Meeting_Body
REVISED
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 24, 2021
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS GARCETTI, NAJARIAN, BARGER, BUTTS, SANDOVAL, AND DUPONT-WALKER
Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive
In everything it does, Metro should always strive to be the best and most prestigious transportation agency in the nation.
Metro’s Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive is an exceptional institution and one of the most comprehensive transit operator-owned library resources in the United States. As Southern California’s only multimodal transportation library, it serves employees, the public, governments, and research institutions with timely access to information supporting transportation policy, research, operations, and technology transfer. It is recognized for providing invaluable research, resources, history, and archives that give context to transportation issues and history in Los Angeles and Southern California as well as leadership within the transportation research community.
Approximately 40% of the Dorothy Peyton Gray Library’s collection is unique. The library’s team works with the National Transportation Library and the Transportation Research Board to improve the availability of transportation-related information needed by federal, state, and local decision-makers. The library partners with local, national, and international entities in cooperative ventures and information sharing.
The library has also developed a robust social media presence with its Primary Resources blog, Transportation Headlines blog, Flickr photo stream with thousands of unique historic images, and YouTube channel featuring historic films and videos.
However, the library’s ability to continue providing these services is at risk. In the past decade, the library has operated largely on a shoestring. Its staff has declined to the point that it now has one dedicated full-time position, plus a small number of temporary and as-needed support staff. This level of staffing is insufficient for Metro to provide satisfactory customer service and further grow the library’s presence and standing within Los Angeles County, the transportation and historical communities at large, and beyond. Additionally, in recent years the library has been reorganized several times into different departments and operating units within Metro, contributing to its challenges. As a result of these challenges, priority strategic initiatives have not been able to advance, including digitization of the library’s catalogue and archive.
To address these risks, Metro should perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis (or equivalent) to determine the appropriate staffing, investment, technologies, organizational standing, and strategic partnerships for the Dorothy Peyton Gray Library to maintain and grow its standing and prestige.
Achieving and maintaining an exceptional library and historical archive is essential for Metro to provide transparency to its staff, stakeholders, and constituents.
Subject
SUBJECT: DOROTHY PEYTON GRAY TRANSPORTATION LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE Motion by Directors Garcetti, Najarian, Barger, Butts, Sandoval, and Dupont-Walker that the Board of Directors direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Develop a comprehensive assessment and action plan for the Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive, including but not limited to recommendations for Board action on:
1. Short-, mid-, and long-term goals for the library to improve accessibility to its materials and grow its community presence;
2. Appropriate permanent staffing and other investment to ensure achieving and maintaining an exceptional level of service and prestige;
3. A permanent home within the Metro organization consistent with Metro’s enabling legislation;
4. Potential strategic partnerships to help the library grow its reach;
5. Benchmarks against peer agencies and libraries;
6. Any other relevant opportunities related to the library’s mission, services, and standing; and
B. Report back to the October 2021 Executive Management Committee with an update on all the above. Regarding directive A.2 above (FTEs), report back earlier than October 2021 as appropriate.
SOLIS AMENDMENT: The report back should include an exploration of philanthropic funding to help support the library’s operations.