TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library, a California nonprofit corporation, to use the Council Chamber or alternate public City facility up to six times each year for public events for the period of August 1, 2019 to December 31, 2044. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Friends of Long Beach Public Library (Friends of LBPL) established the Blanche Collins Forum in 1977 to bring free programs of significance to Long Beach residents in the field of art, literature, or current events. Past presenters include Dr. Sally Ride, Chief Justice Rose Bird, Pulitzer Prize Winner and American Journalist Norman Cousins, Los Angeles Poet-Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez, and internationally acclaimed bestselling authors Ray Bradbury and Lisa See. The events have been held in the Main Library Auditorium, which has seating capacity of 286, and is adjacent to the Auditorium Lobby for pre- and post-events. The Department of Library Services (Department) has provided the venue to the Friends of LBPL for these free events since the inception of the Blanche Collins Forum, and anticipates 250 - 300 attendees at future events. The new Main Library, scheduled to open in the summer of 2019, will not have the capacity to accommodate high-attendance public events.
The Friends of LBPL proposes to provide up to six free programs for youth and families per calendar year. Programming will be coordinated with the Department of Library Services, and approved in advance by the Director of Library Services (Director). By July each year, the Friends of LBPL will submit to the Director for approval, an annual calendar of programs and events. In exchange for the Friends of LBPL providing educational and cultural programming to youth and families not currently provided by the Department of Library Services, the City agrees to waive all fees associated with using the Council Chamber or alternative City facility....
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