Librarian's Report for April 2007

April has lived up to its tradition of being a slow month for MGPL. The Statistical Analysis gives the fuller story. We have also come full circle from removing the fee on Feature Film materials and the slowing growth in circulation reflects that. This is also a month where a greater than usual number of library cards expire and are not made up by new cardholders. We will have to see if May produces its usual turn around.

Welcome to both the new and returning Trustees! The newly elected Trustees have set a record for Morton Grove Library Board elections finishing 1st, 3rd and 4th compared to all candidates running in the Village. Such a strong turn out for a Library election is a good indicator that the citizens of Morton Grove value their Library.

The Board, once vacancies are filled, will consist almost equally of new and experienced members. This is an opportunity to tackle the challenges of the next few years with a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective.

The Morton Grove Public Library has several important challenges I feel the Board must deal with during this term. None of them are insurmountable and all have been considered and debated and studied by the Board before.

1. Improve public engagement with the Library. Over the past 18 months every statistic that represents patron use of this Library has gone up except one. The percentage of population with a Library Card has remained almost exactly the same. There has been steady turnover, but the number of people departing (not renewing their cards) and the number of new cardholders have matched over the long term.

2. What to do about the Library building. There has been a long period of study and discussion on this issue. Last year the Village offered the possibility of an alternative location. While that did not pan out, the public debate on the Library, its needs and the TIF district did much to educate the public on the limitations of the current building. The public workshop on the TIF placed a new library building as a tie for first place with senior housing.

3. Fund raising for capital and special projects. The Library has never engaged in a program to develop donors or giving in support of special projects. Public art, a speaker’s series, laptops for training and circulation, remodeling of the auditorium are all projects with visible results that can tie residents more closely to their library.

4. Development of a Friends Group. The creation and nurturing of a group of civic minded, library loving people who can assist the Board and staff in promoting this institution will have a positive long term effect on our connection to the community.

I think you will agree that each of the above items is tied into each other. A new building has been a priority for several years. The achievement of that goal requires strong ties to a public who are users of their library and understand its unique and important role as a public institution. Cultivation of that relationship can only be helped by an active Friends Groups and by opportunities for the public to contribute directly to Library improvements and services that address their needs and desires.

An involved, energetic group of Trustees is the only way to master these challenges. The staff of the Library is willing and capable of assisting in any way possible. This is going to be an interesting Spring and Summer.