FY14 Annual Report

July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014

Vernon Area Public Library300 Olde Half Day RdLincolnshire, IL 60069847-634-3650 • www.vapld.info

Director’s Overview

Fiscal year 2014 was a tremendous year of growth, renewal, and revitalization for the Vernon Area Public Library District. Our newly renovated public spaces have allowed us to feature and offer more of the popular materials, programs, and services that our residents requested in last year’s community survey. Based on the feedback that we received from that survey, we adopted a new Strategic Plan that identifies Popular Materials, Educational Support, Technology, and Customer Service as our top priorities. We have already begun making strides toward achieving the goals we have set for those areas.

Popular Materials. We have added more e-books and digital content to our collection of more than 276,000 items. We have created

“Popular Picks” collections of DVDs and CDs, and a “New” Blu-ray section to make it easier for our users to find the hottest media. We began implementing a new collection management system to help us more quickly and efficiently create a collection that matches our users’ reading interests. It appears to be working, as we checked out over 960,000 items during fiscal year 2014.

Educational Support. Early Literacy is a high priority, and an area where our library really shines! In FY2014 we increased attendance in Early Literacy programs by more than 151%. Staff made videos of storytime songs and fingerplays, and placed them online where parents and caregivers can access them anytime. We also received a grant from the Illinois State Library to create a new English Literacy Collection, which is expected to be on shelf later this fall. In addition to our Early Literacy initiatives, we have been working to be more

inclusive. Library staff regularly visits and works with Stevenson High School’s Life Skills and Transition special education classrooms. And we have added storytimes and other activities for special needs children and their families to our regular schedule.

Technology. Many of our resources are utilized 24/7. Last year, our website was viewed more than 712,000 times. In-house, we have added the Macintosh platform, and we offer iPads that patrons may check out. We are offering more technology based classes than ever before, plus one-on-one “Advice for Your Device” sessions. Our new media lab opened this summer.

Customer Service. The Community Survey showed that our staff is highly valued by the public. This year we created a new staff recognition program that supports a new “Standards of Service.” We started a new volunteer program this year as well. At the end of FY2014, our Library had 44 volunteers who had donated more than 990 hours of service.

This annual report presents basic library statistics, and helps to illustrate the scope of the resources, programs, and services that we offer to the community.

1

Collection

* Not included: Freegal music downloads, for which an item count is neither feasible nor meaningful. Patrons have access to the whole of the Sony Entertainment catalog of music, comprising hundreds of thousands of songs.

276,338items available for checkout*

23,915new physical items were ordered, processed, and added this year

2

29%

1%33%

22%

3%1% 1% 6%

4%0% Adult Print 79,339

Teen Print 3,798

Youth Print 91,062

eBook & eAudiobooks 60,388

Audiobooks 8,858

Magazines 3,854

eMagazines 2,088

DVD/Blu-ray 15,468

Music 10,676

Other 807

Collection

eBook and downloadable audiobook collection

Physical versus digital items

3

Overdrive eBooks 34,781

Overdrive eAudiobooks 18,936

OneClickdigital eAudiobooks 5,483

3M eBooks 741

eBooks on library devices 447

77% PHYSICAL

There are 213,862 physical items in the library’s collections, and 62,476 digital items*

77%

23%

Physical items

Digital content

Circulation

963,684items borrowed in FY 2013-14

26.8%of physical item checkouts were staff-assisted

92%of all circulation was generated by resident cardholders

4

23%

2%37%

4%

4%

1%1%

21%4%

2%1% Adult Print 218,302

Teen Print 15,700

Youth Print 353,395

eBook & eAudiobooks 42,768

Audiobooks 34,867

Magazines 14,345

eMagazines 12,375

DVD/Blu-ray 206,325

Music CDs 36,553

Music downloads 14,689

Other 14,365

Circulation

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

The library is a net lender.

Physical versus digital borrowing

Print still reigns supreme for books. Digital formats are gaining share for music and magazines.

Print

94% PHYSICAL

Music

71% PHYSICAL

Magazines

54% PHYSICAL

Received Sent out

3254 3300

31,273Vernon Area Public Library District cardholders and 12,948 registered reciprocal borrowers

5

94%

6%

Print & CD Audiobooks

eBooks & eAudiobooks

71%

29%

Music CDs

Music downloads 54%46% Print magazines

eMagazines

327,147visitors to the library*

37,259 computer use sessions

72,715 connections to our Wi-Fi

3,893 study room uses

63,370 reference questions answered

28,143 table games played, crafts made, and other self-directed activities conducted in Youth Services

Facility Use

* Not included: visitors to the Library Annex, attendees at library events at other locations

6

712,899 website pageviews

2,192,656 catalog pageviews

180,772 email reminders and notices sent

14,345 pageviews via the library app

1,497Facebook fans, 1442 Twitter followers, and 555 Pinterest followers

Our Online Gateways

7

8

Summer ReadingSummer Reading Club remains our most popular library-wide initiative. In summer 2013, 458 adults, 305 teens, 1165 school-aged children, and 240 infants and toddlers participated.

Programming

Attendees

323

94

486Adult

Teen

Youth

11,656

2,611

19,892Adult

Teen

Youth

Number of classes, performances, and special events

The community dropped 7975 books into

our new Better World Books collection box. Of those, 71% were

recycled and 29% were reused. None were added to a landfill.

399 pounds of produce were donated

to the St. Mary of Vernon Food Pantry from our library garden,

grown and harvested by volunteer families and groups.

We worked with community partners including

the Lincolnshire Garden Club, Lions Club, Move for Hunger, Lurie

Children’s Hospital, Meals on Wheels, The Pajama Program,

Project Linus, SWALCO, Vernon Township, Von Sydow Movers,

Zenegler Cleaners, and others to provide opportunities for patrons

to give back to the local community through Food for Fines, the

Glass Slipper prom dress collection, a pajama and bedtime book

collection, Reuse-a-Shoe, Toys for Tots, and various family service

projects.

44 volunteers gave 990 hours

of their time. Their contributed labor is valued at $23,839.

Community Involvement

9