New Canaan Library Inc

TO BE AN ESSENTIAL PLACE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING, CULTURE AND CONNECTION FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY

COLLECTIONSNEW CANAAN LIBRARY IS THE COMMUNITY'S PLATFORM FOR LIFELONG LEARNING, AND PROVIDES EXPANSIVE COLLECTIONS OF BOTH PRINT AND DIGITAL CONTENT. IT ALSO PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF SUBSCRIPTION RESEARCH DATABASES AND MUSEUM PASSES. THESE COLLECTIONS SERVE TO REFLECT AND ANTICIPATE THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS, ALLOWING FOR BOTH CURSORY AND DEEP EXPLORATIONS OF IDEAS AND CONCEPTS. THE COLLECTIONS SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S PURSUIT OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, CULTURAL APPRECIATION, AND RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCES. A PROFESSIONAL TEAM ACTIVELY MANAGES THE COLLECTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE FRESH AND THAT THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. IN LINE WITH OUR VALUES, OUR COLLECTIONS ARE BROAD, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE AND OUR LENDING AND OTHER POLICIES AIM TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL. OUR CURRENT COLLECTION OF PRINT MATERIALS INCLUDES 36,197 BOOKS FOR ADULTS, 36,084 FOR CHILDREN, AND 6464 FOR TEENS. OUR AUDIO-VISUAL COLLECTION CONTAINS 7447 ITEMS FOR ADULTS AND TEENS AND 1736 ITEMS FOR CHILDREN. TO PROVIDE DIGITAL CONTENT, WE DIRECTLY PURCHASE AND MAKE AVAILABLE 15,485 TITLES (17,021 COPIES) EBOOKS AND EAUDIOBOOKS. ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDE OUR MEMBERS FREE ACCESS TO A VAST AMOUNT DIGITAL CONTENT THROUGH CONCURRENT PAY-PER-USE SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORMS SERVING UP A VARIETY OF E-CONTENT (BOOKS, MAGAZINES, STREAMING MEDIA) THAT NUMBERS IN MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS AND GROWS AND CHANGES CONTINUALLY. FY 2024 WAS OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OPEN IN OUR NEW LIBRARY BUILDING, WHICH HAD AN IMPACT ON OUR COLLECTION USAGE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID SUFFER FROM AN UNEXPECTED FLOODING DUE TO A MECHANICAL ERROR, WHICH FORCED US TO CLOSE OUR DOORS FOR TWO WEEKS IN FEBRUARY 2023, AND HAVE OUR CHILDREN'S COLLECTIONS INACCESSIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO WEEKS, WHICH DID HAVE A DAMPENING AFFECT ON OUR CIRCULATION DURING THAT TIME. DESPITE THAT SETBACK, OVERALL CIRCULATION INCREASED YEAR-OVER-YEAR BY 14%, WITH PRINT CIRCULATION UP 12% AND DIGITAL BORROWING UP OVER 20%. WE CONTINUE TO SEE A STEADY DECLINE IN THE USE OF PHYSICAL DVDS AND BOOKS ON CD IN LINE WITH EXPECTATIONS AS THESE FORMATS ARE SUPERSEDED BY STREAMING MEDIA.

LEARNING PROGRAMSADULTSAS THE COMMUNITY'S PLATFORM FOR LIFELONG LEARNING, THE LIBRARY PROVIDES PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVITY AND CURIOSITY OF OUR YOUTH AND ADULT POPULATIONS. WE STRIVE TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE OUR COMMUNITY'S PURSUIT OF LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH THOUGHTFUL AND VARIED PROGRAMS CURATED BY OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM, DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT MANY DIFFERENT STYLES OF LEARNING ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, HANDS-ON, DISCUSSION GROUPS AND MORE.NEW CANAAN LIBRARY OFFERED 609 TOTAL PROGRAMS AND CLASSES TO OUR ADULT COMMUNITY IN FY 2024. 17,284 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED THESE PROGRAMS. OF PARTICULAR NOTE:- WE WELCOMED HIGH PROFILE SPEAKERS SUCH AS DAVID GRANN, CARL BERNSTEIN, AND LIDIA BASTIANICH, TO CAPACITY AUDIENCES OF 300 EACH- WE FOSTERED PARTNERSHIPS WITH MANY TOWN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, COSPONSORING MANY COMMUNITY PROGRAMS INCLUDING HOSTING NATIONAL PLANNING EXPERT JEFF SPECK TO CAPACITY CROWDS- WE ACTIVATED PROGRAMMING ON OUR NEWLY OPENED LIBRARY GREEN, INCLUDING DANCE PERFORMANCES AND OUR INAUGURAL GROOVE ON THE GREEN MUSIC CELEBRATION THAT BROUGHT 600 PEOPLE ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND- WE IMPLEMENTED NEW INSTRUCTIONAL COURSES TO INCREASE TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY, COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS MICROSOFT OFFICE, GOOGLE SUITE, AND CANVA- WE INCREASED HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS IN OUR MAKERLAB, WITH POPULAR PROGRAMS INCLUDING CRICUT ELECTRONIC CUTTING DESIGN, 3D PRINTING, AND ARTS INSTRUCTION- WE RAN SIX LIBRARIAN-LED BOOK GROUPS PER MONTH- WE PARTNERED WITH THE LOCAL YMCA TO OFFER FREE WEEKLY YOGA & TAI CHI CLASSES, AVERAGING 40 PARTICIPANTS PER SESSION CHILDRENOUR LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN 0-12 ARE PROFESSIONALLY DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED AS PART OF A CURRICULUM OF LITERACY DEVELOPMENT THAT INCLUDES DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE, SCAFFOLDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN FROM 6 MONTHS - FIVE YEARS AND THEN FURTHER AGE APPROPRIATE LITERACY DEVELOPMENT FOR OLDER CHILDREN WITH BOOK GROUPS AND A SUMMER READING PROGRAM WHICH IS BOTH WILDLY POPULAR AMONG OUR FAMILIES AND ENSURES THAT STUDENTS IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS DO NOT LOSE GROUND ON THEIR READING COMPREHENSION DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. IN ADDITION TO LITERACY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMING, WE ALSO OFFER A BREADTH OF OTHER LEARNING AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS ON TOPICS INCLUDING MATH, SCIENCE, CREATIVE WRITING, STEAM PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS STRONG ARTS PROGRAMMING WITH MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS, AND MUCH MORE.DURING FY 24 OUR CHILDREN'S TEAM DELIVERED 804 LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH 28,156 ATTENDEES. HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR PROGRAMMING FOR FAMILIES INCLUDE: - 1114 CHILDREN AND TEENS PARTICIPATED IN OUR SUMMER READING PROGRAM IN THE SUMMER OF 2023- WE WELCOMED BELOVED CHILDREN'S AUTHORS INCLUDING VICTORIA KANN, VEERA HIRANANDANI, AND DEBBI MICHIKO FLORENCE TO FULL AND ENTHUSIASTIC CROWDS.- WE CONDUCTED PROGRAMS IN COORDINATION WITH OUR MULTICULTURAL PARENTS COMMITTEE TO EDUCATE AND INFORM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT VARIOUS CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AND TRADITIONS - WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING A MONTHLY PARENTING MEET-UP AND ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE NEEDS OF THIS DEMOGRAPHIC- OUR PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS CONDUCTED 10 WEEKLY STORYTIMES FOR AGES BIRTH - FIVE, SERVING WELL OVER 500 CHILDREN AND PARENTS PER WEEK FOR STORYTIMES ALONE. TEENSOUR PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS IS PRIMARILY CONDUCTED BY OUR TEEN SERVICES LIBRARIAN AND OUR TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION COORDINATOR, WHO DEVISE PROGRAMS THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO AND INFORMED BY THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF THE TEEN DEMOGRAPHIC. DURING FY 24 OUR TEAM DELIVERED 160 LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR TEENS WITH 1234 ATTENDEES. HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS INCLUDE: - POPULAR AND DEVOTED RECURRING PROGRAMS FOR TEENS INCLUDE D&D/ROLE-PLAYING SESSIONS, PAINTING AND VISUAL ARTS INSTRUCTION, COOKING AND BAKING CLASSES, KNITTING, SEWING AND CROCHET, AND CODING AND ENGINEERING CHALLENGES IN OUR MAKERLAB, AND MORE.- TEEN VOLUNTEERS ALSO CREATE AND RUN THEIR OWN PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN. THESE HAVE BEEN DEVISED TO INCLUDE ART INSTRUCTION, MATH BUDDIES, FINANCE, DEBATE, TECHNOLOGY, CHESS, CROCHET, AND MORE, TO DRAW ON THE TEENS' EXPERTISE AND INTEREST, SO THAT TEENS CAN CONNECT WITH AND INSPIRE LOCAL CHILDREN WHILE GROWING THEMSELVES AND GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE- THIS FISCAL YEAR, 124 TEENS PARTICIPATED IN OUR TEEN VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, DONATING MORE THAN 1740 HOURS OF THEIR TIME.

SPACE:PROVIDING A VARIETY OF ACCESSIBLE SPACES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO MEET AND WORK IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR OFFERINGS. OUR COMMUNITY IS ENRICHED BY A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF VOLUNTEERISM AND PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY INTEREST GROUPS AND NONPROFITS. THE LIBRARY'S PROVISION OF MEETING SPACES FOR THE BOARD MEETINGS AND COMMITTEE WORK OF THESE GROUPS IS CRITICAL TO OUR ROLE AS AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION IN THE TOWN. ADDITIONALLY, SPACE TO WORK, READ, AND RESEARCH FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS FOR ALL AGES IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE LIBRARY'S UNIQUE ROLE AS PROVIDER OF INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE SPACES. LIBRARY SPACES ARE OF COURSE ALSO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING NOT ONLY OUR COLLECTIONS BUT ALSO THE VENUES FOR OUR PROGRAM AND SERVICE DELIVERY. IN ADDITION, THE OPENING OF OUR LIBRARY GREEN IN THE SPRING OF 2023 ADDED SIGNIFICANT OUTDOOR SEATING, PROGRAM, AND MEETING SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY.TO MAINTAIN CLEAN WELL-FUNCTIONING SPACE REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT MONETARY AND HUMAN RESOURCE. OUR NEW BUILDING HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO BE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE, HOWEVER ENERGY DELIVERY COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE EVEN AS OUR USAGE DECREASES. THE NEW FACILITY CONTINUES ALSO TO BE EXTREMELY POPULAR WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH A DOOR COUNT INCREASE OF OVER 70% FROM OUR PRE-CONSTRUCTION/PRE-PANDEMIC HEIGHTS, AND CONSEQUENTLY SEES MORE WEAR AND TEAR FROM USAGE AND REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION TO CLEANING AND UPKEEP. OPENING OF OUR LIBRARY GREEN ALSO RESUMED OUR NEED FOR ROUTINE LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, AS WE HAD NOT HAD TO TEND TO OUR GROUNDS FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION.