6210_NewGloucester_2017-2018_AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT Library What activities and what passes did we have between July 1, 2017 and June 30 2018??? We wish to thank the town, our patrons, our staff, and our volunteers for their help in continuing to make the library a significant resource. We are honored to be recognized by many as being at the center of our community. The library recognizes the importance of community and strives to ensure that we offer services and events to enrich everyone. As always, the trustees would like to start this report by making special mention of our volunteers. Our volunteers, which include both young adults and adults, donated approximately 1100 hours of their time this past year. Having volunteers of all ages helps the library recognize the needs and stay connected with all of the different generations in New Gloucester. The library is a better place because of the time and effort all our volunteers expend. The trustees are pleased to let the town know that the Maine State Library estimates the library provided $220,245 of services to the citizens of New Gloucester on its $99,100 budget. Some of the services included in that figure are: • 4335 Adult books borrowed • 7499 Children’s books borrowed • 191 Audiobooks borrowed from the shelves • 263 eBooks/Audiobooks downloaded • 1503 Movies borrowed • 360 People who signed up to use the computers/internet (does not include people who bring their own devices to use the internet) • $1,220 the amount of library passes used this year Another effort to keep costs down is successful because of your donations of books, and movies. This year 500 books and movies that were donated by patrons were placed on the shelves. This added about $12,500 to the library collection without having to ask the town for additional funding. This makes a huge difference in what we are able to offer our patrons because the value of the donations almost doubled our annual book and audio visual budget of $7050. The trustees continue to build an Endowment Fund to ensure the future of the library. Only a portion of the interest from the fund may be used and the idea behind the fund is that, no matter what financial problems occur, there will always be money for the most important part of the library:

25