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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11052002 - C98 T C.98 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,CALIFORNIA Adopted this Circler on November 5,2002 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Uilkema, Gerber,DeSaulnier, Glover and Gioia NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None SUBJECT: Annual Report of the Board of Lary Library Trustees IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the annual report from the Board of Law Library Trustees, County of Contra Costa, State of California, for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2002 is ACCEPTED. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. Attested:November 5,2002 John Sweeten,Clerk of the Board of Supervirs and County Administrator Deputy Clerk y Annual Report of the Board of Law Library Trustees County of Contra Costa, State of California Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2002 PEEVED OCT 2 8 2002 TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS c����ccc°N TRA�COSTACO isQ s COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA Pursuant to§6349 and§6350 of the California Business and Professional Code,the Board of the Public Law Library Trustees respectfully submits to your Honorable Board its annual report of the condition of its trust for the fiscal year ending June 30,2002. Board of Trustees The Board of Law Library Trustees was composed of the following members on June 30,2002: Joyce Cram(President) Judge, Superior Court Judith Craddick(Vice President) Judge, Superior Court Michael Coleman(Secretary) Judge, Superior Court George V. Spans Judge, Superior Court Bruce Mills Judge, Superior Court David Del Simone Attorney Craig Andersen Attorney The Law Librarian,Alice McKenzie,also served as Recording Secretary of the Board of Public Law Library Trustees. Honorable Thomas Maddock resigned on December 31,2001 and was replaced by Honorable George V. Spanos on January 31,2002. Honorable Michael Coleman resigned on June 28,2002 and was replaced by Honorable Harlan G.Grossman on July 2,2002. staff May 1,2002 was the starting date of the new part-time Law Librarian,Alice McKenzie. The position had been vacant since October 15, 1999 due to budgetary constraints. The new Law Librarian currently works only 20 hours a week but if the monetary situation for the law library improves the hours will be extended. Alice McKenzie brings considerable management and law librarianship experience to the position. Before her employment,there were only three long-term staff members in the Martinez Law Library. These three staff members have had to work closely with the Board of Trustees to manage the library without a Law Librarian. Due to renovations,the Richmond branch library has been closed since November 2001 and the staff member who usually works in Richmond was temporarily relocated to the Martinez Law Library. The staff member has been able to maintain some of the materials from the Richmond collection from the Martinez location. She has also provided additional resources to projects that were underway in the Martinez location as well as -1- za reference assistance. tlias MaKernzis I:�w I�trrartan PIxerms Iaftic CVol Thompson Robin Nfom Judy Gowh �-3iiet� . Admfns UI forcnce) {Th 8ervicee) (CM&ad PM Condition of Trust The law library,s beginning fund balance was$332,553 on 7/1/01. During the 2001/2002 fiscal year,the law library spent$587,3.57 while receiving$643,480 in total revenue. The ending fund balance on 6/30/02 was$373,240. The trust has been able to maintain a surplus due to a number of factors. First,the payroll and benefit expenditures were reduced because a part-time time law librarian was hired,May 1,2002,late in the fiscal year. Second,the staff have not had merit increases for over four years. The Richmond branch had been closed for most of the year and some of the materials in that collection had been cancelled until the library opens later this fall. Fourth,the law library has refrained from any major spending on either the collection or to refurbish our facilities. This year we have seen a slight decease in the number of court filings,which ultimately affects our revenue. With the growth of the population in the county,this downward trend is of concern and the library will be forced to request a filing fee increase to maintain the collection and provide equitable salaries to the staff. The last fee increase of$3.00 to the filing fees for the law library was provided four years ago,January 1, 1999. Refer to the graph below for the trend in filing fee revenue and note the increase in the actual filing fee rate from 1999 forward. Court Filing Fee Revenue 1997-2002 $620,000 ;>: 610 $ 000 600 $ 000 590 $ 000 580 � 000 $570,000 1997158 1998/99 19981)0 2000/01 2(301102 x$21.00 0$21.50 0$23.00 @$23.00 C$23.00 -2- z"" ' ' There is a noted decline in court filings over the years based on the effectiveness of the Superior Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution program as well as other mediation programs. This decline may also be attributed to the increasing number of waivers that have been granted by the court. The numbers demonstrate even a sharper decline when you consider that the county's population has grown nearly 9%during that same period. Contra Costa County Number of Court Filings 1997- 2002 32,000 :.::.:.:::........ 30,000 ::.>: ........ 28,000 ::::;::: ::::>:: :;> 26,000 ::: 24,000 :«;`::> >;.:_<:>;::::; 22,000 In addition to filing fees, the law library trust is augmented with interest earnings and miscellaneous revenue received through our photocopy service,fax receipts/transmissions,document delivery,and selling of used books. There has been a sharp decline in our interest income over the last two years. A graph of these added revenues follows: Total Revenue 1997 - 2002 $700,000 :::;:.;:.;:.,>::.::.;:.::-- :::::::::.:::..::.. ............ ................................................................................................ 650$ ,000 00 $ s $600,000 a interest $550,000 ■Misc 1997/98 1998/99 1999100 2000/01 2001/02 0 Filing Fees Consistent with other years,the main expenses of the Iibrary have been the maintenance of the collection and personnel costs. Most of the operational expenditures have been for the resources used to support the collection,e.g.theft protection, signage,etc. The upkeep and subscription costs to merely maintain the existing Contra Costa County Public Law Library collection have escalated substantially over the past four years,for example the prices of legal supplementation has increased by 72%. Legal supplementation comprises better than 90%of the law library's expenditures,compared to monographs,which are not supplemented. The library has experienced a sharp increase in the worker compensation insurance,health insurance, property insurance and liability insurance areas. The expenses this year for the Richmond branch have been minimal due to the closure in November. -3- The breakdown of the Law Library's expenditures is presented below. A copy of Revenue and Expenditure Report: 711101-6130102 is provided as Appendix A. Public Law Library Expanses: 2001- 2002 ■$6,574 o$7 om$180,277 k [3$350,210 m$42,754 Ci Personnel ■Operations o C011ectl0n 57 prnent ■Insurance Property Added this Fiscal Year Martinez Quantity Property PURCHASED IN FISCAL YEAR ENDING 6/30/02 4 Bell Desktop computers for staff (replaced older computers) Collection Books (This is an approximate number) 57,222 volumes in collection 421 volumes withdrawn 1,226 volumes added Online(Internet?Services Lexis Shepards Westlaw Court Forms(used with Word Processing software) Treatises(some of these titles use to be available in CD-ROM format) Microfiche (No new fiche added the past two years) 125,012 -4- CD-ROM(most titles were cancelled and moved to an online format) 2 titles New Books (New Titles or Replacement Volumes of Earlier Editions) 1,226 volumes During the 2000/01 fiscal year,the volumes in the library had been recounted to ensure accuracy;the result was the confirmation that our tracking system was precise. Due to this accuracy,a recount of the collection was not conducted in 2001/02. The collection has increased slightly and we have been able to keep it current.The library does not circulate the collection so there have only been a few instances of damage or theft:of the law books. Over the recent years,the Board of Trustees has carefully examined the collection and a number of esoteric titles have been eliminated. There has been a diligent effort to build up the California law collection and ensure its currency. The primary goal of the law library is to maintain the titles most commonly used by the patrons. When available,Internet sources supplement our in-print resources in the library. This online solution will continue to be an issue with some patrons clue to the computer information gap primarily caused by age, income, and educational level. The library staff continually requires training so that they can assist the public with internet sources and other applications. Last year in their annual report,the Judicial Council reported that 4.3 million litigants in the State of California were pro per(self-represented). The law library has been working with the Contra Costa Courts to support their efforts in educating and supporting the public who have chosen to represent themselves. Materials have been added to the law library's collection as well as training sessions on how to use the Internet to locate some of these sources,e.g. forms, self-.help centers,etc. Significant Developments Name Change During the 2000/01 fiscal year,the Board of Trustees voted to add"public"to the name of the law library. The law library has continued its efforts in notifying the public that the law library is available as a major resource to provide free access to legal information as prescribed by law. The web site of the library was changed from htti)://www.eccilib.com to http;f/www.cccplhb,off. The library's logo now reflects the addition of public in the name of the library. The library's brochures and other materials have been updated to reflect the name change. staff A new part-time Law Librarian was hired on May 1,2002. There were no other staffing changes. A new law library personnel manual was updated and approved by the Board of Trustees on October,2001. Upgraded Hardware Upgrades for AW computer stations were installed in.October 2001. Monies for this acquisition were drawn from the Law Library's trust fund reserve account. The library participated in an Infopeopiq grant through the California State Library and obtained a public access computer as well as limited training for the staff. -5- Annual Report of the Board of Law Library Trustees County of Contra Costa, :State of California Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2002 TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA,STATE OF CALIFORNIA The undersigned,Recording Secretary of the Board of Law Library Trustees,County of Contra Costa,State of California,respectfully submits this report of the finances of the said trust and other information as might be of interest,for the fiscal year ending June 30,2002,based upon information provided her by the Auditor-Controller of said County and Arlene K.Mose,CPA hired by the Board of Trustees ofthe Law Library,all information she believes to be true. Signt� Alice McKenzie Law Librarian/Recording Secretary To the Board of Trustees for the Public Law Library for the County of Contra Costa STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA Alice McKenzie,being first duly sworn,deposes and says:That she is Recording Secretary of the Board of the Public Law Library Trustees,County of Contra Costa, State of California,that she has read the attached report and knows the contents thereof,and that she believes it to be true. Signed Subscribed and sworn to before me this cx?r day of tlel� ,2002. Signed r Title Other The law library web site and brochures were updated during the fiscal year. Insurance Property deductible was raised from$1,000 to $5,000 for Special Property Insurance Program (SPIP). The law library continues to maintain a$10,000 deductible for the Special Liability Insurance Program(SLIP), Electronic resource use The demand for desktop delivery of materials is increasing and to meet that need the library has increased the number of terminals that access the Internet and legal online-databases.Training the end-users and maintenance of the computers is affecting the service levels in other areas. Future Plans During the 2001/02 fiscal year,the Law Library Board of Trustees will continue to monitor revenue trends and limit expenditures. The Board has established a Strategic Planning Committee that will conduct a needs assessment so that the Law Library can establish some goals to meet the needs of the community. Strong efforts have already been put into place to increase the library's service level and to market theses services. Concerns, Problems As with other California county law libraries,declining revenue is a big concern. During the past two years,the law library has experienced a drop in its filing fee revenues and its interest income.The,impact is great as the law library copes with increased costs for publications,cost-of-living increases,and technological maintenance. Over the last four years,the Law Library was unable to provide merit increase adjustments to its employees. The need for retraining or recruiting and retaining staff with the skills required to use and maintain the new technologies found in law libraries needs to be dealt with. Finally, the law library needs to address the issue of how it operates within its constraints and remain relevant to the legal community and the public. .6- Annual Report of the Board of Law Library Trustees County of Contra Costa, Mate of California Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2002 TO KENNETH J. CORCORAN, AUDITOR-CONTROLLER COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA Pursuant to 56349 and 56350 of the California Business and Professional Code,the Board of the Public Law Library Trustees respectfully submits to the auditor of the county its annual report of the condition of its truest, with full statements of all property and money received,the number of books,periodicals and other publications on hand,the number added by purchase,gift,or otherwise, and other information as might be of interest for the fiscal year ending June 30,2002 Respectfully submitted this day of e- v ,2002. Alice McKenzie Law Librarian/Recording Secretary To the Board of the Public Law Library Trustees County of Contra Costa, State of California Annual Report of the Board of Law Library Trustees County of Contra Costa, State of California Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2002 TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA Pursuant to §6349 and §6350 of the California Business and Professional Code, the Board of Law Library Trustees respectfully submits to the Honorable Board its annual report of the condition of its trust, with full statements of all property and money received,the number of books,periodicals and other publications on hand, the number added by purchase,gift,or otherwise,and other information as might be of interest for the fiscal year ending June 30,2002, Respectfully submitted this, Lday of 02. Judg0oy ram.,President Pub]` La ibrary Board of Trustees Coun ontra Costa,State of California -9-