Community Liaison Contact:
Carol Van Baalen
LOCAL NEWS
Summer
Reading Finale
“Dream
Big! READ,” the KCLS summer reading program for kids, comes to a close
at the end of August. Over 2200 children are registered for the program
at our
three local libraries. This month we are celebrating the finishers at
finale parties, with crafts, snacks, prizes, and fun:
Des Moines Library: Monday, August 13, 7:00pm
Woodmont Library: Tuesday, August 14, 7:00pm
Kent Library: Saturday, August 18, 1:30pm
For a complete list of August programs at your library, download the attachments with this newsletter, or click here
http://www.kcls.org/programs/
Garden
News & Views (Woodmont)
Harvest summer veggies (carrots, beans, and more!) and plant some for fall at the Garden Harvest on Tuesday, August 21, at 7pm.
In
the photo at left, the pink flowers are cosmos, and the burlap bags
contain potato plants. There are also pumpkins, carrots, beans, beets,
and
tomatoes in the 3x10 garden plot at the north end of the library
property.
Let’s Read!
The
Let’s Read campaign sponsored by the Community Center for Education
Results (CCER) mentioned below in this newsletter has actively involved
our library
staff this summer. Three school sites and four park sites have been
visited weekly by the children’s librarians from Des Moines, Kent and
Woodmont Libraries. They have shared stories, songs, activities, and
information about the summer reading program with
groups ranging from 5 to 70 at free lunch sites in our communities.
Upcoming
Meetings & Events:
Friends of the Des Moines Library
Wednesday, August 8, 7pm
Friends of the Woodmont Library
Thursday, August 9, 6:30pm
Friends of the Kent Library
Thursday, August 23, Noon
Des Moines Friends at the Farmers Market
Saturday, August 11, 10am-2pm
Des Moines Friends Annual Used Book Sale
Friday, September 14, 10am-5pm
Saturday, September 15, 10am-5pm
Kent Friends Annual Used Book Sale
Friday, September 21, 10am-5pm
Saturday, September 22,10am-5pm
Take
Time to Read Shelves at Sea-Tac share approximately 500 new items each
week thanks to donations from staff, library partners, and the
generosity of the KCLS Foundation. Valley View staff, with special
“Brand Ambassador” airport ID badges, restock shelves six days a week to
keep the collection fresh and appealing.
SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS
OPERATIONS
Over
the years, staff has observed that parents and children have had a
difficult time accessing materials in the children’s areas of the
library. KCLS responded by shelving books by category; for example,
picture books, easy readers, series books and easy non-fiction. Many of
these items are shelved spine out, which has the disadvantage of
obscuring cover artwork and segregating natural subject
groupings. KCLS has begun to explore alternative shelving concepts
by conducting focus groups of parents and caregivers in Kirkland,
Burien and Federal Way. Some interesting themes are starting to emerge
which could have implications for the way materials
are arranged in KCLS’ libraries and the kind of shelving used to
display and store materials.
Firm
opening dates have been set for two KCLS libraries. The grand
opening of the new Duvall Library is scheduled for Saturday, August 25
and the expanded and renovated Auburn Library will reopen on Saturday,
September 15. Both events are scheduled at 9:30am.
KCLS is hopeful that the Newcastle Library will open in October but it
is not possible to confirm an opening date until glass is installed on
the front of the building. The Federal Way 320th Library closed on
Saturday, July 21 and construction is anticipated
to take one year.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
The
Washington Library Association Legislative Committee is following
the work of a committee that was established at the end of the last
legislative session to study the efficiency and financing of local
taxing districts. While library taxing districts
do not appear to be a focus of the study, it is still possible that
public libraries, their governance and tax support could still come
under scrutiny. Representative Springer and Representative Ross Hunter,
House Budget Chair and sponsor of the study, represent
KCLS communities. Both are supporters of KCLS and KCLS will keep in
touch with them throughout the life of the committee. The Joint Select
Committee is scheduled to issue preliminary findings before the
Legislature reconvenes in January.
Earlier this month, the
Community Center for Educational Results (CCER) won an All
America Cities Award for its early literacy work in South King County
and the “Let’s Read!” campaign that focuses on raising third grade
reading scores.
Since KCLS is one of the most visible participants, the System was
prominently mentioned in the press release and news coverage. KCLS and
officials from three participating cities filmed Public Service
Announcements to promote “Let’s Read!” and KCLS librarians
have visited numerous summer lunch program sites to engage hundreds of
kids in summer reading activities.
OTHER
KCLS launched
Safe Place in all of its branch libraries on June 1.
Safe Place is a national organization operating in over 40 states
to help young people in crisis. On the first day of the program, a
young man came to a KCLS library after being kicked out of his house. He
had nowhere to go and reached out to library
staff. Counselors were able to find shelter for him that night and
later in the week were able to reconcile the youth with his family.
The
multi-year reading initiative has garnered national recognition for
KCLS, which received the Urban Library Council’s
Top Innovator 2012 Award and a John Cotton Dana Award from the American
Library Association. The John Cotton Dana Award came with a $10,000
prize.
KCLS
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS
Upcoming Dates
The next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on
Thursday, August 16, 12pm at the Mercer Island Library.
The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on
Tuesday, August 28, 5pm at the
Service Center.
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