[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6634910,"mediaKeyId","2654311-3d1f7c5f3bea0f69132212dda4bdf548","parentId",2654311,"title","Escondido library to relocate temporarily to mall storefronts; staff to seek April 9 budget adjustment","audioSeconds",2417,"startMs",182000,"endMs",2599000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2654311-3d1f7c5f3bea0f69132212dda4bdf548&start=182&end=2599","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2654311-3d1f7c5f3bea0f69132212dda4bdf548/thumbnail_182000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6634910/Escondido/San-Diego-County/California/Escondido-library-to-relocate-temporarily-to-mall-storefronts-staff-to-seek-April-9-budget-adjustment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634910-b2cdc378d6f76d80dd00b7d24e0f5340/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135941&Signature=S7uWHLC9qU1qKk8mv2p1yiD8MVMfeqYHHrmLr~uW0OzSIIftmljSEcXOE-gvVcejQKMe~EoKpFqUvyII6AcwVdhCn4lhKvqhidowiOswYa0pRJpAbx0jEXcdwJUSSnSTCDxlPYs-gRYt9fk9E9B8zNIoRxKvV2Zx1DQmxne1825ERMyEvOzW38MZ8F1rKfkvA7W~C~orcs03YVg0rGLQL6nvNQIVBl9n-n0V7zAArwlfeGlMQEwV2yLXsjL1SHrZsBP8Dywwq6Ft2IjaS~SSLfeSobm50dAvBE0JBchv6cqjs-GBog2A00iy0p00SpbYVlCY1xEWO2hCgjdLOh11Zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-14T17:02:08Z","article","Escondido Public Library staff told the Board of Trustees they plan to move library services to a cluster of mall storefronts near Target for roughly 12 months and will ask City Council for a budget adjustment and lease approval on April 9.

The board heard that the temporary space will consist of three storefronts on the mall’s first floor — a children’s area, a general collection area and a storefront identified as “Princeton Library” in the diagrams — plus two rooms for staff and storage. The storefronts are not internally connected, so patrons would exit one storefront to enter another. Staff said the move will require a short closure of services during the move week; they described a three-week transition period in late April, with an outside reopening date of May 27 but the goal of opening earlier if possible.

Why this matters: the temporary site is significantly smaller than previous proposals and will change how patrons access collections, computers and programming. Staff told trustees that some services (for example, public computer access and seating) will be reduced in the temporary space, program locations will change, and Friends of the Library volunteers will move with the library.

Library staff and project manager details

Rob Roe, assistant director of community services, told trustees the full relocation package going to council on April 9 will include moving services to and from the temporary location, IT work, and building maintenance and construction work tied to preparing the storefronts. \"April 9 is when the staff are going to council to make a full request for a budget adjustment,\" Roe said.

Project manager Ed Vasquez told trustees that construction at the permanent site is expected to begin in June and that staff may request an extension of project deadlines in January 2026 after clearer progress metrics are available.

What will change inside the temporary storefronts

Staff representatives said the temporary footprint is far smaller than some earlier plans. The presenters said the general-collection storefront will keep roughly 30% of the browsing collection available on the floor, with the remainder held in on-site storage and provided on request. \"They will be all available on the floor... roughly, in the general collections, around 30% would be accessible and the rest of it will be on the same site storage and what we call reserved collections,\" a library staff presenter said.

Public computer access also will be reduced: staff reported the public computer count will drop from about 20 machines at the main library to four at the temporary location, though the storefronts’ proximity to mall seating and mall Wi-Fi are being factored into the plan. Children’s materials and a small area for story times were described as fitting within the children’s storefront.

Programming, access and facilities

Staff said some larger programs that cannot fit in the temporary storefronts will be held at the Mathis Center (classroom or dance studio) and that some story times will continue at the Mathis Center beginning in May. Restrooms shown on the storefront plans are staff-only; patrons will use mall restrooms, and Target restrooms are nearby.

Entrances and logistics

Trustees asked about public access. Staff said public entry to the temporary library will be through the mall’s main entrances; there is no direct external street entrance into the library storefronts. The city and mall management have discussed wayfinding and digital signage; staff said the mall has been open to allowing window signage and use of the mall’s digital signage and to placing wayfinding in the parking lot.

Friends of the Library

Staff said the Friends of the Library were briefed and will move with the library. \"We are treating the Friends of the Library at this time as if they are a program of the library. And therefore, they will be moving with us,\" a staff presenter said.

Schedule, procurement and communications

Roe said the project went out to bid but was about two weeks behind the intended schedule and that contractor walkthroughs were expected by the end of the month. He said the April 9 council package will include rent being negotiated with mall management. Roe also described a three-phase communications plan — announcing the move, announcing that the library has moved, and announcing the return — and said the city will use a mix of digital channels, flyers, window clings, QR pages and mall wayfinding to reach patrons. He said some materials would begin circulating within about a week, but full details would follow council approval.

What trustees asked and the next steps

Trustees pressed staff on square footage changes (staff and trustees discussed prior proposals of roughly 50,000 square feet versus a 15,000-square-foot storefront plan), service reductions, computer capacity and how programming will be maintained. Staff repeatedly said they would keep core services available but could not replicate every element of the main library in the smaller temporary footprint.

Staff said they will return with an updated schedule and a revised unfunded-items list for trustees and that the city’s April 9 council submittal will capture the financial and contractual elements needed for the move.

Ending

Trustees received the updates and asked for an updated timeline and communications links to circulate to constituents. Staff committed to send an updated project sheet and the landing-page link once finalized; no formal board vote on the relocation was recorded at the meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Audio - Library Board of Trustees - March 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Escondido Public Library staff told the Board of Trustees they plan to move library services to a cluster of mall storefronts near Target for roughly 12 months and will ask City Council for a budget adjustment and lease approval on April 9.","taxTitle","Escondido, San Diego County, California","taxId",2842,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6634906,"Escondido trustees hear March changes to digital lending; board to review impact next meeting",1856,2640000,4496000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2654311-3d1f7c5f3bea0f69132212dda4bdf548&start=2640&end=4496","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2654311-3d1f7c5f3bea0f69132212dda4bdf548/thumbnail_2640000.jpg","/articles/6634906/Escondido/San-Diego-County/California/Escondido-trustees-hear-March-changes-to-digital-lending-board-to-review-impact-next-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634906-95fe13904e2a51dda73589aacdc6c99d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135941&Signature=KZaOit-OTPCMjFKVDiIKqcMUNaH56lUJMwNDkA9VYckJLXv2iz-~yTw2w10javcZVQT4g82qzNASDDkfUCbM~PhG3XJDn-JhCBeDqBxylR0~TKW8IlTXQa4UmTFO9N6abcX~vRwsn365cWbU5Ih7eY7-5Cy7mThEh2TFo-lbKZxyijQo99LK0AOQWU89q1E9yYRjJZhYyRR6X~6OdqK-DVVLwL9hxQyGqEaGkNgWUNg0CS3bH17RmNrk2t5poOOaQsSw7F~rrilBnvNMiUbSEmi0z~GpD0dDxDiW72yZjFx-xZwzMB1ybIyFPBHnJEHuXrpz1guOMub68NEHnjqG0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Library staff reported to the Board of Trustees that, effective March 3, the library tightened access to its digital-lending platform by requiring users to present a full Escondido library card number and placing the service under a monthly budget cap. Staff said the changes were intended to ensure downloads are directed to Escondido residents, people who work or study in Escondido, and other eligible local patrons.

The policy changes and immediate effects

A staff presenter told trustees that since March 3 only patrons with full Escondido public library cards can use the service and that library cards must be in good standing (staff described a local standard of fees below a ceiling). Staff said an exception process exists: users who present proof (digital or printed) of identity and local eligibility — for example a photo ID plus a pay stub or school registration — may receive access.

Staff said the library implemented a monthly budget cap of roughly $1,300 for the platform. The result has been a sharp reduction in monthly downloads compared with earlier months: staff reported recent monthly downloads of about 600 since the cap, compared with between 2,000 and 3,000 downloads per month when the budget cap was not in place. Staff also reported that daily download activity has shifted later in the morning (staff described a download-window change from around midnight to 8–9 a.m.).

Trustees discussed options: reduce borrows per patron, change per-item caps

Staff presented options to stretch the budget and increase unique borrowers: lowering per-patron monthly borrows from three to two, and lowering a cost threshold for visible catalog items (from $2.99 to $2.84 per item) to hide higher-cost items. Staff told trustees that the $2.84 threshold is the next common pricing tier recommended by vendor representatives and could be implemented quickly if trustees direct it.

On timing and implementation, a staff presenter said: \"The reduction from $2.99 to $2.84 can happen basically overnight,\" and that a change from three borrows to two is similarly quick to enact.

Costs, usage and alternatives discussed

Staff said the library previously spent much more on the platform (they cited prior monthly spend near $6,000 before the cap) and that Hoopla-like services cost the library roughly $15,000 in the prior period under discussion. Staff also explained that popular new releases or highly requested series often have higher per-item costs; those titles frequently remain available to patrons through other platforms the library participates in, such as Libby/OverDrive and the Palace Project.

Board direction and next steps

Trustees discussed testing further limits to gather more data before making long-term changes. The board gave direction by consensus to continue under the current March settings and asked staff to return with updated usage data at the next meeting. Several trustees recommended running a short experiment (for example starting in April) to see the effect of reducing borrows to two and lowering the per-item threshold to $2.84, but trustees also noted that changes during a partial month can complicate analysis and some recommended testing for a full month.

A staff presenter emphasized the ability to revert changes quickly: implementation of most of the options discussed can be done overnight if the board directs it.

Ending

Trustees asked staff to bring further monthly data, and staff said they will return with a fuller data set at the next meeting so trustees can decide whether to adopt any of the proposed permanent limits.","Library staff implemented March 3 changes that require full Escondido library cards for the digital-lending platform, tightened eligibility and applied a monthly budget cap; downloads have dropped from prior levels, board gave staff direction to continue current settings and return with data at the next meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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Escondido library to relocate temporarily to mall storefronts; staff to seek April 9 budget adjustment

Escondido trustees hear March changes to digital lending; board to review impact next meeting