San Pablo City Council
April 4, 2022

My name is Rachel Rosekind, and I am the District 1 Library Commissioner, which includes the San Pablo branch. A public library is not only a preeminent opportunity zone, it is an opportunity zone multiplier. Through partnerships with varied community groups, an embedded 26-branch system, ever-increasing digital resources, and boundless inspiration, the Contra Costa County Library is an opportunity zone exponent and proponent. As we celebrate National Library Week, it is important to remember that libraries are public spaces that are vital civic information and participation hubs for *all* community members. Tonight I want to recognize and celebrate the people who make our libraries happen. Because librarians are truly the heart of their community: They pump ideas, information, and inspiration in a continuous feedback loop that catalyzes individual potential and preserves collective treasures. The pandemic exposed and exacerbated many of the divides that increasingly define our region. During this time, our county library staff have demonstrated how critical their services are to our residents, particularly those who are under-resourced and overburdened. They hand out free lunches and produce, mobile hotspots, literacy materials, and craft kits; deliver books to homebound community members; conduct robust online programming; assist patrons with unemployment, EBT benefits, tutoring services, and accessing other crucial safety net services—the list goes on and on. Librarians are every community’s secret weapon and shield, and In San Pablo, we are blessed to have some of the best of the best. I’d like to celebrate and recognize the following San Pablo Library staff: Gia Paoloni, Branch Manager Angel Cowgill Grace Hernandez Angelina Kaprielian Caroline Olsen Ana Quezada Victoria Perez Pedro Perez Eduardo Perez Lopez Adriana Ramirez Elaine Tse I would also like to thank the City of San Pablo for funding additional open hours beyond the county baseline of 35 and to encourage them to continue funding into the next fiscal cycle. To members of the public: the San Pablo Library could really use some passionate library folks to join its Friends of the Library group. The friends group is a fantastic lever to bring more dollars for programming and services into your community. Please reach out to library staff if you can serve! Public libraries expand our vision of what is possible – not just in the books that are housed there, but in the buildings that house them and the ideas that underpin their institution: accessibility, education, critical inquiry, imagination, and community enrichment. Our public librarians are rock stars – please go thank them.