KCLS Insights

Insights is an email newsletter designed to keep you informed with local and System wide news and information. I will be sending them to you once per month.

Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen

LOCAL NEWS

Program Highlights:

Special programs at Des Moines and Woodmont brought in hundreds of children and their parents in the month of May. Dana Banana presented a music performance, “I am Not SILLYE” at Des Moines for a crowd of 125 young children, pictured here. Not to be outdone, Woodmont had a audience of 90 for a music performance by Caspar Babypants on May 18.

This month, children’s librarians are bringing the library out to the schools by presenting assemblies in each elementary school about “Make a Splash—Read”, the KCLS Summer Reading Program which begins on June 14. Our Friends of the Library groups in each branch have funded performers who present these programs along with the children’s librarians: Deborah Sandler, Woodmont, has been accompanied by “Mad Science”; Barb Blue and Bekka Martin, Des Moines, have been accompanied by “Brothers with Different Mothers”; and Laurin Linscott and Len Litster, Kent, have been visiting their schools accompanied by magician Jeff Evans. In each school, the performers present a half-hour program of entertainment mixed with a “library” message, followed by details about the reading program presented by the children’s librarians. Many thanks to our Friends for making these assembly programs possible.

For a complete list of summer programs and other events at your library, please click on the following links: https://intranet.kcls.org/calendars/DESM-June10.pdf; https://intranet.kcls.org/calendars/KENT-June10.pdf; https://intranet.kcls.org/calendars/WDMT-June10.pdf

Friends News:

The Kent Friends elected a new president, Marvin Clark, and a new vice-president, Cheryl Lundgren, at their May meeting. We look forward to working with them. Special thanks to Roselyn Hooper, who retired from the presidency after many years of service.

Book Sale Dates: The Des Moines Friends set the dates of September 11 and 12 for their annual book sale. Kent Friends annual book sale is scheduled for September 17, 18, and 19. Save those dates for some great book bargains!

Woodmont Friends will meet this Thursday, June 10, at 6pm at the Woodmont Library.

SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS

You may have noticed the new InfoToGo displays at your library, complete with pocket-size cards to take with you. Each month, KCLS features a service or product to feature. The cards are designed to heighten patron awareness of the service or product, and to make it easy to start using them right away. The InfoToGo topic for June is My Event Notifications. This service allows you to sign up for weekly email notifications about upcoming library programs of interest! Click here for more information.


In early May, KCLS launched brand new volunteer web pages. The main page introduces the types of volunteer opportunities available and describes the benefits of volunteering at KCLS. Clicking on “Steps to volunteering with KCLS” shows the user what to expect in the application process and then presents our current volunteer opportunities. These listings are made possible through an RSS feed from the actual postings in the United Way of King County’s website. Clicking on a listing title brings the user right into the UWKC posting to see all the necessary information and allow the user to inquire directly to the library or program coordinator. Since going live, KCLS has received over 50 inquiries through the United Way’s database. Terry Claypool, Volunteer Services Coordinator, has also received inquiries about our program from other library systems.

From the Director’s Report (To view the complete May report, please look here.)

Almost all clusters had increases in circulation in April; up 10% compared to April 2009. Circulation at the downtown Renton Library increased 3% compared to a year ago and the Highlands branch is up 43%. Sammamish had an 18% jump in April and a 20% increase for the year, evidence that the new Library is taking hold in the community.




The “Take Time to Read” Campaign continues to take shape and KCLS will have a strong visual presence in eight communities by the end of the year. Bellevue, Burien, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Renton, Vashon, Kirkland and Kent were selected based on population density, strong retail cores and city ordinances that allow placement of 4’x6’ book cover posters throughout the community. Other components of the Campaign will be present in these areas as well as all other KCLS communities and libraries. The KCLS Foundation has applied for a grant from the Allen Foundation and funds will be awarded in the fall. In the meantime, KCLS and the Foundation will allocate resources to get the project started.


On the heels of the Renton annexation, the City of Enumclaw is also experiencing budget pressures and contacted KCLS to discuss the possibility of annexation. KCLS met with the Mayor and City Manager to discuss details and how the process typically works. Information from that meeting will be presented to the entire City Council for consideration. KCLS also visited with Bob Baer, Director of the Enumclaw Library who indicated that the Enumclaw Library Board voted to support annexation to KCLS. The Board has already contacted the Washington State Library to get information about specific procedures in the event of annexation, including the future of the Enumclaw Library Board and preservation of the Library’s substantial endowment.


KCLS Capital Improvement Plan Projects

Sign up here under “Email Updates” to receive automatic updates on the KCLS Capital Improvement Project!

The renovated Federal Way Library opens at 10am on Saturday, June 5.

The long-anticipated groundbreaking for the new Kenmore Library will be held on Tuesday, June 8 at 3:15pm.



Upcoming Dates Events and Projects
The next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on Thursday, June 17, 12pm at Foster Library.
The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 29, 4pm at KCLS Service Center.
The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on, Tuesday, June 29, 5pm at KCLS Service Center.