Library staff outline youth collections, bookmobile stops and summer programs

During the board meeting staff from youth and outreach services outlined multiple ongoing and planned initiatives for children and teens, including targeted collection expansion, bookmobile stops and a variety of summer programs.

Julie Jackson, part-time librarian and the youth collection selector, said she has taken on selection responsibilities since November 2023 and is focusing on three priorities: expanding holiday displays to include Lunar New Year, Día de los Muertos, Ramadan/Eid and Diwali; growing the world-language holdings (noting especially high turnover in Japanese and Korean titles); and creating a dedicated “read-along” picture book section (audio-enabled picture books). Jackson said, “I’ve been with the library for 16 years” and explained the read-alongs cost roughly $60 each and circulate at high rates, which motivated plans for a separate shelf to make them easier for families to find.

Rick Hanson, who oversees outreach services including the homebound program and digital collections, described the homebound delivery as a resident-only service for people with short- or long-term mobility challenges. Hanson said deliveries are typically once a month, usually the last Friday, and patrons receive selections they request or that staff select by genre; the program recently moved from using Friends of the Library bags to zipper bags branded with the library logo to improve privacy. He also summarized digital offerings (e-books and audiobooks via the Libby/OverDrive apps) and a literacy-support program called Pages and Paws that pairs children with therapy dogs.

Senior librarian Renee Tang reviewed the bookmobile’s second summer of service and new or experimental stops: a regular stop timed with summer camp pickups at Rengstorf Park, a rotation that will include the Magical Bridge playground with full story times, evening stops at Castro Park to better reach Spanish-speaking and lower-income neighborhoods, and periodic visits to Hope Services for disabled adults. Tang said the bookmobile will continue visits to senior living facilities, Move Mountain View safe parking lots, and reserve space for special pop-ups such as a teddy-bear tea party.

Staff also highlighted teen-focused work: a one-time listening session called “Library Vibe Check” to gather teen input and a new mentorship program, “Amplify Teen Voices,” that pairs teen program creators with librarian mentors; staff reported 12 applications in the first month. Other summer offerings described include STEAM Fridays, supervised teen volunteers for programs, Dungeons & Dragons sessions for teens, and a scratch-off summer reading tracker the library printed for distribution; staff purchased an extra 2,000 trackers (cost of the extra run was $250) to give to Mountain View Whisman School District elementary students through school librarians.

Programs aimed at neurodivergent patrons include a social story (a simple visual guide that explains what to expect during a library visit) and weekly sensory story time with dimmed lights, visual schedules and wiggle seats; staff reported regular attendees show increased verbal interaction and peer social skills. Renee Kitson and Annika (presenters identified in the meeting) described these programs and said they are designed for broad accessibility.

Ending: Staff said they will track attendance and feedback over the summer and report results back to the board as part of ongoing program evaluation.