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Home My WebLink About2026-05-27; Library Board of Trustees; 01; Library Reports for April 2026Meeting Date: May 27, 2026 To: Library Board of Trustees From: Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director Staff Contact: Andrea Hilliard, Principal Librarian andrea.hilliard@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2041 Laura Stanger, Principal Librarian laura.stanger@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-5526 Subject: District: Recommended Action Receive the Narrative Report and Statistical Report for April 2026. Executive Summary The library’s monthly narrative and statistical report for April 2026 provides 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 April 2026 2.Statistical report for April 2026 LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 1 of 7 Exhibit 1 Carlsbad City Library Monthly Library Report April 2026 Highlights: 1.Carlsbad Reads Together Carlsbad Reads Together 2026 was a strong success, highlighted by a visit from author Hua Hsu and his Pulitzer Prize winning book, “Stay True”. The event welcomed 120 attendees, with an additional 18 virtual viewers and one participant watching from the Cole Community Room. The Library Board of Trustees will receive a final report on the program at the June 24 meeting. 2.CityStuff Tours Throughout the month of April, the Georgina Cole Library welcomed third grade classes participating in the annual Carlsbad CityStuff tours. These tours introduce students to key city facilities - including City Hall, the Cole Library and Community Garden - while offering a meaningful behind the scenes experience. During the visit, students receive a guided tour and learn about core library resources, programs and services. This year, Circulation Services prepared “student success” library cards to ensure every third- grade student in Carlsbad receives a library card. A highlight of the visit continues to be the demonstration of the library’s check-in and sorting process, which consistently delights students and their families. Following a recent visit from Ms. Machado’s class from La Costa Meadows Elementary, the library received an envelope filled with handwritten thank you notes from the students - a gesture that was appreciated by staff members. May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 2 of 7 Programs: 3.Grow Your Garden Series: The Perfect Tomato Thirty-seven participants attended the Grow Your Garden event on April 11 at the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane. David Boucher, a San Diego Master Gardener, discussed essential techniques for cultivating “The Perfect Tomato.” Attendees had the opportunity to swap seeds, herbs and succulents, as well as get gardening tips from Jay Klopfenstein of the Carlsbad Community Garden Collaborative. One person commented that she really enjoys coming to these events, adding, “You never know who you are going to meet, and the takeaways from those conversations really help and grow the community.” 4.Tuesday Afternoon Adventures The Artemis II splashdown off the California coast inspired scientific tinkering with parachutes during the April 14 Tuesday Afternoon Adventures at the Cole Library. Small teams of elementary-aged students collaborated to select materials, build and test their parachutes. After a couple of rounds of testing and tinkering, each team selected their best iteration to be launched from the second floor of the library to the delight of the 17 students, as well as library patrons. May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 3 of 7 5.El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Día) All three Carlsbad City Library locations celebrated Día with Book Bingo for children and teens, encouraging families to explore Library & Cultural Arts programs and services, and earn rewards, including a free book. This self-guided program ran from April 18 to May 2 with a total of 24 completions. In addition to Book Bingo, sixty-nine preschoolers and parents celebrated children, books and the library for Día and National Library Week on April 22 at the Cole Library. Librarian Jennifer Benson and Community Outreach Supervisor Christina Lorenzo read “Book Fiesta!” By Pat Mora in English and Spanish, respectively. The children cut or colored brightly colored paper and laced yarn through the paper to create papel picado to hang at home as a reminder of the day. They also took home a free book to help build their home libraries. 6.Fixit Clinic: Get Ready for Summer Travel On April 25, the Cole Library hosted a successful Fixit Clinic. It coincided with a featured PBS video with more than 68,000 views highlighting the community value of these events. This session focused on luggage repair, helping patrons prepare for upcoming summer travels. The clinic also served as a hub for community connection, attracting a local Cub Scout troop and a Men’s Shed group interested in learning new skills and networking. In collaboration with Republic Services, who managed an e-waste recycling station, and strategic partners at the City of Carlsbad Public Works’ Sustainable Materials Department and Zero Waste San Diego, we welcomed 89 visitors who repaired bicycles, clothing, luggage, and more. 7.Tinker Tuesdays A guest speaker from Global Conservation Force — a nonprofit dedicated to protecting wildlife from extinction — visited the April 28 Tinker Tuesday program at the Dove Library. Thirty-eight patrons attended and learned about endangered animals, including rhinos threatened by the May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 4 of 7 illegal trade of their horns. The presentation sparked a lively Q&A, and afterward children were invited to write letters to the rangers. Many turned in colorful messages offering encouragement to those working to safeguard wildlife. 8.Tween Scene To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Tween Scene program offered a blackout poetry activity as one of its after-school crafts. Staff were inspired by how much staff, children and parents enjoyed creating blackout poetry and requested to set up a self-directed station for patrons after the event. Throughout April, patrons had access to a DIY blackout poetry table, “Express Yourself with Poetry,” and submitted more than 38 poems. 9.Memoir Writing Workshop A memoir writing workshop was offered as part of Carlsbad Reads Together on April 11 at the Dove Library. Library Technician and retired English and creative writing professor, Lori Joyce, led a group of seven participants through an exploration of types of memoir writing. Using prompts, participants wrote and shared their results during the hour-long workshop. The participants also requested future writing workshops. Accomplishments: 10.Literacy Services A learner in Literacy Services applied and was accepted to UC Irvine, contingent on passing an English language proficiency test. She has been studying with her tutor for the very challenging exam, and this week she passed, removing the contingency. She will attend school in the fall. To make the news even better, the university also notified her that she received a $20,000 scholarship. Community Connections: 11.Earth Month Celebration Library staff participated in the city’s Earth Month Celebration “Love Our Planet: There’s No Place Like Earth” on April 18 at Poinsettia Park where they distributed seeds, succulents and calendars and led a craft where community members made thaumatropes. A thaumatrope is a nineteenth century animation toy that uses motion to blend two images together to create an optical illusion. Staff spoke with 102 people and shared details about upcoming Library & Cultural Arts Department programs, including the TGIF Concerts in the Park, Grow Your Garden events and various storytimes. 12.Farmer’s Market Library staff hosted a booth at the State Street Farmers Market on April 15, connecting with 445 community members. The team gave away 332 free books, puzzles and seeds. Memorable moments included a stay-at-home dad thrilled to share “Magic Tree House” books with his kids; a woman finding books to comfort children crossing the border and recovering May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 5 of 7 from tuberculosis; children with special needs diving into books and puzzles during a field trip; and a young woman who learned English through the library gathering information on becoming a literacy tutor. 13.World Book Day Bilingual Library Technician Antonio Garcia Hernandez brought the book bike to Jefferson Elementary School during early release, distributing books, calendars, seeds and flyers while speaking with parents about upcoming programs and literacy services. Antonio connected with 84 students, teachers and parents. Patron Stories (heard around the library) 14.A note from patron Britney Blue sent to Senior Librarian Ally Goodwin after a CityStuff tour: “Thanks for the great tour of the library today for the Kelly school kiddos. It was the craziest thing - a few days ago, I was going through old pictures and videos of my son and came across ones from when I used to take him to Dove for baby storytime. You were there one day, on Halloween in 2018, and I immediately recognized you when I saw you today! Which is why I had to come up to you and share.” May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 6 of 7 Exhibit 2 LIBRARY MONTHLY STATISTICS – APRIL 2026 APRIL 2025 APRIL 2026 Physical materials circulation 82,298 81,703 -0.7% Electronic materials circulation 28,767 29,083 +1.1% Programs 176 178 +1.1% Program attendance 5,686 5,562 -2.2% Study room hours booked 1,780 1,865 +4.8% Visits 47,697 52,002 +9.0% May 27, 2026 Item #1 Page 7 of 7