To: Board of Supervisors
From: Alison McKee, County Librarian
Report Title: Contract with Penguin Random House LLC for author talk services by Percival Everett on November 8, 2025.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Librarian, or designee to execute a contract, including modified indemnification and limitation of liability language, with Penguin Random House LLC, in an amount not to exceed $35,000 for author talk services by Percival Everett on November 8, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$15,000 Library Fund; $10,000 Los Medanos College; $5,000 Library Foundation of Contra Costa; $5,000 Richmond Public Library Foundation
BACKGROUND:
Read Contra Costa is an annual event that encourages all county residents and library users to share in the experience of reading and discussing the same book. This year’s program runs from Tuesday, September 2 through Saturday, November 8, 2025.
The culminating event is a two-hour session with Percival Everett at Los Medanos College on Saturday, November 8th at 11:00 a.m. He will give a 40-minute talk followed by a 20-minute Q&A session. Mr. Everett will sign books for an hour after the talk.
This year, the Contra Costa County Library is proud to partner with the Richmond Public Library, Los Medanos College, Diablo Valley College, and Contra Costa College to bring this program to the entire county community.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the contract is not approved, the culminating author event for this year’s Read Contra Costa will not happen