Document Chief Librarians Report

THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN’S REPORT LIBRARY NEWS HIGHLIGHTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

1. THE JOY OF READING TO BABIES Did you know that singing to infants is a way to prepare them for reading? Over 50 staff members, mostly those who work with children, took early literacy training this summer with Saroj Ghoting, a nationally respected expert. Ms. Ghoting demonstrated why and how Library staff should instruct parents and caregivers about the importance of singing, talking, and reading to their babies and toddlers. Eleven neighborhood libraries will conduct 6-week series on Saturdays and evenings for parents called “STAR: Sing, Talk and Read—Learning Parties (or Breakfast Clubs) for Parents and Their Tots.” Generous private donations will fund the series at eight libraries. Participants will receive free books and other early learning tools. 2. LEARNING TO SPEAK FARSI AT DCPL The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library teamed up with the Global Language Network, a nonprofit language services provider, for a summer pilot program that offered free foreign language courses to D.C. residents. For two hours a week, those who were interested could learn Farsi, Spanish, or Russian, taught by volunteers. The pilot program is being evaluated to determine whether the classes will be continued. 3. WATHA T. DANIEL/SHAW AND SEATON ELEMENTARY MEET IN CYBERSPACE The manager of Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Interim Library, Eric Riley, and the librarian at Seaton Elementary School, Pat Kyle, worked with four of the school’s students to develop a Wikipedia page for the Shaw neighborhood’s Shiloh Baptist Church. On July 30th, Eric and the students used Skype to teleconference with Pat Kyle while she made a presentation about the project to an audience at the Building Learning Communities Project in Boston. The students were also able to share their experiences of working on the project at their neighborhood library with the audience of educators. 4. LAMOND-RIGGS REACHES OUT TO YOUNG FATHERS Stephen Lilienthal, Librarian at Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library, met with teen fathers who attend a class at the Brentwood Recreation Center sponsored by the Youth Technology Institute. He emphasized the importance of reading to children and the wide variety of books that are available to children of all ages. He also talked about the ways to do personally useful research, such as job searches and how to write a resume. 5. DCPL JOINS PARKS AND RECREATION TO HOST END-OF-SUMMER BASH A city-wide, end-of-summer/back-to-school celebration drew hundreds of teens to the Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center on August 14th. The event was planned by DCPL’s Summer Youth Employment Program Teens and the Teens of Distinction. The evening’s MC was DCPL’s Trauvello Stevenson. Program highlights were “Project Runway,” a competition to design Library t-shirts, and an open mic for singers, poets, Document #7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 23, 2009

and others. Prizes were awarded. Several DCPL staff were there all evening to help. No one was ready to leave when the program officially ended at 10 PM! 6. “INSIDE-OUTSIDE” MLK’S POPULAR LIBRARY The Popular Library Division at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library makes the most of its first floor, highly visible location to attract passers-by. But the Pop Library staff decided to get out there themselves once a week. Every Wednesday from May through September, from noon to 2 PM, the staff sets up a table at the corner of 9th and G to greet people on their lunch hours, register new customers for library cards, and promote their upcoming programs. The Pop Library staff also promotes the Tuesday evening film series that typically draws 40-70 viewers. 7. MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES I was invited to talk on the Kojo Nnamdi Show in August. Mr. Nnamdi was interested in the general impact of the recession on DCPL, and in the Library’s successes, including the increase in circulation and the new buildings scheduled to open next year. On September 15th, I appeared on the Fox News morning show to talk about Homework Help, databases, and books designed to help children of all ages perform well in school. I was televised in the new Teen Space at MLK, which allowed viewers to see the first room created at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library for Young Adults, along with its many computers and great collection. 8. NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES DISTRIBUTE FREE SUMMER MEALS Washington Highlands and Capitol View Neighborhood Libraries hosted meal distributions this summer. Free breakfast and lunch, provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation, were served each day. At Washington Highlands, about 2,700 meals were distributed during June, July, and August. At Capitol View, the number was approximately 3,470 meals. Children are the principal recipients in this program, but disabled adults are also eligible if they meet specific requirements. 9. MRS. THURGOOD MARSHALL VISITS SOUTHWEST LIBRARY Southwest Neighborhood Library welcomed Mrs. Thurgood Marshall this summer. Mrs. Marshall stopped by to see the display that honored her late husband. She generously gave the library a candy dish with the Supreme Court crest that had been in Justice Marshall’s office. Members of the three-week Teen Camp Library program at Southwest were present to meet Mrs. Marshall. (The Camp Library program averaged 120 teens each day!) 10. DCPL GIVEN HIGH MARKS BY THE OFFICE OF UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS The Office of Unified Communications is the city agency that oversees all other city agencies with regard to business customer service performance. Key determinants of their evaluation are staff responsiveness to letters, phone calls, e-mails, and face-toface contact with the public. The Library was ranked fourth, with a score of 4.955 out of a possible 5 for the third quarter of 2009!

Document #7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 23, 2009

11. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! If you’ve never seen a “rain garden,” you’ll find one opposite the front door of the Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library. The garden was installed under the auspices of FORCE—Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment—and is a demonstration project of the District Department of the Environment’s RiverSmart Homes program. The Department is encouraging property owners to install rain gardens to capture rainfall so it soaks into the ground, rather than becoming polluted run-off that enters drains that dump into Rock Creek. Chevy Chase Library had a display on how to create your own rain garden. 12. TEENS OF DISTINCTION GRADUATE! Thirty-four senior Teens of Distinction graduated on August 3rd. Board president John Hill and Board member Kelley Smith attended. The Federation of Friends provided funds for food for the graduates, their families and friends, and DCPL staff, all of whom came to celebrate.

Document #7 Board of Library Trustees Meeting September 23, 2009