DEPARTMENT: Library
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ramiro S. Salazar
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Acceptance of a donated vehicle.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the acceptance of a vehicle provided by the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. This donation will enable the San Antonio Public Library to continue early literacy services through the Little Read Wagon outreach initiative. Services include early literacy training for parents, teachers and child care providers as well as opportunities for children and their caregivers to practice early literacy skills together.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Through the Little Read Wagon initiative, the San Antonio Public Library has provided outreach early literacy training since 2002. Initially, staff and training materials were supported through grant funding. In FY 2005, expenses for Little Read Wagon staff were absorbed into the library's general fund budget. In FY 2012, additional monies from the general fund were allocated to the library specifically to support of early literacy training. These additional funds were provided as part of the City's commitment to increasing educational attainment and long-term economic well-being. Little Read Wagon staff travel to locations across the city where parents and caregivers are already gathered to provide training that supports literacy development, emphasizing five simple practices that significantly improve school and reading readiness. Adults attending the training are encouraged to talk, sing, read, write and play with children to increase vocabulary and general background knowledge. Studies indicate that vocabulary size and background knowledge are the two best long-term predictors of a child's school and reading success.
ISSUE:
This ordinance will authorize the San Antonio Public Library to accept a Toyota Sienna minivan to transport existing Little Read Wagon staff and equipment to venues across the city. The San Antonio Public Library Foundation received funding from a grant through the Frost Foundation to acquire the minivan and worked with Cavendar Toyota for the purchase. The vehicle will be used to transport staff and equipment to off-site training venues. Programming resources are provided through the library's general fund budget and supplemented with additional support from the San Antonio Public Library Foundation.
The action requested by Council is for the acceptance of the Vehicle. The general impact of the proposal will be the continuation and enhancement of early literacy development services across the city.
ALTERNATIVES:
If the donated vehicle is not accepted, the San Antonio Public Library will continue to rely on an aging Ford mini-cargo van. Consequently, the library system will not have an efficient and reliable system to transport staff and associated equipment to support outreach programming that promotes early literacy development.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Library will absorb the minimal cost for vehicle maintenance, operation and inclusion in the City's vehicle replacement program in its existing General Fund budget. Library will use existing staff to implement the service model.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends acceptance of the donated Toyota Sienna minivan from the San Antonio Public Library Foundation for use by the San Antonio Public Library.