South Kingstown Public Library Annual Report 2006-2007
SOUTH KINGSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
ANNUAL REPORT
2006-2007
MISSION STATEMENT
The South Kingstown Public Library provides free, convenient and equal access to print and non-print materials, services and technologies that support our community’s informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs.
PROFILE
A 1975 town ordinance established the South Kingstown Public Library, uniting three independent libraries. A free public library, the South Kingstown Public Library is comprised of a central library at Peace Dale and two branch libraries: the Kingston Free Library, located at the corner of Route 138 and Upper College Road in Kingston, and the Robert Beverly Hale Library, located on Route 1 in Matunuck. A seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Town Council governs the library. Annual operating revenues are derived from the local property tax appropriation, private endowments, overdue fines, and the state grant-in-aid, appropriated under R.I.G.L. 29-6-9.
The library operates with a Library Director under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Staff consists of 11 full-time and 23 part-time employees including 8 professional librarians. The Library is open 136 concurrent hours and 64 unique hours per week to the approximately 30,000 residents of South Kingstown.
The Library offers a wide variety of programs free and open to the public including: weekly pre-school story time; book discussion groups for children, young adults and adults; summer reading programs for children and teens; and informational programs designed for all ages. Other services include: information (in-person, by telephone, in writing, and through e-mail); public meeting rooms; PCs with productivity software; interlibrary loan; photocopying; large print materials; and the renewal and reservation of materials in-person, by telephone, or online via the library’s website. As a member of Ocean State Libraries, the library is able to provide patrons with access to a statewide bibliographic database, several electronic resources with remote access capability, and free Internet access in all three buildings.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
CIRCULATION
A total of 306,722 items were checked out to library users. A two-year comparison by library follows:
Fiscal Year Hale Kingston Peace Dale System
2005-06 32,824 81,664 181,319 295,807 2006-07 31,974 76,389 198,359 306,722
South Kingstown has the 7th highest circulation of library materials among Rhode Island’s forty-nine public libraries. Walk-in attendance shows a slight decline with an estimated 255,304 patrons during the year.
REGISTERED BORROWERS
There were 16,077 registered library card holders as of June 28, 2007.
INFORMATION REQUESTS
During the past year, staff answered 28,740 reference questions. Of this number, library staff members were able to provide direct answers to 28,052 transactions for a reference fill rate of 97.6%. A two-year comparison by library follows:
Reference Requests (Hale, Kingston, Peace Dale, System)
2005-06 3,635 8,802 17,653 30,090
2006-07 3,395 7,941 17,404 28,740
Reference Requests Filled (Hale, Kingston, Peace Dale, System)
2005-06 3,565 8,583 16,991 29,139
2006-07 3,317 7,732 17,003 28,052
ITEMS BORROWED FROM/LOANED TO OCEAN STATE LIBRARIES
During the year, a total of 43,664 items were borrowed from other Ocean State Libraries and 39,940 items were loaned to member libraries. A two-year comparison shows the following level of utilization:
Items Borrowed (Hale, Kingston, Peace Dale, System)
2005-06 3,894 10,093 18,950 32,937
2006-07 4,252 12,195 27,217 43,664
Items Loaned
2005-06 3,012 8,062 8,922 19,996
2006-07 5,765 13,356 20,819 39,940
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES
Electronic resources are available from within the library and remotely from homes or businesses. 7,578 searches were conducted with patrons retrieving 4,180 articles from our subscription databases. The library maintains a web site providing information and access to the Internet. Hits to the Website averaged 2,500 per month. Public computer workstations are available at all library locations. They were utilized 26,785 times during the year, a 20.4% increase over the previous year’s use.
LIBRARY COLLECTION/NEW ACQUISITIONS
As of June 30, 2007 the number of books in the library’s collection totaled 66,865. Collection size by library location is as follows:
Hale, Kingston, Peace Dale
13,939 17,882 35,044
Non-print holdings (audio books, DVDs, videos, computer software, and recorded music) total 10,049 items.
During the past year, 6,838 books and audio-visual items were added to the collection. In addition, 6,416 books and audio-visual items were withdrawn from the collection as a result of either being outdated in terms of information, poor condition, loss, damage, or decline in usage. The library subscribes to 274 periodicals and 14 newspaper subscriptions.
LIBRARY PROGRAMS
Total attendance at the 535 library-sponsored programs was 12,390. Pre-school story time accounted for 42.8% of program attendance with attendance at programs for children in grades K-5 and young adults (grades 6-10) ranking second at 30.8%. This category also includes classroom visits by the Youth Services Librarians to public and private schools as well as visits to the libraries by individual classrooms. Among Rhode Island’s public libraries, South Kingstown ranks 4th in the number of programs offered to the public, and 2nd in total program attendance.
MEETING ROOMS
The library has three meeting rooms available for use by town, state, and federal boards, commissions, agencies, and officials as well as individuals, community groups, and organizations. Two of these rooms are at the Peace Dale Library, the Peace Dale Room and the Conference Room, with the third room being Potter Hall at the Kingston Free Library. A summary of the utilization of each meeting room for non-library activities is as follows:
Conference Room - 178 Peace Dale Room - 187 Potter Hall - 204
FACILITIES
Elevators at the Peace Dale and Kingston Free Libraries were upgraded installing Firefighters Service and new telephones. A new steam boiler was installed, the ventilation system in the Children’s Room upgraded, and the parking lot seal coated at Peace Dale. Improvements to library grounds included new plantings in flower beds at all three locations.
GRANTS
The following grants were received during the year:
- $19,400 from the Champlin Foundations for upgrades to the Peace Dale elevator and ventilation system in the Children’s Room.
- A grant from the Champlin Foundations payable to Ocean State Libraries on the library’s behalf for technology upgrades.
- $2,332 from the Mary LeMoine Potter Fund through the Rhode Island Foundation for travel guide books, language learning materials and educational audio books at the Kingston Free Library.
- We the People “Pursuit of Happiness” bookshelf from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
GIFTS
Gifts to the library included:
- Museum and zoo passes provided by of the GFWC Women’s Club of South County and the Friends of the Kingston Free, Robert Beverly Hale, and Peace Dale Libraries.
- Gifts for adult books from friends in memory of Sue Candon.
- Gift for an adult book from the South County Book Club in memory of Catherine Quinn.
- Gift of an adult book from the Kingston Book Group in memory of Jane Clayton.
- Gift of an adult book from the Kingston Hill Gardeners in memory of Urda Wood.
- Gift of an adult book from Judith Babcock’s Book Group in memory of Lynn Matoney.
- Gifts for adult books from the Friends of the Kingston Free Library in memory of Paul Abell.
- Gift of videos from Karen Mensel in memory of William L. Mensel, Jr.
- Gift of a gardening book from the South County Garden Club.
- Gift for teen books from the staff of the Broad Rock Middle School in honor of Principal Sheila A. Sullivan and Assistant Principal Timothy J. Ward.
- Friends of the Robert Beverly Hale Library provided funds for audio books, large print books, DVDs; juvenile programming and supplies for juvenile programs, young adult materials and programs and for the redesign of the library’s Web site.
- Friends of the Kingston Free Library provided funds for adult audio books, juvenile puzzles, adult and juvenile programming, juvenile craft programs, Summer Reading Program performers and prizes, a CD player, library furniture and shelving, the conservation of Judge Potter portrait and for the redesign of the library’s Web site.
- Friends of the Peace Dale Library provided funds for adult and juvenile programs; graphic novels, large print books, adult audio books, juvenile A/V kits and puzzles, a digital camera, and for the redesign of the library’s Web site.
STATE STANDARDS
In 2006-07 the library complied with standards set forth by the RI Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) for continued membership in the Library of Rhode Island (LORI). As a result, the library will continue to receive network services such as interlibrary loan and delivery and the annual state grant-in-aid to municipalities for public library services.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Trustees approved a Privacy and Confidentiality Policy and participated in the South Kingstown CARES Spelling Bee fundraiser. Two new Trustees also joined the Board.
GOALS
- To implement the 2007-08 objectives set forth in the Library’s Action Plan.
- To continue the library’s cooperative relationship with the school system.
- To continue to enhance the library’s electronic resources and services.