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Item 3c Southlake Public Library Board Report – July 2008 Listen to the podcast Services –  The Southlake Library Summer Reading club has been a huge success this year with a 33% increase over last year in participants. With 2,102 participants we achieved an 88% market penetration of all stth 1 to 5 graders at CISD which is a real strong number, and better then any library in this area by a wide margin.  Volunteers perform mission critical tasks in the library: We have had a bit over 2596 volunteer hours this year. The library utilizes volunteers for a number of necessary tasks that we simply do not have the staff to complete. Staff is focused on waiting on customers and providing great service. Unlike most libraries we leave the other tasks to volunteers, and that includes shelving books (about 290,000 of them in 2008), and helping to process and repair materials that the library loans out. The library philosophy is that volunteers are invaluable and it is a nice way to involve the citizenry with the process; therefore we take everyone that asks to be a volunteer and we utilize them effectively.  BJNC photo contest pictures are in the library for viewing for another month or so. The library has worked hard to promote the BJNC for years and will continue to do so anyway we can.  The library is currently displaying art from the Senior Center – the art on display is being periodically rotated.  The library is looking very closely at expanding our online resources to make us available to the community 24/7. We currently provide World Book Encyclopedia, a whole range of databases for students, and REFUSA a business resource that are available online all day and all night. We love seeing our customers in person, but we also want to be a convenient resource that can be used by anyone anytime.  Grants – Staff continues to work diligently to raise grant money, and have already exceeded the amount we listed as one of our Key Accountability Indicators for the current FY, but the library is always looking at ways to further leverage the money we receive from the city in our budget. Visitor Stats – Year to Date:  Checkouts: The Library saw a 12% increase in checkouts for July (31,393) and is up 7% (224,496) for the fiscal year. These increases are following a 3 year period where we saw 200% growth. The Library has seen a leveling off of new accounts and traffic as we have come closer to the saturation point with 70% of the community holding library cards. We are also reaching maximum limits on our traffic levels due to space limitations. Traffic for July was 13,930 which was up 14%  Programming: Storytimes were up 41% over last year in July with 1,470 people attending storytimes during the period. The library is up 53% in programming for the FY so far. Youth programming has been very strong with large increases month after month. The Library was second in the state of Texas last year for programming attendance for a community our size so it makes the 53% increase all the more impressive  Volunteer Hours: The library was up 9% in volunteer hours in July with 595 hours for the month. Over 2596 hours have been worked by volunteers this fiscal year in the library, and that is a 9% increase over last year. Any questions please contact Kerry McGeath (8384) Respectfully submitted by the Southlake Public Library Board: Wanda SchaferLori BurrC.D. PeeblesBarbara Jeppe Brenda FloresKim RobertsJune Koelker Southlake Public Library - Board Report - 8/08/2008 - Page 1 of 1