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Library reports spike in use after new playground; board approves display policy and technology plan change
Summary
Librarian Shauna reported a surge in library card applications and door counts after the playground opened, announced staffing and summer programs, and the board approved clarifying edits to the display and exhibit policy and a budget-related change to the technology plan.
At its April 15 meeting the Mabel C. Fry Public Library Board heard a detailed report from Librarian Shauna on staffing, programming, facilities and early results from a recently opened playground.
Shauna said a new 19-hour part-time hire, Riley, "is from Yukon" and has a masters in library and information studies from OU. She also noted the library has one full-time early-literacy position open that is posted on the citys website. Shauna and staff attended the Oklahoma Library Association conference; Bridget Rinkevich attended a full-day pre-conference session on teen programming.
On usage statistics Shauna reported the playgrounds opening coincided with measurable increases in patron activity: "library cards saw a 68% increase compared to the previous month, and a 49% increase compared to the same month last year," and "door count is up 27% compared to last month, and 19% compared to the same month last year." She attributed some new visits to families discovering the library from the playground and said staff are finalizing summer-reading plans under the theme "Unearth a Story."
On budgeting, Shauna said the board is working on a zero-based budget for the coming year and that the city has decided library-specific software costs (for example the ILS and RFID tag readers) will move back into the librarys budget rather than the central IT budget. She said the playground had a March 10 ribbon-cutting and that a pavilion kit has been ordered with expected installation in early June to support outdoor programming.
The board voted to approve a clarified display and exhibit policy, adding that displays should be informational, educational and/or entertaining and kept "neat and orderly." The board also approved a single edit to the technology plans budget section to reflect the librarys responsibility for dedicated software purchases. Both votes passed on voice votes.
What this means: The library is staffing up for summer programming, reporting clear early increases in patronage tied to the playground, and shifting some technology costs back into its operating budget; the policy edits are clarifying rather than substantive changes.
