HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Library Trustees 2019-10-15 Minutes
1
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
San Rafael Library – 1100 E Street, San Rafael, CA
October 15, 2019 – 6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Libresco called the meeting to order at 6:02 P.M.
Roll Call
Board Members Present: Josh Libresco, Jaimi Cortes, Claudia Fromm, and Beverly Rose
Board Members Absent: Robert Ross and Catherine Sumser
Staff Present: Henry Bankhead, Assistant Library & Recreation Director/City
Librarian, Susan Andrade-Wax, Library & Recreation Director,
Jinder Banwait, Senior Administrative Assistant
AGENDA AMENDMENTS
Chair Libresco requested two changes:
1. Under item Meeting Open to the Public, move public comment up so that it comes
before the presentation of the downtown location survey.
2. Move Board Reports and Comments up so that the discussion of the October 7, 2019
City Council meeting can take place immediately after the presentation of the downtown
location survey.
Ms. Andrade-W ax explained that if an item such as the “Board Reports and Comments” is
moved up on the Agenda, then once the item has been moved the Board does not have the
opportunity to also include it later in the Agenda to discuss again. Board Member Libresco
replied that according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Article 4, Section 22, 4th Edition, the most
current edition, the Board can suspend the rules pertaining to the order of business.
2
A motion was made by Board Member Libresco, seconded by Board Member Rose, to amend
the agenda. The motion was approved unanimously.
MINUTES
1. Approve regular meeting minutes of September 10, 2019
Chair Libresco requested the following changes:
1. Change the word “judgement” to “judgment”.
2. On page 4, toward the middle, change “complementary” to “complimentary”.
3. On page 5, toward the bottom, change “Trustless” to “Trustees”.
Chair Cortes requested the following changes:
1. On page 3, after “NOES: Board Members: Cortes”, add “in favor of
eliminating fees without additional information”.
2. October 8, 2019 Library Board Meeting was moved to October 15, 2019 due
to a Jewish Holiday falling on October 8, 2019.
A motion was made by Board Member Rose, seconded by Board Member Fromm, to
approve the minutes of the September 10, 2019 meeting. The motion was approved
unanimously.
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda
A member of the public read aloud a letter sharing someone’s personal feelings about
their strong desire to renovate the current downtown library building. Board Member
Libresco asked that the letter be emailed or mailed to the Assistant Library & Recreation
Director/City Librarian, Mr. Bankhead.
3. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations
Board Member Libresco presented the downtown library survey results. Board Member
Cortes asked whether a link to the survey is available. Ms. Andrade-Wax replied that
the survey results will be included in the meeting’s packet.
BOARD REPORTS AND COMMENTS
3
4. Board Member Libresco provided a summary of the October 7, 2019 City Council
Meeting as it pertained to the library. He explained that the City Council received the
new library related presentations from the various presenters accurately, but that after
the data was presented, the City Manager and library staff provided a report
recommending the Albert Park option. Board Members felt that the recommendation
went against survey results and that the Board Members were never informed or asked
for advice in pursuing the Albert Park option.
Ms. Andrade-Wax explained that the recommendation was made in coordination with
the City Manager in collaboration with the City Council. She said the City Council can
accept staff’s recommendation or they choose one of the alternative options that were
also included in the staff report.
Ms. Andrade-Wax shared with the Board Members and the public that the October 7,
2019 City Council Meeting is recorded, and the video and all related documents are
available online on the City’s website.
MATTERS BEFORE THE BOARD
5. Mr. Bankhead presented information about the consumption of food policy in the
Guidelines for Library Use. The policy states:
“Responsible consumption of individually packaged food and drinks in designated
areas; full meals and pungent foods should be consumed outside the library.”
He explained that this policy was added in 2018, since then, there has been no negative
impact of allowing individually packaged food and drinks in the library. Implementing this
policy has allowed the community to feel more welcome and has increased their
enjoyment of the library space. This policy has also allowed the staff and the security
guard to focus on more important matters instead of spending their time enforcing food
consumption.
Board Member Cortes shared that food allergies are potentially fatal and can be
triggered by minor traces of food particles. She suggested adding signage alerting and
reminding visitors of the dangers of food allergies. Board Member Cortes also
suggested designating certain parts of the building for food consumption. She shared
that perhaps library staff can do something to bring attentions to this serious issue
during Food Allergy Awareness Week.
Mr. Bankhead replied that he would work with his staff to develop signs/displays to bring
awareness of this issue. Ms. Andrade-Wax recommended reviewing the policies of
other MARINet libraries and seeking counsel from staff and the City Attorney.
4
The Board Members accepted the report as presented.
STAFF COMMENTS
Mr. Bankhead shared updates about Library groups and other relevant information with
the Board Members.
A. The Parcel Tax Committee met on October 1, 2019. They are planning their final
report for the City Council.
B. The Friends of the San Rafael Public Library met on October 9, 2019. They
discussed the October 7, 2019 Council Meeting. They are having a Rare & Special
Book Sale from Friday, October 25, 2019 to Saturday, October 26, 2019 at the First
Presbyterian Church on E St. across from the library.
C. The Library Foundation met on October 11, 2019. Their annual dinner was
postponed from October 10, 2019 to November 7, 2019 due to potential power
outages. They are working on crafting an appeal letter in sync with the October 7,
2019 City Council Meeting. They are very excited about the direction given by the
City Council.
D. MARINet Board will meet on Thursday, October 17, 2019. At the last meeting, the
Larkspur City Manager attended as they are currently recruiting for a Library
Director.
E. NorthNet North Bay Cooperative Library System is meeting on Thursday, October
17, 2019 as part of the next MARINet meeting. NorthNet is the consortium the library
belonged to in the past for which the library has financial retiree liabilities. There may
be seven to nine thousand dollars a year that the library may be responsible for
paying soon.
F. During the October 7, 2019 Council Meeting, the new library planning process has
made more progress than prior studies in that the Council supported the
development of a conceptual plan for a new library location. They are also interested
in potential reuse ideas for the Carnegie building.
Board Member Cortes left at 7:33 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: November 12, 2019
FUTURE AGNEDA TOPICS
Budget update.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:36 P.M.
5
2019 LIBRARY SURVEY LINK
http://srplf.org/surveyresults.pdf
SAN RAFAEL LIBRARY --
DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS SURVEY
A Study
Conducted for
SAN RAFAEL LIBRARY
FOUNDATION
by
The OSR Group
June 2019
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 2
CONTENTS
•Research Objectives 4
•Study Methodology 6
•About the Respondents and the Libraries They Visit 10
•Introduction and Location Descriptions 20
•Overall Preferences 29
•What is Liked about Each Location 40
•What is Disliked about Each Location 45
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 3
CONTENTS
(continued)
•Questions and Areas of Confusion 50
•Likelihood to Visit 55
•Overall Likelihood to Use 61
•Some Thoughts on the Research 71
•Appendix -- More on the Methodology 76
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 4 4 4 4
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
•Understand which of three locations for the San Rafael [main]
Downtown Library is preferred by San Rafael residents (and
other users of the San Rafael libraries).
•Assess what the respondents like and dislike about each of
the three potential locations – an expansion of the current
Downtown Library location at 5th and E Streets, a new location
in Boyd Park, and a new location in Albert Park on B Street
(that would also include a rebuilt Community Center).
•Explore whether anything is unclear or confusing about each
of the three potential downtown locations.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 5 5 5 5
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
(continued)
•Measure how likely the respondents would be to use a new
Downtown Library in each of the three locations.
•Understand the reasons that the respondents might not use a
library in each of the three locations.
•Evaluate these and other issues by a variety of subgroups,
including registered voters, registered voters who are also
homeowners, geographic area of residence within San Rafael,
libraries visited, and age of the respondents.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 6
STUDY
METHODOLOGY
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 7 7 7
PROJECT OVERVIEW
•A total of 1,057 interviews were conducted, including the
following interviewing categories:
•1,038 online interviews conducted in English.
•15 online interviews conducted in Spanish.
•4 English-language interviews completed on paper, within San
Rafael Library branches.
•[Note that there were no Spanish-language interviews completed
on paper, although Spanish-language paper interviews were
available on request.]
•Online respondents were contacted using lists provided by the
San Rafael Library.
•Interviewing dates: May 8-21, 2019
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 8
INTERVIEWING PROCEDURES
•Two lists were used to contact the online respondents:
-- A list of 11,319 registered voters who live in San Rafael.
-- A list of 980 people who have opted-in to receive emails from the
San Rafael Library.
•Potential respondents for the online survey were sent an email
request (in both English and Spanish), signed by Henry
Bankhead, Interim Library Director.
•The questionnaire for this study was developed by The OSR
Group, in cooperation with the San Rafael Library/San Rafael
Library Foundation project team.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 9
INTERVIEWING PROCEDURES
(continued)
•At the beginning of the online interview, the respondents were
offered both an English-language option and a Spanish-
language option for completing the survey.
•Paper interviews were available (in English and Spanish) in all
three branches of the San Rafael Library system.
•For the online survey, the order in which the three potential
locations for the Downtown Library were discussed was
randomized, to reduce bias. (Note that each respondent did
see, and have a chance to comment on, all three potential
locations.)
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 10
ABOUT THE RESPONDENTS AND THE
LIBRARIES THEY VISIT
LOCATION OF
PRIMARY RESIDENCE
San Rafael – 94901 64%
San Rafael – 94903 30%
Somewhere else in San Rafael < ½%
Somewhere else in Marin County 5%
Outside of Marin County 1%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 11
94%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 12 12 12 12 12 12
AREA IN SAN RAFAEL
(BASE: 990 SAN RAFAEL RESIDENTS)
6%
12%
47%
32%
3% East San Rafael --
Pickleweed/Canal (6%)
East San Rafael --
Glenwood/Peacock (12%)
Central San
Rafael/Downtown (47%)
North San Rafael -- Terra
Linda (32%)
Not sure (3%)
• Among the San Rafael residents interviewed for this study, 47% live in
Central San Rafael/Downtown, and 32% live in North San Rafael/Terra
Linda.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 13 13 13 13 13 13
VOTER REGISTRATION IN SAN RAFAEL
(BASE: 990 SAN RAFAEL RESIDENTS)
95%
3% 2%
Yes/Registered to vote
in San Rafael (95%)
No/Not registered to
vote in San Rafael (3%)
Not sure (2%)
• Ninety-five percent of the San Rafael residents interviewed for this study
say they are registered to vote in San Rafael. [Remember that the larger
of the two lists used for this study was a voter registration list.]
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 14 14 14 14 14 14
HOME OWNERSHIP
70%
28%
2%
Own the place they live
(70%)
Rent the place they live
(28%)
Not sure (2%)
• Seventy percent of the respondents (including both San Rafael residents
and non-residents) say they own their homes.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE
SPOKEN AT HOME
English 96%
Spanish 2%
Something else 1%
Not sure/Prefer not to answer 1%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 15
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 16 16 16 16 16 16
AGE OF THE RESPONDENTS
5%
12%
19%
26%
35%
3% Under 30 (5%)
30-39 (12%)
40-49 (19%)
50-64 (26%)
65 or older (35%)
Prefer not to answer (3%)
• Six in ten respondents (61%) to this survey are 50 or older; 35% are 65
or older.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
LIBRARIES VISITED IN THE
PAST SIX MONTHS
74%
18%
6%
33%
27%
13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
San Rafael
Downtown
Northgate Pickleweed Civic Center Others in Marin None in past six
months
• Three-fourths of the survey respondents have visited the Downtown San
Rafael Library within the past six months. The Civic Center Library was
visited next most often (by 33%).
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
LIBRARIES VISITED MOST OFTEN
IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS
59%
2% 3% 15%
8% 13%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
San Rafael
Downtown
Northgate Pickleweed Civic Center Others in Marin None in past six
months
• Six in ten of the respondents visited the Downtown San Rafael Library
most often within the past six months. The Civic Center Library was
next at 15%.
OTHER MARIN LIBRARIES VISITED
“MOST OFTEN”
Corte Madera 2%
Fairfax, Mill Valley, Novato, San Anselmo 1% each
Belvedere/Tiburon, College of Marin, Dominican
University, Larkspur, Marin County Law Library,
Sausalito, South Novato/Hamilton < ½% each
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 19
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 20
INTRODUCTION AND
LOCATION DESCRIPTIONS
HOW THE SURVEY WAS INTRODUCED
•As you may know, the City of San Rafael has been studying our library
facilities over the past several years. Most cities our size have about
45,000 square feet of library space. San Rafael has only about 14,500
square feet of library space today, including 12,500 square feet in our
Downtown Library at 5th and E Streets and about 2,000 square feet in
our Pickleweed Park Library in the Albert Boro Community Center on
Canal Street.
•We are working on offering expanded library facilities in three parts of
San Rafael. In Pickleweed Park, we are hoping to expand the current
neighborhood library from about 2,000 square feet to about 7,000
square feet.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 21
HOW THE SURVEY WAS INTRODUCED
(continued)
•In the Terra Linda area, you may know that we have recently opened a
small library in the Northgate Mall. We are hoping to find a space
within the Mall where we can continue to offer library services that will
be convenient to residents in North San Rafael, and perhaps expand
the size of the new Northgate Mall Library.
•We are also considering some options for providing more library space
in the Downtown San Rafael area, and that is the purpose of this
survey. We would appreciate your views on the options we are
considering.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 22
LOCATION DESCRIPTION –
EXPANDING THE EXISTING LIBRARY
•One option for our Downtown San Rafael Library would be to expand
the existing library at 5th and E Streets. With this option, we would
restore the original, rectangular Carnegie Library building for use as
part of the new library. The addition that is now attached to the original
building would be removed, and replaced with a new three-story
building. Additional parking would be added by building a second
parking level over the current City Hall lot. The expanded library would
have about 27,000 square feet.
•Here is where the expanded library would fit, on a map of San Rafael:
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 23
EXPANDING THE EXISTING LIBRARY –
ON A MAP OF SAN RAFAEL
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 24
LOCATION DESCRIPTION –
BOYD PARK
•One option for our Downtown San Rafael Library would be to build a
new library building in Boyd Park, near Mission and C Streets. The
building would go where the tennis courts are now and on land next to
the tennis courts. Additional parking would be added by building an
underground parking garage. The new library building would have
about 20,000 square feet. Note that the original Carnegie Building,
where the Downtown Library is today, would be preserved and used for
other purposes.
•Here is where the Boyd Park library would fit, on a map of San Rafael:
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 25
BOYD PARK –
ON A MAP OF SAN RAFAEL
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 26
LOCATION DESCRIPTION –
ALBERT PARK
•One option for our Downtown San Rafael Library would be to build a
new library building in Albert Park, on B Street. With this option, the
San Rafael Community Center would also be rebuilt, so there would be
a single new building incorporating both the Community Center and the
Library. Additional parking would be added next to the site. The library
portion of the new building would have about 25,000 square feet. Note
that the original Carnegie Building, where the Downtown Library is
today, would be preserved and used for other purposes.
•Here is where the Albert Park library would fit, on a map of San Rafael:
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 27
ALBERT PARK –
ON A MAP OF SAN RAFAEL
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 28
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 29
OVERALL
PREFERENCES
HOW THE OPTIONS WERE PRESENTED
•Each of the three potential Downtown Library locations was
discussed in turn. As each option was presented, the
respondents were asked what they like and dislike about that
location, what questions or concerns the location raises for
them, and how likely they would be to visit a new library at that
location. The three locations were discussed in random order,
and each respondent saw (and commented on) all three
locations.
•Once all three locations were discussed, the locations were
compared. That is the focus of this section.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 30
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 31 31 31 31 31 31
OVERALL PREFERENCE AMONG
THE THREE LOCATIONS
51%
24%
13%
12%
Expansion of existing
location (51%)
Albert Park (24%)
Boyd Park (13%)
Not sure (12%)
• A 51% majority of the respondents favor expanding the existing location of
the Downtown Library. One in four prefer the Albert Park location. Only 13%
prefer the Boyd Park location.
OVERALL PREFERENCE:
BY RESIDENTS, VOTERS, AND OWNERS
51% 51% 52%
24% 24% 24%
13% 13% 13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
SR residents SR registered voters SR voters/home owners
Boyd Park
Albert Park
Expansion of
exisiting
location
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 32
• San Rafael residents, San Rafael registered voters, and San Rafael
registered voters who are home owners [and would therefore vote on
property tax increases] all strongly prefer expanding the current location.
OVERALL PREFERENCE:
BY AREA IN SAN RAFAEL
39%
50% 55% 48%
42% 23%
25%
19%
5% 17% 11%
17%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Canal/Pickleweed Glenwood/Peacock Central/Downtown North/TL
Boyd Park
Albert Park
Expansion of
exisiting
location
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 33
• Unlike other San Rafael residents, respondents who live in the Canal/
Pickleweed area are about as likely to prefer Albert Park as the current
location.
OVERALL PREFERENCE:
BY LIBRARIES VISITED
57%
45% 47% 53%
22% 45%
25% 18%
11%
5%
14% 15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Downtown Pickleweed Northgate Civic Center
Boyd Park
Albert Park
Expansion of
exisiting
location
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 34
• Consistent with the previous chart, those who have visited Pickleweed
in the past six months are more likely to rate Albert Park as a strong
choice.
OVERALL PREFERENCE:
BY AGE
44% 42%
56% 55%
33% 31%
21% 19%
14% 14% 12% 13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Up to 39 40-49 50-64 65+
Boyd Park
Albert Park
Expansion of
exisiting
location
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 35
• Older respondents (50+) are especially likely to favor the existing
location, at the expense of Albert Park.
WHY SOME RESPONDENTS [540]
PREFER THE EXISTING LOCATION
Familiarity/Same location 34%
Preserve Carnegie Library 25%
Easy access/Less traffic congestion 17%
More library space 12%
Convenient 11%
More parking 11%
Close to downtown 8%
Safe/quiet area 8%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 36
WHY SOME RESPONDENTS [252]
PREFER ALBERT PARK
Combined with community center 48%
Easy access/Less traffic congestion 22%
Close to park 12%
Close to home 11%
Revitalizes area 10%
More parking 9%
Close to schools 7%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 37
WHY SOME RESPONDENTS [137]
PREFER BOYD PARK
New/Modern building 20%
Close to park 16%
Underground parking 13%
Beautiful/Nice area 12%
Close to home 12%
Utilizes unused space 12%
Easy access/Less traffic congestion 10%
Close to downtown 9%
Less disruptive 9%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 38
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 39 39 39 39 39 39
LOCATION LIKED THE LEAST
12%
35%
36%
17%
Expansion of existing
location (12%)
Albert Park (35%)
Boyd Park (36%)
Not sure (17%)
• The Albert Park and Boyd Park locations each are chosen by just over a
third of the respondents as the location they like the least. Only 12% pick
the existing location as the option they like the least.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 40
WHAT IS LIKED
ABOUT EACH LOCATION
ABOUT THIS SECTION
•Note that this section is based on the responses of the 1,057
respondents in total. It is drawn from the questions asked about
each individual location, before the three locations were
compared.
•In truth, the themes are quite similar to the reasons that each
location might be preferred, as discussed earlier. The positive
comments about the existing location primarily focus on
continuing with what people are familiar with and with preserving
the Carnegie Library. The positive comments about Albert Park
particularly center on the new or expanded community center.
The positive comments about Boyd Park are about parking,
location, and the park setting.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 41
WHAT IS LIKED ABOUT
THE EXISTING LOCATION
Familiarity/Same location 29%
More parking 16%
Preserve Carnegie Library 14%
More library space 13%
Convenient 9%
Close to downtown 8%
Historic 8%
Easy access/Less traffic congestion 7%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 42
WHAT IS LIKED ABOUT
ALBERT PARK
Combined with community center 20%
New/Updated community center 7%
More parking 14%
Easy access/Less traffic congestion 11%
Close to park 9%
Bigger facility/More library space 6%
Revitalizes area 5%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 43
WHAT IS LIKED ABOUT
BOYD PARK
Underground parking 12%
Close to park/playground 9%
Close to original library 9%
Close to downtown 8%
Beautiful/Nice area 7%
Convenient 6%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 44
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 45
WHAT IS DISLIKED
ABOUT EACH LOCATION
ABOUT THIS SECTION
•Note that this section is again based on the responses of the
1,057 respondents in total. It is drawn from the questions asked
about each individual location, before the three locations were
compared.
•For the existing location, only two negative comments are
offered by as many as 5% of the respondents – inadequate
parking and loss of library use during construction. For Albert
Park, the primary negatives have to do with safety and the
homeless people in the area. There is also some concern that
Albert Park is too far from downtown. For Boyd Park, the
negatives relate principally to congestion and traffic, as well as
to parking. Homeless people and safety are concerns as well.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 46
WHAT IS DISLIKED ABOUT
THE EXISTING LOCATION
Inadequate parking 12%
Library closed/limited during construction 5%
Busy/Congested area 4%
Changing look of Carnegie building 3%
Cost/Tax increase 3%
Increased traffic congestion 3%
Not enough library space 3%
Three-story building is too tall 3%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 47
WHAT IS DISLIKED ABOUT
ALBERT PARK
Homeless people 14%
Not a safe area 12%
Inconvenient/Too far 11%
Busy/Congested area 9%
Inadequate parking 9%
Prefer current location 6%
Farther from downtown 5%
Increased traffic congestion 5%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 48
WHAT IS DISLIKED ABOUT
BOYD PARK
Busy/Congested area 17%
Increased traffic congestion 11%
Inadequate parking 11%
Losing park space 9%
Homeless people 7%
Prefer current location 6%
Underground parking 6%
Losing tennis courts 5%
Not a safe area 5%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 49
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 50
QUESTIONS AND
AREAS OF CONFUSION
ABOUT THIS SECTION
•Once again, this section is based on the responses of the 1,057
respondents in total. It is drawn from the questions asked about
each individual location, before the three locations were
compared.
•Majorities of the respondents do not volunteer questions or
areas of confusion about any of the three locations. Therefore,
the percentages on the next three pages are small.
•Those who do comment are consistent in their concerns about
parking for the existing location, parking and homelessness in
Albert Park, and traffic and parking in Boyd Park.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 51
QUESTIONS/AREAS OF CONFUSION
ABOUT THE EXISTING LOCATION
Will there be enough parking? 4%
Will library services continue during construction? 3%
What amenities/services will be added? 2%
What will it look like? 2%
How long will construction take? 1%
How much will it cost? 1%
What is the impact on access/traffic flow? 1%
Why tear down the addition to the existing building? 1%
Will the green space still be there? 1%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 52
QUESTIONS/AREAS OF CONFUSION
ABOUT ALBERT PARK
What is the impact on access/traffic flow? 5%
Will there be enough parking? 4%
What will be done about homeless/safety issues? 3%
How much of the park will be lost? 2%
How much will it cost? 1%
This area is not really “downtown.” 1%
What is the impact on current buildings/facilities? 1%
Why build a new library? 1%
Will community services continue during construction? 1%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 53
QUESTIONS/AREAS OF CONFUSION
ABOUT BOYD PARK
What is the impact on access/traffic flow? 8%
Will there be enough parking? 5%
How much of the park will be lost? 3%
Why build a new library? 3%
What will be done about homeless/safety issues? 2%
Will the tennis courts be installed elsewhere? 2%
How much will it cost? 1%
How will the Carnegie building be used? 1%
What will happen to Boyd House? 1%
What will it look like? 1%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 54
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 55
LIKELIHOOD
TO VISIT
ABOUT THIS SECTION
•This is the final section drawn from the series of questions
asked about each individual location, before the three locations
were compared. Once again, it is based on the responses of
the 1,057 respondents in total.
•Overall, the respondents are most likely to expect increased
visits to the Downtown Library if the library were an expansion of
the existing location. They are most likely to expect to reduce
their visits to the Downtown Library if the library were in Albert
Park.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 56
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 57 57 57 57 57 57
LIKELIHOOD TO VISIT
THE EXISTING LOCATION
37%
4%
49%
10%
More likely to visit (37%)
Less likely to visit (4%)
Would not change visits (49%)
Not sure (10%)
• If the new Downtown Library were an expanded building at the existing
location, 37% say they would be more likely to visit the library. Only 4%
would be less likely to visit.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 58 58 58 58 58 58
LIKELIHOOD TO VISIT
ALBERT PARK
21%
30%
32%
17%
More likely to visit (21%)
Less likely to visit (30%)
Would not change visits (32%)
Not sure (17%)
• If the new Downtown Library were in Albert Park, 21% say they would be
more likely to visit the library. Three in ten (30%) would be less likely to visit.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 59 59 59 59 59 59
LIKELIHOOD TO VISIT
BOYD PARK
16%
23%
45%
16%
More likely to visit (16%)
Less likely to visit (23%)
Would not change visits (45%)
Not sure (16%)
• If the new Downtown Library were in Boyd Park, 16% say they would be more
likely to visit the library. Just less than one-fourth (23%) would be less likely
to visit.
LIKELIHOOD TO VISIT SUMMARIZED
37%
21% 16%
4% 30%
23%
49% 32%
45%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Expansion of existing location Albert Park Boyd Park
No change
Less likely
More likely
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 60
• Summarizing the three previous charts, the respondents are most likely
to expect increased visits to an expanded library at the existing location.
They are most likely to expect decreased visits to a library in Albert Park.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 61
OVERALL LIKELIHOOD
TO USE
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 62 62 62 62 62 62
LOCATION MOST LIKELY TO USE
49%
20%
12%
19%
Expansion of existing
location (49%)
Albert Park (20%)
Boyd Park (12%)
Not sure (19%)
• The “most likely to use” responses match almost perfectly with the “preferred
location” data shown earlier. Expansion of the current Downtown Library
location is named as “most likely to use” by about half of the respondents.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63
LOCATIONS THAT THE RESPONDENTS
WOULD NOT USE
3% 20% 15%
66%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Expansion of existing
location
Albert Park Boyd Park Not sure
• One in five respondents say they would not use a library at the Albert Park
location, and 15% say the same for Boyd Park. Only 3% would not use an
enhanced library at the existing location. [Note that 66% say “not sure,”
which suggests that they might use the library wherever it ends up.]
LOCATIONS WOULD NOT USE:
BY RESIDENTS, VOTERS, AND OWNERS
3% 3% 2%
20% 19% 19%
16% 15% 15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
SR residents SR registered voters SR voters/home owners
Expansion
of exisiting
location
Albert Park
Boyd Park
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 64
• About 20% of each group would not use a library in Albert Park, and
about 15% of each group would not use a library in Boyd Park.
LOCATIONS WOULD NOT USE:
BY AREA IN SAN RAFAEL
7%
3% 2% 1%
10%
17%
19%
23% 24%
18% 19%
10%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Canal/Pickleweed Glenwood/Peacock Central/Downtown North/TL
Expansion
of exisiting
location
Albert Park
Boyd Park
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 65
• Respondents who live in the Canal/Pickleweed area are particularly
unlikely to use Boyd Park; respondents in North San Rafael are
particularly unlikely to use Albert Park.
LOCATIONS WOULD NOT USE:
BY LIBRARIES VISITED
1%
6%
3%
2%
18%
11%
14%
19%
14%
19%
15%
13%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
Downtown Pickleweed Northgate Civic Center
Expansion
of exisiting
location
Albert Park
Boyd Park
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 66
• Consistent with the previous chart, those who have visited Pickleweed
in the past six months are especially unlikely to use Boyd Park. Those
who have visited the existing location or the Civic Center are especially
unlikely to use Albert Park.
LOCATIONS WOULD NOT USE:
BY AGE
5% 4%
1% 2%
22%
17%
22%
19% 20%
15% 14% 13%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Up to 39 40-49 50-64 65+
Expansion
of exisiting
location
Albert Park
Boyd Park
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 67
• Both older respondents (50+) and younger ones (up to 39) are
especially likely to say they would not use Albert Park. Boyd Park
is next for each group.
WHY SOME [29] WOULD NOT USE THE
EXISTING LOCATION
Busy/Congested area 21%
Limited parking 21%
Don’t like the library 17%
Never/Rarely visit the area 17%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 68
WHY SOME [209]
WOULD NOT USE ALBERT PARK
Inconvenient/Too far 36%
Not a safe area 25%
Busy/Congested area 16%
Don’t like area/Location 16%
Homeless people 16%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 69
WHY SOME [162]
WOULD NOT USE BOYD PARK
Busy/Congested area 33%
Inconvenient/Too far 20%
Limited parking 17%
Loss of park space/tennis courts 11%
Don’t like area/location 9%
Homeless people 8%
Not a safe area 5%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 70
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 71
SOME THOUGHTS
ON THE RESEARCH
THOUGHTS ON THE RESEARCH
1.The existing location clearly “won” in comparison to the other
two potential sites for a Downtown Library. Similarly, Albert
Park is a more popular choice than Boyd Park.
2.The only subgroups who do not have a clear preference for the
existing location are Canal residents and users of Pickleweed
Library, and these people may get an expanded library in their
own neighborhood. [These subgroups choose the existing
location and Albert Park about equally.]
3.The main advantages of the existing location are that it is
familiar [people do not much like change] and that it
guarantees continued use of the Carnegie Building.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 72
THOUGHTS ON THE RESEARCH
(continued)
4.Public opinion is important, but it is only one component of the
decision. If the City does choose one of the other two sites,
then the City must be prepared to counter the negative
impressions that are associated with the other two sites.
5.For Albert Park, the biggest advantage is that it would come
with a new community center. This can be used as a major
argument to promote the Albert Park site.
6.On the other side, Albert Park’s location is not convenient to
some [which is hard to fix], and is seen as having a major
safety and homeless problem. The safety problem would need
to be mitigated to reassure residents.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 73
THOUGHTS ON THE RESEARCH
(continued)
7.For Boyd Park, there are no significant benefits unique to the
site. Some like the park itself and the location, near the
existing Downtown Library.
8.The major disadvantage of the Boyd Park location is traffic and
congestion. That would need to be improved to reassure
residents, if the Boyd Park site were chosen. Boyd Park also
comes with some safety and homeless concerns.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 74
THOUGHTS ON THE RESEARCH
(continued)
9. Parking is a concern for all three sites. The current Noll & Tam
planning does consider parking in each case, but a discussion
of parking should definitely be included as the chosen
Downtown Library site is described to voters.
10.Note that each site was presented with a map and an estimate
of square footage, but without a cost (in part because it is
difficult to relate the costs to each taxpayer’s own share). The
cost of each location may affect its attractiveness to voters.
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 75
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 76
APPENDIX --
MORE ON THE METHODOLOGY
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 77 77
ABOUT THE BANNER POINTS
•The data have been tabulated to include a total for each question
or question part, along with a variety of key subgroups of the total.
The subgroups in the banner are as follows:
–Total respondents
–San Rafael (Resident; Registered voter; Registered voter plus
homeowner)
–Area in San Rafael (East – Canal/Pickleweed; East –
Glenwood/Peacock; Central/Downtown; North/Terra Linda)
–Preferred location (Current site; Boyd Park; Albert Park)
–Libraries visited (Downtown; Pickleweed; Northgate; Civic Center)
–Age (Up to 39; 40-49; 50-64; 65+)
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 78 78
STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
•The maximum sampling tolerances that apply to the various
respondent categories are shown on the next page. These
figures represent the 95% confidence level, which is based on
two standard deviations.
•(In fact, sampling tolerances also vary by the levels of the
percentages that are found in the data, and may often be lower
than the maximum tolerances shown on the next page. The
maximum sampling tolerances therefore provide a conservative
standard for evaluating statistical significance.)
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 79 79
MAXIMUM SAMPLING TOLERANCES
•Total respondents (1,057 interviews) + 3%
•San Rafael residents (990 interviews) + 3%
•Registered voters (944 interviews) + 3%
•Registered voters who are homeowners
(676 interviews) + 4%
•Age up to 39 (174 interviews) + 7%
•Age 40-49 (206 interviews) + 7%
•Age 50-64 (275 interviews) + 6%
•Age 65+ (371 interviews) + 5%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 80 80
MAXIMUM SAMPLING TOLERANCES
(continued)
•The sampling tolerances that apply to other subgroups of the
data depend on the numbers of interviews in these subgroups:
Numbers of Interviews Maximum Sampling Tolerance
500 + 4%
300 + 6%
200 + 7%
100 + 10%
50 + 14%
San Rafael Library -- Downtown Locations Survey -- June 2019 81
WHO TO CONTACT FOR MORE
INFORMATION
•Questions or comments about this study may be referred to
Josh Libresco at The OSR Group, as follows:
Joshua D. Libresco
Executive Vice President
The OSR Group
619 Biscayne Drive
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: (415) 456-8769
Fax: (415) 457-7189
E-mail: jlibresco@osrgroup.com