Library Commission Meeting Agenda Packet 040325

Page 3 of 4 • Funding for the annual chapter fee for the national Urban Word program. DISCUSSION City staff has provided an analysis of the committee research findings and program concepts to develop a recommendation, which will be the basis for the Library and Civic Arts Commissions’ discussion. Staff Analysis Community needs: In recent years, Pleasanton’s TPL program has encountered challenges securing poetry reading opportunities at civic events, which was the original focus of the position when it was created. In response, participants shifted to focus on projects such as creating original poetry, publishing youth poetry collections, hosting youth and ESL workshops, and tabling at community events. Despite these efforts, laureates have expressed interest to staff in more distinguished opportunities for future participants. Program metrics: The TPL program does not easily follow standardized metrics for evaluation. Each laureate’s contribution differs greatly; some focus more on civic readings and others focus on workshops with varying numbers of sessions. The volume of readings depends on community demand each year and factors such as facility availability. Attendance numbers related to readings at civic events can be hard to correlate to the poetry reading itself. As a result, program success has been measured through qualitative impact and participant engagement rather than quantitative output. Future programs would benefit from a defined set of goals and a system for evaluation. Local practices: The committee also identified that two,of the three, neighboring cities studied do not offer a youth poet laureate program. Cities with both adult and youth laureates do not have designated staffing to support the program. In light of the City’s structural deficit, these local practices may underscore the importance of scaling the City’s program to align with regional practices. As discussed by the committee, sustaining and growing the TPL program would require dedicated staff time and funding for supplies, marketing, and the annual Urban Word Chapter fee. As such, program development will pause until the City’s two-year budget is adopted and funding and resources are confirmed. Even if funding for materials and chapter fees is confirmed, staffing resources would continue to be limited. Staff recommends initially prioritizing the following program concepts, out of those identified by the committee: • Transition to a Youth Poet Laureate model • Develop a mission and vision for the program • Initiate an affiliation with the Urban Word Chapter • Establish a defined number of programs and poetry readings based on what can be supported by staffing levels, City facilities, and materials budgets • Develop metrics for ongoing program evaluation. Page 8 of 34