HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3b - Accept Donations for Library"EM
DATE: October 7, 2014
STAFF REPORT
Library and Museum Services Department
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Mary Beth Hayes, Director of Library and Museum Services
By: Darlene Bradley, Library Services Manager
SUBJECT: ACCEPT DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF THE
CHILDREN'S SUMMER READING PROGRAM AT THE LIBRARY
Recommendation: Accept
SUMMARY
Thirty -nine community donors gave a total cash donation of $2,450 and a variety of
coupons for prizes for the 2014 Children's Summer Reading Program.
DISCUSSION
The Library's Summer Reading Program was once again very successful. A total of
1,716 children and 640 tweens participated in the program with 26,927 hours read
during these six weeks.
With the theme "Paws to Read ", younger children were encouraged to be read to aloud
by their parents, caregivers, or older siblings. Older children were encouraged to read
on their own with everyone reporting their weekly progress online. The program is
specifically designed to encourage children to continue to develop a lifelong love of
reading as well as to continue to practice their reading skills during the summer when
school is out. Although major funding is provided by the Friends of the Arcadia Public
Library, additional prizes and funds are solicited from community businesses and
organizations to provide support as well as to foster community involvement and
awareness of this important literacy -based program. Items received this year included
gift certificates for free children's meals at local restaurants, passes to a variety of
entertainment venues, and gift cards from a number of merchants.
These gifts help provide an exciting mix of prizes for the participants and the Library is
very pleased to have the broad involvement of the community in encouraging its
children to read. Cash gifts totaling $2,450 were also received and much of these funds
were used to purchase additional materials and supplies, which helped staff to enhance
Summer Reading Program Donations
October 7, 2014
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programming. Donors were recognized for their contributions with a letter and placard
that they could put on display at their place of business showing that they were proud
sponsors of the Arcadia Public Library Summer Reading Program. Donor names were
also recognized on a poster placed prominently in the Jerry Broadwell Children's Room
and on the Library's website.
Community sponsors included the following businesses and associations:
3 -M
Dodgers Baseball
Advantage Ford Lincoln
Golf `N' Stuff
Angels Baseball
Hometown Buffet
Applebee's Restaurant
Joe Ferrante Music Academy
Aquarium of the Pacific
Jumpin' Jammin
*Arcadia Chinese Association
Kids Art
*Arcadia Friends of the Library
Kidspace Museum
Arcadia Partners In Rotary
Legoland
Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Marie Callender's
Benihana Japanese Steakhouse
Matt Denny's
BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
Old Spaghetti Factory
Broken Rhythm Kickboxing
Pacific Asia Museum
California Pizza Kitchen
Pasadena Ice Skating Center
Cheesecake Factory
Ralphs
Chuck E. Cheese's
Round Table Pizza
Coco's Bakery Restaurant
Souplantation
Coldstone Creamery
Teri & Yaki
CVS Pharmacy
Vroman's Bookstore
Dave & Buster's
Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill
Denny's Restaurant
These two groups gave cash donations not included here.
They were separately acknowledged in a previous staff report.
All gifts to the Library are subject to approval by the City Council pursuant to City
Charter Article VI I I Section 809(d).
FISCAL IMPACT
The Summer Reading Program is funded through the generous donations from the
Friends of the Arcadia Public Library, the Arcadia Chinese Association, and many
additional community sponsors.
The City provides funding for staff salaries but the Children's Summer Reading Program
costs for materials, supplies, programming, performers, and incentives are exclusively
based on donations from support groups and the community. The Children's Summer
Reading Program costs approximately $14,300 each year, which averages about $7.30
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October 7, 2014
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per child. The $2,420 in cash donations and prizes help to offset overall costs and keep
the program cost effective.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council accept donations from the community in support of
the Children's Summer Reading Program at the Library.
Approved_
Dominic Lazza
City Manager