Transcript 2013 Annual Plan

2013 ANNUAL PLAN
Books are just the beginning.
Library Mission
The mission of the Worcester County Library is to
promote reading, thinking, learning, and the
enjoyment of the arts.
Library Board of Trustees
The library is governed by a seven member volunteer
board of trustees appointed by the Worcester County
Commissioners.
Ron Cascio, President
Richard Polhemus, Vice President
Edith Barnes, Treasurer
Vivian Pruitt, Secretary
Holly Anderson
Richard Davis
Rosemary Keech
Library Staff
In 2013, Worcester County Library employed 58
people. Staff members attended 98 workshops,
including 22 webinars and 20 Skillsoft courses.
Training covered a wide range of topics: digital
storytelling, library security, legal resources,
marketing, grant writing, and readers advisory.
Library Volunteers
Volunteers donated 8,272 hours of service to the
branches of Worcester County Library. Volunteers
help shelve books, assist with library programs, and
offer their expertise with genealogy and local
history resources.
Collection, Circulation & Use
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There are 178,206 cataloged items in the library’s
collection.
Patrons have access to over 500,000 items due to our
partnership with the Lower Shore Consortium Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester library
systems.
There are 20,266 current library cardholders.
Over 475,777 items were checked out in 2013.
There were 411,929 visits to the five branches of the
Worcester County Library.
Digital Books & other Downloadables
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Thousands of free eBooks and read-along books are
available for download from the Worcester County Library.
Circulation of eBooks increased by 40% in 2013; 11,522
eBooks were checked out in 2013 compared to 6,964 in
2012.
Hands-on workshops for people learning to use their digital
readers and download books are available.
The library also provides Zinio (full digital copies of
magazines), IndieFlix (access to thousands of independent
films from around the world), Tumblebooks (animated,
talking picture books), and OneClick Digital (digital audio
books).
Library Services
Supporting Early Childhood Literacy is an
organizational goal of the Worcester County
Library. Story Times for children birth to age 5 are
offered at all of the library branches. The stories,
songs, and crafts help develop a child’s love for
reading and encourage parents and care givers to
read, talk, sing, and play with their children. Early
Learning Stations are available at each library
branch and are stocked with age appropriate toys.
Play is an essential part of child’s development and
reinforces the library as a fun place to visit.
Library Services
Homework Help & Test Prep resources are
available through the library’s website 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Access to AskUsNow, a
reference chat service; Help Now, an online tutoring
service; Testing and Education Reference Center,
offering practice tests and study guides; and a
multitude of reference databases to help with
school projects and research is conveniently located
in one place.
Library Services
Job & Business Resources are provided for
individual job seekers and business owners. Each
library has specific computers available for users
searching for employment opportunities and writing
resumes and cover letters. The library has specific
resources for market research including Business
Source Premier, Regional Business News and Value
Line.
Library Programs
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Program attendance increased by 21% in 2013.
The library presented 562 programs, attended by
19,980 people.
Summer Reading had 529 participants and 2,558
people attended Summer Reading programs, a 46%
increase from the previous year.
Programming at the Worcester County Library is
sponsored by the Worcester County Library Foundation,
the Eastern Shore Regional Library, Friends of the Berlin
Library, Friends of the Ocean City Library, and Friend
of the Ocean Pines Library.
Library Outreach & Partnerships
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The library partners with Worcester County Public
Schools and Judy Center, Worcester County Health
Department, Worcester County Arts Council, and
many other nonprofits in the local area.
The library visits childcare centers and senior
centers to offer programs and talk about library
services.
The library delivers books and other materials to
those who aren’t able to visit the library in person.
Funding - Fiscal Year 2013
Revenue
County
State
Eastern Shore Regional Library Grant
Library-generated (fees, charges, e-rate)
Total
$1,983,309
$144,071
$75,000
$48,200
$2,250,580
Expenditures
Salaries and wages
Library materials (books, DVDs, magazines)
Facilities operating expenses
Supplies, equipment, services
Library programs and publications
Training and staff development
Total
$1,535,337
$258,953
$295,791
$107,449
$38,625
$14,734
$2,250,889
Worcester County Library Foundation, Inc.
The Worcester County Library Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit,
tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization which exists to support and
enhance library service in the County. Tax deductible donations can
be made through the library’s website. The Foundation pursues
grants and sponsorships to present interesting and educational
events for all ages; acquire extra copies of new, popular material;
and maintain services available to the entire community.
Some of the activities the Foundation organized in FY 2013 were
Restaurants for Reading, the Jewelry Sale, the Leister/Staley
Scholarship, a Taste of the Arts in collaboration with the Worcester
County Arts Council, The War of 1812 Ballet by the Ballet Theatre
of Maryland, Great Discussions Book Club, a trip Sight and Sound
Theater, and a series on Cultural Diversity.
Planning for the Future
In 2013, the library developed a strategic plan to serve as
a detailed road map over the next three years. The process
was led by a staff team and included an opportunity for
patron feedback through a survey. Three focus areas have
been identified: Growth & Enrichment, Marketing &
Partnerships, and Library Facilities. Survey results included:
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97% of users are satisfied or highly satisfied with the
library’s performance
66% use the library at least once a month, 22% use it once
a week
49% have an eBook device
50% want more programs for lifelong learners
Berlin Branch Highlights
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The Berlin Library holds 23,255 items.
In January, the library presented a Thomas the Tank program and welcomed 300
children and parents on a snowy day. Children played with trains, watched a
video, and sang songs.
e-Reader classes occur each month, instructing patrons on the set-up, use and
downloading of digital content to Kindles, Nooks, iPads, Galaxy Tabs, and other
devices.
Berlin hosts book clubs and discussions; our Fireside Chat book club is very popular
and has been in production for five years. The participants bring and discuss books
they would like to share with others, and several members have created subsidiary
book clubs.
The First Saturday Writers Forum (a subsidiary of the highly respected Eastern
Shore Writers Association) meets at the Berlin Branch each month.
The library’s garden funded by grants for the Community Foundation and
maintained by volunteers, feeds the needy through donations to local soup kitchens
and shelters. The garden is also used for programs for children both by the library
and local schools.
Ocean City Branch Highlights
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The Ocean City Library holds 31,061 items.
Longtime Branch Manager Andrea Schlottman retired in June after serving
in the position for 28 years and working for the library for 30 years.
The DVD collection was reorganized by genre to the delight of patrons who
have found browsing the collection much more accessible.
The OC Writer’s Group published their first chapbook, Watermark, in
December and held a celebratory reception in January.
Summer Reading began in June and the response was fantastic, from both
year-round residents and visitors to the beach.
The Friends of the Ocean City Library continue to be tremendous source of
support. They have funded several major events, including the annual
children’s Halloween party in October, the Holiday party in December, and
several summer reading programs.
Ocean Pines Branch Highlights
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The Ocean Pines Library holds 50,477 items.
“Pets on Wheels of Delmarva” offered us a very special and
successful program titled “Tales for Dogs.” Specially trained dogs
visit the library, with their handlers, and ‘listen’ to the children as
they read to them. The children looked forward to practicing their
reading skills and their love of reading increased.
With the support of the Ocean Pines Friends group, the library was
able to present two Summer Reading programs, “Cosmic Adventures
Traveling Planetarium” and “Magic John.” The Friends also had a
very successful annual book sale in July 2012, netting over $5,000.
Some of the funds were used for the care and maintenance of the
Reading Garden.
In January 2013, Rosemary Keech, long time volunteer and active
member of the Friends, was named to the Worcester County Library
Board of Trustees.
Pocomoke Branch Highlights
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The Pocomoke Library holds 29,963 items.
The library participated in the “Pocomoke Community Garden” and
started a square foot garden. Community members and school
students helped maintain the garden and all of the produce was
donated to the Samaritan Shelter.
The Library has seen an increasing interest in programming this year
from people of all ages. Patrons also seemed to enjoy the “Blind
Date with a Book” program we ran for a few weeks in February.
An adult summer reading program began in June and the response
was huge.
The easy book section and children’s computer area have been
revamped for easier access.
Snow Hill Branch Highlights
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The Snow Hill Library holds 43,450 items.
Three genealogy workshops were offered, including a
special class on the exciting topic of DNA research.
The Christmas food pantry was a great success and
delivered a substantial amount of food to the Snow Hill
Pantry.
This summer was the most successful summer
programming in Snow Hill ever; the joint efforts of
Kathy Breithut and the Snow Hill staff increased our
numbers dramatically.
www.WorcesterLibrary.org
The library website is available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Reserve your library item and
have it delivered to your library branch. You can
also renew your items online. Find homework help
resources, ask a reference question (AskUsNow), or
begin genealogy research. These resources can
only be accessed on the library website and are not
available on the internet. Check out our events
calendar to find out what’s happening in your
library!
Thank you for your support!
Worcester County Library
307 North Washington Street
Snow Hill, MD 21863
www.WorcesterLibrary.org