Library Tri-annual Report July - October 2009

LIBRARY PROGRAMS:
• Banjo Sessions and Piano Lessons have been held at the library with instruction from Kate, Rita and Ellie.  A piano is now housed in the meeting room of the library for lessons and practice. 
• Book Group meets every other Saturday.  Books are provided by the Alaska State Library Inter-library loan program.
• Quilt of the month display by various quilters in the community.
• Mom’s and Kids weekly reading program. 
• Weekly school library classes from grades K-5th.
• Halloween storyhour was held on Oct. 31st. 
• Special Programs occurred throughout the Summer and Fall.  These included:
  Music “jams” and a dance class;  Showing of the Ken Burns preview film of the National Parks PBS Series;  Dena Matkins Whale program; Jim Mackovjak’s Tongass Forest history; Judy Brakel’s gardening workshop;; Katie Unertl’s Fairweather Climbing slide show; Extension Service Program, Fish and Game moose video and the Glacier Bay End of Year slide show.
 
Summer Reading and Reading Buddy program ran from June – August under the excellent coordination of Eileen Clark and Heather Sellards.  Story hours were held every week.  Thanks to the NPS naturalists who provided many of those programs.  43 kids signed up and 36 kids completed the summer reading program with 33 adults and teens volunteering.  The Reading Buddy program served 33 kids, with 30 adults and teens volunteering to read with a buddy at least 1 hour a week throughout the summer.  Everyone celebrated a summer of reading with a pizza party in August and a Labor Day presentation of Grand Prize books and root beer floats by Mary Hervin.

FUNDRAISING:
The quilt raffle netted approx. $4600.00 from ticket sales. 
Cookbook Sales netted $397.00. 
More fundraisers are being planned for the future.

GRANTS:
Sylvia has received a $1500.00 grant from the Alaska State Library to attend the Public Library
Association conference in Portland, OR in March, 2010. 

STATISTICS:
There were a total of 3,237 visits to the library between July 1 and October 31st.  That includes regular library hours, programs, summer reading and the election. 
Items checked out from the library during this reporting period were:  1017 books and 870 media items (DVD’s, Videos, CD’s and cassettes).    

VOLUNTEERS:
THANKS to all the community folks who have volunteered to sit the desk, catalog the books, clean the library and provide routine maintenance.  21 adults and teens have stepped forward during this reporting period.  (Adrianna Cahill, Eileen Clark, Adrienne Bosworth, John Hawley, Bobbie Loomis, Charlene Morda, Sol Martinez, Meadow Brook, Ceclia Fortino, Heather Sellards, Rita Wilson, Allison Banks, Lori Trummer, Carolyn Elder, Carole Baker, Lynne Jensen, George Jensen, Rusty Yerxa, Penny Woodall, Betty McCormick, Emma Johnson, and Gus Martinez). 

LIBRARY MAINTENANCE:
• A new server is being installed and we are waiting for the installation of 2 new computers, one of which has been donated by Bill Eichenlaub.  There will then be 1 computer in excess, too old to sale.
• Mark Berry and Larry Platt have completed the Fall Maintenance check and winterization for the library building.
• Snow Shed Roofing Project: The City of Gustavus is following through with engineer reports and plans and will keep us posted on progress.  This project will not be completed for this winter, so the library will need to plan for timely snow removal.

LIBRARY EMPLOYEES:
Kate has taken a job in Juneau for the winter.  She will continue to work for the library
every first and third Saturday, as well as write up reports and grants.  Sylvia has taken on more hours and responsibility for community programming at the library. During the summer months Kate will take on more hours and responsibility for library management and summer reading.  Sylvia will continue tracking the budget, working 1 day a week.

LIBRARY BOARD:
Thank you to Eileen Clark and Artemis BonaDea, who have submitted their applications to fill the two vacancies on the library board. 

  Upcoming Activities & Projects
• Sign Language Class taught by volunteer
• Piano, banjo and reading group continued
• PBS National Park Programs DVDs  (6 Wednesdays) hosted by NPS
• Craft Night Social on Sunday afternoons
• Tai Chi beginners class taught by volunteer
• The Library’s Technology Plan is due for renewal in 2010.