Annual Report 2015

Northland Public Library
2015 Annual Report
Mission Statement
Northland Public Library enables,
empowers and encourages lifelong
learning and discovery.
Vision
Northland will be the primary
community connection for residents
of its supporting municipalities.
Northland Public Library
300 Cumberland Road
PIttsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237
412-366-8100 northlandlibrary.org

ADMINISTRATION
Executive Director: Amy Steele
Director of Library Services: Kelley Moten
Director of Support Services: Robert Kolessar
Director of Marketing & Communications: Santina Balestreire
Director of Development/Foundation Director: Valerie Golik
BOARD MEMBERS
This listing reflects the officers during the 2015 term. For current Board Members visit northlandlibrary.org.
Number of Board Members as specified in Library’s By-laws: 7
Borough of Bradford Woods
Mike Slater
Franklin Park Borough
Jane Hopey – Secretary
Town of McCandless
John W. Murtagh, Jr. – President
Cynthia N. Potter – Vice President
Marshall Township
Ross Township
Library Solicitor
Linda McFadden
Daniel DeMarco
Chris Rand Eyster
Alan E. Cech
“Kaylee LOVES Ms. Kim
and the CSI club.
Thanks to this club she
based her birthday party
on science last year.
Today she completed the
last CSI Hermit Crab
Level. She is onto 3rd
grade at the end of the
year. But she was so
happy that this meant
that she now gets to
do ‘Engineering and
Science Club.’ Thank
you so much to Ms. Kim
and Northland Library
for creating a program
that fosters hopefully
future generations of
scientists.”
– Heather Collins

“Open since 1968
and located in the
northern suburbs of
Pittsburgh, Northland
Public Library is the
second largest library
in Allegheny County.”
Loved the old librarythere
was a beaded
curtain separating the
YA books from the
juvenile books. When
I was young it seemed
like my older sibs passed
into some magical place
forbidden to me!”
– Terri Candreva Wilson
ABOUT NORTHLAND Open since 1968 and located in the northern suburbs
of Pittsburgh, Northland Public Library is the second largest library in Allegheny
County. The Library aims to serve as the primary community connection for
a population of more than 81,000 residents of the five financially supporting
municipalities of Bradford Woods, Franklin Park, Marshall, McCandless, and Ross
as well as all residents of Allegheny County as a member of the Allegheny County
Library Association. We do this through our onsite and outreach programming to
people of all ages, remote lending kiosks, upgraded computer center, extensive
print and electronic collections, community partnerships and our creative,
energetic and dedicated staff.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We continually transform our building,
collections, services and programs
to meet the ever changing needs of our
residents. Our ability to change enables us to
continue to transform the lives and experiences of
our residents.
2015 brought many new opportunities to
Northland. We welcomed thousands of our
summer readers to meet Thomas the Tank Engine!
We held our first electronics recycling day which
helped to raise funds for the library. From Batman Day to
Turkish Cooking we like trying new programs and hearing your
feedback and ideas for more new programs.
“Northland has lots
of fun events so check
out the calendar or ask
the librarians. And for
those on a budget, they
are free or dirt cheap!”
– Amanda J.
of Aspen, Colorado
We also faced some challenges in 2015. Our two biggest
challenges were space and funding. We continue to look for
new ways to accommodate your needs by re-purposing our
space and working with community partners to host library
programs at offsite locations. In response to your requests,
our documentary films now have their own location so you
can browse this unique collection. We have added more
work spaces where you can use your own electronic devices.

“I wanted to
personally thank
Northland for
making the Teen
Help & Advice
page on the
Library’s website.
My granddaughter
came across
this page while
researching for
a book report and it has some great resources and
information that taught her a lot about the dangers of
drug use. Thank you!” – Janelle Torres
When it comes to funding, we are truly fortunate to serve 5
municipalities who recognize the value of a public library to
their communities. Studies continue to show that every dollar
spent on libraries produces more than $3 worth of value for the
community. During 2015 we reached out to our local, county
and state funders and shared with them the critical need for
sustainable library funding. While we continue to explore ways
to provide our services more efficiently, we are also looking
for new sources of funding. We are
working more with our local businesses
using their expertise for programs. Our
Northland Public Library Foundation
significantly increased their financial
commitment to ensure our programs
continued in 2015.
AMY STEELE, Executive Director
“We’ve come here every week for the last five years we’ve lived in Pittsburgh and have really enjoyed the library,
classes, and most of all the great staff. We’ll be back in two years, after a few foreign adventures!”
– Anneke, Sydney and Siena Forsch

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY
SERVICES As Director of Library Services at
Northland, a new role which I filled in 2015, I was
tasked with assessing the inner workings at the Library
and how we can improve both our processes and the
patron experience. A survey was conducted at the
beginning of the year, that more than a thousand individuals responded to and
from it we were able to determine how we could fine tune our current processes
and offerings for the public. Along with responding to our community’s needs,
we also were tasked to comply with new County-wide standards that were
mandated by the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA), a consortium of
45 public libraries in the county who share resources and our catalog.
As a result, we strengthened our Customer Service policies and procedures to
improve the patron experience by clarifying and streamlining processes such as
issuing library cards to new patrons and handling damaged items. In addition,
a Collection Development Policy was created in order to guide the materials
selection process to ensure we are using our funding to meet the needs of the
community.
We revamped our “Books by Mail” program and are working to educate the
public about this, as well as the many other services
and educational opportunities offered by the
Library. Through our survey, we discovered many
of our patrons are unaware of some of the great
things our library has! We are working to change
this by featuring various services in our newsletter,
by speaking with local organizations about the
library, with one-on-one conversations with
patrons in the library and through our website.
We plan to continue educating our patrons by
“Northland is the
BEST library I’ve
ever been in. It
has the friendliest
and most helpful
staff I have ever
encountered and
I’ve been to a lot of
libraries!” I always
say, “The sun is
bright, the sky is
blue, and it’s always
nice to talk to you!
I’ll be happy as can
be if you will check a
book for me!”
–Fred Mays

“What a valuable and
beautiful public facility! A fantastic
circulating collection which serves a broad
swath of many bordering communities.”
– Keith Clouse
presenting classes on using our many electronic resources which
enable access to free e-books, music and videos, among other things.
Because we received so much feedback about Children’s programs and
the availability of them, we have increased children’s programs in the
evening and out in the community. We have also started to offer more
weekly storytimes that anyone can drop in and enjoy!
“This was my home
library when I was
a kid. It had a huge
impact on me. That’s
why I am a librarian
today.”
– Justin Honke
Adult programs have continued to grow in popularity and a new
programming librarian position was approved in response to this trend.
The total number of programs for all ages soared from 902 in 2014 to
1,153 in 2015, with attendance increasing from 24,079
to 32,616!
We’ve also improved the education of our staff by
staying on top of continuing education opportunities
and giving employees the tools they need to
perform their job duties in ways that exceed patron
expectations. We’ve begun offering monthly forums
for staff and volunteers on topics relevant to job
performance. We are also 100% compliant with the
new state background clearances requirements. In
an effort to work greener and safer, our Maintenance Department
installed LED lighting throughout our building and a Safety & Security
Committee was formed. Staff areas are kept more secure, a detailed
floor plan was created for staff and patrons and a safety tour is now
part of new staff orientation. The following information quantifies how
we served our community in 2015. If you have suggestions about how
we can better serve you, please stop by and let us know!
KELLEY MOTEN, Director of Library Services
“I love reading and usually read a book a day! I enjoy everything about Northland,
especially the friendly people. I have been coming here for years each Wednesday.”
– Shirley Fasenmyer

Circulation Statistics 2015 The following is a breakdown of our circulation statistics for 2015:
Registered Cardholders: Reference Questions Received: Items Circulated:
36,663 (within service area population of 81,118) 65,729 978,340
Supporting Municipality Cardholders Items Circulated
Bradford Woods 566 8,456
Franklin Park 9,964 134,554
Marshall 3,020 54,235
McCandless 14,609 266,577
Ross 11,436 162,831
Other locations 351,687
Offsite Lending Highlights
E-circulation: Bookmobile Circulation: Lending Kiosks:
77,646 4,065 4,148
2015 Total Library Programs Offered
Total Library Sponsored Programs: 1,153
Adult Services: 344
Young Adult: 121
Children’s: 593
Computer Center: 95 classes/ 68,018 logged sessions
Outside Groups: 245
(Approx.) Total Attendees: 32,616
Library Collection Represented are the various materials included in our collection:
Total cataloged items:
322,270
Format:
Number of Items:
Print 169,893
E-Books 125,914
Audio - Physical Units 12,560
Audio - Downloadable 46,559
Videos/DVDs - Physical 14,002
Videos - Downloadable 22,093
Current Periodicals - Print 251
Local/Cooperative Agreement Databases 19
State Databases 15

Library Staff: The library staff consists of librarians, other professional staff, as well as support staff.
Total number of employees: Department/Area: Total FT PT # Librarians
74 Accounting 2 2 - -
Adult Services 7 4 3 6
Full-Time: Children’s/Young Adult 8 4 4 6
27 Circulation 34 5 29 -
Computer Center 4 3 1 1
Part Time: Development/Foundation 2 0 2 -
47 Executive Director 1 1 - 1
Office Manager 1 1 - -
Maintenance 3 1 2 -
Marketing & Communications 3 2 1 -
Technical Services 7 2 5 2
Book Nook Store 1 0 1 -
Volunteer Coordinator
NORTHLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
1
2015
0
BUDGETED
1
INCOME
-
Bradford Woods
Volunteer support: We had 189 volunteers in 2015 who worked a combined 8,525 hours.
Library Generated1%
189
8%
Franklin Park
NPL Foundation
NORTHLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY 2015 BUDGETED 12% INCOME
3%
Bradford Woods
Library Generated1%
8%
NPL Foundation
3%
Franklin Park
12%
2015 Financial Information: Northland
RAD/ACLA
19%
Public Library received 60% of its funding from
the five supporting municipalities (Bradford
Woods, Franklin Park, Marshall, McCandless,
and Ross). The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and locally generated income (including our
Foundation support) makes up 20% and the
Regional Asset District (RAD) make up the
remaining 20% of funding. Presented is a
breakdown of our revenues for 2015.
Table games
2%
State Aid
9%
RAD/ACLA
19%
Table games
2%
State Aid
9%
Marshall
Marshall
6%
6%
McCandless
23%
McCandless
23%
Total Financial Support:
$2,616,621
Ross
17%
Ross
17%
Municipalities: $1,550,468 $1,550,468
502,894
RAD/ACLA: 502,894
State (State Aid & Table Games): State NPL Foundation: (State Aid & Table Games): 75,000291,499
NPL Library Foundation: Generated: 238,34175,000
Library TOTAL: Generated: 2,616,621 238,341
TOTAL: 2,616,621
Source:
Amount
Municipal Contributions $1,550,486
RAD Contributions $ 502,894
State Aid $ 245,749
Table Gaming $ 45,750
Library Generated (Room Rentals, Book Sales, Copies, Fines & Fees) $ 238,341
Foundation $ 75,000
Additionally, Northland and our residents directly benefited from additional RAD and State
Funding for shared services across the county and state, which include our technology
infrastructure, downloadable resources and databases, and county and state-wide
borrowing and delivery.

FOUNDATION MARKS 30 YEARS In 2015, the Northland Public Library Foundation celebrated 30 years
of supporting the programs and growth of Northland Public Library. Established in 1985, the Foundation has been
instrumental in providing additional funding to the library.
Throughout the course of many of those years, the Foundation has operated quietly in the background, lending a
hand by funding programs, events and collections on an individually assessed basis. In 2015, the Foundation took a
major step forward by committing to a lump sum gift of $75,000 to the library. That number will be even higher in
2016 as the Foundation exhibits its commitment to providing the resources necessary to help the library continue
to provide outstanding education, service and opportunities to all.
Signs of the Foundation’s work can be seen throughout Northland Public Library. If you are dropping off books
at our drive-through, you are using a service funded in part by the Foundation. If you attend a book discussion, a
travel film or an iPad class, you have done so because the Foundation made it possible.
Foundation funds come from a variety of sources – corporate matching, grant funds, annual fund donations,
memorial gift contributions, bequests, endowment dividends and more – but the key to our funding is in the hearts
of those who live and work here. Our citizens recognize the value of having a large, active library in the heart
of their community, and have sustained and elevated us for three decades. We are enormously grateful and, as
always, pledge to be thoughtful stewards of your trust and treasure.
2015 Foundation Highlights
• Almost 14% new donors
2015 Total Giving Total: $72,523
• Average new donor gift to year-end appeal: $75
• Average year-end gift (all donors): $77
• Credit card donations: 16.6% of gifts, up from 13% in 2014
“My family and I were so pleased at the selection of “Allied Aircraft of
World War II” that was made in memory of my husband as part of the
Memorial Book Giving Program at Northland Library. Airplanes and my
husband were a perfect fit! I was so grateful at the care your staff takes
in selecting the books and it meant so much to me and the family. We
enjoyed many years together at Northland Library and we will continue
to visit.” - Mary Lou O’Keefe

“I have heard both positive and negative
reviews about Harper Lee’s new novel, “Go
Set a Watchman”, which is why I decided
to read the book and decide for myself.”
– Anonymous Patron
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS We continue to expand our list of community partners, not just local partners,
but regional partners as well. Working with WQED not only brought Thomas the Tank Engine to our 2015 Hot Dog
Day, but also brings high quality educational programming for our youngest residents throughout the year. We are
sharing our upstairs display space with local artists. We collaborate with our local preschools, school districts and
colleges, local business groups such as the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber, local support organizations such
as North Hills Community Outreach, and many local clubs and organizations. We can’t possibly list each of our
community partners, but we are grateful for the opportunity to help work towards each other’s goals and needs.
Our work with Buses for Perry Highway and Pittsburghers for Public Transit recognized the transportation needs
many of our residents have, not only to get to the library, but for business, educational and recreational interests.
We have presented these needs to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and County Councilman, Tom Baker
as well as Senator Randy Vulakovich, and Representative Mike Turzai, and we have attended Port Authority board
meetings on our residents’ behalf.
Yet, at the heart of it all, we are still a library lending materials in many formats to people
of all ages for research, information and for pleasure. We are
committed to helping raise the next generation of readers
through our basic literacy programs and our extensive collection.
We know that is important to you. We know because on average,
Northland’s materials circulate more times in a year than any
other library in Allegheny County!

“Northland’s quiet study room is more than a
comfortable study refuge. I used it for months
when I was studying for various professional
certifications required for me to perform a
competitive job search. Over the weeks, I
noticed who the regulars were and gradually
got to know them. I discovered many of us are
in the same boat, studying for various licensing,
testing and certifications for professions,
graduate programs or independent studies. What is even
more interesting is the distance people have traveled to
inhabit our multicultural island of scholarly solitude.
I learned that some of my studious companions are
from China, Philippines, Iran, and other places. Many
are working professionals in fields such as Psychiatry,
Law, Accounting and Physical Therapy. They all have
their unique stories about what led them here to pursue
their dreams. Thanks to Northland Public Library, I
have the opportunity to be inspired by these motivated
individuals.”
– Andrew Edris, Ross Township.