The Riverside County Library System, located in Riverside County, California, United States, is a public library system composed of 35 libraries and two bookmobiles. The RCLS is a member of the Inland Library Network. It is the first library system in the nation that turned over its entire operation to a private company.
Management
Prior to July 1997, the Riverside County public libraries were managed by the city of Riverside, California. When property tax money was diverted from libraries to schools in the early 1990s, the library system began to experience cut in hours, dwindling collections, and staff lay-offs. In July 1997, the County hired Library Systems and Services, Inc., located in Germantown, Maryland to operate its sprawling public library system. All library employees, except for the county librarian, janitorial service, and landscape maintenance, work for the private company. LSSI divided the library system into three districts, increased hours within each district and added staff. For its success, the RCLS Management Outsourcing Program became the 1998 National Council for Public-Private Partnerships Project Award Winner.
Services
A Latino outreach program Leer Es Triunfar, an outreach program for the library's Spanish language readers. The program earned the library a John Cotton Dana Award in 2005.
The Riverside County Library was chosen by the Association for Library Services to Children as the site of the 2010 Arbuthnot Lecture, featuring Kathleen T. Horning.
Riverside County Library Adult Literacy Program, coordinated through program offices in the Glen Avon, Indio, and Temecula libraries.
Bookletters, an online book review and author information service, includes a list of award-winning books, as well as a best-sellers list.
RCLS Live Homework Help, an online, log-in resource for students.
The Riverside County Library System was co-recipient of the Raul and Estella Mora Award for its annual promotion of Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros.
In 2009, RCLS was invited by the California Council for the Humanities to be its sole public library partner in a California State Library funded project called "Making a Difference," to encourage programs providing opportunities for social engagement.
In November 2007, RCLS sponsored a retrospective exhibit of photographs portraying 125 years of Riverside County library history, "The Libraries of Riverside County: A Millennium of Service" in the lobby of the UC Riverside Science Library as well as traveling over 250 miles throughout the County. The exhibit was viewed by over 275,000 people during its year long exhibition. It commemorated public, private, academic, medical and tribal libraries in Riverside County.
