AGENDA #10a

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

FROM:            Kathleen Thompson, Library Director

SUBJECT:      Children’s/Teen Position for the Public Library

DATE:                        March 8, 2006 

This memorandum is provided in response to a recommendation by the Library Board of Trustees presented to the Town Council on January 25, 2006 to add a Children’s/Teen position for the Chapel Hill Public Library.

BACKGROUND

The Children’s Services Division has four full-time staff, including one Librarian III and three Library Assistant IIIs’.  Division staff prepare and perform children’s programs, provide reference and reader’s advisory services to parents and children, and are responsible for collection of print and audio materials.   The Children’s Desk is staffed to assist the public 64 of the 68 hours per week the Library is open. 

Last year, Children’s Services circulated 379,553 books, tapes and other materials.  The three-county Hyconeechee Regional Library System circulated a total of 458,262 juvenile and adult materials during the same period.    

The Library Master Plan adopted by the Town Council in 2003 recommended expanded programming for children and teens.  The Master Plan also recommended adding two full-time Librarian II positions by 2003, one to serve children and one to serve teens. 

Between 2000 and 2005, children’s program attendance increased 37 percent.  This was accomplished with no additional staff and as 6 percent increase in the number of programs offered.

Position duties would include: children’s programming in-house and at local day cares and after-school programs; teen programming; acting as program liaison with Chapel Hill/Carrboro school system and community organizations; staffing the Children’s Desk to assist patrons; assisting the Head of Children’s Services with collection development, i.e. selection and weeding of materials. 

The combined Children’s/Teen position, including salary and benefits, would be funded at $49,313.

DISCUSSION

Adding one Children’s/Teen Librarian II position would increase programming efforts by 20-25 percent.  We believe that the 37 percent increased attendance for children's programs since 2000 indicates strong community interest in this service.  While the number of programs offered has also increased (6 percent), it has been inadequate to meet demand.  Approximately 75 children per month are turned away from capacity-filled programs.   We are also unable to add additional programs on evenings and weekends as requested by working families.  

The Children’s area is a lively, inter-active space for parents and children, with frequent requests at the Children’s Desk for reference assistance and help in finding appropriate books for various age group.  Adding Children’s staff would increase the number of hours the Children’s Desk is staffed, from 64 to 68 hours per week.

The Library responds to requests from daycares, Chapel Hill school groups and other organizations that approach us for programs.  However, staffing levels do not permit regular contact with groups to offer and explain library services. The proposed position would provide annual visits to all schools to encourage reading, promote library programs and identify possible combined outreach programs.

RECOMMENDATION

Approval of the full-time position is recommended.