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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 01.A-Lttr 02/03/200320 �a JA `� �3 a 655 North Fair Street Petaluma, CA 94952 January 15, 2003 Mayor and Council City of Petaluma 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 Sirs and Madam: My term as your appointee•on the'Sonoma County Library Commission will expire February 28, 2003. 1 request your consideration of my reappointment for a new term. While I have served for a number of years on this administrative board, I am still . interested in continuing because of two projects'currently under way, in-which I have been closely involved: 1) the renovation and expansion of the Petaluma library building; and 2) the ongoing development of a county - wide Facilities Master Plan. New members on the Council should know that Petaluma's Library, owned by the City, is operated by the County Library, under provisions of'the Joint Powers Agreement of 1975. (Attached is a detailed description of'the agency.) This arrangement has, I believe, produced. an excellent level of library service for our community, with a dedicated and highly- qualifed staff, state -of -the -art technological equipment, a comprehensive collection of books and other materials, all' provided on an equalized county -wide tax - supported basis. I would be honored to be allowed to serve again as your representative on the Commision, and to strive further in today's fiscal diff iculties, to maintain and improve the facility and the services of our fine public library. Sincerely,. 1 1214 &L Dorothy 'Bert cci Commissioner, Sonoma County Library attach. LIBRARY AGENCY HEAD: THOMAS G. TRICE AGENCY DESCRIPTION The Sonoma County Library is a joint powers agency established between the County and cities to provide library service on an: equal basis throughout the County. The Library Joint Powers Authority (JPA) is governed by a seven - member 'Library Cbmmiss,ion, which includes 'five appointees of the Board of Supervisors, and one each from the cities of Petaluma and Santa Rosa. The Commission provides policy direction over the.staffing,, budget, operations, and development of -the Library system... The. Board of Supervisors is responsible for final . approval of the Library budget ;pursuant to the JPA agreement. Current.,services are financed through property tax revenue, fees, fines, public donations, and State -and Federal aid. The Sonoma County Library is a countywide public service system. It consists of ten regional libraries, two rural library stations, a,nd the. Central Library,located in Santa Rosa which serves as the headquarters -for the library, system. The Sonoma County Library provides a gemeral and comprehensive collectiono fb:ooks, magazines, and periodicals, and'`multi- media.. materials for reference and public borrowing_ Services to children under age twelve are especially comprehensive. The Library has a unified, systemwide, online public catalog which provides location and availability information' about books and other materials and enables self service placing of hold requests. Van delivery service among all of the libraries operates five days a week to ensure prompt transfer of materials from the point. of location to the point of requested pick up. The L-ibrary,maintains a home page on the Internet, which serves a variety of informationr needs 24 hours a day, including access to 'a range of licensed databases. Internet access and database services are provided to .the public afthe libraries.as well as through modem diakin access. The Library contracts with the Mendocino. County Library to provide bookmobile service to Sea Ranch and -Stewarts Point. The Library provide:sjo Lake County Library and Mendocino County Library, on a cost - recovery contract basis, automation 1 services which include shared collection information in the public catalog and patron - initiated �h,old placing. The Sonoma .County Library operates a. specialized Wine Library within the Healdsburg Regional Library, acts.as the County Archives, and provides a comprehensive collection in Sonoma County history and genealogy. The Library is a partial Federal and State documents depository.