2013 ANNUAL PLAN

Books are just the beginning.

Library Mission

The mission of the Worcester County Library is to promote reading, thinking, learning, and the enjoyment of the arts.

Library Board of Trustees

The library is governed by a seven member volunteer board of trustees appointed by the Worcester County Commissioners.

Ron Cascio, PresidentRichard Polhemus, Vice President

Edith Barnes, TreasurerVivian Pruitt, Secretary

Holly AndersonRichard Davis

Rosemary Keech

Library Staff

In 2013, Worcester County Library employed 58 people. Staff members attended 98 workshops, including 22 webinars and 20 Skillsoft courses. Training covered a wide range of topics: digital storytelling, library security, legal resources, marketing, grant writing, and readers advisory.

Library Volunteers

Volunteers donated 8,272 hours of service to the branches of Worcester County Library. Volunteers help shelve books, assist with library programs, and offer their expertise with genealogy and local history resources.

Collection, Circulation & Use

There are 178,206 cataloged items in the library’s collection.

Patrons have access to over 500,000 items due to our partnership with the Lower Shore Consortium - Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester library systems.

There are 20,266 current library cardholders. Over 475,777 items were checked out in 2013. There were 411,929 visits to the five branches

of the Worcester County Library. 

Digital Books & other Downloadables

Thousands of free eBooks and read-along books are available for download from the Worcester County Library.

Circulation of eBooks increased by 40% in 2013; 11,522 eBooks were checked out in 2013 compared to 6,964 in 2012.

Hands-on workshops for people learning to use their digital readers and download books are available.

The library also provides Zinio (full digital copies of magazines), IndieFlix (access to thousands of independent films from around the world), Tumblebooks (animated, talking picture books), and OneClick Digital (digital audio books).

Library Services

Supporting Early Childhood Literacy is an organizational goal of the Worcester County Library. Story Times for children birth to age 5 are offered at all of the library branches. The stories, songs, and crafts help develop a child’s love for reading and encourage parents and care givers to read, talk, sing, and play with their children. Early Learning Stations are available at each library branch and are stocked with age appropriate toys. Play is an essential part of child’s development and reinforces the library as a fun place to visit.

Library Services

Homework Help & Test Prep resources are available through the library’s website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access to AskUsNow, a reference chat service; Help Now, an online tutoring service; Testing and Education Reference Center, offering practice tests and study guides; and a multitude of reference databases to help with school projects and research is conveniently located in one place.

Library Services

Job & Business Resources are provided for individual job seekers and business owners. Each library has specific computers available for users searching for employment opportunities and writing resumes and cover letters. The library has specific resources for market research including Business Source Premier, Regional Business News and Value Line.

Library Programs

Program attendance increased by 21% in 2013. The library presented 562 programs, attended by

19,980 people. Summer Reading had 529 participants and 2,558

people attended Summer Reading programs, a 46% increase from the previous year.

Programming at the Worcester County Library is sponsored by the Worcester County Library Foundation, the Eastern Shore Regional Library, Friends of the Berlin Library, Friends of the Ocean City Library, and Friend of the Ocean Pines Library.

Library Outreach & Partnerships The library partners with Worcester County

Public Schools and Judy Center, Worcester County Health Department, Worcester County Arts Council, and many other nonprofits in the local area.

The library visits childcare centers and senior centers to offer programs and talk about library services.

The library delivers books and other materials to those who aren’t able to visit the library in person.

Funding - Fiscal Year 2013

RevenueCounty $1,983,309State $144,071Eastern Shore Regional Library Grant $75,000Library-generated (fees, charges, e-rate) $48,200Total $2,250,580

ExpendituresSalaries and wages $1,535,337Library materials (books, DVDs, magazines) $258,953Facilities operating expenses $295,791Supplies, equipment, services $107,449Library programs and publications $38,625Training and staff development $14,734Total $2,250,889

Worcester County Library Foundation, Inc.

The Worcester County Library Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization which exists to support and enhance library service in the County. Tax deductible donations can be made through the library’s website.  The Foundation pursues grants and sponsorships to present interesting and educational events for all ages; acquire extra copies of new, popular material; and maintain services available to the entire community.

Some of the activities the Foundation organized in FY 2013 were Restaurants for Reading, the Jewelry Sale, the Leister/Staley Scholarship, a Taste of the Arts in collaboration with the Worcester County Arts Council, The War of 1812 Ballet by the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Great Discussions Book Club, a trip Sight and Sound Theater, and a series on Cultural Diversity.

Planning for the Future

In 2013, the library developed a strategic plan to serve as a detailed road map over the next three years. The process was led by a staff team and included an opportunity for patron feedback through a survey. Three focus areas have been identified: Growth & Enrichment, Marketing & Partnerships, and Library Facilities. Survey results included:

97% of users are satisfied or highly satisfied with the library’s performance

66% use the library at least once a month, 22% use it once a week

49% have an eBook device 50% want more programs for lifelong learners 

Berlin Branch Highlights

The Berlin Library holds 23,255 items.  In January, the library presented a Thomas the Tank program and

welcomed 300 children and parents on a snowy day. Children played with trains, watched a video, and sang songs.

e-Reader classes occur each month, instructing patrons on the set-up, use and downloading of digital content to Kindles, Nooks, iPads, Galaxy Tabs, and other devices.

Berlin hosts book clubs and discussions; our Fireside Chat book club is very popular and has been in production for five years. The participants bring and discuss books they would like to share with others, and several members have created subsidiary book clubs.

The First Saturday Writers Forum (a subsidiary of the highly respected Eastern Shore Writers Association) meets at the Berlin Branch each month.

The library’s garden funded by grants for the Community Foundation and maintained by volunteers, feeds the needy through donations to local soup kitchens and shelters. The garden is also used for programs for children both by the library and local schools.

Ocean City Branch Highlights The Ocean City Library holds 31,061 items. Longtime Branch Manager Andrea Schlottman retired in June after

serving in the position for 28 years and working for the library for 30 years.

The DVD collection was reorganized by genre to the delight of patrons who have found browsing the collection much more accessible.

The OC Writer’s Group published their first chapbook, Watermark, in December and held a celebratory reception in January.

Summer Reading began in June and the response was fantastic, from both year-round residents and visitors to the beach.

The Friends of the Ocean City Library continue to be tremendous source of support. They have funded several major events, including the annual children’s Halloween party in October, the Holiday party in December, and several summer reading programs.

Ocean Pines Branch Highlights The Ocean Pines Library holds 50,477 items. “Pets on Wheels of Delmarva” offered us a very special and

successful program titled “Tales for Dogs.” Specially trained dogs visit the library, with their handlers, and ‘listen’ to the children as they read to them. The children looked forward to practicing their reading skills and their love of reading increased.

With the support of the Ocean Pines Friends group, the library was able to present two Summer Reading programs, “Cosmic Adventures Traveling Planetarium” and “Magic John.” The Friends also had a very successful annual book sale in July 2012, netting over $5,000. Some of the funds were used for the care and maintenance of the Reading Garden.

In January 2013, Rosemary Keech, long time volunteer and active member of the Friends, was named to the Worcester County Library Board of Trustees. 

Pocomoke Branch Highlights The Pocomoke Library holds 29,963 items. The library participated in the “Pocomoke Community

Garden” and started a square foot garden. Community members and school students helped maintain the garden and all of the produce was donated to the Samaritan Shelter.

The Library has seen an increasing interest in programming this year from people of all ages. Patrons also seemed to enjoy the “Blind Date with a Book” program we ran for a few weeks in February.

An adult summer reading program began in June and the response was huge.

The easy book section and children’s computer area have been revamped for easier access.

Snow Hill Branch Highlights

The Snow Hill Library holds 43,450 items. Three genealogy workshops were offered,

including a special class on the exciting topic of DNA research.

The Christmas food pantry was a great success and delivered a substantial amount of food to the Snow Hill Pantry.

This summer was the most successful summer programming in Snow Hill ever; the joint efforts of Kathy Breithut and the Snow Hill staff increased our numbers dramatically. 

www.WorcesterLibrary.org

The library website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reserve your library item and have it delivered to your library branch. You can also renew your items online. Find homework help resources, ask a reference question (AskUsNow), or begin genealogy research. These resources can only be accessed on the library website and are not available on the internet. Check out our events calendar to find out what’s happening in your library!

Thank you for your support!

Worcester County Library307 North Washington StreetSnow Hill, MD 21863www.WorcesterLibrary.org