Benicia Board of Library Trustees Meeting – March 2, 2026

On March 2, 2026, the Benicia Board of Library Trustees met at City Hall, Council Chambers, starting at 6:00 PM and adjourning at 6:42 PM. The meeting included reports on youth services, public internet computers, the city librarian’s monthly update, and liaison reports. No public comments were made. The only vote was the unanimous approval of the February 2, 2026 meeting minutes.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The Board unanimously approved the minutes from the February 2, 2026 meeting (Vice President Catalone, Trustee Dixon, Secretary Kazakov, Trustee Workman, President Hickey all voted aye).

Youth Services Report

• Amber Kelly and Melena Tanner provided the youth services report. Current year (CY) and previous year (PY) statistics were referenced but not detailed.
• Discussion centered on the lack of a full-time youth services librarian. Currently, Melena works 32 hours per week, plus two staff at up to 28 hours each (total 88 part-time hours).
• City Librarian Jennifer reported she is developing a proposal to convert Betty’s vacated full-time literacy coordinator position into a full-time children’s librarian position. She expressed hope the city would approve, noting the position would be more expensive than the literacy coordinator, but savings from reducing part-time staff could offset the cost.
• The Benicia Unified School District reimburses the library $25,000 per year for youth services, but that does not cover even one part-time staff member.

Public Internet Computers

• Amber Kelly reported on the status of the Scenic Wi-Fi system. The connection is operational, but the library has not yet disconnected from Solano County because the city’s IT department is considering purchasing equipment from Solano; an invoice was received that day (March 2) and forwarded to the IT director. No budget exists for that purchase.
• The library is exploring alternatives to the “userful” software for public computers because it is no longer supported. A perpetual license was offered but is not worth buying for a system already malfunctioning. The library has until the end of the calendar year to find a replacement.
• Removing some public computers could free up physical space and also reduce the “not-to-exceed” fire code occupancy limit, which currently constrains programs like Luncha Libra. Amber Kelly discussed this with the fire marshal.

City Librarian’s Report

• Financial Report: The mid-year meeting with city finance went well; the only concern was a part-time personnel overage. Three drivers were identified: (1) minimum wage increases affecting about one-third to one-half of part-time staff, (2) an extra $20,000 in cataloging costs because materials are no longer pre-processed by Baker & Taylor, and (3) ongoing training costs due to high part-time turnover (training takes 20–30 hours per new hire). To mitigate retraining, the library created two weekly slots for a rotating pool of on-call staff to ensure they remain current.
• Staffing Challenges: City Librarian Jennifer noted that a library assistant position pays $18.12/hour in Benicia, but $24 in Solano County, $28 in Contra Costa, and $32 in Napa – making recruitment and retention very difficult.
• Literacy Program: Betty’s departure has left the literacy program on hiatus. The city librarian has contacted the school district and the state. A meeting with the state is scheduled for the next day (March 3) to discuss subcontracting adult ESL clients to Solano County Library while keeping the grant (used to pay the GED instructor). Data and student contact information have been hard to locate; the staff spent the day searching for it.
• Proposal: Jennifer’s intention is to convert the full-time literacy coordinator position into a full-time children’s librarian, but she is concerned the city may freeze the empty position. She asked trustees to consider writing letters to the city manager.

Board Liaison Reports

• Art Gallery Advisory Committee: Linda Fleming’s exhibit is up and beautiful. A reception is being planned. There was confusion about whether items are for sale; a price list exists, but the liaison (Carolyn) believed they are not for sale and will investigate.
• Friends of the Library: No report – the group did not meet since the last meeting.
• Library Foundation: The foundation is actively seeking new members. One new member left due to a job change. President Hickey and Sharon met with Jessica Thomas and Tom Thomason of the Napa Valley College Foundation for ideas. Next meeting scheduled for the following week.
• Poet Laureate Committee: The application period for the next poet laureate is open until March 31, 2026. A March 1 event had about 30 attendees; three applications have been received, with three more people expressing interest.
• Historical Museum/Historical Society: Trustee Ruth reported that the museum’s new exhibit, “Benicia: Gem of the West,” had the largest opening attendance ever. Upcoming events include a wedding vendor event in March and a children’s story/activity program. She also noted the Benicia Herald newspaper library website has been down for about two weeks; the library will seek a rebate for the service fee.

Key Outcomes

• The Board unanimously approved the February 2, 2026 meeting minutes.
• The library will proceed with exploring replacements for the userful public computer software and evaluate the number of computers needed.
• City Librarian will submit a proposal to convert the literacy coordinator position to a children’s librarian; trustees may be asked to advocate to the city manager.
• The library will continue discussions with the state about the literacy grant and consider subcontracting adult ESL services to Solano County Library.
• The next Board of Library Trustees meeting is scheduled for April 6, 2026.