central 1330 1310 1350 1270 1240 1170 1278 7670 Total 3394 3222 3610 3440 4226 4446 3723 22338 91 DEC 23 YTD 23/24 YTD 22/23 BALBOA 2,122 13,390 16,127 CdM 3,434 22,562 18,465 MARINERS 18,243 127,611 125,745 CENTRAL 48,352 321,332 339,131 eBooks 7,715 46,328 42,995 eMagazines 6,168 24,851 12,266 eAudiobooks 6,170 37,588 35,268 Streaming Films 3,509 11,481 4,261 TOTAL 95,713 605,143 594,258 JAN 23 97,351 FEB 23 89,534 MAR 23 102,817 APR 23 94,662 MAY 23 96,156 JUN 23 98,173 JUL 23 104,890 AUG 23 102,859 SEP 23 100,092 OCT 23 102,739 NOV 23 98,850 DEC 23 95,713 TOTAL 1,183,836 12 Month Comparison NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - DECEMBER 2023 CIRCULATION BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL eBooks eMagazines eAudiobooks Streaming Films 85,000 90,000 95,000 100,000 105,000 110,000 JAN 23 FEB 23 MAR 23 APR 23 MAY 23 JUN 23 JUL 23 AUG 23 SEP 23 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 1,598,265 1,610,818 1,529,391 1,464,640 1,424,594 1,376,041 1,084,526 1,043,629 1,195,151 1,172,951 1,000,000 1,125,000 1,250,000 1,375,000 1,500,000 1,625,000 1,750,000 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 CIRCULATION 92 DEC 23 YTD 23/24 YTD 22/23 BALBOA 321 2,269 2,032 CdM 466 3,487 4,042 MARINERS 1,653 11,845 10,633 CENTRAL 5,205 37,796 35,721 TOTAL 7,645 55,397 52,428 12 Month Comparison JAN 23 8,577 FEB 23 8,486 MAR 23 10,508 APR 23 8,626 MAY 23 8,917 JUN 23 10,700 JUL 23 10,933 AUG 23 10,069 SEP 23 9,437 OCT 23 8,929 NOV 23 8,384 DEC 23 7,645 TOTAL 111,211 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - DECEMBER 2023 REFERENCE BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 6,500 7,500 8,500 9,500 10,500 11,500 JAN 23 FEB 23 MAR 23 APR 23 MAY 23 JUN 23 JUL 23 AUG 23 SEP 23 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 190,391 168,496 162,510 157,149 156,521 163,392 131,445 78,088 105,958 108,242 70,000 90,000 110,000 130,000 150,000 170,000 190,000 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 REFERENCE 93 DEC 23 YTD 23/24 YTD 22/23 BALBOA 1,845 12,311 12,515 CdM 3,347 18,529 15,793 MARINERS 11,213 72,397 67,260 CENTRAL 30,987 215,383 202,189 TOTAL 47,392 318,620 297,757 12 Month Comparison JAN 23 50,627 FEB 23 50,358 MAR 23 59,398 APR 23 59,010 MAY 23 53,465 JUN 23 52,680 JUL 23 55,882 AUG 23 56,811 SEP 23 54,320 OCT 23 56,154 NOV 23 48,061 DEC 23 47,392 TOTAL 644,158 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - DECEMBER 2023 PATRONS SERVED BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 40,000 45,000 50,000 55,000 60,000 65,000 JAN 23 FEB 23 MAR 23 APR 23 MAY 23 JUN 23 JUL 23 AUG 23 SEP 23 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 1,399,841 1,256,238 1,209,719 1,102,106 1,158,344 935,953 636,072 145,463 512,178 623,295 100,000 300,000 500,000 700,000 900,000 1,100,000 1,300,000 1,500,000 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 PATRONS SERVED IN LIBRARY 94 DEC 23 YTD 23/24 YTD 22/23 BALBOA 153 1,132 745 CdM 1,717 5,395 4,255 MARINERS 1,485 6,323 5,074 CENTRAL 3,849 35,445 30,841 TOTAL 7,204 48,295 40,915 12 Month Comparison JAN 23 4,244 FEB 23 5,328 MAR 23 6,022 APR 23 6,001 MAY 23 8,113 JUN 23 7,670 JUL 23 9,541 AUG 23 3,725 SEP 23 9,851 OCT 23 10,526 NOV 23 7,448 DEC 23 7,204 TOTAL 85,673 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - DECEMBER 2023 BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 11,000 JAN 23 FEB 23 MAR 23 APR 23 MAY 23 JUN 23 JUL 23 AUG 23 SEP 23 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 49,977 64,473 67,646 69,922 70,430 68,241 68,078 52,678 64,397 78,293 45,000 55,000 65,000 75,000 85,000 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE 95 LIBRARY EXPENDITURES FY 2023-24 (January 3, 2024) ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION ORIGINAL APPROP REVISED BUDGET YTD EXPENDED MONTHLY EXPENDED AVAILABLE BUDGET I SALARY & BENEFITS SALARY FULL-TIME REGULAR 3,156,337 3,156,337 1,381,516 232,656 1,774,821 SALARY PART-TIME 1,279,860 1,324,256 409,155 65,135 915,101 BENEFITS 2,247,901 2,371,705 1,067,973 173,306 1,303,732 SALARY & BENEFITS TOTAL 6,684,098 6,852,299 2,858,644 471,097 3,993,654 II MAINT & OPERATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICE*207,488 207,488 75,760 19,051 131,728 UTILITIES 372,933 372,933 187,823 24,496 185,110 PROGRAMMING 2,000 5,800 2,520 (27)3,280 SUPPLIES**82,800 83,146 35,121 4,018 48,025 LIBRARY MATERIALS 669,740 670,737 485,718 25,729 185,019 FACILITIES MAINTENANCE 250,275 260,864 111,463 12,428 149,401 TRAINING AND TRAVEL 10,681 10,681 2,264 1,170 8,417 GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES***24,202 25,920 9,854 1,328 16,066 PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE 5,000 5,000 28 0 4,972 INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS 1,693,396 1,693,396 846,698 141,116 846,698 OFFICE EQUIPMENT 2,000 2,000 379 0 1,621 MAINT & OPERATION TOTAL 3,320,516 3,337,967 1,757,629 229,311 1,580,338 LIBRARY BUDGET TOTAL 10,004,613 10,190,266 4,616,273 700,408 5,573,992 *PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - INCLUDE OUTSIDE PRINTING, JANITORIAL, WINDOW SERVICE **INCLUDES OFFICE , PROCESSING AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES ***INCLUDES, ADVERTISING, DUES, EVENT INSURANCE 96 FY 2023-24 (January 5, 2024) DATE FUNDED AMOUNT PURPOSE AMT EXPENDED YTD NOTES JULY 2023 WISH LIST 150,000 NEW MATERIALS 0 SPENDING TO BEGIN THIRD QUARTER 50,000 PROGRAMMING 0 SPENDING TO BEGIN THIRD QUARTER TOTAL 200,000 0 DATE FUNDED AMOUNT PURPOSE AMT EXPENDED YTD NOTES SEPT 2023 WISH LIST 16,980 LIBRARY MATERIALS 2,380 IN PROGRESS 23,000 FURNITURE 1,160 IN PROGRESS TOTAL 39,980 3,540 FRIENDS FOUNDATION 97 Previous Agenda Date AGENDA ITEM Scheduled Agenda Date Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Jan 17, 2023 Jan 16, 2024 Feb 21, 2023 Feb 26, 2024 Feb 21, 2023 Feb 26, 2024 Mar 20, 2023 Mar 18, 2024 Apr 17, 2023 Apr 15, 2024 Apr 17, 2023 Apr 15, 2024 May 15, 2023 May 20, 2024 May 15, 2023 May 20, 2024 May 15, 2023 May 20, 2024 Jun 19, 2023 Jun 17, 2024 Jun 19, 2023 Jun 17, 2024 Jul 17, 2023 Jul 15, 2024 Jul 17, 2023 Jul 15, 2024 Aug 21, 2023 Aug 19, 2024 Aug 21, 2023 Aug 19, 2024 Sep 18, 2023 Sep 16, 2024 Oct 16, 2023 Oct 21, 2024 Oct 16, 2023 Oct 21, 2024 Dec 11, 2023 Dec 16, 2024 LAST REVIEWED POLICY REVIEW Oct 16, 2023 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy Jan 16, 2024 Feb 22, 2022 NBPL 3 Library Gift and Donor Policy Feb 26, 2024 Nov 15, 2021 NBPL 15 The Library Lecture Hall Feb 26, 2024 Jul 18, 2022 CC I-1 Library Services Policy (Council Policy I -1)Jul 15, 2024 Sep 19, 2022 NBPL 9 Expressive Use Areas Sep 16, 2024 Nov 21, 2022 NBPL 6 Media Lab Use Policy Nov 18, 2024 Nov 21, 2022 NBPL 7 Sound Lab Use Policy Nov 18, 2024 Jan 17, 2023 NBPL 12 Circulation Policy Jan 21, 2025 Jan 17, 2023 NBPL 5 Internet Use Policy Jan 21, 2025 Jan 17, 2023 NBPL 11 Rules for Acceptable Use of Wireless Internet Connections Jan 21, 2025 Feb 21, 2023 NBPL 8 Display and Distribution of Materials Policy Feb 18, 2025 Apr 17, 2023 NBPL 1 Library Use Policy Apr 21, 2025 Apr 17, 2023 NBPL 13 Study Rooms/Charles Sword Meeting Room Policy Apr 21, 2025 Jun 19, 2023 NBPL 4 Children in the Library Policy Jun 16, 2025 Aug 21, 2023 NBPL 14 The Friends Meeting Room Aug 18, 2025 Dec 11, 2023 NBPL 10 Laptop Borrowing Policy Dec 15, 2025 BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MONITORING LIST Lecture Hall Update Balboa Branch Replacement Update Annual Budget - Preliminary Review Branch Update - CDM Arts & Cultural Update Newport Beach Public Library eBranch, Database and Downloadable Services Review Performance Review of Library Services Director (Closed Session) Policy Review (See List Below) Branch Update - Balboa Library Material Selection Marketing Update & Social Networking Update Media Lab Update Proposed Library Closures for Winter Holidays Youth Services Update Election of Board of Library Trustees Officers/Trustee Liaisons Financial Report Comparison of Beginning Budget to End of the Year Amended Budget Literacy Program Update Information Technology Update Adult and Reference Services Update Branch Update - Mariners Review Holidays / Meeting Schedule Annual Budget - Approval 98 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT January 16, 2024 Agenda Item No. 8 RECOMMENDATION: The Collection Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee will provide its recommendation for the patron appeals process for evaluation of library resources. Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees (Board) approve the following: •“Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” and “Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” and if approved, •Approve the amended Library Policy NBPL 2, Collection Development Policy, which incorporates the “Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” and the “Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” into the Collection Development Policy. DISCUSSION: The Collection Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee was reinstated at the November 20, 2023, Board of Library Trustees’ meeting for the purpose of developing an appeals process associated with any unresolved concerns regarding the decision rendered for a patron’s request for evaluation of library resources. The Library’s Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2) includes a “Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources” form for patrons to complete if they have concerns about a specific title in the collection. Staff evaluate the title and provide a recommendation to the Library Services Director who responds with a decision on whether the title will remain in the collection, be moved to another collection, or withdrawn from the collection. Per the Collection Development Policy, “any unresolved concerns shall be referred to the Board of Library Trustees for final resolution.” An appeals application and associated procedures will serve as the means to initiate the referral to the Board and have the Board provide final resolution on any unresolved concerns regarding the Library Services Director’s decision. The Collection Development Ad Hoc Subcommittee has also proposed amending the existing Collection Development Policy to include the appeals procedures and application. TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949)717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director TITLE: Process for Patron Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources 99 Process for Patron Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources January 16, 2024 Page 2 The Office of the City Attorney has reviewed the application for appeal and the procedures. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). ATTACHMENT A: Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2) – original ATTACHMENT B: Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2) – red-lined ATTACHMENT C: Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2) – final ATTACHMENT D: Patron Request for Evaluation of Library Resources (Attachment I) – original ATTACHMENT E: Patron Request for Evaluation of Library Resources (Attachment I) – red-lined ATTACHMENT F: Patron Request for Evaluation of Library Resources (Attachment I) – final ATTACHMENT G: Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees (Attachment II) 100 1 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy The Library seeks to provide breadth and depth within the collection, various points of view, and differing formats. The Library endeavors to balance materials of permanent value with those of current interest. Materials are selected based on their content as a whole, not on selected excerpts. Race, nationality, or political, social, moral, or religious views of an author will not affect the selection of materials. Collection Objectives It is the intent of the Board of Library Trustees that the Newport Beach Public Library provides a contemporary, relevant collection of resources in order to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of the entire community. The Library strives to meet these needs within the limitations of space, budget and availability of items. Selection is based on merit of the work; value of the work within the collection; and the needs and interests of the community. Consideration is given to specific types of material; to materials for specific age groups; to materials for special interests of patrons; and to differing formats of materials. These selection criteria will apply equally to materials purchased and to those accepted as gifts. Responsibility of Selection Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Library Services Director, who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library Board. The Library Services Director delegates the major responsibility of materials selection to the Librarians on staff. Guidelines for Materials Selection Collection Development is based on these specific criteria: •Community needs, interests and demands •Significance and compatibility of the work to the collection •Recommendations of reviews from professional journals or publications of national repute •Reputation and qualifications of the author, illustrator, publisher or producer •Availability of other information on the subject •Literary, artistic, historical, scientific or intellectual merit •Suitability of format •Author or creator already has popular works in the collection •Significance of the author’s work to the Newport Beach area •Suitability of subject and style to intended audience The importance or weight of each of these factors will vary from one acquisition to another, others may be considered, and materials for adults, teens and children will each be judged differently. Patrons making requests that items be added to the permanent collection will be referred to the “Suggest a Title” form located on the Library’s website. Suggestions from Library patrons are encouraged and receive serious consideration. ATTACHMENT A 101 2 Reciprocal Lending Many items which are not in the collection are available to Library patrons, through established interlibrary loan practices. Concurrently, the Library participates in universal borrowing, established by the California Library Services Act, Article 4, California Education Code Section 18731, which states, “A California public library may participate in universal borrowing. A public library participating in universal borrowing shall not exclude the residents of any jurisdiction maintaining a public library.” This allows Newport Beach Public Library patrons direct access to materials housed in other participating public libraries in Orange County and throughout the State of California. Patron Rights The Library believes that the use of library materials is an individual and private matter. Parents and caregivers have the primary responsibility to guide and direct the use of library materials by the minor children under their care and supervision. In support of the above principles, in general the Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement as adopted by the American Library Association Council. Library patrons with concerns about a specific title in the collection shall be provided with a copy of this Policy and asked to complete the "Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources" form, Attachment I to this Policy. Library staff shall evaluate the material, based on this Policy. A recommendation shall be forwarded to the Library Services Director who shall respond in writing to the patron. Once the Library Services Director has responded, copies of the Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources and the response shall be provided to the Board of Library Trustees at its subsequent regular meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Policy, any materials in the Children’s Collection or Teen Collection considered not age appropriate by the Library Services Director will be relocated to another Library location or the Library Services Director may take other actions pursuant to the Collection Maintenance section in this Policy. Any unresolved concerns shall be referred to the Board of Library Trustees for final resolution. Donations The Library only accepts materials in useable condition. All donations become the sole property of the Newport Beach Public Library upon receipt and cannot be returned. The Library reserves the right to decide whether donated items are added to the collection and to determine the conditions of display, storage and access. All donated materials added to the collection must meet the same collection criteria as purchased materials. Donated items not added to the collection are given to the Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library for sale in their bookstore. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library Bookstore directly benefit the Library. Collection Maintenance The Library and the Library Services Director are continually evaluating the collection and, on their own initiative, may take actions with respect to the collection based on this Policy. To maintain the quality and relevance of the collection, the Library regularly withdraws materials that are worn, outdated, superseded or obsolete. Space limitations require that duplicate copies no longer in demand also be withdrawn. 102 3 As materials become worn, damaged, or lost, replacement will be based on whether or not: •The item is still available •There is an ongoing demand or need •Another item or format might better serve the same purpose •Updated, newer, or revised materials would better replace a given item •Another library system could better provide the item or a comparable item in the future [Attachment I – Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources] Adopted - October 22, 1990 Amended - October 28, 1991 Amended - January 24, 1994 Reassigned - April 8, 2003 Corrected (Att. II) – October 10, 2006 Revisions Approved – November 16, 2010 Amendments Approved by City Council – September 27, 2011 Amended – August 20, 2018 Formerly I-16 Amended – August 17, 2020 Amended – August 15, 2022 Amended – September 18, 2023 Amended – October 16, 2023 This Policy will be periodically reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees on the first to occur of (i) as circumstances may require or (ii) every two years from the date of adoption, last amendment, or last review. Adopted, last amended, or last reviewed on October 16, 2023. 103 1 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy The Library seeks to provide breadth and depth within the collection, various points of view, and differing formats. The Library endeavors to balance materials of permanent value with those of current interest. Materials are selected based on their content as a whole, not on selected excerpts. Race, nationality, or political, social, moral, or religious views of an author will not affect the selection of materials. Collection Objectives It is the intent of the Board of Library Trustees (“Board”) that the Newport Beach Public Library provides a contemporary, relevant collection of resources in order to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of the entire community. The Library strives to meet these needs within the limitations of space, budget and availability of items. Selection is based on merit of the work; value of the work within the collection; and the needs and interests of the community. Consideration is given to specific types of material; to materials for specific age groups; to materials for special interests of patrons; and to differing formats of materials. These selection criteria will apply equally to materials purchased and to those accepted as gifts. Responsibility of Selection Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Library Services Director (“Director”), who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library Board. The Library Services Director delegates the major responsibility of materials selection to the Librarians on staff. Guidelines for Materials Selection Collection Development is based on these specific criteria: •Community needs, interests and demands •Significance and compatibility of the work to the collection •Recommendations of reviews from professional journals or publications of national repute •Reputation and qualifications of the author, illustrator, publisher or producer •Availability of other information on the subject •Literary, artistic, historical, scientific or intellectual merit •Suitability of format •Author or creator already has popular works in the collection •Significance of the author’s work to the Newport Beach area •Suitability of subject and style to intended audience The importance or weight of each of these factors will vary from one acquisition to another, others may be considered, and materials for adults, teens and children will each be judged differently. Patrons making requests that items be added to the permanent collection will be referred to the “Suggest a Title” form located on the Library’s website. Suggestions from Library patrons are encouraged and receive serious consideration. ATTACHMENT B 104 2 Reciprocal Lending Many items which are not in the collection are available to Library patrons, through established interlibrary loan practices. Concurrently, the Library participates in universal borrowing, established by the California Library Services Act, Article 4, California Education Code Section 18731, which states, “A California public library may participate in universal borrowing. A public library participating in universal borrowing shall not exclude the residents of any jurisdiction maintaining a public library.” This allows Newport Beach Public Library patrons direct access to materials housed in other participating public libraries in Orange County and throughout the State of California. Patron Rights The Library believes that the use of library materials is an individual and private matter. Parents and caregivers have the primary responsibility to guide and direct the use of library materials by the minor children under their care and supervision. In support of the above principles, in general the Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement as adopted by the American Library Association Council. Library patrons with concerns about a specific title in the collection shall be provided with a copy of this Policy and asked to complete the "Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources" form, Attachment I to this Policy. Library staff shall evaluate the material, based on this Policy. A recommendation shall be forwarded to the Library Services Director who shall respond in writing to the patron (“Director’s Decision”). Once the Library Services Director has respondedmade the Director’s Decision, copies of the Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources and the response Director’s Decision shall be provided to the Board of Library Trustees at its subsequent regular meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Policy, any materials in the Children’s Collection or Teen Collection considered not age appropriate by the Library Services Director will be relocated to another Library location or the Library Services Director may take other actions pursuant to the Collection Maintenance section in this Policy. Any unresolved concerns shall be referred to the Board of Library Trustees for final resolutionIf the patron disagrees with the Director’s Decision, the patron may appeal to the Board for final resolution. The appeal shall be filed on the “Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Appeal Application”), and the Board’s final resolution shall be determined in accordance with the “Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Procedures”). The Appeal Application and the Procedures are set forth in Attachment II to this Policy. Donations The Library only accepts materials in useable condition. All donations become the sole property of the Newport Beach Public Library upon receipt and cannot be returned. The Library reserves the right to decide whether donated items are added to the collection and to determine the conditions of display, storage and access. All donated materials added to the collection must meet the same collection criteria as purchased materials. Donated items not added to the collection are given to the Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library for sale in their bookstore. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library Bookstore directly benefit the Library. 105 3 Collection Maintenance The Library and the Library Services Director are continually evaluating the collection and, on their own initiative, may take actions with respect to the collection based on this Policy. To maintain the quality and relevance of the collection, the Library regularly withdraws materials that are worn, outdated, superseded or obsolete. Space limitations require that duplicate copies no longer in demand also be withdrawn. As materials become worn, damaged, or lost, replacement will be based on whether or not: •The item is still available •There is an ongoing demand or need •Another item or format might better serve the same purpose •Updated, newer, or revised materials would better replace a given item •Another library system could better provide the item or a comparable item in the future [Attachment I – Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources] [Attachment II – Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees and Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees] Adopted - October 22, 1990 Amended - October 28, 1991 Amended - January 24, 1994 Reassigned - April 8, 2003 Corrected (Att. II) – October 10, 2006 Revisions Approved – November 16, 2010 Amendments Approved by City Council – September 27, 2011 Amended – August 20, 2018 Formerly I-16 Amended – August 17, 2020 Amended – August 15, 2022 Amended – September 18, 2023 Amended – October 16, 2023 Amended – January 16, 2024 This Policy will be periodically reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees on the first to occur of (i) as circumstances may require or (ii) every two years from the date of adoption, last amendment, or last review. Adopted, last amended, or last reviewed on October 16, 2023January 16, 2024. 106 1 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy The Library seeks to provide breadth and depth within the collection, various points of view, and differing formats. The Library endeavors to balance materials of permanent value with those of current interest. Materials are selected based on their content as a whole, not on selected excerpts. Race, nationality, or political, social, moral, or religious views of an author will not affect the selection of materials. Collection Objectives It is the intent of the Board of Library Trustees (“Board”) that the Newport Beach Public Library provides a contemporary, relevant collection of resources in order to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of the entire community. The Library strives to meet these needs within the limitations of space, budget and availability of items. Selection is based on merit of the work; value of the work within the collection; and the needs and interests of the community. Consideration is given to specific types of material; to materials for specific age groups; to materials for special interests of patrons; and to differing formats of materials. These selection criteria will apply equally to materials purchased and to those accepted as gifts. Responsibility of Selection Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Library Services Director (“Director”), who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library Board. The Director delegates the major responsibility of materials selection to the Librarians on staff. Guidelines for Materials Selection Collection Development is based on these specific criteria: •Community needs, interests and demands •Significance and compatibility of the work to the collection •Recommendations of reviews from professional journals or publications of national repute •Reputation and qualifications of the author, illustrator, publisher or producer •Availability of other information on the subject •Literary, artistic, historical, scientific or intellectual merit •Suitability of format •Author or creator already has popular works in the collection •Significance of the author’s work to the Newport Beach area •Suitability of subject and style to intended audience The importance or weight of each of these factors will vary from one acquisition to another, others may be considered, and materials for adults, teens and children will each be judged differently. Patrons making requests that items be added to the permanent collection will be referred to the “Suggest a Title” form located on the Library’s website. Suggestions from Library patrons are encouraged and receive serious consideration. ATTACHMENT C 107 2 Reciprocal Lending Many items which are not in the collection are available to Library patrons, through established interlibrary loan practices. Concurrently, the Library participates in universal borrowing, established by the California Library Services Act, Article 4, California Education Code Section 18731, which states, “A California public library may participate in universal borrowing. A public library participating in universal borrowing shall not exclude the residents of any jurisdiction maintaining a public library.” This allows Newport Beach Public Library patrons direct access to materials housed in other participating public libraries in Orange County and throughout the State of California. Patron Rights The Library believes that the use of library materials is an individual and private matter. Parents and caregivers have the primary responsibility to guide and direct the use of library materials by the minor children under their care and supervision. In support of the above principles, in general the Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement as adopted by the American Library Association Council. Library patrons with concerns about a specific title in the collection shall be provided with a copy of this Policy and asked to complete the "Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources" form, Attachment I to this Policy. Library staff shall evaluate the material, based on this Policy. A recommendation shall be forwarded to the Director who shall respond in writing to the patron (“Director’s Decision”). Once the Director has made the Director’s Decision, copies of the Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources and the Director’s Decision shall be provided to the Board at its subsequent regular meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Policy, any materials in the Children’s Collection or Teen Collection considered not age appropriate by the Director will be relocated to another Library location or the Director may take other actions pursuant to the Collection Maintenance section in this Policy. If the patron disagrees with the Director’s Decision, the patron may appeal to the Board for final resolution. The appeal shall be filed on the “Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Appeal Application”), and the Board’s final resolution shall be determined in accordance with the “Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Procedures”). The Appeal Application and the Procedures are set forth in Attachment II to this Policy. Donations The Library only accepts materials in useable condition. All donations become the sole property of the Newport Beach Public Library upon receipt and cannot be returned. The Library reserves the right to decide whether donated items are added to the collection and to determine the conditions of display, storage and access. All donated materials added to the collection must meet the same collection criteria as purchased materials. Donated items not added to the collection are given to the Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library for sale in their bookstore. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library Bookstore directly benefit the Library. 108 3 Collection Maintenance The Library and the Director are continually evaluating the collection and, on their own initiative, may take actions with respect to the collection based on this Policy. To maintain the quality and relevance of the collection, the Library regularly withdraws materials that are worn, outdated, superseded or obsolete. Space limitations require that duplicate copies no longer in demand also be withdrawn. As materials become worn, damaged, or lost, replacement will be based on whether or not: •The item is still available •There is an ongoing demand or need •Another item or format might better serve the same purpose •Updated, newer, or revised materials would better replace a given item •Another library system could better provide the item or a comparable item in the future [Attachment I – Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources] [Attachment II – Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees and Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees] Adopted - October 22, 1990 Amended - October 28, 1991 Amended - January 24, 1994 Reassigned - April 8, 2003 Corrected (Att. II) – October 10, 2006 Revisions Approved – November 16, 2010 Amendments Approved by City Council – September 27, 2011 Amended – August 20, 2018 Formerly I-16 Amended – August 17, 2020 Amended – August 15, 2022 Amended – September 18, 2023 Amended – October 16, 2023 Amended – January 16, 2024 This Policy will be periodically reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees on the first to occur of (i) as circumstances may require or (ii) every two years from the date of adoption, last amendment, or last review. Adopted, last amended, or last reviewed on January 16, 2024. 109 ATTACHMENT I PATRON’S REQUEST FOR EVALUATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES We appreciate your interest in the materials which have been selected for inclusion in the collection of the Newport Beach Public Library. If you have a concern about a specific item, we would appreciate your assistance in addressing the matter. Please fill out this form and return it to the Site Manager. The staff will evaluate the material and forward a recommendation to the Library Services Director. This completed form and corresponding response from the Library Services Director will be included in the Board of Library Trustees agenda packet. Name Date Address City State Zip Phone Resources on which you were commenting: Book Audiovisual Resource Magazine Content of Library Program Newspaper Other 1.Title 2.Author/Producer 3.What brought this title to your attention? 4.Have you seen or heard reviews of this material? 5.Please comment on the resource as a whole. ATTACHMENT D 110 6.Please note your specific concerns. 7.What resource(s) would you suggest, to provide additional information on this topic? 8.What action are you requesting the Library to consider (remove, relocate, add, other)? Please use the back of this form if additional space is needed. Thank you for taking the additional time to complete this form. Your request for evaluation will be given careful consideration and a response provided. Newport Beach Public Library Newport Beach, California Corrected - October 10, 2006 Revised – November 16, 2010 Revised – August 20, 2018 Revised – August 17, 2020 Reviewed – August 15, 2022 Revised – September 18, 2023 Revised – October 16, 2023 111 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY RECEIVED: RESPONDED: BLT MEETING: ATTACHMENT I PATRON’S REQUEST FOR EVALUATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES We appreciate your interest in the materials which have been selected for inclusion in the collection of the Newport Beach Public Library. If you have a concern about a specific item, we would appreciate your assistance in addressing the matter. Please fill out this form and return it to the Site Manager. The staff will evaluate the material and forward a recommendation to the Library Services Director (“Director”). This completed form and corresponding response from the Library Services Director will be included in the Board of Library Trustees agenda packet. Print Name Date Address City State Zip Phone Resources on which you were commenting: Book Audiovisual Resource Magazine Content of Library Program Newspaper Other 1.Title 2.Author/Producer 3.What brought this title to your attention? 4.Have you seen or heard reviews of this material? 5.Please comment on the resource as a whole. ATTACHMENT E 112 6.Please note your specific concerns. 7.What resource(s) would you suggest, to provide additional information on this topic? 8.What action are you requesting the Library to consider (remove, relocate, add, other)? Please fill out this form in its entirety and return to Central Library Administration Office, Attention: Administrative Assistant (1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach) or by email to libraryadmin@newportbeachca.gov. You may also drop it off at one of the branches so it can be forwarded to the Central Library. Please use the back of this form if additional space is needed. Thank you for taking the additional time to complete this form. Your request for evaluation will be given careful consideration and a response provided. Newport Beach Public Library Newport Beach, California Corrected - October 10, 2006 Revised – November 16, 2010 Revised – August 20, 2018 Revised – August 17, 2020 113 Reviewed – August 15, 2022 Revised – September 18, 2023 Revised – October 16, 2023 Revised – January 16, 2024 114 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY RECEIVED: RESPONDED: BLT MEETING: ATTACHMENT I PATRON’S REQUEST FOR EVALUATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES We appreciate your interest in the materials which have been selected for inclusion in the collection of the Newport Beach Public Library. If you have a concern about a specific item, we would appreciate your assistance in addressing the matter. The staff will evaluate the material and forward a recommendation to the Library Services Director (“Director”). This completed form and corresponding response from the Director will be included in the Board of Library Trustees agenda packet. Print Name Date Address City State Zip Phone Resources on which you were commenting: Book Audiovisual Resource Magazine Content of Library Program Newspaper Other 1.Title 2.Author/Producer 3.What brought this title to your attention? 4.Have you seen or heard reviews of this material? 5.Please comment on the resource as a whole. ATTACHMENT F 115 6.Please note your specific concerns. 7.What resource(s) would you suggest, to provide additional information on this topic? 8.What action are you requesting the Library to consider (remove, relocate, add, other)? Please fill out this form in its entirety and return to Central Library Administration Office, Attention: Administrative Assistant (1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach) or by email to libraryadmin@newportbeachca.gov. You may also drop it off at one of the branches so it can be forwarded to the Central Library. Please use the back of this form if additional space is needed. Thank you for taking the additional time to complete this form. Your request for evaluation will be given careful consideration and a response provided. Newport Beach Public Library Newport Beach, California Corrected - October 10, 2006 Revised – November 16, 2010 Revised – August 20, 2018 Revised – August 17, 2020 Reviewed – August 15, 2022 Revised – September 18, 2023 Revised – October 16, 2023 Revised – January 16, 2024 116 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY RECEIVED: APPEAL DATE: ATTACHMENT II APPLICATION FOR APPEAL OF EVALUATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES TO THE BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES The Library Services Director (“Director”) will schedule the Patron’s Appeal hearing. The Patron will present their appeal to the Board of Library Trustees (“Board”) and Library Staff will present its position to the Board. Members of the public will also be provided with an opportunity to comment at the hearing. Thereafter, and in keeping with the Library’s Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2), the Board will provide final resolution of the matter. Print Name Address City State Zip Phone Email Resource on which you are appealing: Book Audiovisual Resource Magazine Content of Library Program Newspaper Other 1. Title 2. Author/Producer 3. Date of Director’s Decision 4. Briefly explain why you disagree with the Director’s Decision (attach additional pages, if necessary): Please fill out this appeal application in its entirety and return it to Central Library Administration Office, Attention: Library Services Director (1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach) or by email to libraryadmin@newportbeachca.gov. You may also drop it off at one of the branches so it can be forwarded to the Central Library. Thank you for taking the time to complete this application. Newport Beach Public Library Newport Beach, California Patron Signature Date 117 APPEAL PROCEDURES FOR PATRON’S APPEAL OF EVALUATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES TO THE BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES 1) A Patron may appeal the Director’s Decision to the Board of Library Trustees (“Board”) on the form entitled “Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Appeal Form”). 2) The completed Appeal Form must be received by the Director at the Central Library Administrative Office within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of the Director’s Decision. Otherwise, the Director’s Decision shall be final and unappealable. If the Appeal Form is not completed as required by its terms, the appeal will be deemed incomplete in which case the Director’s Decision shall be final. 3) Following receipt of a completed Appeal Form, the Director shall schedule a date, time, and location of a hearing by the Board to consider the appeal. The Director will use his/her reasonable efforts to schedule the hearing within sixty (60) calendar days of the Director’s receipt of the completed Appeal Form. 4) The Library Staff and the Patron shall respectively present their positions to the Board subject to time limitations imposed by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion. Members of the public will also be provided with an opportunity to comment at the hearing subject to time limitations imposed by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion. 5) Following the presentations and public comment, the Board shall provide final resolution of the matter at the meeting or may take additional time in its sole and absolute discretion. Should the Patron not be present at the hearing, the Board shall provide final resolution in their absence. The resolution by the Board is final. The Director shall provide written notice of the final resolution to the Patron. 6) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in these Appeal Procedures or otherwise in the Collection Development Policy (NBPL 2), the Board’s decision as to a specific resource (whether the item be a book, magazine, newspaper, audiovisual resource, content of a Library program, or other resource) shall be final and not subject to additional appeal for five (5) years. Adopted – January 16, 2024 118 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT January 16, 2024 Agenda Item No. 9 ABSTRACT: The eBranch component of the Newport Beach Public Library consists of databases and downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and streaming video. The eBranch is promoted as the 24/7/365 resource that is accessible anywhere and at any time. Many patrons take advantage of the services provided under the eBranch. DISCUSSION: Online resources continued to remain popular during 2023. Databases remain an essential and well-used resource for the community and staff. The Library is proud to offer over 40 databases that specialize in topics that appeal to all age groups and interest levels. Several databases have over 1,000 uses per month, including Gale Archives Unbound, NewsBank, ProQuest, Consumer Reports, Morningstar, and Value Line. The Library added Exploring Race in Society in June, courtesy of EBSCO, a vendor that offers many educational databases. Aimed at high school and undergraduate researchers, this database provides access to thousands of full-text articles and other scholarly resources related to race, diversity, and inclusiveness in a solutions-oriented context. In December, the Library added Alexander Street, courtesy of the California State Library. Alexander Streets offers thousands of videos, audio recordings, and writings, including full performances of plays and albums from around the world. Staff is always on the lookout for ways to improve database selections, evaluating new databases and existing ones to see if they still meet the needs of the community. eBranch Service Provided Vendor eBooks and audiobooks OverDrive eMagazines Flipster and OverDrive Streaming Video Kanopy TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949)717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager TITLE: NBPL eBranch, Database and Downloadable Services 119 NBPL eBranch, Database and Downloadable Services January 16, 2024 Page 2 Downloadable eBooks and audiobooks: The Library saw an uptick in circulation of eBooks and Audiobooks in 2023, with a combined total of 164,687, compared to 154,439 in 2022. In 2012, when Amazon started allowing libraries to circulate Kindle books; eBooks surpassed audiobooks. While audiobooks still have not caught up, they are closing the gap. In 2020, the difference between eBooks and audiobooks was over 38,000; in 2021 it was 26,000, and in the last two years it was 14,000. This trend seems to suggest that patrons are exploring different options for audiobooks as traditional CD players are no longer as prevalent as they used to be. The Library also subscribes to Comics Plus, which offers over 20,000 graphic novels, manga, and traditional digital comic books for readers of all ages. Books checked out through Comics Plus are simultaneous use, meaning there are never any wait times, and more than one patron can check out the same title at one time. Streaming Video: The Library introduced Kanopy, a streaming video service, in December of 2017. Kanopy offers access to over 27,000 films, ranging from documentaries to feature films, indie, and foreign films. The Kanopy collection includes titles from PBS, The Criterion Collection, and The Great Courses. In August 2021, Kanopy added major motion pictures from Warner Bros., MGM, and Lionsgate to their downloadable offerings. OverDrive acquired Kanopy and, as of September 2022, no longer offers their own separate streaming movie service. In November 2023, Kanopy moved to a different model, tickets rather than play credits, which allows libraries greater flexibility for allocating funds. Downloadable Magazines: The Library offers a collection of over 5,000 magazines through OverDrive, which are accessible through the popular Libby app. The Library also continues to subscribe to Flipster, another downloadable magazine service, that offers a different range of magazines than OverDrive. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). 120 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT January 16, 2024 Agenda Item No. 10 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of a donation from the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation. DISCUSSION: The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation accepts donations on behalf of the Newport Beach Public Library. Recently, the Foundation received a $150 donation specifically for Project Adult Literacy. Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees accept this donation. If accepted, the money will go into the Literacy Materials Budget and be spent on materials to enhance the Literacy collection. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949)717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager TITLE: Acceptance of Donation 121 Jerold D Kappel, CEO Newport Beach Public Library Foundation Memo To: Paul Watkins, Chair, Library Trustees From: Jerold D Kappel, CEO cc: Library Board of Trustees Date: January 10, 2024 Re: Library Foundation Report 1.The Foundation actively negotiated with the City regarding the Third Amendment of theMOU including the funding for Witte Hall. The Third Amendment of the MOU wasapproved contingently by the Foundation Board on January 8 and approved by theCouncil with a revised Section 3.6 at the January 9, City Council meeting. a.Section 3.6 is the Use of the Hall. The statement under discussion and final approvalincludes the fee the Foundation will pay for each event. The clause now states “inorder to help defray on-going costs of the Lecture Hall, the Foundation shallcontribute to the City for each use by the Foundation of the Lecture Hall the lesser of(a) the per diem cost of Lecture Hall operations for the first year of use asdetermined by the City's cost study; (b) the lowest rate charged by the City for use of the Lecture Hall by any third party; or (c) $700. Following the first year of theavailability of the Lecture Hall for program use, this sum shall increase annually bythe CPI - All Items (not to exceed 5% in any year)." b.The Foundation is prepared to transfer $7.1 million from its Hall holding account tothe escrow account at Bank of New York Mellon on January 19. c.The Third Amendment identifies the Hall as the Lecture Hall with the proviso that theCity will manage the Hall and that the Trustee policy, NBPL 15, regarding use of theHall is no longer the guiding policy on the use of the Hall. Note that the NBPL 15 andthe transfer of the management of the Hall from the Library to the City is not aFoundation decision nor does the Foundation have any negotiating rights on thatdecision. 2.The end-of-the-tax year fundraising efforts of the Foundation were successful, resultingin a small gain over the 2022 efforts. However, there is still a concern regarding the dropoff of smaller donors, unfortunately a national trend. 122 2 3. Program attendance is up this season. Library Live authors Lisa See and Steve Lopez were sold out. The spring Library Live season is selling very well, with Michael Scott Morre almost sold out and Tess Gunty selling well. Marketing is being rolled out for the last two Library Live authors. 4. The Witte Lecture series is selling very well, with the opening speaker, Fiona Hill sold out and the remaining three speakers selling quickly. 5. The free community programs of the Foundation—Book Discussion Group (4), Medicine in Our Backyard (3), Financial Literacy Workshop (6), and Spotlight on Science (1)—had an audience count of 456 during the fall season. a. The audience numbers below are through January 5, 2023. Since then, the Foundation has sold another 56 tickets. Michael Scott Moore is now sold out. 6. The Foundation will present 44 programs this season, 32 of these programs are free to the community. 7. The January Board Meeting of the Library Foundation was on Monday January 8. The major topic of discussion was the Third Amendment of the MOU regarding the funding of Witte Hall. a. All Board Committees—Executive, Governance, Finance, Development, Witte, Library Live, and Spotlight on Science are active, and the program committees are 123 3 planning for the 2024-2025 season. It is planned for the season for all programs to be set in April and the announcement in the June Bookmark magazine as this year. 4. Bookmark and its focus on the 30th anniversary of Central Library was very well received, and the Foundation received many compliments. The Winter Bookmark always includes the Foundation’s annual report. a. The Annual Report and the Foundation’s audit and Form 990 have been posted on the Foundation’s website. They can be accessed at https://nbplf.foundation/about/financial-responsibility/ b. Bookmark has been expanded to 20 pages and includes two pages dedicated to Library and cultural events, and a page with an article about the Literacy program authored by Melissa Hartson, and an article on how many “touches”, patron interactions, the Library has on an annual basis authored by Rebecca Lightfoot. c. The Foundation is promoting the FreeWill service to all its members and the email list of 18,700. It is also a free service to any Library patron. This program is fully funded by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation. 5. Program Director Kunga Wangmo returned to full time in January. The Foundation intern, Dominic Cojuangco, left at the end of this calendar year. Dominique has been a great help during Kunga’s maternity leave. The Foundation looks forward to a robust spring programming season and innovative ways it can support the Library. 124