Document # 8.

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Board of Library Trustees Meeting
May 28, 2014
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Executive Directors Report
Library News Highlights May 28, 2014
Petworth Neighborhood Library
1. Petworth Library, Best of DC Awards
The Washington City Paper selected the
Petworth Library as the best neighborhood
library in its annual Best of D.C. awards:
along with its wide selecton of new books,
multple seasons of The Wire on DVD, and piles
of tax forms, this red-bricked checker-foored
beauty bills itself as a community center,
ofering storytme for youngsters and seated
yoga for senior citzens. All that, plus cheery
staf members eager to discuss your selectons
and a devoted Friends of the Library group that
sells used media for cheap in the basement.
Come for the books; stay for the good
vibes. Congratulatons to Jef Neher and his
excellent staf for an honor well deserved.
In This Issue
1. Petworth Library Awarded
2. Covey Training
3.Volunteer Service Awards
4. IMLS Hearing at DCPL
5. All City Youth Showcase
6. MLK Renovaton Roundtable
7. Natonal Librarys Workers Week
8. Woodridge Library Demoliton
9. Leters About Literature
10. Natonal Bike Month
11. Staf Day
12. District of Change
From the Executve Director:
In my frst three months at DCPL I have met with many dozens of library
stakeholders including elected ofcials, agency heads, and library advocates all
of whom are very excited about the future of the Library. Much of our energy
was devoted to the Martn Luther King Jr. Library renovaton, especially on the
labor-intensive process of community engagement. Architects presented
preliminary concepts based on community feedback and the reacton has been
overwhelmingly positve.
Preliminary discussions with the directors of both the DC Public Schools and DC
Charter Schools will result in more substantve collaboraton plans over the
next quarter. Additonally, news of FY15 funding for library services to the DC
Jail provides us a rare opportunity to work with the Department of Correctons
to provide library materials and reentry services to some of the citys most
vulnerable populatons.
Finally, we are excited that the preliminary budget for FY15 provides the
library funding to contnue its aggressive campaign to complete the
modernizaton of the branch library campus. Cleveland Park, Capitol View, and
Palisades branch renovatons will soon follow the work we are just beginning
on Woodridge and West End.
- RRG
Document # 8.1
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
May 28, 2014
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3. DCPL Celebrates Volunteers
On April 8, the DC Public Library honored its volunteers for outstanding service at a recepton held at the MLK
Library. The recepton was a part of Natonal Volunteer Week, April 6-12, and sought to inspire, recognize and
encourage people to seek imaginatve ways to engage in their communites. Currently, the DC Public Library
has more than 200 actve volunteers engaged in shelving projects, special events and community outreach.
2. DCPL Business Services Adopts Covey 4
Disciplines of Execution
On April 34, the DCPL Business Services
departments gathered for two intensive days of
Covey training. Organizatons that have adopted
the Covey method have achieved superb results
regardless of the goal. During the training HR, Legal,
Capital Projects & Facilites, Procurement, Public
Safety & the Informaton Technology departments
studied the following four disciplines: Focusing on
the Wildly Important, Actng on Lead Measures,
Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard, and Creatng a
Cadence of Accountability. For DCPL Business
Services, it represents a new way of thinking and
working that is essental to achieving important
goals, delivering and sustaining high performance.
Business Services staf work in groups to develop departmental acton plans
4. DC Public Library Hosts IMLS for Libraries
and Broadband: Urgency and Impact
On Thursday April 17, the MLK Library hosted the
Insttute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for
Libraries and Broadband: Urgency and Impact.
Richard Reyes-Gavilan ofered welcoming remarks and
shared his thoughts on the importance of broadband
access at libraries. From applying for health insurance
to taking the High School Equivalency examinaton,
crucial tasks and services are increasingly available only
to those who are digitally literate. Public libraries
remain the best opton to help level the playing feld.
At the hearing Federal Communicatons Commission
Chairman Thomas Wheeler and expert panelists from
across the library, technology, and public policy
spectrum explored the evolving need of high-speed
broadband in Americas libraries.
The IMLS Libraries and Broadband hearing engages atendees in the
Dream Lab at MLK Library
5. All City Youth Showcase
On April 9, Words Beats & Life All-City Youth Showcase at the MLK Library engaged people of all ages from
throughout the District with art, music, and dance. All City is a collaboraton between Words Beats & Life, Hi-Arts,
The Kennedy Center, and DC Public Library and is part of the One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide Festval. More
than 250 people transformed the Great Hall into a stage as DJs, MCs, Poets, Dancers, Photographers, Graft Fine
Artsts, Fashion Designers, and Chess Players showcased their talents.
Document # 8.1
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
May 28, 2014
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6. MLK Renovation Roundtable
Several local news outlets, including
WTOP Radio and the Associated Press,
covered the Martn Luther King Jr.
Memorial Library roundtable discussions
on Thursday, April 24. Atended by over
100 residents, the roundtable was
designed for residents to share their ideas
about what services, spaces and
technologies they want to see in the new
library building. Community members that
werent able to atend were also able to
submit their ideas on the Librarys
crowdsourcing platorm at dclibrary.org.
Community members partcipate in the MLK renovaton Roundtable in the Great Hall at
MLK Library
Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Councilmember Kenyon McDufe, and DCPL Executve
Director Richard Reyes-Gavlian celebrate the demoliton of the Woodridge
Library
8. Mayor Celebrates Demolition of Old
Woodridge Library
Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Ward 5 Councilmember
Kenyan McDufe, and D.C. Public Library
Executve Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan
ofered remarks at the ceremonial demoliton
of the old Woodridge Library. Mayor Gray and
Mr. Reyes-Gavilan also urged District residents
to take part in the planning process for the
Martn Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
renovaton. Other representatves in
atendance included DCPL Board member Faith
Gibson Hubbard and Friends of Woodridge
President Sharon Turner. Designed by the
architecture team of Bing Thom Architects and
Wiencek + Associates with signifcant input
from the local community Woodridge will
represent DCPLs sixteenth new or entrely
renovated branch library.
7. Celebrating Library Workers and the Mayors Proclamation for National Library Workers Day
From April 14-20, the DC Public Library celebrated Natonal Library Workers week and honored the
contributons of library workers, including librarians, support staf and others who make library services
possible. The public was invited to nominate a library employee as a Star. The top Stars were recognized
this year at Staf Day. In additon, Mayor Vincent C. Gray recognized library workers contributons by
issuing a Natonal Library Workers Day proclamaton.
Document # 8.1
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
May 28, 2014
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A library customer takes a break from the Tour de DCPL ride to pose for
an @DCPL Twiter photo
10. National Bike Month
In celebraton of Natonal Bike Month, the DC
Public Library partcipated in Bike to Work Day and
hosted its 5
th
Annual Tour de DCPL. On Saturday
May 17, the Tour departed from the Southeast
Library, and visited Northeast, Rosedale,
Deanwood, Benning and Anacosta Libraries.
Partcipants enjoyed this free community bike ride
while touring library locatons and fueling up on
snacks along the way. This year DCPL also teamed
up with Bike and Roll DC to actvate the western
half of the loggia in front of the MLK Library. The
partnership will contnue untl October ofering bike
and Segway rentals for riders of all ages.
Holly Bass, Brendan Canty, Victoria Reis, and Mathew Yglesias host a lively
discussion about creatvity in the District of Columbia
12. District of Change
On May 21, the DC Public Library Foundaton
hosted a discussion at MLK Library on the
evolving needs of the citys creatve class. Part
of a new current afairs discussion series called
District of Change the event featured
performance artst Holly Bass, musician Brendan
Canty, Victoria Reis of Transformer, and Vox
Medias Mathew Yglesias. Future discussions in
the series, which is co-curated by Slate editor
David Plotz and his wife, author Hanna Rosin,
will concentrate on educaton, food, and other
topics of great interest to the residents of the
city.
11. Staff Day
DC Public Librarys 600 employees gathered at the Convention Center on April 29, for Staff Day a
day in which employees participate in a variety of staff development exercises in addition to some
wellness and morale-building activities. In addition to meeting DCPLs new Executive Director and
listening to his State of the Library address, staff members were treated to a keynote speech on the
future of libraries by professional futurist Garry Golden.
9. Letters About Literature
On Saturday April 26, more than 300 students, families, and teachers atended the Leters about Literature
awards ceremony at the MLK Library. The six-month initatve engaged 17 schools in a reading and writng
contest for students in grades 4-12. The highlight of the event was the humorous and heartwarming talk
about writng from HufPost DC author Arin Greenwood. Two of the students read their prize-winning leters,
inspiring the audience with words of hope and courage. The DCPL Programs and Partnerships department led the
initatve in conjuncton with the Junior League of Washington and The Center for the Book.