City of South Pasadena Library Board of Trustees
2009 Annual Report to the City Council
April 17, 2010
The local community was clearly extremely supportive of South Pasadena Public Library during 2009, not only to drive up the sizeable increases in its service provision performance indicators, but just as importantly, with the outstanding 79.9% approval of the Library’s Measure L Parcel Tax Measure during the November election.
The Library’s overall circulation of materials for FY 2008/2009 climbed beyond 400,000 for the first time as it jumped by a very healthy 8.9% from FY 2007/2008. The biggest increases were reflected in checkouts of adult compact discs (96.22%) and DVDs (53.92%). In contrast, children’s CD circulation was up by over 22% for the same period, although curiously, children’s DVD circulation was down markedly (36.41%). More significantly, substantial gains were also seen in the annual circulation of books for children (5.93%) and adults (2.91%). This is particularly significant because the circulation of books comprises about 75% of Library checkouts overall, or more than 295,000 out of about 405,000.
In-house use of materials (that occur when an item such as a magazine or newspaper in read in the building but not checked out) rose from 130,199 in 07/08 to 141,793 in 08/09, a substantial 8.91% spike. In-house usage is not counted along with overall circulation, but nevertheless, this statistic demonstrates increasingly large numbers of items are being read in the Library itself. The registration of library cardholders was also on the rise and 4,034 individuals signed up for new cards in 08/09, an 8.91% increase from the previous year. The exit gate count, which tallies each time a visitor exits the front door of the Library, was 273,667 for 08/09, a 4.81% increase over the prior annual period.
Children’s Services presented 315 enriching programs during 2008/2009 attended by 21,366 youngsters, a 7.73% uptick from program attendance for 07/08. The programs included a broad range of storytimes for various age groups, craft workshops, concerts, journalism classes, and many other enjoyable and educational events. The 2009 Summer Reading Program attracted 2,458 registrants, an 8% increase over the previous year. The 2009 Summer Reading Club participants read for 1,188,215 minutes, up from 966,802 minutes in 2008. 50 young volunteers also helped the program run smoothly. All of the Library’s volunteers were honored by the Library Board of Trustees with financial help from the Friends at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon in April, featuring a keynote presentation by patriotic poet Bruce Sievers. A Proclamation from the City Council was presented during the proceedings by then-Mayor David Sifuentes as he thanked the dedicated corps of volunteers for their contribution of more than 11,000 work hours the preceding year.
In January the Library’s Author Night series presented Edgar Award-winning mystery author and South Pasadena High School graduate, Naomi Hirahara and the combo of acclaimed jazz trumpeter and South Pasadena resident Elliott Caine. The popular monthly series continued through December when Kevin Nelson discussed his latest release Wheels of Change: The Amazing Story of California and the Automobile. Cottage Industry, a South Pasadena garage, band opened the show with a driving set of car songs.
During the intervening months the Library also presented an impressive slate of other authors including Brian Castro, Denise Hamilton, John Dean, Margit Liesche, and Chip Davis & South Pasadena’s William Kelly, whose Smogtown is subtitled “The Lung Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles.” In August South Pasadena resident Kay Mouradian and her historical novel A Gift in the Sunlightwere showcased, along with live Armenian music, to a full house as well. Several months before the Library and the Friends partnered with the South Pasadena Chinese-American Club and the Friends to present “FOB” a play written by nationally-known playwright David Henry Hwang and performed by the Theatre for Youth Program of East West Players. In October the Library again joined forces with the Chinese-American Club to present the Moon Festival which was held in the Library Park for the first time. Lisa Yee, a South Pasadena author of many top-selling children’s and teen titles made a speaking appearance during the day-long affair.
For Halloween, the Full Circle Opera Project of Students from Los Angeles High School for the Arts collaborated with the Library for two well-attended performances of The Medium by Menotti. Also, in October, using a grant from the Living History Centre, the Library presented award-winning actor Michael Broughton as “Beckwourth,” the African-American explorer and adventurer who was commemorated on a U.S. Postage stamp. Throughout the year the Restoration Concert Committee of the Friends presented their enormously popular classical and jazz Restoration Concert series which, through the years, has both heightened the image of the Library as well as South Pasadena as a whole as a cultural center. The series has also raised large sums of money for Community Room improvements.
Phase I of the Library’s Exterior Beautification Project was installed and a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the City Council and about 75 others was conducted outside the Library’s main entrance on Oxley Street on one of the hottest days of the summer. It featured opening remarks from the Mayor and several other members of the City Council, live classical music from South Pasadena’s AlmaNova, and a demonstration from the South Pasadena Juggling Club. The project was 2 years in the making and members of the Library and Public Works staffs, the Cultural Heritage Commission, the Friends, the Rotary Club of South Pasadena, South Pasadena Beautiful, the Library Board of Trustees, and LandSpaces Landscape Design formed the Committee. The project, utilizing funds from the Carole Kretzer Estate, South Pasadena Beautiful, the Public Library Fund of the California State Library, the City of South Pasadena, and other sources brought a sculpture, many large urns, flowers, trees, shrubs, park benches, and decorative waste containers to the Library entryway area and extended the reading and studying areas of the facility farther beyond its walls. A Committee to work on Phase II has already been formed. It’s also well worth noting that the plans for the Library’s ADA ramp for the Community Room were approved by the Cultural Heritage Committee after a pair of preliminary review by a specially-appointed subcommittee.
During 2009 the Library also launched its Latino Cultural collection, an up-to-date assortment of books in English and Spanish for all ages on Hispanic history and culture. It also continued the Raising Abilities collection, a partnership with the Kiwanis Club of South Pasadena and the Institute for the Redesign of Learning that has added a wealth of books for young and old on autism and related conditions. The Golden State Collection was also continued with the support of the Rotary Club of South Pasadena. With it the Library was able to add 50 new books on California-related topics to its collection.
The Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, an all-volunteer support group of more than 700 dues-paying members and a 17 member Board of Directors provided more than $80,000 in support for the Library during 2009. Their main forms of revenue are their 7-day a week bookstore and their wide-reaching membership drive and using the funds the Friends subsidized a steady stream of programs and events for library users of all ages, including the Summer Reading Program, Author Nights, and the Book Discussion Series. They also purchased much needed signage, furniture, books, CDs, and a variety of computer equipment .
The overwhelming passage of the Measure L Library Parcel Tax Initiative (for the fourth time!) during the November 2009 election was a solid vote of confidence from the community and will bring approximately $230,000 -- or about 14% of its budget-- to the Library for each of the next few years. The nearly 80% approval margin was easily the highest of any public library tax initiative in California on the November ballot and generated calls from libraries as far away as Philadelphia asking how such a high approval rating could be achieved during such challenging economic times. The credit for the success of the measure belongs to many groups and individuals including the Friends of the South Pasadena Library, the Library Staff, many dozens of volunteers, the Measure L Committee, the City Council and City staff, and legions of local users with special acknowledgment of the voters and taxpayers.
The year ended on numerous high notes with Maida Lin Wong, longtime Children’s Librarian being honored with one of the City’s two Employee of the year awards at the City’s Holiday Luncheon. Volunteer Extraordinaire Dorothy Cohen, a former Mayor and one of the founders of the Friends of the Library Bookstore, was accorded two of the highest awards during November’s California Library Association Annual Conference in Pasadena: the President’s Award from CLA and the California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners’ Award for In-Kind Contributions. Through the years Dorothy has served on the Board of the Friends of the South Pasadena Library, the Library Exterior Beautification Committee, the Library’s History Book Committee, and as Chair of the 10-member Bookstore Committee. She is also one of the founders of the Bookstore that has run very smoothly to help the Library since 1982.
In the latter months of 2009 the Library, together with the Friends and the Library Board of Trustees coordinated plans to accept, display, and unveil two beautiful and valuable paintings by deceased South Pasadena artist Zolita Sverdlove donated in her honor. During the last days of December, the Library was notified that the Friends’ grant applications to the Helix Foundation requesting financial support for children’s programs and a free film showing of Disney’s Ray Bradbury film “Something Wicked This Way Comes” was approved.
The Library also received word that the Friends’ grant application to the Rotary Club of South Pasadena to start the Life Fitness Collection, an updated array of books and DVDs for all ages on sports, exercise, and fitness was approved. The Friends will match the $1,000 grant and in early 2010 the project will employ outreach measures through the South Pasadena-San Marino YMCA, the South Pasadena Little League, South Pasadena AYSO, and many other community organizations. The project will not only improve the health of many South Pasadena residents, but will also enable the Library to reach deeper into the fabric of the community.
As 2009 drew to a close, it was abundantly clear that South Pasadena has a strong Library that had a very good year --and more fundamentally, a population of avid Library users and supporters.
Annual Report 2009
Annual report 2008
Annual report 2007
Annual Report 2006 |
