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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Library Promotion Committee 12/21/2016CITY OF PALM DESERT REGULAR MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES Wednesday, December 21, 2016 — 3:00 p.m. Administrative Conference Room 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Kermode called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Member Joan Beasley Member Marilyn Hahn Member Ella Manor Vice Chair Bobbie Rosenberg Chairman Louise Kermode Absent: Member Lois Cardona Also Present: Sabby Jonathan, Councilman Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk Michael Mason, City Librarian James Gallagher, Special Events Coordinator Eileen Strain, Palm Desert Library Volunteer Coordinator Daria Wood, Youth Committee Member Carol Marcuse, Visitor Grace L. Mendoza, Recording Secretary III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Chairman Kermode stated Carol Marcuse was in attendance, adding that she is a resident of Palm Desert and is interested in serving on the Library Promotion Committee. Ms. Klassen said Councilmembers are in the process of reviewing all the applications on file for the upcoming Committee/Commission interviews. APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING IV. CONSENT CALENDAR DECEMBER 21, 2016 A. MINUTES of the Palm Desert Library Promotion Committee Meeting of September 21, 2016. Upon a motion by Member Beasley, second by Vice Chairman Rosenberg, and 5-0 vote of the Library Promotion Committee (AYES: Beasley, Hahn, Manor, Rosenberg, and Kermode; NOES: None; ABSENT: Cardona), the Minutes of the Library Promotion Committee Meeting of September 21, 2016, were approved as presented. V. NEW BUSINESS A. INTRODUCTION OF MICHAEL MASON, NEWLY APPOINTED BRANCH MANAGER FOR THE PALM DESERT PUBLIC LIBRARY. Chairman Kermode introduced and welcomed Mr. Michael Mason as the Palm Desert Library Branch Manager/Librarian. Mr. Mason said Ms. Janice Akel sends her regards and is doing well in her new position near her family in northern California. He noted Zone Manager Jake Barillaro is on vacation until the 27th, so he's still covering the Indio Branch Library where he has been the Branch Manager since last June. He is splitting his work between the two libraries, because Indio is going through a Refresh Project; and he's monitoring that the flooring supplies and furniture arrive. His library career extends back decades in that he's worked as a public library director, and he has experience in the academic and legal fields. He's excited to work for this multi -agency library, stating it will add a new dimension to his career. Officially, he just started last Friday, and he's already getting great ideas to implement. B. INTRODUCTION OF JAMES GALLAGHER, SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR. Chairman Kermode introduced James Gallagher who goes by the name of "Jiggs." Mr. Gallagher said his nickname came from an old cartoon script in the funny paper, and the name stuck. He has retired twice in the past five years, but now he is looking forward to this position because it's very creative and allows him to work with a lot of interesting people. 2 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 C. REPORT ON ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIVATE DONATION OF SCULPTURE PIECE — CHILDREN READING ON A BENCH — TO THE PALM DESERT PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR PLACEMENT IN THE COURTYARD. Ms. Klassen said that when she submitted the printed staff report for the agenda packet, she didn't have the details on who the donor was, but she was contacted by the County about this donated piece of artwork called "Children Reading on a Bench," which is very suitable for the Library. At this point, staff needs the Committee's concurrence for its acceptance. After a site visit to the Library, staff identified the wall along the east -facing window so that it can be viewed from inside the Library and the courtyard. She added that Mr. Barillaro said he would be happy to store the piece in his office until it's ready to be mounted. Mr. Mason said it will be a nice addition to the Library. Ms. Klassen commented she didn't realize there were four other art pieces in the courtyard, eight overall for the Library, and this piece will make it nine. Member Beasley suggested adding it to the Art In Public Places tour. Member Beasley moved to, by Minute Motion, concur with the recommendation of Library and City staff for acceptance of the sculpture depicting children reading on a bench for placement in the Palm Desert Public Library Courtyard. Motion was seconded by Member Manor and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Beasley, Hahn, Manor, Rosenberg, and Kermode; NOES: None; ABSENT: Cardona). Vice Chairman Rosenberg said it would be nice to know who the donor is and the reason for why it was donated, suggesting that staff find out for the next meeting. Member Manor asked if the piece was vetted through the Art In Public Places. Ms. Klassen replied that she contacted Management Analyst Deborah Glickman for her opinion, and she had no objections, but it's the County accepting the art piece on behalf of the Library System for the Palm Desert Branch, stating it wouldn't necessarily be accepted into the City's collection. She recalled for the Committee that this would be similar to the purchases made by 3 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 Mrs. Terrell, wife of former Committee Member Jim Terrell, which are currently in the Library's study area. D. PRESENTATION TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THEIR SERVICE BY MAYOR PRO TEM SABBY JONATHAN. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan stated this was his favorite time of the year, because it provides him the opportunity to say "Thank You" to members of the Library Promotion Committee. He said Council relies on members of the City's 17 Committee/Commissions for input and direction. In fact, it relied on more than 100 citizens in the Envision Palm Desert process, adding it was the citizens that created the vision and set Council's direction. Therefore, on behalf of the entire City Council he presented a gift card to each member as a token of appreciation for their service in 2016. VI. CONTINUED BUSINESS None VII. OLD BUSINESS None VIII. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Council Liaison (Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathan) No report provided. B. Librarian (Michael Mason) Mr. Mason stated that being so new to the position, staff tried to provide him with statistics for this meeting, but he didn't know the whole process yet. However, he believed the Library was up to par for the year. Since the last meeting, there have been improvements with the lighting, security, and relations with the College of the Desert, so there are positive things happening. With regards to staffing, he sat in on a number of interviews and helped in hiring two new Library Assistants and a Library Associate I. He said the Library will be back to full complement by January 4. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan commented the Library has made wonderful efforts to be innovative and has gone through an 4 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 evolution as well. He hoped the Library will continue to be innovative and continuously searching for ways to better serve the community, because it's done more by going outside the physical building and into the community. Mr. Mason said it was part of the reason why he was very interested in the Palm Desert Library. C. Special Events Coordinator (James Gallagher) Mr. Gallagher said he will be responsible for the activities and events outlined in the three-month brochure, including the Chef's Table and Sunday Sounds Series. He pointed out that he added one more Chef's Table event for March 2 by Lana Ferdman on 'Wellness Cooking." He understands that in years past the season went from October through April, and then it was shrunk down to December through March. Therefore, he needed to see if funds were available to do more programming to attract an audience earlier in the fall. He didn't have strong feelings either way, but he would like input from the Committee, because there is a rich trove of interesting things to do. He reported on the following events and activities: 1. Meditation Monday — The people who participate have been asking the leader to do it twice a month, and the Friends agreed to support it. Therefore, the program will be expanding to roughly every other week. Member Hahn noted the November session was poorly attended and the instructor spent very little time actually doing any meditation, so she's amazed they want to expand. Mr. Gallagher responded that the October session had 16 participants and this past month it was down to 5. He said he will monitor the program going forward. 2. Write-On/Monthly Writer's Group - He will be facilitating this program on the third Tuesday of the month, stating he has experience in teaching writing, so it was a nice fit for him. He added that Susan Pratt will continue working with the book club "Hooked on Books," which is held the first Tuesday of the month. 5 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 3. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) — He reported that this group wants to partner with the Library, and Zone Manager Jake Barillaro has given the green Tight. He said David Hamaker will provide one-on-one counseling sessions to small business owners that want to be entrepreneurs, and SCORE will use the Veterans Conference Room on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting January 3. This service will run from October to April. 4. Monday Matinee Movie Series — He said this series hasn't settled down to a specific time or date. This month they showed 'White Christmas" and are scheduled to show a Hitchcock film, "Jamaica Inn," on January 23. On February 6 they will show "Rebel Without a Cause," which is two days before what would have been the 85th birthday of James Dean. 5. Poet & Historian — The Library will be offering the following author/lecture appearances: • January 25 at 6:00 p.m. — Carine Topal — "The Holocaust in Poetry and Pictures" • February 9 at 6:00 p.m. — Patrick Taylor, M.D. author — "Irish Country Doctor" • February 22 at 6:00 p.m. — Carol Davis — "The Psychology of Anger Management" • March 1 at 2:00 p.m. — Don Reiss will provide a program on his growing up in Brooklyn and his fascination with the baseball Brooklyn Dodgers. This program is tentatively set. 6. Behind the Camera/Behind the Microphone - He came up with this series based on his experiences as a journalist in radio and newspapers. He thought it would be fun to have people who are either retired from the profession or currently working provide behind the scenes or war stories about covering the news and doing entertainment. This series will be held on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the Library Community Room where journalist, radio/tv personalities and others will present for 60-90 minutes, allowing time for questions at the end. The line- up is as follows: • March 8 — Bill Feingold from K-News • March 15 - Hank Plante - Emmy and Peabody Award winner 6 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 • March 22 — Dan Adams - a reporter for local television in Sacramento • March 29 — Dennis Daily — worked for UPI radio and has worked locally doing news with some of the R&R Broadcasting stations. • April 5 — Patrick Evans — Chief Meteorologist at Channel 2 • April 19 — Ken Vincent — Retired from the University of Washington and worked his career in Seattle. Currently, he is news director of KVCR. He hopes to promote this series in an interesting way to hopefully get a good turnout of day -time residents. He said Bill Feingold will bring him on as a guest at the beginning of the series where he will promote and talk about the upcoming guests. On a separate note, he recalled for the Committee that the Library had a political film series in October. They showed Hollywood movies about the presidency and elections, but turnout went from good to not so good, stating he believed holding it on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. was probably the problem. The suggestion from the Committee was to hold it just prior to dinner time. 7. Frankly Speaking Series — A live speaker's forum is set for March 16 at 6:00 p.m. He started planning for the 2017-2018 Chef's Table and Sunday Sounds series. He noted he had experience in promotion and public relations, so he hoped to do news releases for the Library. Additionally, he is responsible for the Facebook page, but he will need more than the one tutorial he's had thus far. He said Natalie has programmed events to display as scheduled, so the page is not stale, but he didn't think there was a tremendous following. He has been promoting the series on his Facebook page where he has 1,000 followers and 300 of them are from the Coachella Valley. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan said he noticed Carine Topal will be speaking on the "Holocaust in Poetry and Pictures," on Wednesday, January 25, at the Library, and on Friday, January 27, the City is hosting their annual event at the Civic Center Park for 7 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year Father Howard Lincoln will be speaking, and generally there is representation from the German and French Embassies and Holocaust survivors, and this year the City is making an effort to bring children out from the schools to participate. He suggested the Library do a theme week and perhaps feature the "Diary of Ann Frank," etc., stating he understood it was not a pleasant subject, but it's one that libraries are born to teach. Mr. Gallagher noted that Mr. Barillaro had talked to him about doing something in March for the 100th Anniversary of America's entry into World War I and believed there was a grant application submitted. One of the contingencies of that grant is to have special event programming around it, which could include a film, a speaker, or a panel. If the grant comes through, he'll be working with Mr. Mason and Mr. Barillaro on it. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan suggested adopting a theme week approach where there are national and international events that lend themselves to it, and movie and food programs can also be made part of the theme. He added that he will have Public Information Officer David Hermann assist in promoting the events. Mr. Gallagher responded he had not met Mr. Hermann, but he has supplied information to him for the bi-monthly Bright Side. He inquired about the Wellness Festival at the Civic Center Park and wondered if he could have a booth at the event. Ms. Klassen explained it was not a City event, although it was providing in -kind assistance. However, she would be happy to put the Library in contact with the organizers of the event, adding she recalled the Library having a booth at the Family Safety Festival that was held in the spring. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan added that almost every weekend there is one or more events taking place at the Civic Center Park, and in some cases, the City kicks in some sponsorship. In terms of outreach and partnering with other stakeholders, a lot of the programs at the Library are youth oriented, and the City is part of the tri-city support of the Children's Discovery Museum. He said there may be some connection where the two organizations can communicate about their respective places and activities. The other resource is the Joslyn Center, which is at the other end of the spectrum. 8 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING D. Volunteer Coordinator (Eileen Strain) DECEMBER 21, 2016 Ms. Strain handed out statistics for the period of January to December, keeping in mind that volunteer hours in July was 382, mainly because teens were in the summer program. She thanked Mr. Mason and Mr. Gallagher for being part of the Library, because it was good to walk in the building knowing it had a leader. In the mornings these two men greet everyone, making staff members feel very good. Mr. Gallagher shared he's never seen such a happy and helpful staff, stating that when he did his first program at the Palm Desert Community Center, people were sent to assist him, which he was very pleasantly surprised about. Ms. Strain stated the report will be finalized at the end of the month, so the December figures were only estimates, but due to the holidays, the numbers won't be any higher. She said she couldn't rave enough about the young volunteers, so she had Member Beasley purchase mugs imprinted with "Volunteers," which will be filled with candy and presented to them on Valentine's Day. At the end of the summer there is always a pizza party, but this was a small token of appreciation. With regard to the Book Club, they have three volunteers (Karen, Wendy, and Andrew) helping put books on the shelves, input information into the computer, and research books on Amazon and Ebay, adding that some of the donated books are real treasures and worth a lot of money. With respect to the Homebound Program, she will continue to work with Hope Lutheran, Sacred Heart Church, and the Joslyn Center by leaving flyers with them about the program. Mr. Mason inquired about recruiting more volunteers. Ms. Strain said there are signs posted at the Library and at the high school requesting volunteers. She suggested Mr. Mason also post it on the Library's television monitor display. Mr. Gallagher said The Desert Sun has a round -up call for volunteers, but it's in small print. He said it was a recruitment to volunteer at various places, including the hospitals. Ms. Strain pointed out the Library has a very slow season during the summer when some of the volunteers are off. During the school year, teens can only volunteer in the afternoon, and they 9 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 don't come in on Saturday or Sunday. She has suggested they sign up for the Teen Club, and if something comes up, they will be first in line to be called to volunteer. E. Friends of the Palm Desert Library (Joan Beasley) Member Beasley handed out the Friends Financial Report for 2016, showing they started the year with $35,500, Income was $30,000, Expenses were $23,000, and the ending balance is $42,500, adding that she itemized the expenses under the various types of funds. Responding to question, she said the Chef's Table Program fell under the Children and Family Programs category. She went on to say City Clerk Rachelle Klassen is the Friends best friend as she facilitated the purchase of new laptops for the Adult Tech Program with the Economic Development Agency, which was no small feat. She said staff and students taking the classes are ecstatic, because the old ones were falling apart. Member Manor commented that Member Beasley did a wonderful job with the report, but she would like to see a breakdown of the petty cash expenses. Member Beasley explained that staff makes purchases for cookies, prizes, small gift cards, etc., but for the most part, it's for materials and supplies. As an example, the children's librarian who is currently filling in for Alice Ko learned about the National Literacy Day and put out a program for the toddlers. The Friends ordered the books she requested, and she taught mothers how to read to their child. Additionally, she integrated it with the College of the Desert Child Care Center, and they brought their children over to the Library. It was very impressive to see someone so new come up with a program of their own. When she received the call to purchase $200 worth of books for these toddlers, she absolutely agreed, stating that's what it's all about. She said staff is very careful about what they request, but she leaves that up to the manager to approve the purchase. She pointed out that the County allocates $25 a month for petty cash, so one can imagine how quickly that would be consumed. She said libraries that don't have a Friends group, don't have money for performers in the summer, games for kids to play, or materials to build a gingerbread house, etc. Chairman Kermode suggested reallocating the funds under a different category. 10 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 Member Beasley responded that itemizing receipts for $25 at Costco, $15 at Target for cookies, etc., was not worth the time and effort, because the stack of receipts was large. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan asked if there was any kind of communication with members of the Friends. Member Beasley said she sends out a Dues Letter and provides an update in January to about 100 members that have joined. She went on to say that in some cities, in order to volunteer, you have to be a member of Friends, because they handle the volunteers. However, in Palm Desert a staff member coordinates the volunteers. Therefore, volunteers don't have to join Friends in order to volunteer at the Palm Desert library. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan responded he wasn't referring to the volunteers, adding that he knew someone that became a Friends member and the check was cashed, but there was no acknowledgment. Member Beasley replied she was the only one doing all the work, stating she used to fill out membership cards and had them mailed out. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan clarified it wasn't a criticism, because he understood Member Beasley was already doing the work of five people, but it was something to think about if Friends wanted to build loyalty. Member Beasley agreed, stating she wished people would step up, take over the Board, join the Friends, and take care of things because she was tired. Responding to question, she confirmed she maintained the mailing list, which is the list she uses to send out the annual dues. She went on to say that of the 100 members, 50 of them are Life Members that pay $250, so she doesn't send that group a dues envelope. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan commented he felt that's where the problem is, because this person he knows became a Life Member and there was no follow-up or communication, which he believed is a missed opportunity. Member Beasley reiterated she sends Life Members a letter with an update of the annual activities, but not a dues envelope. She shared that five years ago she put on an annual meeting at the 11 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 Library, and the five on the Board were the only ones who showed up for the meeting. When that happened three years in a row, the Board questioned why it should continue to do it. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan suggested inviting members, especially the Life Members, to be a VIP Guest at the Library Events, making them feel special, because they may, in turn, make additional donations. Member Beasley said she had already thought about using the front -row seats at the Chef's Table events. Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan reiterated it was not a criticism, because he thought Member Beasley was amazing, but he was just providing input on the bigger picture. F. Committee Members Member Hahn shared she attended the first meeting of the Book Club in October and the format was changed completely this season. She said the book was interesting, and they had a good discussion about it. Afterwards, she took a survey of the number of new and past participants, because the previous format consisted participants each reading a different book and providing a report on it. She said past participants seemed amenable to the new format of an actual book discussion. She hoped to attend in January and wondered if anyone else would also be attending. Member Rosenberg replied she was already attending a book club and could not commit to another one with her schedule. However, she approved of the new format. Youth Committee Member Daria Wood expressed her appreciation for what the Committee is doing for the community. Responding to question, she said she was a junior at Palm Desert High School. Member Manor said the book drop has had an "Out of Order" sign for at least two weeks. Mr. Mason said it was his understanding that the plunger lock was malfunctioning, and there is an order to have it repaired, but he's still waiting to hear back. One of the solutions would be to put two padlocks with a hasp on the outside. However, he had two sitting in storage over in Indio that he's hoping to swap out. He's waiting 12 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING DECEMBER 21, 2016 for the Zone Manager to return from vacation to see if that was a viable solution. Member Manor said it looked tacky, and people have not been able to use it for several weeks now, so they are learning to get out of their car and use the window. Therefore, why not opt to use the window and get rid of the drop box. Additionally, at times, people put trash in there. Member Rosenberg said she would second that request. Mr. Mason agreed, stating he would support that idea as well. Chairman Kermode requested staff place this item on the next meeting agenda to consider getting rid of the drop box at the Palm Desert Library. Mr. Mason asked if the automated contraption was reliable. Member Beasley said it works until it's vandalized and then it's down for a month. G. Staff None IX. ADJOURNMENT With Library Promotion Committee concurrence, Chairman Kermode adjourned the meeting at 4:20 p.m. Grace L. Mendoza, Recording Secretary 13