The City of Pullman’s first biennial budget begins in
January. This two year budget offers departments a more strategic
approach to planning as funding is attributed to service priorities implemented
over a longer period of time for better assessment. This longer range
planning encourages big picture thinking, creative problem solving and an
innovative approach to public service. These are exciting times!
For the next two years, Neill Public Library will focus
on four service priorities to better help you explore, discover and connect
with your world.
Technology where and when you need it
Within the first quarter of the year, patrons will be
able to send print jobs from their mobile devices to the library’s print center
and scan and send photographs and documents to their email, smartphone, Google Drive,
and so on. An additional self-checkout station will be located closer to
youth book collections making it easier for parents and children to browse and
borrow in close proximity to each other. Payment of library fines will
become more convenient as debit and credit cards are accepted.
Community programs will have a strong focus on
technology. Watch for coding workshops for youth and computer classes for
adults, both made possible thanks to a new laptop lab purchased by our Friends
of NPL.
We will offer free access to Lynda.com, thanks to a
partnership between the Washington State Library and Microsoft. Lynda.com
is a powerhouse online learning platform with coursework in five different
languages from business, software, technology and creative industries. This is
self-paced learning at its best!
Public service – easy, efficient, intuitive
We will continue to employ User Experience and Lean
methodologies to improve public service and internal processes. The
layout of the public computers will change to support quiet and social computer
use. Library wayfinding will get easier when exterior lettering is added
to the outside building façade, thanks to funding from our Friends of NPL.
Library cards for more Pullman residents
By cardholder, 69% of all cardholders are Pullman
residents. By population, 30% of Pullman residents are cardholders.
Resident borrowing activity accounts for 83% of our total circulation.
Pullman residents who have library cards make great use of the services they
pay for. But wouldn’t it be great if every Pullman resident owned a
library card and received the benefits they already pay for? We think it
would be fabulous. So, over the next two years the library will make a
concerted effort to increase the number of resident cardholders through
expanded outreach, new community programs, new collections which spark
curiosity and a possible partnership with Pullman School District to equip
every child and teacher with a library card.
Improved service for older youth
The library does an excellent job providing services for
the very young and is widely recognized as a center for early literacy.
However, services for youth ages 11 – 17 are not as plentiful nor
developed. We aim to change that. Watch for technology centric
programs, anime art programs, book discussion groups, and curated collections
all specifically tailored to better serve our older youth.
Plenty of exciting changes are coming over the next two
years! Get your library card today!
By Joanna Bailey, Library Director
Neill Public Library
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