REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Proclamation of April 7-13, 2024 as National Library Week
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
National Library Week (April 7-13, 2024) is a time to celebrate the valuable contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers to the intellectual, educational, cultural and civic life of their communities. The theme for National Library Week 2024 is "Ready, Set, Library! Race to discover the possibilities at your library."
The residents of the City of Santa Clara saw a need for a local library as far back as 1870, when the Santa Clara Library Association formed and collected over 300 volumes to share with residents at the Odd Fellows Hall on Washington and Franklin Streets. Since the construction of the first Santa Clara City Library (Library) in 1955, where the Mission Branch Library now stands, the possibilities and resources shared with City residents have grown exponentially. With a current physical and digital collection of approximately 2.45 million items, circulating over 1.78 million times in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2023, the Library now offers more resources and opportunities than ever for residents of Santa Clara. With dedicated funding, the Library was able to meet community demand for expanded hours in October 2023, increasing systemwide public open hours from 88 to 144 hours per week, marking a significant recovery from the impacts of COVID on public services.
The Library is a hub for a broad range of offerings for everyone. Today's library patrons use the library as a place to learn about a wide diversity of perspectives on society, politics and culture. Through the library, they connect with services to pursue citizenship, find a place to exercise their voting rights, receive tax help and even borrow tools, cameras, hiking supplies and parks passes.
Beyond the typical library services and resources, the Library provides welcoming technology centers with free pu...
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