Report of the Board of Trustees

2003 was a difficult but rewarding year for the Library. Financial resources for library services continued to decline and services were affected by it. However, library services remained a priority of this community, as the community and staff rallied with astounding creativity to address these cuts.

From FY03 to FY04, the library’s budget was cut by 4.8%. The budget presented for FY05 is a level funded budget. As in FY04, any unavoidable increases will have to be absorbed by the existing budget. To compound the problem, supporting resources, such as the Mass Board of Library Commissioners also experienced financial shortfalls. The library shouldered its proportionate share of the town’s financial burden, but not without consequences. Adjustments were made in the Personnel Services budget by a planned closing that took place during the last week in August. This was accomplished by the voluntary forfeit of a week’s pay on the part of many of the staff. This selfless act highlights the staff’s commitment and understanding of the institution’s importance to the community. While the library remained closed, several staff members conducted an inventory of the Children’s Room.

In addition to this deduction in the personnel budget, cuts were made to the book budget. Budget reductions weakened our status as a vital community resource and jeopardized our position for state funding.

Youth and Young Adult programming continued to be a main focus in 2003, as reported in the departmental narrative that follows.

The Board of Trustees, library staff, and town counsel continued to review and refine library policies to better serve the patrons, staff, and the institution itself. This included changes to the Meeting Room Policy, the Continuing Education Policy, and the Internet Policy. The Board, library director, and staff worked together to best utilize resources and maintain the building and its contents. It is acutely evident during periods of financial stress that the work of community volunteers is vital to the library’s success. The Friends of Beebe Library continued to support library programs and projects. Their annual book sale was once again a wild success. It has become a must attend for many, both in and outside our community. Their generous funding supports museum passes, rental videos, summer youth programs, Wakefield Reads, and various other extra events and programs.

Cindy Schatz and Peter Scott were reelected to full terms on the Board in 2003. The board said good-bye to Arthur Beebe, thanked him for his many years of open-minded, dedicated service and wished him well. Elizabeth Cooper joined the Board as its newly elected member.

The current state of the library, its structure, staff, programs, and spirit are fine. However, our current financial environment will continue to demand creativity and experienced decision making in order to maintain basic programs and services. Fewer funds yield fewer services. As a community, we need to do better.

Thank-you to Director Gilley, Assistant Director Hill, and the entire staff for their countless examples of dedication and commitment; they continue to be an inspiration. It has been and will continue to be our pleasure to serve this community.

Respectfully submitted,
The Board of Library Trustees

Report of the Library Director

When I was growing up, I wasn’t all that fond of libraries. I liked reading well enough, but I don’t recall libraries as being warm and fuzzy places. They were hard to figure out, and help was not given freely. My college library certainly didn’t engender much affection. In its hard-edged rooms I felt doomed by the lack of whatever arcane knowledge I needed to ensure my personal development.

While some of that experience was my fault, some of it speaks to the institutional style of libraries in past decades. Libraries earned the stereotypes that are now hard to live down. The fact of the matter is, people don’t expect much of libraries, especially publicly funded libraries. Public libraries have had to work hard at developing a more demanding clientele.

For Beebe Library, a sea change occurred six years ago when the building was renovated and the technology upgraded. We were given the opportunity to make manifest the image we had in our hearts of what a library should be… a welcoming place where people examine and borrow what their taxes have already bought.

It took money. We tried to use it wisely. Since then, the community has supported us well enough to properly staff the library, care for the building, and buy the books, media, and technology they want to use. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, we also provide experiences that we hope strengthen the community.

We have come to a time when the money is not available to do all these things, and it is hard to decide what to give up. In 2003, the staff took a furlough week, the fees for elevator inspection and permits quadrupled, and the book budget declined 25%. Which is worse: poor staffing, a deteriorating building, or a sorry choice of materials? They all summon up the old stereotypes. People will again find libraries disappointing places. Degradation in service ultimately robs us of our client base.

Count me among those who subscribe to the notion that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. We look for ways to protect both our infrastructure and our social capital. To meet our budget targets for FY05, we will maintain funding for the building and the books. We will reduce the page hours by half, and shorten library hours so the permanent staff can shelve books while we are closed. We will again have a week in August when many of the staff will take a furlough. There will be fewer hours of library service, but when the library is open for business, we are determined not to disappoint.

In case it hasn’t been apparent, budget shortfalls are being absorbed in large measure by library employees. According to a fundraising flyer from the United Way, “A person in Massachusetts has to earn 3 times the minimum wage in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment.” Many of the well-educated employees who are making this budget work are earning wages that fall below that benchmark.

Something about libraries that has not changed over time is the role they assume as standard bearers for First Amendment Rights. This year, the American Library Association lost a Supreme Court case that ultimately upheld the Children’s Internet Protection Act, a measure passed by Congress requiring libraries that accept federal dollars to install filters on all their computers. As a library funded with local and state money, Beebe Library will continue to permit its patrons to make their own decisions about what they want to investigate on their library computers. A software package we have run in the background for years assures us that only about one half of one percent of computer use is questionable, and, upon investigation, even that count has included a number of perfectly acceptable sites the software manufacturer erroneously identified as objectionable. Over the course of a few years, we happened to identify 140 sites, from American Girl through Weight Watchers, that would have been blocked had we run the software in filtering mode rather than monitoring mode.

The public has become increasingly aware of provisions of The Patriot Act that have alarmed librarians since Congress enacted it in response to the tragedies of September 11. Intended to enhance the surveillance capabilities of law enforcement agencies, the act threatens the privacy of intellectual inquiry by lowering the bar for obtaining search warrants that apply to library activity.

On the state level, this year librarians and trustees protested a legislative initiative to strip minors of the confidentiality of their library records.

Each of these issues can be well argued on both sides. As with many aspects of American government, the best solution usually arises from open debate, a system of checks and balances, and diplomatic compromise. But for democratic systems to work, each side needs a dedicated champion to articulate its position. In service to their constituents, libraries give voice to the right of citizens to exercise their freedoms of speech and of the press and of assembly.

And that has been the duality of public libraries. At a time when we are challenged to provide the riches of recreational reading, we are nonetheless the publicly funded information provider for our citizens, and a singularly democratic institution.

Respectfully submitted,
Sharon A. Gilley, Library Director

Report of the Assistant Director and Head of Public Services

In 2002, Beebe Library completed a Long Range Plan that covers the years from 2003 to 2006. In developing that document, both staff and community committees prominently placed, as a top priority in the planning process, Wakefield’s desire for a thriving, vibrant downtown area with cultural attractions. Session members stressed the creation of weekend and nighttime activities that encourage the community to share cultural resources and the town’s natural beauty. In keeping with that goal, the library sponsored several cultural and educational programs throughout 2003.

Beginning in January 2003, the library embarked on its second annual Wakefield Reads program. This town-wide celebration of reading is designed to bring community members together to share the reading and discussion of one title. In 2003, the library chose David Guterson’s novel Snow Falling on Cedars as its selection. Set on a small island north of Pugent Sound in Washington State, the novel centers around the sudden death of a local fisherman. That death, and the consequent trial, forces the community to deal with the memories and consequences of World War II and the moral dilemmas inherent in modern life. The murder trial of a Japanese American fisherman becomes the catalyst for an examination of racial prejudice.

Two hundred fifty nine students in the junior class at Wakefield Memorial High School participated in Wakefield Reads in a variety of different ways. Some read the entire novel, some viewed clips from the film, and many studied Japanese internment during World War II.

Members of the community also became actively involved in the program. Several special events were planned in conjunction with Wakefield Reads. They included story hours featuring Japanese storytelling and another on the theme of snow, video showings of the film, an origami workshop, several book discussions, an on-air book discussion on WCAT, a live, on-line chat with author David Guterson, and a USO Dance featuring a live swing band.

A variety of authors visited Beebe Library in 2003. As part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program, authors Gary Braver, Hallie Ephron (G.H. Ephron), and Nancy Means Wright delighted audience members with discussions of their latest novels. Scholar Gershon Weisenberg, presented a program on Winslow Homer Musician Daisy Nell entertained young and old alike with storytelling through song. A writers’ group was formed over the summer.

In September, local author Ed Brady visited the Library for a discussion of his nonfiction book Last in my Class: How Humor Helped Me Survive Alcoholism. Author Fred Plemenos gave a discussion of his book Investing Despite Wall Street, Inc. In October, we were pleased to welcome author Nancy Lusignan Schultz. Schultz is the author of Fire and Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1843. In November, author David Nolta visited the library for a discussion of his debut novel Grave Circle: an Ivory Tower Mystery. Also in November, author Bill Nowlin regaled audience members with tales of the legendary Ted Williams and the Red Sox.

Author visits were not the only programs offered during the year. On September 13, ornithologist Dave Williams presented an introductory class on Bird Watching. His lecture included slides and models. A field trip followed the workshop.

Music was an integral part of Beebe Library during the past year. Susan Davenny Wyner presented a lecture on Thursday, October 23. Wyner had an international career as a soprano before becoming a world-renowned conductor. She has been the conductor of the Wakefield-based New England String Ensemble since the 1999-2000 season. The Ensemble celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2003.

On December 13, Galvin Middle School’s choir and chamber groups gave a holiday concert on the main floor of the library. Parents and library patrons were delighted to hear these students perform.

Several book groups continued to meet throughout 2003. Books By The Lake combines the enjoyment of reading a single title with the desire to share insights with others who have read it. The group met ten times during the year, and is led by Readers’ Advisory Librarian Leane Ellis.

The Senior Center Book Group formed in March of 2003. The group, open to all senior residents, meets at the McCarthy Senior Center on Converse Street on the second Wednesday of the month, except in summer. Members of the Senior Center Book Group read and discuss one book each month. The group met eight times during the year with Assistant Director Nanci Milone Hill as leader.

Hill also met six times with both the Greenwood and Lunchtime Book Groups during 2003. Unlike the other book groups, these two groups featured book reviews presented by Hill. Members brought thoughts on their own reading to share. These groups will not be meeting in 2004.

Supper Sleuths is a mystery book discussion group that meets monthly, except during the summer. Led by Ellis and Hill, the group examines a different genre of mysteries each month. Booklists are provided in advance and members read any book(s) of their choosing from the list. At the meeting, members discuss the titles they chose to read. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

In response to patron requests, the library sponsored four workshops on CPR and Basic First Aid. The workshops were led by members of Action Ambulance Inc. and were very well attended.

The library was proud to be one of twelve libraries chosen to receive a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities in 2003. The grant allowed the library to present Understanding Islam, a four-part program of book discussions for 30 participants. The grant provided multiple copies of each of the books to be discussed, and paid for scholars to lead the discussions. The library is grateful to the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities for this opportunity.

PERSONNEL - After 32 years of dedicated service, Circulation Assistant Ginger Coogan has retired. Ginger was a friendly face at the Circulation Desk and was also responsible for preparing the magazines. She will be greatly missed.

Respectfully submitted,
Nanci Milone Hill, Assistant Director

Report of the Reference Department

In 2003, reference librarians answered 6,777 basic or directional questions, and 29,159 more in-depth research questions, for a total of 35,936 questions overall. In this respect, 2003 was the third busiest year on record. The library’s notaries public notarized 414 documents during the year. As the popularity of e-mail continued to grow, the library fielded 391 requests by e-mail, a 33% increase over the previous year. The department handles requests by phone, fax, or in person, and also by electronic mail at email@wakefieldlibrary.org.

The library’s weekly online newsletter of events is emailed to 260 patrons. For the latest news about library events and programs via a weekly e-mail, patrons are invited to subscribe through the library’s web site at www.wakefieldlibrary.org.

Online research databases continue to be one of the most popular services offered by libraries. Wakefield is fortunate to benefit from state and regional funding for online databases, which helps share costs and maximize savings, but unfortunately offerings had to be reduced in July 2003 due to substantial cuts in state and local funding. Databases that are no longer offered are CQ Researcher, the SIRS indexes for students, the WestLaw legal service, and the Discover career exploration database. Other indexes such as EBSCO, Infotrac, and newspaper and magazine databases are still available and continued to be very popular. All available online databases can be found at Beebe Library’s web site or the redesigned web site of the regional library system, www.nmrls.org/answers.

Also redesigned was the NOBLE online catalog, the gateway to the more than two million books and other materials available in the 27 public and college libraries comprising the NOBLE network. The new catalog was inaugurated in late summer, with a more user-friendly look, new search features, and the addition of full color cover images for materials. The catalog can be accessed via the library’s web site, or directly at catalog.noblenet.org. Patrons can access and manage their own accounts online, renewing their own materials and placing their own holds, using a secure PIN code obtainable at any service desk in the library.

Beebe Library’s web site continued to serve as a popular way for people to find information about library programs and services. During 2003, the Beebe site was visited 171,780 times, up 6% from the previous year. The address for the site changed this year to the easier-to-remember www.wakefieldlibrary.org.

Despite general growing familiarity with online searching, 35 people attended 32 sessions on how to use the Internet and online databases for research.

Librarian Leane Ellis coordinated the sixth year of our successful high school summer reading display. Librarians and English teachers selected a wide range of quality titles for the high school reading lists. Students in each grade can choose from more than 75 titles, which are available in multiple copies in the library all summer. Ellis and Assistant Director Nanci Hill visited the incoming sophomore, junior, and senior classes to discuss the books and generate enthusiasm for the program.

The library’s French Club, coordinated by librarian Jeff Klapes, met weekly during the year. The group is an informal conversation gathering for people interested in practicing or improving their French language skills. All skill levels are welcome.

Focusing on items related to the local rattan industry, reference staff continued to digitize items from our local history collections to make them available on the Internet through the NOBLE online catalog.

Senior Services Librarian Beth Radcliffe continued to coordinate our Homebound Delivery program, which uses a generous group of volunteers to bring library materials to those residents who are unable to come to the library because of illness or disability. There are currently 20 people served by this program, and figures climbed 10% in 2003, with volunteer drivers from the community generously donating their time to make 133 deliveries.

Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey M. Klapes, Readers' and Information Services Coordinator

Report of the Youth Department

In 2003, the Youth Services staff delivered 346 library programs to 11,780 students, preschoolers, and adults. Programs included story times, craft programs, performances, library tours, classroom visits, and the Summer Reading Program.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM - Read, Think, Create@yourlibrary, the 2003 Massachusetts Statewide Summer Reading Program, challenged the Youth Room staff’s creative mettle. The result was a highly dynamic reading program tailored to three distinct audiences: preschoolers, elementary school children, and middle school students. Each program was targeted to the developmental and interest level of its respective age group.

Preschoolers had a chance to ride the Reading Railroad. This Read-to-Me program consisted of a chart of nine weekly stops coupled with nine weekly challenges. Children advanced to a stop by reading a certain number of hours. For each completed stop, they received a reward when they visited the library. Challenges consisted of literature-based, age-appropriate activities, such as puzzles, games, or sharing the reading experience with others. Club Car Meetings, special “members only” events, gave young ones an opportunity to listen to stories and share their favorite books with other club members. At the end of the summer, participants celebrated their achievement with a party and entered the grand prize raffle – a trip to the Edaville Railroad, which was donated by this generous organization.

Elementary school children participated in the Treasure Card Club. Children recorded their reading hours on a tracking card, redeemable for a raffle ticket and a treasure chest reward. Weekly challenge cards afforded children the opportunity to amuse themselves with a library activity, while at the same time earning them a free video rental. Participation cards were awarded as special prizes for performing in the Talent Show. The sought-after grand prize for this age group was a limousine ride to school.

For the second consecutive year, middle school students eagerly descended upon the Young Adult Summer Reading Club, vying for the privilege of attending the library sleepover, the grand prize in the raffle for this age group. Fueled by a healthy spirit of competition, readers earned a raffle ticket for 12 hours of reading. Teens and pre-teens then had their choice of prizes, including the grand prize, to put their raffle tickets toward.

The Summer Reading Program was funded by Liz Claiborne, Inc., the Friends of the Beebe Library, and the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems.

YOUTH PROGRAMS - Preschool Story Times continue to draw huge numbers of children and parents to the library. In 2003, the Youth Room staff conducted 193 preschool story times. Forty-five hundred registrants took advantage of this popular service. Due to cuts in staffing, the number of programs decreased by 19%. Participation, however, dropped disproportionately, a mere 2.7%. Attendance per program increased 20.7%, a figure that demonstrates the community’s commitment to this extremely popular service.

Aside from story times, the list of library activities in 2003 included puppet shows, karaoke parties, live theater performances, craft programs, multicultural programs, drop-in story times, library tours, catalog lessons, research workshops, reading auctions, book discussions, Young Adult planning meetings, a literary magazine for teens and pre-teens, an art gallery, trivia scavenger hunts, an original play and performance, a read-a-thon, puzzle obstacle courses, film series, live animal demonstrations, author visits, a novel-writing group, magic shows, a Halloween party, and a Haunted House.

YOUTH INFORMATION SERVICES - Information services focused on the revision of the Youth and Young Adults’ Services web site. Both of these redesigned sites were linked to the Beebe Library Home Page in 2003. Features include Homework Help, News and Information for Parents, a New Parents’ Page, and Book Report Help. Young Adults can find information about programs for their age group and contribute to the YA literary magazine, Eclipse. The Youth Services page and the Young Adults’ page can be accessed from the Beebe Library home page at http://www.wakefieldlibrary.org.

SCHOOL/LIBRARY COOPERATION - Wakefield public schools and the Youth Room staff jointly produced several projects in 2003. Youth Services librarians met several times with teachers from the elementary schools to update reading lists for students in grades 1-4. After collaborating with the Galvin Middle School teachers on the content of the Summer Reading List for older children, the Young Adult Department designed a new format that provided students with titles, descriptions, and space to make notes on the selected reading.

In November, the library hosted an orientation for new teachers and their mentors. Over 60 teachers toured the library, met the staff, and exchanged information.

Beebe librarians were also invited to classrooms to take part in celebrity reading hours and literacy celebrations.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Sheehan, Head of Youth Services

Report of the Technical Services Department

In 2003, the Technical Services department augmented the acquisitions procedures for ordering and receiving new materials. The acquisitions module, initiated in 2002, is a component of the library’s overall circulation and cataloging software. In addition to handling acquisitions, the software offers library users online information about materials that are on order. This past year, the Technical Services Department trained additional staff to order for the following collections: adult fiction and nonfiction, adult reference and career materials, books on tape, books on compact disc, rental books, young adult books, children’s fiction and nonfiction, children’s reference, and children’s videos.

The Technical Services department maintains the library’s local area network. A growing concern for every network administrator is the ability to protect local computers from a malicious online attack from other computers. The department continues to provide protection for both public and staff computers in two key areas: keeping anti-virus software up-to-date, and keeping the Microsoft Windows software up-to-date with the latest security patches.

Beebe Library is a member of NOBLE, a consortium of public and academic libraries. NOBLE provides the integrated circulation and cataloging software used by all member libraries. This past year, NOBLE upgraded this software two times. To prepare for the upgrades, all staff computers were upgraded to Windows 2000, and to newer versions of Java scripting software.

The 2003 Wakefield Reads book was Snow Falling on Cedars, and author David Guterson agreed to an online chat. Technical Services facilitated the group chat by providing instructions to library users on how to install chat software, and by setting up library computers on the evening of the event.

The Technical Services Department also oversees the gift magazine program. Active for over ten years, the program is supported by generous Wakefield individuals and organizations that donate the cost for magazine subscriptions. This past year, 30 Wakefield organizations and individuals donated to the program, giving over $1,100 for 46 magazine subscriptions.

Respectfully submitted,
Becky Rohr, Head of Technical Services

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