ANNUAL REPORT 2018
CONTENTS 2018 OVERVIEW
04 Letter from Director and Board President 06 2018 Timeline of Events
OUR APPROACH
10 Experience Principles 12 Strategic Priorities Overview 14 Strategic Priorities In Depth
STATS & STORIES
BRANCH HIGHLIGHTS
26 28 30 32 34 36
Locations & Use The Super Summer Challenge Fine Free: One Year Later Volunteers of America Kids’ Café Friends of the City Library
38 Highlights from Managers 43 Sprague Renovation Update
2018 Overview
Celebrating our 120th anniversary in 2018, the Salt Lake City Public Library is an essential community resource embedded in the lives of Salt Lake City’s residents.
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MISSION STATEMENT The City Library is a dynamic civic resource that promotes free and open access to information, materials, and services to all members of the community to advance knowledge, foster creativity, encourage the exchange of ideas, build community, and enhance the quality of life.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND BOARD PRESIDENT April 2019 Mayor Biskupski, City Council Members, and Residents of Salt Lake City, For over 120 years, The City Library has continuously played a vital role of Community Amplifier for the residents of Salt Lake City. Through our collections, spaces, programs, and expert staff, we magnify the impact of partnering organizations throughout the City. We add fuel to the flames of our local creative community, stimulate positive civic engagement, strengthen our social fabric, and foster an informed, literate, and educated populace. In short, we enhance the quality of life for everyone in Salt Lake City in a myriad of ways. Through our Strategic Road map process, we are using the tools and methods of Service Design to both discover the needs and aspirations of our community members, and experiment with and iterate new ways to deliver on our core mission. At every turn, we are keeping the public at the center of our decisions, while efficiently allocating our limited resources to support meaningful outcomes for residents of all ages and demographics. We are challenging ourselves to elevate our patrons’ experience with the Library, delivering services that foster surprise, delight, joy, and a sense of pride and connection with the larger community. We are committed to amplifying the best of Salt Lake City, and committed to the promotion of learning, community, and social connection through all that we do. On behalf of the Board, administration, and staff of The City Library, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for your support of the Library’s role in enriching the vitality of our community. Sincerely, Lucinda Kindred, Library Board President
Peter Bromberg, Executive Director
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2018 Overview
TIMELINE
120th Birthday - FEB 14
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The Salt Lake City Public Library celebrates its 120th birthday.
Biographies IRL - JAN 13 Five individuals with unique experiences share their stories, giving audiences a chance to listen, learn, ask questions, and come away with a better understanding of their neighbors in the community.
01 JAN
Newbery Film Festival - FEB 24 The Main Library hosts the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, featuring short film adaptations of Newberyrecognized books made by grade school kids.
02 FEB
Chinese New Year - FEB 10/17
Sundance Film Festival - JAN 18 The Sundance Film Festival begins. The Main Library auditorium hosts 7,200 guests to view 24 film screenings during the Festival.
Chinese New Year celebrations held at the Main Library and the AndersonFoothill Branch, respectively.
BuzzWord - FEB 8 BuzzWord, an Adult Spelling Bee, takes place at The Urban Lounge.
Creative Lab Opening - MAR 10
Chapman 100 - JUN 2
Grand re-opening of the Creative Lab: a new space with the tech tools and resources to allow anyone to bring their creative projects to life.
In 1918, The Chapman Branch opened its doors, becoming the first library to serve the working class and immigrant families of Salt Lake City’s west side. One hundred years later, the branch continues to support learning and connection in our community. On June 2, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski presented a mayoral proclamation creating “Chapman Branch Library Centennial Day.”
Library App Launches - MAR 31 The Library launches its new app, offering a streamlined mobile experience. Customers can search the catalog, place holds, access their account, download e-books and audiobooks, and connect to the many different databases in the Digital Library.
03 MAR
04 APR
Hear Utah Music - JUL 3 HUM — Hear Utah Music — is launched. HUM is a free digital music streaming service highlighting a curated and diverse array of local musicians.
06 JUN
07 JUL
National Library Week - APR 8
Bob Ross Paint-Along - JUL 13
Prominent members of the local community share their love for the Library during the #MySLCPL social media campaign.
Salt Lake City makes national news as the Library’s Bob Ross Paint-Along program is featured in the Washington Post (we also garnered attention from NBC Nightly News). The Library provides canvases, paints, and brushes to a classroom full of aspiring artists who then follow along to a classic episode of Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting. Due to its overwhelming popularity, this program has spread to other branches, and libraries around the country use it as a model for their own paint-along programs.
Colson Whitehead - MAR 15 Reading and book signing with Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Underground Railroad.
The Super Summer Challenge - JUN 1 The Super Summer Challenge begins. 9,604 babies, kids, teens, and adults participate.
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Banned Books Week - SEP 23
SSC Signoff Party - AUG 18
To launch Banned Books Week, Executive Director Peter Bromberg pens an op-ed piece for the Salt Lake Tribune: “Banned Book Week is a reminder that freedom to read is democracy’s fundamental right.”
Super Summer Challenge signoff party at the Tracy Aviary.
Farm Fresh Series - SEP 13 Launch of the Farm Fresh series: workshops sharing the benefits of cooking at home, shopping at farmers markets, and meal planning.
Performance Arts Fest - OCT 5/6
2018 Overview
The Sixth-Annual Salt Lake City Performance Arts Fest.
08 AUG
09 SEP
10 OCT
Book Club Launch - OCT 3
Sprague Renovation - AUG 9
Launch of Alphabet Soup, a book/social club for LGBTQ+ teens and allies.
The first of a series of meetings allowing Sugar House community members to offer their feedback for the Sprague Branch renovation.
Alt Press Fest - OCT 13
Online Calendar - SEP 22 The Library launches its new online calendar, with easy searching and filtering to help patrons find the perfect event or program.
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The Library hosts its 10thAnnual Alt-Press Fest, drawing its largest crowd yet.
Top Workplace, Utah - NOV 2
Lenore Lewis Retires - DEC 31
The Salt Lake Tribune names The City Library as one of the top workplaces in Utah.
Librarian Lenore Lewis retires after 61 years of service with the Salt Lake City Public Library. TEDx Marmalade - NOV 17 TEDx Marmalade Library begins its new season.
Top “Green Business” - OCT 25 Utah Business Magazine honors the Library as a top “Green Business.”
DÍa de los Muertos Festival - NOV 2
Diwali Celebration - DEC 8
The Day-Riverside Branch hosts the annual Rose Park Día de los Muertos Festival.
The 17th-annual Diwali celebration held at the Main Library.
5 Star Library - OCT 30 Library Journal names The City Library a Five Star Library. Of 7,361 U.S. public libraries scored, only 85 were named Five Star Libraries.
Coffee & Chocolate - NOV 7 Forbes Magazine (print edition) article “Is Some of the Best Artisan Chocolate Found in Utah?” highlights the Marmalade Coffee & Chocolate Society, a popular monthly event at the Marmalade Branch.
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Our Approach
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P X I E R E N E C
THE CITY LIBRARY EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES The Salt Lake City Public Library’s staff of over 300 smart, compassionate, and dedicated people are deeply committed to supporting and advancing the success of every person.The Experience Principles are the essential qualities that guide our ideas, decisions, and actions. When we embody these principles, we inspire and enrich the community through EXPERIENCE.
THE CITY LIBRARY PATRON EXPERIENCE IS...
WELCOMING
EMPOWERING
AFFIRMING
“I am treated with respect and compassion. I forge connections with the approachable and friendly faces of the Library.”
“I am empowered. No matter where I come from or what I’m looking for, I have access to the tools, information, and knowledge I need.”
“I hear yes. Library staff remove roadblocks, and show me that anything is possible.”
SURPRISING
“I find things I didn’t even know I was looking for. My expectations are exceeded every time I visit the Library.”
AWESOME!
“I find a comfortable, safe place where I can explore, discover, learn, and create. I feel included. I feel curious. I feel inspired!”
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Our Approach
THE CITY LIBRARY’S STRATEGIC ROAD MAP
THE SIX STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS:
In 2018, the Library took a reimagined approach to strategic planning. We studied local and national data; focused on developing our staff’s capacity for adaptation, experimentation, and change; and engaged in conversations with our patrons, partners, and community leaders. These conversations led us to a broad understanding of our City’s shared hopes, aspirations, goals, and challenges.
Inclusion & Belonging
The result of this unique process was not a traditional plan, but a road map that identifies six strategic areas where the Library is well-positioned to have a positive impact in our community. By turning increasingly outward towards the community, we breathe life into our mission through the creation of engaging experiences and outcomes for our customers, partners, and the community.
Focus on creating opportunities for people to experience, express, and celebrate cultures and diversity, thereby connecting individuals and communities.
Healthy Together
Focus on supporting all aspects of a healthy community, including physical, mental, and emotional health, and facilitating solutions to our City’s health concerns.
Economic Success
Focus on assisting individuals to meet their economic, financial, and career goals, and assisting the Salt Lake City business community in achieving sustainable success
Critical Literacies
Focus on the critical role The City Library plays in fostering literacies as the basis of an individual’s ability to participate fully in all aspects of a free society.
Civic Engagement
Focus on building and fostering knowledge, skills, and social connections among City residents to support active engagement and participation in civic life, and in the building of a strong, vibrant community.
Arts & Creativity
Focus on creating, experiencing, and celebrating the arts in Salt Lake City.
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Our Approach
The Library is that increasingly rare space in our society where all members of the community are welcomed, accepted, and included. 14
INCLUSION & BELONGING: CELEBRATING DIVERSE TRADITIONS The City Library serves a deep, diverse community made up of people representing many different backgrounds, religions, experiences, and needs. The Library plays an important role in creating opportunities for all people to experience, express, and celebrate cultures and diversity. The Library is that increasingly rare space in our society where all members of the community are welcomed, accepted, and included. The Library supports and enables everyone to self-direct, learn, grow, and fulfill their full potential. Safi Saffiulah, Branch Manager at the Marmalade Branch, began a cultural initiative 17 years ago by creating Chinese New Year, Eid al Fitr, and Diwali celebrations that are still held annually. Since then we’ve added the Rose Park DÍa de Los Muertos Festival, the Edward Lewis Theatre Festival, and many other diverse events and programs.
Our celebration is held after the traditional Diwali season so as not to interfere with other local Diwali celebrations. Last year over 600 people joined us for the Celebration, with Indian music and dance performances, presentations, Indian cuisine, and a ceremonial lighting of diyas — lamps to ward off the darkness and ignorance and to symbolize the victory of good over evil. By holding these events at the Library, residents are exposed to traditions in which they might not normally take part. The volunteer organizers of the Diwali Celebration make sure to include traditions from different parts of India, merging many different traditions from their rich culture. Events like this give cultural groups an opportunity to see themselves reflected in our spaces, to gather together and celebrate their own customs, and to share their culture with Salt Lake City.
Diwali, the “Festival of Lights,” is one of the oldest and most important festivals in India.
Performers at the 17thannual Diwali celebration.
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Our Approach
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My daughter, who turned 5 in July, was so excited when things started to grow and flourish! She loved coming and eating tomatoes right off the vine. -Kimberly Teitter
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HEALTHY TOGETHER: SUPPORTING OUR CITY The Library plays an important role in supporting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of Salt Lake residents. The City Library fosters health and wellness because we understand that wellness is a necessary precondition for learning, civic and economic participation, and quality of life. Through our collections, programs, and numerous partnerships, The Library plays an important role in supporting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our City. For example, in 2018, we partnered with Rebecca Yates of Ark Insurance to help uninsured individuals make the right decision when signing up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Our Bike the Branches program led dozens of cyclists on a tour throughout the City, and the everpopular Rooftop Yoga series at the Main Library gathered the attention of several national and local media outlets. We pay particular attention to teen mental wellness, with discussion groups like Take Care of Your #Selfie, Zen Zone, and an LGBTQ+ Book Club.
Community members harvesting garlic from The Plot.
One innovative forum to promote health is The Plot – the Main Library’s community garden. Salt Lake City residents are invited to adopt one of 12 garden beds that they can cultivate throughout the summer. Some beds are tended by youth groups, like the Sacred Paths Youth Services at the Urban Indian Center. For many urban-dwellers, it’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the peaceful practice of gardening. Environmental health is promoted through composting and other sustainability-education initiatives. Garden Yoga allows for mind and body centeredness under the summer sun in a peaceful agricultural oasis. Emma, the Library’s Community Gardener, oversees the garden and helps people of all ages learn to grow. “It was nice to be able to brainstorm with Emma about how to make the growing experience better,” said Kimberly Teitter, who had a bed in The Plot. “My daughter, who turned 5 in July, was so excited when things started to grow and flourish! She loved coming and eating tomatoes right off the vine. By the end of the season, she said she wanted to be a gardener when she grows up.”
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Our Approach
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I don’t think I would have been able to get a loan for the entire amount that I needed and secure a storefront as a first-time business owner without the Librarian’s help and the Library’s resources. -Molly Kohrman
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ECONOMIC SUCCESS: CAT CAFÉS TO BROWNIES The City Library has established itself as a central resource and partner to support local economic success. The City Library supports individual economic success in a variety of ways, including workforce readiness and 21st century job skills development. We also provide support for small businesses and entrepreneurs through access to expensive, proprietary business databases, by-appointment consultations, and access to a variety of tools and equipment, such as 3D printers, in our Creative Lab. We offer small-business workshops through SCORE — perfect for potential entrepreneurs who have great ideas but don’t know where to start. The recentlyopened Tinker’s Cat Café in Liberty-Wells has its roots in SCORE workshops. Two-Day Grant Writing Workshops are also offered, allowing non-profits to spend less time worrying about funding and more time focusing on their mission. Molly Kohrman was looking to launch a late-night brownie shop and utilized our one-on-one
Molly Kohrman founder of Brownies! Brownies! Brownies! in her new, local shop in Sugar House.
reference consultations. She learned to use the ReferenceUSA database to find the business information she needed. She was later approved for the full amount of her SBA loan by Zions Bank. “Having some solid research to back up my demographics and projections was extremely important,” Kohrman said. “I don’t think I would have been able to get a loan for the entire amount that I needed and secure a storefront as a first-time business owner without the Librarian’s help and the Library’s resources.” After meeting with Kohrman, the Director of Zions Bank Business Resource Center, Greg Cassat, was intrigued and contacted the Library to learn more. This lead to a partnership between the Library and the Business Resource Center. “My clients have benefited greatly from ReferenceUSA,” Cassat said. “The beauty of the data is that it helps that decision process to be more objective, whereas before it was so much more subjective.”
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Our Approach
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As society increasingly shifts toward a digital world, those without computer and internet access — or the skills to use these tools — can find themselves left behind. -Shauna Edson
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CRITICAL LITERACIES: BEYOND READING This year, the Library played a significant role in crafting Salt Lake City’s new digital equity policy. To be successful and fully participate in today’s society, one must be literate in ways that go far beyond basic reading. The National Council of Teachers of English identifies two key facets that when combined create a truly literate person: being able to proficiently and fluently use technology, paired with the ability to evaluate multiple streams of information. The City Library helps to cultivate the full range of 21st-century literacies through our collections, learning-lab spaces, one-on-one consultations, and through our work with many partner organizations. We provide educational programming for people of all ages and stages of learning. One significant literacy gap is the ever-growing digital divide. This year, The Library played a significant role in crafting Salt Lake City’s new digital equity policy. Funding from Google Fiber helped to pave the way for our Laptop Discovery Kits — Chromebooks and mobile hotspots that can be checked out by patrons who lack access to reliable broadband Internet. Patrons report that they use the laptops and hotspots to build job skills, apply for jobs, complete schoolwork, and communicate with distant family members. Sango working with Hoang Ha, a volunteer tech mentor. When asked how she felt upon completing the program, Sango responded in English: “Happy.”
“As society increasingly shifts toward a digital world, those without computer and internet access — or the skills to use these tools — can find themselves left behind,” said Shauna Edson, The City Library’s Digital Inclusion Coordinator. For Salt Lake City’s refugee population, it’s very hard to achieve stability when they first arrive if they do not have access to technology. The Library partners with the International Rescue Committee for a multiweek Tech Mentorship program, providing refugee households with a telephone, internet access, and a laptop computer, as well as instruction in how to use them. In the spring of 2018, the program’s first graduates included a family who arrived in Salt Lake City as refugees from the Congo. Sango is a shy-but-sassy mother of two boisterous teenagers. In the Congo, computers were such a luxury that they never even considered owning one. Sango knew how to type her name, but that was it. Now, Sango and her family use the telephone to talk to family members back home, Sango’s husband applies for jobs online, the kids use the new laptop for homework, studying, and checking out music on YouTube. When asked who uses the laptop the most, the whole family laughs and points to each other.
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Our Approach
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A library is a welcoming, agenda-free place to seek out information, get questions answered, and meet neighbors. That’s exactly the environment we wanted and were able to achieve. -Lara Jones
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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: WHERE DEMOCRACY HAPPENS Democracy happens when the public is empowered with access, tools, and techniques to enable an effective dialogue. The City Library serves a unique role in the civic landscape of our City, offering a nonpartisan forum for community members to engage in discussions of the issues of the day. We believe that democracy happens when the public is empowered with access, tools, and techniques to enable an effective dialogue in the civic and political realms. With 2018 being an election year, we created a series of civic discussions called Ballots Talk, in partnership with Lara Jones of KRCL Public Radio’s RadioActive, hosted at our Marmalade Branch. This series helped educate Salt Lake citizens about the ballot initiatives — medicaid expansion, independent redistricting, and medical cannabis.
The Democracy in America series features talks about democracy’s past, present, and future. In partnership with the University of Utah’s Center for Research on Migration and Refugee Integration and the Asia Center, we convened a panel discussion addressing the Rohingya refugee crisis in Burma (Myanmar). Salt Lake City is home to many resettled individuals from Burma, and their contributions brought awareness of the issue to a wider audience. “A library is a welcoming, agendafree place to seek out information, get questions answered, and meet neighbors. That’s exactly the environment we wanted and were able to achieve because of the support of branch manager, Safi Safiullah, and librarian, Azra Basic,“ said Jones.
The Marmalade Branch also offered a robust series of TEDx talks. Hundreds of people attended to hear presentations by local activists and educators.
Lara Jones in dialogue at a Democracy in America event.
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Our Approach
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A 3D printer is not something easily borrowed. What’s most amazing about this space is that it’s about bringing your imagination to life and getting experience with things you have yet to try! -Aiden Bailey
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ARTS & CREATIVITY: GROWING TOMORROW’S INNOVATORS The City Library provides access, opportunities, and tools for creativity and curiosity to be explored. Art, in all of its forms, cultivates social good, cultural sharing, and brings the community together. The City Library provides access, opportunities, and tools for creativity and curiosity to be explored — even individuals with no prior artistic experience can participate in the creative process. Robust, long-term partnerships with many arts organizations, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the SLCC Community Writing Center, help to support both making and appreciating art. Galleries at all of our locations offer exhibition space for local artists, while exposing viewers to new art forms and ideas. 2018 saw the launch of HUM and an expansion of the Creative Lab, two impactful initiatives developed by Library staff.
The Creative Lab —made possible through the generous help of the Friends of The City Library — is a one-stop makerspace for creators of all kinds. The Creative Lab staff are always available to help, and classes are held to facilitate tech literacy, problem-solving, collaborative skills, and creativity. 11-year old artist Beatrice T. learned how to use Adobe Photoshop in the Creative Lab, eventually creating her own coloring book, Great Girls of the World. Creative Lab super-user Aiden Bailey enjoys trying all the tools in the creative lab. “A 3D printer is not something easily borrowed”, says Aiden Bailey, Creative Lab user. “What’s most amazing about this space is that it’s about bringing your imagination to life and getting experience with things you have yet to try!”
HUM (hum.slcpl.org) — Hear Utah Music — is a free online streaming service with a large collection of local music. Musicians are compensated for their work with an honorarium that often surpasses money they make from gigs, which helps them to keep making music.
Aiden Bailey uses a sewing machine with help from librarian Shauna Edson.
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161,000 + CARD HOLDER BASE
4,600 + Stats & Stories
EVENTS PLANNED & HOSTED ANNUALLY
~ 2 Million VISITORS IN 2018
3.5 Million + ITEMS BORROWED
600K +
WIFI SESSIONS, DUE TO 24/7 ACCESS 26
80
%
of Salt Lake residents hold library cards
8 LOCATIONS
Main Library & 7 branches
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SUPER SUMMER CHALLENGE: WRAP AROUND SUPPORT FOR LEARNING & LITERACY
Stats & Stories
The City Library’s annual Super Summer Challenge is a threemonth-long program that offers a series of activities structured around a cohesive theme. Participants are encouraged to read, try new things, cultivate their interests, break out of their comfort zones, and connect with their neighborhood and community. Our Super Summer Challenge is more than just great fun and learning for all ages — it is a carefully designed program that helps prevent the “summer slide” — a documented phenomenon of children’s academic performance being negatively impacted by a few months off from school. The Super Summer Challenge offers much more than traditional summer reading programs by emphasizing not just reading, but also getting
outside, and interacting with friends, family, and the community. Also, it’s not just for kids! “What did you like about the Super Summer Challenge?” KID: I liked that I read more, I learned more things at the Library, and explored more things. TEEN: It helped me be more creative, I was able to explore more, I became more active, I read new books, and it helped me see other people’s perspective. ADULT: I got to learn more about SLC. For example, visiting the Artesian Well Park and Steenblik Park was fun. I also liked the MOVE challenges because it was good to plan for healthy habits.
9,600 + PARTICIPANTS
30,000 + ATTENDEES TO MORE THAN 1,300 SUMMER LIBRARY EVENTS 28
95
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of participants said they learned something new
91
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of participants said they want to use the library more often
80
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of participants said they read more often
76
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Teen Squad member actively signing up families for Super Summer Challenge.
of participants said they enjoy reading more 29
THE FINE FREE LIBRARY: ONE YEAR LATER
Stats & Stories
Pam and her daughter, Zion visit the Library every day. Zion, age 6, always sports a big smile as she runs around adding books to her stack. “Getting rid of fines has really changed the way we use the Library,” Pam said, adding that their frequent visits wouldn’t have been possible in the era of late fees. “I’m a single mom and I simply couldn’t afford to come to the Library if there were still late fees. But this has taken so much stress off of me. I’m not afraid to take books out anymore. Coming to the Library is such a pleasure.” Anyone who has used a library in the last century is familiar with the sting of late fees. Some people — like Pam — are all too familiar, and a forgotten book here or there in the life of a busy mom can lead her to stop using libraries altogether.
The Salt Lake City Public Library recognizes that in this everchanging world, libraries need to listen closely to the community and adapt to their needs. Prior to the policy change, late fees accounted for just 0.3% of The City Library’s total revenue. The impact of eliminating late fees has been noticeable — we signed up nearly 26,000 new cardholders and the number of items checked out increased by 16%. “When a mother of four brings in a stack of picture books a week late and wants to know if she can get some new ones, I get to say, ‘Yes!’,” said Tanya Platt, Circulation Assistant at the Main Library. “All those ‘yesses’ contribute to building a better relationship with our patrons because they can see us as allies. And that feels really good!”
+ 26,000
NEW CARDHOLDERS AFTER FINE FREE
16% INCREASE 30
IN THE NUMBER OF ITEMS CHECKED OUT
Zion holds her doll, Charlotte, inspired by The Little House on the Prairie.
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VOA PARTNERSHIP: ADDRESSING COMMUNITY CHALLENGES THROUGH CREATIVE COLLABORATION “Libraries are one of the only places left where you’re allowed to exist without the expectation of spending any money.” - Amanda Killian, artist & influencer.
the country to have a dedicated team of social workers. Three full-time VOA social workers are staffed at the Library. This year, the VOA Library Engagement team was able to establish thousands of one-on-one connections with in-need residents and provided a variety of services, including giving out basic-needs items: food, hygiene items, clothing, and sleeping bags. They help connect individuals to resources, obtain IDs, work on résumés, search for jobs, coordinate medical care, and more. These things can be overwhelming for anyone. Most importantly, the VOA staff build relationships that help people get a footing in life and in society.
Stats & Stories
People use the Library for various reasons, and people from all walks of life are welcome to visit and pass the time as they please. As Salt Lake City’s homeless population grows, individuals experiencing homelessness use the Library to read, socialize, stay connected with the world, and enjoy a respite from the chronic stress of living without a home. The Salt Lake City Public Library’s unique partnership with the Volunteers of America puts us on the vanguard of creative, costeffective, win-win approaches to addressing the growing nationwide challenge of homelessness. While many libraries across the country are hiring social workers, the City Library has been smartly and effectively partnering with VOA for years. Along with the San Francisco and Austin library systems, The City Library was among the first three libraries in
“Some people have bachelor’s degrees and couldn’t afford their bills,” said Ethan Sellers, VOA Library Engagement Team Lead. “Others have mental health issues, disability disorders, PTSD, or something else happening to make them pull away from society. No matter what, no one chooses to be homeless.”
~ 1,687
SERVICES PROVIDED EVERY MONTH IN 2018. BREAKDOWN OF SERVICES: 168
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8,981
Ethan Sellers and Nicole Davisson, members of the VOA's LET, pose with clothing and necessities.
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KIDS’ CAFÉ: ADDRESSING YOUTH AND TEEN HUNGER
Stats & Stories
Every weekday, The City Library’s Glendale Branch, Marmalade Branch, and The Main Library host Kids’ Café, an after-school meal program designed to address the nutrition gap that exists during outof-school hours. The reality of youth hunger, especially its impact on teenagers from lower-income families, are cause for action. In their 2016 report, “Impossible Choices,” The Urban Institute and Feeding America concluded that teens have fewer community resources than younger students and often feel pressure to feed not only themselves but also their families.
On a Friday at Marmalade, it seemed like the whole neighborhood had come to relax: a student from West High School fed her nephew crackers, a dad cajoled his son to sample some Craisins, and a crowd of middle-schoolers wolfed down their food in order to play a round of Luigi’s Mansion at the video game station set up just a few feet away. Now, in partnering with the Library — a place where kids and teens already hang out — Kids’ Cafés create a free-wheeling, snack-happy clubhouse that’s fun for everyone in the neighborhood.
GLENDALE BRANCH HANDED OUT
9,000 +
AFTER-SCHOOL SNACKS IN 2018.
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Scott Bahlman, Children’s Librarian at Glendale, distributes milk boxes to kids.
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Stats & Stories
THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY: A VITAL SISTER ORGANIZATION For five decades, the volunteers of The Friends of the Salt Lake City Public Library have supported and advocated for The City Library system and its mission through fundraising efforts, Library promotion, book sales, and membership drives. The Friends value public libraries as cultural, educational, and social centers, and contribute their time, efforts, and resources to promote literacy and to further develop the Salt Lake City Public Library system as a dynamic force in our community. The Friends are a vital sister organization to The City Library.
Programs and initiatives they fund include:
15 + PROGRAMS FUNDED
Avenues Street Fair Code Club Community Gardener Digital Literacy Pilot Lego Wall and Legos Main Library Rooftop Beehives Mobile Hot Spots Mobile Maker Space for Sweet Seating for Children and Teens Staff Development Day Staff Innovation Fund Staff Wellness Super Summer Challenge 2018 Teens Write Program Tinker Lab
~ 58,500 BOOKS SOLD IN 2018
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Executive Director of The Friends, Jeff Mower, shelves books in preparation for a used book sale. In 2018, they sold roughly 58,500 books.
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BRANCH HIGHLIGHTS Each City Library branch is designed to meet the unique needs of the local neighborhoods that they serve. Our branches are filled with stories, but also have their own stories to tell.
ANDERSON-FOOTHILL BRANCH
Branch Highlights
Manager Paul Musser The Anderson-Foothill Branch is a thriving neighborhood library that serves Salt Lake City’s East Bench, University, and Yalecrest neighborhoods. It’s within walking distance of two University studenthousing sites, and is a popular stop for students and young families. Surrounded on three sides by private residences, it’s a true “neighborhood library.”
“There was something for everyone at the Anderson-Foothill Branch this summer,” said Branch Manager, Paul Musser. “With everything going on, it was thrilling to see the staff be so passionate about serving the community in whatever ways they could. Our patrons demonstrated their appreciation through heightened participation in the branch’s programs and services.”
CHAPMAN BRANCH Manager Mary Anne Heider The Chapman Branch is one of Utah’s few remaining Carnegie Libraries. This year we invested in a dramatic refresh of the 100-yearold building, with a significant upgrade to the Children’s Library, including a large mural designed in-house that celebrates the diversity of the community. We celebrated Chapman’s Centennial with dozens of special programs that offered both a nostalgic look back at the past 10 decades, as well as a look to the present-day Poplar Grove community. Among the most popular programs were cultural celebrations that highlighted the diversity of the local neighborhood.
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“Libraries are constantly evolving. They are not just where people come to check out books, now they are gathering places” said Branch Manager, Mary Anne Heider, who capped off the centennial year with a well-earned retirement. “The Chapman Branch is a gathering place, a living room for the community. A place for those living here to meet and share their interests and talents.”
DAY-RIVERSIDE BRANCH Manager Erin Mendoza The Day-Riverside Branch serves the Rose Park, Fairpark, Jordan Meadows, and Westpointe areas. It provides a welcoming place for people from all walks of life to achieve success, whatever that looks like for them. Each year, the community comes together at Day-Riverside for the annual Rose Park Día de los Muertos festival, a joyful celebration of those who have passed on. A beautifully-decorated altar, created by a Day-Riverside staff members, serves as a centerpiece within the branch. This event is culturally rich and reflective of the neighborhood, and an excellent example of the community engagement and partnerships The City Library fosters.
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“Our collections serve as the ‘school library’ for local charter schools and home-school families, as an informational resource for neighbors working on home projects and elder care, and as joyful entertainment for the family. Access to internet and computers allows students to work on class assignments, neighbors to pay bills and apply for jobs or benefits, and friends to connect with each other across the globe,” said Branch Manager, Erin Mendoza. “The Day-Riverside Branch is a place to gather, to be social, to learn, to entertain, and to get business done.”
Libraries are constantly evolving. They are not just where people come to check out books, now they are gathering places.
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-Mary Anne Heider
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GLENDALE BRANCH
Branch Highlights
Manager Brooke Young Opened in 2015, the Glendale Branch serves a neighborhood where over 25 different languages are spoken. Every weekday afternoon, the calm and quiet gives way to a rambunctious atmosphere. Students from nearby schools flood the branch to do homework, socialize, and participate in the branch’s programs. The Library provides a much-needed safe and welcoming space for kids to connect, learn, and play. Caring and personal guidance is provided by Library staff who have developed strong relationships with many of the children and their extended families. “I think the most important thing we do for people is care,” said Branch Manager, Brooke Young. “You don’t need to look very hard to see this in action. Librarian Mark Rex has a regular chess game with a senior customer who has Parkinson’s Disease. Associate
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Kristen Potter summed up the Glendale Branch experience: “Most of us have ‘our kids’ – the ones who seek us out to tell us about their days, conflicts, or triumphs. We hear stories – both good and bad – that impact the daily lives of our kids. We watch them grow and change over time. Some of their situations are heartbreaking, and it sticks with us long after the day is over. We hope that the incremental changes we make in their lives daily will amount to a much bigger change later, as they gain independence in an uncertain world.”
The most important thing we do for people is care. -Brooke Young
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Librarian Pablo Abarca buys lunch for High School kids at the nearby Hook & Ladder if they achieve a B average on their report cards. Teen Librarian Kristen Potter recognizes teens’ need for guidance and safety, and has organized several programs focusing on teen concerns and well-being.”
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MARMALADE BRANCH Manager Safi Safiullah Our newest location serves the Marmalade District and the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Through collaboration with the U of U, Marmalade hosts regular ACT prep classes. Additional college help is available in a weekly program involving Gear Up, Casa Quetzalcoatl, West High’s DECA Club, and the SLCC Community Writing Center. This program offers Hispanic students assistance with scholarship application and essay writing. The branch reaches under-served populations
through trusted and established partnerships that are already connected in those particular cultural communities. “As Salt Lake City quickly expands, the branch bridges the divide between east and west,” said Branch Manger Safi Safiullah. “Our biggest successes in programming involve bridging divides. This plays out in everything we do. ”
SWEET BRANCH Manager Mary Maloney A neighborhood library in the Avenues, the branch is a quiet, welcoming space full of regular patrons. Residents often stop by on their daily walk to pick up holds, read the day’s newspapers, or just chat with the staff. Customers appreciate the branch for the social connection it provides. Adults can socialize at the Sweet Reads book club, and a teen book club was launched late in the year. Children’s programs provide an opportunity for parents to meet and connect with other caregivers, and many senior customers and students use the branch as an “Internet café.”
“The branch staff give their hearts and excel at customer service,” said Branch Manager, Mary Maloney. “A young patron approached a librarian to ask for help getting a book. He was so shy, he forgot his words. The Librarian told him she was shy too, and they agreed to work it out together. She asked him if the book involved superheroes, his eyes lit up, and he nodded yes. She handed him a Batman Junior Reader. His expression confirmed that the Librarian was spot-on. That little 4-year-old knew in that moment that libraries are magical places!”
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Branch Highlights
Sprague employees reinvigorated the teen space after the flood.
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SPRAGUE BRANCH & UPDATE Manager Heather Hart This high-gabled, English Tudor style library has served the Sugar House community since 1928. On July 26, 2017, a surprise downpour drenched Sugar House. This severe rainstorm caused flooding throughout the area, affecting several businesses and the Sprague Branch. When City Library maintenance staff responded to a triggered alarm, they found several feet of standing water in the lower level of the building. The structure, furniture, computers, and Library collections sustained heavy damage. The Library has served the Sugar House community since 1928. The branch — one of the few constants in an ever-evolving neighborhood — will undergo an evolution of its own in the coming years through a much needed remodel. The Library partnered with the architectural team of Arch Nexus and Margaret Sullivan Studio and held a series of open-house meetings to ensure a communitycentric approach to the renovation. We asked members of the Sugar House community to tell us how they like to use the Sprague Branch. After collecting data
and hundreds of comments, a preliminary design was presented to the public, the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce, and the Sugar House Community Council in October, 2018. While the library is being remodeled, we will continue to serve the community through The Sprague Firehouse Express, a temporary location only a few blocks away from the branch. Reopening in 2020, the Sprague Branch’s historic exterior will remain the same, while the inside will house a 21st-century Library — a place for neighbors to explore, discover, learn, connect, create, and celebrate community. Heather Hart is excited about the future: “The Sprague Branch is an integral part of the Sugar House neighborhood and we can’t wait to showcase a renovated building full of the amenities that the community has asked for. These plans include preserving the charm and old-fashioned library feel while integrating innovative and creative learning spaces.”
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