Carlsbad Library Board approves FY2023–24 state survey after staff report shows funding dip and circulation milestone

The Carlsbad Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously Oct. 23 to receive and approve the city’s fiscal year 2023–24 California Public Library Survey for submission to the California State Library.

Management Analyst Debbie Jo McCool told trustees the survey is used by the state to support research and to determine eligibility for some state and federal grants. McCool said the city’s general fund provided about $11,870,000 (95.7%) of library funding for the reporting period, special revenue contributed roughly $463,000 (3.7%), and state grant funds totaled $73,505 (0.06%). She said total funding decreased by about $272,000, or roughly 2%, reflecting a city-required 2% departmental reduction.

"By participating each year, the city can continue to apply for state and federal grants," McCool said, explaining changes in survey reporting and the rationale for the submission.

Andrea Hilliard, principal librarian, summarized collection and usage trends: physical circulation increased about 15% compared with the prior year and the library’s physical items circulated more than 1,000,000 times in the reporting year — the first time since FY2018–19. Hilliard also noted an increase of 15.7% in electronic materials circulation and said Hoopla usage hit its highest month during the reporting period.

Hilliard said the library began automatic renewals on July 11, 2023, with items renewing up to three times if there are no holds. She also explained that electronic resources are being reported differently this cycle: the state no longer counts ebooks and databases in the collection totals but does collect data on e-material circulation by format.

A trustee asked whether the bump in e-materials corresponded with a drop in physical circulation; Hilliard said staff would present Public Library Survey data to clarify that relationship. Trustees also discussed a footnote showing a decline in young-adult materials; staff explained that graphic novels were reclassified into a single graphic-novel collection (no longer counted as 'young adult'), accounting for an apparent decrease in that category.

The motion to receive and approve the FY2023–24 California Public Library Survey for submittal to the California State Library passed by unanimous vote.

The survey will be submitted to the state as approved; staff indicated the report supports future grant applications and statewide research on library services and usage.