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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Library Trustees 2019-05-14 AgendaAGENDA SAN RAFAEL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING, MAY 14, 2019 DOWNTOWN LIBRARY MEETING ROOM 6:00 PM APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MEETING OF APRIL 9, 2019 PRESENTATION • Adult Services – Miriam Wallen – Memory Lab PUBLIC COMMENT This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons desiring to address the Board on all items, agendized or not. Presentations are generally limited to two minutes. REPORT FROM INTERIM LIBRARY DIRECTOR (Henry Bankhead) REPORTS FROM LIBRARY SUPPORT GROUPS • Friends of the Library (Henry Bankhead) • Library Foundation (Henry Bankhead) • Special Library Parcel Tax Committee (Henry Bankhead/Susan Andrade-Wax) NEW BUSINESS • Shared Service Desk Concept Report OLD BUSINESS • New Library Facility Planning Process Update • Survey Update – • Mall Project update and holds question ADJOURNMENT American sign language interpreters and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling 415-485-3064 (voice) at least 72 hours in advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request. To allow individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing scented products. Gary O. Phillips, Mayor • John Gamblin, Vice Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Councilmember • Kate Colin, Councilmember • Andrew Cuyugan McCullough, Councilmember Location: SRPL, Downtown Library Meeting Room Date: 04/09/18 Time: 6:00 p.m. Members Present: Jaimi Cortes Josh Libresco Beverly Rose Catherine Sumser Claudia Fromm Members Absent: Robert Ross Others Present: Henry Bankhead, Interim Director Jill Tokutomi, Librarian Jinder Banwait, Administrative Assistant Susan Andrade-Wax, Community Services Director APPROVAL OF MINUTES The January minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Libresco and a second by Cortes. All were in favor. INTRODUCTIONS All present introduced themselves PRESENTATION Tokutomi introduced Zoey Hinks, a Marin County Girls Who Code Member/Teacher, who presented about why Girls Who Code exists and how it’s impacting young girls who would like to enter the computer science/technology field. APPROVAL OF AGENDA What the role of the Chair/Vice Chair is was discussed and Libresco was chosen as the new Chair by Cortes and a second by Sumser, Libresco accepted. All were in favor. Cortes was chosen as the new Vice Chair by Libresco and a second by Rose. All were in favor. The agenda was unanimously approved on a motion by Libresco and a second by Cortes. SRPL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING SUMMARY Gary O. Phillips, Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Vice Mayor • Kate Colin, Councilmember • John Gamblin, Councilmember • Andrew Cuyugan McCullough, Councilmember PUBLIC COMMENT None. REPORT FROM LIBRARY DIRECTOR Bankhead shared information about the new library planning process. The dates for the community meetings were moved up toward the end of April so that more community outreach can occur, and a survey can be prepared for additional feedback. Cortes asked whether the giant Oak Tree at 5th & E St. will stay, Bankhead confirmed it will. Bankhead also updated the Board on the status of the mall pop-up. The space is free to use, with minimum cost for such things as internet and janitorial services. An MOU is being prepared between the City and the County. Bankhead discussed the immigration services program provided by staff at the Pickleweed Library. Due to certain requirements, the staff were unable to provide immigration services at the level they were hoping. New American Campaign and other groups have partnered with Pickleweed to assist with offering services. Bankhead mentioned an upcoming Friends Book Sale. Cortes asked a question from the executive report about the downtown library lobby remodel, which wasn’t an item on the agenda. Andrade-Wax explained that we cannot have a discussion on a topic not on the agenda. That she and Bankhead can share information, but there can’t be a back and forth session. Bankhead said he would include this item on the agenda for the next Board meeting. Libresco explained that it would be a violation of the Brown Act if the discussion took place without it being on the agenda. CORRESPONDENCE None. REPORT FROM LIBRARY SUPPORT GROUPS AND OTHER RELATED GROUPS Friends of the Library: Libresco shared information about the Friends, that they have a book store and hold book sales to fund the many programs at the library. Andrade-Wax offered space for Friends book sales at the community centers. SRPL Foundation: Libresco shared information about the Foundation, that they are a group of older citizens working on raising money for a new library. Bankhead explained that the group has raised approximately $400,000, but that the library has received larger donations. Next meeting May 10. Special Library Parcel Tax Committee: Libresco talked about the role of the committee, that they provide oversight of how the funds are being utilized and assist in preparing reports for City Council. Bankhead shared an issue that the committee members are currently facing, the language of the parcel tax in relation to the proportionality of the library and the entire City budget. Gary O. Phillips, Mayor • Maribeth Bushey, Vice Mayor • Kate Colin, Councilmember • John Gamblin, Councilmember • Andrew Cuyugan McCullough, Councilmember OLD BUSINESS Sumser asked about the extension of the mall pop-up. Bankhead explained that currently the setup is month-to-month, but that we can move to an annual agreement. Preparation of the MOU is in progress. The County is providing all the material, we’re providing majority of the staffing. Bankhead shared information about the progress of the new library facilities project. Once the locations are narrowed down, a final report will be presented to the Council, who then will decide the next step in the process. Cortes asked what the next step would be. Cortes also shared her feelings about the process not moving fast enough. Andrade-Wax also pointed out the upcoming community meetings and survey, how there will be opportunities for the community to take the survey online on our websites, in person at the library and community services locations, how the information about the survey will be disseminated through multiple outlets. NEW BUSINESS None. Action Items Owner(s) Deadline Details Report from Library Director Henry Bankhead Next Meeting Can we pickup holds at the mall pop-up Report from Library Director Henry Bankhead Next Meeting Add the discussion about the lobby changes to the next meeting Old Business Henry Bankhead Next Meeting IT, same individual taking multiple surveys ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Henry Bankhead May 2019 TO: San Rafael Public Library Board of Trustees FR: Henry Bankhead, Interim Library Director RE: Monthly Report to the Board New Service Desk Upstairs at the Downtown Library The library just received a new service desk for the upstairs shared service point at the downtown library. The new desk is from Demco Inc., a library furniture and supplies provider, and has two separate adjustable height components that will allow staff to sit or stand while they are providing help to the public. The curved section faces the top of the stairs while the straight section faces the center of the room and the back door. Monthly Library Report to the Library Board of Trustees, p. 2 Recent Library User Comments • (Bibliocommons user) Thank you for the due date reminders, we really need and use those. And thank you for making it so easy to renew books which we haven't been able to finish. We love the library! The Peisert Family • (Bibliocommons user) Easy to use; simple, straightforward. Thank you. • (Bibliocommons user) Terrific site - easy to navigate with wonderful features. Thank you!! • (Bibliocommons user) It used to be that when I rated a checked out book, it was automatically transferred to my "Completed" shelf. I recently discovered that this very nifty function has been removed. Curious as to why? Now I have to open the 'Completed' shelf, open the "Add a Book" function, and then type in the name of the book. Once the name of the book comes up, there's a one -click to "add to this shelf." This seems really cumbersome and I would think might dissuade patrons from using this functionality at all. Help! • (Bibliocommons user) I find the browser version of the website very easy to use and navigate. I typically use the iPhone app to search for, order and renew books, and that too is very easy to use. Earth Day and Day of the Child at Picklweed Library We had a super Earth Day-Kids Day here at Pickleweed last Saturday, April 20th. The day began with a cleanup and weeding of the perimeter of the building. It was amazing, I thought we might get a little corner done, but we had around 40 participants show up and we were able to weed and mulch around the entire building and even plant 15 plants provided by Parks around the back of the building. Monthly Library Report to the Library Board of Trustees, p. 3 YMCA and Flagship showed up around 10:30, we added bubbles, hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, Jenga and more. More and more people continued to gather, and we estimate around 400 came out to enjoy this sunny, fun day in the park. Well-known, bilingual composer Jose Luis Orozco started his show around noon. His music is loved by parents alike who danced and sang with their children. We offered a book giveaway and a snack, all paid for by the Friends. It was a wonderful, community building day. We worked closely with Community Service, Parks and the City Volunteer Program to make this all possible, thank you to everyone. Paperback Spinners Relocated and Then Returned to Original Location Library staff discovered, to their horror, that someone had been ripping the covers off paperback books. A total of 47 books were discovered to have had their covers ripped off. As part of making it harder to do this heinous act, staff decided to move the spinners an area where staff and other library users could keep an eye on the spinners to either discover the vandal or deter repetition of the crime. Luckily, a quick-witted security guard spotted the malefactor in the act of ripping off a cover and they have been permanently banned from the library. Subsequently library staff moved some of the spinners back to their original location by the elevators. Monthly Library Report to the Library Board of Trustees, p. 4 Library Staff Member Jill Tokutomi Wins INNY innovation award Jill Tokutomi was honored with an Inny Innovation ward at the 2019 City of San Rafael all staff recognition event. Jill is always thinking of new ways to get work done. Recently, because of a backlog in 3D printing, Jill figured out a new, streamlined process for efficiently doing the prints. She has brought on many new, enthusiastic teen volunteers, and has a magical way of figuring out each volunteer's strengths. In connection with this, she instituted a Teen Advisory Board, where local youth decide what types of programs they would like to see hosted at the library for the teen demographic. Jill loves doing book club outreach at the middle schools and gets to know many students during her visits. In practicing openness, Jill had a representative from an LGBT group come to our all staff meeting to explain to staff how to create a welcoming environment for this demographic. I am always inspired by Jill's enthusiasm and energy and believe that she would be an excellent recipient of this award. Bonnie Groshong was recognized at the 2019 All Staff Recognition Event on May 2nd for 5 years employed at The City of San Rafael. Bonnie is an integral member of the library team. She selects books, helps patrons with inquiries, develops Adult programming for the community and so much more. Recently Bonnie, with the assistance of Joan Peck, has been instrumental in providing the library’s ongoing series of Art Talks in the City Council chambers. These talks are always highly attended with the last talk, entitled Early Rubens: A Master Comes Home, having over 80 attendees. The Mall Popup Update We are working on extending the Mall popup for a year starting May 1st, 2019 until April 30, 2020. Based on the success of the initial month to month pilot, we hope to engage in a pilot for the entire next year. In addition, the City of San Rafael has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Marin County Free library that outlines Monthly Library Report to the Library Board of Trustees, p. 5 the collaboration between the two libraries that allows the mall to operate. This MOU was approved at the Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 7 th. Once our agreement with the mall owners, Merlone-Geier Partners, is fully executed we will be announcing the extension of the mall popup. DÍA DE LOS NIÑOS WITH COLORS OF SPANISH Following in a series of Día de los Niños (Children's Day) celebrations (Pickleweed, Downtown, Northgate), the Downtown Library hosted a celebration of children’s literacy last Saturday, May 4, on the Library lawn. Attendees enjoyed a Colors of Spanish musical program, face painting, and a free book giveaway, as well as traditional childhood pastimes such as sidewalk chalk, bubbles, hula hoops, and cornhole. The day was complete with an impromptu hula-hoop competition between a mother and daughter. Whew! They were good! Día de los Niños originated in Mexico in 1925 as a day to celebrate children and the future that they hold for humanity. Children’s writer Pat Mora learned of this tradition in 1996. She campaigned the library community to adopt this observance as Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day), because literacy and books are directly connected to a child’s wellbeing and future. At the time of this writing, there is still one more celebration to be held at Northgate Library on Wednesday, May 8. The Library is grateful for the generosity of the Friends of the San Rafael Public Library for funding this delightful, fun event. Monthly Library Report to the Library Board of Trustees, p. 6 May Meetings • May 8 — Friends Board Meeting • May 9 – Bike to Work Day • May 13 – Station 52 Grand Opening • May 14 — CS/Library Manager’s Meeting • May 14 — Board of Trustees Meeting • May 16 — MARINet Board Meeting • May 21 — Parcel Tax Committee Meeting • May 23 — Library All Staff Meeting • May 23 — CS/Library Manager’s Meeting New Library Survey Released – An online survey has been released to solicit feedback from the community regarding the three main downtown options. The link has gone up on the library website and on social media. In addition, we are planning to email the survey to San Rafael residents and to library patrons who have signed up for the online newsletter. We hope to be able to gather a large swath of feedback within the next two weeks. We are also placing the link on Next Door, Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to take the survey the link is http://sgiz.mobi/s3/SRLS LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA REPORT May 14, 2019 TITLE: SHARED SERVICE DESK CONCEPT SUMMARY: Best practices in public libraries throughout the San Francisco Bay Area include strong integration between professional staff (Librarians) and paraprofessional staff (Library Assistants). Currently, the City of San Rafael Main Library has implemented a shared service point, emulating a change that Marin County Free Library made in 2010, to combine the services of reference and circulation at one shared “customer service” desk. The efficiency that was created by combining a shared service desk has provided additional resources that could be utilized to staff the Northgate mall location. This location has broadened the availability of Library services in the City of San Rafael and has resulted in an increase in new Library card holders since its inception in December 2018. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board accept the report and provide comment. BACKGROUND Best practices in public libraries throughout the San Francisco Bay Area include strong integration between the roles of Librarians and Library Assistants. This integration of services facilitates staff gaining knowledge and developing skills that allow them to work on the information or reference desks that serve the public directly with their needs regarding the Library collection. This work is distinguished from that at the circulation desk, as the circulation desk staff only assist patrons with account issues as well as with checking out their materials. The San Rafael Library is currently engaged in a project that has created a shared service point, a change that Marin County Free Library made in 2010, to combine the services of reference and circulation at one shared “customer service” desk. This desk is staffed by one librarian and by one Library Assistant. This shared desk is located on the second floor of the Library, where most of the collection is housed and is easily Page 2 of 4 accessed through a direct entrance. In addition, the customer service desk in the Children’s Area on the ground floor now aids patrons with account and circulation issues. The shared desk is configured to eliminate the need for patrons to go to two different service points for circulation and/or information. Instead both functions are combined at one desk. The shared service desk opened on January 28, 2019. Prior to its implementation, there was extensive planning and training completed. The table below summarizes the timeline and process that was done. Timeline Action Items 5/2018 County Shared Service Manual shared with supervisors 8/2018 Supervisors Brainstorm Implementation Ideas 9/2018 Field trip to Novato, Q & A with Novato Supervisor 10/2018 Shared Service Working Group Created- Jill H, Margaret, Jamie, Christine, Joan, Pam, Bonnie, Gina, Jennifer 11/2018 Follow-Up w Working Group – Field trip to Fairfax Library 12/2018 Training, Shadowing between service desks. Mall opens. 1/2019 More meetings w Working Group and Training – Circ desk closed 1/28/19 – shared desk opened 1/28/19 2/2019 Ongoing training continues, document shared of basic circ information for Librarians. Lobby staff person assigned during high traffic times to address customer concerns. Library Assistant IIs promoted to Senior Library Assistants; “quick start” guide for navigating customer service in children’s room drafted. 3/2019 Ongoing training continues, staff concerns/suggestions addressed and reviewed in division meetings. Library pages (temporary staff) trained and coached to assist with check in of materials to help as needed. Senior Library Assistant meeting held to clarify roles, expectations; mentorship pairing of Senior LAs with a librarian/supervising librarian discussed. 4/2019 Ongoing training continues, particularly for Library pages with check in of materials. Draft of expectations of Senior LAs with librarian/supervising librarian for mentorship currently underway. Lobby The closing of the circulation counter allowed for the redesign of the downstairs lobby. The redesign resulted in gaining a “check-in room” where staff can process returned materials without interruption and expansion of the “holds pick up area” by 40%. In Page 3 of 4 addition, removing the book cases from the lobby allows for better traffic flow throughout the lobby, and improved access to both the meeting room and the children’s area. Lastly, two additional self-check machines in the lobby, as well as a self -check in the children’s area and a self-check adjacent to the service desk in the adult area, were added as part of the redesign. Staffing The shared service model allows for greater efficiency in staffing and facilitates cross- training opportunities between Librarians and Library Assistants. Library Assistants sometimes field reference questions that may need to be referred to Librarians, while Librarians may be asked circulation questions in which they may need the assistance of circulation staff. In addition, there exists an overlap where both classes of employees are comfortable and proficient in answering the same types of questions with regards to information and circulation. For example, renewing books, locating items on the shelf and simple factual inquiries. As a point of information, the Library Assistant job classification does not allow Library Assistants to perform the basic reference function, i.e. answering questions about books and information. The Senior Library Assistant job classification includes this job function. At the Pickleweed Library this model of Senior Library Assistants and Librarians working at one shared desk is already in place. Thus, for the sake of parity and consistency it makes sense to implement a similar solution at the Downtown location. Therefore, to expand the role of paraprofessional staff and their ability to respond to a wider range of inquiries, all five Library Assistant lls at the Downtown Library were offered an internal promotional opportunity to become Senior Library Assistants. Upon the successful internal recruitment, all five staff were promoted to the position Senior Library Assistant effective February 16, 2019. Children’s Area As part of the lobby redesign, training was included to create a shared service desk in the children’s area like that of the upstairs/adult area, except for the cash register which is only available upstairs. Northgate Mall Pop-Up Library The efficiency that was created by combining a shared service desk has provided additional resources that could be utilized to staff the Northgate mall location. This location has broadened the availability of Library services in the City of San Rafael and has resulted in an increase of 275 new Library card holders since its inception in December 2018. For comparison, during the same length of time the Downtown Library issued 608 cards, and the Pickleweed Library issued 70. Page 4 of 4 12/8/18 - Present Check-outs Renewals Holds Placed Holds Filled Check-ins San Rafael 94,188 7,346 4,181 19,880 95,597 Pickleweed 9,466 1,304 841 1,829 10,155 Northgate 10,269 749 397 484 7,016 FISCAL IMPACT: The promotion of 5 Library Assistant ll staff to Senior Library Assistants required an additional $22,000. This amount was shifted from the temporary staffing budget of the circulation, adult services and children’s services departments of the library. This is additionally sustainable as the elevation of Library Assistant ll to Senior Library Assistant and linked implementation of the Shared Service Point will allow a reduction in use of temporary Library Assistants and Temporary Librarians. ALTERNATIVE ACTION: Any other action as determined by the Board. Submitted by: Henry Bankhead Interim Library Director