BM 2010 01-14 LB
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Library Board
FROM:
Kathleen P. Metz Edwards, Library Director
DATE:
January 4, 2010
SUBJECT:
January’s Report for Library Advisory Board
Happy 2010. Hope your holiday season was a safe and healthy one. Library Board meets
January 14, 2010. We have a great agenda which includes an update on Teen Services and
cooperative initiatives with the school districts. An item will be included on the agenda for the
Feasibility Study in the event there are questions or further input.
Workload Indicators:
December continues the trend for increasing circulation with an overall
increase of 16%, with book circulation up 24%.We continue to see the transition from patron
desk-top sessions to WiFi laptop sessions. At the same time, we are seeing an increased demand
on the Horizon catalog with 1,701,888 sessions. Even with the Holds’ changes, 5600 Holds
st
were processed, an increase of 12%. For the 1 quarter, interlibrary loans have increased 10%.
The use of ebooks continues to increase which we attribute to the addition of new books funded
via SFY09 Loan Star Libraries.
SFY10 Loan Star Libraries
: The new Internet Computers have been ordered. We are
expecting delivery this week. It will take library and IT staff working together to get them
configured and secured. Vicki can answer any questions on this project.
FY2009/2010 Architectural Review and Engineering Study Library:
Staff provided
feedback to the architect on the first draft. The architect incorporated the input and delivered a
second draft, December 15, 2009. With all the input – yours and staff’s, the building would need
to be 49,467 SF. The City Engineering Department sent the building plans for the original
28,000 SF facility to the architect who has the renovated space plans as a part of her work in
2004/2005. The building’s structural and acoustical reviews are currently underway. The
preliminary analysis including parking is due mid-January. I expect it will be here when I return
from my trip.
Comments and Suggestions:
Suggestions relating to the acquisition of new books, movies and
periodicals are given to Public Services staff for evaluation and follow-up. Appropriate items
are ordered or interlibrary loan is offered for those not appropriate for the collection.
12-15-09 – Four day hold is too short! Especially if it’s over a weekend and you’re out of town.
Please go back to the 7 day or add a suspend hold 1 week feature. R&MBower. My response to
the Bowers:
Thank you for taking the time to complete a Compliments and Suggestions Survey and to give me your
contact information. I really appreciate having the opportunity to explain the Holds decision and why we
had to make the change in the retention time.
In FY09, the library processed 70,609 Holds – 12% of circulation. These are generally new and high
demand items. Leaving these items on the shelves for up to a week takes them out of circulation. Ten
years ago, the library processed approximately 5,000 Holds per year. The materials budget has not
increased in the last decade, but circulation has more than doubled. This decision to reduce the Holds’ time
to four days was a budgetary decision.
Before we changed the Holds’ period, we surveyed other libraries and found that they were not holding
materials for a week. Indeed, some libraries have started limiting Holds or eliminating them altogether.
Other libraries do not allow Holds on new items. We did not want to implement these kinds of restrictions
as our users really appreciate the Holds’ service. In August, before changing the policy effective October
1, 2009, we sent out letters to users who were consistent Holds' customers. At the same time, we also
placed signage on the Community Wall in the lobby and on the Holds' shelves. We sent out the change
notice in Coppell Clips for several months. We did not want our users to be surprised.
Requestors can manage their Holds and suspend if they are out of town or unable to pick them up. Staff at
the Information Desk are happy to show you how to do this. If you suspect you are not going to be able to
pickup a Hold you may go to the Accounts tab on the catalog (www.ci.coppell.tx.us, click on Public
Library, click on On-line Catalog, click on Accounts) and "suspend" the Hold. When you come back you
"unsuspend". This way you do not have to place another Hold. If you are gone a couple weeks, others will
be able to checkout the item but once you unsuspend, your place is maintained. You may manage your
Holds from any computer.
With the challenging economic times, we have seen an increase in circulation and in Holds’ demand. We
understand that our citizens rely on the Library for services. We also understand that increasing the Library
budget is not an option at this time.
Again, thank you again for taking the time to complete survey.