Agenda Item C.3
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM
Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Jaime A. Valdez, Neighborhood Services Director
CONTACT: Diane Satchwell, Interim Library Director
SUBJECT: Goleta Valley Library Book Van Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on the book van schedule for services in Isla Vista, Goleta, and Zone 4, and direct staff to maintain the status quo level of service in Isla Vista with no new stops in the City of Goleta or the surrounding unincorporated areas of Zone 4.
BACKGROUND:
In Fiscal Year 19/20, the Goleta Valley Library received $200,000 in State funding to conduct a pilot program for satellite library services to the Isla Vista Community. The book van began offering services on October 4, 2021. The state funding was exhausted in December of 2022, and the City has been covering costs since that date.
At the June 20, 2023, Council adopted the FY 23/24 and FY 24/25 budget, which included $125,000 for continuing book van operations in Isla Vista and expansion into Goleta and Zone 4. The book van has been operating in Isla Vista at several locations, including the Isla Vista Community Services District Community Center, Isla Vista Elementary, Friendship Manor, and the Teen Center/Estero Park. Council specifically discussed providing additional services at the following sites: Positano Apartments, Girls, Inc., the Goleta Community Center, Pacific Oaks Apartments, a nd Mathilda Park. Staff went to each of these sites to determine if there was sufficient space and safe areas for the book van to set up operations.
On August 7, 2023, the Library Advisory Commission (Commission) met to discuss the proposed additional s ites, as well as possible pop -up events, and proposed route schedules. A review of the current book van schedule, with identified stops was presented (Attachment 1). The Commission also reviewed six (6) potential book van schedules, with the stops only listed as Isla Vista or Goleta stops. These potential schedules include d staff time to set up and break down for each site visit. The Commission supported a schedule that would allow for one day, two stops for service in Goleta per week, and four days, eight stops, for service in Isla Vista per week. The Commission stated a preference for a book van site visit at the Goleta Community Center for one of the Goleta stops. 1 Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
DISCUSSION:
The book van currently serves ten (10) sites on a rotating basis over a two -week period in Isla Vista. Each stop has additional setup and breakdown performed by staff, as well as loading and unloading of the van on a daily basis. While the book van current ly has twenty (20) hours of site visits per week, the setup and breakdown add an additional ten (10) hours, making a total of thirty (30) hours of staff time.
Council directed staff to increase the book van site visits from twenty (20) hours per week to thirty (30) hours per week. One important consideration was that if the number of stops increases, the amount of setup and breakdown time also increases, adding more to the amount needed to pay for staff time. The book van is currently staffed by one libra ry assistant and one library page at each stop. Site visits include setting up sandwich boards, rolling out book carts, and, if the visit is specific to a school or retirement home, curating the selection of materials before the visit for those audiences.
Proposed Additional Sites
Staff visited each of the five sites proposed by Council for service, as well as some alternate possibilities. For a book van site to be successful, there should be a lot of foot traffic, a flat space for rolling book carts, an ADA ramp or driveway to roll the book carts into position, a set distance from the road, and a nearby restroom. It is also helpful if there were bus stops nearby for people without vehicles to get to the site, and parking spots for those with vehicles. These considerations were taken into account when evaluating each potential site.
Event-Based Site Visits
Recently, the book van set up at the following local events and locations: Isla Vista Recreation and Park District (IVRPD)/UCSB Earth Day; IVRPD Hall oween; IVRPD Children’s Park Block Party; and Goleta Valley Junior High School. Staff would like to consider adding additional stops throughout the year, particularly at the State of the City, Lemon Festival, and Lions’ Club Holiday Parade, as well as othe r special events. The majority of these events take place on evenings or weekends and would not impact the schedule of visits during the week.
Update on Bookvan Funding and Related Library Funding
On September 19, 2023, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved the Countywide Library System Agreement for Fiscal Year 23/24 (FY 23/24 Library Agreement). The City was informed at that time the that the County would be providing an additional $12,500 from the “Small Library Fund” in Zone 4 (Goleta) in response to the City’s request for a $25,000 match of the City’s $25,000 commitment to potentially expand book van service. The following are the final amounts provided in the FY 23/24 Library Agreement that Council approved on November 7, 2023.
2 Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
As part of that September 19, 2023, action, the Board also directed County staff to explore the potential for the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) to administer library services and receive County Per Capita funding for the Isla Vista area.
On November 8, 2023, City staff met with staff from Santa Barbara County Community Services Department and IVCSD to discuss possible options and paths t o the BOS September 19, 2023, direction . City and County staff were invited to attend a future IVCSD Board meeting and be available for questions on the potential for direct funding to Isla Vista.
3 Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
On January 23, 2024, the IVCSD Board met and discussed potential options for Isla Vista Library Services and Governance. The Board voted “to request the County construct a new library zone for the area of Isla Vista and UCSB with IVCSD as the zone administrator.”
Conclusion
Staff has evaluated the book van’s current route and stops proposed by Council and does not recommend expanding beyond the status quo, particularly in light of the potential for a future change in per capita funding currently coming to City of Goleta that could be redirected to Isla Vista . While it is not a foregone conclusion that such a change will happen, it is important to note that even if approved, establishing a new library zone would likely take more than a year and even longer to implement service.
GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:
City-Wide Strategy : 2. Support Community Vitality and Enhanced Recreational Opportunities.
Strategic Goal: 2.5 Support the Goleta Library as a robust community resource.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Council approved a $ 125,000 budget for the book van for FY 23 /24 and asked that the County contribute $ 25,000 towards continued operations. The City was informed in September of 2023 that the County would be providing an additional $12,500 from the “Small Library Fund” in the Zone 4 (Goleta) line item to “expand book van se rvices to additional County unincorporated areas on a one -year pilot basis” according to the September 19, 2023, Board of Supervisors board letter.
ALTERNATIVES:
Council could choose to direct Library staff to move forward with an alternate route(s), or to remain with the current book van route and the status quo.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Megan Garibaldi, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Current Book Van Schedule
4 ATTACHMENT 1
Current Book Van Schedule
5 WEEK 1
1 PM - 4:30 PM
ESTERO PARK
ISLA VISTA
TEEN CENTER
11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
10 AM - 11:30 AM
UCSB EARLY
CHILDHOOD
11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
1:15 PM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
GOLETA VALLEY LIBRARY / ISLA VISTA BOOKVAN SCHEDULE
WEEK 2
11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
1 PM - 4:30 PM
ISLA VISTA COMMUNITY
SERVICES DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CENTER
11:15 AM - 12:45 PM
STORKE COMMUNITY
CENTER
1 PM - 2:30 PM
FRIENDSHIP MANOR
3 PM - 4:30 PM
STUDIO PLAZA APTS.
11:15 AM - 12:45 PM
PERFECT PARK
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
SEA LOOKOUT PARK
3 PM - 4:30 PM
WEST CAMPUS
PLAYGROUND
1 PM - 4:30 PM
I.V. ELEMENTARY
OR
FRIENDSHIP MANOR
SHIFT 11 AM - 5:30 PM SHIFT 1:00 - 5:00 PM
SHIFT 11 AM - 5:30 PM SHIFT 1:00 - 5:00 PM
SHIFT 9 AM - 12:30 PM
SHIFT 12:30 PM - 5:30 PM
SHIFT 10 AM - 5 PM
SHIFT 12:30 PM - 5:30 PM
SHIFT 9 AM - 12:30 PM
SHIFT 12:30 PM - 5:30 PM
SHIFT 10 AM - 5 PM
SHIFT 12:30 PM - 5:30 PM
updated: 04/05/2023
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