Staff Report.Library Board Study Session
PREPARED BY: Ryan Baker
Library Director
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 05/04/2021 ITEM NO: 1
DATE: May 4, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Review and Discuss the Library Board Accomplishments and Goals
RECOMMENDATION:
Review and discuss the Library Board accomplishments and goals.
BACKGROUND:
The Los Gatos Library Board (Board) currently operates under the provisions of Town
Resolution 2016-056 approved by Council in October of 2016. Under the current resolution,
the Board consists of seven voting members of which one also serves as a member of the Youth
Commission. General law cities that operate a municipal library maintain a Library Board under
California Education Code Section 18910 (1970).
The Board meets on the second Wednesday of odd number months at 3:00 p.m. The Library
Director serves as the staff liaison to the Board. The Board advises on library working policies
and interfaces with the community regrading library services.
DISCUSSION:
Accomplishments and Current Projects
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a temporary halt to many of the work goals of the Board
during 2020. The following list encompasses accomplishments for the last three years:
• Reconfigured library permanent hours of operation based on patron use data and public
survey (note that current operational hours are temporarily altered due to logistics
regarding COVID-19)
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: Library Board Joint Study Session DATE: May 4, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
• Established policy and practice of auto-renewals for checked-out library materials to
make a better experience for the customer
• Recommended the removal of overdue item fees which disproportionately impact lower
income families
• Created or updated the following library working policies and procedural documents:
o Customer Service Values Framework
o Patron Privacy Guidelines
o Duplication of Historical Archive Material for Commercial Use Guidelines
o Temporary Visitor Library Card Access Guidelines
o Materials Selection and Collection Development Guidelines
o Camera Use and Photography Guidelines
• Supported the acquisition and expansion of collections in languages other than English
to meet community need and demand
• Presented and outlined a collection of “Library of Things” which include games and
puzzles, robotics kits, crafting kits, art kits, family history archiving kits, home energy
efficiency kits, and other non-traditional library items that have already begun
circulating to the public
• Connected Library staff to potential presenters, performers, and event opportunities
• Conducted advocacy on behalf of libraries
Goals and Work Plan
The Board has the following items slated which will comprise their upcoming work plan:
• Complete a 5-year strategic plan for the Library which will replace the last strategic plan
that covered a period of 2015-2020
• Consider additional library service needs as more housing units are added in Town and
the population is expected to increase
• Assign a liaison from the Board to attend meetings of the non-profit Friends of the Los
Gatos Library to facilitate better communication with that organization
• Continue expansion of “Library of Things” non-traditional materials for circulation
• Create a “seed library” consisting of plant and flower seeds that the public can utilize for
gardening
• Support the Librarian in charge of the historical archives in the process of seeking and
cataloging historical materials and interviews of People of Color that have historically or
presently reside in Los Gatos
• Update or create the following library working policies and procedural documents that
are either due for review or have become necessary:
o Patron Behavior Guidelines
o Volunteer Guidelines
PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: Library Board Joint Study Session DATE: May 4, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
o Security Camera Guidelines
o Public Posting and Event Advertising Guidelines
o Unattended Minors Procedures and Guidelines
o Historical Archives Scope and Collection Guidelines
Enabling Resolution and Inclusivity:
The Board reviewed its enabling resolution (Attachment 1) and discussed inclusivity as it relates
to participation. For the enabling resolution, no barriers to entry were noted and no changes
were recommended by the Board.
For the Board application (Attachment 2), it was noted that the leading questions regarding
previously held government positions and previous involvement with civic organizations could
be perceived as a barrier to entry and/or be discouraging to applicants without background in
these areas. The Board instead recommends a more inclusive leading question such as “What
are your unique perspectives and experiences that you would bring to this role?”
The Board also identified three general barriers to entry and inclusivity apart from the
application. These include: weekday and middle of afternoon meeting times which discourage
or eliminate applicants with work commitments that are inflexible and/or parents that
generally must attend to their child’s needs afterschool; application formats that are not
responsive design compatible (e.g., cannot be filled out on a phone, small portable device, or
assisted reader); and a perceived narrow range of advertising to the public for opportunities to
serve on Town Boards and Commissions and lack of concrete details in that advertising of what
Board and Commission work encompasses.
Questions for Discussion:
The Board is interested to know if the Council has input regarding Library priorities as it pertains
to services over the next five years.
The Board looks forward to this opportunity to meet with Council and engage in discussion with
the goal of better serving the community.
Attachments:
1. Library Board Enabling Resolution
2. Library Board Application