East Haven Public Library Inc

In terms of technology, the library provided a significant service in terms of access to a high speed internet connection. This included 7,423 sessions on free public access computers and 68,771 sessions on the library's Public Wi-Fi, a 4 percent increase over the previous year. The library also provided 327 one-on-one drop in tech help sessions and began offering formal computer classes. This became possible this year through a $10,000 grant from the NNLM, which provides for the purchase of a Mobile Computer Lab. With this technology available, professional staff members are able to turn any meeting space into a computer classroom, teaching classes on computer basics, web browsing, and introduction to email. Classes were also offered at the East Haven Senior Center this year, bringing computer help to seniors where and when they needed it most. The Library's Website (https://hagamanlibrary.org/), another service that should not be overlooked, had 20,634 visits during the fiscal year, which provided 24/7 access to research assistance, information on important local topics, and an online catalog of books, movies, and other materials, many available instantly at the touch of a button.

4c. One of the most vital services the library offers is access to free programming. The Library provided a total of 575 in-person, on-site programs in FY2023-24an increase of 16 percent over the previous year. While library staff have increased the number of programs, they have also successfully improved the appeal of these events to the East Haven community. Attendance at library events increased to a total of 6,309an increase of 26 percent. In addition to on-site programs, library staff partnered with other organizations in the community to participate in 19 off-site outreach events, interacting with 543 community members. This represents a 137 percent increase over our outreach interactions in the previous fiscal year, and represents strong and growing partnerships within our town. The library also continued to offer virtual programs in FY 2023-24. This included 35 live viewing events and 46 prerecorded events. Total participation in these programs was 7,614, representing a 3 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. Finally, the library also offered opportunities for members of the community to participate in asynchronous programsself-directed activities available on your own schedule. The library offered 91 of these self-directed events during the year, an increase of 138 percent. Participation in these events was 1,869, an increase of 96 percent. Total program participation for the year was 15,792.Highlights for Library Programming: 1. Children's Programming: a. One highlight this fiscal year was our strong early literacy program, with excellent attendance year-round. This included our Mother Goose on the Loose and Cool Tunes with Mr. Rob programs, which were extremely well-received and featured rhymes, music, and fun for babies, toddlers and caregivers. We also added special events this year, including a Drumming Workshop with Liz McNicholl, which brought in 65 participants, and a "Find your Dinosaur Roar" event with Michele Urban, which brought in 75 participants. b. An additional highlight was our growing success at drawing in children ages 6-11. In the past, this age group has been underrepresented in library programming. This year, popular programs included Tasty Crafternoons (a craft you can eat), and a growing LEGO Club, co-led by volunteers from the East Haven High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Club, grounding imaginative structures in science and engineering. c. A final highlight was our growing and successful Outreach programs with area schools. This included interacting with over 190 kindergarten students, teachers and chaperones on School Field Trips; a visit to the Middle School to provide library cards to every middle grade student; career day and Halloween events at the Old Stone Early Learning Center; ESL Family Literacy Night at the high school (featuring a giveaway of 50 donated multilingual paperbacks); and Family Story Night at Momauguin School. By reaching families in this way, we are able to help foster connections that lead to lifelong learning. For more information on Children's Services, see the page at: https://www.hagamanlibrary.org/category/kids/2. Teen Programming:a. This has been a year of expansive growth for teen programming, with a greater number of events and higher attendance. In total, we offered 209 teen programs, which brought in a total of 1,117 teens. This represents an increase in attendance of 237 teens, or 27 percent over the previous year. In fact, this was our strongest year of performance with teen audiences since 2018. Programs worth highlighting include a teen murder mystery party and a blacklight paint and soda sip, two popular events which received a strong response.a. The East Haven Summer Gaming Academy is another highlight. This eight-week program for children and teens focused on improving summer learning and skill retention using games to reinforce math, English, and other classroom skills. The program included a variety of opportunities to learn and play. For more information on Teen Services, see the page at: https://www.hagamanlibrary.org/category/teens/3. Adult Programming: a. One highlight was the growth of our community partnerships and outreach participation. Through our partnership with The Village at Mariner's Point, we offered library services to 140 assisted living residents. We also started a new partnership with UConn's Expanded Food and Nutrition Program to provide five bilingual food insecurity and health workshops with in-person attendance of 22 and virtual participation of 422. We expanded our partnership with the East Shore District Health Department to provide a mental health and stress reduction class and a substance use and hard reduction workshop. We also expanded partnerships with town departments, allowing library staff to reach community members during town events including the Fall Festival and at the Senior Center. Additional partnerships include East Haven TV, the East Haven Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, the East Haven Irish American Club, Wooster Square Monument Committee, the VFW, and the East Haven Ladies Auxiliary.b. With the expansion of our book club offerings in the past two years, it is little surprise that the library continues to attract an active community of readers. Our popular Contemporary Fiction Club held 6 meetings this year with total attendance of 102, an average of 17 participants at each meeting. We also expanded book-themed events this year with a Local Author Showcase attended by 60 participants, and an Adult Summer Reading Raffle with 291 entries. Additional educational programs that deserve special mention this year include a Solar Eclipse Viewing party, at which we were able to give away 250 pairs of eclipse viewing glasses received through a grant from the STAR Net Community. c. We also expanded our offerings in the arts this year. This included an 8-week art series, "Drawing into Painting: Seeing like an Artist," which focused on building interpersonal connections while growing artistic skills. Total attendance for this series was 94. We also offered a jewelry making class, diamond art class, and knitting and crochet clubs. Music programs included 5 concerts, a series of piano theory classes, and an opera class. d. Finally, another service that should not be overlooked is the library's partnership with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to provide free tax preparation assistance as part of the AARP Tax-Aide Program. Scheduling and running these events is a library-wide collaboration which takes effort from every department. AARP volunteers meet with community members to prepare free tax returns. In total, 288 tax returns were filed. This is a tremendous service which takes a great deal of work from both AARP volunteers and library staff, and is greatly appreciated by our community. For more information on Adult Services, see the page at: https://hagamanlibrary.org/category/adult/In addition to the multitude of library sponsored events discussed above, the library also offered a community meeting space for 528 meetings of outside organizations, an increase of 6 percent over the previous fiscal year and 23 percent, year-over-year. This increase in meetings was due, in part, to the restoration of one of the library's meeting rooms through the hard work and dedication of the town's Department of Public Works. Through their efforts, a previously unusable space was restored with repaired walls, fresh plaster and new paint. With this new space available, the library was able to book a number of additional programs. Attendance at these events was impacted as a result of the increase in bookings. In fact, attendance at outside events totaled 7,147, an increase of 24 percent over the previous year, showing yet another area in which we are working to grow our service to the East Haven community. The library provides significant services to the East Haven community in terms of circulation, technology, and programming. While each of these categories is important in its own right, by combining statistics in from these categories, we are able to see an overarching view of the library's service to the community. This includes saving members of the community over $1,000,000 in material purchases, securing over $17,000 in grant funding for the town, and providing over 167,000 service interactions for the year.