BLIP Memorandum May 17, 2003

Library Commission
Susan Hildreth , City Librarian
Reconstitution of Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Advisory Committee
May 17, 2003

Background:

Recently, some members of the public have suggested that legislation be introduced to create a citizen’s advisory committee (CAC) for the San Francisco Public Library. This concept is based on legislation that was introduced last year by then Assemblyman Leland Yee. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick has met with these members of the public and with library staff, both individually and jointly. Supervisor McGoldrick has ably facilitated discussions that have resulted in my recommendation regarding the modification and expansion of the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Advisory Committee, an existing oversight body that currently is convened by the City Librarian. A CAC would provide oversight for all functions, programs and services of the Library, the same scope that the Library Commission currently performs. The reconstituted BLIP Advisory Committee will focus on the Branch Library Improvement Program and review a wide variety of service issues that are emerging as part of the branch renovations.

The Library’s policy-making body is the Library Commission, with all members appointed by the Mayor. The Library has also established additional oversight bodies to obtain public input and provide forums for public discussion.

• In the 1980’s, during very difficult financial times, the Library convened the Council of Neighborhood Libraries, which includes at least one representative from each of the 26 branches, and continues to meet on a monthly basis to discuss branch service issues.
  
  
• After the passage of the Branch Library Improvement Program in November 2000, the Library Commission was concerned about insuring broad citizen oversight for the branch bond program. In response to those concerns, the Library established the BLIP Advisory Committee that was designed to address program-wide issues with the bond program, such as accessibility, design excellence, alternative services during closure, nature of materials collections and services in new and renovated branches.
  
  
• The Bond Program is also reviewed regularly by the Citizen’s General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee, recently launched as an outcome of voter approval of Proposition F "Citizen Oversight of Bond Expenditures" in the election of March 5, 2002.
  
  
• The Library sponsors several public meetings in each neighborhood as a branch library is being renovated or constructed.

BLIP Advisory Committee

Currently the BLIP Advisory Committee has a mix of members including both members of the public and City and Library staff members. In forming the BLIP Advisory Committee, stake-holder organizations that had interests in the Branch Improvement Program were identified and solicited to make appointments to the Committee. The City Librarian convened the committee and confirmed all the appointments, after receiving direction to organize the Committee from the Library Commission in October 2001. Please see that attached current membership list and committee charge. The Committee has been meeting regularly since April 2002 and has discussed and reviewed many facets of the Branch Library Improvement Program. Library staff have been convening meetings, preparing agendas and documents. All agendas and minutes are shared with the Library Commission and available for the public.

Recommended Modifications/Expansion for the BLIP Advisory Committee

The Committee was intended to perform a significant advisory role to the Library Commission regarding program-wide issues of the bond program. In order to insure the fulfillment of this role, I am recommending the following changes for the Committee.

• To insure that each Supervisorial district has representation on this body and that supervisors have clear input in the bond program, expand the Committee so that each supervisor appoints a Committee member who is a library user from his/her district. Currently, the supervisors have one appointment made by the President of the Board. Also, the Mayor would be able to appoint one Committee member. These appointments would be made by each supervisor and the Mayor individually, and not through the City’s Rules Committee process.
  
  
• Structure the Committee so that it reports regularly to both the Library Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
  
  
• In order to provide the highest level of public access for the Committee, charter the the Committee as a committee of the Library Commission, which requires full Sunshine compliance for the body. Currently, it is a passive meeting body. The Commission Secretary would assist in staffing committee.
  
  
• Hold committee meetings, at a minimum, on a bi-monthly basis, with the chair elected from the members.
  
  
• Because the BLIP Advisory Committee would become a committee of the Commission, the Commission representative (Commissioner Helen Bautista) would no longer be a member, but could continue to serve in a liaison capacity.
  
  
• Add San Francisco Tomorrow as an organization that would appoint a representative to the Committee to represent neighborhood interests, in addition to the Council of Neighborhood Libraries’ representative.
  
  
• Request that the San Francisco Unified School District appoint a member of the public with an identified interest in school library services. Currently, the representative is an SFUSD staff member.
  
  
• Identify an architectural organization that represents interest in a wide variety of architectural styles and request that a member be appointed. Request that the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB) member serve as a resource to the Committee, as all historically significant projects must be reviewed by this LPAB through the City design review process.
  
  
• Current City and Library staff members of the Committee become ex-officio members who serve as resources for the Committee. These members would attend meetings as needed.

The proposed revised Committee roster is outlined below:

BLIP Advisory Committee (21 members)

Board of Supervisor appointments (11)

(Note that Donna Mandel was appointed by former Board President Tom Ammiano)

Mayor’s at-large appointment (1)

Commission on Aging and Adult Services (1 seat, vacant)

Council of Neighborhood Libraries (Chet Roaman, alternate Melinda Adams)

Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library (Glen Ramiskey)

San Francisco Beautiful (Robin Chiang)

San Francisco Planning and Urban Renewal (Peter Winkelstein)

San Francisco Public Library Accessibility Panel (Harry Mar)

San Francisco Tomorrow (1 seat, to be appointed)

San Francisco Unified School District (1 seat for a member of the public, currently Ann Dalton, SFUSD staff)

Youth Commission (Joanna Gin)

Staff/Resources for BLIP Advisory Committee (13 members)

Susan Hildreth , City Librarian

Mike Housh , Commission Secretary

Helen Bautista, Commission Liaison

Donna Corbeil, Chief of Branches, SFPL

Mindy Linetzky , Bond Program Administrator, DPW

Marilyn Thompson, Bond Program Manage, DPW

Paul Underwood, Deputy City Librarian, SFPL

Deputy Director, Department of Public Works

Ken Bukowski, Department of Children, Youth and Their Families

Denise Castaneda, Department of Neighborhood Services

Gary Hoy, Department of Parks and Recreation

Tim Kelly, Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board

Dawn Kamalanathan, Mayor’s Budget Office

Recommendation

I am presenting this report as an action item for your consideration. I would urge you to act in a reasonably timely fashion on this issue, as it is an important one and represents much interest from both citizens and Board of Supervisor members. Attached is a letter of support for this proposal from SPUR. The Friends & Foundation also support these proposed changes.

Cc: Supervisor Jake McGoldrick

Attachments