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Page 2 of 5 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />The Library Board’s recently completed work plan for FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 supported the City <br />Council’s Strategic Plan with particular emphasis on equity and children and youth, as well as a lesser <br />focus on Housing and Homelessness. The goals of the last work plan included, but were not limited to, <br />four categories of activities: Support for Library initiatives, Support Community Connections, Promotion <br />of Library Services to the Community, and Advocacy for Historically Marginalized Populations. <br />Some highlights of the last two years included encouraging and supporting Library staff in the <br />implementation of Library Service Priorities, receiving periodic reports from staff on progress on those <br />Priorities, and working with Interim Library Director Sarah La Torra on the development of the RCPL Listens <br />community engagement effort in early 2025 to revise the Library Service Priorities. The Library conducted <br />10 bilingual RCPL Listens community conversations with partners serving youth, caregivers, seniors and <br />unsheltered individuals, as well as open listening sessions for the general public and specifically for Black, <br />Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, People with Disabilities, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, <br />Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) folks, to identify community issues, challenges and <br />aspirations. Over 150 people representing a diverse cross section of Redwood City community members <br />participated, and their discussions highlighted three common themes in the form of community <br />aspirations toward which the Library can contribute in a positive way from 2025 to 2028: Belonging, <br />Growth and Wellness. <br />Throughout the two-year work plan, the Board served as a conduit for community feedback, not only from <br />individual residents but also from several other City Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCCs). They <br />facilitated connections among library support groups, rotated meetings to different library locations, and <br />attended community events in order to gather as much input as possible. They also helped promote <br />library services and opportunities, talking with residents about library events and services like Project <br />READ, as well as opportunities for volunteerism and financial support of the Library. <br />The Library Board also provided monthly Library Board Picks online booklists on a variety of topics, <br />attended numerous Library events, made recommendations to the Library Director on potential <br />improvements and budget requests, and advocated for beneficial library legislation. They adopted an <br />equity perspective to consider agenda topics based on the impacts on underserved populations in <br />Redwood City, with particular focus on Spanish speakers and people with disabilities. <br />ANALYSIS <br />The mission of the Redwood City Library Board is to passionately support the purpose of the Redwood <br />City Public Library as an inclusive literacy hub for the community through advocacy, collaboration, and <br />strategic direction. <br />The powers and duties of the Library Board are found in Section 16.7 of the Municipal Code. Duties include <br />advice and recommendations to the Library Director, City Manager, and City on matters relating to the <br />Library, as well as the following duties: <br />A. Ensure that literacy remains a core value and a long-term guiding principle <br />B. Help create, approve and review the strategic plan <br />8.A. - Page 2 of 18 <br />41