REPORT TO BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Action on Draft Letter to Legislators in Support of ESL Funding for California Libraries
Report
BACKGROUND
Read Santa Clara, the literacy program at the Santa Clara City Library, has been providing literacy services to the community for 30 years, helping adults and families of all backgrounds develop skills in reading and writing.
Starting in 2023, with financial support from the California State Library's California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) English as a Second Language (ESL) grant, Read Santa Clara began providing ESL tutoring for free to the community. Growing quickly from 15 learners in 2023 to 102 in 2025, the demand is recognizable at the Library. With 16.7% of Santa Clara residents lacking English language skills according to census data, and limited ESL seats in local adult education programs filling quickly, the local need for these services is clear. Coordinating with local organizations and networks providing ESL services, Read Santa Clara identified those with the lowest levels of English language skills to be most at-risk of not being able to access ESL resources, or advocate for themselves and their families at work, at school, or with their doctors. These learners come from a variety of linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds. ESL services help them to develop the language skills needed to help integrate and thrive in the community.
The CLLS ESL grant funding awarded to Read Santa Clara expires on June 30, 2026. Additional funding has not been approved at the state or federal level to continue this grant, impacting ESL services at libraries statewide. As a result, ESL services developed at the Santa Clara City Library over the last three years, including the establishment of a team of staff and volunteers and relationship building among learners in the community, are now impacted by the loss of ongoing funding. Staff are making concerted efforts, with hel...
Click here for full text