Title
Library Services and Technology Act Grant Application (Ordinance S-51665) - Districts 5, 7 & 8
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for, accept and for the City Controller to expend 2025 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant money up to $117,000. The funds will be used to launch a pilot program improving emerging readers' reading skills and procure equipment and materials in order to improve accessibility to and archive historical documents and special collections that are currently part of the Arizona Room at Burton Barr Central Library. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept and the City Controller to disburse funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
The purpose of the grant is to support two critical Phoenix Public Library projects:
Emerging Readers Support - Funds will be utilized to support families of emerging readers by creating and conducting caregiver workshops on the science of reading and the best strategies for adults to support emerging readers. In 2022, 41 percent of Arizona children passed the third grade reading test; but that statistic drops to just 27 percent for economically disadvantaged children. Arizona schools have embraced a Structured Literacy model that explicitly teaches word identification/decoding strategies (based on the science of reading). This change in instruction has started to move the needle for third grade reading but there is more that can be done. Phoenix Public Library intends to create a pilot project that will focus on the Maryvale community, in partnership with the City of Phoenix Office of Youth and Education Services and the Cartwright School District. In addition, small print collections of decodable books will be placed at several libraries that serve economically disadvantaged communities. Depending on cost, those libraries may include Palo Verde, Harmon, Ocotillo, Desert Sage, and Saguaro. Staff at these libraries will receive special training on how to use and promote decodable books. Decodable books are books that are designed to help students learn to read by using phonics skills to decode words. They are a key part of structured literacy programs in classrooms, especially for beginning readers. Decodable books develop and strengthen word recognition, while typical leveled readers are tools for developing language comprehension. The amount requested for this project will not exceed $50,000.
Arizona Room - the Arizona Room at Burton Barr Central Library houses a unique local and communal Arizona history collection that showcases the history and culture of greater Phoenix and Arizona, and includes documents and items from recent history and Arizona history before statehood. The Arizona Room space includes a large reading room for research and personal interest studies. These elements offered in the Arizona Room are invaluable for researchers, historians, architects, preservationists, and the general public. To preserve these collections in perpetuity and provide inclusive access to all community members, funds from this grant will be used to procure mobile research tables, chairs, and exhibit mounts, and illuminated magnifying readers to increase access and use of the collection; and archival boxes, folders, document cases, and display mounts to properly store collection materials and protect while on display for public viewing. The amount requested for this project will not exceed $67,000.
The Library Services and Technology Act is the only federal program exclusively for libraries. It is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. State libraries use the funds to support statewide initiatives and also distribute the funds through sub-grants or cooperative agreements to public, school, academic, research, and special libraries. Every fiscal year, Congress provides funding for LSTA in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Federal resources help target library services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to people with limited literacy skills. Grant applications are due in March and awarded in July of 2025.
Financial Impact
The amount of the grant, total of up to $117,000, will be expended in Fiscal Year 2025-26 and as no matching funds are required, there is no impact to the General Fund.
Location
Desert Sage Library, 7602 W. Encanto Boulevard
Palo Verde Library, 4402 N. 51st Avenue
Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Avenue
Ocotillo Library, 102 W. Southern Avenue
Harmon Library, 1325 S. 5th Avenue
Saguaro Library, 2808 N. 46th Street
Council Districts: 5, 7 and 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Library Department.