Grand Jury Report on Santa Cruz Library Suggests Relying on Volunteers
By Lynn Blumenstein Jun 22, 2010(Updated and clarified June 23)
In California, grand juries often serve to investigate government agences, and the Santa Cruz County grand jury has released a critical report about Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL).
The report called attention to SCPL's lack of funds to adequately run the ten-branch county system, citing an outdated integrated library system (ILS) and other technologies, and what it calls an ineffectual Joint Powers Authority Board (JPAB).
SCPL director Teresa Landers, who's preparing a rebuttal, told LJ she thinks the report overemphasizes the value the library might get from volunteers.
But the report, in its suggestions for diminished services, the potential for fee-based service, and greater business involvement in branding the library, may be a harbinger regarding library offerings in tough times.
For now, the library budget has been stabilized in part because of continued staff concessions. According to Landers, concessions that have been tentatively agreed to are continuations of last year's situation-nothing additional. "It is not correct to characterize it as unpaid leave," she clarified; "it is a ten percent reduction in salary accompanied by a ten percent reduction in hours."
Harsh recommendations
The grand jury recommended some temporary harsh actions, including reducing staff by up to 20 percent and the possibility of downgrading some branches to "community centers/reading rooms."
They would run by "their local community.... until the technology infrastructure of the library system is significantly improved and there is a solid financial base that includes cash reserve funds," according to a County of Santa Cruz statement.
Another scenario for certain branches involves one staff member plus volunteers and a self-checkout machine. This pilot project launched June 23 in the smallest and least busy branch.
The grand jury recommended a reordering of priorities, beginning with immediately replacing an aging ILS system (DRA Classic) that is no longer supported by the vendor, establishing a reserve fund pay for expenses to avoid borrowing, and installing self-checkout machines at the three regional branches and improving the current self-checkout rate of eight percent.
It also called for increasing business partnerships/corporate sponsorships, to fund a bookmobile, for example; "re-evaluate[ing] the policy that all services must be free to everyone;" and adding two members to the JPAB who have financial and professional librarianship backgrounds, respectively.
SCPL director responds
Landers told LJ that the grand jury investigates a different government agency every year. Hired in 2009, Landers is aware that SCPL must update its technology and become more proactive. She thinks the report could help increase awareness of efforts to keep branches open.
Moreover, SCPL is in the process of implementing self-check system wide. Their first branch to do so achieved an 84 percent self check rate in its first month. SCPL also has budget for a new ILS and will be implementing that by the end of FY10-11.
In a preview of her rebuttal, she told LJ, "Volunteers are not a panacea," noting that they "come with a price in terms of management as well as raising difficult issues around confidentiality."
Shortcomings tied to reduced budget
Most of the issues are related to SCPL's budget, which is primarily funded by county property taxes and Santa Cruz and Watsonville city maintenance of effort contributions. (Watsonville is not part of SCPL but the two library systems "are tied together by a Library Financing Authority which serves to disperse the funds collection system wide," clarified Landers.) SCPL also is funded by a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters first in 1996 and renewed in 2008.
A combination of rising personnel costs and lower revenues have shrunk the budget from $12.6 million to $11.3 million last year and below $11 million this year, according to the Mercury News.
The role of California grand juries
California's 58 county grand juries. required by the state's constitution, are empowered, among other things, to "investigate and report upon the conduct of local government."
LJ in 2008 reported how the Sacramento County grand jury investigated fiscal management issues at the Sacramento Public Library. It called for several new fiscal guidelines, as well as the removal of the Director Anne Marie Gold; she subsequently retired.
In Santa Cruz, the library's reduced budget coupled with citizen complaints about shortened and irregular hours spurred the grand jury to investigate ways to "maximize open hours."
The grand jury determined that SCPL would incur a more than $4 million deficit by FY13-14 if it were to include funding for technology and restore its reserve fund and materials budget.
Planning for the future
A few years ago SCPL put together a 2008-2013 facilities plan that optimistically called for the one regional branch, two new facilities, and two renovations (two are to be funded with redevelopment money.)
A 2010-2015 strategic plan, released in April, identified crucial data about usage, services ranking (online connection rating the highest), and multi-tiered service offerings (ranging from self-service to full service). It also acknowledged the importance of keeping up with current technology trends. This effort was spearheaded by Landers.
Neither plan addresses SCPL's current budget problems but does "provide the system with a focused future," according to the grand jury report.
In an action independent of the grand jury report, SCPL is calling for volunteers to join a Task Force on Library Service Models to help "identify a range of future service models for the library system" that are financially sustainable. Task force members will deliver a report in January 2011 and participate in developing several service models for consideration.
"We will finish this year and next in the black," Landers told LJ, "but we do not have any reserves. "This positive position is based on a ten percent staff furlough and frozen COLAs (cost of living allowances) as well as a greatly reduced materials budget."
