MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
We are all investors. We choose to invest our time, our abilities, and our money to support what is important to us. And we expect a return on our investments that shows we have made wise choices. This 2010 Annual report to you, the Library’s investors, summarizes in words and numbers how your library has invested the resources you have entrusted to us. It also describes some of your fellow group and individual investors. We continue to do our best to provide the services, programs, and facilities that will keep the Bradford Area Public
Library at the top of your list of best places to invest as citizens of the communities where we live.
Linda M. Newman
INVESTING IN THE COLLECTION
One of the largest and most visible library investments is represented by a changing collection. While our collection grew by 2,011 volumes in 2010, we also withdrew 7,000 volumes that were unused, out of date or tattered. Our non-book collection including 450 books on CD and 325 DVDs has expanded as well.
We supplement our in-house collection through interlibrary loans that make the resources of thousands of libraries available to you at no cost. In 2010 we requested 1,518 titles from other libraries for our investors.
We make a special effort to acquire books that are being read by members of local book discussion groups as well as titles written by authors with ties to Bradford.
In 2010, in cooperation with Care for Children, The Bradford Kiwanis Club, and the United Way, we established a Parent Resource Center collection of materials focused on the concerns of children and the adults who care for them.
INVESTING IN CHILDREN
One very important investment involves the library users of tomorrow. In 2010 we held 95 programs designed for children. Our collection including board books, picture books, and books for both beginning and more advanced readers numbers 12,101 volumes. There are now 671 juvenile cardholders (10% of all cardholders. These young readers checked out 2,180 materials in 2010, representing nearly 5% of a total circulation of all library materials.
Throughout this report you will read of many ways we invested in children last year. For example, in 2010 we
· learned from children’s author John Stewart Gurney how books are written and illustrated during a family program sponsored jointly by the Bradford Area Schools and the Friends of the Library.
· greeted third grade students from School Street Elementary School during a week of class visits.
· partnered with APO Service Fraternity, University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, to offer weekly Saturday crafts programs.
· conducted a 6 week summer reading program (Make a Splash@Your Library) with entertaining guests, giant bubbles, fuzzy critters, music, and crafts, our tenth bookmark design contest and lots and lots of reading. A special gift from the Bradford Naturalists Club sponsored visits from Pfeiffer Nature Center and Penn State Cooperative Extension educators.
· enjoyed the first Kids Derby Day (the second “jewel” in our Derby triple crown) with horse-themed crafts, games, snacks and a live horse at the door to greet guests.
INVESTING IN FACILITIES
Every time you enter the doors of your library you have made an investment of your time. In 2010 55,693 people chose to invest some time at their library.
A building with such heavy traffic needs constant maintenance. Last year we used funds from our regular budget, special grants, and monies previously donated for maintenance projects to
· Recarpet the central hallway
· Refurbish the entrance planters
· Repave the entrance driveway
· Reseal the parking lots
· Refresh the public restrooms
· Reconfigure and refurnish the main hallway
· Remove pieces of excess furniture, decorative accessories and many unused miscellaneous items from public areas
· Replace the exterior message sign with a new
electronic one
· Dust and clean places that are not readily accessible by our regular custodial staff
Besides these visible projects, work was accomplished behind the scenes including cleaning out first floor storerooms and the second floor equipment area.
Many of the maintenance projects were completed with the help of groups of community volunteers including the Bradford Kiwanis and its Aktion Club and members of several clubs from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
INVESTING IN GRATITUDE
Throughout the year we make a special effort to thank the individuals, businesses, community groups and local funding bodies for their personal and fiscal support. But please accept this additional “thank you” for all you have invested in your library.
INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY
The public library is a popular place for community members to access the online world and the expanded opportunities it provides for personal business, learning, or pleasure. In 2010 our bank of public computers was in constant use, with 14,000 logins recorded.
Many people, residents and visitors alike, took advantage of our building-wide wireless access to the Internet by setting up comfortable workspaces in the café, the periodical reading area, or at one of the tables in the main hallway.
A special gift allowed us to add two new kids only computers to the children’s room along with a variety of smaller hand-held non-book devices.
We continued to update our existing technology by upgrading staff computers and the technological infrastructure that supports them.
Our website (Bradfordlibrary.org) underwent a makeover in 2010. It continues to evolve as a source of library information and a portal to the world beyond West Washington Street.
We expanded our use of the technology that simplifies daily tasks by adding a postage meter, collecting more statistics automatically (with the added benefit of reducing our paper trail), and by switching our bookkeeping, bill paying, and financial record keeping to a computerized system.
Use of the Destiny integrated library operating system in all McKean County Public Libraries proved to be a good investment for library users in 2010 as we circulated 47,550 items to resident and non-resident borrowers
INVESTORS FROM OUR SERVICE AREA
We sincerely thank the local funding bodies who continued to make an investment in their library in 2010. An additional 9% reduction in an already reduced state subsidy coupled with rising costs magnified the importance of local support —governmental, individual and corporate—in 2010. The City of Bradford, the Bradford Area School District, Bradford, Foster, and Lafayette townships, and the Borough of Lewis Run together allocated $85,200 in Library contributions.
In addition to our fall annual solicitation campaign which helped defray operating costs, the second year of exciting events with a Kentucky Derby theme —our “Triple Crown” of the Derby Chapeau Tea, Kids Derby Day, and the Derby Gala not only raised awareness of the library and its programs, but also added $64,000 to the Library’s endowment to strengthen the financial base for the Library’s future.
Our total income for the year was $257,811. Local and state government support was 33% of the total. Remaining funds came from local sources including memorial donations and gifts, (23%), fines and charges (4%), special grants (14%), and returns on investments (7%). Funds distributed from the Endowment represented an important 19% of our total income.
Our total spending for the year was $271,000. We requested and received a waiver from the state when due to rising operating costs, it became apparent that we would not meet the required spending level of 12% of usual expenses for books, magazines, processing supplies, microfilm, and internet access. General operating expenses (utilities, building equipment and maintenance, snow removal, postage, program and office supplies) were 33% of the total. Spending for personnel, insurance, unemployment compensation, and training accounted for another 55% of our total expenditures.
MORE INVESTORS FROM OUR SERVICE AREA
An important group of investors in the library are volunteers. In 2010 1400 hours of service were invested by library volunteers who helped with daily chores and special projects.
Building the Parent Resource Center and its collection, the library-wide clean out and clean up, and the spring and holiday used book sales could not have been successful without the investment of time and muscle by many library volunteers. We are grateful every day for their willingness to invest in their library.
FRIENDS OF
THE BRADFORD AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY
This group of dedicated volunteers makes a very large investment in their library with umbrella sponsorship of One Book Bradford activities (programs related to the 2010 selection of Becky by Lenore Hart included a visit from the author, a presentation of Mark Twain Live!, and a special cruise on the riverboat Chautauqua Belle) and their willingness to supply refreshments for special library events . The Friends lively book discussion group celebrated its five year anniversary in 2010. Friends supported subscriptions to several popular newspapers, purchased new shelving for our expanding paperback collection, and helped with summer reading program expenses. The Friends Circle of Friends is always expanding.
MOMS CLUB
Beyond their sponsorship of each month’s first Monday children’s story hour, members of the Bradford Moms club are active participants in the Summer reading program. Moms plan, help with crafts and snacks, and keeps a Moms eye on our youngest library users all year long. Thanks! Moms.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Underpinning day-by-day, month-by-month, year-to-year, library activities are the decisions made by the Board of Directors. This group of 12 volunteers has the ultimate responsibility not only for operations today, but are also charged to insure that the library and its services will be available in the future.
In 2010 the Board of Directors began a comprehensive reassessment of library policies and procedures, rewriting existing policies, and, as necessary, crafting new ones to address new concerns.
Among the documents produced in 2010 was the new library mission statement (below) defining what the library is and what it is pledged to do.
MISSION STATEMENT
“The Bradford Area Public Library is a friendly, community and family oriented information center for the 21st century providing resources to enrich life, foster literacy, inspire intellectual curiosity, stimulate imagination, and change your world.”
LIBRARY TRUSTEES IN 2010
President : Keith Hatch (Bradford Area Schools)
Vice-President : Maxine Davis (Lafayette Township)
Treasurer : Ed Pecht (Bradford City)
Secretary : Nancy McCabe (Bradford City)
Parliamentarian : Mike Pfeil (Bradford Township)
Member: Lee Doynow (Bradford City)
Member: Gareth Evans (Corydon Township)
Member: Madeline Miles (Foster Township)
Member : Harrijane Moore (at large)
Member: Tina Hallock (Borough of Lewis Run)
Member : John Peterson (Bradford Area Schools)
Member: Barbara Shufran (Bradford Area Schools)
Ex-Officio : Patty Sanfilippo, President,
Friends of the Library