October 2024
City of Camarillo Public Library is where discovery leads. We offer information resources that nurture learning andstrengthen the community. We are open to the public Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. For access to our digital resources, please check our website: www.camarillolibrary.org.
The library kept things eerie for Halloween with a haunted history of Camarillo presentation for adults. Historian Glenda Jackson captivated 29 participants and covered
haunted sites in Camarillo and Ventura County. The
audience learned more about local history and sparked
discussion about uncovered local legends and unsolved
murders. The Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.) threw a fang- tastic Halloween party featuring classic card and dice
games. The teens led a creative costume contest to keep things festive, with 22 teens participating. The library concluded its Halloween magic with a Boo-tacular
Storytime and Costume Parade for preschoolers on
October 31. Kids were welcome to follow the giant
footsteps around the library to earn non-candy treats.
One hundred eleven participants joined in on the fun.
Library Highlights
Camarillo Public Library
Library & RFBC Activity Report
Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.)
Halloween Party
Benita Martinez from Memorias Tejidas
October 14 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. To
celebrate, the library welcomed Benita
Martinez from Memorias Tejidas to
demonstrate Zapotec loom weaving and wool
spinning. Benita shared her expertise on
Indigenous Zapotec weaving traditions,
explaining the intricate processes of wool
spinning, dyeing and weaving. Patrons
explored natural dye ingredients and children
had the chance to try spinning wool
themselves, creating a hands-on cultural
experience. The library also honored Día de
los Muertos by offering a community ofrenda
in the front entrance of the library. Patrons
brought photographs of loved ones, creating a
beautiful altar that celebrated the lives and
memories of those they cherish. The library
was proud to support this meaningful tradition,
bringing the community together and
honoring our diverse cultural heritage.
Library & RFBC Activity Report - October 2024
California Library Association (CLA)
Annual Conference was held in
Pasadena from October 17-19. Ten
staff members attended the
conference to learn more about the
library profession and gather new ideas
for future programs and events. On
Friday, October 18 Marketing
Coordinator Cheyanne Walker
received the PRExcellence award for
her media entry, “Book Club in a Bag: A
Wes Anderson Take.” It was an honor
for Camarillo Public Library to be
recognized along with other media
winners across the State of California.
Library Professional Development
Library staff were excited to participate with City
Staff in the Camarillo Police Department’s 2nd
Annual Trunk or Treat Event. Library staff handed
out more than 450 children’s books to kids. Over
2,000 kids and family members attended the
event.
Library staff attended the 120th Birthday
celebration for Adolfo Camarillo at the Camarillo
Ranch House, sharing details on upcoming library
events and programs. Staff engaged with over 50
attendees.
In collaboration with Vitalant, library staff hosted a
Halloween-themed blood drive, supporting
community health with a seasonal twist. Twenty-
four donors participated. Each donor received
snacks and Halloween goodie bags, contributing
to a spirited day of giving.
Library Outreach
Stephanie & Tiffany at
Trunk or Treat
CLA Gala with Staff Members
Library & RFBC Activity Report - October 2024
Adult Literacy and ESL had 51 volunteer tutors and adult learners practicing reading, writing and speaking for a total of 329 hours throughout October. We had 21 active tutors with a total of 168 hours and 30 active adult learners with a total of 161 hours.
The Adult Literacy Center is hosting four Conversation Groups a week. Three are in-person and one is via Zoom for a total of 19 in October. We had 105 participants from around the world who participated in practicing their listening and speaking skills with the support of 37 volunteer tutors and Adult Literacy/ESL Staff.
One of our learners, Agustin, registered to vote for the first time, and he and his tutor, Connie, used the Easy Voter Guide to prepare his ballot. Connie shared her thoughts on the experience: “The Easy Voter Guide was very helpful for a first-time voter. It explains the voting process in clear, concise terms. I especially liked the sections on the structure of the U.S.
Federal Government and how laws are made, which made the voting process feel much less intimidating.” Free copies of the Easy Voter Guide, provided by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, are available at the library.
Literacy/ESL
Agustin & Connie
Library & RFBC Activity Report - October 2024
RUSSELL FISCHER BUSINESS COLLECTION
The Russell Fischer Business Collection (RFBC)
brought back a favorite program this month: Jr.
Entrepreneur, formerly known as Jr. CEO. Jr.
Entrepreneur educates local youth ages 9-12 about
entrepreneurship through an on-site workshop,
library and online resources, and hands-on
experience. An expansion to the program this year
is TEENtrepreneur, which includes the same
concepts catered for ages 13-17. Both programs
culminate in the Jr. Entrepreneur Marketplace on
Saturday, December 14 at Santa’s Village at
Community Center Park, where participants can
gain real-world experience by selling their products
and earning money.
For this year’s Jr. Entrepreneur, RFBC organized two introductory workshops at the library in November, and in collaboration with our partners at the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo conducted an outreach workshop. The workshops for each group were well attended with double the amount of last year’s, and it was truly encouraging to see local students showing such enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. During the workshops, discussion topics included motivations behind starting a business, what makes a good product, different payment methods and effective customer interactions. Each workshop included practice activities such as pricing products, selling to a customer and making change. Participants actively engaged in discussions, sharing their thoughts on business and brimming with ideas for potential products they aimed to sell.
The RFBC held a Farmworker Resource Program this month with representatives from the Ventura County Farmworker Resource Program, who discussed the County’s diverse resources offered to farmworkers and the support available to agricultural employers in the form of resources and services for their employees. The County’s representatives made time to talk to patrons one-on-one and made valuable connections with two other agencies that sent representatives to attend, including the Head Start Program at the Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing Complex.
Operating within the Camarillo Public Library, the Russell Fischer Business Collection (RFBC) is embedded in the Camarillo business community and greater entrepreneur ecosystem. The RFBC provides professional and business development opportunities through special events and a curated collection of top business resources. 4101 Las Posas RoadCamarillo, CA 93010M-Th 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. F-Su 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.(805) 388-5222camarillolibrary.org Library & RFBC Activity Report - October 2024
RUSSELL FISCHER BUSINESS COLLECTION
Maegan Profeta, Business Services Coordinator, started a professional development course called “Libraries as Launchpads,” which helps libraries become hubs for creative entrepreneurs and builds capacity in librarians as entrepreneurship resource experts. Maegan is in a group of 10 peers who are focused on building strategies for entrepreneurship services in their libraries from across the country. The course will finish with an Entrepreneurship Librarian Certification for Maegan and an exclusive learning portal for patrons who are aspiring creative entrepreneurs.
Maegan was quoted about her RFBC program Professional Digital Headshots in a recently published book, Career Services and Workforce Development Centers for Libraries: A Guide.
One of the authors of the book had heard about Professional Digital Headshots from Library Director Mandy Nasr and thought it would be a great example of a service a library can provide to help local workforce development. Professional Digital Headshots is a program that occurs in December and welcomes anyone who wants a professional headshot for their online profile. This year it will take place on Thursday, December 12 in the Community Room.
Reference questions this month included the following topics: professionalism, job search help, résumé help and library services. These subjects will be kept in mind for future collection purchases and programming. Maegan attended meetings with the following groups this month on behalf of the RFBC: Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo, Libraries Build Business Communities and Ventura County SCORE.
In November, RFBC will present Expert Talk: Overcoming Overwhelm, the last of its Expert Talk series for the year. Deborah Deras, an international speaker, author and master results coach, offers practical strategies to take back control and reclaim energy. RFBC will host another Get Your Small Business Online workshop for Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) and will also celebrate National Entrepreneurship Day on November 19.
Oct. 2024
38,252
4,366
5,151
2,271
1,886
543
5,318
Oct. 2023
38,877
4,589
4,454
2,780
1,405
468 5,145
Oct. 2024
9 4
47 12
Oct. 2023
8 2
25 4
New Library Cards
Number of Programs
Programs - Attendees
Total Visitors
Daily Average
2,365 / 4,800
210 / 575
8,268 / 16,000
91,714 / 174,000
764 / 495
Performance Measures FY2024-25 YTD / Target
Physical Material Checkouts
eBook Checkouts
eAudiobook Checkouts
Digital Magazine Checkouts
Video Plays New Cards Issued Reference Inquiries Metrics and Statistics
RUSSELL FISCHER BUSINESS COLLECTION
Metrics and Statistics
CAMARILLO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Library & RFBC Activity Report - October 2024
Sept. 2024
37,032
4,296
4,982
2,639
1,768 538
5,339
Sept. 2023
38,709
4,555
4,330
1,416
1,836
531 4,839
Reference Inquiries
Programs
Programs - Attendees
Meetings
4101 Las Posas RoadCamarillo, CA 93010M-Th 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. F-Su 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.(805) 388-5222camarillolibrary.org