Annual Report - July 2007

2006 Annual Report of the Board of Supervisors
Library Citizens Advisory Committee
July 2007
Prepared by Dan Weaver, Chair of the LCAC

During the 2006-2007 fiscal year the Library Citizens Advisory Committee (LCAC) met on a regular basis in City Hall every third Wednesday, usually in City Hall Room 278.

During this period the LCAC continued to work with City Librarian, Luis Herrera, and received a series of resource briefings from Mr. Herrera and members of the SFPL staff at our monthly meetings. LCAC officers meet on a monthly basis with the City Librarian and discuss SFPL and LCAC activities and plan SFPL resource presentations at upcoming LCAC meetings.

The LCAC continued to develop our communications with the Library Commission. At the invitation of the commission, LCAC officers inform commissioners of our recommendations and discuss other issues designed to enhance library service to the public at their meetings

The LCAC Chair presents our recommendations to the commission as part of the Library Commission Agenda as appropriate. The LCAC has continued a process of inviting commissioners to attend our meetings as well.

At the end of the fiscal year, the LCAC chair also presented our SFPL budget recommendations to the Board of Supervisors Budget and Rules Committees in person and in writing.

At several of our meetings during this fiscal year, the LCAC members and neighborhood guests discussed SFPL plans for branch libraries as part of the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP). The Visitacion Valley and Bernal Heights branches were the primary foci of these discussions.

Following is a listing of the motions and resolutions on substantive matters the LCAC adopted during the 2006-7 fiscal year.

July 17, 2006

Recommend Extended Hours for Sundays and Mondays

The Library Citizens Advisory Committee supports the Board of Supervisors' Budget Committee proposal allocating $480,000 in SFPL funds to increased Sunday and/or Monday hours at selected branches during fiscal 2006-2007, using the following criteria:

  1. Branches currently closed Sunday and Monday
  2. Branches impacted negatively by the closures necessitated by the branch renovation program
  3. Branches registering significant increases in borrowing and visitors.

Furthermore, the LCAC encourages ongoing support for this level of increased services and hours in future fiscal years.

The LCAC further recommends implementation of the increased hours as soon as possible.

August 2006
Library of Congress Classification Practices

"The Library Citizens Advisory Committee is concerned that access to library materials everywhere will be

seriously reduced because of the prospect that Library of Congress cataloging and classification practices are to be severely limited or ended, especially the assignment of subject headings and classification numbers and the provision of adequate bibliographic information. The LCAC recommends that the Board of

Supervisors express these concerns to James W. Billington, Librarian of Congress (Washington D. C. 20540-4305), and also to San Francisco's representatives in Congress.

December 13, 2006
Acquisition of Out-of-Print Materials and Collection Monitoring

Resolved, that the LCAC recommends that the Supervisors send a Letter of Inquiry to the City Librarian asking for clarification of the Library's policies and practices on (1) acquisition/non-acquisition of out-of-print materials; and (2) monitoring the collection for losses and potential replacements.

January 17, 2007
Resolution to Improve Book Ordering Efficiency

WHEREAS: The San Francisco Public Library's book acquisition team consists of hard-working staff endeavoring to provide the public with a plentiful supply of up-to-date and historically important books; and

WHEREAS: The acquisitions process has sometimes resulted in backlogs and consequent inability to meet demand quickly and efficiently.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the following changes be implemented to improve the efficiency of the book acquisition and replacement process:

  1. Review the book/materials selection, ordering, and processing procedures to improve efficiency.
  2. Develop and implement a written procedure for ordering when a new or replacement book is unavailable from primary vendors.
    • Improve communication between the book selection office (Collection Development Office/CDO) and the book ordering/processing office (Technical Services Division).
    • Regularly monitor the collection for lost or damaged books, and replace books based on standard criteria.

March 21, 2007
Independent Audit of the Branch Library Improvement Program

Whereas San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) is facing a significant cost overrun in its $106 million bond program to modernize branch libraries, and

Whereas, work on only three of the 24 branch projects is complete, and

Whereas, SFPL proposes to transfer funds from five projects, including two in underserved neighborhoods, and

Whereas, Mayor Newsom expressed interest in a library audit at his 2/16/07 meeting with the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, and

Whereas three Library Commission members have also called for an independent audit,

Therefore be it resolved that the Library Citizens Advisory Committee supports an independent audit of the significant shortfall in funds to find ways to make the Branch Library Improvement Program work better in the future.

June 20, 2007
RESOLUTION: Library Set-Aside Bond Authority

The Board of Supervisors' Library Citizens Advisory Committee supports the Library Preservation Fund Bond concept in principle. Additional funding is necessary if the library is to complete its branch modernization project. However, fiscal safeguards, clarifying language and provision for oversight should be included in the initiative

1. The Library Preservation Fund Renewal initiative should be open, transparent and accountable:

  1. It should be clear that approval of the initiative will permit San Francisco Public Library to issue revenue bonds and other debt backed by the revenue stream generated by the library set-aside, known as the Library Preservation Fund. This should be stated in the title and body of the initiative.
  2. It should be clear that the new set-aside can be spent on any library purpose, including upgrades to the main library. (The existing set-aside gives priority to purchase of books and audio-visual materials and to additional open hours in the branches.)
  3. Change Section (e)2 so that the Mayor and Board of Supervisors continue to be able to direct the spending of library funds for library services and operations.

2. In order to prevent dilution of library services, SFPL should put a cap on the amount of operating money spent to pay for the bonds annually.

In order that capital needs do not deplete operating funds, we recommend the inclusion of a yearly spending limit on debt service.

3. SFPL should include a provision for fiscal and performance oversight.

  1. Fiscal and performance oversight mechanisms should be mentioned in the legislation.
  2. We recommend that oversight provisions include writing the Board of Supervisors Library Citizens Advisory Committee into the initiative and specifying staff and resource support for the Library CAC in the initiative.