HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.2 Additional Library Services 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.
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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 -
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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