Library Commission forms Belhaven-focused subcommittee to boost outreach to Belhaven Branch

The Menlo Park Library Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 17 to form an ad hoc subcommittee charged with advising on District 1–specific library outreach for the recently opened Belhaven Branch.

Staff opened the study session with background materials including a heat map of Library and Community Services (LCS) newsletter subscribers and basic foot-traffic statistics for the main library and the Belhaven Branch. Assistant Library and Community Services Director Nick Schechta said the data were intended to “kickstart” the discussion and that the department reports subscriber counts, open rates and click rates but had not yet correlated those metrics with hyperlocal behaviors.

Commissioners raised several possible explanations for lower-than-expected visible usage at the Belhaven Branch, including differences in daytime demographics (more workers and fewer retirees), the presence of licensed after‑school childcare in the same building, and the historical complexity of the library’s relationship with nearby schools. Commissioners and staff agreed those dynamics warranted a focused review rather than immediate assumptions that the branch was underperforming.

The meeting included detailed questions about the statistics. Commissioners asked whether the “items circulated” figure reflected checkouts at a given branch or items originating at that branch; staff offered to follow up with a definitive definition and more granular data. The commission also discussed outreach tactics to reach non‑users: neighborhood signage, tabling at community events with on‑the‑spot card registration, targeted mailings (noting mailers are available but costly), use of volunteers to staff tutoring or homework‑help offerings, and a mobile library/van as potential options.

The conversation addressed program funding and staffing constraints. Commissioners and staff said that prior iterations of a homework center and adult‑literacy programming had relied on state grants and grant‑funded positions that were lost during the pandemic; commissioners estimated those earlier programs had required substantial funding and discussed volunteer models as a possible lower‑cost way to restore services while noting training and supervision needs.

After discussion, Commissioner Yule moved and Commissioner Crockett seconded a motion “to form a subcommittee to advise on District 1‑specific library engagement in support of Library Commission Work Plan Goal Number 5.” The motion passed on a unanimous roll call; the commission named Commissioners Yule, Crockett and Abdullah to the ad hoc group. Chair Carol Orton said staff and the new subcommittee will work to set an initial plan and report back to the full commission in January, to align any short‑term requests with the city budget cycle.

Votes at a glance: the commission voted to form the Belhaven‑focused ad hoc subcommittee (motion by Commissioner Yule, seconded by Commissioner Crockett; outcome: approved unanimously). The commission also approved the prior meeting minutes and the 2026 commission calendar during the session.

Next steps: staff will clarify the circulation and foot‑traffic metrics and the new subcommittee will draft outreach goals and recommended follow‑up steps for a January update to the commission.