Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Libraries topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Walnut Creek officials celebrate National Library Week, Cleaner Contra Costa and dispatch workers
Summary
Mayor Mary Darling and library managers from the Contra Costa County system marked National Library Week; Sustainable Contra Costa highlighted local climate savings; dispatch staff accepted a proclamation recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Mayor Mary Darling presented a proclamation recognizing National Library Week and invited Contra Costa County Library managers to brief the council on library use and programs.
The presentation said circulation and virtual use are rising across the county and highlighted services and outreach at Walnut Creek’s two branches. Ally Bernback, manager of the Ignacio Valley Library, and Addie Spambach, manager of the downtown Walnut Creek Library, told the council the county’s circulation grew about 4 percent in the past fiscal year and e‑book circulation was up 18 percent over FY 2022–23. "Libby is one of our ebook providers. It is completely free with your library card," Bernback said.
The managers described recent and planned local programs: the Rolling Reader outreach vehicle, summer reading participation, a bilingual Farsi story time at Ignacio Valley that will begin April 4, the Insiders program for adults with developmental disabilities, a teen advisory board that ran a diaper and wipe drive, and planned senior and cultural programming tied to AAPI Month and Juneteenth. Spambach said the downtown library opened in July 2010 and the branch’s 15th‑anniversary celebration is planned for the summer.
Why it matters: The library presentation gave the council a snapshot of usage and outreach tied to National Library Week (April 6–12) and underscored the libraries’ community role in literacy, digital access, and lifelong learning.
Sustainable Contra Costa report
Tina Neuhausl, executive director of Sustainable Contra Costa, accepted a proclamation for the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge and described countywide participation and results since 2019. "Together, we've helped thousands of people learn how to make changes to save water and energy, reduce waste, and build a healthier, more connected community," Neuhausl said. The council packet noted 930 Walnut Creek households participating in the program had collectively saved greenhouse gas emissions and water; Neuhausl also cited countywide totals.
Dispatch proclamation
The council also recognized National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and invited dispatch supervisor Tori Maxfield and lead dispatcher Shamika Riley to accept the proclamation. Riley thanked the council and said the week "allows us to put a focus on those that are behind the scenes," noting telecommunicators’ training and the work that originated in Contra Costa County in 1981.
Ending: Council members joined presenters for photos after the proclamations and the meeting proceeded to the consent calendar and other agenda items.
