HomeMy WebLinkAboutOperational Report from MarshaTo~
From:
Subject:
Date:
M. Rebecca Loader, Library Director
Marsha Tubbs, Children's Librarian
September 1999 Operational Report
September 30, 1999
I. Programs
A. Volunteer recognition reception was held on September 7 at 6:30 P.M. Eight volunteers received certificates and pins
for years of service. This year's volunteers donated more than 400 hours of community service to the Library.
B. Preschool Storytime began September 28 and will continue through November 18. We are providing three storytime
sessions each week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 10:00 A.M. There are 95 children registered for the fall
session of storytime. These are extremely large groups, I hope that the quality of the program is not affected by the large numbers
of children in the groups. If this does happen, I may be forced to add another session time.
C. Class visits will begin in October this year. ICS classes will be visiting the Library on a monthly basis. This is a
reduction in the number of visits from previous years and will allow the Library staff time to provide services to District 13 schools
as well. With the CMS and CHHS media centers under construction we anticipate a high demand on our services and collection.
In addition to class visits, we are offering Bulk Loan of materials to individual classrooms. This means that staff will be involved in
processing materials for a temporary loan to classrooms throughout the city. Kelly Olson has been working on the preparation of
paperwork for this program. We will be using the Recreation Department's van for delivery of materials and hopefully will be able
to obtain the help of a CSO. Thus far, ICS has requested Bulk Loan for 4 classrooms, along with the Highland Media Center and
the Central Middle School alternative program. First Bulk Loan delivery is scheduled for October 7.
II. Collection
A. I met with representatives from Book Wholesalers on September 29. We discussed the challenges involved in filling our
standing orders for juvenile and young adult paperbacks. We also discussed the possibility of using BWI as our primary jobber for
children's materials. The representatives demonstrated their on-line ordering process (no charge) and the additional professional
support services BWI has to offer.
III. Projects
A. I am pleased to announce that the Library is the recipient of approximately $15,000 in grant funds. These funds are a
part of the latest CHASE grant application submitted by Matt Linngren with the Library and CHASE collaborating. The $15,000
will be split over the next 2 years ($7500 per year). Plans for the use of these funds include: author visits and coffee shop book club
for teens, support for a second Summer Reading Club aimed at middle school students, and a training workshop for puppeteers.
The first of these programs is scheduled for Teen Read Week, October 17-23 when local young adult author Michael Dahl will
present a program on the creative writing process and mysteries. This program is scheduled for October 19 at 7:00 P.M.
B. Copy for the Library's page in Heights Happenings (city newsletter) was written and submitted to the Recreation
Department for publication.
C. With Kelly Olson's help, I developed a set of posters for use in District 13 schools promoting the use of the Public
Library. These are a by-product of meetings held with District 13 Media Specialists at the end of last year. The media specialists
requested "something" to be placed in the classrooms as a reminder to teachers and students that the public library is open after
school hours and available to meet the needs of students. These will be distributed to the Media Specialists at a meeting scheduled
for October.
IV. Staff
A. Kelly Olson prepared documents for ICS class visits, posters for District 13, and materials for Bulk Loans. Kelly also
revived our "Keeping in Touch" newsletter. Under the new title "BOOK REPORT", we will be issuing a newsletter listing new
materials available through the Library to each of the media centers. The media center specialists will have the option of reprinting
for teachers or for distribution to students. Kelly also processed orders for audiocassettes and began work on Teen Read Week
materials.
B. Pages in the Children's Department are brand new to the job. We are maintaining the basics as they come up to speed.
At this time we are one person short on evenings and weekends until the next "hires" are trained. I am concerned about this level of
staffing with the anticipated increase in usage due to the construction in District 13 however, the new staff members are moving
along a quickly as can be expected and I anticipate that we will be back to normal staffing by Thanksgiving.