Library Board of Trustees Meeting

Escondido Public Library Board of Trustees Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER: President Guiles called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m. Members Present: President Ron Guiles and Trustees Elmer Cameron and Mayra Salazar. Members Absent: Trustees Mirek Gorny and Gary Knight LS&S Staff Present: Patricia Crosby, Library Director; Monica Barrette, Senior Librarian-Adult Services, Escondido Public Library; Staff Present: Joanna Axelrod, Director of Communications & Community Services; ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. MINUTES: Agenda Item 1. Approve Minutes from the January 9, 2018 meeting. Motion by Trustee Cameron, seconded by Trustee Salazar to approve the January 9, 2018 minutes as written. Motion carried unanimously. CURRENT BUSINESS: Agenda Item 2: Consider and Appoint Strategic Planning Committee Director Crosby laid out the timeline and agenda for the strategic planning process. • First Meeting: March 13, 2018 o Agenda:  Introduction and purpose of strategic planning  Community Visioning  SWOT Analysis  Library Overview  Select Services Responses  Focus Groups • Report from LBOT Strategic Planning Subcommittee and discussion at March 13, 2018 LBOT meeting • Focus Groups: Week of March 19 • Second Meeting: April 3, 2018 • Draft Strategic Plan to LBOT: April 10, 2018 5  Escondido Public Library Board of Trustees Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. • Finalize and submit Plan for approval: May 8, 2018 While this process will be open to the public and a news release will encourage full community participation, Director Crosby and Director Axelrod requested input from the Trustees about community stakeholders to specifically invite. Trustees will email their recommendations to Director Crosby. Director Axelrod explained that by having the Trustees appoint a subcommittee for participation in the strategic planning process, it will allow their full participation while abiding by the requirements of the Brown Act. Director Crosby explained that the purpose of the strategic planning process is to come away with a document that lays out what the community wants for the library over the next five years and what the goals and priorities should be. Trustee Cameron asked who would be leading the process and managing the feedback, and Director Crosby explained that it will be Ms. Howison, who has experience with five other library strategic plans. President Guiles expressed the need for examples, structure, organization and clear direction to the participants so as not to waste anyone’s time. He also requested that each of the library support groups nominate a designee to participate in this process. Motion by President Guiles to nominate Trustee Cameron and Trustee Salazar to serve as the Library Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Committee; seconded by Trustee Cameron. Motion carried unanimously. Agenda Item 3: Update on Transition to Library Systems & Services (LS&S) Management Director Crosby provided staffing updates: - Full-time Administrative Associate, Faith McLaughlin, has been hired and starts February 21, 2018. - Full-time Archivist position has been posted and interviews will be held the week of February 28, 2018. Director Axelrod pointed out that the fact that LS&S saw fit to make this a full-time position, even though it was only part-time under the City, is a huge win for the community. It will make recruitment and retention of a qualified, professional archivist much easier and demonstrate to the community that LS&S is committed to advancing the work of the Pioneer Room in preserving Escondido’s local history and making it accessible to the public. Trustee Cameron seconded this sentiment. 6  Escondido Public Library Board of Trustees Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. - Existing part-time staff have been given the option of working up to 10 additional hours per week. - Recruiting for two additional Page staff - Recruiting for a second Security Guard Trustee Guiles asked how to communicate all of these positive changes to the public. Director Axelrod explained that the Trustees and the other members of the Library Support Groups are the grassroots advocates for the Library and by sharing this information with friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances it will help to spread the news. She also explained that social media is a powerful tool for communicating with the public, and there was a recent example of Trustee Salazar responding to a social media comment and clarifying the truth behind the decision to roll out the expanded hours in March. That type of involvement and advocacy is the best way to share positive information. Director Crosby also explained that Library staff communicate during their daily interactions with the public. Trustee Guiles asked who trains the Security Guard and what hours they work. Director Crosby explained that they are provided training on workflows, Library Code of Conduct, and techniques for interacting with patrons and addressing problem behaviors by experienced Library staff. Director Crosby is also in the process of scheduling a staff training from the Escondido Police Department’s COPPS (Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving) officers who will provide more guidance. Currently the Security Guard works 37.5 hours mostly centered around evening and closing hours. The hope is that by hiring a second Security Guard, there will be coverage for all of the Library’s open hours. Trustee Cameron asked if there is a policy regarding the size and number of personal belongings allowed in the Library. Director Axelrod explained that this is included in the Library’s Code of Conduct and that the Library has purchased an FAA baggage sizer so that staff can more effectively enforce the rules. Director Crosby mentioned that this policy can always be reviewed and discussed by the Board, and Trustee Cameron said he would like to have that on a future agenda. Agenda Item 4: Update on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Automated Materials Handling (AMH) Implementation Director Crosby explained that all of the equipment has been delivered, installed, and configured and invited the Trustees to come downstairs and see the changes since the last meeting. Circulation staff are using the AMH sorter daily and it is functioning well. Director Axelrod shared a social media video of the sorter in action. The self-checkout machines are ready to go live and staff training will begin next week. Hoping to roll this out to the public mid-March. The new Customer Service desk has been delivered and will be installed next week. More than 76% of the circulating collection (111,896 items) have been tagged. A 7  Escondido Public Library Board of Trustees Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. second tagging party where staff come in on Sunday solely to tag materials will be held February 25, 2018. Trustee Cameron asked where patrons return materials when the Library is closed or where they bring donations. Director Axelrod explained that the exterior book drops on the outside of the facility have been closed off for about three months now and there have been no complaints from the public. Patrons who return materials outside of Library hours or who do not want to come into the facility to return items can do so at the drive-up book drops in the Library parking lot. There is a designated return slot inside the facility for donations, and the established procedures for handling donations will not change. OTHER REPORTS Library Director Report - Staff have purchased ReadSquared software to manage online Summer Reading Challenge registrations and logging. - Annual Volunteer Recognition Lunch will be held April 12, 2018 at the California Center for the Arts. LS&S is helping to fund it and supplanting the funding provided by the City, the Literacy Services Grant, and a trust established for supporting volunteer services. - Lunar New Year Lion Dancer program had more than 80 in attendance. - Adult Graphic Novel Book Club meets tonight at 6 p.m. Director of Communications and Community Services Report - Security Improvement Project is moving along. The Escondido Library Foundation pledged $30,000 which has been matched by the City (with City Council approval). The Request for Bid went out and responses are due March 1, 2018. The scope of the project includes additional cameras both inside and outside the facility (replacing the three existing cameras and adding more for a total of 18), adding additional lighting on the exterior of the facility, and key card access for the front staff door. The new cameras will be integrated with those at Police and Fire Headquarters to allow for remote monitoring by police staff. 8