Version three of bookstore relocation response

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Version 3, Draft Letter to Capt Mckinnon
20 February 2017
Impacts
Subject: Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library Bard Street Bookstore Pending Closure and Relocation
Dear Capt. McKinnon
Thank you for working with us and trying to help identify a suitable Bookstore location for the Hermosa
Beach Friends of the Library if/when we are required to relocate from our current Bard Street Bookstore
site. As we understand it, the driving factor likely forcing our relocation is the pending closure of Bard
Street in order to create a secure Police and Fire compound, which would also result in severely limiting
pedestrian traffic in/out of the area and dramatically restrict access to the current Bookstore location.
As discussed with you, the current three site Options for relocation are:
1) The storage Shed (south of the Community Center)
2) The HB records storage area (a 1" floor room next to the HB Museum within the Community
Center)
3) One or more 2nd floor Classrooms in the Community Center (however, no near term availability).
In order to evaluate the suitability of each to meet our Bookstore needs, various FOL Board members
visited the locations, and then reviewed and discussed the pros and cons. Unfortunately, the consensus
result was that None of the Options would meet our primary requirements, and therefore not allow us
to sustain our current level of financial support to the Library. The factors evaluated can be summarized
as follows:
? Ease of access to the library for back and forth transportation of books and materials -- each
option is located in or near the Community Center which effectively creates a logistically
significant, physical separation from the Library as compared to our current location. This
inconvenient distance would require significant FOL labor and motorized vehicle support to
transport books and materials. Loading ramp and door access needs also must be considered.
Floor and shelf space -- sufficient space is needed to properly display our present "for sale"
books and materials inventory and we also need storage space so that we can continue to
replenish that inventory. Without the space, the revenue needed to continue the level of
funding we have provided for so many years
Public access and visibility - the Bookstore needs to be "visible and accessible" in order to
minimize the negative sales impact and the disruptions that will surely result from our physical
relocation, the interruption to Bookstore operations and weekly sales, and the adverse impacts
of losing our direct communication with the public during our physical relocation
? A required second move in the future - based on our relocation a few years ago, we know this
process has a major impact on our operations; one move would be preferable to two!

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In consideration of the factors above including "if the Bard Street closure occurs," the HB Friends of the
Library Board and the Bookstore Leadership team have no recourse but to close the Bookstore and
suspend sales and inventory operations until a more suitable location can be identified and adapted to
our needs. We believe the proposed Classrooms (Option 3 above) would be an excellent long term
solution, but that the time frame for Option 3 availability does not seem to work for us today.
In the timeframe between the Bard Street/ Bookstore closure and the availability of a future site that
meets our needs, we would like to have use of the whole Shed (Option 1 above) as a repository for our
unsold books and for any new books and materials we acquire. However, to support the minimum, FOL
sustainment level activities during the interim period, the Shed will still require lighting improvements
(skylights and light fixtures), air conditioning and heating improvements, a small outside bin for book
deposits, donations, and recycling, and finally, a handicap access ramp.
During the Interim Operations period, we will primarily use the Shed to continue sorting donated books
and materials, and creating inventory for future sales. We will also sort out and properly discard
unwanted books.
Unfortunately the largest impact of the pending Bookstore closure and the resultant Interim Operations
period will be a significant financial strain on the FOL budget, and this impact will seriously compromise
the level of support we can provide annually to the HB Library. Although we will plan to periodically
conduct book sales at sidewalk style events, it is expected that we will experience a significant decline in
annual Revenues, and that this loss of FOL Revenues and funding to the local HB Library will also have an
impact on the County Library System since they will have to "pick up some of the slack due to the loss of
or funding" and/or services, books and programs will decline.
The HB FOL is a non-profit organization and our Bookstore has generated the largest portion of our
Revenues each year. In fact, over the last twenty plus years, we have brought in more than $250,000
that has been used for direct support to the Hermosa Beach Public Library and to help meet the needs
of the local community. In the future, we will continue to look for an optimized location in order to
reestablish a fully operational Bookstore at that time. We sincerely believe that the Hermosa Beach FOL
has and will continue to provide a useful, necessary and invaluable service to Hermosa Beach
community, and the situation we now face is regrettable.
Thank you for allowing this opportunity for feedback and for your continued help towards implementing
the proposed move to the Shed if/when it is required.
Respectfully,
Howard Seeb, President
Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library
CC Board Members and Bookstore Leadership Team