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#4 Activities Report Hedberg Public Library Activity Report February 2012 Circulation Services Total circulation for the month of February looked like it was UP 3,172 items from last year – 91,801 items in 2012 compared to 88,629 in 2011 – but we had an extra day this leap year so it is about even. Circulation also seems down compared to January by 3,809 but there are two fewer days in February than January so we are really ahead. The busiest day in February, based on the number of items checked-out, was Saturday Feb 11, when we checked out 3,156 items (83.27% via our self checks), and accepted 2,503 returns. The number of library visits for February was UP by 7,373 to last year!! We served 64,653 people in 2011 and 72,026 in 2012! Visits are also UP from last month when we had 65,745 visitors. This month an average of 78.79% of all checkouts were done using our Self Checkout machines. We ranged from a high of 83.97% on Sunday, Feb. 26, to a low of 67.13 % on Wednesday Feb 1. The slight dip for the month is again partly because another self checkout machine was down from Feb. 1until Feb. 6 while we waited for replacement parts. The same mechanical issue took out both the self check station in Jan and the one in Feb. We will not be surprised if we have one or two more outages when the other two machines break down and are repaired. The hardware provider will not replace the part until it fails so we can’t plan ahead. In February and March we continued our facelift of our Full Service Checkout Desk. When customers walk up they see lovely oak cabinet doors rather than messy metal shelves. The bi-fold doors add a warm, clean and professional look to a very busy area. Behind the scenes, we converted the “Alcove” into a more efficient storage space for Circulation Department supplies. The last touch will be a divider to create a storage area for Christmas decorations. Displays in the Library Linda Kerr continues to do a wonderful job keeping our library looking great and featuring interesting library items for our clients. The displays for February 2012 were:  Large display: “Technology Roadblock? Get what you need to get up to speed.” This display is meant to keep us up to date with the changing world of technology. Also, it will help promote our computer classes in the Woodruff Training Lab. Books for all ages and experience levels are included as well as handouts for the class.  The old service desk encourages us to “Read the Oscars.” Real readers know that every good movie began with an amazing book, usually much richer in detail than what made it to the screen.  The center aisle case features “March Madness.” Basketball doesn’t just build character it reveals it. Hopefully our male clients will get hooked on their way to the newspaper sports section and discover all the other formats we offer. The New Book bookcase featured displays on:  1)Clive Cussler o 2)”Homemade Baby Food: A Healthy Start” in support of our workshopMarch 12. o Collection Development As budgets remain tight, the library collection continues to benefit from HPL Foundation support. The collection team requested funding for such projects as seed money for a Children’s Blu-ray collection, $5000 to replace additional Janesville Gazette microfilm (missing or in poor condition), and for monies to supplement our art technique titles. All requests were approved. Collection Manager Carol Kuntzelman provided training on OverDrive e-book downloading, again to a full house. In addition to technical questions on downloading to various e-book readers, she answered questions on searching for available titles, on returning/deleting copies, and on the downloading of audio-books. The bibliography committee met to propose subjects and genres for promoting the collection in coming months. Committee member Linda Kerr, display creator extraordinaire, will coordinate her displays with booklists on such topics as “River Reading”, “Independent Films”, and, in this election year, “Political Fiction.” Information Services Arrowhead Library System has been awarded the LSTA grant to develop and teach three computer search classes, covering the topics of financial literacy, health literacy, and resource for “living green”. This project is a joint partnership with ALS and the Hedberg Public Library. Hedberg librarian Diana McDonald and Arrowhead trainer Sheryl Oberle will develop the classes together. Diana will teach the classes at Hedberg, and Sheryl will teach at the other six public libraries in the system. UW-Madison library school student Sara Byrnes is working on her 120-hour field project at the Hedberg Public Library this Spring semester. Bryan McCormick is Sara’s on site supervisor, but as Sara is particularly interested in Adult Services she has been working with librarian Sue Braden four to eight hours a week. During that time Sara has assisted patrons using OverDrive downloadable books, helped people with computer-related issues, explained how to use electronic databases, and assisted staff with research for unusual questions, such as helping find sources relating to socializing a dog that had been mistreated and neglected. Sara is also working on a project to update entries in the staff database “Question Box”, which documents answers to frequently asked questions with hard to find answers. The Interlibrary Loan Department was closed to incoming requests from other libraries for four days in February, while Interlibrary Loan Coordinator Theresa Biele was on vacation. Adult Services Coordinator Jean Yeomans will be retiring March 30, 2012. Jean’s position has evolved during the years she has worked for Hedberg. Currently she manages to juggle programming and outreach responsibilities, Information Desk shifts, the Hedberg@Home program, materials selection tasks for arts, crafts and collectibles, gardening, medical and mysteries, as well as commitments to a variety of library committees and community organizations. In her “spare time” Jean supervises bilingual coordinator Rene Bue. We will certainly miss Jean’s skills, community knowledge, enthusiasm, and breadth of talent! Jean will be moving to the Milwaukee area to be closer to her family. It is highly unlikely we would be able to hire someone new into the library who would be able to handle all aspects of Jean’s current job description. We will therefore be reassigning some tasks and revising the job description before we post the position. Question of the Month – A patron wanted to visit two houses in Janesville - one at 61 Milton Ave and the other at 152 Lincoln. They had driven up and down both streets, but house numbers on existing buildings did not go low enough. They wanted to look at old maps (the addresses dated from the late 1800s) to see if they could determine where the houses had been located. While they were checking out the maps, the librarian looked through the old Janesville City Directories on the library’s web site. She discovered that both these house numbers existed in the directories through 1907, but disappeared by the 1909 directory. In 1907 a “Mrs. Anna Nolan” resided at 152 Lincoln, and her block was located between North and Galena (now Racine) Streets. In 1909, the block between North and Galena had house numbers in the 400s, and “Mrs. Anna Nolan” resided at 402 Lincoln. Similarly, the 1907 directory listed “Eleanor M King, Nurse” at 61 Milton between Prospect and Glen, and the 1909 directory listed “Eleanor M King, Nurse” at 433 Milton between Prospect and Glen. She showed her findings to the patron, and both concluded the house numbers were changed between 1907 and 1909. They looked at the current city directory and found both addresses still exist today. Technical Services The addition of Blu-ray DVDs to the HPL collection has been a tremendous success, so much so that TS has been giving priority to selecting, ordering and processing items to keep up with demand. A check of the shelves, however, provides little evidence of the multiple copies of over 150 titles added by TS staff, including such popular films as Moneyball, Ides of March and The Help. Many Blu-ray titles have long reserve lists. Just as we have had a listing of new DVD titles on our public computers, public information staff created a separate listing of newly added Blu- ray titles. The listed titles will link to RockCat catalog records, allowing patrons to add their names to hold lists. Youth Services Children’s Services The biggest news from Youth Services this month is that Linda Hermans will beretiring April 6. Linda has worked for HPL for 23 and ½ years and her colleagues and many adoring storytime fans will miss her creativity and dedication to the library and the community. Our first Lego Library event was a smashing success, drawing 113 children and 82 adults. Books on bridges, airplanes, and other forms of transportation were in high demand as kids built a variety of interesting structures, which they happily showed off to staff in the Program Room and at the desk. Seventeen young sleuths participated in our 39 Clues Challenge, planned and facilitated by Julie Westby. The detectives had fun discovering clues hidden around the Children’s Room. Youth Services programming took a well-deserved two-week planning break at the end of the month. Young Adult Services Teen Advisory Board members met in Teen Central to discuss how they use the area and to share ideas about decorating for summer. The Craig High School pilot project is underway for second semester. Books covering 35-40 topics were compiled and delivered to the school library for an extended loan period for tenth grade students working on research projects. College Goal Wisconsin was held on Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19 at 29 sites throughout Wisconsin, with HPL holding our event on Saturday, February 18. Financial aid advisors from UW Whitewater, UW Rock County and Blackhawk Technical College were available to help over 80 in attendance with questions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. One student was selected in a drawing to win a $350 scholarship to help with school expenses in fall 2012. College Goal Wisconsin is sponsored by the Wisconsin Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and several partners. Printz Book Club members met at Craig High School to discuss The Fault in Their Stars, by John Green. The discussion was modeled on the way actual Printz Committee discussion will take place and the students were very thoughtful and intellectually critical in their observations and responses. Other:  Sharon Grover attended a YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) chairs webinar in her capacity as 2013 Printz Committee chair.  Laurie Bartz attended a YALSA committee member webinar in her capacity as 2013 Printz Committee Administrative Assistant.  Laurie Bartz attended a College Goal Wisconsin Site Coordinator Conference Call with Diana McDonald  Sharon Grover met with Kris Koch, education coordinator at Rotary Botanical Gardens, to discuss avenues for partnership between HPL Youth Services and the Gardens. Several promising opportunities will be further explored.  Laurie Bartz attended the JM4C monthly and communication meetings  Laurie Bartz met with Beth Quinn from Filament Games (an independent online game producer in Madison) for preliminary discussions about collaboration  Sharon Grover was participated in the search for the new youth librarian at the Dwight Foster Public Library in Fort Atkinson.  Sharon Grover attended a P4J (Preschool for Janesville) Directors Meeting and discussed the upcoming P4J Pizzeria Family Fun Night that will take place on Friday, March 16, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This program and the partnership with P4J is an outgrowth of the LSTA Early Literacy Grant the library received in 2011.  Laurie Bartz attended a Janesville Virtual Academy Board meeting.