July Insights

  

Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen



LOCAL NEWS

SRP Highlights:
At Woodmont’s “Yes to the World Concert,” presenters Lorraine Bayes and Angie Bolton had a group of 50 children and adults up and dancing around on June 28^th!   The concert was funded by the Woodmont Friends.
At Kent, Linda Severt’s Very Silly Tourist Show was the kick-off event for the Summer Reading Program.  An audience of 70 children and adults enjoyed this program, funded by the Kent Friends.
And at Des Moines, Alex Zerbe kicked off the summer with his juggling, music, and comedy show for an audience of 100 plus!  Once again, it was the Des Moines Friends who funded this event.
We Love Our Friends!!
A complete list of programs at each of our libraries is attached to this email.  As of today, July 7, there are 1974 kids signed up for the summer reading program in our 3 libraries. 
Our Libraries Out in the Community
Des Moines Library will be at the waterfront Farmers Market on Saturday, July 16.  Staff members will be there with the DDZ (Digital Design) van to showcase the computer software on the van and to hand out information about other library resources and events.

Kent Library participated in the International Fest on June 18 in the park across from the library.  Staff members from Kent and Covington showed off the Library2Go van and handed out information about KCLS.  Kent Friends will also be participating in the Cornucopia Days parade on July 10 (rumors are that Clifford the Red Dog may make an appearance).
Fall Book Sale Dates
Friends of the Des Moines Library Annual Used Book Sale:  Friday, September 9, 10am-5pm; Saturday, September 10, 10am-5pm; Sunday, September 11, 1-3pm
Friends of the Kent Library Annual Used Book Sale:  Friday, September 16, 10am-5pm; Saturday, September 17, 10am-5pm; Sunday, September 18, 1-3pm.
Upcoming Meetings
Des Moines-Woodmont Library Advisory Board:  Thursday, July 14, 7pm at the Woodmont Library
SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS FROM JUNE

The InfoToGo topic forJuly is eBooks, a KCLS service which offers downloadable books for your computer and portable device. Why buy when you can borrow? Digital downloads for your eReader, tablet, phone, and computers are free for King County Library System users. In most cases you will need to download and install free software to manage your downloads.For more informationon the current month’s InfoToGo card, click here.

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT (To view the complete June report, please look here.)

OPERATIONS

The Pomegranate Center in Issaquah announced that KCLS was one of four Gathering Places grant recipients. The grants, which are funded by Tully’s Coffee, facilitate thedevelopment of projects that will highlight “gathering places where people can linger,

chat, and celebrate.” KCLS will design a literacy garden on the grounds of the Mercer Island Library. It will take over 700 volunteer hours and $15,000 in supplies to complete the project, which is anticipated to be done by the end of August.

KCLS received a $500,000 donation of software from Microsoft as part of the grand opening of the new Microsoft Store in Bellevue Square last November. Since the opening, Microsoft Store staff has hosted a KCLS Foundation Board meeting and has also offered its meeting room as an alternative space for the Bellevue Library meeting rooms, which will be closed during construction of the parking garage. Towards that end, 21 KCLS programs for kids, teens and adults will be offered at the Microsoft Store throughout the summer, providing great visibility for KCLS in the busiest shopping center in the region.

KCLS’ Digital Signage program will promote KCLS programs, services and events through a series of short, 20 second video clips displayed on monitors in select libraries throughout the System and at the Service Center. Over the next nine months, monitors will be placed in 20 KCLS libraries. The monitors replace the plasma screens that were initially funded by local Friends of the Library groups.

Circulation was down 5% across the system for the month of May and down 4% from the previous year. Digital downloads continue to grow by more than double compared to last year and KCLS anticipates another sharp increase when Baker and Taylor introduces its new Blio platform at the American Library Association meeting this month. Holds filled have declined 11% for the year but that figure may change now that patrons are able to freeze their holds until they are ready to pick up, a feature that was

not available in the previous catalog. Despite the decline, holds represent 23% of all KCLS circulation.

KCLS is one of 65 libraries nationwide to be awarded a grant from the American Library Association with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a scholar-led book and discussion series: Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War. Five discussions will be led by Dr. Lorraine McConaghy of the Museum of History and Industry and will be hosted by the Mercer Island Library in 2012. The discussions will focus on the Civil War and its impact on the Washington Territory and western states.

Evaluation of the Future Services Staffing pilot clusters continues. In the Federal Way cluster, staff is developing closer and more frequent contact with schools. KCLS’ Children’s Librarians will visit students atWildwood Elementary School to talk about the “Ready. Set. Read.” program and participate inbuilding PTA Reading Nights throughout the year. KCLS will also staff a table or host DigitalDiscovery Zone sessions during select Parent/Teacher conference weeks. In the Bothell cluster,Librarians at the Kingsgate Library have developed a series of programs entitled “Walk to Your Library” (http://guides.kcls.org/walkwithyourlibrary) to encourage patrons to get physically and mentally fit by exploring variouspoints of interest while walking to the libraries in their area. The program also provides recommendations for audio books that walkers can listen to along the way.

OTHER

KCLS was named 2011 Library of the Year on June 7 by Library Journal and Gale and was recognized at a special reception at the American Library Association annual conference in New Orleans on June 26. This prestigious honor is awarded to a public library in the United States that most profoundly demonstrates creativity, leadership and innovation in developing programs and services for the community, especially ones that can be emulated by others library systems. Everyone connected to KCLS is proud of this acknowledgement, including KCLS’ patrons, whose use and support of KCLS inspired this award. A $10,000 prize that comes with the award will go to the KCLS Foundation. See the celebration photos at http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891156-264/ala_annual_2011_king_county.html.csp.

Bruce Adams, Director of Collections Management Services has announced that he will retire from KCLS at the end of July. After a long career with public libraries in New York, North Carolina and New Mexico, Bruce is going to take time to tend to his numerous

interests, including gardening, antiques and horse racing. He will be relocating to Portland, Oregon.

The KCLS Foundation Board of Directors recently held its annual retreat. Topics for the day included KCLS History and Governance, Emerging Trends in Technology, a review of the OCLC report “Perceptions of Libraries 2010,” a discussion on the Tukwila Library project and a new idea for outfitting Library2Go vehicles with math and science materials.

Author J.A. Jance recently hosted a dinner at her home for 30 guests. Jance, a former school librarian, talked about doing research for her early titles at the Newport Way Library, where she often requested books through KCLS’ interlibrary loan service. A fan of KCLS, she noted that the Library System is a valuable resource in our community. The dinner was a popular auction item at the recent Literary Lions gala.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

The Renton City Council approved an Inter-local Agreement with KCLS that allows work to begin on the development of the new downtown Renton and Renton HighlandsLibraries. The Council agrees to move the downtown Library from its current site over

the Cedar River to a new location near the Transit Center. The new Renton Highlands site is under the control of the Renton Housing Authority, which has issued a Request for Proposal to develop the entire area into a mixed-use development. The Library will be located on Sunset Boulevard in a visible and accessible location.

After KCLS selected Perkins+Will Architects to design a stand-alone library at Tukwila Village, the City of Tukwila decided to hire Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG) todevelop the entire project. KCLS must now negotiate with SHAG to determine if a

portion of the property will be sold to KCLS to build a new library or whether a new library will be located in leased space.

The City of Bellevue released its report on the Bellevue Library parking garage expansion project last month. No appeals were submitted prior to the June 9 deadline so the project can now be bid. The City has reviewed the arrangement and will

make its recommendation to the Council in June. Construction will start in August and will take approximately nine months. KCLS has developed a number of strategies to reduce the demand for parking as there will only be fifty public parking spaces available

during the construction, including reduced availability of meeting rooms, alternate locations for holds pick-ups and offsite staff parking.

As reported last month, KCLS has obtained the building permit for the Auburn Library renovation and expansion project but the City of Auburn added a last minute stipulationrequiring KCLS to underground the utilities on property fronting Auburn Way South. The cost was out of proportion to the rest of the project and KCLS worked withCity staff to explore possible mitigation. Fortunately, the City relented and allowed theundergrounding to be deferred until utilities along the entire street are buried, which ispart of the City’s long range capital improvement plan.

The new Kenmore Library will open to the public on Saturday, July 9 and KCLS anticipates a record turnout for the celebration, which starts at 9:30am. Groundbreaking for the Duvall Library will be held five days later on Thursday, July 14 at 2pm. Both events will be attended by the Mayor, City Council and City staff, Library Advisory Boards and Friends of the Library.

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!

Celebrate!

Join us as the new Kenmore Library opens Saturday, July 9, 9:30am.

Groundbreaking for the Duvall Library is scheduled for Thursday, July 14.

  

Upcoming Dates

The next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on Thursday, July 14, 12 noon at the Burien Library.

The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, July 26, 4pm at the Algona-Pacific Library.

The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on Tuesday, July 26, 5pm at the Algona-Pacific Library.

June Insights

Community Liaison Contact: Carol Van Baalen

LOCAL NEWS

Author Sharol Louise to speak at Kent Friends Meeting

The Kent Friends will meet on Thursday, June 9, at noon at the Kent Library.  The business meeting will be followed by a presentation at 1pm by local author, Sharol Louise.  She is the author of three romance novels, most recently RoseHill Manor, published in October 2010.  Sharol will be selling her books after her presentation.  Library copies will also be available for checkout.

This month, children’s librarians are bringing the library out to the schools with presentations and assembly programs about the 2011 Summer Reading Program—“One World, Many Stories,” which begins on June 13.

The Des Moines and Kent children’s librarians will be accompanied by performer Alex Zerbe, formerly of Brothers from Different Mothers.  Zerbe will present a half-hour program of juggling, stunts and laughs, and children’s librarians will follow up with details about the summer reading program.  Many thanks to the Friends, who fund these assembly programs.

The “Read-Flip-Win Video Book Review Contest” will be back for teens this summer, as well as “Read Three Get One Free Summer Edition.”  Many special programs, from henna to manga to video game tournaments, are planned in our local branches.

Check the KCLS website and click on “One World-Many Stories” for all the details about the reading program and special events throughout the summer.

In Honor of World Refugee Day 2011

In June, on the 10^th anniversary of World Refugee Day, the world will honor the courage, resilience, and determination of refugees.  The Kent Library, along with several other KCLS libraries, will offer free orientations to our region’s fastest-growing refugee communities.

Learn about Refugees from Burma

Saturday, June 11, 2-3pm, facilitated by Mona Han, Director of the Coalition for Refugees from Burma

Learn about Refugees from Bhutan

Sunday, June 12, 1-2pm, facilitated by Hem Acharya, Youth Advocate and Interpreter

Learn about Refugees from Iraq

Sunday, June 12, 3-4pm, facilitated by Baidaa Weli, of Jewish Family Services

Staff from the Kent and Covington Libraries will also participate with a booth in the Kent International Fair on June 18.

SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS FROM MAY

The InfoToGo topic for June is the database BookFlix. This database offers classic video storybooks and nonfiction eBooks for children. For more information on the current month’s InfoToGo card, click here.

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT (To view the complete May report, please look here.)

OPERATIONS

Amazon recently announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow eBooks from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices. Based on this development, in addition to Baker & Taylor’s pending expansion into the eBook market, KCLS has doubled its collections budget for the year.

KCLS has learned that the Sammamish Library has been named a “New Landmark Library” by Library Journal. Landmark Libraries “raise the bar as they respond to trends in green design and shifts in service models.” A team of 16 architects and librarians looked at all new public libraries opened in the last six years and recognized only ten with this award. Mithun Architects has informed KCLS that later this month, the Federal Way Library will also receive an award from the American Institute of Architects during its annual meeting.

 http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/ljinprintcurrentissue/890142-403/sammamish_library__l_.html.csp

Bids for the Duvall Library came back at almost the same prices as last year. That means it will cost substantially more to build the Library than was budgeted. The tightness of the site, which is located on a main road and the amount of earthwork required drove costs that exceeded a typical library of that size. Given that the project has been bid twice, KCLS will adjust the budget and revise the capital plan accordingly. Bids for the Lake Forest Park Library came in under budget and construction is anticipated to start on that project by the middle of June.

KCLS has obtained the building permit for the Auburn Library renovation and expansion project but the City of Auburn added a last minute stipulation requiring KCLS to underground the utilities on property fronting Auburn Way South. Most of the frontage is on property that KCLS acquired to satisfy the City’s request to build additional parking, and would be the only section of the street with underground utilities. The cost is out of proportion to the rest of the project and KCLS will work with City staff to explore possible mitigation before the final permit is released. 

City of Bellevue staff should complete their report on the Bellevue Library parking garage project on May 26. If there are no appeals, KCLS can proceed with construction starting in June. 

Permit documents for the expansion and renovation of the Vashon Library were submitted to King County this month. In their initial comments, the Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) indicated the existence of a deed restricting the development of Ober Park. DDES is also requiring extensive upgrades to the sidewalk and street along the entire park property. KCLS will explore the possibility of mitigation with the Vashon Park District as the expansion will take up little additional park space.

OTHER
KCLS continues to work with the Community Center for Educational Results (CCER). The Center partners with a coalition of parents, community leaders, private foundations and public organizations to dramatically accelerate student achievement. Using affluent communities in Washington State and across the country as a benchmark, and with significant support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CCER hopes to double the number of students in South Seattle and South King County who are on track to graduate from college or earn a career credential by 2020. KCLS intersects with this group in at least two important areas:  development of Early Literacy skills and school preparedness, and providing resources and assistance to low income families seeking access to scholarships. KCLS is recognized as a leader on both fronts.

The KCLS Foundation recently struck a deal with Amazon, which has agreed to donate pre-publication galleys that are inventoried at its corporate headquarters in Seattle. After obtaining appropriate permissions from publishers, KCLS will use some of the books to stock Take Time To Read shelves.

The KCLS Foundation hosted 125 guests at the Newport Way Library Preview Party on April 20 and welcomed 50 guests at a Community Leaders Breakfast at the Renton Library on April 28. Thanks to Puget Sound Energy for supporting both events and the Newport Way Library Association for supporting the Preview Party. 

In May, the Foundation is involved with two author events that were popular auction items at the recent Literary Lions Gala. Twenty-five guests gathered recently for an evening of “Words and Wine” with authors Bharti Kirchner, Laurie Frankel, Thea Cooper and Boyd Morrison. Later in the month, 30 guests will attend a special event at the home of best-selling author J.A. Jance.

The Foundation encourages Friends of the Library groups to submit nominations for “Friend of the Year.” Friends groups may contact their Community Liaison or Jeanne Thorsen, at www.kclsfoundation.org, for a copy of the form. The award will be presented at Friends’ Day on October 22.

The Board is preparing for its annual retreat. In addition to discussing technology, library trends and new projects, members will visit two libraries and the Materials Distribution Center at Preston to see “The Wizard,” KCLS’ Automated Materials Handling system.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Renton City Council voted to issue bonds for library construction but they have not reached a decision about the location of the downtown Library. There is considerable community interest to keep the Library at its current site. Given that the facility is built over the Cedar River, it will be problematic if not impossible to make necessary improvements. The City is interested in a new Library to enhance its downtown core and has been negotiating for a property near the Transit Center and the Pavilion Exhibit Center.

The Renton Highlands site is under the control of the Renton Housing Authority, which has chosen to use a developer for the entire Sunset Terrace project. Ultimately, KCLS will negotiate with the developer to determine if the Library will be a stand‐alone building or part of a larger complex.

Earlier this month, KCLS had a chance to talk about the Renton projects and present the 2010 Year in Review to 50 attendees at a Community Leaders Breakfast held at the downtown Renton Library on April 28. Renton City Administrator Jay Covington invited KCLS to make a similar presentation at a meeting of City Managers and City Administrators on June 1.

Last month KCLS reported on the controversy that erupted over KCLS’ requirement that Des Moines police officers present a court order to obtain copies of security camera tapes of an incident that occurred at the Woodmont Library. Given that other libraries in Washington State do not utilize security cameras and that in most cases, KCLS’ tapes have not proven useful as evidence in court, KCLS has decided to remove interior and exterior cameras from the ten libraries that have them.

The City of Tukwila is living up to its promise to move quickly on the Tukwila Village project. Perkins+Will Architects who designed the Sammamish Library are prepared to start on the Tukwila Library project and KCLS will be in a position to start negotiations next month. The KCLS Foundation is considering a major development effort for this project.

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!

Celebrate!

Join us as the new Kenmore Library opens Saturday, July 9, 9:30am.

Groundbreaking for the Duvall Library is scheduled for Thursday, July 14.

  

Upcoming Dates

The next Planning Committee Meeting takes place on Thursday, June 16, 12 noon at the Burien Library.

The next Finance Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 28, 4pm at the Service Center.

The next KCLS Board of Trustees Meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 28,