Keene Valley Library

Director’s report, from the Annual Meeting Aug 22, 2022

Summer 2022:    Months of June, July and August to 8/21/22, 12 weeks

​

Answers the question, What was summer like at the library?

​

Basic numbers:

 

• Keene / Keene Valley Library was open 6 days a week, 49 hours each week.

• 3,664 people entered the library

• 1,793 books circulated, about 150 per week. Last year was about 120 per week.

• We hosted 6 Monday lectures, a total attendance of 205 people.  The largest attendance, with over 70 people, was a panel discussion on diversity in the Adirondacks, sponsored by ATIS.

​

Summer Programs

• Toddler story time with Farrah Whitney

• Older student activities with F. Whitney

• Painting with Patrice

• Abstract art appreciation with Mike Kaz

• Memory Café: dancing with Ellen Fisher

• Mah Jong Lessons

• Kids’ Celebration Day activities

• Pop-up library summer camp

• Lecture on WE Dubois-R. Harsh

• Resume workshop

• Reading Bingo

• Tea time

• Monday Quilting group

• Friday Meditation group

• Thursday book group

• Diversity book shelf

 

 

Community space Use

 

• EBFA drumming night

• Age[friendly task force

• Teen DnD

• Van Gogh class

• LGBQIA movie nights

• Book and Blanket Drama amp

• WCAX taping

• Youth Commission training

• Youth Commission cool/dry venue

• Housing Committee

• ADK story Project celebration

• Little Peaks meeting

 

We try to do all of this in an efficient, welcoming way, staying within budget and mindful of staff energies

 

More important, but less specific is our presence in the community.

• We circulate books, music , films, audio books, food dehydrators, sewing machines

• We are a place for people for study, work, and teach.   

• We are a place for people to play games and build puzzles

• We are a place of respite from the heat  and from stress

• We are a place to meet friends and have a cuppa tea

• We are a place to find technology solutions

• We are a place where people come to do art and crafting

• We are a place  where the community can offer community events and hold meetings;

• Informally, we are a visitor’s center where we offer museum passes, information on hiking and paddling and information on summer activities in the area.

• We maintain a fern garden, patio and flower garden, where patrons can enjoy an outdoor library experience.

• We are a place that celebrates diversity in literature and programs

• ​

We can do all that………….because of a most amazing, energetic, competent staff, anyone of whom could take over and run the library tomorrow, including the 17-year old.  We work as a team, supporting each other, teaching each other, and caring about the library and about each other together.  I could write an entire annual report on their importance to the library.

 

• Aaron Miller:  Keene Library director and IT person at the library

• Liz Coccia, asst. Library director

• Elizabeth Rogers, archivist

• Margaret Hawthorn, archivist asst.

• Aidan Durant, clerk

• Sandy Burke, support staff

• Nancy MacArthur, support staff

• Elizabeth Valovic, grounds keeper

 

 

We can also do all that .because we have a generous volunteer base and wonderful, supportive patrons.

Goals for 2022-23

• Inventory, catalog, organize the many art pieces in the library

• Create and “publish” 3 books adults with comprehension challenges

• Build 3 media booths by June of 2023

• “publish” first 100 stories from My Adirondack Story.

• Develop a collection development policy that includes books of diversity and a procedure to challenge books

• ​

Please ask if you want details on

• Keene / Keene Valley Library Partnership

• Library construction grant for Keene Library (2022)

• Or Library construction grant for Keene Valley Library (2023) – Media Booths

• Archives digitization projects

• KCS school program

• Our diversity book shelves