Parks Pass Toolkit

California State Library Parks Pass Logo.

Get Started

This toolkit is for library staff at libraries that are circulating the California State Library Parks Pass. This includes catalogers, programming librarians, and circulation staff. The toolkit has information about circulation guidelines, programming examples, marketing, partnership, and other resources.

The California State Library Parks Pass is part of the Outdoor Access for All Initiative, a state-funded pilot program which also includes the a California State Park Adventure program that provides free day use passes for fourth graders and the revamped Golden Bear Pass Program with CDSS, which provides an annual pass to CalWorks recipients.

To stay up to date on the passes, program resources, and other updates, staff working on the Parks Pass Program are encouraged to:

Screenshots of Instagram posts from Woodland Library, Downey, Folsom, Compton, and Mill Valley, all featuring the California State Library Parks Pass.

Promote My Program

Resources and information you can share with patrons include:

The following resources are available to help you easily promote the Parks Pass:

The following resources are available to help you create custom content featuring the Parks Pass:

A photo of a storywalk in a green grassy park, with balloons tied to it and a crowd of children reading the panel while an adult stands behind them with a book, reading to them.
A photo of a small twig held up by a hand with three tiny, shiny tan mushrooms sprouting out of it, while out of focus in the background a group of people stand on a trail.
Interpretative sign telling the story of Cosunji and the Wasiw seasons.
A photo of a child wearing a festive holiday sweater covered in candy canes and bows holds four varieties of citrus. They are standing inside on a carpet near some seating.

Plan an Event

The following resources are available to help you create engaging programs:

State Parks can assist with programming.

The following resources are available to help you find additional partners:

The following resources will help you intentionally craft and evaluate your events:

  • The Evaluation Toolkit should be used to track program outcomes. It was created for grantees but may be useful to anyone doing parks-based programming.

Review Circulation Guidelines and Grant Reporting

Learn more about managing your grant, including instructions, guidelines, reports, and other forms. Information is available on the evaluation toolkit, quarterly circulation statistics, and financial and narrative reports. Circulation guidelines may be set by libraries with the goal of circulating passes to those who may be facing barriers to park access. The passes must circulate to patrons, and are not to be used as prizes or giveaways. Passes must be added to your ILS; the MARC record’s OCLC accession number is 1301933782. Get a text version of the MARC record. The State Parks barcode on the front of the pass must be part of the record. There is space on the back of the pass for libraries to add their own barcode. Additional circulation suggestions include:

Report a Pass Lost or Stolen

Report lost passes using this webform. Please make sure you have given ample time for the pass to be returned before reporting it. It will be decommissioned by State Parks.

If the Parks Pass is returned, contact parkspass@library.ca.gov to see if it has been decommissioned. If you have already received a replacement, mail the original pass to:

Department of Parks & Recreation
Attn: Library Pass Program
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001

You can use the Parks Pass Re-order Form to request additional passes and other materials. Please note that any materials for backpacks are only for those libraries that received a State Parks Foundation backpack.

Dig Deeper

Remember to sign up for the listserv to stay up to date on the Parks Pass Program, including resources, news, and research.

Want to read more about the value of connecting children, families, and communities to nature? Check out these resources:

Want to read more about how improving access to public parks supports equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging? Check out these resources:

Additional resources to explore include:

Ask a Question

See the frequently asked questions. Contact parkspass@library.ca.gov for additional help and support.