Benefits Statement of PLP System Participation
Fiscal Year 2021-22
BACKGROUND
The Pacific Library Partnership is a consolidation of four library systems, BALIS (Bay Area Library and Information System), serving Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties; PLS (Peninsula Library System), serving San Mateo County; MOBAC (Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Library System), serving Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties; and SVLS (Silicon Valley Library System), serving Santa Clara County. There are 43 libraries participating in PLP, with 9 academic libraries and 34 public libraries. More information can be found on our PLP website: www.plpinfo.org.
Each PLP library pays a membership participation fee, based on a model adopted in January 2020. The formula for public libraries begins with a base amount, and then applies a tiered amount based on operating budget size. Academic libraries have a tiered scale with no base fee.
SERVICES FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES
CLSA Funds for Public Libraries
For FY 2021-22, PLP received $566,556 in California Library Services Act (CLSA) funding as allocated by the California Library Services Board to be used for Communication and Delivery.
PLP uses these funds to offset the cost of delivery of materials among member libraries, for maintenance and hosting of the MOBAC and PLP websites, and for the purchase of a shared subscription to Flipster for eight libraries with smaller budgets. The PLP Executive Committee approved allocating the remaining funds back to the public libraries by formula to spend on local needs, including a subscription to enki; networking/broadband costs; limited hardware costs related to CENIC; costs related to Link+; purchasing OverDrive eMaterials in a shared environment; purchases of shared eMaterials in Biblioteca's CloudLibrary; costs related to SimplyE; or purchase of software supporting curbside pickup and remote reference in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CENIC Broadband
All PLP public libraries are eligible to join CENIC, a dedicated network for libraries and universities. Libraries apply through a grant process and can be awarded funds to assist in upgrading network servers, routers and infrastructure to connect. Libraries generally connect at speeds between 1G and 10G. More information can be found on the Califa website.
Flipster
Eight public libraries currently participate in a PLP shared subscription to EBSCO’s Flipster. The subscription includes a baseline of 23 shared magazine titles and access to an individual login to the subscription for gathering statistics, as well as related training.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR ALL LIBRARIES (ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC) Leadership Programs for Executive and Middle Managers
PLP is very proud of its signature Leadership programs for Library Directors, Assistant Directors, and Mid-Managers. These programs bring together library staff from member libraries to share ideas, issues, and hear and learn from leaders in libraries, government and private sectors. This is an intensive year-long program focusing on improving problem solving skills, providing big picture views of the environment in which libraries operate, and strengthening professional networks.
Staff Development Committee Training Programs
The PLP Staff Development Committee is the only standing PLP committee. Each year it holds two major events: The Spring Workshop and the Future of Libraries one-day conference. The Spring Workshop focuses on library staff development, while the Future of Libraries conference in October focuses on forward-thinking topics. More information can be found on the PLP website at https://www.plpinfo.org/plpsdc/.
Funding for Staff Training
The PLP Executive Committee allocated $10,000 in the FY 2021-22 budget to support staff development initiatives and activities, including workshops and trainings. Funds are available for existing committees, a library or a new working group, if the proposed activity is open to PLP member libraries and posted on the PLP website.
PLP Innovation and Technology Opportunity Grants
The PLP Executive Committee allocates funding annually towards these very popular and successful grants. Grants are typically awarded in two categories: the Innovation and Technology Opportunity Grants and the Grant Replication Program. For FY 2021-22, $100,000 will be available in the Innovation and Technology Opportunity category.
LSTA and IMLS Grants
Toolkits from previous LSTA and IMLS initiatives are available on the PLP website, including the Statewide Student Success Initiative Toolkit (www.plpinfo.org/studentsuccess), the News Literacy Resource Toolkit (http://plpinfo.org/news-literacytoolkit/), the Cybersecurity Training for Teens Using Minecraft Toolkit (https://www.plpinfo.org/minecraft/) and the Data Privacy Best Practices Toolkit for Libraries (https://www.plpinfo.org/dataprivacytoolkit/).
Additionally, the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Best Practices Training for Libraries grant will be releasing a train-the-trainer handbook in August 2021, along with train-the-trainer courses and related resources in partnership with LDH Consulting and Lyrasis, data privacy and cybersecurity experts. The IMLS Laura Bush grant, Reimagining School Readiness was awarded to PLP in collaboration with the Bay Area Discovery Museum and the California State Library.
National training will be held for this newly developed toolkit.
Delivery and Courier Services
System membership includes delivery services for library materials so that your residents can return materials to other libraries. In addition to the improved service delivery, economies of scale, and efficiencies gained by the consolidation, your residents can borrow from any public library in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. Without system membership, other libraries can impose a nonresident fee on your residents in order to obtain a library card to borrow materials or use their libraries. These courier services allow your residents to return materials to other libraries, and the items will be returned to your library.
The benefits of PLP include:
PLP achieves economies of scale by investing in a set of shared resources in programs and services that will benefit people served by the communities in the four systems.
PLP reduces duplication of effort and redundancies at the administration level as the four systems become one.
PLP facilitates the ability of member libraries to work together to increase the quantity and quality of the services and programs for the people in this broader geographical area.
PLP provides, facilitates, and fosters advocacy at the local, state and federal level on issues of interest to member libraries.
PLP serves as a liaison and a communication conduit to the State Library and the California Library Services Board.
PLP enables each member to be more responsive to the changing needs and expectations of its community.
PLP allows member libraries to have a stronger, more effective and unified voice.
PLP capitalizes on the talents and competencies of a larger group of member library staff and increases the opportunity to share and learn from each other.
PLP collaborates to invest in research and development of new initiatives and pool resources to support development of these initiatives.
PLP is an investment in a common administrative infrastructure.
PLP extends the network and communities of practices among the people who work in the member libraries.
PLP provides the structure and support for member libraries with common interests to communicate and share in a broader geographical arena.
Pacific Library Partnership Member Libraries
Peninsula Library System (PLS)
Burlingame Public Library San Mateo County Library
Daly City Public Library San Mateo Public Library
Menlo Park Public Library South San Francisco Public Library Redwood City Public Library San Mateo County Community College District San Bruno Public Library
Bay Area Library and Information System (BALIS)
Alameda County Library Livermore Public Library
Alameda Free Library Oakland Public Library
Berkeley Public Library Pleasanton Public Library
Contra Costa County Library Richmond Public Library
Hayward Public Library San Francisco Public Library
Silicon Valley Library System (SVLS)
Los Gatos Public Library San Jose Public Library
Mountain View Public Library Santa Clara City Library
Palo Alto City Library Santa Clara County Library District Sunnyvale Public Library
Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Library System (MOBAC)
Cabrillo Community College Library
California State University Monterey Bay Library
Gavilan Community College Library
Harrison Memorial Library
Hartnell Community College Library
Monterey County Free Libraries
Monterey Institute of International Studies Library
Monterey Peninsula College Library
Monterey Public Library
Naval Postgraduate School, Dudley Knox Library
Pacific Grove Public Library
Salinas Public Library
San Benito County Free Library
San Juan Bautista–Carl Martin Luck Memorial Library
Santa Cruz City-County Library System
UC Santa Cruz University Library
Watsonville Public Library
Source of Budget Numbers: FY 18/19 Operating Expenditure reported to State Library - each year will use latest numbers sent to State Library PUBLIC LIBRARIES FORMULA:
Base fee plus amount based on reported operating expenditure Base fee $5,641
Total Operating Budget Amount Total
Under $500,000 $750 (no base fee) $750
Up to $999,999 $2,000 $7,641
$1M - $1,999,999 $3,000 $8,641
$2M - $2,999,999 $4,000 $9,641
$3M - $3,999,999 $5,000 $10,641
$4M - $4,999,999 $6,000 $11,641
$5M - $5,999,999 $10,000 $15,641
$6M - $6,999,999 $11,000 $16,641
$7M - $7,999,999 $12,000 $17,641
$8M - $8,999,999 $13,000 $18,641
$9M - $9,999,999 $14,000 $19,641
$10M - $14,999,999 $20,000 $25,641
$15M - $19,999,999 $22,000 $27,641
$20M -$29,999,999 $25,000 $30,641
$30M+ $30,000 $35,641
Total Operating Budget Total
Up to $999,999 $1,500
$1M - $1,999,999 $2,000
$2M - $2,999,999 $3,000
$3M - $3,999,999 $4,000
$4M - $4,999,999 $5,000
PLP Membership Fee Schedule for FY 2021/22
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Formula (adopted in 2020)
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES FORMULA:
Based on Library Budget Size