Surrey Public Libraries Annual Report 2018

2018 Annual Report

Connecting with our Community

This year, Surrey Libraries reached out to our community to ask what library services matter most. Through surveys, open houses and one-on-one interviews with stakeholders, we gathered feedback to help shape our priorities over the next five years. The result was a new strategic plan that will guide our work. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback.

VISION

A literate, inclusive, thriving city. We connect people, spark curiosity, and inspire learning. MISSION VALUES Community-focus Intellectual freedom Service excellence Equitable access Creativity Collaboration

2018 HIGHLIGHTS

NEW SOMALI STORYTIMES & SENSORY STORYTIMES (for children with autism) were launched

240 volunteers PROVIDED 3,140 HOURS OF SERVICE

CLAYTON GROUND-BREAKING occurred in August and construction is well underway.

447,960 INFORMATION INQUIRIES

SARA GRANT, Manager of Youth Services, was awarded a prestigious Council of the Federation of Literacy Award for “outstanding achievement,

NEW BABY WELCOMING events were launched

innovative practice and excellence in literacy.”

CREATED INDIGENOUS COLLECTION GUIDELINES, new labels and increased funding for our Indigenous collection.

Raven and the First Sunrise window mural at Guildford Library by Kwelexwelsten- Brandon Gabriel

28,016 NEW LIBRARY CARDS ISSUED

LIBRARY CARD

16,193 kids JOINED THE SUMMER READING CLUB

THREE NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFETY SERIES Anti-racism presentations were offered at Semiahmoo branch to help build multicultural awareness, tolerance, and community well-being.

183,079 youth PARTICIPATED IN LIBRARY PROGRAMS

WE CIRCULATED BOOKS & FILMS IN 21 world languages

31,874 adults PARTICIPATED IN LIBRARY PROGRAMS

464,327 EBOOKS BORROWED Increase of 20% over last year

How the numbers stack up LIBRARY OPERATIONS SUMMARY for 2018

OUR READ-ABILITY VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS DELIVERED 23,816 library materials to homebound, seniors, and those with disabilities

2.73 million IN PERSON VISITS

REVENUES City of Surrey Transfers Provincial & Federal Grants Fines & Fees Community Contributions Other EXPENDITURES Human Resources Materials, Supplies & Equipment Branch Operations Other

43% increase in digital literacy programs for teens and children reaching 1,289 participants.

18,321,710 982,447 626,543 100,000 93,073

14,358,595 3,405,449 1,829,316 565,395

2.19 million VISITS TO WEBSITE & CATALOGUE

“ I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation of Surrey Libraries. My time spent in the serene, peaceful and quiet environment is always the most healing, rejuvenating and refreshing period of the day.” THANK YOU

CORPORATE DONORS INDIVIDUAL DONORS

BC Courthouse Library Society Black Bond Books Blackwood Partners Management Corporation Coast Capital Savings CUPE Local 402

Anonymous Donors Beverley Ackerman Ginny Aho David Albert Mejhabeen Ali Jim Amos Kristen Andrews Amy Ashmore Julie Balenzano Beth Barlow Judi Bell Surinder Bhogal Evison Carefoot Karen Catterall Stanley Chang April Cox Gilbert De Gaye Inti Dewey Amarjit Dhaliwal Greg Down Jenny Fry Lorraine Galazyk Jenda Ghog James Gilholme Sara Grant Louise Hearty Cyndy Hill Les Brodland Helen Burritt

Michael Ho Vincent Holmes Hokyung Hong Melanie Houlden Joanna Huang Fiona Hughes Elenita Jalbuena Malook Chand Kaler Michael Kendler Evelyn Kontic Natasha Krause Seline Kutan Vince LaLonde Lois Landells

Harish Raisinghani Dorothy Randall Sandy Rhyason Karen Reid Sidhu Sylvia Riddell Betty Roath Neelam Sahota Ramandeep Sandhu Meghan Savage

Coast Capital Savings First West Credit Union Imperial Hobbies Ivanhoe Cambridge

Location Fixer Productions Merriweather Records Ltd. Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Nature’s Fare Markets Ltd. Orca Book Publishers Pacific Coast Catering Group Ltd. Pico Productions (BC) Limited Presotea READ Surrey/White Rock Society Real Estate Institute of British Columbia Surrey City Development Corporation Surrey International Writers’ Conference Surrey Now-Leader Newspaper TELUS The Capital Media Company Turnbull Construction Project Managers Ltd. Uniqlo Canada Inc. United Way Vancouver Kidsbooks Rotary Club of Surrey Supernatural 5 Inc.

Alanna Schulz Sean Simpson Fraser Smith Ilona Stachura Ann Tait Tanya Thiessen Harjinder Thind Sherri Thornton Maria Versteeg William Walsh Donald Weisner Jennifer Wile George Wong Shu Yung Yang

Lawrence LeDoux Pamela Lockhart Marcia Lui Eleanor MacCowan George Main Iwona Mandera Estate of Mary McCaffrey Michelle Meech

Harvey Miller Mary Murray Rebecca Ouwehand Cathy Overton Nancy Painter Samantha Quizon Nelmida Rafael

MESSAGE FROM Board Chair and Chief Librarian

MESSAGE FROM the Mayor

2018 was another year of tremendous growth for Surrey Libraries programs and services designed to meet the diverse needs of our city’s residents. Over the past year, Surrey Libraries launched several innovative programs for residents with specific needs,

DougMcCallum

Karen Reid Sidhu Board Chair

Surinder Bhogal Chief Librarian

such as sensory storytime for those with autism and new Baby Welcoming events for new parents. These types of initiatives allow the Library to reach out to our community and provide a place for all to learn, share and connect. I want to congratulate Surrey Libraries on another successful year serving the needs of our growing and diverse community. Looking ahead, I am excited that library services will soon expand with the new Clayton Library, which is now well under construction. I welcome you to make full use of all the resources and services Surrey Libraries offer. With free access to books, magazines, videos, digital materials, language learning platforms, and so much more there are ample reasons to stop in at your local branch today. From lifelong learning and social programs, books and digital assets, to interactive exhibits and live performances – there’s something for everyone at Surrey Libraries. Sincerely, Doug McCallum Mayor

This past year was one to reflect and plan. Surrey Libraries has been evolving to meet the needs of one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. The increased number of people visiting our branches, using our online resources, and participating in our programming all point to Surrey Libraries’ standing as a vital community hub and resource. We put a great deal of energy into developing our new 2019–2023 Strategic Plan which will guide our priorities for the coming years. The Plan was the product of extensive community consultation. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback through our surveys, public consultations, and stakeholder meetings. We’re very proud of the ongoing work Surrey Libraries undertakes to support literacy and learning in our community. For example, in 2018, our mobile circulation outreach services increased by 76%. Also, our Youth Services department created a service model which will help shape consistent delivery of children’s programming across our branches. Thank you to the City of Surrey and the Province of British Columbia for their ongoing support and recognition of the value of libraries in our communities. Our appreciation is also extended to the many volunteers, donors, community partners, and patrons for their support. Finally, our thanks to the Board and staff of Surrey Libraries for their continued dedication in providing outstanding dedication and service to our community.

2018 LIBRARY BOARD

Nancy Stewart, Stanley Chang, Neelam Sahota, Dave Woods, Karen Reid Sidhu, Michael Kendler, Louise Hearty, Muzna Zafar, (Absent: Greg Down, Austin Uzama, Connie Hong)