TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Jonathan Serret, Cultural and Community Services Director DATE:August 25, 2026
SUBJECT: Library Materials and Subscriptions
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Authorize expenditure in an amount not to exceed $470,000 in FY 2026-27 across all vendors for Library circulating materials (books, periodicals, electronic books, audio books, etc.) from A/C #110-7220-673-3231 (Library Fund - Circulating Books) for the following vendors including but not limited to: Ingram Library Services LLC (St. Louis, MO), OverDrive Inc. (Cleveland, OH), Amazon (Seattle, WA), Midwest Tape (Holland, OH), and EBSCO (Ipswich, MA).
2. Authorize expenditure in an amount not to exceed $280,000 in FY 2026-27 across all vendors for Library e-resources (databases, subscriptions) from A/C #110-7220-673-6600 (Library Fund - Memberships/Dues/Subscriptions) for the following vendors including but not limited to: Gale Cengage Learning Inc. (Farmington Hills, MI), EBSCO (Ipswich, MA), ProQuest LLC (Ann Arbor, MI), CALIFA Group (San Francisco, CA), Brainfuse Inc. (New York, NY), NewsBank (Naples, FL), Library Ideas (Fairfax, VA), Mango Languages (Farmington Hills, MI), Data Axle (Dallas, TX), Kanopy (Cleveland, OH), Val Soft Ireland Limited (Dublin, Ireland), and OCLC Inc (Denver, CO).
3. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. $750,000 is included in the Adopted FY 2026-27 Library Fund Budget for Circulating Materials and Memberships/Dues/Subscriptions. No single vendor for circulating materials will exceed $470,000, no single vendor for electronic resources will exceed $280,000,
Library Materials and Subscriptions
August 25, 2026
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and all vendor combined purchases will remain within the $750,000 budgeted amount.
BACKGROUND:
Books and subscriptions are exempt from the competitive bid and Request for Proposals processes under Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Section 3-10.107 “Solicitation exceptions.” Additionally, books are exempt from the City’s Purchasing Order requirements as indicated by Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Section 3-10.105(b). As a form of transparency to City Council and the public, this report is provided annually to inform City Council of potential purchases with the vendors named above.
The breadth and depth of the Thousand Oaks Library's physical and digital collections are something that patrons have cited as one of its best features. In the library industry, the quality of the public library is judged based on its collection. To provide a diverse collection in a variety of formats, staff purchase materials from a variety of sources: publishers, retailers, and vendors. These outlets offer a range of services, including supplying physical materials and value-added features like cataloging, spine labeling, and radio frequency identification tagging. These enhancements allow for the library to prioritize holds efficiently and meet a seven- day turnaround from receiving to shelving.
Ingram, Amazon, Midwest Tape, OverDrive, Gale, EBSCO, NewsBank, ProQuest, Library Ideas, Mango Languages, Data Axle, Kanopy, CALIFA Group, Brainfuse Inc, Val Soft Ireland Limited and OCLC Inc are some of the leading vendors of books and online content. They provide public libraries with a diverse selection of print materials, reference resources, electronic books, audiovisual items, and access to online content. Additionally, these vendors offer analytical and selection tools that help library staff build and manage a robust collection effectively.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Library staff regularly evaluate vendors to ensure the City gets the best return on investment for physical materials and access to online content. Collaborating with multiple vendors allows staff to select the most suitable mix of content, acquire popular, high-demand items as well as unique, niche publications, creating a diverse collection in a variety of formats. The Library subscribes to electronic content and purchases physical materials throughout the year to meet the community’s information and entertainment needs.
Library Materials and Subscriptions
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COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal(s):
A. Create a more equitable, accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive government and community regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, language, education, and/or socio-economic status.
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts, Youth and Senior Programs).
H. Participate in public-private and multi-jurisdictional opportunities to ensure residents have access to high levels of parks, recreation, education and leisure programs and services.
PREPARED BY: Lisa Frattali, Senior Administrative Specialist Samantha Yeung, Division Manager, Access Services
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