Arts and Culture Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay. It's 07:00, so let's start the meeting. Carl Crowder?

Missionary's last boss? Yes. Vice chair Chukchi? Yes. Chair is out.

Here.

I'm currently active. We can commissioner Shu and commissioner Pam.

Okay. So the first item we need to approve our meeting minutes or our last meeting minutes. Yeah. Kyle, they self meeting. Yeah. This is our last meeting minutes. Just take a look. And if you have any discussion or update, you can speak out. Okay. Any update, discussion?

No. Okay. Then I will make motion to approve the meeting minutes.

I second the motion.

On, On.

Crazy cute. Motion passes.

Okay. Let's continue our business. You know, next item will be made star tiling initiative with subcommittee update. So do you have any update regarding the lead storytelling in his team?

Storytelling? No. I think I I I didn't have any update on that topic. So it's about the puzzle and track?

Yes. It's the

same thing or a different thing?

It's the same thing.

Same thing. Same thing.

You guys took an update because two months ago when we met, it was just you had just started talking about it. So what what's happened between the last meeting and the other day?

So I think so thanks to Brian. I think we are on track. Like, today, we started the Pasupan official launch. I think the Cupertino City residents can play that puzzle hunt. They can go and subscribe. There is a website already launched from puppetinosity.org that takes to the storytelling site, the storytelling.org with Pazoo Hunt. So that's thing. Not sure what's how many people are interested, but I would recommend this commission as one of us each one of us to help to reach residents. Right? So that's one of the ask from mayor to as well.

Like, the we'll try to reach out past information to all our communities that, hey. There is a puzzle hand. It helps you to know about to put in all. And so those things. So it starts from library. I think Brian Ryan was helping a lot to get things done. So that's the thing. I think maybe this month, the plan the plan about I think each week, they are going to remove like, the give the answer for each puzzle. So that's something which plan in the library. I don't have a schedule. Maybe I would like to share from Brian. Yeah.

So I think what you're mentioning is on October, the organizers will be doing a tabling event at the library in the lobby to kind of engage with community to show them kind of what the puzzle hunt's about. People can pick up the puzzle sheets if they prefer a physical form. And, of course, they are looking for volunteers to help with multiples of these throughout the community, not just at the library. So if the commission's interested, let me know. I can put you in touch with the organizers. I believe they are also one of our guests that would be inviting on October 18 during our grand opening ceremony of play space, and they'll be tabling then due to doing something similar outreach space.

So which are the dates?

At the library, those are the only ones I'm aware of. Amy had other events, but for us, 02:00 02:00 to 04:00. That's the Saturday. And they will also be here October 18. I'm not quite sure if they're gonna be staying the entire time, but our event is scheduled for 10:00 to 03:00.

Doctor, October 18, think we can coordinate. I would I can try to run that. Like, if there is a table for the pazoo hand, we can like, if any other commissioner is interested, we can I can do so we can

Yeah? Just reach out to me via email if if you're interested, and I'll put you in touch with the coordinators. I know they're both still looking to follow on, Deers.

Do we have due date? You know, what is the, you know, the storytelling people submit their story. Right?

Yes. I believe it's it finishes on October 26. That is the last day you could submit your October 26. Oh, it's because it ends the twenty sixth.

We have a plier or anything like that?

So, again, much of what we have is through the mayor's initiative. So I have bookmarks here that we're giving away at the self check machines with both the QR codes in the website and the website itself. And we are a pulse we are on the puzzle location, you can see it actually by the entrance. That's one of spots where we can just go, okay, again, using their phone's QR code to go over the website to see how they know where to stay. Sure.

And I think the October 26 is the full day event. Right? The Sir? That's a full day event. Right? October 26.

You know, I'm not sure because it's not happening at the library. So if you'd have to check back with the organizers, it's ready for that.

And also about the some of the volunteers from, like, different volunteers. I think mayor also has a list of people who interested to help. Do you know any idea what's going on there, or is there

a Again, I can only comment on the organizations that, you know, are supporting it through the libraries. Right. Through TLibrary Foundation, we reached out to them since they, you know, donated money to help with some of the to see if any of their members were interested in, again, volunteering to help the table and things like that. But, you know, I gave them the contact information to reach out to if they were interested.

Yeah. So I think that's the status about that. I think, like, we as a commissioner, I'd like to see what support I can provide, and we try to make the Puzzle Hunt is in direct way to know community about the Cupertino history because different places, they even have some games out there. Obviously, it will help people to like, any not a long term resident. Maybe even long term residents, they might not have all the history stuff, so it definitely will be helpful. I think CSK also is helping in that other line, So the kids also know that there is some events going on. Hope they are registering for it.

Maybe we should put it on Nextdoor. Each each of us could put it in our network Yeah. Yeah. Next doors.

Yeah. That's next door. Any WhatsApp group. Or if you have any study circles in the library, like, Brian already told me whatever the way, and is there any other way we can also put the space that's part?

Okay. Thank you for the update. Thank you. Okay. So for the next item is new business. Friends of Cooktown Library will give us a update. Thank you.

We have Bruce here from the friends at the Cetius Library. He has graciously put together a presentation for us. And then afterwards, we'll get into clarifying questions and then comments from the shares.

Yeah. You

you take do whatever you need to do.

You just tell him when you

want the next eleven. The floor is yours.

I'm Bruce Parsons. I'm the president of the Friends of Tino Library. President for a couple months. We change every year. I've been active with the principal library for the last two or four years.

I work in the sorting room couple of days a week collecting and sorting and organizing books for our book sales. However, I also used to work for the Friends of the Library. In this library in the early nineteen eighties, I was recruited by one of my next door neighbors to come and help. And so I kinda have a history going back to the early nineteen eighties with this organization. But, anyways, you're right.

Oh, yeah. This is in short, what we do, we collect books that are donated. There's a couple of donation bins in the front lobby here, and there's some in the back. And we get literally thousands of books. And when I say books, we also get DVDs and CDs and puzzles and games and stuff.

But it's probably 95% books. We organize them into categories, fiction, non fiction, and cookbooks and stuff like that. And then we stockpile them in the storage room up here and we sell them at a big used book sale that we have in the community hall next door three times a year, in fact, before we have another one of our book sales coming up the eighteenth and the nineteenth of this month. We sell some of the re reading nice books online, not a big moneymaker. And we have a lobby sale going on continuously downstairs in our front lobby, and that has turned out to be a fairly ruecretu financial deal.

We make several thousand dollars a month just in lobby sales alone. We make about $5,000 every time we have one of these two day book sales. Everybody who's working as a volunteer, there are no paid people while on the walks. 100% of the money, maybe 95%, but you have a couple of expenses, but it's a few thousand dollars a year. 100% of the money raised and 95% goes to programs that I'll talk about in a minute here at the library that are are put on by Brian and his people.

The leftover books, some of them were the traveling bookmobile which our organization bought and donated to the library. Some of them go to some selected nonprofits specifically some books that are unique historical books that probably won't sell. I take home I give them to the Cupertino Museum and puts it in their library for people to come and just research. And the rest of her donated to a nationwide organization called Better World, which gets books from all over and donate some to poor rural areas throughout The United States. Brian, we started as I say I don't know exactly, but I know that we were here in the early nineteen eighties because I worked here in nineteen eighties.

We're an IRS charity. We I was able to find that we got our ID in '19 I don't know what happened between 1980 and 1990. It was incorporated as a in 1998. And the purpose of you you can read there. That's kind of our bylaws, charter, mission statement, which is fundamentally to help this library and the community.

We have a couple of rooms up here on the 2nd Floor back here. Warren's about a thousand square feet. The other one's a new office about a 100 square feet. We have 45 active members. As I said, everybody is a volunteer. Nobody is paid. They were a nonprofit. Right? Tax ID number. This coverage scenario thing, can skip over that.

Right? We we donate to to it's hard to categorize, but we have we donate to the library's adult programs or children's programs or special interest programs. And to see it and and it's a priority, we're gonna skip forward to this. These are so we recent very recent, like in the last month or two, specific programs that were funded a 100% by Friends of the Library.

And I can do a little bit of color commentary for Bruce here. You can see on all of our programs online, you look on the calendar here, you'll see sponsored by our thanks to the friends of the library. I would say about ninety five five 95% of it, you're gonna see it was sponsored and supported by Oprah. It's a it's a major contribution.

We recently received a very nice award, proclamation from the mayor for service. And in the bare statement, she says that I and I believe she got this from Bryant that in a past fiscal year, it was one year, that the Friends of the Library financed over 700 separate events, activities, or classes.

And the thing to keep in mind is often it's not just straight monetary. I'll be paid for a speaker. It's the small things that librarians need to keep the program running professionally and well. And, you know, again, I discount almost every program their friends have touched in some way.

These are some of the recent donations. This year, our fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31. So we're off some awarded it. So this fiscal year, we are budgeted to donate $61,000 to the to the library here. Actually, as of through the August, two weeks springs ago, we have donated $22,000.

So we're kinda right up to you. In addition to that, we have pledged $15,000 to help the fish tank upgrade project. And we have been asked by the Cupertino Library Foundation of their costs have gone up a little bit. They've come back to us and said, do you think you guys could take a little deeper? We will vote on it this coming Monday at our next board meeting.

Probably the answer is yes. Alright. And as you can see, we we've about every year, we're doing a fairly substantial. But going back down to sports here. In 2324, we not only do a $140,000, but we in those two years, we paid $15,000 and we block and book mobile that travels to rural areas in the.

Boyd and Bren. We've got a website. We've got an email. I took the liberty of saying, and if we had a phone message, you could somebody at the library would track us down.

Whether you say it or not, and that's how the people are there because

There's somebody here every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Sometimes there are people here at other times. We're we're always here Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Sorry, Bill. Brian. I think that was it. That's all I have to say. Appreciate the opportunity to tell our story, and thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Yes. Amazing work. Amazing work. I just saw the donation books inside the library and outside of the library. Right? You'll you'll just put there. I didn't find the donation donation box. You can just direct put the label. You call it donation bin? Well It's it's just recently

The donation bin's somewhere. We have two spots, one in the lobby and one Yes. Self returns, but there shouldn't be anything outside the library unless you're talking about the self the drive up self return.

No. No. Just the, you know, next to the return box.

Yes. Yes. There's physical shoot where people can drop donation.

Yeah. I just dropped some book. I mean, I didn't see this in the last meeting. You know? It's just, you know, you install this bin this month?

No. That's that's all.

No. That's always I would've

been there?

Yeah. It's always

Oh, I I didn't pay a payser, but I do purchase some, you know, books from the from the lobby. And it's a great book, only 1 or $2. It's, you know, I I it's amazing. But the question is, you know, each book only 1 or $2. And you mentioned, you know, for book sale, you can reach $5,000. Right? Oh my god. That must be 5,000 books around. We have

a pretty busy two days on we had those big used boat sales. I mentioned, you know, that we have, like, 45 members in the organization. Some of them are just donors. They don't actually participate. We also draw from the octagon clubs at Monte Vista High School.

We did some high school students to help us build sales. We get maybe 10 or 12 each weekend, and they have to do community service, you know, in the high school. So we we get some bothers come here. But I tell everybody to go to those our book sales. And even if they don't wanna buy a book from themselves, they make great Christmas presents. I mean, most of the books are a dollar, $2 apiece. But in the lobby sales, we sell some of the beautiful big coffee table books that are $60.60, $70 books, and we sell them for $2.03, $4.

I have purchased couple of them.

Wonderful Christmas lunch about. Did. All

my grandkids get books, Moonlit.

Oh, wow. That's great.

Yeah. I think so, mister Bruce, really appreciate it. I think the the work you do really helps the library to be contact more programs. Right? It's the the donation that you guys are helping here. So it's really appreciated. So I I was trying to find out, like, I was there on that day when you got the proclamation from the mayor, and I think it was in June, I guess. I I'm not wrong. The same day, I was in a different thing. I was in the commission city meeting, city council meeting.

So thanks thanks for doing whatever that help you or help you here as a community for this fight. And I feel like we, as a commission, like, the service you do, we can also, like, recommend that the crest of the citizen or organizations. Cooper Dental Council is appreciating every year. They give some awards. Right? I think I I'm trying to propose if if that's something that we can explore as a commission to to appreciate their work. Okay. So that's that's my second two thoughts two signs of thoughts. And just one will you guys are going to send that PPT to every one of us?

It'll be attached to everything in Legislature, so you'll be able to see the presentation. Oh, okay. It was uploaded today.

Oh, so one question to Brian. So how is this the county's funding plus, like, where this like, our plug in there, or is it, like, something we we need this kind of support then only we can run, or is it, like, something that county also provides and but to get the extra help? How how do we categorize?

So usually and, again, a lot of their support comes in through to the things like, you know, book club books, bestseller books, things that were specific to our location. Programs is the majority of where their funding comes into. We do have county funded programs, but generally speaking, when we do county funded programs, three or more location has to be hosting the same speaker or a vet in order to use county funds. So it's very helpful to have a pool of money where we can specifically bring in speakers who may be of special interest to our community, but they may may not be as easy to get to other libraries to agree when there's maybe a more limited pool of money. So the friends really go the funds really go towards kind of the specific interest to the casino community, allowing us to be a little bit more nuanced in both our programs and collection, you know, that we provide to the public.

Yeah. I think it makes sense. So last time when we were talking Puzzle Hunt, there was some printing fund you basically try to get help from.

Because, well, I'm the Portino Library Foundation because the foundation works on more of a proposal basis. So kinda last minute things coming up, they're able to kinda make a quick decision. Bruce and his team kinda comes up with a budget every year that we kinda collaborate on on what makes sense here. Like, how much do should we spend on programs? How much should we spend on, you know, the, say, like, the the club books or our bestseller collections. So it's more it's more already scheduled out in advance, so we try not to bring, you know, Jewish variation to them unless it's absolutely necessary. At the end, you know, they worked hard, but, you know, to to do the didn't book sale money. And, again, they kind of are very careful about tracking their budget, so we too try to be very careful about how we spend the funds that they give us.

And, miss Bruce, only 45 members or you guys have a plan to increase the members, or it's a fixed one? Sorry to say. Yeah. So you said about members is 45. Right? Yes. So is that, like, something you fixed, or you basically expecting the community members can join in your organization help or spread?

It's pretty stable at around 45 people, but there's not much turnover net in We charge a very nominal $10 a year dues and okay. Yeah. We don't make any money out dues. It covers postage about all it covers. People tend to just continuously resign up every year.

We have a lot of volunteers that are not paid members, but they they come to our book sale and they work in a sorting room in the middle of, you know, Tuesdays and Thursdays sorting books. So we have a bunch of volunteers that I would not have the volunteers. We're involved volunteers. And they're not members of real charge, and we're glad to have their help.

Do you take any way that as as community representative here to help you or to anything that from your perspective that Well, you should've asked that for. Mister?

There's a couple things that we that we could use, and and, you know, these are a little bit far fetched, but we're really short on space. I mean, we'll or we we can fit half a dozen people on the sorry moon after a book sale, but pretty soon the books come in and they pile up and all of a sudden we only have room for no. Three or four. We could certainly use some more space. Maybe we could use a telephone.

I don't know. I'm not sure. I haven't ever mentioned it to binary, but we should use some publicity. We could my theory is the more publicity, the more customers, the more customers, the more sales, the more sales, the more money goes back into the library's programs. So we could certainly use, you know, other organizations, email lists that to advertise our our book sales.

I know that Ryan puts it on the county email at excuse me, website. We we put it on our websites. I personally don't think that helps a whole lot. I know that from my own experience, I don't go to some organization's website to see what's going on. I wait for them to send me an email saying, this is a reminder.

We're gonna have this event next week or so. So I would like to have access to email distribution lists. And in fact, I've started a program couple of in our previous book sale of collecting email addresses from everybody that pays or, you know, buys books. Well, you know, I force them, and I ask them to sign up. And I build up, just in the last couple of months, over a 100 people that wanna be notified via email and reminded of our book series.

And I think that that's the way you go to increase our publicity, increase our attendance, increase our sales.

Okay. So as a suggestion, do you think keeping an keeping an user who comes to library as option to enter whether I want to notify any of such sale events or any book, like, events. Right? Like, from Cupid and O Prince of Library. Is it something already you guys doing it? Or if not, then maybe is that a good suggestion? Like

I'm sorry, sir. I I got a bad hearing aid. Would you mind repeating that, please?

Sir, in the library, if you can put a note where people can give an option to enter their email IDs if they want to know about more detail, like book sales. You're coming in book sales. So you keep the flyer here, and do you want free like, the frequent updates are next even, then we can be notified through email. So you can put in another over next to that. It will be an option.

Yes. Absolutely. That's it. Even more than some

point there. Yeah. So maybe we can ask commission. You can like, we can see if we can help on that perspective.

And we we set up our email system so that it it comes from the emails come from the friends of the Cupertino Library, not Bruce Parsons or John Doe or something. So people will know this isn't a trash ad or a junk ad. You know? It's a it's a real organization. Correct.

In fact, putting it in next door would help a lot.

Yes. Next door. Yes.

So if if we get not notified, we could put it in our neighboring next doors.

Do you do you just need a flyer to do that? Yes.

Yeah. Could you guys consent to that commissioner email group? Maybe we can reach out to our communities, pass on this information to back to our

doctors who was next door. Their own networks. So

Yeah. I I don't see why we couldn't add in

the flyer to your your packet of information three times a year that it's coming Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Mhmm. I have a question. So for the books, you'll risk you know, do you have any requirement for the books? For example, any books you, you know, you can collect. Right?

We accept.

You accept. Yeah.

Yes. And any book, you know, where as I say, we sort them out, part of we sort, you know, bad books, books that are wet or damp or, you know, moldy or, you know, which are all mild. It pains me. I probably take out two or three cartloads of books every time I work in the sorting room and throw them in the trash bin. It just pains me to see, you know, tens of thousands of dollars of original cost of books being thrown out, but we throw out a lot of works.

And we cut up the we can cherry pick the really pristine books or put them down here in the lobby. There are some special books as a series that that are in good condition like sets of encyclopedias. Nobody wants an encyclopedia set anymore because they can find everything online. But so they donate their encyclopedias. Well, we sell sets of encyclopedias.

We still care 4 or $500 a set for or but we do it online. All of the books that are more big book sale than next door in the community hall, we sell for a dollar, $2, a bigger shoe of ours. They're in good condition, but they may have a couple of marks in them and they may have a a note on the fraud pay, Merry Christmas, son, or something like that. You know? But but they're in good condition.

So now is that it, man?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just try. Because a lot of time, I got request from the community resident and asking, you know, what kind of book I can donate, something like that. So I'm glad I can get some answer from you so I can pass. The only

no no that we have, really, is not for books. DVDs and cassettes, the little tape things that were bought there fifty years ago. We can't sell Kenyan board. People, you know, we don't have a sign up that says no DVEs or anything like that but that stuff just all goes in the trash, unfortunately. Okay. So we are we don't either gonna bother to try and sell up. Just nobody's gonna buy it.

Yeah. So another question for the your slide. It's okay. We can share with the public, you know, share the community member. It's okay? Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much for your, you know, great effort for help the library. Yeah. I very appreciate. I remember my kids grow up with the books here. And my husband, in particular, like, the Sunday, like, a $5 bag. The $5 bags.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Brought home, like, so many bags, and some of them sitting still, sitting there. And, yeah, it's a it's a great, you know, yeah, system, and so I very appreciate it. I appreciate it. You know?

Well, we're just trying see all of your folks at our next sales.

Okay. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. It it helps the library. That's like you're just mentioning the the fish tank. Right? The remodeling on the fish tank. It's very Cupertino library special product that dear to every kid's hearts. Right? All adults. Yeah. And I thank you for the efforts, and make it happen. Yep. Thank you.

Thank you. I if anybody's interested, I I

Yeah. Definitely.

Flyers on our our upcoming Mhmm. Mhmm. Used book sale. And I have a couple of tribe or ones of tribals about the friend in the library. I get the we lying with Peggy Olson, didn't want you there. And who was that? For but it's we put him in the racks on in the lobby, so it's in it. So there's a deformation pop.

Okay.

Thank you very much for your coming. Okay. So then we can continue for our report and update. So next item will be monthly update report.

Let me it does. Oh.

Yeah. Just let's see. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Focus.

Thank you. Thank

you.

Here's a hard. Alright. Here's our monthly report for the month of October. I knew the numbers took a little bit of a dip. Considering that most of our space was closed the entire month of December, it's actually nowhere near as bad as I feared it would be. We still managed to see, 91,000 checkouts, over 15,000 borrowers trying to in. I did not because of the kind of book turnover of this month. We don't have the average request calculated yet, but I will have that for you by next month. 95,700, two people online using our resources here. Still had 63,000 people come in through our boards in September.

We had total of 513 room bookings in our meeting moves. We still managed our offer six sixty programs with a total attendance of 1,970 people, and we had 11 community groups take advantage of Room 201 to have their own events during this month when we were kind of pulling back a little bit on programs with everything else happening. Right there on that top left there, could see the aquarium. People were still very, very determined to visit and show to the kids despite everything else being closed off. We were very happy to be able to get the construction crew, but actually pushed back a little bit.

Originally, they were gonna have the, cover start at the elevator, and we're like, you gotta you gotta keep the aquarium up. People will people will still wanna see the. So and we also had a photo there from a, police visit during a story time. So, getting our community members in touch with our police officers and kept understanding what they do. A snapshot of the October, calendar events for Cheltenhams, we've got lots of stuff going on.

As you can see, we are not going back at all, although we expect starting October 18. We will be able to reopen the full space with the grand opening, and we will be able to have programs a little bit more regularly again in our program space downstairs. Same story on the adult side. Can you take a quick look through to see what's available? Everything from adults to teens, everything is still happening. The library is still running full steam edge. And, of course, the thing we're all looking forward to in October, all the ekeep on Saturday, is our Play Space grant opening. You are all invited. Communities invited. I hope everyone will be there and be able to see the excitements of the families who will be joining us that day.

We've got a member of programs listed out. We've got photo booths. We've it best. It's gonna be a great day. We're hoping to pull together a few local community resources that are focused on families to be hits because we know that's gonna be the on eels.

So folks like the the Puzzle Hunt creators will be here along with a number of below organizations to really promote what they do and give families the chance to learn more about, you know, these organizations that are working on. We've got ball acceleration in October on October 19. If you water washed the creation of our pull up artist, Puja, she'll be working, I believe, that morning. She's been with us the past couple of years in our courtyard to create this beautiful artworks that we try to keep hunt unscathed as long as we can, as long as the weather allows. We may last a little bit longer this year because we've got tents out there, so we'll see our guests.

We we also have a children's events on October 10 with the r four celebrating the cultural festivals. It's also Filipino American history month in the month of October. Again, we got two events coming up October 5 quite soon in relation to Filipino partial arts. So that's gonna be upstairs in Room 201, and we also got a more arts oriented, event on the nineteenth for those interested and curious to learn more about the libido culture. October, every year we've got banned books week.

I've kinda shown you the list of 10 most challenged books in 2024. It is an opportunity for us to kinda promote reading and highlight fact facts. You know, the freedom to read and learn is not always available everywhere. So it is, you know, not a lot of people's read outs, but I do feel it is a very important of what we do here at Build Up Libraries and Museircling do celebrate and highlight it to, again, remind folks of the freedoms that we do have in our face.

So I have a question regarding those banned book week. Are those books will be highlighted to put in the obvious space in a library? I just

True this. They will often have a display, both adults downstairs and often teens as well, kind of specific titles to each age group. And, again, these are the most challenged books, you know, throughout the world. Watch your hands by Sarah Potter. I guess Sarah Potter might have fallen for a while. But some titles, like, every year, you're gonna see them, and then you'll see a shift in kind of the titles that were challenged. And we try to, again, highlight you the ones that make the top 10 because it's important for us to let people know that, hey. We do have these collections, and it is available to you. That is not always a resource everyone involved is able to do it.

So it's the I just, you know, want to know how they're like for example, the first book, More Boys Aren't Blue, and this from the title seem is a children's book. It'll be. It could be. So where those books will be, you know, this I know the adult session, it's fine. And as a teen session, I assume they have enough of their judgment and for the choices area.

Yeah. You know, again, with our displays, often, you know, our parents are involved with the children's selection and materials, and we try to be mindful of kind of what the, you know, questions parents might have. But, again, the point is to kinda raise awareness about typos that are challenged and for whatever reason it may be and the ability for folks to be able to access school bar or system that we do not set and that these are available. I see. See. But, Jack, do you have more questions about it? I'm happy to check. And, then, this week, if you check on their website, they'll have a full list of kind of you know, they keep track of all the information assassin you by lobby. This is pretty weird when in LA.

Oh, yeah. So and then there will be a sign. Like, it's a low this

Yeah. I know. Very obvious.

Very obvious signs. So that that challenge, this come from the county level or boost tracking that which book

Banned books the the website of Banned Books, I believe, collects the information from rural life. So it's not necessarily just speak here of this county, United States, or anything like that. I'm not certain if there are any voter breakdown other than native country. I don't think they come down to stay spore, you know, county love stuff, but I could be wrong. I that the table are. That's what you're asking.

So that that is, like, organization at, you know, those books had a a special.

It's not something that author or publisher is defining. It's it's banned books or something. Right? Some some I'm sorry. I don't quite understand. Did you repeat your question? Like, if the book is basically called as a banned book by the author or the publisher?

No. So the concept of banned books is just often that the title might be challenged because, you know, it could be a parent. It could be a member of the community, which is like, I I don't like seeing this. This shouldn't be in a public library or shouldn't be reading this, and they may issue a challenge. And there, you know, there have been challenges to titles even, you know, in the county and artery system, and there is a bigger system where we go and evaluate set of books when we do get such a challenge. But, again, it it kinda depends on the area and, unfortunately, the politics on the area to see kind of what make it put so shelf and what space would be challenges.

Just because it challenge it getting trusted.

That's what I what I was worried about, actually. You know? It's it's like a have such a high sign there that kids usually are, you know, you don't do drugs. They want to try drugs. You don't do this. They want to try this. And if I have such a great sign, it's almost for me, like, they are promoting. I don't, I guess, have those books in the collection, but promote it. I just I I don't know. I don't know what the, you know, other commissioner's opinion.

You know? It and It's it's just a new person. I think I'm hoping adult can have their own judgments that they can but for the children's, like, kids like that age, you know, that something daddy said don't do. Actually, we grow up kids. They more likely want to look. So I know it's coming from the county library system. Right? So it probably won't be Brian's idea, put her like her.

So, you know, BAM Books Week is part of ALA, which is American Library Association. So there are libraries like Bryant said, across the nation, whether they're school libraries, they're public libraries, academic libraries, where people have challenged certain books. I believe all of these titles are either teen to adult. Not to say that there haven't been children's books that have been challenged for instance, there's a book about a dog farty that was challenged at one point. So the Yes. I I could you remember the title of that?

There was a Oh, yeah. That was funny.

There's a dog named something to fart.

I think it's Walter the parting dog.

Oh, yes. That's exactly the the book that was challenged. So just being mindful that, you know, if someone, you know, doesn't appreciate a book about farting, you know, perhaps somebody else finds that funny and would like to read that. So at least for these, I believe these are all either teen or adult books. At least the first one looks like The first one a teen. These are two adult. I'm sorry. You know? I don't have a

So, Commissioner, do you have consent to put that banner itself or, like, cash cash? Yeah.

Oh, yeah. I I think, you know, for adult, it's fine, perfectly fine. For, like, high schoolers, I think it's okay too. But for, like, this age kids, I'm a little bit concerned for, like, help this kind particularly in the library, I don't think, you know, parents library is a safe place. Kids always, you know, fooling around themselves.

Right? You know? And then if, like, if first the book is, like, a it's not a necessary interest in the title, but they probably more be attracted by, oh, it's a band. Or and then they getting more curiosity to something. Otherwise, they probably don't care.

Or, like, oh, it's a book. Maybe, you know, I don't want to buy anything. And so that that was that is my kind of, oh, okay. And I I want to be all inclusive. I don't want to I I agree library should have all books to be available for everybody in the public.

And in a promoter there, for example, shall we put, like, a one week have, like, a bibles, you know, or whatever the religions, you know, you have those religion books on whatever on the sides. Oh, shall we have more stories about Buddhism or whatever? Just to try to promote something like that. Oh, I don't know the library in the system where enough. Oh, make it a sign, like, more attractive.

You know? If we put the bible, it's probably not as interest, but to put something attractive. It's I raise kids, so something parents don't do. Actually, they more interesting do it. So I don't have any issues have this upstairs because, you know, those kids probably very rarely go upstairs, but not about this week. This week, we'll have no space downstairs. There's maybe more kid children upstairs. But, otherwise, like, if I I will I will I will come on this, you know, on October 5 just to see where they are displayed and see if they have, like, you know, these age kids, like, around this sport.

But is there any any day that we can ask request for CO as a triplet in the library to see whether do we need to have that like, 10 and below age kids, do we need to have these books? Or is it mandatory?

So these books would if it's a

teen book or an adult book, that would be in the adult book. Okay. The children. But these books would not be in children's. Okay. So, yeah. So that's the question. And I do believe the librarians are, you know, very thoughtful when they put on together book whatever topic, whether it's a religion or whether it's holiday, a variety of topics because, you know, people are interested in different things, so I do think they're very thoughtful about what they do to support. Okay. I k.

I'm actually this is today. I apologize for being late. I have some family issues. The you know, I'm sitting here for, like, how many years? So this is actually the first time I have some questions.

Yep. And with Branson, I'm happy

to to have Well, no. That's easy. Hand them out. If you have concerns, it'll raise any. I'm I'm happy to get all these things?

Yeah. And So that so yeah. So if those are the only 10 books.

Is it they should kindly get the list of books?

It's it's available online. Oh, and if can if you're curious, I can see in the website and and search. Yeah.

Like, sort of books that you are planning to place it in.

Well, Mervis Library, it's just kind of the display that they do, but, generally, they go off the same list. And if we own a title that's on the list, they'll probably end up on display. That's usually gal stuff. And, again, you know, I'd remind folks that, you know, I know that she turns it up, you know, read materials and the levels for different characters. But, again, it's an open space. A lot of kids come to Pure all the time, and they use adult material, and it is often a conversation we have with parents. But, yeah, what they're comfortable with and kind of talking about show their reading levels and, you know, different lots that they have. So very much community conversation, and we're happy to but, yeah, if you have more questions or if you'd to see, you can kinda list the web, but what's beyond the 10, you know, shoot me an email. I'm happy to kinda give you the resources to explore who I'll be last.

Just as, like, if you think any ideal way to address the concern that she's expressing, like, they the below 10 year age group, how do we basically not to or try their focus to go do that book and then read it and stuff? Because the it's very much like that's that's what I'm trying to find out. If there is any way you guys can think, like, okay. As a commission, you guys can recommend these things, then I will happy to take that input. So

This is the the program already run by many years. Right? Yes. I think if we you know, there if there are any concern, probably, you know, you already you'll hear some feedback or something. You know? Up to this point, I I do not have some concern because, you know, this is this is adult and the teen. I think probably this is my first time nowadays as well. So probably we can as a community, if we have interest, we can go to the book. We can take a look. Yeah. We can yeah.

I I don't have concern about any of the books. And I probably this may be the first time it was presented in, and this is a commissioner meeting.

She went to shop because this Yeah. House at in the library and every year, it's been a celebration. So

Yeah. So it's not a concern about it's just the,

like Yeah. I don't I don't have concern about anything because probably, whoever I mean, if kids are there, their parents might be there to guide them. So

Yeah. Well, again, we'll we'll have the displays running out between October, and then we please visit and check. And if you have any concerns about, I'm happy to talk to folks about kinda what it is. But, yeah, let's just spend on odds. As long as I've been in my birth, that's been a week. Stop, precious. And kind of, you know, a display that we're trying to highlight with the community. Oops. No more question. I will continue on on sell you one more thing, which is our deceased author series, which is taking place on November 13 at 7PM.

For those of you who are interested, it's seeing Mitch Albom talk about his book. What was it? Twice the wisdom, Mitch Help and Returns. You can already sign up for the events. It would be taking place at the Campbell Lake Heritage Museum. Is that correct, Nay? Yes. Yes. So it'll be, at the Campbell Heritage Museum. So you signed up for that. I'm gonna take an opportunity to try to highlight a resource that folks may not be familiar with. ConnectWell is an online kind of repository of, articles for healthy recipes, for food, wellness initiatives, and health information libraries of people looking to step up on their health thing. I would highly like Mentra In N Out. It's a great resource. Everything is better, so, you know, it's good information.

And take a look through and let folks in your life know about, this resource that The United States buffet from home with their SDCL delivery card. And finally, the app up in of October, we will be closed on Monday, the thirteenth for indigenous day. Yeah. Any questions before I hand it over to Ronnie?

One question. Yes. Can you go back to the the the slide that people number of people programs? Right?

Oh, the stats?

Yeah. Yeah. Stats. Yeah. Yes. I know. So, obviously, August, September, that the number of people Steps are, like, downright compared to May, June, July. So it's because of summer.

Some of it is because during the summer months, we get more families coming in. We've got the summer reading programs and events. But also in on the but kind of in the tailsheen of August and the entirety of September, we had to partially close down the chilting space in order to, you know, start the construction for play space. So that had an impact on our foot traffic programs and so on and so forth. So that's not unexpected.

Okay. The reason why I'm interested is I'm about to ask the agenda next meeting to add on agenda item to find out We discussed that during that section. Okay. Yeah. Oh, that's I don't want to do it. Just send me a question on this. Do you have the number of people who are using the hold facility in the Fukbateush IP? Like, many people hold the books or pick out?

Like, a holds? Yeah. Always. Yeah. So I the average request is basically the number of holds that are on our shelves each month that I do. I don't have the total tally for the year if that's what you're curious about, but I'm certainly happy to, you know, give you my contact information if you wanted to know a little bit more of that kind of

the stats. Average request is the number of people put in the fold.

Yes. The holds on shelf right now, you know, where the old area is a drop of a 14,000. But yeah. So it it is a very, very well used light.

I think it's 14 book thousand books. So, yeah, you can request 10 books to behold. Then I see. A lot

of 1,500 people. Amount?

Less. Less than that. Yeah. About 15 solid. You know, it it it varies. Right? Somebody requests one, others request 10, and then it's all counted.

Anything else before I hand it over to Marlene?

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank

you, Bryant. You always have such an informative presentation. Thank you so much. Good evening. I am Marley Nimamoto Rockchild.

It's great to be back with all of you. I am delighted to be here to share highlights from the County Library report for October. So first off, I am thrilled to announce that we have partnered with music legend Dolly Parton to bring her life changing Imagination Library to Santa Clara County. Families with children ages zero to five in Santa Clara County can sign up for to receive a free book per child sent to their home every month. Books will arrive approximately about eight weeks after registering on our website.

We are kicking the lead on this and providing the Imagination Library to all Santa Clara County families. Our partners include the Rotary Club, Gilroy Foundation, and Santa Clara County Library District Foundation, who are collaborating with other cities and organizations, to get the word out. Building a home library, and introducing families to the library are both important ways to help our littlest readers become successful readers. We just launched this this week and we already have over 4,000 children lined up. Yes. So we are very excited for this. Please spread the word.

Yes? Question. So is that just to all Santa Clara County or the Santa Clara County Library serving area for a landfill? San Jose is not a part

of it. Correct. But this is for all of Santa Clara County.

Oh, okay. That's great. So as well, they have address in Santa Clara County. Correct.

Yes. So we're very excited. There are some neighboring counties that are also participating, like Santa Cruz. But, yeah, we're very

excited about Is that flyer in your report or by the way?

Yeah. It's in the, I think, in the posted agenda, and the Coal County report is there as well. So all the information is also on our website to sign up, so Sure.

Will have you spread it. Great.

Thank you so much. Bryant shared about the new aquarium adventure, Learning and Play Space that's coming very soon. After Cupertino, the next opening will be at our newly renovated Campbell Library. And then Campbell Library is scheduled to open on November 22. So we're looking forward to that as well.

Other news in the county, passport services at Saratoga Library. I know you've had passport services at Racino for for a while, but now Saratoga is the fifth library in our district that will offer passport services, and appointments are now available. This month, several of our libraries are holding events leading up to Diwali. As, you know, Bryant met shared earlier, the Saratoga Library has a a day long celebration on October 4. Molpitas Library also has a celebration and theirs is on October 18.

And then of course Kupukino's full schedule of their event is on the nineteenth. And Brian already shared about Mitch Albums, so, please do attend. He was so popular last time we decided to bring him back, and that again is on Thursday, November 13. And I have come to the end of my report. I thank you very much for your time this evening, and happy to answer any questions.

I have question not on the report. I have the other questions related to the the Coursera and other activity, other online learning portals, right, through that. So can you just, like, tell me what are the available platforms for residents that they can sign sign up that Coursera or Udemy or the platforms with their library cards.

Mister Sudarski, it for those that have library cards with our county Yeah. What

Will they allow to access the online learning platforms?

If you have a library card with Santa Clara County Library District, then you can access all of our databases and platforms. Is that what you're asking?

No. The the learning platforms like Coursera, other Udemy, other stuffs. Like the online learning platforms. I can sign up the course like artificial intelligence, machine learning, other there's other stuffs or arts, whatever.

Shall we? I know what he is asking for. Yeah.

Oh, you're asking for a sophisticated, like like, LinkedIn flying? Learning.

Yeah. Online learnings.

Online learning? Like, LinkedIn learning. Yeah. And I know there is a a lot of info.

Yes. There's there's a lot of different platforms that we have. The most famous of the Growlithe, LikinLearning. And who, if you forget, have more technology Right. Soft skills. But, yeah, if you if you look on our online, your eResources, as Marlene has mentioned, we have the dozens and dozens of resources on different topics. Again, if there's specific questions that you would like me to highlight in my next report, we could do that. Or you have questions that you want to just chat about, I'm I'm happy to take that on, you know, outside of this meeting. If you just want to explore that to see, you know, what's built like, kinda guide you through that.

Sure. If you can add that to the online platforms that available for for the Cupertino library logins or the Santa Clara library, comp library, or ColliDesk. Right? The San Mateo library provides the courses complete access for the residents. So that's basically more valuable certificate at the end you will get. You go through the learning process. There is a more the the way to close the course is to have the proper landing. So they give the certificate, all those things. So there are a lot of residents trying to get access from there. I was asking whether why don't our library then they said, like, they don't have it.

So I was trying to find out is it true or they don't know.

So

No. This is an agendized, we can't really get into it too much. So you guys can talk offline, or we can agendize it for future meeting.

Shut up.

Shoot me an email on the resource you're talking about, and then I can investigate and can get back to you.

Okay.

Okay. So let's continue our next item, staff and the commission report.

K. I have just a couple items for you. At the September 16 city council meeting, city council unanimously approved the library commission's recommendation for our new poet laureates for the 26 to 28 poet laureate term. So he will start Thomas will start in January. We will ask him to attend the no.

We'll ask him to attend the February meeting with a plan of what he intends to bring to the library. And then in January, there will be a reception to thank Keiko and then to welcome Thomas. So all information to come on all of that. Our city events, we have the Cupertino Community Service Awards, which is the Commissioner Center and the Crest Awards. I don't know. Is anybody planning to attend those? Did you receive the email?

It's in which day?

Wednesday, October 29 at the community center. So you should have gotten an an eBikes email. There's a way to register for it.

I I actually received email regarding the, you know, question, you know, something answered, but I didn't receive the email for invitation. Yeah. Yeah. Even No. You have nobody's got an invitation yet?

No. Okay. And you you're checking your city email?

Yes. I saw some mail, but I didn't read it.

Okay. Let me follow-up on that. You should have, I believe, received an email inviting you with the information, and then I I believe you get to attend and then brave one guest if you'd like to. We like to be in attendance. But it's a combination of the commissioner's dinner and the Crest Awards. They're doing it all in

one Okay.

Today this year. Let's see. We have our golfing four generations tournament, which is Sunday, October 12 at the golf course. It's a multigenerational golf tournament, so hoping that we get young young kids all the way through seniors participating. We also have our hidden treasure sale at the Cupertino Senior Center, which is Thursday, October 23 from nine to 2PM.

We have our Monster Mash, Saturday, October 25 from five to eight at the Quinlan Community Center. We had the senior center Halloween mass parade dance, Wednesday, October 29 from 02:30 to 04:30 at the senior center. And then any activities that you'd like to register for, you can

do so

at regforrec.org. And that's all I have from.

I have one question about the poet laureate thing. So the the other candidate, were we supposed to answer her email, or it should be going through you?

You were supposed to email her. I did. Yes. I did. Was there something was there Yeah.

About she was following up on what happened, whether that decision was made or not. So I replied to her and

Yeah. I was crying. Yeah.

Keiko also emailed about it and who is the selected person, and when should she

You're able to share the information. It's it's now public information out of the Yes. I did. Approved it.

I did. Yeah. I just wanted to mention.

Okay. I actually attended two meeting in last month. One is the city council meeting, approved approved the. I sit in there for two hour. Finally, then they approve. I'll start the. Yeah. Another meeting is the mayor's meeting. Actually, in that meeting, we didn't discuss each commission's item. We just vote for the Christ of work.

You know? Because they have lifetime achievements, volunteer of the year, organization of the year, raising star of the year, and hometown hero. So resident resident nominate some candidate, then we go through each candidate, then we book. So that that's the two meeting I attended last month. Yeah. That's it. Okay. So next one will be future agenda setting. So any idea

So one one thing is this is about Sunday library extending their opening hour. I would like to see if we can have some study whether is it really makes sense from community perspective before we close that from the operational perspective. So that's something which I like to propose if any commissioner is interested to take that as an. We can study and then see what we can do.

So you mean they extended the library hour on Sunday. Right? Yes. So right now, it's from ten to six. Right?

I'm sorry.

Ten to 06:30. Okay. It's already more than ten eight hour. Right? Eight eight and a half hour. Zero. Yeah. Yeah. Think this must be trigger some, you know, financial part if you extend the day hour. Right?

No. I think before even going, there are because, like

And this isn't it is can't be up for debate. Okay. Meetings, it's not agendized, so we can put them on an agenda. However, even if the council or the commission is like, yeah, we should be open longer, ultimately, that that choice falls to Bryant.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So You have to

and so it, you know, it may be better to talk to Bryant offline about this one to find out if it's even a possibility before you start

But I I would strive Before

you start surveying the community members about hours is what I

Aye. So that's so, yeah, part of that is gonna be more on a county level discussion that we don't really have control. Rortie Visappell actually works. We did share the

Oh, I think so. My point is before even thinking about whether we can able to do it, I like to see whether each one has connected with the communities, trying to find out whether there is a real need. If there is a need, then we can think about how do we make that happen. That's how I look at this problem. So, basically, yes, there is a lot of people who is really interested in the community, then try to work with through city or some some I had a chat with mayor. She basically asked me, is it really a community? Is it one person, 100 person, or thousands of persons? How much? How many people? Right?

So that's why I was I'm not even going to the whether it's really possible, whether it's really a need.

So I I can point towards the the patron satisfaction survey that we share. Oh gosh. My I forgot. Was it it was one of months that we did not meet, I think, unfortunately. It was last. Yeah. Last. It was it was a lot we we shared the patron satisfaction survey, and I do believe there was question about hours on there. If correct me if I'm wrong, Marley. And, again, it's it's specific to each kind of community, kind of which library they're serving at. So if you haven't had a chance to take a look at that, that may answer some of those questions that folks have about kind of how the community reacts to our hours. And if there are further kind of questions, I'm happy to try to answer next. I'm just again, I might need more of the guys on this. I'm I'm not quite sure how that would work on an engineer's agenda. I I can't

Maybe, you know, instead of that, maybe may I twist it a little bit of, like, shares survey results? I believe in the past when I first joined commission years ago, there actually was always have a excessive discussion about the survey. So I think the new commissioner, they probably never have a chance see the survey. Where is that?

Yeah. Did we just complete and send it out last month?

Yes. She was on the last line.

Send it. We could touch. That's it. That would be easy to to tell you about it.

And then from there, we can, you know, discuss further because I believe in the past, actually, you know, yeah, instead of each one of us, we certainly we can study the survey result ourselves, but I think it would be helpful to use it. So I can make in that as a agenda item. I need a second. Yeah.

Yeah. I can I could

Yeah? Okay.

And this one point, and survey is survey is good, but I don't know if you have a way to understand the data. Yeah. I have PM, how many books are being checked out? Like, you know, I go to a restaurant, ice cream at 10PM, and I'm rushing to get my ice cream for it tosses. Is this happening in that pretty as well?

Something to There's will be a or you set up agenda for next meeting.

I think you he already said, I think. Okay. You say second. Yeah. We can put this in our agenda. Yeah. We can put this in our agenda, next agenda. Anything

else for future agenda? And it doesn't necessarily mean that we'll talk about it at the next meeting. This is just it will eventually, when we're looking for items, he could Yeah.

Yeah. Wait. So future.

Meaning we're yeah. We're we're hoping for a tour of our Nankazilla. Yep. So our new hails are serious. Time.

Okay.

Any other future? K. Great. Thank you.

Yeah. I think that's all for today. Yeah. It's 08:15. Right? We can close the meeting. Great.