Latah County Library District

DIRECTOR’S REPORT
September 2007

Activity Summary

As always, questions are welcome.

• At the end of August a software fix was put in place that corrected the most significant bug in the library’s upgraded Voyager software—the patron ability to select a pickup location properly when placing a hold.  Other software problems resulting from the July upgrade remain but are less visible to patrons.  Our thanks to WIN and VALNet staff who continue to work on finding solutions.
• The next district staff meeting is scheduled for September 25th at 8:30 AM in Moscow.  All libraries will maintain their regularly scheduled hours.
• The “Everybody Reads” publicity campaign is beginning.  This year’s book selection is “The Deep Dark” by Gregg Olsen, a nonfiction book on the 1972 Sunshine Mine fire in Kellogg.  The Moscow presentation by the author is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM in the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre.  The Friends of the Moscow Library sponsored the library’s participation in this regional program.  Local

      co-sponsors of the Moscow events include the University of Idaho and Moscow High School.

• The August LCLD Foundation meeting was held in Moscow’s 1912 Center.  The September meeting will be held in the Troy Library as the Foundation board members expressed interest in visiting district libraries.
• The library and the Friends of the Moscow Library partnered to sponsor a booth at the Latah County Fair September 13th through the 16th.  Other LCLD Friends groups were invited to participate and both the Troy and Potlatch Friends responded.
• I attended the August 23rd meeting of VALNet directors.  While most of the meeting was spent on upgrade issues, WIN did confirm that Universal Borrowing, or “WIN-Borrow” is scheduled for implementation in October 2007.
• Also on August 23rd I attended the annual retreat of the Friends of the Moscow Library.
• Several library staff worked in coordination with the Friends of the Juliaetta Library on a request to the City of Juliaetta to purchase light fixtures and a small water heater with funds budgeted for library use.  The requests were based on recommendations from the Avista representative during the library’s energy audit.

Department and Branch reports

Outreach Services – Betsy Bybell

• Business as usual, PIH reports and ILLs. A huge thanks to George for devising the macro that runs the reports more efficiently.
• No programs for outreach but delivered prize books for grand finale of summer reading. Another huge thank you is due to the Friends of the Moscow Library for providing the funds to purchase the fun books. The excitement is palpable in the room when a large crate of books is arrayed on a table so each child can choose their very own book to take home.

Bovill Branch Report – Paula Winter

• Finished up Summer Reading activities.  WHEW!!!!!  Numbers weren't that great this year—33 signups and 13 finishers.
• Good news is that I will have a bigger group for storytimes this year than I have had the past couple years.
• Very sad to have lost Jan and Pat Eck this month from our community and from our library family.
• There will be a party honoring the Ecks on September 16th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Bovill Grade School Gym, open to anyone that would like to come and say good bye and wish them luck with their new life in Portland.

Deary Branch Report – Debbie Fischer

• Deary Library was open for two hours on Saturday, August 4th, in conjunction with Deary Days.
• Friends of the Deary Library had their very successful annual summer book sale during Deary Days.
• The Library History Display Board and booklets were on display in Deary for the month of August.
• Summer Reading signups in Deary were about average, but finishers were low.  In previous years, the School program children read during the program, but this year the kids had to read on their own.  I think this had something to do with the low number of finishers.  We had about 70 signups and 20 finishers.
• The Voyager upgrade has been a challenge, but everyone has worked together to make it as easy a transition as possible.  We thank George for his hard work and great ideas.  They really helped!

Genesee Branch Report – Sharon Steiger

• Summer Reading 2007 is finished for another year.  Most kids finished their reading program in June and July, with only two coming in August to collect their prizes.
• It seemed like the computers were getting used more often this month by adults as well as kids.  Also people were taking advantage of the library being a hot spot. Having air conditioning was probably a draw, though I have observed people sitting in their vehicles doing computer work as well as sitting at the picnic tables in the park facing the library and using their laptops. Once they saw the porch light was on and the library opened they came in to get their work done.
• Books continue to move around. Many of the patrons here use Lewiston as well as Clarkston libraries and find returning the books here very convenient because of the courier service.
• People continued to add to the line a day project. I will read it and type it up then make copies for all who participated. It’s at my home now and all the comments I heard were positive.
• Friday morning story time has continued throughout the summer. In August I resumed the arts and crafts that get put off in June/July for the little ones.
• Besides a day care provider bringing her children there are several new families with young children who are coming when they can. It’s such fun.

Juliaetta Branch Report – Jan Welles

• The last summer reading program was held on August 2nd with a Harry Potter party being enjoyed by 60 patrons.  The prize book (Deathly Hallows) and other prizes were a huge success and we were glad to declare programs finished for another year.
• Our final statistics for summer reading are in with 90 registered and 50 finishers.  A total of 315 were in attendance at our seven programs.
• Jan was on “vacation” (using the term loosely) for the first two weeks of August.  Anna Bruce and Cynthia Nye kept things running in Juliaetta.
• Planning for story times has started and class visits schedules are under way. Story times will begin on Sept. 6th and class visits will also begin that day in the afternoon.  We will have Kindergarten through sixth grade visiting the library this school year.
• The light fixture replacement project for Juliaetta is still under consideration.  We hope to have approval from the City of Juliaetta in Sept. to purchase 14 new energy efficient fixtures and a new water heater for the kitchen sink.  Jan and Anne have been working with the city to achieve this goal.

Potlatch Branch Report – Donna Quiring

• Tickets for the mystery dinner theatre "Chapeau" are on sale at $20.00 a ticket.
• Looking into affordable options for air-conditioning for next year.
• Storytime will start up again on Sept. 14th.
• Had an incident with kids setting off a fire extinguisher in the parking lot. No damage, but the whole front of the library was covered with a fine coating of powder. Hosed it off, but the windows need a thorough cleaning now.
• Hoping to do some rearranging in the library this fall. I have had some ideas for that I have been talking about for a couple years and am finally going to implement them!

Troy Branch Report – Margie Fitzmorris

• Summer Reading Program is finished for another year. The last program was July 23rd but the kids could finish until school started, August 28th.  We had local presenters again this year—just to mention a few we had Police Chief K.T. Whiteley fingerprinting the kids, the Search and Rescue program, “Hug a Tree”, and our own “Batsy” presenting “The Night it Rained Pancakes”. We had seven programs, 130 sign-ups and 79 finishers with a total of 343 total attendees for the programs this summer.
• Thank you, George, for all the hard work you have done and continue to do with the new updates.
• No programs this month – so it freed up some time to do some much needed housecleaning. Story Time starts September 13th.
• I had to add another shelf to accommodate the new McNaughton Books and Red Dots.
• The last paperback order of the fiscal year is complete and goes in the first week of September.
• Blenda Henrichs and Betty Leslie have been faithful volunteers this summer. What would I have done without them?