Mar2017 board report 3 15 17 final 3 16

March 2017 Report to the HCLS Board of Trustees (January 19, 2017 – March 14, 2017)

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ore than 600 people attended Evening in the Stacks: An International Affair! This 20th annual gala set a record $110,000 in revenue, which supplements HCLS’ signature initiatives, such as Battle of the Books.

Guests were greeted by an international array - Dragon Dancers at the entrance who then paraded through the branch and ended with a performance on the dance floor, HCLS staff ambassadors representing 20 different countries in the lobby, and a living Statue of Liberty near the Customer Service + Research Desk. Additional performers included Uncle Sam, a Royal British Guard, two Australians, the Junkyard Saints, Flamenco Dancers, and an African drummer.

Internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi entertained a standing-room-only crowd with stories about her works and life as the daughter of Afghan immigrants.

In addition to strolling the branch decorated as different areas of the world – English pub, Parisian bistro, Cuban dance floor, Moroccan lounge, Page 1 of 22

Icelandic bar – guests enjoyed looking up the ancestry of their last names at a station staffed by HCLS ambassadors, taking photos in the photo booth, bidding on silent auction items, purchasing wine / craft beer pull tickets, and sampling the international menu.

To view the promo video (thank you, Stacie Hunt, for participating!), visit bit.ly/2nFSXN7.

UKULELE CURRICULUM Phase one of our new ukulele curriculum launches July 1. We will offer students of all ages a collection of 24 ukuleles available for borrowing (must be 13 years of age to borrow) at four branches. A second set of 10 “Teaching Tool Ukuleles” will be retained for use by staff for demonstration and teaching purposes.

On hand at all branches will be spare tuners, batteries, and strings. As we finalize the cataloging of the instruments, the Ukulele Committee is planning the initiative’s second phase: a fall line-up of classes. We are also creating a You Toucan Uke video series in which HCLS Instructors will note a brief history of the happy instrument, along with a demonstration of basic cords and strumming.

Sponsor: The Friends of HCLS ($1,000 for the start-up collection of instruments and cases) Committee: Lois Sanders, Accounts Payable Specialist (and ukulele connoisseur), Chair; Gina Clapp, Vera Davies, Cari Gast, Rohini Gupta, Alli Jessing, Carol Lundell, Jessica Protasio, Ruth Vargas, Adrienne Zeroth.

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HCLS HOMEWORK CENTERS Strengthening A+ Partners in Education, HCLS Homework Centers opened at all branches on March 1.

While many students already study at HCLS, this initiative aims to (1) enhance the homework completion experience to maximize student academic success; and (2) inspire students to attain their high school and college diplomas.

During the first few weeks, students studying and completing their homework at HCLS have already: 

Participated in an inspiring, studious environment

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Utilized expert assistance from HCLS Instructor & Research Specialists

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Accessed and borrowed school supplies to help them achieve academic success Enjoyed snacks opening week!

Feedback from students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive.

An aspirational component of the initiative, at the end of each school year, HCLS Homework Center students will receive a certificate and have the opportunity to get their Picture of Success taken.

This A+ Partners in Education initiative is made possible by Keith and Amy Gonce, and Friends of HCLS.

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A+ PARTNERS IN EDUCATION Statistics as of 2/28/17. 189 library cards were processed through the partnership in January and February, including 12 school educator cards (59,435 cards issued since its inception in September 2002). Borrowing using the A+ Educator card for the first two months of 2017 totaled 21,591.

Online Homework Assistance (Brainfuse). Students relied on Brainfuse for homework assistance 871 times in January and 1,250 times in February. Biology and Geometry topped the list of frequently accessed subjects in January, while High School Writing and 9th Grade Reading were favorites in February. Comments included: 

This has done me a world of good. I am personally grateful.

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[The tutor] was a real help to me. Without her I would not have been able to do my homework. Thank you.

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Tutor did great and mentioned other math skills that are important for me to know in order to solve similar problems like this.

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This was very helpful to me because I was behind on my homework a little and the guide helped me figure out my problem in a few minutes.

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I get my homework done better than I did before.

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It’s not some machine that doesn’t explain it. Real people and real teaching.

Teen Time. Students started the calendar year off with a Goal Setting Class where they identified five goals for the year, along with associated measures, planned a President’s Day activity, and continued their work on an Enchanted Garden service project. During February, they celebrated Black History Month with a trivia game, Valentine’s Day with a DIY class, and a Debate performance where they researched and argued opinions of unusual laws in the United State and abroad. Classes during the two months included Let’s Get Cooking; Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds (staying healthy and being informed of one’s health); and Found Art, as well as a Group Talk Discussion and a Cards of Appreciation service project where students created notes of gratitude for their school’s janitors and favorite teachers.

HCLS Spelling Bee 2017. This year’s HCLS Spelling Bee is scheduled for March 17 at Reservoir High School. Sixtyseven schools have enrolled (56 public schools, 9 private schools, and two home school associations). The awards ceremony for the companion BumbleBee will take place the same evening. The joint event begins at 7 pm. Sponsors: BB&T, Friends of HCLS, HCPSS, Josephine B. Scheffenacker Education Trust, and Henry & Nancy Yee. Battle of the Books. Planning for Battle of the Books is in full swing with 288 teams set to participate in the April 21 event. The teams will be divided up to compete in six HCPSS high school venues to handle this tremendous turnout, including Atholton, Long Reach, Marriotts Ridge, Mount Hebron, River Hill, and Wilde Lake. Next up are mandatory logistics meetings which are scheduled for the third week of March. The Presenting Sponsor is The Josephine B. Scheffenacker Education Trust, with additional sponsors the Friends of HCLS, Frank and Yolanda Bruno Fund, Columbia-Patuxent Rotary Club, HCPSS, and M&T Bank.

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HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge: Unfurl a Banner. This year’s Rube Goldberg challenge is to unfurl a banner to celebrate Columbia’s 50th Birthday. Students will be required to incorporate the use of three different simple machines, record a video of their invention while it performs a task, document how they used science, technology, engineering, and math in developing their machine, and submit the video and documents to be judged. Awards for Most Scientific, Most Complex, Most Green, Most Humorous, Most Complicated System, and Community Favorite (videos will be posted online for community viewing and the opportunity to vote for their favorite) will be presented on May 9, 2017 at River Hill High School. The Friends of HCLS and M&T Bank are sponsors.

HiTECH After-School STEM Labs. HiTech continues to offer after-school Open STEM Labs in science, math, programming, digital media, and audio/video. The labs are offered at the Savage and Central Branches with a total lab attendance of 558 students since January.

Attendance at other teen classes for the first two months of the school year was 517.

HiTech Academy. The HiTech Academy offered two site visits attended by a total of 28 students. They visited Asymmetrik and Owen software companies, Howard County General Hospital, and Anatomy Gifts Registry.

Adult Classes. HiTech has held six multi-session classes for adults, including our first two adult classes at the Central Branch, with a total of 65 attendees. In total, as of mid-March, HiTech classes and events have seen 1,168 teens and adults.

SUMMER @ YOUR LIBRARY 2017 This year we are reorganizing summer reading. At the state level, summer reading will be referred to as Summer @ Your Library, with expansion beyond just reading to also include classes and engaging activities – something we have already been doing for years.

Unlike previous years, we will offer one summer reading game for all ages (children/teen/adult). Students of all ages will be able to customize the game to their liking. They will be able to register themselves, and interact with the game online through Beanstack.

In preparation, HCLS instructors tested summer reading in Beanstack, providing feedback to help us with the customization. This will be followed by training for all staff. In addition to this electronic component, we will still have a paper version of the game that will be applicable for all ages.

The summer reading theme is Build a Better World.

As of right now we will have five goal module challenges for the game, whose possible activities include: Page 5 of 22

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Building a Better You o Learn a new hobby or skill o Attend an HCLS class o Listen to an audio book

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Building a Better Planet o Check out and watch a nature documentary from HCLS o Visit the Enchanted Garden o Read a book

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Building Better Friendships o Write a postcard or letter at a writing station in any HCLS branch

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Building a Better Community o Attend a movie night o Read a book by a Maryland author

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Wild Card! o Reread a favorite book o Talk, read, write, sing, play, or listen with a child

The school system provided input for ways to pull students through summer reading all summer long by incorporating things they use in school. We will then be able to promote this in the schools.

This year’s Build a Better Community theme ties in well to Choose Civility’s Kindness Creates Community theme and gives us a number of options for creating engagement opportunities. Goals include to: 1) provide an educational bridge over the summer for K-12 students, 2) engage families/community, 3) increase intellectual growth for students of all ages throughout the summer.

SELF-DIRECTED EDUCATION Most Popular. Holds filled on physical materials in January and February totaled 152,193. A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman (214), Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (210), and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (183), topped the list of “most holds placed” among print titles, while The Accountant (314), Jason Bourne (265), and Deepwater Horizon (253) led for DVDs. 2017 Grammy Nominees (88), Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 60 (60), and 4Ever

by Prince (54) were the most requested music CDs. HCLS Now! statistics for January and February totaled 343,696, including 208,805 eBook checkouts, 37,990 online class sessions, 74,124 visits to online research tools, and 22,777 streaming episodes.  The Economist, The New Yorker, and New Scientist were the most borrowed digital magazines  CompTIA A+ Exam Prep (220-901) Part 5: Networking; Power BI Pro Essential Training; and Lightroom CC Essential Training were the most popular online classes  HeritageQuest (13,148), Ancestry.com (12,823), and Morningstar (3,514) were the most frequently used online research tools

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ArtistWorks. New to the HCLSNow! list of online class providers is ArtistWorks with accomplished Grammy and award-winning teachers who teach instrument play, vocal techniques and art skills. Students of all ages can use ArtistWorks to watch self-paced video classes for a wide variety of instruments, from beginning lessons up to more advanced levels. ArtistWorks' main benefits include: 

Free instruction from accomplished professionals

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Online access available anytime, anywhere

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Courses in everything from piano and guitar to more specialized instruments such as the dobro, mandolin, ukulele, and harmonica

ArtistWorks was specifically chosen for its high-quality lessons and award-winning teachers to support the new ukulele curriculum.

Customers who borrow ukuleles and ukulele sheet music from HCLS can take their skills to the next level by using their HCLS card number and PIN to log in to ArtistWorks and watch ukulele video lessons.

CHOOSE CIVILITY Chapter News. Montville Township Public Library in New Jersey is the latest library system to inquire about becoming a Choose Civility Chapter.

Workplace Committee. We continued moving the development of this new component forward, convening subcommittees and following up with Larry Twele and Leonardo McClarty.

Workplace committee: Ron Nicodemus (Chair); Stacey Fields and Christie Lassen; Mary Schiller and Helen Nixon (HCPSS); Taylor Kimble (HoCo Economic Development Authority); Mary Wilson (HCC); Sharon Windham and Wanda Hutchinson (HoCo Government); Ron Meliker (CA); Cindi Mitchell (AttivaSoft); Katherine Mooney (Right-Resources); Brenda McChriston (Spectrum HR Solutions) Community Dialogue Circles: Speak from the heart. Listen from the heart. Choose Civility and the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center are hosting a series of Dialogue Circles to help the community discuss divisive issues in a respectful and productive manner. Presented in partnership with the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center at Howard Community College and #OneHoward, these sessions allow participates to share ideas, listen, and be heard in a small group setting. The dialogue process is guided by trained facilitators (called Circle Keepers) who introduce thoughtful questions into the circle and ensure that all participants have an opportunity to engage and be heard.

Through the power of dialogue, all participants address the conflict collectively to identify and address harm, needs, and obligations in order to determine an action plan for improvement. These action plans can vary from the individual action level (e.g., I will make an effort to diffuse, not engage in, online arguments) to the local action level (e.g., I will testify at a public hearing on behalf of a proposal I think is important).

The participants then take these dialogue and communication skills back into the community, teach them to others and encourage similar outcomes.

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The dates for the upcoming Circles are:  March 17, 2:30 - 3:30 pm, Miller  April 12, 2:30 - 3:30 pm, Glenwood  May 8, 7- 8 pm, Central (This will also offer a separate Teen Circle)  June 8, 11-12 am, Savage Columbia Dialogue Series. HCLS is partnering with the Columbia Association to convene facilitated, small group discussions on the intersections of race, class and culture. The goal is to foster a personal and collective commitment for participants to take action to become a more inclusive community. Interested residents can complete an online form at ColumbiaAssociation.org/columbiadialogues by Tuesday, March 28. The groups will consist of 12 to 15 people, reflecting the diversity of the community, and will meet for three facilitated three-hour sessions. When scheduled, participants will be asked to commit to interactive participation in all three sessions. Sessions will be held beginning in spring 2017. The three-part sessions will be: 1) Listening and establishing focus, 2) Exploring diversity, and 3) Leading together by committing to action. #One Howard. HCLS participated with other organizations in Howard County for #OneHoward's facilitator training. Facilitators will assist small, diverse group of citizens who come together to have a dialogue about issues taking place in the county, either at HCLS or other sites.

The Longest Table. Choose Civility is taking the lead on The Longest Table, which aims to bring together a diverse group of 500 residents to share a meal and engage in meaningful conversation about bringing the community forward. The intent of this “first of its kind in our community” initiative is to enable people to make new connections and engage in both listening and sharing conversations about diverse perspectives and common goals. This event will take place on the evening of June 22. Location TBD. Committee: Christie Lassen (chair), Kelli Shimabukuro, Tricia Zadjura, Alli Jessing; Catherine Bedolla (Economic Development Authority); Stacie Hunt (Leadership Howard County); Ian Kennedy (Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission); David Lee (#OneHoward); Kristi Simon (Howard County Chamber of Commerce); Nancy Tucker (Howard Hughes Corporation); Michelle Whelley (Downtown Columbia Partnership)

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HUMAN LIBRARY On March 11, HCLS and Choose Civility hosted the Human Library at Miller Branch. This innovative international initiative for social change uses dialogue to dismantle stereotypes and prejudices. A crowd of 200 Readers borrowed 17 Living Books and engaged in conversations—which led to many hugs and tears, as well as much laughter. Living Books included members of the Muslim community, members of the LGBTQ community, a U.S. veteran with PTSD, people with invisible illnesses, a member of the Sikh community, and Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman.

We received many touching and heartfelt comments from Readers and Books, including: 

"...I was able to frame my own story differently in my mind and shed some light on events in my past that may have shaped my present... From the bottom of my heart, I thank you and your entire team for your work."

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"Wow, more libraries should be doing things like this! This is what the community really needs!"

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"I'm not surprised HCLS is doing this because you're always doing the coolest things!"

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"Thank you do doing this. This is the kind of stuff that makes a difference."

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“What a fantastic event! I borrowed three books. My only complaint is, the time was too short. Of course the time was probably just right, but I’m a bit greedy since this is a great passion of mine. I vote to have this event at least twice per year.”

While 60,000 Human Library events have been hosted internationally, HCLS was the first public library in Maryland to participate. We have already received inquiries from other libraries in Maryland and Ohio about how the event was built and planned. The event was in partnership with #OneHoward and Howard County Office of Human Rights. The Human Library was featured by the Baltimore Sun and WBAL prior to the event.

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A total of 67 people (59 youth) attended the two information/training sessions for HiTails Ambassadors, which began January 18. Students ranging from ages 6 to 15 then read to shelter animals 20 minutes per week at the Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center.

HiTails aims to make shelter animals more social and thus adoptable, while building reading skills and nurturing empathy in children. A celebration will take place at the Miller Branch on June 7 for participants.

Participant story: The first week, Anna read to a dog (Daisy) while a family interested in adopting the dog watched. When Anna returned two weeks later, she learned Daisy had been adopted. That week, she chose to read to a cat, which was quite vocal and stressed when she began reading a Harry Potter book. Five to 10 minutes later, the cat had calmed down considerably and was curled up on its rug.

Program Participation to date: 

54 students registered

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27 schools (21 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 private schools)

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81 sessions (between 1/18/173/8/17)

To view a video of HiTails Ambassadors in action, visit bit.ly/2mtH2BX. Random Acts of Civility. This campaign encourages people to pay kindness forward. We continue to ask people to submit Random Acts of Civility that they perform or witness within the community, then we will compile them into an eBook (along with winners from Poster contest) that documents a year of Kindness in Howard County. Share your act via email to kindness@choosecivility.org and/or by using #choose2Bkind on social media.

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Pass It On. Two hundred copies of Dr. Forni’s book, Choosing Civility: the 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct, have a numbered sticker on the cover and a bookplate inside with instructions. People who pick up a book are encouraged to register it at ChooseCivility.org and track its progress on a map. Distribution points include village centers, middle and high school media centers, Columbia Association facilities, senior centers, Little Free Libraries, HCC, and HCLS branches. To date, books have traveled to France, Texas, Wisconsin, Maine, Virginia, and Maryland.

Steering committee: Rita Hamlet, Christie Lassen (chair), Kelli Shimabukuro, Tricia Zadjura, Alli Jessing (HCLS); Kelli Brandt, Mary Schiller, Jessica Goldstein (HCPSS); Catherine Bedolla (Economic Development Authority); Llatetra Brown Esters and Candace dePass (HCC).

ENCHANTED GARDEN Howard County Master Gardeners and HCLS Enchanted Garden teamed up to host our first Community Seed Swap. More than 30 people swapped seeds, learned about saving seeds, and discussed methods for starting seeds indoors. Our customers beamed about the variety of seeds available. Thanks to the generous donations from Mid-Atlantic seed companies, we started the swap with 250 seeds. Seed swappers added approximately 100 additional seeds to the collection. More than one customer exclaimed, “Please do this every year!”

Tween Sprouts spread a little love this past Valentine's Day with Seed Pops. Tweens measured and mixed clay, soil, and seeds into a ball and added a popsicle stick. Wrapped with red cellophane and a ribbon, and you have a Valentine Seed Pop! Teens and adults joined together to learn about Vermicomposting, the practice of composting with worms.

Many parents were convinced by their children to plunge into another recycling practice.

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Preparations for a Monarch Waystation at East Columbia Branch continue with Teen Time students, Audubon Society of Central Maryland, and Columbia Families in Nature. We've amended the soil, selected plants, and created a garden plan. In May, we will install a new garden for the Monarchs and the community to enjoy.

OTHER PARTNERSHIPS Book Festival. In partnership with the Downtown Columbia Partnership (DCP), plans are underway for a book festival on Sunday, June 11 at the new Chrysalis and surrounding grounds in Symphony Woods. HCLS will combine its summer reading kickoff with this event. DCP has committed to a $40K contribution, making them the presenting sponsor and lead organization.

Advisory Committee: Christie Lassen (Co-Chair) and Kelli Shimabukuro; Michelle Whelley (Co-Chair) (Downtown Columbia Partnership); Vanessa Rodriguez and Nancy Tucker (Howard Hughes Corporation); Amanda Hof (HoCo Tourism); Jean Moon and Tim Singleton (Jean Moon & Associates); Tara Hart and (HCC / HoCoPoLitSo); Nancy Czarnecki,p Liz Morris, and John Putnam (HCPSS), and Ian Kennedy (Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission) Columbia Mall Sleep In. The HCLS table at the Girl Scout Columbia Mall Sleep In was a huge success.

One thousand 4th-7th graders and 700 8th-12th graders stopped by the table stafed by Children’s Instructors and Research Specialists Becky Rowe and Tamarah Nuttle. Two hundred ten girls won a book in Book Raffle with 170 of them picking up their book that night/morning. HCLS was thrilled that:  several girls made HCLS their first stop to get their names in the book raffle early  savvy troops had an adult check each raffle to see if anyone in their troop won  CMSI HQ had girls stopping by asking for directions to find the library again to see if they won a book  HCLS table was busy from 11:45 pm to 5 am

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Girl Scouts. 75 Girl Scouts registered for the Money Matters Scout Badge Day held at the Miller Branch February 4. More than 300 people, which included parents and siblings attended the event where Girl Scouts earned their financial badges—Money Counts (Daisies – K-Grade 1), Money Manager (Brownies – Grades 2-3), and Business Owner (Juniors – Grades 4-5). Facilitators included HCLS staff, Girl Scout leaders, Catherine Bedolla from the Economic Development Authority, and Kathy Barnett from Girls Who Code.

(Committee: Tricia Zadjura (Chair), Cari Gast, Stacey Freedman, Christie Lassen.)

Well & Wise. The following blog posts were written by our talented HCLS staff members from mid-January to midMarch: 

“Picture Books for Picky Eaters” by Shirley ONeill

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“My Recent Experience with Sensorineural Hearing Loss” by Andrea Dowling

CLASSES & EVENTS Chimamanda Adichie. Internationally acclaimed author and essayist, Chimamanda Adichie will speak at the Miller Branch on June 10. Adichie, who was born in Nigeria but divides her time between Nigeria and Maryland, is considered by many to be the leading African writer of her generation. Ms. Adichie’s work is read around the world, and has been translated into over 30 languages. Her first novel Purple Hibiscus (2003) won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), won the Orange Prize (now the Bailey’s Women’s Prize). Her 2013 novel Americanah has received numerous accolades, including the US National Book Critics Circle Award. It was named one of The New York Times Top Ten Best Books of the Year. Ms. Adichie has been invited to speak around the world. Her 2009 TED Talk, The Danger of A Single Story, is now one of the top ten most-viewed TED Talks of all time, with over five million views. Her 2012 TED talk, We Should All Be Feminists, has a started a worldwide conversation about feminism, and was published as a book in 2014. Her most recent book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, was published in March 2017.

Laurie Frankel. Author of The Atlas of Love, Goodbye for Now and This is How it Always Is will speak at the Miller Branch this fall (final date TBD). Goodbye for Now was selected as the 2017-2018 Howard County Book Connection Selection. Howard County Book Connection is a partnership between HCLS, HCC, and HoCoPoLitSo. Mandala Stone painting. Mandala Stone painting is all the rage, and instructors at Glenwood, Elkridge Express and Miller Branches are teaching classes on how to create these eye-catching and beautiful objects.

Here are some examples from Instructor Kathy Plitt's recent class at the Elkridge Express branch.

Willy Conley. Award winning playwright and author, Willy Conley captivated customers during his March 4 presentation on his debut novel, The Deaf Heart. The event was part of HCLS' ongoing partnership with Howard County Association of the Deaf to highlight the creative and historic contributions of Deaf authors and writers.

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Adult News Class. In response to customer requests and a noted sense of need within the community, Central Instructors Jean Boone, Wendy B. Camassar and Joanne Sobieck-Lingg collaborated on a curriculum plan for a new class called "From Fake News to Real Resources: Weathering the Information Avalanche" that drew much praise from customers.  This information is SO NEEDED!  

Thank you for this fabulously researched presentation and the teamwork you all exhibited. I have even higher confidence and trust in the library staff now!

I was hoping that [the class] was non-partisan and I was very pleased with the result!

Other Maryland libraries have already reached out to HCLS to discuss the class and the resources used in it.

Another session will be held this summer.

Be a Smart User of Smart Tech. 25 parents and teens attended a class at the Miller Branch on March 8 taught by tech parenting expert Denise DeRosa, founder of Cyber-Sensible.com. Ms. DeRosa discussed what it means to be a smart user of smart technology, including how to be a good digital citizen; how to develop a positive online reputation, how to employ the safety and privacy settings available; maintaining a healthy tech diet; avoiding online dangers; tech etiquette; and ways to capitalize on the opportunities tech provides.

The evening included an interactive discussion where students shared their experiences online and their ideas for creating a more positive online experience for all.

FRIENDS OF HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM Friends of HCLS. The Friends hosted a Happy Hour at the Turn House Restaurant in Columbia the week leading up to Evening in the Stacks. The event on February 17 drew 67 attendees who celebrated HCLS with stellar beverages and tasty snacks while meeting and mingling with current and future Friends.

Back by popular demand, the Friends will host their Enchanted Garden Party on Thursday May 11. Registration for this ticketed event begins April 27.

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS HCLS Project Literacy. Our adult basic education initiative has taught English to 8,400 adults from 43 countries, including speaking, reading, writing, and basic math. One hundred sixty-one students have received their high school diplomas through HCLS Project Literacy, and 151 have become U.S. citizens.

Oceania Culture Fest. The next Culture Fest is scheduled for May 7 at the HCLS Miller Branch. The afternoon will feature entertaining demonstrations, music, dance, food, and displays from South Pacific countries and islands such as Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Passport Centers. Passport processing ramped up at the East Columbia and Glenwood Branches in January and February, garnering $62,740 in execution fees (2,509 passports processed) and $25,080 in photo fees (1,672 photos taken).

East Columbia Branch Highlight: The expanded hours at the East Columbia Express Branch are yielding incredible results. Three Saturdays in the first part of the year had record-breaking numbers: 134, 145, and 150 passport applications handled. Weekdays have been a consistent 60/day, which is impressive as well.

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Glenwood Branch Highlight: A customer left the following note after a Saturday shift: Today my daughter and I had our best library experience ever. First, all staff were helpful and friendly. Second, the library is beautiful and user friendly. Third, the passport service was amazing! Easy, quick & efficient. This passport service really made such a difference. I would especially commend: Lori in Research, Kristy in Children's, Ann (passport agent = amazing), and [my daughter’s] photographer (Tracy) who made sure there were no shades. Thank you, great people!

HCLS Systemwide Passport Photo Service. Strengthening an already robust passport program, systemwide passport photo services will begin at all branches (except Elkridge Express Branch) on April 17, 2017. While many customers already utilize Passport execution services at the East Columbia and Glenwood locations, this initiative aims to make photo services available to all customers. Branded passport photo folders will be included with the photos. The possibility of expanding full Passport Services gradually to other branches is currently being researched.

Note: According to the State Department, 20 million renewal requests are expected in 2017 and 2018.

MISCELLANEOUS Miscellaneous Meetings. Between mid-January and mid-March, I participated in a conference call for an initiative spearheaded by ALA President Julie Todaro, as well as attended the ALA Midwinter meeting in Atlanta, and a Director’s Forum with the Harwood Institute. Angela Brade and I attended a Winter MAPLA meeting plus several Spending Affordability Committee meetings. We were joined by Board Chair Tom Munns for the 2nd County Executive Public Hearing regarding the 2018 budget. Christie Lassen and I met with County Administration regarding Choose Civility and Tony Cordo of Howard County Tourism for potential partnership opportunities. Christie Lassen further attended meetings for the following, Blossoms of Hope, Columbia’s 50th Birthday Celebration, #One Howard, ULC Education Leaders, DLDS Statewide Marketing Group, and Siegellaw Open House. Cari Gast attended various HCPSS meetings, including the Transition to Kindergarten Workgroup, Instructional Technology and Library Media Advisory Committee, and Road to Kindergarten Workshop. She further met with HCPSS representatives to discuss the “one card” initiative” and plan for the Summer Reading booklist. Regionally, she attended an MSDE Family Child Care Orientation, participated in a DLDS teleconference and guided DLDS’ Youth Coordinator on a tour of HCLS branches. Locally, she met with the Howard County Youth Development Coalition, partners for the Children’s Discovery Fair, and the Howard County Preschool and Child Care Info Fair. Several of us attended a Leadership Team meeting, a Friends of HCLS Board meeting, a Friends Happy Hour, MLA Legislative Reception, State of the County Address, and Evening in the Stacks.

County Executive Public Hearing. Tom Munns and I testified at the County Executive’s Public Hearing on March 8. The County Executive’s opening statement was as follows: “Education is, and always will be, my highest priority, and included in Education is the school system, library system, and community college.”

Professional Development Day (PDD) 2017: Your Brain Rules.

We’re gearing up for PDD 2017: “Your Brain Rules.” In the morning, staff will learn about the learning cycle, neuroplasticity, the social brain, mirror neurons, and increased retention through information chunking.

HCLS U will distribute the Brain Owner's Manual to assist staff Page 15 of 22

throughout the year to apply these concepts as they identify learning goals, select and participate in training, and reinforce their learning through active reflection.

The focus of the afternoon will be team learning to advance Winning Teamwork and The Power of Us via “Think Tank,” the HCLS version of Shark Tank. Teams throughout HCLS have been developing presentations to advance a pillar of the curriculum. Members of HCLS’ Leadership Team are mentoring these teams as they prepare to sell their proposals to their respective departments and branches.

The winners of the local competitions will present their proposals at PDD where all staff will vote to select the best initiative to be implemented in 2017.

Welcome to HCLS University! We have designed an image for HCLS University (AKA “the U”). Having transitioned from HCLS Institute (HCLSi), the update aligns with our Strategic Vocabulary, and reflects an increased commitment to education by: 

Embracing cognitive neuroscience, the rapidly increasing body of research that determines educational best practices by studying how the human brain functions.

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Structuring education for new staff so that learning goals match specific job requirements and content is presented in a logical order.

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Designating areas of study or "tracks" in which staff members can become certified.

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Creating a personalized, goal-oriented approach to education that combines the freedom to determine your own professional focus and the condition to demonstrate application of new knowledge and skills on the job.

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Requiring continuing education for all HCLS staff members.

Updated HCLS Logo. Having finalized the revisions to the HCLS logo, we have begun to introduce it (e.g., at the top of this report!).

Valentine’s Day Pizza. To thank our incredibly talented staff and celebrate Valentine’s Day, pizza was delivered at 12:30 pm to all branches on February 13. Hosted by the HCLS Board of Trustees, this year’s nearly-spring celebratory lunch included Trustees and Leadership Team members at all branches.

HCLS Podcast. The theme for February’s HiJinx Podcast was I’m Only Human. In this episode, we discussed, celebrated, and appreciated the many diverse perspectives, cultures and values of our fellow human beings. We spoke with Nadia Hashimi, international bestselling author and advocate for women and refugees; Peter Nguyen, HCLS Instructor & Research Specialist and first generation American who was a Cultural Ambassador at Evening in the Stacks: An International Affair; and Deeba Jafri, a living Book in HCLS’ The Human Library. March’s podcast, Spell Bound celebrates the HCLS Spelling Bee, featuring interviews with the official pronouncer of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Jacques Bailly, PhD, Jack Nolan a two-time winner of the HCLS Spelling Bee, and Ann London of the Rotary Club of Columbia/Patuxent who talks about their Dictionary Project. Since its launch, HiJinx episodes have been played 1,005 times and attracted 18 followers.

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Social Media Stats (as of March 15) 

Facebook: o

7,549 total likes (number of unique people who like our page)

o

Top three posts (organic):

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Help the stock the new Howard County Diaper Bank! Donate packages of unopened disposable diapers and baby wipes to any HCLS Branch. The Diaper Bank is part of the HoCo Food Bank and sponsored by many HoCo organizations that serve families and children. [7870 reach; 292 clicks/views; 186 likes, comments, shares]

o

All Howard County Library System Branches are closed today, Monday, February 20, in observance of Presidents' Day. [5148 reach; 13 clicks/views; 7 likes, comments, shares]

o

Huckleberry Finn, Death of a Salesman and To Kill a Mockingbird are some of the books on required reading lists in the USA. Ever wonder what other students around the world are required to read? Check out required reading lists from 28 countries. [4848 reach; 281 clicks/views; 19 likes, comments, shares]

Our fans: o

Women ages 35-44: 77 percent

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Men age 35-44: 21 percent

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Represent 46 countries

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Speak 31 languages

Twitter: o

5,287 followers

o

14,300 impressions (delivery of a tweet to an account’s Twitter stream)

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46 mentions

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698 profile visits

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top tweet: Starting today! HCLS Homework Centers. Available at all branches to aspire students to become a picture of success. [1152 impressions]

o top mention (by @HoCoGovExec): Participating the in @HoCo_Library's Human Library Project, an initiative to encourage greater understanding & acceptance of one another. [63 engagements]

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Flickr: o

33,854 total photos

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7.2M total views

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121,850 views Feb 15 – Mar 15

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Most viewed album (Feb 15 – Mar 15): 2017 Evening in the Stacks [63,524 views]

YouTube: o

169 total videos

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66,070 total views

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average view duration: 3:21

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Issuu: 35 publications

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Instagram: 708 followers

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Pinterest:

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31 boards

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190 followers

Choose Civility Facebook page: o

855 fans

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top three organic posts: o

Enter the Kindness Creates Community Poster and Video Contest! Use your imagination, creativity, and artistic talent to show others how the little things we do everyday can make our community stronger and inspire others. In partnership with Columbia Association and Howard County Public School System [2807 reach; 69 clicks/views; 20 likes, comments, shares]

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"One student...made sure every student got a valentine, taping individual handwritten origami hearts to students’ lockers and stuffing staff members’ mailboxes with personal notes. Written in black permanent marker on the front of each heart were the words: 'You are loved.'” [1763 reach; 88 clicks/views; 83 likes, comments, shares]

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How cool is this? [822 reach; 44 clicks/views; 34 likes, comments, shares]

Choose Civility Twitter account: o

987 followers

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540 impressions; 111 profile visits

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VISIBILITY/PUBLICITY OF NOTE Libraries = Education Webinar. It was my privilege to present "Libraries = Education – Your Key to Success" on February 23. Sponsored by Demco, the webinar, drew an audience of 1,000 (900 from the U.S. representing all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico); 10 from Canada representing five provinces; 25 from 20 additional countries (Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Greece, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Singapore, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay).

Seize the Moment: Libraries Take the Lead. Christie Lassen and I filmed a keynote for Library Onconference which focused on Libraries = Education and Choose Civility. The video aired March 9, followed by GoogleHangouts with participants from around the world.

Attendees totaled 271 from 38 countries (Algeria, Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Iraq, Ireland, Kuwait, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe).

More than Manners: Counties Advancing Civility at the Local Level.

Christie Lassen participated in a panel discussion at the National Association of Counties (NACO) Legislative Conference in Washington DC on February 27 (http://bit.ly/2kMWsEK). The panel also included: Bryan Desloge, NACo President and Commissioner, Leon County, FL; Liz Joyner, Executive Director, Village Square (Tallahassee, FL); and Christian Leinbach, NACo Northeast Region Representative (Berks County, PA).

HCLS Annual Report. Our 2016 Annual Report is published.

Maryland Legislative Day. The annual Maryland Legislative Day in Annapolis took place February 14. The event centered on Libraries = Education—many attendees wore the Libraries = Education buttons (HCLS contribution to the event)!

Kansas. The Northwest and Central Kansas Library Systems sent us a gift: a t-shirt sporting Libraries = Education image (pictured next). They ordered 650 shirts for an event.

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County Executive’s State of the County In his State of the County address on February 16, County Executive Kittleman mentioned HCLS numerous times, including the following: 

Investing in our education system to keep our schools, libraries and community college among the best in the nation.

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As always, one of the top priorities is education.

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Education doesn’t just start when students enter a school and it doesn’t stop when they leave it. Which is why our top-ranked Howard County Library System continues to innovate to complement the growing demands of our students and families. The Central Branch just completed renovations, the East Columbia Branch renovations will be completed in the fall and a new, expanded Elkridge Branch is under construction.

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From student reading programs at the County’s Animal Control and Adoption Center to their latest concept of the Human Library where, instead of books of a specific topic, you can have a first-hand conversation with a person who has a unique perspective on a subject. I look forward to participating as a “book” next month.

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The Local Business Initiative that we established has shown significant progress. In the last 15 months, county government has spent more than $1.5 million on routine purchases with 64 certified local businesses. The new Elkridge Library and Senior Center, a $16.2 million project, is being built

by Costello Construction, a local company.

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I will continue to work hard to maintain our strong education system.

CUSTOMER COMMENTS From Zan Koldewey of Planning & Zoning: “I’d rather lose my American Express card than my library card…that’s how much I love HCLS.” Page 20 of 22

A letter from a grateful parent: “My family moved here four years ago. We have previously lived in three different counties in Maryland and have never been in a library that offers as wide a variety of activities as the ones in Howard County. We have been very impressed with the children’s department. They have always gone above and beyond to recommend books, develop high quality children’s classes, and just take the time to converse with my son and make him feel special.

My son and I were blown away by all the work that staff put into Candyland, Live. They did a clever job incorporating physical activity with literacy. My son had so much fun spinning the spinner and playing all the different games at each station. He continues to ask me every day when we will be playing Candyland, Live again!

As a token of our appreciation, my husband and I will be making a donation to the Friends of Howard County Library System. Keep up the great work! We will continue to recommend Howard County Library System to everyone we meet! Please share our sincere and heartfelt thanks with your staff members.

Warmest Regards, Karen Rzasa

CAPITAL PROJECTS Elkridge Branch + DIY Education Center. The Elkridge Branch project continues to progress and the new building has taken shape on the lot. The new branch will feature six quiet/group study rooms, three meeting rooms, a cafe, a business center, more computers, and expanded collection. In addition, the DIY Education Center will include a DIY collection (e.g., tools for household repair, gardening, bike repair) and DIY toy collection available for borrowing, a Design Institute with classes for all ages (e.g., It’s a Fine Line: Caulking 101, Birdhouse Building), a Design Studio (a mess-friendly classroom and work space), and a Design Institute (a series of DIY classes for students of all ages).

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East Columbia Branch Renovation. The East Columbia Branch renovation is underway. The renovations will double the space for quiet study areas (3 rooms to 6) and triple the meeting room capacity. The new teen center (TeenUp!) will include a Teen Time Classroom, HiTech Classroom, Homework Club Classroom, and Student Design Center (dedicated space, complete with work counters and readily available project supplies where students can create and collaborate on assignments and projects). The lobby and entryway will be completely transformed, offering a new and welcoming experience for branch visitors. A design highlight will be a gathering area, replete with a focal piece of unique artwork, in the space currently occupied by the research desk. While the branch is closed, the Express Branch continues to be very popular and heavily utilized by our customers.

Dates of Note. Specific dates we intend to open or close the designated HCLS Branches are as follows:  November 2017 East Columbia Branch re-opens; East Columbia Express Branch closes  March 2018 Elkridge Branch + DIY Education Center opens; Elkridge Express Branch closes

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie J. Gross President & CEO

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