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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2025 0211 LB REG ITEM 07BITEM: 7.B. CITY OF MOORPARK MOORPARK LIBRARY BOARD AGENDA REPORT TO: Moorpark Library Board FROM: Jessica Sandifer, Deputy Parks and Recreation Director BY: Christine Cowell, Librarian DATE: 2/11/2025 (Regular Meeting) SUBJECT: Consider Library Quarterly Report for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2024/2025. DISCUSSION Consider Library Quarterly Report for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2024/2025. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Receive and file report. Attachment – Library Quarterly Report for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2024/2025. 5 ITEM: 7.B. Library Board 02/11/2025 Regular Meeting Page 2 Moorpark City Library Quarterly Report October - December 2024 Highlights: This quarter, the teen and children's librarians took part in essential training to better support our community. They completed CPR and suicide response training, equipping them with critical skills to provide immediate assistance when needed. Additionally, they participated in a day-long workshop titled "Equitable Summers: Reimagining Long-Held Traditions & Your Library's Summer 'Why,'" part of the California Library Association's Building Equity-Based Summers Project in partnership with the California State Library. This session explored ways to make our summer programs more inclusive, impactful, and welcoming to everyone. During the Mountain Fire in the first week of November, widespread power outages impacted much of our community. In response, we temporarily canceled regular library programs to prioritize creating a safe and welcoming space for patrons in need of electricity and internet access. Library staff closely monitored the fire situation, providing real-time updates on evacuations to keep our community informed. With many families gathering at the library during this time, staff engaged 15 children in the Cover to Cover reading challenge—several of whom successfully completed the challenge while sheltering with us! The Moorpark City Library will participate in the California State Library's Lunch at the Library initiative for Summer 2025. This program supports public libraries in providing free, nutritious meals to youth and families while offering enriching activities that foster learning and engagement. With a projected budget of $5,400, the library aims to partner with the Moorpark Unified School District's Child Nutrition Department to bring this valuable program to life. The grant will help fund pop-up library visits, interactive programs, and materials to ensure a welcoming and educational environment for all participants. The Moorpark City Library received two stargazing kits, part of the Parks Pass Program supported by the California State Library and the Southern California Library Cooperative (SCLC). These kits are designed to make the outdoors more accessible for all and foster a deeper connection with nature and the night sky. 6 ITEM: 7.B. Moorpark City Library Quarterly Statistics, FY 2024-2025 Library Usage Door Count Cards Issued Public Computer Sessions Reference Questions Number of Volunteers Volunteer Hours Fiscal Year 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 October 5,441 5,189 149 111 318 357 149 46 23 20 111 40 November 4,249 4,284 111 87 256 298 177 79 23 7 44 14 December 3,961 3,854 120 82 269 259 137 59 26 22 79 43 1st QTR 15,094 14,613 434 401 1,016 1,177 478 293 51 55 216 121 2nd QTR 13,651 13,327 380 280 843 914 463 184 72 49 234 97 YTD 28,745 27,940 814 681 1,859 2,091 941 477 123 104 450 218 General: Our teen volunteers actively contributed their time and skills during this quarter across various library initiatives. Teen Advisory Group (TAG) members participated in meetings, prepared craft materials and poster boards for the Country Days Parade, assisted with shelving, and took leadership roles in programs such as LEGO Robotics, Reading Buddies, and Golden Grades Tutoring. Additionally, TAG members created personalized “talking shelf” book recommendation cards for all library sections, offering peer suggestions to fellow patrons. Golden Grades tutoring and the teen-led Reading Buddies program continue to see strong attendance, with several students becoming regular participants. Many younger attendees switch between the two programs depending on their homework needs, and some families have expressed their appreciation by encouraging friends to attend in future weeks. One young participant formed a strong connection with a particular Reading Buddy and waited patiently for him to be available, emphasizing how much she enjoyed reading with him. On another occasion, a group of teen tutors stayed late to provide advice on focus and motivation to a fellow student seeking academic support. The Thursday Golden Grades sessions, which focus solely on tutoring, have seen increased participation from older high school and late middle school students. Our teen volunteers have also demonstrated initiative in shaping future programming. They submitted a proposal for a Mini Med Minds program scheduled for the spring and suggested restructuring TAG to enhance its effectiveness. Additionally, they expressed interest in collaborating with the Friends of the Library to support fundraising efforts and strengthen the library’s presence in local high schools. 7 ITEM: 7.B. Other volunteers have proactively sought opportunities to support library operations, with one individual precisely arranging their volunteer hours to assist with post-storytime cleaning and organization. Volunteers played a crucial role in Craftapalooza, swiftly responding to a last-minute call for assistance. Their support included serving hot chocolate, helping young children with crafts, and overseeing the safe usage of crafting tools such as hot glue guns and craft blades. Physical Circulation Electronic Books & Magazines Video Streaming (Kanopy & Craftsy) Total Circulation Holds Placed Fiscal Year 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 October 7,475 6,728 1,018 913 166 186 8,659 7,748 1,426 1,242 November 6,616 6,464 976 777 302 195 7,894 7,423 1,094 1,236 December 6,465 5,351 1,033 872 258 184 7,756 6,195 1,078 1,210 1st QTR 19,947 21,560 3,500 2,444 553 601 24,000 24,548 4,120 4,030 2ND QTR 20,556 18,543 3,301 2,562 727 565 24,309 21,366 3,598 3,688 YTD 40,503 40,103 6,801 5,006 1,280 1,166 48,309 45,914 7,718 7,718 Collections: Physical circulation increased during the second quarter, a period that is traditionally slower and quieter for libraries. This upward trend reflects the effectiveness of recent collection strategies and targeted display curation. The following themed displays successfully engaged patrons and contributed to circulation growth: • Refresh Your Mind, Renew Your Life: A journey to Wellness and Growth Starts Here • Whisk, Craft, Repeat: Nerdy Recipes & Handmade Holiday Magic! • Great Books by Local Authors • Murder, She Read. A Collection of Whodunits & Warm Reads! • Hispanic Heritage Month • Children’s Holiday & Winter Books Additionally, underutilized books that had never circulated were integrated into the New Books display to give them renewed visibility. This strategy immediately resulted in increased checkouts of previously overlooked titles. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Collection Usage (No Circulation > 3 Years): 8 ITEM: 7.B. o Current Status: 3.6% of the collection has not circulated in three years or more. o Target: Less than 10%. o Status: Well below target, indicating strong collection engagement. • Dead on Arrival (DOA) – New Items That Never Circulated: o Current Status: 12.5% of newly added items have not yet circulated. o Target: Less than 10%. o Status: Slightly above target, attributed to the Great Collection Shake-Up initiative. This project included the addition of backlist titles to fill gaps, replace worn or lost copies, and refresh collections based on patron interest. While this temporarily impacted the DOA rate, circulation trends suggest it will stabilize over time. • Collection Turnover Rate (Circulation per Item): o Current Status: 2.12 o Target: 3.0 o Status: While below target, this metric continues to improve as recent collection development efforts enhance circulation patterns. Overall, second-quarter performance reflects the positive impact of strategic collection adjustments and display curation, with circulation growth expected to continue trending upward. Children’s Programs Children’s Attendance Teen Programs Teen Attendance Adult Programs Adult Attendance Fiscal Year 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 October 7 12 306 213 7 3 26 18 6 5 53 35 November 6 7 228 179 6 2 24 4 4 5 33 49 December 7 10 275 504 6 3 29 22 6 5 61 54 1st QTR 25 47 1,344 1,075 23 12 139 77 18 16 198 128 2nd QTR 20 29 809 896 19 8 79 44 16 15 147 138 YTD 45 76 2,153 1,971 42 20 218 121 34 31 345 266 9 ITEM: 7.B. All Ages Programs All Ages Attendance Total Programs Total Program Attendance Self-Directed Programs Self-Directed Participation Fiscal Year 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 October 6 4 62 118 26 24 447 384 4 1 104 500 November 6 2 223 211 22 16 508 443 3 2 109 143 December 5 1 155 15 24 19 520 595 22 1 300 15 1st QTR 36 4 444 244 102 79 2,125 1,517 7 7 305 152 2nd QTR 17 7 440 344 72 59 1,475 1,422 29 4 513 658 YTD 53 11 884 588 174 138 3,600 2,939 36 11 818 810 Programming: The Moorpark City Library maintains a robust calendar of programs designed to serve diverse age groups and community interests. At a minimum, the library offers: • Weekly preschool storytime • Occasional bilingual storytime events • Monthly family and/or adult-focused programs • Weekly summer reading events • Monthly teen programs • Quarterly adult and/or family events Programs Conducted This Quarter This quarter, 72 programs were held, engaging patrons across various age groups. Adult & Family Programming: • 3 Book Club for Adults meetings • 3 Genre Book Club meetings • 3 Read It & Eat It meetings • 4 Crafty Adults sessions • 3 Writer's Group meetings • 11 Knot & Hook sessions Teen Programming: • 11 Anime Night sessions • 2 Crafty Teens sessions • 2 Gamers Gathering sessions • 3 Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meetings • 3 Teen Volunteer Training sessions Children & Family Programming: • 3 LEGO Robotics classes 10 ITEM: 7.B. • 3 Music & Movement classes • 9 Sunshine Storytime sessions • 3 Mobile Library Pop-Up Events at First5 • 2 Class Visits at the library Self-Directed Activities: • Tiny Paints (each weekend in October) • Coffee & Cram (December) • Snuggly Saturday (December) • Ongoing: Dungeons & Dragons, board games, and trivia Tutoring & Reading Buddies: • 150 students received tutoring and literacy support this quarter Special Events: • Craftapalooza • Tiny Reception & Art Show • Ring in the Noon Year • Studio Ghibli Guild Comparative Analysis: Programming Statistics Among 25 library systems serving a population similar to Moorpark, average programming statistics are as follows: • Total Programs: 421 • Children's Programs: 239 (Total Attendance: 6,260 | Avg. Attendance: 26) • Young Adult Programs: 31 (Total Attendance: 348 | Avg. Attendance: 11) • Adult Programs: 121 (Total Attendance: 1,172 | Avg. Attendance: 9) Moorpark City Library's Average Program Attendance This Quarter: • Children's Programs: 40 • Teen Programs: 4 • Adult Programs: 9 Moorpark's children's program attendance significantly outperforms the peer average, demonstrating strong engagement among young patrons. Teen attendance remains an area for strategic development, while adult program attendance aligns with industry benchmarks. The library continues to refine and expand programming to meet community needs and increase participation across all age groups. 11 ITEM: 7.B. Facebook Page Visits Instagram Profile Visits Teen Instagram Profile Visits YouTube Unique Views Unique Webpage Views Fiscal Year 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 24-25 23-24 October 580 295 207 196 6 12 34 29 13,677 11,598 November 443 247 194 169 6 8 32 29 13,072 10,318 December 361 160 135 122 3 18 26 20 13,855 15,235 1st QTR 1,525 677 753 408 29 51 103 92 32,499 32,322 2nd QTR 1,384 702 536 487 15 38 92 78 40,604 37,151 YTD 2,909 1,379 1,289 895 44 89 195 170 73,103 69,473 Marketing and Outreach: Country Days On October 5, the Library team, along with our amazing Friends of the Library and enthusiastic teen volunteers, proudly marched in the Moorpark Country Days Parade! With posters celebrating our fine-free initiative and promoting the popular Cover to Cover Reading Program, we brought library spirit to the streets. The crowd's cheers and applause as we passed by and were announced made it clear how much our library means to this community. Flory Halloween Carnival On October 25, our team had a blast connecting with the community at the Flory Halloween Carnival! Dressed in festive attire, we shared library treats and hosted fun craft activities for kids and families. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the season, meet new faces, and let our community know about the exciting programs and resources the library offers year-round. Haunted High Street The Moorpark City Library had a fantastic time participating in this year’s Haunted High Street! Although the city was unable to provide pumpkins as originally planned, attendees still enjoyed decorating gourds, embracing the festive spirit with creativity. Fortunately, the library had purchased fall-themed stickers in advance, allowing participants to design unique decorations that could serve as Thanksgiving centerpieces. Holiday on High Street At this year's Holiday on High Street event, the library distributed 400 beautifully wrapped books to excited attendees. The books, sorted into categories—picture books, early readers, and beginning chapter books—were a hit, with beginning chapter books being the most popular choice. 12 ITEM: 7.B. Families loved the thrill of unwrapping their "mystery books," and the response from caregivers was overwhelmingly positive. Several commented on what a thoughtful and unique gift this was. One parent even shared that her child prefers books over toys, making this the perfect giveaway. Upcoming Projects & Initiatives: Since the pandemic, the library staff has focused on rebuilding and strengthening our partnership with local schools. Traditionally, the Library has participated in back-to- school and literacy nights, offering information and a small craft activity. This year, we've taken our outreach efforts to the next level by collaborating closely with the Flory Elementary PTA and principal. Their openness and enthusiasm have been instrumental in reimagining how we can support their school community. As a result of this collaboration, the Library will not only participate in their upcoming STEAM Night (February 6) and Read Across America Week (March 2–6) but will also lead an enrichment period at the school designed to support low or struggling readers. This partnership represents a model for how we can work with other schools in the district to enhance student engagement and literacy. We're excited to see this initiative's positive impact and look forward to building similar relationships with additional schools. Upcoming outreach opportunities: • Moorpark High School Future Freshman Night: February 3 • Flory STEM Night: February 6 • First5 Love of Literacy: February 21 • Peach Hill Literacy Night: February 26 • Campus Canyon STREAM Night: February 27 • Flory Read Across America: March 2-6 Book to Action Programming and Reimbursement Funding - up to $5,000 Book to Action Programming and Reimbursement Funding provides up to $5,000 to California libraries to support community-focused programs inspired by a book or theme. The initiative encourages libraries to pair reading and discussion with action- oriented activities that address local or global issues. Funds can be used for books, speaker fees, materials, and event costs, enabling libraries to create impactful programs that foster learning, dialogue, and meaningful community engagement. We plan to combine this with our Lunch at the Library Grant to provide enriching programs that nourish the mind and body, addressing food insecurity while sparking meaningful conversations and actions in our community. Play for All - $10,000 - $75,000 The Play for All Grant supports libraries in creating inclusive and innovative play-based 13 ITEM: 7.B. learning opportunities for children and their families. The grant aims to foster early childhood development, social-emotional skills, and community engagement through programs encouraging creativity, exploration, and collaboration. We are applying for this grant to fund a Toddler Rave, a dynamic, music-filled event designed specifically for young children and their caregivers. This program will feature age-appropriate music, colorful lighting, interactive dance activities, and sensory-friendly playstations. The Toddler Rave will promote physical activity, early literacy (through rhythm and movement), and social interaction in a fun and inclusive environment. Combining music, movement, and play, we aim to create a unique experience that engages toddlers while supporting their developmental milestones and building stronger community connections. 14