HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-2014 Library Commission Meeting Minutes y o4 SARqT City of Sa ratoga
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DATE: May 29, 2014
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Saratoga Library/Community Room
13650 Saratoga Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070
Call to Order 4:06 p.m.
Roll Call
Present: Susan Calderon, Robert Gulino, Lauren Marty,Jill Whitcomb
Absent: Linda Baxter
Staff: Nancy Howe, Allison Parham, Brian Babcock
Public:
Report on Posting of the Agenda: Brian Babcock,Administrative Analyst with the City of Saratoga,
reported that pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2,the agenda for this meeting was properly
posted on May 21, 2014.
Oral &Written Communications:
None
Approval of Minutes: Draft minutes for the April 23, 2014 meeting.
Gulino moved to approve the draft minutes for the April 23, 2014 meeting. Whitcomb seconded the
motion. Motion passed 4-0. Yays: Calderon, Gulino, Marty, Whitcomb. Nays: None. Absent: Baxter.
New Business
1. Summer Reading Program
Issue: Santa Clara County Librarian Nancy Howe requested that this item be placed on the
agenda.
Action: Receive report and provide feedback.
Parham passed out informational packets to Commissioners. She said that the theme for the
National Summer Reading Program is science, adding that the goal of the program is to promote
reading. She said children can win an iPod shuffle and adults can win a Nexus tablet.
Gulino asked if it was all for the same program since the marketing materials were different for
various ages.
Marty asked if the books being read need to be age appropriate, gave an example of a student
reading a book that was below their grade level.
Parham said no and that an adult can receive credit for reading a comic book to their child. She
then showed Commissioners the Summer Reading Program page on the Saratoga Library's
website and said that people can sign up and participate online.
Calderon asked if people have to only read books about science.
Parham said that participants could read whatever they want. She then discussed how the
library is marketing the program: social media, traditional media, printed materials, and tabling
at events such as the local farmers market.
Gulino said it would be good to leave the materials at local businesses.
Calderon said that the library should work with the local YMCA for outreach. She asked what
were the amount of people the library wants to see participate.
Howe said that the library district saw a big increase in participation. She said that the library
wants to reach more children in the community whether they have a library card or not.
Calderon asked if the library has thought about changing anything with the program due the
change in how children spend their free time. She asked if the library thought they were fighting
an uphill battle.
Parham said that the library doesn't feel that they are fighting an uphill battle and added that
reading is still a wonderful pastime.
Marty said that the purpose of the program is to get children to read traditional books.
Whitcomb asked what were the ages of last year's participants.
Parham said that 999 children, 227 teens and 203 adults participated in last year's program.
Howe said that there are "reluctant readers" but they look different in Saratoga because the
students are exhausted with learning. She said the library has shied away from forcing children
to read War and Peace and said that children can read graphic novels. She said the library is
trying to reach even younger children and said a popular program now has children reading to
animals through the Reading Buddies Program.
Marty said she liked all of the materials and thinks the library is doing a great job of marketing
the program.
2. Saratoga Movie Nights
Issue: Commissioners asked that this item be placed on the agenda.
Action: Discuss item.
Parham said that the Saratoga Library is short staffed and would not be able to staff a table for
the June Movie Night event. She said that the library would staff tables for the July and August
events.
Marty said that she would go to the June 20 event and would report back to the Commission.
Gulino said that the slides from the library's previous presentation should be shown during the
event.
Calderon left the meeting at 5:05 p.m. with an excused absence.
Reports
1. Nancy Howe, Santa Clara County Librarian
Howe said discussed the library district's paper placement marketing with the Meals on Wheels
and other senior programs. She passed out the document. She also discussed and showed
Commissioners an energy toolkit, which helps people check their energy use at home. She said
the program is in partnership with Silicon Valley Energy Watch. She said the program was
piloted in the Cupertino Library and was very popular.
2. Allison Parham,Acting Saratoga Community Librarian
Parham gave a report on the past month's programs and events. She said that Roslyn Donald
was leaving Saratoga to work in Cupertino. She told the Commissioners that the Saratoga Library
is in the process of hiring two new librarians.
3. Terrie Creamer, Friends of the Saratoga Libraries
Absent.
4. Jill Whitcomb, Library Commission Chair
Whitcomb said that she met with Parham and Historic Preservation Commissioners Annette
Stransky. She said they discussed a Saratoga history coloring book and possibly having it in the
library. She said there was also a discussion about showing Saratoga artifacts from the Saratoga
History Museum in the library.
5. Brian Babcock, City of Saratoga Liaison
No report.
Commissioners asked that updates on the Movie Night event and the Summer Reading Program be
added to the June agenda.
Adjournment
Whitcomb moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:11 p.m. Gulino seconded the motion. Motion passed 3-0.
Yays: Gulino, Marty, Whitcomb. Nays: None.Absent: Baxter, Calderon.
Respectfully Submitted:
Brian Babcock
Administrative Analyst I