BILL ANALYSIS Ó SCR 31 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 9, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Richard Gordon, Chair SCR 31 (Wolk) - As Introduced March 12, 2015 SENATE VOTE: 35-0 SUBJECT: California Library Week. SUMMARY: Declares April 12 to April 18, 2015, as California Library Week. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1)California Library Week seeks to partner with the efforts surrounding National Library Week, which is being celebrated in public libraries throughout the United States from April 12 to April 18, 2015. 2)More than 21 million people use California's public libraries each year. 3)California's public libraries and librarians advance teaching and learning by helping students, faculty, seniors, veterans, researchers, and other members of the general public obtain the best, most accurate, and complete information. 4)California's public libraries provide equal and economical services to library users, and in many cases, serve as a SCR 31 Page 2 community's only point of access to resources for learning. 5)California's public libraries provide technology training and help to bridge the digital divide for those who do not have access to technology at home or at school. 6)California's public libraries change lives by serving over 20,000 adults annually through customized literacy services delivered primarily through trained volunteers, who contribute over 750,000 hours annually to assist adults in learning how to read. 7)The students of California are a rapidly growing group of library users, visiting the state's public libraries after school and on weekends for homework assistance and for materials to use in school assignments. 8)California's public libraries are important community educational resources, providing books and innovative programs and services such as preschool literacy readiness, Toddler Times, the Summer Reading Program, Grandparents and Books, and Reach Out and Read in conjunction with pediatric clinics. 9)This year the California State Library will be celebrating its 165th year of providing technical assistance and consultation to California's public libraries, and preserving and hosting an abundance of California's priceless historical items. 10)California's public libraries preserve our cultural heritage, inform our present, and inspire our future. FISCAL EFFECT: None REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: SCR 31 Page 3 Support None on file Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800