Dr. John Green founded the Worcester Public Library in 1859. A 12-member board of directors that is elected by the City Council governs the library. The library serves a population of close to 200,000 adults and children and circulates close to 700,000 items per year. Worcester Public Library is the largest library in Central Massachusetts and houses more than 900,000 books, videos, audiocassettes, newspapers, magazines, and more in many different languages and for all ages and reading levels!

The Worcester Public Library is a member of C/W MARS (Central Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing, Inc.), a 140- member library consortium dedicated to efficient resource sharing and rapid access to information. We have many special collections including U.S. Government Documents, Federal and State Codes and Regulations, in-depth information about Worcester and its history, a grants resource center, the largest preschool collection Central Massachusetts, and much more!

Accomplishments

FISCAL 2006 DEPARTMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Worcester Public Library is fortunate to have dedicated and knowledgeable staff who provide outstanding service to the people of Worcester. The three library locations, Main Library, Perkins Branch and Great Brook Valley Branch, continue to be well used. Library users gave high marks on the Library’s annual customer satisfaction survey conducted in February.

Cross-training of all staff has allowed the library to continue public services at times when public service staff were not available to serve our users. This well regarded practice not only relieves scheduling crises, but also staff value-added skills for positive customer service experiences.

Denise Faucher received the Paralibrarian of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Library Association. This award is for a non-MLS library staffer who consistently goes above and beyond the limits of a job title, meeting high standards of service and excellence and showing pride in library work.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Directors, the library’s governing board, met monthly, except in July and August. Its various committees met throughout the year. A new Strategic Plan for Library Services for FY2007-FY2011 was developed to direct services for the next five years.

BRANCH LIBRARIES
Frances Perkins Branch Library at Greendale continued to be one of the busiest branch libraries in the state, accounting for nearly 20% of the Library’s total items loaned and 22% of the Interlibrary Loans. The expanded hours have been received with great enthusiasm by its many users which include the elderly, young families, enthusiastic readers and students of all ages. It is on track to top last year’s circulation figures by approximately 10,000. Customers continue to be extremely complimentary of the staff for their enthusiasm, hard work and friendly service. Space was reconfigured to make it more inviting and comfortable for its users. Planning continues for better use of the space, and private donations will be used to update some of the furniture. Usage of the public computers has continued to increase. The Branch is keeping up with the demand for dvd’s and audio books on cd and is experimenting with a new technology for audio books that is similar to using an MP3 player. The Higgins Armory Museum outreach program has been expanded to include this branch.

Great Brook Valley Branch Library continued to serve an underserved part of the city. The staff’s first concern is helping children and youth with their homework and reading skills. GBV continues its collaboration with the Higgins Armory Museum. The branch participated in “Get Real, Get Fit” a program, funded by a grant, to encourage teens and their families to use the branch for health information. In April the branch hosted a very successful four day “Open House.” Activities included face painting, yoga classes, a petting zoo, music, door prizes and food. The “Open House” served to heighten awareness of the library for all the residents of Great Brook Valley and make them aware that the staff is there to meet their needs for library service. The staff continues to work closely with the Worcester Housing Authority to maximize the branch’s impact in the neighborhood.

MAIN LIBRARY CIRCULATION
“Automation” and “cooperation” were the main themes for the Circulation unit this year. Using computer enhancements from C/W MARS and other vendors, Circulation was able to process more items for more customers in a more efficient manner without adding staff. “System-wide holds” continued their explosive growth, increasing by nearly 20% to over 60,000. Two-thirds of library users now receive email notification when books are held for them, and email overdue notices have saved the library nearly $1,500 in postage. The library card application form was updated and now appears in several languages. When people sign up for a library, they can now enter their own PINs using computer key pads. The greatly expanded Museum Pass program is now based in the Circulation unit. Staff schedules were automated. The method for accounting for fine money was modified to assist the City Auditor’s Office. A contingent of Rhode Island librarians spent a day in Circulation in preparation for their transition to the same integrated library system. Over 640,000 books and other materials were loaned from the Main Library this year. Over 23,000 library cards were issued to new borrowers this year, bringing the total to over 110,000 people having current, valid library cards from the Worcester Public Library.
Staff led a library-wide effort to improve security especially around closing time. Announcements were updated and closing responsibilities assigned to staff throughout the library.
Staff met with local housing advocates to address the issue of serving individuals who reside in shelters and transitional residences. Staff worked with area colleges to help retrieve overdue books from local students.

Staff prepared a new flier explaining rules for borrowing library materials, for signing up for library cards and fines for late return of materials. This flier simplified and clarified information that people regularly requested.

MAIN LIBRARY REFERENCE
Reference Services focused on expanding the community’s access to quality information resources and extending that access beyond the library’s walls. To increase public awareness of the library’s resources and services, staff developed programs, tours and exhibits to bring people to the library and participated in community activities. The goal was to increase awareness of the cultural and educational value that the library brings to the City. This year, the Reference librarians provided 84 tours, presentations and programs for individuals, public school students, colleges (Assumption, Clark, Worcester State) and local organizations in the city. Some other groups served included local ESL and GED programs, Central Massachusetts Social Studies Teachers and the Worcester Center for Crafts. Reference staff, in conjunction with the Worcester State College’s ESL program, also provided a second series of eight sessions for “People and Stories”, a national program to encourage the reading and discussion of literature.

Five new electronic databases were added this year to expand information options. This brought the total number of databases accessible at the library to twenty-four, sixteen of which are available remotely to Worcester Public Library card holders. A complete list of these databases can be found at: http://www.worcpublib.org/resources/onlinedatabases.html Many resources were selected specifically to meet the needs of Worcester’s middle and high school students whose familiarity with the Internet makes them particularly interested in the use of e-resources. The library offers students a 24/7 environment that fits their educational programs and their life styles. Other databases support a broader spectrum of interests including business, investment, genealogy, law and art.

The library’s webpage, which serves to connect patrons to all of the library’s resources, was totally reorganized and updated. The improved access allows patrons to conveniently link to databases and hundreds of librarian-selected websites, as well as traditional print materials and library activities. In the last year there were over 8,149,000 hits on the library’s web page, an increase of over three million from last year.

Over the past year, MassAnswers, the 24/7 online reference service, has combined with a similar program called QuestionPoint. The expanded service includes not only the staff and resources of public libraries but academic libraries as well. Worcester’s Reference staff were re-trained in the new program and this year they have answered over 1,200 reference questions for patrons throughout Central Massachusetts and beyond. In addition, Reference staff have also provided answers to over 1,300 questions received via the Library’s popular e-mail reference service.

The Worcester History Librarian selected and prepared illustrations of 19th and early 20th Century Worcester industries and businesses for digitization as part of the C/W MARS Digital Treasures project. To see these illustrations, search under Worcester at http://dlib.cwmars.org/ . The librarians led a 5-week series on Genealogy Research attended by twenty seniors in the Assumption College’s WISE program.

Librarians have worked cooperatively with groups in the community to contribute resources and expertise. This includes participation in several University of Massachusetts Medical School programs such as the “Go Local” and “Women in Medicine” initiatives and the Worcester Arts and Humanities Education Council (WAHEC), a group created to foster the integration of local cultural resources into the Worcester Public School curriculum. Two librarians were selected to participate in a new statewide “Library Leadership” program that included an intensive three day training program to develop leadership and management skills.

The library, in conjunction with AARP/VITA tax preparation program, handled registration and provided space so that over 450 seniors and low income residents of Worcester could receive free federal and state tax preparation.

The programming highlight of the year was the National Endowment for the Humanities/National Library of Medicine/ALA exhibit “Frankenstein; Penetrating the Secrets of Nature”, that was presented at the library during the month of July. Twenty-eight exhibit related programs focused on the topics of ethics and biomedical technology and Frankenstein as literature and entertainment. Worcester was selected as the only location in Massachusetts to present this national exhibit. The exhibit brought over 450 people in to the library to attend these Frankenstein related programs and to visit the exhibit.

TALKING BOOK LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND & PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
The number of people registered to use the Talking Book Library increased 8.97% from 3,664 in FY2005 to 3,993 in FY2006. Items borrowed (recorded cassettes, large print books, described videos, print/Braille books, Braille books) increased 4.51% from 63,338 items in FY2005 to 66,194 items in FY2006.

TBL staff continued to promote services through outreach activities, including presentations for health care providers and service agencies; visits to regional Senior Centers (one of which was videotaped and aired on local access TV), assisted living facilities, nursing homes, schools and libraries; and an interview for WTAG’s “Region on the Move.” Staff also participated in the First Senior Spectacular event at the DCU Center, a regional library workshop to promote service to seniors by librarians, the Disability Resource Exchange held at Fitchburg State College and the sixth annual ElderCare Health Fair at the Holiday Inn. They attended a Very Special Arts workshop at Holy Cross College to learn about the principals of Universal Design as they apply to the visual and performing arts.

The TBL webpage was overhauled to make it more accessible for people with vision impairments. The large print book collection grew by 26%, with a 102% increase in the number of users and a 116% increase in circulation. Donations of large print books were received from Lasall College Library and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. A second edition of the Catalog of Large Print Books was produced in July. Large print catalog supplements of newly added titles were produced and mailed to over 400 large print users in January and April. By way of further promoting this large print book collection, a deposit collection of 200 titles was sent to the Braille and Talking Book Library in Watertown to be used in its public, walk-in-service area.
The audio-described video collection grew by 38%, with a 2% increase in circulation although the number of users decreased by 10.4%. A Described Video Catalog Supplement, listing more than 400 recently acquired items, was sent to all patrons who subscribe to this medium.

New releases for the special software used to loan talking books were implemented. Webinars were used by staff to new the new functions, and TBL staff participated in a national online conference to make suggestions for further improvements to the system.

Staff met with their counterparts at the Braille and Talking Book Library in Watertown to explore ways of improving the management of bibliographic records and customer profiles. Staff participated in a Key Issues Forum conducted by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners as part of its long-range planning efforts. The Commissioners met at the library in April and commissioners toured the TBL service areas.

TECHNOLOGY
It was a year for creative problem solving in the Technology Division. There were new staff in Information Technology and Technical Services, new acquisitions and serials computer systems, new computer deployment and monitoring tools, new computer backup system, and some facilities challenges. It was a year of strong performance, resulting in sustained, improved and new services for library staff and users, made possible by the staff.

A new Library Network Manager was hired and a part-time Computer Technician was added, resulting in two competent computer staff who have brought in fresh ideas and enthusiasm and allowing IT staff to creatively and efficiently use technology to accomplish library’s goals, improve efficiencies, and restructure workflow. For example, IT staff created a support infrastructure and a tracking system to identify trouble areas, track request volumes, estimate response time, and plan backup support. An extensive IT Disaster Recovery Plan and a one-year extended Technology Plan were created.

The library increased its emphasis on computer and networking security through a series of steps. A new firewall between the library network and the Internet provider was installed for security against outside attackers. Staff upgraded the operating system to Windows XP and anti-virus updates and Microsoft Office updates are done automatically. Routine maintenance allows staff to be proactive with threats of worms, viruses, and DOS attacks.
The network was reorganized and a software repository was establishment. A backup system was installed that allows staff to make complete backups of every server with offsite data storage on a monthly basis in accordance with to the library’s Information Technology Disaster Recovery Plan. A deployment server was installed, which allows staff to easily deploy software to any computer on the network from one central location. It also automates and simplifies the hardware/software inventory process.

Older computer equipment was replaced to insure that staff and public computers can function on the library network and effectively provide and support library services. Thin client computers were installed, saving money while still allowing public access to fee-for-printing and Internet management. To utilize C/W MARS, the library’s online consortium, faster computers were necessary. Express Internet computers were installed to give library users access for short periods of time, and, in four months, have been used for 4,290 sessions. Older computers were recycled for the Career/Job Center, the Children’s Room, the Grants Resource Center and the law databases. The public has access to the Microsoft Office 2003 suite, Microsoft Publisher 2003, Microsoft Front Page 2003, Microsoft Encarta 2005, and Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006. Also ZoomText was loaded in the public computers to enlarge font size for users with limited vision. The regular Internet and Microsoft Office computers were used for 67,620 sessions with a total of 2,641,204 minutes by the end of April.

A new library staff home page (Intranet) was launched in May, providing a secure, collaborative space for staff to communicate regularly and timely on library issues.
Staff changes allowed the Cataloging unit to implement the acquisitions and serials functionalities available through C/W MARS, allowing effective monitoring materials expenditures on serials and providing better information about the collection in the online catalog. Staff were cross-trained, and the work procedures were documented, resulting in a more efficient operation by versatile staff and reducing the preparation time for new books. Staff now place and receive orders for new books electronically. Staff were trained in the use of new software through C/W MARS. Staff prepared an average of 1400 new titles and over 3000 volumes every month. Technical Services staff worked hard to fit in retrospective conversion projects, making the online catalog match the way books are shelved so that library users can search the online catalog and retrieve books easily with no confusion.
Staff worked with C/W MARS to have industrial history photos owned by the library digitized and made available through a Digital Treasures project sponsored by C/W MARS.

YOUTH SERVICES
Worcester Public Library Youth Services staff expanded this year with the placement of a Children’s Librarian at the Frances Perkins Branch Library, due to additional city funding.

Babytime, a highly successful language enrichment program for infants and their caregivers, continues to be popular at the Main Library with weekly average attendance of 34 participants. Babytime is now offered on a weekly basis at the Frances Perkins Branch Library.

A weekly, all-ages, drop-in storytime, Just Drop In, was instituted at the Main Library to provide a library story experience for all young library users. 22 programs were held and were enormously popular, engaging a total of 1810 participants (average of 82 at each program) in a literacy event.

Librarians continued to encourage student participation in the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award (MCBA) program through outreach to 4th, 5th and 6th grade classrooms and a second successful year of the MCBA Reading Club at the Main Library. This group of students and parents met monthly, October 2005 – May 2006 to explore books. We celebrated a year of reading and sharing by listening to Officer Steve Cortis talk about his work as a K-9 policeman with Worcester Police Department. This year the program was expanded to the Frances Perkins Branch Library.
1972 children attended performances and programs of the 2005 Summer Reading Program, Going Places @ Your Library. Friends of Worcester Public Library made possible five performances including reptiles, concerts and marionettes. Teen volunteers staffed ten drop-in craft sessions designed to augment the Frankenstein exhibit that lurked in the library July – August 2005.
Staff worked successfully with Walden Media to increase interest in the literature that serves as inspiration for children’s movies. There were displays and programming around The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Walden Media shared elaborate promotional displays, posters, preview screening tickets, teachers’ guides and copies of the books to give to library users. Library staff created programs to explore the literature with school-age children. Showcase North Cinemas donated free movie tickets.

Friends of Worcester Public Library funds a selection of museum passes and discount coupons that make possible free and/or reduced admission for library users to local attractions. In November, staff implemented an electronic booking service, Tixkeeper, which allows patrons to reserve museum passes at home via the library website. While streamlining the workload at the children’s help desk, museum pass reservations have increased by 20% at the Main Library and 57 % at Frances Perkins Branch Library.

Staff initiated an exploration of public interest in a new format, the digital audiobook known as Playaway. A sample of available titles were purchased and made available to library patrons at both the Main Library and Frances Perkins Branch Library.

The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) expanded its endeavors to create a Teen Book Club that met monthly to discuss books selected by participants. Currently TAG is working with library staff to develop a multifaceted Internet safety training for teens and families. TAG members sponsored a Spring Storytime and craft party for children and Teen Poetry Slam.

Youth Services participated in three new grant funded projects during FY 2006. The first involved Family Ties, Week of the Young Child Committee and Youth Services with a well attended Young Children’s Concert Series during March, April and May 2006. Four concerts were presented at different times and dates to make them as accessible for as many families as possible. These four concerts reached a total audience of 292 and were funded by the Worcester Cultural Commission. The second grant involved librarians from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Worcester Art Museum, and Worcester Public Library working with 25 6th grade students from Burncoat Elementary School to improve their research skills, encourage their college ambitions, while introducing them to some of the remarkable library resources in Worcester. This multi-part project, Kids to College, focused on researching medical mysteries in lives of famous artists, lead poisoning, learning about lead paint and lead paint abatement. It was funded by Libraries4Life, a program of the Central Massachusetts Regional Library system. Staff from the City’s Public Health Division spoke with the students when they were at the library. The third was with Ritmos Academy, which collaborated with Youth Services staff to develop and original production of Perez and Martina, a traditional Puerto Rican folktale. Performances were held at both the Main Library and at Great Brook Valley in celebration of Dia de los Ninos, Dia de los Libros and were funded by a grant from the Worcester Cultural Commission. More than 200 people enjoyed this production.

Youth Services staff worked with local organizations such as RSVP Literacy Volunteers, Higgins Armory Museum, Americorp Volunteers, UMass Young Parents Program and College of the Holy Cross Deaf Studies Program to enrich programs offered to Worcester children and their families. Youth Services participated in the Worcester Police Department’s annual Youth Summit. A drive to give a library card to all 3rd grade students in Worcester Public Schools was made possible by a second year of funding from the Worcester Public Library Foundation.