CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
S
eptember 25, 2023
TO
: Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees
F
ROM: Office of the City Manager
S
UBJECT: RECEIPT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 202 2-23 SIMI VALLEY PUBLIC
LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
I
t is recommended that the Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees receive and file the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Simi Valley Public Library Annual Report (Exhibit 1, page 4).
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
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n July of 2013, the City began operating the Simi Valley Public Library (Library). In the first four years of operation, from 2013 to 2017, the Library focused on forming community partnerships, conducting outreach within the community, and improving ser vice levels for all Library users. The Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees (Board) adopted a Collection Development Plan to guide the types of materials the Library should purchase, and a Technology Plan to address the increasing demand for online and wireless services.
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n 2017, the Board adopted a five-year Strategic Plan (2017-2022), which provided direction and goals for the Library with intentional focus on five priority areas:
Making Access Easier; Telling the Library’s Story; Empowering Customer Service; Cultivating Community Creativity; and Supporting Educational Pursuits. Following an intensive community engagement campaign in FY 2021-2022, the Board adopted a second Strategic Plan, which provided the Library with direction for another five– year term (2023-2027), with focus on the following new priority areas: Build Community; Connect and Increase Access; Enhance Services; and Build Awareness.
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ach year staff presents an Annual Report to the Board, which includes information on Library usage trends throughout the year, and an update on how the efforts of Library and City staff are supporting the Strategic Plan’s priority areas.
AGENDA ITEM NO.
9C
FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES
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he Simi Valley Library Annual Report for FY 2022-23, attached as Exhibit 1, includes a narrative of Library activities and a brief overview of statistics. The priority areas of the newly adopted Strategic Plan were the focus of staff efforts in FY 2022- 23, and an overview of some of the Library’s recent successes are provided below:
• 2,88
7 Service Hours
• 142,731 Library Visits
• 4,213 New Library Card Holders (34,959 Total Library Card Holders) • 341,517 Physical Items Borrowed
• 71,419 Digital Items Borrowed
• 10,846 Computer Users
• 190,660 Wi-Fi Sessions
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he Board also approved an expansion of the contract in May 2023 with Library Systems & Services to begin Mobile Library and Adult Literacy programs in the upcoming year.
These new programs will address service gaps in the changing and evolving community.
Mobile Library services will take impactful materials and programs outside the walls of the Library, providing services to people who cannot easily get to the Library and are unable to take advantage of its resources. Literacy is a core mission for Simi Valley Public Library, and the new Adult Literacy service will complement the early literacy, homework assistance, family learning, and workforce support programs offered at the Library. The Adult Literacy program offers a more robust and comprehensive approach to the adult literacy and English as a second language service by assessing literacy needs and English language skills of the individual and matching them with trained volunteer tutors to meet the individual’s literacy goals . New staff positions will be added to focus specifically on Mobile Library and Adult Literacy services, and grant funding from California Library Literacy Services has been secured to offset additional service costs.
T
he Library continues to serve residents as a community hub, hosting a wide variety of events, classes, workshops, and programming. By coordinating with local agency partners, the Library was successful in hosting events that included Job Fairs , community education on entrepreneurship and business, as well as sponsoring clubs and classes for special interest groups in the City. Additionally, the Library‘s partnership with the School District ensures the greatest access to information and resources for all of Simi Valley students and more. T he Library continues to empha size availability and accessibility for all of Simi Valley residents.
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rant funding from the California State Library continues to support Library programming as well, including the Zip Books program, which allow s library patrons to request books through Amazon.com and have them shipped to their homes, and later to be added to the Library’s collection, as well as a Lunch at the Library program with summertime lunch visits and educational programming for the Boys and Girls Club . The Library has also continued to receive generous financial support from the Simi Valley Friends of the Library, providing funding for a wide variety of programming and services to our Library 2 customers, i ncluding el ectronic a nd streaming c ontent from H oopla and other di gital platforms.
The following alternatives are available to the Board of Trustees:
1. Rec
eive and file the Simi Valley Public Library Annual Report for FY 2022-23;
2. Pr
ovide staff with other direction.
St
aff recommends Alternative No. 1.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
I m
ove to receive and file the Simi Valley Public Library Annual Report for FY 2022-23.
SUMMARY
In 2
013, the City of Simi Valley began operating the Simi Valley Public Library. Since that time, the Libr ary has focused on forming community partnerships, conducting outreach within the community, and providing an enhanced level of service. FY 2021- 22 saw the completion of the Simi Valley Library’s 2017- 2022 Strategic Plan, and following an intensive community engagement campaign, a second Strategic Plan was developed and adopted by the Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees in November 2022, which provides direction on goals and priorities for the Library over the next five years.
Eac
h year staff presents an Annual Report to the Board, which includes information on the Library’s operation and performance throughout the year, and an update on how the efforts of Library and City staff are supporting the Strategic Plan’s priority areas . It is recommended that the Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees receive and file the Simi Valley Public Library Annual Report for FY 2022-23 as presented. ______
______________________________
Linda Swan
Assistant City Manager
Pr
epared by: Kelly Tinker, Management Analyst
INDEX Page
Ex
hibit 1 – Simi Valley Public Library Annual Report FY 2022-23 .... 4 3 fQ1 VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY
2969 Tapo Canyon Rd, Simi Valley, CA 93063 I (805) 526-1735 I simivalleylibrary.org EXHIBIT 1
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