FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 15, 2023
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: City Manager
Prepared by: Library Director
SUBJECT: Proclamation - Library Card Sign-Up Month, September 2023
Present a Proclamation to recognize September 2023 as Library Card Sign-Up Month in the City of Santa Maria.
BACKGROUND:
Library Card Sign-up Month was created in 1987 as a national campaign sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country to emphasize the importance of library cards to a child’s education and to reduce illiteracy. The cam paign started as a response to then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, who stated, “Let’s have a campaign…every child should obtain a library card and use it.” With an $85,000 grant from the Reader’s Digest Foundation, the ALA teamed up with the Nati onal Commission on Libraries and Information Science to initiate Library Card Sign-up Month.
Since 1987, thousands of public libraries have participated in the annual campaign to remind parents, caregivers, and students that signing up for a library card i s a vital step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
Libraries play a crucial role in the education and development of children, offering a variety of programs to spark creativity and stimulate an interest in reading and learning.
Through access to technology, media resources, and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom . It provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams, explore new passions and interests, and find their voice.
DISCUSSION:
The Santa Maria Public Library encourages community members to sign up for a free library card to access the Library’s many resources --print and electronic materials, databases, programming designed to meet community needs, and f ree services to support early literacy skills and lifelong learning. A library card provides community members with many cost-saving benefits, such as free access to the internet, Wi-Fi, and online databases, borrowing of up to 50 items at one time, free s treaming service, and checking out items from the Library of Things collection. The Library is committed to offering a path to free resources that provide a respite from rising costs and enhance the quality of life for all community members.
2 Recognizing September as Library Card Sign -up Month in the City of Santa Maria will promote greater awareness of Library services and the value libraries provide to the community. By accessing these services with a Library card, residents will connect to resources and information which will positively impact their quality of life.
Attachment: Proclamation