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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Library Promotion Committee 11/19/2014X-E3 CITY OF PALM DESERT REGULAR MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES Wednesday, November 19, 2014 — 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 3:04 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Member Joan Beasley Member Lois Cardona Member Marilyn Hahn Chairman Louise Kermode Absent: Vice Chair Bobbie Rosenberg Member Ella Manor Also Present: Jean M. Benson, Councilmember Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk Sherry Martinez, Desert Zone Manager, Riverside County Libraries Lisa Brock, City Librarian Eileen Strain, Palm Desert Library Volunteer Coordinator Grace L. Mendoza, Recording Secretary Danielle Krol, College of the Desert Director of Library & Learning Resources Jim Miller, Palm Desert Library Volunteer ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Chairman Kermode introduced Ms. Danielle Krol, who is the College of the Desert Director of Library and Learning Resources, and Mr. Jim Miller, a library volunteer who is considering applying for the Library Promotion Committee. APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Palm Desert Library Promotion Committee Meeting of April 16, 2014. Rec: Approve as presented. Upon a motion by Member Beasley, second by Member Cardona, and 4-0 vote of the Committee (AYES: Beasley, Cardona, Hahn, and Kermode; NOES: None; ABSENT:Manorand Rosenberg), the Minutes of the Library Promotion Committee meeting of April 16, 2014, were approved as presented. V. NEW BUSINESS A. UPDATE ON LIBRARY ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS Ms. Brock stated the library now has two exterior benches near the main entrance, one facing the McCallum Theatre and the other facing the Library. She said there used to be a rock there with an inscription, but the inscription has been removed, so the bench is now in front of that rock. She believed placement of the bench will work well there, because it was visible to the patrons but still far enough away from the door that if people are smoking, the odor won't go into the Library. B. PRESENTATION BY COUNCILMEMBER JEAN M. BENSON. Councilmember Benson said it was that time of year when the City recognized its Committee/Commission members for their contribution throughout the year, stating their service was a big help to the City because it kept the Council abreast of what was happening in the community. She presented gift cards to the members that were present and wished everyone a happy and safe holiday season. She noted the two Committee Members that were not present would have theirs mailed. VI. CONTINUED BUSINESS None VII. OLD BUSINESS None 2 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 VIII. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Council Liaison (Councilmember Jean Benson) None B. Librarian (Lisa Brock) Ms. Brock handed out the Library's Statistics Report for the three-month period (Aug. - Oct.), stating circulation has continued to decline, but their reference numbers are holding steady, which meant they still had the same amount of people going into the Library asking questions and getting help. She said the program numbers are about the same, with an increase in some areas, and the volunteer numbers have also increased. One area where the numbers have jumped is in the use of their meeting rooms by outside groups and college students. She said the Library continues to make deliveries for homebound residents, stating Eileen Strain is very dedicated to working with the community and providing this service. One major change is that the "Ask Ralph" Online Reference they did for all of Riverside County was just recently turned over to the City of La Quinta, stating the people that had been doing it were going on five years and looking for a break. She went on to say the Summer Reading Program was very successful, as they had lots of kids in the Library, and thanks to the Friends of the Palm Desert Library, they were able to give away three bicycles as grand prizes. They didn't have grand prizes for the teens, but did give rewards for reading throughout the summer. Additionally, for the first time they were able to offer an Adult Summer Reading Program, and to take part, one had to read three books, stating that each month gift cards and goody bags were given out as prizes; she said this program will continue next year. Responding to question, she said people learned about the programs through advertisements in the Library, Facebook, and their monthly brochure. C. Special Events Coordinator (Vacant) Ms. Brock announced that Robin Stewart accepted a position with the La Quinta Museum and was no longerthe Special Events Coordinator for the Library. However, Robin did plan out the whole season, so they are ready to go starting the first week of December with the "Chef's Table" and "Sunday Sounds," stating people are already APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 signing up and making reservations. She said Robin had started a new program called "TED Talks," which stood for Technology, Entertainment & Design. The program is scheduled for one Tuesday a month where they show a video and discuss different subjects. The first time this group met there were ten participants and four the second time. Another program Robin started was the "Senior Chat," but only one person attended. She said the next meeting will probably be in December, and she is hoping to continue it once a Coordinator is hired. Lastly, the book club and knitting programs continue to be very popular. D. Volunteer Coordinator (Eileen Strain) Member Strain reported that for the period of May to October 2014, volunteers contributed 1,965 hours, stating the high numbers came in the months of July and August because of the hours contributed by the teens; the total number of volunteers during this period was 370. Additionally, a homebound program was started at Atria, an assisted living complex, where they had 171 book deliveries for the period of May through October, which is a great response; thereby adding 13 new individuals to the program, bringing her total to 20. When asked if she did all this work by herself, she said Donna Pruett, a volunteer, helps. She noted Donna delivers books to two homebound residents that live high up on Highway 74 and has been doing it for more than ten years. E. Friends of the Palm Desert Library (Joan Beasley) Member Beasley handed out a copy of the Financials for the period of January 1 to October 31, 2014, showing they started the year with $24,082 in the bank, and by the end of October, there was a balance of $26,000. She said during that time period, they received income from the book store and on-line purchases in the amount of $31,200. Reflected in the Financials as Mall Art, is an art program started at Westfield Mall in conjunction with the Library, which was connected to the Summer Reading Program, but it was all done at the mall. The parents who had children involved with the art program had to pay a fee, but Friends gave up a portion of that fee because it was tied to Story Time. Therefore, their total income was $31,330, minus what Friends paid out for programs and book subscriptions. She said they take care of the large -print book subscriptions, which ran close to $8,000 a year, stating that every month the Library gets a shipment 4 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 of a variety of mysteries, romance, etc., in large print, which was one of the major things it paid for the Library. Friends also contributed toward the Summer Reading Program and/or special events for the holidays, etc. She announced that after ten years of doing this work, she was ready for someone else to take over the reigns. She asked the Committee to start scouting for someone to replace her; however, she didn't mind continuing with the accounting portion of it because she could do it from home in the evenings. She believed the reason they didn't have better membership was because she wasn't beating the bushes planning lunches or activities to entice people to get involved. She said for a town of this size, it should have more than just a few members. She said people are hesitant to join the Friends, because they want to volunteer at the Library, but that's not how this Friends is set up, stating the Library has a paid person that takes care of the volunteers. She didn't have the answer, except that something needed to be done with the community, and there wasn't currently a plan for membership. Therefore, she reiterated that everyone needed to scout someone who could have the title of President if they were willing to take it over. Projects such as Adopt -a -Shelf were initiated to increase membership — where anyone who paid for a membership could adopt a shelf and have their name or grandchild's name on it at the Library. She said the person hired to replace Robin will need to make the name tags and continue with this program. Currently, there are discussions about attractive signage, such as a banner or a brighter sign, within the Library to point in the direction of the bookstore, because it's in a great corner location, but many people are unaware of it. She said the Friends of Desert Libraries Annual/Social Meeting is on December 6 at the Palm Desert Library, stating she will forward details to the Palm Desert Library Promotion Committee members once she receives them. The annual meeting consists of representatives from every Friends' group of the Desert, and once a year they meet to discuss the business of the libraries, share ideas, and review requirements relating to taxes, because Friends of the Desert Library group carries the 501(c)3 non-profit status. She said any grants received went through their bank account before being disbursed to the local Friends group. She said the meeting will probably start at 10:00 a.m. with refreshments, followed by a short meeting and installation of new officers, etc. 5 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 F. Committee Members 1) Councilmember Benson shared that during the summer while visiting her son in Oregon, she learned her daughter-in-law's friend belonged to a book club of four or five women that met once a month to share about books and authors, which she thought was a great idea. Ms. Brock replied Robin already had such a group. Mr. Miller added that Eileen also has a group which met the first Tuesday of the month, stating each person presents a book and writes their recommendation, and it's been going on for some time. 2) Member Beasley asked if anyone had suggestions on how to bring someone on to take over the Friends group, stating she could place an ad in the paper seeking people who loved to read. She said it's always easier when there are two or three people working together to get things accomplished. Ms. Strain suggested placing a business card on the counter at her bank, stating she did this a long time ago when she was looking for volunteers, and she could do the same for Friends of the Palm Desert Library if Member Beasley was in agreement. Member Beasley answered she was, stating Friends has their dues envelopes at the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center. 3) Ms. Martinez noted Robin Stewart accepted a position today at the Museum, but it didn't mean they were losing her, because she will still be linked to the Library in some form. Ms. Brock said they hoped to start the new person by the 1" or the 161h; otherwise, it will have to be January 1, 2015, because of the required background check. Further responding, she said the vacancy will be posted at all Riverside County Libraries and on the Library's website, stating they are anticipating a short posting, but they can reopen or extend the recruitment if there are not enough applicants. T APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 4) Ms. Martinez said the County is very busy, and they are awaiting results on Measure U over in Coachella, because there is a possibility of a new library associated with it, stating that the results should be known by Friday. The last time she checked the results, there was a difference of 45 votes. 5) Councilmember Benson inquired about distribution of the Special Events brochure. Ms. Brock replied the brochure is distributed at all the restaurants, community centers, and the Palm Desert Visitor Center, but she was unsure if they were available at the Chamber of Commerce. Councilmember Benson proposed placing an ad in the newspaper, because she always read about what Rancho Mirage was doing, but seldom read about Palm Desert's events. Ms. Brock said information is always provided to The Desert Sun, and sometimes they print it and others they don't. At times, a photographer is sent to cover some of the programs, and if the newspaper has room, they will report them. Councilmember Benson suggested talking to David Hermann, Information Officer for the City of Palm Desert, to see if he had a contact person with the newspaper. Ms. Klassen pointed out, The Desert Sun didn't always print City events either. Ms. Brock explained that promoting its programs was a double-edged thing, because the room has a maximum capacity, and last year it was reached several times. However, the music programs are not as popular as the Chef's Table. Ms. Klassen noted Palm Desert Library events are in the City's "Bright Side" Newsletter. 7 APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2014 G. Staff Ms. Klassen announced this was Councilmember Jean Benson's last meeting with the Library Promotion Committee and invited everyone to celebrate her retirement over cake and in wishing Jean a nice farewell. IX. ADJOURNMENT Upon a motion by Member Beasley, second by Member Hahn, and 4-0 vote of the Committee (AYES: Beasley, Cardona, Hahn, and Kermode; NOES: None; ABSENT: Manor and Rosenberg), Chairman Kermode adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m. GracarL. Mendoza, Recording cretary