CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY2014 | 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dear Friends,

It is with great honor that I serve as the President of the Library Board of Trustees during a time of transformation in library service. It has been a tremendous year for the Cedar Rapids Public Library. In a time of shifting media and an increasingly digital world, our library has seen record numbers of visits, checkouts and overall use.

The mission of the library is always top of mind for the staff and Trustees. Providing spaces where the community can interact with each other, access entertainment and information, and engage with technology is at the core of our library services. We provide unparalleled opportunities to connect with each other both locally and on a global scale.

Every time I visit I am reminded of why we invested in building two state of the art libraries. We are a community center and sanctuary unlike any other. We provide free and open access to all. We are a physical reminder of the community’s investment in its citizens.

While we move toward a future that includes budget cuts and a reduction in hours and services, we know that our library will continue to serve the citizens of Cedar Rapids. Our mission will not change. We look forward to sharing the next year with all of you.

See you at the library!

Joe LockPresident, Board of TrusteesCedar Rapids Public Library

Joe LockPresident, Board of TrusteesMember of the Foundation Board

Harriet KalinskyVice President, Board of TrusteesMember of the Foundation BoardFriends Liaison

Susan CorriganBoard MemberAdvocacy Committee Chair

Douglas ElliottBoard Member

Jade DeLang HartBoard MemberPersonnel & Policy Committee Chair

Hilery LivengoodBoard Member Member of the Foundation Board

Susan McDermottBoard Member

Randy RamloBoard Member

Matthew WildingBoard MemberFinance Committee Chair

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

Kent came into the library and stood in the fiction section for a few moments before our staff member Susanne asked if she could help him find a particular author or title. He declined, but told her that after 41 years of nonstop work he just recently retired. He had never envisioned he would live past his working years and made no plans for hobbies or other activities. So, he thought coming to the library was a great start to his new life and said he felt “like a kid in a candy store.”

In FY2015, the Cedar Rapids Public Library was used more than any other time in its history.

After the first year in a new building, libraries typically see at least a 10% drop in visitors, circulation, and program attendance. Cedar Rapids breaks that mold across every measure. Instead, we have seen astonishing growth in our usage numbers. We circulated 1.5 million items last year, the highest circulation in the history of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, and the highest circulation in the state of Iowa. That is equal to 12.5 items per year for every single person in our community.

We invest in young minds to help our youngest customers gain the proper foundation for school and life. We engage the digital world and provide access to technology in ways not found anywhere else in our community. We build community by providing unfettered access to interesting, useful and coveted spaces and programs where people pursue their dreams.

FY2015 was truly a banner year for the library. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Dara SchmidtDirectorCedar Rapids Public Library

OUR MISSION: WHO WE ARE

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is a passionate advocate for literacy and lifelong learning.

OUR VISION: WHAT WE DO

The Cedar Rapids Public Library exists to impact our community and transform its quality of life

through education, civic engagement, the arts, and entertainment.

STRATEGIC GOALINVEST IN YOUNG MINDS

Marvin brings his 3 1/2year-old grandson Taylor to Story Time for Scooters at Ladd Library. Taylor and Grandma were on their way to Staples when Taylor pointed out the window at the Ladd Library and said “That’s where I go to school.”

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”SUMMER DARE

We know that when kids are not in school, they can lose as much as two months’ worth of grade level equivalency. Beating the summer slide through a summer reading program has long been a part of what we do at the library but we have taken it to a whole new level with the Cedar Rapids Public Library Summer Dare! We created an intergenerational program where people of all ages could share the joy of reading and experiencing the community together during the summer. The Cedar Rapids Public Library Summer Dare helped to combat summer slide by engaging more than 5,000 community members in reading more than 900,000 minutes over the summer this year.

Source: USA.com. http://www.usa.com 2010 data; USA.com. http://www.usa.com 2012 data

EVERY CHILD READY TO READ

According to a recent study released by United Way, 62% of parents with a high socioeconomic status read to their children every day compared to only 36% of parents with a low socioeconomic status. In a middle income neighborhood, there are 13 books per child. In a low income neighborhood, that number drops to one book per 300 children. The downtown library is within walking distance of Wellington Heights, where nearly 50% of the households earn less than $25,000 per year and over 80% of kids are in free and reduced school lunch programs. At our Ladd Library on the west side of the city, the average income is $24,000 per year. Our libraries make a collection of 185,000 items available to these children, all within walking distance to their homes.

Before they even get to school, we know that books are not enough to develop the rich neural connections that a child needs to learn to read. We use the evidence-based curriculum of the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read program. The library provides classes for parents to work on the five ECRR early literacy skills of READING, SINGING, WRITING, PLAYING, and TALKING eight times a week all throughout the year. Last year the library presented 787 programs for youth, including Mother Goose on the Loose, Play and Learn, and Story Time.

STRATEGIC GOALBUILD COMMUNITY

Jim is the IT manager for a large company with a Cedar Rapids facility. He was considering purchasing equipment and furniture to set up a video conferencing suite at their Cedar Rapids site. He heard about the Library’s Technology Conference Room and came down to see what it had to offer. After visiting with the staff, Jim realized he could save his company nearly $150,000 by utilizing what was available at the library for free. He wouldn’t need to create his own space because the library had the exact type of equipment he needed available by reservation anytime the library was open. The library allowed this world-wide company to not only save money but work with their partners across the globe.

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BUSINESS INCUBATOR

The local business community is taking advantage of our spaces, technology and skilled staff every single day. Whether it is through events such as brainstorming sessions with a small group of staff, to training sessions, to full-scale employee appreciation events. Specially trained librarians work with the business community and nonprofit organizations to provide research, materials, and training.

MICRO, a partnership with the Greater Cedar Rapids Communtiy Foundation, the Eastern Iowa Council of Governments, Kirkwood Community College, America’s SBDC, SCORE, and the City of Cedar Rapids allow the Library to be the first step in a new micro-loan program. Librairans guide interested individuals through the initial application process and help them move through the next steps toward a micro loan.

COLLABORATIONS

More than 100 strategic partnerships have been formed since opening two libraries in 2013. These partnerships include providing support for special community events such as the Fire and Ice Festival, or providing educational support through off-site programs and special events. In addition to our programs and partnerships, every day of the week we provide space for the community to come together and by doing so, we are extending the collective reach and resources of everyone.

STRATEGIC GOALENGAGE THE DIGITAL WORLD

COMPUTER CLASSES

The Library offers free computer classes throughout the year, starting with the very basics of computer use all the way to specific programs and social media. Partnerships with local experts, such as tech company SecurityCoverage Inc., means providing classes more often and more successfully.

We work with the Genealogical Society of Linn County to delve into the world of genealogy. Their expertise and our access to Ancestry.com is a natural partnership and a great opportunity for all involved.

We heard from a patron who had found her “angel” in Kristine, one of our staff members. Agnes came to the library because she didn’t have an e-mail account, but she wanted to get started. Kristine sat down with her and in less than 5 minutes, Agnes had an e-mail account. That’s when Agnes shared that she wanted the e-mail to connect with her son and see regular pictures of her grandchildren. This one small connection didn’t just make someone’s day, it opened up the world, helped her connect with her family miles away, and added quality to her life.

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TECHNOLOGY OUTREACH

Each week throughout the summer, the Library brought opportunities for educational engagement to the Five Seasons Mobile Home Park. These programs include book distribution with the Friends of the CRPL as well as digital literacy using library tablets (Nexus 7). The children reached in this program are generally not coming to the library due to some barrier. We are finding significant opportunities to engage kids who may never be able to step foot inside our library.

Tablet lending has allowed us to provide access to mobile computing to those who would otherwise not have access. Nexus 7 tablets can be checked out for seven days.

REVENUES

County Funding $ 107,821

Printing & Copying $ 24,009

Foundation Reimbursements $ 86,145

Library Fines $ 153,983

Building Rental $ 110,015

Friends & Foundation Contributions $ 309,217

Other Revenue $ 164,991

LIBRARY FUNDING

Library Revenues $ 956,181

City of Cedar Rapids $4,485,498

FEMA $1,112,388

EXPENDITURES

Personal Service & Related $4,024,823

Materials: Books, Periodicals, Subscriptions $ 309,318

IT $ 188,369

Community Relations & Programming $ 503,829

Facility $ 75,949

Other $ 339,391

FEMA $1,112,388

CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY BY THE NUMBERSFY2015

STRATEGIC GROWTH

19,482

43,989

50,297

13,501

102,186

69,628

109,964

145,9882015

2014

2007

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

MEETING ROOM USE

COMPUTER USES

1,212,944

1,522,006

CIRCULATION

1,432,753

2015

2014

2007

2015

2014

2007

2015

2014

2007

122,943

145,988 COMPUTER USES

119,680 WEBSITE USERS

1,552,006 ITEMS CHECKED OUT

AND DOWNLOADED

122,943 USERSOF OUR MEETING ROOMS

50,297 ATTENDEESOF OUR LIBRARY PROGRAMS

697,007 VISITSTO OUR TWO LIBRARIES

319.261.READ | www.CRLibrary.org