Whitehall Public Library 2013 Annual Report Our Mission: Whitehall Public Library, the community resource for education, exploration, enrichment, and enjoyment. Our Vision: The Whitehall Public Library will be an invaluable resource for every community member.
2013 was a year that marked the half-century point for the library, our Golden Anniversary, and what a golden year it was on so many levels. We hosted a fantastic celebration and recognition last May. The joy and community support for the library that was demonstrated in the room that evening was absolutely palpable. Our library has now been recognized nationally as others are finding out what we‟ve been doing so very successfully, namely, creating an environment of collaboration and community activity. We don‟t do these things alone. It takes a village and our village consists of a great board that has planned for the library‟s future, a Friends group comprised of many former trustees who understand first-hand what we need, and the steadfast support of this wonderful municipality. Our mission statement says it all, we are: the community resource for education, exploration, enrichment & enjoyment. Our focus is not the library, but rather the community. And if we take care of the community, I believe that our library‟s future will remain bright. Our patrons and funders understand that and demonstrate their support each day. I thank you all and I look forward to beginning the next fifty years of public service. Paula Kelly/Library Director
Whitehall Public Library 2013
2013 Highlights Grants and Awards The year 2013 was another very exciting year for library grants, awards and recognition. Our library‟s award-winning LEARN Bus program was listed in a national publication as a highlighted innovative library program. In addition, I was interviewed for an American Library Association blog post published last spring. We received a $4,000 grant award from the American Library Association and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. This American Dream Starts @ Your Library award funded a 2013 series of English language conversation programs facilitated by professional ESL instructors. We are very proud of the services we are able to provide to help our local refugees assimilate in their community as they work on their journey towards U.S. citizenship.
It is our collective success story regarding Community Engagement that earned us recognition in the form of a $5,000 award from the Allegheny County Library Association. The Maggie Forbes Award recognizes “ a library whose outstanding and significant efforts result in real community impact as acknowledged by the community itself through significant and exceptional community contribution and demonstration of extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service that exceed the expected levels of community outreach.”
Whitehall Public Library 2013
2013 Highlights
Grants and Awards
Our Maggie Forbes award allowed for several exciting new initiatives and programs. We hosted an 11-week series of professionally facilitated Citizenship Classes for ESL residents. In addition, we are now in the final stages of completing a traveling exhibit of photographic portraits and accompanying interviews which will introduce our refugee neighbors to the community-atlarge. I was also invited to present at the 2013 Pennsylvania Library Association‟s Annual Conference about our collective success stories around the library‟s various ESL programs and services, as well as our Senior Space, The Second Chapter Cafe. Finally, we hosted Dr. Cyril Wecht at Baldwin High School last November, providing an opportunity for close to 900 people to hear Dr. Wecht speak on the subject of the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy‟s assassination.
Program and Service Highlights The Library Director of the King County Library system was spot-on when he said that now more than ever a library has to be „more about what it DOES for people than what it HAS for people‟. Libraries are no longer passive providers, we are community engagers and conveners. Just walk through the doors and see us in action! In 2013 we focused many of our adult programs on health and wellness, offering classes in Yoga, T‟ai Chi, and nutrition, as well as our weekly Wise-Walk program. We even had a Roll „n Stroll outdoor exercise and storytime series for infants and young Moms. Children‟s programs this summer were all STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) and each one was filled to capacity. We are a destination point for school and scouting field trips, including monthly visits from BHS special-needs youth. For our adults, we hosted inspiring programs; from poet Sam Hazo, to a presentation from Whitehall citizen of the year Jan Scheuermann. We are also proud to host space for public engagement. We have groups that meet to explore creative writing, we host an Autism support group, a bi-monthly Conversation Salon, and this year we started a successful World War II conversation group for our veterans.
Whitehall Public Library 2013
2013 Highlights
Community Partnerships
In 2013 we began a wonderful new productive partnership with the Whitehall Community Lions Club. They provided a variety of early literacybased programs including a visit from a great group of therapy dogs on Community Day! We not only maintained, but grew our ongoing partnerships with the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, South Hills Interfaith Ministries, the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, and South Hills Community Connect. We work with the district‟s Guidance Department, offering programs to assist high school students as they navigate the process of applying for college. We work with teachers to recruit student volunteers for our Teen Tech panel as well as a wide variety of Children‟s Library programs.
Facility Updates—real and virtual! In the early part of 2013 we launched our new Website. The site was built in-house by Digital Services Librarian Licia Slimon. It‟s attractive and user-friendly and has received accolades from many libraries and library users across the county. We also have a mobile site that displays on a tablet or smart phone. We‟ve renovated our virtual landscape, but we‟ve also made improvements to our physical space. In response to patrons‟ requests for a quiet area, we shortened four of our large nonfiction stacks to create a very quiet study area in the back of the library. We purchased comfortable chairs with tablet arms for laptops and added additional electrical outlets. The teen corner is also newly furnished and updated with extra electrical outlets – check it out!
Whitehall Public Library 2013
2013 Highlights
Way Beyond Books
We continue to maintain and grow an amazing library collection, offering our users the opportunity to experience best-selling books, movies, music, e-readers and much more! In addition to „traditional‟ library items, we continue to introduce and circulate things that you might not necessarily expect, like novelty cake pans or American Girl dolls. Wow! Hard-to-find titles are now downloaded to the library‟s circulating kindles; we do everything in our power to connect you with the resources that you want and need. We‟ll also sit right down next to you for some one-on-one instruction on how to use technology.
Library Fundraising
Our gorgeous Anniversary Quilt now hangs in the library! It was debuted at the Anniversary Gala and we now house a piece of art that represents our community of readers and library supporters. What a treasure. The library hosted its second successful Holiday Craft Show at the Caste Village Shoppes. Working with Caste Village has been a great collaboration. Craft tables quickly sold out and our holiday crafters filled the Caste Village Mall with festive holiday gifts. It was a shoppers‟ paradise and a great way to promote the library to the greater community. Our annual Blow-Out Booksale held each October is an important library fundraiser. Donations are accepted and stored off-site. With the help of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK moving company, items are delivered to the Community Room and set up by a fleet of book sale volunteers.
Whitehall Public Library 2013
The Value of Public Library Service—Dollars and Sense! 2013
2013 Statistical Highlights Circulation: 180, 776 Items in the Collection (Total): 60,980 Items Lent:
In 2013 the estimated cost per Whitehall resident for library service was approximately $29 (based upon municipal funds and in-kind municipal contributions); roughly the price of one hard-cover book!
53,114 Registered Borrowers: 8,658 Library Visits: 126,877 Programs: 714 Programs 13,503 Attendees Reference Questions: 5,310 Website Visits: 68,916 visits 131,649 page views Computer Use: 16,564 Pub. PC logins 2,268 WiFi logins
Books (print and electronic) and AudioVisuals Borrowed: (estimated book price/DVD $30)
$5,423,280 Circulating eReaders and Tablets Including kindles, kindle fire, iPads and nooks
$2,000 Magazines and newspapers (includes digital): The library subscribes to more than 130 magazines and newspapers.
$6,000 Internet Access: The library provides 18 free high-speed internet access terminals, and free Wi-Fi; estimated cost of access for FIOS-$500 .
$9,000 Programs: The library had 13,503 patrons attend programs in 2012; if those patrons had paid $5 each.
$67,515
8,106 Database searches Volunteer Hours: 13,500 hours
In addition, the library offers many other FREE services; answering reference questions (over 5,000), access to on-line subscription databases, e-content, and other digital resources. This represents more than 5 million dollar‟s worth of public service in 2013 - All available for FREE with your library card.
Whitehall Public Library 2013
Income and Expenses $51,154.00
2013 Operating Revenue & Support Borough State RAD Gaming Grants Donations Estate Gift Other
$337,111 $45,865 $150,353 $10,010 $10,310 $26,756 $67,354 $51,154
48% 7% 22% 1% 1% 4% 10% 7%
Total
$698,913
100%
$67,354.00 $26,756.00 $10,310.00 $337,111.00
$10,010.00 $150,353.00
$45,865.00
$9,701.00
$4,101.00
$89,362.00
2013 Operating Expenditures Personnel Collection Maint. & Op. Grant exp. Other
$426,974 $101,458 $89,362 $9,710 $4,101
68% 16% 14% 2% < 1%
Total
$631,596
100%
$101,458.00 $426,974.00
Support Your Library!
There are so many ways to show your support… *Donate to the Library. There are numerous ways to have your donation recognized. Please see our marketing brochure in the library for details. *Join the Friends of the Whitehall Public Library. Your membership and contributions directly support the Library. *Contact your local officials. Thank them for their support and ask them to support public library subsidy funding. *Support our Library fundraising events. *Become a Library volunteer.
Whitehall Public Library 2013
Acknowledgments The Whitehall Public Library wishes to thank everyone who supports us in our mission as the community resource for education, exploration, enrichment, and enjoyment.
2013 Library Board of Trustees:
Cristina Brady, President Harold Ohm, Vice-President Deborah Recker, Secretary Damien Schorr, Treasurer George Findlay Elizabeth Mahoney Eileen Tenenbaum Linda Book-Borough Council Representative
2013 Friends of the Whitehall Public Library
Mike Romano, President Russ Walker, Vice-President* Faustino Dunckhorst, Secretary Tom Schultz, Treasurer Linda Book Roseann Brown Alfie Chico Joan Comstock Ed Damer Barbara Duff Bob McKown
2013 Whitehall Borough Council
Glenn Nagy, President Harold Berkoben, Vice-President Linda Book Kathy DePuy Philip Lahr Robert McKown William Veith
*The Library will never forget the tireless dedication of past Board and Friends President Russ Walker (far right). Russ passed away in early 2014 and we miss him every day.
Whitehall Public Library 2013
Acknowledgments
2013 Whitehall Public Library Volunteers: The Library wishes to thank the scores of volunteers, both young and old, who assist us each and every day. They collectively dedicate thousands of hours each year, helping with day-to-day operations, programs, and fundraising events. We are grateful for all of the services that they provide.
2013 Friends of the Whitehall Public Library: Our Friends are the fundraising arm of the library. We thank them for their work on their annual campaign and for their steadfast library advocacy on the library‟s behalf.
2013 Library Donors: The Library sincerely thanks each and every individual who donated directly to the Library. In particular we wish to thank former Whitehall resident Dolores Haller for her generous bequeathed estate gift to the library in 2013.
Use the Library! We are here to serve you. Please take advantage of all of the resources and services we provide in support of our mission as: The community resource for education, exploration, enrichment, and enjoyment.
