SUBJECT
Title
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT OF GIFTS AND DONATIONS AND RATIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS AND DONATIONS EXCEEDING $5,000 TO THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY LIBRARY AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The San Diego County Library (County Library) enhances the quality of life in the San Diego region by providing a physical and virtual hub of education, entertainment, and culture. The County Library operates 33 branches, two bookmobiles, four Library Outreach Vans, and five 24/7 Library-To-Go kiosks. The County Library serves over one million residents across all unincorporated communities and the cities of Del Mar, El Cajon (and Fletcher Hills), Encinitas (and Cardiff-by-the-Sea), Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Santee, and Vista. From time to time, individuals, service groups, and businesses offer gifts and donations to our County Library. Gifts and donations help expand important services and programs provided to the public, as well as the opportunity to purchase additional library materials and supplies to serve the diverse population of the region.
Board of Supervisors (Board) Policy A-112, Acceptance, and Use of Gifts and Donations, permits the acceptance of donations by the administrative head of each department of the County of San Diego (County). County Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, requires County Board ratification of the acceptance of such gifts and approval prior to the expenditure of the gift if the gift exceeds $5,000.
During the period of July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, donations to the County Library totaled $246,472.34. Of the total amount, $109,988.14 were cash donations, and $136,484.20 were non-cash donations. Of the cash donations received, $99,376.63 was matched by the Library Fund budget through the Dollar-for-Dollar Donation Matching Program. The matching fund program was created by the Board to give donors a sense of pride for taking part in the growth of their local County Library. Donations received during this reporting period were used to purchase library materials, such as books and eBooks, music, and equipment for library branches, as well as to facilitate cultural celebrations and support County Library programs.
Today’s proposed actions are to accept the County Library’s Report of Gifts and Donations for the period of July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, to ratify the acceptance of those gifts and donations by the County Library totaling $246,472.34 and authorize the Vice Chair of the Board to sign a letter of appreciation to the donors whose donations exceed $5,000 (Attachment D).
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find that the proposed action is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) because it is not a project as defined in Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines because it involves organizational or administrative governmental activities that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
2. In accordance with County of San Diego (County) Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, and Board of Supervisors (Board) Policy A-112, Acceptance and Use of Gifts and Donations, accept the San Diego County Library Report of Gifts and Donations for the period of July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.
3. In accordance with County Administrative Code Section 66 and Board Policy A-112, ratify the acceptance of gifts from July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, for $246,472.34 that exceeded $5,000.
4. Authorize the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign letters of appreciation on behalf of the County of San Diego to donors listed in Attachment B.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The acceptance of donations will allow for the purchase of library materials, such as books and eBooks, equipment for library branches, and bookmobiles to support programs that encourage participants of all ages to engage in reading and participate in activities that bring the community together. Donations and grants allow the San Diego County Library (County Library) to provide additional supplies and services to youth, families, and communities to encourage the sharing of experiences, cultural traditions, and resources to strengthen a sense of belonging. Gifts and donations received are monitored and publicly disclosed in accordance with all County policies. Expenditures are internally tracked by the County Library to ensure transparency and accountability of donations and gifts received and to provide for the equitable distribution of resources.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Acceptance of the County Library’s Report of Gifts and Donations supports several of the County of San Diego’s (County) Sustainability Goals, including Sustainability Goal No. 2, providing just and equitable access, by allowing stakeholders to support the collection in ways that are both meaningful to them and expand the library collection in areas like non-English languages and diverse books. Since the library collection serves the entire region and not just one branch, these donations benefit all library users, regardless of where they live. In addition, donations to the County Library support County Sustainability Goal No. 7, eliminating greenhouse gases, by purchasing and offering eBooks that do not need to be physically transported from a vendor or between County Library branches as customers across the region request them.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with today’s recommendations. The San Diego County Library (County Library) received $246,472.34 in cash and non-cash donations exceeding $5,000 in value between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Of these donations, $109,988.14 were in cash, and $136,484.20 were in non-cash donations. Of the cash donations, $99,376.63 qualified for an equal amount of matching funds from the County Library at the request of the donors and was used for specific requests by the donor and/or library materials such as books, supplies, and program branch activities in Fiscal Year 2024-25. The funding source of the matching funds is available prior year County Library Fund fund balance. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
The San Diego County Library (County Library) enhances the quality of life in the San Diego region by providing a physical and virtual hub of education, entertainment, and culture. The County Library operates 33 branches, two bookmobiles, four Library Outreach Vans, and five 24/7 Library-To-Go kiosks. The County Library serves over one million residents across all unincorporated communities and the cities of Del Mar, El Cajon (and Fletcher Hills), Encinitas (and Cardiff-by-the-Sea), Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Santee, and Vista. The County Library provides information in print, non-print, and online formats for lifelong learning to promote reading and literacy skills. Programs at County Library branches are also free, well-curated, and culturally enriching spaces where everyone feels welcomed. Every day, County libraries provide customers with opportunities to learn new technologies, help people connect to social services such as CalFresh and Medi-Cal, sponsor art exhibits for emerging artists, offer Chair Yoga and Tai Chi classes for seniors, provide free meals and after-school snacks to students, and support transition to civilian life for veterans.
From time to time, individuals, service groups, and businesses offer gifts and donations to our County Library system. Gifts and donations help expand important services and programs to the public as well as provide the opportunity to purchase additional library materials and supplies to serve the diverse population of the region. Board of Supervisors (Board) Policy A-112, Acceptance and Use of Gifts and Donations, permits the acceptance of donations by the administrative head of each County department. County Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, requires Board ratification of the acceptance of such gifts and approval prior to the expenditure of the gift if it exceeds $5,000.
During the period of July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, donations totaled $246,472.34 in the form of cash and non-cash donations. Donations received during this reporting period were used to purchase library materials, such as books, eBooks, music, and equipment for library branches, as well as to facilitate book giveaways and cultural celebrations. Cultural celebrations included Lunar New Year events, dance performances, concerts, holiday festivities, ceramics classes, teen after-hours programs, and Hispanic Heritage Month events.
Today’s proposed actions include the acceptance of the County Library’s Report of Gifts and Donations for the period of July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, ratification of the acceptance of those gifts and donations by the County Library totaling $246,472.34, and authorization for the Vice Chair of the Board to sign a letter of appreciation to the donors whose donations exceeded $5,000 (Attachment D).
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions to accept gifts and donations support the Sustainability, Equity, Empower, Community, and Justice Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. With the acceptance of gifts and donations, the County Library can enhance its available resources and services to enrich the lives of residents and provide opportunities for engagement within their communities.
Respectfully submitted,
Dahvia lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, San Diego County Library Summary Report of Gifts Received.
Attachment B - July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, San Diego County Library Report of Gifts Received - Cash.
Attachment C - July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, San Diego County Library Report of Gifts Received - Non-Cash.
Attachment D - Letters of Appreciation