HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Library Trustees 2022-09-13 Agenda Packet
SAN RAFAEL PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
6:00 P.M.
Virtual via Zoom
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ADVISORY NOTICE
In response to Executive Order N-29-20, the City of San Rafael will no longer offer an in-
person meeting location for the public to attend. This meeting will be streamed through a
Live Zoom Video Webinar at: https://bit.ly/BLT-09-13-2022
The City is not responsible for any interrupted service.
Want to listen to the meeting and comment in real-time over the phone? Call:
(669) 444-9171 and enter 893-5487-6561#
CALL TO ORDER
• Roll Call
AGENDA AMENDMENTS
MINUTES
1. Approve regular meeting minutes of July 12, 2022
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda. Speakers
are encouraged to limit comments to 3 minutes.
3. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations
• Presentation by Jill Tokutomi
MATTERS BEFORE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
If necessary to assure completion of the following items, the Chairperson may establish time
limits for the presentations by individual speakers.
4. Prioritizing People: Prototyping Modern Library Services in the Downtown Carnegie
Library
BOARD REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Library Board of Trustees Agenda Page 2 of 2
5. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by Board
members.
STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS
6. Other brief program updates or reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars
attended by staff.
NEXT MEETING: October 8, 2022
ADJOURNMENT
Notice
Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Board less than 72 hours before the
meeting shall be available for inspection in the Library, 1100 E Street. Sign Language interpreters and assistive listening
devices may be requested by calling (415) 485-3066 (voice), emailing Lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org or us ing the
California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711”, at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Copies of
documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Public transportation is available through Golden Gate
Transit, Line 22 or 23. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop. Wheels at (415) 454-0964. To allow individuals with
environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain
from wearing scented products.
Minutes subject to approval at the meeting of September 13, 2022
1
BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
MINUTES
________________________________________________________
San Rafael Library – 1100 E Street, San Rafael, CA
July 12, 2022 – 6:00 P.M.
Virtual Meeting Recording Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocT6obn8Yr8
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Duque Hughes called the meeting to order at 6:05 P.M.
Roll Call
Present: Trustee Andow
Trustee Cortes
Chair Duque Hughes
Trustee Vahdat
Absent: Trustee Lentini
Also Present: Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City Librarian
Jinder Banwait, Administrative Analyst
Dan Cottrell, Supervising Librarian
Catherine Quffa, Library & Recreation Director
AGENDA AMENDMENTS
None
MINUTES
1. Approve Regular Meeting Minutes of June 14, 2022
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
The minutes of June 14, 2022 were approved as submitted.
Trustee Cortes moved, and Trustee Vahdat seconded to approve the minutes of the
June 14, 2022 meeting.
Ayes: Trustees: Cortes, Vahdat, and Duque Hughes
Minutes subject to approval at the meeting of September 13, 2022
2
Noes: Trustees: None
Absent: Trustees: Lentini
Abstain: Trustees: Andow
Minutes approved as submitted.
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda
None
3. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations
Introduction of new Board Member Larry Andow
Staff responded to questions from the Trustees.
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
Presentation by Dan Cottrell: School Library Card Outreach
Staff responded to questions from the Trustees.
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
MATTERS BEFORE THE BOARD
4. Library Receives Grant from the Cushing Family Fund
Presentation by Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City
Librarian
Staff responded to questions from the Trustees.
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
5. Board Meeting Schedule: August and December
Presentation by Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City
Librarian and Catherine Quffa, Library & Recreation Director
Staff responded to questions from the Trustees.
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
The meeting for August 2022 was cancelled as there were no pressing future
agenda items and also due to scheduling conflicts. The cancellation of the
December 2022 meeting will be revisited in October or November.
Trustee Vahdat moved, and Trustee Andow seconded to accept the cancellation of
the August meeting and to revisit cancellation of the December meeting.
Minutes subject to approval at the meeting of September 13, 2022
3
Ayes: Trustees: Andow, Cortes, Vahdat, and Duque Hughes
Noes: Trustees: None
Absent: Trustees: Lentini
Abstain: Trustees: None
August 2022 meeting cancelled.
BOARD REPORTS AND COMMENTS
6. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended
by Board members.
None
STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS
6. Other brief program updates or reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or
seminars attended by staff
Presentation by Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City
Librarian and Catherine Quffa, Library & Recreation Director
Staff responded to questions from the Trustees.
Chair Duque Hughes invited public comment; however, there was none.
Trustees provided comments.
NEXT MEETING: September 13, 2022
FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS
• None (other than what is on the workplan)
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:13 P.M.
Page 1 of 4
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA REPORT
September 13, 2022
Item #4
TITLE: Prioritizing People: Prototyping Modern Library Services in the
Downtown Carnegie Building
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Board receive the report and provide comment.
BACKGROUND:
Originally built in 1909 and with multiple expansions over the decades, the aging
Downtown Library has a number of infrastructure and deferred maintenance needs that
were outlined in the 2019 Existing Facilities Report. The City has been working with
partners and community members over the years to identify a long-term solution to the
City’s need for larger, more modern library facilities. While the City is continuing to
explore these larger improvement opportunities, given the current economic outlook,
staff are also looking for creative ways to quickly prototype improved, modern library
services with existing resources.
At the same time, the City has received a $1,000,000 grant from the California State
Library for improvements to the Downtown Carnegie Library and applied for an
additional $1,000,000 from the California State Library’s Building Forward grant
program for critical infrastructure and life safety improvements to the Downtown Library.
The City also has significant funding set aside for Library facility improvements from
generous community donations. This level of funding has the potential to transform the
existing space and to allow the City to demonstrate what the experience of a modern
library can be, building community support for improved library services.
While the exact scope of the improvements to the Downtown Library will be dependent
on the outcome of the Building Forward grant requests, staff have been developing a
suite of options that would significantly enhance the user experience. At a minimum, the
project would include addressing the most critical infrastructure and life safety needs,
including addressing restroom deficiencies, replacing the Carnegie roof, upgrading the
HVAC system, installing a fire suppression system, and addressing ADA issues.
Depending on cost and funding availability, staff are also explorin g a number of other
options to redesign the existing space to create a welcoming environment that promotes
learning and enrichment, to demonstrate modern library services to our community, and
to provide the best possible user experience for both patrons a nd staff within the
existing facilities.
Page 2 of 4
DISCUSSION:
The demonstration of the modern library experience would be centered in the
Downtown Library but would also include new features at the Mall and Pickleweed
locations. The modern library experience would be built around an inviting family-
friendly space with flexible mobile shelving, transforming the library from a warehouse
for books into a space of discovery and enjoyment. The use of an Automated Materials
Handling system (AMH) and the contingent ability to maximize display space would
allow for a more responsive and appealing use of the library collection. This
multifaceted intersection of factors would result in a transformed Downtown Library
through re-thinking the use of the building, thereby demonstrating to the community how
a modern library can function. This concrete demonstration would capture the
imagination of the community, creating renewed enthusiasm for library services.
The below outlines a number of the different technologies and design ideas staff are
exploring to improve the user experience as part of the broader infrastructure
improvement project.
Mobile Shelving
Moving the library collection to mobile shelving would mean that the collection could be
arranged in a flexible way within the building to maximize browsability and access to the
collection, as well as provide for flexible programming space. This would increase sight
lines and improve lighting as the current fixed shelves block the light from the numerous
widows. Mobile shelving would also eliminate the many dead-end spaces where shelving
terminates against a wall. This would increase safety and create a better flow of access
throughout the space.
Automated Materials Handling (AMH)
The City recently implemented an RFID tagging system with the intent to purchase an
AMH system in the near future. When paired, RFID and AMH systems benefit the
library, and the community served, by increasing the accuracy and speed of materials
checked in and out. This allows more time for staff to provide more customer service,
outreach, programs, and other patron services. With the planned installation of a book
sorter at the Downtown Library, this is an additional opportunity to rethink the way the
collection is housed in the library.
IMMS and the Media Hotel
An Intelligent Materials Management System (IMMS) is a tool that works with the AMH
sorting system to allow staff to define display areas with in the three library locations
and intelligently route material to those locations. Using the RFID technology that the
AMH System is built upon, this system will allow the library to keep a portion of the
collection less accessible in a “media hotel”. This will free up space on the main floor of
the library to highlight curated collections of material. The items in the book hotel would
still remain accessible to patrons upon request in a matter of minutes or by placing an
online hold request. In other library systems, implementing IMMS has decreased the
error rate in retrieving holds by up to 31%. Helsinki has reported a reduction from 30
Page 3 of 4
minutes to 5 minutes to process a tote of held items (that is the end to end process to
manage a tote of holds). Helsinki process around 10,000 totes of holds a month so this
saving is significant.
Diagram of flow of materials in an IMMS sytem
Rearranging Services
Mobile shelving would free up more space for people in the Downtown Library,
providing the opportunity to better group services for greater efficiency and effect.
Children’s services could be moved upstairs out of the former parking garage into a
well-lighted space close to the service desk and with a defined set of shelving barriers
to contain the youngest patrons in a safe space. Adult computing could be moved to the
lower level of the building, to be paired with other technology services (see below). The
Carnegie wing could be devoted to book and magazine display and could provide an
inviting study area as well as a much-improved media area. New items could be
showcased in an open and accessible area that complements the redesigned children’s
area. The Teen area could be expanded and become more welcoming. Additionally,
depending on how efficiently the space is utilized, staff are also considering
opportunities to add small meeting and private working spaces.
The Garage: Public Computing and Community Makerspace
The movement of public computing downstairs could be in conjunction with a grouping
of most technology services in one area of the building. The memory lab and a
maker/discovery space could be located downstairs as a way to efficiently manage like
services. The discovery lab/maker space (potentially branded “The Garage”) could
include 3D printers, virtual reality equipment, and the memory lab umbrellaing one
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convenient location. One staff member would be able to be available to provide
customer service and manage the use of public computers and the other technology
equipment. The downstairs space could also be arranged to include the media hotel to
house materials not currently on display.
Moving Collections, Moving Classification Systems
A move from fixed to mobile shelving presents a rare opportunity to reassess the
classification system the library is using, the Dewey Decimal System. According to a
recent staff report, “Library patrons find Dewey to be highly intimidating; both difficult to
use and understand.” The author, former Supervising Librarian Jill Harris, goes on to
explain, “Dewey is also heavily biased in several ways that are problematic. There is
growing acknowledgement and criticism of the ways that Dewey centers Western
cultures, while marginalizing all other continents and cultures. It is also exceedingly
biased against all religions and philosophies that are not Christian, and contains
instances of sexism, racism, homophobia, and marginalization of gender non-
conforming people.” The full staff report is included as Attachment 1.
As the library is shifting the collection, we may have the opportunity to reclassify and
relabel the library collection using a more accessible and less biased system. The most
common alternative system is based on BISAC, Book Industry Standards and
Communications. This system uses a word based, bookstore model of classification that
promotes browsing and is readily understandable by the general public. We would hope
to model our new system on those used by Anythink Libraries, Maricopa County Library,
and the Peninsula Library System in San Mateo County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Although there is no financial impact associated with review of this report, future
implementation of this project will include costs that would be covered through a
combination of grant funding from the California State Library and City Memorial Funds
dedicated to the improvement of Library facilities.
Submitted by:
Henry Bankhead
Assistant Library & Recreation Director / City Librarian
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Dewey-Free Classification: Book Industry Standards and Classification (BISAC)
and Beyond Staff Report
Page 1 of 3
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA REPORT
March 9, 2021
Item #5
TITLE: DEWEY-FREE CLASSIFICATION: BOOK INDUSTRY STANDARDS
AND CLASSIFICATION (BISAC), AND BEYOND
SUMMARY
Beginning in the late 1990s, there has been a growing trend among public libraries to
adopt a more bookstore-style approach to public services. A major component of this
transition is discontinuing use of Dewey in favor of more user-friendly systems. A
significant number of library systems have improved public service and staff efficiency
by adopting an alternate organizational scheme.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Board of Trustees receive the report and provide feedback.
BACKGROUND:
Alternatives to Dewey include Book Industry Standards and Communications BISAC
(subject headings commonly used in book stores), Metis, Natural Language, as well as
“Dewey-lite,” (Parrott, 2014) and other hybrid approaches. There are several notable
examples of public libraries who have successfully made the switch. Maricopa County
Library District reported a six-fold increase in non-fiction circulation after adopting a
BISAC-based system in 2007.
In 2008, Rangeview Library District, also known as “Anythink”, successfully converted to
a system based on BISAC subject headings branded as “Wordthink” (Robles, 2016).
Darien, CT and King County, WA library systems have implemented hybrid systems that
incorporate glades and/or “marketplace” style classification methods. Local examples
include the current glading system for picture books at the San Rafael Libraries and the
Marin County Free Libraries. Glades are commonly requested picture book categories,
such as vehicles, dinosaurs, or princesses. A portion of our picture book collection is
organized into these glades rather than strictly by author. This aligns with how young
children actually look for and ask for books (i.e. “I want a truck book”).
DISCUSSION:
The decision to use either modified versions of Dewey or alternatives is based on several
factors. Library patrons find Dewey to be highly intimidating; both difficult to use and
understand. Alternatives or hybrid approaches are designed to be more user -friendly and
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intuitive. There is a growing sentiment in librarianship that Dewey is outdated and better
suited for academic environments.
There are many examples of books about the same subject being separated and placed
in completely different Dewey ranges. For example, books about trains can be found in
both the 300s and the 600s. This is especially difficult for children and in practice we
have found it to be a deterrent to use of our non -fiction books among youth. School
libraries (in California in particular) lack the staffing, resources, and support to teach
students how to use Dewey as they were once able to. This leads to great difficulty
locating books needed for homework assignments and personal learning. One of the
Library’s service goals is to empower patrons of all ages to feel at ease using the
collections and to foster self-sufficiency.
Dewey is also heavily biased in several ways that are problematic. There is growing
acknowledgement and criticism of the ways that Dewey centers Western cultures, while
marginalizing all other continents and cultures. It is also exceedingly biased against all
religions and philosophies that are not Christian, and contains instances of sexism,
racism, homophobia, and marginalization of gender non-conforming people.
An example of this is the 200 range of Dewey which covers world religions and spiritual
belief systems. Western views of the world are privileged in Dewey with all numbers 200
to 289 focusing on Christianity. Non-western religions are not even mentioned until 294
(White, 2018). The 400s, dedicated to world languages, is similarly problematic.
Western languages (Germanic, Romance, Greek and Latin) have 7 -8 classifications
dedicated to each language, covering 400 -489, leaving all other world languages
(Indigenous, African, and many Asiatic languages, to name just a few) the range 490 -
499. “Western European languages have highly specific classifications, while the
majority of non-white and non-western European languages are all lumped together,
even if they span an entire continent (see 496: African languages)” (Behre, 2020).
Alternatives to Dewey present an opportunity to adopt a system that is representative of
contemporary values and our organization’s commitment to equity, diversity, and
inclusion.
There are already instances where staff have made modifications to Dewey for ease of
use, as well as explored non-traditional organization schemes. Among other
modifications, in the children’s collection staff have limited the number of decimal places
in call numbers, as the traditional long call numbers used in Dewey are intimidating to
children.
Books have also been grouped on commonly accessed topics in the non-fiction
collection in a way that is more intuitive, whereas with traditional Dewey they would
have been separated and difficult to gather. For example, books on indigenous tribes
and nations in the Americas are regularly sought for school reports. Staff modified
traditional Dewey classification to group books about a particular tribe together in
alphabetical order, whereas before they were scattered through the non -fiction
collection based on traditional Dewey subject headings.
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As mentioned, adopting an alternative classification system such as BISAC , is
responsive to the ways people seek information now. By prioritizing browsing, the
Library’s collections will be more user-friendly. This will lead to greater self-sufficiency
on the part of our patrons, which allows staff to focus on other service improvements
and community enrichment programs.
Submitted by:
Jill Harris
Supervising Librarian
Reference List
Behre, J. (2020, June 29). The racist problem with library Subject Classifications.
Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://hacklibraryschool.com/2020/06/29/the -
racist-problem-with-library-subject-classifications/
Parrott, K. (2014, September 18-20). Dewey-Lite: A Solution to the Nonfiction
Problem [Conference presentation]. ALSC 2014 Institute, Oakland, CA, United
States. http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/NI14Handouts/Dewey-
Lite_Handout1.pdf
Robles, Y. (2016, May 05). Rangeview library district Wins national Award for boosting
"Word Think". Retrieved March 05, 2021,
from https://www.denverpost.com/2010/11/20/rangeview-library-district-wins-national-
award-for-boosting-word-think/
White, H. (2018, July 23). Decolonizing the Way Libraries Organize. Retrieved March
05, 2021, from http://library.ifla.org/