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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS .
Costa
FROM: Anne Cain, County Librarian
County
DATE: December 8C}, 2002
SUBJECT: Wilruss Children's Library Trust Report
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
ACCEPT the County Librarian's status report on the Wilruss Children's Library Trust.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Balance in fund at the end of the previous year (6130101) $2,019,804
Amount in the fund at the end of the current year (6130102) $2,031,548
Amount earned during the current year $71,356
Amount expended during the current year $59,612
Amount available for expenditure as of 6130/02 $323,948
The money has been invested by the County Treasurer with interest rates varying from 2.33% to
3.705%.
BACKGROUND:
In 1996, the library was advised that it had been named to receive the proceeds from the Storm's
Living Trust valued at $1,707,600, which had been established by Mrs. Wilma Storms. Conditions of
the trust require that all proceeds from the trust be placed in a new trust fund (the Wilruss Children's
Library Trust) for the design and maintenance of programs which promote literacy and a lifelong love
of books and reading in socially and economically disadvantaged areas of Contra Costa County.
Terms of the trust authorize the County Librarian to expend earnings from the trust each year and to
carry over any unspent earnings from the prior years. In no case is the principal amount to be
invaded, other than to pay approved claims against the Storms Living Trust. There is also a
provision for an annual reporting to the Board of Supervisors on the Wilruss Children's Library Trust.
2001-02 ANNUAL REPORT
A goal of the Wilruss Children's Library Trust program is to improve the quality of life for Contra Costa
County families by creating an exciting approach to library services. The following represents the
Strategic Initiatives of the program.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: /YES SIGNATURE: ait444
_f2ECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE —OTHER
f'
SIGNATURES):'--..,:4_
r
ACTION OF BC� ON 11f) APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED,,OTHER—
VOTE
THER._,,,VOTE OF SUPERVISORS:
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT r r } I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF
AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS.ON THE DATE SHOWN.
AYES: NOES: �,/
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED j 1 r %
— JOHN SWEETOW,CLERK OF E BOARD OF
SUP ISORS AND COUN ADMINISTRATOR
Contact: Anna Cain,646-6423 r.
By _ -, 3� � %�` DEPUTY
cc: County Library-Administration
County Administrator
County Auditor
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Wilruss Children's Library Trust Report
December 30, 2002
Page 2
Strategic Initiatives
Diversity Reflect the cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of our communities in
the service we provide
Partnerships Build partnerships that will advance mutual goals
Involve Adults Actively involve parents and caregivers in the implementation of our
programs for children and adults
Target Young Children Emphasize services for children under 8
Outreach Develop programs that take services out into the community
Reading/Family Promote reading, family literacy and the educational role of the library
Literacy/Education
Public Relations Increase the public's awareness of the library's importance in the lives of
young children
Stories-to-Go Program
The Stories To Go program continued to provide storytime sessions to children in preschools in
Contra Costa County who would not normally be exposed to them at the library. Twenty six
volunteers used Stories To Go kits, composed of books, props, and fingerplayrs, to provide storytimes
to 15 different low-income preschools in San Pablo, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg and Oakley.
Between 700-800 children were read to on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Informal interviews with
teachers indicate overwhelming support for the program, and there continues to be demand for
volunteers in all of the communities we are currently serving.
Two-day training sessions were held for Central County volunteers in October 2001 and for San
Pablo volunteers in February 2002, and a one-day training session was held for Central County
volunteers in February 2002. Volunteers were surveyed in May 2002 about their continuation in the
program, and 19 of them indicated they would participate in 2002/2003. The return of 75% of the
volunteers to the Stories to Go program shows that these people have a strong commitment to the
program, and they feel their volunteer time is being well spent.
The program has expanded to low-income preschools in Martinez through a $2,325 grant funded by
the Contra Costa Children and Families Commission in October 2001. The Wilruss Office provided
guidance in volunteer training, volunteer placement, and kit development, while the grant funded the
purchase of materials.
Parent education remains an integral element of the Stories to Go program. In december 2001 staff
gave presentations to parents of the children at the Lido Square Head Start in Pittsburg and the
Shadelands State Preschool in Concord.
Reach Out and Read
In 2002 the Reach Out and Read program was implemented and expanded through the Wilruss
Trust. This pediatric literacy program delivers the message of literacy to new families. Medical staff
are trained to instruct parents on the importance of sharing and using books with infants and
toddlers. As part of the program, books are purchased with Wilruss funds at deep discounts and
distributed at well baby visits.
In partnership with the County Health Services Department, Reach Out and Read programs were
launched in the Richmond and Concord pediatric clinics in the fall of 2001. In May 2002 the program
expanded to the new Pittsburg pediatric clinic and the Antioch pediatric clinic.'Clinics record the
number of interactions where literacy is discussed and the number of books given to children or
parents as a method of measuring the program.
11nt-filesvrlbranches%Pso%WILRUSftosrept0l.doc 12/30/2002 4:43 PM