City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Board of Library Trustees
Board
Approved
6:00 PM Hybrid Meeting, Edinger Room
Central Park Library
2635 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95051
05/05/2025
The City of Santa Clara is conducting the Board of Library Trustees meeting in a hybrid manner (in- person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely). • Via Zoom:
o https://santaclaraca-gov.zoom.us/j/85864257230
Meeting ID: 858 6425 7230 or
o Phone: 1(669) 900-6833
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ZOOM WEBINAR: Please follow the guidelines below when participating in a Zoom Webinar:
- The meeting will be recorded so you must choose 'continue' to accept and stay in the meeting. - If there is an option to change the phone number to your name when you enter the meeting, please do so as your name will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. - Mute all other audio before speaking. Using multiple devices can cause an audio feedback. -
Use the raise your hand feature in Zoom when you would like to speak on an item and lower when finished speaking. Press *9 to raise your hand if you are calling in by phone only. - Identify yourself by name before speaking on an item. - Unmute when called on to speak and mute when done speaking. If there is background noise coming from a participant, they will be muted by the host. Press *6 if you are participating by phone to unmute. - If you no longer wish to stay in the meeting once your item has been heard, please exit the meeting.
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Evans called the meeting to order at 6:02 PM.
Chair Jonathon Evans, Trustee Daniel Huynh, Vice-Chair Stephen Ricossa, and Trustee Debbie Tryforos
Present 4 -
Absent 1 - Trustee G. Salim Mohammed
CONSENT CALENDAR
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CONSENT ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION
1 25-466 Action on the Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Recommendation: Approve the Board of Library Trustees Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Vice-Chair Ricossa pulled the minutes for discussion and noted that in item 3, in which a subcommittee was signed to draft a letter, the names of the members assigned to the subcommittee were not included. Trustees Huynh and Mohammed were assigned to the subcommittee and it was requested that the minutes be amended to include their names.
A motion was made by Trustee Tryforos, seconded by Trustee Ricossa, to approve the minutes as amended.
Aye: 4 - Chair Evans, Trustee Huynh, Vice-Chair Ricossa, and Trustee Tryforos
Absent: 1 - Trustee Mohammed
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Trustee Mohammed arrived at 6:07 PM.
JoAnn Davis, Executive Director of the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends, gave an update to the Board of upcoming Foundation activities.
Patio sales will be held at Northside Branch Library on May 9 and 23, 2025. A Saturday sale will be held at Central Park Library on May 16 and 17, 2025.
On May 10, 2025, the same day as the Bricks by the Book program, the Foundation will have a table at Mission Branch Library for the Relay for Life event from 3 PM to 6 PM. The Board were reminded that the Library will be closed on May 26, 2025 for Memorial Day. On May 28, 2025 there will be a Foundation fundraiser held in partnership with Red Robin in Rivermark Plaza, with 20 percent of food sale profits being donated to the Foundation. On May 31, 2025, the Foundation will host a Board of Directors retreat to engage in strategic planning. On June 2, 2025, at the time of the regular Board of Library Trustees meeting, the Board will host the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends Board for a joint meeting. An update was provided on Librarypalooza, the annual Library fundraiser which raised over $30,000 for the Library, about $23,000 of which was net profit, an increase from the prior year. The Foundation also updated the Advocacy page on their website, lovethelibrary.org, to share information on how to advocate for the restoration of federal funding to the Institute for Museum and Library Services . It was shared that at the beginning of May 2025 nearly all the funding needed to support Summer Adventure has already been raised.
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GENERAL BUSINESS
2 25-414 Action on Revised Library Rules of Conduct and Revised Policy for Children Visiting the Library
Recommendation: 1. Review and approve the following:
a. Revised Santa Clara City Library Rules of Conduct (Attachment 1-2); and
b. Revised Santa Clara City Library Policy for Children Visiting the Library (Attachment 3-4).
City Librarian Patty Wong informed the Board of revisions made to the Library Rules of Conduct, and to the Policy for Children Visiting the Library for their review and approval. Deputy City Attorney Luis Haro provided additional detail about the updates made, including that the prior Food and Drink Policy was incorporated into the Library Rules of Conduct. The Board discussed the contents of the updates to the policies, how they would apply in different scenarios, and requested the name of the Children Visiting the Library Policy be updated to Policy for Youth Visiting the Library, which City Librarian Wong concurred was a good change. JoAnn Davis shared information on the Foundation's policy regarding minor volunteers.
A motion was made by Trustee Mohammed, seconded by Trustee Huynh to approve the revised policies.
Aye: Chair Evans, Trustee Huynh, Trustee Mohammed, Vice-Chair Ricossa, and Trustee Tryforos
5 -
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3 25-532 Discussion and Possible Action on Work Plan Presentation to Council Recommendation: Review and discuss work plan presentation to Council.
City Librarian Wong shared that the same contents the Board previously approved for their Work Plan had been incorporated into a Council template for their review, and that she anticipates their meeting with Council to review the Work Plan may occur in July. She also shared that the proposed operating budget book was released and available online, and that it recommended a partial restoration of the collection budget, an additional $145,000 in each of the next two years. She shared this reflected one-time funds, not an ongoing restoration of the collection budget, and less than the budget lost in the prior operating cycle, which is why the language in the Work Plan recommends advocacy for a complete restoration of the collection budget. The presentation was reviewed and some updates provided on status of several items, including that the Collection Development Policy which the Board had approved revisions to had already been approved and accepted by the California State Library.
She shared that she would be reviewing a draft Strategic Plan with the City Manager, and anticipates in the future a possible joint study session with Council for both the Strategic Plan and Facilities Master Plan. The Board made a minor revision to the Work Plan.
A motion was made by Vice-Chair Ricossa, seconded by Trustee Huynh to approve the work plan as amended.
Aye: Chair Evans, Trustee Huynh, Trustee Mohammed, Vice-Chair Ricossa, and Trustee Tryforos
5 -
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4 25-508 Discussion and Possible Action on Conducting Outreach to Support the Library due to Federal Funding Cuts to Library Services and Potential Establishment of a Subcommittee to Implement Board’s Actions Recommendation: Discuss and take action to identify next steps in supporting and advocating for the Library in the community.
City Librarian Wong provided an update to the Board on the state of recent federal funding cuts to library services. She shared that there was a court ordered injunction halting further dissolution of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), resulting in one lawsuit, and that this impacts loss of staff rather than preserving funding for programs and for the state libraries. Information on the local direct impacts felt by the Library so far were the elimination of databases and some electronic resources, some of which are relied on by schools including the Santa Clara Unified School District. She shared that she would be meeting with them shortly to share this information, and that the Library was also exploring options for better pricing on these resources which will no longer be federally funded, in case a solution might be found to their elimination from the collection.
The Board reviewed the draft letters written to congressional representatives by Trustee Huynh and Trustee Mohammed. Chair Evans agreed to sign them on behalf of the Board so they could be sent out the following day. City Librarian Wong indicated she would share these with the appropriate City staff as well, as Council had expressed interest in sending a letter to support federal library funding when they awarded the Proclamation of National Library Week on April 6, 2025. As the Board had approved the drafting and sending of this letter at the last Board meeting on April 7, 2025, no further action was taken.
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5 25-519 Discussion and Action on Agenda Setting for Joint Meeting with Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends Board
Recommendation: Prepare an agenda for the discussion with the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends Board at the June 2, 2025 regular Board of Library Trustees meeting.
With coordination from Vice-Chair Ricossa and Trustee Tryforos, the Foundation Board and Board of Library Trustees coordinated a date for a joint meeting, to take place during the next regular Board of Library Trustees meeting on June 2, 2025, to be held at Mission Branch Library. The proposed schedule was discussed and approved, with a planned Meet and Greet at 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM, a joint meeting to be held from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, and a regular Board meeting from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The Board discussed possible agenda topics, and agreed that staff would review, prioritize and organize them, review these with Chair Evans to develop an agenda appropriate for a first initial joint meeting, and share the agenda with the Foundation Board. Through the Executive Director, JoAnn Davis, t was agreed that any items not discussed due to limited time could be captured as parking lot items for future scheduled meetings.
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STAFF REPORT
TRUSTEES REPORT
ADJOURNMENT
The joint meeting with the Board of the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends was discussed further, and the Board was in agreement that staff would coordinate with Chair Evans on the regular Board agenda items for the second half of the June 2, 2025 meeting. Deputy City Attorney Luis Haro provided an update on the situation with Northside Branch Library tile damage.
Trustee Mohammed anticipates a schedule conflict for the June 2, 2025 meeting and will be absent. Two Trustees are unavailable for the August 4, 2025 regular meeting, and the Board agreed to cancel this meeting and schedule a special meeting instead for August 18, 2025. Due to Chair Evans anticipating a schedule conflict for the October 6, 2025 regular meeting, Vice- Chair Ricossa will lead that meeting. The September 8, 2025 meeting will coincide with International Literacy Day, on which the Career Online High School (COHS) program led by Read Santa Clara will hold a small graduation ceremony. The Board agreed to recognize the graduates at approximately 6:00 PM. The Board were reminded of upcoming City Council Study Sessions for the new biennial Operating Budget, scheduled for May 13, 2025, and May 27, 2025. The public hearing for the adoption of the new FY 2025/26 and FY 2026/27 Operating Budget is scheduled for June 10, 2025. The Board also received a list of Library-related conferences for their information, for board development purposes.
The Board further discussed the agenda for the upcoming joint meeting with the Board of the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends, concurring that the Library would organize the agenda topics, shorten them as appropriate, review with Chair Evans and then share with JoAnn Davis, Executive Director of the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends, and Kathy Betts, President of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM.
A motion was made by Trustee Huynh, seconded by Trustee Mohammed to adjourn the meeting.
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Aye: Chair Evans, Trustee Huynh, Trustee Mohammed, Vice-Chair Ricossa, and Trustee Tryforos
5 -
The Board of Library Trustees Meeting is adjourned to June 2, 2025, at 6:00 PM.
The June meeting will take place at Mission Branch Library, Community Room, 1098 Lexington St., Santa Clara, CA 95050.
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The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi- adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker."
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
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MEETING DISCLOSURES
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