TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
FROM: Leslie Hardy, Community & Library Services Director
1. Subject
title
Appropriation of $41,702 in designated grant funding received from California Library Literacy Services.
body
2. Summary
Grant funds from California Library Literacy Services will be used to enhance and expand the Library’s Adult Literacy Program.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Accept into the City’s General Fund (100) revenue budget $41,702 in grant funds from California Library Literacy Services to:
100-2001-48101-262101-48 California Literacy Grant FY26
2. Authorize the appropriation of $41,702 to General Fund (100) as follows:
100-2101-53101-262101-20 Materials and Supplies $15,918
100-2101-59998-262101-10 Part-time Miscellaneous Salaries $25,784
end
4. Fiscal Impact
There is no direct fiscal impact to the City. The additional revenue received from California Library Literacy Services will fund the expense for these services.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 3: Enhance Public Communication Strategy and Quality of Life
6. Discussion and Background
History
In Fall 2016, the Orange Public Library (Library) was awarded a $41,000 literacy grant by California Library Literacy Services (CLLS), a program of the California State Library, to establish a literacy program for adults. The goal of the Adult Literacy Program is to improve the reading skills of adult, English speaking community members through the recruitment and training of literacy tutors. A Library Literacy Coordinator was hired to oversee the program, and the first group of literacy volunteers was trained in Spring 2017 and subsequently matched with adult learners.
Orange Public Library has received the CLLS grant for the past ten years. Each year, the Adult Literacy Program has grown in the following ways:
• A Literacy collection of books and workbooks was established, and the Literacy Office, Reading Lab, and Study Room at the Orange Public Library & History Center were refreshed with new paint, computers, and furniture through partnerships with Public Works and IT.
• A grant-funded Library Literacy Assistant position was introduced to provide much-needed support to the Literacy Coordinator and to expand the program further.
• The program expanded to the El Modena and Taft Branch Libraries to allow tutor-learner pairs to use their local community library.
• Skill-building workshops, writing groups, and conversation sessions were added to the program, and tablets loaded with literacy, reading, and phonics-based apps were introduced to the Literacy collection.
• New state initiatives were added, including Career Online High School, where learners earn their diploma online at no cost, and Read & Grow Orange, a family literacy program that encourages learners to engage their entire family in educational activities to support their literacy journey.
Adult Literacy Program participants continue to be actively engaged with the program and each other. Participants have developed their reading skills to help their children with homework, complete a job application, follow prescription medicine instructions, pass a citizenship test, get a driver’s license, and vote. Currently, the program includes approximately 40 tutor-learner pairs. Since 2017, Literacy volunteers have served over 10,500 hours. The Library celebrates their accomplishments via an annual Volunteer Recognition event, where attendees enjoy refreshments, games, giveaways, and appreciation from their peers, other Library volunteers, and City staff. The community has also shown its appreciation through thousands of dollars in donations received from the Friends of the Orange Public Library, Orange Public Library Foundation, Orange North Rotary, and the Community Foundation of Orange.
The Orange Public Library has been awarded a $41,702 literacy grant for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (FY25). CLLS continues to generously provide support to the Library to expand and enhance its Adult Literacy Program. Funds must be spent or encumbered by the end of FY26 and will be used for staffing, technology, program materials, and marketing.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• FY26 Library Literacy Grant Award Letter