Backup — original pdf

Backup

1 APL Public Programming Highlights & Facilities Updates Hannah Terrell, Interim Director March 2025  TABLE OF CONTENTS Highlights ……………………………………………………………….…………………………………….……………….1 Facilities Updates ……………………………………………………………………..……………………………………4 APL Data & Numbers ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………….5  HIGHLIGHTS APL Celebrates Black History Month Austin Public Library was proud to celebrate Black History Month with a variety of engaging programming and community connection. The Cepeda Branch Library hosted a special collage storytelling workshop with Women & Their Work artist Moria Small. Attendees brought personal items of significance and combined them with materials provided to create meaningful collages. Using a camera, they captured their finished pieces and had the opportunity to print them as keepsakes. This hands-on experience allowed patrons to showcase their stories in a creative and personal way, making for a unique and engaging library program. Ruiz Branch hosted a program celebrating Sam Gilliam and his Drape series of art. To emulate that style, participants tried their hand at tie dye! There were kids, tweens, teens, and adults participating- truly an all-ages experience. Southeast Branch Library hosted youth participants for Crafternoon: All Ages Black History Month Edition, featuring crafts inspired by artists Augusta Savage and Jacob Lawrence. Participants enjoyed exploring clay and collage, as well as learning about the lives of these incredible black artists. APL Hosts NASA!! SXSW went to infinity and beyond March 8th and 9th by bringing Nasa House to APL with a free, no- badge-required event welcoming local families and SXSW attendees alike. Visitors explored 40 hands-on exhibits, interactive demonstrations, and immersive installations over two days and across four floors of the Central Library. Talks and screenings ran throughout both days, featuring NASA scientists, engineers, and communicators discussing the latest in space exploration and innovation. Partner additions included a Snoopy appearance, space-themed Crayola coloring sheets and materials, a LEGO Education free-build area, and Google Arts & Culture programming. We were excited to see a large turnout from bilingual and multi-generational families, kids dressed in astronaut costumes, and wide engagement from the Austin media and influencer community. Overall, nearly 23,000 people joined the fun! First Austin Poet Laureate Announced Austin Public Library has selected local poet and theater artist Zell Miller III as the City’s first ever Poet Laureate. The Austin Poet Laureate Program was established by the Austin City Council last year to be administered by Austin Public Library. The goals of the program include promoting poetry, literacy, and the literary arts in the Austin community; advancing poetry as a means of understanding and communicating Austin history and culture; and establishing an ambassador to advance Austin Public Library's mission, vision, strategic goals, and core values to discover, learn, and create through poetry. As Austin Poet Laureate, Miller will be responsible for establishing and leading poetry and literacy related programming through Austin Public Library, including public readings and workshops, for the duration of his two-year term, which will run from April 2025 to April 2027. National Library Week, Apr 6 - Apr 12, 2025 National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This year, National Library Week will be celebrated April 6-12. Austin Public Library Staff are preparing activities in all of our locations tied to this year’s theme of “Drawn to the Library,” as well as preparing an official City Proclamation honoring the day. National Library Week also includes National Library Workers Day, on Tuesday, April 8. This day is dedicated to recognizing the valuable contributions made by all library workers and would be a great opportunity for Library Commissioners to visit the libraries in their respective districts to let them know they are appreciated! APL Strategic Plan We have collaborated with the Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence (OBOE) to continue implementation of the Strategic Plan. OBOE hosted 3 workshops with members of the steering committee to prioritize metrics and organize a timeline for carrying out the metrics with the plan. Special Events Updates In January 2025, Central Library Event Services hosted a total of 19 events, including 15 rentals, 3 co-sponsorships, and 1 film/photography session, with a total attendance of 2,770. Co- sponsorship partners included Indian American Coalition of Central Texas (IACCT Annual Gala) and Headwaters School (Civil Rights Day). COA Department events included Austin Water (2025 Central Texas Water Conservation Symposium) and the City Manager’s Office (Director’s Meeting). City Council Action There are no items scheduled for the upcoming Austin City Council meeting that would have a direct impact on Austin Public Library's operations. Legislative Bills The deadline for filing new bills in the 89th Texas Legislature was March 14, 2025. In the final days before the bill filing deadline, there is usually a flurry of activity of new bills being filed. APL staff, in coordination with the City of Austin Intergovernmental Relations Office (IGRO), are continuing to review filed legislation to identify bills that could have a potential positive or negative impact on Austin Public Library and its operations. In addition to the seventeen bills (SB 88, SB 89, SB 242, SB 412, SB 422, SB 689, HB 267, HB 938, HB 947, HB 995, HB 1012, HB 1075, HB 1138, HB 1434, HB 1480, HB 1521, HB 2572) mentioned in previous reports, APL staff have provided analysis to IGRO for the following bills: • HB 2821- Relating to county diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Potential APL impact: negative. • HB 3427 - Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to implement certain diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Potential APL impact: negative. • SB 18 - Relating to prohibiting municipal libraries that host certain events from receiving state or other public funding. Potential APL impact: negative. • HB 1489 - Relating to prohibiting an officer or employee of this state or of a political subdivision of this state from distributing certain voter registration application forms. Potential APL impact: negative. • SB 511 - Relating to prohibiting an officer or employee of this state or of a political subdivision of this state from distributing certain voter registration application forms. Potential APL impact: negative. • SB 2862 - Relating to active shooter events and other emergencies, including certain accreditations of law enforcement agencies that respond to such emergencies. Potential APL impact: neutral. Among the bills that have been analyzed by Austin Public Library staff, the following have received or committee hearings or had them scheduled as of March 24, 2025: • HB 267 - Relating to affirmative defenses to prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children. Left pending in State Senate Affairs Committee on 3/19/2025 • SB 689 - Relating to employment practices regarding diversity and prohibiting the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by certain governmental entities. Passed the Senate State Affairs Committee on 3/20/2025 • HB 1480 - Relating to the award of library construction grants by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Scheduled for hearing in the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee on 3/27/2025 Among the bills analyzed by APL staff, the following have already passed their committees and received floor votes in their respective chambers. • SB 412 - Relating to defenses to prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children. Passed the Senate on 3/19/2025 • SB 18 - Relating to prohibiting municipal libraries that host certain events from receiving state or other public funding. Passed the Senate on 3/19/2025 Budget & Expenditures  Facilities Services 2026 Bond The Austin Public Library 2026 Bond Development aims to enhance communities by positioning libraries as key hubs for education and resources. The initiative will focus on expanding access, improving facilities, and integrating sustainable practices to support the city's growth, ensuring equitable opportunities for learning, health, and cultural engagement. As part of this process, city departments will present the guiding principles, technical criteria, and scoring matrix used to determine departmental needs. Austin Public Library (APL) will share this information during the March Library Commission meeting. Austin Public Library will be presenting to the Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) on April 28th at 2 PM, and the presentation will be made available on ATXN. APL Data & Numbers (as of February 28) Programs by Audience 224 263 29 February 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Program Type 82 196 516 Adult/Fam Teen Children In-Person Virtual Outreach PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS VISITORS ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS 25,342 203,944 144 APL Data & Numbers (as of February 28) Circulation Type Digital 313,528 Physical 285,058 Digital Circulation 150,000 134,429 128,217 41,186 9,218 478 February EBOOK EAUDIO EVIDEO EMUSIC PERIODICAL Circulation Audience 288,857 168,290 115,785 24,671 February Adult Physical Youth Physical Adult Digital Youth Digital 100,000 50,000 0 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 CARDHOLDERS 335,231 (Active) 4,817 (New) DIGITAL ACCESS 37,330 (Wi-Fi Connections) 25,346 (Computer Sessions)