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Library Commission 303 North Pacific Coast Highway tel 310 318-0676 Redondo Beach, California 90277-2838 fax 310 318-3809
www.redondo.org
December 6, 2021
The Honorable Mayor of Redondo Beach
The Honorable Redondo Beach City Council
Redondo Beach Council Chambers
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Subject: Consider the Self-Service Model open+access for the North Branch Library During the Strategic Planning Process
Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers:
As part of the strategic plan, the Library Commission would like the City to explore the library self- service model open+access, which allows patrons access to a library building, as well as the building's collections, computers, and Wi-Fi, during unstaffed hours. Due to logistical considerations the Library Commission believes that the North Branch building is a more feasible location for this service than the Main Library. The up-front cost estimate of $50,000 may be eligible for grants. Ongoing operating expenses for open+access would be approximately $1000 per month; the Library Commission estimates that, given staffing costs, anything above ten extra hours of service a month would produce operating savings.
During the FY 2020/2021 budget process, the hours for the Library system were reduced due to budget cuts. These reduced hours not only underserve the public but also leave a valuable City resource greatly underutilized.
• The North Branch, which had been and continues to be closed on Fridays and Sundays, had its hours reduced by 8 hours per week, so that the building is only open from 1 p.m.- 7p.m.
Monday through Thursday as opposed to the prior schedule of 12 p.m.- 8 p.m. (Saturday hours remain the same).
• The Main Library's open hours were reduced by 16 hours per week in the FY 2020/2021 budget, and it is not open on Sundays.
While open+access has been successfully used in Europe for over a decade, Ventura County Library System was one of the first systems in the United States to implement it. The Library Commission had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Ventura County Library Director Nancy Schram at its August 2 meeting. Director Schram deployed the opentaccess system at the new Hill Road Library in February of 2018 with great success.
The Ventura County Library System has registered over 1,000 patrons for the service and has allowed:
• Two additional early morning hours during weekdays
• Full-day Sunday "Express Hours"
Use of Express Hours rose by 78% in the first few months of use. The morning hours are unstaffed while the closing Sunday hours are temporarily staffed by a security guard. Since open+access has been in operation, the Library has had no incidents nor revoked any user privileges. The Ventura County Library System has determined that using open+access technology has increased access to basic library services at 60% lower cost' compared to traditional costs for staffed operations, and is now looking to expand this service to other locations.
This past year, Santa Monica Public Library and Torrance Public Library, both of which suffered open hour reductions, took advantage of California State Library "Bringing the Library to You: Mobile Library Solutions" grants in order to implement open+access at branch locations. Santa Monica Public Library launched the service on July 28, 2021 at the Ocean Park Branch in order to offer access to the building Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Torrance Public Library is in the process of implementing opentaccess at the El Retiro Branch in order to offer early morning access to users of the surrounding park. Members of the Library Commission will visit the El Retiro Branch once open+access is in place to gain a better understanding of the technology.
The Library Commission estimates the up-front cost for opentaccess will be less than $50,000 based on comparable installations and may be eligible for grants. It will also require support from City staff to install (cameras, cabling, and door access panel). Ongoing operating expenses for open+access would be approximately $1,000 per month for the subscription costs vs. approximately $100 per hour to staff the North Branch. Anything above ten extra hours of service a month would produce operating savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does it work? Patrons 18 years or older in good standing will apply and complete required training to access the building during self-service hours. They will use a card and password to access the building. The North Branch already has self-service options for checking out materials and using the computers and Wi-Fi. Meeting room checkout could also be added.
2. Will patrons steal? Is it safe? No incidents have been observed in Ventura County and the technology includes high-definition video recording equipment which the patrons are informed of during their training.
3. How much does it cost? While requirements for each facility differ and grant funding may vary, the Library Commission has collected information from recent installations in the area. Torrance Public Library received $5,000 in grant funds which they used for wiring the building, for the cameras, and for retrofitting the door for automatic lock/unlock. Bibliotheca equipment and the first two years of an annual subscription ($9,000 per year) were also covered by the grant. ' open+access annual cost of $11,100 equates to approximately $17.79 per hour for 12 Express Hours per week, versus approximately $43.95 hourly rate for salary and benefits for a Librarian position.
Through grant funding, Santa Monica Public Library received two years of a subscription to open+access (valued at around $24,000), a one-time $5,000 set-up fee, and the open+access system and cameras. The Santa Monica Public Library spent approximately $30,000 in additional funds for labor and materials involved in modification of the facility, wiring for the library controller, wiring for the entry panel, the installation of components, a door locking mechanism and wiring, and wiring for the cameras.
4. Who uses this service in Ventura County? Parents with young children, older adults, working adults thaf need meeting space, and City employees.
5. What about privacy of patrons? Ventura County Library does not monitor the video feed. They keep it for 5 days in case an incident occurs. Access to the video feed is strictly limited to post- incident review.
In light of reduced hours reflecting current and anticipated future budget constraints, the Library Commission recommends that the City investigate the feasibility of implementing open+access at the North Branch as part of the strategic plan as a way to better serve the residents and optimize the City's resources.
Sincerely,
Andrew Beauchamp
Chair
Redondo Beach Library Commission