DATE: December 3, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Library & Cultural Arts Department
TITLE: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM CALIFORNIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TO CONTINUE LUNCH AT THE LIBRARY SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council accept $34,200 in grant funds from California Library Association, awarded to the City to support Lunch at the Library services, and appropriate these funds to the Library & Cultural Arts Department.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Lunch at the Library is a project of the California State Library (CSL), supported with funds from the State of California and developed by the California Library Association (CLA) and the California Summer Meal Coalition, with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. It provides California libraries with the opportunity to apply for funds that will support existing free meal and food distribution sites and promote literacy, health, and well-being enrichment activities at these locations.
Since 2018, the Library has received Lunch at the Library award funds to enhance meal programming, promote early learning, and to educate families about healthy nutrition at the Library and at existing free meal and distribution sites for youth throughout Oceanside.
Funding has been reduced statewide, and the City has now been awarded CLA grant funds in the lesser amount of $34,200, as part of the 2025-2026 Lunch at the Library Partner Project, to provide programming support for ages 0 to 18 at the Civic Center and John Landes Community Center Libraries, and other community food distribution sites throughout the school year. These funds will be used to support after-school and summer programming efforts at Library meal sites, and pop-up youth activity programs at other locations in Oceanside, including the Libby Lake, Crown Heights, and Chavez Community Resource Centers, Joe Balderrama Park, and Melba Bishop Recreation Center. The Lunch at the Library Partner Project grant program runs from February to May 2026.
To support and promote summer reading and learning, the Oceanside Public Library will provide free educational, gardening, nutrition, art and family literacy activities, along with free books to enhance home libraries to kids and their families who attend meal service and food distribution sites. The meals will be provided by partner organization, Boys & Girls Club, at no cost to the City. The project and its programming will incorporate public health best practices.
The continued grant funding will provide for a provisional part-time benefitted 32-hour Librarian I position and three paid young adult interns, from February 2025 to May 2026. The Librarian I will coordinate outreach and engagement and oversee the grant program activities and interns. The interns will prepare and facilitate the after-school meal service and educational activities and assist at the pop-up community sites on a rotating basis. The teen interns will have an opportunity to cultivate essential soft skills and personal work habits for their own growth and also help with Library and community goals.
The total grant amount of $34,200 includes $32,164 for targeted staffing and $2,036 for free books to enhance home libraries to kids and their families who attend meal service and food distribution sites.
FISCAL IMPACT
Of the grant funds received, $24,064 will cover the continued cost of the provisional part-time benefited 32-hour Librarian I position (AD27LB04) and $8,100 will cover the cost of three existing intern positions (XLB052, XLB053, and XLB054) from February 2026 to May 2026. The total amount of $34,200 received from the CLA will be deposited and appropriated as follows:
|
Description |
Account |
Amount ($) |
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
Lunch at the Library 25/26 CLA |
835166425272.4401 |
$34,200 |
|
Expenditure |
|
|
|
Regular Employees (AD27LB04) |
835166425272.5105 |
17,456 |
|
Temporary & Part Time Employees (XLB052, XLB053, XLB054) |
835166425272.5110 |
7,984 |
|
Fringe Benefit Burden |
835166425272.5207 |
6,724 |
|
Materials & Supplies |
835166425272.5355 |
2,036 |
|
Total |
|
$34,200 |
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The Library Board of Trustees approved acceptance of the continued Lunch at the Library Grant funds from the California State Library at its regular October 28, 2025 meeting.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
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Prepared by: Marie Town, Library Division Manager
Reviewed by: CJ Di Mento, Library Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Lunch at the Library 25-26 CLA Grant Award Notification Email