Sunnyvale's Library of the Future

2008-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

Whoops! Posted to the wrong blog. Let's try again on the other one, Sunnyvale Library Today.

2008-01-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season - I did. I’m just back from a wonderful Central American adventure with family and friends, a real bonding experience which I highly recommend. During my vacation I found that I had not once worried about how things were going at home. News flash to Deb – You are not Type A! But more to the point, I know that the Sunnyvale Library has dedicated, talented staff here at all times.

The bloom of the vacation has worn off quickly though. Prepared for the day, knowing that I had a challenging meeting scheduled early on, things didn’t start off as well as I had hoped. I spilled café mocha on my clothes just minutes before my meeting with a library patron whom I believed had a problem to discuss with me. This was an unfortunate beginning for what I suspected would be a talk about double digit library fines!

Fines are sometimes an emotional issue for the public, as well as for library staff members. From the staff perspective, many of us intensely dislike having to charge fines. After all, we are in the business of freely providing information and freely loaning materials. I, for one, have found myself trying to give information to people who have not even asked me for it. Fines and fees are one approach to the business side of libraries which requires that materials be returned on time in order for the system to work, and they help recover the cost of replacing materials that are not returned. In between fines/fees and patrons/staff are special circumstances, human error and miscommunications. Dealing with library fines is NOT the fun part of being a librarian. Meeting and talking with library users IS a fun part, even under circumstances that are not the very best.

We renewed our commitment to excellent customer service at a staff meeting at the beginning of the year. Sunnyvale Library management staff also agreed to “go the extra mile” to address customer service issues whenever we could do so. While we recognize that we must adhere to policies and procedures, we also agreed that we would strive to better understand the patrons’ perspective and look for opportunities to serve them. This was my opportunity. The library user had asked for a meeting with me but had not specified the reason. I scouted around for a likely problem that this meeting could solve. Identifying one possibility, staff and I discussed a potential approach to the topic, just in case we were right about the purpose of the meeting. So, having completed the research and changed my clothes, I was ready to meet our library user. Imagine my delight as we met and the patron said, “I am having a problem with my beloved library.” The day just got infinitely better...

2007-12-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

As a City of Sunnyvale staff member, I have been silent on this blog for awhile so as not to confuse these entries with the political campaign for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future, which was led by community members. By now most of you have heard that Measure B, the City’s ballot initiative that would have funded the construction of Sunnyvale’s Library of the Future, did not pass. The majority of Sunnyvale’s voters, 59%, favored the new library but requirements in California stipulate that a super-majority must approve such a project (67%).

It’s been difficult to digest this loss of a dream. I believe that it could have brought a wonderful reality to Sunnyvale. Located just two blocks from the new downtown, the new library would have helped create a stronger hub for commercial, educational and leisure activities, all in a one-mile radius. Receiving 59% approval for the library is heartening though. With any other ballot measure, 59% would have been considered a huge success. I sincerely hope that this thought will not be lost on those who wonder if library services are valued in Sunnyvale. Our library is being used now more than ever, and I believe the same is true of other libraries in the Silicon Valley area. Yes, even so in the age of the Internet, and perhaps because of it. The needs identified in the Sunnyvale Library of the Future study still exist. How they will be addressed in the future is not clear at this point in time.

So, for now we move on to a new chapter in our Library. I say a dream is lost but that’s only temporary. Dreams have a way of reoccurring and revising themselves. What we have now is another opportunity for the Library to understand the concerns of the community and to re-examine the possibilities for future library services. I will retire the Sunnyvale Library of the Future blog for the foreseeable future. However, I hope to give you a glimpse of the Sunnyvale Library, its services, plans and people. So, starting early next year (2008) please look out for a new blog from me called, Sunnyvale Public Library Today, which you may find at: http://sunnyvalelibrarytoday.blogspot.com/. I hope to bring to you my perspective on the interesting, fun and challenging things happening in our library from time to time.

Thanks for reading along with me, and I hope to see you in the near future.

Deborah L. Barrow
Director
Sunnyvale Public Library

2007-07-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that the Sunnyvale Library of the Future project has been approved to go forward as a funding request to voters. Through their unanimous vote on Tuesday evening, the City Council completed all steps required to place a general obligation bond for the new library on the November 6, 2007 election ballot.

This is a momentous step for the City of Sunnyvale. By all reports, this is the first general obligation bond to be placed on a Sunnyvale election ballot in decades. If the ballot measure is passed by two-thirds of the voters, the new library project will be one of the most significant public facility projects in Sunnyvale.

For community members, a new library could make a big difference. Sunnyvale and its surrounding communities are great proponents of education and the opportunity for self improvement, both symbolic of what the public library has to offer each and every community member. The new library would offer the upgrade and expansion of the children’s reading and learning areas, provide a greater and more diverse collection of books and other materials, and more computers for children, seniors and the general public. Quiet reading areas, study rooms, and community meeting rooms, all of which are missing in the current facility, would be available along with expanded educational and cultural programs.

Many people love the warmth and friendliness of the existing 1960’s brick building with the signature stained glass window and the inspiring man “Out to Lunch” statue in front of the library. Whether these two signature Sunnyvale Public Library features move to the new facility is open to possibilities. What we do know is that the existing building has been expanded twice in the past and would be too expensive and inefficient to expand again. The building has aged and cannot meet the demands of a very busy public library, although it could be renovated as future office space.

Over 2,100 library users come to the Sunnyvale Public Library on average on a daily basis, making it one of the busiest libraries in California per hour for its size and population category, according to statistics reported to the California State Library. The Sunnyvale Public Library had over 2.2 million checkouts last year with approximately 300,000 of those checkouts going to non-Sunnyvale residents.

Some have expressed surprise that nonresidents can use the Sunnyvale Public Library. However, Sunnyvale residents also go to other libraries in the area; and last year they checked out approximately 1 million items at those other libraries, thus addressing their unmet needs in Sunnyvale.

Council’s decision to go forward with a ballot measure to fund the construction of the new library will address the community’s needs now and well into the future. A library as busy as Sunnyvale’s requires more space and a modern physical infrastructure with upgraded electrical, plumbing and other building systems to support a growing community.

The new library, if approved, will be located at Olive Ave. and Charles St. adjacent to the current library building. The City purchased the site for $17 million in 2000 for future Civic Center expansion. A portion of the site, which was vacant land, was approved by the City for lease last year for a community garden. The lease was for a period of 5 years. Since the garden has been very successful on the site, Council has mandated that the new library design creatively incorporate the concept of a community garden. The library and garden community will work together to accomplish the Council’s goals.

The design shown from past meetings is only a concept. After approval of the funding and the establishment of a contract with an architectural design firm, the actual design of the building will be developed. There will be community involvement in the design process, as well.

The preliminary plan for the library is for an 116,000 s.f. building with the option to expand up to 143,500 s.f., depending on the availability of funding. The City is highly committed to environmental sustainability. The City Council’s direction to staff is that the new library should be a green building designed to achieve a certification level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System) Platinum and carbon neutral. LEED Platinum is the highest of designations in the point system developed by the US Green Building Council to measure environmental sustainability in buildings.

If the $108 million general obligation bond measure passes in November, the design process, including public input will begin early in 2008 with completion of the library in 2010/2011. The general obligation bond would cost an average of $19.52 per $100,000 in assessed valuation.

Library staff is committed to providing the best service possible given the current facility and resources. Please continue to use our services and give us your feedback. Library staff also will eagerly await the community’s decision regarding funding. We will make preparations to move forward in a timely manner if two-thirds of the voters approve funding for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me. I will be happy to provide factual information about the project and the library, to the best of my ability.

2007-07-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! Or, Happy Independence Day! We will be making an appearance in the next few hours at Washington Park for the City’s annual Independence Day celebration and picnic. The Mayor plans to give his State of the City address. I’ve heard that he will mention the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. I’m very excited to hear his speech. I hope people will come by our booth to ask about the project, too.

This is probably one of our last appearances at a public event where we can easily talk about the project. It is possible that discussions about the new library project will shift to campaign mode in a few months and that’s not something we do in the library. The library advocates will launch a campaign to build the library. Staff will only supply the facts about the project, such as why such a project is proposed, what problems will the new library resolve, how much it will cost, how long it will take. Staff cannot be involved in advocacy.

Oh, didn’t I tell you?!!!? The City Council voted on June 19 to move forward with the next stage of the Sunnyvale Library of the Future! By that I mean that Council voted to direct staff to complete the work required to include a funding request to the voters for the new library on the November 2007 election ballot. The funding for such a project is the issue now. The need for the new library has been well established. We ran out of space to support the Sunnyvale community many years ago, as noted in a study as far back as 1992. Results of a current, comprehensive study of community needs through 2030, indicate that Sunnyvale needs a library of approximately 143,500 square feet.

There are impediments to improving the current library facility and it would be more expensive then building a new library. Having added on to the building through two expansion projects, along with the brick construction of the library, the building is a series of adjoining rooms that do not flow very well for library use and leave little room for the improvements needed. New technologies require wired access, electrical connections, hardwiring as well, all of which are extremely difficult to add in the current building. In fact, staff has been told that we are at capacity for phones and computers. There’s no logical way to make new connections that are needed. We are at absolute capacity for people too. If you have seen the children’s room, you know it is cramped and not so attractive.

So on July 17, we will take to Council the actual wording for an election ballot measure to fund the new library!!! The measure will most likely talk a little bit about the "why" in terms of what are the library needs and then get to the point of "what" would be approved. Due to the cost of such a project, the City is now proposing to build an 116,000 s.f. library at the corner of Olive and Charles across from City Hall. The new library is projected to cost $108M, which based on a community survey, seems to be about what community members would be willing to pay for their new library in Sunnyvale.

There are temporary buildings on the site and Council leased the vacant part of the expansion space for the project to the community garden last year, for a five-year period. Council has indicated they would like for staff and the community garden group to work collaboratively. They would like for the architects to creatively incorporate the concept of a community garden in the new library plan. When the architects are hired for the actual library plan, the various needs of the library, the site requirements, entry/exit, parking needs, and the community garden will all be taken into account. Community meetings will also help staff and the architects review all needs for the project.

It should be noted that the cost estimate anticipates that it takes a few years to plan and complete construction of the building. In the meantime, the construction costs tend to escalate. Also, the City Council is committed to building an environmentally sustainable or "green" library, so there are upfront costs that have to be taken into account for these additional features. There is a possibility that the State of California will have additional grant funds for libraries through a proposed statewide ballot measure. If that occurs and Sunnyvale is a successful applicant, then the library could be built at the recommended size of approximately 143,500 s.f. A lot of the possibility for obtaining additional funds depends on approval processes as well as timing.

So, if you happen to be in the area today, please stop by our booth and talk with us about the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. We will have lots of interesting things for families and children at our booth, too. Also, this may be the last chance at one of these events to say hello to our Head of Children’s Services, Betsy Wachter. After some 30 wonderful years of serving children and families in Sunnyvale, Betsy will be retiring from what she has said has been a truly rewarding career.

See you at the picnic…

2007-05-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged and I’ll try not to be contrite about it. I’ve discovered I’m a “happy times’ blogger, that’s all. Much has happened since my last installment. I’ll try to catch you up, if you have not been following developments of the Sunnyvale Library of the Future on your own. It’s Ok if you haven’t; the purpose of this blog is to give you the shortcut, the fast and fun facts – all in keeping with “happy times” blogging, right?

At the April 24th meeting of the City Council, there was a lively discussion about the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. Check out the minutes of the meeting for the details. The summary is this: the Council selected as their preferred scenario to have the new main library placed in the Civic Center at the corner of Olive and Charles, next door to the current library. There was concern expressed about the fate of the community garden which is behind the temporary buildings and parking lot on the site of the Sunnyvale Office Center. The community garden was established a year ago through a 5-year lease to community members from the City on land the City had purchased for possible expansion of the library. The Council voted to have the architects attempt to creatively incorporate the community garden concept in the design of the library.

Council gave direction for the library to be anywhere between 133,500 square feet to 143,500 square feet. The cost of the project, based on the study, would be $108M and additional on-going operational costs would be $1.2M. Remodeling and expanding the existing building for continued use as a library would have cost even more, $7M more! The current building could be converted to office use.

The Council also would like for the new library to be a LEED platinum project or equivalent, meaning that green design and sustainability will be extremely important factors. For now, the Council has decided to forego a branch library and reconsider the branch option once the new main library is online. Staff will look for alternatives in service delivery to underserved areas in the meantime.

It is gratifying to see the project move forward to this point. Of course, the ultimate question is how does this project get paid for? Starting tonight, a community opinion survey will measure Sunnyvale residents’ interest in paying for the capital costs and the additional ongoing operating costs of the new library through a possible general obligation bond and/or community facilities district. Sunnyvale is very concerned about and supportive of educational opportunities and cultural enrichment. The results will tell what the current priorities are for the community. We will deliver the results of the community opinion survey and the finalized conceptual design of the new library to Council on June 12, 2007.

And, there is some very good news! Remember the young people that helped spread the word about the Sunnyvale Library of the Future and increased teen involvement in the project? Yes, I am speaking of Rohit, Max and Sunny. Well, they were among the winners in the Future Business Leaders of America state-wide competition. Homestead High School’s teams carried away 42 of the 73 top places, a remarkable record. And our team from the LOF project received 2nd place for the community service component of the competition. Rohit, Max and Sunny, along with other Homestead FBLA teammates will be going to the national competition. This project has benefited so much from their participation. We wish them the very best – happy times for all!

2007-01-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Want to see something fabulous? Take a look at the Sunnyvale Library of the Future Web page (libraryofthefuture.inSunnyvale.com) and glance at the photos associated with an event held here at the Library yesterday. You’ll see the Future Business Leaders of America of Homestead High School; the Sunnyvale Mayor, the Honorable Otto Lee; and Sunnyvale Vice Mayor, the Honorable Tony Spitaleri. The occasion is the presentation of a check of over $4,500 for the Sunnyvale Public Library from the Future Business Leaders of America!

This is our first donation specifically for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. I love that a project designed to meet future and current community needs is coming from our future leaders. (Really, they’re leaders already, aren’t they?)

Remember the fundraising effort I described a few months ago when the FBLA arranged the 1st Annual Fremont Union High School District Teachers’ Dodgeball Tournament? Well, this check represents the proceeds from that tournament. And, there will be more money from the students’ gift wrapping efforts at Borders Bookstore! This is all from their belief that the Sunnyvale Library of the Future is a worthwhile project that is important to the future youth and other members of this community.

These young leaders, including their teacher/advisor, the ever-youthful Mr. Byron Lee, are so professional, dedicated, smart, and enthusiastic! Their “can do” attitude is inspiring to me and all of the team members working on the library project.

Thanks again, FBLA for believing in our future library, and for doing what you can to bring it to reality!!!

2007-01-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

There’s a commercial on television that shows the wife in the foreground talking about the wonders of a new telecommunications system they now have at home. She calmly talks about how much money the family is saving and how easy the system was to install. Unbeknownst to her and embarrassingly, her husband is so happy with the system, he’s in the background dancing away to a song – “Woo-who, woo-who-who, Woo-who, woo-who-who!”

Well, I feel like doing that same dance!

We went to Council last night to deliver the Sunnyvale Library of the Future Study and Strategy and presented the recommendations developed by Anderson Brulé and City staff. Council had questions, and our choices were certainly challenged but in the end, the recommendations were accepted unanimously with an addition of one more goal the Council felt would be important as an indication of the quality of library services for the community.

So, we are officially examining options for a new library and a branch. What progress! Great work team, and thanks so much! We have our work cut out for us.

“Woo-who, woo-who-who! Woo-who, woo-who-who!"

Stay tuned...

2007-01-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. Sorry for the silence on this Blog over the last few weeks. However, silence does not mean that there was a lack of activity...

The end of the year is often dedicated to gift giving and expressions of appreciation, and so it was at Sunnyvale Public Library, too. The Board of Library Trustees had their annual Customer Appreciation Day on December 2nd. Board members were at the Library to offer refreshments and converse with patrons about the Library’s services and the Sunnyvale Library of the Future.

Along with the wonderful generosity of the Friends of the Library and people who donate books and funds for miscellaneous items, the Library also received some special donations during this period. Susan and Sam Shankle donated a beautiful display case in memory of their parents, Sam and Rose Marie Shankle. The display case is located near the fireplace and coordinates well with the new Library Marketplace area. Please take a moment to read the Library’s newsletter article on the Shankle’s donation and the funny, heartwarming story told to us by Susan’s husband Paul Pittinger, about the “protest” he and his brother Frank lodged at their local library during their youth.

------------------
The unveiling of the display case donated by the Shankle family. From left to right: Paul Pittenger, Tami Shankle, Sam Shankle, Pat Mc Caw, Susan Shankle, and Pat Howard
------------------

The Library also received an anonymous donation of $10,000 for children’s books and programs through the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program. We are so grateful to the generosity of the person that recommended our library and to the donors of the endowment program. As we continue to plan for the future, such donations help us stay current, showcase library materials, and enhance services in support of the community.

Through the valiant efforts on the part of all parties involved, the draft study of the Sunnyvale Library of the Future is now complete and will be reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees on Monday, January 8, 2007 in the Library Program Room at 7:00 p.m. We are very proud of this report. In my personal opinion, the report is informative and the findings are interesting. Kudos to Anderson Brulé Architects, and our Library and City of Sunnyvale team members for a job well done!

We hope that you will be able to join us at the Board of Library Trustees meeting to hear the results of the study firsthand. An additional and very important opportunity to hear a discussion of the study and recommendations to move forward will occur at the Sunnyvale City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. In the meantime, please feel free to call the Library or email me for more information or to provide your input.

Here’s hoping for a wonderful, prosperous New Year for all!

2006-11-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

I just received a very nice note from Danielle alerting me to the appeal from another local library’s foundation requesting donations. Danielle wanted to know if the Sunnyvale Public Library is considering forming a foundation, too. We would love to do so! All that is needed is a few concerned community members to discuss the purpose of the foundation, establish their board and file the appropriate paperwork, and voilà, a nonprofit foundation in support of the Sunnyvale Public Library will be formed. Well, it probably sounds simpler than it is and I may have missed some steps, but it’s been done before elsewhere and I believe that it really wouldn’t be that hard to do here.

My understanding, however, is that as a Library staff member and City employee, I cannot, or perhaps should not (due to the possible conflict of interest) establish a nonprofit foundation to raise funds for the Library myself. That’s where you, my friendly reader, have an opportunity to help. I believe that I, on the other hand, can serve as a technical resource.

If three to five people could be brought together to begin discussing this, I imagine it would be a great start to help the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. The timing seems perfect, too, as we are smack dab in the middle of looking at the future needs of the community from its library. Just give me a call and we can meet for lunch to discuss this idea. I would love to talk with any of our library supporters about the next level of support from the community, which indeed could be a foundation.

Thanks for reading this Blog. Thanks for mentioning it and thinking about a foundation. I hope to hear from you. Ok, that’s probably as much as I should say about it for now :-)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

2006-11-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

We’ll do anything to get this job done on time! No, seriously, we will. Sam and I needed to attend the California Library Association conference this past weekend because of prior commitments, and to obtain important information we knew would be available at the conference. Even though it’s essential to go, attending a conference under normal circumstances would have meant taking time away from completing tasks for the Library of the Future project. However, in our case it just meant more multitasking! While at the conference, Sam and I would have meetings about the Library of the Future (LOF) between the conference sessions and we would strategize which sessions to attend for the best value to the project. Our deadline for the first draft of the study of the LOF could not be adjusted, so the work went on - doubletime. And, we worked while we were sick - Sam the previous week and now me this week. (I know that's not a good thing to do and I do not recommend it.)

The conference provided some crucial information though, including an answer to a question that one of the members of the Library Board of Trustees had asked of us. I was able to get a copy of a report that was delivered at the conference, a survey of costs, benefits and staffing needs related to the implementation of RFID in libraries in California. Librarians are great, we always share information. I owe a debt of gratitude to Elena Engel, the Branch Library Improvement Program Director for the Friends of San Francisco Public Library. In a show of true librarian sisterhood, Elena understood my plight when I told her I was writing a report that very day and really needed the information she was just making available at the conference. She was very gracious and went out of her way to help me.

Sam and I worked through the conference and then went on to complete our reports on Tuesday. I am very pleased to say the draft documents for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future - the Needs Assessment, Plan of Service, Building Program, and Existing Facility Assessment are complete for review by our various internal reviewers. What a relief! With a lot of help we got the job done and it’s pretty doggone good!

There are many steps still to go. What we have just completed in draft form is the study that will be delivered to our Board in December and the Council in January. We think there’s some compelling information to help determine a future direction. We’ll see what the Council thinks in January. In the meantime, there’s still plenty of work to be done on the next phase of preparation. It’s a good thing we have great people like Sam, the folks at ABA, my fabulous library and City colleagues, and the other wonderful that people we run into along the way, like Elena. Couldn’t get the job done without ‘em!

2006-11-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

Staff from ABA and project Core Team members have been working diligently on the draft Needs Assessment and Plan of Service. The efforts all around are commendable and considerable progress has been made. The Needs Assessment part of the document is nearly ready for review and presentation to the Council.

The Core Team is reviewing the first draft of the Plan of Service. The assumptions that are made in the Plan of Service are meant to be a starting point to give an overall idea of staffing requirements, materials needed and the anticipated costs for providing future library services based on the needs and expectations that have been expressed. Adjustments to the plan will be made based on Council direction regarding preferred options and the level of funds available to be allocated.

The project came closer to reality in the minds of staff members as architects and engineers arrived at the library a few days ago to measure and review the existing facility. The information that has been gathered is being compiled in the first draft of the Building Program, which will be discussed by the Core Team tomorrow. This is a very exciting step as it translates all of the information gathered so far into square feet and describes the relationship and function of the spaces within this remarkable “ideal” library.

2006-11-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to see Homestead High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) in action yesterday. I walked into the Homestead High School gym to attend a dodge ball tournament/fundraiser in support of teen space in the Sunnyvale Library of the Future, and to my complete surprise entered a room full of people!

Rohit and Max, as I have mentioned before, are the students in charge of the community service project for the Homestead High School FBLA. The FBLA students came up with a fundraising idea that was fun for everyone, fueled by school and team spirit, and a sense of commitment to their community. Every single high school in the Fremont High School District was represented by students, teachers, staff, and administration.

In the audience were approximately 1,000 people rooting for their school’s team of teachers. The students were a vision to behold. The teachers danced to the music and dodged the ball. In general, they showed off and made sure the crowd had a good time. Decked out in a black suit, Charles, the President of FBLA, was the emcee for the evening. If you’ve ever seen the announcer rally the crowd for a professional boxing match, then multiply that excitement times 2 for the way that Charles rallied the attendees at the dodge ball tournament!

It was amazing to see 1,000 students and family members having fun on a school night! It was awe-inspiring to watch 100 teachers, staff and administrators in action as they showed their support for current and future students by dodging that ball! I felt very proud and thankful also for the contribution from my colleagues in Public Safety, Chief Don Johnson and Neighborhood Resource Officer Jim Davis, who acted as the tournament referees.

I still feel overwhelmed with joy and excitement to know that FBLA took on a project in support of their community and delivered such outstanding results in such a short time. I want to give a “shout out” to students, teachers, staff, and administrators of the Fremont High School District, to Cupertino High School, Fremont High School, Homestead High School, Lynbrook High School, and Monta Vista High School! Go-o-o-o teams, and thanks to everyone!

The future is very bright in the hands of these young leaders.

2006-10-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

We have spent most of the last two weeks working in small groups with Sam McBane Mulford, Rob Cameron, and Monique Wood, all of Anderson Brule Architects. After sorting through a wealth of information from the various community meetings and the literature available about libraries and information delivery, our charge has been to develop a cohesive plan to deliver library services through the year 2030.

The exercises designed by ABA have been fun and rewarding for staff. They certainly have tested our ability to look that far into the future. Some staff members involved in the process have been with the library for many years, and there are brand new librarians involved as well. We tried to include fulltime and part-time staff from various types of positions, too. One participant, Juanita Harris, has been a librarian at Sunnyvale Public Library for nearly 40 years. So, I would say that she has seen some changes in library services! Juanita tried to describe to me some sort of onion skin paper that made copies as you wrote. It sounded like magic from the way she described it. A few of the other long-time staffers talked about the EDP (electronic data processing) or keypunch cards that recorded the loan of materials on the “state-of-the-art” computer. Sunnyvale and the library business have come a long way since then!

One thing that is still consistent in terms of community need from its library is the book. Although not many people said this in our community meetings, there are some people who believe the book will soon be passé. Others are very sentimental about books and believe that books are here to stay because of the look, feel, smell and longevity of that format. There’s still a comfort that derives from reading a book. The reality is probably some combination of books as well as electronic information delivery to a variety of devices at or by means of the library. Our biggest challenge for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future is to do the research, read the signs of what is likely to come, and to be forward thinking about what the information delivery systems could be in future years. We have to plan accordingly, keeping our plans flexible enough to allow the library to be what it must be in the future in order to be relevant to the community.

In our brainstorming with ABA, one of our tasks was to create a new mission statement. After a lot of discussion, the following morning one of our staff members, Joyce Hanson, was burning to tell us what she had dreamed up. After hearing it, we all agreed it fits us now and hopefully, from now on.

Sunnyvale Public Library
Your Gateway to Knowledge, Enrichment and Enjoyment
Today, Tomorrow and in the Future!

2006-10-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Library staff had an eventful week of planning for the future and showcasing current services to the community. A group of 20 library staff members met with ABA on Tuesday and Wednesday to develop a plan of service for the library of the future. Staff really enjoyed the process designed by ABA to identify parameters for the types of services that would be important. Our goal is to design services based on the input community members have given over the last few years. Results show that there was a common theme of “keep doing what you are doing and more.”

One of the highlights of the week was the Sunnyvale Public Safety Eighth Annual Community Pancake Breakfast and Safety Fair. In past years more than a thousand community members have participated in this Saturday morning event. While I do not have the final count for this year, I would guess the same was true for Saturday, October 14.

Library Booth at the Public Safety Pancake
Breakfast on Saturday, October 14, 2006

Members of the Library Board of Trustees were on hand to meet and greet the public. Trustee members Jim Griffith, John Lilly, Kathleen Meagher, and Narendra Pathak spent much of their morning at the library’s booth talking about library services and showing examples of library materials. An important topic of conversation was, “What is happening with the plans for a new library?”

Library staff had prepared notebooks with information about the visioning process for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future highlighting the steps that have been taken and those that are to follow. In particular, the future meetings scheduled to discuss this topic - Library Board of Trustees meeting dates, and Council meeting dates, were pointed out.

I thought library staff did an exceptional job developing the themes and pulling together the materials for the booth. It looked fabulous, was very interesting to the community members, relevant, and informative. I’d like to give a special thank you to staff member, Rachel (Ray) McConnell. Ray took the lead in making arrangements for the booth and stayed at the fair the entire morning. Her enthusiasm about the services and materials we provide was evident and infectious.

My most gratifying moment at the booth - the dad and son that noticed the flyer about the November 1 program in which NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Eric Norris will be at the library to do a presentation titled, “The Golden Age of Astronomy is Now.” The dad’s question, “Is it alright if my son comes along to the program?” Our answer: “You betcha!” And then, the son picked up the book about astronomy or space exploration which was on display at the booth. He quietly started reading it, right then and there! As they say, “priceless!”

Similar results were reported for last night’s City-sponsored event, the Columbia Neighborhood Center Family Fun Night. Staff members Beth Nord and Marti Krow-Lucal arranged for a library booth at the event. They were thrilled with the turnout and energized by their contact with community members. Beth and Marti reported that community members showed a high level of interest in the library, thanks to the bilingual storytimes, displays and gifts. Thank you Marti and Beth for your extra efforts as well! Again, “priceless!”

Columbia Neighborhood Center, Oct 18, 2006

2006-10-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! We’ve had an active week reviewing the initial draft of the Needs Assessment portion of the report on the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. It’s always challenging and exciting to wade through the decision-making process of what information is most important in this sort of document, and what format would be best received by the audience. There are still so many decision points looming that eventually will help the City Council determine what path to take. We will keep doing our best. We have a great group of people working on the project, diversely talented and professional. We all stand ready to do our part!

One of the biggest questions/challenges about the Library of the Future project relates to funding. If the concepts and recommendations for a new library are approved by Council, where will the funding come from? While there is no definitive answer to that yet, a small, influencial group is making a headstart.

Two members of the Homestead High School Future Business Leaders of America club have come forward with an offer to help. Rohit Ramchandani (left) and Max Babicz (right) met with me several months ago to offer assistance to the Library. They see the library as a source of support for the community’s students, and they wanted to lend a helping hand as part of the public service component of their Future Business Leaders of America program.

Among the considerable assistance they have already given, is an offer to raise funds for the Library of the Future by organizing a dodge ball tournament featuring the teachers of Homestead High School on November 2, 2006. The funds raised will be the first official offer of a contribution toward the Library of the Future. How fitting to have that first offer of a contribution come from our future leaders! And just as fittingly, we anticipate that the funds raised will be used toward furnishings and materials for the Teen section of the new library!

Thank you Rohit, Max, and Homestead High School Future Business Leaders of America! Many thanks to the students and teachers who will attend and/or participate in the dodge ball tournament You are so awesome! Because of you, I am all the more encouraged and energized over our preparations to serve the next generation at the Sunnyvale Public Library.

2006-10-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve been dilly-dallying about getting my next installment up on this Blog. It’s a bit of a challenge to know the exact, right thing to say each time but once I get started, it’s not quite so difficult. I suppose that’s the way it is whenever you procrastinate, right?

Great news though in terms of outreach for the Sunnyvale Library of the Future - our meetings at the Library specifically related to the Library of the Future concluded last week. However, the Library had scheduled another big event called Lakewood Family Fun Night on September 28, one week and a day after the Community Forum and it turned into another opportunity to reach community members. The Lakewood Family Fun Night event was planned as an open house at the Sunnyvale Public Library through the efforts of the Lakewood School Librarian, Valerie Torres, the Lakewood School PTA, and the Sunnyvale Library Children’s Division. Several teachers and the Principal helped manage the event.

The Friends of the Sunnyvale Public Library paid for the transportation, which turned out to be a super bus, and the PTA arranged for the food which was in large part donated by Lee’s Sandwiches. Thanks to all those efforts, there were over 170 people here in our little ole library’s program room to hear about the library’s services, check out books and other materials, and of course, enjoy the food. It was a very festive evening full of good stories, great books, camaraderie, family togetherness, and a clear message of support for education at Lakewood School.

As I was saying, it was a very special outreach opportunity as well. The big bonus of the evening was that our bilingual staff, including yours truly, had the opportunity to talk with our Family Fun Night audience about the Sunnyvale Library of the Future in Spanish and English. We asked for feedback about what barriers exist to library use, what people think they will want from their library in the future, etc. The responses were very similar to those obtained through other efforts, such as through the Library of the Future Web site and the various meetings we’ve held. What stood out was that there were far more requests for literacy training, materials to help learn English, and the return of the bookmobile.

All of the comments and data collected so far are being compiled by our consultant, Anderson Brule Architects, for the Needs Assessment part of the report we plan to deliver to Council in January. We expect to discuss this part of the report at the next Library Board of Trustees meeting on November 6. I hope you will consider dropping by to hear about it first hand and give us your feedback. One way or another, through our Web site, through this Blog or at the Library Board meeting, we would love to hear from you.

2006-09-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Awesome, awesome meeting tonight! We could not have asked for a better turnout – approximately 108 people came to the library to share their ideas about Sunnyvale’s future library. The room was crowded but not uncomfortable. The food, lasagna, salad and garlic bread along with soft drinks and dessert, was provided by the Friends of the Sunnyvale Library and we thank them heartily.

The best part was that people from different segments of the community were here, and they participated. We had people who have lived in Sunnyvale for decades and have raised their families here. There were newcomers, young parents with their children, business people, and the youth. We had a powerhouse group of young people from Homestead High School’s Future Business Leaders of America. And let me tell you, they are indeed leaders! They were thoughtful, articulate and caring about of their community – it was just wonderful to listen to them.

When you open the door and ask what people think, there will be times when you hear things that are not so flattering. The Sunnyvale Public Library is not perfect and we certainly have community members who know we could do a better job. Their feedback is important if we are going to improve in a meaningful way. So, we heard a lot of praise and some criticism as well. But, the purpose of the meeting tonight was to look to the future and that’s what we did. The comments made at the meeting tonight will be posted on the Web site at libraryofthefuture.inSunnyvale.com.

We’ll see what tomorrow holds with our focus group meetings. If tonight’s meeting is any indication, it will be lively!

2006-09-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight’s the night for the Library! This evening we have the first big meeting on the Sunnyvale Library of the Future. We're expecting about 80 or more participants after having sent over 2,000 notiifications, emails, and posting notices at the Library and other locations. I hope everybody shows up, we really need to hear new ideas and find out what the public wants from its future library.

It’s taken weeks to get started on this blog. It’s a bit scary - the blend of professional perspective and personal voice, or vice versa. The idea of a blog came up because we are experimenting with new ways of communicating with the public and I thought it would be “fun” to share what’s involved in this type of project from the beginning stages to the end. Having worked on teams developing new community libraries in the past, I’ve experienced the ups and downs, moments of disappointment and the sheer excitement of a new library for the community. Looking back though, the anguish and problems that occurred in the process are swept away and everything looks so-o-o, so-o-o easy now. Gone are the budget problems, the fits and starts and restarts, collaborations gone bad, etc.

So, this time around, with the possibility of blogging, it seems fitting to share as well as commemorate what it’s really like to examine long-term community library needs and work toward a solution. What the results of the process will be are unknown - will there be a new library? Maybe, maybe not. This is going to be all about the journey, and this evening is the start. We’ll see what folks from the community have to say tonight… If you're not going to be here with us, please at least wish us luck, or maybe send in a comment :-)