Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.2 Additional Library Services (2) Gi Lq CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT MEETING DATE: April 11 , 1983 SUBJECT Report from County Librarian regarding Additional Library Service EXHIBITS ATTACHED Letter from County Librarian dated April 4, 1983 RECOMMENDATION Consider the concept of funding additional hours at Ir the Dublin Library FINANCIAL STATEMENT: $37 ,590/year plus negotiated salary increases DESCRIPTION In response to an inquiry by the City Council in the fall of last year regarding whether the City could have increased hours at the Dublin Library, the County Librarian has prepared a report ( see attached) which identifies the cost of opening the Dublin Library additional hours . The Library is presently open a total of 37 hours on the following schedule : Tuesday 1 pm - 9 pm Wednesday 1 pm - 9 pm Thursday 10 am - 5 pm Friday 10 am - 5 pm Saturday 10 am - 5 pm If the City is interested in increasing the number of hours which the Dublin Library is open, the Librarian has suggested opening the Library an additional 8 hours on Monday from 10 am to 6 pm. The cost of adding these hours would total $37 ,590 per year , plus any salary increase negotiated for County Library employees on July 1 , 1983 . Staff and Councilmember Hegarty, the City ' s representative on the Alameda County Library Advisory Commission, have met with County Library Staff regarding the proposed increase in Library hours . As a result of those meetings , there are several concerns which need to be addressed, if the City provides financial support for increasing Library hours . These concerns are as follows : 1 . County Library Staff has indicated that by opening Monday, it anticipates that the Library ' s workload will be diminished somewhat on Thursday and Friday, which will enable the shifting of some Library Staff to work on Monday and supplement the proposed additional Library Staff. If the Thursday and Friday workload increases rather than diminishes (over a period of time which would be specified in an agreement between the City and the County) , the City ' s contribution would have to be re-evaluated. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPIES TO: Ginnie Cooper ITEM N0. Eleanor Tandowski AGENDA STATEMENT: Additional Library Service If , on the other hand, the total use of the Library is not increased but only redistributed , the value of spending additional funds to keep the Library open additional hours is questionable and would also need to be re-evaluated. The Librarian has indicated that the Library ' s computerized record keeping system would facilitate such re-evaluation. 2 . The County of Alameda is facing significant budget reductions for Fiscal Year 1983-84. If the County reduces funding to the Library System, the Dublin Library should not receive greater cuts in funding than other system libraries if the City has previously agreed to pay for additional library hours . If such funding cuts did occur , the City should have the ability to re-evaluate its participation in supporting the Library. 3 . In the latter part of 1982 , the Governor signed SB358 which provides additional funding for library systems throughout the state. Although this legislation was passed, the State Legislature has not appropriated any funds for this bill to date . The County Librarian has indicated that if this bill is funded , it is likely that the County would fund additional hours for the County Library System. If this funding becomes available after the City committed to funding additional Library hours , the City would want to make certain that the Dublin Library received its prorata share of the funding, and thus reduce or obviate the need for the City to participate in supporting the Library. At present , it appears that funding for this bill will not materialize . Implementation of .the opening of the Library on Monday would take approximately 3 months from the date the City agreed to participate . Thus , approval as part of the City' s budget consideration in June , would mean that Monday hours would be provided beginning approximately October 1 , 1983 . This lead time is necessary to hire the required personnel and make other necessary preparations . It would also be necessary to develop an agreement with the County which addressed those concerns identified above . RECOMMENDATION Staff requests that the City Council indicate whether or not it supports the concept of providing financial support to provide additional hours of service at the Dublin Library, before any more County Library Staff time or City Staff time is spent developing the details and agreement necessary to implement such service . If the City Council can support such a concept , it is recommended that no financial commitment be made at this time , but rather, the Council give Staff direction to include this service in the preliminary budget for consideration during the City ' s budget hearings in June . The County Librarian will be present at the meeting to answer questions . 2 - O F q�q� O O ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM * * GINNIE COOPER 3121 DIABLO AVE. .,` COUNTY LIBRARIAN HAYWARD.CALIFORNIA 94545 �►"q<,FO�C1\P. (415)881-6337 April 4, 1983 APR 51983 CITY OF IZt:FL3!a�! The Dublin City Council Dublin City Office 6500 Dublin Boulevard, Suite 100 Dublin, CA 94568 Dear Council Members: Subject: IN ANSWER TO YOUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COSTS FOR ADDITIONAL HOURS FOR THE DUBLIN LIBRARY When I attended a meeting of the City Council early in the fall of 1982, you asked me to give you information about the cost of being open additional hours at the Dublin Library. You wanted to consider the possibility of funding these extra hours from the City's budget. Since that time, Richard Ambrose, Pete Hegarty, Eleanor Tandowsky, and I have met and exchanged information on two occasions. As a result of those discussions, I am making the following proposal to you for additional hours for the Dublin Library. We would provide library services on Monday, increasing our open days from 5 to 6 per week and our hours from 37 to 45 per week. The cost of opening 8 hours on Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. , would. be about $37,590 for one year. This figure breaks down into personnel and services and supplies categories as follows: Staffing and Employee Benefits 2-time Librarian $14,715 2-time Clerk 9,854 1 Library Aide 7,046 31 ,615 Note: These figures are subject to change as they do not include a possible salary increase to be negotiated for July 1 . Services and Supplies - Additional $ 5,975 Utilities cost, Housekeeping Supplies, and Personnel Related Supplies. No additional library books are included. $37,590 MEMBER OF THE BAY AREA LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM To: Dublin City Council 4/4/83 Page 2 On Mondays, we expect to need six librarians or library assistants on duty, and three clerical employees. In addition, library aides would be on duty to check-in and shelve materials that have been returned to the bookdrop over the weekend, as well as check-out materials to people that day. This gives.. us the same coverage that we now have on Tuesday. Tuesday is now our busiest day and we expect that Monday would be equally busy. It does reduce the staff that is available to work on Thursday and Friday. We may have a problem if our total use increases a great deal rather than just shifts from the end of the week to the beginning of the week with the addition of Monday hours. Good library service is not inexpensive as the figures show. The County Library spends more than $300,000 in personnel costs at the Dublin Library. I very much hope that it is possible for you to fund these additional hours at the Dublin Library. As soon as you indicate to me an interest in pursuing this proposal , I will begin working with the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator's Office to create a contractual agreement between us. This contractual agreement should include provisions for accommodating an increase or decrease in revenue available to the County Library through action by the State Legislature or the Board of Supervisors as well as a time for the City Council to review the impact of these added hours. Would you like me to come to a City Council meeting to discuss this with you further? Thank you for your interest in increasing library service to the citizens of Dublin. Please contact Eleanor Tandowsky or me if you need additional information. Very truly yours, Ginnie Cooper Alameda County Librarian GC:ss cc Richard Ambrose, Dublin City Manager Eleanor Tandowsky, Dublin Branch Manager