Keene Valley Library Annual Meeting

 (programs, purchases, grants and comments)

 

This report can only begin with a great appreciation for the on-going support and work of the Library board.  I will say it 70 times 7.  We know you stand behind us and are grateful to know you are there!  And I want to give applause and appreciation to the staff and volunteers who make a solid, giving, spirited team.  They make our library a warm and welcoming place, a refuge from rain and chaos.

In no particular order:

 

Elizabeth R., Margaret H., Liz C., Stephanie  T, Dre R., Cloe S

 Mary M.  (covering books), Sandy B., Jamie M. (tea maker)

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Summer has been busy.  It always is.

 

We have had a wonderful and informative lecture series. Our weekly quilting, meditation and Mah-jongg groups are continuing to meet.  We co-sponsored the Music from the Back Porch concert series and hosted a special song-writing workshop featuring Dar Williams. We will carry this activity into the fall with a series of poetry programs featuring Theresa Bui and Martha Gallagher, followed by hands-on poetry writing workshops.

Programs seemed to anchor the weeks, but we were also busy with circulation and busy as a center for computer access, busy as a gathering place for children’s activities and of course for our signature Teatime at Eleven.

 

One of the most significant purchases this year has been the Media Booths.  Our original intention was to offer patrons a place of privacy for cell phone calls and to maintain a quiet workspace for others who are not involved in the call.  The usage has been much more innovative.  Patrons have taken flute lessons, given workshops, taken classes and tests, recorded books, and had job interviews.  The usage has been varied and will be long-lasting.

 

Another of our significant investments is our subscription to a computer maintenance company, LayerEight.  Patrons think “books” when they describe a library, but that is only about half the reality. Our library, any library today, is about access to the technology world.  People use our library for internet access, to print documents and boarding passes, to register for classes and programs, to connect to banking and commerce,  and to stay connected through email. It is important that our computer networks be safe, secure and working smoothly.  We have provided and updated our technology since 1982, adding cable and wi-fi in the last 20 years.  As our technology footprint grew we worked hard to understand, repair and upgrade our computers and networks.  This year, 2024, we could no longer keep up.  Our networks were tangled, our printers and computers were not communicating, and patrons were feeling the effects of the breakdown.  We tried several solutions, including accepting help from individuals; We finally found a service that is dedicated to helping small businesses meet their technology needs, Layer Eight.  The cost is about $3000 a year, but LayerEight has already rebuilt our network system, installed new equipment and seen us through several issues.  They respond promptly when called and will go over all our computers to make sure we have the programs and protections we need.  Our anxiety level was greatly reduced.

 

We received several grants for programming this year.  I applied to the ALCA (Adirondack Lakes Council on the Arts), partnering with the town, asking for money for the Music From the Back Porch series;  We had an attendance of about 375, realizing it was rainy 4 Wednesdays out of 5.

We received a grant for the Dar Williams song-writing workshop , also from ALCA.

A grant of $600 was given to us from ECAC(Essex County Arts Council for poetry programs

And we received a mini-grant of $200 from CEF  for the book-drop painting workshop.+

 

So the last section of the director’s report is “comments”.  I have a few.

The mission of the Keene Valley Library is to connect people to ideas, experiences, information, and the community in a comfortable, welcoming setting. We strive to do this through:

• Providing adults and children with a collection of current and relevant books, other media, and local Adirondack historical resources;

• Providing an inviting and lively cultural center for community events;

• Evolving as our community grows and technology advances.

 

With a look to the future: Twenty-three years ago, when I began as director, I could not have imagined what the library would look like or need today.  The same lack of prophecy is still true for the next twenty years, but there are some constants. In twenty years, the library will still have books; Children will still be found exploring the stacks, and patrons will still be greeted by staff with warm welcomes.  That is our core.  We adapt to meet the changing needs of the community, but the seeds of this change are already here. Our position as a place for people to meet and groups to gather will grow; our community space is already well-used and people continue to discover this resource. 

I also believe libraries, in particular Keene Valley Library, will whole-heartedly and actively embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We walk the talk and openly commit to welcoming everyone.  We will be called on to be the most democratic of institutions and we will step into that role.  We do not measure the success of the library in number of books circulated; we are full-spirited and committed to our mission.  We blend tradition and new ideas. It is hard to measure the success of those goals in numbers.

 

One area of focus this year will be on the archives, blending tradition and innovation. KV Library plays a role in preserving cultural and historical records for the town. There is a firm foundation of archival preservation established by Peg O’Brien, Dotty Irving, Pat Galeski and Nina Allen.  Elizabeth Rogers and Margaret Hawthorn continue in that tradition.  Elizabeth can further elaborate on their work, but this year I would like to move to add another level component to our historical records.

 

Archivists add articles and information to family and individual folders in the Vertical File.  The archivists are thorough and search out sources for the file.  I am concerned because we have not significantly added to the names of individuals and families in the vertical file, even though the town population has grown and there are many new and varied events happening.  We alos have collected stories, but have no information on the tellers or characters of the story.

 

So one issue of concern is adding new people to represent our place in history today.  We want to represent; a) not just with known friends of the library and b) we do not want to stuff the file with people who may be just passing through our town or who are telling a story for a high school class that may not have historical significance.  Another issue is where information is found.  It is a practice in the library, to search the newspaper for articles on the families or events, but currently, much information is available on line or in newsy outlets like NextDoor Keene.

I am proposing a program to do this, a draft program that will need many tweaks and adjustments.  I propose using a form, similar to the info box of Wikipedia, with some basic information, filing that form in a temporary file.  As information is found or research done, it can be added to the folder and inserted in the vertical file.  If nothing significant is added, the file can be discarded.

 

We have asked the person who collects stories for My Adirondack story to complete the form as part of the intake.  We have discussed the issue, informally, with library patrons asking for suggestions of people or events to be included in the temporary file.   Virginia Eubanks, a political writer and professor, a resident of Troy, NY, contacted us and is looking to volunteer in our archives and is interested in this project in particular.  She enjoys this type of research.  So I think procedures and persons and needs are aligning for this project to create a good beginning.  Suggestions and comments are welcome.

 

 

-------- August 19, 2024                                 Submitted by Karen Glass

 

Smaller projects on the horizon:

• Reorganize magazine display  (capital project)  $700

• Book swap/sale:  partnering with Church, benefitting food mission

• Children/maker-space pop-ups

• Grant for KCS library program

• Using Canva and Mail Chimp to promote library