The City Council on Monday approved $250,000 worth of equipment for the Malibu Library Improvement Project and $530,000 for additional services, which will be paid for out of a county fund.
By Homaira Shifa / Special to The Malibu Times
The City Council on Monday authorized the city manager to execute a $250,000 purchase order for library equipment, including items such as computers, monitors, printers, media equipment, book carts, trash cans, small appliances, and other necessary office equipment.
In addition, the city voted 4-1 in favor of additional services for the library and to assign a task force to assist the Parks and Recreation Department with the development of a speaker series.
“One thing we do not have in Malibu is an indoor activity for children,” said Malibu resident Anne Payne, who supported the idea of additional services for the library.
The additional services included an increase in operating hours from 37 hours a week to 50 hours a week, hiring a teen librarian, enhancing the collection with materials specific to Malibu, establishing a deferred maintenance reserve, and establishing a speaker series program.
All council members supported the recommended increases in its entirety, except for Mayor Laura Zahn Rosenthal who had reservations about hiring a teen librarian. Hiring a full-time teen librarian would cost $130,000. County funds over which the City of Malibu has discretion in how they are spent would cover the cost. The trained professional would correspond with the local boys and girls club to provide homework assistance.
“I don’t know if we really need a teen librarian,” Rosenthal said. “We should get the Youth Commission and the Boys and Girls club involved to see what we need. We should wait until the library is open to see what we need.”
“We already spent $40,000 on a study in 2005 for this,” Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said. “We have the needs assessment and the money. So, why wait?”
Rosenthal responded that she did not understand the rush to make a decision.
“I want the experts to get together to see if that’s important for us,” Rosenthal said.
Mayor Pro Tem Lou La Monte said getting teens into the library is challenging, so if this program will bring them in it was worth a try. If it didn’t work, La Monte said the council could change it.
The County of Los Angeles collects money through property taxes for library services and sets aside the money left over from basic operating expenses into a designated fund. The additional services will use money from this fund to cover costs. Assistant City Manager Reva Feldman said that approximately $1 million will be added to the fund annually.
The new library hours will be Mondays from 1pm-5pm, Tuesdays to Thursdays from 10am-8pm, Fridays from 10am-6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-5pm. The cost for the increased hours is $200,000.
Another part of the additional services would include enhancing the existing collection with materials specific to Malibu. It would focus on sustainability, ocean and surf and would cost $25,000. The library will have a deferred maintenance reserve of $100,000 a year.
Establishing a speaker series program will cost $75,000 a year and will provide a minimum of six guest speakers a year. Upon direction from the council, the Harry Barovsky Memorial Youth Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission will provide input in identifying speakers for the program.
The library is expected to open on Earth Day on April 22.