| Category of Items Borrowed | July | August | September | October | November | December | January | February | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkouts and Renewals of Physical Items | 41,582 | 39,312 | 34,883 | 37,047 | 34,866 | 32,641 | 36,795 | 34,488 | 291,614 |
| eBooks | 4,107 | 4,152 | 3,724 | 3,758 | 3,883 | 3,897 | 4,165 | 3,566 | 31,252 |
| eAudiobooks | 4,174 | 4,278 | 4,278 | 4,298 | 4,172 | 4,145 | 4,728 | 4,127 | 34,200 |
| Videos | 469 | 395 | 397 | 493 | 449 | 555 | 477 | 588 | 3,823 |
| Total Digital Items | 8,750 | 8,825 | 8,399 | 8,549 | 8,504 | 8,597 | 9,370 | 8,281 | 69,275 |
| Type of Digital Item | July | August | September | October | November | December | January | February | Fiscal Year to Date Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBooks Added to the Collection | 174 | 86 | 104 | 75 | 82 | 112 | 48 | 88 | 769 |
| eAudiobooks Added to the Collection | 40 | 24 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 18 | 39 | 22 | 229 |
| Digital Music Borrowing | 42 | 50 | 33 | 29 | 30 | 66 | 52 | 57 | 359 |
| Digital Magazine Borrowing | 2528 | 2844 | 2829 | 3068 | 2738 | 3116 | 3253 | 3121 | 23497 |
| Kanopy Video Borrowing | 241 | 194 | 195 | 266 | 237 | 295 | 237 | 404 | 2069 |
| Hoopla Video Borrowing | 228 | 201 | 202 | 227 | 212 | 260 | 240 | 184 | 1754 |
| Comics Plus eBook Borrowing | 199 | 170 | 50 | 29 | 42 | 46 | 48 | 76 | 660 |
Circulation and Technical Services
In February 2026, Circulation and Technical Services:
- Processed 193 library card applications.
- Issued 158 parking permits.
- Received and processed 2400 items from other libraries to fill holds.
- Pulled and transferred 2170 items to fill holds at other libraries.
- Filled 4135 total holds.
- Processed 1087 withdrawn items.
- Received and added 897 physical items to library collections.
In February, all Access and Outreach staff completed their mandatory KnowBe4 cybersecurity training.
Outreach Services
Senior Services, Persons-at-Home (Sarah Derven)
During February Sarah:
- Visited 13 Outreach Sites.
- Lead 5 Memory Care Writing Groups.
- Visited and Delivered Materials to 9 Individuals.
- Served 230 Patrons.
- Loaned 708 items.
- Made 63 Phone Calls.
- Placed 277 items on Hold.
- Renewed 148 Item.
Professional Development:
- Completed online course Excel for Librarians through Library Juice Academy.
Community Events, Partnerships, Mobile Library (Jennifer Ogrodowski)
Programs/Outreach:
- Get Creative! At the Greenfield Senior Center
Monthly art workshops have started again at the center. This month, we created watercolor hearts in celebration of Valentine’s Day. - Division Street STEAM Fair
We were invited to have a table at the PTA sponsored fair. The turnout of both adults and children was wonderful. There were many interesting science projects presented by both local organizations and students. We made a candy double helix for the library project…it was sweet! - United Way Summer Meals Collaborative Meeting
We began our meetings to plan for summer meal stops again last month. This month, we broke out into groups that were focusing on the activity portion of the meal service. We are getting excited with lots of creative ideas to bring to the community. The service provides free meals to children in the district over the summer months, and the activity partners provide arts and projects to the children while they enjoy their meal. Last year was the first year that the library participated in the service. Kids loved the van!
Statistics:
- Attendance: 260
- Items Loaned: 37
- Cards Issued & Renewed: 5
- Returns: 28
- Ref Questions: 25
What We’re Looking Forward to Next Month:
- Maple Syrup Tour at Twin Leaf Farms in Greenfield
Adult Literacy and English Language Learning (Mary Ann Rockwell)
Literacy Services
Beginning in February, all classes are being held in our newly assigned English Learning space, the Literacy Lab, located on the first floor. One-to-one tutoring continues to take place primarily in the small tutoring room, unless there is a scheduling conflict.
February Literacy Statistics:
- 32 one-to-one ELL sessions.
- 19 ELL group classes.
- 87 total class attendances.
- 16 volunteer tutors taught one-to-one sessions and/or group classes.
- The librarian is teaching two weekly classes, each with one volunteer assistant.
- We currently have six classes running: one fully online and two hybrids (online and in-person).
Success Stories:
- One student who came to us four years ago with very limited English has advanced enough to secure a full-time position with New York State, working with individuals with disabilities.
- A more advanced student has earned a promotion in his engineering career.
- Two students are studying for English certifications that will allow them to apply to graduate programs.
- A student who works at a Saratoga restaurant began with little English three years ago. After consistently attending classes and tutoring sessions, he is now able to socialize confidently with native speakers and has taken on an informal mentoring role in class.
Two new applicants for literacy volunteer positions are currently being processed.
Poetry Programming
- At the monthly online Poetry Café in February, held as part of Saratoga Reads!, participants read and discussed animal-themed poems ranging from Walt Whitman to contemporary poets. Five people attended.
- The Saratoga Poet Laureate will present a workshop series in March, followed by a “Favorite Poem Reading” on April 9.
A patron from Colombia recently stopped by the desk while checking out three Spanish-language books from our collection to share how pleased he was to find them. He told Mary Ann that he had been a literature professor in his home country and spoke warmly about his academic career. In fact, he shared that Gabriel García Márquez had once been his professor, which is a remarkable connection that made his appreciation of our Spanish-language collection all the more meaningful.
Respectfully submitted by:
Trevor Oakley, Head of Access and Outreach Services