REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Notice of Library and Community Services Department Name Change to Library and Recreation Services (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
Since 1970, the Sunnyvale community has been fortunate to have a strong independent nonprofit organization, Sunnyvale Community Services, responding to many community needs including: homelessness, hunger and a variety of other living essentials and financial emergencies.
In July 2011, the former Parks and Recreation Department split. Parks joined the Department of Public Works. Recreation, along with Youth and Family Services (Columbia Neighborhood Center), merged with the Library to form the Department of Library and Community Services (LCS). Since then, there has often been confusion with the Department’s name, as it is similar to Sunnyvale Community Services. In the information age of search engines and social media, this confusion often leads to the City’s customers failing to find the recreation activities and services they are seeking or the services the nonprofit organization provides.
This past year, as part of a strategic planning effort, LCS staff developed a new mission statement covering the scope of the merged department as well as a vision for our work and values describing how we will operate (Attachment 1). It became clear during the mission process and a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis that an updated and unique name was needed in order to align with the services we provide to the community.
As of September 1, 2020, LCS will be known as Library and Recreation Services (LRS). The name change reflects our new mission focused on inspiring a healthy community by fostering lifelong learning and play through progressive services and programs for all and distinguishing our work from that of the nonprofit organization Sunnyvale Community Services.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Changing a department title is not a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b) (5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
Staff
Prepared by: Cherise Brandell, Library and Community Services Director
Reviewed by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. LCS Mission Statement