HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - LB - 2017.05.31Burlingame Library
Approved Board of Trustee Minutes
May 31, 2017
I. Call to Order
President Altmann called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
II. Roll Call
Trustees Present: Kerbey Altmann, Mike Nagler, Andy Blanco,
Randi Murray, Lisa Rosenthal
Staff Present: Brad McCulley, City Librarian, Sidney Poland, Recorder,
Kathy Von Mayerhauser, Manager of Children's Department and
Kim Day, Teen Librarian
Note: The Trustees agreed to move Item VIII —Banning of Two
Teenagers From the Library to the beginning of the meeting.
VIII. New Business - President Altmann officially turned the meeting over to
Brad McCulley, City Librarian, to facilitate the Trustees discussion
regarding disciplinary action of the two Teenagers from the Library. The
Teenagers will be referred to as Teen One and Teen Two.
A. Reason for Disciplinary Action
• Brad advised the Trustees that two teen-age boys were suspended
from the Library due to the following actions (1) being involved
with lighting a small fire on the front lawn and (2) getting on the
tile roof from the public patio.
• Letters were sent to parents and/or guardian of both boys stating
the reason for their suspension from the Library and surrounding
areas. The suspension is to be in effect until further notice from
the Library.
• Parents of Teen "One" met with Brad McCulley, Kathy Von
Mayrhauser and Kim Day to discuss the suspension. The father of
Teen One noted that his son took the meeting very seriously.
B. Review of Unacceptable Behavior — Kim Day
• Kim gave a detailed account of the May 4th incident and noted that
behavior issues began last fall and have become increasingly
worse. Teen One and Teen Two have been suspended for a day
due to their disruptive behavior and were suspended for a week
before this recent issue.
• Kim oversees the Teen Room as part of her work day schedule and
interacts with the teens on a personal level. One of her concerns is
that the disruptive behavior of Teen One and Teen Two has
resulted in other teens not coming to our Library.
• Kim noted that Teens use the Library as their "second home" and
every effort is made to provide a safe, fun, comfortable place for
them to be. They are not allowed to impede on other's use of the
Library.
• In an ideal situation, the teen room should be an enclosed area.
This would alleviate problems and complaints regarding the noise
factor.
• The Progressive Discipline Policy for Teens approved by the
Library Board of Trustees at the April meeting is now in effect.
• Kim felt that in the future the Library might consider a partnership
with the Recreation Department to establish a homework center,
and other programming, which would offer teens a more structured
environment after school. Currently Belmont and other libraries
offer this service to their teens.
C. Trustee Concerns, Suggestions and Possible Consequences for
Unacceptable Behavior
• Brad offered a possible solution given to him by Jane Light that
would permit the teens to use library services during their 6 month
ban. Initially the teen should be banned for 6 months but allowed
to come to the Library with a parent or guardian to use its services
for school work. If after 3 months of acceptable behavior, the teen
can be put on probation and allowed to use library services freely.
Any unacceptable behavior during the probationary period would
reinstate the 6 month ban.
• The Trustees were concerned that (1) some students go elsewhere
to study due to disruptive behavior of some teens; (2) library
should be a place to learn not to "hang out"; and (3) teens need to
understand rules and consequences of unacceptable behavior.
• Trustees suggested that perhaps peer tutoring could be initiated to
help students who have difficulties with their homework.
D. Trustee Action
The Trustees unanimously passed the following motion setting the
time frame and conditions that Teen One and Teen Two will have
to follow:
• Teen One and Teen Two will be banned from the Burlingame
Library, including the outside area and parking garage, for a 6
month period but will be granted usage of Library services for
homework purposes if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Parent or guardian must remain with the teen at all times. Staff will
notify police that Teen One or Teen Two are trespassing if either
of them is seen without his parent or guardian in the library or the
surrounding areas.
• After 3 months of acceptable behavior, either Teen One or Teen
Two can be placed on probation and permitted to use the Library
freely with the condition that a contract with the Library be signed
stating that they understand the reasons for being banned.
• If at any time either Teen One or Teen Two exhibit any
unacceptable behavior, the 6 month ban will be reinstated.
E: Parent Comments
The parent of Teen One agreed with the disciplinary action of the
Trustees and noted that he was sorry his son was such a concern to
staff.
III. Library Board of Trustees minutes
The Trustees unanimously approved the minutes for the March 21, and
April 18, 2017. M/S/C (Nagler/Rosenthal).
IV. Correspondence and Information
A. Library Statistics April 2017
The Trustees reviewed the statistics and agreed that further discussion
was necessary to determine what information they want the graphs
to provide.
B. Financial Reports
Trustee Murray requested that closer to the end of the year, a meeting
be scheduled with Paul Velaski, Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Financial Officer of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to meet
with the Trustees regarding the Library's investments with the
Foundation.
V. From the Floor (public comments)
Irving Agard — Trustee Candidate
Mr. Anderson — Parent of Suspended Teen
VI. Reports
A. City Librarian's Report
1. New Employees - Vanessa Quan, (Technical Services Dept.),
Carmen Olmedo (Circulation Dept.) and Sarah Tinkham
(Circulation Dept.) have joined the Library staff as Library
Assistants. These employees are scheduled for not more than 18
hours per week. The Healthy Working Family Act of 2014,
amended in 2016, permitted hourly employees to be given one
hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The City
Council agreed to include vacation time in the hourly employees
wage package based on number of hours worked effective January
of 2016.
2. Passport Update — The Library is considering the possibility of
adding 1 extra hour per month for City Employees. Library
employees would still be ineligible for this service. Our service is
currently booked 2 months out partially due to the fact that 10 year
passports to Canada and Mexico are expiring.
3. PLS E-Book Subcommittee — Brad noted that the e-book
subcommittee is still researching options for an e-book platform
that all PLS patrons will be able to access. Hoopla and Kanopy are
still under consideration for "streaming" possibilities. Hoopla
provides e-books, music, and movies but might not be cost
effective. Kanopy provides art house movies which are not as
popular as those available through Hoopla.
VII. Unfinished Business
A. Program Strategy for Development of Trustee Speaker Series
Trustee Murray noted that Christine Funk of the Library Foundation has
joined the sub -committee of Brad McCulley, Tommy McMahon, Randi
Murray and Mike Nagler. The purpose/mission of the Trustee speaker
series is to find speakers in a variety of fields such as art, current affairs,
science and technology that will be of interest to all ages of the
community. Ideas of how to begin developing the series were discussed.
• Speakers would be well known i.e, Jackie Speier
• Events would be free to the public — 5 events a year (tentative)
• Goal is to have attendees in a range of 80-300.
• Have some kind of ticket implementation to ascertain attendees for
specific event.
• Put together a budget. At some point include Foundation as it
funds Library programs.
• Research how to provide proper lighting, sound and seating.
• Some speakers/authors would be paid. Others might request a
donation to their favorite charity.
• Library staff would be asked to research possible speakers that live
in the Bay Area and help with marketing, posters etc.
• Create new way to get volunteers involved in Library activities.
Trustee Murray set the date of June 20th at 4:OOpm to meet and discuss the
particulars of this project.
IX. Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. M/S/C (Rosenthal/Murray). The next
meeting of the Library Board of Trustees will be held June 20, 2017 in the
Library Conference Room at 5:30 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
/s/
Bradley McCulley
City Librarian Burlingame
Public Library