Chester Springs Library

TO SERVE THE AREA BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO MATERIALS, SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING, EARLY LITERACY, LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES, INDIVIDUAL GROWTH, AND CONNECTIONS THAT BUILD A HEALTHY AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT: IN 2021 FUNDS SPENT ON COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED TO REFLECT WHAT OUR LIBRARY USERS WANTED TO READ, VIEW, AND LISTEN TO. THAT INCLUDED PRINT MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF BOOKS AND MAGAZINES; MUSIC AND BOOKS ON CDS; VIDEOS ON DVDS AND BLU-RAY; AND DOWNLOADABLE E-BOOKS, E-AUDIOBOOKS AND E-MAGAZINES. ITEMS WERE CHOSEN BASED ON PATRON REQUESTS, POPULARITY, CURRENT HOLDS RATIOS, TRENDS, CALENDAR EVENTS, LOCAL INTERESTS, BEST SELLER LISTS, LOCAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM, NEW RELEASES, AND/OR AVAILABILITY. THE PREVIOUS YEAR SAW A RISE IN INTEREST FOR E-MATERIAL, BUT AS COVID CASES DECLINED AND PEOPLE BEGAN TO SPEND TIME AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES AGAIN, PHYSICAL BOOK USE INCREASED. END-OF-YEAR STATISTICS REFLECTED A 23.7% INCREASE IN PHYSICAL MATERIAL USE AND A 9.8% DECREASE IN E-MATERIAL USE. TOTAL CIRCULATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS FOR 2021 WAS 48,563, A 5% INCREASE IN TOTAL CIRCULATION COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

LIBRARY PROGRAMS: IN THE BEGINNING OF 2021, LIBRARY PROGRAMMING WAS STILL AFFECTED BY COVID 19. WE WORKED HARD TO KEEP THINGS FRESH, INVITING, AND INNOVATIVE WHILE DELIVERING PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY. WE CONFIGURED WAYS TO USE OUR 65 SMART TV, A LAPTOP, A WEB CAMERA, AND AN IPAD ALL AT ONCE TO GIVE VIEWERS MULTIPLE ANGLES TO SEE AND FOLLOW DURING PROGRAMS. THESE TECHNIQUES WORKED WELL FOR A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING COOKING AND CRAFTING EVENTS. WE HAD OUR FIRST ONLINE COOKING CLASS IN JANUARY. OUR VIRTUAL HOSTESS (AND LIBRARY VOLUNTEER) LED PARTICIPANTS FROM HER KITCHEN, IN MAKING BREAD-IN-A-BAG, AND HOMEMADE BUTTER WHILE EVERYONE'S DOUGH ROSE. AFTER THAT WE EXPLORED MORE ONLINE COOKING - DECORATING CUPCAKES, MAKING CAT AND DOG COOKIES, AND HOSTING A PIE-MAKING SERIES ON FACEBOOK. ALL DONE BY OUR PROGRAMMING ASSISTANT. WE ALSO CREATED POWERPOINT TEMPLATES FOR ONLINE EDUCATIONAL AND FAMILY EVENTS INCLUDING A WINTER BIRDS STEM CLASS, A BINGO GAME, AND A TRIVIA PARTY FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE IN THE AFTERNOON. WHEN SUMMER ARRIVED, AND COVID CASES DECLINED, WE PARTNERED WITH WEST PIKELAND TOWNSHIP'S PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE TO OFFER A SERIES OF VIRTUAL ANIMAL PROGRAMS. WE WERE ALSO VERY EAGER TO HOLD IN-PERSON PROGRAMS AGAIN, AND WERE NOTABLY ONE OF THE FIRST LIBRARIES IN CHESTER COUNTY TO DO SO. WE USED A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR OUR IN-PERSON EVENTS - SERVE MULTIPLE AGES, EXTEND THE PROGRAM'S LENGTH OF TIME TO STAGGER ARRIVALS, ASK ADULTS TO HELP THEIR CHILD IF NECESSARY, USE THE BIG SCREEN TV FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND DEMONSTRATING, HOLD EVENTS OUTSIDE OR IN THE LARGEST AREA OF THE LIBRARY FOR MAXIMUM AIR CIRCULATION, AND FOLLOW CURRENT CDC GUIDELINES. WE SUCCESSFULLY PRESENTED PROGRAMS INDOORS, OUTDOORS, AND VIRTUALLY DURING THE SUMMER, AND FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR 2021 LIBRARY PROGRAMS. IN TOTAL, THERE WERE 304 PROGRAMS WITH AN ATTENDANCE OF 4,410. ALL OUR PROGRAMS WERE FUN, EDUCATIONAL, MOTIVATING, AND MET OR EXCEEDED PA STATE STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION. PATRONS TOLD US HOW MUCH THEY ENJOYED THEM, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING LIKE THEM AT ANY OTHER LIBRARIES DURING 2021, AND WERE SO GLAD WE OFFERED THEM.

LIBRARIES TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES (LTC): IN MARCH 2021, THE LIBRARY WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF 300 LIBRARIES IN THE NATION TO PARTICIPATE IN LIBRARIES TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES: FOCUS ON SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES, AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION INITIATIVE TO HELP LIBRARY WORKERS BETTER SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE LIBRARY PARTNERED WITH WEST PIKELAND TOWNSHIP'S ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (EAC) TO HOLD THREE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY; WITH GOALS OF INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IT IS, WHY IT IS IMPORTANT, AND HOW IT CAN BE ADOPTED BY THE MUNICIPALITY, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND RESIDENTS. THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WHERE WELL ATTENDED, INFORMATIONAL, AND INSPIRING. THEY GENERATED THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION AMONG RESIDENTS, AND ENHANCED THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND LIBRARY AWARENESS. PARTICIPATION IN THE LTC INITIATIVE INCLUDED TRAINING FOR THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR VIA A FACILITATION SKILLS E-COURSE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND USING PROJECT OUTCOME. PROJECT OUTCOME IS A FREE ONLINE TOOLKIT FOR LIBRARIES THAT MEASURES THE IMPACT OF PROGRAMS AND ANALYZES OUTCOMES. PARTICIPATION ALSO INCLUDED GRANT FUNDS TO PURCHASE RELATED COLLECTION MATERIAL, A DISPLAY WALL FOR AN INFORMATION AREA IN THE LIBRARY LOBBY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EQUIPMENT, AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTING THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. THE ENDEAVOR WAS AN ALL-AROUND SUCCESS AND SPARKED NEW PROJECTS TO WORK ON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EAC.