Ann Arbor District Library Annual Report. July 2014 through June 2015.
The Ann Arbor District Library Board of Trustees
Back Row (l-r):
Jim Leija, Trustee; Margaret Leary, Trustee; Jamie Vander Broek, Trustee
Front Row (l-r): Edward Surovell, Vice President; Jan Barney Newman, President; Prue Rosenthal, Treasurer
Not pictured: Nancy Kaplan, Secretary
Remembering Rebecca Head
Rebecca served as an elected trustee of the Ann Arbor District Library from July 26, 2004 until her passing in June 2015. She was President of the AADL Board from 2008-2010. Rebecca gave thoughtful and respectful consideration to every question and decision, and she listened well before making choices.
She was instrumental in the development and adoption of the 2010-2015 AADL Strategic Plan, work that she enjoyed. Rebecca's wisdom and calm approach are evident in the major actions of the AADL Board over the past 11 years. She was a dutiful and loyal elected official and a good friend to the Library. The AADL and the community have suffered a great loss.
Image: The Ann Arbor Chronicle
Director's Note
Public libraries sustain and support us through inevitable changes and challenges we all face and experience throughout a lifetime.
When you click through this annual report, it is my hope that, as you view the videos and pie charts and read the narrative, you will recognize moments when the Ann Arbor District Library made a difference when it mattered most.
It is a tribute to libraries everywhere that a public institution can incorporate new technologies in rapid succession and with remarkable efficiency without jettisoning the understanding that we need to be human in this public space.
Today’s library appears to be very different from the library of my childhood, but it remains essentially the same. The activity is often amazingly different; however, it is still the place – the public space that is the library - that matters so much to so many individuals.
There is just no telling what next year will bring. Making sure we meet that challenge without losing sight of what matters most is the job of the library. –Josie
Highlights
Did you know that the Ann Arbor District Library is rated one of the top libraries in the United States?
Our stars are your stars
Early in this fiscal year AADL was named a 5-Star Library by Library Journal.
Only 1.1% of libraries nationwide received 5 stars, the highest ranking a library can achieve in this annual rating system.
AADL continues to be the only library in Michigan ever to receive 5 Stars.
- Circulation of Library Materials
- Attendance at AADL Events
- Public Computer Use
- Visits to Buildings
Did you also know that this ranking is based on your high volume of use of AADL and its resources?
Libraries across the nation are rated according to four statistics (annual circulation of library materials, program attendance, public computer use, and visits to buildings per capita) and are rated in comparable budget groups. AADL was in the $10–$29.9 million budget group with a budget of $13.6 million.
You have helped your library achieve this status every year since the rating system began in 2008.
Circulation
of Library Materials
In 2014-2015, AADL processed over 7.5 MILLION circulation transactions including checkouts of
books, DVDs, CDs, and the growing tools collection.
There’s lots of really cool things that you can find here, and it’s an awesome place to just explore.—Kathryn
AADL Patron
Attendance
at AADL Events
« AADL held 1,465 events last year, including appearances by authors Louise Penny, Kathy Reichs, Gary Shteyngartand, and Dr. David Oshinsky, Pulitzer Prize winner; climate activist Tom Hayden; Rosa Parks’ niece Sheila McCauley Keys; Chef Takashi Yagihashi; and local musician Dave Menzo.
In the past year, over EIGHTY-EIGHT THOUSAND PEOPLE have attended AADL events. They have enjoyed family activities, community gatherings, author appearances, and events highlighting local celebrities and organizations.
Festifools Parade
Lego Contest
Kids Rock @ Top
Tiny Expo
AADL had many popular events this year, and the following are some attendance numbers. 500 for mystery author Louise Penny. 550 for the annual Lego Contest. 650 for the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Reads author Ruth Ozeki. 700 for the AADL Halloween party. 1050 for the Festifools Parade Activities. 2150 over three concerts for Kids Rock at Top of the Park. 2600 for the Tiny Expo Holiday Craft Fair. 3300 for the two-day event of the 7th Annual Kids Read Comics Convention.
« The Forbes-Berg family shared what they liked best about the AADL Annual Lego Contest.
Public Computer Use
There were 174,557 Internet sessions on
AADL computers in 2014-2015. About 2/3 of the use was
in AADL branches and 1/3 at the Downtown Library.
A new fiber Internet connection was installed this year at the Pittsfield Branch.
The connection speed is more than 100 times faster than the old connection
and is now the same speed as other branches.
I can always count on coming here and doing everything I need to do from a business standpoint.—Billy
AADL Patron
Visits to Buildings
In 2014-2015, there were 1.6 million visits to AADL buildings,
with half a million visits to the Downtown Library alone!
AADL made many improvements to its buildings this year, including these improvements to the Downtown Library:
- Remodeling of the front entrance
- Upgrades and maintenance of elevators
- Relocation of the Friends of the Library Book Shop to the lobby
- Re-carpeting of the third floor and youth area
- Increased shelving for materials
I do a lot of research at the library...and the people are very helpful.—Grace
AADL Patron
National Recognition
for AADL Services
Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled at Ann Arbor District Library WLBPD @ AADL
In June 2015, The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) at the Library of Congress presented its annual award for National Subregional Library of the Year to the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled at Ann Arbor District Library (WLBPD@AADL) for its outstanding service to readers who are visually or physically challenged.
The award was presented during a luncheon ceremony on June 19 at the Library of Congress.
« WLBPD won this award for over five years of outstanding service, which included three low-vision technology and service expos and a special exhibit on Helen Keller.
My life wouldn’t be worth living without the library. I was in a nursing home battling depression, and receiving humor books saved the day.—O’Darlene
AADL Patron
WLBPD serves
approximately
500 patrons and
circulates talking books
and magazines on
15,949 digital cartridges.
Statistics
Financial
REVENUE
Property Taxes $11,691,694
Library Fines & Fees $337,079
State Penal Fines $272,981
Interest Income $134,790
State Aid $89,237
Grants & Memorials $75,291
Other $47,438
TOTAL$12,648,510
EXPENDITURES
Employment Costs $7,474,868
Materials $1,753,782
Purchased Services $1,095,602
Capital Outlay $656,972
Operating Supplies $518,453
Programming $359,307
Repairs & Maintenance $295,226
Rent $180,293
Other $148,840
TOTAL$12,483,343
Usage Statistics
Ann Arbor District Library is open to the public 355 Days per year
136,769 Registered Cardholders
7,782 New library cards issued this year
Program Attendance
DURING THE 2014-2015 FISCAL YEAR, AADL HOSTED
1,466 PROGRAMS
Door Count Summary
Circulation
SYSTEM-WIDE CIRCULATION TRANSACTIONS
7,659,070
Collections
ADULT
Material System-wide
Books 235,843
DVD 72,530
Compact Discs 53,163
Magazines 22,292
Audiobooks 16,154
BLU-RAY 15,639
Tools & Other 3,333
Language Materials 2,664
YOUTH & TEEN
Material System-wide
Books 171,750
DVD 25,016
Audiobooks 6,034
Magazines 3,751
Compact Discs 3,562
BLU-RAY 2,006
Other 1,831
Gifts & Memorials
July 1, 2014 Through June 30, 2015
Adult, Digital, & Special Collections
- Doug Cox
- Sarah Davis
- Linda Kilmach and Book Group
In Memory of Kathy Leonard - Dan and Jan Logone
- Kelly Taylor
General Gift Fund
- Suzanne Admiraal and Patrick O'Brien
- Ann Arbor District Library Board of Trustees
In Honor of Barbara Murphy - Art History Section of the Faculty Women's Club
In Memory of Kay Evaldson - Margery Beardsley
In Memory of Julia Sonen - Ralph Beuhler
- Jerry and Helga Bilik
- Michael and Sylvia Cooper
In Memory of Patricia Johnson - Andrea DeAgostino, Jim Smith and Family
In Memory of Maureen Belden - Gordon Ebbitt
- Tom Finholt and Stephanie Teasley
- Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
In Honor of Gene Wilson - Martha Grimes
In Memory of Chris Opple - Identifax Research Services
- Mary and Glenn Kagan
In Memory of Katherine McKnight - Gerald Kohn
- John Longres
In Honor of Berit Ingersoll-Dayton - Timothy Marzullo
- Michigan Library Association
In Memory of Robert L. Barnes, Sr. - Emily Milton
- Richard and Nina L. McEachin
- Olga Moir
In Memory of Kay McKnight - Nancy Nelson
In Memory of Helen Schlegel Seaberg - Anita Stull
- Victorian Book Club of Ann Arbor
In Memory of Eleanor Smith Leon
Roberta Keniston Memorial Fund
- Heather Liebal
Outreach
- Sophie Mordis
In Memory of Helen Pochodylo - Katharine Gindin
In Memory of Kay McKnight
Ben Price Memorial Fund
- Charles Connington
- Leslie Dunham
- Susan & Floyd Humphrey
Programs
- Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
- Kathleen Savit
In Memory of Naftali - Dr. Anita Vereb
In Memory of Michael Hudec and Jean Loehr - Michael Zawacki
WLBPD
- William and Cherie Nixon
Youth & Teen Programs & Collections
- Kathryn Detrisac
- Roger Espinosa
- Daniel and Deborah Forger
In Honor of Miss Rachel's Baby Playgroups - Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
- Joseph Gagliardi
In Memory of George and Elizabeth Nagy - Ladies Library Association
- Shoshannah Lenski
In Honor of Miss Laura for Storytelling - Josie Barnes Parker
In Memory of Rowan David LaBarre - The Peaceable Kingdom
- Jim and Bonnie Reece
- Judith Smith
- Jean Steppe
- Yuanyuan Xiao
For more information about making a gift to the Ann Arbor District Library,
please visit aadl.org/support