April 2012

Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen

LOCAL NEWS

Des Moines Library News

Parkside Elementary in Des Moines was a finalist in the KCLS Global Reading Challenge last month.  Four teams from King County participated in the finals on March 23rd at the Service Center in Issaquah.  Parkside came in fourth place!  We congratulate them on their excellent showing.

Des Moines Library recently received a generous donation of children’s books in memory of baby Viviana Fratangelo.  Family and friends of Viviana gathered at the library on Saturday, March 17, to view the books which had recently arrived.

Kent Library News

Science Squad will be at the Kent Library on Saturday, April 7, at 12:30pm with a free program for children (target age is 8-12) and families.  This is a great opportunity to explore science and technology in a fun way.

SAT Preparation classes will be held at the Kent Library on five Saturdays, from April 21-May 19.  The classes are free, but registration is required, and students must commit to attending all five sessions.

Woodmont Library News


Woodmont Library is gardening this summer!  A small garden bed will be built on the north end of the library property this week.  Children of all ages and families are invited to help plant spring flowers and vegetables in the garden on Saturday, April 21.  There will be a gardening story time at 10:30am, followed by the planting at 11am.  More programs will be held throughout the summer.  This project is sponsored by the Friends of the Woodmont Library.


New at Des Moines, Kent and Woodmont:  Book a Librarian, 30-minute appointments to help you with your information needs.  Discover tools for job searching, do online research, download ebooks, use social media, and more.  Contact your local library to schedule an appointment.

Upcoming Meetings:

Friends of the Des Moines Library            Wednesday, April 11, 7pm
Friends of the Kent Library                     Thursday, April 12, 12noon
Friends of the Woodmont Library             Thursday, April 12, 6:30pm

For a complete list of library programs click on this link: http://www.kcls.org/programs/library_programs.cfm Or download the attachment with this newsletter.






The InfoToGo topic for April is the Spanish Web pages.

SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS

FROM THE MARCH DIRECTOR’S REPORT

OPERATIONS
KCLS has engaged Point B Consulting to improve workflow processes in the Selection & Order and Cataloging & Processing departments. Staff has already determined ways in which to substantially reduce the number of days between the point at which a materials request is received by KCLS and the time it takes for those items to reach a patron. They have also identified 53 different software improvements that could significantly improve the efficiency of the entire collection development process.

Circulation increased 7% for the month of February and 3% year-to-date compared to the prior year. Holds filled and placed increased 8% and eBook downloads continue to be robust, increasing 140% over the prior year despite the fact that several publishers are still not offering digital content to libraries.

The newly formed Social Media team has been selected and started work this month. They will present their strategies for increasing KCLS’ online presence at the March Board meeting.
Four teams of elementary school students will compete for first place in the 2012 Global Reading Challenge, which will be held at the Service Center on March 23. Finalists include students from Samantha Smith Elementary (Lake Washington School District), Lake View Elementary (Auburn School District), Grand Ridge Elementary (Issaquah School District) and Parkside Elementary (Highline School District.) Each year, schools bring parent and student supporters and, in some cases cheerleaders, as they face off against one another to test their knowledge of the books they have read.
The Community Center for Education Results (CCER) works with a coalition of school districts, city governments and public and private organizations to improve students’ success in schools across south King County. Having identified a loss of learning momentum in the summer as one of the key elements affecting student performance, CCER has asked KCLS to take the lead on developing a special program that is modeled after KCLS’ Summer Reading Program that can be delivered to community sites in low income areas. The concept is a perfect match for KCLS’ Library2Go outreach vehicles, which could visit these sites after they’ve made their runs to home daycares.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

KCLS learned at the end of the regular Legislative session that House Bill 2602, which died in committee, was included in the House’s final budget so the study of junior taxing districts will likely go forward this year. While it appears that other taxing districts are the primary focus of the bill, KCLS will have to wait until the study is concluded to learn to what extent public libraries will be affected.

It appears that the final State budget will include the sales tax incentive for cities considering annexation of unincorporated areas. The City of Burien is so confident that funding will be available that the City Council will be considering whether to put a measure on the ballot to annex the remaining unincorporated area of North Highline. KCLS will know whether annexation will be placed on the ballot in August or November when the Council considers the matter at their last meeting in March.

As reported last month, a citizen’s petition requesting that the decision to relocate the Renton Library be put to a vote failed to gather the required number of signatures. Petitioners were given ten more days to gather more signatures but those have yet to be verified by King County Elections. KCLS should know the status of the petition by next month’s Board meeting.

The City of Enumclaw’s intent to annex to KCLS is on the April 17 ballot. The City has clearly stated that Library operations will not be funded next year if the measure fails. If the Enumclaw Library closes, the current reciprocal borrowing agreement terminates, which means that City of Enumclaw residents will not be able to obtain a KCLS library card and residents who currently have a KCLS library card will no longer be able to use it. The same holds true for residents seeking library cards from the Pierce County Library System. In effect, citizens of Enumclaw will be voting on April 17 whether or not to have any library service at all.

KCLS recently learned that the City of Bothell plans to again pursue annexation of a portion of Snohomish County. If the measure passes, it could mean up to $1.5 million in additional revenue to KCLS starting in 2013.

The King County Council confirmed Robin McClelland’s appointment to the KCLS Board of Trustees. She will begin in her official capacity at the March meeting.

OTHER

KCLS had a significant presence at the 2012 Public Library Association Conference in Philadelphia. Staff presented a number of programs covering such topics as collection development, Take Time to READ and “Creating the Library of the Year.” The building design presentation by Dri Ralph and Miller-Hull Architects was so popular that it was taped for inclusion in a virtual conference. There was a good deal of discussion about eBook vendors that are reluctant to sell digital content to libraries. A group of public libraries is exploring the establishment of a research and advocacy group to confront the issue and KCLS has been asked to participate. The American Library Association and Urban Libraries Council are also engaged in similar efforts. Ultimately, it may require congressional involvement to ensure that the public have the same access to both print and digital content.

It was a year of firsts for the Literary Lions Gala held March 10: a new venue at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency, a record crowd of nearly 500 guests and significantly more donations than ever before. The event raised over $200,000, which will help fund literacy and lifelong learning programs.

Keynote speaker and bestselling author Lee Child was gracious and funny. He spoke highly of KCLS’ impact and congratulated KCLS and audience members for their passion and commitment to libraries, noting the “fantastic resource’” we have in our community. Earlier in the day, he toured the Sammamish Library and was complimentary of its design and collection. Staff showed him how the Automated Materials Handling system works, and on this very rainy day, he even ascended the ladder to check out the green roof.

Emcee Nancy Pearl introduced the event’s 30 popular Northwest authors and delighted the crowd with her remarks. KCLS Foundation President Kari Glover told of her personal experiences in the library as a young reader and talked about the library’s value in our community. Bill Ptacek delivered his annual State of the Library report to applause and cheers from the crowd.

Tickets sold out for the Author Salons. More than 160 avid readers will enjoy a rare opportunity to dine or attend events with 11 authors, including Sherman Alexie, Paul Gregutt, David Horsey, Art Thiel, Valerie Easton, Tom Douglas, Bob Dugoni, Garth Stein, JA Jance, Nancy Pearl and Greg Atkinson.

KCLS Foundation Executive Director Jeanne Thorsen, Keynote Speaker Lee Child, Emcee Nancy Pearl, KCLS Director Bill Ptacek and KCLS Foundation President Kari Glover

             
Lee Child signs his book “The Affair” for a guest.                                Guests sign up for Author Salons.
 
                      

Earlier in the day Lee Child toured the Sammamish Library                        Lee climbs the ladder to the
with KCLS Foundation Executive Director Jeanne Thorsen.                    Sammamish Library’s green roof.
      (Photo courtesy of The Sammamish Patch)

KCLS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS

View all at http://www.kcls.org/bond/or sign up here to receive automatic updates on the KCLS Capital Improvement Projects!


Upcoming Dates

There next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on Thursday, April 12, Noon at the Mercer Island Library.

The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, April 24, 4pm at the Maple Valley Library.

The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on Tuesday, April 24, 5pm at the Maple Valley Library.

March 2012

Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen

LOCAL NEWS

Librarians Out in the Community:

Children’s librarians Laurin Linscott and Deborah Sandler, with help from Kent page Suad Mohamed, hosted a table with information and handouts at the Showare Center in Kent on Saturday, March 3.  The event was Kids Fest:  “You are Remarkable” Children’s Celebration sponsored by Valley Medical Center and the University of Washington.  Laurin and Deborah estimate that they talked to 700 people that day about libraries and literacy!

Deborah also attended a Family Literacy Night at Valhalla Elementary School on March 8.

Des Moines children’s librarian Bekka Martin attended a Reading Night at Sunnycrest Elementary on March 8 also.

Volunteers Needed:

The Woodmont Library is currently in need of volunteers for the Study Zone program.  Study Zone is a free after-school program for students in grades K-12 to study, do homework, and get help with their questions from trained volunteers.

Kent Library is looking for a facilitator for the Talk Time program.  Talk Time is a free, informal English conversation session, held at Kent on Tuesdays from 5-6:30pm.

To find out how you can volunteer, go to the Volunteer page on the KCLS website:  http://www.kcls.org/volunteer/  

March Program Highlights:

Fiddle Tunes of the Civil War, Sunday, March 18, 2pm at the Des Moines Library

Imagine That!  Creative Reuse in the Yard & Garden, Saturday, March 24, 11am at the Kent Library, presented by Tom Watson, EcoConsumer columnist for the Seattle Times.

Pioneer Quilts & the Oregon Trail, Saturday, March 31, 2pm at the Kent Library.

For a complete list of March programs at your branch, click here:  http://www.kcls.org/programs/library_programs.cfm   
or open the attachments to this newsletter.

Meetings:

The Des Moines-Woodmont Library Advisory Board met on Thursday, March 8, at the Woodmont Library.  The main activity for the meeting was a “Meet the Staff” activity; it was an opportunity for board members to attach names and faces and get to know the day-to-day operation and organization of the Woodmont branch.  At their next meeting, on May 3, they will meet the staff of the Des Moines branch.

Friends of the Library will meet in April at their respective libraries:

Des Moines Friends:  Wednesday, April 8, 7pm
Kent Friends:           Thursday, April 9, 12 noon
Woodmont Friends:  Thursday, April 9, 6:30pm

The InfoToGo topic for March is the Universal Class database. With Universal Class, take free online continuing education course on topics ranging from serious to fun. More than 500 non-credit courses are offered!


SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS

FROM THE FEBRUARY DIRECTOR’S REPORT

OPERATIONS

In 2012, KCLS will direct more of its programming budget toward civic engagement and has been discussing ways to pilot civic engagement at the local level while considering how to move forward with civic engagement initiatives on a System-wide basis. Recently, the City of Kirkland purchased a portion of the BNSF railway corridor that runs through the City and now needs to determine how to use the space. The City has asked for assistance from the Kirkland Library to help raise community awareness of the issue, engage residents in the conversation and capture input for the City to consider in their decision-making. Library staff will lead the initiative, which will include introducing the subject at a kick-off event at the Kirkland Library, distributing information in strategic locations throughout the community, including PR stories in local newspapers and on local media and creating an online forum to capture information directly from target audiences. KCLS is exploring using a web application called DialogueApp that allows registered users to submit comments online, rate other people’s comments and capture statistics related to the topic. A System-wide civic engagement project will be unveiled later this year that will have a universal theme that is more appropriate for a broader audience.

In spite of inclement weather, the first program in a five-part series commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War drew 47 participants to the Mercer Island Library. The second program had a similar attendance and was videotaped for online access. The series is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association and will run through May. Each discussion was led by Dr. Lorraine McConaghy, Public Historian from the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). Despite the fact that the Civil War was fought in the East and occurred before Washington was ratified as a State, many important participants in the War had connections to our State.

Take Time to READ begins a second year when the three-month reading campaign launches in July. Book cover posters will grace 240 sites this year, twice as many as last year and Quick Reads Shelves will be installed in 29 locations, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is one of the busiest locations in the region and Take Time to READ will have prominent exposure, including outdoor media on the pedestrian skybridge and backlit display signs within Concourse B. Pagliacci Pizza has also agreed to sticker their pizza boxes across the region with Take Time to READ promotional materials. Other activities will be announced as plans take shape over the upcoming months.

Circulation for the month of January was down 1%. Even though KCLS experienced library service disruptions during several snow days, circulation was positively affected by eBook downloads, which increased 157% for the month compared to the prior year. On a single day, January 18, KCLS patrons downloaded 3,276 eBooks, more than half of which were downloaded to Kindles. Holds increased 4% in January, a further sign that patrons are getting more familiar with the KCLS catalog.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

A special meeting of the KCLS Board of Trustees on February 23 will allow the Board to decide whether to concur with a request by the City of Enumclaw to put annexation on the April ballot before the matter is considered by the King County Council at their February 27 meeting. The Board of Trustees must concur with the City of Enumclaw before annexation can be advanced. The City of Enumclaw is providing minimal funding for their library operations this year. The City initially proposed an agreement that included retaining ownership of the Library building if annexation is approved by the voters. KCLS suggested that it could provide better facilities maintenance if it owned the building while agreeing to relinquish the building to the City if, at any point, KCLS no longer provides library service to the City. The City agreed with the proposed changes to the agreement and the Council voted in favor of putting annexation on the ballot by a vote of 5-2.

KCLS met with members of the King County Council and the new Mayor of Burien, Brian Bennett, to discuss the North Highline library situation. KCLS staff had a follow up meeting with Mayor Bennett at the KCLS Service Center to review the North Highline Library Service Area Analysis and discuss other possible alternatives for library service in the area.  The City of Burien has indicated that they are proceeding with annexation of the North Highline unincorporated area and the vote could be as early as November 2012. However, the City’s plans may be put on hold if the sales tax incentive is not available. Concurrently, the “ad hoc library group” led by the Burien City Manager concluded their meetings at the end of January. The City Manager will make a recommendation to the City Council in the next few weeks. While the group concluded that KCLS should build a new White Center Library on or near the current site, it did not arrive at a solution to the boundary issue that has stopped KCLS from moving ahead. If for some reason annexation is not imminent, the City may want to reconvene another group to examine the issue. KCLS assured the Mayor and City Manager of its willingness to participate in such a meeting if it was to occur.

A petition signed by more than 6,800 residents was delivered to the City of Renton requesting that the City Council’s decision to relocate the downtown library be put to a vote. Signatures are being verified by the King County Elections office and if the petition has the requisite number of valid signatures, the City Council will have to determine whether to put the issue on the ballot. If the petition is not certified, backers will have more time to gather additional signatures. However, the matter could come before the City Council as early as mid-March. The City has already issued construction bonds, purchased property and signed an inter-local agreement allowing KCLS to begin design work. Potentially amending that agreement mid-stream, and KCLS’ response to that, would have to be taken into account during their deliberations. In the meantime, KCLS’ consultant team is scheduled to present initial design plans to the KCLS Board of Trustees at the February meeting.

House Bill 2602, which calls for a study of whether to consolidate junior taxing districts into larger units of government, has cleared the House and is now being reviewed by the Senate’s Local Government Committee. The House included $50,000 in the budget to fund the study and modified the timeline for completion by the end of this year.
The annual audit of the Sno-Isle Libraries is still not finished. The State Auditor has taken issue with specific expenditures of the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation and one audit draft called into question whether certain library programs, such as Game On for teens, is a valid purpose of the library. The library community may ultimately pursue the issues with the State Auditor and Attorney General once Sno-Isle’s audit is complete.

The King County Executive has appointed Robin McClelland to the KCLS Board of Trustees to replace Judge Richard Eadie, whose final term ended in December. Ms. McClelland is a certified urban planner and has several years of experience with city and regional planning efforts. She is a resident of the Shoreline area and has been a Study Zone volunteer at the Richmond Beach Library since 2009. Her appointment is effective upon confirmation by the King County Council.

OTHER

The Federal Way Library hosted a celebration on February 11 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Library’s official dedication date (the Library opened to the public in December 1991). In 1992, KCLS Board President Bill Gates and State Senator Pete von Reichbauer were distinguished guests and local news stations covered a demonstration by protesters who picketed the ceremony to object to the Library’s placement of Playboy magazine on library shelves. Twenty years later, Pete Von Reichbauer, now a King County Council member, presented the Federal Way Library Staff with a resolution from the Council thanking them for their support of a program for youth leaders to meet and talk about the growing problem of gang violence in the area. Bill Gates reiterated some of the speech that he gave at the original dedication ceremony. In 1992, his wife, Mary was on the Federal Way City Council and current Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest served on the Federal Way School Board.

The Bellevue Library was recognized for 35 years of membership in the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce at the group’s monthly luncheon in February.











The upcoming Literary Lions Gala “A Grand Affair” will feature best-selling author Lee Child, along with emcee Nancy Pearl and 30 talented Northwest authors. The event will be held at the Bellevue Hyatt, Saturday, March 10. The annual event is a real highlight for book lovers. New this year and available only at the Gala, tickets will be sold for ten Author Salon events, offering guests a rare opportunity to spend an evening with renowned authors. Imagine dinner with Sherman Alexie at The Ruins, a Mariners game with Art Thiel, a garden event with Valerie Easton, a wine tasting with Paul Gregutt or an evening with Tom Douglas.

Ticket prices are fixed and seating is limited at each event. More information about the Literary Lions Gala can be found at www.kclsfoundation.org/literarylions. Proceeds benefit literacy and lifelong learning programs sponsored by the KCLS Foundation.

KCLS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS

View all at http://www.kcls.org/bond/or sign up here to receive automatic updates on the KCLS Capital Improvement Projects!

Upcoming Dates

There will not be a Planning Committee Meeting in March.

The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, March 27, 4pm at the Sammamish Library.

The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on Tuesday, March 27, 4pm at the Sammamish Library.