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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUSTOMER COMMENTSMay 15, 2017, BLT Agenda Item Comments Comments on the Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees (BLT) agenda items submitted by: Jim Mosher (jimmosher@yahoo.com ), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach 92660 (949-548-6229) Item 1. Minutes of the March 20, 2017 Board of Library Trustees Meeting The following changes are suggested: Handwritten page 4 (= page 1 of minutes): “I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER - Chair Johnson-Tucker called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the rear study area at the Balboa Branch Library.” Handwritten page 6 (= page 3 of minutes), Item 6: The first five sentences conveying the content of Ms. Rogers’ presentation are reported, strangely, in the past tense. They would read better (and make more sense) in the present tense: “Balboa Branch Librarian Rogers shared the history of the Branch, which was is open 60 hours per week with late nights on Mondays and Wednesdays. Unique to the Branch were are its nautical collection, a 3-D Blu-Ray video collection, and Newport Beach Historical Society displays. The Branch was is staffed with one full-time librarian and four part-time positions. The service population was is 5,372 people.” Unlike these sentences describing the present state of the branch, the ones that follow report activities in the past year, and hence are correctly written in the past tense. Handwritten page 8 (= page 5 of minutes), Item 12, last sentence: “The Library had a role in empowering citizenry citizens to make good choices.” [or “the citizenry”] Handwritten page 8 (= page 5 of minutes), Item 13, last sentence: “The Friends would have a table at the Oasis OASIS volunteer event on April 12-14.” Handwritten page 9 (= page 6 of minutes), Item VIII, paragraph 4, sentence 4: “Funds raised by the Library Foundation were intended to support the Library but was were supporting Witte Lectures, which were not free and open to everyone.” Item 2. Customer Comments The response to March Comment #4 (handwritten page 11) refers to a “weekly Library newsletter.” Is there such a thing? Or is that a typo for “monthly” (the interval mentioned on the “Subscribe” page of the NBPL website). Item 5. Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List The list has “Review of Library Expansion Donor Wall Naming” as an item for the present meeting, but it is not on the agenda. Presumably it needs to be rescheduled. May 15, 2017, Library Trustees agenda comments from Jim Mosher Page 2 of 2 Item 10. Friends of the Library Wish List Item It might have been helpful to remind the Board of the requests made in the Wish Lists presented in prior years. The “Programming” category this year (disappointingly) contains no specifics as to what programming the requested contributions might go to support, nor any promise that the money will not be used to replace what would otherwise be paid by the City’s general fund. The staff report also does not explain how the Flipster feature would add an ongoing $10,000 annual cost to the library’s budget, and if so, how it would be paid. Is the request to fund a trial that, if continued, would be paid, in later years, by the City? Or does staff anticipate a continuing yearly request of the Friends? Item 11. Library Foundation Wish List Couldn’t the “Wayfinding Kiosk” be integrated into the library’s many existing public terminals and displays, including simply making it part of the library catalog/website – making it accessible from more points, and for customers with devices, on their own from anywhere in the library? Considering the disuse of the City’s other attempts at electronic kiosks (think McFadden Square), the improved signage proposal seems more useful to me. Regarding the Literacy request, since the Literacy Program has its own dedicated fund-raising program, it is a bit difficult to understand why the Trustees are asking the Library Foundation to support it separately from that. Regarding the Central Library blinds request, I have often seen an opposite problem with the windows at the Mariners Branch: I think the branch would be warmer and more appealing if the frosted windows facing the parking lot (opposite the check in/ check out desk) were replaced with clear ones, as in the Children’s Room. 12. Concierge Service and Weekly Story Time at Marina Park Since the library has finite and limited resources, the report that funding will be “minimal” and the implication that the program can be executed with no impact to services elsewhere seems optimistic. One drawback of Marina Park is its paid parking lot. Is there a provision for short visits to pick- up and return items without a threat of being ticketed while doing so? Another drawback of Marina Park is that despite the pre-construction promises, it does not (for unknown reasons) provide public Wi-Fi other than to those registered for paid programs. The staff report further suggests no public terminal will be provided for accessing the library’s catalog, checking the customers’ accounts or any other of the library’s online services. While a place to drop off and pick up books is good, those other features seem unnecessarily limiting to me.