The Thomas Crane Public Library is a comfortable and welcoming place to visit, where young children can discover the joy of reading, and people of all ages can satisfy their curiosity, stimulate their imagination, and connect to the online world.

to the Report

2015

Community

Dear Friends, This was a year of transition, with funding lost and

funding gained, and continued progress toward

our strategic goals.

After 47 years as a regional service provider under

contract with the Massachusetts Board of Library

Commissioners, consolidation of services ended

the Crane Library’s formal role as a statewide

provider and eliminated a significant source of

funding. However, as this door closed, another

opened: the library’s annual city appropriation

increased nearly 10%, allowing us to retain and

reassign formerly state-funded employees and

increase services, bringing you:

—Megan Allen

Despite the measurable impact of

Snowmageddon 2015 on library usage, 657,000

people paid us a visit and 23,500 adults, teens

and kids attended library programs and classes

throughout the year. And while overall borrowing

rates for traditional resources like print books,

DVDs and CDs dipped for the first time―after

posting annual per capita increases exceeding the

national average almost every year since

2003―use of children’s materials continued to

increase, with 366,697 items borrowed system-

wide. Use of digital resources also continued to

climb, with an increase of 48% over last year.

The library trustees revived the Thomas Crane

Public Library Foundation, recruiting an active

and dedicated board of directors who organized

the very successful Chair Affair gala in May, and

raised over $30,000 to purchase new chairs for

the Main Library. Keep your eyes peeled for more

Foundation initiatives in the coming year―and

thank you for your support!

Library Director

Claudia Shutter, Technical Services

Mary Diggle, Adult Literacy & ESOL

Lori Seegraber, Adams Shore Branch

Jessie Thuma, North Quincy Branch

Barbara Glod, Wollaston Branch

Clayton Cheever, Assistant Director

James Jaquette, Adult & Young Adult Services

Julie Rines, Children’s Services

Rory O’Brien, Information Technology

Rita Seegraber, Collection Management

Staff Leadership

Expanded branch library hours: four

additional hours per week per location

More outreach programs for children, and

more programs for children and families at

the branch libraries

More engaging activities for teens, with

support from a federal Library Services &

Technology Act grant

Upgraded public computing services at all

locations

Expanded digital resources, including access

to the new Commonwealth eBook Collection

We couldn’t do our work without the many dedicated

people who volunteer their time in so many different

ways, from keeping the shelves stocked to leading

English conversation groups to fundraising. This year,

263 library volunteers gave 9,704 hours of service.

Another 70 Friends of the Library volunteers worked

1,790 hours operating the Crane Library Bookstore.

On top of all that, volunteer board members devoted

countless hours to the library’s Friends and Foundation

organizations, which together raised over $84,000 to

help the library achieve its mission.

Who are the Trustees? A municipal

governing board appointed annually by the mayor of

Quincy, overseeing library policies, management and

strategic planning.

Library Board of Trustees

William Griffin, Chair

Janet DiTullio, Vice-Chair & Treasurer

Mary Reed, Secretary

Tina Cahill

Maria Cataldo-Cunniff (-Jan. 2015)

May Assaf Mayyasi (Feb.2015-)

Corinne Mitchell (Feb. 2015-)

Who are the Friends? A 530-member

nonprofit organization raising funds via membership

dues and Crane Library Bookstore sales to support

library events and discounted admission passes to area

cultural institutions.

Friends Executive Board

Diane Dopp, President

Bonnie Ashworth, Vice-President

Susie Wilkening, Treasurer

Rosalind Cruschera, Secretary

Maureen Bertman

Eileen Courtney

Claire Fitzmaurice

William Mackey

Kathleen McCormick

Betty Molloy

Barbara Newman

Community Partners Boston Vegetarian Society

Germantown Neighborhood Center

Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center

Haley Booksellers

Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts

Manet Community Health Center, Inc.

Operation Day’s Work

Quincy Access Television

Quincy Asian Resources, Inc.

Quincy Braintree Family Network

Quincy Career Center

Quincy Climate Action Network

Quincy College

Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.

Quincy Elder Services Department

Quincy Farmer’s Market

Quincy Park Dept. Environmental Treasures

Quincy Public Schools

Quincy Rotary Club

QuinCycles

SABES – System for Adult Basic Education Support

South Shore Elder Services

South Shore YMCA

Wollaston Garden Club

Trustees, Friends & Foundation Board Members

partners & supporters What is the Foundation? A nonprofit 501c(3) corporation raising

funds via targeted campaigns and planned

giving to support library services,

collections, technology, infrastructure

and capital projects.

Foundation Board of Directors Stephen Christo, President

John Heaney, Treasurer

Susan Whitehead, Clerk

Tina Cahill

Jennifer Chu

Taylor MacKinnon

Wayne Miller

Sandra Smales

Learn

“The public library is where place and

possibility meet.”

―Stuart Dybek

Visit ...a comfortable place

...just about anything

Kids with strong reading skills succeed both in school and in

later life. The library gets every child ready to read.

An expanded schedule of programs for infants, toddlers and

preschoolers provided early literacy fun for kids―and showed

parents how to sing, play and read with their youngsters to

promote verbal abilities and develop essential pre-reading skills.

We also added new alphabet, number and shape activities at

every library branch for kids and caregivers to enjoy together.

Discover

"If you want your children to be

intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you

want them to be more intelligent, read

them more fairy tales.”

―Albert Einstein

...the joy of reading

“Libraries are everyman's

free university.”

―John Jakes

To Imagine ...is everything

“After nourishment, shelter and

companionship, stories are the thing

we need most in the world.”

―Philip Pullman

School’s out for grownups but learning never stops at

the library, where one-on-one, classroom style,

and self-directed learning opportunities abound.

This year, educational programs for adults ranged from bicycle repair

and healthy eating to urban beekeeping and adventure travel. Crowds

of history buffs attended presentations on the Cape Cod Canal,

Boston’s Floating Hospital and other regional history topics. In

response to continued strong demand for ESL conversation practice,

our English Talk Time program grew 10% over last year.

The library provides something for everyone’s reading,

listening and viewing pleasure and enrichment.

Readers of all ages devoured fiction books in all formats. Patrons

also enjoyed a wide variety of music and movies by attending live

performances and film screenings at the library and borrowing CDs

and DVDs to enjoy at home. Our streaming and downloadable media

service grew in popularity, with newly released music leading the

pack. After-school movies and gaming events brought more teens to

the library than ever before.

Where do the 25.6% of Massachusetts residents without home

Internet access go online? At the library, of course!

Visitors used our public computers for research, job hunting, email

and social media, and others brought their own laptops to use our

free wireless Internet service. Every day, librarians provided

assistance and training to people using both library and personal

devices. Our public computers underwent a major upgrade

this year, improving access to the latest technology and software.

Open seven days a week, the Main Library is a welcoming communal

hub for connecting with others―or for being on your own

but not alone. The branch libraries provide safe and friendly

gathering spaces popular with families, teens and seniors.

Adding to longtime amenities like free wifi, a café , public computers

and comfortable seating, this year we designated silent, quiet and

conversation zones at the Main Library to better meet every visitor’s

needs. We also increased evening access to small meeting rooms for

community groups, provided new chairs for adults, and established a

larger teens-only space. Our new mobile app makes it easy to visit us

virtually anytime and anywhere.

“In the nonstop tsunami of global

information, librarians provide us with

floaties and teach us to swim.”

―Linton Weeks

Connect ...to the virtual world

new in 2016!

Borrow tablets pre-loaded

with fun early literacy

games for your

young reader.

Access

lynda.com 24/7

online learning

with self-paced

video courses.

wifi sessions at the

main library

Free Wireless Printing

Send print jobs to the library’s

printers directly from your

mobile device or home

computer.

print & digital items for adults & teens borrowed

388,764

366,697 children’s books and other items borrowed

Our First-Ever Digital

Microfilm Scanner Download high resolution

images right onto your

flash drive.

MacBooks

Learn and create in our

new media lab.

123,710 public computer sessions

adults attended

events and

classes

8,481

37,286

50

0

hours of group technology instruction

people received 1-on-1

technology help

people visited

library buildings

657,000

90,270 10,620

The library is starting a new

program series just for twenty

and thirty somethings!

6 8 5 teens attended

events/activities

211% increase over

last year

2,803

albums streamed

2,596 movies and

tv shows

streamed

research

database

search

sessions

kids 0-12 + caregivers

attended by

434 programs

14,282

wollaston 41 Beale St.

(617) 376-1330

381 Hancock St. (617) 376-1320

north quincy

Visit us anytime at thomascranelibrary.org February 2016

stats & figures

locations

main library 40 Washington St.

(617) 376-1300

adams shore 519 Sea St.

(617) 376-1325

93% City of Quincy

$3,887,767

$133,031

3% Commonwealth of Massachusetts

4% Trusts, Gifts, Other

$160,892

9% Collections

$356,590

17% Other Operating Expenses

$698,102

74% Personnel

$2,958,104

Where the Money Goes Total Expenses: $4,012,796

Where the Money Comes From Total Income: $4,181,690

follow us! visits

program attendance

656,920 total

86% main library 558,975

9% north quincy 61,583

3% adams shore 20,248

2% wollaston 16,114

items borrowed

712,565 total

23,448 total

82% main library 587,945

4% adams shore 29,570

10% north quincy 67,961

4% wollaston 27,089

4% wollaston 1,046

8% adams shore 1,823

73% main library 17,080

5% off-site 1,244

10% north quincy 2,255

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