Administrative Reports for the Month of September (October 20, 2016 Board Meeting)

Administrative Reports for the month of September (October 20, 2016 Board Meeting)

Adult Services In September we welcomed Kim Wiggins as the latest addition to our Adult Services Librarian staff. Kim has filled the part time position left vacant when Colleen Marquis moved on. Adult Services staff knows Kim well because she has served our department as a valuable page for quite some time. Kim is nearly finished with her Master’s degree in Information and Library Science at Wayne State University, and we are happy to have her on board!!!

September was busy with program planning for Fall and Winter 2017, genealogy inquiries, lots of activity related to the Local History Collection, and plenty of patron questions and requests. Books & Brewskis met to talk about the Dave Eggers’ title Your Fathers Where are They? And the Prophets, do They Live Forever - 6 people attended.

Brice Bush - Adult Services Coordinator

Youth Services

The Youth Services Department has been working hard to organize and fill folios for our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. This year-round, self-paced program focuses on making reading a daily habit for families with young children. The goal is simple as the title suggests, but for every 100 books that are read to a child, they will receive a sticker and a chance to write their name on our 1000 Books wall (near the Story Room). Our official kick-off date was October 3rd (we had several families come in to sign up even though we had no programming that day). Each of our member and service libraries are participating in promoting the program and getting families involved. Thank you to Matt Wiliford, our Marketing Manager, for his suggestions and social media skills in promoting this program. We hope to grow the program through relationships with local organizations like Born to Read and PoWeR Book Bags and our local preschools and daycare centers.

Youth Services programming started its fall schedule on September 13th. Our families have been clamoring for our storytimes to begin and showed up in great numbers to support them, like Baby Time, Hear and Say, Wigglers, Mother Goose on the Loose, Story Bag Stories, and Listen, Make and Take. In addition, our regular Lego, Tween, Bingo, and MakerSpace programs also started to see good numbers. Our 30 programs for the month engaged 864 patrons.

Our major program for the month was Batman Day, during which we celebrated the world’s most famous superhero with a superhero-themed storytime, a superhero cityscape to take pictures in front of, mask-making, and a special appearance by the Dark Knight himself. Aaron Olson from Sight & Sound also arranged a family viewing of the movie, “Bat Kid” which attracted over 20 attendees on one of our last gorgeous days of September. Thank you to our friends at Top Comics for help in promoting this program.

Youth Assistants Matt Archibald and Christopher Spear attended the Library of Michigan Workshop in Houghton Lake on September 15th. The focus of the workshop was twofold: adaptive storytimes and MakerSpace-oriented ideas. They each brought back lots of good ideas as well as a Little Bits kit which we will look to add to our current collection of Little Bits in the department. Christopher runs our MakerSpace program and was inspired to create new program content based on the workshop. Matt will begin a Motion Commotion storytime in November and found a number of great ideas to get himself started.

We also added a new collection to the department floor: Juvenile Parent Teacher. This collection will give parents and teachers of young children the ability to pick sensible resources for directing their children’s and students’ educational and developmental experience, without having to leave the Youth Department to do so. The collection is small at this point but we are working with our local homeschool group to make the collection one that will be beneficial to all of our patrons. In the new year, we hope to add math manipulatives, picture book kits, and middle grade fiction kits for families to check out.

Our department remains busy, especially with the advent of fall programming. While Walk-In Reference Questions dropped off from August to 962 (a 20% drop), both our phone (121, up 5%) and Digital (16, up 7%) Reference Questions increased slightly.

Teen Services In September Teen Services slowed down on programming while the teens got back into the school routine. We had 12 programs with 80 attendees. I was able to, along with two other staff, attend a seminar on STEM programing in the library. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. We learned about unscripted experimentation and the power of failure. We each left the seminar with a programming kit including electrical circuits and project ideas to use at TADL.

Linda Smith Teen Services Coordinator

Sight & Sound We had a great month in September. The weather was wonderful, the department is full of New & HOT music and movies. This makes our patrons happy. We get feedback every day in the form of positive comments on our collections and displays. It’s fun to share with such a responsive community.

Our staff has been busy with patron assistance, collection development and maintenance. Donations have been picking up speed. We packed up specific collection items for each of the five members and branches and sent those out in September. We will be sending out fresh copies of the 2016 TCFF collection and an update on our Foreign film list.

On September 17th we participated in a Youth Services organized “Batman Day” by screening the movie BATKID BEGINS: The wish heard around the world. A documentary film is about a 5 year old cancer patient's make-a-wish day in San Francisco when thousands of people turn out to help him realize the dream of being Batkid for a day. It’s a deeply heartwarming film with a message of hope and human kindness. The turnout was surprisingly strong with 34 people in attendance on a perfect late summer day.

The McGuire Room audio visual upgrades were underway in the second half of September. Lots of progress was made right up to the last days of the month. The vendor was prompt and responsive to our presentation schedule. The job is nearly complete, and we are now wrapping up the ADA Compliance Assistive Hearing portion of the job. I will give a full report on this in a month after we have time to work with all the new systems and features.

I’m working on the 2017 Sight & Sound budget suggestions. Collection development is a focus, both the digital and the physical collections. We are implementing a new optical disc repair unit that can fix scratched CDs and DVDs in October. The ELM-USA service works by charging for each disc repair and is free from service, rental and supply costs. I will offer a full report on this next month.

The former preview area is progressing nicely. We had assistance from Gail who picked out a new color called scandinavian sky and Bruce who got us the paint. Keith did the cutting in, I got to roll it on and now we have a fresh space with a light and bright feel. Expect more updates on this as October brings exciting new developments.

Our Page staff has a new employee Richard Siladke who started in late September and is doing a fine job.

TADL Meeting Room use September 2016 Total Room use: 158 TADL meetings: 55 Personal/Outside Group Meetings: 103 Paid Meetings: 5 Unpaid Meetings: 153

Number of Meetings by Rm August 2016 McGuire Room:21 Thirlby Room: 66 Study Room D: 71

On Aaron’s Desk: McGuire Room AV equipment upgrades, Programming, Staff training, scheduling.

Thanks for reading, Aaron

Circulation September started out quiet because of school starting back up.

I attended the NOCL meeting to discuss our new service area. I shared a map and a list of the counties in the new area.

We are down a page and held page interviews in September.

We sent 1122 items in MelCat and received 1195.

Anita Chouinard Circulation Coordinator

Public Service My month was focused on resolving issues related to our moving back to a centralized ordering system for materials. Several years ago, the decision was made to decentralize ordering and have each branch or department responsible for their own. By doing so, staff developed a greater sense of budgeting and collection development. This has certainly been a useful experiment, however the amount of (redundant) staff time it takes to handle ordering this way makes this practice unfeasible moving forward. As an alternative, our subscription to Collection HQ’s ESP allows me to quickly create pre-curated carts for our new collection development team to choose from. These carts, which feature titles ESP indicates should be of the highest interest based on past circulation at TADL, will greatly reduce the amount of staff time involved in collection decisions and increase the likelihood of selecting only items that have the widest appeal.

Jill Porter Asst. Director for Public Service

Marketing and Communications In anticipation of planning for FY 2017 budget, I have already begun meeting with various media (radio/TV) and print publication representatives to explore the reach and costs of new and existing opportunities to further promote TADL resources, programs and services to area residents and guests.

In addition, Andy Schuck and I collaborated on the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten materials. This included designing and ordering magnets and folios for the reading kits. We also sent out some promotion of our Batman Day celebration at the Main Library, on September 17.

Scott Morey, Bill Rockwood, Jill Porter and I are working on implementing a new solution for multiple TADL locations and member libraries to access graphic design for creation of flyers, posters, and even newsletters using a web-based application instead of desktop software. This will allow for me to create document templates and upload logo files that may be used throughout the TADL network while still presenting a high quality and consistent brand image.

September Media Activity Highlights

● August/September Families First Monthly article: Use Your Library for Homework and You’ll Find So Much More ● September 1, 9&10 News: 'Born to Read' Teaching Northern Michigan Parents to Read to Kids ● Our regular bi-weekly Hot Reads segment on WTCM FM Morning Show featured the following TADL staff, as we continue to educate the residents about the services, programs and materials available to them through TADL. ○ September 1, 2016: Brice Bush - Winter's Bloom by John Wemlinger (local author who will be at Woodmere on Thursday, October 13 as part of our Indie Author week) ○ September 15, 2016: Andy Schuck - Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko ○ September 29, 2016: Mary Orth - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Talking Book Library Services/World Sight Day

Matt Wiliford Marketing & Communications Manager

HR & Finance September was a busy month for HR. We interviewed several candidates for Page positions, and ended up hiring two, one for Sight and Sound and one for Circulation. Adult Services is still in need of a Page, now that we have had one promoted to a Librarian 1. We are continuing to get a steady stream of applications in.

Our insurance rates have changed, due to us being classified as a “small group” in terms of insurance, and our Dental and Vision rates have changed slightly. The announcement for open enrollment and the new rates is now up on the staff portal. Open enrollment will be going on for the entire month of October. In addition, flu shots are now available to everyone at zero cost at Munson Occupational Health for the month of October.

Hannah Davis, Business Manager

Facilities September was a time to get ready for fall. I changed the bag filters in both air handlers. I trimmed the trees around the north end of the parking lot as they were hanging over the cars. I also cut down the dying oak tree by the north entrance. I had to have a lift truck come to replace three of the parking lot lights that were burned out, and I have scheduled some cracks to be filled and some lines repainted before winter.

We have seen an increase in people using the TART Trail and parking in our lot. This means fewer spots for our patrons, so I am having “Library Visitor Parking” signs made. We have never had an adequate number of spaces and I am hoping this will help alleviate the problem.

I finished the drywall repair in the repurposed Sight & Sound listening area and Aaron and Keith are planning to paint it. When that is done I will install shelving I saved from the History Center collection remodel.

Finally, I talked to the finance committee about having the roof evaluated. I will also talk to them next month about refurbishing the large chiller. It has reached the age and hours of use that it is time to replace some key components. This building is at a point where I believe it is cheaper to be proactive on repairs and replacement rather than of waiting for things to break.

Bruce Bennett Facilities Manager

Processing I met with Jill, Brice and Betsy to talk about a new ordering process through Baker and Taylor. There are still some bumps that need to be smoothed out before we can start using it but hopefully the end result will be worth it.

Our devoted volunteer, Mike McGuire will be out for at least 6 weeks. Bruce and the friends have picked up the slack for me in the donations department so there isn’t a backlog with Mike being gone.

Kelly Maxwell Processing Team Leader

TADL Talking Book Library My Outreaches took me to the Lions Club monthly meeting, where we were signing up for our year in advance commitments. I invited all to attend our World Sight Day (WSD) on October 12. I had the opportunity to speak in an informal setting about the Talking Book Program to a few women from the American Legion Auxiliary. They were appreciative of all the program offers, especially for service persons who may have disabilities following deployment. The VIP (Visually Impaired Persons) met at La Senorita for dinner and a monthly meeting. I shared with them the enthusiasm I felt for the upcoming WSD event, letting them know that they would be part of the agenda. Amy Barritt from Adult Ref and I spoke to a group of seniors at Samaritas, formerly Hope Village. Amy highlighted amusing historical tales of Traverse City, and I presented our Talking Book Program. The audience was appreciative of our presentations through their questions and comments. Finally towards the end of the month, I spoke of the Talking Book Program, our Book Club and the upcoming WSD, with an emphasis on the “VIP Rowers” on Jack O’Malley’s morning show. Matt Wiliford also added news of TADL on the program.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Orth/Reader Advisor

TBL Technology Report Highlighting this month’s TBL technology report is the ongoing success creating an environment that supports our patrons’ knowledge concerning device differences and what works best for their individualized application. Whether it is an iPhone 6 or the decision to purchase an iPad as our latest patron decided after borrowing one of the TBL iPads, this continued program has become one of the most valued by many of our patrons.

The upcoming MLA (Michigan Library Association) 2016 conference will highlight Brian Charlson, director of technology at the Carroll Center for the Blind. Last year TADL presented how to assist the largest growing demographic, Baby Boomers, concerning how libraries understand their needs and the interests they have. In a continued purpose, MLA embracing that many patrons develop vision impairments will highlight how libraries are a crucial link in learning what is available for them. Very exciting!

th The NLS (National Library Service) end of year is September 30 ; statistics have been gathered to fulfill our annual report. Looking forward to our World Sight Day Brown Bag Luncheon presentation, October 12, where our patrons will share this years developing opportunities.

Mary Moran

East Bay Branch Library Circulation for September was a total of 3561 items to patrons.

Programming in September included all of our monthly groups: Coloring Club, Poetry Discussion Group, Knitting Club and Miniatures Club. Adult Craft Series featured Hydrangea Wreath Making, our most popular craft offering in the fall. Monthly Book Club featured The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty.

For the youngsters, Drop-In Craft in September featured Leaf Man creations and Wigglers included special guest storyteller, Matt Archibald from Woodmere Branch. Lego Play Date was also offered in September.

Grand Traverse Industries dropped by in September on Thursdays for stories with Miss Rosie.

The Miniatures group created a special display for us at East Bay Branch for the fall. Check out the picture.

Kingsley Branch Library Circulation provided 4,971 items to our patrons!

Library card sign-up month prompted a reach out to Kingsley Elementary classrooms to visit the library. Classrooms are signing up to visit in October.

The “Guessing How Many and Win!” going back to school game was a big hit with prize winners in all age groups! Adults had 42 entries with 5 winners, youth had 36 entries with 5 winners, and children had 49 entries with 4 winners. Totals were 127 entries with 14 winners!

Thank you, Kingsley Friends of the Library for hosting the TADL Board Meeting! Thank you, TADL Board for bringing your meeting out to the service area in southern Grand Traverse County! We really enjoy this annual visit!!

Kingsley Branch Library also hosted the Network of Community Libraries meeting in September. This is a great opportunity for the libraries to share ideas, be informed, and do some district program planning. A very valuable sharing of information resource, and one of my personal favorite meetings.

Wigglers Storytime resumed with great attendance. Two programs provided 85 patrons with songs, dance, stories, color fun with the parachute, and alphabet recognition activities. Ms. Beth, or “Mr. Beff” as fondly said by one of the little Wigglers, is becoming our Wigglers program rock star!

Simply Delicious with Chef Tom presented “Tom’s Mom’s Meatloaf” and “Hasselback Potatoes,” oh my goodness, both were delicious!

Chef Tom also served the KBL staff a delicious luncheon! Everything was tasty, what a treat, thank you, Chef Tom!!

Senior Book Club met to discuss “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. This book made for some fun, lively, confessions of how tidy we are or are not!

Banned Book Week was celebrated by a display of some great banned books and how proud we are to celebrate our freedom to read! Thanks to Bonnie White and Karen Pack for making amazing displays and decor for our lovely library!

Respectfully submitted, Mary Fraquelli, Branch Manager