How San Diego Addressed Existing Disparities and Centered Equity
San Diego Public Library

Equity is not simply about checking a box — it is taking a hard look at existing systems and addressing where inequities lie. This is what the San Diego Public Library did when it became clear that a donation matching program did not benefit all branches and neighborhoods equally.

To encourage more private donations to local libraries, the city began matching such donations with an equal amount in 1980. But because branches in wealthy areas typically get far more in private donations than branches in low-income areas, the matching program widened already large disparities in funding for activities, programming and equipment.

Now, city officials study demographics, income statistics and branch usage data to determine how to dole that money out. And city officials say the results have been remarkable. “It’s really significant because we’re able to level the playing field,” said head librarian Misty Jones. “It allows the branches to have some really impactful programming for their communities.”

Read the full article from The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Introducing the Chef-in-Residence Program
Boston Public Library

Last week, the Boston Public Library announced the launch of its new Chef-in-Residence program, made possible by a generous grant from anonymous donors to the Boston Public Library Fund. Based in the BPL's Nutrition Lab at the Roxbury Branch, the Chef-in-Residence will aim to increase nutritional literacy and cooking programs for community members of all ages.

This new initiative will empower patrons to explore cooking techniques, cultural heritage, nutrition, and Boston history by offering demonstrations, hands-on classes, and resources. As with all BPL programming, these programs are all offered free of charge.

Boston resident Glorya Fernandez, the founder of gogobytes and advocate for conscientious healing with food, began her one-year residency in February and will be conducting community listening sessions on March 1 and April 8 to help inform her curriculum.

Read more from Boston Public Library.

Proposing Universal Access to Drug Recovery Books
San Francisco Public Library

The most stolen books from San Francisco Public Library shelves are not the hottest new novels or juicy memoirs; they are books about recovering from addiction. Now, city officials want to provide universal access to free drug recovery books, including Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step recovery book

San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Dorsey on Tuesday introduced legislation to expand a pilot program to distribute addiction recovery books for free at the city's 28 public libraries. The library launched a pilot program last April to distribute such materials at the main library and two branches. Since then, they have distributed more than 3,200 books about beating addiction.

City Librarian Michael Lambert said the library so far has spent about $40,000 on the pilot program. “The city and county of San Francisco, like many urban environments, is seeing a lot of individuals who are struggling with addiction, substance abuse disorder, so we recognize there was an opportunity for the public library to do our part,” he said.

Read more from the Associated Press.