HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Library Trustees 2018-03-13 MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
SAN RAFAEL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY MEETING ROOM
6:00 P.M.
MELANIE LEAVITT CANTARUTTI, CHAIR, PRESIDING
MEMBERS PRESENT: JOSH LIBRESCO
MELANIE LEAVITT CANTARUTTI
JAIMI CORTES
DOUG VAN GESSEL
OTHERS PRESENT: SARAH HOUGHTON, LIBRARY DIRECTOR
HENRY BANKHEAD, ASSISTANT LIBRARY
DIRECTOR
JILL HARRIS, DOWNTOWN LIBRARY CHILDREN’S
SERVICES SUPERVISOR
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The agenda was unanimously approved on a motion by Libresco and a second by Van Gessel.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
February minutes were approved unanimously with a correction to the date on a motion by
Libresco and a second by Cortes.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Brad Sears spoke about his concerns that the Downtown Library building be preserved.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Jill Harris spoke about some of the Children’s Services recent programs and projects, including
the Eclipse Sun Party, storytimes and magic shows at the North Bay Fires evacuation center in
San Rafael, the Marin Comics Fest, gaming afternoons, escape rooms for youth, book clubs and
crafts at Davidson Middle School, the Overdrive Digital Bookmobile, a very successful
Women’s History Month display, and the Starling pilot project (a small device that counts how
many words that young children hear, and then sets goals for the family). In addition, Jill was
happy to announce that Children’s Librarian Margaret Stawowy was selected as the City of San
Rafael’s Employee of the Quarter.
CORRESPONDENCE
None
REPORT FROM LIBRARY DIRECTOR
Facility Updates
Public Works will be signing a contract with Kitchell to conduct the “health of the Downtown
Library” building assessment.
Library Trustee Recruitment
The previous recruitment was unsuccessful. Interviews for a second try will be on April 2nd.
Elimination of Downtown Library Free Magazine Exchange
The Downtown Library needed additional space for patron holds so we needed to eliminate the
free magazine exchange that the Library had been offering for some years. It was a very unusual
service, not something any of us have known any other library to offer. Some patrons were
disappointed with its removal, but understanding about our shortage of space.
Temporary Supervisory Changes
Due to a long-term absence of our Circulation Supervisor, Technical Services Supervisor Jamie
Poirier will be temporarily supervising Circulation while Assistant Director Henry Bankhead
takes an active role in supervising Technical Services.
Re-Seeding of Downtown Library Lawn
Public Works re-seeded the lawn just before the rains started and the lawn is starting to look
nicer every day.
Transitioning to Additional Pre-Processing of Library Books
The Library is purchasing additional services from Baker and Taylor to add additional
processing of new books in order to enable materials to be fully processed, or “shelf ready,”
upon delivery to the library. This will get books to people faster and improve customer service.
REPORTS FROM LIBRARY SUPPORT GROUPS AND OTHER RELATED GROUPS
Friends of the Library: The Friends are having a two-day book sale Friday and Saturday of this
week in the library meeting room. The Friends are currently discussing the possibility of the
traditional summer Library Lawn Book Sale.
SRPL Foundation: The Foundation met, but did not have a quorum. Attendees present discussed
the facilities project progress, next steps for fundraising, and the Noll & Tam kick-off meeting.
Special Library Parcel Tax Committee: The committee met February 15th and accepted the
financial reports for the second quarter of the 2017/2018 fiscal year.
OLD BUSINESS
Facilities Project Update
On February 28th we had our kick-off meeting with Noll & Tam Architects to outline the
process for their work to identify sites, conduct community outreach, and determine realistic
pricing and budgeting for various options. We had great attendance—about 40 people—
including library staff, city staff from other departments (Public Works, Community
Development, the City Manager’s Office), the Library Board of Trustees, the Friends of the
Library, the Library Foundation, and the Parcel Tax Committee. We even had an unexpected
visit from the mayor toward the end of the meeting. Chris Noll is the lead architect on the project
and Noll & Tam is a firm very familiar with public facilities and libraries especially. Noll & Tam
brings specialized expertise in the planning and design of public libraries. They have worked on
more than 40 libraries since their founding in 1992 – from small, complex renovations to large
new buildings. They have also worked on the preservation and renovation of Carnegie Libraries
in other cities and towns. In addition, Noll & Tam has prepared a number of facility master
planning studies for libraries and other building types. They are especially well-regarded in the
library field for understanding the priorities of their clients, the needs of the community, the
physical requirements of the place, and the library’s strategic goals. We at the Library are thrilled
to be working with them. Public outreach should begin soon.
NEW BUSINESS
Marin Comics Fest 2018
The Marin Comics Fest will again take place in September, likely September 8-22, with
participation from all MARINet libraries.
Marin Literacy Program Update
The Marin Literacy Program will cease operation as of July 1, 2018. Library staff is working
with them on what to do with their equipment, furniture, books, and other resources as they
vacate the office space in the Downtown Library. Library staff is also brainstorming how best to
use the freed-up space.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 7:08pm.
Respectfully submitted by Sarah Houghton