Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen
LOCAL NEWS
Reminder: eBook Demos Next Week
Learn how to download KCLS eBooks to your eReader or computer during our Digital Downloads demonstrations. Drop in to look at popular eReaders, OverDrive and Adobe Digital Editions software and ask questions.
Here is the schedule for the eBook demonstrations at the Des Moines, Kent, and Woodmont Libraries:
Tuesday, May 3, 3-5pm Kent Library
Wednesday, May 4, 1-5pm Woodmont Library
Thursday, May 5, 1-5pm Des Moines Library
Do It Yourself – Learn how at the Library
Homemade Beer: the Basics of Homebrewing
Sunday, May 8, 2:00pm, Des Moines Library
Have you ever thought about brewing your own beer? This introduction to the world of homebrewing covers the basics of beermaking using malt extract. Topics include: ingredients, equipment needed and the steps in the beermaking process. The instructor for this class is an expert homebrewer and is certified by the Beer Judge Certification Program as a qualified Beer Judge.
Backyard Poultrykeeping
Thursday, May 26, 7:00pm, Woodmont Library
For people who are weighing the idea of keeping poultry in the backyard, this free presentation will give a general overview of some things to consider. Paul Farley, who teaches a more in-depth series on the topic for Seattle Tilth, provides a quick snapshot of backyard poultrykeeping to help people decide whether they might want to keep chickens.
For a complete list of library programs in May, please click on the links below. I am also sending the program documents as attachments, if the links do not work for you.
Library2Go Expands to include Community Sites
Library2Go service began in August 2010 with visits to several family daycares in the Kent-Des Moines area. In 2011, we have expanded our service to include visits to several community sites. Our largest site is Appian Way, an apartment complex managed by Mercy Housing between Woodmont and Kent. At this site, the library staff works with an on-site program coordinator, and serves a large after-school population of elementary and middle school students, including many of Hispanic background. Other community sites are Walnut Park in Kent and Shoreham in Des Moines. We hope to add more community sites later this year.
Upcoming Meetings
Des Moines-Woodmont Library Advisory Board: Wednesday, May 11, 7pm at the Des Moines Library
Friends of the Des Moines Library: Wednesday, June 1, 7pm at the Des Moines Library
Friends of the Kent Library: Thursday, June 9, 12:30pm at the Kent Library. Special guest speaker: Sharol Louise, author of Rose Hill Manor, a Georgian romance set in the English countryside. Other books by Sharol in KCLS are Secret Sister and Secret Bride. You might want to read one before her presentation!
SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS FROM APRIL
The InfoToGo topic for May is Press Display, a database which offers full view newspapers from 50+ countries with 30+ languages represented. Newspapers include up to 2 months of back coverage. For more information on the current month’s InfoToGo card, click here.
OPERATIONS
A review of the plans for the Bellevue Library parking garage expansion has been pushed back a month by the City. KCLS had hoped to have the review completed by mid-April in order to bid the project in May. City staff is not able to make that timeline and will issue their review at the end of May. Assuming no appeals, the project will be pushed back to late summer, with excavation likely occurring during the rainy season in the fall.
More than 40 people attended a public meeting to review the initial design alternatives for the Federal Way 320th Library. The audience was generally supportive of the different plans. The next meeting will be scheduled in late summer or early fall after the architects have refined the designs in response to the issues and suggestions raised during the meeting.
Construction of the Kenmore Library is progressing nicely. The new Library will open in the summer. KCLS was pleased to receive a full-price offer to purchase the current library building and property. The sale is contingent on the new owners obtaining a conditional use permit.
Collections Management Services staff and KCLS Foundation Board members had an advance preview of Baker & Taylor’s new e-book program, Blio, which will launch in the fall. Baker & Taylor supplies much of KCLS’ print material and Blio will offer a software platform for delivery of electronic books. Blio allows patrons to easily download eBooks or eAudio materials to a wide variety of platforms.
The 11th annual Global Reading Challenge concluded with the “Grand Challenge” round held at the KCLS Service Center on March 25. The program continues to grow every year and this year 1,757 students from 52 schools in 11 school districts formed 251 teams, with each team member reading 10 books. Teams from the Lake Washington and Auburn School Districts participated in the Grand Challenge and the trophy went home with students from St. Thomas School in Medina. The KCLS Foundation secured a grant from the Stocker Foundation to provide a set of books to all of the 251 teams that participated in the program.
As noted in the Dashboard, KCLS visited 91 home daycare sites during the month of March. This is more than double the number of sites visited when KCLS first launched the Library2Go service. Visits to senior centers and community centers have also doubled in that time. Outreach staff has been meeting with community library staff to identify opportunities in all service areas.
Circulation was down by 5% for the month of March and, year-to-date, circulation is down 3% from last year. As mentioned last month, it is still believed that most of the decline is related to problems with the Self-Check Out equipment not properly recording checked out items. Fixes to the Self-Check Out audible alerts are programmed and being tested. Included
in this month’s report is a column that identifies the percentage of circulation for each branch that comes from books on hold. Most libraries are clustered near the 25% level. Renton Libraries continue to experience amazing growth, especially Renton Highlands which is up 303% over last year.
OTHER
Volunteer Coordinator Terry Claypool and her colleagues arranged for a series of three Volunteer Recognition events during National Volunteer Week and National Library Week. More than 50 community library volunteers were honored at the Bellevue Library and over 20 were honored at an event at the Federal Way Library. More than100 volunteers from around the System were recognized at an event at the KCLS Service Center for helping with Study Zone, NetMaster, Citizenship, Outreach and Talk Time programs. It was a great opportunity to thank folks for their efforts and in the process make them aware of the wide range of volunteer opportunities at KCLS.
KCLS just received word that two Future Services videos produced in 2010 were awarded a Gold Remi and Silver Remi at the Houston International WorldFest. WorldFest, which is the third largest and oldest independent film & video festival in the world, recognizes and honors outstanding creative excellence in film & video.
The KCLS Foundation in partnership with Puget Sound Energy is hosting another Community Leaders Breakfast on April 28. This year’s event will be held at the downtown Renton Library. Community and business leaders will hear about current developments at KCLS and have the opportunity to connect with KCLS Administrators and Foundation Board members.
It was announced at the Washington Library Association Convention in Yakima earlier this month that Jennifer Wiseman, Public Services Project Manager has been elected Vice President/President Elect of the Association. We look forward to a strong KCLS presence during her term in office. We look forward to a strong KCLS presence during her term in office.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Last month the City of Enumclaw decided to withdraw their request to place an annexation measure to KCLS on the April ballot. The City Council is still working through the issue and has involved their local Library Board to investigate all alternatives for supporting library services, which include increasing City taxes to support the Library as well as annexation to KCLS. The local Rotary Club has donated $6,000 this year, which will be their only source of funding for new materials.
The 2011 Legislative Session is not officially over until the budget is approved but there are no outstanding issues relating to libraries. The Washington Library Association has been well served over the last decade by Mike Wirt, Director of the Spokane County Library Association. Mike is retiring next year and will not be chairing the committee that oversees legislative issues, which reviews hundreds of bills each year to determine if they have any bearing on Washington’s libraries. Mike has provided great leadership and an uncanny attention to detail on behalf of the library community.
KCLS interviewed several architects for the Renton Library projects. The pool of applicants was outstanding and the winning firms will be announced once the Renton City Council has finalized its deliberations on the sites for the Libraries. The Renton Highlands Library is slated to be built on Renton Housing Authority (RHA) property on Highway 900. RHA is interested in having the Library be part of a mixed-use project that includes housing. The downtown Renton Library will likely be relocated near the downtown Transit Center and there has been some question about re-purposing the current site over the Cedar River. The Renton City Council will discuss these issues and also consider the authorization of bonds to fund these projects at their meetings in May. KCLS will attend a Council of the Whole
meeting on May 2 to provide KCLS’ perspective on the issues and review the past year of library service in Renton.
On April 15, the City of Bothell filed a “Notice of Intent to Annex” a 3,620 acre crescent to the west, north and east of the City. Most of this area falls within Snohomish County and has a population of over 20,000 people. The assessed value would contribute an additional $1.5 million in property tax revenue to KCLS. KCLS has discussed this issue in the past with Sno-Isle Libraries and it is assumed that many of the residents in that area already use KCLS, which may be contributing to the cross-use imbalance between KCLS and Sno-Isle. Once the Snohomish County boundary review is completed, the City of Bothell plans to place this issue on the November ballot. If approved by voters, it would go into effect in 2013.
Citing the poor economy and current budget problems, a Seattle City Council sub-committee recommended to the full Council that it defer a vote on the North Highline annexation issue and not place the measure on the November ballot. After reviewing the recommendation, the Council concurred, indicating that it would not be opposed to reconsidering the issue at a later date. The Council also indicated that it would not oppose any action by the City of Burien to pursue annexation. KCLS has not heard if the City of Burien intends to pursue this.
· 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!
The newly expanded Newport Way Library reopens on Saturday, April 30 with a celebration at 9:30am.
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Upcoming Dates
The next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on Thursday, May 12, 12 noon attheBurien Library.
The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, May 24, 4pm attheNorth Bend Library.
The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on Tuesday, May 24, 5pm attheNorth Bend Library.
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