HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-15-2015 JM Public CommentsJune 15, 2015, BLT Agenda Item Comments
Comments on the Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees (BLT) agenda items, submitted by:
Jim Mosher (jimmosher@yahoo.com ), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach 92660 (949-548-6229)
Item 4. Draft May 18, 2015 Minutes
Page 7, last paragraph, last sentence: “Additionally, he commented on a recent meeting of
the Friends of the Corona del Mar Library and made suggestions regarding the visioning for
the future and the need for comparable branch facilities in other parts of the City.”
Item 5.B.1. Corona del Mar Branch Update
I find the statistic of 76% of area residents having library cards surprisingly high, although it
doesn’t necessarily mean they all use the CdM Branch. How does this compare to the
percentage of registration in other areas? And is it possible to count the number of “unique”
visitors to the CdM Branch over the course of a year? That is, what fraction of the population
visits the branch and how does that compare to library use in other areas?
My own limited experience with the CdM Branch has been that the large tables in the adult area
provide an inviting and very usable work space – to me much nicer than the study carrels at
Central – but I found the number of desktop computer workstations (4) inadequate, with none
being available on two occasions when I had a need to use one. I am also not a great fan of the
“popular library” service concept, but I appreciate that other people’s tastes may differ.
Item 5.B.2. Corona del Mar Branch Project Update
I thought Trustee King made an excellent suggestion regarding putting more of the fire station
facility on a revised second floor extending over the top of the library, allowing room to expand
the library on the ground floor. To me this would allow more effective use of the available land
area and, according to the architect, would not require the addition of an expensive elevator.
Item 5.B.4. Retail Space on the Second Floor Expansion
I continue to be disappointed with this suggestion. Whatever City planners may have
envisioned for this space, to me it is part of the library and the Trustees should be pushing for
something more culturally oriented and more universally welcoming than a private credit union.
I do not buy the ATM argument, as it would seem possible to have an ATM at this location, or
elsewhere in the Civic Center, without having to devote the entire space to a full-blown credit
union. And if the credit union is intended primarily to serve City employees it would seem more
logical to locate it in the City Hall administration building.