HomeMy WebLinkAboutLIB 02-23-26APPROVED MINUTES
CUPERTINO LIBRARY COMMISSION
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
CALL TO ORDER
At 7:00p.m., Chair Zhao called the Library Commission regular meeting to order at the
Cupertino Library, 10800 Torre Avenue, 201A.
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present: Liyan Zhao, Chandra Sakthivel, Minna Xu, Qin Pan
Commissioners absent: Janki Chokshi
City/County Staff present: Molly James, Bryant Bao, Stephen Fitzgerald
Guest Speakers: Thomas Celerier
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Subject: December 3, 2025 Library Commission Meeting Minutes
Recommended Action: Review and approve the December 3, 2025 Library Commission meeting
minutes.
MOTION: Commissioner Pan moved and Chair Zhao seconded to approve the December 3,
2025 Library Commission meeting minutes as submitted. The motion carried with the following
vote: Ayes: Zhao, Pan, Sakthivel, Xu. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: Chokshi.
POSTPONEMENTS – None
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None
OLD BUSINESS – None
NEW BUSINESS
2. Subject: Chair and Vice Chair Selection
Recommended Action: Conduct the selection of the Chair and Vice Chair.
Written communications were emailed to the Commission and are included for the record.
MOTION: Commissioner Sakthivel moved and Commissioner Pan seconded to nominate
Commissioner Xu for the Chair position. The motion carried with the following vote: Ayes:
Zhao, Pan, Sakthivel, Xu. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: Chokshi.
MOTION: Chair Xu moved and Commissioner Zhao seconded to nominate Commissioner
Sakthivel for the Vice Chair position. The motion carried with the following vote: Ayes: Zhao,
Pan, Sakthivel, Xu. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: Chokshi.
3. Subject: Cupertino Poet Laureate Program Update
Recommended Action: Receive an update from the Cupertino Poet Laureate and provide
feedback on potential programs.
Thomas Celerier, Cupertino Poet Laureate (CPL), presented his plan for 2026 as submitted.
Commissioner Zhao requested clarification on the [Open Mic Poetry Event] multilingual
component. CPL Celerier clarified that each participant would read poems in their own
respective language.
Commissioner Zhao commented to reach out to the Library Commissioners for help with
promoting to the community.
Chair Xu requested clarification on the Poetry Contest with FUHSD and whether or not the
contest is promoted through the school district’s newsletter. CPL Celerier clarified that the
Rotary Club works directly with the schools to promote the contest.
Chair Xu requested clarification on whether or not CPL Celerier was planning to host any
booths at upcoming events such as Earth Day or the Cherry Blossom Festival. CPL Celerier
clarified that former CPL Keiko O’Leary had not mentioned anything but to keep him updated
on future events.
Vice Chair Sakthivel requested clarification on the [Poetry Contest with FUHSD] and how they
differentiate whether or not the poem was human generated. CPL Celerier clarified that it is up
to the judges.
Vice Chair Sakthivel requested clarification on whether or not CPL Celerier has an opportunity
to attend an upcoming City Council meeting to read a poem and help encourage the broader
public to get involved. Molly James, Recreation Manager, clarified that previous Mayors have
invited the Poet Laureates to present at a City Council meeting.
4. Subject: Santa Clara County Library District Internet Policy Draft
Recommended Action: Review the Santa Clara County Library District Internet Policy Draft
and provide feedback.
Stephen Fitzgerald, Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) Deputy County Librarian,
presented on the item as submitted and opened it up to Commissioner comments, suggestions,
concerns, or any other feedback on the Technology and Internet Policy Draft.
Deputy County Librarian Fitzgerald informed the Commission that this revised Technology
and Internet Policy combined multiple policies into one – Internet Policy, Wi-Fi Policy, and
Online Forum Policy. Added that the language has been updated but there were no major
changes in the context of the policies.
Vice Chair Sakthivel recommended that the search engine for books includes a natural language
processing search based on description if someone forgot the title or author of the book. Deputy
County Librarian Fitzgerald noted that this is outside the policy, however, there are some
capabilities through their third-party vendors such as Libby that uses an AI generated search.
Vice Chair Sakthivel requested clarification on whether or not users can access their personal
emails through the library computers. Deputy County Librarian Fitzgerald clarified yes and
once the user is finished, it automatically logs out of everything and erases all activity.
5. Subject: Library Commission 2026 Meeting Topics
Recommended Action: Review and approve the list of potential meeting topics for 2026.
Recreation Manager James presented as submitted and reviewed the full list of meeting topics.
Clarified that attending all events listed is not mandatory, but staff wanted to make the
Commission aware of all the events that they could be participating in.
Commissioner Pan requested to add the [Community Service Awards] event that recognizes the
incoming and outgoing Commissioners.
MOTION: Commissioner Zhao moved and Commissioner Pan seconded to approve the Library
Commission 2026 Calendar with the addition of the [Community Service Awards]. The motion
carried with the following vote: Ayes: Zhao, Pan, Sakthivel, Xu. Noes: None. Abstain: None.
Absent: Chokshi.
REPORTS/UPDATES
6. Subject: Monthly Update Reports
Recommended Action: Receive Monthly Update Reports from:
- Cupertino Community Librarian
Reported as submitted.
- County Librarian
Reported as submitted.
STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Recreation Manager James provided a Staff Liaison Update on the following:
- Cupertino State of the City Address – Thursday, February 26 starting at 6 p.m. at
Quinlan Community Center. For more information visit cupertino.gov/stateofthecity
- Big Bunny 5K – Saturday, March 7 (5K at 8:30 a.m. and Kids Fun Run at 9:30 a.m.) at
Cupertino Civic Center. For more information visit cupertino.gov/bigbunny5k
- Reminder to inform IT with any international travel dates and locations so the security
teams knows to not disable your account while you are traveling.
Commissioner Zhao requested clarification on remote attendance. Recreation Manager James
clarified that if a Commissioner is requesting to be remote, they need to notify staff at least two
weeks in advance and provide the necessary information including address of the remote
location to appear on the agenda.
FUTURE AGENDA SETTING
Chair Xu requested the Story Walk Initiative.
Vice Chair Sakthivel requested to invite the Teen Commissioners to a future meeting to discuss
any changes at the library since they last attended.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Xu adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by,
Jessica Suntay, Administrative Assistant
Parks and Recreation Department
Minutes approved at the 04.23.26 special meeting