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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-05-25 BOLT MINS MINUTES LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY 25, 1994 LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM 3 : 30 PM BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Viesca, Vice Chair Donovan, Trustees Alexander, Clover-Byram, Romo, Williams BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None CITY STAFF PRESENT: Library Director Palmer, Paula Brown OTHERS PRESENT: Betty Roche, Harry Labore, Robert Coye I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Meeting of April 27, 1994 MSC (Donovan/Alexander) to approve the minutes as mailed (3-0- 2 with Trustees Clover-Byram and Williams not yet in. attendance) II. CONTINUED MATTERS A. South Chula Vista Library 1. Construction March and April construction reports were made available for Trustee review. Director Palmer relayed that he and Deborah Barrow took part in a detailed two-hour tour of the South Chula Vista Library with the Project Manager last week and conducted another brief tour Tuesday with Principal and Senior Librarian staff. Construction is -40% complete with framing expected to be completed within three weeks. Director Palmer tried to express to the Trustees the sense of architectural style and size the building conveys. It will be completely different from the box style structure most people are used to. t• Because of the ::intricacy, the interior inverted pyramid ceilings are being hand constructed over steel framing on site. Each pyramid is budgeted for 200 staff hours. (Trustee Clover-$yram arrived at 3 : 43 pm) Director Palmer reported that the City Council has chosen not to include the Library on its CIP tour this June. Trustees scheduled June 2 , 1994 at 4 pm to tour the new facility. i Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 Director Palmer briefly discussed the tragic accident that occurred on the South Chula Vista Library site. Director Palmer reported that the Library is currently preparing the largest change order for the project to date. This change order involves replacing items that were removed from the contract to bring it within budget and changes made necessary through the course of construction. This change order also restores the $35, 000 necessary to upgrade the carpet to the quality indicated in the bid specifications. The project's contingency fund is adequate to pay for these changes. (Trustee Williams arrived at 3 : 56 pm) 2 . Works of Art Director Palmer reported that the names of the Art Selection Committee had been submitted to the City Manager. 3 . Furniture and Equipment Director Palmer reported that the City Council awarded 1. 2 million dollars for furnishings, lighting, signage and shelving at their meeting of May 24 , 1994 . Principal Librarian Deborah Barrow was commended for her efforts on this project. B. Names 1. Arturo Barrios Library staff suggested to Council that the young adult collection to be housed at the South Chula Vista Library, which was purchased with funds from Arturo Barrios donations, be named the Arturo Barrios collection. This does not preclude the naming of an area in the new South Chula Vista Library after' Arturo Barrios after adequate criteria is set up. ACTION 2 . Library Facilities At previous meetings the Trustees had recommended that the library at 365 F Street be named the Civic Center Library and that the new library at 4th and 2 Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 Orange Avenue be named the South Chula Vista Library. The City Manager proposed these names to Council at a recent Council Workshop. Council also considered the names Downtown Library and North Chula Vista Library for the library at 365 F Street, but asked for input from the Library Board. MSUC (Clover-Byram-William) to reaffirm the Trustees previous recommendation to name the Library at 365 F Street the Civic Center Library and the Library at 4th and Orange Avenues the South Chula Vista Library. C. Library Budget At their last meeting Council tentatively approved the Library's proposed budget. Council also reviewed and tentatively approved: • Reorganization of the , library management structure; • A 50, 000 volume opening day collection at South Chula Vista. The City Manager wanted to make Council aware that the shelves would be more than half empty. Next Fiscal Year's portion of the book budget for South Chula Vista will be used to purchase a core circulating reference book collection and the electronic and CD Rom products. • The library's CIP request to purchase two self checkout units for the Civic Center Library. Council has requested staff report back on other libraries experience with these units. • The City Manager's proposal of 64 open hours at the Civic Center Library and 44 hours at South Chula Vista Library. However, Council asked that staff return with a cost analysis for adding four hours on Sunday and two additional hours on Saturday. 1. Woodlawn Park Library Library Director Palmer reminded the Board that the Library's formal budget request for Fiscal Year 1994-95 contained the recommendation to close Castle Park when South Chula Vista opened, but kept the Woodlawn Park Library open staffed with a Senior Circulation 3 1 L Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 Assistant. While the Trustees had reviewed the possibility of closing the Woodlawn Park Library as part of the Library's potential two and five percent budget cuts, they had not taken any formal action on this idea as a separate element of the base budget. Council reviewed the Library budget at its Monday, May 23rd workshop and discussed the City Manager's proposal to close the Woodlawn Park Library. At that time, Council requested the Library Board's recommendation on this issue. Director Palmer reported that he had recently met with Mrs. Gillespie from the Woodlawn Community Center, to discuss the possibility of the library closing and to explore possible options. At that time, Mrs. Gillespie expressed her disappointment and indicated that she did not personally support running the library with volunteers, nor did she express interest in the concept of a homework center. Mrs. Gillespie's main concern was for the small children who would not be able to walk the 2 . 1 miles along a busy Main Street to the new library. For the Board's benefit, Director Palmer briefly described the Woodlawn Park Library. It is a 604 square foot facility, open 17 .5 hours per week, circulating 7, 800 items per year with a core user group of approximately 25 to 35 adults and children. Circulation has decreased during the past two years. Since 1991, 428 patrons have registered at the Wogdlawn Park Library. This compares to 5,477 at Castle Park and represents . 4% of the system's total registration of 110, 204 . Woodlawn Park's service area is comprised of seven streets within walking distance of the library, with approximately 200 dwelling units. A large percentage of the resident population is African-American or• Hispanic. Director Palmer stated that facilities of this size do not fit within the guidelines of the Library Master Plan which calls for the 4 s Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 development of large regional libraries. The Library has, in fact, opposed plans to build small neighbor libraries in the Otay Ranch Area. Trustees discussed five options for this facility: Keep it open Close it Return it to the Community Turn it into a homework center Operate the library with volunteers Chair Viesca felt` the Library Board should strive to keep the facility open as long as possible. He suggested getting the community involved in running this library. Chair Viesca also stated that he would like to get input from Mrs. Gillespie on the issue. Director Palmer indicated that the Board could attempt to schedule a special meeting next week if they wished to speak to Mrs. Gillespie. Student representative Romo also suggested that the facility be left open until it was determined how usage would be affected by the opening of the South Chula Vista Library. Trustee Alexander asked about the condition of local school libraries. Director Palmer indicated that the Library has heard rumors that most -elementary school librarians would be eliminated by next year. Trustee Alexander then asked if the facility could be run with Library volunteers. Director Palmer stated that he did not support this option. As important as volunteers are to overall operations, direct public services should not be provided on a volunteer basis. When asked his opinion on this issue as a Library Administrator, Director Palmer stated that as difficult as closing this library would be, in light of the information previously stated and the Library Master Plan, 5 I Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 A he recommended closing this facility. (Friends President, Harry LaBore, arrived at this time) Trustee Alexander asked if staff expected usage to drop off after the South Chula Vista Library opened. Director Palmer responded that he doubted that circulation would be affected either way. Trustee Clover-Byram initially did not favor closing this facility, but in light of the small core of regular users, supported Director Palmer in this decision. MSC (Viesca/Clover-Byram) to recommend closing the Woodlawn Park Library by the end of January 1995. (3-2 with Chair Viesca and Trustee Alexander casting the nay votes) MSUC (Williams/Clover-Byram) The Library Board recommends that the books and furnishings at the Woodlawn Park Library be donated to the Woodlawn Park Community Center . should they wish to continue a volunteer library. Director Palmer stated that the City Manager's budget proposal to close the Woodlawn Park Library would continue to pay rent to the Woodlawn Park Community Center through the end of the 1994-95 fiscal year. Director Palmer reported that this issue will be discussed at the City Council meeting when they approve the FY 1994-95 budget. D. Library Legislation Information on library program funding was distributed at the meeting. t E. Book Campaign Members of the Library's Book Campaign committee are: Harry LaBore, Constance Clover-Byram, Paula Brown, Gayle Monaghan, Shauna Stokes, and Jeri Gulbransen. Director Palmer expected to have something concrete to present to the Trustees by September. 6 i Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 On a related issue, Trustees were made aware that during the budget process over $90, 000 was eliminated from the Library's books and materials accounts. Director Palmer asked for Trustee support on June 14th when Council finalizes the budget. Chair Viesca and Trustee Clover-Byram indicated that they would be able to attend this Council meeting. III. NEW BUSINESS A. EastLake Criteria The Trustees were alerted that criteria to measure the success of the- EastLake Library would be reviewed at the June -meeting. After Board review, this item will be presented to the City Manager and eventually to Council for review. IV. LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT A. Graffiti For the first time in many years the Civic Center Library and Friendship Park experienced graffiti. City Public Works 'crews were on the scene the next morning to clean up the damage. B. Discovery School Pam Smith of the Social Security, Social Services Department, as a member of the Discovery School Charter Committee, has informally proposed that the Chula Vista Library consider operating the Discovery School Library after hours in much the same manner that it is operating the EastLake Library. The Principal of the school has been asked to submit a formal written proposal which has not yet been received. Trustees discussed the ramifications of operating this library on the heels of closing Woodlawn Park. C. Council CIP Tour - This item was covered above. The Summer Reading Program will run June 16 through August 6, 1994 . The theme of the children's program is "Around the World in 80 Ways" . The young adult program, which will be offered only at the EastLake Library, is 11Transport through Time" . The Summer Reading Program is 7 i � c Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 funded through a $15, 000 grant to the Serra System from Wells Fargo Bank to develop the graphic art work and a grant of $1, 250 from the Friends of the Chula Vista Public Library. This program makes July the Library's busiest month. Director Palmer announced that he had been elected Vice Chair of the Serra Cooperative Library System. V. COMMUNICATIONS A. Friends Betty Roche reported that, at their last meeting, the Friend's agreed to sponsor a multi-cultural discussion group, much like the Book Discussion Group the Friends sponsor. The meetings will be held at the Castle Park Library and will be conducted in Spanish. A translator will be provided for visitors who do not speak Spanish. The Bookstore earned $2 ,840 in April. Friends are working to find more books for South Chula Vista. The Friends have increased the staff book grant from $250 per semester to $300, but will reduce awards to twice yearly. B. Public Comments Mr. Coye commended the Trustees on their recommendation to close Woodlawn Park. C. Written Comments None D. Board Comments Trustee Alexander reported that he is involved, through Southwestern College, with the Chula Vista Task Force on Telecommuting. A Telecommuting Center has recently opened in a small shopping center at Otay Lakes Road at H Street. A second center will be located close to downtown Chula Vista to take advantage of the Library. Student Representative Romo reiterated her recommendation to keep the Woodlawn Park Library open as long as possible. 8 i r - Library Board of Trustees May 25, 1994 Trustee Williams acknowledged that it had been a rough meeting. Trustee Clover-Byram had heard that the GMOC will soon direct questions to the . library regarding library thresholds. Trustee Clover-Byram stated that the Library would be approached by schools or other outside organizations for joint use purposes and must keep an open mind when examining these proposals. Chair Viesca stated that he would not be able to attend the June meeting because of National Guard duties. VI. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 5: 30 pm. The next Library Board of Trustees meeting will be held on June 22, 1994 . COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) The City of Chula Vista, in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, requests individuals who may need special accommodation to access, attend and/or participate in a City meeting, activity or service request such accommodation at least forty-eight hours in advance for meetings and five days for scheduled services and activities. Please contact JoAnn Howard for specific information at 691-5193 or Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) (619) 976-5357 . California Relay Service is available for the hearing impaired. 9