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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-18-2021-BLT-AGENDA PACKETCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES AGENDA Crean Mariners Branch Library 1300 Irvine Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92663 Monday, October 18, 2021 - 5:00 PM Board of Library Trustees Members: Paul Watkins, Chair Kurt Kost, Vice Chair Barbara Glabman, Secretary Douglas Coulter, Board Member Janet Ray, Board Member Staff Members: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist The Board of Library Trustees meeting is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act. Among other things, the Brown Act requires that the Board of Library Trustees agenda be posted at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of each regular meeting and that the public be allowed to comment on agenda items before the Commission and items not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board of Library Trustees. The Chair may limit public comments to a reasonable amount of time, generally three (3) minutes per person. The public can submit questions and comments in writing for the Board of Library Trustees to consider. Please send them by email to the Library Services Department at LibraryBoard@newportbeachca.gov by Sunday, October 17, at 4:00 p.m. to give the Board of Library Trustees time to consider your comments. All emails will be made part of the record. The City of Newport Beach’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all respects. If, as an attendee or a participant at this meeting, you will need special assistance beyond what is normally provided, we will attempt to accommodate you in every reasonable manner. Please contact Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting to inform us of your particular needs and to determine if accommodation is feasible at (949) 717-3801 or thetherton@newportbeachca.gov. NOTICE REGARDING PRESENTATIONS REQUIRING USE OF CITY EQUIPMENT Any presentation requiring the use of the City of Newport Beach’s equipment must be submitted to the Library Services Department 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. I.CALL MEETING TO ORDER II.ROLL CALL III.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV.NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC The City provides a yellow sign-in card to assist in the preparation of the minutes. The completion of the card is not required in order to address the Board of Library Trustees. If the optional sign-in card has been completed, it should be placed in the tray provided. The Board of Library Trustees of Newport Beach welcomes and encourages community participation. Public comments are generally limited to three (3) minutes per person to allow everyone to speak. Written comments are encouraged as well. The Board of Library Trustees has the discretion to extend or shorten the time limit on agenda or non-agenda items. As a courtesy, please turn cell phones off or set them in the silent mode October 18, 2021 Page 2 Board of Library Trustees Meeting V.CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under CONSENT CALENDAR are considered to be routine and will all be enacted by one motion in the form listed below. Board of Library Trustees have received detailed staff reports on each of the items recommending an action. There will be no separate discussion of these items prior to the time the Board of Library Trustees votes on the motion unless members of the Board of Library Trustees request specific items to be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar for separate action. Members of the public who wish to discuss a Consent Calendar item should come forward upon invitation by the Chair. A.Consent Calendar Items Minutes of the Sept 20, 2021 Board of Library Trustees Meeting (pp. 5-15)1. DRAFT MINUTES Patron Comments (pp. 16-17)2. Monthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requests received from patrons. PATRON COMMENTS Library Activities (pp. 18-26)3. Monthly update of library events, services, and statistics. SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES Expenditure Status Report (pp. 27-28)4. Monthly expenditure status of the library's operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department. SEPTEMBER EXPENDITURES Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List (p. 29)5. List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. MONITORING LIST October 18, 2021 Page 3 Board of Library Trustees Meeting VI.CURRENT BUSINESS A.Items for Review Mariners Branch Update (pp. 30-32)6. Branch Librarian Andrew Kachaturian will provide the annual overview of Mariners Branch operations. MARINERS BRANCH UPDATE Youth Services Update (pp. 33-35)7. Youth and Branch Services Coordinator Debbie Walker will provide the annual overview of Youth Services. YOUTH SERVICES UPDATE Lecture Hall Update8. Staff will report on activities related to the Library Lecture Hall project. Balboa Branch Replacement Update9. Trustee Ray will report on activities related to the Balboa Branch Replacement project. COVID-19 Update (p. 36)10. Staff will update the Trustees on the Library's activities during COVID-19. COVID-19 UPDATE Library Services11. Report of Library issues regarding services, patrons, and staff. B.Monthly Reports Library Foundation Liaison Reports12. A. Library Foundation Board - Report of the most recently attended meeting. B. Library Live Lectures Committee - Report of the most recently attended meeting. C. Witte Lectures Committee - Report of the most recently attended meeting. Friends of the Library Liaison Report13. Trustee update of the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. October 18, 2021 Page 4 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Literacy Services Liaison Report14. Trustee update of the most recently attended Literacy Services Advisory Board meeting. VII.PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Public comments are invited and non-agenda items generally considered to be within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board of Library Trustees. Speakers must limit comments to three (3) minutes. Before speaking, we invite, but do not require, you to state your name for the record. The Board of Library Trustees has the discretion to extend or shorten the speakers’ time limit on agenda or non-agenda items, provided the time limit adjustment is applied equally to all speakers. As a courtesy, please turn cell phones off or set them in the silent mode. VIII.BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) IX.ADJOURNMENT DRAFT CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Board of Library Trustees Newport Beach Central Library 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Meeting Minutes Monday, September 20, 2021 – 5:00 p.m. I.CALL MEETING TO ORDER – Chair Watkins called the meeting to order at 5:00 P.M. II.ROLL CALL – Roll Call by Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Trustees Present: Chair Paul Watkins, Vice Chair Kurt Kost, Trustee Douglas Coulter, Trustee Janet Ray Trustees Absent: Secretary Barbara Glabman (excused) Staff Present: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director Francine Jacome, Administrative Support Specialist Rebecca Lightfoot, Adult Services Coordinator Melissa Hartson, Circulation & Technical Processing Coordinator Cherall Weiss, Literacy Coordinator Staff Absent: Debbie Walker, Youth & Branch Services Coordinator/ Acting Library Services Manager III.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Led by Trustee Ray IV.NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC V.CONSENT CALENDAR A.Consent Calendar Items 1.Minutes of the August 23, 2021, Board of Library Trustees Meetings Chair Watkins noted necessary changes to the minutes as follows: •Page 10, from “Chair Watkins said” change to “Chair Watkins the fine policymade common sense and should be continued in place but that heappreciated Library Services Director Heatherton’s moderation or discretion where needed.” •Page 11, change Newport Beach Public Library Foundation (NBPLF)“Board Member” to “CEO.” 2. Patron CommentsMonthly review of evaluations of library services through suggestions and requestsreceived from patrons. 3.Library ActivitiesMonthly update of library events, services, and statistics. 5 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 2 4. Expenditure Status Report Monthly expenditure status of the library's operating expenses, services, salaries, and benefits by department. Chair Watkins noted that the Board of Library Trustees (BLT) is about 2% over budget at 17% of the way through the Fiscal Year. This is acceptable based on the typical BLT spending pattern. Library Services Tim Director Hetherton agreed with Chair Watkins’ assessment. 5. Board of Library Trustees Monitoring List List of agenda items and dates for monthly review of projects by the Board of Library Trustees. Motion made by Vice Chair Kost, seconded by Trustee Coulter, and carried (3-0-1-1) to approve the Consent Calendar with edits to the minutes of August 23, 2021. AYES: Watkins, Coulter, Kost NOES: ABSTENTIONS: Ray ABSENCES: Glabman VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review 6. Resolution Honoring Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs The Board of Library Trustees will honor Carol Jacobs for her contributions to the Library and the City prior to her retirement on October 8, 2021. Chair Watkins read aloud a resolution written by Library Services Director Hetherton for retiring Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs. He then presented the resolution and flowers to Assistant City Manager Jacobs. Assistant City Manager Jacobs thanked the BLT for the resolution and praised the Library staff, Library Services Director Hetherton, and the BLT. In retirement, she has accepted a position in a private consulting firm as an Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Trustee Ray stated she met Assistant City Manager Jacobs through the Library Lecture Hall project. They took several trips together and noticed Ms. Jacobs’ willingness to go above and beyond. She stated it was nice getting to know her personally. Library Services Director Hetherton said the resolution was accurate and that she had been a great help to him in running the Library and wished her the best. 6 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 3 7. Literacy Services Update Literacy Coordinator Cherall Weiss will give an oral report on the Literacy program and events. Literacy Coordinator Cherall Weiss reported on an article from Corona del Mar Life Magazine which highlighted one of the program’s tutors. She also provided the BLT with copies of In Our Own Words, the annual anthology of learners’ writings. Chair Watkins said that In Our Own Words contained many touching and well written stories. Literacy Coordinator Weiss stated that learners were very excited to see their work in print, and the publication is a good example of what learners and tutors do together. During the pandemic, Literacy offered online classes and tutoring and resumed in-person classes when the Library reopened. Some learners preferred to continue on Zoom, but this format is no longer offered. Last week, they held International Literacy Day with a crowd of about 75 people. International Literacy Day is an annual event that honors the learners and tutors, but 2020 was skipped due to COVID. Over the past year they held three successful virtual Happy Hours and a live Happy Hour is scheduled for October 9 featuring local author Maggie Shipstead. All BLT members are invited to attend. Chair Watkins inquired if Great Circle was available in the library and learned that there is a waiting list for the book. Literacy Coordinator Weiss explained that the book would be available for sale at the event. Literacy Coordinator Weiss explained that over the past year during the pandemic they had lost many tutors and learners because of the switch to the online format and noted that other literacy programs saw similar decline. They are being proactive and trying to recruit more learners and tutors. Generally, there are about 200 learners per year, but the number dropped in 2020 to approximately 130. They are advertising on local radio and are developing collaborations with other Orange County organizations such as Share Our Selves (SOS) in Costa Mesa and the parent groups from Newport Mesa Unified School District. She reported she had a scheduled meeting with the adult school from Huntington Beach as they are trying to make inroads into Newport Beach as well. She showed the BLT a flyer that contained information on the services offered. She reminded the BLT that the name of the program has changed to Project Adult Literacy, which is a name that better reflects what the program does and showed a cellphone card holder to the group. Marketing Specialist Maria Nicklin assisted with the cellphone card holder and the new logo. Programmatically, they have had four online high school graduates, five new U.S. citizens, and learners who met 266 personal goals. Sixty-one percent of the learners that set a goal in 2021 to improve their working ability as well as parenting skills, believed they had met the goal. The first in-person new learner orientation will be at the end of September, and there is a live tutor training in October. She indicated she was happy to answer questions. 7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 4 Trustee Ray inquired if Amazon and other reward programs were automatically updated with the new name or if patrons needed to update their information. Literacy Coordinator Weiss explained the 501c3 name of Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy had not changed. Chair Watkins called for further comments and questions. Trustee Coulter congratulated Literacy Coordinator Weiss on a good job. Chair Watkins stated that Literacy Coordinator Weiss had put together a wonderful advisory board that is fun to meet with and committed to the cause. He called for public comment, but there was none so the BLT received and filed the report. 8. Lecture Hall Update Trustee Ray will report on activities related to the Library Lecture Hall project. Trustee Ray reported that the Lecture Hall was moving forward. On September 28, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. there would be a City Council Study Session on the topic. BLT attendance would be appreciated and ideally they wanted 100% support. Chair Watkins thought there was unanimous support from the BLT for the Library Lecture Hall. He asked the Trustees to be present for the Study Session. Library Services Director Hetherton and senior staff will be present. He did not believe there would be much opposition, although there are a few people who do not support the Lecture Hall who might be there or may send letters. Larry Tucker will report on the financial needs of the Lecture Hall, and Library Lecture Hall Committee Chair Jill Johnson-Tucker will open the Study Session with a progress report on the project and will provide a report from the BLT’s perspective. He expected the conversation to focus on the financial aspect of the project. In response to Trustee Coulter’s question about increased construction costs, Chair Watkins explained that all construction costs had increased and continue to increase. The real issue is the additional infrastructure necessary to tie utilities into the Lecture Hall. Trustee Ray noted that Mr. Tucker would have more information related to the finances. Chair Watkins again asked for BLT presence on September 28. He called for further questions of Trustee Ray, but there were none. He called for the public comment. Ronnie Watkins, Newport Beach resident, shared that Speak Up Newport was hoping to have a program on the Library Lecture Hall. Chair Watkins stated that the NBPLF should be advised of the Council Study Session so members can be present. The BLT received and filed the report. 8 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 5 9. Balboa Branch Replacement Update Trustee Ray will report on activities related to the Balboa Branch Replacement project. Trustee Ray reported she meet with Trustee Glabman, Library Services Director Hetherton, Secretary Glabman, Melissa Hartson, Rebecca Lightfoot, and Annika Helmuth last week on the Balboa Branch Replacement. The committee understands the need for careful planning and noted that the Fire Department’s needs would be considered. They will be sensitive about the building’s placement on the land. This was the City’s first branch, so there is a historical component to the facility. She asked Library Services Director Hetherton to show the committee what the building looked like in 1929 when it was originally built. It had an adobe look with a courtyard and was a “little masterpiece.” Librarian Annika Helmuth will complete a branch needs assessment to identify the community demographics, statistics, and how the building will be used. The building has different uses during different points of the year with tourists and traffic in the summer. There may be public meetings at Marina Park. Library Services Director Hetherton stated the Balboa Branch would be an excellent place to house the Nautical Collection and Local and Street Collections because it was the first building in the City. Special collections can draw patrons from other areas of the City. He noted the partnership with the Sherman Library. The first building in the City is an appropriate place to house the special materials and should be part of the plan from the onset. Trustee Coulter asked if there was any progress on the tree problem. Trustee Ray said that the issue was still there and that it was a problem. The trees are there and birds nest in them and create huge messes. Trustee Coulter explained the bird mess drips on cars. Trustee Ray said the trees were magnificent in some ways and would be considered in the new plan. Trustee Coulter asked if the community liked the trees the way they are. Trustee Ray said that it does and that there are also people who are passionate about protecting the birds. Vice Chair Kost stated the birds were a big attraction to those in the neighborhood. Chair Watkins stated the bird issue would be determined by a more senior level of the City than the BLT. Policy makers will make the decision. Trustee Ray said it was a sensitive issue in the community and not one that would be decided by the BLT. It is an issue when you look at the land and the amount of space 9 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 6 occupied by the trees, but the trees are beautiful. However, eucalyptus trees can break and cause injury or property damage. Chair Watkins thought the issue would be taken out of the BLT’s hands. Trustee Coulter said he asked because he was led to believe that they could not get permission from the appropriate people to eliminate the trees. Chair Watkins said the issue was more complicated, that they had looked at it in detail, and that it was taken out of BLT hands. Trustee Ray said there would be a community survey to receive input, and that would be both online and in print. Chair Watkins called for further comments. Hearing none he called for the public comment. Ronnie Watkins, Newport Beach resident, suggested solar carports in the parking lot to assist with the bird mess issues. Trustee Ray said it was a nice thought, but everything would have to be taken into consideration. Chair Watkins commented that on the inside of a wall there were pictures that he had not noticed before with historical images of the original Balboa Branch. Library Services Director Hetherton said they used to have pictures of the early incarnations of the facilities, but Balboa Island Museum is currently holding a photographic exhibition so they may have a photo of the library there. Chair Watkins stated that committees tend to get too large and then their progress is slowed. That said, he asked if it made sense to add Fire Chief Jeff Boyles or a representative from the Fire Department. Trustee Ray said they absolutely needed to be consulted. She has spoken to some of the firemen, and they have ideas and thoughts about their needs. Chair Watkins asked if they should be provided a seat at the table now. Trustee Ray said they could wait until an architect was selected. Library Services Director Hetherton said with the Corona del Mar Branch (CdM) both groups met with the architect and hashed out the ideas. Fire was not included in the early stages because they focused on the library side of things. Chair Watkins said that there ought to be a footnote that states when it is appropriate to include Fire. Vice Chair Kost asked if it would be a similar design to CdM. Chair Watkins said he did not think so. 10 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 7 Trustee Ray said that was part of the process. Some people might want to duplicate CdM. She was not interested in doing that but wanted to take what they learned from CdM and apply it. Chair Watkins thought it made sense to make a commitment to the historical nature of the site in some way. Those things are yet to be decided. He thanked Trustee Ray for the report. 10. COVID-19 Update Staff will update the Trustees on the Library’s activities during COVID-19. Library Services Director Hetherton reported that the Library is still following County and State guidelines for in person services. Unvaccinated members of the public are asked to wear a mask. The County’s recommendation is to wear masks if you work with the public. The Library is not making that mandatory for employees, but many employees are exercising their choice to wear a mask. Storytimes are still being held outdoors and are very popular. He stated he was happy to answer questions. Chair Watkins called for BLT or public comments and questions, but there were none. The Board received and filed the report. 11. Library Services Report of Library issues regarding services, patrons, and staff. Library Services Director Hetherton reported on a new marketing campaign for the children’s database Beanstack. It is a reading challenge program called “Back-to-School Bingo.” Parents are glad to expose their children to the library and the program provides opportunities to use the database. The database is very popular and very utilitarian. The marketing campaign is live on the website. With respect to the Friends Gift Shop/Foundation Passport Office, the BLT previously requested pictures of the merchandise. There is branded merchandise that they want to sell including bookbags. Marketing Specialist Maria Nicklin helped created the branded merchandise. Trustee Coulter asked about the price point for the bookbags. Library Services Director Hetherton stated he would have to look at the spreadsheet. There is synergy between the merchandise and the website. He continued to show the BLT merchandise. Trustee Coulter complimented the selection. Library Services Director Hetherton explained there were other items they could consider selling such as toys based off children’s books, t-shirts with funny slogans, notecards. They wanted to start with the branded items to get the store going and then they can add merchandise from there. The gift shop will open after Finance answers some tax questions. They have a meeting scheduled for Thursday to further discuss the matter. The proposed gift shop hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The gift shop will be staffed by Library staff, which precludes them from being open on the weekend due to skeleton crews Friday through Sunday. They may institute some kind of 11 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 8 item hold if a patron sees something on a weekend that they would like to purchase. All profits of the gift shop sales will go to the Friends. Part of the proceeds will be used for future inventory. The resale permit has been obtained. The Passport office is open and fully operational. Circulation & Technical Processing Coordinator Melissa Hartson stated passport business is seasonal. They handled the first rush and are now in a bit of a down time period. She expected things to pick up again prior to Spring Break. Chair Watkins inquired about Christmas merchandise. Library Services Director Hetherton stated they would look at it. Chair Watkins asked where the profit off gift shop items went. Library Services Director Hetherton explained the Friends received it. Chair Watkins asked about the cost of operation. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that the Friends agreed to fund the program and provided $10,000 in seed money for the merchandise. When items are sold the Friends will receive the proceeds. The proceeds will fund the Friends annual gift to the Library as well as restocking the gift shop. City staff operates the gift shop, so that portion is paid by the City. Chair Watkins confirmed that all profits after costs are accounted for go to the Friends. Library Services Director Hetherton said that was correct. He explained t-shirts would be $25, bookbags $20, and that merchandise was reasonably priced. Chair Watkins stated he planned to shop for his grandchildren’s Christmas presents at the gift shop. Therefore, the sooner it was open, the better. He asked if they were still planning on opening September 30. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that was the ship date on the merchandise, not the opening of the store. The merchandise is being designed and fabricated currently. Trustee Ray asked if the items were fabricated locally. Library Services Director Hetherton said they were not. Adult Services Coordinator/Acting Library Services Manager Rebecca Lightfoot stated the vendor was on the East Coast. Chair Watkins hoped the gift shop would be stocked by Christmas. Trustee Coulter said that shipping was backed up. Ronnie Watkins, Newport Beach resident, commented that many people work during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and inquired about online shopping. 12 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 9 Library Services Director Hetherton stated that an online component was possible. Vice Chair Kost suggested keeping the gift shop open to 4:30 to give children a chance to make it there after school. Library Services Director Hetherton said that everything depended on staffing. They must ensure the service desk is properly run. Vice Chair Kost asked if they were selling some office supplies that people who were using the library for studying or work might need. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that they sell the basics such as pencils and highlighters right at the Reference Desk. There are many kinds of products that the gift shop can offer. Trustee Coulter said that they had a nice start with the merchandise. Library Services Director Hetherton said this was the first retail establishment he had ever opened. If they can expand the gift shop hours they will. Chair Watkins said that he had asked Library Services Director Hetherton to provide categories of employees, differentiate between them, and provide any education requirements. He asked if that was in writing. Library Services Director Hetherton said it was in writing and that he could send it to the BLT. Chair Watkins directed him to send the information to the BLT. He called for questions from the BLT or public on the Library Services Report. Trustee Coulter thanked Library Services Director Hetherton for a good report. Chair Watkins indicated the BLT would receive and file the report. B. Monthly Reports 12. Library Foundation Liaison Reports A. Library Foundation Board – Report on the most recently attended meeting. Vice Chair Kost stated he had no report. Chair Watkins invited NBPLF Director of Programs Kunga Wangmo-Upshaw to provide the update. NBPLF Programs Director Wangmo-Upshaw reported that the Library Lecture Hall update provided by Trustee Ray was the same as the one they received from Library Lecture Hall Committee Chair Jill Johnson-Tucker. They updated donor benefits and started the September programming. 13 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 10 Chair Watkins called for Board and public comments or questions, but there were none. The Board received and filed the report. B. Library Live Lectures Committee – Report on the most recently attended meeting. Chair Watkins reported the September 8 meeting was cancelled and rescheduled for October 6, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. NBPLF Programs Director Wangmo-Upshaw stated she would send out the information. They are unsure if the meeting will be via Zoom or in person as they are still trying to work out scheduling issues. There may possibly be two co-chairs, Tammy Tang and Joanna Kim. C. Witte Lectures Committee – Report on the most recently attend meeting. Secretary Glabman was absent. Library Services Director Hetherton reported there was a meeting. Chair Watkins asked Ms. Wangmo-Upshaw about the lineup. NBPLF Programs Director Wangmo-Upshaw reported that all the contracts are signed and there are four speakers. Announcements will be made in October in their Bookmark magazine. Chair Watkins stated he looked forward to the October Bookmark for times, places, and prices. He asked which month would have a live speaker. NBPLF Programs Director Wangmo-Upshaw stated that would be January and both Witte and Library Live are moving forward with in-person events. Chair Watkins called for Board and public comments or questions, but there was none. The BLT received and filed the report. 13. Friends of the Library Liaison Report Trustee update on the most recently attended Friends of the Library Board meeting. Trustee Coulter reported that the Friends appreciated their Board members, Library staff and Library Board of Trustees who attended the Friends $200,000 check presentation to the Library at the September 14 City Council meeting. He stated the Friends are very hard working and flexible. The August sales were $14,260 and membership fees of $705. The bookstore sale was featured in StuNews and the Daily Pilot. He announced all the current Friends sales including the November 19 members-only sale and the November 20 sale, which is open to the public. He has membership applications for anyone interested. Chair Watkins called for BLT or public questions and comments, but there were none. The Board received and filed the report. 14 Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes September 20, 2021 Page 11 14. Literacy Services Liaison Report Trustee update on the most recently attended Literacy Services Advisory Board meeting. Trustee Ray reported that the September meeting was scheduled for the 21st. Chair Watkins called for BLT and public comments and questions, but there was none. The Board received and filed the report. VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS None. VIII. BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) Chair Watkins requested that all the Trustees attend the September 28, 2021, City Council meeting in support of the Library Lecture Hall. Chair Watkins announced that the October 18, 2021, meeting of the BLT will be held at Mariners Branch. IX. ADJOURNMENT – 6:04 P.M. 15 SEPTEMBER 2021Comment #Date ReceivedSource of CommentStaff MemberStaff Member TitleDate Responded to Patron 19/7/2021EmailTim HethertonLibrary Services Director10/1/202129/9/2021EmailMelissa HartsonCirc. & Tech. Processing Coordinator9/9/2021NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRON COMMENTSCommentResponseAm I able to get a non-resident card without coming in-person to a branch? The Library does not issue full-access privilege cards to a patron who is not able to come into one of our locations. If you do find yourself visiting Newport Beach in the future, please visit any of our locations to obtain a non-resident library card. Thank you for your inquiry.Outdoor Story Time: Great idea! Love the fact that you're building literacy! Thanks very much for your kind words regarding Outdoor Story Time. This service has become very popular, given our superb weather and idyllic outdoor spaces. And, according to the U.S. Department of Education, “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." Best regards.16 SEPTEMBER 2021Comment #Date ReceivedSource of CommentStaff MemberStaff Member TitleDate Responded to Patron NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRON COMMENTSCommentResponse39/19/2021Public CommentsTim HethertonLibrary Services Director10/5/2021Thank you so much for the detailed response! It sounds like your staff & IT have executed a very comprehensive solution that will result in a great improvement for the library-loving public. Fortinet's cryptic messages delivered to personal devices over the WiFi network were particularly disturbing (at least to me), as they gave the impression that using the library's WiFi had resulted in unfamiliar and potentially malicious software being added to those devices without the user's permission. I was pleased to discover that nothing had been installed on my device, and am even more pleased to hear that IT has found a way to prevent those erroneous messages from being sent to future WiFi users. Good job!49/21/2021Comment CardDebbie WalkerLibrary Services Manager, Acting9/21/2021The August 23, 2021, draft minutes (on page 3) indicate that one of IT’s accomplishments during the pandemic was to have “implemented a web content filtering software.” This new software, “Fortinet,” has come with some frustrations. For example, it blocked access, even by librarians, I believe, to the website of Stop Polluting Our Newport, a respected community organization that Fortinet tagged as a “phishing” operation. The messages it provides are not particularly helpful. On a personal device connected to the library’s WiFi the message is something like “Fortinet may not be installed correctly on your device” -- without any explanation of what Fortinet is or why whether one had actually unwittingly installed something of that name. On library computers, patrons get a message to contact Fortinet, and report improperly blocked sites. This seems contrary to the intent of the BLT’s Internet Use Policy NBPL 5, which says “Any adult Library patron who is unable to access a lawful website that is not harmful to minors may request Library staff to unblock access to that website. Library staff shall respond to requests regarding the filtering software promptly.” In fact, prompt, temporary unblocking of sites does not appear to be possible with Fortinet. Instead, patrons have to discover on their own that they should contact a librarian when they see these message, library staff then appears to have to contact IT staff, who in turn have to negotiate with Fortinet staff to have a URL removed from Fortinet’s blocked list. This is not a simple process, and it can take many hours, if not days, to complete. It is not even completely clear the blocking can be removed at all without Fortinet staff’s consent.Thanks for your recent comments on issues and deficiencies with the Library’s web content filtering software FortiGuard. Concerning the SPON website, City It was able to change the designation within the FortiGuard website to access the website. IT also did some troubleshooting and realized why branch staff did not have the override capability, and in response, altered some settings to resolve the issue. As a result, branch staff have the ability to override the filter at public computers. Patrons now receive the following message when accessing a site blocked by the filter:When an “Access Denied” screen comes up, staff can login to bypass it. Patrons can still request to have FortiGuard re-evaluate a site, but it is far more expedient for a patron to request that a the filter be disabled. As I mentioned earlier, Library staff and City IT can also re-designate a legitimate site so it is no longer blocked. Finally, the web filtering software had been inadvertently applied to the public wi-fi network. IT was able to correct this issue so that patrons’ personal devices are no longer filtered. Thanks again for bringing these issues to my attention.I like the staff, work stations, and printer/scanner, but the filth in the bathrooms goes on unabated for years! You want me to touch the urinal? I should flush with my hand?! Pigsty.I was forwarded your complaint regarding the men’s restrooms and the urinals in particular. I am sorry that you had this experience. We do make every attempt to keep the entire facility and the restrooms as clean as possible. In light of the fact that we are open seven days a week and are probably the most used building in the City, we have for the past few years increased the janitorial presence with day porters to help keep up with this demand. I have passed your complaint on to the janitorial supervisor and asked her to make sure the cleaning crews are especially attentive to the areas you mentioned.17 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY To: Board of Library Trustees From: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director Re: Report of Library Activities – October 18, 2021 Meeting ________________________________________________ _________________ _ TIM HETHERTON, LIBRARY SERVICES DIRECTOR “All libraries are civilizing agencies in society. In the continuing struggle to establish and maintain democratic values, free public libraries are essential for providing information and knowledge, enhancing individual growth, easing the transition from youth to maturity, and setting people on the road to wisdom. Our society has faith in reading as a Good Thing that leads to desirable ends, and it believes reading has the power to alter people for the better.” -William Eshelman Friends Gift Shop Staff has consulted the City Attorney’s Office to determine if gift shop profits are subject to income tax. In the Finance Department, Fiscal Specialist Andrew Panganiban will be the main point of contact on the accounting side for the gift shop. The gift shop will use a cash register that has software that allows staff to extract sales tax information and track inventory. Librarian II Claire Leach and Marketing Specialist Maria Nicklin were able to finalize designs for some of the merchandise and start placing orders for products. WHEELHOUSE LIST FOR LIBRARY TRUSTEES Board of Library Trustees meeting Monday, November 15 Small Conference Room, Central Library 5 p.m. City Council Regular Meeting: Library Lecture Hall Concept Approval, CEQA Documents, and Funding Memorandum of Understanding Tuesday, November 30 Council Chambers, Civic Center 5 p.m. DEBBIE WALKER, BRANCH AND YOUTH SERVICES COORDINATOR Branches Outdoor storytimes at the Branches continued to be popular especially at Mariners and Corona del Mar (CdM). Mariners Elementary students used the Library throughout the week. The Mariners School Library Media Technician’s schedule changed, and she now leaves 30 minutes earlier than past years. Balboa Branch welcomed new Page Courtney Eldridge to the staff. 18 Youth Services In addition to continuing outdoor storytimes, toys and puzzles were again made available in the Central Children’s room in early September. Items have been separated to highlight STEM learning and literacy and are rotated each week. Patrons were happy to have them back. Tuesday, September 14 was the last day for Liz Aaron, who had been a Children’s Librarian at Central for over six years. Liz was a dynamic storyteller and had a loyal patron following for her events. Liz and her family have moved to Japan where she will be teaching in the JET program there. We wish her well in this endeavor. With Liz’s departure leaving a vacancy in the Children’s department it was expected that recruitment for the position would need to begin, but at the end of the month, newly hired Adult Services Librarian I Jasmin Avila decided that she would like to join the Children’s team. She will be a welcome addition to the group. A Beanstack reading challenge called “Back to School Bingo” was created and launched by Annika Helmuth and Nadia Dallstream starting September 20. Participants who complete tasks become eligible to take part in a prize-drawing with the grand prize being an Amazon Kindle. As always, funds for programming are generously provided by the Friends of the Library. The entire Youth Services team met in person for the first time in over a year and a half on September 23. Programming, SRP, and other issues related to Youth Services were discussed. Everyone agreed it was wonderful to see each other in person again. We also discovered that Parenting OC Magazine had rated Newport Beach Public Library the “Best Storytelling Time” as part of their 19th Annual Parenting OC Readers’ Choice Awards. Teen Services Three programs related to higher education were held in September for teens and parents. “Finding the Right College for You” on September 1 and “Paying for College: Financial Aid and Scholarships” on September 29 were co-hosted by Collegewise. A “College Essay Writing Workshop” via Zoom was held on September 25. The Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) met in person for the first time in the new school year on September 8. Omar Ordiano, part-time Library Assistant, joined Danielle Doi as co-host of the meeting. The attendees participated in a scavenger hunt to familiarize themselves with staff, the various service desks, and other areas of the Library. Facilities Thankfully, things were fairly quiet at all locations regarding facility issues. Eddie Flores took the opportunity to clean and re-stain the teak furniture from the Reading Porch at CdM. When a Mariners customer tripped on the curb at the edge of a sidewalk in front of the Children’s room, Andy reported the issue to City staff, and the Municipal Operations Department (MOD) came to smooth out the area and eliminate the uneven pavement. MELISSA HARTSON, CIRCULATION AND TECHNICAL PROCESSING COORDINATOR Staff Vacancies P/T Library Clerk Donna Lamanno-Linzey began training at the Central Library this month. Additional department interviews also took place. After completing department interviews, we are moving forward with four P/T Library Clerk candidates, checking references, and conducting background and fitness checks. Fabian Vazquez joined the Library staff as a newly hired Library Page. We continue to work with HR to fill several Library Page vacancies. First round Library Page interviews occurred in September to fill multiple vacancies. Department interviews are set for October. 19 State Report The FY 2020-21 California Library Statistics Survey opened this month. The State Library annually collects statistics from public libraries throughout the state. Data points are Library Income, Expenditures, Staff, Collection, Services, Population and Outlets. I am currently compiling our 2020-21 data and readying it for submission for our annual report. Library Fees The City is beginning a study regarding the Library’s portion of the Schedule of Rents, Fines and Fees (SRFF). The City’s SRFF is a comprehensive document listing the different fees and charges within the City including cost-of-services fees, fines and penalties, rents and other charges imposed by the City. This month, the Library Admin team met with Finance and a representative from the consulting firm hired to conduct the study for an initial review of the Library’s fees. REBECCA LIGHTFOOT, ADULT SERVICES COORDINATOR Training Librarian I Laurie Sanders completed a Readers’ Advisory course through the Library Juice Academy. Friends Gift Shop Librarian II Claire Leach and Marketing Specialist Maria Nicklin were able to finalize designs for some of the merchandise and start placing orders for products. 20 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 Tracked by #searches A to Z Databases 1456 1224 2805 5485 Ancestry 459 114 185 758 AskART 63 55 15 133 Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow 21 90 348 459 Britannica School Edition 22 14 93 129 Facts on File Ancient History 0 33 65 98 Gale Archives Unbound 219 1534 7687 9440 Gale Directory Library 7 14 14 35 Gale in Context: Biography 6 0 39 45 Gale in Context: Elementary 2 0 3 5 Gale in Context: Opposing View 11 18 10 39 Gale Literature Resource Center 12 5 20 37 Gale Virtual Reference Library 23 66 151 240 HeritageQuest 1602 1895 935 4432 Legal Information Ref Center 12 34 18 64 National Geographic 114 36 38 188 National Geographic Kids 57 20 21 98 NewsBank (OC Register) 1060 1146 1188 3394 NoveList Plus 79 64 195 338 NoveList K-8 Plus 24 28 46 98 ProQuest 1858 2459 3029 7346 Proquest eLibrary 1 12 24 37 Reference USA Business 539 486 360 1385 Reference USA Residential 96 55 433 584 SIRS Discover 0 0 10 10 SIRS Issues Researcher 413 185 501 1099 World Book Online 7 22 25 54 Tracked by #page views Consumer Reports 2054 2291 1714 6059 CultureGrams 0 21 171 192 Morningstar 5070 5727 5600 16397 RealQuest 36 12581 8192 20809 Tumblebooks 19 7 27 53 Value Line 14720 12441 14510 41671 Tracked by courses Udemy 2316 1523 1266 5105 Tracked by Hours Used ABC Mouse 26.25 39.43 33.65 99.3 Rosetta Stone 67.32 68.5 58.87 194.7 Notes: Database FY Comparisons YTD 21/22 Proquest Articles Retrieved 2021-2022 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun AVG. Business Databases 758 1023 1108 963 Newspapers--Current 762 759 1060 860 Newspapers--Historical 3015 2169 1776 2320 Magazines 17 36 53 35 21 NBPL Website Usage 2021-2022 Metric July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Total Users 40325 40067 40500 40297 120892 New Users 35072 34955 35426 35151 105453 Sessions 73733 73195 72935 73288 219863 Pageviews 249347 242176 244237 245253 735760 Sessions Per User 1.83 1.83 1.80 1.82 -- Pages Per Session 3.38 3.31 3.35 3.35 -- Avg. Session Dur. (min)2.68 2.70 2.62 2.67 -- Bounce Rate (%)54.90 55.57 56.18 55.55 -- Cassie Wireless (Spot) Total Number of Sessions 2021-2022 Location July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 225 256 224 235 705 CdM 121 191 102 138 414 Mariners 933 1229 1262 1141 3424 Central 12055 11896 11283 11745 35234 Total 13334 13572 12871 13259 39777 Cassie Wireless (Spot) Total Length of Sessions (min) 2021-2022 Location July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 18534 27214 21891 22546 67639 CdM 9508 17717 9806 12344 37031 Mariners 100962 142648 139271 127627 382881 Central 1711361 1626605 1511287 1616418 4849253 Total 1840365 1814184 1682255 1778935 5336804 Cassie Wireless (Spot) Average Length Per Session (min) 2021-2022 Location July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Average Total Balboa 82.37 106.30 97.73 95.94 -- CdM 78.58 92.76 96.14 89.45 -- Mariners 108.21 116.07 110.36 111.82 -- Central 141.96 136.74 133.94 137.63 -- Total 138.02 133.67 130.70 134.17 -- 22 SEP 21 YTD 21/22 YTD 20/21 BALBOA 2,290 7,348 9,472 CdM 3,069 8,985 8,110 MARINERS 23,338 67,891 40,415 CENTRAL 59,352 186,648 100,209 eBooks 7,618 24,849 22,822 eMagazines 2,270 6,215 16,647 eAudiobooks 5,780 17,546 14,225 Streaming Films 716 2,096 2,430 TOTAL 104,433 321,578 214,330 OCT 20 90,927 NOV 20 89,669 DEC 20 93,538 JAN 21 91,706 FEB 21 84,308 MAR 21 95,126 APR 21 91,224 MAY 21 90,904 JUN 21 101,897 JUL 21 109,318 AUG 21 107,827 SEP 21 104,433 TOTAL 1,150,877 12 Month Comparison NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2021 CIRCULATION BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL eBooks eMagazines eAudiobooks Streaming Films 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 110,000 OCT 20 NOV 20 DEC 20 JAN 21 FEB 21 MAR 21 APR 21 MAY 21 JUN 21 JUL 21 AUG 21 SEP 21 1582953 1582914 1598265 1610818 1529391 1464640 1424594 1376041 1084526 1043629 1000000 1125000 1250000 1375000 1500000 1625000 1750000 FY 11/12 FY 12/13 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 CIRCULATION 23 SEP 21 YTD 21/22 YTD 20/21 BALBOA 328 1,017 1,009 CdM 352 1,385 943 MARINERS 2,041 5,727 5,355 CENTRAL 6,617 21,370 10,159 TOTAL 9,338 29,499 17,466 12 Month Comparison OCT 20 7,273 NOV 20 6,899 DEC 20 4,999 JAN 21 5,935 FEB 21 6,071 MAR 21 6,716 APR 21 6,511 MAY 21 6,708 JUN 21 9,510 JUL 21 10,251 AUG 21 9,910 SEP 21 9,338 TOTAL 90,121 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2021 REFERENCE BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 11,000 OCT 20 NOV 20 DEC 20 JAN 21 FEB 21 MAR 21 APR 21 MAY 21 JUN 21 JUL 21 AUG 21 SEP 21 191567 184260 190391 168496 162510 157149 156521 163392 131445 7808870000 90000 110000 130000 150000 170000 190000 FY 11/12 FY 12/13 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 REFERENCE 24 SEP 21 YTD 21/22 YTD 20/21 BALBOA 2,071 6,309 901 CdM 3,128 9,484 1,038 MARINERS 12,730 30,733 5,589 CENTRAL 30,168 91,865 6,981 TOTAL 48,097 138,391 14,509 12 Month Comparison OCT 20 7,483 NOV 20 10,639 DEC 20 7,198 JAN 21 11,103 FEB 21 7,211 MAR 21 9,962 APR 21 26,041 MAY 21 19,580 JUN 21 31,737 JUL 21 44,368 AUG 21 45,926 SEP 21 48,097 TOTAL 269,345 NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2021 PATRONS SERVED BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 OCT 20 NOV 20 DEC 20 JAN 21 FEB 21 MAR 21 APR 21 MAY 21 JUN 21 JUL 21 AUG 21 SEP 21 1131330 1074933 1399841 1256238 1209719 1102106 1158344 935953 636072 145463100000 300000 500000 700000 900000 1100000 1300000 1500000 FY 11/12 FY 12/13 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 PATRONS SERVED 25 SEP 21 YTD 21/22 YTD 20/21 BALBOA 79 242 79 CdM 189 532 135 MARINERS 600 1,617 412 CENTRAL 6,503 16,865 13,957 TOTAL 7,371 19,256 14,583 12 Month Comparison OCT 20 4,833 NOV 20 4,065 DEC 20 4,258 JAN 21 5,010 FEB 21 4,749 MAR 21 4,027 APR 21 3,842 MAY 21 3,837 JUN 21 3,474 JUL 21 5,213 AUG 21 6,672 SEP 21 7,371 TOTAL 57,351 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY - SEPTEMBER 2021 BALBOA CdM MARINERS CENTRAL 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 5,500 6,000 6,500 7,000 7,500 OCT 20 NOV 20 DEC 20 JAN 21 FEB 21 MAR 21 APR 21 MAY 21 JUN 21 JUL 21 AUG 21 SEP 21 51570 51894 49977 64473 67646 69922 70430 68241 68078 52678 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 FY 11/12 FY 12/13 FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 PROGRAM ATTENDANCE 26 LIBRARY EXPENDITURES FY 2021-22 (October 4, 2021) ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION ORIGINAL APPROP REVISED BUDGET YTD EXPENDED MONTHLY EXPENDED AVAILABLE BUDGET I SALARY & BENEFITS SALARY FULL-TIME REGULAR 2,954,186 2,805,398 645,579 213,979 2,159,819 SALARY PART-TIME 1,162,634 1,166,634 183,552 60,125 983,082 BENEFITS 2,143,211 2,109,251 588,330 167,073 1,520,921 SALARY & BENEFITS TOTAL 6,260,031 6,081,283 1,417,461 441,177 4,663,822 II MAINT & OPERATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICE*164,393 198,621 43,519 30,844 155,102 UTILITIES 284,373 284,373 105,926 35,536 178,447 PROGRAMMING 5,500 4,500 478 318 4,022 SUPPLIES**81,970 66,507 15,899 11,244 50,608 LIBRARY MATERIALS 619,740 620,240 248,233 117,763 372,007 FACILITIES MAINTENANCE 184,686 181,764 28,871 26,015 152,893 TRAINING AND TRAVEL 10,681 9,581 200 200 9,381 GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES***24,202 23,694 3,720 3,154 19,974 PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE 5,000 27,891 795 795 27,096 INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS 1,758,054 1,758,671 586,224 146,556 1,172,447 OFFICE EQUIPMENT 2,000 2,000 0 0 2,000 MAINT & OPERATION TOTAL 3,140,599 3,177,842 1,033,865 372,426 2,143,977 LIBRARY BUDGET TOTAL 9,400,630 9,259,125 2,451,326 813,603 6,807,799 *PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - INCLUDE OUTSIDE PRINTING, JANITORIAL, WINDOW SERVICE **INCLUDES OFFICE , PROCESSING AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES ***INCLUDES, ADVERTISING, DUES, EVENT INSURANCE 27 FY 2021-22 As of Oct 6, 2021 Date Funded Amount Purpose Amt Expended YTD NotesSep 2021 Wish List $165,000 New Materials $- Spending to begin second quarter $35,000 Programming $- Spending to begin third quarter Total $200,000 $0 FRIENDS 28 Previous Agenda Date AGENDA ITEM Scheduled Agenda Date Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Oct 19, 2020 Oct 18, 2021 Oct 19, 2020 Oct 18, 2021 Nov 16, 2020 Nov 15, 2021 Jan 19, 2021 Jan 18, 2022 Jan 19, 2021 Jan 18, 2022 Feb 16, 2021 Feb 22, 2022 Feb 16, 2021 Feb 22, 2022 Aug 17, 2020 Mar 21, 2022 Apr 19, 2021 Apr 18, 2022 Apr 19, 2021 Apr 18, 2022 May 24, 2021 May 16, 2022 May 24, 2021 May 16, 2022 Jun 21, 2021 Jun 20, 2022 Jun 21, 2021 Jun 20, 2022 Jul 19, 2021 Jul 18, 2022 Jul 19, 2021 Jul 18, 2022 Aug 23, 2021 Aug 15, 2022 Aug 23, 2021 Aug 15, 2022 Sep 20, 2021 Sep 19, 2022 LAST REVIEWED POLICY REVIEW Jan 22, 2019 NBPL 10 Laptop/Use Borrowing Policy Dec 20, 2021 Jan 21, 2020 NBPL 3 Library Gift and Donor Policy Jan 18, 2022 Jun 15, 2020 NBPL 12 Circulation Policy Jun 20, 2022 Jul 20, 2020 CC I-1 Library Services Policy (Council Policy I -1)Jul 18, 2022 Aug 17, 2020 NBPL 2 Collection Development Policy Aug 15, 2022 Sep 21, 2020 NBPL 9 Expressive Use Areas Sep 19, 2022 Nov 16, 2020 NBPL 6 Media Lab Use Policy Nov 21, 2022 Nov 16, 2020 NBPL 7 Sound Lab Use Policy Nov 21, 2022 Jan 19, 2021 NBPL 5 Newport Beach Public Library Internet Use Policy Jan 17, 2023 Jan 19, 2021 NBPL 11 Rules for Acceptable Use of Wireless Internet Connections Jan 17, 2023 Feb 16, 2021 NBPL 8 Display and Distribution of Materials Policy Feb 21, 2023 Mar 15, 2021 NBPL 1 Library Use Policy Mar 21, 2023 Apr 19, 2021 NBPL 13 Study Room Policy Apr 17, 2023 Jun 21, 2021 NBPL 4 Children in the Library Policy Jun 19, 2023 Aug 23, 2021 NBPL 14 Friends Meeting Room Aug 21, 2023 Information Technology Update COVID-19 Update Literacy Program Update Branch Update - Mariners Annual Budget - Preliminary Review Proposed Library Closures for Winter Holidays 2021 Branch Update - CDM Branch Update - Balboa Review Holidays / Meeting Schedule 2021 Performance Review of Library Services Director (Closed Session) Annual Budget - Approval BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES MONITORING LIST Lecture Hall Update Policy Review (See List Below) Election of Board of Library Trustees Officers/Trustee Liaisons Marketing Update & Social Networking Update Financial Report Comparison of Beginning Budget to End of the Year Amended Budget (Every June) Balboa Branch Replacement Update Adult and Reference Services Update Arts & Cultural Update Newport Beach Public Library eBranch, Database and Downloadable Services Review Library Material Selection Media Lab Update Youth Services Update 29 The Crean Mariners Branch of the Newport Beach Public Library opened in April 2006, with a facility of 15,305 square feet. This branch is unique in Newport Beach as it is a joint use facility with the adjoining Mariners Elementary School. During the academic year, when classes are in session, the school portion of the library is closed to the public and library staff members are on hand to retrieve items for the public. Normally a busy branch that is open the same 71 hours per week as the Central Library, activity at Mariners is still ramping up since reopening to the public after a closure due to COVID-19. Mariners reopened at 50% capacity on March 22, 2021, and at 100% capacity on April 12, 2021. Personnel In addition to the Branch Librarian, Reference staff consists of two full-time Librarians, Jeremy Rodriguez and Christine Chapel, who specializes in Children’s Services. The reference staff also includes full-time Library Assistant Janice Nikula, who also specializes in Children’s Services, and Part-Time Library Assistants Duncan Kistler and Rokhsan Shafiei. The Circulation team is headed by Senior Clerk Liz McKibbin who supervises full-time Clerk Piers Brown and part-time Clerks Rick Costa, Shelley Pricer, and Bella Marler-Mulvenna. Piers oversees Pages Kevin Holley, Isabel Wang, and Noel Chalmer. While we have filled some of the vacancies that occurred during the pandemic, the Circulation department at Mariners is currently down three positions. The schedule at Mariners is supplemented by staff from the Central Library. Facility Maintenance There have been no major projects at Mariners this year. The building was inspected, and an overhaul of the often-problematic HVAC system is being considered for a City Capital Improvement project. Likewise, the City is considering an exterior lighting project as this has been identified as a useful enhancement to improve visibility at night. A flag return box was added near the building entrance and has been a popular addition. Public Service Circulation and Reference Services Our service population is 24,496 patrons, although we get many visitors from surrounding areas. Between July 2020 and June 2021, Mariners was responsible for the circulation of 109,391 materials and 18,810 reference questions. TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director 949-717-3810, thetherton@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Andy Kachaturian, Mariners Branch Librarian TITLE: Crean Mariners Branch Report, October 2021 30 While Mariners was closed to the public due to COVID-19 from July 2020 until March 2021, we offered curbside pickup with a total of 15,526 pickups, or about 1,725 per month. This resulted in a total of 69,744 circulations, an average of roughly 7,219 circulations per month. After reopening, from March 2021 through June 2021, there were 39,647 circulations, an average of roughly 12,014 circulations per month—nearly twice as many circulations. Program Attendance During the closure, programming was limited to grab-and-go craft bags, virtual storytimes, and virtual at- home crafts, with contributions from Mariners staff members Janice Nikula and Christine Chapel. Each service proved to be quite popular, and the grab-and-go craft bags were a massive success. We were able to resume storytimes in July of this year. Storytimes are being performed outdoors on the grass by the tennis courts to accommodate for lingering COVID-19 concerns. They are already proving to be very popular with crowds of 40-60 people for both storytimes. Patrons and staff are enjoying the outdoor setting. Summer Reading Program The library was reopened by the time we began the Summer Reading Program this year, which helped bring children back into the library. We offered online events and take-home craft bags, which again were extremely popular. Class Visits Each year, Mariners ordinarily hosts class visits from Mariners Elementary and Kaiser Elementary School. Due to the pandemic, we did an outreach program instead to encourage school kids to apply for public library cards, which resulted in 370 new registrations. Mariners’ Elementary School Jackie Casella returned this year as Library Media Technician for Mariners Elementary. She runs the school-side of the library during school hours. She is enthusiastic with the school kids and a great partner for the library. The school begin use of the library again on September 7 after the long school shutdown. Classes are scheduled each school weekday to visit the library for storytimes and checkout periods, which Jackie handles. Collection Maintenance The Mariners collection currently consists of 68,540 items. Reference staff routinely work to maintain, withdraw, and add to library collections. CollectionHQ, an analytics software, helps identify less used and worn-out materials. Some of the most popular collections have been the movie selection, audiobooks, children’s materials, and general fiction. Reference staff create displays throughout the library to feature titles and authors and to highlight customer empowerment services like Novelist, a reader’s advisory and OverDrive, our downloadable catalog which proved to be so helpful during the closure. Comments 2021 has been an interesting year on many fronts for Mariners. We shifted service models from curbside pickup, to limited capacity, to full capacity as COVID-19 restrictions eased. Library use continues to escalate, and we are happy to see many patrons making continued use of the community resource. 31 Likewise, with Mariners Elementary we see one of our primary community services reaching its full potential, with children back in school and making use of our collection again. While the pandemic brought challenges with our service model and staffing needs, I would like to use this opportunity to say what an outstanding job the Mariners staff have done in managing the inherent challenges and rising to the occasion to provide excellent service to our users. And to thank those at the Central Library that have assisted us with the gaps in our schedules. Staff pulled together to keep the library experience seamless to patrons. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). 32 OVERVIEW: Youth Services for the Newport Beach Public Library is comprised of the Children’s staff at Central, Branch Librarians and Library Assistants (both full and part-time) and the full-time and part-time Library Assistants who currently oversee Teen Services. The timeframe outlined in this report is from mid-October 2020 to early October 2021. Although many of the services offered pre-pandemic returned during these past twelve months, others have not, and current programming reflects adjustments needed to be made in order to assure the health and safety of staff and patrons. Youth Services Staffing: The Central staff is comprised of Branch and Youth Services Coordinator Debbie Walker, Librarian II Annika Helmuth, Librarian I Jasmin Avila, and part-time Library Assistants Bernadette Gilliam and Christine Ivison. Earlier in the year, two full-time Children’s Librarians separated from the City (Melinda Knight in March and Liz Aaron in mid-September). Annika’s move back to Central filled the first vacancy and more recently, Jasmin, who is a new- hire into Adult Services, chose to join the Children’s team. Branch Youth Services staff include Branch Librarian Nadia Dallstream and part-time Library Assistant Shannon Pirus at CdM, Branch Librarian Evelyn Rogers and part- time Library Assistant Katrina Kading at Balboa, and Librarian I Christine Chapel and full-time Library Assistant Janice Nikula at Mariners. Full-time Library Assistant Danielle Doi coordinates Teen Services and the Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) with help from part-time Library Assistant Omar Ordiano (particularly with YAAC), and part-time Library Assistant Emily Halphide with test prep and other college related programming. Although storytimes entail individual planning and presentation, the majority of other events and programming presented by Youth Services are definitely a group effort. Twice yearly meetings afford the team the opportunity to discuss and plan these system-wide programs, including but not limited to National Library Week (NLW) and Summer Reading Program (SRP). Programming and Outreach: Although continuing COVID-19 related issues somewhat hampered the return of all pre-pandemic programming presentations and events, as vaccinations began to take place and other social distancing restrictions were loosened, some in-person events returned. As a reminder, except as noted, all funding for Youth Services programming is provided by generous donations from the Friends of the Library. Virtual Programming Grant – Starting in January 2021, members of the Youths Services team began working on the components of an application for a Virtual Youth Programming grant made available from by the California State Library with funding provided by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). With contributions from this group tasked with writing the proposal, Annika ultimately became the coordinator of the project. In March 2021, the Library learned it had been granted the $12,000 funding to be used toward virtual (and eventually TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director 949-717-3810, thetherton@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Debbie Walker, Youth & Branch Services Coordinator TITLE: Youth Services Update 33 in-person) programs and any technological equipment and other peripherals that could be used to assist in these presentations. The grant did require that staff complete all programs, and that funds must be expended by the end of August 2021. For marketing purposes, the programming provided by the grant funds were part of a campaign dubbed Learn & Grow @ Your Library and were designed to enhance the Library and Literacy experience of school age children and teens. All programming funded by the grant was done live and virtually and included “Coding for Kids,” a memoir-writing workshop for tweens, college test prep programs, and a Superhero Comic Book Illustrating Workshop. Funds that did not pay for programming were expended on an extensive collection of technological equipment to be used by branch staff to assist in providing live and virtual programming in the future. Storytimes – From October until mid-July storytimes were done virtually with pre-recorded sessions. Storytime sessions were released each week and marketed as Tune-In Tuesdays. In mid-July, in-person storytimes began again. Out of concern for the safety of staff and patrons, including those too young to be vaccinated or easily masked, staff decided to hold these events outside. Microphones and other audio enhancing equipment purchased from the grant funds proved to be very useful for all presenters. The response of both staff and patrons to these outdoor events has been very positive. National Library Week (NLW) and Summer Reading Program (SRP) – During NLW, which is observed in early April, a virtual poetry party was held and special storytime guests (City Council members, City Administration and Board of Library Trustees) recorded readings to air during the week. SRP began on June 12 and although all locations were open to the public, in-person events were not part of the agenda. Two virtual events took place during the seven weeks of SRP, and three separate Grab & Go craft events were extremely popular. SRP was the first event to officially use Beanstack, a computer-based platform for reading events. At least 1,000 children registered, 1,500 crafts were distributed, and over 1,330 book reviews were posted in-person and through Beanstack. Additional Programming – With in-person events still problematic during most of the months covered in this report, staff got creative and came up with Grab & Go crafts that covered a wide variety of themes. Among the offerings were kits that were themed for Halloween, the New Year (Noon Year’s Eve), Winter Wonderland, Valentine’s Day, and a Spring Surprise. The release of each kit was accompanied by wonderful how-to videos created and filmed by Adult Librarian Alex Jenkins. These videos definitely enhanced the popularity of the kits and garnered many online views. This past September another Beanstack Reading BINGO program was launched to encourage reading and library usage, and on October 2, the ever popular In-n-Out Cover to Cover Reading Program began again. Teen Volunteers and Programming – The Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) met virtually throughout the pandemic, met in-person for the first time in over a year this past September, YAAC members contribute by making programming suggestions and providing volunteers to assist in the Children’s room throughout the year. As COVID-19 related restrictions eased during the summer, teen volunteers began to return to the Library. Danielle and Annika hosted a Teen Volunteer Orientation program in late August that outlined the opportunities available at all locations. In addition to events funded by the Virtual Programming Grant, Danielle has worked to establish productive partnerships with Collegewise of Irvine and Strive to Learn located in Costa Mesa to co- sponsor a variety of college related events, including but not limited, to workshops on selecting the right college, financial aid, and scholarships, writing college essays, SAT/ACT test prep programs, etc. Collection and Resources: The material types that make up the Juvenile collection include books, which are further broken down into picture books, easy readers, chapter books, paperbacks, non-fiction, graphic novels, and board books. Audio-visual materials include DVDs, music CDs and audiobooks and kits (picture book and CD), and downloadable audio and 34 electronic books available via the Overdrive app. Materials are purchased with money from the City’s General Fund with additional funding provided by the Friends of the Library. Full-time Librarians are responsible for the selection and evaluation of all juvenile collections, with full-time and part-time Library Assistants helping with the Teen collection and juvenile audiovisual materials. Selectors use a variety of resources to assist them in selecting materials for the collection. These include review journals, library related blogs and listservs and Collection HQ. Statistically, although items considered Juvenile materials make up less than 30% of the collection, they make up almost 50% of the total circulation. Highlights and Conclusion: Although it was everyone’s wish that Library services would totally be back to pre-pandemic normalcy by this time, this did not prove to be the case. The Youth Services team did its best, however, to adapt, and even thrive, in this reality. Applying for and receiving the Virtual Programming Grant was a definite boon for the department as it not only provided the funding for innovative and creative virtual programs, but also meant staff was able to purchase equipment that would be a definite asset in the creation and implementation of future virtual and in- person programming. Returning to in-person storytimes was also a high point for staff and patrons. The team had become quite adept at being on camera when sharing their books and crafts but welcomed the opportunity to see their little ones face-to-face. In fact, just prior to October 1, I was able to share with the team that the 19th Annual Parenting OC Readers’ Choice Awards recognized Newport Beach Public Library for the “Best Storytelling Time.” Once again, I can only express praise and gratitude to the staff who make up the Youth Services Team. Throughout this past year, they have continuously looked for innovative and creative ways to provide programming and services to our younger patrons and adapted to the ever-changing service model that we have experienced this past 18 months or so. Future goals for the team include increasing and enhancing the ways and means we provide outreach to schools and other community organizations and moving toward safe and effective ways to increase in-person programming. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). 35 DISCUSSION: Newport Beach Public Library continues to follow Orange County guidance for in-person services, and guidance published by the State of California for the retail sector. Unvaccinated members of the public and unvaccinated employees are still required to wear masks inside City facilities. Many vaccinated staff members have opted to continue to wear face coverings. The Orange County Health Care Agency recommends that, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status, to wear a mask if indoors, around someone at risk, or with people whose vaccination status is unknown. Staff continues to hold story times outdoors to help provide a safe environment for our youngest patrons. Attendance remains robust. In September, the Central Library hosted a number of public programs in the Friends Room, including Finding the Right College for You, Wake Up! Newport, International Literacy Day, a Sunday Musicale featuring the New Los Angeles String Trio, College Essay Writing Workshop, It’s Your Money, and Paying for College: Financial Aid & Scholarships. While still not at pre-pandemic levels, an increasing number of patrons are taking advantage of in-person services at NBPL. NOTICING: This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the Board of Library Trustees considers the item). TO: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES FROM: Library Services Department Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director (949)717-3810, thetherton@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director TITLE: COVID-19 Update 36