Title
Approving a resolution providing for the update of the Pflugerville Community Library policies.
Summary
The library policies were last approved by the City Council in 2003. Ms. Lisa Charbonnet, Library Director, her staff, and the Pflugerville Library Board have been evaluating and working on updating the policies for the last several months. The Library Board unanimously approved the attached policies and the referenced schedules at their Wednesday, July 11, 2012 meeting.
The new mission statement was included on the Library's budget page: The Library joyfully engages, inspires, informs and entertains the Pflugerville community. It has been embraced by the staff, Board and the Friends of the Library as all three groups feel that it reflects the progressive new attitude of the library as we approach the opening of the new facility.
The Library has developed these policies with an emphasis on customer service for the residents of Pflugerville. Staff is recommending the elimination of fines for overdue items while retaining fees for damaged or lost materials. The vast majority of our patrons return books and other materials on time and in good condition. The remaining minority of patrons who do not return and/or damage our materials will be fined accordingly. In addition, any patron with materials not returned within ten days of due date or fines due to lost and/or damaged materials will not be allowed to check out materials or use any online resources. Anyone with an overdue item will be telephoned, emailed or texted as a reminder. Ms. Charbonnet and her staff are very comfortable with this approach to customer service and efficient use of resources within the facility. Staff will be monitoring the change and its effects.
Further analysis of collection and usage led to the recommendation to change the length of checkout time from three weeks to two weeks and increase the maximum number of items allowed per library card to 20 instead of 15. This will increase the circulation of the materials and reduce the time patrons wait for popular items. If the item is not reserved, it can still be renewed twice for an additional four weeks. Staff has also been analyzing patron usage of the facility and the staffing requirements for the expanded facility. There are hours that the Library is currently open that are underutilized by our patrons. In the interest of increased efficiency and effective use of available (and increased staff proposed in the fiscal year 2013 budget), new hours of operation are proposed on the schedule following the policy document. The hours of 8:00 - 9:00 pm Monday through Thursday are not popular with our patrons, resulting in the Library closing at 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday. Patrons have requested that the Library be open later on Saturdays, and staff would like to standardize the weekend hours.
The question of a non-resident fee was also considered. The staff and Board are recommending a $25.00 annual fee for a library card for a patron living outside the boundaries of the Pflugerville Independent School District. One of the major reasons for this change is the increasing use of our electronic resources and limitations currently placed by the providers of those resources. In addition, the electronic collection, although growing, is in transition as publishers figure out what to do about ebooks and their availability through libraries.
Deadline for City Council Action
There is no deadline for City Council action.
Fiscal Impact
Staff estimates that $15,000 in revenue is gained through library fines. It is anticipated that this amount will be offset by non-resident fees.
Staff Recommendation
Approve the policies and schedules for fees and hours as written.
Drafter
Lauri Gillam
Assistant City Manager