ANNUAL REPORT
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
June 30, 2010
Sue Cauthen, Chair
(415) 391-0737
[email protected]
NOTE: The colored pages in this document are printed on acid--free 30% recycled paper.
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LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
ANNUAL REPORT
June 30, 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ……………………………………………..3
Resolutions……………………………………………………….7
For further information, contact Sue Cauthen, Chair, at (415) 391-0737 or [email protected].
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MISSION
The
Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee pursued its
library advisory and oversight mission with zeal and vigor in the
2009-2010 fiscal year.
Attendees
at our monthly meetings provided a forum for discussion of San
Francisco Public Library plans, programs and operations, as well as
expenditure of bond monies. Where indicated, the LCAC made
recommendations for improvement to the Board of Supervisors.
STRUCTURE
The
Library Citizens Advisory Committee is a 17-person body. Our membership
is appointed by both the supervisors (14 seats) and the library (three
seats) and the two influences complement each other. Each supervisor
appoints one member, and the Board and the library account for special
seats representing youth, seniors, schools, ESL, the disabled and
technology. We are pleased to report that attendance is high at our
monthly meetings and 15 of our 17 seats are filled.
(NOTE:
See Attendance under Recommendations on page 3 for a discussion of our
wish that the city librarian and the District 8 supervisor fill the
empty “disabled” and D8 seats, respectively.)
CONTENTS
This
report contains the resolutions we passed during the lat fiscal year.
For a look at our FY 2009-10 minutes as well as agendas, key documents
and prior Annual Reports and other archived records, go to our website.
It can be reached by entering “Library Citizens Advisory Committee” in the search box on the www.sfgov.org home page or hitting “L: and “Library Citizens Advisory Committee” on the ”City Agencies” list.
We
commend SFPL, the mayor’s office and other key city departments for
providing stimulating speakers for our programs and for meeting with CAC
officers to discuss mutual needs and concerns. We also thank SFPL for
providing us with tapes to record our meetings and storing them for us.
Appreciation also goes to Media Services, which sets up our MP3 player
each month and provides us with the recording.
ACTIVITIES
During
the last fiscal year, the Library CAC held monthly meetings to discuss
pertinent issues facing the city, library patrons and the public. We
spoke with library and civic officials to evaluate ideas and
circumstances that contribute to, or diminish, excellence in library
services for every San Franciscan.
In
so doing, we are following our mandate to provide the Board of
Supervisors (BOS) with ideas and guidelines for improving SFPL’s public
programs and providing a forum for San Franciscans to articulate their
concerns and wishes
We
initiated a series of panels on the budget and continued this model to
analyze he ongoing branch modernization program (the BLIP). We supported
the $83.5 million budget for FY 2010-11 but noted the $1.6 million cut
in book purchases.
Other
panels included SFPL facilities manager Roberto Lombardi on branch
maintenance and security and we heard from both Inge Horton of the
Sunset Parkside Education & Action Committee (SPEAK) and District 4
member Clarice Moody on the controversial demolition of the Ortega
branch. Enhancing services for seniors was a key LCAC initiative and
included presentations by Chief of Main Kathy Lawhun and members of
the Senior Services Task Force (chair Ted Bamberger, Enne Braun and Sue
Cauthen). We commended Ms. Lawhun for providing a viable, low-cost
50-Plus program
We
discussed the Controller’s audit of SFPL and DPW performance at West
Portal library with director of audits Tonia Lediju and construction
management bureau chief Donald Eng and their staffs and recommended
future adherence to contract terms and ongoing and post-performance
reviews of other BLIP projects with a dedicated funding source.
We
followed this up with another meeting with Ms. Lediju and invited
General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee chair Abraham Simmons to
brief us further.
We
also recommended meetings with each individual supervisor to assure
information exchange leading to optimal resolution of library issues.
Meetings with chief of branches Brian Bannon, DPW BLIP manager Edgar
Lopez, Controller revenue manager Michelle Allersma and city librarian
Luis Herrera underscored these goals. In pursuing oversight of Branch
Library Improvement Program issues, we also heard from DPW bond program
manager Lena Chen and Mindy Linetzky, the department’s bond program
administrator, as well as the Controller’s manager of budget &
analysis Nadia Feeser and library fiscal & policy analyst in the
Mayor’s Office Manish Goyal.
To
enhance information provided to the public, we also urged the library
to update BLIP information on the SFPL website and on the links to
individual branch projects. We urged SFPL to include its monthly budget
and schedule reports and develop a chart showing construction cost per
square foot for each project, including architectural, engineering and
management costs.
Mr.
Herrera, CFO John Doidge and deputy city librarian Jill Bourne filled
us in on SFPL’s plan for addressing the sizable library revenue drop due
to reduced property tax. SFPL gets half its revenue from a set-aside
allowing the library 2.5% of every $100 in property tax.
To
facilitate outreach, we developed a Library LCAC bookmark in English,
Spanish and Chinese for distribution in the branches. We are also
contemplating a Facebook page in order to further expand our public
outreach and encourage increased community participation at LCAC
meetings.
RECOMMENDATIONS
ATTENDANCE:
A key issue for the LCAC is full attendance. It is imperative that the
supervisors and the city librarian fill vacant seats as soon as
possible. Otherwise we have quorum issues and difficulty passing
motions. (Nine of the seventeen members constitute a quorum. A vacant
seat is counted in determining a quorum.)
The
District 8 seat has been empty for nearly a year. And there are
problems with two of the three seats under the aegis of the city
librarian. The seat representing the disabled has been vacant for
several months and the occupant of the technical seat has missed three
and a half of her first four meetings. Further, this seat requires a
person with technical expertise. We urge the supervisors and the city
librarian to appoint only those people who can attend meetings
regularly.
LCAC
BUDGET: Our work for the residents of San Francisco would be enhanced
if we had a modest budget for operations and staff support. Currently,
we are responsible for our own expenses and maintenance of our public
records, including taking minutes. We were fortunate to find two
volunteer minutes-takers: Joanna Schaller, a recent UC graduate studying
for a teaching credential, and Jean Barish, an attorney and library
advocate. Their comprehensive yet concise minutes are of professional
quality. We greatly appreciate their skill and diligence.
THE FUTURE
The
Library Citizens Advisory Committee is looking forward to ongoing
updates on the entire branch modernization program and the budget
process, as well as services for seniors, multilingual programs, and a
progress report on activities for children and teens, plus other major
library initiatives. We are set to learn about “the life of the book”
at our July, 2010, meeting: i.e., collection development, removing books
from service (weeding) and redistributing them. We will also consider
replacement policy for lost and out-of-print books.
We
look forward to another productive year of working with the Board of
Supervisors, the mayor’s office, SFPL administration and the Library
Commission for a world-class library in our city. The positive spirit in
which city government interacts with the Library Citizens Advisory
Committee has greatly contributed to our effectiveness.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
June 16, 2010
RESOLUTION: NEED ON-GOING, POST-CONSTRUCTION BLIP REVIEWS
Whereas effective completion of the branch library modernization program is critical to the residents of San Francisco, and
Whereas,
an audit by the Controller recommended changes to enable San Francisco
Public Library and the Department of Public Works to better manage the
modernization program so as to complete all projects on time and on
budget; and
Whereas, the Controller revealed failures in communication and internal systems;
Therefore be it resolved that:
To
avoid errors in BLIP construction (e.g., rusty fencing and a misplaced
and oversize utility box at Ingleside branch), the Library Citizens
Advisory Committee asks the Board of Supervisors to urge SFPL to
undertake ongoing and post-construction performance reviews of BLIP
projects.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
June 16, 2010
RESOLUTION: SUPPORT SFPL 2010-11 BUDGET
The
Library Citizens Advisory Committee supports SFPL’s fiscal year
2010-2011 budget, commends the library for maintaining open hours and
making prudent use of its reserve. The LCAC recommends that the
just-received $500,000 in additional property tax be applied to the
reserve and to reduce the $1.6 million cut in the book budget.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
June 16, 2010
RESOLUTION: PROVIDE MORE CURRENT BLIP DATA
The
Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee recommends
that the latest information regarding the branch modernization project
be provided to the public and the supervisors, per the LCAC resolution
of March 17, 2010. .
San
Francisco Public Library should develop a procedure for informing the
public of changes in project costs and project schedules, both increases
and decreases. To this end, the LCAC recommends that SFPL:
1. Update the Branch Library Improvement Project (BLIP) website.
2. Include the monthly SFPL Budget Report and Schedule Report in a prominent spot on the BLIP website home page.
3.
Develop a chart showing each BLIP project’s construction cost per
square foot, including architectural and engineering costs and
management costs..
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
March 17, 2010
UPDATE BRANCH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WEBSITE
The Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee passed the following resolution:
The
Library Citizens Advisory Committee resolves that the library’s new
website should include current information about each project in the
Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) and update it monthly.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
February 17, 2010
SENIOR SERVICES COMMENDATION
The Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee (LCAC) passed the following resolution tonight:
Whereas,
the LCAC has been working with San Francisco Public Library to provide
services tailored to the needs of the Baby Boomer population; and
Whereas, it is critical to provide challenging library activities for active over-50 adults as well as the infirm and homebound:
Therefore be it resolved that:
The Library Citizens Advisory Committee commends Kathy Lawhun and the
50-Plus Task Force for developing a viable and growing program of
library services for seniors.
At
a time of economic austerity, San Francisco Public Library is offering
seniors an organized, comprehensive network of activities and assistance
and doing so with extremely limited resources: i.e., a budget that is
only 1% of the total SFPL budget.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
November 18, 2009
RESOLUTION: BLIP AUDIT PROGRAM
Whereas
the San Francisco Controller’s audit of the West Portal library
modernization project found numerous violations of the contract terms;
and
Whereas,
the Library Citizens Advisory Committee heard presentations from the
Controller’s office and the Department of Public Works project manager;
and
Whereas, it is critical that projects of the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) adhere to their contract requirements;
Therefore be it resolved that:
The
Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee recommends
that the BOS adopt a resolution urging the Department of Public Works
and San Francisco Public Library to take the necessary steps to (1)
adhere to BLIP contract terms, (2) facilitate completion of BLIP
projects on time and on budget and (3) audit other BLIP projects with a
dedicated funding source.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
November 18, 2009
LINK SFPL PROGRAMS TO BOS NEWSLETTERS
The
Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee tonight passed
a resolution directing member Ted Bamberger to contact San Francisco
Public Library about linking branch programs to each supervisor’s
e-letter.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
October 21, 2009
RESOLUTION: LIBRARY CAC OUTREACH TO SUPERVISORS
Whereas
the members of the Library Citizens Advisory Committee have been
appointed by the present supervisors, or their immediate predecessors,
(except for the three appointed by the City Librarian); and
Whereas, the LCAC desires to know what questions and comments the supervisors have about the SFPL; and
Whereas, the LCAC wants to make sure that each appointing supervisor and the public are aware of the purposes and operations of the LCAC;
Therefore
be it resolved that Library Citizens Advisory Committee asks each
member of the Board of Supervisors to accommodate a request for an
appointment with their appointee-member to discuss library issues and
ways to facilitate the highest quality of library service for all San
Franciscans.
LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Room 278 City Hall
One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, California 94102
___________________
415 391 0737
September 16, 2009
BLIP REPORT RESOLUTION
Whereas,
the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) is arguably the most
important undertaking of San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) at present;
and
Whereas,
the BLIP budget has increased from $106 million to $187 million, and
eight libraries are under construction, with five libraries currently in
the design stage; and
Whereas
11 of the 24 libraries in the BLIP program have been finished and the
timeline for completion of the entire project is not presently known;
Therefore, be it resolved that:
The
Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee requests a
comprehensive briefing by SFPL on the activities of the BLIP program at
our October, 2009, meeting, including a Question & Answer period.
