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Seaside Library reports growth in programs, drops routine fines and notes near-700 hours read in winter challenge
Summary
The Seaside Library Board heard expanded program activity — from memoir workshops and a children’s violin series to a fish-egg hatchery program — and learned the winter reading challenge exceeded its target, while staff described the recent move to a fine-free circulation policy.
The Seaside Library Board on Monday heard staff report a rise in local program participation and new initiatives aimed at improving access and outreach.
In the meeting, Library Director Kathleen highlighted several upcoming and ongoing programs, including a memoir-writing workshop to be repeated in March, an author visit and film screenings, and a children’s violin program funded by a grant. "We went fine free for all materials," Kathleen said during the director’s report, and staff ran a system report to purge overdue fines while noting that lost-book replacement charges remain on patron accounts.
Why it matters: The combination of no overdue fines, additional programming and grant-funded instruments is intended to increase library use and remove barriers for patrons who previously could not check out material because of outstanding fines. Staff cited a winter reading goal of roughly 500–550 hours and reported the program achieved nearly 700 hours of reading activity (staff stated about 686 hours), indicating heightened engagement.
Board members also heard about operational changes intended to improve patrons’ ability to find new material: a new sticker will identify new and large-print books and a dedicated round display at the back of the library will highlight those titles. The library continues to expand teen and tween book-club offerings and to run a tech drop-in where donated tools are inventoried for patron checkout.
Staff described a child-focused "fish" hatchery program in partnership with watershed experts that will bring a tank and eggs into the library for short-term programming and a subsequent release event. The director said partners will handle the release location and staff are coordinating care for the temporary tank.
The director also noted a recent grant application to the state library to help fund interns, and a proposed prism-based rainbow installation for a windowed space between the large-print and magazine areas; the art-committee will review the installation framework in March.
What’s next: Staff will reoffered the memoir workshops in March, proceed with the large-print display pilot, and track outcomes from the fine-free policy and expanded programming. The board did not take a formal vote on program funding at the meeting.
Sources: Reporting and quotes come from the Seaside Library Board meeting transcript; the director’s comments were made on the record during the director and assistant director reports.
