Library Committee Report 6-8-2006

Library Committee report to the City Council June 8, 2006

The Library Board had several regular and special meetings this spring to discuss the FY07 budget and annual work plan.  This was a new and challenging process for us, but we got through it with a lot of help (especially from Lexa).  Next year should be easier!  We are now concentrating on end-of-year spending to fulfill the requirements of our Public Library Assistance Grant. 

The expanded library hours are being continued through the summer, thanks to a number of new volunteers.  The afternoon hours have been very popular.  Our statistics show that our patronage has increased every month this spring.  February we had 361 patrons, March 458, April 487 and May 574.  We have signed up 15 new seasonal patrons this spring.

The summer reading program is off to a very successful start.   Eighteen children have signed up and as many as 27 attend our weekly programs. Readers are following clues which lead them to local businesses for a reward as they complete a certain number of hours of reading.  A famous story-teller, Joy Steiner, will visit Gustavus July 6-9 to give performances and workshops.  Billi Taylor has been hired as our reading coordinator.  We are very fortunate to have Billi, a reading specialist, running our program this year

The eighth annual Ladies’ Golf Tournament is coming up Saturday June 17^th.  This event is one of our main fundraisers of the year--last year it brought in about $1800 so we are hoping for another successful event this year.  Many thanks to Mary Hervin for her willingness to organize this once again, and to our many donors who help make the event a great community tradition.

Our annual 4^th of July halibut dinner, another important fundraiser, is being planned, thanks once again to Lynne Morrow.

Books acquired through the McNaughton Book Lease program are on the shelves and being checked out; our patrons are excited about the new titles.  New books will be selected every month, mostly by patron request.

We are working toward the goal of being more responsive to our patrons’ needs and interests.  We have been actively soliciting requests for new books and other materials from our patrons, and in the past few months almost all the new books we have ordered have been by specific patron request.  We have also been working toward offering more public programs.

Board members George Jensen and Chris Spute met recently with Carolyn and Sylvia to review their job descriptions and coordinate them with the annual work plan and goals.

Board meetings for the rest of the summer will be held the first Friday of each month at 8:00 am.

Congratulations to Sylvia Martinez who has been accepted into the University of Washington’s School of Library Science. She will begin her on-line correspondence classes in the Fall of this year, working towards a Masters Degree in Library Science.