LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT
Fiscal Year 2024 – 2025
It’s been another year of service and success for the City of Camarillo Public Library. As we introduce exciting new services and enhance the Library you know and love, we look back on the past year with gratitude for the community’s support.
Keep reading to see all the exciting things already happening.
Mandy Nasr, Library Director
Library Mission
Dedicated to providing effective and efficient municipal services that promote a high quality of life, economic vitality, and a safe environment for all.
PHYSICAL CIRCULATION
ELECTRONIC CIRCULATION
NEW LIBRARY CARDS
Community
Camarillo Public Library proudly engaged with the community throughout FY 2024-2025 providing a safe and enriched environment where people can live, work and play.
City of Camarillo Celebrates its 60th Anniversary
summer to fall with the theme, “Generations – From Origins Onwards”. The theme honored our beginnings, embraced all we have become, and promoted future progress. As part of the
anniversary festivities, Library staff attended the End of Summer Block Party at Constitution Park on September 7. Local children’s museum kidSTREAM donated a special tree for display in the
Library during October. Children from our weekly storytime decorated the tree with handmade
ornaments.
Camarillo Police Department’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Event
local organizations for the Police Department’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat held at the nearby City of Camarillo Police Station. Over 2,000 kids and family members attended this highly popular event. Library staff dressed up their vehicles and handed out more than 450 children’s books to kids.
Jr. Entrepreneur Marketplace
For the second year in a row, the Russell Fischer Business Collection (RFBC) hosted another successful Jr. Entrepreneur Marketplace at Santa’s Village on December 14. It was great to see the culmination of our Jr. Entrepreneurs’ hard work after they attended the workshop, filled out their business plans, made their products and utilized their business acumen to sell them. All 13 entrepreneurs, aged 8 to 14, made a profit during the four-hour marketplace and interacted with over 650 shoppers. The average Jr. Entrepreneur sold 24 products for a profit of $111.25. RFBC was proud to continue its partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo and Jr. Entrepreneur for a second year.
Engagement
Camarillo Reads
This year, we were delighted to showcase Camarillo Reads: One City, One Book with bestselling author Rebecca Serle. Rebecca discussed her remarkable book, One Italian Summer, before an engaging audience of 93 participants in the Community Room on September 28. Camarillo Councilmember and Library Board President Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo introduced Rebecca Serle and Library Director Mandy Nasr at the program. Leading up to Camarillo Reads, we hosted a dynamic series of cultural events that deeply resonated with the themes of One Italian Summer. These included a movie screening of Disney Pixar’s Luca for kids, a “Brushes & Bites” painting event for teens, a creative writing workshop with CSU Channel Islands, a navigating grief presentation with the Director of Grief and Bereavement programs at Livingston Memorial and a movie screening of Eat Pray Love with a mosaic craft and a Taste of Italy dinner held at Bistro 13. Over 250 people attended a Camarillo Reads program.
CLA PRExcellence Awards
California Library Association (CLA) Annual Conference was held in Pasadena from October 17-19. Ten staff members attended the conference to learn more about the library profession and gather new ideas for future programs and events. On October 18, Marketing Coordinator Cheyanne Walker received the PRExcellence award for her media entry, “Book Club in a Bag: A Wes Anderson Take.” It was an honor for Camarillo Public Library to be recognized along with other media winners across the State of California.
The Mountain Fire
The Mountain Fire impacted the Library with closures November 6 and 7. On November 8, the Library reopened, and community members expressed their gratitude for a safe place to reconnect with Wi-Fi and other key services. Fortunately, no damage was done to the facility, and Library staff members were not severely impacted. In an effort to provide encouragement during a difficult recovery, staff created a display in the front lobby to encourage community members to write notes of support to local heroes who worked tirelessly during the Mountain Fire. At the conclusion of this initiative, approximately 1,300 gratitude cards were collected and distributed to 87 responding agencies.
Cultural Events
City Council’s goal is to provide a safe and enriched environment where people can live, work and play. The Library provides opportunities to foster an inclusive and accessible space for all by providing cultural programs that celebrate our community. Some of the standout cultural events from the past year included:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Benita Martinez from Memorias Tejidas demonstrated Zapotec loom weaving and wool spinning and shared her expertise on Indigenous Zapotec weaving traditions.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Certified kimono instructor and dresser Akane Mashimo provided an “Art of Kimono” program that guided attendees through the rich history of kimono, exploring its origins, cultural significance and the evolution of its many styles over centuries.
Pride Month
Special guest speaker Nicole Adler led a discussion on the intersection of disability and LGBTQ+ identities and discussed her work in California government advancing the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities and their place in the LGBTQ+ community.
NUMBER OF PROGRAMS
PROGRAM ATTENDEES
TOTAL VISITORS
Learning
Career Online High School Graduation
The Library was proud to honor and celebrate five new graduates from the Career Online High School program at the Camarillo City Council meeting on April 23. These students earned high school diplomas and career certificates in fields such as office management, home care and childcare and education. After posting about the celebration on social media, the Library received several inquiries from adults interested in joining the program.
April Financial Literacy Month
The Library actively championed financial education, especially among our young patrons, through a variety of impactful initiatives. Russell Fischer Business Collection hosted a workshop entitled “Summer Hustle 101: A Teen’s Guide to Landing a Summer Job,” led by the Library’s Business Services Coordinator, with 28 attendees. Afterward, our Business Services Coordinator offered assistance in reviewing teens’ résumés to prepare them for the City of Camarillo Career and Internship Fair, which was hosted in the Library Community Room on April 24. The Library also hosted weekly Financial Literacy Workshops for teens, led by our Teen Librarian and a representative from Community West Bank, which focused on essential topics such as banking, borrowing and budgeting.
The Russell Fischer Business Collection (RFBC) offered Personal Finance Starter Kits. The kits included a book list, website resource list, spending trackers, budget worksheets and a folder for organizing. All 52 physical kits were claimed within a week. Due to its popularity, a digital version of the kit was made available and was well-received.
Summer Reading Participants
Reference Questions
Adult Literacy Tutor Hours
Adult Literacy Learner Hours
Partnership & Support
The success of the Library is measured by the strength of its relationships within the greater community. The Friends of the Camarillo Library is a non-profit organization that is run solely by local volunteers.
The Friends of the Camarillo Library
The Friends of the Camarillo Library generously donated $138,000 in FY 2024-2025, supporting book and material purchases, programs and services. The Friends raised funds through the Friends Bookstore, Community Giving Programs and Friends Tours, including local trips to theater performances, museums, wineries and gardens. The commitment and service of the Friends is truly astonishing, and we deeply appreciate all they do for the Camarillo Public Library.