California Reads is a state-wide initiative of the California Council for the Humanities and the California Center for the Book. The purpose of the grant is to bring diverse communities together through books and to engage Californians in challenging dialog around the theme of searching for democracy. The California Reads grant programs demonstrate the power of the humanities to inspire the public and showcase public libraries as active centers of community life. The grant will provide 1,000 copies of 2 titles ("Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wataksuki Houston and "Lost City Radio" by Daniel Alarcon) to be distributed to West County community sites, middle and high schools and libraries. The grant will also provide funding for approximately 10 programs including author visits, speakers, film showing, book discussions and professional performers. In addition the California Reads Grant will provide promotional and curriculum support materials.

The library will not be able to provide cultural and reading enrichment programming to students and communities in West County.

Programs funded by the California Reads grant meet outcomes 1, 2 and 5 of the Children’s Report Card. Programming from the grant meets outcome one by providing curriculum support for middle and high school students to help them succeed in school. The programs meet outcome two by providing programming that will prepare youth for a productive adulthood through civic discourse. The programs meet outcome five by providing a high quality of cultural programming and promoting civic engagement among youth and families.