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Home My WebLink About2018-19 PSPL Annual Report Palm Springs Public Library 300 S. Sunrise Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-322-READ (7323) www.palmspringslibrary.org MAIN LIBRARY STATISTICS AT-A-GLANCE  Library Visits/Door Count: 195,520  Circulation/Materials Checked Out: 517,018  Number of eBook Check-outs: 16,244  Public Service Hours: 2,498  Library NEW Card Registrations: 3,821  Public Computer Sessions: 42,894  Public WiFi Sessions: 31,962  Number of Programs (Youth/Teen/ Adult): 281  Number of Program Attendees: 10,511  Number of Volunteer Hours: 3,393  Inter-Library Loans to Others: 842  Inter-Library Loans Requested: 869  Number of Reference Questions (omitting directional): 14,705  Number of Downloaded Music: 11,662 WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY STATISTICS  Library Visits/Door Count: 49,196  Public Service Hours: 4,344  Public Computer Sessions: 23,878  Public WiFi Sessions: 4,054 100 S. Palm Canyon Drive * 760-323-8296 * www.welwoodlibrary.org ANNUAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2018-2019 Once again, we continue to see outstanding numbers of people checking out materials at the Library. Keep reading! We love to see you checking out both physical and digital items. We even added some new digital resources at the end of last fiscal year, July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019, and are investing more funds into our eBook collection through generous gifts from the Library Board of Trustees Trust Fund and Friends of the Palm Springs Library. Your gifts make a difference! We added children’s educational databases, BrainPop and BrainPop, Jr. They are a fun way for children to learn. For all ages, we have added NewsBank from America’s Newspapers, which includes articles from Riverside’s Press Enterprise, Orange County Register, Seattle Times, and even transcripts from TV shows like 60 Minutes, ABC This Week, and Meet the Press. Other resources we have added are Value Line online, DemographicsNow, Archives Unbound, Acorn TV, and Kanopy streaming services. Now you can do even more with your Palm Springs Library card. Just ask a Librarian for assistance or a demonstration. During the past year, our Library began the process of updating our Strategic Plan. Over 70 individuals from a variety of community groups met in January 2019 to help the library focus on the future. From the Strategic Planning retreat came a need for a Building Committee to help determine the location of the library for future decades. Even though the Building Committee met after the end of the fiscal year ‘18 - ’19, I can report that after much deliberation and focused work they unanimously voted to recommend to City Council that they keep the library at the Sunrise Park location. The focus of the Building Committee was to determine the site. Whether the Library is a renovated building, has an addition, or is an entirely new building next door, that is for future groups to decide. We look forward to the next steps in this process. On behalf of the Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Palm Springs Library, Palm Springs Public Library Foundation, and the Library Staff, I thank you for your continued support. We look forward to serving you in the coming years. Discover, Enrich, Enjoy, Connect…Make the Library a Part of Your Life! Jeannie Kays, Director of Library Services IT’S SHOWTIME @ YOUR LIBRARY Summer Reading Program 2019 Our six-week “It’s Showtime at Your Library” summer reading program was record breaking! Participation surpassed last year and registration was up 53% taking us over 1,500 participants! Each week included performers and events for youth, teens, and adults. We also added a Grease sing-a-long event in partnership with the Palm Springs Cultural Center and had a celebrity impersonator appear at the finale event. Through the generosity of a grant from the Anderson Children’s Foundation and the Friends of the Library we were able to once again give each child and teen a free, new book each week and adults received a voucher for a gently used book from the Friends book sale shelves. Acknowledgements must be made to many local businesses and organizations who generously donated gift certificates and merchandise for weekly giveaways, the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission for funds to purchase bikes and helmets, the Friends of the Palm Springs Library for their tireless and generous support, and finally the many volunteers who donated hundreds of hours to make summer reading possible. ANNUAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2018-19 Page 2 TOTAL SIGN-UPS: 1,526 Youth—662 Teen—212 Adult—652 TOTAL COMPLETIONS: 431 TOTAL PROGRAMS: 36 TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 1,946 As the Library looked towards the future the Library Board of Trustees felt that it was important for the Library to endeavor to update and renew it’s strategic plan which had not been done in many years. For this important work a consultant, Library Strategies, was hired. Originally formed from members of the Friends of the St. Paul Library, through the years they have helped guide hundreds of Libraries through the strategic planning process. An important step in this process was to involve residents and members of the community. A community forum meeting was held at the convention center on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. The Library Director, Jeannie Kays presented to the group of about 70 attendees, an update on all the programs and services that the Library currently offers. Then the City Manager, David Ready and City Council members Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstedge each shared opening remarks with attendees talking about future options for the Library. The consultants then lead the group through discussions about the possible library remodel and expansion or new library and lots of input and was gathered. Then the group broke in to smaller focus group discussions on communications, youth and teen services and the library building project. The attendees were comprised of regular library users and residents, community leaders, library volunteers, business owners, members of the Friends of the Palm Springs Library, the Library Board of Trustees and the Library Foundation, as well as other City staff and members of the media. After this session the work continued with the consultants, staff and the Library Board of Trustees on the strategic plan, incorporating the valuable input from the community meeting. After much more work and many reviews the Library’s new strategic plan was final on May 8, 2019 and was posted and is available on the library’s website www.palmspringslibrary.org in the About Us section. We are excited for the new focus and direction that the updated strategic plan gives the library and staff. We have begun implementing many of the items identified in the plan including revamping our teen programs and adding in programs and space specific for tweens, looking for ways to add classroom and study spaces to the existing library, and many other exciting services. New Streaming and Financial Services Added In May 2019 the Library added Acorn TV and Kanopy streaming services and Value Line, a financial database to the extensive list of resources available with your library card. Acorn TV show- cases British TV and films, world-class mysteries, dramas, and comedies. With a 7-day unlimited pass you can watch an unlimited number of episodes all in that 7-day period making it easier to watch a series or “The Great Courses”. All you need is an Internet connection and a desktop or device to watch online. Kanopy is an award-winning video streaming service providing access to more than 30,000 independent and documentary films. Patrons can play 10 episodes a month and the loan period is 72 hours. Patrons can watch from their computer or there is a Kanopy app that is compatible with several streaming devices. Value Line provides online financial and investment tools. Whether you’re a begin- ning investor or a veteran looking for high-impact ideas, Value Line can position you for financial success quickly and easily. Library Strategic Plan & Community Involvement