T O W N O F M IL T O N

REPORT OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTORTo the Honorable Board of Selectmen: June 30, 2011I have the honor of presenting the 138th Annual Report of the Milton PublicLibrary for the year ending June 30th, 2011.Borrowers took more materials from the library in fiscal year 2011 than inany previous year. It was the first year that broke the 300,000 mark, at 302,703.This was 6.5% higher than 2010’s previous high mark. Most significantly, allof the borrowing categories reported on the next page saw increases, both traditionalprint, music CDs and DVDs, as well as the newer downloadable audioand electronic books. Milton cardholders downloaded 883 audio books and 393electronic books last year. (note: already in five months of fy12 there have been445 ebook downloads).Use of the library facility and in-house resources greatly increased as well.Meeting rooms were booked 601 times, a 10.5% increase over last year. Thatis in large part due to our being able to offer 58 more Children’s programs, 47more adult programs and 15 more geared towards teens. Reference inquiriesrecorded by staff also rose by a third, to 14,148 and the attendance counter registeredover 200,000 for the first time ever, at 208,041.The Library Long-Range Planning Committee continued to work through2011 and reported a library plan that was approved by Library Trustees in November2011. A key methodology of the plan was to compare many aspects oflibrary inputs and outputs among fifty Massachusetts libraries similar in size toMilton. A key question is how can we start approaching the output of librariesthat are lending four, five or six hundred thousand items per year, and doing ahundred more programs, without necessarily matching their overall budget outlays.The Plan envisages making strategic investments in library hours, part-timestaff that can help develop programs, and in collection development.We made progress in hours by obtaining funding to begin opening SummerSaturdays for the first time in recent memory starting in June 2011. The hoursproved very popular, in fact the busiest Saturday of the year was the last Saturdayin August as people prepared for Hurricane Irene.We were also able to create a part time Assistant Children’s Librarian positionlate in the fiscal year that was filled at the end of 2011 and already hashad an impact on the number and variety of Children’s programs being offered.The Friends of the Milton Public Library also had one of their most successfulyears. They organized the most programs ever – and supported re-116