Library Annual Report, FY04

FY06 Highlights

Library Receives Largest Grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)
The City of Cambridge was awarded a $10,698,495 grant from the MLBC for its new Main Library Construction Project. This is the largest grant awarded to any Massachusetts city or town for a library construction project.

Main Library Expansion Project bids were higher than the allotted budget. Plans were reviewed and revised so that costs could be trimmed without sacrificing the integrity of the library. The City re-advertised for qualifications for contractors and sub-bidders. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2006.

MassBLAST
The library is one of eight in the Commonwealth to be selected by the Simmons College School of Library and Information Science and UMASS Boston to offer internships to students identified as members of ethnic or racial minorities. MassBLAST is designed to engage young people in learning about libraries as a means to recruiting a new and more diverse generation of librarians. This initiative is funded by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Librarians for the 21st Century, and the H.W. Wilson Foundation.

Literacy Initiatives
New initiatives to promote literacy skills in both adult and children received support from many sources in the past year. Traditional library services to enhance reading skills were also expanded.

A grant from Verizon funded library staff to provide story times in daycare centers and pre-schools that serve low income children and/or children whose first language is not English. Harvard University donated books to be given to the children in these centers.
America Reads funded college students to give computer instruction, provide TOEFL and citizenship preparation, offer job hunting assistance, and to teach reading to literacy students at the Central Square Branch.
The Literacy Project hosted a two day training course in the Wilson method for 30 professionals from local schools and organizations.
Over 1300 youngsters signed up for the library’s summer reading programs: Books Ahoy (supported by East Cambridge Savings Bank) for pre-school through grade 5 and STUFF (supported by the Friends of the Library) for grades 6 and up. Over 46,000 children’s items were checked out during the summer reading program. Twenty four camps and organized summer programs visited the library regularly throughout the summer.
The Main Library piloted its first Kindergarten Library Campaign visiting the Graham & Parks, Baldwin, Fletcher Maynard, King, and Amigos schools to read books, talk about the library and send home library card applications. Two hundred thirty four kindergarteners who did not already have them, received their first library card.
As part of the Agenda for Children 706 “Welcome Baby” packages were delivered to new parents in the city and fifteen home daycare providers received bi-monthly deliveries of library materials. According to one recipient, “the kids were so excited to get the library books, they took turns in getting the books out”.
Weekly story times were offered in Spanish (Main Library), Portuguese (Valente Branch) and Chinese (O’Connell Branch).
Over 350 new children’s books, donated by the community, were collected by the library and delivered for the holidays to children living in the Hildebrand Self-Help Center and the YWCA.

There’s So Much to Talk About!
As new technologies emerge it is important to reassert the importance of reading and to provide opportunities for residents to engage in conversation about books. It was a watershed year for the introduction of new book discussion groups spanning from childhood to retirement.

Technology
Thanks to funding from the Friends of the Library over 1200 downloadable audio book titles were made available through Net Library/Recorded Books. Cambridge residents downloaded more than 340 titles in the first month of operation.

In cooperation with the Information Technology Department wireless Internet access was made available at all library locations throughout the city.

Special Events
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer presented the second John Kenneth Galbraith Honor Lecture to a capacity crowd at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Justice Breyer spoke about his new book, Active Liberty: Interpreting our Democratic Constitution.

Julian Houston, Associate Justice of the Middlesex Superior court and author of the novel, New Boy, spoke about his autobiographical novel about growing up in segregated Virginia and attending a private high school in Connecticut.

Nine students ages 12 – 15 were trained to become storytellers as part of a two year Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Metrowest Regional Library System by the MBLC. Storyteller Tony Toledo gave a performance and mentored the participants who performed for children from The German School during their final session.

The Main Library hosted local author Chris Abouzeid, who read from his new book Anatopsis, and celebrated Harry the Dirty Dog’s 50th birthday with Harry’s illustrator, Margaret Graham.

Free Comic Book Day was celebrated with an anime screening and the distribution of comics donated by Diamond Comic Book Distributors.

The popular musical group Harry and the Potters performed to an overflow crowd at the Central Square Branch.

Honors
Ethnic Librarian Ana Morais of the Valente Branch was honored with the Mary and Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award by the Massachusetts Association of Portuguese Speakers. She was recognized for her continuous commitment to the language, literature, and culture of Portuguese speaking Communities.

Cambridge Community Television recognized Library Director Susan Flannery with its Leading Role Award.

Boudreau Branch

Although it is the smallest in the city, Boudreau was the highest circulating branch library with over 88,500 items checked-out.

The branch was closed for three months for the installation of a new HVAC system and for a redesign of the public service desk as well as the adult collections and reading areas.

In a collaboration with the Cambridge Public Schools, authors Ed Young and Mitali Perkins visited classrooms and made public presentations at the library.

Over 600 entries were received for the annual Cambridge Tree Project Poetry Competition for students in grades K-8. Awards were presented to a standing room only crowd of parents and friends.

Jennifer Haigh, author of Baker Towers and Mrs. Kimble spoke to an enthusiastic group.

One of Great Britain’s leading illustrators, Rob Scotton introduced his new book, Russell and the Lost Treasure at a pajama story time at the O’Neill Branch Library.

Sarah Boyer and several East Cambridge residents, included in her oral history, spoke about All in the Same Boat: Twentieth-Century Stories of East Cambridge.

In cooperation with Boston Area Colleges, after school homework assistance was offered to local students in math, science, English, and algebra.

“I have never lived in a place where so many people like you actually care about helping us.”
Jan Sharrow