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Programs at the WPPL for the Week of April 1 - 6 - for a full listing of Library programs, browse here http://tinyurl.com/WPPLMasterCalendar

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After a months-long search, the Winter Park Public Library's Board of Trustees has hired Shawn Shaffer of Elmwood Park, Illinois, to be the 16th director in the library's 128-year history. She will take the reins starting May 14.

"I am honored to join the Winter Park Public Library, and look forward to the exciting opportunities and challenges ahead," Shaffer said. "I respect the WPPL's innovative and hard-working staff as well as the dedicated and supportive Board. We will work collaboratively to ensure a library of excellence for the community."

The Library's Board of Trustees reviewed applications from across the nation and involved a search committee that included community representatives.
Library Board President Daniel Butts voiced his confidence in the process and selection by saying "We spent several months evaluating candidates from all over the country, and Shawn is the best possible choice to lead Winter Park's library as it enters its new chapter," said Daniel Butts, president of the Library Board of Trustees.

Butts also said Shaffer's decades of experience in the ever-changing library world and her role as a university-level instructor of library science will benefit the community.

"I am impressed by her wealth of experience, her innovative mindset and her proven ability to mentor and empower staff," he said. "I believe the patrons of our library will be well served by her leadership."

During Shaffer's tenure as director of Elmwood Park Public Library, the number of materials checked out each year more than doubled, and she greatly increased the library's programming for children and adults. She encouraged her staff to innovate and imagine new possibilities, including incorporating cutting-edge technologies into library services.

Shaffer will replace current Library Director Bob Melanson, who is retiring after two and a half decades of service.

"After 25 years as the Director of the Library, it is time to retire and let someone else have all the fun," Melanson joked. "But seriously, I am very proud to have led a team of staff, Board and other volunteers in the accomplishment of keeping this Library relevant to its community in the 21st
century. I can only hope the next chapter of my life is as rewarding."

The Winter Park Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing the highest quality library materials, programs and services to those living in Winter Park and the surrounding communities. Founded in 1885 with a few dozen titles stored on the front porch of a local home, the Library has evolved based on residents' changing needs for information, education and entertainment. It now provides downloadable materials for use on smart devices, books, newspapers, magazines, audiobooks, music, videos, video games and software. In addition it offers hundreds of programs each year for patrons of all ages. For more information about the WPPL, visit www.wppl.org or call 407-623-3300.

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Annual Report to the Board of Library Trustees by Director Bob Melanson -  January 8, 2013

The start of a new year is traditionally the time to reflect on the Library’s past accomplishments and challenges.  But this year, I’d like to instead focus on the Library’s future.

This Library is a gift to the Winter Park community from the generations who have come before us—from the women who started it in 1885 on Miss Lamson’s front porch, from those who gave dimes and nickels to build the first one-room building on Interlachen Avenue, from residents throughout the decades who have shown their support and appreciation by donating to ensure that Winter Park has a wonderful library today, and from the many staff, volunteers and members Board of Trustees who have given of their time, talents, and treasure to assure a wonderful Library for tomorrow.

The Library is able to build on a very strong tradition.  We have an incredibly devoted staff.  We are financially sound with an endowment that is the envy of many non-profits.  We have a strong tradition of community support, both financial and through volunteer efforts.  We have a great relationship with City elected officials and staff who understand the benefit of the Library to the community. And we have a strong tradition of excellence that will hopefully continue.

The near and long term future provides many opportunities to build on our past successes. The first is obviously to choose a new Director who can balance the many aspects of the position: running a small business, navigating City politics, working with an administrative Board, boosting the morale of the staff, recognizing and implementing community Library needs, and seamlessly integrating new technologies into the traditional role of the public library.

Another pressing opportunity is to work with the Board to develop and approve a new strategic plan. Our current plan expires September of this year.  A new plan will need to be in place by September 30 in order to receive state aid in 2014. This gives the new Director an opportunity to immediately put his or her imprint on the Library’s services and collections. 

A third opportunity is the technology systems for both internal operations and the public’s use need to be upgraded and integrated into existing services and collections.  This can also hopefully aid in an analysis of the efficiencies of staffing.

But the primary intent must be to accomplish our Mission which is to improve the quality of life of Winter Park residents by responding to their changing needs for information, education, and entertainment. As one of the top libraries in the state, it is imperative that future administrations and Boards anticipate the changing needs of the Library’s users and stay ahead of them.

Critical to the Library’s ability to do these things is adequate funding.  We have a great relationship with the City Commission and staff. The Library is financially sound with a strong endowment of both restricted and unrestricted funds. We weathered the great recession fairly well in terms of providing services and collections. The endowment has recovered much of its lost principal. But additional funding is needed for technology, staffing, and collections in both paper and electronic formats. 

The foundation is strong. The future is bright. The opportunities are endless.

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Library Now Home to James Gamble Rogers II Collection

     We are thrilled to announce that we are now the home of the James Gamble Rogers II Collection, which is housed in our Winter Park History & Archives. This incredible collection will contain the plans to 67 of Roger's buildings, including Casa Feliz and the Barbour Apartments on Knowles Avenue, as well as almost 200 books from his personal library.

    "Getting this collection is not only an incredible accomplishment for the library," said Library Archivist Barbara White, "it's also a wonderful benefit for the people of Winter Park to have the drawings of some of the city's most beloved buildings by its most famous architect preserved right here in their own community."

     The new collection showcases the work of James Gamble Rogers II, an architect born in 1901, who started his own firm in Winter Park in 1935 and practiced well into his 80s. His best- known buildings include the Florida State Supreme Court Building in Tallahassee and Rollins College's Olin Library, which he drew himself at age 85.

     In Winter Park, Rogers is probably best known for designing Casa Feliz, formerly called the Barbour House, which was commissioned in 1932. Other Winter Park landmarks designed by Rogers include the Greeneda Court shopping area on Park Avenue and the Holt and Mizener houses. After World War II, his firm became involved in large, institutional commissions and the architects for Rollins College. He designed the Mills Library, the Olin Library and the Archibald Granville Bush Science Center, eventually becoming responsible for work on 20 buildings at Rollins.

     Rogers' books and architectural drawings are housed in our Winter Park History & Archives and are available for use and viewing by the public. For more information or to access to the collection, contact the Library's archivist at 407-623-3300, ext. 106, or bwhite@wppl.org
 

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Director’s Annual Report - 2010
(This is the full text of the library Director Bob Melanson's report to the annual meeting of the Winter Park Library Association.)

     Before sitting down to organize and write this, I was afraid it was going to be very short as, with the funding the way it has been, I didn’t think we accomplished much in 2009. I was wrong. It just goes to show you that out of adversity comes creativity.

     The primary news of the year is the continued, unprecedented increase in use of the Library. At the end of the 2009 fiscal year, circulation of items checked out had risen to over 659,000. It was just four years ago that we broke 500,000 for the first time. Around 310,000 people entered the Library. This does count the number of early voters we had, but does not count those who contact the Library by phone or who access our catalog or reference resources by the Internet.

     The Summer Reading Program again broke registration records signing up 1,309 participants who read 36,258 books. That averages to 3.46 books read each week by each participant. During the eight week program, the Youth Services staff offered 213 programs that were attended by 7,615 children and teens.

     We managed to form a Youth Services Advocacy Group, although they have not been as effective so far as we had hoped—something to work on in the coming year.

     The Library’s relationship with the City continued to be strong. They renovated and updated the first floor ceiling and lighting system. They approved a supplemental $42,000 matching contribution so we could end the year with in the black, and they approved a flat budget request while cutting most city department budgets.

     Other fundraising activities were also taken on. Bash for Books, while not as successful as we might have liked, was certainly more successful than many other organizations’ events, many of which were cancelled. Staff partnered with Barnes & Noble to put on a book fair and we even sold parking spaces in adjacent lot during the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Perhaps most importantly, our endowment began to recover from the effects of the stock market.

     We entered the new world of social media by launching a Library Facebook page that is updated several times a week.

     In terms of policies, we revamped our fine and fee collection policy to encourage patrons to return their overdue materials sooner. We approved a Whistleblower and Conflict of Interest policy and a carefully considered reorganization was implemented that eliminated two middle management positions.

     The Lifelong Learning Institute was busy, offering 571 programs attended by 16,294 people. Program highlights included a walking tour of churches in west Winter Park, an exhibit documenting Puerto Ricans in Central FL, and a lively mayoral candidate debate.

     One major bequest was received from the estate of Ruth McLain. A health and wellness endowment was established with part of the bequest and the remaining portion went into the Board-designated operating endowment.

     An important addition was made to the Winter Park History and Archives collection with the signing of the donor agreement with Jack Rogers for Gamble Rogers’ architectural drawings and a 250 volume rare architecture book collection.

     Finally, we began planning for a year-long celebration commemorating the Library’s 125th anniversary.

     As always, it takes a joint effort of staff, Board, Friends, and other volunteers to make this all happen. Teamwork was a key component to all of this. We look forward to work together for a successful 2010.
 

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History & Archives Collection Can Provide Info on Winter Park Homes

     New to Winter Park? Have an historic home within the city you'd like to learn more about? The Library's Winter Park History & Archives Collection may have just what you’re looking for!

     The Winter Park Public Library employs a full-time archivist, Barbara White, who frequently receives requests for information regarding the history of private homes in our city. Often she is able to use our extensive collection of files, records and photographs to find information about specific residences.

     Using materials in our Archives and her expertise as an archivist and librarian, Barbara will look for an overview of the history of the home, as well as specifics on the architecture and structure. If that information is not readily available, she can try other sources such as the Orange County Property Appraisers or refer you to other organizations to help you in your research.

     The Library's Online History & Archives Collection provides history on some of the city’s most notable homes such as Casa Feliz, Osceola Lodge, and Wind Song.

     Archivist Barbara White can be contacted at bwhite@wppl.org or 407-623-3300, ext. 106.
 

Due Date Reminder E-mails to Your Inbox
     You asked and we listened! For years, patrons have been asking for reminder e-mails about due dates before their items come due. And now, thanks to upgrades in our software and hard work on the part of our Technology staff, we have started providing this service.
     You can now receive e-mails two days before your item comes due, giving you plenty of time to return the item or renew it.
     Not receiving reminder e-mails? Here's how to get them:
     1) You must have enabled e-mail notification on you Library account. This means that you will also receive your late notices and holds notices by e-mail as well.
     2) To do this, you must call (407-623-3300) or visit a circulation desk at the Library (either speak to the first floor Circulation Desk or to Youth Services) and give them your e-mail address.
     3) Please adjust your spam filters to allow e-mails from wppl.org addresses.

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New Fee Effective July 1
     In an effort to shorten the amount of time patrons have to wait for popular items, there will be a $1.00 fee for each reserved/held item not picked up within three days (not including the day you are notified).
     To avoid this fee you can:
- pick up holds/reserves on time,
- cancel or suspend your holds online, or
- call the Library for staff assistance before your hold expires (three days after notification).

It is simple and easy to manage your holds online.

How to Cancel and Suspend Holds Online
- Go to www.wppl.org
- Logon on to your account using the “Click here to login to your account” link in the upper right corner of the screen.
- From the Account Overview screen, click on Hold Requests
- Find the Requested items not yet available section of this page
To cancel holds:
1) Select the items that have holds you wish to cancel by clicking the small boxes to the left of each item.
2) Complete the cancellation by clicking the Cancel Hold Request button
To suspend holds:
1) Select the items that have holds you wish to suspend by clicking the small boxes to the left of each item.
2) Using the Suspend until drop-down boxes, select the date when you will be available to pick-up items again.
3) Complete the process by clicking the Suspend Hold button.

Note:
* Cancelling holds means that you have been permanently removed from the waiting list for that item. You can place another hold for that item at any time. To cancel a hold that is already available to you, call the Library before the three day limit expires.
* Suspending a hold keeps your name on the holds list, and you will continue moving up the list normally. If your name reaches the top of the list before your “suspend until date” the item will be given to the next person waiting but your name remains at the top of the list. You can only suspend items that are not yet available to you.
 

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Save Time By Using Library Self-Check Machines
     We know it can be frustrating to wait in line at our Circulation Desks when all you want to do is check out a CD, DVD, software item or video game. So we've now enabled our self-check machines to handle these items, allowing you to check them out without a wait.

Using the self-check machines is EASY!
- Touch the screen to begin
- Scan your Library card (just like the UPC bar codes at the grocery store)
- Pass the library materials over the pad one item at a time
- After you’ve checked out all of your materials, touch the word “Done” on the screen and take your print-out
- Using the tool provided, remove the security cases and drop the cases into the labeled openings in the counter

You must see a staff member:
- there is a message on your account
- you owe $10 or more in fines
- you want to renew items
- you want a full list of all items you have checked out
- you are a new patron with the “new patron” limit

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Large Print Books Available
     Did you know that the Library has a great selection of large print books for people with sight impairments or just for those who prefer larger type? We order almost all fiction best sellers and most nonfiction best sellers in large print format and have a good-sized collection of older large print titles.
     The newest large print books, as well as all of those that have been added to the collection within the last three years or so, are stored on special shelves on the Library’s first floor. Older titles are located on the second floor. Please ask a staff member to help you locate large print titles.

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New Limit on Video Games
     In order to better share our video game collection with all patrons, there is now a limit on the number of games that can be checked out on a Library card at a given time. Only three video games can be checked out at a time per Library card.
     This limit does not affect computer software. The Library has games for most popular video game consoles, including the Wii, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Xbox and Playstation 2 and 3.

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Something Special for Fiction Readers!
    When John Grisham is out, Mary Higgins Clark is on hold and you've read Harry Potter three times already, use NoveList, the WPPL's newest online tool to help you find your next read. Search for an author, read-alike or even a plot, and this powerful database will immediately supply you with titles (a link on the lower left side of the screen will even zoom you to our catalog to check the book's availability).

     This database of over 143,000 fiction titles for readers of all ages lets you use your favorite author or book to link to other books you might enjoy. Grisham fans can find over 200 other legal thrillers they might like to read, and the Lord of the Rings fan in your home can locate hundreds of fantasies with young heroes!

Looking for a book for your next book group meeting?
     Click on the Book Discussion Guides link to find over 100 in-depth book discussion guides for popular book group titles. Each guide contains a brief author biography, a plot summary and discussion questions (with answers!). These guides are guaranteed to make your next book club meeting one of the best.
Don’t belong to a club? These guides are a great way for independent readers to deepen their individual enjoyment and experience of a good book.

Looking for a book to help your first-grader get ready for the first day of school (or any other plot you can imagine)?
     Use the “Describe A Plot” function and enter the words that describe the book you would like to read. NoveList will search using the plot you supply and generate a list of books for you to consider.

A full service WPPL card is required to use this service; available from home or the library. Click here to begin using NoveList or access NoveList from our Databases page.
 

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