Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-21-2024-BLT-AGENDA PACKETCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES AGENDA Civic Center Council Chambers 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Monday, October 21, 2024 - 5:00 PM Board of Library Trustees Members: Chase Rief, Chair Antonella Castro, Vice Chair Dorothy Larson, Secretary Lauren Kramer, Trustee Meghan Murray, 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 three (3) 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 Sunday, October 20, at 5:00 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 three (3) 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. October 21, 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 Sept 16, 2024 Board of Library Trustees Meeting (pp. 5-9)1. MINUTES Patron Comments (pp. 10-11)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. 12-22)3. Monthly review of evaluations of library resources as requested by patrons with corresponding staff responses. PATRON REQUESTS FOR EVALUATION Expenditure Status Report (p. 23)4. Monthly expenditure status of the library's operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department. SEPTEMBER EXPENDITURES Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List (p. 24)5. List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. MONITORING LIST October 21, 2024 Page 3 Board of Library Trustees Meeting VI.CURRENT BUSINESS A.Items for Review Mariners Branch Update (pp. 25-27)6. Mariners Branch Librarian Alex Johnkins will provide the annual overview of Mariners Branch operations. STAFF REPORT Youth Services Update (pp. 28-33)7. Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Annika Helmuth will provide the annual overview of Youth Services. STAFF REPORT Grant Acceptance from California Library Literacy Services (p. 34)8. Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of a grant from California Library Literacy Services to support the Newport Beach Public Library's Project Adult Literacy program. STAFF REPORT Acceptance of Donations (p. 35)9. Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of donations from the Dorothy Arens Ressel Trust and patron Patricia Steinmann to enhance the Library's materials collection. STAFF REPORT Library Activities (pp. 36-44)10. Monthly update of library events, services, and statistics. STAFF REPORT B.Monthly Reports Library Foundation Liaison Report (pp. 45-47)11. Trustee update of the most recently attended Library Foundation Board meeting. FOUNDATION REPORT October 21, 2024 Page 4 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Friends of the Library Liaison Report12. Trustee update of the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Pals4pal Liaison Report13. Trustee update of the most recently attended Pals4pal 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 three (3) 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) OR RECONSIDERATION IX.ADJOURNMENT CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Board of Library Trustees Civic Center Council Chambers 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA Meeting Minutes Monday, September 16, 2024 – 5:00 PM I.ROLL CALL – Roll call by Administrative Support Specialist Francine Jacome. Trustees Present: Chair Chase Rief, Vice Chair Antonella Castro, Secretary Dorothy Larson, Trustee Lauren Kramer, Trustee Meghan Murray Trustees Absent: None Staff Present: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Annika Helmuth, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Andrew Kachaturian, Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator Staff Absent None II.STUDY SESSION SS1. Fiscal Year 2023-24 Library Review Library Services Director Melissa Hartson presented a statistical overview of Fiscal Year 2023-24 Library Operations and goals for Fiscal Year 2024-25. In 2023, 135,851 people carried a Library Card and 653,667 patrons walked through the doors, 1,095,002 visits were made to the website, and there were 1,265,179 total checked out items. Staff met 8,682 attendees at outreach events, 39,547 patrons engaged in self-directed activities, and 61,130 people attended programs. There were 885 processed applications for new passports. Staff proctored online and written tests for 178 students. Visitors connected to the Wi-Fi 132,897 times using their own devices with 42,148 subscribers to eNews and social media. Some of the staff goals for Fiscal Year 2023-24 include growing awareness of the Library and its services through continued monthly eBlasts, attending outreach events and mailing out “welcome to the neighborhood” postcards; increase use of Library services and materials by promoting library card signups, programs offered and marketing materials to encourage a greater number of checkouts; and continue to advance digital and traditional literacy skills across all ages by offering public computer and Wi-Fi access, hosting a 24/7 eBranch featuring eBooks and eAudiobooks, streaming movies, digital magazines, and databases and creating reading challenges while continuing to acquire physical materials to check out. The Trustees asked clarifying questions regarding the statistics, discussed goals, and asked what could be improved. Library Services Director Hartson stated expanding larger scale programs and utilizing the new space in Witte Hall, expanding streaming services in lieu of physical technology such as CD's, which still show demand but are no longer utilized by as many patrons. 5 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 16, 2024 Page 2 Chair Chase Rief asked if there were any branches that were either over performing or under preforming. Library Services Director Hartson stated that currently the Balboa branch is underperforming. III. PUBLIC COMMENTS Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, referenced a statistic on Handwritten Page 41, “Program Attendance”, and commented that the increase was extraordinary and questioned if there had been a change in what is being counted that contributed to that change, or possibly an increase in programs and suggested to help make future reports clearer, include the number of programs in the table along with the number of attendees. IV. RECESS - None V. REGULAR MEETING VI. ROLL CALL Trustees Present: Chair Chase Rief, Vice Chair Antonella Castro, Secretary Dorothy Larson, Trustee Lauren Kramer, Trustee Meghan Murray Trustees Absent: None Staff Present: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Rebecca Lightfoot, Library Services Manager Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Annika Helmuth, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Andrew Kachaturian, Circulation and Technical Processing Coordinator VII. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Trustee Lauren Kramer led the Pledge of Allegiance VIII. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC - Waived IX. CONSENT CALENDAR Administrative Support Specialist Jacome read the Consent Calendar Notice to the public. Chair Rief inquired if any Trustees had requests to pull an item from the Consent Calendar. 1. Minutes of the August 19, 2024 Board of Library Trustees Meeting 2. Patron Comments Monthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requests received from patrons. 3. Expenditure Status Report Monthly expenditure status of the library’s operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department. 6 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 16, 2024 Page 3 5. Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. Chair Rief opened the item for public comments and there were none. Motion made by Secretary Dorothy Larson, seconded by Vice Chair Lauren Kramer, and carried (5-0-0-0) to approve the Consent Calendar Items 1-4. AYES: Rief, Larson, Kramer, Murray, Castro NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: X. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review 5. Literary Services Update Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot will provide an update on the Literacy program and events. Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot reported that the Library’s Project Adult Literacy (PAL) program, which was created in 1988 and offers no-cost, one-on-one and small group tutoring classes for adults interested in improving their reading, writing, and communication skills. In February 2024, volunteers, tutors, and learners were introduced to a new record-keeping system called America Learns. America Learns is specifically designed for literacy programs and is customizable to collect the data needed by the California State Library. Literacy Coordinator Gabriela Leman conducted extensive training to ensure all participants felt comfortable using the new system. There are 74 active tutors, and 76 adult learners currently enrolled in the program. From September 2023 through August 2024, 4,494 volunteer hours were completed. In March 2024, eight learners participated in the Writer to Writer 23rd annual writer contest. One learner received first-place runner up in the Advanced Writing Category. Gabriela Leman resigned her position in August 2024. There is currently a recruitment to fill the Literacy Coordinator position. Part-time Literacy Assistant Christina Smith joined PAL in September 2023 and has proven to be a valuable addition to the program, forging connections with tutors and learners. Vice Chair Antonella Castro inquired if the recruitment would be for a full-time position. Library Services Manager Lightfoot answered that the position remains 32 hours per week, and the compensation is the same. Chair Rief called for Public Comments on the item and there were none. Chair Rief received and filed the report. 6. Expressive Use Areas Policy (NBPL 9) Staff recommends that the Board of Library Trustees review and accept revisions to Library Policy NBPL 9, Expressive Use Areas. 7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 16, 2024 Page 4 Library Services Director Hartson reported on the Policy and that it works quite well. There were only minor changes such as the removal of public pay phones, which are no longer in existence, and a minor update to the Balboa Branch map reflecting this change. Chair Rief opened the item for public comments. Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, commented that in addition to the comments he listed on each branch, which could be slightly improved, it’s not entirely clear what “Expressive Use” means, only a short list of examples. There are many other things that could be categorized as expressive use such as political campaigning, fundraising, speech making, artistic performances, sales of personal artwork or recordings, book sales, face-painting, and even tattoos. The first condition after “therefore” regarding reporting to the Director a desired use of Expressive Use Areas doesn’t explain the process in which to do so and when and suggested adding “notify the librarian in charge”. Trustee Lauren Kramer noted that what is not considered Expressive Use is listed in the Policy, however agreed that clarifying the process of notification could be beneficial. Chair Rief inquired if the Policy has worked well for staff. Library Services Director Hartson responded that it had worked very well in the past. Trustee Meghan Murray suggested possibly posting the policy in the actual areas as well. Motion made by Vice Chair Lauren Kramer, seconded by Chair Chase Reif, and carried (5-0-0-0) to accept revisions to Library Policy NBPL 9, Expressive Use Areas. AYES: Rief, Larson, Kramer, Murray, Castro NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENCES: 7. Library Activities Monthly update of library events, services, and statistics. Library Services Director Melissa Hartson reported that the Pals4pal Board, the fundraising arm for literacy, approached her last month and explained that they plan to dissolve the program. They are working with the Library Foundation to transfer their funds to them, which will only be used for Project Adult Literacy purposes. It should be concluded within the next few months. The Foundation Board accepted the contracted agreement with Pals4pal. Chair Rief called for Public Comments on the item and received none. Chair Rief received and filed the report. B. Monthly Reports 8. Library Foundation Liaison Reports Trustee update on the most recently attended Library Foundation Board meeting. 8 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 16, 2024 Page 5 Secretary Dorothy Larson reported that Jerry Kappel, Foundation CEO, provided a report for the packet. The Witte Lectures and Library Live are off the charts with enthusiasm for the season to begin. The first Library Live will be out on the civic center green and will be a first-of-its-kind program. The Committee did a walk through last week to see how it would be set up. There are expected to be over 400 in attendance at the outdoor event. Jerry Kappel, Foundation CEO, reported that 394 season passes have been sold to date. 9. Friends of the Library Liaison Report Trustee update on the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Trustee Murray stated there was nothing to report. 10. Pals4pal Liaison Report Trustee update of the Pals4pal Board meeting. Chair Rief opened the monthly reports to public comments. Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, stated that Ralph’s supermarket had at one time established a program in which each purchase made with their Ralph’s card would contribute something back to the Library. The program is still advertised on the Friends of the Library website, but his understanding was that it’s not every purchase made, rather it’s a commitment by Ralph’s based on a fixed dollar amount spent, and that is divided amongst different organizations; he suggested Friends of the Library see how much they are receiving from that program as he uses the card even without a discount present, solely for the contribution to the Library’s program. Chair Rief stated that during his time as liaison, Ralph’s was never a line item. Chair Rief received and filed all the reports. XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS – Three Minutes per speaker Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, commented that he will not be able to attend next month so he will be submitting his comments and suggested this Board change the 4 PM cut off time to 5 PM to align with all the other Boards time limit for submitting comments prior to a meeting. Chair Rief stated he would be open to matching the 24 hour time frame. XII. 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 XIII. ADJOURNMENT – 5:56 p.m. The October meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 21, at 5:00 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers. 9 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRON COMMENTS SEPTEMBER 2024 Comment #Comment Response Date Received Source of Comment Staff Member Staff Member Title Date Responded to Patron 1 09/02/2024 Email Andy Kachaturian Circ. & Tech. Processing Coordinator 09/03/2024 2 09/07/2024 Email Rebecca Lightfoot Library Services Manager 09/09/2024 3 09/11/2024 Comment Card Andy Kachaturian Circ. & Tech. Processing Coordinator 09/11/2024 4 09/11/2024 Email Andy Kachaturian Circ. & Tech. Processing Coordinator 09/11/2024 5 09/12/2024 Email Annika Helmuth Branch & Youth Services Coordinator 09/13/2024 I present performances and educational demonstrations featuring the West African kora, a 21-22 string harp. I learned to play over the course of multiple visits to Gambia and Senegal, West Africa where I studied with four teachers. I'm curious to know if the Newport Beach Public Library may be interested in hosting me for a program on March 3rd, 5th, 11th or 12th. Since 2015, I have conducted programs in over 400 libraries across the U.S. and Canada as well as a multitude of k-12 schools, colleges and assisted living facilities. I present adult programs, youth specific programs and family programs... Thank you for your interest in hosting a program at the Newport Beach Public Library. Youth services staff consider several different factors when selecting featured performers and events. Some of the criteria used when selecting programs for special events include community interests and demands; significance and compatibility of the work to the Newport Beach area; recommendations of at least two references; suitability of format, subject and style to the intended audience; and program setup and space requirements. Program schedules have already been set for March 2025 and we are unable to add any additional programs during that time. I have shared your program proposal with the programming team for future consideration. This [Brad Thor] title has been ordered and is showing on the catalog as "coming soon" but there has been no activity for at least a few weeks. Can you please look into what's causing the delay in getting this title into circulation? Thanks. Thank you for checking with us. I have just looked into this and learned that there was a widespread publication misprint with this title and all of our copies are missing pages. We are working with our print vendor to get replacement copies as soon as possible. I do see you are still in the hold queue for this, so you will remain in position for this and the hold will get filled as soon as the replacement copies become available. We are going to ask for an update today to try and speed this along as best we can. Thank you for your patience! Best regards. I have a complaint about loud music and disruptive sounds. On the second floor of the library, in the section behind the front desk where the study chairs are located beside the windows, there is a man sitting in the open area near the construction site who is playing music very loudly. This noise can be heard clearly from the windows on the second floor. I hope you can address this issue. Thank you. Thank you for letting us know. Please don’t hesitate to notify staff at the reference desk so we can take care of the situation at that moment. Thank you. We are from out of state but will be staying in Orange for the year. We are currently staying in hotels though. Is it possible for us to get a library card for our kiddo? Thank you. Yes, we do offer library cards for non-California residents for $10 a year. This would be a full use card that you could use to check out materials and utilize all of our great online resources such as eBooks, streaming movies, and databases. We have many popular resources for children that you can view here as well: https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org/children/databases-for-kids. Please just be sure to bring a valid photo identification to one of our four locations and we would be happy to get you started. Best regards. I live in Costa Mesa and your library was recommended to me. I followed the route instructions to get here, traveled on Jamboree toward the beach and saw the "LIBRARY" sign and its arrow into the shopping area. Then I drove around and around the shopping area looking for the library. The problem is there is NO SIGN pointing me up the narrow uphill road. After five minutes, I asked someone: "Where is the library?" Thank you for taking time out of your day to share your difficulty in locating the library on your recent visit. With the construction taking place in front of the library, I can see how the usual sight line would not have made the library very apparent when entering the Corona del Mar shopping plaza. I will share this with City staff that is leading the construction to see if they can help with some signage while this project takes place. I hope you were able to have an otherwise enjoyable experience at the library. Thank you. 10 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRON COMMENTS SEPTEMBER 2024 Comment #Comment Response Date Received Source of Comment Staff Member Staff Member Title Date Responded to Patron 6 09/16/2024 Comment Card Annika Helmuth Branch & Youth Services Coordinator 09/16/2024 7 09/18/2024 Email Terry Sanchez Programs Specialist 09/20/2024 8 09/19/2024 Email Terry Sanchez Programs Specialist 09/28/2024 9 09/23/2024 Comment Card Rebecca Lightfoot Library Services Manager 09/23/2024 10 09/29/2024 Email Rebecca Lightfoot Library Services Manager 09/30/2024 Is the website down? Or does my account no longer work?Yes, I do apologize for the inconvenience. A brief power outage disrupted the server, but City IT was able to get the website back up and running again. It should be fine now. Thank you. Outstanding Reference Assistance, Check Out Service, Databases, and Internet Services. [I would like] charge stations for computer etc., adult computer answer man and high school coaches, no charge for limited number of copies, and hard copies of suggestion cards (not everyone goes online to fill out stuff). Thank you for your recent comment card received at the Mariners Branch Library. We are happy to hear that our Reference Assistance, Check Out Service, Databases, and Internet Services are outstanding in meeting your needs. We are also always looking for ways to improve our services and appreciate your suggestion to provide hard copies of the suggestion cards. I have confirmed with staff that these are available at the Reference desk. Charge stations are also available for check out from the Reference Desk to use anywhere in the library including near the computer stations. Furthermore, staff welcomes the opportunity to assist at the computers. Please visit the Reference desk should you have any questions during your visit. The charge for copies is set and determined by the City. Again, we are grateful for your feedback and hope that we can meet your needs on a future visit. Good/outstanding Library services. [I like] the elevator, [and would like] more investments into Holistic vs. IV therapy. Thank you for taking the time to fill out a comment card at the Central Library. We appreciate your feedback. I’m glad to hear that you are happy with all our services, and we will look into acquiring more materials on holistic therapy. Thank you for the suggestion! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you. [I]attended Meet the Author event on 9/17/24 with Chris Epting speaker. He stated he would be conducting workshops at the library, but no other details were given.Where/how can I sign up? Thank you. Thanks for your inquiry. The Storytellers Writing Workshops are a 3-class series. The next one will be offered in January. Please make sure you are subscribed to receive our eblast notifications so that you will receive the announcement with registration information that will go out in late November/early December. You can subscribe on our website on the top right corner of the homepage, just click subscribe to sign up. The Writers Workshop will take place from Sept-May. It is offered 2 times per month. This is a small writers group of 10 writers maximum. It is highly recommended that you participate in Storytellers prior to attending The Writers Workshop. I have pasted the information below...Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions. I hope this message finds you well ... I am a writer and experienced Adult Programmer based in New York. I specialize in offering engaging and impactful writing workshops to libraries across the country, both in-person and virtually. I have had the pleasure of working with libraries such as Somers Library (NY), Centerville Library (MA), Rutherford Public Library (NJ), and many others. I would love the opportunity to bring my workshops to your community as well. I’ve attached a flyer highlighting the range of programs I offer, including my latest course, Healing through Writing, now available at half price. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to the possibility of working together! Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in the Newport Beach Public Library. Your course offerings look interesting, however we are already in contract with a writing instructor and currently offer a variety of writing workshops and writers groups to our community. We will keep your information on file and will reach out if there are any opportunities in the future. Thank you again for your interest. We wish you the best in all endeavors. Kind regards. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 LIBRARY EXPENDITURES FY 2024-25 (October 3, 2024) ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION ORIGINAL APPROP REVISED BUDGET MONTHLY EXPENDED YTD 2024-25 EXPENDED AVAILABLE BUDGET YTD 2024-25 % EXPENDED YTD 2023-24 EXPENDED I SALARY & BENEFITS SALARY FULL-TIME REGULAR 3,346,020 3,346,020 487,892 715,429 2,630,591 21.4%685,514 SALARY PART-TIME 1,419,780 1,419,780 68,614 209,231 1,210,549 14.7%201,635 BENEFITS 2,305,496 2,457,848 205,014 632,707 1,825,141 25.7%534,809 SALARY & BENEFITS TOTAL 7,071,297 7,223,649 761,521 1,557,367 5,666,281 21.6%1,421,958 II MAINT & OPERATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICE*215,453 215,453 35,917 54,242 161,211 25.2%36,656 UTILITIES 383,009 383,009 39,540 113,101 269,909 29.5%132,347 PROGRAMMING 2,000 2,300 41 765 1,535 33.3%1,656 SUPPLIES**82,800 82,800 10,964 20,767 62,033 25.1%21,426 LIBRARY MATERIALS 669,740 674,139 55,569 289,700 384,439 43.0%298,500 FACILITIES MAINTENANCE 248,450 271,455 39,034 62,360 209,095 23.0%42,768 TRAINING AND TRAVEL 10,681 10,681 125 125 10,556 1.2%47 GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES***24,202 28,202 2,369 9,876 18,326 35.0%3,991 PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE 5,000 5,000 151 151 4,849 3.0%- INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS 1,849,173 1,849,173 159,228 467,423 1,381,749 25.3%423,349 OFFICE EQUIPMENT 2,000 2,000 - - 2,000 0.0%- MAINT & OPERATION TOTAL 3,492,508 3,524,212 342,938 1,018,510 2,505,702 28.9%960,739 LIBRARY BUDGET TOTAL 10,563,804 10,747,860 1,104,459 2,575,877 8,171,983 24.0%2,382,697 *PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - INCLUDE OUTSIDE PRINTING, JANITORIAL, WINDOW SERVICE **INCLUDES OFFICE , PROCESSING AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES ***INCLUDES, ADVERTISING, DUES, EVENT INSURANCE23 Previous Agenda Date AGENDA ITEM Scheduled Agenda Date Ongoing Ongoing Oct 16, 2023 Oct 21, 2024 Oct 16, 2023 Oct 21, 2024 Dec 11, 2023 Dec 16, 2024 Jan 16, 2024 Jan 21, 2025 Feb 26, 2024 Feb 18, 2025 Feb 26, 2024 Feb 18, 2025 Mar 18, 2024 Mar 17, 2025 Apr 15, 2024 Apr 21, 2025 Apr 15, 2024 Apr 21, 2025 May 20, 2024 May 19, 2025 May 20, 2024 May 19, 2025 May 20, 2024 May 19, 2025 Jul 15, 2024 Jun 16, 2025 Jun 17, 2024 Jun 16, 2025 Jul 15, 2024 Jul 21, 2025 Jul 15, 2024 Jul 21, 2025 Aug 19, 2024 Aug 18, 2025 Aug 19, 2024 Aug 18, 2025 Sep 16, 2024 Sep 15, 2025 LAST REVIEWED POLICY REVIEW 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 Mar 18, 2024 NBPL 3 Library Gift and Donor Policy Mar 16, 2026 Jun 17, 2024 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy Jun 15, 2026 Jul 15, 2024 CC I-1 Library Services Policy (Council Policy I -1)Jul 20, 2026 Sep 16, 2024 NBPL 9 Expressive Use Areas Sep 21, 2026 BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MONITORING LIST Policy Review (See List Below) Branch Update - Mariners Review Holidays / Meeting Schedule Performance Review of Library Services Director (Closed Session) Annual Budget - Preliminary Review Youth Services Update Election of Board of Library Trustees Officers/Trustee Liaisons Arts & Cultural Update Newport Beach Public Library eBranch, Database and Downloadable Services Review Annual Budget - Approval Financial Report Comparison of Beginning Budget to End of the Year Amended Budget Marketing Update & Social Networking Update Media Lab Update Library Material Selection Branch Update - CDM Information Technology Update Adult and Reference Services Update Branch Update - Balboa Proposed Library Closures for Winter Holidays Literacy Program Update 24 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT October 21, 2024 Agenda Item No. 6 DISCUSSION: The Donna and John Crean Mariners Branch of the Newport Beach Public Library opened in April 2006. The 15,305-square-foot branch shares a small section of its footprint with an elementary school. A joint- use agreement allows the Mariners Elementary School to access part of the library during the school year. While school is in session, half of the children’s section of the Library is closed to the public by a sliding wall to provide the students a safe and uninterrupted environment. Library staff is always available to retrieve items for the public while school is in session. Mariners Branch is open for the same 71- hours- per-week schedule as the Central Library. Personnel In addition to Branch Librarian Alex Johnkins, the Mariners Branch (Mariners) is supported by full-time Children’s Librarian Christine Chapel and Reference Librarian Leah Duffy. The Reference department also includes full-time Library Assistant Janice Nikula, and part-time Library Assistants Tom Rusconi and Brooke Pauley. The Circulation staff is led by Senior Library Clerk Liz McKibbin and full-time Library Clerk Piers Brown. The Branch part-time Library Clerks are Rick Costa, Shelley Pricer, Nicole Osterman, Mikaela Malsy, and Sully Jacome. Library Pages Noel Chalmers, Matt Wirta, and Devon Burton also support the Circulation department. Facility Maintenance In May, Mariners closed for major repairs of corroded and leaking fire sprinklers in the high ceiling. Originally planning for a four-day closure, the work was completed in only three. During the closure, Mariners offered curbside delivery as well as telephone and email reference services. Staff took advantage of the closure to do a deep clean of areas not readily accessible with patrons in the Library. The parking lot was also resurfaced in the early hours of the morning before operations. Inspections by the Newport Beach Fire Department resumed in 2024. The inspection resulted in replacement of some water valves, new labels on gauges and pipes, and updates to some exterior pipes supplying the building TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949) 717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Alex Johnkins, Mariners Branch Librarian TITLE: Mariners Branch Update 25 Mariners Branch Update October 21, 2024 Page 2 Public Service Circulation and Reference Services The City of Newport Beach service population for Mariners is 27,819. That does not include the many visitors from Costa Mesa (just across the street) and other nearby cities. Between July 2023 and June 2024, Mariners was responsible for 24,207 reference questions and 253,877 circulations of physical materials. Reference questions increased a little over 9% year over year, while circulations increased 12.4% at the Branch. Program Attendance Storytimes, held every Tuesday and Thursday, are the most consistently well-attended programs at Mariners. They are so popular that the crowd regularly spills out of the storytime room and into the children’s area. Despite a full children’s area, storytime attendance dropped from 6,032 last year to 5,756 this year. This is likely due to the end of outdoor storytimes that allowed for larger crowds. Weekly LEGO Block Party events, seasonal children’s crafts, and teen/adult programs (such as the poetry and bookmaking take-home projects) were all hits. This year, Mariners staff dedicated a section of the wall just inside the children’s section to continuous interactive seasonal decorations. Children enjoy coloring leaves (for fall), snowflakes (for winter), flowers (for spring), etc. and seeing their work posted to the wall. 655 children had art posted to the wall this year. Summer Reading Program The Summer Reading Program (SRP) continued to grow in popularity at Mariners this year. Participants earned a free book when signing up for the program and there was strong participation throughout. With well over 350 readers registering, participation was up over 17% since last year. A fresh slate of craft programs and SRP performers boosted attendees to over 400, a 33% increase over the previous year. Seed Library In April 2024, the Mariners held a planting event to celebrate the launch of the new Seed Library housed at the branch. Patrons can “check out” up to five small packets of seeds per month to take home and plant. They are welcome to bring seeds back to contribute to the collection but are not required to do so. The seeds offered are selected by staff to meet a set of criteria beneficial to the community. This includes prioritizing California native plants, heirloom varieties, plants that grow well in the surrounding climate, ethical sourcing, and making sure that they can be planted in the season they are offered. Over 850 seed packets were checked out by Mariners patrons in the first six months of the program. Outreach Mariners staff reached hundreds of children, parents, and teachers with announcements about SRP at visits to two local elementary schools. In October 2023, Mariners reference staff represented Newport Beach Public Library (NBPL) at the City of Newport Beach Recreation Department’s Trunk-or-Treat event at Mariners Park. Staff engaged with 850 attendees, providing information about library services, NBPL bookmarks, candy, and other treats. Mariners Children’s Librarian Christine Chapel represented NBPL at the first CLA Youth Services Interest Group Summit. 26 Mariners Branch Update October 21, 2024 Page 3 Mariners’ Elementary School Jackie Casella is employed by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and has been the Library Media Tech for Mariners Elementary School for several years. She operates the school-side of the Library while school is in session. She manages class visits, conducts storytimes for the students, and provides circulation services to the school. In May 2024, Mariners Elementary School hosted its second annual Comicon event in the joint-use area of the children’s section of Mariners. The event encouraged students to express themselves through art. Hundreds of students participated, and it received a very positive writeup in the local Daily Pilot section of the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily- pilot/news/story/2024-05-23/mariners-elementary-hosts-comicon-to-help-kids-find-their-people). Collection Maintenance The Mariners collection consists of 60,277 items. The librarians on staff routinely work to maintain, withdraw, and add to the collection. CollectionHQ, an analytics and statistical tool, helps identify under- used, worn-out, and out-of-date materials. Mariners staff creates themed displays throughout the Library to highlight materials for circulation, library services, and online resources. This year saw some collections shifted around to better serve patrons. Teen Nonfiction and Biographies were moved to the Teen Corner to join the Fiction and Graphic Novel sections there. The end of the publication of several magazines allowed for an expansion of the incredibly popular DVD, Blu-ray, and Videogame collections. At the direction of the Board of Library Trustees, two children’s books were relocated to either the teen or adult section, and one children’s book was removed from the Mariners collection and relocated to the children’s section at Central. Comments Nearly all measurable metrics increased positively this year, from materials circulation and reference services to foot traffic and overall program attendance. The launch of the Seed Library has brought new people into the Library that had never previously registered for a library card. It has been a peaceful and productive year in the branch for both patrons and staff. Branch Librarian Alex Johnkins looks forward to next year with anticipation for increased patron usage, the continued expansion of library services, and the satisfaction of our diverse community’s information needs. 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). 27 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT October 21, 2024 Agenda Item No. 7 DISCUSSION: Youth Services staff provide a variety of dynamic services, resources, and materials for children ages 0-12 at the Central Library (Central), Mariners Branch (Mariners), Balboa Branch (Balboa), and Corona del Mar Branch (CdM). At each location, Youth Services is responsible for planning, preparing, and hosting children’s programs including author visits and special events; performing storytimes; selecting and deselecting materials from the Children’s Collection (Collection); providing reference services and readers’ advisory; and presenting at community outreach events throughout the year. This year, Youth Services’ primary focus included increasing early literacy and elementary academic achievement by offering access to a wide variety of materials in the Collection; expanding educational program offerings both for early learning and afterschool age groups (Programs); and expanding outreach efforts to engage a broader community audience and increase patron usage (Outreach). Personnel The Youth Services department is comprised of 10 staff members across the four locations. At Central, the Youth Services team includes Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Annika Helmuth, Children’s Librarians Christine Lefter and Jasmin Avila, and part-time Library Assistants Bernadette Gilliam and Victoria Freshwater. At the branches, the Youth Services team includes Children’s Librarian Christine Chapel and full-time Library Assistant Janice Nikula at Mariners, Branch Librarian Evelyn Rogers at Balboa, and Branch Librarian Nadia Dallstream and part-time Library Assistant Christina Miramontes at CdM. Christina joined the CdM staffing complement in October 2023 and has served as a welcomed addition to the team. Recruitment for a part-time Library Assistant at Balboa recently reopened after a resignation in September 2024. Training and Professional Development Youth Services staff attended several professional development trainings this year. These workshops and trainings are an opportunity to learn new skills as well as review best practices and industry standards. A few trainings of note: Library Assistant Victoria Freshwater completed Foundations of Library Services, a 6-week asynchronous Library Support Staff Certificated (LSSC) course in November 2023; Children’s Librarian Jasmin Avila attended the Public Library Association’s annual conference in April 2024; and Mariners Children’s Librarian Christine Chapel attended the first California State Library Youth Services TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director (949) 717-3801, mhartson@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Annika Helmuth, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator TITLE: Youth Services Annual Update 28 Youth Services Update October 21, 2024 Page 2 Summit, also in April 2023. These workshops and professional development sessions are in addition to several City-mandated and optional trainings and webinars on a variety of topics including vulnerable populations, reader’s advisory, library management, program support, and public service. Collection Youth Services staff are responsible for selecting a variety of materials for the Collection under Library Policy NBPL 2, Collection Development Policy. The Collection includes several items, as shown in Figure 1. A new item type, Read-Alongs, were added to in November 2023, following patron requests. This small but mighty collection features children’s books equipped with a ready-to-play audiobook and includes a speaker, headphone jack, and page navigation. Read-Alongs are great for burgeoning readers and have been popular with patrons. Figure 1 The Collection totals an approximate 82,260 titles across all four locations, which is a 1.6 percent decrease over the previous year but remains consistent with routine selection and deselection processes. Staff continually review and shift materials to ensure adequate room for new items, replacements, and patron requested titles. This review process also ensures quality titles are available and the collection is meeting the needs of our patrons. The Collection sees high and consistent use with 79,461 items circulating a total 484,488 times. This produces a turnover rate of 6.1 for the Collection system wide. CollectionHQ, a data analytics tool, captures the circulation and turnover rate over five points in time. Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4 illustrate the turnover rates by three primary categories, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Non-Book. Of note, Figure 4 shows a continual decrease in Non-Book turnover since October 2022. This aligns with patron feedback Non-Fiction (including Biography) Fiction (including Paperbacks)Picture Books Easy Readers DVDs (including Blu-rays) Graphic Novels Board Books Spanish Audiobooks Music CDs Kits Read- Alongs Non-Fiction (including Biography) Fiction (including Paperbacks) Picture Books Easy Readers DVDs (including Blu-rays) Graphic Novels Board Books Spanish Audiobooks Music CDs Kits Read-Alongs 29 Youth Services Update October 21, 2024 Page 3 regarding the decreased use of Children’s media including audiobooks (books on CD), DVDs, and music CDs. Figure 2 Figure 3 30 Youth Services Update October 21, 2024 Page 4 Figure 4 Programs The Youth Services program schedule is robust and continues to expand to meet patron demand. In addition to ongoing weekly storytimes, Youth Services offers several monthly afterschool programs and special events such as the annual National Library Week celebrations and Summer Reading Program. In the last year, Youth Services increased the number of programs offered to patrons by 47% with staff hosting 892 youth programs over last year’s 608 programs. Figure 5 shows the number of programs offered last year compared to this year, system wide, by month. Figure 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept TOTAL PROGRAMS 2023-2024 2022-2023 31 Youth Services Update October 21, 2024 Page 5 The current early learning program schedule includes nine weekly storytimes; Sensory Play at CdM; Toy Train Thursdays at Balboa; and daily Stay & Play at all locations. Stay & Play offers patrons meaningful open-ended play opportunities that supports early literacy development, creates a sense of community, and builds caregiver-child relationships. This year, we developed a method for tracking Stay & Play activities, which were previously not tracked. The new data gives staff a quantitative framework for on- going maintenance and needs of the program. Stay & Play activities account for a large portion of the high jump in overall program attendance shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 The current afterschool program schedule includes BARK: Read to a Dog, Drop-in Crafternoon, STEAM Lab; Makerspace, Middle Grade Book Club, LEGO, and Board Game Saturdays. These programs are offered on a monthly or twice-monthly reoccurring basis. At least once a month, each location also offers a special stand-alone program. Some examples of stand-alone events include author or illustrator visits, seasonal craft programs, or hired performances. Additionally, all three branches added monthly, weekly, and/or daily passive activities to their program schedules. Passive activities include scavenger hunts, Library I Spy, and drop-in crafts. These added offerings also explain the increase in number of programs and attendance during the past year. Funding for children’s programs is generously provided by the Friends of the Library and the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation. Outreach Library outreach is an important component of Youth Services. It allows staff to connect with the community while expanding services beyond traditional library spaces. From student assemblies to classroom instruction, parent teacher association (PTA) meetings and large community events, staff welcome the opportunity to build a stronger connection with the community through trusted partnerships and collaborating with local organizations. Youth Services staff also invite groups into the library for field trips, hosting several groups for library visits throughout the year that include a tour of the children’s room, a lesson about library rules and materials, an overview of how to use the Library, and an 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept TOTAL PROGRAM ATTENDANCE 2023-2024 2022-2023 32 Youth Services Update October 21, 2024 Page 6 opportunity to listen to a story. In all, Youth Services staff impressively reach a total of 11,106 community members through outreach events and field trips this past year. That includes an added 10 events to the outreach schedule with an overall 76% increase over last year’s outreach totals. Figure 7 shows the outreach totals by month. Figure 7 The busiest outreach months include October, when staff attend the Orange County Children’s Book Festival at Orange Coast College and the City’s Halloween Spooktacular at Mariners Park, and May, when staff visits local elementary schools to promote the Summer Reading Program. New this year, Youth Services staff also attended the Spirit Run in March, the City’s Touch a Truck event in May, the CdM Scenic 5k in June, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s Back to School Resource Fair in August, and Big Newport’s Kids Day for the release of The Wild Robot in September. Looking Ahead As Youth Services looks towards the upcoming year, the team is focused on prioritizing sustainable growth that meets the interests and demands of the community. By embracing innovation while elevating traditional services, Youth Services seeks to ensure access to essential resources, advance lifelong learning skills, and create spaces where young patrons can continue to explore, grow, and succeed. 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). 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Outreach Totals by Month 2022-2023 2023-2024 33 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT October 21, 2024 Agenda Item No. 8 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of a grant from California Library Literacy Services to support the Newport Beach Public Library’s Project Adult Literacy program. DISCUSSION: The Library’s Project Adult Literacy program (PAL) offers one-on-one tutoring and small group classes to patrons with low literacy skills. PAL is partially funded by the City’s general fund and partially funded through grants, donations, and the fundraising efforts of Pals4pal. One of the major funding resources is through the California State Library Literacy Services’ annual grant program. A grant of $46,594 has been awarded to the Library to support our high-quality literacy program. The grant funds will be used towards staffing for the program. This portion of the award, $41,935, represents the first distribution from California Library Literacy Services for FY 2024-25. The Library will receive the rest of the grant funds, $4,659, in spring 2025. Staff recommends the acceptance of this grant by the Board of Library Trustees. If accepted, the funds will be allocated into Library Services Literacy accounts. 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: Grant Acceptance from California Library Literacy Services 34 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT October 21, 2024 Agenda Item No. 9 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Board of Library Trustees approve the acceptance of donations from the Dorothy Arens Ressel Trust and patron Patricia Steinmann to enhance the Library’s materials collection. DISCUSSION: Newport Beach resident Dorothy Arens Ressel left a share of her estate to the Library. A gift in the amount of $15,737.06 will be used to augment the Library’s collections at all locations, in all formats, and for all age groups. Patricia Steinmann has donated a gift in the amount of $300. Staff recommends the acceptance of these donations by the Library Board of Trustees. If accepted, the donations will be allocated into Library Materials operating account. 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 Donations 35 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES STAFF REPORT October 21, 2024 Agenda Item No. 10 MELISSA HARTSON, LIBRARY SERVICES DIRECTOR Library Card Sign-up Month September was Library Card Sign-up Month, which is held annually at the beginning of the school year to highlight the importance of obtaining a library card for a child’s education and to help reduce illiteracy. In celebration, any patron registering for a library card received a special Newport Beach Public Library vinyl sticker. In addition, Library staff welcomed City Hall employees to a Central Library Open House. City staff were able to sign up for a library card, tour the facility, and receive assistance with library-related apps during the event. This year’s initiative saw the addition of 1,136 new library card registrations, a 27% increase over last September’s 897 new registrations. Newport Beach Public Library Foundation Library Leadership Reception The Library’s Administrative Team attended the Foundation’s Library Leadership Reception. This annual event recognizes Foundation donors and special guests from the past fiscal year. Mayor Will O’Neill was the evening’s featured speaker. It was an honor to attend this event and it provided an opportunity for staff to personally thank those who support the Library through the Foundation. WHEELHOUSE LIST FOR LIBRARY TRUSTEES • Medicine in Our Backyard: Knee Osteoarthritis Monday, October 28, 7 p.m. Friends Room, Central Library • Library Closure: Veterans Day Monday, November 11 All locations • Library Live: Rosanna Xia California Against the Sea Thursday, November 7, 7 p.m. Friends Room, Central Library • Meet the Author: Michael Cannivet, The Four-Minute Retirement Plan Tuesday, November 12, 7 p.m. Friends Room, Central Library • Sunday Musicale: Victor Shlyakhtenko, piano Sunday, November 10, 3 p.m. Friends Room, Central Library • Board of Library Trustees Meeting Monday, November 18, 5 p.m. City Council Chambers, Civic Center 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 September Library Activities – October 21, 2024 Meeting 36 Report of September Library Activities October 21, 2024 Page 2 REBECCA LIGHTFOOT, LIBRARY SERVICES MANAGER Outreach Reference Librarian Jeremy Rodriguez presented to over 100 7th- and 8th-grade students at MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School, discussing teen services, teen volunteering opportunities, and student database instruction in preparation for their National History Day research project. Programming In September, the Library kicked off the new season of Sunday Musicale with a saxophone & piano duo featuring Sophia Flores and Andrew Edwards. There were 172 in attendance. Our community really enjoyed their program, which included pieces composed during the Holocaust by mostly unknown composers. The Library also hosted a Meet the Author event featuring Chris Epting, our Storytellers instructor. Chris’s latest book, “Where One Hears the Rain”, was inspired by the four years Chris has been teaching Storytellers here at the Newport Beach Public Library. He put his teaching into a comprehensive book. Many of his past students attended the evening. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, we were able to give away copies of the book to the first 25 attendees to arrive. Lido Village Books was on hand to handle book sales. The launch of the first Writers Workshop also happened in September. The Writers Workshop is the Library’s response to many requests for a working writers group for those who completed the Storytellers series and were looking for a writers group to continue exchanging feedback and accountability in their writing projects. Literacy September was a big month for Project Adult Literacy with our International Literacy Day Celebration. Department Assistant Christina Smith was instrumental in planning and preparing for the event as well as compiling this year’s “In Our Own Words” book. Renee and Risa Hoffman were on hand to give out this year’s Hoffman Award, created in memory of their late mother Sarah Hoffman who was a dedicated tutor with the program. The award is presented to a learner in the program who demonstrates high achievement and potential. Nick Hubbard was this year’s recipient. We received amazing feedback from the literacy community about the success of this event. ANNIKA HELMUTH, BRANCH AND YOUTH SERVICES COORDINATOR Branch Activities The Seed Library continues to grow in popularity at Mariners Branch (Mariners) with 255 seeds checked out in September, another record month. BARK: Read to a Dog returned to Balboa Branch (Balboa) on September 19, with three trained BARK therapy dogs. Also at Balboa, Library Assistant Taylor Stephenson resigned. On September 4, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium outreach staff presented two educational shows on tidepool animals at Corona del Mar Branch (CdM). Each presentation included a hands-on tidepool touch tank experience, set up on the Friends of the Library Reading Porch. Youth Services Monthly ongoing programs continued at the Central Library with Makerspace inviting children and caregivers to try origami and paper collage making. STEAM Lab taught participants the steps to being a great engineer while building their own marble obstacle courses. September's book club discussed Charlie 37 Report of September Library Activities October 21, 2024 Page 3 Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs. After a discussion of the book, participants did a word search race and then created their own ciphers. Class Visits Class visits returned with three separate visits this month. The Central Library welcomed Cabrillo Point Academy students on September 16. Families registered for library cards, received a tour of the Library, and participated in a scavenger. Newport Elementary’s first-grade students visited Balboa for a tour and discussion of the Library. As part of the Library’s ongoing partnership with Newport Beach public schools, students received a gift bag containing a book, bookmark, and Library sticker, generously funded by the Friends of the Library. On September 30, Newport Coast Elementary’s second grade class made their annual CdM Branch and Fire Station visit, which included database instruction and a tour of the fire station. Outreach The Orange County Children’s Book Festival was held at Orange Coast College, a first this year in September as it is typically held in October. Almost 1,000 people stopped by the Library’s table with many also registering for library cards. Special Programs Family BINGO was a notable success this month with a full room and energetic participants. A memorable win: a child who had walked into the Library saying, “I am going to win!” and sure enough, they did! Teen Services The Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) had its first meeting of the school year. Meeting monthly throughout the school year, YAAC members discuss agenda items, help plan teen library programming and provide volunteer service for various projects throughout the year. A free Collegewise seminar on The Common App offered teens and parents the opportunity to learn how colleges evaluate admission applications. Training In September, Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Annika Helmuth and Children’s Librarian Jasmin Avila attended Decision-Making Identifying a Path for Optimal Results, a workshop that explored decision- making principles and offered strategies for understanding how team dynamics influence decisions and team progress. ANDREW KACHATURIAN, CIRCULATION AND TECHNICAL PROCESSING COORDINATOR Staffing New part-time Library Clerk Skylynn Kern was hired and started in early October. There are currently five vacant Library Page positions, between Central Library and Mariners Branch, that are in recruitment. Facilities HVAC repairs have been performed at both Central Library and Mariners Branch. New contractor RAM Air Engineering are familiarizing themselves with the control systems at both locations to better troubleshoot issues as they develop. Cal Building Systems is in the process of completing fire inspections at both the Central Library and Mariners Branch. Both buildings require an annual inspection as well as a more thorough five-year inspection. Several minor repairs have already been completed. 38 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 Tracked by #searches A to Z Databases 684 644 411 1739 Alexander Street 730 168 478 1376 Ancestry 588 514 290 1392 AskART 14 18 15 47 Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow 158 79 15 252 Britannica School Edition 1 119 1979 2099 Exploring Race in Society 2 5 29 36 Gale Archives Unbound 4163 236 143 4542 Gale Directory Library 16 36 78 130 Gale in Context: Biography 14 5 316 335 Gale in Context: Elementary 3 3 63 69 Gale in Context: Environmental 0 0 20 20 Gale in Context: Opposing View 1 2 343 346 Gale Interactive: Science 0 0 0 0 Gale Literature Resource Center 20 18 50 88 Gale Virtual Reference Library 19 29 51 99 HeritageQuest 150 50 121 321 Legal Information Ref Center 103 86 68 257 National Geographic 14 26 60 100 National Geographic Kids 8 13 30 51 NewsBank ***0 NoveList Plus 81 23 64 168 NoveList K-8 Plus 41 6 22 69 ProQuest 3058 3526 4107 10691 Proquest eLibrary 4 34 39 77 Reference Solutions Business 325 359 366 1050 Reference Solutions Residential 33 9 17 59 SIRS Discoverer 2 16 120 138 SIRS Issues Researcher 856 740 1317 2913 World Book Online 34 19 187 240 Tracked by #page views Artist Works 3 4 2 9 Consumer Reports 2442 2585 1928 6955 CultureGrams 23 48 183 254 Morningstar 5545 4471 3207 13223 RealQuest 57 29 12 98 Tumblebooks 3 126 7 136 Value Line 12179 10816 12942 35937 Tracked by courses LinkedIn Learning 291 257 332 880 Tracked by books logged Beanstack 9161 3189 3875 16225 Tracked by Hours Used ABC Mouse 45.00 46.23 42.58 133.81 Beanstack 5385 445 280 6110 Rosetta Stone 58.01 53.38 63.06 174.45 Notes: * Data unavailable at this time. Will add when received. Database FY Comparisons YTD 24/25 Proquest Articles Retrieved 2024-2025 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun AVG. Business Databases 1279 1530 1636 1482 Newspapers--Current 1285 1161 1426 1291 Newspapers--Historical 3576 2019 1982 2526 Magazines 17 56 44 39 39 NBPL Website Usage 2024-2025 Metric Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Total Users 31175 32341 28123 30546 91639 New Users 23890 24747 20174 22937 68811 Sessions 49426 50616 47008 49017 147050 Pageviews 106254 111503 106163 107973 323920 Sessions Per User 2 2 2 2 -- Pages Per Session 2 2 2 2 -- Avg. Session Dur. (min)5 6 6 6 -- Bounce Rate (%)60 62 59 60 -- Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Total Data Transferred (GB) 2024-2025 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 152 125 155 144 432 CdM 190 131 160 160 481 Mariners 2000 1640 1900 1847 5540 Central 12550 13050 12600 12733 38200 Total 14892 14946 14815 14884 44653 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Total Unique Patrons 2024-2025 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 385 323 280 329 988 CdM 406 308 320 345 1034 Mariners 1343 1286 1420 1350 4049 Central 8624 8913 9314 8950 26851 Total 10758 10830 11334 10974 32922 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Average Number of Patrons Per Day 2024-2025 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 36 28 25 30 89 CdM 24 20 20 21 64 Mariners 110 102 124 112 336 Central 665 628 673 655 1966 Total 835 778 842 818 2455 Today's Business Solutions Wireless (TBS): Average Usage Per Patron (MB) 2024-2025 Location Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 404 397 566 456 1367 CdM 479 436 513 476 1427 Mariners 1520 1300 1370 1397 4190 Central 1490 1500 1380 1457 4370 Total 3893 3632 3829 3785 11354 40 SEP 24 YTD 24/25 YTD 23/24 BALBOA 2,546 8,731 7,166 CdM 3,701 11,989 11,579 MARINERS 22,141 63,297 66,180 CENTRAL 47,921 156,189 169,774 eBooks 7,706 24,586 24,060 eMagazines 5,422 14,488 6,399 eAudiobooks 7,464 22,563 19,039 Streaming Films 3,525 10,240 3,644 TOTAL 100,426 312,083 307,841 OCT 23 102,739 NOV 23 98,850 DEC 23 95,713 JAN 24 104,644 FEB 24 96,746 MAR 24 104,354 APR 24 100,244 MAY 24 98,839 JUN 24 103,516 JUL 24 107,857 AUG 24 103,800 SEP 24 100,426 TOTAL 1,217,728 12 Month Comparison NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2024 CIRCULATION BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL eBooks eMagazines eAudiobooks Streaming Films 90,000 95,000 100,000 105,000 110,000 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 JAN 24 FEB 24 MAR 24 APR 24 MAY 24 JUN 24 JUL 24 AUG 24 SEP 24 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 1,213,486 1,000,000 1,125,000 1,250,000 1,375,000 1,500,000 1,625,000 1,750,000 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 FY 23/24 CIRCULATION 41 SEP 24 YTD 24/25 YTD 23/24 BALBOA 327 1,190 1,301 CdM 644 2,156 2,145 MARINERS 1,839 6,257 6,172 CENTRAL 7,133 22,271 20,821 TOTAL 9,943 31,874 30,439 12 Month Comparison OCT 23 8,984 NOV 23 8,384 DEC 23 7,645 JAN 24 9,811 FEB 24 9,654 MAR 24 10,057 APR 24 9,704 MAY 24 9,602 JUN 24 11,485 JUL 24 11,228 AUG 24 10,703 SEP 24 9,943 TOTAL 117,200 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2024 REFERENCE BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 11,000 12,000 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 JAN 24 FEB 24 MAR 24 APR 24 MAY 24 JUN 24 JUL 24 AUG 24 SEP 24 168,496 162,510 157,149 156,521 163,392 131,445 78,088 105,958 108,242 115,765 70,000 90,000 110,000 130,000 150,000 170,000 190,000 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 FY 23/24 REFERENCE 42 SEP 24 YTD 24/25 YTD 23/24 BALBOA 2,176 7,399 6,563 CdM 2,901 10,334 9,306 MARINERS 13,560 36,788 35,770 CENTRAL 38,036 118,294 115,374 TOTAL 56,673 172,815 167,013 12 Month Comparison OCT 23 56,126 NOV 23 48,061 DEC 23 47,392 JAN 24 63,061 FEB 24 53,105 MAR 24 54,930 APR 24 56,328 MAY 24 52,357 JUN 24 55,294 JUL 24 58,932 AUG 24 57,210 SEP 24 56,673 TOTAL 659,469 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2024 PATRONS SERVED BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 45,000 50,000 55,000 60,000 65,000 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 JAN 24 FEB 24 MAR 24 APR 24 MAY 24 JUN 24 JUL 24 AUG 24 SEP 24 1,256,238 1,209,719 1,102,106 1,158,344 935,953 636,072 145,463 512,178 623,295 653,667 100,000 300,000 500,000 700,000 900,000 1,100,000 1,300,000 1,500,000 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 FY 23/24 PATRONS SERVED IN LIBRARY 43 SEP 24 YTD 24/25 YTD 23/24 BALBOA 364 1,290 542 CdM 1,232 3,898 1,729 MARINERS 1,731 5,537 1,970 CENTRAL 9,876 29,799 18,876 TOTAL 13,203 40,524 23,117 12 Month Comparison OCT 23 10,526 NOV 23 7,448 DEC 23 7,204 JAN 24 8,800 FEB 24 9,057 MAR 24 10,506 APR 24 9,632 MAY 24 12,893 JUN 24 10,546 JUL 24 14,436 AUG 24 12,885 SEP 24 13,203 TOTAL 127,136 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2024 BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 2,500 5,000 7,500 10,000 12,500 15,000 OCT 23 NOV 23 DEC 23 JAN 24 FEB 24 MAR 24 APR 24 MAY 24 JUN 24 JUL 24 AUG 24 SEP 24 64,473 67,646 69,922 70,430 68,241 68,078 52,678 64,397 78,293 109,729 45,000 55,000 65,000 75,000 85,000 95,000 105,000 115,000 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 FY 23/24 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE 44 Jerold D Kappel, CEO Newport Beach Public Library Foundation Memo To: Library Trustees From: Jerold D Kappel, CEO Date: October 15, 2024 Re: Library Foundation Report 1. The October Board Meeting was held on October 14. a.Marilyn Krahe was elected to fulfill the term of Kevin Barlow as Chair of the Board. That termends in June 2025. Kevin Barlow will remain on the Executive Committee as Vice Chair. i.Miles Yourman, formerly Chair of the Finance Committee, is Treasurer. b.The Foundation Board accepted the revised FY2024 Audit. The IRS 990 will be completed inOctober and presented to the Board at the November meeting for approval. As a reminder,the Foundation posts its audit and 990 on the website under About/Financial Responsibility. The Foundation is rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (the highest rating) and has received aPlatinum rating from Candid/GuideStar. c.The next Foundation Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 11, but will either be moved to an alternate site or rescheduled as the Library is closed on November 11 forVeteran’s Day. d.The Winter Bookmark will have the annual report. It will also feature at least one of the learner’s stories from the Project Adult Literacy booklet In Our Own Words: One World ManyStories, and the very well-received speech about volunteerism and philanthropy that MayorWill O’Neill gave at the Library Leadership Reception on September 25. 2.There are 134 season passes purchased for Library Live and 195 combined for the WitteLectures Friday and Saturday presentations. a.Individual tickets for Library Live went on sale September 1. Individual tickets for WitteLectures went on sale October 1. 45 2 i. There have been 468 single tickets sold for Library Live 1. Bonnie Garmus—518 total sold (including season passes.) 2. Rosanna Xia--161 total sold (including season passes) a. Surfriders and Crystal Cove Conservancy are marketing sponsors for this event. 3. Javier Zamora--166 total sold (including season passes) 4. Viet Thanh Nguyen—162 total sold (including season passes) ii. We have sold 174 single tickets for the Witte series, which begins on January 24 with Bret Stephens. 1. The press release for the Witte Lectures will be sent at the end of October to the ten local media outlets. 3. The Bonnie Garmus Library Live event was held on Friday October 4, after the Library closed. It was held on the Civic Center Green for seating of up to 550 people. The stage was set on the pad outside the Library entrance with two large rear projection screens so everyone could view the stage. The pre-lecture donor reception was held behind the stage, which was backed by large plants provided by Roger’s Gardens. The total attendance, including sponsors, was 542. The event was successful. The Foundation will not know the final financials on the event until all contractor invoices have been received. 4. The free Medicine in Our Backyard series, presented with our partner UCI Health, will present its second lecture on October 28, Understanding Osteoarthritis and Its Treatment Options. The lectures are very well attended and received with over 80 in attendance. 5. The free Book Discussion Group has over 40 readers attending. The October book for discussion was Huckleberry Finn. The November book is James by Percival Everett, a retelling of the story from Jim’s view. 6. The free Financial Literacy Workshops began September 30 for six weeks on Monday mornings. Average attendance is over 70. a. In addition to the workshops presented here at Central Library, the It’s Your Money and Estate nonprofit presents workshops at senior centers around the county. Jerold Kappel 46 3 introduces at least 4 of those workshops in the fall and 4 in the spring. The workshops presented by the Foundation at Central are by far the most attended, averaging 3x the audience of other sites. 7. The free Spotlight on Science opens on October 16 with UCI scientist and professor Jack Brouwer speaking about hydrogen as an energy source. There are 124 people registered. (Although the free events do not require a ticket or registration, we request people to register so that we have an estimate of how many will be attending.) 8. The Foundation has printed fall program brochures for the neighborhood library branches focusing on free programs and Foundation information along with highlighting must-see events each month. There is a separate stand, approved by Annika Helmuth, Branch Services Coordinator. 9. The Foundation is the Film Festival partner for two films this year, Queen of the Ring on Saturday, October 19, 5:30pm Lido Theater, and Why Dinosaurs on Sunday, October 20, 3:00pm Starlight Triangle Cinema. Jerold Kappel, CEO, will be speaking about the Foundation and Library before each showing. 10. The Foundation has now raised $9.35 million in gifts and gift commitments toward its $12 million goal, which is 50% of the cost of the construction of Witte Hall. a. The construction camera video is updated every 7-10 days and is available on the Witte Hall webpage on our website. https://nbplf.foundation/witte-hall/ b. The “topping off” beam is now on site and painted white. Plans are being made to have City Council members, Design Committee members, and major donors ($25,000 and up) sign the beam before it is raised into place. One signing for City Council members and other donors will be on November 12. Other dates are being arranged with Peter Tauscher or Public Works for those that cannot attend on November 12. 11. The Library Leadership Reception was held on Wednesday September 25. As with the Summer Solstice Celebration, all Trustees, Library leadership staff, City Council members, and other City officials were invited. Signage was posted that states that no Library governance business will be discussed in order to comply with recent rulings regarding the Brown Act. a. Mayor Will O’Neill was the guest speaker and spoke on the importance of volunteerism and philanthropy in the community. His speech will be printed in the winter edition of Bookmark Magazine. 12. The acceptance of dissolution of Pals4pal Literacy Board by the California Attorney General is ongoing. Once accepted that organization’s reserve and intellectual property will be transferred to the Foundation. The funds will be held in a separate investment account, a Board-designated quasi-endowment, restricted to support Project Adult Literacy. The Literacy committee on the Foundation’s Board of Directors will be chaired by new Board member Paul Watkins 47