REPORT TO BOARD
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Review and Recommend the City Council to Approve the Library Facilities Master Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
In FY 2022-23, the Library received funding approval for the development of a Library Facilities Master Plan. As a long-term planning tool, the Facilities Master Plan would provide the information and recommendations needed to guide decisions on capital investments for library services for the next 20 years. Incorporating professional assessment of property conditions at all Library facilities, stakeholder and community input, and strong data collection and analysis, the plan would help guide decisions for the future of library facilities in Santa Clara in coordination with projected population growth. The project was re-budgeted in the FY 2023-34 and 2024-25 Operating Budget and approved by Council on June 27, 2023 (23-144). An RFP was issued, and on August 2, 2024, an agreement was completed with Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, LTD DBA (MSR Design).
In addition to thorough facility review and assessment, the Library and MSR Design held engagement sessions at all library locations and community events such as Art and Wine Festival and Comic Con 2024. Engagement efforts included City and Library staff, the Board of Library Trustees, the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends Board, seven additional City boards and commissions, and community members through online surveys and engagements in four different languages.
The analysis and recommendations in the Facilities Master Plan are based on data collected from facility assessments, community and stakeholder input and surveys, demographic and user data, service population size and future growth, public library best practices and standards, national and regional public library trends, and comparative library system data.
DISCUSSION
The Library Facilities Master Plan is a comprehensive, 20-year plan. It provides priorities and recommendations for facility updates needed at all three Library facilities in the short-, medium- and long-term, as well as recommendations to address future population growth. Recommendations are supported by pricing estimates, service and staffing assessments, cost schedules, and funding strategies. The plan also includes a section with nexus language recommendations for updates to the City’s General Plan, consideration of energy management and sustainability, and detailed appendices providing data, detail and context for the final recommendations.
The plan recommendations are to first maintain all existing libraries, then to provide updated services and spaces via renovations and rearrangement of existing spaces, and finally includes recommendations for expansion to serve growing future populations. Priorities at Mission Branch Library include storage for a tool-lending library, restrooms with exterior/interior access and after-hours access to the community room. Priorities at Northside Branch Library include interior renovations to add study rooms, and improvements to the layout and furnishings to support increased technology use and better accommodate community use of the space. At Central Park Library, recommendations are to move most of the collections to the second floor, and to repurpose and renovate interior spaces to create more community gathering spaces and meeting rooms. These recommendations align with community demand and need for increased public access for individual, group, and school activities. The recommended renovations also align facility design with contemporary models for a library of the future, with greater emphasis on technology, maker space, library of things, and spaces better suited for both individual study and working demands, as well as community building spaces and resources. The plan is well-timed to provide guidance for effective use of Measure I funds at the Library.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment
FISCAL IMPACT
Costs and funding strategies for the recommendations in the Library Facilities Master Plan are well detailed. The Library will coordinate with the City Manager’s Office on the implementation of the plan to ensure synchronization with the City’s goals and appropriate funding mechanisms such as Measure I.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Board agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Recommend that the City Council approve the Library Facilities Master Plan.
Staff
Reviewed by: Sami James, Management Analyst
Approved by: Patty Wong, City Librarian
ATTACHMENTS
1. Library Facilities Master Plan