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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-03-2007-3bORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 3, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. ,3 - b _ SUBJECT: Presentation by the Library Services Task Force DEPARTMENT: Library PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): A. Standards for Library Services in Orange County B. Capital & Operational Request for Libraries INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Evelyn Daniel, Chair, Library Services Task Force Brenda Stephens, Director, 245-2528 PURPOSE: To hear from the Library Services Task Force, which has worked on two main components of the charge of January 2007 and will present a report of the Library Services Standards for Orange County and a Capital & Operational Request as it relates to Library Service. BACKGROUND: In January 2007 the BOCC formally re-convened a Library Services Task Force, based on input from the County Manager and Library Director and staff, the Board charged the Task Force with the following to guide the work of the group. • Review the report and recommendations of the Carrboro Library Workgroup (April 20, 2004); • Review the report and recommendations of the Library Services Task Force report of October 19, 2004 as they specifically relate to a "southwest regional branch library combining the collections, staff, and services presently located at McDougle Middle School and the Century Center Cybrary"; • Prepare and present to the BOCC a report which addresses in conjunction with Orange County management, the following concerns and considerations expressed by elected and community leaders: Recommended Facility Size, Time Horizon for Facility Construction, funding Facility Construction. • ~ Report its recommendations to the BOCC for action in context of capital investment program planning. The Task Force met on February 7 and 27, 2007. Following these meetings, the Task Force accepted the 2004 work of Consultant Dale Gaddis as a comprehensive 20-year facility plan for Orange County Libraries. The Task Force identified the need for adopted Library Service Standards for Orange County in order to address the #2 recommendation of the 2004 Library Services Task Force. At the October 24, 2007 meeting, the Standards, which are attached, were adopted by the Task Force and the recommendation was made to present the Standards to the Board of County Commissioners for acceptance. A Capital & Operational Request, also attached, was completed as part of the initial charge of the Task Force, in particular as it pertained to a new Southwest Branch facility. The Request is based on current construction costs for County facilities, actual furnishings and equipment purchase prices, and Operational Budgets based on current needs and services. The Capital Request also includes the Heritage Center, a shared facility that would house NC Room books and materials, Burwell historic documents and artifacts, the Museum's historic documents and artifacts and other notable items of Hillsborough and Orange County history. The Heritage Center was also a recommendation of the 2000 Task Force and the 2004 Task Force. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact with receiving the Standards for Library Services and Capital and Operational Request. These documents identify specific funding initiatives for the CIP for Library Services in Orange County. The BOCC would ultimately need to discuss and determine the overall magnitude and relative priority of these future capital project proposals and associated impacts on program operations and facility maintenance. The Library currently holds in trust approximately $126,000 that can be used as a capital contribution towards a Heritage Center. Staff will need to conduct an analysis of the proposed standards for budgetary impacts and requests included in this report will be discussed as part of the CIP process. It should also be noted that the Board of Commissioners adopted resolutions in November 2005 which detailed that the costs for the library facilities should be shared by the local jurisdictions. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board 1. Receive the Standards for Library Services in Orange County as presented by the Task Force; 2. Receive the capital and operating budget requests. 3 Library Service Standards for Orange County Approved by Task Force 10/24/07 Access to library collections and services shall be free to all residents of Orange County. Fines and other charges shall be established with consideration for impact on access. 2. Library facilities shall be located within a 15 minute drive of all Orange County residents and be located on or near well-traveled thoroughfares, and, if at all possible, convenient to public transportation. Adequate free parking shall be available adjacent to all library facilities with space for handicapped parking. 3. Library facilities shall be designed and equipped to accommodate the planned program of services for the facility .and shall comply with applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 4. Sufficient space shall be provided for collection display, public seating, planned equipment and technology, staff work and training areas, storage, exhibit areas, meeting and program areas. 5. Library services shall be offered on a regular and consistent schedule including morning, afternoon, evening and weekend hours. Open hours shall be convenient to library users. 6. All services of the library facility will be available when it is open. The Main Library and Chapel Hill Public Library shall be open a minimum of 60 hours per week and branch libraries shall be open a minimum of 40 hours per week. 7. The collections at the Main Library and at the Chapel Hill Public Library shall be comprehensive and developed to support the needs of the public. In addition to print resources, high quality materials shall be provided in a variety of audiovisual and electronic formats. Materials in non-English languages appropriate to the community shall be included. 8. Branch libraries shall have basic reference collections and a written collection development plan appropriate for the needs of the community. The collection plan shall be made publicly available, reviewed annually and be responsive to citizens' suggestions for service improvements and enhancements. 9. Well maintained and functioning equipment shall be available for public and staff use at all facilities. 10. Public access to the Internet shall be made available at all facilities. In keeping with Orange County's belief in full and free public use, no filters will be provided 4 on computers available to adult users. A written Internet Use Policy will be provided on the library's website. 11. Orange County residents shall have free and convenient access to materials not owned by the local library faculty through intralibrary and interlibrary loan. Networked electronic information shall also be freely available. 12. The library and its supportive organizations (Friends, Foundation) shall be active participants in community and inter-library planning efforts to enrich educational, economic, cultural, and social opportunities. 13. Meeting rooms shall be made available according to clearly defined and written policies at the Main Library and Chapel Hill Public Library and at those branches where meeting rooms are available. The written meeting room policy shall be provided on the library's website. 14. Up-to-date technology (e.g., computers, printers, copiers and the like) shall be available at all library facilities. Each library facility shall have at least one computer workstation for every 2,500 people in its designated service area. 15. Wireless connections to the Internet shall be provided at all facilities. 16. Reference assistance and community information shall be made available at ali library facilities during all opening hours. Genealogic information plus state, local and family history shall also be made available. at a specialized facility designated as the Orange County Heritage Center. 17. Programs shall be planned to meet the needs and interests of adults, young adults; children and program offerings shall reflect library services and objectives. 18. Programs specific to the needs of children and their caregivers shall be provided at all facilities on a regularly scheduled basis. 19. Outreach services shall be provided for individuals and groups unable to use services offered in library facilities. 20. Professionally trained librarians shall be available at all library facilities. At the Main Library and Chapel Hill Public Library professionally trained librarians shall be available at all hours the library is open. At branch libraries, professionally trained librarians shall be available for the majority of open hours. 21. Staff trained in advising adults and youth in their choice of reading, in responding to basic information and reference questions, and in use of library resources shall be available at ali facilities at all hours the libraries are open. 22. The Main Library and Chapel Hill Public Library shall have at least three distinct staffed service areas: circulation, reference and children's services. Professionally trained librarians shall be available to provide children's and reference services at these. locations all hours the library is open. 23. A website with searchable online catalog shall be made available at all facilities. The online catalog shall reflect all holdings of the facility. The website shall provide links to other area library webpages and collections. 24. Library book collections shall provide a minimum of 2.5 items per capita. The Main Library shall calculate collection size on the basis of the county population. Chapel Hill Public Library shall calculate collection size on the basis of the municipal population of Chapel Hill. Each branch will calculate its collection size based on the per capita of the designated population area served. 6 Orange County Library Services Task Force Capital & Operational Requests . As per the Charge of January 2007, the Library Services Task Force has prepared the Capital & Operational Request consideration for the new facility -Southwest Regional Library Branch, the Main Library facility, and the Heritage Center. The requests are based upon the Facility Recommendations in the Task Force Report of 2004, the Carrboro Library Workgroup of 2003 and the Service Needs Plan for Orange County Library facilities. To fulfill the services and space requirements in the plan, the following capital & operational requests need to be supported. For the Southwest Regional Branch Capital Costs Building Cost Estimate based on cost of $256/ square foot for 610,000 sq. ft. $2,560,000 Furnishings and Equipment - $ 376,805 Operating Budget Personnel - 6.4 FTEs $ 290,000 Books and Material 120,000 For the Main Library Additional Capital Costs Building cost -Included in budget for new facility Furnishings and Equipment - $ 753,610 Additional Operating Budget Personnel - 2.5 FTE's $ 1.17,600 Books and Materials $ 45,000 Not included in this service plan, but addressed in the Task Force report, recommending separate space to house county historical and genealogical documents and to provide service support. For the Heritage Center Capital Request Building $ ?? Furnishings and Equipment $72,930 Operating Budget Archivist & Assistant $ 104,000 Materials $ 76,000