Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report
April 29, 2019
Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019 INNOVATIVE NEW PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND ENHANCEMENTS ● Passport Services Now Available at the City Library The Library has officially been accepted as a Passport Agency Acceptance Center and began processing passport applications on March 25. Eight staff members who have been certified to process applications have been helping a steady stream of happy patrons. With no advertising, the Library has already served more than 100 people and is generating nearly $1000/week in revenue. We are currently offering passport services only on nights and weekends, which provides great convenience for many due to our convenient location and hours. We are seeing lots of families who are grateful for the option of getting passport applications done on a Saturday. Based on the high volume of customers we are servicing already, the Library is making plans to create a larger, dedicated space for Passport services on the third floor, and may hire additional staff. ● Career Online High School Update (COHS) On April 15, the Library officially launched Career Online High School, an exciting new program designed to help adult high school dropouts obtain their diploma online. The program also offers a career certification in ten areas including office management, childcare and education, homecare professional and more. We are currently working with partners to recruit ten students for the first cohort. The program is free for students due to the generous support of The Friends of the Library who are funding this new pilot service. PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND OUTREACH EVENTS OF NOTE ● HELPING REFUGEES WITH GRANTSEEKING TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS On March 22nd Matt Phillips provided a training on grantseeking resources to three staff members of Salt Lake's branch of the International Rescue Committee. This was a great opportunity to do a deep dive of our grantseeking resources, to dispel some myths about grantseeking, and to work closely to meet the needs of IRC rather than inviting them to a larger class. This training will open up new avenues for IRC to fund their important programs for refugees. Matt hopes that we can explore further opportunities in working with nonprofits and businesses directly. This would allow us to provide impactful, focused training for whole 2
Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019
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teams on resources relevant to their needs. (submitted by Matt Phillips) OUTREACH ON THE WEST SIDE Glendale Librarian Kristen Potter attends the Parents & Pastries monthly at the Glendale Community Learning Center (CLC). At these meetings, Kristen brings a craft for parents to complete after the “business” portion of the meeting has concluded. For March, the parents made chore charts for their children and grandchildren. Keri Taddie, the Glendale CLC Coordinator, believes that the activity really gives parents a chance to build relationships with one another and with the library. While parents commune over their projects, Kristen talks about library services, answers questions, and learns about community happenings. This outreach is a great example of civic engagement and inclusion and belonging. It’s one of Kristen’s favorite things to do! (Submitted by Kristen Potter) ALPHABET SOUP: SUPPORTING LGBTQ+ TEENS AND ALLIES The Teen Services Librarian on Level 2 of the Main Library, Rebecca West, facilitates an LGBTQ+ club for teens titled “Alphabet Soup.” In March, 11 enthusiastic teens attended Alphabet Soup, the biggest gathering the program has seen since it began in October. The group completed many activities to get to know each other and brainstormed about what they want to do with the group going forward. Rebecca is confident that this group has the potential to grow and effect positive community change based on the initiative and drive of the teens. Honest and open conversations were had, and the teens relayed their confidence in the City Library to provide them with a safe space to be themselves, try out new identities and pronouns, and connect with other LGBTQ+ youth from across the city. The Alphabet Soup program aligns with the City Library’s strategic goals in both the Civic Engagement and Inclusion and Belonging areas of focus. Rebecca is reaching out to LGBTQ+ teens who are at risk of bullying, suicide, and homelessness. Not only does the program have the potential to make a positive impact on the individual teens who attend the meetings, but with LGBTQ+ affirming signage throughout the library, the library is showing solidarity and support to the entire Salt Lake LGBTQ+ community. Rebecca is also creating and strengthening the City Library’s professional relationships with LGBTQ+ community partners such as the Utah Pride Center and Encircle Family and Youth Resource Center. (Submitted by Rebecca West) CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STARTS YOUNG -- TEACHING KIDS TO READ… AND VOTE On March 4th, Children’s Services tallied the votes for the winning series of the Winter Book Series Showdown. The results varied by location, with H arry Potter winning the
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Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019
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votes at Sweet, Main, Marmalade, Glendale, and Foothill, while Elephant & Piggie won at Chapman and Day-Riverside, and Pete the Cat won at Sprague. We were curious to find out if kids on the east or west side would favor one series but we didn’t notice a geographic trend for the winners. This program was developed as a Civic Engagement program, to offer our youngest patrons an opportunity to practice choosing through a vote. It was reported that kids were excited and proud to obtain their “I Voted” stickers and we are happy to build up the skills of our future SLC voters. (Submitted by Liesl Jacobson) FIX-IT CLINIC BREAKS THE MOLD - AND PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY AND FRUGALITY The Fix-it Clinic was a resounding success, with 54 participants. The enthusiasm was palpable, and many patrons ducked in just to see what all the fuss was about. People brought sweaters, kitchen knives, a keyboard, clocks, a pasta maker, lamps, wood planes, skirts, a gaming controller, a hair dryer, crib parts . . . a real mix. After their initial item was fixed, a number of patrons went back home to search for other broken items to bring in. One patron brought a worn american flag, tattered on the edges, that had at one time flown at the Washington Monument in D.C. The flag had been presented to him to honor his father who'd had a Liberty Ship named after him in June of 1945, the Edwin H. Duff. It turns out the patron himself had a fairly illustrious past. He formerly worked as a photo intelligence specialist for the AIr Force Strategic Air Command. He was the analyst who made the initial confirmation of a Russian missile in Cuba in October 1962. Our sewing coach, after consultation with the owner, mended the flag successfully. (Submitted by Chris Chambers) SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS: Fifth Anniversary for 12 Minutes Max 12 Minutes Max celebrated its 5th year on March 17th! 100+ library visitors piled into the Main Library auditorium to enjoy a fantastic program with local artists presenting pieces in dance, film, and music. We were able to work with the City Transportation Department so the musicians could bring their mobile Gallery of Fine Hyper-Art (GOFHA) — an ex-UTA bus-gallery-arcade full of locally crafted arcade style video games. After their musical performance, which tied nicely into the GOFHA, the musicians invited the audience to come outside, visit the gallery, and play some fresh video games! (Submitted by Jason Rabb)
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Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019 ●
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TINKER LAB GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS I n March, Lisa and Mackenzie hosted a Robotics Series in the Tinker Lab. The program was loads of fun and popular with ten wonderful tweens and teens -- some regulars, some new. They made, and decorated battery powered bots to take home. There was a lot of trial and error, lots of creativity. Some memorable moments are: Peter raising his completed bot high in the air then kissing it; Meira adorning her bot with eyelashed googly eyes, and topping it off with a purple princess crown; one of the new boys, giving his mom a huge hug and confiding in her that this is the best thing he has ever done. It was a such a joy to see the kids so pleased with the process and the product. (Submitted by Lisa Grant) PARTNERING TO SUPPORT ESL IN SLC O n March 20th, Stephanie Goodliffe met with 3 ESL classes from the Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, reaching 65 students. This outreach tied in with the library’s Critical Literacies focus. The first class was at one of the school’s satellite sites. The other two classes met together at the school. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our ESL and foreign language materials. Stephanie also highlighted several databases from the Digital Library. Children’s materials were also shared, with information about early literacy. At least one teacher said she’d be working with her students to clarify anything that they did not understand. However, the most important take-away for the students was that they and their families are welcome at the library. (Submitted by Rebecca Baker)
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TECHNOLOGY AND ART - PERFECT TOGETHER IN OUR CREATIVE LAB The Creative Lab has been working with the Framework Arts Organization to create art pieces for Mestizo coffee house and the Salt Lake City Public Library. When completed, the exhibit will display photos taken by 6th graders from Escalante Elementary School pertaining to their parents' specific jobs, paired with audio interviews. The display at the Salt Lake City Library will coincide with the Living Traditions Festival May 17-19. ( Submitted by Gwen Page)
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CREATIVE LAB SUPPORTS LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS John, a savvy, hard-working landscaper, came into the lab in search of a printer to run off flyers for his business. While using the computer, he noticed that something was amiss with one of them and asked for help with Photoshop to correct it. After the aforementioned issue had been resolved, John realized there was a lot more that could be improved and spent the next several days learning new techniques. He was able to create more engaging posters that communicated his point in an efficient manner with a few hours of investment learning new software. Once the design was finalized, the flyers were run off en masse and John was grateful there was a free resource for entrepreneurs like himself. (Submitted by Cameron Terry) DIY SEWING CLUB AT MARMALADE SUPPORTS TEENS AND ENTREPRENEURS The Marmalade Sewing club is growing! This month we met in the Creative Lab and nearby Teen Space. Sewing enthusiasts expressed satisfaction of completing a sewing project in a calm and supportive social environment. We served snacks because sewing is hard work. The sewing club is an all-ages program, but we are working to see more teens join. We partnered with West High School’s Family Consumer Sciences teacher, Brenda Rhodes, to teach the sewing club how to make zippered bags in February. Two of our new members completed a sewing project during our meeting, and then came back to the Creative lab in the following week to sew some more! Our sewing club is sponsored by S ew Much Hope, a nonprofit that donated sewing machines and fabric. (submitted by Joli Perez)
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STEM PROGRAMMING AT SWEET T he Sweet Branch recently hosted 27 second-graders from the JCC's after-school program for a library visit. Sweet is starting to partner with the JCC more frequently as they have overlapping patrons, and this was the first time the students visited Sweet. With help from their chaperones Meagan had multiple stations set up in the meeting room for the students to learn STEM programming, fold origami, start their own basil plants, or peruse some books. Some unstructured reading time was also built in and each student had a chance to for a library tour and a chance to browse the collection. (submitted by Meagan Gonsalves-Vorwald)
UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND EVENTS OF NOTE Reported by Liesl Jacobson, Assistant Director of Community Engagement ● WOW! WEDNESDAYS, Legacy Village - 5th Floor, Fairmont Room ( Sprague program) Wednesdays in May, 3:30-4:30pm 6
Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019
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Join us for weekly afternoon activities that will make you say “WOW!” ● Wed, May 1, 3:30pm-4:30pm · Star Wars Spectacular ● Wed, May 8, 3:30pm-4:30pm · LEAP into Science Family Workshop: Do You See What I See? ● Wed, May 15, 3:30pm-4:30pm · LEGO Building ● Wed, May 22, 3:30pm-4:30pm · Lifesize Candyland ● Wed, May 29, 3:30pm-4:30pm · Zumba with Hannah TAKE APART LAB, Chapman Branch - Children's Area Wednesday, May 01: 4:00pm - 5:00pm "Break" household items without getting in trouble. You'll take apart household electronics to see what's inside. Find out what makes them tick! For kids grades 4–7.
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FIELD WORK: ALIGNING POETRY AND SCIENCE: BEE PARTY Main Library Rooftop Terrace, Thursday, May 2nd, 7-8pm Join former Utah Poet Laureate Katharine Coles and USU Entomologist James Cane for a buzzworthy evening. With bee themed poetry, bee facts, and a look at the Library's bee hives.
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GEEK PROM: STAR WARS, Anderson-Foothill Branch Saturday, May 4th, 6:30-9:30pm It's our 3rd Annual Geek Prom, full of Star Wars-themed games, snacks, and activities. Dress however you like, in jeans, a ballgown, or a Jedi robe. For teens ages 12-17.
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HAWAIIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE SERIES, Day-Riverside Branch, Meeting Room Sunday, May 5th, 2-3pm A four-week class on the Hawaiian language. All ages are welcome! Taught by Tina Cabiles Carden. Held in partnership with the Utah Hawaiian Civic Club. Registration required.
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STORYTIME IN THE PARK, Marmalade Branch Thursday, May 9th, 11-12pm Meet at the branch, then take a tour through Pugsley Park. Engage your five senses AND your imagination! Enjoy an outdoor storytime, followed by a walk through the park with Kendal Scott of the SLC Division of Trails & Natural Lands.
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Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019 ●
3RD ANNUAL "LABELED" MENTAL HEALTH FESTIVAL, Main Library Auditorium, Saturday, May 11th, 12-6pm A festival promoting awareness around mental health and homelessness in SLC. Catch a curated collection of films, stories, and panels. You’ll also find resources for a brighter future!
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LEARN AND GROW PLAYTIME. Sweet Branch May 14th at 10am B ring your kids to an open playtime with Help Me Grow Utah while meeting other grown-ups and learning about your child’s development through play. At the playtime, parents and guardians can fill out a developmental questionnaire, learn how they can help their child’s development, and get more information about community resources. For children ages 0–8. Full Schedule ● May 3rd at 11am · Day-Riverside Branch ● May 8th at 11am · Marmalade Branch ● May 10th at 10am · Main Library Children's Department ● May 14th at 10am · Sweet Branch ● May 15th at 11am · Anderson-Foothill Branch ● May 20th at 3pm · Chapman Branch ● May 24th at 11am · Glendale Branch ● May 29th from 10:15am · 12pm- Sprague Branch (Held Legacy Village )
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DIGITAL STORYTELLING, Creative Lab, Main Library Saturday, May 18th, 12-5pm Every tradition has a story. Our traditions define us as individuals and bring our families together. Come into the Creative Lab to record a digital story that you can save and share with family and friends!
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GROWING IN THE GROVE, Chapman Branch Children’s Area Saturday, May 11th, 12-1:30pm Planting your vegetable garden with Poplar Grove's own Dan Potts. A variety of gardening workshops, all summer long. Learn to plant your vegetable garden, compost, and more. For adults. PREPARACIÓN ANTE EMERGENCIAS, Glendale Branch, Meeting Room B W ednesday, May 15th, 10:30-11am Hablaremos de cómo desarrollar un plan de emergencia, elementos básicos del
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Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019 equipo de emergencia, y cómo mantenerte involucrado en tu comunidad. TODOS SON BIENVENIDOS FACILITIES UPDATES R eported by Gordon Bradberry, Assistant Director of Facilities and IT ● Blinds for Marmalade Meeting Room: The blinds in the Marmalade multipurpose room have been replaced and updated to block more light. This will allow greater use of the space during daytime hours for events such as the film society holds. We also had additional blinds installed along the south wall of the library. Construction on a food preparation area for the multipurpose room will begin shortly. ●
Day-Riverside - Maximizing Staff Space: We have done a little minor remodeling at Day-Riverside to increase the staff space and provide additional storage.
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New offices are being constructed on the 3rd floor at Main: This work will provide space for the team of Service Coordinators including offices, shared work space and a meeting room. Once Service Coordinators have moved into this space, the IT team will move down to the lower level, adjacent to the IT workroom and the server room.
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Chapman Branch Refresh: The staff breakroom, which had not been upgraded in many years, has been refreshed.
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Improving Accessibility Push button ADA door openers have been installed on the bathroom doors at Main and at Foothill. New ADA exterior doors have been ordered for the downstairs entrance at the Chapman Branch.
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Reflecting Pool Repairs Continue: We have been working with Lifetime Roofing to develop a plan to complete the repair of the reflecting pools before the end of May. Amphitheater Shade Structure is up! T he amphitheater shade structure is complete and has been reinstalled for the summer.
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SPRAGUE RENOVATION UPDATES ● We have selected a firm for the Sprague renovation construction and will make a public announcement when paperwork is finalized. ● Sprague Firehouse Express will officially open on Sunday, April 28. A big thank you to the staff of Sprague and our Facilities staff have done a wonderful job preparing the new space for Library service. A special thank you as well to Sprague Branch Manager Heather Hart, Deputy Director Debbie Ehrman, and Facilities for their excellent work in managing the many and complex moving parts of the renovation project, and the opening of the Firehouse Express location. 9
Salt Lake City Public Library Director's Report - April 29, 2019
VOA Snapshot March 1-31
The VOA Library Engagement Team had 1768 total interactions with people in need of services. Staff gave out 42 food items, 26 hygiene items, 20 clothing items, and provided 49 referrals and information, and 48 care coordination interactions. 57% of interactions were regarded referral and information 27% of interactions were related to care coordination 15% of interactions were for basic need items 1% of interactions were for transportation. SELECTED MEDIA MENTIONS ● Facing the Music : City Weekly's new music guru shares how she'll get back her Utah groove City Weekly (April 24, 2019) 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. ● Your Weekend: All the Earth Day and Easter events you'll ever need Deseret News (April 15, 2019) Earth Day celebrations: Love the planet — it’s our only one! There are more than a few Earth Day events to choose from. Join experts from the American Chemical Society, Westminster College and Tracy Aviary at the City Library for hands-on educational activities. Learn about microplastics, “LEAP” into water science and study composting — and, make edible “dirt” cups (with chocolate, oreos and other tasty treats) to finish off the experience. Earth Day Celebration, April 20, 1-3 p.m., Salt Lake City Main Library ● Photos: Shall We Dance? Youngsters Cut Loose at Weekly Party Deseret News (Apr 15, 2019) During the party, young dancers ages 3 to 7 can grab props and instruments and dance their socks off. The event takes place each Monday at 3:30 p.m. For more events at the Salt Lake City Public Library, log on to slcpl.org. (click here to see slideshow) ● The Storm On Our Shores' With Mark Obmascik On Thursday's Access Utah Utah Public Radio (April 11, 2019) This program is part of the “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” Initiative administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils in partnership with the Pulitzer Prizes Board for a collaboration between UPR, Utah Humanities, The Salt Lake Tribune, and The Salt Lake City Library. The initiative seeks to deepen the public’s knowledge and appreciation of the vital connections between democracy, the humanities, journalism, and an informed citizenry. 10
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How a Salt Lake Librarian’s Bold Essay Became Emilio Estevez’s New Movie, ‘The Public’ Deseret News (April 10, 2019) Chip Ward got more than he bargained for at the Salt Lake City Public Library. From 2000 to 2007, while Ward was the library’s assistant director, his unofficial job description was expanded to include looking after the chronically homeless — those whose homelessness is driven by a disabling condition like mental illness, a physical disability or addiction. Learning How Salt Lake City’s Homeless Find Refuge and Respect in the Library Inspired Emilio Estevez to Make His New Movie, ‘The Public’ Salt Lake Tribune (Apr 5, 2019) On three mornings each week, some 40 or 50 people gather on clear days in the plaza of the Salt Lake City Library’s downtown branch for tai chi. Wednesday was not a clear day, so they improvised. Marita Hart took about half of the group, many of them homeless people who had waited in the rain for the library to open, inside to the basement level of the library’s atrium. Her husband, Bernie, took the rest across the street to the lawn of City Hall. ‘The Public’ Movie Review: Life, Liberty and the Library as a Battlefield Rolling Stone (Apr 5, 2019) For inspiration, Estevez cites “What They Didn’t Teach Us in Library School: The Public Library as an Asylum for the Homeless,” a 2007 essay by Chip Ward that offered an inside look at the tolerance shown to the homeless patrons who frequent the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah. KnowledgeCity Partners With Public Libraries to Expand Job Training Access: Online eLearning platform available at select libraries PRNewswire (April 2, 2019) Online employee training provider KnowledgeCity is positively impacting local communities across the United States by partnering with public libraries to provide access to its extensive eLearning library of professional development courses. KnowledgeCity library partners offer their communities free, unlimited access to KnowledgeCity's eLearning platform of more than 13,000 video tutorials in critical business skills. Library patrons can access this premium content at their local library branch, at home or even on the go with any internet-connected mobile device. As a result, community members can benefit from the latest and greatest in job training when and where they learn best. Letter: Finding hope in difficult times Salt Lake Tribune ( April 1, 2019) Thank you to Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel from the Union of Concerned Scientists who came to speak at the Salt Lake Public Library about solutions and hope in fighting the fossil fuel industry working so greedily to destroy our planet.
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