Primary Department: County Library
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Edward Melton, Director
Secondary Department: County Administration
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Jesse Dickerman, interim County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Donation
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Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval to accept from Harris County Office of County Administration the donation of items purchased with grant funds for a lending library in the amount of $11,977.50.
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Background and Discussion:
Commissioners Court approved the Harris County Climate Justice Plan on April 10, 2025. One of the early actions in the Climate Justice Plan is to establish a “library of things”, also known as a lending library, in each precinct. The Office of County Administration utilized grant funding from the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation to purchase household items that residents will be able to borrow from certain branch libraries. Assets will be transferred to the HCPL at additional cost to the County. The program will formally launch by the Fall of 2026.
Expected Impact:
This advances the implementation of the Harris County Climate Justice Plan, and it saves residents money by allowing them to borrow items that are used occasionally instead of purchasing them. This expands some of the existing lending library initiatives at two branch locations and is modeled after Brazoria County Library System’s successful Library of Things program.
Alternative Options:
To not expand the lending library program.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 5. Minimize the impact of climate change and disasters.
County Strategic Plan Objective: Choose an item.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): S4: Reduce the disparate social, economic, environmental, and health impacts of climate change through the implementation of a Harris County Climate Justice Plan.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Action Taken |
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4/10/25 |
15 |
Request for discussion and appropriate action of the Harris County Climate Justice Plan |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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Anticipated Court Date: 3/4/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Lisa Lin, Director of Sustainability, Office of County Administration; Laura Smith, Collection Development Librarian, Harris County Public Library
Attachments (if applicable):