Library Annual Report, FY98

Cambridge Public Library
Annual Report FY98

Each year the Cambridge Public Library strives to improve the essential services it provides to Cambridge residents. Although the library enjoys wide community support and use, the Library Board of Trustees and staff are committed to reaching out to new users, to transforming pre-schoolers into avid readers, to exceeding the already high level of customer service, and to leading our community and our library into the world of electronic information. The Cambridge Public Library is justifiably proud of its accomplishments in 1998.

Minuteman Library Network

After years of planning, grant writing, and technical upgrades, The Cambridge Public Library joined the Minuteman Library Network. The first year began with some down-time but staff and patrons quickly adjusted to the wide array of services and materials available through Minuteman. Library users were provided the opportunity to borrow materials from a wider selection of libraries. Over 20,000 requests were filled through the Minuteman network. In FY97, the last year in the Metro Boston Library Network, the total of network loans was less than 10,000. In FY 1998, there was a 70% increase in the volume of requests filled by the Cambridge Public Library's computer network. In total, library patrons received 49,851 items via inter-library loan from other libraries, both inside and outside the Minuteman Library Network. For the first time borrowers were allowed to request videos through inter-library loan. Reserve and overdue notices were offered via e-mail, an effective way to improve service and reduce costs. Over 8,000 new borrowers were registered this year, further demonstrating the success of the transition to the Minuteman Library Network.

The use of electronic resources flourished at the library as new databases were made available through the online catalog. Information from Books In Print, the Encyclopedia of Associations, and Contemporary Authors are now accessbile through all Minuteman workstations, as are full text articles from the Boston Globe, and many other magazines and newspapers. An online telephone directory provides instant access to both individual and business listings nationwide. Many of these databases are now available from home. Patrons can connect to the Library's catalog and databases by modem, telnet, or the Library's recently updated and improved website. These services, combined with the installation of 15 pentium personal computers for public use, increased the volume of internet use to a record high of over 1200 hours per month. Electronic access to informational resources is now offered at every library throughout the City.

Museum of Science

The Library was launched into the space age via its collaboration with the Museum of Science's Community Solar System project. A twelve foot "Sun" was erected in the Museum with all other planets appropriately located in scale and distance at various sites in the greater Boston area. This innovative exhibit was designed to give individuals the opportunity to experience first hand the scale of the solar system. The "Saturn" exhibit is located in the DeVito Music Room of the Main Library.

Astronaut Susan Still

In keeping with the "space" theme, Lieutenant Commander Susan Still, USN, visited the Main Library in March courtesy once again of the Museum of Science. All available space was occupied as 300 children and adults filled the Sakey Lecture Hall to hear Commander Still's enthusiastic description of her experience as the pilot of a space shuttle.

Mayor Duehay celebrated the unveiling of the
Leonardo Da Vinci mural with Hugo Salemme

The O'Connell Branch Library was the recipient of a mural designed by Lydia Martin and completed by volunteers, courtesy of the Museum of Science. Done in honor of the museum's exhibit on Leonardo Da Vince, the mural is a lovely addition to the newly refurbished O'Connell Branch. An afternoon workshop on the techniques and artistry of Leonardo Da Vince, conducted by artist Lydia Martin, was offered to the neighborhood children. Mayor Frank Duehay, representatives from the Museum of Science, and many library neighbors turned out for the unveiling in April.

Cambridge Public Schools /Cambridge Housing Authority

The Cambridge Public Library received a grant of $8,000 to develop outreach services to "disadvantaged" children and their families. This grant was federally funded with Library Services and Technology Act monies through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The purposes of the grant were: to enable the Library to develop outreach programs in cooperation with other community service agencies; to encourage family literacy; and to increase the library's collection of books, magazine and videos which will support parents in raising their children. The Cambridge Public Library was one of eight libraries in Massachusetts to receive this grant. The grant allowed the library to undertake a new initiative in reaching out to non-users and to pioneer a new approach in promoting the library. For the first time in its history, the library hired an outreach worker whose primary purpose was to visit with families in public housing and to tell them individually and in groups, what the Cambridge Public Library could offer them and their families.

In October and November, the Fletcher Family Institute, a series of family literacy workshops, was sponsored by Title I. The Cambridge Public Library collaborated with Title I in presenting the workshops. The first four workshops were held at the Fletcher School, followed by three meetings at the Valente Branch Library. Families were introduced to the library's resources and staff. The grant also funded Active Parenting Workshops held from February through April at the Fletcher School. Books and magazines especially selected to meet the needs of parents were added to the Valente Branch Library. Circulating kits which include books, tapes, videos and suggestions for family activities were created by librarians and participating families. In collaboration with staff at Roosevelt Towers, Newtowne Court and Washington Elms the outreach worker is connecting families at these locations with the Valente and Central Square Branch libraries.

Arts Council

During January and February, all seven library locations, the Willis D. Moore Center, and the Cambridge Community Center offered an Illustrated Bookmaking workshop led by artist Trina Lion. Two hundred children, aged four to fourteen, made five hundred books. Ms. Lion's creativity, enthusiasm and expert training led to an array of imaginative and colorful books. The program was supported by the Cambridge Arts Council, the Massachusetts Local Cultural Council, the LEF Foundation, the Grand Circle Foundation and the Roy A. Hunt Foundation.

Rotary Club of Cambridge

Construction of the Rotary Technology Learning Center began this year with an estimated completion date of October 1998. This center is destined to become the centerpiece of the library's and the city's efforts to bridge the gap between the technological haves and have-nots. It will also serve as testament to the Rotary Club's ongoing commitment to community service and education.

Black Cultural and Historical Association, Cambridge Branch of the NAACP

Black History Month was celebrated at all library locations by children and adults. Programs featured book displays, songs, stories, and music. The 26th Annual Black History Program, co-sponsored by the Library and the Cambridge Black Cultural and Historical Association, presented "The NAACP: Traditions and Visions." Honored at this year's program was Chester Maxwell, a native Cantabrigian who has been a member of the NAACP for over 30 years, as well as a board member of the Cambridge Committee of Elders and the Council of Aging. He is also a member of the New England Conference and a congregant of St. Paul's AME Church. Mr. Maxwell's community service has been previously acknowledged by the Massachusetts Black Caucus and the Cambridge Branch NAACP.

State Representative Alvin E. Thompson attended the 26th annual
Black History Program with Mrs. Chester Maxwell, Library Board
Chairperson Mrs. Olive Johnson, and award recipient Chester Maxwell

Cambridge Human Rights Commission/Council of Christians and Jews

In pursuit of diversity, the Central Square Branch co-hosted a four part series, "Race Dialogues," a program of facilitated community conversations about race issues in America. The Council of Christians and Jews and the Cambridge Human Rights Commission were co-sponsors of this timely and important series.

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the CPL completed their first organized year. Their enthusiasm, energy and devotion to the library forged a new opportunity for community members to become involved. The Friends' 1997/1998 membership renewal campaign welcomed over 300 new and old friends from all over the city.

The Friends of the Library, along with Solutions At Work, a homeless advocacy program, were the beneficiaries of the grand opening Fire & Ice, an "improvisational grill" in Harvard Square. Celebrity chefs such as actors Valerie Harper and Will Lebow; authors Anne Bernays, Margo Howard, Justin Kaplan, Linda Morgenroth, and Peri Klass; school committee members Susana Segat and Fred Fantini, and City Councillor Henrietta Davis cooked up a delectable feast for over 200 Cambridge notables. At least for one night, the library provided nourishment for the body as well as the mind.

Friends' activities included a book sale in December, featuring children's materials, and an enormously successful used book sale in May. The second annual Book & Author Luncheon was held at the Sherton Commander and featured local writers Alice Hoffman, Nicholas Kilmer, and Gail Mazur. These fundraising activities provided the means for the Friends to achieve their goal of purchasing museum passes not currently available at the library. In their first year, passes to the New England Aquarium, the Children's Museum, and the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum were purchased on behalf of the Cambridge Community.

The "Friend of the Library Awards" honored individuals as well as local business and civic groups this year. Barbara Petery, a neighbor and "Friend" of the library, has been a staunch library supporter for the past seven years. In 1991, she established a trust fund in memory of her mother to support the activities of the library's children's department. Since that time, Barbara has been a terrific asset, utilizing her abilities to mobilize corps of volunteers when needed and to promote support of literacy, reading and the library. Another "Friend," George Wilson, President and CEO of the East Cambridge Savings Bank, has sponsored our summer reading program for the pasy five years. He was honored for his dedication and commitment to the children of Cambridge. The Rotary Club was honored for its development of the Rotary Technology Learning Center at the Central Square Branch. This project was funded entirely by the Rotary Club in honor of its 75th Anniversary and is designed to offer the community access to technology, training and meeting facilities. Also honored were the "Bookies," a group of young preteens who meet regularly at the library to discuss books. This group energetically designed a web page of their own to share their reading experiences and book reviews. Their detailed project even included links from their web site to the sites of many popular authors.

Harvard Book Store

This year the Author Series sponsored many notable writers including Whitney Otto, Jay Parini, Randall Kennedy, Howard Gardner, Ana Castillo, Douglas Bauer, Melanie Thernstrom, Gwendolyn Parker, Joan Bolker, Stephen J. Gould, Elaine Ford, Susan Miller, Margaret Drabble, Noel Riley Finch, and Ian McEwan.

Children's Services

Summer readers turned into detectives and helped to solve the Summer Reading Club mystery, "The Missing Party Package." Get a Clue...Read! kept everyone asking "Who stole the party package?" The suspects included "Smilin'" (Mayor) Sheila Russell , "Yowlin" Yo-Yo Ma, "Rowdy" (Police Comissioner) Ron Watson, "Pecos Bill" (Governor) Weld, "Black Eyed" (Director of Libraries) Susan Flannery and the Brazen (Library) Branch Heads Gang. Photos of the suspects, clues, rumors and maps were posted in each library. 1,350 participants read a total of 19,000 books while they assiduously followed up leads throughout the summer. Visits from police officers, workshops on disguises and secret codes, ice cream parties, reading marathons, storytelling, dance workshops led by teachers from the Dance Complex, and hands-on programs presented by the Museum of Science were all offered at branch libraries. Children's librarians system wide collaborated with the Department of Parks and Recreation to present story times for youngsters in neighborhood parks. The mystery was finally solved at the club party which attracted over 400 children and their families. Mayor Russell and Commissioner Watson were on hand to help solve the crime. East Cambridge Savings Bank generously supported this program for the 6th consecutive year.

Cruise, the second annual Summer Reading Program for Young Adults, attracted 154 participants who read a total of 1300 books. Participants kept track of their reading throughout the summer and celebrated their accomplishments at a Fiesta/Auction at the Central Square Branch Library. Cambridge merchants donated prizes to reward these avid readers. The Cambridge Trust Company generously contributed to this important program designed to encourage reading among the City's teens.

The library's children's web page was redesigned this year to provide information to parents, teachers, care givers, home schooling families, and professionals in the field of children's literature about library resources and programs. Parents and children alike can reach this valuable site at the Kids@Cambridge home page. Librarians are constantly updating the site with new and exciting sites for children.

The Children's Department continued their successful series of author appearances by bringing Irene Smalls and Gloria Jean Pinkney to share dinner and stories with Cambridge families. Children's author Carmen Deedy visited the Central Square Branch Library to share her stories. The young adult book club, the "Bookies," enjoyed visits by authors Kristine Franklin and Phillip Hoose.

Cambridge author and storyteller Norah Dooley delighted children and adults with her spellbinding stories at libraries throughout the city. Her family storytelling workshops at the Central Square Branch Library were followed by neighborhood pot luck dinners

Senior Services

Senior Services librarian Ruth Dillon was honored with the City's Outstanding Employee Award. Ms. Dillon has been serving homebound patrons and senior housing complexes in the City for many years. Her behind the scenes dedication has allowed every citizen the opportunity to continue his/her relationship with the library despite physical challenges. In fact, no request for homebound services has been turned away. Circulation for the homebound increased by 1,035 this year for a grand total of 17,070. Senior housing locations throughout the city received deposit collections for all to share in addition to individual deliveries. Added to the list of delivery sites this year were the new Youville House, CASCAP house and Cadbury Commons.

New Services

Hearing impaired patrons now have improved access to library services through the installation of a TTY machine (617) 349-4421.

The library's compact disc collection was expanded to include rock & roll, a much requested category.

O'Connell Branch Library

The O'Connell Branch saw an increase in circulation of over 1,100 this year as it served a changing neighborhood. With the arrival of the School Department's Bilingual Spanish Program, called "Amigos," at the Kennedy School, O'Connell Librarians developed a core collection of children's books in Spansih and bilingual children's materials. This collection was enthusiastically received and the materials have circulated well. Parents and teachers alike were impressed by the variety of resources made available at the branch. These efforts have proven to be invaluable to children who are learning Spanish or English for the first time.

Extensive outreach efforts by branch librarians have produced regular classroom visits by many classes at the Kennedy School including the "Amigos" class. Groups from the East End House have also become regular visitors.

Cooperative programming included a Domestic Violence Prevention workshop, with the East Cambridge Health Center, and a poetry reading in honor of National Poetry Month by the eminent local poet Fred Marchant.

Valente Branch Library

Among the 555 programs presented at the Valente Branch Library was the 14th annual celebration of the Manuel Rogers Sr., Center for Portuguese Culture and Studies featuring keynote speaker Dr. Maria de Lourdes Serpa, Director of the Graduate Special Needs Teacher Education Programs at Lesley College and the Consul General of Portugal, His Excellency Dr. Luis Barreiros. The Valente Branch houses the Manual Rogers Collection, the second largest collection of Portuguese language books and materials in Massachusetts.

The North American Frontier was a unique program that examined the varied cultural experiences of the 19th century American West. Programs and displays explored black cowboys, apple sauce and butter making, children's games, tall tales, Native-Americans, Asian-Americans, and women of the west. For the series finale, Cherokee storyteller Eric Jolly told traditional stories with sand.

Attendance at children's programs increased by almost 500 as the branch continued its work with area schools, daycare centers, and afterschool programs. Storytimes, curriculum support, and library skills programs were offered to schools. After school, young people enjoyed an array of cultural events and special programs including performances by the Whealock Family Theater, Galapagos Puppet Theater, and a visit from the Museum of Science. Artist/author Trina Lyons offered a bookmaking series and Channel 7 Meteorologist Michelle Michaels talked to library goers about her work.

Other community events included a Haitian Flag Day celebration with author Patrick Sylvain, a field trip to Family Night at the Fogg following a pizza dinner, a Doll Festival with a presentation of Brazilian Orishas, a St. Patrick's Day Celebration, and the 4th Annual Family Pumpkin Carving contest.

Central Square Branch Library

The Central Square Branch Children's Department seemed to blossom this past year, with circulation increasing by 1,100 and program attendance up 20% from the year before.

Ties to the Haitian community were strengthened as the branch celebrated Haitian Flag Day by presenting Haitian Potpourri: a family festival which included art exhibits, folk dancing, and voodoo drumming. Local Haitian artist Valentin Iviquel displayed his colorful collection of paintings for the month in honor of this celebration. Over 100 children and adults participated in this new branch celebration.

The Jerome T. Lewis Room was filled to capacity for the 24th Annual Birthday Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which featured Dr. Hal Weaver, Harvard University DuBois Fellow and President of Cinefest Plus Heritage Celebrations, Inc. Dr. Weaver spoke about the Academy Award nominated fim: Freedom On My Mind. Attendees of all ages sampled international cuisines courtesy of International Restaurants of Central Square following the program which included a wreath laying in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Courtyard just outside the library

Boudreau Branch Library

The Boudreau Branch continued to be a busy community focal point circulating 68,273 books this year. Over 1,500 children visited the library with their school classes, 1,650 children and parents came to weekly story hours and craft programs, and 235 adults attended two book discussion groups. The librarians visited 30 classes at local schools to talk about the library and promote the summer reading club. Staff also produced two booklists for younger children - one on trains (very popular with toddlers) and one on potty training (very popular with parents).

This neighborhood branch touted the talents of its neighbors and, in keeping with the spirit of the community, featured programs developed by local patrons. Visitors and staff alike had a delicious treat when Nancy Dalrymple taught them how to make fancy breads, and local musician Tom Pendergast led a family sing-along for the Summer Reading Club finale.

Janice Allen, a renowned musician and storyteller, presented an hour of African-American folk and gospel music, children's games and folklore, taking her spellbound audience from the Carolina sea islands to the African continent.

O'Neill Branch Library

The close proximity of this branch to several elementary schools; the Benjamin Banneker Charter School, St. John's and the Fitzgerald School offers unique opportunities for collaboration with teachers and their classes. Regular class visits have provided the students with hands on training in the use of reference materials and teachers have benefited from special programs designed to enhance their knowledge of library materials in their subject areas.

This branch continues its popular tradition of introducing remarkable artisans within its neighborhood. Programs included such artists as photographer Debbie Milligan, whose work includes book jacket photos for authors such as Alice Hoffman, exhibited in the gallery. Local authors, bookmakers, and filmmakers also premiered their work. This branch is fast becoming a cultural melting pot, offering a blend of the arts for all to enjoy. Over 400 programs were offered to the community throughout the year. Program attendance at these events increaded by more than 8%. Eclectic programming and its homey neighborhood ambience contribute to the O'Neill Branch's status as the busiest branch in the city.

Collins Branch Library

In December, the Collins Branch hosted an open house for the neighborhood to inspect and enjoy its physical improvements. A new roof and gutters improved the exterior and the interior was refurbished with refinished floors, walls painted in a new color scheme, and new furnishings. This branch filled 2,468 requests this year, representing an 8% increase over the previous year. Programs attendance increased over 12%, demonstrating the emerging social as well as recreational use of this important neighborhood library.

Renewed and revived, the branch continued to expand programs including a new early release after school, and maintained favorite book discussion groups and teacher "drop-in" sessions.

Plans for the Main Library

As the inadequacies of the current Main Library continue to thwart necessary library services and programs, citizens and civic leaders continue to struggle to find resolution to the many controversies surrounding the Main Library's expansion. The Library 21 Committee recommended to the City Manager that a consultant be hired to evaluate the current library site and all other potential sites throughout the city in order to identify the best possible site for a new main library.

Sasaki Associates of Watertown was hired to undertake the analysis. After an exhaustive study of 32 sites and multiple public meetings, Sasaki presented their report to the community. Their recommendation stated: