Community Survey Results - Part 2 Social Media

 

4-26-2024

Last week I focused on the community survey responses of respondents who infrequently or never use the library. This week I’ll shift to a little comparison. The question that allows that the easiest is regarding how users find out about community events and activities. The responses are essentially in exact opposition.

Over 50% of regular users of the library learn about our activities through signage at the library (61%) itself and the library’s website (56%). Also ranked highly are word of mouth (43%) and the local newspaper (41%). The last three sources, library social media, East Troy Park and Rec guide and community signage all received 32% or less responses. This makes absolute sense. Fliers for each program we run are located in multiple spots throughout the library: community board in the entryway, bulletin board on the ladies’ bathroom, book display immediately inside the library, circulation desk. We also make an effort to mention programs to patrons they seem to fit. Although we are not as good about doing so as Nancy was.

We were really happy to see the number of people that use the website as Lisa in particular has put in a great deal of work on the redesign. The new site has less clutter, which I always prefer, and is updated weekly providing the most current information immediately. One problem we discovered right after it launched was the reliance on graphics. At a director’s meeting, a service was brought up that increases a websites accessibility by allowing the user to change fonts and colors and also reads the script aloud. Script, not pictures. There will be more verbiage added in future.

Responders who don’t frequent the library list social media as their primary channel for learning about community events to the tune of 70% - higher than any means for either group. That is followed by the local newspaper at 52%, word of mouth at 43%, and community signage at 30%.

Comparing the two it was pleasing to see both indicate the newspaper as a source of information. Perhaps, this column needs to include weekly schedules/program reminders. It is also transferred to a blog which my mother reads from our website. Since creating the blog and seeing the survey results, I’ve been sharing the blog with Facebook. The other day I created an Instagram for the library in order to further broaden our reach.

Third on each list was word of mouth so please talk about us.

Reading Now: Dona Barbara by Romulo Gallegos (PBS's 100 Great American Reads), The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate (May book club)

Listening to Now: Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis (Nikki Galena series book 1 - this series was actually written before the Jackman & Evan series I discovered last July. Time to catch up.)

 

Community Survey Results Part 1 Hours

 

4-19-2024

This month the Strategic Planning Committee is meeting several times to pour over the results of our community survey from February as has the Library Board of Trustees. For the next few weeks, I will be responding to those results. We are very pleased with the results of the survey for many reasons.

The first being the number of participants. In early meetings, the organization leading the process gave us somewhere around 40 responses as the number we should look to receive. I challenged our community to a minimum of 100. With the help of fliers at our local Do It Best hardware store (Which appears to still be called Martin’s? The new owners are very nice by the way and love libraries.), East Troy Pharmacy, Gus’s, IGET (East Troy Area Intergenerational Community Center), and Hanson’s IGA (which also stuffed fliers in grocery bags) we received 106 responses.

Of those respondents, 24% described themselves as Infrequent and Never Library Users. To have that many people who are not already invested in the library participate felt like the biggest win. About 40% of those respondents were honest in stating they aren’t likely to ever become library users. That is a challenge I leave for another day. In the meanwhile, the most frequently selected motivators for using the library were better hours and more programming of personal interest. I’ll come back to the programming issue in a later article.

Hours are an issue the Library Board is interested in exploring. At this point in the year, we aren’t able to make significant changes to our schedule. Adding hours to our schedule has a financial impact on our budget most notably due to hourly wages. More hours require more staff time. The Library Board passes our Operational Budget in August. It is then passed on to the Village of East Troy to be added to their overall budget process. Ultimately the final budget is passed by the Village Board usually in November.

This summer the Board will look at ways we can to make changes. With the size of our staff, I think it unlikely we will be open on Sundays. Saturdays are difficult enough. Expanded hours on days we are already open may be a possibility. My question for East Troy is, what hours would be most helpful? Monday nights? Saturday afternoon? Before 10:00 am. If you have an opinion, let us know. We have contact information available on our website for phone, email and Facebook accounts.

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey and the local business that helped up promote it.

Reading Now: James by Percival Everett, Dona Barbara by Romulo Gallegos (PBS 100 Great American Reads list)

Listing to Now: Shattered by Kevin Hearne (Book 7 of the Iron Druid Chronicles)

Summer Preview

 

4-12-2024

This is the end of National Library Week. To celebrate we answered 71 phone calls on Monday explaining either yes we had limited number of eclipse glasses available or no the library was out but more would be available at the eclipse event at Sunset Park in Elkhorn. The switch from yes to no took 34 minutes. Every single one of our reoccurring programs took place this week including the Library Board and Strategic Planning Committee meetings. O’Leary routed out our sewer line. DPW installed the last book shelf in the lower level and removed two incredibly heavy unused file cabinets. If you need anything, we’ll be dozing at our desks.

In between programs we’ve been preparing for this year’s summer reading program. The last of our 1:30 Monday programs have been booked. In June alone we will have TnZ Magic, Snake Discovery, and Mad Science. The first two have been here before. The magic show was a big hit last year. Snake Discovery is always a favorite while Mad Science is new. In July we have musicians Fox & Branch, rocket launching, FFA petting zoo, and the pizza party.

New this year will also be a kid’s parade. Miss Maria will provide crafting materials to decorate bikes, strollers, or wagons. The parade route will begin in our parking lot, pass in front of the high school, cross the street to the middle school, and end at Playmore Park. The plan is to keep it on the sidewalk so little ones remain safe. The parade will take place on July 1^st which is the Monday we don’t normally hold programs thinking families like to travel over the 4^th of July. This year the timing is a bit odd with the Lion’s carnival and parade in June, so we’ll keep the celebration going into July.

Among the programs that met this week were both the 2^nd Tuesday and 2^nd Friday Adult Book Clubs, or as I like to call them Tuesdays with Books and 2^nd Friday’s Book Club. That means May books are available. We’ll be reading The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. The book tells the story of three women searching for family in the post-Civil War South. Wingate is also known for Before We Were Yours which told the tale of impoverished children stolen from their parents and sent to a Tennessee Children’s Society orphanage. Both books reveal their historical stories through the investigation of a modern character. I’ll make certain to have a tissue handy.

 Reading Now: On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by LaRue, Last Friends by Jane Gardam (3rd book in the Old Filth trilogy: first was a book club book), Little Sister by Gytha Lodge 4th book in Jonah Sheens series)

Listening to Now:  Shattered by Kevin Hearne (7th book in the Iron Druid Chronicles)

Meet Maria

 

4-5-2024

Last week’s article was for our smartphone using patrons. This week’s article introduces our new non-smartphone sympathizing children’s librarian Maria Hinners.

Maria doesn’t object to technology. Smartphones simply don’t fit into her life or, more specifically, her pocket. Harking back to her days of hiking with the Boys Scouts, Maria has preferred a more practical option. While those days are over, flips phones still work better for biking.

Touring the library on her first day was really a trip down memory lane. Once upon a time, she was Maria Kehoe. When she was a student at ETHS, the district ran a late bus for students with after school activities. Maria would come to the library after her band lessons to wait for the bus. She became Maria Hinners later when she married David, the boy not next door but across the street.

College took Maria to Milwaukee afterward David’s job took them disturbingly close to becoming Illinois residents. (Summer residents shouldn’t be offended. After all, you have the good sense to have a home in Wisconsin too.) Stubbornness kept their home on this side of the boarder however. Family ties brought them back to the area.

Maria’s library career began as an elementary school library aide volunteer for the Mukwonago Area School District. From there she moved to Waukesha Public Library before landing at Alice Baker Memorial Public Library in Eagle where she worked for just over seventeen years. At Alice Baker, Maria began as bookkeeper but moved on to be Head of Youth Services.

In 2021 Maria left Alice Baker to care for family members. Her commitment to libraries continued. Today she is a board member of FABLE (Friends of Alice Baker Library, Eagle) and leader of their Teen Library Council. Now ETLPL will be benefitting from all those years of experience with the added benefit of a hometown girl returning home.

Maria’s first official Preschool Storytime was the day this article was published. She will also be taking over the Tuesday morning Preschool Play Group and providing it a bit more structure. Program schedules will remain the same while Maria learns the ropes of this library. However, once summer begins, we will be making some changes to most and adding a few for summer. Storytime is the one program likely to remain firmly rooted in its current day/time slot so look for further information in May. It will also be posted in the East Troy Park & Recreations Summer Activity Guide.

Reading Now: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom (April Adult Book Club), Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge (Book 3 of the Jonah Sheen series), On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by James LaRue

Listening to Now: Hunted by Kevin Hearne (Book 6 in the Iron Druid series)

Two-Way Texting with the Catalog

 

3-29-2024

In my former life as an English teacher the importance of knowing your audience was a bit problematic as realistically regardless of how the assignment was crafted, I was always my students’ ultimate audience. Audience comes to mind with this article because today it is specifically patrons who use smart phones.

A few weeks ago, the IT Department for PLLS announced a new feature for patrons who receive library notifications via text messaging. In the past that the messages simply stated the patron had a hold or library materials were due in three days and directed the patron to log into the library catalog for further information.

These messages are sent automatically from the library catalog which is why limited information was provided and communication was one way. The new feature allows for the communication to become two ways through a very specific list of responses: LIST CHECKOUTS, LIST OVERDUE, LIST DUESOON, LIST HOLDS, LOST ALL HOLDS, RENEW OVERDUE, RENEW DUESOON. The purpose of each message, or command, is fairly self-explanatory. That doesn’t make them easy to remember.

Rather than have patrons frame this article for future reference the HELP message/command will provide a response that lists them and explains each one’s function. There is also a STOP command that will stop future messaging to that number. I wouldn’t recommend use of that command as unlike the political text messages drowning my phone right now, our catalog won’t find a new phone number from which to send holds and due soon notifications.

The abrupt discontinuation of service of the SHARE Anywhere app late last year may have given IT the push to pursue the texting feature. With SHARE Anywhere all that information was available by opening the app. SHARE Anywhere is functional again; however, it will not be updated moving forward. As might be expected, an alternative app whose developer will never pull access to is being developed. The hope is that it will be available by the end of this summer with full functionality by the end of 2024.

Knowing it has a limited life span, we’re not really advocating patrons download the SHARE Anywhere app. Why learn to rely on an app that is guaranteed not to have your back in the long run? If however, you don’t mind and go into the relationship with eyes open and promise not to judge future apps for being different, SHARE Anywhere is available for download through Google Playstore and the App Store.

Reading Now: The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis, People on Privilege Hill by Jane Gardman (Short stories including one about Old Filth's Edward Feathers)

Listening to Now: Trapped by Kevin Hearne (Book 5 of the Iron Druid series)

Great Time for Book Donations

 

3-22-2024

Let me start with an apology. I have not been at Disney this long. Instead, the day I would normally write this I was with my in-laws at the emergency room. It was a long week, but in the end all is well. It does, however, make this long overdue.

Had I written this a week ago, it would be all about how relaxing the trip was and the 4 ½ books I read. They included a newly discovered police procedure by Gytha Lodge. Similar to the Joy Ellis books, this series takes place in England and features a small group of investigators lead by DCI (detective chief inspector) Jonah Sheens. This summer I read a review and purchased A Killer in the Family which turned out to be book #5 in the series. That went to Florida with me and was finished on the beach of our resort.

Once I realized it was an established series, I looked up the author. ETLPL owns the first book in the series as well, She Lies Waiting. Other libraries in Prairie Lakes Library System own the three in between. Number three, Lie Beside Me, arrived in the van delivery just this morning. I would say discovering this author was the highlight of the trip if Emma’s team hadn’t brought home a second place trophy.

I brought home a puzzle featuring the couple from Up. We’re looking for help putting together the picture of them in retirement years after which we can flip the pieces and put together the picture of them as newlyweds.

As this is a week later, this article was designated to be a reminder the library accepts book donations for our Friends of the East Troy Lions Public Library book sale. As of last year, the Friends have an annual large-scale book and bakery sale the Saturday before Memorial Day along with the Village wide yard sales. That is the only time what all the books are on display. That makes spring the most helpful time of year to receive donations as hopefully we won’t have to store them for long.

We accept most books. Text books may be the only exceptions as they don’t tend to be the type of book a browser is interested in. Staff does look through the donations and will occasionally add a few to the library collections. That is how we acquired a second copy of Lessons in Chemistry. Neither copy has spent much time in our library. Thanks to Lisa forethought, we also had two copies of Boys in the Boat before the movie made that a popular read.

I’ll close with a quick plug for some of the other books I ordered right before heading on vacation. Our youngest patrons will be happy to discover a larger collection of Paw Patrol and Bluey books. Pope Francis has a memoir just out this month and we have the first three books in the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne, a favorite of mine in the fantasy genre. That said starting with book 4 they are available in my preferred audiobook format through Libby.

Reading Now: The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardman (sequel to the Adult Book Club read Old Filth), The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis

Listening to Now: Tricked by Kevin Hearne (Book 4 of the Iron Druid series)

Updating Travel Books aka We need post Covid Disney

 

3-1-2024

Don’t hate me, but if you’re reading this the weekend the newspaper comes out, I’m lounging in Florida. This is probably my last vacation with my daughter and just like the last two, it’s really about her dance team. The biggest difference is that this is a school team, which means her coach is responsible for her. I will see very little of her. Instead, I’ll be hanging out with other senior moms who didn’t want to miss their daughters’ last dance performances any more than I did.

The competition is held at Disney World. Emma performed there with her dance studio in 2018, we took her there on a family vacation in 2015, and we took her older sisters there on a family vacation in 2005. Needless to say, I feel very comfortable about my Disney know-how. Except, Covid. I haven’t been there since and the families are receiving conflicting messages about the continuation of changes such as park reservations. Plus, parks make changes from time to time as well. For my fifth trip as an adult and my first not at the mercy of a child, perhaps I should educate myself before we leave.

To that end, I took a look at our Disney World guidebooks all of which were published pre-2020. Updated ones were promptly ordered and skimmed by me before being added to the To Be Processed shelf. I have reservations for Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant time to eat at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie at Epcot. I have my priorities.

Upon my return, we will be holding interviews for the children’s librarian. Questions are ready to go and we have four candidates scheduled. After interviews is the background check and offer. Fingers crossed I’ll be introducing someone new by mid-March.

Only after that will I allow myself to dive into the new books I am itching to read. If you a mystery reading, I may have gushed over the Jackman & Evans series by Joy Ellis I binged this summer. She is an English author without an American publisher so few know her name. I took a chance and purchased the first three books in the series. Now we have all ten and at least ten patrons reading them. I few weeks ago I took another chance on the first three books of her original series with DI Nikki Galena as the main investigator. They went over well, so rather than ask Dodgeville to be the only library in Wisconsin with that series, we now own them all as well.

Reading Now: A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge, 1984 by George Orwell, Old Filth by Jane Gardman

Listening to Now: Hexed by Kevin Hearne (Second book in Iron Druid Chronicles)

PS - I'm back so there is no longer a need for jealousy. I finished several books including the title by Gytha Lodge. It turned out to be the sixth book in a series I will be recommending to my Joy Ellis friends. I found the first book in Libby and read half of it while traveling yesterday between the airport, plane and broken down bus.