Marketing

In November our adult ‘fireside’ book display theme was “Have you read a Pulitzer Prize Winner?”. There was a good amount of interest in the brief biography of Joseph Pulitzer that was put together by staff. The first batch of books out for display were gigantic tomes and may have scared some readers. After replacing them with more manageable reads, nine items were checked out.

Programming

Saturday Afternoon Kids’ Club – Minecraft

Garland: It’s for the Birds

We had very successful Kid’s Club programs this month. For the craft program we made collage magnets. The Minecraft program attracted many more children this month, probably due to our visit to Sandy Grade School the previous day.

On 11/20 as part of our Welcoming Winter program series we hosted a snowflake design program at the Hoodland Library and an edible garland making workshop at the Sandy Library to create attractive and yummy garlands for our furry and feathered friends.

Day of the Dead celebration

The Library Coffee House on 11/7 continued with excellent attendance although Main Street has finished it’s First Friday Programs for the season.  The Library plans to continue having our Coffee House every first Friday year round. November’s event focused on Mexican cultural activities, with traditional Zapotecan weaving by Francisco Bautista and a Day of the Dead program presented by Musical Duo Nuestro Canto.  Tamales and Pan Dulce were enjoyed by all, and kids made Day of the Dead masks.

The Sandy Library has been hosting free yoga classes with Nyssa Castle – The Naturalist Yogi.  The classes have had nearly full attendance every week.  Classes ran November 4 – December 16th.

Monica Smith, Children’s Librarian at Sandy Grade School

On November 11/21 Katie Murphy and Monica Smith made our first monthly visit to Sandy Grade School.   Monica and Katie talked about the library’s monthly visit to bring and booktalk new fiction.  Each student in the school took home library card applications for parent permission and can begin checking out books on our next visit. 

The TAB (Teen Advisory Board) met on 11/7 to get organized and set priorities.     Fourteen teens attended the meeting on the 7th, and set up a regular meeting schedule. The group made the decision to meet twice a month with the outcome of a monthly program beginning in January. On 11/12, as part of the new regular meeting schedule, the teens began planning January’s game night, which will include Wii games in the Community Room, Board games in the fireplace room, and a mini-golf course throughout the library.  The mini-golf holes will be designed and constructed by the TAB members.  The teens will also work on both flier and video advertisements for their programs, which we hope to post in area schools, as well as electronically.

Community

On 11/4, Librarians from Sandy Library toured the Sandy High School.  We met with the principal and media specialists to look into how we might work together more closely to meet the student needs.

Technology

On 11/1 and 11/2 Staff and volunteers came in during closed hours to update all Public Computers at the Sandy Library to bring them onto current operating systems, and improve Internet service.

Hoodland Remodel

In November, City staff reviewed proposals and hired an architect to begin work on the remodel of the new space for the Hoodland Branch. Architect Peter Kappertz, began work immediately upon approval of the contract by City Council and has been drafting initial designs for community review and comment.

Programs 

Saturday Afternoon Kids’ Club

October was our first month hosting a weekly Kids’ Club at the Sandy Library.  Kids’ Club is appropriate for Kids age 7-12.  All events are free, no registration is required.

• Week 1 – LEGO Club

Our very first Kids’ Club event was LEGO Club.  Three kids made fantastic LEGO creations which were displayed in the Library for the remainder of the month.  After the event we had a large number of people express interest in coming to our next one. Come in to see our current months’ display of LEGO creations in the Kids’ Room of the Library.  We expect that this program will grow considerably!

Week 2 – Card and Board Games

Ten people came to our first monthly board game afternoon.  This turned out to be a great family time.  Kids have been coming in all month to talk about the games they plan to bring to the next event in November.

• Week 3 – Drop-In Craft

Kids decorated pumpkins, did leaf rubbings, and created fall inspired art at our drop in craft. Ten people had a great time!

• Week 4 – Wii and Minecraft

14 kids come to play the Minecraft. Library Staff created a Minecraft server which 6 laptop computers connect to. Standard Minecraft can be played (Survival, Creative, etc.), or Minecraft.edu which allows creation of specials “seeds” where kids must complete specific tasks. Seeds can be used as a type of lesson plan. Staff plans to create seeds for upcoming months and build a replica of the Sandy Library within the game to be used as an information literacy instructional aid. Kids were also able to play Wii games and build  paper Minecraft characters.

Trick or Treat Trail

Sandy Library participated in the Main Street event Trick or Treat Trail.  We handed out more than 600 pieces of candy to trick-or-treaters and gave each one an opportunity to win a glow stick by playing corn hole.

Minecraft characters at Trick or Treat Trail

Library Coffee House

First Friday on October 4th brought the Coffee House into the library.  Local writer Dan Bosserman signed copies of his book Images of America: Boring.  In addition, Sandy residents we serenaded by Portland’s French troubadour, Eric John Kaiser who presented a lively evening of ballads and folk songs in French and English .

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month!  The Sandy Library has committed to getting the community involved in this national project, and providing coffee and space for writers to write in the Library. 14 community members came to our Kick-off party on October 23rd. 

Pirate Program – in partnership with retired teachers from the Oregon Trail School District

On October 28th three classes of 6th graders, each with 38 students visited the library to learn how to do research. Questions were designed to have students learn how to use the library catalog to locate books on the shelf as well as use databases that can help them with homework. 

Sandy and Hoodland Teen Advisory Board

The Teen Advisory Board met for the first time at the end of October.  Four kids came to the first meeting.  We brainstormed ideas for teen programs to hold at the library, talked about the results of the library survey that we gave out at both library locations, ate pizza, and talked about how to advertise to get more kids to come to our next meeting in November (spolier: November’s meeting had 14 teens attend!).  The first teen program we plan to hold will be in January.

The Evening Mystery Book Club has come to an end, leaving 3 clubs left active. Library Staff are working to meet the needs of the remaining clubs by offering additional services.

Display and Marketing

Patrons checked out 13 items from our October adult book display — Things that go Bump in the Night. Stephen King, Ann Rule, and Edgar Allan Poe are quite popular in Sandy.

Additionally, the library hosted a great display about personal collections.  The display featured books about collecting, and samples of teacups, depression glass, sea shells and more.

Staff

Library Staff got into the spirit and dressed up for October 31st.  Many came as book related characters.

In October, we said goodbye to a full-time Library Assistant who moved to join her family in the Midwest.  We interviewed nine candidates and hired two permanent half-time Library Assistants.  Katie Murphy and Thea Kuziemski may look familiar to you as they have been on-call staff at the library for years.  We’re so excited to have them officially join our permanent team!

Hiring Katie and Thea left a large hole in our on-call availability, which led to the hiring of two new on-call staff that had been identified through current and previous interview pools as good Library Clerk possibilities.  We welcome Kat Aden and Julie Steeves as on-call Library Clerks!  They have been fully trained and can be seen pitching in as we need them.

Exhibits and Events

On September 4th, The Clackamas County Arts Alliance set up an exhibit of watercolor paintings by Sandy artist Leslie Cheney-Parr.  The exhibit will run through December 4th.

First Friday on September 5th brought the Coffee House into the library. Sandy residents we serenaded by the enchanting songstress Caroline Hecht.

The beautiful ceramic art of Dulcie Linsoe-Johansen of Lindsoe Clayworks in Welches was moved from storage to hang in the lobby of the library.  Previously one season at a time was hung in the children’s area of the library.  All four beautiful seasonal portrayals are now on view as one stunning display.

Staff visited the studio of Francisco Bautista, Sandy artist who creates traditional Zapotecan weavings on his standing hand loom.  Look forward to seeing him with his loom at the Library Coffee House on the first Friday in November!  We will be celebrating the donation of his beautiful weaving Tree of Life to the Sandy Library.

On September 16th, storytime schedules for the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries resumed!  Parents and their little ones flooded into the libraries to enjoy songs, rhymes, and stories.

Training

On September 10th, ten staff of the Sandy and Hoodland libraries attended the second round of pre-school storytime training in preparation to assist in the presentation of this great program.  Staff presented a sample storytime to the group and shared tips for success.

Marketing

Our  book display set up for Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read (September 21-27) turned out to draw the most comments and interest of any of the adult book displays we have done so far.  Some comments overheard:

Programming – Sandy Library

August 1st was the monthly Library Coffee House as part of Main Street’s First Friday.  We hosted singer/songwriter Caroline Hecht to the great enjoyment of approximately 150 visitors.

Summer Reading – Sandy and Hoodland Libraries

August 17th  was the last day to turn in reading log from the Summer Reading Program.  Here are our final program statistics:

Sandy Library
Signups: 581
Finishers: 103

Hoodland Library 
Signups: 79
Finishers: 12

And for the Teen programs:
Sandy Library  Signups: 186    Finishers: 41

Hoodland Library  Signups: 17   HO Finishers: 4

The grand prizes for the kids and teens raffle were iPad Minis. We also gave away Lego kits, book sets, t-shirts, and “Robot Arm” toys. Each child who finished received a new paperback book. 

A photo of our Kid’s Grand Prize Winner with their new iPad Mini!

 Community Involvement

On August 4th, Library Director Sarah McIntyre attended the Hoodland Women’s Club luncheon meeting to give a quick update on the future move of the Hoodland Library.  Sarah will speak to the group in January to gather input on the building process.

Staff Training and Planning

On August 13th seven staff members met to discuss programming at the library and create a framework for the coming year.  Many of the libraries upcoming programs can be found on pages 20-21 of the City of Sandy Recreation Guide.  Stay tuned for additional programs!

On August 20th and 27th Staff training was offered by Librarians Maureen Skinner and Monica Smith to prepare for combining the Reference Desk and the Kid’s Service Desk.  Staff learned how to answer Reference questions, and how to troubleshoot the public computers.  On Sunday August 31st staff and the Friends of the Library worked together to remove the large desk at the entrance to the Kids’ Room, and created a smaller approachable desk in the same spot.   There has been a great deal of positive feedback on the more visible and accessible aspects to the new layout.

City-wide Events

Seven library employees helped set up and serve at the Volunteer Picnic, thanking our wonderful volunteers that do so very much for us.

 Marketing

Sandy Library – In August the theme of our adult display was Let’s Get Cooking. This was to acknowledge the harvest/canning season. There were a total of 9 items checked out.

Hoodland Library – We have an Oregon Battle Of the Book (OBOB) display!

Staffing

July 1 marked the official start of the new Sandy and Hoodland Public Library Director.  Each staff member met with the Director to give input and share information about the library.  A management team was created, and planning has begun to reorganize and create efficiencies so that staff can work on creating a dynamic program plan for the coming year.

Programs

Two out of our four book clubs took a summer hiatus. The women’s book club will start up again in September and the Evening Mystery club will reconvene in October.

On July 3 & 8, Alton Chung brought stories and tales to life at the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries.  Families enjoyed hearing traditional native american tales, as well as, coming of age stories from Chung’s own childhood.

 July 15 & 17  Mad Science at Hoodland and Sandy Libraries.  Crazy experiments presented by Molly Molecule.

July 16 Teen Program – All about Henna Tattooing.  Popular and fun.  Teens learned about henna tattoos and tattooed themselves and each other.

July 22 & 24 Red Yarn Hoodland and Sandy Libraries.  Great interactive stories, games, and dancing about how to be a Naturalist.

July 29 Dragon Theater at Hoodland

July 1 & 31 We started and ended the month with Bricks for Kidz LEGO program.  Families at Hoodland and Sandy Library had lots of fun! Though attendance was limited by those the presenter, those who did attend loved it. The success of the event has inspired the start of a (soon to be announced) LEGO club at the library.

Summer Reading sign-up  numbers:  Sandy: 581 kids, 186 teens. Hoodland: 79 Kids, 17 Teens

Marketing

Twenty-one books were checked out from the July “SUMMER FUN” adult book display.

We solicited community involvement in the process of choosing books, gathering pieces, and setting up a display featuring our great arts and crafts books with projects completed from them.  There are some beautiful projects, and it’s our best display yet!  Come in and see it in August.

Library Board Meeting

The Library Advisory Board met on June 16th.  The Board had lots of energy and ideas, and is looking forward to participating in a Strategic Planning process for the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries.

Summer Reading

• We signed up 531 kids for Summer Reading at Sandy and 63 at Hoodland
• We signed up 137 Teens for Summer Reading at Sandy and 17 at Hoodland

Programs at the Sandy Library

• June 19th was Greta Pedersen’s Science Of Sound Program. Greta sang and showed the kids the science behind sound. 56 kids and 25 adults attended.

• On June 26th the Dragon Theater Puppets presented the show “You’re Electric”.  50 kids and 25 adults attended.

Programs at the Hoodland Library:

At Hoodland Library Greta Pedersen did her “Science of Sound” show on June 17th. 10 kids and 10 adults attended.

New Library Director

New Library Director, Sarah McIntyre, worked closely with Beth during the first week of June to allow for a smooth transition for this big change.  Sarah, staff, and volunteer Alberta are pictured below.

The Library Coffee House event on May 2nd was a big success. Aaron Meyer and his violin really rocked the house! He shared the stage with three of his students, all violin proteges. In this way he showed his humble character to the audience. It was a very entertaining evening. We’re lucky that we’ll be able to see him again this summer with Music in the Park.

Interviews for my job (Library Director) were held on May 7. We chose 5 excellent candidates from  25 applicants. Three of the interviews were “live” and the other two were on skype, since the interviewees lived in Michigan and New York. All of the interviews went well, and all of the members of the interview panel (Nancy Enabnit, Lisa Young, Chris Wilhelmi, Seth and myself) agreed on our top choice– Sarah McIntyre. Sarah was last employed at West Linn Public Library, and comes to us very well trained in Workflows and Symphony, our Integrated Library systems. Sarah will start as Director on Tuesday, July 1.

In conjunction with many libraries in Oregon, we presented an “Oregon Reads” program, honoring the centennial of William Stafford. Stevan Allred (from Estacada) emceed a Film viewing of the documentary Every War has Two Losers. He also read aloud Stafford’s recently published The Osage Orange Tree. As he read, we projected woodcut images from the book. Stevan then lead a discussion about Stafford’s poetry and his pacifism. This program was sponsored by the Friends of Sandy Library.

Woodcut images by Dennis Cunningham from The Osage Orange Tree 

Last Month I reported on our plans to move the Hoodland Library to another location. The Hoodland Women’s Club have decided not to build the community center that they’ve been planning and Mercury Development is holding us to the statement in the lease that says we can cancel our lease to move into the community center. Therefore, we can’t move out of the Hoodland Shopping Center until the lease expires in June 2015. Seth, Sarah and I have discussed plans to move in a year, and are looking at options to make the move a reality in 2015. It will enhance library services in the Hoodland area, and cost less than what we are currently paying.

April 13 -19 was National Library Appreciation Week, and April is also National Poetry Month. We honored both by having our 2nd annual Poetry Slam on April 17th. The picture below shows winners Jesse Gardner (left) and Frank George IV (right) with guest host Scott Poole (center). It was a great evening. There were about 40 people present to listen to readings of great poetry, enjoy excellent refreshments, and laugh at the many hilarious moments. This year we offered a performance workshop on April 12. This allowed individuals the chance to practice their poetry performance and to get feedback from other performers.

Maureen Skinner and Ashley Kritzeck attended the Oregon Library Association conference in Salem on April 17. They tried to enroll in a book repair class at the conference, but it is so popular, they couldn’t get in. Maybe next time….

We were informed that the Hoodland Women’s Club are cancelling their plans to build a community center in the Welches area. We were planning to rent space there for the Hoodland Library. Margaret and Bob Thurman, owners of Welches Mountain Properties, showed me a vacant site in one of their buildings that would make a good library. Chris, Seth, Joe Knapp and I visited and discussed the possibility of moving the library. With the capital grant that we will receive from Clackamas County (as part of the library district formation) we should be able to renovate the site, add fiber and other enhancements that will result in great improvements to library services in the community. A picture of the building is posted below.

On March 7th we celebrated the library’s 80th anniversary with a “First Friday-type” party. In fact if was the first Friday of March, and with other things going on in town, it was as if we just couldn’t wait until the official First Friday opening in April!

The Rose City Hot Club (left) played depression-era jazz and we had about 100 guests present to hear our speakers, enjoy snacks and music. The Friends of Sandy Library sponsored the program and even supplied the door prize: a two night stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel. A great time was had by all.

We honored Sara Rees, one of the long-time members of the Sandy Women’s Club. The club created the library in 1934, in a basement of a building that would flood from time to time. The club celebrated their 100th anniversary last year. The picture shows Sara getting a festive crown designed by Olive Rootbeer, clown and balloon artist extraordinaire.

Olive returned to help us with our annual recognition of Dr. Seuss on Saturday, March 8. There were stories, songs, treats and balloons!

Forest Ries, Library Technician, left us to move to New York. We will miss him very much. We promoted August George to the position of Technician and we hired two new shelvers, Breanna Cohen and Riley Blake. Ashley Kritzeck was promoted to Library Assistant and the Library Director job announcement has been posted to the national American Library Association website, as well as local websites.

Monica presented a “Tattoo a Banana” program for teens this month and also attended a meeting to learn about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.

I enjoy talking to folks about how libraries’ missions have evolved. Libraries today are more like community centers, offering classes and programs, in addition to the typical collections of books, magazines and computers. In February, we had two special programs: Technology Tools Tutoring class, and a family film: The Princess Bride.

We track statistics to determine how well we are serving the community. Each month the Community Room and our Study Room are used approximately 60 times. On average our computers are used by 66 people per day in Sandy and 17 per day in Hoodland. I believe that tracking attendance is probably the best measure of success that we have. We installed a door counter, which we’ve had problems with, but the important thing is that I was able to determine that on average, 400 people enter the library each day.

These statistics are helpful to track as indicators of how relevant we are in the community. We also count circulation, and it is interesting to note which materials count the most to our circulation. See the graph below.

 It is clear to see that DVDs have the highest percentage of the circulation. But it must be remembered that they also have the shortest check out period (7 days, as opposed to 28 days for most books), which explains part of that higher circulation.