Library Board - Regular Meeting

We're going? Great. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Wednesday, September 9th, 2026 Library Board meeting. We are starting just ever so slightly late at 6.03. And we can start with the roll call.

President Amar Saruwardena.

Present.

Vice President Strickler is absent. Board Member Battle. Present. Board Member Gibbons. Present. Board Member Conji. Here, or person.

Great. We'll move on to item number two, non-agenda public comment. Anyone may speak for three minutes regarding any matter not on the agenda. OK. Just let's see.

People could actually call in now.

Yep. I do not see anyone online nor in person. But let's see.

Where's Jason? Are you all right? I'm going to open it just so we...

Okay, so we are the only participants. There is another non-agenda public comment section at the end if someone picks this up later. We can move on to the consent calendar. We have 3A, which is the draft minutes of the special and regular library board meetings of July 8. And then 3B, which is the financial reporting reflecting financial year 26-27, July and August expenditures. And 3C, bills for ratification for the months of July and August. If anyone wants to make a motion. That would be appreciated.

I move that we accept those documents as they stand.

Cool. All in favor? Aye. Okay. Four ayes on that. We can move on to agenda item number four, which is receiving our report from our brand new library director. We are so excited to have you here. Thank you for coming. Thank you. Let's get to know you even more.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, I appreciate the warm welcome I've received here in Alameda and am so pleased to be here in the library director position and would be remiss not to give a heartfelt and deep gratitude to Marlon Romero for his work in the interim director position.

which is not his first time in the seat.

He's been incredibly generous with his knowledge and his time with me, and I am just very grateful. He's definitely made the transition a lot easier, more stability for staff, and started me on really excellent, strong footing, good foundation. So just very grateful for Marlin's assistance. I've now met with all of you. So I really appreciate you taking time out of your very busy schedules. They always say if you want something done, ask a busy person. So I know we've got busy people in this room and really appreciate your time getting to know me and telling me a little bit about yourselves and your excitement and passion for public libraries. So just so grateful for your service to the City of Alameda and really very pleased to be here with you. So I probably won't do too much of a background since I've met with each of you and shared, I think, in a lot more detail about my background. But I will just share that I am you know, rapidly getting up to speed at the library, familiarizing myself with our policies, budget, and our strategic plan, and really hitting the ground running on projects that are midstream. And one of the main things there is working on implementing strategic plan committees. which were conceived prior to my arrival. And then we've done a little bit of tweaking on them in the content, in particular through the lens of measuring and implementation. So we are in the final stages of forming those committees. We just want to make sure that folks who put put their interest in, are aware of some of the changes and updates so that it's still something that reflects their interests and their passions to get involved. And then once we form those committees, we do plan to launch those on October 1st, which we will be closed on that day, it's a Thursday. We're closing for all staff meeting and the staff officiation picnic that the city hosts that same day. And also taking advantage of the fact that it's often hard to get groups from each of our libraries together in one place. So we'll be doing some, we'll be launching those strategic planning committees, setting norms, setting expectations, and then releasing those groups. The intention is for those groups to be staff-led groups. um and they'll kind of have their marching orders from our strategic plan these are the strategies and objectives that we feel these groups are responsible for moving forward and then an opportunity for them to take stock of the capacity to move these things forward maybe look at some of the low-hanging fruit projects and goals and get some of those started and start to build a plan for their work through this fiscal year and beyond. So I do hope we'll have much more to share in our November meeting about where we're at with those. I do hope to share an initial status of what measurement, what things we intend to measure, knowing that some of those things could change as these groups get started and maybe think about different strategies for different ways of measuring things. and getting at least maybe a baseline for some of them together. So we're really excited about that. A lot of what we're doing this year is building a baseline upon which we can build. Some of the things that we intend to measure aren't things we've measured in the past. And so we want to ensure we have status, at least we understand where we're starting from so that we can build that growth year over year and what's realistic growth to expect. So we're excited about that. Another project that I'm working on is our main library redesign, re-envisioning the main library, which is something that again was expected before I arrived. Marlin worked with Amy before she left in her assistant city manager role to do a draft of that. So we're refining that with the help We are also working on, well not me so much, but the team has been really hitting the ground running on some new initiatives this school year. So one exciting one is the student connect code. which is a mandate from the state library for cities and library jurisdictions to be working with their local school districts to try to ensure that everyone who's enrolled in public school in the state of California has access to a barrier-free library card. And so we've been working with Alameda Unified School District and every enrolled student automatically as of last week has access to library resources, both print and digital. with a code that most, especially if you're at a certain age, they will rattle off and know immediately. It can get them access to the computer, access to any of our online digital resources, and they can also check out up to five as a new initiative and then we're also excited to partner with the State Library they are funding this year access through it's called homework CA actually I have not heard it voice so I don't know if it's homework CA or California but they spell it homework CA which is free access for any student in the state of california um through their library card so through their alameda library card to get access we will get stats yes um and um yeah free access to tutoring 24 7 which is exciting sometimes and i believe when we've offered tutor.com in the past in order to control college and at no cost to us. So this is being funded directly from the State Library. So we had Tudor.com prior in previous years. It was funded by the state. That funding went out. As you know, it's kind of a battle every year, state funding. And then we chose to incorporate it into our own budget. And so looking at our, I haven't had a chance to compile it, but we do have information about when we've had it before and how many folks have used it. So I can compile that information. But we're looking at the numbers Certainly a little bit low in the summers and they were tapering off. Usage was tapering off. So I think at some point we opted to eliminate it as a resource. We're happy to have it back again. We are using the opportunity of the Connect code as an opportunity to ensure that teachers, principals, school librarians know about this resource and can share it with their students. We are working on a press release for the launch of the Student Connect Code, which will mention the access to HomeWorks VA. So, yeah, we will keep track of how many folks are registering. We have not had anybody use it so far, but we are hoping to get the word out and have folks take advantage of that resource.

The Student Connect Code, that's your green library code?

Can they use that Google ID for that? Yes, they can.

Yeah. So essentially some students will have two library cards. They'll have the library card that they signed up with their family at the library, which has a physical card attached to it somewhere, even if you don't use it. And then in addition, they will have this other card access. So we're not merging the two. We're not saying you can only have one or the other. We're really just expanding access so that if students really love having their library card and they want to get a full access card, they can do that as well. So it just is an additional five books, an additional access point. We just want to make it easy and we're not super concerned about folks double dipping or something. They have free access to all these things anyway. same to us. So we will certainly keep track of status there and I can also share out what kinds of numbers we used to see with the tutor.com when we paid for it ourselves.

It seems like a great resource that I hope, one of those that could easily get lost, but if we show it, could get some high usage.

Yes, agreed. Considering how much it is normally. Yeah, yeah. I think we can definitely take a look and hope to grow that as we go. So like I said, I don't think the City-USD joint press release has gone out yet, so I will bring your attention to that when it does get published. Let's see, we are also currently recruiting for two positions at the library, a full-time library assistant in our circulation team and a full-time librarian in our technical services team. And they're both positions that were vacant that we are now filling. And we're, I think we have both first interviews scheduled and we'll get those second interviews done. really high application numbers. So a lot of screening had to go, had to be involved, but that also means, you know, we're really getting a good slate of candidates. So we're excited about that also.

Yeah. Anyone within the staff that could get a promotion?

Yeah, we have several internal candidates for both positions and yeah, anticipate that they will be, yeah, they'll have that opportunity to compete, and yeah, it's always nice when you see a journal that is not applying, and nice when you can come in from within. You probably saw just some highlights of accomplishments, things that, as opposed to coming up, but things that we've done. We saw strong numbers for our summer reading program this past summer, and that was an all-ages program, so youth, teens, and adults. We also launched Pride Fest and the Alameda Book Con, both of which were hugely successful programs. Pride Fest is at our Bay Farm Island and I read some of the feedback from patrons and just full of joy and folks just so happy for the library creating space for queer families and also for folks to learn about Pride and their Also a hugely popular partnership with the Franksville Library, and we saw over 1,500 people at that event in one day at the library, which is a huge turnout. And yeah, already thinking about next year for both of these events, so thinking forward to next summer and what that's gonna look like. Yeah, yeah, it was good, it was good. Folks, we really got a good showing for that, so really very pleased with the turnout and with the staff engagement on that. So that was a fun one. Let's see. There's more in here, but I just met with somebody. We're really ramping up our outreach. So we had folks at the Cape and Cow Con at Fashion Brewery, which may or may not be able to continue in that space because it was so crowded. So they're already thinking about a larger space for but I know Eva is working with her contacts there to try to see if she can help find help maybe you know maybe go to the roots practice space or something so yeah they're looking at potential places for that and let's see what else big event coming up and I have an update from what was published in the notes so Lauren Tarshis is actually coming on the 21st of September. So we thought it would be next Thursday, but it will actually be the following Monday. That will start prior to the library opening, but will end after the library closes, just to accommodate Lauren's very busy schedule. But it'll be about an hour, and the program starts at 5. So we won't, you know, except for folks attending the event, we won't have folks in the library after. We are very excited about our upcoming 20th anniversary or birthday and so we're styling it of the Alameda of the main library, which technically is on November 2. And we will be planning a celebration. We're just pulling the details together for November 7th, which is the Saturday immediately following. We would have maybe done the Saturday before, but that's Halloween. So we don't want to compete with everything else happening in the city. So we'll take the 7th. We're working with the Friends of the Library to also celebrate their Books and Bites Cafe, which also turns 10. And we also will be celebrating the Alameda Free Library's anniversary of 150 all of 2027 we're planning a slew of events activities and ways for people to engage with the history of Alameda for 2027 so stay tuned for more about that we're targeting probably sometime in August maybe for the for some sort of a birthday party type celebration we are just trying to hone in on the date it's The library was incorporated created the conflict, the organization of the library was created sometime in in 20 or sorry 19 1877 yeah yeah 150 years that math is not great and. The reading room also open that same year in August. So we don't really have a date of incorporation, which maybe would be the more, but we figured August is a good date to do it because typically we take a little bit of a break from our children's programs in August. So the frenzy of summer reading will be over, but it will, it'll be a nice time to do things, do something fun in the library. So we're partnering with the friends in the library and hopefully the L.A. Museum on some pretty cool stuff. So stay tuned for more on that. I already mentioned we're closing October 1st for staff appreciation and professional development. And then we also have our big truck finances starting on October 10th. And I have one more opportunity, which is the Lou's Brews and Barbecue. Did I get that order right? Yes, Lou's Brews and Barbecue on September 20th. We're trying to field a group, the friends have been a little slow to get back to me, but I know that definitely indicated that she would be able to attend. So I was wondering if anybody else thought they might be available. I can email that out to you and we can check your schedules. But we're like I said, we are bridge manager from the West End library tends to be there and we're trying to just field. noon to 6 p.m so it's a bit of a longer day um and just trying to you know give them a little bit of help so yeah okay great um okay and then uh yeah that's pretty much it um but i want to open it up if you all Well, a lot of it happened before I got here, to be perfectly honest, yes.

Can we go back to when you were talking about collecting some of the data and some of the data is going to be net new? Does that require any additional new technology for reports?

I don't think so. It may require some surveying methods. because at least what I would like to see is not just counting bodies in a room, or attendance, or door counts, but maybe also starting to measure impact. And, you know, it doesn't have to be super complicated like a longitudinal study or anything like that or doing huge focus groups. But even something at the end of a program that says something like, did you learn something? Have you told somebody else about the library? And so we may need to create, we may need to collect additional data in addition to what we've already been collecting. But I don't anticipate new tech. for the data collection however you know I've heard from various members of the board that you know having some tools to be able to visualize data could be helpful I think the Microsoft suite is pretty powerful we might be able to find something in there but yeah we may you know we may want to look at potentially like a more of an online dashboard or something like that but I don't really, I'm not familiar enough to know what we have access to already.

I want to say I really appreciate that you brought up your director's report in line with the strategic report plan, like it's very aligned and that makes it I'm just going to double down on some conversation, but I hope you own it and you feel like you can own it. It's not a stacked document that was made before you. you feel like um you have had to say in it and then i'm gonna also reflect on on the data like of course i love data but i i really think it's just more of a muscle for us to just understand what's going on and not so much care about the numbers is that we are paying attention um it's what is my question and i'll repeat that the notion of i don't want us to be in a situation a year from now is when we first see numbers But again, thank you for this style that was very useful.

Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, to the point that often comes up with a strategic plan, there are the things that you call out specifically, but of course, we have these bread and butter things that take up a lot of our time, just helping patrons at the desk, signing them up for library cards, and all of that easily falls into our strategic plan. So it's an ability, it's a way to be able to draw attention to the actual efforts that we are engaging in, specifically because the strategic plan creates a mandate or an articulated goal. to kind of think through the importance of all of the work that we do. So I appreciate you calling that out, and I hope it is helpful to kind of just see all of the work that we're doing on the daily, whether or not it's called out in the strategic plan as a specific endeavor. Yeah. Got a bunch of non-related questions.

Sure, we can move on to that. The automated book checking system. We've been talking about it for, I think, two years. Yeah. Any progress on that?

We are working with Public Works on moving, yes, we'll be doing our best to move that forward. The latest that we've heard is originally there was a potential barrier due to something around fire suppression or something, which we've learned is not an issue. However, now we have been told that because of the work I triggered an ADA review and we may need to take a look at our accessibility via the street and the parking lot to the library. So it's not specifically to brought to light that potential entrance and egress is not sufficient. So we want to make sure we're, of course, tackling that before we can move on and that we have a plan for that. So we're waiting to get a meeting with Public Works to start moving that forward. The project manager's been out of town on a vacation since I had the opportunity It is definitely my goal to get that moving forward because I would very much love to see that efficiency in our work, our daily repetitive work. It'll help create a more ergonomic work environment for our staff and just create those efficiencies. So it's high on my priority list.

Anyone else have any further questions? We can move on. which would be board communications number five Anyone have anything to say?

I would just think that I would appreciate and I think we brought you all to a very good start with the reframing and the formatting so that we don't get in the habit of that's how we did it or if there's any gaps or significant changes to either someone who's leading something or something that's no longer And then some of it, and you alluded to it earlier when you talked about not just collecting data, but the sort of data that those data get. Because I think going forward, in these troubling times and cost cuttings and what have you, most people look at data, or they look at the data and they read it the way that they want it to be read so that it works to their have a more, have those data points talk about the impact to our children in school, or case in point, I was listening to something I had an NPR interview talking about, you know, the kids at school with phones and laptops, and this psychologist or whatever was saying, the schools are getting blamed for all of this, But what time do they get home? As soon as they get home, 3.30, 4 o'clock, they're on it, and then they're on it until midnight. So all of this isn't to blame our educators. There has to be some accountability, not just to the parents and to the manufacturers, but how do we tell that story so that we don't have parents up in arms saying that you're citing, you're accusing us of not giving the Because it kept over that Pandora's box. And I'm like, oh, we didn't even think about that, or who knew? And the other thing they were saying, they've done a lot of these studies, but the kids aren't included, right? They're talking to the teachers, the principals, and they're like, oh, we might go ask the kids. Yeah, that's a really good point.

I appreciate that.

Yeah, I think we...

numbers and stories, right? They can tell a more full and complete picture with just the numbers alone.

It's best not having too many people.

Yeah. I went to Bay Farm Library two days ago. I just happened to be at Bay Farm and ended up chatting with Rosemary and Natalie. incredibly energetic and tight-knit team there that really loves working with each other. It's like a clear vibe that I got. I just asked them how things are going and I just wanna ripple up what I heard is the notion of after hours and how now that we've stabilized, how can we figure out how to bring that back be shifting hours one day or something. They feel like there's a lot of programs that are not able to deliver in their neighborhood because people are coming at 545 and have 15 minutes before they have to go. So that's a need that they're seeing there. I would assume that's true everywhere. I think another thing that struck me was, at least over there, they are not aware of translations of key instructions the printer, for example, or even the library card into common languages here, that would have just been useful for being able to, because I can't talk that language, I could at least point to, oh, here's the instructions for how to use that thing, or here's the instructions to fill. Seems like potentially logging through things that scale goes out. I, was any other big thing is to underline that in bay farm there's nothing to do now like the most of the stores are closed and how can the library be a place for teens to could be built um no Safeway's there but practically everything yeah all the restaurants are closed the coffee shop uh yeah yeah except for Starbucks but yeah but playing that third space like we have an opportunity there is one thing that really uh that they were having also just great to hear 50 or 60 people, or is there story times there? That's amazing. Right. Yeah. So I'm just wondering.

Is there a church there, or a church?

There is a Temple Israel right across. Yeah.

to make folks, because that used to be what everyone wanted to live too, right?

Everyone wanted to live out their whole life.

And now they've come all the way over here to go to Trader Joe's or go to Safeway or go to Target. And we're talking about creating green space and minimizing the ozone layer and all of this stuff. And you can't just write your life down.

kind of think out of the box, you know, get a whiteboard and see who might be interested in donating some time to brainstorm and maybe write a proposal and go for some money.

Whether it's, you know, we have Chase that sits here on the bank, on an island,

It seems like S and now they have been applying for grants from what I heard, so that's really positive. I think the other major thing that struck me was how they could feel a bit more integrated with me. I assume that might be true for us too. While they totally appreciate being a tight-knit, like, platoon together, not enough cross-pollination it sounds like we don't have the morning staff meeting like there was a slot back in the day or am i might have been a secret but like where everyone is in in one place together and just cross-pollinating ideas i think there's like a day we were open later wednesday like shifted yeah closed in the morning but later yeah we would have all the meetings yeah yeah Those three are quite the group. Yeah. I didn't do it.

Yeah, hopefully this next round won't affect you. I don't want to get you on the box. It's a really great group out there. They have a lot of energy and excitement and enthusiasm and just, yeah, they work really well together. But I appreciate the feedback. Thank you.

All right. If anyone else would move to staff communications.

We were just talking about how we're not sure why we have this agenda item when really we get it all done. But I suppose, you know, there might be something else that doesn't make it to the

Is there anything we could do for the staff? And I'm trying to mention that very broad, but I think we are an engaging board, not just putting paper and making executive decisions, but if there's anything that you see fit that, you know, if you have a staff meeting So that if we see you in Trader Joe's or at the store, we get, oh, hi, you're over at the West End Library. Yeah, I will. It's a good thing to keep in mind. It's less of a priority.

next year okay okay i'll keep it in mind for next year i appreciate the thinking though and the spirit behind it so thank you all right we will move to item seven non-agenda public comment anyone may speak for three minutes on any matter not on the agenda and there are no what people in the room nor in the virtual room