October 8, 2003

The Honorable Mayor Ron Gonzales and City Council Members

City of San Jose

801 North First Street, Room 600

San Jose, CA 95110

Dear Mayor Gonzales and City Council Members:

The San Jose Library Commission is pleased to present its recommendation regarding the Sunday service pilot project. The Sunday service pilot project was suggested in the Mayor’s June Budget Message. At the June 9, 2003 public budget meeting, the City Council agreed to allow the Library Commission to review various options for providing Sunday service at branch libraries and to make a recommendation to City Council.

In his June Budget Message, Mayor Gonzales stated:

“… Quality library services are highly valued by our residents, and the library plays a key role to promote reading, family literacy, lifelong learning, school and job readiness, and economic development. While I am recommending restoration of funding for a sixth day of service at our branch libraries, I am recommending that the Manager be directed to implement a pilot project at a third to a half of our branches to have a sixth day of operation be Sunday. Consideration should be given to geographic distribution (we have had success with our Community Policing Centers as a model), and avoidance of branches with large after school programs or usage (i.e. branches on school sites). In these pilot program branches the library would be open all weekend and closed on one weekday.” (June 4, 2003 Message, page 7)

The library staff did a very thorough study resulting in several options for implementing the Sunday service pilot project. They developed a set of criteria that led to recommending one specific option. In August, the Library Commission carefully considered the staff recommendation and recommends option 2.

This option meets the goals of the Mayor’s message by piloting Sunday service at branch libraries geographically distributed throughout the city without impacting after school programs. By making slight adjustments to hours of operation throughout the system, this option actually provides service seven days a week at the test branches with no additional expense, unlike option 1, which would result in six branches being open only four weekdays each week. The Commission thinks you will agree that this is a great approach. The recommended pilot can be summarized as follows:

· Adds a seventh day of service (Sunday) to four regional branches

• Adds Sunday hours to four of the busiest branches, geographically distributed throughout San Jose
• Has no impact on after-school hours or programs at any of the branches
• Provides uniform Monday-Saturday hours of operation for branches system wide
• Ensures all branches offer evening hours three days per week
• Provides flexibility in staff scheduling, leading to increased morale

The Library Commission deeply appreciates the strong commitment that the Mayor and Council have continually made to San Jose’s outstanding library system. We appreciate your attention and consideration of our position on this important issue and look forward to the implementation of Sunday hours at some of San Jose's busiest branches.

Sincerely,

Tim Karas, Chair

San Jose Library Commission