Oroville >> The Butte County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $653,248 plan to add automation and self-service technology to the county library system.
About half of the money will come from a $330,000 gift from the estate of Martha L. Dunbar, who died June 19 at the age of 90. Both Dunbar and her late brother, Paul, actively used the Chico branch.
The remainder of the cost of automation, and $14,080 for miscellaneous efficiency improvements, will come from the general fund’s contingency.
While supervisors also approved a no-cost plan to add two weekly hours to each of the Gridley, Oroville and Paradise branches, there weren’t enough votes to add five weekly hours to the Chico branch.
Supervisors voted 3-2 for the Chico plan, which would have cost $47,344. A four-fifths vote was needed for the mid-year spending increase, according to County Administrative Officer Paul Hahn.
The board was voting on staff recommendations following a presentation by County Librarian Mel Lightbody and assistant director Sarah Vantrease.
Vantrease recounted a service analysis that was conducted after a funding cut led to the Chico branch losing 14 weekly hours. She said the county library system is extremely well used and one-time funds could be used to make improvements.
“The Butte County Library can provide residents with effective and streamlined service,” Vantrease said.
Potential for programs
Currently, library staff spends about half its time on routine circulation tasks and 6.8 percent on programs like storytime and computer training.
“Automation has the potential to flip those percentages,” Vantrease said.
She said a robot could check books in and out, but only a staff member can offer high-impact programs.
The library currently has some automated self check-out at Chico, Oroville and Paradise, but it often requires staff intervention, according to a staff report.
The approved solution is a simpler process using RFID tags (radio frequency identification) to allow patrons to check books in and out. The Roseville Public Library uses the technology for 98 percent of all circulation transactions.
Over the next year, the Chico, Gridley, Oroville and Paradise branches will receive fully automated patron self-service technology. Based on its high circulation, the Chico branch will also receive automated sorting technology.
The Biggs and Durham branches would only receive the RFID tags.
Chico-area Supervisor Larry Wahl praised Lightbody and Vantrease for their presentation. He said it was a good synopsis of what’s needed to help move the library system into the 21st century.
“This is a good step forward,” Wahl said.
Concerns about cost
Supervisors Steve Lambert, representing the county south of Chico, and Bill Connelly, representing the Oroville area, voted no. Lambert said the county’s finances remained tight and questioned spending for the libraries when the county hasn’t addressed some improvement projects and employee compensation.
“If you don’t take care of the people that get the product from here to here, it doesn’t matter what you do with the product,” Lambert said.
Connelly was concerned about using one-time money for salaries and using contingency funds.
County officials were confident increased efficiency could cover the ongoing $43,597 annual cost of the automation project. They were optimistic that the improved efficiency could led to savings to keep the five additional Chico hours, but weren’t sure.
Connelly suggested waiting until the automation systems are added to see if there were enough savings to add the new Chico hours.
County officials also noted that the Chico City Council has discussed restoring some supplemental funding to the Chico branch, although such talks have been tabled for now. The city previously provided $100,000 for the added hours, but it was cut in this year’s budget.
Earlier this year, county supervisors declined to replace the funding, largely because of concerns about using one-time money for ongoing salaries.
Hahn said county staff’s current recommendation was in reaction to a lot of demand from the Chico community. The Chico branch is by far the most active branch in the six-branch system.
After the vote to increase Chico hours failed, Chico-area Supervisor Maureen Kirk noted it was interesting that other branches got increased hours.
There was one change to Chico’s hours — an hour was moved from Thursday to Tuesday, the branch’s busiest day.
With the changes, which can be enacted after a second vote, the Chico branch will remain open 44 hours per week. The two additional hours will keep Oroville and Paradise open 41 hours per week and Gridley for 36 hours. The Durham branch will remain open 30 weekly hours and Biggs 12.
Reach reporter Ryan Olson at facebook.com/NorCalJustice and 896-7763.
