The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2026-03-25; Library Board of Trustees; 01; Library Reports for January 2026 and February 2026Meeting Date: March 25, 2026 To: Library Board of Trustees From: Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director Staff Contact: Laura Stanger, Principal Librarian laura.stanger@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-5526 Subject: Library Reports for January 2026 and February 2026 District: All Recommended Action Receive the Narrative Report and Statistical Report for January 2026 and February 2026. Executive Summary The library’s monthly narrative and statistical reports for January 2026 and February 2026 provide a summary of work completed across all Carlsbad City Library locations, as well as data and information about the services and programs provided for the community. Explanation & Analysis None. Fiscal Analysis No financial impact. Next Steps None. Environmental Evaluation The proposed action is not a “project” as defined by CEQA Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) and does not require environment review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) and 15061(b)(3), because the proposed action to report on the library’s monthly narrative and statistics is an organizational or administrative government activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. Any subsequent action or direction stemming from the proposed action may require preparation of an environmental document in accordance with CEQA or CEQA Guidelines. Exhibits 1.Narrative report for January 2026 2.Statistical report for January 2026 3.Narrative report for February 2026 4.Statistical report for February 2026 LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 1 of 11 Staff Report Exhibit 1 Carlsbad City Library Monthly Library Report January 2026 Highlight: 1. Winter Reading Challenge The Winter Reading Challenge, themed “Reading Olympics,” ran Jan. 1 to Jan. 31 and invited the community to reach a shared goal of 250,000 minutes of reading. This year’s challenge was a standout success, surpassing the library’s most ambitious community goal yet. The challenge was supported by the program’s generous sponsors the Friends of the Carlsbad Library, Dave & Buster’s, Bitchin’ Sauce, Ascend Music Studios, and Ice Realm Skating Rink, who provided registration incentives and raffle prizes for participants who completed the challenge. Programs: 2. Volunteer Expo On Jan. 24, the Georgina Cole Library hosted its second annual Volunteer Expo. Building on the success of last year’s program, the event continued its momentum with 83 attendees connecting with nine participating organizations. The organizations — the City of Carlsbad Police Volunteers and Parks & Recreation Department, Carlsbad City Library’s Literacy Program, Interfaith Community Services, Global Conservation Force, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, Persian Place, the North County San Diego Sierra Club and the North County San Diego Genealogical Society — were selected based on feedback from City of Carlsbad department contacts and the library’s established community partnerships. Participants Minutes Read Rewards Redeemed Totals 2026 1242 417,242 1309 Totals 2025 975 300,158 1497 March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 2 of 11 3. Raptors Up Close Program Presentation On Jan. 13, staff from the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation visited the Cole Library and brought along animal ambassadors Acorn, a Western screech owl, and Blue, an American kestrel. Forty-eight patrons learned about two raptor species, the traits that make them unique and how they are cared for at the foundation's Discovery Center in Carlsbad. The Raptors Up Close program was also presented at the Dove Library, drawing 79 attendees and Carlsbad City Library Learning Center, where 40 community members participated. 4. Author Event: Kaira Rouda The library welcomed mystery author Kaira Rouda on Jan. 31, where she discussed her upcoming novel, “We Were Never Friends”. Thirty-one attendees in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium, including members of the Library Board of Trustees, were present for the pre- publication event, which was moderated by the author’s spouse, former Congressman Harley Rouda. Audience members were among the first in the United States to purchase the novel ahead of its official release on Feb. 3. 5. Author Event: Dion Leonard On Jan. 31, 146 community members of all ages gathered in the Schulman Auditorium to hear author and ultramarathoner Dion Leonard discuss his bestselling book, “Finding Gobi: A Little Dog with a Big Heart.” Accompanied onstage by Gobi, Leonard described meeting the dog during an endurance race in the Gobi Desert of China and later adopting her. The program included a question-and-answer session, followed by a book signing. After the discussion, attendees were able to take photos with Gobi, receive autographed books including Gobi’s paw print, and speak with the author. March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 3 of 11 6. Tween Game Time Librarian Angelica Mejia and Library Assistant Hugo Ricalday-Cuevas applied to establish an official Pokémon Club at the Dove Library through a partnership between the American Library Association and The Pokémon Company International. The program aims to host monthly sessions that promote critical thinking, problem‑solving and positive peer interaction. After the application was approved, the American Library Association sent starter kits to launch the program. The first Pokémon Club + Tween Game Time session, for ages 9 to12 was held Jan. 26 and drew 74 patrons who were eager to learn how to play the game, trade cards and socialize. Special Projects: 7. Every Story Counts Survey From Jan. 25 to 31, Library & Cultural Arts participated in a statewide initiative coordinated by the California State Library called “Every Story Counts” to learn more about how patrons use their local public libraries. Staff encouraged patrons to complete a brief survey to share their library story. The information collected will help the department plan future programs, events and services for our community. The Carlsbad City Library aimed for 500 completed community surveys and exceeded the goal with patrons completing 591 surveys total. Community Connections: 8. Valley Christian Tour Library Assistant Hugo Ricalday-Cuevas hosted a group of 20 kindergarten students and nine adults from Valley Christian School on Jan. 23 at the Dove Library. He guided the group, showing them the book return and accounts desk and walked them around the children’s area where describing the nonfiction and fiction sections. The visit concluded with a song and a story. March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 4 of 11 9. Youth Enrichment The Youth Enrichment Services (YES) collaborative resumed meetings on Jan. 15 after a brief hiatus, with Principal Librarian Laura Stanger in attendance. Former YES coordinator Rosemary Eshelman will return to lead the meetings, which bring together educators, parents and organizations from around the city to network and share resources for Carlsbad youth. 10. Farmers Market Library Technicians Astrid Gonzalez, Dadyar Vakili and Susan Chavez staffed the State Street Farmer’s Market on Jan. 21. The group interacted with 349 community members and handed out books, seed packets, and shared information about library services and programs such as the Winter Reading Challenge, Teen Book Club, the Exploration HUB, Libby, Hoopla, California State Parks Passes and the Library of Things collection. One young patron who was looking for a graphic novel was thrilled to find a copy of “Bad Guys” to take home and start reading. Patron Stories (heard around the library: 11.“You brightened everyone’s day by bringing Gobi to visit the Dove Library.” March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 5 of 11 Exhibit 2 LIBRARY MONTHLY STATISTICS – JANUARY 2026 JANUARY 2025 JANUARY 2026 Physical materials circulation 81,181 82,453 +1.5% Electronic materials circulation 28,794 31,922 +10.8% Programs 119 137 +15.1% Program attendance 3,666 4,126 +12.5% Study room hours booked 1,704 1,757 +3.1% Visits 44,151 49,050 +11.0% March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 6 of 11 fcarlsbad City Library ~ D r:, --- 0000 VwW • • ~T~ 0 0 0 'W~'W 0 0 0 0 0 ~'W~'W~ Exhibit 3 Carlsbad City Library Monthly Library Report February 2026 Highlights: 1.Matthew Quirk author event Author Matthew Quirk returned to the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium to discuss his new book, “The Method, and to screen an episode from the latest season of the adaptation of his bestselling novel, “The Night Agent.” After the screening, 70 attendees stayed to hear Mr. Quirk speak about the adaptation process, how the television series inspired his new release, what it’s like to see his work translated to television and his overall writing process. Mr. Quirk answered in-depth questions from the audience and spent time with each attendee during the book signing. Programs: 2.Echoes of Harlem: Art, Music & Words that Changed America Echoes of Harlem was held at the Georgina Cole Library on Feb. 28, in partnership with the North County African American Women's Association in honor of Black History Month. The event drew 85 attendees for an engaging celebration of music, spoken word and poetry inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. This was the second collaboration between the library and the North County African American Women’s Association. Our partnership began in June 2025 with a Juneteenth program at the Library Learning Center. “Echoes of Harlem: Music, Words, and Community“ demonstrated the value of culturally enriching programs. Strong attendance and positive feedback showed the community’s enthusiasm for events celebrating Black history, culture, and the arts.” 3.Bill Clevlen author event Radio host, Smithsonian Institute online lecturer and author Bill Clevlen visited the Dove Library on Feb. 3, to talk about his new book, “Presidential Road Trips: 100 Places to Explore and Experience”. The event drew 24 attendees, who enjoyed an engaging presentation on March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 7 of 11 destinations across the United States where presidents have lived or visited. Mr. Clevlen also spoke about several presidential libraries. His program featured video clips, photographs and an extended audience question-and-answer session. 4. Classics Book Club Librarian Heidi Wyner facilitated the Classics Book Club’s discussion of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, on Feb. 23. The book was selected to celebrate Black History Month and drew 29 attendees. 5. Blind Date with a Book Blind Date with a Book took place across all library locations as part of Library Lover’s Month, offering a weeklong celebration of fun, whimsy and literary surprises for all ages. Patrons were invited to choose a mystery book wrapped in plain paper, marked with only a few hints about its genre or theme, encouraging them to discover new stories in a playful, unexpected way. The community responded enthusiastically with staff needing to refill the display regularly. 6. Tween Scene Craft Club Eleven tweens attended Tween Scene Craft Club, a monthly arts and crafts program for ages 8 to 12, on Feb. 23 at the Cole Library. The program complements the monthly Tween Scene Game Time. For this month’s project, participants created bookmarks and other collage-based crafts. 7. Tinker Tuesdays: A visit from Republic Services The library partnered with Republic Services to present a Tinker Tuesday program at the Dove Library on Feb. 10. A guest speaker from Republic Services taught children how to separate March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 8 of 11 recycling, compost and trash, guiding them as they practiced at the bins. Attendees encouraged one another as they learned to sort different materials. Patrons were then offered a succulent and seed-planting activity to complete and take home. The special program drew 57 participants, who expressed their appreciation for the hands‑on experience and the focus on community partnerships and conservation. Community Connections: 8. Dual Language Immersion North County (DLINC) school tour Fifty-five sixth through eighth grade students from DLINC visited the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane for a science-focused tour and research workshop. Librarian Ashleigh Hvinden led the tour and assisted students with their individual research projects while Librarian Technician Alessandra Liem provided additional support. Students learned how to navigate the library’s collection, use digital research databases and apply the Dewey Decimal System to locate resources on topics including physics, weather, space and bioluminescence. The tour took place on Feb. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. 9. The Grauer School tour Twenty-seven students from The Grauer School visited the Dove Library on Feb. 3 and Jan. 4 to participate in a research workshop and work on their World War II projects. This annual visit has taken place for the past three years. During this visit, high school juniors learned how to navigate the online catalog, place books on hold, understand the Dewey Decimal System and use internet searches effectively by applying Boolean operators to locate credible resources. 10. Storytime at Buena Vista Elementary School Led by Library Assistant Terry Bradshaw, 33 Buena Vista kindergartners mooed, clucked, and oinked along with the book “Noisy Farm” during Storytime’s on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 at their school. Afterward, each student chose a community-donated book to add to their home library. 11. Farmer’s Market Library Technicians Amanda Sealock and Dadyar Vakili along with Lead Librarian Darin Williamson staffed the State Street Farmer’s Market on Feb. 18. The trio interacted with 313 people and gave out books, seed packets, and shared information about library services and programs such as our Seed Library, Teen Book Club, the Exploration HUB, Libby, Hoopla, California State Parks Passes and the Library of Things collection. March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 9 of 11 12. Sage Creek High School Genius Project Two Sage Creek High School students created 100 native seed pods (made with soil and three native seeds) and informational materials for their Genius Project, which were distributed to all three seed libraries. 13. Service Learning and Volunteer Fair Librarian Marin Faeyera and Volunteer Coordinator Samantha Yeilding hosted a table at the Service Learning and Volunteer Fair at the Oceanside campus of MiraCosta College on Feb. 19. Staff spoke with 30 students and community members about volunteer opportunities in Library & Cultural Arts and shared information about services and upcoming programs. Special Projects: 14. Love Your Heart Blood Pressure Screenings Carlsbad Fire Department EMTs and community health nurses gave free blood pressure screenings at the Dove Library on Feb. 14 in recognition of LiveWell San Diego’s Love Your Heart Day. In addition to the screenings, patrons and staff received free information to improve heart health. March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 10 of 11 Exhibit 4 LIBRARY MONTHLY STATISTICS – FEBRUARY 2026 FEBRUARY 2025 FEBRUARY 2026 Physical materials circulation 74,849 75,049 +0.3% Electronic materials circulation 26,556 27,334 +2.9% Programs 111 144 +29.7% Program attendance 3,635 3,971 +9.2% Study room hours booked 1,650 1,723 +4.4% Visits 43,022 46,134 +7.2% March 25, 2026 Item #1 Page 11 of 11 fcarlsbad City Library ~ D r:, --- 0000 Q'wVw' • • ~T~ ttt ttttt