End of year FY2015

Another busy year is in the books (pun intended!) at LME Library!  Please take a minute to read the summary of our year.

http://www.lmelibrary.org/attachments/article/108/Annual%20Summary%20FY2015.pdf 

Long Range Planning FY15-FY17

In the spring of 2014, the Lillie M. Evans Library District began working on a long range plan covering FY15-FY17. We started with a survey in April that asked for input from both our library users and non-users.  Next we held a focus group in May.  Community members representing many diverse perspectives participated in an evening long activity facilitated by the former Director of Consulting & Continuing Education at the Alliance Library System. After the results were compiled, the director analyzed the information collected and identified three goals for each year of the plan.  The staff and board then worked together to refine these goals.

As part of the long range planning process, the LME Library Board identified multiple building needs and proceeded with the development of a Building Program in fall 2014.  Led by consultant Fred Schlipf, the program outlines the space needs of the library and is the first step in a building project.  This delayed the development of the long range plan until February 2015, but all three years have now been approved by the Board.  Plans are available online for FY15, FY16, and FY17.  We have also updated the Technology Plan for 2014-2017.

Thank you to all who participated in the planning process. We could not complete these plans without the input of our patrons, community, staff and board.  As our mission states, it is our goal “to provide materials and services to help residents meet their personal, educational, cultural, and professional needs.  The Lillie M. Evans Library District supports an environment for life-long learning and is dedicated to making the Princeville community an attractive place in which to live, visit, and work.”  Your input helps us provide the best materials, programs, and services for our community—thank you!

YEAR IN REVIEW, 2013-2014

The Lillie M. Evans Library District just wrapped up our fiscal year of July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014.  From completing our carpeting project to hosting the Lincoln Exhibit, it was a very busy year for us.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Our Friends of the Library group once again had a very successful book sale.  As a result, they purchased additional Ellison die cutters, an Ellison cart, a rug for the class visits, and an audio system for the meeting room. They also continued their sponsorship of an additional entertainer for the SRP, help with the Teen SRP grand prize, SRP refreshments at the pool party, and a gift card for the Holiday Homecoming raffle.
• We completed our final carpeting phase in August.  Once all the upgrades were complete, we shifted the adult fiction and non-fiction collections. All the non-fiction, fiction, large print, playaways, biographies, and young adult fiction were also moved.  The Turner picture was reframed as per our interior designer’s recommendation, and we had our open house on September 11^th. Both Senator Darrin LaHood and Representative David Leitch attended. 
• Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War exhibit was a very successful collaboration with the Princeville Heritage Museum.  It was on display from April 7, 2014 through May 9, 2014.  We had a total of 1,278 visitors and 23 class visits. We were very fortunate to secure grant funding for this exhibit.  It was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  In addition, we were able to secure funding for 2 of our programs through grants from the Illinois Humanities Council.  The Museum hosted the opening reception and our programs included:  Illinois in the Civil War presented by Tom Emery, Black Jack Logan: Civil War General, Senator, King-Maker with Brian “Fox” Ellis, the Anti-Slavery Movement in Black & White presented by Jeanne Schultz Angel, and by far our most successful program, Mrs. Lincoln’s Tea & Salon with historical impersonator, Debra Ann Miller. Thank you to the Princeville Heritage Museum & especially, Julie Delbridge for all the time and effort provided and to everyone who attended and supported this exhibit and programming.
• This year the extreme weather conditions impacted on our statistics.  We had to close the library on January 6^th due to weather, and we cancelled several programs due to the closure of Princeville CUSD for weather related reasons. Additionally, storms and continued inclement weather definitely had an impact on patron visits.  Our overall circulation was up a little over 1% from last year, but our attendance was down 5% overall. Our total materials circulation for FY14 was 48,485 which averaged 4,040 items/month.
• We added a Fabric Crafts and Fiber Arts show in November/December. This was a non-juried show but was fun and looked great in the library.  We had 50 pieces on display. It was up during Holiday Homecoming and the Princeville Woman’s Club Home Tour.  Unfortunately the weather was not good for the home tour, but we still saw 28 people that evening.
• This was our second year that we hosted the redesigned Art Show during Heritage Days.  This year we made some additional changes by expanding the drop off and pick up times, adjusting the hours during Heritage Days, and provided more time for set up and judging.  The opening reception was on Friday, June 20^th and we had over 80 people attend.  In addition to the Heritage Days hours, the Art Show continued to be on display during our regular library hours through July 5^th.   We had 21 artists participate this year and 61 pieces of art exhibited. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating art and artists in our community!
• We are working on our long range planning.  It’s hard to believe we just completed our last 3 year plan.  Thank you to everyone who attended our focus group or filled out our library survey.  We’ve completed the FY15 plan and are finishing up with FY16 & FY17.  We are also updating our Technology Plan and working with a consultant to identify building needs.
• Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) completed their long range planning process in 2013-2014.  In fall 2013, they received a grant from the Illinois State Library to start an eBook consortium using Baker & Taylor’s 360 Axis. This collection, eRead Illinois, only includes ebooks but RAILS has structured it to be sustainable after the grant funding ends.  Even though we have joined eRead IL, we continue to participate in the Alliance Digital Media Library (ADML) which is supported by Overdrive and provides ebooks and audio books.

Long Range Planning—setting our next goals

The last time we did a long range plan was three years ago when I first joined LME Library.  We’ve been using the information we gathered and the goals we set to map our library services through FY14.  Now we are looking for input from the community as we evaluate new possibilities and develop a plan for FY15-FY17.

Throughout April and May, the Lillie M. Evans Library District invites you to participate in the long-range planning process for your library.  Some of you may attend a focus group and others may complete a library survey.  Community input is essential in the planning process, and we appreciate the support of both our users and non-users.  

Superior library service doesn’t just happen.  To achieve excellence, you need a plan.  The Board of Trustees is committed to developing a long-range plan with a series of objectives that support the vision that our community has presented.  In early summer, the Board will share this long-range plan with you as we continue to seek new and better ways to serve our community.

LME Library and 2014 Goals

Still working on setting your New Year’s resolutions? Here’re some suggestions from the Lillie M. Evans Library that can make 2014 great!

1. Resolve to get more fit. Our 6th season of LME Library’s Biggest Loser runs from January 8th-March 5th. This 8 week program can help you get a kick start on your fitness goals. Did you know the library has a great selection of workout DVDs and offers fitness programs throughout the week? Our yoga group meets on Mondays and Fridays at 9:15am. Zumba featuring Latin music and dance provides a great cardio workout on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6:15pm. Workout Wednesdays is a great opportunity to preview some of the LME fitness videos and meets on Wednesdays at 5:30pm. Fitness hooping works your core, hips and thighs and meets on Saturdays at 1pm. No preregistration is required and participation is free. Come to the staff entrance on Walnut Street (near Harvey Stahl Plumbing) for sessions that take place after the library is closed. Don’t forget the cookbooks! The LME Library also has variety of cookbooks for those looking for healthy recipes. 
2. Resolve to declutter your home. Are you looking for a place to bring your used books, DVDs, or ink cartridges? Donate them to the LME Library! Items not added to the library collection go to the Friends of the Library for their booksale. Over the years, the Friends have supported the library by donated materials, equipment, furniture, and funds for children’s programs. The Friends are also collecting empty inkjet cartridges for recycling. Cartridges can be deposited in our collection bin at the library.
3. Resolve to stop paying overdue library fines. You can when your books are never overdue. Sign up for Shoutbomb text notifications or email alerts, and you will always know when your loan period is up. Then you can renew your books online, by text message, in person, or by phone. Don’t forget that you can return all items in the drop box outside the library even if the library is closed. You can also use our e-book service (http://alliance.lib.overdrive.com) and the e-book will expire when the loan period has ended. 
4. Resolve to learn more about technology. The LME Library is offering drop-in computer classes on Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30pm now through the end of January. Just got a new Kindle or iPad? Stop by and we’ll help you get started. Want to read an ebook on your device? We can help you borrow from the libraries e-books collection. We also have Word and Internet classes on Fridays from 11-noon until January 31st. If you don’t have a computer or Wi-Fi device, we have 9 public access computers for use. Our webpage at http://lmelibrary.org is available from any Internet device, and our databases include full-text newspaper articles from Peoria & around the US, e-books & audio books, kids interactive books, genealogical research sources, language learning programs, and fiction read-a-like lists. 
5. Resolve to read more. Reading is an active mental process and a fundamental skill builder. It improves your vocabulary, and reading gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places. Reading has many benefits–in addition to improving your focus and concentration, reading is entertaining and fun! With your LME Library card, you can borrow books from our library or one of the 180+ libraries in our region. We have audios, magazines, and DVDS as well as e-books. Even though we’re small, we’re mighty! Last year 47,803 items circulated from the LME Library and over 35,000 people visited. 

It’s a whole new year, and we want to make it easy to start and keep your resolutions. Stop in, call (385-4540) or visit the LME Library website at http://lmelibrary.org. You’ll be glad you did!

The Lillie M. Evans Library receives Back to Books grant

The Lillie M. Evans Library District recently received a Back to Books grant for $4,500 from the Illinois State Library.  The Back to Books grant is a collection development grant offered to libraries for the acquisition of books and other materials. Grant funds have been used to purchase books, audios, and DVDs in the non-fiction areas of library & information science, education, languages, sciences, applied sciences, and geography & travel. Materials are appropriate for the adult and young adult age groups. 

To introduce these resources, we will have a series of 3 programs focusing on the materials purchased with this grant.  The first program will be an open house highlighting the collection.  Please visit the library on Wednesday, July 31 during our regular hours of 9am-8pm.  Materials selected for this grant will be displayed and available for checkout.

The second program on Wednesday, August 28th will target homeschoolers and resources available from the library through our newly created homeschool resource web page.  As part of the grant, we will be developing a section of our website for our homeschooling parents and students.  This will include links to online resources as well as tips on using the library catalog.  The page will also have information about any local groups that focus on homeschooling activities.

The final program will be a travel program at 6pm on Wednesday, September 25^th.  It will start with a showing of one of our new travel DVDs (we will choose one that meets our public performance license) and will include a book talk of some of our new materials in this area.  Visit our website at http://lmelibrary.org for more information about this grant and these programs.

The funds from this grant will make it possible for us to better meet the needs of our local community.  Materials were purchased through a Library Services and Technology Act grant administered by the Illinois State Library using funds provided by the U.S Institute of Museum and Library Services.