B O W E N I S L A N D P U B L I C L I B R A R Y
A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 9
HIGHLIGHTSOF2009
Municipallibrarystatuscompleted
StrategicPlan2009‐2014adopted
Sundayhoursimplemented
Weekendstaffhoursincreased
MESSAGEFROMTHEBOARDCHAIR
ThishasbeenayearofchangeandcelebrationfortheBowenIslandPublicLibrary,butalsoayearofeconomicstresses.ThroughallthechangesandchallengestheBoardhasremainedcommittedtoprovidingawelcomingpublicspaceonBowenIslandandtocontinuingtoensureaccesstoinformationandresourcesthatmeettheneedsofallresidents.
Themostsignificantaccomplishmentin2009hasbeenourchangefromalibraryassociationtoamunicipallibrary.ThismovereflectsthematurationoftheMunicipalityasitcontinuestosupportanddevelopthecoreservicesthatarecriticaltothewellbeingofacommunity.
Emergingfromourstrategicplanningsessionin2009,theBoardestablishedfourkeygoalsforthenext5years:enhancingthelibraryasacommunitygatheringplace,developingthelibraryasacentreforliteracy,buildingaprofessionalorganization,andincreasingaccess,advocacyandthelibrary’sprofile.Ourkeyaccomplishmentsthisyearinclude:becomingamunicipallibrary,establishingthreestandingcommitteesandexpandingthehoursofservicetoincludeSundays.
TheBoardisfocusingitsworknowonpolicydevelopment,financialplanning,communicationsstrategies,improvingourphysicalspaceanddevelopingourrelationshipwiththemunicipality.
IthasbeenanhonourtoserveontheBoardthispastyear,andIthankalltheBoardmemberswhohavecontributedtheirtimeandcreative
energy.WethankKatherineLawrence,wholefttheBoardthisyearafteralongtenureandwewelcomenewtrusteeSarahGrahamandDavidWrinch,ournewlyappointedCouncilrepresentative.
TheBoardisindebtedtothecompetentleadershipandsupportoftheChiefLibrarian,TinaNielsenandtoallthelibrarystaffwhomakeourlibraryaspecialplaceforeveryone.TheBoardthankstheFriendsoftheLibraryforthehoursofworkthattheydotosupportthelibrary.Andfinally,ourLibrarycouldnotfunctionwithoutourmanydedicatedvolunteers‐thankyou,thankyou,thankyou!
ANDREA L ITTLE , BOARD CHA IR
MESSAGEFROMTHECHIEF L IBRARIAN
Amomentouschangeoccurredlatein2009aswebecameamunicipallibrary.Althoughlittleoutwardchangewillbeseenbyourcustomers,thismoveprovidesthecommunitywithadeepercommitmentfromourlocalgovernmenttolibraryserviceonBowenIsland.IamhappytobeworkingwiththeexcellentmunicipalstaffandcounciltointegratetheLibrary’sobjectives,plansandproceduresintothefunctionsandplanningofthemunicipality.
WithastrongbutmanageablesetofstrategicprioritiesfromourBoard,librarystaffareworkingtowardsimprovingthelibraryaccess,aestheticandservicewithinourlimitedspace.Inthistimeofeconomicrecession,wehavestillmanagedtoincreaseourhoursandareplanningtoimplementnewcomputersystemstoadvanceourtechnologicalcapacityandalsoreduceourcosts.Ihavebeenlookingatnewideasandchangesinthelargerpubliclibraryworldandthinkingofwaystorefresh,rethinkandreconfigurelibraryspaceandservice.LibrarystaffandBoardhopetomakethelibrarymore“user‐friendly”(physicallyandtechnologically),toincorporateavailabletechnologicaltoolsforcommunicationandfeedback,andtoopenupthelibraryfornewprogrammingand
servicemodels.Librariescannolongerviewthemselvesasthe“gatekeepers”ofinformation–theinternethaslongagobrokendownthatgate–andhereattheBowenLibrarywehopetopartnerwithourcommunitytoopenthedoortonewservicesandnewservicedeliverymethodstobestmeettheneedsofourcustomers.MyheartfeltthankstostaffmembersSueGeist,ChristineMiller,JanetHowey,andSandyMulholland,whoseremarkablecommitmenttothelibrarymakemyjobapleasure.IalsohavethegoodfortunetoworkwithamostsupportiveandinspiredBoard,andIoffermanythanksfortheprivilegeofworkingwiththem.OurFriendsoftheLibraryandourlibraryvolunteersdeservemorethanksthanIcanevergive–theyhavebeentheheartoftheBowenLibrarysinceitsinceptionintheearly60’sandwillcontinueatitscoreinournewlymintedmunicipallibrary.TINA N IEL SE N , CH IE F LIB RAR IAN
BOARDANDSTAFF MEMBERS
BoardofTrustees2009
AndreaLittle Chair ValGeddes TrusteeMaureenNicholson ViceChair RichardLabonte TrusteeTedBenson Treasurer KatherineLawrence TrusteeAlisonBeale Trustee SheilaghSparks TrusteeHilaryButler Trustee
StaffTinaNielsen(ChiefLibrarian),SusanGeist,ChristineMiller,JanetHowey(Supervisors)andSandyMulholland(LAII)
STATISTICS
2009 2008 %change
CIRCULATION TOTALANNUALCIRC 46,814 47,019 ‐0.4%
InterLINKReturns 4,162 4,727 ‐12%
HoldRequestsFilled 992 856 +16%
COLLECTIONS TOTALCOLLECTION(ITEMS) 18,691 18,596 +0.5%
ItemsAdded 1,562 2,122 ‐26%
ItemsWithdrawn 1,565 1,253 +25%
QUESTIONSANSWERED TOTALQUESTIONS 3,176 2,982 +6%
INTERLIBRARYLOANS Lenttootherlibraries 383 339 +13%
Borrowedfromotherlibraries 261 240 +9%
PROGRAMMES Numberofprogrammes 60 58 +3%
Totalattendanceatprogrammes 1,029 1,231 ‐16%
PATRONREGISTRATION TOTALPATRONS 3,864 3,806 +1%
Newpatronsadded 376 319 +18%
LIBRARYVISITS Inpersonvisits 37,284 30,160 +24%
Virtualvisitsthroughwebsite Unavailable 1,977
Publicinternetuse 5,772 3,687 +56%
Inlibrarymaterialsused(newspapers,magazines,books,etc.)
6,396 3,588 +78%
COLLECTIONSTOCIRCULATIONCOMPARISON
FINANCES
REVENUE $
BowenIslandMunicipality 157,080
Provincialgrants(2009&2010grants)
31,923
Federalgrants 2,409
Libraryrevenues(fees,fines,etc.) 8,909
Donations&miscellaneous 13,681
TOTAL 214,002
EXPENDITURES $
Collections 33,800
Transfertoreserves 17,254
Purchasesfromgrants 9,824
Operating 21,430
Building 25,582
Salariesandbenefits 106,112
TOTAL 214,002
THANKS
ThankyoutoBowenIslandMunicipalityforcontinuedsupportoftheBowenIslandPublicLibrary;tothePublicLibraryServicesBranchoftheMinistryofEducationforfinancial,program,andservicesupport;andtoourgenerousdonorsandsupporters,whocontributetothesuccessoftheBowenIslandPublicLibrary.
FundersBowenIslandMunicipalityPublicLibraryServicesBranch,MinistryofEducationIndustryCanada,CommunityAccessProgram
GiftsandDonationsAlexVartyAubinvanBerckelBowenIslandGardenClubCourthouseLibrariesDigitallyHipCorporationFriendsoftheBowenIslandPublicLibraryRoyalBankFinancialGroup
Volunteers
Picturedabove:Afewofthelibraryvolunteers
AnneAyreMarilynBellJeannieBrownIrisCarrPamClearyBarbaraCornellBettyDhontAllieDrakeJanetEsseivaSallyFitz‐GibbonJoanneForbes
DorothyGeislerSharonHaggertyDorothyHowesDianaKaileJaneKellettLaurieKienlenDianaKlinckNanMassenderMarleneMatherSuzieMcArthurLinneaMcCaskill
AngelaMcCullochDavidMcCullumMelanieMcLeodSandyMulhollandIsabelOtterLauraRahnPamStimpsonAubinvanBerckelLesleeWakeIreneWanlessSandyWinton
FriendsoftheLibrary
AnnemarieAthertonSusanBellEricLawsonLoisMeyers‐Carter
AlvieMorrisonJohnMorrisonSheilaWebster(PlusdozensofBooksalevolunteers)
