HomeMy WebLinkAbout202306 Library Board UpdateColumbia Heights Public Library
Library Board Report – June 2023
BUILDING
• City buildings transitioned from Orkin to Adam’s Pest Control. The inaugural visit with the new
service technician occurred on June 12.
• There were multiple evenings when the library was not cleaned this month (June 3, 26, 27.)
• The exterior windows were washed on June 29.
TECHNOLOGY
COLLECTION
• Book displays included Pride month, vegetable gardening/planting, and new books.
• Purchases included the original Amelia Bedelia, Demon Slayer manga, missing volumes from the
Dragon Master series, Creepy Pair of Underpants, Creepy Carrots, and juvenile Spanish books.
• Adult music CDs were ordered.
• Weeding was completed in adult fiction D-G.
PROGRAMS AND SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES DATE INTENDED AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE
English Language Conversation Circle 6/1 Adult 4
Storytime 6/5 Children (0-5) 33
English Language Conversation Circle 6/5 Adult 5
Daycare Storytime 6/7 Children (0-5) 15
Getting Started with Libby 6/7 Adult 6
Youth Service Librarian (YSL) visit to Columbia Academy 6/7 Young Adult
230
English Language Conversation Circle 6/8 Adult 5
Storytime 6/12 Children (0-5) 28
English Language Conversation Circle 6/12 Adult 8
Encore at the Library: Clay Fish 6/14 Children (6-11) 21
YSL visits Summer Encore Classes at CHPS (3) 6/15 Children (6-11) 80
Summer Code Explorers 6/15 Young Adult 9
English Language Conversation Circle 6/15 Adult 7
Mystery Book Club: The Word is Murder 6/15 Adult 6
Family Discovery: Clay Planter Pots 6/17 Children (6-11) 20
YSL visits Summer Encore Classes at CHPS (6) 6/20 Children (6-11) 150
DIY Teen: Needle Felted Strawberries 6/20 Young Adult 16
Book Club: This Tender Land 6/21 Adult 15
Encore at the Library: Raptor Center 6/21 Children (6-11) 25
Author Talk with Dr. Jody Lulich 6/21 Adult 29
Summer Code Explorers 6/22 Young Adult 13
English Language Conversation Circle 6/22 Adult 6
YSL visits Summer Encore classes at Columbia Academy 6/23 Young Adult 80
Storytime 6/26 Children (0-5) 55
Botanical Illustrations 6/26 Adult 16
English Language Conversation Circle 6/26 Adult 15
Family Craft Night: Rock Painting 6/27 Children (6-11) 28
Encore at the Library: Fungi Printmaking 6/28 Children (6-11) 23
Summer Code Explorers 6/29 Young Adult 9
English Language Conversation Circle 6/29 Adult 8
Tree Identification at LaBelle Park 6/29 Adult 17
Children’s Area Scavenger Hunt (self-directed) 55
Columbia Heights Public Library Library Board Monthly Update – June 2023
STAFF
Eliza Pope, Youth Services Librarian,
o Resumed storytimes and consistently welcomed large crowds of new and returning
attendees. Each session features a letter of the week, consistent welcome songs, books,
new songs, fingerplays, and rotating egg shakers, scarves, or parachutes.
o Hosted an educator from the Raptor Center who brought a red-tailed hawk, merlin, and
great horned owl for youth to see and learn about. Youth learned what raptors like to eat,
what adaptations help them hunt, why they are at the Center, and what to do if you find an
injured raptor. The highlight was watching the great horned owl swallow a mouse whole!
o Welcomed an artist and naturalist from Silverwood Park to lead an amazing program on
fungi. The naturalist led youth in dissecting mushrooms and basic identification techniques
while the artist taught them to create a form on Styrofoam plate to make prints.
o Planned a weekly coding club with instructors Marie and Alex from Code Savvy. Code Savvy
provides laptops for teens to use to experiment and learn about Scratch coding in a relaxed
atmosphere.
o Reports that 250 kids have registered for the Summer Adventures Reading program by the
end of June.
o Visited Columbia Academy for their End of Year celebration.
o Visited Encore summer classes at elementary and middle schools to share summer library
programs and activities with over 230 students. After Eliza’s visit, one student brought his
mom and grandma to the library immediately after school to get a library card, sign up for
Summer Reading, check out a Minecraft book, and request a video game. His mom said he
told her everything he learned about the library at school on their way!
o Attended the Valley View
Elementary Fun Run.
o Coordinated the offering of free
summer lunches to youth on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays starting June 13.
Cortni O’Brien, Adult Services Librarian,
o Met with the Friends of the Library
on June 8.
o Planned summer reading for adults.
Fifteen adults had registered by
month end.
o Delivered materials to five “At-
Home” patrons.
Renee Dougherty, Library Director,
o Met weekly with city division heads and biweekly with the adult services and youth services
librarians.
o Attended webinars with staff from state agencies about library partnerships: DEED for the
CareerForce Corner initiative and the DNR for the State Park Pass program.
o With the human resources director, interviewed six applicants for the library supervisor
position.
o Facilitated the book club discussion of “This Tender Land.”
Staff (Cortni, Eliza, Yuliana, and Renee) provided information and ran a wheel spinning game at the
Columbia Heights Arts and Information Fair.
MISCELLANEOUS
• The glass display case featured LEGO builds from youth programs.
Dr. Jody Lulich talks about his memoir, "In the Company of
Grace"
Columbia Heights Public Library Library Board Monthly Update – June 2023
• Hope4Youth, an Anoka County non-profit serving homeless youth ages 18-24, did outreach at
the library on June 9.
• The Minnesota’s Changing Climate exhibit was on loan from the MN Pollution Control Agency
through June 23. The exhibit showcases what communities and organizations are doing
throughout Minnesota to address climate change and illustrates the effects that climate change
is already having on Minnesota.
• Guild Services outreach to homeless individuals experienced staff transitions. Torre has
relocated but Nouda will continue to be at the library on Tuesday afternoons.
• The library participated in the Citywide Garage Sale on June 9-10 with a $3 per bag book sale.
• The library was closed for the Juneteenth holiday.
• The Anoka County Law Librarian met with two patrons on June 22.
• Staff began a collection scanning project with an RFID wand and tablet to identify on shelf items
with incorrect statuses (missing, assumed lost, or still checked out to the previous patron.)
Encore at the Library: Raptor Center
Family Discovery: Clay Planter Pots
PUBLIC COMPUTER USE 2023 2022
Users 951 990
Sessions 1,429 1,419
Minutes 55,368 49,457
FACILITY USE 2023 2022
Visitors 7,130 6,943
Study & Meeting Room Use 249 194
VOLUNTEERS Total Hours
Adult 6 26
Teen 5 25