10-25-17 City Council Agenda Packet

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Open Lab offers ways to develop skills and use tools in an open, unguided environment; volunteers operate the Open Lab. Open hours of the Lab are building up, most recently increased to 4 hours every day of the week. FY1 7 Open Lab uses: 1,300 This past year Library staff researched and analyzed potential off-site programs in order to select the most effective offerings. A van was leased to aid in the efficient delivery of off-site programs. All the supplies and equipment were stored on the van, saving the costly staff time of loading and unloading. In the next year, a custom van will be purchased saving money over the long run and increasing efficiency even more. At one of the visits to Cornerstone apartment complexes, five-year-old Kenneth was using a saw to build a DIY wood helicopter with the assistance of staff member Rob Foltz. When Rob told Kenneth he was doing a fantastic job, Kenneth proudly and seriously said this was the first time in his whole life that he used a saw. After the development stage, programs were delivered at a variety of locations: apartment complexes, community events, schools, etc., and that list will continue to grow. FY1 7: 265 off-site events; 5,568 reached. More Materials and Technology Levy Promise: The Library's budget for books, movies, eBooks, etc., returned to pre -recession levels, providing quicker availability of in -demand items. New laptops increased internet access at Bethel and Sheldon Branches. EPL maintains a diverse collection of Library materials in a variety of formats, responsive to community needs. In response to the community's strong request, the ability to check out magazines was added back. The video portion of the collection was enhanced with the addition of Blu-ray, which was an instant hit for cardholders. Total Number of Physical Items: 495,155 Total Number of Electronic Items: 616,218 Number of Materials Increased: 120,610 (1 1% increase from last year) 41RIL1161kelfM Bridging the digital divide for community members who lack access is a critical role of EPL. In order to provide maximum increase of computer access in the small Branch locations, EPL added laptops available for checkout. Patrons can borrow a laptop for two days; they can use the laptop at the Branch or take it home. The laptops have the capability to connect to wi-fi and have the same software available on the other EPL computers. Sara, a student at Lane Community College, borrowed a laptop to do her homework. Sara calls the lending laptops a "great service." Laptop lending was implemented in Spring of 2017. Each Branch has 6 laptops, and 95 people had borrowed them by June 30, 2017.