LIB 05-02-24 (Special)APPROVED MINUTES
LIBRARY COMMISSION
Thursday, May 2, 2024
LIBRARY COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
At 6:41 p.m., Chair Panda called the special meeting to order at the Cupertino Library, 10800
Torre Avenue, Room 101A.
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present: Archana Panda (6:40), Sheela Sreekanth, Liyan Zhao (6:35), Janki
Chokshi (6:43)
Commissioners absent: Qin Pan
City/County Staff present: Molly James, Bryant Bao, Stephen Fitzgerald
Guest Speakers: None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Subject: February 7, 2024 Library Commission Meeting Minutes
Recommended Action: Review and approve the February 7, 2024 Library Commission meeting
minutes.
Vice Chair Sreekanth motioned to approve the February 7, 2024 Library Commission meeting
minutes as submitted. Commissioner Zhao seconded. Motion carried with 3 yes (Panda,
Sreekanth, Zhao) and 2 absent (Chokshi, Pan).
POSTPONEMENTS
Chair Panda motioned to re-order the agenda and hear Agenda Item #4 Monthly Update
Reports before Agenda Item #2 Update on Fiscal Year 2023-2025 City Work Program Poet
Laureate item and Direction on 2025-2026 Poet Laureate Selection Process. Commissioner Zhao
seconded. Motion carried with 3 yes (Panda, Sreekanth, Zhao) and 2 absent (Chokshi, Pan).
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None
OLD BUSINESS
None
NEW BUSINESS
2. Subject: Update on Fiscal Year 2023-2025 City Work Program Poet Laureate item and
Direction on 2025-2026 Poet Laureate Selection Process
Recommended Action: Receive an update on Fiscal Year 2023-2025 City Work Program Poet
Laureate item and provide direction on 2025-2026 Poet Laureate Selection Process.
Molly James, Recreation Manager, informed the Commission that their recommendation for the
Poet Laureate Playbook to be added to the 2024 City Council Work Program was accepted.
Added that beginning July 1, 2024 staff will have time allocated towards updating the playbook
and the City will continue funding the program.
Recreation Manager James informed the Commission that the current Poet Laureate’s term is
ending December 2024, and typically the recruitment process for the next Poet Laureate begins
around this time. Given that the Playbook has not been updated and staff is unable to work on
it until July, staff is requesting guidance from the Commission on how they would like to
proceed for the 2025-2026 Poet Laureate recruitment and selection process. Staff proposed the
following three options:
1.) Move forward with the recruitment process with the current information and make
minor changes (ex. updating the age requirement from 21 to 18), but there would not be
an updated Playbook.
2.) Reach out to the current Poet Laureate and ask if they would be interested in extending
their term for one year through December 2025 and begin the recruitment process in
Spring 2025 with the new updated Playbook.
3.) Allow the current Poet Laureate to finish out their term in December 2024, and start
fresh with a new recruitment process in Spring 2025. Therefore, the next Poet Laureate’s
term would be 2026-2027, and there would not be a Poet Laureate for 2025.
Recreation Manager James added that staff plans to bring back the first revised Poet Laureate
Playbook draft in August and a final draft in October.
Commissioner Chokshi supported option #1.
Chair Panda supported option #2.
Vice Chair Sreekanth supported option #2, and option #1 is the backup.
Chair Panda commented that she can take the lead in talking to the current Poet Laureate to see
if she is interested in extending her term for one more year.
Chair Panda motioned to reach out to the current Poet Laureate to accept the Library
Commission’s offer to extend her term one year, and if not accepted, then the Commission will
discuss next steps at the June Library Commission meeting. Commissioner Chokshi seconded.
Motion carried 4 yes (Panda, Sreekanth, Zhao, Chokshi) and 1 absent (Pan).
3. Subject: Commissioner Discussion on Cupertino Library Challenges and Improvements from
the Community
Recommended Action: Discussion of Commissioners on Cupertino Library challenges and
improvements from the community.
Written communications for this item included an email to the Commission and is included for
the record.
Vice Chair Sreekanth introduced the item as proposed in the future agenda setting at the
previous Commission meeting and asked for Commissioners to share their top three
suggestions from the community.
Vice Chair Sreekanth commented that community members expressed frustration with the long
wait and not being able to place a hold on the State Park and County Park Passes. Also
requested that they be available for pick-up on Fridays.
Commissioner Zhao commented that community members expressed frustration with the
parking and requested clarification on whether or not they can park in the permitted staff
parking spots on the weekends.
Vice Chair Sreekanth commented that community members would like for new books to have
multiple copies for checkout due to the long wait. Added that community members also
requested for family movie time.
Commissioner Chokshi commented that community members requested there be multiple time
frames (not just the morning) for children's story time, expressed frustration with parking, and
requested more books in different languages.
Vice Chair Sreekanth added that there was also feedback that the Tamil books are outdated by
several years, so requested to add more new and updated books.
Chair Panda commented that community members requested more events involving music and
noise for festive occasions, expressed frustration with parking, and requested more eBooks and
online versions.
Commissioner Chokshi added that there could also be more updated audiobooks.
Bryant Bao, Cupertino Community Librarian, addressed a few of the suggestions:
- Regarding eBooks and audiobooks – they are increasing the funding, however, digital
content costs are more expensive than the physical books.
- Regarding the State Park and County Park Passes, they have received that feedback and
they are currently experimenting with different borrowing methods.
- Regarding family movie time, the Cupertino Library Foundation will be doing a six-
week series of family movies this summer on Sunday afternoons.
- Regarding expanding story time, there is a Wednesday evening and Saturday morning
story time available.
- Regarding the books in different languages, it depends on whether or not they have a
staff member with the skill set to order those books. Added that the ordering is all
centralized, but they are hoping to see improvements in this process as headquarters is
hiring.
o Commissioner Chokshi requested clarification on whether or not Commissioners
or other community members could help in this process. Chair Panda
recommended reaching out to the community for public input.
o Community Librarian Bao further explained that ordering occurs systemwide,
and they are very careful as purchases need to fall in line with purchasing
policies and expectations of public libraries, but he will pass along the feedback.
Added that if there were current titles the community would like to propose for
purchase right now, they can submit the purchase request online.
Community Librarian Bao added that he has made note of the suggestions and will look further
into the feedback provided.
REPORTS/UPDATES
4. Subject: Monthly Update Reports
Recommended Action: Receive Monthly Update Reports from:
- Cupertino Community Librarian
Reported as submitted.
- County Librarian
Reported as submitted.
- Friends of the Library
No updates.
- Cupertino Library Foundation
No updates.
- Poet Laureate
No updates.
STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Recreation Manager James provided a Staff Liaison Update on the following:
- Starting in May, all Commissions including the Library Commission will be recorded
(audio and video when the Commission resumes meetings in Room 201A), and meeting
recordings will be posted the next day for residents to watch remotely.
- Live Well Age Well Health Expo – Friday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the
Cupertino Senior Center
Chair Panda reported on the Poet Laureate Multi-Lingual Poetry Reading event.
Commissioner Zhao reported on the upcoming AAPI Multicultural Festival on Saturday, May
11 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Cupertino Civic Center Plaza.
COMMISSIONER ATTENDANCE AT UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Commissioners to attend the upcoming Mayor’s meetings as follows:
Wednesday, May 15 at 5 p.m. – Chair Panda
Vice Chair Sreekanth informed the Commissioners that she will be absent at the June Library
Commission meeting.
FUTURE AGENDA SETTING
Chair Panda requested the Poet Laureate back-up plan should the current Poet Laureate not
accept extending her term.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Panda adjourned the meeting 7:25 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by,
Jessica Javier, Administrative Assistant
Parks and Recreation Department
Minutes approved at the 06.05.24 regular meeting