2021 Annual Report of the Sewickley Public Library

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ABOUT THE LIBRARY

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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

We at Sewickley Public Library strive to be a center of community connection. Our staff is a strong team who work tirelessly to create moments of shared experience and uplifting doses of positivity.

None of us could have anticipated that a global pandemic would stretch into a second year, and the effect on our lives will be felt for many years to come; but I am hopeful that our community is a better place for the smiles provided by this special group that welcome patrons when they step through our doors.

Each November here at the library we celebrate Cardigan Day in honor of Fred Rogers, the consummate Pittsburgh neighbor who knew how to promote kindness and create connections between people. He believed that, “human relationships are primary in all of living. When the gusty winds blow and shake our lives, if we know that people care about us, we may bend with the wind…but we won’t break.” He is also famously known to have said in moments of adversity, we should, “look for the helpers”.

The pages of this annual report highlight the connections our team created between the people of the Quaker Valley community and the information, entertainment, and laughter they sought this past year. Thank you to our donors and funders who gave us the resources we needed to be just one example of community helpers offering care and support to those who needed it.

CAROLYN A. TOTH

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CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT When most patrons come into the library to browse our stacks, they may not be aware that the collections they have access to are not just contained within the walls of our library at the corner of Broad and Thorn. We are connected to the resources maintained by each of the other 45 public libraries in Allegheny County by a vast network that operates with smooth efficiency thanks to our circulation department.

Now in its second year, the automatic renewal system has been a welcome and permanent change for both library staff and patrons, helping to lower overdue fines significantly with an overall decrease by more than half since its implementation. For those who still find themselves in need of fine forgiveness, our circulation staff can help to reduce those burdens when patrons communicate issues proactively. We strive to find Each day there are books and solutions that minimize barriers to materials being checked out, being collections access and allow our checked back in, arriving on the van patrons to have a positive library from the Carnegie Library system experience. Library cards are the with requests for our patrons that are key to informational access and we sorted and placed on the shelves; worked hard with many local accounts are updated, fines and organizations, from day cares to donations are collected, and help is schools to retirement homes, to sign offered to find just that one special up hundreds of new patrons for thing that will satisfy a patron’s library cards. request.

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As libraries continue to expand their offerings beyond books, we have diversified our collections by circulating unconventional materials that make working and socializing from home easier, from streaming devices to WiFi hotspots to board games. We reorganized our music collection by genre to make finding new artists and albums easier for library users. Our goal is to enrich the lives of our patrons, and new materials are arriving all the time to create interesting discoveries for our patrons to enjoy and share.

It brings our staff an incredible amount of joy to see our library community back in the building, and we are happy to once again be the smiling faces welcoming and assisting you to make whatever discoveries you might be looking for, found within our four walls or beyond.

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

38,670

4,679

2,339

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CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT We are so fortunate to have the Sewickley Library! You and your staff are always so friendly, helpful, and provide so many fun activities and programs for the community!

Ashley R. Library Patron

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Kids make life the best kind of busy.

They have questions, they’re eager to learn, and they thrive when making a new friend or finding a new interest.

Connecting them to the answers to all of their questions can be slightly exhausting for parents from time to time, which is why the Children’s Library is so beloved by families. We are here to provide endless resources, projects, books, and fun to enrich their lives and help them grow.

With many pandemic restrictions still in place this year, passive programming was key. We created bookmark contests, a LEGO EXPO, a Spooktacular Pumpkin Display, celebrated National Origami Day, created Family STEM kits, Tween Kits and Crafts-To-Go. Our staff created

more than 4,000 programming kits this year for children and families to enjoy safely at home. We also subscribed this year to Scholastic Teachables database which offers educational resources to assist parents with homeschooling or provide supplementary lessons for virtual learners.

Online storytimes continued with a few special features including an Earth Day partnership with Allegheny Land Trust for the Great Backyard Bird Count where we learned all about our feathered friends and created a bird feeder using an orange. We also continued our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, sponsored by a generous grant from the G. Whitney Snyder Charitable Foundation, encouraging families to read 1,000 books together from birth through

the start of kindergarten; we celebrated with our first graduate, and have handed out an increasing number of prizes to participating children. And finally, Hello Kindergarten provided a big welcome to children with a special program bag and storytime from Mrs. Andrea Croft, kindergarten teacher from Edgeworth Elementary.

As the beautiful days of summer arrived, outdoor programming featured our popular Sewickley StoryWalks.

Representatives from each participating park filmed an online storytime featuring the book that appears at their location; thank you to Fern Hollow Nature Center, Allegheny Land Trust–Audubon Greenway, Mary

Roberts Rinehart Nature Park, Ohio Township Nature Center, and Henle Park in Leetsdale. We’ve had such success with our StoryWalks we were featured on local news station KDKA! We also took in-person storytimes on the road and outside to Ohio Township Nature Center and Henle Park; we were thrilled to see and interact with our families in person. We wrapped up the summer with our annual Ice Cream Social; thank you to Sewickley Confectionary for providing the treats.

Fall brought the return of indoor storytimes with our Mother Goose on the Loose program; however, it was short-lived as pandemic restrictions returned. While Light-Up Night was

held in-person, activities were prepared as take-home bags - more than 350 were handed out! Thank you to Chris Burgh’s middle school string students who assisted with their assembly. We ended the year with family wreathmaking kits created in collaboration with Mrs. Susan Craig and the Village Garden Club to festively decorate the doors of our participating families.

Thank you to all of the community partners who connected with us this year to create all of these amazing programs to keep our children and their families the best kind of busy.

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TEEN DEPARTMENT Thank you so much for doing this [spa kit]! It was really thought out and made me feel appreciated. I haven’t used all of the products in the kit yet, I can’t wait!

Pam W. Library Patron

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We created fresh, innovative ways to build and nurture connections with our young adult patrons this year moving from remote options during library closures early in the year to in-person events full of laughter and fun with the arrival of summer.

readers and learners at a time when young adults are becoming more selective and specific with their individual reading choices.

With summer’s arrival, we were ready to welcome a return to in-person programming with an emphasis on The popularity of Take and Make activity and social contact to help our project kits and Family Game Night teens create new connections to grow kits continued to give teens and their their social network. Two Friday Night families options to do something Out after-hours programs were held unplugged and interactive while they outside the library on the front lawn passed the time during winter weather and patio: June’s Survive the Night and isolation. These inspired the divided teens into two teams to creation of fandom-based craft kits compete in survival games testing and even a Mother’s Day Spa Kit for their strength, endurance and Two. We also continued our Surprise cleverness; and July’s MessFest Boxes containing books, movies, and featured paint-filled squirt guns, tiefun takeaway items that were dye, water balloons and a colored matched to patron interests, giving us powder war! We also enjoyed the opportunity to help shape lifelong crossover events with other

departments including a dog wedding celebrating our Tails and Tales summer reading theme, and an ice cream social and movie night featuring ice cream bar, crafts, outdoor games and a screening of the 1994 family classic Jumanji. We were grateful to reconnect after too much time apart.

Back to school time brought the opportunity to extend our reach beyond the library doors. From lunchtime outreach, to in-class book talks, and Battle of the Books promotion, getting to engage directly with our students in the schools allows us to reach students and families that may not have consistent physical access to the library. We provide a rich, diverse pool of resources that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime they need it.

Halloween is a favorite time for teens and our annual Halloween party, Scream Scene, returned bringing more than 60 teens into the library for two hours of candy hunting, fortune telling, ghost spotting, dancing and snacking, culminating in an epic costume competition complete with runway. Local history got a grisly twist with Fear Street: Sewickley, taking teens on a twohour walking tour around various local true crime sites.

Teens will always find a way to connect with one another, and we are committed to providing fun, interactive, and engaging opportunities for them to do so while also strengthening a love of reading and learning.

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ADULT DEPARTMENT Connecting patrons to the resources they seek is at the heart of what libraries do. Whether someone needs a new bestseller, help applying for a job, or is looking to join a conversation group, our team of librarians create an ever-expanding list of creative services and programming for adults and their families.

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This year we took a fun look at local history resources both inside the library and out in the community with our Know Your History series; local author Mark Houser visited sharing his book American Skyscrapers; we created a spooky walking tour with the Teen Department called Fear

Street; shared local lore and bizarre tales with Karyn Locke; and our first ever Sewickley Scavenger Hunt featured teams of contestants exploring Sewickley as they competed to solve clues and race against the clock to finish first.

To support our patrons through the ever-changing world of technology, we provided dozens of educational workshops and one-on-one assistance sessions like Intro to Google Docs and Slides, Getting Started with Excel, and Tech Assistance Meetups where we strengthen patron skills with their own devices. Additionally, we installed a new all-in-one digital screen and

white board in the library’s Community Room allowing for enhanced virtual meetings, program streaming, and collaboration.

wellness, we were happy to welcome back several in-person programs starting with an expanded 12-month version of our Take a Wise Walk, book groups, conversation groups, and a Creative expression is an important knitting club that all encourage part of lifelong learning, and we offered engaging discussions and lively banter. several ways to do that during the hazy Many of these programs are offered in days of summer reading, including a a hybrid environment, allowing writing program called Tell Your Tale participants to meet in person and that invited patrons to pen their online. contribution to a collaborative online story; an Animal Sketchbook Project Our adult department is an allencouraging all-ages to fill sketchbooks encompassing, ever-expanding with their own drawings; and a Pet resource of personal assistance Picture Contest inviting community offered by our librarians to enrich the members to share photos and lives of our Quaker Valley community drawings of their adorable pets members. Thanks to those who joined culminating in a final vote for the us this year, and we invite anyone who ultimate champion of cuteness. would like to engage with friends and neighbors in myriad ways to come and Knowing that human connection plays pay us a visit. We’ll be happy to such an important part in health and welcome you!

The Adult [craft kits] are so wonderful! I take care of my elderly mom & we so enjoy making the items! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Anonymous Library Patron

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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

In its 148 years of service to the Quaker Valley community, the library has welcomed a diverse roster of volunteer board members who make it their mission to ensure its solvency. In that role of service, we are often called upon to find creative solutions to challenging problems through sometimes difficult conversations—the cornerstone of true connection. I am grateful to my fellow board members for their willingness to engage with these issues and connect with one another in a way that serves the best interests of the library, its patrons, and its donors.

Conversations this year centered around our infrastructure; both in the form of capital projects aimed at the preservation of our 1923 building, and personnel matters as we looked for ways to retain and support our talented staff through the ongoing pandemic. A comprehensive salary study resulted in increased wages to more competitive levels. Donors responded in kind with a 30% increase in annual fund donations; we are grateful for their unwavering dedication and partnership as we navigate uncertain times.

Collaboration is at the heart of my leadership style as board president. I believe in the connectivity of sharing varied points of view and listening thoughtfully to opinions other than my own when finding viable solutions. The same concept is at the very heart of library service; within our collections and programming you will find a vast array of resources that enrich our collective community experience. On behalf of the entire board of directors, thank you to all who participate in this process of collaboration and connectivity to ensure the continued viability of our historic library.

JOEL SWANSON, MD

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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW •

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INCOME

EXPENSES

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FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Awesome public library with very kind and helpful employees. It’s been a great experience every time I’ve visited.

John V. Library Patron

The Friends enjoyed some moments of connectivity this year in an effort to revitalize annual events that have been greatly affected by the pandemic. We began the year with an online raffle, connected virtually for Savoring at Home in the spring, and by September, we were enjoying good books with friends in the sunshine on the sidewalk. While it isn’t quite back to normal yet, it felt like some confident steps forward.

Our spring raffles featured over $900 in gift cards and goods from local restaurants, shops, and bakeries to brighten up someone's day. Thank you to Robinson's Home and Garden and Salud for donating gift cards and swag to make our raffles extra special.

In March, we created a virtual version of our signature event

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with Savoring at Home, a fivepart series of one-hour classes showcasing different aspects of creating a beautiful meal.

Thank you to Jennie and Mike Modugno of Bridgeside Market, executive chef Dustin Bates of Allegheny Country Club, Nicole Brackin of Considering Flowers, Matthew Kurtas of The Edgeworth Club, and our own Kate Jeffe for participating in creating a meal of homemade pizza and classic veal piccata with wine pairing, tablescape and apple tarte tatin for dessert.

The first 100 ticket holders received their very own Friends of the Library keepsake apron.

Later in the spring we mailed our annual letter to donors requesting fundraising support for our efforts to enhance library programming and services; 194 donors responded with a total of

$22,934 and exceeded our goal.

Thank you.

And finally, a beautiful fall day arrived for the annual Harvest Festival in September where we enjoyed connecting with friends and neighbors while browsing the book sale that we set up in the library’s driveway and on the sidewalk. It seemed the whole community was out enjoying the day, and we were happy to provide a larger version of the pop-up book sales we did earlier in the year.

The Friends look forward to continued moments of connectivity between library lovers, local businesses, and the donors who support us, to promote Sewickley Public Library and its value in the Quaker Valley community.

THANK YOU

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2021 DONORS

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2021 DONORS

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2021 DONORS

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2021 DONORS

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LIBRARY AWARDED FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS In the library world, there are certain accolades awarded to institutions who successfully connect patrons to the resources they seek. We are humbled to have received two of those this year.

For the second year in a row, Sewickley Public Library was designated an American Star Library

by Library Journal (LJ) awarded to U.S. public libraries for success in public library service determined by measuring areas of library usage, including: physical circulation, circulation of electronic materials, library visits, program attendance, public computer and WiFi use, and use of online databases. We are one of only 261 libraries nationwide and one of only 5 libraries in Pennsylvania to achieve this designation. In addition, we

maintained our PA Forward Gold Star status from the Pennsylvania Library Association in recognition of our continued dedication to offering high-quality literacy programming.

Our team would like to express gratitude to the donors and funders who provide the resources necessary to allow us to provide a high standard of customer service worthy of this type of recognition. It takes a village, and we are proud to work together with you to maintain the reputation of our historic community library as a shining gem at both the state and national level. Thank you!

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