Director's Report to the Board - May 2019 - Salt Lake City Public Library

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report

May 20, 2019

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Executive Director Peter Bromberg honored with the Utah Library Association's 2019 Legislative Award for Excellence in Political Affairs and Library Advocacy.​ On May 16, at the annual Utah Library Association conference, Executive Director Peter Bromberg was honored by his peers who awarded him the 2019 "Legislative Award for Excellence in Political Affairs and Library Advocacy." The Chair of the Awards Committee writes, "You were nominated by colleagues for your extraordinary efforts to regain access to EBSCO content for Utah’s K-12 schools among other things." In October, 2018, Peter, as Advocacy Chair of the Utah Library Association, helped lead a coalition of partners to restore access to EBSCO databases for Utah school children after access had been revoked by the Utah Education Network in response to spurious complaints about inappropriate content available in EBSCO research databases. For more information, see Peter's blog post for the Amercian Library Association's Intellectual Freedom blog at: https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=16157

ASPA recognizes Peter Bromberg with a "Distinguished Service Award for an Appointed Official."​ The American Society for Public Administration will be honoring Executive Director Peter Bromberg on May 23 with a "Distinguished Service Award for an Appointed Official."

Peter was nominated by Stacee Adams, of Somers-Jaramillo & Associates. In her nomination letter Stacee wrote,

Peter came to mind immediately for this award because he has a ferocious vision of libraries as places of equality, equity, and opportunity for community members, and he works tirelessly to translate these ideas into the policies that guide the Salt Lake City Public Library System. Creating inclusive environments that serve city residents is a priority for Peter and his policies demonstrate his commitment to that ideal. The summation of Peter's approach to policy is making is putting people at the center.

His policies remove barriers to access for the Library and provide all residents the opportunity to live better lives through the resources the Library provides.

Peter will be presented with the award at the ASPA-UT 2019 Annual Awards Luncheon on May 23 at Wasatch Retreat Center -Episcopal Diocese of Utah.

PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND OUTREACH EVENTS OF NOTE

● SUPPORTING SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS WITH OUTREACH, COLLECTIONS AND DATABASES Day-Riverside T ​ een Librarian Stephanie Costa visited local Middle/High School Salt Lake Center for Science Education on April 8th to speak to teachers at their monthly faculty meeting. Stephanie was invited after a meeting with school administrators in March about creating a deposit collection. SLCSE, a Salt Lake School District charter school,

2

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

doesn't have a school library or librarian. Some of their language arts classes walk over to Day-Riverside regularly to check out books., but most students don't frequently the library and could use more access to reading material, whether for recreation or to supplement the curriculum.

At the faculty meeting Stephanie explained the requirements for students and teachers to get a library card, showcased student-centric databases like ​Help Now​ (a service that connects students with live teachers for one-on-one assistance online) and ​Learning Express Library​, and explained the Menu of Services. She also encouraged teachers to contact her will requests for books to use in their classrooms, offering to gather and bring titles over, if needed. Our relationship with SLCSE continues to flourish year after year with ​Creative Career Talks​, the T ​ een Writing Workshop​, and soon a deposit collection to bring students more recreational reading material.

●

GAME OF THRONES EVENT DRAWS HUNDREDS On April 27th many different types of patrons came together to all sit on the Iron Throne: an elderly man in a wheelchair posing just right and smiling, graduate students from the U of U, babies with their parents, men in suits of armor, confused looking children, members of a Woman’s support group, a lawyer, a man looking for work, and probably about a thousand types of people who call the City Library theirs.

This event is a prime example of how literature and pop culture can promote inclusivity and belonging.

The perfect place for this magic to happen is at a library. An estimated 441 people attended the Game of Thrones Celebration, which was organized by a committee led by Claire Doctorman, Foothill Teen Librarian, and Jennifer Scott, Sweet Adult Services Librarian. ​(reported by Claire Doctorman​ ​-- many thanks to her and her team for putting on a great event!! -PB)

3

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

A WEEK OF VIRTUAL REALITY EXPLORATION AT CHAPMAN​: Chapman staff Gracie Mora, Kevin Phillips, Matt Phillips, and Christine Koldewyn put together a week for patrons of all ages to visit Chapman and try out the Library's Virtual Reality equipment. The equipment was set up most days during the week of April 22-27 at a variety of different times to provide many opportunities for patrons to try it out. It was a lot of fun, and generated a lot of interest, particularly in some of our teen patrons, who visited more than once! We also had a family visit who were researching virtual reality equipment to purchase for their home, and came to test ours to see how well they liked it. We were able to answer a lot of their questions, and learned that they were new library users who were so impressed with all of the programs and services that the Library offers.

Many patrons were thrilled that they had access to virtual reality equipment free of charge​! This Virtual Reality Demo program at Chapman fostered a great deal of learning and social connection.

For example, a group of friends came to play games on the equipment, but also formed new friendships as older kids helped some of the younger kids with the controls. There was a great sense of discovery as patrons came to try out virtual reality for the first time, and enjoyed it so much that many returned the next day bringing family and friends.. (reported by Christine Koldewyn)

SUPPORTING WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS​ On April 16th, Matt Phillips and Mark Rex gave a presentation on our business resources to members of the Women's Business Center of Utah.

4

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

Matt designed this training to cover a variety of resources to show how business owners and entrepreneurs can use ​free online resources to develop business plans, learn new skills, and promote their businesses​. It can often be difficult to see the value of our business resources because they are so specialized, so this training gives us the opportunity to promote those resources in a substantial way. We also learn more about what businesses need each time we provide a training.

Through the p ​ artnership with the Women's Business Center​, Matt has also connected with several business owners and entrepreneurs directly to work one-on-one or in small groups in order to directly assist them in achieving Economic Success. This presentation was a true collaboration across three west-side branches: Jeneanne Lock and Brennan Barfuss from Riverside provided initial contacts and offers of a partnership, and Mark Rex at Glendale co-presented with Matt from Chapman using Glendale's meeting room. We hope to collaborate on more of these kinds of trainings for other community groups in the future. ​(Reported by Matt Phillips)

PARTNERING WITH CLARK PLANETARIUM TO TEACH ROBOTICS AND PROGRAMMING WITH LEGOS C ​ lark Planetarium visited Glendale on Tuesdays during the month of April for Lego Mindstorms! Lego Mindstorms are basic robots made with Legos that can follow programmed commands. Teens and tweens spent time learning how to use simple programming to make their robots move, make noises, follow a track, respond to a touch sensor, and more!

While the instructional part of each session was beneficial, the most learning took place when program-goers were able to use trial and error to get their robots to follow their commands. There were jubilant cries and high-fives all around! The partnership with Clark Planetarium is something that will hopefully continue to grow. Opportunities like these set our young patrons up for economic success while building critical literacies!

The Main Library is also hosting the Clark Planetarium in the Canteena every Friday afternoon to lead LEGO Mindstorms to help teens develop STEM and robotics skills.

(reported by Kristen Potter)

5

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

EXPLORING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH MULTIMEDIA AND JOURNALISM ​The Glendale Branch partnered with The West View Newspaper and University Neighborhood Partners to host​ "West View Teen Newsroom: Explore your community Through Multimedia and Journalism." T ​ he program was started with a kick- off event and continues every Thursday at 4:30pm.

Each program starts with an introduction followed by a icebreaker/conversation and a four minute writing exercise This program allows for the diverse teens from Glendale to have a safe platform to submit their works to a community newspaper. The program supports a number of the Library's strategic areas of focus including critical literacies, inclusion and belonging, and civic engagement. (​Reported by Pablo Abarca​)

LOCAL ONLINE MUSIC COLLECTION ADDS 21 NEW ALBUMS

HUM, the Library's online local music collection, has added new music, and celebrated with our biannual collection launch on May 1st. T ​ he ever-growing collection has been updated to include 21 new albums​, bringing the total to 8 ​ 1 diverse local albums representing all types of music, including hip-hop, folk, pop, metal, classical, jazz, and funk​. The selections were made working with our community

6

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

jury of local music advocates; these are community partners from radio stations (KRCL), non-profit youth organizations (Spy Hop, Hartland Community 4 Youth & Families), and library folk. (​ Reported by Jason Rabb)

RANDOM ACTS OF OPERA CONTINUES TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT​ On April 4, 16, and 23, patrons at the Main Library were treated with three short performances from the Resident Artists of Utah Opera. More than 350 people were entertained and enthralled. Utah Opera’s Resident Artists Program provides an integral step between graduate studies and a career for singers and pianists. The artists travel throughout the state to perform and teach school children about the art of opera as well as perform with Utah Opera and the Utah Symphony, hold masterclasses and coach student vocalists. This program is one of the most respected, and competitive, in the nation with upwards of 500 applicants each year vying for the five positions.

At the end of the season, these talented artists often have positions lined up at major opera houses across the country. We have been so fortunate to work with Utah Opera for the past nine years to bring the best of the world of opera, in small doses, to our patrons, many of whom have never had the chance to experience this level of talent, live, and for free.​ (Reported by Paul Reynolds)

SUPPORTING RECOVERY FOR TEENS AT RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER​ Librarian Becca West visits a local residential treatment center for teen girls every month to book talk some great titles and chat with the students about books and the library. The students also visit the Main Library once a month and are always excited to see and chat with Becca and get some recommendations. Becca supportsmakes bookmarks with all of the titles she book talks and raffles off free books every time she visits. She leaves the library with bags full of books and has never returned with a single book! The students check them all out, every single time. This outreach aligns with our strategic goals of Critical Literacies and Inclusion and Belonging by sparking excitement around reading and showing support and acceptance of these teens in need.

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY -- RECYCLING, GARDENING, AND MORE In honor of Earth Day the Children’s Department hosted an event featuring Westminster College, the American Chemical Society and Tracy Aviary. Each organization brought an activity for library visitors - seed planting, recycled materials art and an informational table on microplastics. In addition, Emma Wilson, the Library Community Gardener, encouraged composting with a delicious edible compost (pudding, sprinkles and gummy worms) and the Children’s department ran a LEAP into Science workshop on water.

7

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

ENGAGING YOUNG MINDS WITH OZOBOTS ​Ms. Lucero, a student teacher at Washington Elementary, reached out to Marmalade Librarian DeAnna Lippman about having an Ozobot program in her 4th grade classroom after meeting at STEAM Night last month.

DeAnna, Christina Ordonez, and Gwen Page visited the class with the Ozobot Bit Classroom Kit. The students loved getting to know Ozobots and creating challenges for them. The teamwork and creative problem solving that the 4th graders utilized during the visit was impressive. They would have been happy to have the Ozobots stay all day! (Reported by DeAnna Lippman)

HELPING KIDS BECOME ENTREPRENEURS​ On April 27, Marmalade Branch hosted a youth entrepreneur workshop, “Spring into Entrepreneurship” presented by a local nonprofit called Entrepreneurable. The youth that attended the event heard peer voices telling them they can also be entrepreneurs and cool music from a local band. An event like this would not be possible without the support of the City Library and use of its meeting space. Libraries are a smart investment.​ (Reported by Yoli Perez)

CELEBRATING POETRY MONTH AT SWEET WITH BLACKOUT POETRY ​The Sweet Library children's room was decorated with interactive poetry displays of Blackout Poetry in honor of Poetry Month. Patrons submitted fifteen "blackout poems" and one picture on the bulletin board. People of all ages moved around words, letters and numbers on the sandwich board the entire month. (​Reported by Sharon Robinson​)

8

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

SPRAGUE FIREHOUSE EXPRESS PARTNERS ON EASTER EGG HUNT

On April 18th, Cherie Kofoed and Bob Berets p ​ artnered with the Fairmont Aquatic Center and Sugar House Boys and Girls Club​ for the annual Easter Egg Hunt event at Fairmont Park.

They provided easter egg giveaway prizes, water bottles, and 500 bookmarks detailing the Sprague Firehouse Express opening date and location. After the egg hunt was over, kids and adults swarmed the Sprague Library outreach table. The giveaway prizes were gone in the first ten to fifteen minutes.

Cherie and Bob provided additional bookmarks to everyone who stopped by the table after the prizes were gone. This was a fantastic opportunity for the community to come and ask questions about the Sprague Branch renovation and to remind everyone to come and visit our temporary location at the firehouse directly across the street from where the event was taking place. We had several people express that the opening date for Sprague Firehouse Express was already set in their calendars and were excited to utilize the holds pick up again. In total there were 175 people from the community who were talked to and engaged with. (​Reported by Cherie Kofoed, Adult Service Librarian​)

PROMOTING COMMUNITY ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY: THREE STORIES

9

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

The Library plays a unique role in our City, providing free access to expensive technology, allowing residents of all ages to play, experiment, and learn. Here are three stories illustrating how the Library supports technological literacy:

1. A class of 10-12 year olds from the McGillis School came in to tour the Creative Lab. They left having learned all the ins and outs of 3d Printing. After the tour, the class learned use Tinkercad to design 3D models to submit for printing. Overall the program was a great success because of a lasting impression that was made and the class learned of the many things 3D printing can accomplish.

2. Benjamin, a highly-skilled maker and entrepreneur, came into the Creative Lab wanting to print out a 3D puzzle of a topographical map. He learned about what the 3D printers are capable of and what design limitations he would have to consider. After tweaking some of the pieces, he 3D printed all 48 parts and began casting them out of resin. He planned to use the prototypes he had 3D printed in the Lab for a full set that would be manufactured and distributed in stores.

3. A father and his 3 young sons come regularly to the Main Library to use the computers and attend library events. The kids love to join teen events at the library. They also bring their computer programming homework and asked for help with their coding assignments! The father was happy to know that Javier in the Computer Lab was able to help his boys with their assignments. Both father and sons were very grateful for the help received.

(Reported by Gwen Page)

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: INNOVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS

10

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

Holds-to-go Trial at Anderson-Foothill Branch T ​ he Anderson-Foothill branch is highly used by parents and caregivers, and staff have observed that limited parking and a long stairway create a barrier for busy patrons. To better serve patrons, particularly those who just need to pop in and pick up holds, the Anderson-Foothill staff have designed a "Holds-to-Go" trial that reserves one parking spot where patrons can park, call into the Library, and have their holds brought to them.​ When the trial was announced during the Branch's popular Book Baby and Preschool Storytime programs the audience erupted in applause. Hopefully, this will be a welcome service for patrons with mobility issues, parents with multiple children in the car, or patrons simply looking for an open parking space so they can quickly run in and grab their holds themselves.

We are trying out this pilot program for the next 3 months (until July 31st) and will make adjustments as needed throughout the trial as we learn what is working and what can be improved. Kudos to Shannon Matts at Foothill for the idea, and to all Foothill staff, and our IT, Facilities, and Human Resources staff who all had a hand in making this happen. ​(Reported by Paul Musser)

UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND EVENTS OF NOTE​ ​(Complete schedule: h ​ ttps://events.slcpl.org/events​) Reported by Liesl Jacobson, Assistant Director of Community Engagement (added 5/21/19)

● SUPER SUMMER CHALLENGE "​A UNIVERSE OF STORIES" ​ ALL LOCATIONS, Jun 1 - Aug 10​. Find a Universe of Stories this summer at your City Library. Starting June 1, stop by any City Library and grab your FREE Super Summer Challenge Tracker. Inside you’ll find reading challenges and fun activities to do at the Library and throughout the city.

Read more, do more, play more, and win prizes along the way!

11

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

Four different trackers will be available: Babies & Toddlers, Kids, Teens, and Adults. Each with activities the whole family can do together!

You can also go paperless by tracking your progress online with ​Beanstack​. (​https://slcpl.beanstack.org/​) ●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

RAMADAN CELEBRATION, Tuesday, May 21: 6:00pm - 9:00pm​. ​ Marmalade Branch.

Festivities include a conversation about the significance of Ramadan, henna tattoos, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and Iftar — a traditional meal symbolizing community gathering to break their fast.

SPRAGUE FIREHOUSE EXPRESS GARDEN PLANTING, Tuesday, May 28: 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Sprague Firehouse Express. ​ Help plant the small garden plot at the Sprague Firehouse Express! (1085 East Simpson Avenue).

2018 AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS - ART RECEPTION, Thursday, May 30: 6:30pm - 7:30pm​. M ​ ain Library - C ​ onference Room E.​ ​Join us for a series of events coinciding with the 2018 Audubon Photography Awards gallery show. With lectures from artist Jane Kim, photographer Tom Matthewson, a demo from Hawkwatch, and more.

BLAST OFF TO SUMMER OUTDOOR MOVIE - SPACE JAM, ​ ​Friday, May 31: 8:00pm - 10:00pm. ​Anderson-Foothill Branch - ​Outdoor Amphitheater,​. Start your summer with an outdoor movie for all ages. We'll be getting into the spirit of our Super Summer Challenge with Space Jam!

BEGINNING HULA DANCE WORKSHOP​ - BY KUMU POMAIKA'I FROM KEHAULANI HULA DANCE STUDIO. ​Saturday, June 01: 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Day-Riverside Branch - Meeting Room. ​ A beginning hula class for the entire family. After this eight-week course, you'll perform at two Pacific Islander festivals! Registration is required; please plan on attending all eight weeks.

HERBALISM AT HOME, June 08: 11:00am - 12:00pm. Glendale Branch - ​Activity Room.

Saturday, Learn about herbs and alternative ways to promote health with this series of classes with Erika and the local Mobile Moon Co-op. This session is "​Identifying and Using Local Plants."

PARKER SOLAR PROBE​ - WITH THE NASA JPL AMBASSADORS, ​Monday, June 10: 10:30am - 12:30pm. ​ ​Sweet Branch - M ​ eeting Room. ​Join the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors to experience the science of our Sun at three activity stations: Aurora Borealis in a bowl, magnetic fields, and a Sunny Memory Game with space prizes!

VIRTUAL REALITY​ -​ UNIVERSE SANDBOX​, ​Tuesday, June 11: 2:00pm - 4:00pm.

Chapman Branch​. Experience the beauty of the universe in a way you've never imagined!

Universe Sandbox is a physics-based virtual reality space simulator where you can create, destroy, and interact on a grand scale.

12

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

FACILITIES UPDATES Reported by Gordon Bradberry, Assistant Director of Facilities and IT

● Roofing T ​ he initial evaluation of roofs at FTH, SWE and RIV have all been completed.

The reports found that despite some parts of the roof at FTH being relatively new, all three roofs need to be replaced in their entirety. A lack of proper maintenance, degradation and other factors warrant the removal of the current wood shingles and flat membranes. These will be replaced with longer-life, lower maintenance and more durable materials. We are proposing to use an architectural grade asphalt shingle that will give depth to the roof and mimic the look of wood. The next step will be to design the roof systems and develop drawings to be used by a contractor. Morrison Hershfield will prepare the drawings, assist us in the bid process and provide quality control during construction.

● Foothill​ As part of the roofing project, we are doing substantial work on the east side of the Foothill branch. Crews have dug up the east side and laid in a new drainage system in preparation for the new roof. This system will provide a path to move water from the roof away from the foundation of the building.

● Master Facilities Plan ​We received (5) proposals in response to our RFP. After careful review, we have selected Blalock & Partners teamed with RATIO to work with us on the development of a Master Facilities Plan. This team will bring substantial knowledge, valued insight, and unique resources such as an Economic Development Specialist to the table. These insights will help establish where we see growth, need expansion, should undertake to remodel, and plan for the future of each branch.

● 3rd Floor Offices​ We are nearing completion of the new office space on the third floor.

By the middle of June, we expect to be able to move the Service Coordinators team into the new space and have the IT department move down to the lower level 1.

SPRAGUE RENOVATION UPDATES Reported by Gordon Bradberry, Assistant Director of Facilities and IT

The Sprague Firehouse Express opened on April 28th,​ we had about 118 people come visit. We gave out free tote bags, and there was a lot of excitement about having a new Library. Sprague staff hosted open houses for staff and city officials the week prior to opening. The open houses were well attended, staff enjoyed showing off their new location. Many firemen came and visited the library and talked about how it looked when they worked there, and they were really pleased with the changes.

13

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

SELECTED MEDIA MENTIONS Reported by Bryton Sampson, Marketing and Communications Specialist

● Facing the Music: City Weekly's New Music Guru Shares How She'll Get Back Her Utah Groove.

City Weekly ​(Apr 24, 2019) It's a very strange experience to move away from home for a while, and an even stranger one to come back and accept a job where you have to report on local goings-on like you never left … I have a lot to acquaint myself with. Below I present a list of points of interest, and parts of the community I've really missed … I also plan to look into the collection of local music archived in Salt Lake City Library's HUM collection as a way to catch up quickly on the best stuff I haven't yet heard.

● Idaho Press Receives 31 Awards in Idaho Press Club Annual Contest Idaho Press ​(April 29, 2019) The Idaho Press received 31 awards, including 12 first place awards, in the annual Idaho Press Club contest.

General News Story – Daily Print — 2nd Margaret Carmel (Idaho Press) “Salt Lake City library offers a glimpse of what could be ahead for Boise”

● Is This the Answer to the Bathroom Problem?

Deseret News ​(Apr 30, 2019) Renovation plans for the historic Sprague Library in Sugar House include a modern feature that might be a first for a public building in Utah: a restroom for anyone and everyone. Called an all-gender, multiuser restroom or universal washroom, the design does not include urinals, but private toilet rooms that are accessible from a shared sink space.

● Mixed Company: Utah's First All-gender, Multi-user Public Restroom to Debut in 2020 ABC4 (​ May 1, 2019) Would you be comfortable sharing a public restroom with members of the opposite sex?

That's not a hypothetical question because Utah's first all-gender public bathroom is scheduled to open next year. When the Sprague Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library in Sugarhouse reopens after renovations it will have Utah's first all-inclusive multi-user public restroom.

● Salt Lake City library patrons now have free, unlimited access to The Tribune online Salt Lake Tribune (May 15, 2019) All locations of the Salt Lake City Public Library now offer unlimited access to Salt Lake Tribune articles on The Tribune’s website, sltrib.com. The Tribune has taken down its subscription paywall for patrons at The City Library’s eight branches. The Tribune is extending this arrangement to other Utah public libraries

14

Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - May 20, 2019

15