Page 145 - Microsoft Word - Annual Report 2016

Through year’s end, the Boxford Town Library was under the leadership of Kevin Bourque, Library
Director, Josh Kennedy, Children’s Librarian, Beth Safford, Head of Reference, and Darsana Barua, Head
of Circulation. The library also had a full complement of staff, two Library Assistants for Circulation,
Library Assistant for Administrative Services and a Part-time Library Assistant. With this full
complement of staff, the Library is able to be open to the public 50 hours per week.

Library Services and Programs

In 2016, the Boxford Library offered a variety of children’s programs, implemented by Children’s
Librarian Josh Kennedy. These ranged from preschool storytimes and the monthly Lego building club for
older children, to seasonal events such as the annual Halloween party, and the Spring Egg Hunt. The
Friends of the Library generously supported these events.

The library’s annual Summer Reading Program for children featured the fitness theme “Ready, Set,
Read!” There were 301 participants who earned free admission and ride passes to the Topsfield Fair, as
well as free books, provided by the Friends of the Library, for meeting reading goals in the summer. In

addition, the Library hosted five special summer youth events, including “Ready, Set, Show,” featuring
Caravan Puppets, and “Woodland Wonders” featuring Michelle’s Menagerie.

Adult programs and events are planned and implemented by staff members and complemented by
offerings from volunteers and the Friends. The Cookbook Club continues to be a very popular adult
program which meets at the Town Hall location in Meeting Room One on the second Friday of the month.
Participants choose a recipe from the featured cookbook, prepare and bring it to the luncheon, where it is
shared by all. One addition to Adult Programming was the Wednesday Night Book Discussion Group.
The group became so popular a daytime book discussion group spun off as a result.

The Library continued its commitment to borrowable technology. We expanded our collection of
Playaways, with more offerings for older children. The number of Kindle titles continues to grow on a
quarterly basis. In the fall, our Overdrive collection was merged with the consortium shared collection as
part of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium’s continued effort to bolster shared access to the entire
consortium’s collection, digital and print.

In the spring, the Friends sponsored the annual, “Books in Bloom,” program engaging elementary school
students in the creation of imaginative art projects to demonstrate their reading comprehension skills. The
library was filled with wonderful examples of art, each telling a story about a favorite book.

In September, the library began a ten-month long community read program in collaboration with the Tri-
Town Libraries, Tri-Town School Union, and Masconomet Regional. The community Read revolved
around the book,” life is Good, the Book” by John and Bert Jacobs, founders of Life Is Good. The book
describes ten,” Super Powers of Good,” and each month is dedicated to one of the super powers.
Programs were created to help patrons understand how to live out the meaning of the super power in their
life.