2018 Annual Report
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Four bicycles were installed at our Maple Valley Branch Library, which was designated as a Summit Bike Share station. The program is a collaboration of the Ohio & Erie Canalway, Summit County Public Health, and Summit Cycling Center.
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We installed Short Story Dispensers at the Akron-Canton Airport, Akron Children’s Hospital, and the Robert Pfaff Metro RTA Transit Center, thanks to a grant from the Knight Foundation through the Public Library Association.
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Registration for our Mind, Body & Sole summer reading program was UP 20% over 2017, with 10,108 adults, teens, and children participating.
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We expanded our digital collection with four new streaming video services: Acorn TV, Kanopy, Indie Flix, and Quello
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Thanks to a partnership with KultureCity, our library was the first library system in the USA to become certified sensoryinclusive. Almost 400 library staff were trained as part of the new initiative.
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In partnership with the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Art Library launched. It is a collection of 27 original paintings, prints, photographs, and mixed-media created by local, regional, and international artists.
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We added 41 kitchen tools to our catalog of items, expanding our “Library of Things” collections.
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Springfield-Lakemore Branch Library, our 18th branch location, opened in February.
After a year of research and discussions that included a community survey, committee meetings, conversations with library trustees and key community leaders, and staff input, we finalized a strategic plan that will guide the Library’s work over the next three years.
Our Library Board of Trustees adopted five strategic areas of focus as part of the strategic plan.
Culture and Human Capital: Foster a culture and work environment that engages, develops, and inspires our staff
Operational Excellence: Demonstrate operational excellence in the delivery of our services
Collections, Programs, and Services: Advance literacy, workforce development, life enrichment, and lifelong learning through our relevant collections, programs, and services
Marketing: Leverage, promote, and consistently demonstrate the value of our Library to our communities
Outreach and Community Engagement: Deliver exceptional and highly valued outreach and community engagement
As part of the strategic planning process, we revised our Core Values and developed a customer experience statement, aka the “Library Promise.”
The Library Promise
Each and every customer will experience exceptional and personalized customer service.
Library Core Values
Excellence - Operating with the highest level of integrity and accountability and demonstrating excellence in all we do
Service - Providing innovative service that is kind, welcoming, and equitable for our customers and co-workers
Learning - Engaging those we serve in lifelong learning and individual enrichment to foster community well-being
Diversity and Inclusion - Creating a library environment that respects and values human diversity, offers access to resources that present multiple views and provides inclusive opportunities for all
| Library Statistics 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Population of legal service area: | 377,588 |
| Visits to Library facilities: | nearly 2.2 million |
| Registered borrowers: | 318,163 |
| Program/Meeting attendance: | 400,351 |
| Items available: | 2.4 million |
| Items borrowed: | nearly 4.6 million |
| Computer Access | |
|---|---|
| Public Internet computers: | 553 |
| Computer logins / WiFi connections: | nearly 1.4 million |
| Uses of Library mobile app: | 4.3 million |
| Revenue | |
|---|---|
| State Public Library Fund | $12,099,473 |
| Local Levy | $14,899,557 |
| Fines & Fees | $450,167 |
| Interest Earnings | $132,587 |
| Contributions, Gifts, and Donations | $14,171 |
| Other Revenue | $133,479 |
| Total Revenue | $27,729,434 |
| Expenditures | |
|---|---|
| Salaries and Benefits | $17,094,813 |
| Supplies | $640,039 |
| Purchased and Contracted Services | $5,171,281 |
| Library Materials and Information | $3,802,934 |
| Capital Outlay | $746,261 |
| Other Expenditures | $205,516 |
| Total Expenditures | $27,660,844 |