SR-850-005-01 (11)
GM:MS:LCG:bp
Apr~l 9, 1984
.
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Monica, Cal~fornia
SS-I
APR 1 0 1984
Supplemental
.Library Report
TO: r1ayor and C~ty Councll
FROM: Clty Staff
SUBJECT: Maln Llbrary Celllng
Ir;TRODUCl' ION
On February 8, 1984, the Cauncll recelveu d report outl~nlng
test.1n9 procedures and f~nd~ngs WhlCh had been undertdken to
determ1ne the level of a1r-borne asbestos f~bers 1n the Ma1n
Llbrary.
In that report 1t was lnd12ated that there 15 no v~ola-
t~on of current health and safety regulat1ons.
Hm..ever, the na-
ture of the asbestos ~ater1al 1n the cell~ng ~s such that It de-
terlorates over t1me, mak1ng removal a prudent long-term mlt~ga-
tlon measure.
ThlS report presents a summary of Q1tlgatlon neasures evaluated
to date as well as an operatlon~l plan for undcrtaklng the proJ-
ect WhlCh wlll lnvolve closure of the rtuln Llbrary for a SlX to
n1ne month per1od.
3ACKGROUND
The Kaln Llbrary, llke other bU1ldlngs constructed before the
1977 EPA ban, had constructlon mater~al conta~n~ng asbestos 1n-
corporated 1nto lts des1gn.
Mater~als conta1n1ng asbestos were used for plpe lnsulat10n of
the mechanlcal and domest1c hot water system, f1reproof1ng of the
s~-I
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APR 1 0 1984
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structural beams and n~tal roof deck 1n the th1rd floor mechan1-
cal room. The most prevdlent dnd potent1ally hazardous us~ of
asbestos lS 1n the exposed fold1ng plate and tr~ss ce1l1ng system
~sed throughout the 11brary. The ce1l1ng m~ter1al cons1sts of
approx1~ately 100,000 square feet of one lnch th1Ck. f1brous as-
bestos sprayed over metal lath, WhlCh 15 attached to a suspended
metal fram1ng system.
ABATEMENT METHODOLOGIES
The Clty and consultant's (Bu1ldlng System Evaluat1on, Inc.) ob-
ject1ves for any recommended abatement approach ate:
1) To make llbrary occupants safe from asbestos exposure~
2) To ma1nta1n as much of the or1g1nal acoust1cal property as
poss1ble; and
3) To preserve the aesthetlcs of the orlg1nal lnter10r deslgn.
It 1S also necessary to take lnto account the cond1t1on and
sprayed-on nature of the asbestos; bond1ng and WGlght features of
varlOUS encapsulants~ flre safety~ costs~ and antlclpated Ilfe of
each solutlon ffi9thodology.
All of the above factors were cons1dered 10 evaluatlng the four
baSle approaches to control of asbestos exposure: removal, encap-
sulatlon, enclosure and deferreu act1on.
1. Removal
In removal, all the dsbestos mater1al 1S taken off surfaces, col-
lected, and placed In contalners for bur1al In an approved waste
dlsposal slte. Removal wlll requ1re lnterruptlon of the
Llbrary's act1v~tles.
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EPA regulat~ons requ~re wett~ng of the materIal pr~or to removal.
Thoroughly wett1ng asbestos materIal greatly reduces the release
of f~bers. As the wet mater~al 1S removed, only a small number
of fIbers w1ll be released and those that are WIll settle rap1dly
to the floor rdther than rema1n suspended 1n the aIr. DurIng
removal operatIons water 1S amended w1th a wett1ng agent (surfac-
tant) to prov1de greater penetratIon. In add1tIon, the aIr IS
often hum1d1fIed. These operatIons reqUIre that all books and
carpet be removed from the L1brary to prevent ~olstur~ damage.
2. Encapsulatlon
In encapsulat1on, the asbestos ffidter1al 15 coated wlth a bond1ng
agent called a sealant. Sealants penetrate and harden the asbes-
tos lTJ.aterIdl or cover the surface of the materIal WIth a protec-
tIve coatIng. These sealants prevent fIber release from the as-
bestos mat~rlal. In the Llbrary, encapsulatIon s~ould be 11m1ted
to areas where contact damage w1Il not occur.
Encapsulatlon
should also be llmlted to asbestos materlal Whl~hr when tested,
stll1 reta1ns Its bond1ng 1ntegr1ty. ThIS must be done to lnsure
that the asbestos and substrate can support the add1t1onal we1ght
of the sealant. Encapsulated mater1al should be routInely In-
spected for deterIorat1on or damage. Sealants for asbestos
materlal must meet deSIgnated speclfIcat10ns for flammabIlIty,
smoke generatlon, toxlC1ty, and Impact reslstance In order to be
approved for use ln the LIbrary.
There are two categorles of sealants--brldg1ng and encapsulatIng.
Brldglng sealants prevent flbers from release by formIng a tough
membrane over the surface of the asbestos conta1n1ng mater1als.
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A penetrat~ng sealant lS deslgned to soak lnto the materlal and
blnd the asbestos flbers together to prevent thelr release.
Encapulatlon lS also a wet process WhlCh wl1l reqUlre the removal
of books and carpet to prevent water damage. Llbrary operatlons
wl11 be lnterrupted, but not as long as lS requlred for removal
type operatlons.
3. Enclosure
The enclosure technlque uses barrlers, such as suspended cell-
lngs, WlllCh are constructed between the asbestos materlal and the
general bUlldlng enV1ronment. Slnce the asbestos materlal re-
malns, f1ber release and fallout (dust) can contlnue behlnd the
barrler. Accumulatlon of loose flbers w1ll occur. vfuen the en-
closure 1S damaged or entered for malntenance, flbers collected
behlnd the enclosure can be released lnto the bUlldlng enVlron-
ment. Because of the Llbrary's celllng deslgn, llghtlng system,
HVAC deslgn and malntenance requlrements, the consultant does not
recommend enclosure as an acceptable abatement solutlon.
4. Deferred Actlon
If the exposure 1S consldered negllglble, actlon can be deferred.
A contlnulng lnspectlon program should be lmplemented as part of
deferred actlon. The asbestos materlal should be routlnely
checked for deterloratlon or damage. Slnce the potentlal for
exposure W1.11 l.ncrease over tlme because of the amount of asbes-
tos, lts fr1.ab1.l1ty, and l.ts exposure to contact or water damage,
the consultant does not recommend deferred actlon as an abatement
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Solut1on, even though alrborne f1ber levels are currently w1th1n
government 11mlts.
ABATEMENr RECOMMENDATIONS
After determln1ng that enclosure and deferred actlon were not
acceptable alternatlves, BSE proceeded to test a varlety of en-
capsulants 1n two enclosed rooms 1n the L1brary.
After rev1ewlng the sampl1ng result, BSE dld not recommend encap-
sulatlon as the sole solut1on due to the large exposed ce111ng
area 10 the Llbrary.
Instead, they have recommended total removal or partlal removal!
part1al encapsulat10n as the Solut1on. Removal 10 the Llbrary
10volves some un1que condltlons. Shot-on celllng mater1als are
uSually applled over metal deck, drywall or plaster substrate.
In the Llbrary, the asbestos 1S 1mbedded on all sldes of the lath
and onto the bUlld1ng elements 10 the ce111ng cavlty. The lath
wlll have to be removed w1th the asbestos.
Prellmlnary cost est1mates for total removal are $1,049,840.
Th1S however, does not cover relocatlon costs, storage, telecom-
mUnlcatlons re-routlng, lnspect1on, testlng or added 1nsurance
costs.
A Solut1on of part1al removal and partlal encapsulatlon was estl-
mated at $799,700.
Agaln, thlS lS not a total cost prO]ect1on.
Due to the magnltude of thlS proJect, the C1ty has requested blds
from other contractors experlenced 1n asbestos removal to verlfy
the cost and procedure recommendat1ons.
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When flnallzed, the cost projectlons wlll be lncluded ln the
Clty'S Capltal Improvements program.
IMPACT OF ASBESTOS REMOV.~ ON MAIN LIBRARY OPER~lIONS
The MalO Llbrary wlll have to be closed durlng the asbestos re-
moval operatlons, and all of the bUlldlng's contents, lncludlng
the carpetlng, wlll have to be removed. ThlS 15 necessary to
protect them from damage durlng the removal, WhlCh must be done
In a wet enVlronment.
In addltlon, all bound books must be
cleaned of accumulated dust as they are removed from the bUlld-
lng.
It lS antlclpated that the Ilbrary wlll be closed for at
least SlX months.
Closure of the Maln Llbrary for SlX months or longer wlll have a
Illa]Or lmpact on llbrary serVlce In the Clty. The HalO Llbrary
accounts for 71% of Illaterlals clrculated and 87% of reference
aSSlstance provlded by the Ilbrarles.
It houses 72% of the
Llbrary's book collectlon and vlrtualy all of ltS audlo vlsual
materlals.
71% of the Clty'S resldeuts report uSlng the Malo
Llbrary, as compared to 43% who use the branch Ilbrarles. Ap-
proxunately 25 groups hold 40 meetlngs 111 the ~la1n L1.brary mooth-
ly, 10 addltlon to the regular adult and Juveolle programm1.ng
prov1ded by the l1.brary staff.
In addltlon, the MalU Llbrary
houses all the admlulstratlve, malntenance, storage, and Ilbrary
materlals orderlng and processlng functlons that serVlce the en-
tlre l1.brary system. 81% of the permanent and as-needed staff
are employed there. Consequently, plannln~ for the closure w111
be concerned wlth flnd1ng ways to cause the least dlsruptlon as
posslble to these act1V1tles and serVlces.
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PLANNI~G FOR CLOSURE OF THE MAI~ LIBRARY
The Maln Llbrary wlll not be closed untll somet1me after July 1,
1985. DelaY1ng the closure wlll provlde needed tlme for plannlug
both the asbestos removal operatlon and the relocat10n If
feaslble of all or a portlon of the act1v1t1es and serVlces of
the Maln Llbrary.
The closure 15 scheduled to cOlnc1de w1th the re-openlng of the
Ocean Park Branch L1brary followlng lts year-long closure for
renovatlon. ThlS wlll make 1t poss1ble for all three branch
llbrarles to be open when the MalU Llbrary lS closed. It wll1
also permlt the temporary relocatlon of a part of the Haln
Llbrary operatlon to the newly remodeled basernent of the Ocean
Park Branch.
The plannlng process w1l1 commence 1n ~ay 1984. The Clty
Llbrarlan wlll be puttlng together d team composed of members of
the Ilbrary staff. The team wlll prepare d report to the Clty
Counell for submlsslon by December, 1984. 'rhe report wlll pres-
ent varlOUS strategles for deallng wlth the closure, together
wlth thelr cost. Among the ltems to be covered are: 11brary ser-
Vlce optlons, posslble locatlons for temporary operatlons, de-
ployment of personnel, lmpact on branch llbrary serV1ces, publlC
relat1ons, lOglstlCS of rernovlng equlpment and mater1als and
thelr eventual return, and ongolng admlnlstrat1ve and malntenance
support.
In addltlon to the work of the staff team, the Llbrary Board wlll
conduct at least one pub11C hearlng to gather publ12 lnput on the
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celllng problem. The hearlng(s) w1ll be deslgned to ellc~t
publ~c conunents and suggestlons on such tlu_ngs as proposed ser-
Vlce levels and posslble modlflcatlons to llbrary loan pol~c~es
and serv~ce hours durlng the closure. PubllC comments w1ll be
lncorporated lnto the flnal reco~~endat1ons of the staff team.
Impact of L1brary Cell1ng on Other Llbr~9L_~~plta~ProJects
Prlor to the er:lergence of the I1brary ce111ng problem, C1ty staff
had been worklng on two other maJor Ilbrary cap1tal lmprovement
proJects: automat1on of llbrary clrculatlon, catalog, and ac-
qUlsltlons; and a parklng structure to relleve parklng shortages
at the MalO LLbrary.
It lS ant1c1pated that work on these proJ-
ects wlll contlnue, and wlll be coordlnated wlth the celllng
proJect.
The flrst stage of the automatlon proJect, converS10n of llbrary
holdlngs lnformatlon ~nto mach1ne readable format, wlll be unaf-
fected by the eelllng problem, and can proceed durlng flseal year
1984/85. Selectlon of an autornatlon vendor and purchase of
equlpment, orlg~na11y scheduled to take place 1n 1984/85, wlll be
delayed and rescheduled to 1985/86. 81te preparatlon and equlp-
ment lnstallatlon can be sehedule~ to eOlnelde wlth the reoc-
eupancy of the Maln Llbrary.
Plannlng for the parklng structure ~s dependent upon the eomple-
t~on of a study, due In flseal 1983/84, explorlng var~ous deslgn
opt1ons and presentlng a cost analysls of the feaSlbll~ty of pro-
vldlng commerclal space and an urban open area 1n the proJect.
If the project 1S deemed feaslble, lt 15 conce1vable that des1gn
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plannlng for the proJect could proceed durlng 1984/85. That
would make constructlon posslble durlng 1985/86.
If constructlon
were to COlnClde w~th the closure of the Maln L~brary, 1t would
create the least dlsrupt10n to users of the 11brary who also use
the adjacent parklng. However, 1t would requ1re coord1nat1on
wlth the work gOlng on lnSlde the Ilbrciry.
A tlmel~ne lS attached to thls report WhlCh projects a schedule
for lmplementatlon of the four capltal projects addressed In th~s
report: the Ocean Park Branch L1brary renovatlon, the asbestos
removal, the llbrary automat1on, and the parklng structure. It
presents a tentatlve plannlng calendar WhlCh could be 1mple-
rnented. However, 1t does not purport to be the flnal schedule,
as there are too Many factors to be consldered Wh1~h could lmpact
the tlffilng and lffiplementatlon of each of the proJects.
It lS
deslgned to provlde an overV1ew and demonstratlon of how the
projects relate to each other.
Recommendatlon
No Counc~l act10n 15 requested at th15 t~rne.
As further lnforma-
tlon becomes avallable, the Clty CauneLl and Llbrary staff w1ll
be advlsed. Prel1m1nary cost and tlffi1ng prO]ectlons wl1l be In-
corporated 1n the 1984/85 proposed budget.
Prepared By: Carol Aronoff, C1ty Llbrarlan
Lynne C. Barrette, Deputy C1ty Ilanager
Attachment
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commun~ Use of Santa Monlca PUb~ Llbrary
A Report to the Clty Councll
Aorll 10, 1984
I. Background to Report
A. 1983-84 Performance Objective and Actlon Step
B. Sources of Report
II. Highlights of Report
A. Library's Value to Community As Shown in Community
Needs Assessment
B. Profile of Users
C. Non-Residents
D. Use of Main Adult Reference Service
III. Response to Community Needs Assessment
A. Library's high standing ln community is tied
intrinsically to level of support it has received over
the years from City government
B. Staff is constantly attuned to needs and changlng interest
of the library user
C. Interest in encouraging greater use by those ldentified
in the survey as non-users
D. Need to address current operatlng problems
IV. Dlstrlbution of Materials Illustrating Library Services
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The Condltion of the Main Library Ceillng
A Report to the Clty Council
April 10, 1984
I. Status of Ceiling Problem
A. Consultant Recommendations
B. Estimated Costs
c. Staff Recommendatlons
II. Project Planning Activitles
A. Asbestos Removal (General Services)
B. Closure of Maln Library and Temporary Relocatlon
(Library Department)
III. Issues Related to Closlng
A. Impact on Library Servlces ln Clty
B. Factors in Relocation
C. Personnel Issues
IV. Impact of Library Ceiling on Other Llbrary Capital projects
A. Library Automation
B. Main Library Parking Structure
.
Santa
Monica
Public
Library
. A-(TAC~~"M.'t To
C'.s - \
~~R i 0 \9&4
COMMUNITY USE OF THE
SANTA MONICA LIBRARY SYSTEM
A Report to the Santa Monica
City Council. Marcn, 1984
. .
COMMUNITY USE OF THE SANTA MONICA LIBRARY SYSTEM
~
!NTRODUCTION
This report provides an overview of the usage of the Santa
Monica Public Library system. Usage w~ll be descr~bed by the
~pes of commun~ty residents who report using and not us~n9 the
facilities and Py the numbers of books and other materials which
are circulated by the City libraries. Business, non-resident and
school users as well as other auxilia~ l~brary services will
also be reviewed to complete the p~cture of library-related
activities in Santa Monica.
The information generated ~ the 1983 Community Needs
Assessment survey produced extraordinary results related to
library services. Both the importance with which these services
are seen ~ community residents and the favorable ratings of
services as they currently exist warranted a more in-depth look
at the survey results which this report provides. This report
draws data collected by the library staff together with community
survey informat~on to provide as in-depth an analys~s as poss~ble
of l~brazy services.
The purpose of the program review is to provide Counc~l w~th
important information on who is actually utillZing the l~brar~es
a~d who currently is benefiting from library services. This
~nformation will provide a useful program overview and background
information
fur
upcoming
budget decisions wh~ch will be
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considered regard~ng the City 12braries. Program ma2ntenance and
enhancement can be cons~dered in l~ght of the 2nformation related
to current serv2ce levels and the value wh~ch th2s serV2ce holds
for community res~dents.
When reviewing a City program it 2S useful to keep in mind
the primazy objectives of the part~cu1ar service. In regards to
Libraty services the primaxy objectives are seen as:
1. Providing materials, information and programs to enhance the
recreational, educational and cultural life of the commun2ty.
2. Providing free access to ideas by including all points of
view on current and historical issues in the collections.
3. Providing services to the broadest range of community members
as poss~ble, making every effort to see that no subgroup in
the community is excluded.
CONTENTS OF REPORT
This report utilizes information collected by the 1983
CDmmuni~J Needs Assessment survey and various f2gures compiled by
the Library System to descr2be the use of C1ty libra~ serV1ces
~ residents and non-residents of tne City of Santa ~onica.
Frequency of usage as well as satis=action w2th the serv~ces are
also reported =or various groups within the ccm~u~ity. The use
of the main l~brary as opposed ~o branch 12braries are compared
to find any di~ferences in patterns of use, and non users of the
12brarf are described to the extent possible.
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.
.
Areas of library services which are not addressed ~n this
evaluation include:
adequacy of libra~l collect~ons
why non-users do not utilize the service
physical attractiveness and comfort of facilit~es
hours of operation
staff helpfulness and speed of service.
Nevertheless, because l~brary usage is basically voluntary,
unlike other ci~ services,
(e.g. garbage collection, street
ma~ntenance) which c~tizens cannot elect to use or not use, the
volume of usage of the 11braries is an indicat~on of overall
resident satisfaction. Usage figures, as shall be seen in this
report, are sufficiently high that no deta~led review of the
above topics seems necessary at this time.
On
an
ongoing basis,
library staff monitors citizen
complaints and comments as a form of public evaluation of its
program and keeps abreast of innovative services as well as
circulatlon figures of comparable librarJ systems as a form of
self-evaluation.
IMPORTA$CE OF LIBRARY SERVICES ~o CITY RESIDENTS
A surpr~s~ng 71% of City residents sees the ava~lab~li~y of
qual ~ t'j library
services as important to the~r l~v~~g ~n Santa
Monica.
This
percentage
is exceeded only by clean a~r
environment (92%), safe streets (85%) and parks and open spaces
(77%).
Good libraries are very important to a larger percentage
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of residents than a good bus system and quality housing. Quality
libraries are somewhat more important to females than males and
to people with children.
RESIDENT USE OF THE MAIN AND B~~CH LIBRARIES
35% of residents report using the main library 8 or more
times dur~ng the past year, 16% 4-7 times and 20% 1-3 times.
Frequent users of the main library include a higher percentage of
middle income households ($15,OOO-35,OOO/year), than other income
groupings and a slightly higher percentage of apartment dwellers
than those living in single-family homes.
22% of Hispanic
households are frequent users of the main library.
By comparison, 19% of residents report using a branch
library 8 times or more in the past year, 8% 4-7 times and 16%
1-3 times.
Branch libraries draw as very frequent users a
significantly higher percentage of people with children, of
single fam~ly home dwellers than apartment dwellers, those 55
years of age and older and a s~gn~ficantly lower percentage of
blacks and other minorit~es than the main library. ~elghbQrhood
breakdowns for frequent users of the libraries is provlded belcw
and ~n sone cases reflect distance from a l~brary:
% of respondents who report us~ng
faclILty often or very often
Manta Wilsh~re MidCity Pice Sunset Ocean
Maln Libra~J 47 43 28 26 36 40
Branch Library 40 18 8 16 40 19
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NON USERS OF THE CITY LIBRARIES
About 30% of residents report that they didn't use the rna~n
l~brary at all in the past year.
~on users represent a higher
percentage of those without children, those with household
incomes under $15,000 (42%), citizens who are 55 years of age and
over and 43% of Hispanic residents.
56% of residents didn't use a branch library in the past
year with basically the same patterns repeat~ng themselves as
non-users of the main library described above.
RESIDENT RATINGS OF THE SANTA MONICA LIBRARIES
Keeping in mind that about 30% of res~dents report that they
have not used a Ci~ libraxy in the last year, and 16% of
res~dents don't know how to rate the services of the C~ty
libraries, it is impressive that 80% of residents rate the
libraries, both main and branch as excellent or good. 4% rate
them fair or poor.
Breakdowns by neighborhood are provided
below:
Net rating of facility or program
(sum of favorable minus unfavor-
able rat~ngs)
Manta W~lsh~re MidCity P~co Sunset Ocean
Ma~n L~brary or
Branch Librarj
+80
+79
+66
+49
+79
+70
5
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RESIDE~~ &~D NO~-RESIDE~~ USAGE OF THE Sfu~TA MO~ICA LIBRARIES
The Santa Monica Library system views itself as a reg~onal
service.
Th~s view reflects a 20 year trend in l~brary systems
nationwide ~n wh~ch l~braries are seen ~ncreasingly as serv1ng
regional rather than s1mply immediate ccmmun1ty needs. Often
pub11c funding sources have mandated such a V1ew.
~on-residents have for many years been able to obtain
library cards from Santa ~cnica librar1es,
e1ther by p~ing an
annual fee or py qualifying for a free card. Free cards are
issued to non-residents who own property,
attend school full
time,
or are employed in Santa Monica.
Concern has been
expressed in the past that non-resident usage has placed stress
on tne library system without producing income to cover the cost
of service.
However, with passage of the California Librarj
Services Act (eLSA) in 1978,
reimbursements from the state have
compensated libraries l~ke Santa Monica for non-resident usage.
In order to be e11g~ble for CLSA re~mbursements a ~un1c1pa1
li~ra~i must belong to a cooperat~ve li~rary system 1n ~ts
geographic area.
Santa Mon1ca is a ~e~ber of the Metropol~~an
Cooperative L~brary System (~CLS) along w~th 28 otner citJ
Ilbrar~es ~~ the Lcs Angeles area. ~e~bers :oan mater~als,
e~ther through direct borrowlng or inter-librarf loan, ~c ?atrons
of cOCFerat~ng libraries wit~out charge,
and a=e compensated ~
the Cali=ornia State Library under the provis~ons of C~SA.
6
.
.
The followi~g chart descr~bes the var~ous ~ncomes wh~ch have
accrued to the library from service to non-~es~dents over t~e
last 5 years;
CLSA Reimbursements Fees for ~on-resldent Cards
1978/79 $ 1,897 $18,590
1979/80 2,084 17,200
1980/81 1,057 3,000
1981/82 76,995 3,120
1982/83 70,341 3.125
The dramatic Jump ~n income from CLSA occurred ~n 1981/2
when the Los Angeles Pub11C library JOlned MCLS and LA card
holders became e1~gible to borrow books from Santa Mon1ca
libraries at no charge. Wh11e the non-reS1dent card fees dropped
substantially, there was $76,995 in income in a single year WhlCh
carne to the Santa Monica system through part~cipat1on in ~CLS.
The library system is now getting reimbursed through ~he
Callforn1a State Library for loans to non-residents, about 8% of
'.....hClil
are
el1gible
for
Santa
~'1onica ca=ds at
no charge
( .
\:..e.
property
cwner s ,
full
...'
....lme
st~dents, those ennlcved 1~ Santa
~onica) according to a recently conducted surv~1' As ca~ ce seen
from
t~e
above
::igures,
tne 11.;:,~ar.!
is ~cw reccverl~c
sign~ f1.cantly
more of the cost
of serv~ng
,~ .
nc~-:;:aes:'....~en--:.s
t.l1.r ~1..4.~~~
-:.1-:e C:"Srl..
~= overall circulatlcn withln t~e Santa ~cn~ca :~=ra~l
system,
accut 16% involves non-res~dent users 0= t~e :~orary.
The non res1.dents come al~os~ exc1us1.vely fro~ ~~e C~ty 0:: Lcs
"'"
;
.
.
Angeles wit~ a veri small f~acticn corning f~orn other areas ~n Los
Angeles County. ~on-resident usage of the branches is comparable
to the Ma2n library with the exception of the Montana branch
which rece1ves very little non-resident usage (about 4% of total
circulat1on).
While represent1ng about 16% of the bock c1rculat1on,
non-residents represent about 21% of 11brary card holders.
Resident card holders have rerna1ned relatlvely stable over the
past 5 years, while non-resident card holders have doubled in the
same period.
Th1S increase is due to the ellmination of the
non-resident card fee for MCLS eligible librarJ users.
Currently a total of 36,570 Santa Monica residents hold
library cards compared to 10,997 non-residents.
SURVEY OF NON-RESIDENTS APPLYING FOR LIBRARY CARDS
To learn more about non-residents who utl11ze the Santa
MOTIlca 11brar1es and speciflcally to evaluate tbe 1rnpact of new
businesses
an
the
I1brar1es,
a survey of non-resldents
reglsterlng for a Santa Monlca llbrarJ card for a representative
~No-week per~od (~ovember 28-Decernber 10,
1983) was conducted.
~~e
1 .-
~~orary
~ntends to
reoeat tbis survev
. .
for the 9urpose 0=
confi~lng the information presented below.
8
PAGE: 9,12
.
.
~ovember 28-December 10, 1983
Non-neSldent Library Card
Reglstrants
Total number of non-resIdent registratIons 412
Total who qualified for Santa MonIca card
153
~7t:t
-,,/0
TJtal who qualifled only through MCLS
Total who paId $20 for card
258
63%
AnalYSls of those who quallfled for a Santa MonIca card revealed
the followlng lnformation:
1. Total who work 1n Santa Monlca 96 63%
( a) Retall 28 (1ncludes owner)
(b) Mfg/Wholesale 8 (lncludes 1 owner)
( c) Serv ice 32 (includes 3 owners)
( d) Other 28
32 respondents reported the card 1S primar1ly for personal use,
3 for business use, and 10 for both uses.
2. Total who attend school 1n Santa ~onlca
57
37%
( a) Elementary ~ (Includes ~ pr1vate)
-< ,
-'
(b) Jr. High 14 (l71cludes 13 pr1vate)
( c ) 21gh School 12
(d) College 28
3. 70tcil '...he own property :..:1 Santa :-10n.l c a
o
r".-~
oJ'"
As can be seen from the above flgures, new busl~esses can be
expected to have an Impact 1n :r.creasl~g deT.a~d upon lIbrary
serVIces.
9
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LIBRARY BOOK CIRCULATION
In the past 3 years, clrculation of materials at the ~aln
llbrary has increased by 20% with 87% of the clrculatlon
represen~ing adult materials and 13% Juvenile materials. Total
circulation for 1982/83 was 748,230 books.
By comparlson the branch llbrarles reported:
1982/83 Circulatlon
Montana
136,031 (up 4~) 70$ adult
125,038 (up 8%) 71% adult
30% Juvenlle
Fairvlew
29% juvenile
Ocean Park
47,425 (up 14%) 80% adult
20% juvenlle
1982/83 in house materlal clrculation, that 1S material used
wlthin
the
llbraries and returned to shelves by Ilbrary
personnel, lS 450,795 for the system as a whole. This figure
represents a signlficant in house use of library materlals, as
well as a signlficant workload for llbrary staff.
LIBRARY REFERENCE SERVICE
Last year the maln llbrary alone answered over a quarter of
a mllllon reference questIons. A three year survey revealed that
requests for ~eference serVlces at the maln Ilbrary are up by 18%
~lth 95%
(259,023)
comlng from adults
, -~
ana ,~
(12,549) froM
chIldren.
The reference serVlces offered at the branch Ilbrarles
reported the follow~ng volume:
. ~
iV
. .
Adults $
Fa1rV1ew up 21%
nn
n"
""
82/83
82/83
8,720 63%
Juvenlle ~
~
6,367 36%
5,060 3~~
I ~
1,507 18~
Montana up 19% 1n past 3 years 82/83 11,468 64%
Ocean Park up 50%
""
""
""
6,670 82%
A survey of users of the llbrary reference serV1ce WhlCh was
conducted at the main llbrary 1n April, 1982 revealed that
requests for informatIon came from the followlng indIviduals:
In person reference requests:
59% Santa Monlca resldents or property owners
14$ Work or go to school in Santa Monica
27$ Other non residents
By phone reference requests:
55% Santa Monlca resldents or property owners
13% Work or go to school in Santa Monlca
32% Other non resldents
CO~PARISON TO LIBRARY USAGE ELSEWHERE
Although preclse usage flgures for Ilbrarles natlonal:y are
not avallable 1n a for~at Wh1Ch compares exactly ~ith our ~eeds
assessment flndlngs survey; the best estlmate from several
dlfferent studies is that about 20% of t~e pcpulatlon can Je
called frequent users.
This compares wlth the Santa ~cnlca
survey flndlngs that 35% of reSlcents use the maln llbrary a~d
19~ the branch Ilbraries 8 or more ti~es per year.
1 1
.
.
!t ~s possible to compare activities and expend2tures of
Santa Monlca and nearby llbrar~es using statlstics compiled by
the Callfornla State Library.
The clties below are roughly
comparable to Santa ~onlca 1n populatIon and clrculation of
library materials, with the exceptlon of Beverly Hills, which 1S
much smaller but 1S included as a matter of interest.
Total Reference (FTE) --Per Capl.ta---
Circulation Questlons Staff Exp. Cir. Ref.
Santa Monlca 1,O56,721.1 223,296 85. 1 $24.22 11.54 2.44
Torrance 1,214,834 257 t 129 75.5 18.56 9 . 11 1. 93
Glendale 1,165,345 118,217 89. 21.12 8.00 0.81
Pasadena 970,441 184,816 95. 30.17 7.88 1. 50
Huntington Bch 1,126,831 157,800 65.5 12.07 6.31 0.88
Fullerton 954,852 103,606 54. 1 15.42 9.23 0.98
Beverly Hills 676..788 170,082 51.8 47.53 20.70 5.20
(Statist1cs are for 1982/83.)
SERVICE TO LOCAL SCHOOLS
All the City ll.braries have traditionally played host to
ViSltS from individual elementary school classes over the years.
In f1scal 1982/83, 102 classes cons1st1ng of 2,244 students fiom
9 public elementary schools vislted the four Ilbrar~es. They
ch~cked out books and heard storles and book talks. Most class
V1Slts ta~e place :n the mornlng hours before the lIbrarIes are
open to the general publlC.
It 1S lmportant to note that the Ilbrarles also serve San:a
Mon2ca ch1ldren enrolled 1n prlvate and paroch1al schoolsr ~any
of which have no library facilit1es. In 1982/83 404 81asses
conslst1ng of 8r039 students from 21 schools paid V1s1ts to the
Santa Monlca Ilbrar1es.
12
.
.
Tile publlC Ilbrary is concerned over the recent cutbacks ln
publ~c school librarians and the resultant reduction in the
publlC school llbrary hours. It is predlcted that If thls
sltuatlon continues, it wlll result in lncreased demands on thd
public library to provide lnstructlonal services and curriculum
materials. In addition the demand for class vlsits from publlC
school classes could lncrease to an unmanageable level as a
result of a decl~ne 1n the number of school librarians.
OTHER LIBRARY SERVICES
In addition to the c~rculation of materlals (includlng
books, films, periodials, records, documents and vldeo cassettes)
reference services and serVlces to school classes, the library
also offered a variety of other services in FY1982183 lncluding
childrens programs wlth a combined attendance of 10,230; programs
for adults with a combined attendance of 14,834, and 918
scheduled communlty events in library meetlng rooms which are
avallable to the publlC. A program for shut-lns provlded 2,762
hours of servlce, and the art gallery offered a varlety of
exhlblts at the maln library.
~QOKING AHEAJ
As
the
Communlty
Needs
Assessment survey shows, a
slgnlflcant proportation of Santa Monica cltlzens ~ot only use
thelr llbrarles but rate them as exceller.t or good. Llbrarles
are a hlghly valued Glty servlce. ThlS favorable Vlew lS 11nked
1ntrlnslcally to budgetary support. The Clty has conslstently
~ ~
.
.
funded its llbrary serVlce at a level that has permitted aaequate
staffing to keep the libraries open at convenient hours and has
allowed librarlans to maintaln up-to-date collectlons responsive
to user needs.
In order to keep this high standard of library materlals and
hours of service in the face of constantly rislng costs, the
ll~rary staff has advocated automatlon of certain functions. A
library 1S an extremely labor-1ntensive serVlce requir1ng, as lt
does, heavy and constant 1nteraction between staff and users,
plus the performance of many repetitive clerical tasks.
Automation of some of the most labor-intensive services (i.e.
circulatlon control, catalog Malntenance, and acqulsltions) is a
means of lncreasing staff productivity and efflclency. Whlle the
initlal outlay for purchase of equlpment and conversion to
nochlne-readible records is conslderable, the long-term gain
would be even greater. Automation remains an lmportant goal for
the Ilbrary to achleve.
The renovat1on of the Ocean ?ark Branch Llbrary, expected to
be completed 10 flscal 1984/85, 13 another 1mportant step in
improvlng lLbrary serVlce to Santa Monica. A deterloratlng and
overcrowded faClllty has resulted ln a hlgh percentage of non-use
by the neighborhood it serves. The renovation wlll ~ncrease the
floor space, add an attractlve community meeting room, prOVide
access for the disabled, and upgrade the physLcal structure for
seism1C safety. At the same tlme the charm of the old Carnegle
bUlldlng, a historical landmar~ hlghly valued by Ocean ?ark
111
.
.
residents,
w~ll
be
preserved
and
enhanced by the new
construct~on. The l~brary anticipates provlding new services and
programs which, ~t 1S hoped, will result in higher use by the
communlty.
An area of concern is the use made of l~brary serVlces by
the Hlspanic communlty in Santa Monica. Even though 22% report
that they use a library, 43% say they do not. In order to reach
these res~dents there 15 a real need for Spanish speaK1ng staff
members.
During the last year the Ilbrary has hlred three
Hispan~c librarlans in the adult reference department and one
Hispanic Staff ASs1stant II at the Fairvlew branch. The addltion
of a new position at the Fairview Branch for a Spanish-speaking
ou~reach librarIan would enable the library to enlarge 1ts
Span~sh language collectlons and encourage greater use of library
serv~ces by the HispanIc communIty.
Whlle it is appropriate to be aware of the non-user, it ~s
even more imperative that the needs of the people who are already
li~rory users be addressed. The users of the ma~n Ilbrary are
experlenclng dlfficult~es wlth lnadequate parkIng and lac~ of
seating and study space.
The City IS currently studYIng tne
feaslb~llty of constructlng a parkIng structure 1n the Seventh
Street parkIng lot behind the main lIbrary.
StIll to be
addressed IS the feaSIbility of expanding the malO llbrary to
per~~t ~ore space for study, especlally In the Second Floor
Per:odlcal Room, and space for public access microcomputers,
ty~ewrlters, and microfilm equipment.
~ -
j~
.
.
Wlth the support of City CouncIl, the library wlll contlnue
to provIde qualIty services and explore new ways to enhance the
cultural llfe of the communlty. As the Santa Monica lIbrary
system responds to the changing needs of Santa Monica, its valued
place in the communIty WIll remaIn strong.
PREPARED BY: Vivian Rothstein
Community Liaison
16
.
.