Sausalito Public Library Quarterly Update to City Council Q1 FY 2018-19 (July to September 2018) Previous update to Council: Q4 2017-18, received and filed July 17, 2018 I. Quarterly Accomplishments Summer Reading Program for Children The Sausalito Library held another very successful Summer Reading Program for children in 2018. This year, the Summer Reading Program featured 34 programs in 8 weeks, not including our ongoing story times on Mondays and Wednesdays. Approximately 620 kids and 440 adults attended summer reading events. As in previous years, we had performances that included acrobats, bubbles, and magicians. We also held craft and film programs for all ages on Wednesday afternoons. This year, Children s Librarian Erin Wilson introduced special programs and a reading challenge for middle schoolers to attract an age group that sometimes drifts away from the library. As always, a big thanks goes out to the Friends of the Library, who fund all of the programs and events for summer reading. A performance by Circus of Smiles during the 2018 Summer Reading Program Service Desk Reconfigured To improve the ergonomics of the Library s service desk and credenza, we made a number of modifications to the built-in cabinets and shelves in July 2018. A new shelf/cabinet unit has replaced the former book return slot and bin. The drawers and cabinet in the credenza behind the service desk were removed to become an expanded shelf unit for MARINet delivery bins.
Reading Challenge for Adults In addition to our annual Summer Reading Program for kids, this year Library Assistant Tula Biederman created a new program for adults, the Adult Summer Reading Challenge. From June through August, adults were invited to get a reading challenge bingo card at the library or by downloading it from our website. In addition to bingo squares related to reading, the card featured community-oriented activities like "Chat with two people about favorite books" and "Visit the Sausalito Historical Society." Each time a participant completed five consecutive squares in any direction on their bingo card, they could come to the library for a raffle ticket. Raffle prizes included gift cards from local businesses like Joinery, Sea Trek, and Driver's Market. Although only 15 adults participated in the 2018 challenge, we are optimistic that more will participate next year. The bingo card for the Adult Summer Reading Challenge Coloring and Doodling Art Exhibit In July and August, the Sausalito Library hosted its first-ever exhibit by our Coloring and Doodling Party for Adults. The exhibit featured works by fifteen artists, some of whom have participated in the group since its launch in March 2016. Pieces on display included colored pages, bookmarks, buttons, original doodles, and collages. The Coloring and Doodling Party is a free monthly program held in the Edgewater Room of City Hall and overseen by Senior Library Assistant Rebecca Burgan. For two hours, participants can express their creativity in a relaxing environment. Some enjoy working quietly at their own table, while others join in a lively conversation. Either way, attendees can take a break from their busy lives to slow down and focus on color. Mood music and light refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library help turn the coloring experience into a party.
Some of the works from the Coloring and Doodling art exhibit New Chair for Catalog Station Thanks to a grant from the Sausalito Library Foundation, the Library was able to purchase a beautiful hardwood chair to replace the rickety drafting chair we d been using at the catalog station near the Reference Desk. The chair is from the Community line of products from the Jasper Group. The new chair at the catalog station next to the Reference Desk
9/1/2011 1/1/2012 5/1/2012 9/1/2012 1/1/2013 5/1/2013 9/1/2013 1/1/2014 5/1/2014 9/1/2014 1/1/2015 5/1/2015 9/1/2015 1/1/2016 5/1/2016 9/1/2016 1/1/2017 5/1/2017 9/1/2017 1/1/2018 5/1/2018 9/1/2018 New Book Club Happy Hour In September, the library held the first gathering of a new book group, our first to meet outside of City Hall. Created by Rebecca Burgan and Erin Wilson, the Book Club Happy Hour meets once a month at a local restaurant or bar to discuss a book of the group s choosing. For September s gathering, the group met at the Spinnaker Restaurant. Light snacks were provided by the Friends of the Library, but attendees had to buy their own drinks! The event is already so popular that Erin and Rebecca are considering splitting into two discussion groups. II. Q1 Metrics For Q1 2018, we ll look at trends in the circulation of the library s digital collections. The library has three digital collections that we provide as an alternative to our physical collections of books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs. With each collection, library card holders can access shared resources via an app or dedicated website without ever having to visit the library. The three collections are: OverDrive: A collection of almost 30,000 e-book and e-audiobook titles shared across Marin libraries. The collection is a mix of popular, genre, and classic works. This collection launched in September 2011. Hoopla Digital: A huge online library of over 300,000 music albums, 20,000 TV titles, 14,500 movies, 50,000 audiobooks, and 235,000 e-books. Taken as a whole, the quality of Hoopla titles isn t as high as OverDrive or Kanopy. This collection launched in August 2014. Kanopy: A collection of over 30,000 independent, classic, and foreign films. We think of it as a library version of Netflix. This collection launched in August 2017. Below are circulation charts for the three services. For each, the numbers only reflect usage by Sausalito residents. 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 OverDrive Circulation by month on OverDrive since September 2011
2014-Sep 2014-Nov 2015-Jan 2015-Mar 2015-May 2015-Jul 2015-Sep 2015-Nov 2016-Jan 2016-Mar 2016-May 2016-Jul 2016-Sep 2016-Nov 2017-Jan 2017-Mar 2017-May 2017-Jul 2017-Sep 2017-Nov 2018-Jan 2018-Mar 2018-May 2018-Jul 2018-Sep 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Hoopla Digital Circulation by month on Hoopla Digital since September 2014 Minutes viewed by day on Kanopy since August 2017 Although the Sausalito Library has offered each collection for differing amounts of time, the trend that we ve seen with all of them is gradual growth followed by a recent spike in activity. In recent years, the circulation of our physical items has been either relatively flat (books) or in steady decline (CDs and DVDs). With continued publicity about these digital collections, we are optimistic that we will continue to see impressive growth. Overall, our digital collections currently account for approximately 11% of the Sausalito Library s total circulation, up from 6% two years ago in Q1 2017.
III. Goals for Q2 2019 and Beyond In this section, we will look at current and future initiatives underway to improve and expand our services in the community. Fall Adult Programs The Sausalito Library will offer 37 adult programs during Q2 2018, which runs through December 31, 2018. We have never offered so many adult programs in a single quarter. The total includes programs from the following recurring program series : Thursday evening speaker series, Friday evening special programs, Coloring and Doodling Club for Adults, Marin Master Gardener series, Book Club Happy Hour, First Monday Book Group, Sausalito Writers Circle, Docent Talks, and Mobile Device Classes. Computer Training for Staff Assistant City Librarian Augie Webb and Senior Library Assistant Rebecca Burgan are in the process of organizing a series of computer and technology training workshops for our hourly library assistants. Each workshop will be dedicated to improving the skills of staff members so that they can be more effective in helping the public. Digital Collection of Local Newspapers We are finally getting close to completing the project to make issues of the Sausalito Marin Scope from 1971 to 2010 available on the open internet via the California Digital Newspaper Collection. We expect to begin quality testing in November 2018, with launch soon after. Once the project is complete, it will be possible for users at home to search by keyword across all weekly Sausalito newspapers from 1885 to 2010. The project was made possible by funding from the Sausalito Library Foundation. Young Adult Collection A new shelving unit is expected to arrive in late October for installation on the main floor. Once the unit is installed, we ll be moving the Young Adult collection from the mezzanine to the main floor to make it more accessible. When the new shelf unit is in place, it will be finished with wood paneling from Creative Wood in Oakland. Audiobooks and music CDs will move to the mezzanine. Funding for the project comes from the Sausalito Library Foundation. Little Free Library Together with the Friends of the Library, the Sausalito Library helps to oversee a Little Free Library on Galilee Harbor property adjacent to Dunphy Park. The Little Free Library looks like dock pilings with built-in, glass-encased shelves for books. When Dunphy Park closes for a long-awaited improvement project, the Little Free Library will be disassembled and placed in storage at the City s Corporation Yard. It will return to Dunphy Park in a new location sometime after the improvement project is completed. Respectfully submitted, Abbot Chambers, City Librarian
APPENDIX: Q1 2019 Statistical Dashboard October 23, 2018