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Home My WebLink AboutCOW 2004-06-14 Item 4E - Discussion - King County Library System (KCLS) Service for Tukwila Library �W w qs COUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS o '�i''• 4.21‘„10P- Initials ITEM NO. A n e 1 Meeting Date I Prepared by I Mayor's review 1 Council review 1 6/14/04 1 JC 1 1./ R 1 I I I I I e ITEM INFORMATION CAS Number: Original Agenda Date: 04-005 6/14/04 6/14/04 Original Sponsor: Council X Admin. Timeline: Sponsor's Summary: The level of service at the Tukwila Library has dropped significantly since KCLS made changes to the operation of the facility. Most notable are the shorter hours of operation and the limited inventory available to adult patrons. The City dratted a proposal that addresses those issues as well as several others. Changes to the proposal as suggested by Council are shown in the attached draft. Recommendations: Sponsor: Committee: Administration: Cost Impact (if known): Fund Source (if known): 5 RECORD OF.COUNCIL ACTION I I 6/14/04 Draft proposal s APPENDICES Meeting Date Attachments 6/14/04 Draft proposal Proposal Background Facts As you are aware, the City of Tuiovila (City) and KCLS (formerly King County Rural Library District) entered into an agreement in 1991. (See attachment I~') That agreement allowed the City to annex into the King County Library System. In exchange, the agreement addresses certain requirements that were specifically bargained for, the most important of which is that the level of service to the Tukwila citizens would not be diminished. The agreement at paragraph 5 states: "[t]he Tukwila Library at 14475 59th Ave. S. will be maintained at a minimum of current service levels." In 1991, the above-referenced level of service included 34 hours per week and a full collection of material including: adult and children's fiction, non-fiction, regular and large print books, periodicals and reference material. Today that would be expanded to include computer terminal and Interact access. Level of Service Provided Today With the recent changes made to the Tukwila Library, the level of service has changed dramatically. The recent physical changes to the library are well done and desirable. However, the current adult section ~s top small and lirg!J~efi~to~,~y practical use to adults. There ~-fiction b~oV~s; non-f~mo~'%ooks, penodmals, reference materials, books on tape, v{deos and DVD's. The current children's section is very extensive and takes up much of the available space. Proposal It is the proposal of the City that the library be returned to the level of service contemplated by the 1991 interlocal agreement. This includes ..... both ho~s .of operation and types'of material offered to library patrons. The hours of operation will be determined by KCLS; however, they should include evening and weekend hours suitable for adult use of the library. · The Tukwila Library adult collection should be modeled after the Valley View Library "New and Interesting" ~.hoice ~ads in both content and quantity and should include similar collections off ~ ,~,~ T ...... ~ ..... ~,~: ..... ~ .... Books on Tape" and CD's and cassettes. This could be accomplished by eliminating only one wall of current children's materials. · Several chairs and a small table, comfortable for adults, should be placed in the current children's areas. *Attachment not included in 6/14/04 agenda packet. · The KCLS Board will a~-e~,to' ~ annual presentation from the Tukwila Library Board for a minimum of three years (presentation not to exceed 15 minutes). This presentation will update the KCLS Board on the use of the library and any outstanding issues that face the Tukwila Library at that time. · So that the community may have an active role in the kind of service they are receiving from their local library, KCLS or its board shall formally notify the Tukwila Library Board of any changes being made to the fundamental services being provided at the library before making any changes. · Usage statistics for the Tukwila Library will be kept by KCLS. This data shall include both foot traffic counts as well as circulation statistics. These statistics will be made available to the Tukwila Library Board for use in their presentation to the KCLS Board. KCLS will make no decisions regarding changes to the Tukwila Library deviating from the levels of service set forth in the interlocal agreement until after the second annual Tukwila Library Board presentation. · In that two-year period, the City will challenge its citizens to use the Tukwila Library that they vocally supported when the recent changes went into effect. The City will further promote and provide reasonable space in the "Hazelnut" (Tukwila's newsletter) for library information. At the end of that two-year period the City will draft an agreement terminating the 1991 Interlocal Agreement and the KCLS will be free to nm Tukwila Library as it would in the normal course of its operation. It is the sincere hope of the City that the citizens who hax, e expressed so-much concern for the library in recent months, will rise to the occasion and use the library that is so dear to them and this community, and, if they do, we hope that the KCLS Board will want to retain this positive neighborhood amenity. As Terence Cook wrote, "The reflections and histories of men and women throughout the world are qontained in books....America's greatness is not only recorded in books, but it is also dependent upon each and every citizen being able to utilize public libraries."