5.8. LIBSR 05-24-2016 Library Services Cbadnabr Report
To: Elle River Library Board
CC: Brandi Canter, PSS
From: Will Hollerich, LSC
Date: May, 2016
High $5 Update
In March I told you about our month-long annual fundraiser High 5. This year we had an
incredible $734 in donations at Elk River, half of which ($367) stays in this branch's gift fund
and half of which goes to region-wide services.
Elk River was fifth-ranked among GRRL's branches in amount donated (preceded by St. Cloud,
Delano, Waite Park and Buffalo). Our branch received a total of 66 donations, averaging $11.12
each — over twice the $5 suggested amount. All told, GRRL raised $14,120.90 from 1,023
donations, over $7,000 of which went to branches.
Summer Reading Program 2016: "Read for the Win!"
Studies show students can lose two months of grade-level equivalency in reading achievement
when they do not engage in educational activities over summer, a phenomenon termed "summer
learning loss." (Visit www.SummerLearning.org/?page=know_the_facts for more details and
citations.)
This summer, kids, teens and even babies can participate in Great River Regional Library's
"Read for the Win" Summer Reading Program at a branch near them for up to nine weeks
through August 13. Starting June 13, participants can sign up free to track their time spent
reading (for babies, being read to/doing other literacy-related activities) and earn incentives like
a brand-new children's, Young Adult, or picture book and be entered to win bigger prizes. Daily
activities, displays and decorations will be inspired by the games/sports/Olympics theme of this
year's program. Elk River's SRP is supported in part by the Friends of the Elk River Library.
A special treat this year is that Elk River native and local magician Nathan Stockwell will be the
SRP Celebration performer at half of GRRL's 32 branches. His "Family Comedy Magic Show"
will be held 10:30-11:15 am on Monday, June 20. It is ideal for preschoolers through 5th graders,
but all ages are welcome.
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May 18, 2016
Junior Master Gardeners
A new pilot 11-week program series will be held on library grounds is planned for this summer
in cooperation the Sherburne County Master Gardeners program of the University of Minnesota
Extension office at Sherburne County Government Center.
The programs will be held every Thursday between June 16 and August 25, from 1:00 pm to
2:00 pm on the library grounds (or in the Community Meeting Room in case of rain). It is
intended for ages 6-12, free like all library programs, and each session must be registered for
individually.
Participating children will learn about gardening through activities, lessons, and touring the
library's butterfly garden, rain garden and native prairie grass. Visitors to the class may include
experts like an arborist, a county soil and water commissioner, and the City's Parks
Superintendent.
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Librarian's Report to Elle River Friends of the Library (May 2016)
What's Up?
• Final count of March High 5 Donations: Elle River received 66 gifts totaling $734 (we keep
$367) for an average donation of$11.12, more than twice the suggested $5 amount! We were
5th among 32 branches for dollars donated. Regionally, branches averaged getting 31 gifts per
branch, with an average gift amount of$13.80. GRRL earned $14,000 total, about 20%
more than last year.
• Spectrum 6th graders led by their English teacher Kristin Rogers visited our library the
second time this year in April. Students cleaned the easy picture book bins, board book room
shelves, and other parts of the children's section to prepare for the Summer Reading
Program.
• Author Alida Winternheimer gave a writing workshop for teens and adults called "Here
There Be Monsters," focusing on monster fiction and using examples from classic literature.
Attendance was low (8) but it got high marks from the 3 attendees who left us feedback.
• Another 3-year contract was signed with St. Cloud Area RSVP (Retired and Seniors
Volunteer Program) after Will met with the director Lisa Braun in early April. They have
provided us a stable base of volunteers for years; most of our branch's volunteers come
through RSVP.
• Tri-CAP (the Tri-County Action Program of Sherburne, Stearns and Benton Counties) has
been basing their Sherburne County Outreach Specialist Jen Lamont in one of our study
rooms every Monday, 10-3, for the last five months since November. This was a pilot basis
and she's now moving semi-permanently to a desk in the Sherburne County Government
Center.
• Thanks to the great work of Pam, Jenny, Monica, and more, the unclassified paperbacks
have been well-pruned and moved to the new rotating shelves. There is a bit less space. I did
a rough count and would estimate there are around 350 titles out there and about as many
removed.
• If you are in the staff work room behind the desk(or the meeting room/Friends book sale
storage area)you will notice some furniture has been cleared out. Thank you Jim from the
City and Pam and Jenny from staff for figuring out what had to go and helping us move it.
There is now more room for fixtures in usable condition like the new standing station!
• ER Library Assistant Substitute Judy Doty was promoted to a permanent (regularly
scheduled)position as Library Assistant in the Monticello branch. She was with us almost 2
years. Along the same lines, former ER volunteer Mary Cornelius (who had been working
as an Aide in St. Michael since June 2015) was hired in March by our Big Lake branch.
What's Coming Up?
• Summer Reading Program 2016: "Read for the Win" (sports/games theme)
Monday, June 13 Saturday, August 13
for Babies (ages 0-3), Kids (age 3-12/6th grade), and Teens (6th-12th grades)
o Details: Kids, teens and babies can sign up as soon as it begins June 13. Kids and teens will
track their reading throughout the roughly two month program. If they complete just five
hours (or four hours for teens) of reading, they can turn in their first reading record/coupon
for a prize. More prizes and greater chances to win the grand prize are available for every
additional slip they turn in. Babies' parents complete 20 play- and literacy-related activities
over the nine week program to receive a prize.
o Local magician and Elk River regular patron Nathan Stockwell will be the Summer Reading
Program Celebration performer at half of GRRL's 32 branches! His "Family Comedy Magic
Show" at ER will be from 10:30 — 11:15 am on Monday, June 20, and is idea for
preschoolers through kids in 5th grade, but all ages are welcome.
• Junior Master Gardeners: A new 11-week series of programs will be held on the library
grounds this summer in cooperation with the Sherburne County Master Gardeners program
of the University of Minnesota Extension office at Sherburne County Government Center.
0 1:00 pm—2:00 pm on Thursdays, June 16 —August 25
o Ideal for ages 6-12, but all ages will be welcome
o The original plan was to have kids learn to plant, grow, and harvest plants from a
Master Garden (the library's butterfly garden) with activities, lessons and projects on
the rain gardens (in case of rain, meeting in the library's community room).
o As we have developed the idea with help from Gardens of Eden's Liz Lewis and
GRRL's Beth Ringsmuth-Stolpman, we are expecting about 75% of the programs to
be outdoors and the rest indoors, but not at all off-site. We hope to have the kids
explore the library grounds to learn about the butterfly gardens, native prairie grass
and rain gardens every week. Visitors to class are expected to include the City's new
Parks Maintenance Supervisor and a County Soil and Water Commissioner.
o [Donating vegetables from the butterfly garden was determined against because of
mosquito spraying done by the city there. Going off-site even to visit Oak Savannah
Park was impossible due to the library system's insurance liabilities through MCIT]
For the Friends:
• Thank you for all of your work on the spring book sale! It was great to hear you did even
better than the last two sales!!
• You'll need to select some books for your book club discussion choices for the coming year!
Maybe this can happen at the June dinner out occasion?
• Various members have proposed an updated FOL Contacts sheet in the past few months, but
I've kept forgetting to suggest you add it to your agenda. (For September's meeting?)
• ER HS Awards Dinner is 7:00 pm, Wednesday, May 11 at Zabee Theater (Diane & Roxanne
attending). Winners: Brianna Anderson, Alexa Filipiak, Madison Reichert.
Librarian's Report to ER FOL —May 2016—Addenda
SRP Prizes Fund: $1,000?
In addition to the $2,000 from anonymous donor, which is strictly for books
($0 have been approved for SRP since last summer)
Clarification on Chamber of Commerce Membership:
My intent was for this to be a membership for the Elk River Public Library (library branch), not
the Friends of the Elk River Library specifically. It seemed to me some Friends were thinking it
would be for the FOL, not the library. Is what I had in mind alright? Please confirm.
(Up to $375 for this was approved by FOL at April's meeting.)
Toddler Time Replacement!
Sandra Lea Welton who for years has given Monday's weekly Toddler Time storytime for
fifteen 18-36 month olds is retiring this summer.
Do you know any recently retired elementary educators in the area who would be interested in
replacing her? If so, please ask them to send their resumes ASAP to < williamhggrrl.lib.mn.us >
Will will be sending a lengthier more detailed e-mail about this to Friends, Board, staff, later this
week
1,000 BBK Fund: $250?
To cover any expenses as the program continues
(Last approval was for $200 in September 2015)
Microwave: $100?
Small-size from Target
To replace existing one which is rusty
Bookends