LIB 02-02-05
CUPERTINO LIBRARY COMMISSION MINUTES
February 2, 2005
Call to Order
Chairperson Sheila Mohan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
RollCall
Present:
Ron Miller
Sheila Mohan
Kathy Stakey
Susanna Tsai
Absent:
Janet Riddell
Also Present: Melinda Cervantes, Santa Clara County Librarian
Mary-Ann Wallace, Community Librarian
Absent:
Carol Atwood, Administrative Services Director and Commission Liaison
Minutes
Under Reports by Commissioners, b: Commissioner Miller would like to delete the Ohio
College Library Center after OCLC, as OCLC is the official organizational name.
Under Reports by Commissioners, c: Commissioner Stakey asked to amend the sentence
about the trash containers as follows: Kathy asked that the trash containers at the
entrance to the library be emptied more frequently or that more containers be added.
She would also like to amend the sentence: "In addition, she asked if the section by the
bookdrop would be landscaped" to: In addition, she asked if the area that serves as the
divider in the library parking lot was going to be landscaped.
With these corrections, the January 5, 2005 Minutes are approved as amended.
Oral Communications
None
Written Communications
The BAYLIS (Bay Area Library and Information System) and PLS (Peninsula Library
System) invitation to: Library Support: How to get it all done in your Community, a
February 26th workshop at San Francisco Public Library, was passed out to all of the
library commissioners.
Library Project and Hours of Operation: This was tabled to the next meeting, as Carol
Atwood was not present
Community Librarian's Report:
Children's Librarian Judith Blight is currently holding a California Young Reader Medal
book discussion series for 5th through 7'h graders on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. on January
29th, February 26th, and March 26th in the Story Room. There are 3 books for the
participants to read, and one book is discussed at each session. At the end, the
participants will choose which of the 3 books they want to nominate for the California
Young Reader Medal. Signups were through January 22nd, and a very enthusiastic group
of students are participating.
Cupertino Library welcomed Wendy Kay to a temporary (6 month) halftime Children's
Librarian position on January 5th. Wendy brings a wealth of good experience with her,
and we are delighted to have her as part of the library staff.
Librarian Lannie Kuo will present the first of a four-week series of storytimes in
Mandarin Chinese tomorrow, Thursday, February 3'd. The other Mandarin storytimes in
this series will be held on February 10th, 17th, and 24th. This will be Lannie's first and the
library's first series of Mandarin storytimes in the new library, and everyone is looking
forward to it.
Also for Chinese New Year, there was a special presentation ceremony at the Cupertino
Post Office, where the stamps for the Chinese New Year were unveiled. This year the
stamps include all 12 animals of the perpetual 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac.
Mayor Patrick Kwok spoke at the presentation, as did Council Member Kris Wang, and
the Cupertino Postmaster. Community Librarian Mary-Ann Wallace was also invited to
participate, and was given a large, framed poster of the stamps for the library. The
colorful poster is now on display next to the elevator on the 2nd floor of the library.
The library will hold its first program in the new Community Hall next Wednesday,
February 9, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. Feng Shui master Y.C.Sun will use a combination of Feng
Shui and I-Ching, the 2,000 year-old Chinese law of the universe, to make predictions on
global events for 2005, the Year ofthe Rooster. This is a return appearance for Y.C. Sun,
whose program has been very popular, and is sponsored by the Friends of the Cupertino
Library.
Earlier on Wednesday, February 9th, Children's Librarians will host a drop-in Valentine
Craft program ITom 3 to 5 p.m. for school-age children in the Story Room on the main
floor of the libray. This program is also sponsored by the Friends of the Cupertino
Library.
The Friends will hold their first annual Book Sale in over two years in the new
Community Hall on Saturday, February 12'h from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday,
February 13th from 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Cupertino Library is also happy to participate in Silicon Valley Reads with a Reading by
author David Mas Masumoto to be held in the new Community Hall on Wednesday,
February 23'd at 7 p.m. This program is co- sponsored by Cupertino Library, Santa Clara
County Library, and Distinguished Citizens Society International of Silicon Valley.
County Librarian's Report:
The 3'd annual Silicon Valley Reads series of events kicked off last evening with
"Conversations with Mas" at the Montgomery Theatre in San Jose, where author David
Mas Masumoto was interviewed by San Jose Mercury News columnist Mike CasfIdy.
The book that everyone will be talking about in February is Masumoto's Epitaphfor a
Peach. Information on the series of programs is available at the Santa Clara County
Libraries and at www.siliconvallevreads.com.
The Silicon Valley Library System Administrative Council will hold their next meeting at
the Cupertino Library on Thursday, February 24th from I :30 to 5:30 p.m.
There are two upcoming meetings on February 10th and March 10th ITom I p.m. to 4 p.m.
at the Santa Clara County Library Administration offices on Winchester Boulevard,
where vendors of RFID and other book handling and sorting technologies will be giving
short demonstrations of their products to the JPA (Joint Powers Authority) Board RFID
Subcommittee.
At their meeting on January 27th, the full Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Board made the
decision to use a mailed ballot for the upcoming Santa Clara County Library ballot
measure. The ballot measure itself will be in 2 parts: Measure A, which will maintain
the same levy amount at $33.66 per year and allow the library to maintain its current
hours, but not to restore recently cut hours, and Measure B, which will increase the levy
by an additional $12 per year. If both measures pass, the levy will be $45.66 per year,
and that will enable the library to restore Monday hours. #10
The original ballot measure that passed ten years ago with the assessment ~ will expire
this June was a direct result of the Santa Clara County Library losing 4~~f'its operating
budget to state government in 1992 ITom an ERAF (Educational Revenue Augmentation
Fund) shift. The state was not able to support education and pulled property taxes away
from cities and counties to give to education. The ERAF shift has continued every year,
and currently $.w:-tO million is shifted from the library to the state every year.
4f /0. 7
The first Measure A was passed in November, 1994 and sunsets in June, 2005. The
money that was shifted away ITom the Santa Clara County Library is now equivalent to
20% of its operating budget.
The decision was made to split the ballot measure because over 80% of people, who were
surveyed, said that they would support the same levy amount. Only if Measure B also
passes by a 2/3rds majority will the library be able to restore the Monday service hours.
The ballots will be mailed out in April and are due back to the Registrar of Voters by 8
p.m. on May 3'd. The ballots have prepaid postage on them. The requirement for passage
is 2/3rds ofthose who vote in this election.
The Save our Libraries name has been changed to Support Our Libraries, Yes on A and
B. Cupertino City Councilwoman Dolly Sandoval has graciously and generously agreed
to co-chair the ballot measure campaign.
The original ballot measure enacted a benefit assessment, which is no longer an option
since Proposition 218 was passed, disallowing that vehicle. A Mello Roos district is the
only vehicle available to non-contiguous properties. There will be a protest hearing by a
person who wants only property owners to be able to vote in this election. This is a
constitutional issue. Once more than 12 registered voters are affected, there must be a
vote by all of the registered voters in the district. The County Service Area from the first
ballot measure will now be a Community Facilities District, a different legal entity.
Gay Strand, Administrative Services Manager, is available to come out to talk to
commissions about the library budget. She is scheduled to visit the Saratoga Library
Commission in March, but could come to an upcoming meeting, if that is something that
the commission would be interested in scheduling.
New Business
Introductions of New Commissioners: New Library Commissioners Ron Miller and
Susanna Tsai told fellow commissioners a little about themselves, their work, and other
interests, and Commissioners Sheila Mohan and Kathy Stakey reciprocated.
Mayor's Quarterly Meeting with Commissioners: New Mayor Patrick Kwok has set
quarterly meetings on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room C
downstairs in City Hall to meet with representatives ITom all of the city commissions.
Chairperson Sheila Mohan will attend on February 9th. Commissioner Ron Miller will
attend on May 11 tho Commissioner Susanna Tsai will attend on August 10th.
Commissioner Kathy Stakey or Commissioner Janet Riddell will attend on November 9th.
Library Commission Handbook: Commissioners discussed reviewing and updating the
Library Commission Handbook as necessary. Commissioner Stakey suggested reviewing
it section by section. A subcommittee of commissioners Kathy Stakey and Janet Riddell
will review the first section, and will bring it back for discussion by the June commission
meeting.
Old Business
Fine Arts Committee subcommittee: Commissioners know that while the Fine Arts
Commission has no funds for art, the Fine Arts Commissioners would still like to see
more art in the library. The Fine Arts Commission subcommittee plans to tour the library
and to offer suggestions on areas that might be appropriate for art.
Friends of the Library: The Friends will hold their annual election of officers at their
March 7'h meeting. They hold monthly membership meetings on the first Monday of the
month (unless that falls on a holiday - in which case the meeting is held on the 2nd
Monday) in Conference Room A at City Hall. The Friends intend to contribute to the
ballot measure campaign.
Library Foundation: The Library Foundation has recently held two very successful and
enjoyable fundraisers: the New Year's Eve Party and the Just For us Girls Party, and will
hold an upcoming Super Bowl Party fundraiser this coming weekend on Sunday,
February 6th at the new Cupertino Community Hall. At their last meeting, the foundation
board voted to donate $5,000 to the library ballot measure campaign. The next Cupertino
Library Foundation Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 23'd in the staff
conference room in the library.
Calendar
Secretary Janet Riddell, who is ill this evening, sends out the monthly calendar via email.
The calendar includes important library meetings, workshops, conferences, and other
important library-related dates, such as National Library week, etc. One upcoming date
of note is Library Legislative Day in Sacramento on APril~'!i
There is an upcoming CAL T AC (California Association of Library Trustees and
Commissioners) workshop at the Dublin Library on Saturday, March 5th. Carol Atwood
renews the commissioners' memberships to CAL T AC each year and will certainly have
added the new commissioners.
Community Librarian Wallace will send out info on the March 5th CALTAC workshop to
all of the library commissioners.
Agenda Building
Review at the next meeting.
Reports from Commissioners y-+CµT ~
-:J1L V ¿qA/JlA ~J}1 ~.
Commissioner Stakey WaRts to sd'ld 100 books'fo the Hsin-Chu City Library in order to
reciprocate for the boxes of books recently received by our library from Hsin-Chu City
Library. Library staff will suggest titles, and the Friends will purchase the books.
Adjournment of the Meeting
Chairperson Sheila Mohan adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m. to Wednesday, March 2,
2005 at 7:00 p.m.
~~ce, Community Librarian