10-20-2008 LBOT MINUTES - APPROVED
CITY OF ORANGE LIBRARY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of Board Meeting, October 20, 2008
Staff Conference Room, Orange Public Library & History Center
407 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange 92866
I. CALL TO ORDER (3:01 p.m.)
1.1 Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Douglas Westfall led the Pledge of Allegiance.
1.2 Roll Call
Trustees Present: Chair Douglas Westfall, Vice Chair Jonell Schlund, Trustee Nancy
Collins, Trustee Paul Hughes, and Trustee Mark Clemens.
Staff Present: Library Services Director Nora Jacob, Library Services Manager Yolanda
Moreno, and Executive Assistant Jan Reichert.
Visitors Present: Mr. and Mrs. Rad and their daughter Maya.
1.3 Adoption of Agenda
Vice Chair Schlund moved to approve the agenda as presented; Trustee Clemens seconded
the motion, and it carried unanimously.
1.4 Approval of Minutes
Trustee Collins moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of Sept. 15, 2008 as
presented; Vice Chair Schlund seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
Library Services Director Nora Jacob asked to move Item V. New Business, 5.1 to the front of the
agenda. Trustees consented.
V. NEW BUSINESS
5.1 Request by Orange resident Saeedeh Rad and her 4-year-old daughter Maya to have a
showing of Maya’s artworks at the Orange Public Library & History Center.
At the request of Orange resident Saeedeh Rad and Director Jacob, the artwork of 4-year-old
Maya Rad was be shown to the Board. Mrs. Rad had asked to have a showing of Maya’s
artwork at the Main Library. Director Jacob noted that a one-person show by an individual
without a track record of endorsements would be setting a precedent for OPL, particularly for a
young child artist. Thus, she brought the question to the Board for consideration before making
a final decision on the request from the Rads.
CITY OF ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY SERVICES
ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES October 20, 2008
Page 2
Director Jacob introduced Saeedeh Rad, her husband, and her daughter to the Board. The family
brought five pieces of Maya’s artwork – all fairly large, colorful canvases painted in acrylics --
to show the Trustees. Mrs. Rad and her husband talked about Maya’s interest in art and how this
young artist got started. With assistance from her parents, Maya talked about each of the five
paintings and its subject matter. The Board then thanked Saeedeh Rad, her husband, and Maya
for attending the meeting. After the family left, there was much discussion on this topic. The
following points were noted:
• Vice Chair Jonell Schlund noted that in previous years before the expansion and
renovation of the Main Library, the art of local schoolchildren was regularly displayed.
• Trustee Nancy Collins asked whether OPL would consider a revolving digital display of
more than one child’s paintings, and/or consider using children’s artworks as screen
savers on public-use computers in the Children’s Library.
• The Board was in agreement that standards should be set for the future, possibly by
amending the current Displays Policy. Trustee Paul Hughes commented that the current
policy is written with enough flexibility that it need not be amended, but if the Board
wanted to consider adding “revolving art displays” as Ms. Collins had discussed, then the
policy should be re-visited.
• Trustee Hughes also suggested consideration of appointing one or two Board Members as
“curators” to serve as liaisons to the Library Director, or the appointment of three people
from the community as art advisors to the Board of Trustees. The “art advisors” could
help make decisions on which artwork to display at Orange Public Library facilities.
The Board was in agreement to proceed with a display of Maya Rad’s artwork in the Main
Library, based on its own merit, when the “Pen Meets Brush” display ends in mid-November,
and to implement the suggestions of Trustees Collins and Hughes for future displays of art.
Trustee Hughes moved to advise the Library Services Director to approve and determine
the actual date for displaying Maya’s artworks at the Main Library; Trustee Collins
seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
VI. LIBRARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT
2.1 Monthly Report, October 2008
Director Jacob thanked Trustees for their good wishes on her impending retirement.
Ms. Jacob announced that Library Services Manager Yolanda Moreno will be named as Acting
Library Services Director when Ms. Jacob retires on Nov. 20, 2008.
CITY OF ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY SERVICES
ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES October 20, 2008
Page 3
She further asked whether the Library Board of Trustees would like to brainstorm ideas for the
library. As a starting point for further discussion next month (at November’s Board meeting),
Director Jacob asked the Trustees specifically to respond verbally to the question, “Why are you
passionate about the Board and the Library?” Each Trustee shared his or her vision and passion
for the library, literacy, reading, books, exposure to other worlds, and giving back to the
community.
2.2 Financial Reports for September 2008
Received and filed. Director Jacob reported that each City department has been asked to cut
funds from its budget this fiscal year, and that next fiscal year (FY 09-10) might be even more
financially challenging.
VII. BOARD REPORTS
3.1 Report from Chair Westfall
Chair Doug Westfall said that he was donating to the Orange Public Library & History Center a
35mm filmstrip from the 1960s, covering Newport Beach and OC history. Chair Westfall also
had three postcards to donate of a county park in El Modena.
3.2 Report from Foundation Liaison
Ms. Jacob reported that the Library Foundation’s Sept. 21 fundraiser, A Step Back in Time, raised
nearly $40,000. The event was a success with the help of generous donors and buyers. The
Foundation Board is working to prepare an annual fund appeal as well as regular mailings next
year to prospective donors. Its Nominating Committee is working to expand the Board, with a
list of names of prospective Board Members to contact.
3.3 Reports from Trustees
None.
VIII. OLD BUSINESS
4.1 Debriefing, 2nd Annual Library Spelling Bee – Adult & Children’s Bees
Trustee Collins reported that the Children’s Spelling Bee was a huge success. More than 115
children from grades 1-6 showed up to compete for four finalist spots on Oct. 18 at each grade
level. Special thanks were given to Children’s Services Library Assistant Linda Cundiff for her
role in the success of the Children’s Spelling Bee. Trustee Collins also reported that the Adult
Spelling Bee was cancelled because there were not enough teams, because a significant number of
the original intended participants had had to withdraw. The adults that were going to participate
are willing to leave their monies with the library as a tax-deductible contribution to adult literacy.
The Spelling Bee will net approximately $7,000 from a Friends of the Library donation and the
Spelling Bee team registrations. The next step will be to meet with Children’s Services staff
regarding staff time commitment and whether the staff can commit to a Children’s Spelling Bee
for next year. Soon-to-be Acting Library Director Yolanda Moreno will coordinate this follow-up.
CITY OF ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY SERVICES
ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES October 20, 2008
Page 4
Director Jacob acknowledged and offered special thanks to Trustee Nancy Collins for her
awesome leadership work and coordination for this event; to Trustee Paul Hughes for preparing
hundreds of sentences for both the Children’s and Adult bees; to Trustees Doug Westfall, Jonell
Schlund, and Nancy Collins for helping to run the Children’s spell-offs; and to Trustee Mark
Clemens for his fundraising efforts. Shirley McNiel of Imprinted Memories was another great
part of the planning committee who helped to promote the Adult Bee and plan the event in a
variety of ways.
4.2 Update on proposed photo display and Nov. 13 program at the El Modena Branch Library
Director Jacob reported on a memo to the Mayor and City Council regarding a request from Sam
Rodriguez – Chair of the El Modena Community Historical Society (EMCHC) - to keep photos of
his father, Charles Rodriguez (who is a veteran of World War II), as a permanent display at the El
Modena Branch Library. Sam Rodriguez has told library staff that he and others from EMCHC
will be approaching Trustees to “lobby and petition” in support of this permanent display.
Director Jacob asked Trustees to refer Mr. Rodriguez to her should he contact any of them.
Library Services Manager Yolanda Moreno reported that she met with City Manager John Sibley
and Sam Rodriguez on Oct. 21 to discuss this permanent photo display. It was pointed out to Mr.
Rodriguez that there is not enough space at the El Modena Branch Library for a permanent
display of his father’s photos, and that the Display Policy calls for routine changes to library
displays. Instead, she said, there will be a digital photo display featuring photos of El Modena-
area veterans housed at the El Modena Branch Library and updated periodically.
Director Jacob reminded Trustees that the celebration honoring military veterans from the El
Modena area will be Thursday, Nov. 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the El Modena Branch Library.
IX. ANNOUNCEMENTS
o Retirement reception for Nora Jacob, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5-8 p.m., @ PJ’s Abbey – RSVP to Jan
Reichert
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Vice Chair Schlund moved, and Trustee Hughes seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting
at 4:35 p.m. The motion carried unanimously. The next meeting will be held on Monday,
November 17, 2008, 3 p.m. in the Staff Conference Room, Orange Public Library & History
Center, 407 E. Chapman Avenue.
____________________________ _________________________
Nora Jacob, Library Services Director Attested on