Library visits and total circulation were up in 2014 over 2013, according to statistics released at the quarterly meeting of the Bella Vista Library Advisory Board. The board will meet Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the conference room at City Hall.
There were 73,218 visitors at the library in 2014 compared with 72,551 in 2013, according to statistics compiled by Susan Santos, board member.
Her statistics showed total circulation (items checked out at the library or online) was up more than 7,000 items -- 92,656 items in 2014, compared to 84,925 in 2013.
Librarian Roxie Wright said that circulation increased in the months of June, July and August when school was out, then fell once school started in mid-August.
There was a drop-off in program attendance from 4,400 in 2013 to 3,354 in 2014. Santos said the drop could be attributed to the departure of Librarian Joni Stine, the use of an interim librarian, and the time it took Wright to get established.
Santos expected those numbers to go up in 2015 as the library starts adding programs.
Volunteer hours remained the same at 10,466 for both years. Cardholders were down slightly in 2014 at 4,518 compared to 4,600 in 2013, but Santos said that number tends to fluctuate.
Wright said two new people had been added to the part-time paid staff. Marilyn Frisby, a former volunteer, will be the evening supervisor on Monday and Wednesday evening as well as working on special projects. Bailley Kinser, also a former volunteer, will be working on Wednesdays and Fridays as the public relations and event coordinator. Kinser is a college student who hopes to become a librarian.
Wright also said library personnel will be conducting library training from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday at the library. The training sessions will be conducted twice a year, she added, so that everyone is on the same page at the same time.
When asked if the new overdue-book policy was having an effect, Wright felt that it was, but she didn't have anything to back it up. Santos said she'd run the numbers for the board to see how the new policy was working.
General News on 01/28/2015