Report of the Library Director for Aug 2014

Booksale Sept 27^th  – Progress on lights and Circ desk  – Back to school schedule.

Circulation

August circulation activity was 5,667, showing our typical end of summer dip and remaining about 9% lower than last year.  Circulation was 11.7% lower than last month, and 8.7% lower  than August of last year.

Laptops: 21.  Nooks: 3.  Games: 57.

Unique Patrons

As of Sept 4th, we had 2,543 items checked out to 604 unique patrons. 

Digital Content Use

BYKI: 5 users for 13  hours.  The most popular languages were French and Italian.

Overdrive: eBook circulation to Upton patrons: 261, eAudio circulations: 75.

Wowbrary:   We have 144 active subscribers to Wowbrary. (+3)

New Patron Registrations:  18 new patrons registered in August. 

New Items: We added 356 items to the collection in August.

Passport Applications  processed in August: 3.

 

Programs
Library book group:  5 people met on August 27^th.
Senior book group: 7 people met on August 12^th..

Thursday storytime 1 session, averaged 8 children.
TinyTots lapsit 3 sessions, averaged 4 children.

Library Table: 4 visits, averaged 8 patrons and 32 items.

ESL classes: 2 classes, averaged 3 students.

Summer Program Events

Movie Nights: Aug 5^th, 9 participants

Science Experiments: Aug 7^th, 25 participants

Live Clue Game: Aug 6^th, 12 participants

Stuffed Animal Sleepover: Aug 12^th, 32 participants

Guest Storytime w/ Jonathan Hall: Aug 13^th, 49 participants

Ice Cream / Summer Finale: Aug 14^th, 66 participants

Upcoming Events in September

Regular storytime schedule resumes.

Starting September 25^th, guest reader for Yoga storytimes on Thursdays.

Friends of the Library – Meeting 9:30 am on Thursday, Sept 18^th.

Library Booksale – Sat, September 27^th 9am-3pm

Plans for Next Month
1) Designer Selection for Consultant
2) Financial report for Certification

3) Circulation Desk installed?

Planning and Design Grant

Received 3 proposals for library building consultant in response to our RFQ.  At our September 8^th meeting we should appoint the designer selection committee (4 trustees + director) and set up a plan for grading and interviewing.

Several potential Feasibility committee members have confirmed that they want to participate, and I received one response to my call for interested residents.  We should appoint some or all of the Feasibility Committee members on Sept 8^th.

I will have a draft letter asking other town officials for input on library site options ready for discussion at the meeting.

Library Facility Improvements

New lighting over two shelving aisles is installed and working, I am very happy with the light quality.  The fixtures don’t match our existing ones, but the lights are brighter and fix the problems with those two areas.  Total bill for the light installation was $719.

New public chairs were delivered and look nice.  Not many comments from the public about them yet.

Bill Andrews has started work on the circulation desk, and continues to add refinements to the design.  We’ll now be getting shelves that slide out like kitchen cabinets instead of fixed shelving.  Staff and I are excited for the new desk.

Closet doors are a non-standard width, as I expected.  They are structurally sound, so I recommend repainting them instead of trying to fit replacements.

Storage Trailer

I would really like to find a way to keep our 20’ storage trailer for a longer period of time, it would be an easy solution to the problem of excess weight in the attic.

The purchase cost of the trailer would be $4,400, and our monthly rental is $80, so the purchase is approx. 4.5 years worth of renting.

The bigger problem is where to put it that will be least disruptive to the parking lot, snow plowing and other departments.  I have started talking to other departments and will continue in September to see if we can find a solution, or if I need to give up on the trailer idea.

Board of Health room

I’d like to consider two options for utilizing the space currently occupied by the Board of Health.

1)     Programs / Children’s storytime room

2)     Desktop computers / reading room

I also want to consider the pros and cons of putting a security camera in that room. 

Normally I am strongly in favor of privacy and lack of cameras in public places, but I am worried by the isolation of that room, and the fact that staff won’t be able to see or hear anything going on in that space.