Page 186 - City of Watauga FY22 Adopted Budget

GENERAL FUND

DEPARTMENT: LIBRARY
DIVISION / ACTIVITY: LIBRARY SERVICES – FUND 01-060
LOCATION: HOURS OF OPERATION:
7109 Whitley Road Monday & Thursday 12:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Watauga, Texas 76148 Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Phone Number: 817-514-5855 Saturday 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
MISSION / PROGRAMS / SERVICES:

The Watauga Public Library is committed to enriching the community through access to informational,
educational, cultural, recreational, and lifelong learning materials in a variety of formats. The Library
anticipates and responds to the library needs of the community and offers a variety of classes,
lectures, workshops, and services in a professional, efficient, caring, and friendly manner. The four
core purposes of public libraries are: 1) Learning, 2) Literacy, 3) Information, and 4) Community
Spaces.
FY2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS / ACHEIVEMENTS:

• From May 2020 through March 2021 the Library served the public via curbside service, with
phone contact for reference and referral questions from the Adult and Youth Departments.
Virtual/Online initiatives were another approach staff put to use to serve the public.
• Staff tackled material reorganization and weeding projects that had been difficult to address
during the normal workload faced pre-pandemic.
• The Library reopened to the public with Covid-19 restrictions in place in April 2021.
• With the popularity of curbside pick-up and the continuation of the pandemic, this new service
has been extended and will probably be expected to remain by our patrons.
• Indoor programming is not a viable option at this time. Outdoor and Virtual events have been
embraced. A series of “Virtual Family Place Workshops” were held in November and December
2020. There was an outdoor concert, featuring “Harp Essence,” in April 2021 and in June
“Storytime in the Park” was reestablished in a safer setting. The Beanstack software has been
utilized for the Adult and Youth 2021 Summer Reading Program and multiple continuing
education programs throughout the year. Staff created multiple subject-related to-go kits for
adult and youth which were very popular.
• In December 2020 the Library stopped charging late fees. Library professionals state that late
fees do nothing to encourage most users to return items on time, and have a disproportionate
impact on low-income patrons. This effectively dissuades them not only from using the library,
but returning the overdue items. In these stressful times we do not want to build barriers.
• Without forewarning the Fort Worth Library Director announced that Fort Worth preferred to
lead the MetrOPAC as a vendor of services to the MetrOPAC cities. Such a change would’ve
removed the individual choices of each participating library. This lead to the remaining
members (Burleson, Haltom City, Keller, Richland Hills and Watauga) to formulate a plan for a
new consortium (MetroShare). Benbrook Public Library was the first to leave in October 2020,
and has indicated they would like to join the MetroShare group when it is launched. The plan is
for the group to “go live” in August 2021.
• The members of the MetroShare group have applied for a “Regional ILS Cooperative Grant
Program” with the Texas State Library to assist with the establishment of the new consortium.
News of the outcome will be in June 2021.
• Special Recognition: The Watauga Public Library was recognized as one of the public libraries
in 2020 to receive the “Achievement of Excellence Awards” from the Texas Municipal Library
Directors Association.

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