The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2025 0513 LB REG ITEM 07AITEM: 7.A. CITY OF MOORPARK MOORPARK LIBRARY BOARD AGENDA REPORT TO: Moorpark Library Board FROM: Jessica Sandifer, Deputy Parks and Recreation Director BY: Bernadette Mc Dowell, President Moorpark Friends of the Library DATE: 5/13/2025 (Regular Meeting) SUBJECT: Consider Update from Moorpark Friends of the Library DISCUSSION Verbal Report from Bernadette Mc Dowell, President Moorpark Friends of the Library. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Receive verbal report. Attachment – Moorpark Friends of the Library President’s Quarterly Update. 1 Library Board 05/13/2025 Regular Meeting Page 2 Moorpark Friends of the Library (MFOTL) President’s Quarterly Update for the Moorpark Library Board May 13, 2025 The current Board of the MFOTL consists of the following members: President Bernadette McDowell Vice President Rosalie Barili Secretary Christine White Treasurer Carmen Jerome Book Sales Director Diana Fowler Fundraising Director Lori Preciado Membership Director Lou Langkusch Parliamentary Consultant Dona Pugh Publicity Director Vacant Website Director Eleanor Villanueva Member at Large Ellen Blunt Member at Large Linda Goble Members will hold office until July 2026. MFOTL Board of Directors General Information ➢Meetings are held at 2:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every other month, starting in January, in the Conference Room at the Ruben Castro Human Services Center. The 2025 meeting dates are: January 21, March 18, May 20, July 15, September 16, and November 18. Library Board members, MFOTL general members, and all Moorpark residents are welcome to attend with prior request. To join a meeting, please email the Board President at MFOTLpresident@gmail.com three days in advance for attendance details. ➢We continue to seek one or two individuals to fill the vacant Publicity Director position. ➢In March 2025, our Technical Director, Larissa Gurrola, resigned due to the increasing demands of her full-time employment, which limited her ability to commit the necessary time to the role. In response, the MFOTL Executive Board redefined and renamed the position to Website Director, appointing Eleanor Villanueva to the newly established role. ➢Efforts continue to grow MFOTL membership and increase involvement in activities such as the bookstore, book sales, and fundraising events. Membership currently stands at 106. ➢MFOTL remains committed to supporting current programs and services at the Moorpark City Library while also raising funds for interior enhancements for the new library. ➢Our bimonthly newsletter (published in February, April, June, August, October, and December) keeps members informed about MFOTL and Moorpark City Library activities. It is sent to all members, with the latest issue available at https://www.mfotl.com. Additionally, short 2 Library Board 05/13/2025 Regular Meeting Page 3 "Newsflashes" are released to update members on the Brick Fundraiser in months without a full newsletter. ➢MFOTL is governed by its bylaws and standing rules, most recently amended and approved by the Board of Directors in 2024. Fundraising ➢At the Moorpark City Council meeting on March 5, our Fundraising Chair, Lori Preciado, announced the official kickoff of our Brick Fundraiser, in partnership with the Moorpark Morning Rotary Club. Proceeds will go toward purchasing furniture, fixtures, equipment, and materials for the new Moorpark City Library. Individuals, families, organizations, and businesses are invited to commemorate their support by donating paving bricks engraved with their name. The bricks cost $250 each and will be installed on the north-side entry walkway. Thirty bricks have been sold as of the end of April, with a net total of $6,643.62. The Fundraiser will go through at least March 2026. ➢The “Afternoon of International Dance & Culture” took place on Saturday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m. at the High Street Arts Center. The event was followed by a fundraiser sponsored by the Moorpark location of Habit Burger & Grill, which donated 20% of net food sales to the MFOTL. We raised a net total of $3,517.33 from the two events, which will go toward supporting programs at the Moorpark City Library. ➢The MFOTL bookstore and weekly porch book sales continue to provide a steady source of income. During the past two months (March and April), the price of porch sale books was reduced to $2.00/bag to quickly sell the large accumulation of recent donations. Unsold nonfiction books are subsequently scanned for potential sale to World Books (formerly Sell Back Your Books) and Thrift Books; high-value items are listed on eBay. Any remaining books are donated to Goodwill. The addition of Zelle as a payment option has helped to increase sales. Outreach and Promotion ➢Members of the MFOTL Board of Directors, Fundraising Committee, and Tech Team have worked on a number of ways to promote the Brick Fundraiser for the new Moorpark City Library: o Members have worked extensively with Brick Markers USA to develop the https://donate.brickmarkers.com/mfotl website for placing orders for commemorative bricks. The website is up and running, but has required some tweaks to resolve a few issues that surfaced once the website became active. o Members have created several new pages at our own https://www.mfotl.com website to describe and promote the Brick Fundraiser, provide updates, and link to the Brick Markers USA website for ordering bricks. o Vice President Rosalie Barili has created various handouts about the Brick Fundraiser, and a badge with a QR code that, when worn by members, is effective at eliciting questions about the Brick Fundraiser, and sometimes even a scan of the QR code to order a brick right away. o Fundraising Chair Lori Preciado is working with the City’s Public Information Officer, Brian Chong, and Economic Development Manager, John Bandek, to promote the Brick Fundraiser. o Member and artist Pam Orren is creating a “Red Brick Road” display at the Library to show monthly progress of the campaign. Names of donors who have ordered engraved bricks for 3 Library Board 05/13/2025 Regular Meeting Page 4 themselves, their family, their business or organization will be displayed on cardboard bricks affixed to the walls inside the Library. o Website Director Eleanor Villanueva has developed a PowerPoint presentation about the Brick Fundraiser to be run on the large-screen TV at the Library. ➢On April 6, MFOTL Board members Bernadette McDowell, Rosalie Barili, and Lori Preciado attended the ReFrameVC Arts Summit at the Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo. The summit provided an opportunity to learn about the artistic initiatives of local artists and organizations, as well as to explore potential collaborations for future projects MFOTL could support—particularly in partnership with groups like the Moorpark Foundation for the Arts. Previously, Bernardo Perez of the Moorpark Foundation for the Arts had approached MFOTL to begin a conversation about ways we might collaborate with local organizations to bring cultural events to Moorpark, reducing the need for residents to travel to other cities to enjoy the arts. Also while attending ReFrameVC, we were able to network with other attendees to promote the Brick Fundraiser. ➢Several MFOTL members attended the State of the City presentation on April 10, and were able to promote the Brick Fundraiser at the networking event held beforehand. ➢MFOTL members assisted library staff at the Easter Egg Hunt on April 19 and at Kids Fest on April 26. ➢On May 10, MFOTL members joined Library Director Christine Conwell at the Moorpark Earth Festival, where we co-hosted a booth featuring a fun, eco-friendly activity: under Christine’s direction, we created biodegradable plant pots from recycled newspapers, which visitors filled with soil and wildflower seeds—a hit with the younger crowd. Guests were also invited to write what they would like to “grow” at the new library on flower- shaped cards. These messages were placed on a “wish list” board, creating a display of community hopes and excitement. While children enjoyed the crafts, we talked with parents, sharing information about the new library and promoting the Brick Fundraiser. The activity sparked meaningful conversations and generated enthusiasm—many parents expressed genuine interest and excitement about the future library. ➢MFOTL has joined the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. This membership will strengthen our presence in the business community, allowing us to build valuable connections and further promote the library’s resources and impact on our community’s quality of life. We look forward to engaging with fellow Chamber members at various networking events. ➢As the liaison to the Moorpark Women’s Club (MWC), the MFOTL president continues to strengthen ties and actively promote upcoming and ongoing fundraising efforts—such as the Brick Fundraiser—at MWC meetings and in the Club’s Wild Rose Reporter newsletter. Tracking ➢MFOTL has established a procedure for reporting funds received through the Brick Fundraiser, and for moving these funds into designated financial accounts. 4 Library Board 05/13/2025 Regular Meeting Page 5 Website ➢Website Director Eleanor Villanueva, incorporating ideas from Tech Team members, has developed new pages on www.mfotl.com dedicated to the Brick Fundraiser. These pages describe the initiative, provide a link to the Brick Markers USA ordering site, and display monthly updates on brick donations. ➢Continuous efforts are made to keep the MFOTL website ADA-compliant. Volunteer Statistics ➢In 2024, members of the MFOTL Board of Directors and general membership collectively contributed an estimated 6,080 hours of their time to activities that ultimately supported the programs and services of the Moorpark City Library. Bernadette McDowell President, Moorpark Friends of the Library 5