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Cq<lFOR CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 16, 2014 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT
CONTRACT AWARD, CP 13-03.
FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager
BY: Special Projects Coordinator
SUMMARY
The proposed action would result in an award of contract for the Welwood Murray
Memorial Library Remodel Project, CP 13-03, and the granting of special change order
authority.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Award of contract for the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project,
CP 13-03, to Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc., in the amount of$1,100,000.
2. Authorize the Director of Finance & Treasurer to transfer funds from Measure "J"
Unscheduled Reserves to cover Welwood Murray Memorial Library remodel
project shortfalls.
3. Grant Special Change Order Authority to the Special Projects Coordinator, up to
the total amount of 5% of the awarded construction contract amount subject to
regular reporting to and consultation with the City Manager.
4. Adopt Resolution No. , "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR
THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT AND
FINDING THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE
TO THE LIBRARY USE OF THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY."
ITEM NO. 1J�
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 16, 2014 NEW BUSINESS
SUBJECT: WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT
CONTRACT AWARD, CP 13-03.
FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager
BY: Special Projects Coordinator
SUMMARY
The proposed action would result in an award of contract for the Welwood Murray
Memorial Library Remodel Project, CP 13-03, and the granting of special change order
authority.
RECOMMENDATION:
Award of contract for the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project, CP
13-03, to Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc., in the amount of $1,100,000.
Authorize the Director of Finance & Treasurer to transfer funds from Measure °J°
Unscheduled Reserves to cover Welwood Murray Memorial Library remodel project
shortfalls.
Grant Special Change Order Authority to the Special Projects Coordinator, up to the
total amount of 5% of the awarded construction contract amount subject to regular
reporting to and consultation with the City Manager.
Adopt Resolution No. , "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR THE
WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT AND FINDING
THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE
LIBRARY USE OF THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY." .
ITEM NO. 4s.
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 16, 2014 NEW BUSINESS
SUBJECT: WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT
CONTRACT AWARD, CP 13-03.
FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager
BY: Special Projects Coordinator
SUMMARY
The proposed action would result in an award of contract for the Welwood Murray
Memorial Library Remodel Project, CP 13-03, and the granting of special change order
authority.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Award of contract for the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project,
CP 13-03, to Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc., in the amount of$1,100,000.
2. Authorize the Director of Finance & Treasurer to transfer funds from Measure "J"
Unscheduled Reserves to cover Welwood Murray Memorial Library remodel
project shortfalls.
3. Grant Special Change Order Authority to the Special Projects Coordinator, up to
the total amount of 5% of the awarded construction contract amount subject to
regular reporting to and consultation with the City Manager.
4. Adopt Resolution No. , "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR
THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY REMODEL PROJECT AND
FINDING THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE
TO THE LIBRARY USE OF THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY."
Item No . 5A
City Council Staff Report
April 16, 2014- Page 2
Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project, Contract Award
STAFF ANALYSIS:
On March 18, 2014, at 3:00 pm, bids were received for the Welwood Murray Memorial
Library Remodel Project, CP# 13-03 as follows:
Bidder Amount
Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc $1,100,000
4 Aces Construction $1,121,113
Doug Wall Construction $1,224,785
Braughton Construction, Inc. $1,259,078
Hamel Contracting $1,290,866
Dalke & Sons Construction $1,388,480
CA Construction, Inc. $1,410,000
Young Contractors, Inc. $1,440,000
The responsive, responsible low bidder on the project is Abboud Diamond Construction,
Inc. in the amount of $1,100,000. The bidder is from Moreno Valley and did an
outstanding job of reaching out to local subs; its bid includes local subs equaling 36% of
the total. A sample of the local subs include Brudvik Electric, Kincaid Plumbing, Magik
Glass, and Del's Flooring.
On past large and complex projects the City Council has given special change order
authority in the amount of 5% of the contract amount to the project administrator subject
to regular reporting to and consultation with the City Manager. For this project staff
seeks the same authority. The following is included in the recommended resolution:
That the Special Projects Coordinator, in consultation with the City
Manager, is hereby authorized to approve cumulative change orders up to
5% of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project
construction contract amount, subject to regular reporting back to the City
Council. When the 5% is exceeded, additional authority will be required
by the City Council for all additional change orders; thereafter, shall be
approved by City Council.
The proposed improvements are intended to further and enhance the redevelopment of
the library as a modem library that reasonably satisfies and provides library services to
the City and its residents and visitors, consistent with the current needs and
expectations of the users of the library. A memorandum from the Director of Library
Services is attached to this Staff Report in support of this conclusion. Prior memoranda
and staff reports to the Council over the last few years regarding the project also
support this conclusion.
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City Council Staff Report
April 16, 2014 - Page 2
Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project, Contract Award
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Welwood Murray Memorial Library project had a construction budget of $900,000.
The low bid came in at $1.1million. Why the $200,000 discrepancy? The following is a
listing of items that affected the bid price:
1. Add of a Fire Sprinkler system $60,000
2. Relocate Tahquitz/Indian signal panel $38,000
3. Relocate PC decorative lighting panel $30,000
4. Addition of transformer for new service $22,000
5. Late addition of interior designer (The bid
Includes $40,000 allowance for upgrades) $40,000
6. No direction on courtyard improvements
(The bidders carried a $40,000 allowance) $40,000
Total $230,000
Item 1 is not a code requirement and could be deleted. Items 2 and 3 were surprise
issues as the electric services for these totally unrelated uses were located in the
Welwood; other funding sources for traffic and lighting could be allocated — but the
panels have to move. Item 4, late in the game SCE advised they could not provide the
power we wanted unless we installed a transformer. Item 5, if someone else comes
thru with improvements to the courtyard we can delete $40,000 from the contract. Item
6, if we hold the line with the interior designer most of the allowance can be deleted.
Funds are available in accounts 260-4500-59418 and 261-1395-65224 to cover
$900,000 of the construction cost. Staff recommends that no changes be made to the
project and that the additional $200,000 to cover the bid price be added to the project
from Measure "J" Unallocated Funds Account.
Allen Smoot Craig Glad ers,
Special Projects Coordinator Procurement Contracting
David H. Ready
City Manager
Attachment: Bid Abstract
Memorandum of Director of Library Services
Resolution
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City of Palm Springs,CA
Pme M"W Cm"drg D,Ij9 o
Bid Abstract
BID ABSTRACT Vendor&Bid Amount Vendor&Bid Amount Vendor&Bid Amount Vendor&Bld Amount Vendor&Bid Amount
' I
PROJECT NO: CP 13-03 i -
PROJECT NAME: '
Welwood Murray Memorial Lai, _
Library Remodel
DUE DATE: 3/18/2014
Total of all Bid Schedule Items Zzi
Wftnessed By:
Date:
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P.
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor Pougnet and Members of the City Council
CC: David Ready, City Manager
From: Jeannie Kays, Library Director
Date: 4/2/2014
Re: Welwood Murray Memorial Library
Welwood Murray Memorial Library is expected to open in 2015 as a branch of the Palm
Springs Public Library. The Palm Springs Public Library serves over 225,000 people each year
and the additional location in Downtown Palm Springs will augment services provided at the
Main Branch at Sunrise. Welwood Murray Memorial Library will be a 4,300 square foot facility
that will house not just the Palm Springs Library Department but the Palm Springs Historical
Society and the Bureau of Tourism in a unique collaborative partnership of library service
providers. The Palm Springs Historical Society plans to store its archive in the building and
provide researchers access to the archive. The Bureau of Tourism plans to assists visitors with
recommendations for area attractions, events, and even restaurants. It is expected that
everyone working in the facility will share responsibility to serve those who enter the library,
assisting everyone who comes into the library with his or her information need. Activities at
Welwood Murray will mirror the activities happening at the Main Branch; however at Welwood
Murray, we will have experts in their respective field on-hand to offer assistance.
Welwood Murray Memorial Library will provide free wireless Internet, public Internet
computers with printing capabilities, magazines, and newspapers. Visitors will have access to
check email, print boarding passes, perform localized research on Palm Springs attractions,
events, and history, or apply for jobs online. Online services, identical to those available at the
Main Branch, include access to professional journals and newspapers, downloadable eBooks
and audiobooks, downloadable music, downloadable magazines, language learning programs,
career training and job search assistance, tuition search assistance, homework help with live
tutors, and genealogy research resources. Most notably, the library's downloadable eBook
collection tops 3,500 books and over 1,300 downloadable audiobooks, all of which will be
accessible at Welwood Murray Memorial Library.
With the additional location, the library staff at Welwood Murray Memorial Library
plans to offer new library programs, exhibits, and events. We expect to host lectures, small
concerts, and family activities at Welwood Murray Memorial Library. We feel that the new
location will be perfect to host exhibits for Modernism Week, historical photograph exhibits,
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and other cultural displays from outside organizations. Our new Community Room will be
available to businesses or small groups.
Welwood Murray Memorial Library will be an extension of our already existing first-class
library. We are excited to have a second location to serve our community, visitors, and
downtown businesses.
Modern libraries are more than book depositories and reading rooms. According to the
California Library Association, libraries can help people find the jobs they need, offer computer
training, provide educational programs to children, offer homework assistance, and offer free
access to expensive databases necessary for many school research projects. In a 2010 Library
Journal letter to the editor, Harry Courtright, then Library Director of Maricopa County Library
District and now Palm Springs Public Library Trustee stated, "The modern public library is very
different from when I came into the profession...There were few chances or even thoughts of
asking the folks who walked in the door what they wanted and how they wanted it. The
changes in the world (including computers, the internet, self-service at the gas station, bank
and grocery store) have resulted in the need for the library to change as well. The public has
adapted to these changes and they use them."
Carl Hillman, in a June 1, 2013 article in Middletown Journal (OH) stated, "We are a
modern, changing library. We bring you more than just books," she said. "But libraries are
evolving into a community meeting area, a technology hub. Libraries change with the times."
On January 3, 2014, Paul Weber, Associated Press, AP Financial News wrote:
"Texas has seen the future of the public library, and it looks a lot
like an Apple Store: Rows of glossy iMacs beckon. iPads mounted on a
tangerine-colored bar invite readers. And hundreds of other tablets stand
ready for checkout to anyone with a borrowing card.
Even the librarians imitate Apple's dress code, wearing matching
shirts and that standard-bearer of geek-chic, the hoodie. But this $2.3
million library might be most notable for what it does not have--any
actual books.
That makes Bexar County's BibiloTech the nation's only bookless
public library, a distinction that has attracted scores of digital
bookworms, plus emissaries from as far away as Hong Kong who want to
learn about the idea and possibly take it home.
'I told our people that you need to take a look at this. This is the
future,' said Mary Graham, vice president of South Carolina's Charleston
Metro Chamber of Commerce. 'If you're going to be building new library
facilities, this is what you need to be doing.'
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All-digital libraries have been on college campuses for years. But
the county, which runs no other libraries, made history when it decided
to open BiblioTech. It is the first bookless public library system in the
country, according to information gathered by the American Library
Association."
In the March 2008 issue of Public Management, ICMA writes about "Local Government
Managers and Public Libraries: Partners for a Better Community." The article is specifically
focused on the changing roles of public libraries:
"Libraries are a dynamic resource and play many roles in their
community. They are no longer just a place to get books and quietly
study. Community needs are evolving and libraries are changing with
them. And libraries function inside and outside their four walls through
literacy programs and bookmobiles, and form nontraditional partnerships
with other government departments to better serve residents.
The rise of the Internet has turned libraries into a communication
hub for everyone. The Chicago Public Library recognizes that 50 percent
of their patrons come for Internet access. Adults and children without
computers come to the library and learn to use the technology. Many
libraries offer free WiFi, giving business people and students another
place to work. Visitors and tourists are able to come in and check their
email. The Internet allows libraries to provide access to critical
information and databases required by residents 24 hours a day/7 days a
week. In Arlington County, Virginia, use of the library's Web site makes it
the second largest branch in the system by use—all in a "virtual" world."
With over 225,000 people visiting the Main Branch at Sunrise during Fiscal Year 2012-
13, we can only imagine the number of people who will visit our branch in Downtown Palm
Springs. We know that, through technology,the possibilities and opportunities are endless.
(Copies of the articles referenced in this memorandum as well as an article from the Spring
2012 Carnegie Reporter are attached for reference.)
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REPORTER
VOL.6/NO.4/SPRING 2012
TODAY'S PUBLIC LIBRARIES : PUBLIC
PLACES OF EXCELLENCE, EDUCATION
AND INNOVATION
by Daniel Akst
IN OUR DIGITAL AGE, PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE NOT ONLY THRIVING BUT
SERVING NEW PURPOSES AND NEW POPULATIONS.
Knowledge was hard to come by in the 19th century, when Andrew Carnegie began
funding libraries all over America. People didn't have much money, schooling was
limited, and leisure for learning was scant.
Today, of course, things are different. The average American is awash in information, more and
more of it pouring from the bottomless cornucopia of the Internet, that life-changing
simulacrum of the universal library scholars and science fiction writers fantasized about for so
long. As almost everyone knows by now, it's vast, ubiquitous and always available.
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The main section of the Anythink Brighton(Colorado)library is seen though multicolored glass
panels in the children's area.The building is the first"carbon neutral"library in the U.S.
hi in almost eve arena
Yet m the first decade of the 21st century, as the Internet was reaching to a ost every
of American life, libraries were bustling. Library visits per capita rose by 24 percent. Circulation
was up by about the same. Nor are physical libraries about to disappear any time soon, at least
judging by the evidence literally on the ground. On the contrary, not only has the number of
libraries grown,but since 1990 this country has witnessed a remarkable renaissance in library
construction. Many communities have built modern new library facilities, some of them
designed by the likes of Michael Graves, and Rem Koolhaas and Moshe Safdie. Other libraries,
such as the White Tank Branch Library in Arizona have become leaders in using "green
technology"; the Anythink Brighton Library in Colorado is the first carbon-positive library in
the U.S. and is actually able to contribute energy to the local power grid.
Despite the Internet, it seems, libraries persist—and even thrive. Given the wealth of
information and reading material at our fingertips at all times, it's fair to ask: why should that
be?Why do people still want—and need—public libraries?There are many reasons,but the
most important have to do with a couple of ideas that might sound archaic to modern ears,
perhaps because in reality what they are is enduring.
The first is the notion of place, a thing the Internet was supposed to have obliterated.Yet a
funny thing happened on the way to the digital future: place kept mattering. It turns out that
people often need somewhere to go, especially people who aren't affluent enough to live in big
houses. People with large families might need some peace and quiet, or a change of venue for
study that is removed from the television and the refrigerator. People who live alone—and their
ranks are increasing daily—might just want a little company while they read. An ideal place for
all these folks should be safe, convenient and most of all public—a place where you don't have to
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buy anything yet can stay as long as you like. Libraries are the very definition of such locales,
and our unending need for this place that isn't home, work or coirl'ei9dCtG�rrnLS�r�eaq�or����Y�Qt�of NY
persistence. Library patrons themselves will tell you that. After she was laid off by Home Depot,
Shamika Miller visited the public library in Tracy, California, almost every-day during 2008 to
look for work. As she told the Wall Street Journal, "There's something about the library that
helps you think."
The second reason libraries persist is the notion of improvement, something that has been an
article of faith among librarians and their civic backers for as long as there have been libraries in
this country. We Americans were early proponents of universal education and individual
initiative, and we long ago recognized the importance of giving people a chance to make their
lives better by gaining knowledge and cultivating their minds—in other words, improving
themselves both materially and intellectually. It's an idea redolent of Ben Franklin and Samuel
Smiles, Horatio Alger and even Dale Carnegie.
We're supposed to know better, somehow-, today.The idea of progress isn't so universal any
more. But if you think self-improvement is dead, or is only the kind of thing people do at the
gym nowadays, you need to visit a public library or two—particularly in a neighborhood full of
newt Americans. They need a place to go where they can pursue the mission of improvement,
which after all is what made them come to this country to begin with.
I live part of every-week in New York's borough of Queens, in the neighborhood of Flushing, and
I defy anyone to visit the big public library there, a short wall:from the end of the number 7
subway line, without coming away a little misty-eyed at the scene inside. Flushing has a vibrant
Asian population, and if you visit almost anytime after school you'll find the place packed with
Asian-American kids hitting the books. These young people have computers, cell phones—a full
complement of technology. But they also have books. And they're not fooling around. This is a
big, multi-story building, and when I last stopped in, on a Saturday afternoon, there was nary an
empty seat in the house.
Librarians no longer do a lot of shushing, a young staff member at the information desk told
me, and so the library offers a quiet room for those bent on intensive concentration. But as I
walked among the tables in the rest of the facility, you could hardly tell the whole place wasn't a
quiet room. There were kids everywhere, _vet little noise. Everyone was immersed in study.And
they had chosen to study-in the library.
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Public libraries were my introduction to the world of ideas, and to the possibility of life as a
waiter, so nothing could be more thrilling than seeing all these aspiring young scholars hard at
work.What a useful corrective to the drumbeat of pessimism that besets us from the media.
"Librarians have more training nowadays, not Just in using
computers but in communicating with patrons. And they are using
the tools of the digital revolution the very ones that were supposed
to make librarians obsolete—to do a better job for the public." »
Yet there is more to this library than eager students—a great deal more. There is a monthly
support group—conducted in Mandarin—for families struggling to care for a loved one Mth.
Alzheimer's disease. There are courses in Microsoft Word for Spanish speakers.There are youth
-oriented programs, such as a teen Jeopardy challenge (and judging from what I saw in the
library, that competition will be tough). A weekend performance combining Congolese dance
with tap and urban fusion was on the agenda in the auditorium. Other branches of the
sprawling Queens Library system offer programs for just about everyone, from toddlers to job-
seekers to retirees, in just about every conceivable language—including, of course, programs
aimed at new Americans and, since this is New York, programs on the rights and obligations of
tenants.
visiting the Flushing library helped me realize that libraries persist because the marketplace,
with all its many splendors, provides no good alternative to these comforting institutions where
ti ou can sit and think without a penny in your pocket. Libraries also persist because the idea of
improvement persists—and because libraries continue to meet the needs of their patrons,
perhaps even better than they have in the past. Library layouts have been evolving in recent
years to accommodate different groups of patrons—just as they did years ago, to accommodate
children. Librarians also have more training nowadays, not just in using computers but in
communicating with patrons. And they are using the tools of the digital revolution—the very-
ones that were supposed to make librarians obsolete—to do a better job for the public, for
example by promoting community discussions online, offering help on the Web and using
Twitter to keep patrons informed.
In New York City, in Chicago, in Los Angeles and so many other places that are magnets for
immigrants, libraries provide reading material in a host of tongues, not to mention instruction
in the English language and workshops on how to become a citizen. They still provide books, of
course,but they also provide Internet access for those who lack a connection, a computer or
even a home. In smaller communities,they remain cherished civic and cultural spaces,
anchoring sometimes tattered main streets and serving as a destination for children after school
and the elderly after a lifetime of work.This idea of improvement—of helping people to make
their lives better through knowledge,just as Andrew Carnegie sought to do through his vast
international library-building program—is what ties together all the things libraries do today.
rtb 11.
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Library patrons participate in a seminar about downloading digital books to their mobile
devices for free at the Reston,Virginia branch library.
And during hard times, libraries do a pretty wide range of things. Several public libraries,
following the lead of San Francisco's Main Branch, have hired social workers,for instance, to
help them deal with the homeless, many of whom depend on the nearest public library for
everything from Internet access to daily ablutions. The Greensboro, N.C. public library started
providing haircuts and blood pressure screenings to these needy visitors. In Gainesville, Fla.,
the Alachua County Library District has coped with declining in-person access to government
services by forming the Library Partnership, a facility containing both a library and various
community services. By this means the library has made itself into a gateway for local residents
seeking health and legal services, rent and utility subsidies, counseling and tax help, not to
mention book and clothing drives and weekend food for kids nourished by the food lunch
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program during the week. Like so many libraries, the one in Gainesville goes far beyond
providing food for thought.
At the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Library, meanwhile,job centers have opened at all 21.
branches to help patrons cope with the recession through resume instruction and the like. The
library also brought in experts in employment, entrepreneurship and business development. In
2010 alone the program helped 44,000 people. Its web site offers links to job sites, and for
younger patrons, there's homework help at every branch. At the Hilltop branch, which offers
classes in English as a second language and"going bcy-ond Google"in using the. Internet, among
other services, there was a special incentive for student performance; Sarah Wright,who runs
the Hilltop homework center, set up the "A Meter"to track the number of top glades students
got on assignments and tests. Library staffers agreed to do some outrageous stuff when the
meter hit various benchmarks—including dressing up like Lady Gaga or taking pies in the face
from kids, who've had to study in order to earn the right to throw them.
Always useful, public libraries are an invaluable haven in hard times. Predictably, they were
thronged as a result of the Great Recession.Library visits hit 1.59 billion in 2009, an all-time
record. Many patrons were drawn to free Internet access, often for job-hunting, and then
discovered what a great deal the library is for all sorts of diversion and enlightenment. Some
unemployed patrons reported going to the library daily as a kind of office. Cash-strapped
libraries found that career-oriented books flew off the shelves and Internet-connected
computers were oversubscribed—as were popular titles such as Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight"
series.At the Randolph Countv Public Library in Asheboro, N.C., a near-stampede of new
patrons driven to the library by hard times wore out the carpet. Recessions in 1987 and 200.1
saw a similar upmNing in library patronage. Despite cutbacks in funding—and the need to
become career counselors and even consolers of jobless patrons, harried librarians coped.
The dedication of librarians all across this land is one reason that Carnegie Corporation, in
conjunction with The New York Times and the American Library Association, bestows the"I
Love My Librarian Award"to 10 librarians each year wbo are nominated and selected for service
to their communities, schools and campuses.* Commenting on the 2011 winners, Carnegie
Corporation President Vartan Gregorian said, "Libraries are the treasure house of civilization.
Librarians are our guides to this treasure house. With their help,we can translate the
overwhelming flood of information generated b_v our hectic, complex world into true knowledge
and understanding."
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A citizenship class at the East Elmhurst Branch of the queens,New York public library.
The idea that public institutions can help us improve our lives has fallen into disrepute in some
quarters. Critics of government programs point to unintended consequences and mounting
deficits.The financial crisis of 2oo7-o8 has taken its toll on cultural institutions across the
board. Funding for public colleges and universities has plunged, newspapers have shrunk or in
some cases vanished thanks to a radical reduction in advertising revenue, and despite strong
public support for libraries, their budgets have been mauled.As state and local governments
have tightened their belts, libraries have been forced to curtail hours and services during an
economic downturn that left millions of Americans less able to afford books and more in need of
job-training guidance and other employment-related help.
Just when Americans needed libraries most, in other words, services were slashed.Library
Journals annual budget survey, published in January, painted a grim picture. "Most libraries
have still not recovered from the massive cuts inflicted since the financial crisis of 2oo8,"the
magazine reported, "and when this depressed starting point meets with the rapid evaporation of
state aid and the inexorable rise of expenses, then the numbers often translate to stressed staffs,
fewer materials, and reduced service hours."
Big city libraries have been hit hardest. Libraries serving a population of one million or more
reported that staffing was cut by a third in the preceding year—a brutal reduction. Staffing was
cut by a fifth in communities of 5oo,000 to 999,999• San Jose has built four new branch
libraries that it can't afford to open. Smaller library systems have fared less badly,but even
there, harried librarians must juggle an ever-growing workload, with predictable effects on 14
morale. Donna Howell, the director of the Mountain Regional Library System in Georgia, told
the magazine, "Library use is up about 2,5 percent since 2009 with about the same number of
staff—everyone is doing more and getting paid less."
To compensate, libraries are working hard to become more efficient. But they're also looking for
new sources of revenue, some of which sound as if they might change the free and egalitarian
nature of these places. "It was from my own early experience," wrote Andrew Carnegie in his
autobiography, "that I decided there was no use to which money could be applied so productive
of good to boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as
the founding of a public library in a community which is willing to support it as a municipal
institution."
The whole point, in fact, was to give the have-nots a chance to improve their lot through
learning. Yet to generate revenue, some libraries are offering patrons first dibs on new releases
or flexible due dates—for a fee. In Hayward, California, the library offers patrons a menu of
plans reminiscent of Netflix. For S2.99 a month, library users get to check out three items at a
time and keep them as long as they like, with no due dates. Pay $8.99 per month and you get up
to ro items at a time on the same no-fines principle. If another patron wants to use an item
checked out under the"Fines Free" program, the library says it will buy another. Other libraries
are selling sponsorships to businesses to keep the doors open, or inviting for-profit test-prep
companies to give classes. Some libraries go even further, outsourcing operations to a for-profit
library company that markets its ability to run library operations for less.
These measures aren't necessarily so bad, and the motivation is understandable, given that
library funding from public sources has been cut sharply. But these efforts could undermine the
precious idea of a library as an egalitarian public institution where money doesn't matter and
buys no extra privileges. Public libraries are different from subscription libraries. They are
publicly run, even if they're operated by a not-for-profit association, as many are, and they have
a universal purpose, part of which is to promote democracy through access to knowledge. The
public, correctly, perceives them as equal-access educational institutions. Library taxes enjoy
overwhelming public support, too. And aside perhaps from firefighters, few public servants are
more popular than librarians, who must now work harder than ever to cope with greater
demand and diminished resources while trying to decide what kinds of compromises they
should make to]seep their cherished institutions afloat.
15
In New York City, in Chicago, in Los Angeles and so many other
places that are magnets for immigrants, libraries provide reading
material in a host of tongues, not to mention instruction in the
English language and workshops on how to become a citizen. »
When libraries close, the formerly employed librarians suffer, of course, but so do the patrons.
Thanks to budget cutting, moreover, libraries aren't open as much as they used to be. Overall, in
2008, libraries were open just shy of 6o hours a week on average. In 2011 they were down to
just 49 hours. That hurts, because as much as anything else, libraries really are places to go—
something especially evident in crowded immigrant neighborhoods such as Flushing.
Yet with the digital revolution well under way, it's worth asking at this juncture whether
America's roughly 16,70o bricks-and-mortar public libraries have a future. Books and other
textual matter are fast abandoning ink and paper in favor of electronic storage, distribution and
consumption. You may love the feel of a book in your hand, but the future of book is in all
likelihood digital. And that raises questions about libraries. Will they merely serve as
repositories and gatekeepers for human knowledge encoded in ones and zeroes? Will there be
any need for the buildings we now think of when someone mentions "library?" Can they
fimction if they cease to be primarily dispensers of books?
Since libraries serve an important role as our collective memory, it's only sensible that we turn
to history for some answers. And what the record shows is that libraries have always struggled
with the problem of purpose—and they were never intended to be mere dispensers of books.
The publicly supported libraries that we know-today trace their roots back to the middle of the
19th century, when they sprang up as extensions of the relatively-new public primary schools.
They were intended, in other words, as both educational and civic institutions, offering a way
for grown-ups to educate themselves at a time when not many attended secondary school.
Almost from the outset, there was tension between the idealism of librarians, who saw their role
as one of public uplift, and the desires of patrons, who wanted free access to popular fiction.
Some librarians took comfort in the notion that such readers, sucked in by such light reading,
would advance to more enlightening works, and no doubt some did. But librarians had little
choice but to supply it, since accepting public support meant bowing, at least to some extent, to
public tastes.
Is
The spread of public support for libraries was a crucial development in which Andrew Carnegie
played a major role. Beginning in 1886, Carnegie (and later, Carnegie Corporation of New York)
spent $56 million to create 1,681 public libraries in nearly as many U.S. communities, phis 828
more elsewhere in the world. In order to get Carnegie funding, communities had to agree to
spend on annual maintenance m percent of the initial cost of the library. This meant a tax, one
people were willing to pay, but one that invested them in the library whether they used it or not.
Libraries became, more than ever before, truly public institutions.
This in turn broadened their purpose. For example, they began not just admitting children, but
creating special departments for them. The public at large wanted entertainment as much as
enlightenment,yet the democratization of the Library also provided an opening for librarians to
go well beyond handing out the latest literary°love story. Reference departments, for example,
were created in the 189os, putting trained librarians and library resources at the disposal of the
citizenry.
How libraries will fit into the future of books remains unclear...
but given public expectations and the important role libraries
already play, it's a good bet they'll be involved, whatever the future
holds.»
Infused with missionary zeal, librarians in the early loth century realized that libraries could be
important cultural institutions, especially in towns and cities where culture was otherwise
scarce. Carnegie libraries, for instance, were often the biggest and most important public
buildings around, and many contained meeting rooms that made it easy for them to hold
classes, lectures, concerts and exhibitions. Many libraries in out-of-the-way-places became the
center of social life as well as a crucial entry point for local residents to access culture and the
arts—roles that persist to this day in small town libraries across America.
Inevitably, libraries tried adult education, spurred in part by a 1938 study(funded by Carnegie
Corporation) called The Public Library—a People's Urliversity. These efforts were never very
successful; for one thing, community colleges offered all hinds of adult learning opportunities,
and for another, most library patrons weren't interested in signing up for classroom education.
In the t96os and 1970s, libraries conducted aggressive outreach programs to extend their
17
services beyond their often middle-class clientele. Some libraries also struggled to reinvent
themselves for the dawning computer age—as perhaps they are still doing.
Yet even with the Internet at their fingertips, Americans still need—and want—their public
libraries, even if only as a place to access the Internet. Most of us, though,want and expect
much more from our libraries, and that's reflected in every measure of public attitudes toward
them. Consider that homes near libraries sell for higher prices.Two-thirds of American adults
say they visit a library at least once annually. Last year voters approved a remarkable 87 percent
of library operating ballot measures, suggesting that taxpayers overwhelmingly believe they are
getting their money's worth from these venerable and much-loved institutions.
Library
ebooks
4 i an Your
Kindle
Sign at the'reference desk of the Brookline,Massachusetts public library
So for now at least,the American people want their libraries. The question then is, what will be
the role of the library in the digital tomorrow-? Susan Hildreth, a former top librarian in Seattle
and for the state of California who is now director of the federal Institute of Museum and
library Services, has thought about these issues and offers a sensible vision for what's ahead. "I
see three big goals for libraries,"she writes. "Provide engaging learning experiences, become
community anchors, and provide access to content even as the devices for accessing that
content change rapidly."
As we've seen,libraries are already working hard on providing engaged learning, and have been
doing so for decades.As to their role as community anchors, well, that goes back more than 8
century. Which leaves us with the matter of access to the materials of culture. in the popular
mind the best known mission of the public library, of course, is lending books,to say nothing of
videos and other material—all the wonderful stuff reductively known nowadays as "content."
And public libraries are well on the road to lending that content in digital form, which will
surely be the main form in which it is consumed a decade or two from now. OverDrive, a leading
distributor of eBooks for libraries, reported that in 2011 users checked out more than 35 million
digital titles,while 17 million titles were put on hold.
Much remains unsettled in this brave new world; theoretically, after all, a single library owning
a single digital copy of every book could lend them all simultaneously to every library patron
anytivhere in the world. Of course, this would be the end of books sales as we know them—and
might well strangle off literary-production, since writers would have no way to get paid for their
work. Right now libraries usually are only permitted to lend an eBook to one user at a time, and
some publishers place restrictions on how many times a given eBook can be loaned out. The
digital revolution is rattling the entire publishing ecosystem, wiping out bookstores and
threatening publisher profit margins. How libraries will tit into the future of books remains
unclear. But given public expectations and the important role libraries already play—accounting
for something like io percent of print-book sales, for example—it's a good bet they'll be
involved, whatever the future holds.
Libraries have real challenges ahead in balancing the needs of traditional readers against the
many other cultural and civic functions that libraries can fulfill. But they-also have advantages:
as popular books in digital format have grown more affordable, and virtually the entire library
of cinema is available for streaming at minimal cost, libraries can begin to free themselves from
the role of providing entertainment already amply supplied by the marketplace—a role
librarians have long been uneasy about.
Instead, librarians can focus on their unique capabilities as repositories, organizers and guides
to knowledge. They can provide a focal point for their communities, as well as a necessary
refuge. And they can carry forward the faith in improvement that has sustained them all along.
By upholding their great tradition of public service, libraries will continue to wain public
support—and, it is hoped, public dollars. It's a great bargain for society, and one likely to keep
libraries in business long into the digital future. ■
DanielAkst is an author,journalist and former trustee and treasurer of the one-room Tivoli
Free Library, which anchors its tiny community in New York's Hudson Valley. He's written on
the subject of libraries tioice before for the Carnegie Reporter over the years, exploring the
i9
difficulty firture generations may have in deciphering our digital texts and the shape library
lending may someday take when most of it occurs electronically. He is the author of two
novels and two nonfiction books fotmd in many libraries, and his articles and reviews have
appeared in the LosAngeies Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Wilson Quarterly
and many other publications. He is a columnist and editorial writer for Newsday.
* Carnegie Corporation does not have a specific program focused on supporting libraries in the
U.S. However, in keeping with Andrew Carnegie's belief in the importance of libraries in
providing access to education for all citizens as well as in helping to strengthen American
democracy, the foundation does, from time to time, fund specific library-related efforts such as
the"I Love My Librarian" awards. Another example is a 2011. grant of$5 million—given in
recognition of the Corporation's Centennial—to the three New York City public library, systems:
the New York Public Library, Queens Library and Brooklyn Public.Library to help enhance the
libraries' ability to serve the public in general and the city's 1.1 million public school children in
particular. Previous support has included $i million to help some 800 small and rural libraries
across the country to receive the fifty-volume Library of America great books series and 54.5
million in memory of the 9/11 victims, to support the book collections at the New York Public
Library and at the Brooklyn and Queens libraries. In addition, the Corporation also recently
concluded a decade-long program of assisting in the development of public libraries in South
Africa.
VOL.6/NO.4/SPRING 2012
20
rfceedbackl
"We have had double-digit increases in use...
as a result of the many `fads' we have implemented
after asking our customers..,what they wanted"
The modern P.L. critical element to the success of the pub- Libraries aren't "free"
Over the past few months,a number of lic library;however,to have real success 1 sit and watch Illinois libraries slowly
letters to LJ questioned public libraries you need to put the customers as num- closing. I worry each day whether we
that have offered Deweyless organization, ber one.After all,they are the ones who will be able to share and borrow materi-
vending machines for food, bookstore pay the bill. als from other libraries because the State
models,self-service,drive-ins,and even —Marry A.Courltipt,DlydCty.LIM.. of Illinois is not paying its bills and cut-
vending machines for books, DVDs and Marieop Cty.Lib.Mat.,PAamla ting budgets for libraries. Then I read
the like(e.g.,"No vending machines," Francine Fialkofrs editorial "Free or
Feedback,LJ 5/15/10)....Our folks want Fees for better service Fee"(LJ 5/15/10,p.8).and I begin to
all these services and more. Francine Fialkofrs editorial "Free or realize why libraries are sinking ships....
The modern public library is very dif- Fee" (LJ 5/15/10,p. 8)illustrates think- Even Andrew Carnegie didn't really
ferent from when I came into the pro- ing"inside the box".....To suggest that believe in the "free"library. When he
fession.... There were few chances or all library services remain free in the face gave money for communities to build li-
even thoughts of asking the folks who ofinadoquate resources is to cripple pub- braries,he required that the community
walked in the door what they wanted lic libraries. charge a tax to keep the building up and
and how they warned it.The changes in Across the country,and especially in running...,
the world(including computers, the in- California,there have been budget cuts If Carnegie were alive today, 1 think
temet,self service at the gas station,bank of ten,20.and 30 percent,with associ- he would agree that libraries and services
and grocery store) have resulted in the ated cuts in staffing,materials purchases, cost money,and someone has to pay for
need for the library to change as well. and database leasing. An implication of them.Schools absorb the biggest portion
The public has adapted to these changes the editorial stance of"free services" of the property tax dollar..and they still
and they use them....To charge a fee for is that library services may, instead,be charge fees for services. Parks take more
checking out DV Ds,music CDs,or new "Free—but Not Available.......In Califor- tax money than the library, and they
best sellers is outdated and a disservice to nia,the Contra Costa County Library's charge for every program they offer....
our users.Yet there are public libraries response to great patron demand for When arc we librarians going to wake
that still charge. Some who charge for popular books is"Yes,that book is avail- up and realize that we are doing our-
basic services...condemn those of us who able free,but the waiting list is 500 per- selves and our communities a disservice
listen to our customers and provide what sons long."In other words,the materials by saying the library is free?It is incum-
they want and hose they want it, are"Free—but Not Available." bent upon us to find additional revenue
These changes in service..are serious Library leaden must think"outside sources to fund all that we offer to every
attempts to meet customer needs and the box."Why not,for instance. con- resident in our districts....
requests in ways that make customers sider a fee of f5-1110 for offering a pa- When are we going to get tired
happy and make them feel the library is tron the"next available"copy of popu- enough of doing without,of underpay-
doing what they want it to do and how lar book,moving that patron to the front ing our staff,of just eking by,and take
they want it. We have had double-digit of the line. The fee could be allocated action?... First we must admit to our-
increases in use for over seven years as back to the fund for purchasing addi- selves that libraries are anything but free.
a result of the many "fads" we have tional copies of popular books._. It may Everything that we do,everything that
implemented.... be that continual replenishment of the we offer costs money, and we have to
I would never argue that staff are not a "additional popular books"fund would have money to provide all the services
lead to reduced wait times for all. and materials that the public wants and
Setting different costs for services de- needs.... (WJhen we keep saying that it's
LJ welcomes letters and will publish as many livered in different manners is conven- free, we send the message that we don't
as possible.Those that exceed t
tional in business and government.Wan[ need the money...
excerptedmay be by the ecktors-
Email a passport quickly?Pay$60 more. The If we don't change our tune,our way
or write to:Feedback. LJ. • VarCk revenue-generating policies of library of thinking and acting,libraries will dis-
I I th floor. New York, NY s leaders must be innovative. appear.... Libraries cost money.There is
FAX :t —Davie Kriegel Pies_ nothing free about them.
friends of the Library,Moraga,CA —Swab A.Tobias,Dir.,Sycamore P.L.It
12 1 LIBRARY JOURNAL IfULY 2010 i`www.tasaAKrldtKB,LL.eo.REVIEWS,nEwS,AND.ONE '•
21
L -_ L _ i �I _J I iL ' i ! ! .' ._I
ICM/� � L
J Leaders at the Core of Better Communities _ r
October 2007
Local Government Managers and Public
Libraries: Partners fora Better Community
Managers Can have a separate authority or board, in order to achieve the community's
Strategically may be part of a regional entity, or strategic objectives. We as manag-
may provide services under a con- ers need to think of public libraries
Use Their Public tract. Regardless of the governance as partners in this effort," said Ron
Libraries to Achieve structure, libraries are essential to Carlee, county manager, Arlington
Community Priorities communities, making it vitally im- County, Virginia.
portant that managers and library Libraries can easily be overlooked
Once considered quiet havens for directors form strategic partnerships or forgotten in local government
study and research, modern public to provide dynamic and responsive strategic planning processes. Be-
libraries are creating a new niche community support services. "The cause of the "discretionary" nature
for themselves in community life. central question we have before us of library services, they may also
From bridging the digital divide is how to connect the library with be among the last to be considered
to offering solutions to societal the local government. One of our in annual budgeting and program-
challenges, the public library has core responsibilities as managers ming cycles. Yet time after time,
evolved into the essential "go to" within a community is to connect libraries are rated very highly in the
facility for young and old alike— the dots, horizontally and vertically, measurement of service quality in
both physically and in cyberspace.
How effective libraries are in
achieving their potential varies de- ICMA Local Government and Public Libraries Partnership Initiative—
pending on how connected they are Advisory Committee
to the needs and opportunities with- Members of the ICMA Local Government and Public Libraries Partnership
in a community. Local government Initiative Advisory Committee are committed to gaining and promoting
managers can play a critical role in an understanding of the role and value of the modern public library.Com-
helping libraries understand and posed of 25 members from communities all across the United States,the
fulfill community needs and obtain initiative's advisory committee includes local government managers and
resources necessary for success. public librarians.With a diversity of community size,type,and geographic
One potential barrier to library ef- location represented,the advisory committee provides the experience
fectiveness and integration with the and reality check for ICMA and the Gates Foundation to explore the role
local government is the variation in of managers for the 21st century library.On August 16 and 17,2007,at the
Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago,the committee
governance structures for the man- met to discuss how local governments and public libraries can partner to
agement of libraries. Not all library improve communities.To see a full list of committee members,go to Icma.
directors report to the local govern- org/public-libraries.
ment manager. The library may
customer satisfaction surveys. The the library's mission is consistent opportunities for libraries to edu-
credibility that libraries have with with that of the local government's. cate elected officials and residents
residents provides a strong platform He or she can remove barriers to about their work in public meet-
for their expanded roles. Al Roder, productive partnerships within the ings, particularly helping them to
city administrator of Northfield, local government organization and do so in a meaningful way and
Minnesota, suggests that the chal- encourage other departments, such using concise language. Likewise,
lenge is to view libraries as a core as parks and recreation or social managers can communicate with
.'essential" function of local govern- services, to work in conjunction the library's board of trustees to
ment. Libraries will thrive and find with the library on projects. Finally, educate them on the needs of the
new and innovative ways to serve the local government manager can community and facilitate commu-
the community with the support help align the library's efforts to nication and increased interaction
and leadership role of the manager. provide Internet access with the with elected officials.
ICMA has formed an advisory broader communication needs of Accountability. Just as all local
committee designed to enable man- the community, for example, offer- government departments must be
agers to explore their role as ad- ing WiFi access. accountable for the work they do,
vocates for public libraries and as Funding Managers have a clear so, too, are public libraries. By
partners in enhancing community role in insuring that libraries have listening and better understand-
quality of life and sustainability,
an adequate and dependable source ing the library's priorities, local
one of ICMA's long-term priorities. of funding, as well as a seat at the government managers can assist
Members of the Advisory Commit- table when budgets are being pre- library directors align their pro-
tee for the ICMA Local Government pared. They can also help librar- grams with the broad goals of the
and Public Libraries Partnership Ini- ies gain nontraditional sources of local government. Local govern-
tiative, funded by the Bill&Melinda funding. As libraries' roles evolve ment managers can help identify
Gates Foundation, will also work within the community, it makes relevant performance indicators
to increase awareness among other sense that their ability to leverage for the library and assure that the
local government officials. resources with other local govern- needs of all ages and other popula-
ment departments that share the tion groups within the community
Manager's role in library's mission may become more are being addressed.
supporting libraries commonplace. And, by showcasing
and celebrating the important con-
While the governance structure of a
tributions of local libraries, man- The role libraries play
library strongly influences its rela- agers can help librarians attract
tionship with the local government, funding from philanthropic, non- and value they bring
its work still needs to be integrated profit, and for-profit organizations. to a community
with that of the broader commu-
nity. In order to achieve such inte- Public Support. By publicly pro- Michael Bryan, director of the
gration, the group defined the roles moting library programs and Seminole Community Library in
that the local government manager services, the manager draws com- Florida, describes libraries as "the
can take to provide greater support munity attention to the importance manifestation of democracy." As
to public libraries. of the library and its contribution the most visible, physical symbol
to overall quality of life. For ex- of a government's civic presence,
Strategic Planning. The local gov- ample, by reading to kids during libraries provide free and open ac-
ernment manager has one of the a library's story-time program, cess to knowledge and services to
most comprehensive views of the the manager lets the community all residents regardless of income,
community's vision and future and the library know he or she race, and/or age. They are a neu-
available. As such, he or she can recognizes its worth. The manager tral, respected gateway to informa-
play a pivotal role in advising the can also function as a coach and tion, a safe "third place"—a space
library director on how the library's mentor to the library director in between work and home—with
goals can best complement and re- garnering better community sup- equal access for all community
inforce the larger goals of the com- port—whether or not the library members.
munity. In particular, the manager director reports to the manager.
can help the librarian determine if The Third Place. Libraries provide
The manager can provide critical services for people of all ages and
ICMA Management Perspective 2 October 2007
needs. Seniors use the library as residents learn new skills and apply munity. They are no longer just
a social center, young children as for jobs. Many libraries are also of- a place to get books and quietly
a place to develop a love for read- fering technical assistance programs study. Community needs are evolv-
ing and learning, and teenagers go for small businesses. ing and libraries are changing
there to study, use technology, and Change Agent. libraries are a focal With them. And libraries function
engage in constructive, fun activities. point for neighborhood change. inside and outside their four walls
For new immigrants, libraries offer Several Chicago Public Library through literacy programs and
a means to learn about their new bookmobiles, and form nontra-
branches,have bridged affluent and
community and the local culture,or ditional partnerships with other
Lear n English. Libraries are a neu- previously blighted neighborhoods,helping to create new economic de- government departments to better
tral haven where all people can feel serve residents.
comfortable and safe. Libraries can velopment, along with a safer, morestable community. The rise of the Internet has
also provide a place to communicate turned libraries into a commu-
information about local government nication hub for everyone. The
programs, showcase local artists, Libraries have become Chicago Public Library recognizes
and encourage civic engagement and that 50 percent of their patrons
discourse. Libraries function as a much louder places, Just come for Internet access. Adults
cultural center that celebrates diver- and children without computers
sity;in the community. out of necessity, because come to the library and learn to
BuiOng Commutdifes. Libraries people in neighborhoods use the technology. Many libraries
are viable partners in community need a library to be that offer free WiFi, giving business
development projects and anchors people and students another place
for'new retail centers and residential third place, the place to work. Visitors and tourists are
able to come in and check their e-
development. Libraries provide sta- where they can come to
bility in neighborhoods,as well as mail. The Internet allows libraries
n answers questions to provide access to critical infor-
mation and databases required by
commitment when new facilities are
they have. residents 24 hours aday/7 days
built. They provide a means for in-
dividual residents and businesses to Amy Eshleman,Assistant Commissioner a week. In Arlington County, site
Chicago Public Library make use of the library's Web site
connect to their immediate commu- g
nity, as well as to the global world. makes it the second largest branch
in the system 6y use—all in a "vir-
Libraries are fundamental social and In short, libraries can be important tual" world.
economic connectors in every neigh- partners for local governments in im- Libraries are designing and imple-
borhood where they reside. proving the quality of residents' lives menting unique ways to reach a
Education. Workforce, and Busi- and increasing opportunities for all. tough community demographic—
ness Enhancement. According to Pete Giacoma,director of the Davis teenagers. Some offer gaming pro-
a recent Urban Libraries Council County Library in Utah, emphasizes grams where teens can come in and
report,Making Communities Stron- the need for partnership, noting, use library computers for games
ger, libraries are contributing to "Equal effort is required on both with the provision that they also
their communities in many new sides. The local government manag- check out and read books. In Casper,
and innovative ways. Libraries er and the library director must have Wyoming, City Manager Tom Fors-
encourage literacy within the com- a shared sense of excellence and be lund reported the public library
munity in the broadest sense of the willing to work cooperatively with has started to do prevention work
word. Early literacy programs help each other to provide services for to address two of that community's
parents and child-care providers the community." most pressing issues—drug abuse
prepare children of all income levels and high school drop-out rates.
for school. Adult programs build The changing roles And from the Mathews Memorial
aroeducated workforce. Libraries of public libraries Library in Mathews, Virginia, to
facilitate workforce development by the Carson City Library in Nevada,
providing access to the Internet and Libraries are a dynamic resource teens packed their public libraries
technology training that helps local and play many roles in their com- for rock concerts. 24
ICMA Management Perspective 3 October 2007
Governance while the municipal library pro- operating costs through their ne-
and community
vides most of the collection. The gotiated contracts. The municipali-
libraries have separate staffs, in- ties' contracts define what services
partnership models I cluding two chief librarians who Three Rivers Development will pro-
for libraries i work together, one reporting to vide and the cost of those services.
the school superintendent and the The library's board of directors is
There are many governance strut- other reporting to the city manager. 1 made up of members appointed by
cures for libraries. Some library IThis relationship has been in place the municipalities and Three Rivers
directors are on municipal execu• ifor over 30 years and works well Development.
tive management teams and report 1 for the community.
directly to the local government Corning, New York, and seven i Next steps
manager, others report to an ap- surrounding municipalities have p
pointed library board of direct I created a public-private partner- Local government managers across
and several unique models were ship with Three Rivers Devel- the United States need to have a
described at the advisory com-
opment, a private, nonprofit greater awareness and understand-
mittee meeting, such as the two economic development organiza-
tion. ing of the traditional, evolving, and
below. A ten-year agreement was potential role of libraries in the
The municipal library in South 1 reached seven years ago to change community. As this role continues
Burlington, Vermont, is physically the Corning Library to a free asso- to change and mature over time,
located in the public high school ciation library. The library became local government managers need
and shares facilities with the high a nonprofit organization under the new information and tools to better
school library. The two libraries state education law. Three Riv- integrate the work of libraries in
have separate budgets, with the ers Development owns the library helping to realize broader commu-
public library paying the school ibuilding and leases the space to nity goals. The advisory commit-
$75,000 per year for rent;utili- 1 the library; they are also the main tee will be working in the coming
ties, and technology. The school 1 funder of the library's endowment months to develop a proposed plan
provides IT and janitorial services, i and the municipalities pay the for addressing these needs.
About ICMA About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
ICMA is the premier local government leadership and Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the
management organization. Its mission is to create excel- Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people
lence in local governance by developing and advancing lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries,
professional management of local government world- it focuses on improving people's health and giving them
wide. ICMA provides member support; publications, the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme
data, and information;peer and results-oriented as- poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all
sistance; and training and professional development to people—especially those with the fewest resources—
nearly 9,000 city, town,and county experts and other have access to the opportunities they need to succeed
individuals and organizations throughout the world. in school and life. More information is available at:
www.gatesfoundation.org.
U.S. Libraries Initiative
'c MA Computers and Internet connections have become an
essential part of daily life in the United States. Millions
Leaders at the Core of Better Communities of people, many of them in low-income communities,
rely on public libraries for access to these technical tools
and training. The foundation's goal is to help libraries
continue to provide these services for the people who
need them most.
25
ICMA Management Perspective 4 October 2007
MidPointe: We are a modern, changing
library
Not
The MidPointe Middletown Library is preparing for its centennial celebration.
By Michael D. Pitman
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN —
It's uncertain how technology will shape libraries in the future, but advocates say they'll always
be an important part of the community.
MidPointe Library begins today celebrating its centennial anniversary. For most of the past 100
years, libraries had been consistent in what it offered and how it was provided to the public. But
technology has changed the face of the library's service. It will continue to change it in ways no
one without a crystal ball will know.
"I'm not sure what libraries may look like in 10 years let alone 100," said Doug Evans, executive
director of the Ohio Library Council, an organization that represents the interests of Ohio's
public libraries. "Technology is going to determine that significantly."
Libraries in this country began populating cities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in large
part due to the $60 million donation by Andrew Carnegie which helped build 1,689 libraries—
including MidPointe Library in Middletown when it opened in January 1913.
While the next 100 years is a mystery, MidPointe Library spokeswoman Cari Hillman would like
to think the system will be around for another 100 years and beyond.
"We are a modem, changing library. We bring you more than just books," she said. "But
libraries are evolving into a community meeting area, a technology hub. Libraries change with
the times."
Public libraries will need to adapt to the ever-changing technology and the proliferation of
downloadable material while balancing the traditional collections users still want, Evans said.
26
But the facilities of the future will need to adapt to those changing needs of library patrons and
the community.
"Digital content doesn't take up any shelf space, but the library facilities are still needed in the
communities around the state because of the desire to have meeting space," Evans said. "We're
seeing library facilities change as the result of changing needs and changing technology."
He touted MidPointe's West Chester Twp. branch, which opened in 2010 replacing its antiquated
and small branch, "is an example of how to best to use a library facility if it meets the needs of
the community."
Though the way libraries conduct its business will change, the core mission of literacy will be a
part of the library, Hillman said.
"When we started 100 years ago, the folks that worked to establish this library could have never
imagined we would have the kind of materials, the kinds of programming that we have today,"
she said. "You might always be able to get books here, quite possibly. I'd like to think so."
Friends of the MidPointe Library President John Mueller said while he doesn't have any idea the
direction of the library will head when it celebrates its bicentennial, it "will forever be a vital part
of this community."
"We're probably going to change and morph into ways I can't even begin go guess,"he said. "If
you go out now, you can check out books of the library without ever touching a piece of paper."
Middletown Journal (OH)
6/1/2013
27
Texas library offers glimpse of bookless
future
By PAUL J. WEBER
—Jan. 3, 2014 4:38 PM EST
AP Financial News
{
Juan Castilleja uses a computer at BiblioTech, a first of its kind digital public library,
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, in San Antonio. Bexar County's BibiloTech is the nation's only
SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Texas has seen the future of the public library, and it looks a lot like an
Apple Store: Rows of glossy iMacs beckon. iPads mounted on a tangerine-colored bar invite
readers. And hundreds of other tablets stand ready for checkout to anyone with a borrowing card.
Even the librarians imitate Apple's dress code, wearing matching shirts and that standard-bearer
of geek-chic, the hoodie. But this $2.3 million library might be most notable for what it does not
have—any actual books.
That makes Bexar County's BiblioTech the nation's only bookless public library, a distinction
that has attracted scores of digital bookworms, plus emissaries from as far away as Hong Kong
who want to learn about the idea and possibly take it home.
"I told our people that you need to take a look at this. This is the future," said Mary Graham, vice
president of South Carolina's Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. "If you're going to be
building new library facilities, this is what you need to be doing."
28
All-digital libraries have been on college campuses for years. But the county, which runs no
other libraries, made history when it decided to open BiblioTech. It is the first bookless public
library system in the country, according to information gathered by the American Library
Association.
Similar proposals in other communities have been met with doubts. In California, the city of
Newport Beach floated the concept of a bookless branch in 2011 until a backlash put stacks back
in the plan. Nearly a decade earlier in Arizona, the Tucson-Pima library system opened an all-
digital branch, but residents who said they wanted books ultimately got their way.
Graham toured BiblioTech in the fall and is pushing Charleston leaders for a bond measure in
2014 to fund a similar concept, right down to the same hip aesthetic reminiscent of Apple.
Except Apple Stores aren't usually found in parts of town like this. BiblioTech is on the city's
economically depressed South Side and shares an old strip mall with a Bexar County government
building. On a recent afternoon, one confused couple walked into the library looking for the
justice of the peace.
San Antonio is the nation's seventh-largest city but ranks 60th in literacy, according to census
figures. Back in the early 2000s, community leaders in Bibliotech's neighborhood of low-income
apartments and thrift stores railed about not even having a nearby bookstore, said Laura Cole,
BiblioTech's project coordinator. A decade later, Cole said, most families in the area still don't
have wi-fi.
"How do you advance literacy with so few resources available?" she said.
Residents are taking advantage now. The library is on pace to surpass 100,000 visitors in its first
year. Finding an open iMac among the four dozen at BiblioTech is often difficult after the nearby
high school lets out, and about half of the facility's e-readers are checked out at any given time,
each loaded with up to five books. One of BiblioTech's regulars is a man teaching himself
Mandarin.
Head librarian Ashley Elkholf came from a traditional Wisconsin high school library and
recalled the scourges of her old job: misshelved items hopelessly lost in the stacks, pages
thoughtlessly ripped out of books and items that went unreturned by patrons who were unfazed
by measly fines and lax enforcement.
But in the nearly four months since BiblioTech opened, Elkholf has yet to lend out one of her
pricey tablets and never see it again. The space is also more economical than traditional libraries
despite the technology: BiblioTech purchases its 10,000-title digital collection for the same price
as physical copies, but the county saved millions on architecture because the building's design
didn't need to accommodate printed books.
"If you have bookshelves, you have to structure the building so it can hold all of that weight,"
Elkholf said. "Books are heavy, if you've ever had one fall on your foot."
29
Up the road in Austin, for example, the city is building a downtown library to open in 2016 at a
cost of$120 million. Even a smaller traditional public library that recently opened in nearby
suburban Kyle cost that city about $1 million more than BiblioTech.
On her first visit, 19-year-old Abigail Reyes was only looking for a quiet space to study for an
algebra exam. But she got a quick tutorial from a librarian on how to search for digital books and
check out tablets before plopping down on a row of sleek couches.
"I kind of miss the books," Reyes said. "I don't like being on the tablets and stuff like that. It
hurts my eyes."
Across the room, Rosemary Caballeo tried shopping for health insurance on a set of computers
reserved for enrollment in the Affordable Care Act. Her restless 2-year-old ran around and
pawed at a row of keyboards. The little girl shrieked loudly, shattering the main room's quiet.
She was soon whisked outside by her father.
After all, it's still a library.
Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauliweber ..
30
From California State Library and State Stats:
http://www.statestats.org/support-your-local-library/
sma or
'No". nod a j Wl m m w ww ml r
Budget cuts are affecting public libraries nation-wide. These
non-profit organizations are being forced to cut hours, lay off staff,
and even close their doors. Why should you care about this problem?
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UNEMPLOYMENT BATES
AREN'T IMPROVING
8ua
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According to the U.S. Bureau of tabor Siatisti<s
12.7 MILLION PEOPLE
• ARE WITHOUT A JOB
UNEMPLOYMENT
31
WHAT R LIBRARIES R DO
R
At first glance,you may no think libraries have anything at all to do with
unemployment. Looks can be deceiving,though.Here are the factsAdFAMIth
Online search is the most effectrve way of job hunting,
but millions of Amencans still don'I have access to
high-speed Internet at home.
Those without internet access are much less likely
to have the technical skills necessary to perform
most jobs today.
R .
:41319
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0
Provide free access to high-speed
Internet, allowing the unemployed to
perform online fob searches
164 to
libraries say they're the only
provider of free computer/Internet
access in their communities 32
2
7
300,000 people receive help 13,000 public libraries otter career
with their fob searches at counseling and assistance with job
public hbranes everyday. applications and resumes.
92.2°Yo
Public libraries offer general
computer use training h e. how
to use a mouse and keyboard.
how to print a document,etc.l
LIBRARIES PROVIDE AN
ESSENTIAL LINK BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS
88.8OX
rs heap people understand
6 3%
undenta rid and use
government websltes
78.7% APPLY L,branes help people
complete
Libtartes help yeo* E•governmerA forms
apptybrf-wernawnt
services
82 1 libraries report it very important to
Q provide access to government information 33
3
90*2% 14AY700
Pubtic tibranes provide some People attend free library
form of technology training classes each day
HOW LIBRARIES
HELP STUDENTS
Public libraries provide
over ♦ educational
programs
Circulationyear
of
materials has increased by
over decade
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LIBRARIES ARE
BECOMING MORE . , , . . o
2/3 of all Americans have a library
card. There are 151 million public
library cardholders, nearly as many
as the 181 million credit card holders.
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Library circulation has
U- _U
increased by 26% over
the past tent years.
t�
218million 13 billion 1A b;lhon
35
s
OUR LIBRARIES
. STRUGGLING
T.,
Jill
SO %
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public libraries report flat or
decreased operating budgets
DECREASED FUNDING
16/
r
of UAraries havo had to Urban arom tuw experwnced
scab back thew,oporatrnq the biggest backlash V3 of
hours due to tack of urban libraries report
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SEATTLE PITTSBURGH ATLANTA PHILADELPHIA
2m, * 167E *% 2m 4rox im %
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6 36
PUBLIC LIBRARIES REPORT COST IS THE
NUMBER ONE FACTOR PREVENTING THEM
FROM REPLACING BROKEN OR OUTDATED
PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS
77.9%
, o 37.270
report a thaitpor nyedam" hwo msulk em worY[utsony to f1NM hob•
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Only 0.4% of funding comes from the .
federal government.
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--------------------- - - -- - - - - --------- ' s
funding comes from other sources like
7• !a' donations. fines. fees. and grants 37
Legislative Action
Support your I hrary through leg=�latme action
and urgeyour lout ofhoals to wppwt lout hbran
Rn D=(lcapw u_c omht a!Roma/
Donate Money
When You suppwt your ttui hbrary you're wppoctmg your commumtyl
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8
ADVANTAGE
, • • ,
LIBRARY
SAVE VIDEO
(0 RENTAL FEES
SKIP THE
BOOK STORE
for an average annual cost of
$34in taxes,Americanscheck
out an average of 7 books per
year.That's a huge savings
over buying the materials
SAVE YOUR DATA
NO NEED TO BUY
AN E-READER
OR £-BOOKS
67.2%of libraries now offer fre•
e-books and 26.7%of libraries now
tend#•readers be.Kindle,Nook)
17 NO NEED TO BUY
MUSIC/AUDIO CD
59.5%of public Wares lend a..
content.
39
9
Can't afford to donate money? Donate your
time instead. You can make a difference!
.✓ In most yub4c Al Anwjtoo►tasghts
Ubrwws,nit" M*owsal LuWtry M
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41
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AWARDING A CONTRACT
FOR THE WELWOOD MURRARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
REMODEL PROJECT AND FINDING THE WORK TO BE
PERFORMED WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE
LIBRARY USE OF THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL
LIBRARY.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FINDS:
A. George Welwood Murray and his wife May Ditto Murray granted the
property and improvements on the southeast corner of Tahquitz Way and Palm Canyon
Drive to the City of Palm Springs on October 4, 1938 (the "Murray Deed"). The
conveyance was made on condition that the City "continue and forever maintain the
Palm Springs Free Public Library . . . in and on buildings which are now or may be
hereafter placed on the property . . .."
B. At the November 15, 1938 special election, the voters approved a ballot
measure accepting the Murray Deed and the City Council subsequently adopted
Resolution No. 102 accepting the Murray Deed. Pursuant to the Murray Deed,
Resolution No. 102, and an implementation agreement between the Murrays and the
City, the City was and is obligated to maintain the property as a library, that certain
funds are to be appropriated for maintenance, that the property should be named the
"Welwood Murray Memorial Library," and a plaque bearing the name would be placed
on the library building.
C. As generally described in the City Manager's Staff Report dated April 16,
2014, the City Council authorized the preparation of bid specifications for the
redevelopment, improvement, and maintenance of the Welwood Murray Memorial
Library and has considered the City Manager's recommendation to (1) award a contract
for such work to Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc. in the amount of $1,100,000.00,
(2) authorize the Director of Finance and Treasurer to transfer funds from Measure "J"
Unallocated Reserves to cover Welwood Murray Memorial Library remodel project
shortfalls, and (3) grant special change order authority to the Special Projects
Coordinator subject to specific limits and restrictions.
D. The redevelopment, improvement, and maintenance work to be performed
under the contract of work described above involves:
1. The removal of the existing, outdated 1940 era electrical service and
installation of a modern electrical system that will be appropriately sized to
provide services to a modern library, including computer systems and terminals;
2. Replacement of the corroded galvanized piping for potable water service
and installation of new copper water system;
3. Replacement of the current outdated and inefficient air-conditioning and
42
Resolution No. _
Page 2
heating system existing air-conditioning and heating system to effectively and
efficiently serve the entire enclosed library space.
4. Replacement of the flat portion of the building roof that currently leaks,
causing damage to the building structure and fixtures.
5. Installation of a single uni-sex restroom to for staff use during the day and
public use in the evenings in conjunction with the use of the community room.
Current facilities are undersized and located in inappropriate locations.
6. Upgrade the community room to include modern meeting facilities,
including electronic services and communications and to reorient the room to
allow separate evening use while the remainder of the building is closed.
7. Installation of properly secured and sectioned off archive space and the
provision of highly visible space for the review of historical documents.
8. Installation of new and upgraded lighting to ensure reasonable levels of
lighting within the premises.
9. Installation of new floor and wall finishes to provide improved acoustical
presentation of the building.
10. Paint the exterior of the library building to match the 1940's colors and to
protect the exterior of the building.
E. The Council finds that the redevelopment, improvement, and maintenance
work as described in the contract and summarized above are necessary,
complimentary, and will directly contribute to the use of the Welwood Murray Memorial
Library as a library.
F. The Council has considered the memorandum from the Director of Library
Services and related materials attached to the Staff Report. The Council concurs with
the Director that modern libraries are more than book depositories and reading rooms
and the uses, activities, and opportunities described in her memorandum as uses,
activities, and opportunities that will be provided at the Welwood Murray Memorial
Library are consistent with and directly contribute to the use of the Welwood Murray
Memorial Library as a library in the modern world. The redevelopment, improvement,
and maintenance work to be performed pursuant to the contract awarded by this
Resolution will reasonably satisfy and provide library services to the City and its
residents and visitors, consistent with the current needs and expectations of the users
of the library.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:
SECTION 1. The City Manager is authorized to execute a contract in the
amount of $1,100,000.00 with Abboud Diamond Construction, Inc. for the Welwood
Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project (CP 13-03).
SECTION 2. The Special Projects Coordinator, in consultation with the City
Manager, is authorized to approve cumulative change orders up to five (5) percent of
the Welwood Murray Memorial Library Remodel Project construction contract amount,
4 ?
Resolution No.
Page 3
subject to regular reporting back to the City Council. In the event the five (5) percent
amount is exceeded, additional authority from the City Council will be required for all
subsequent change orders and each such change order shall be approved by the City
Council.
SECTION 3. The Director of Finance is authorized to transfer funds from
Measure "J" Unallocated Reserves to cover Welwood Murray Memorial Library remodel
project shortfalls.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE PALM SPRINGS CITY
COUNCIL THIS 16TH DAY OF APRIL, 2014.
DAVID H. READY, CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:
JAMES THOMPSON, CITY CLERK
CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
I, JAMES THOMPSON, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that
Resolution No. is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular
meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on April 16, 2013, by the
following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
JAMES THOMPSON, CITY CLERK
City of Palm Springs, California
4 ^