DATE: October 7, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Library Department
TITLE: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY FOR LITERACY SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council accept $76,128 in grant funds from California State Library, awarded to the City for continuing literacy services provided to adults and families of adults, and appropriate these funds to the Library & Cultural Arts Department.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Since the inception of the Library’s Literacy Program in 1997, the Oceanside Public Library has received grant funding from California Library Literacy Services, a program of the California State Library, for support of Oceanside READS, a program which teaches literacy skills to adults in the READS Learning Center. Currently, Oceanside READS is also supported with City funds and private donations. Last year, 111 learners were served with almost 1,000 group and one-on-one sessions provided by 43 volunteers and Library staff.
In June 2018, the California legislature approved added funds to help programs provide more consistent support to the families of adults with low literacy skills, and in December 2021, additional funding opportunities became available to support English as a Second Language (ESL) services for five years, which ended in 2026. To continue the program, the City designated ongoing General Fund support for ESL Services through the FY 2026-27 budget approval process.
The State has continued funding Adult Literacy (ALS) and Family Literacy (FLS) Services annually. The Oceanside Public Library has successfully applied and received grant awards for these services each year. Most recently, the Library was awarded a total of $76,128 for FY 2026-27.
ALS and FLS grant funds have been designated for staffing expenses that include the continuation of funding for one provisional part-time Hourly Librarian, and two provisional part-time Library Associate II positions, adu...
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