2009 was a tumultuous year for the Wilbraham Public Library. Library use, particularly of our public computers with internet access, greatly increased. The library now has 4,312 register users, not counting the frequent "guest" users. Volunteer activity reached an all time high with 2,330 hours logged. The library suffered injurious budget cuts that resulted in reductions to services, staffing, and hours of operation. However, toward the end of the year, things seemed to stabilize and the outlook for 2010 brightened as the library secured enough funding to finally start the first phase of renovations to create a teen space on the mezzanine and replace the stairs.

Reference staff altered the library's subscription-based electronic resources to better meet general community needs. New databases cover the topics of home repair, crafts, plus home access to Consumer Reports.org.

Teen services librarians, Kate Pritchard and Sue Kent expanded the collection with fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, audiobooks, music CDs, DVDs, and magazines. The staff and teen volunteers re-cataloged and relabeled 6^th through 12^th grade materials, which merged them into one unified teen collection.

Children’s Librarian, Elaine Wrubel, selected folktales and the environment as the topics of special emphasis, expanded the video game collection with additional titles for the Wii and the XBox 360, and enhanced the audio book collection with more titles in Playaway digital format.

Due to a spending freeze January through June, the library added only 5,569 new items to the collection in 2009. Plus because of limited space and building renovation plans, professional staff deselected many items that showed low or no use over the past two years. Most of these items were offered in the Friends of the Library book sale. The net result was a smaller collection of 58,158 items, down nearly 8% since 2008.

Children’s and teen staff outreach and collaboration included visiting schools conducting a middle school book discussion group, and connecting with various daycare providers. Karen Demers, Adult Services Librarian, made regular visits to Miles Morgan allowing residents to borrow materials and speak to her about their reading interests. After several years coordinating the deposit collections at Wilbraham nursing homes, volunteers Susan and Kim Reilly handed over the reins to Brenda McGaffigan and her children. Other volunteers continued to deliver materials to homebound residents. The two teen groups , Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and Teens of Wilbraham Library (TOWL), hosted community service projects, including Project Linus and a puppet show at the YMCA on Healthy Families Day, spoke at the Rotary Club, worked with community professionals to gain career knowledge, and assisted with the teen space design development. A Music Night Fundraiser involved over 50 talented musicians from the community and raised $200. The library staff again hosted a Mitten Tree in November, gathering new winter wear to benefit the Community Survival Center.

The Friends of the Library launched Great Decisions, an eight-part discussion series developed by the Foreign Policy Association. Other adult programs included Over the Mountain Shakespeare, Film Movement Series, a recital by the Linda Yamamoto Honors Chamber Ensemble, a lecture by the ever popular Michael Tougias, On the Same Page Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder, a series of piano lessons, and the monthly book discussion series, Booked for Lunch. In all the library hosted 63 adult programs attended by 846 adults and seniors.

The TAB, TOWL, and teen services staff hosted 94 programs in 2009 attended by 1,170 teens. Popular programs included the weekly anime club, library sleepover, Photo Scavenger Hunt, crafts, cooking and gaming. The summer reading program committed 101 teen readers. "The Big Shift" involving 37 teen volunteers from TAB, TOWL, scouts, Key Club and National Honor Society members, moved and consolidated over 12,000 nonfiction books and shelving upstairs to make room for a new teen space.

The children’s staff conducted 146 programs in 2009, with total attendance of 3,374 children and accompanying adults. Storytimes, conducted by Assistant Children’s Librarian, Heidi Kane, in fall, winter and spring, served over 70 children, from 12 months-old through five-year-olds. 397 children, age 2 through 5^th grade, registered for the summer reading club, STARSHIP ADVENTURE @ your library. During the summer, the library presented Lost-in-Space LEGOs, Toe Jam in Outer Space, storytimes, a "slime" craft and AstroCamp. The online component to the summer club, offered by the state and the regional library systems, enabled remote registration. Other events have included Three Billy Goats Gruff by Pumpernickel Puppets, book discussion groups, a visit from Rufus the Therapy Dog, Tomasina the Good Witch and Wild West Day, featuring Andy the Armadillo.

The Wilbraham Friends of the library fund most library programs.

The Teen website at www.wilbrahamlibrary.org won 1^st place in the Massachusetts Library Association Public Relations Contest. The additions of LibraryThing tags, user reviews, and wish lists to the online library catalog gave patrons better ways to search the collection and customize their accounts. Library staff created a series of video tutorials called Online Spotlight. The new events calendar featured online program registration.

The teen services librarians completed the second year of the LSTA Tweens and Teens Grant, including expanding the collection and services to high-school-age teens, designing the new teen space and teen website, and offering programs for our town’s teen population.

The library received two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in 2009. The Picturing America exhibit used high quality art posters portraying themes from American history. To enhance this exhibit in the Brooks Room, the library hosted a two-part lecture by art critic Gloria Russell, and created a special audio tour to complement the exhibit. The NEH and the American Library Association (ALA) also presented a grant for the We the People Bookshelf, consisting of twenty-two children’s and adult books on the theme of Picturing America.

ALA and the Fetzer Institute funded Let's Talk About It: Love and Forgiveness, a book discussion program that delved into the program's theme using classic and contemporary works of literature.

The Wilbraham Cultural Council granted complete funding for three special programs: "DinoMan—SPACE!", an interactive show to kick off the summer reading program, "A Pirate’s Life" concert during the April vacation, and a workshop for adults on pastels by artist Greg Maichak.

The Wilbraham Friends of the Library Board reenergized their efforts to support services and activities at the library this year. 　 Friends’ membership grew to over 350 persons who are the backbone for our many volunteer efforts. 　Total net receipts from all book sale activities exceeded all previous years.　

The Friends offered successful bus trips to the Peabody-Essex museum in Salem, Massachusetts and Essex, Connecticut to explore the Scenic Lower Connecticut River on Becky Thatcher riverboat and the Essex Steam Train. The 2009 Annual Friends Art show included works from 49　 local artists and was very well attended.　 Greater Wilbraham has many talented folk to showcase.

The Friends were extremely pleased to accept a generous donation from the new Red Robin Restaurant and 　much-appreciated gifts from several town residents and groups. Thanks to the Friends, library staff presented Children's, Young Adult and Adult programs and purchased hundreds of new DVDs, CDs, puppets, and video games as well as some new equipment.

After five years of dedicated service, Assistant Director, Nancy Menard, left the library to become the Library Director of the Palmer Public Library in January. Due to a hiring freeze her position was left vacant. In July library assistant, Maureen Normand and library page, Amy Snopek were laid off and hours were cut for two part-time employees, library assistant, Debbie Searles, and assistant adult services librarian, Mary Bell starting July 1^st due to the library’s 11% budget cut. Also, teen services library, Kate Pritchard, moved out-of-state in August, and the library merged her position with Sue Kent’s creating a full-time position.

The library gratefully thanks the 153 volunteers that worked 2,330 hours on services such as shelving, moving the non-fiction collection, organizing and hosting programs, delivering books to homebound residents, running the book sale, and assisting library staff with special projects. The Teen Advisory Board and the Summer Reading Program attracted many young adults who had a powerful and positive impact on our library services. The Minnechaug Regional High School continued providing volunteers throughout the school year.

Special thanks to the Friends, the Memorial-Endowment Fund, and LIFT for their continued support of library services, programs, collections, and building renovation efforts. Thank you to the many local clubs and civic organizations for their generous support of library services and fundraising efforts, and to Red Robin Restauarants, Friendly’s Ice Cream Corporation and other local businesses that generously donated funds and program support.

Respectfully submitted,

Christine Bergquist

Library Director