HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2e: Gift of $50,000 from Friends of Arcadia Public Library for Library Programs & Materials ti, oFF c4,
.60011 y
Iaaorpo g:
Aury[t 5.1903
o'9t4++atty of 4°4 STAFF REPORT
Library and Museum Services Department
June 5, 2012
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jackie Faust-Moreno, Director of Library and Museum ServicesA4
SUBJECT: Receive gift of $50,000 from the Friends of the Arcadia Public Library for
programs and materials for the Library
Recommendation: Accept the donation
SUMMARY
The Friends of the Arcadia Public Library are offering the Arcadia Public Library a donation of
$50,000 for the purchase of books and other materials and for programs for children, teens
and adults.
DISCUSSION
The Friends of the Arcadia Public Library, as part of its ongoing mission to support the
Library's goals and objectives, is donating a total of $50,000 to the Library. Friends board
members and volunteers work hard six days a week to raise these funds through their
bookstore located just inside the Library's entrance.
The Friends funds provide support for the majority of the Library's children's programming, in
particular the always very popular annual Children's Summer Reading Program. In addition,
Friends funds support a variety of materials and programs for teens, including a Teen Summer
Reading Program. This donation will be used for supplies, incentives, entertainers, and books
for the summer programs. Funds will also be used to support other programs throughout the
year for children, teens, and adults, including book discussion groups for adults and public
performance licenses for films.
Strong demand continues for eBooks, eAudiobooks, and new audiovisual materials, including
books and music on CD. DVDs of films, plays and non-fiction topics such as travel and history
are also very popular. These funds will enable the Library to purchase additional digital and
audiovisual materials for both the adult and children's collections.
Funds will also be used to purchase online databases that will be available to people 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, either in the Library or from their personal computer at home or
elsewhere. Subscriptions supported with this donation include Heritage Quest, which offers
Staff Report—Accept Gift
June 5, 2012
Page2
access to genealogy and historic census records, and Novelist. The second database,
Novelist, provides reader's advisory information on fiction and the book group discussion
guides are invaluable to staff who lead the Library's monthly book groups.
Funds will also be used to support an internship for a student enrolled in a graduate program
leading to the Masters degree in Library and Information Science.
The funds donated by the Friends help the Library and City provide a high level of materials
and services for the citizens of Arcadia beyond the current capacity of the City's General Fund.
Without the ongoing support and financial assistance of the Friends, the array of Library
programs and services offered to Arcadians would be much diminished in quality and quantity.
The children's Summer Reading Program would be much less enticing and staff would be hard
pressed to keep children reading all summer long so they are ready to return to school each
Fall ready to read at or above grade level in reading.
This gift has been accepted by the Library Board.
All gifts to the Library are subject to approval by the City Council pursuant to City Charter
Article VIII Section 809(d).
FISCAL IMPACT
Receipt of these funds will provide $50,000 for materials and programs. The Library Board
approves expenditures of all donations.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the donation of $50,000 to the Arcadia Public Library from the Friends of the
Arcadia Public Library for the purchase of library materials and for programs for
children, teens, and adults.
Approved by` -1— _ �
Dominic Lazza - ' , City Manager