Apache Junction library reports rising visits, new outreach services and a planned reading garden

Pam Harrison, library director for Apache Junction, told the Library Board on Jan. 9 that patron visits were up in December even though physical circulation slipped, and she outlined new and expanding services including home delivery, mobile-library outreach and a proposed fenced reading garden.

Harrison said the library’s outreach efforts reached hundreds at two recent events: about 562 people visited the mobile library at the grand opening of Pinette Sky Park in November and roughly 200 people visited the bookmobile at the Radiance Community Clubhouse opening in December. “We are really pleased to be able to offer that,” Harrison said of the home-delivery and mobile services.

The director said circulation of physical items fell in September but that overall visits and in-house computer use increased in the fall. “Patron visits also rose in the fall, but circulation went down,” Harrison said, calling for a fall push on displays and digital-service promotion to turn visits into checkouts.

Outreach and home delivery: Harrison said outreach services now offer home delivery for signed-up patrons on the third Thursday of each month and that outreach staff can coordinate specific title requests. Megan Carabiner was named in the report as the staff member who handles neighborhood visits. Harrison said the program is small but growing: “Megan told me today that she has nine people signed up for home delivery.” She also listed related options available to homebound patrons, including the Arizona State Library Talking Book Program and a books-by-mail service for large-print books.

Digital and vendor changes: The board heard that the library’s Universal Class subscription saw a drop in use over the summer after the service moved from being available through Libby to a direct vendor subscription, which created a brief access disruption. Harrison said the library currently cannot track how many patrons complete courses through Universal Class because completion data are held by the vendor.

Programs and events: Harrison reviewed recent and well-attended programs. The Highland holiday event drew about 255 attendees; holiday photos and card-making sessions were repeated because of demand. The library’s makerspace programs and staff-led classes continue to be popular, and the director described monthly and weekly outreach, a Wildberry email list with about 1,012 active subscribers for new materials and a biweekly newsletter with 1,370 subscribers.

Facilities and renovation: Harrison said restroom renovations—part of a roughly 40-year update—are complete aside from punch-list items, with new tile, baby changing tables to be replaced and sensor faucets installed. She called the changes “much needed.”

AARP Tax-Aide: The board was told that registration for AARP Foundation Tax-Aide appointments opened Jan. 2 and filled quickly; Harrison said about 600 appointments have been scheduled so far and that AARP may add more in February if trained volunteer preparers are available. “They’re having a harder time getting volunteers,” she said, and the library is waiting to learn whether additional slots will be added.

Reading garden design: Harrison presented a conceptual design for a fenced reading garden on the east side of the building. She said the planned garden would be approximately 5,000 square feet, fully fenced and accessible only from inside the library so that the library’s outdoor spaces are controlled during closed hours. Proposed features in the scope include a seed-library demonstration garden, an amphitheater, shaded reading areas, dark-sky lighting, paved walkways, irrigation and drought-friendly plants. Harrison said the library is in contract negotiations with a selected vendor and that predesign, schematic and design-development phases are expected to take about 30–35 weeks; if all goes well, she said construction could follow but did not give a firm start date. “We hope to have the design shovel-ready to go,” she told the board.

Marketing and registration process: The board heard a detailed review of current promotion methods: a 2–3 page spread in the AJ Citizen (printed three times a year), the city’s events calendar for larger programs, paper event calendars, outreach at local events, social media (Instagram and Facebook), monthly brochures for new patrons and targeted emails. Harrison emphasized a key registration detail: event registration opens 30 days before an event; members were told the library will clarify that fact on its event pages. The board discussed using Facebook event posts to boost attendance for lower-turnout programs.

Staff development and other items: Harrison summarized a staff-development day that included training on diversity, equity and inclusion and compassion-fatigue workshops, noting the staff had revised the library mission statement and identified core values to be used in future strategic planning.

Ending: Board members praised staff and encouraged continued outreach. No formal policy decisions were taken on the reading garden or outreach expansion during the meeting; Harrison said she will continue stakeholder meetings and report back as design and vendor negotiations progress.