Minutes

LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Final Minutes

Meeting of January 16, 2008

Room 278, City Hall

San Francisco , California

Chair Sue Cauthen called the meeting to order at 6:14 PM.

Roll Call: Present: Enne Braun, Sue Cauthen, Lucille Cuttler, Roger Kallen, Margaret Lee, Rachelle Resnick, Douglas Ryan, Peter Warfield, Dan Weaver, Gladys Soto

                 Absent: Booh Edouardo, Jan Seeman, Jenny Situ; 4 vacancies

Cauthen agreed to take the minutes for this meeting. She was assisted by UC English major Joanna Schaller, who will soon begin studying to be a teacher. Ms. Schaller wrote the bulk of the minutes.

There was discussion about the Library CAC (LCAC) and Board of Supervisors Rules of Order, briefly noting the chair’s right to limit debate after a certain period of time, and the purpose of the meeting’s minutes: to record what the group does vs. what is said.

Old Business:

1. Follow-up on Branch Renovation Audit. To date there has been no presentation by San Francisco Public Library to the LCAC on SFPL’s scheduled January, 2008, compliance with the audit recommendations, even though LCAC has asked the library for an up-to-date progress report. Chair Cauthen presented a draft LCAC Resolution to urge the Board of Supervisors to hold a hearing on the library’s compliance with the recommendations contained in the Controller's audit of the branch renovation program.

After discussion and amendment, the following resolution was carried by unanimous vote:

In order to facilitate completion of the Branch Library Improvement Program on time and on budget and to assure compliance with recommendations in the Controller’s audit of the program, the Library Citizens Advisory Committee urges the Board of Supervisors to hold a hearing to determine the status of the San Francisco Public Library-Department of Public Works response to the Controller’s audit of the branch renovation program. We must uphold the interests of the people of San Francisco by not repeating the failures of the past.

Yes: Braun, Cauthen, Cuttler, Kallen, Lee, Resnick, Ryan, Warfield, Weaver, Soto.

2. There was also discussion regarding Link+ (a new plan for borrowing books from other libraries) and the proposed increase in fees for various services or fines, such as the $115-$200 fine for missing or lost books, fees for using library meeting rooms (including a set-up fee for the room, janitorial service, microphone rental, etc.), and the replacement cost for lost sheet music.

Discussion noted the numbers of SFPL-owned books not returned, SFPL-owned books lost and paid for, and Link+ and Inter-Library Loan books checked out over the last six months. Issues raised in discussion included the basis for the new fee schedule, where the fees go, the cost of replacing lost SFPL books (aside from Link+ books), the text of the legislation, the overall success of Link+, and the actual cost of replacement for lost books. Chair will bring a draft resolution to the next meeting addressing the LCAC’s concerns on these Link+ charges and the new fees, and will address the Committee’s approval or disapproval of the plan, and suggestions for changes, if any.

Public Comment:

Dale Ahern, a graphic artist at Bechtel, said Link+ should identify the actual cost of replacing a lost or damaged Link+ book.

Nancy Olexo, a library expert with the San Francisco Unified School District, said she thought the Link+ charge for lost books is reasonable.

Minutes: Cuttler moved to approve the minutes for December, 2007, meeting, with Weaver seconding. The motion passed. 9-1, with Warfield dissenting.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 20, 2008, at 6:00 PM in Room 278 of City Hall. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:08 PM.