1940
· Howard County Library System (HCLS) began operating in a portable school building in Ellicott City on October 11, 1940
1943
· Lenna Baker Burgess appointed to lead HCLS
1945
· The Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland established HCLS as an educational institution eligible to receive State and County funds for its operating budget
1952
· A flash flood destroyed 5,175 books; within two months, HCLS reopened
1958
· For the convenience of customers living farthest from the library, HCLS purchased a bookmobile
1960
· HCLS moved to rented quarters on the corner of Route 144 & St. John’s Lane
1962
· HCLS opened its first permanent building on Frederick Road
1963
· Marvin Thomas hired as HCLS’ first Director
· Developed a card catalog and began reference services
· Extended hours of operation to six days and four evenings per week
· Installed air conditioning
1966
· To expand collections and classes beyond its Frederick Road location and bookmobile, rented space to open a small branch in the Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall in Savage
· Began purchasing paperbacks, expanded hardback collection, and developed a pamphlet collection
· At its two branches, added photocopiers for public use
1968
· The opening of the new Wilde Lake Branch brought HCLS to three locations and one bookmobile
1969
· Initiated a regular line-up of classes for students of all ages at each location
· Opened two additional branches: one on Church Road, and the other on Main Street
1971
· Possible locations for a new HCLS branch that would be centrally located in Columbia considered
1972
· Established a microfilm collection
· HCLS’ Frederick Road Branch underwent a renovation, providing space to establish a phonograph record collection
1974
· Purchased a minimobile to deliver books and materials to homebound customers
· Implemented Sunday hours from September to May at the HCLS Frederick Road Branch
· Established an audiocassette collection
1975
· Director Marvin Thomas formed the Central Library United Effort citizen committee to facilitate the Central Branch’s planning process
1976
· Opened the Long Reach Branch in a rented storefront in the Long Reach Village Center, establishing TTY service at that location
1977
· Howard Research and Development donated 3.5 acres of land to build a new HCLS Central Branch
· Balcony added at HCLS’ Frederick Road Branch to house an expanded fiction collection
1979
· The revolutionary process of automating and computerizing HCLS commenced
1980
· HCLS’ administrative and support staff moved to the Central Branch
1981
· HCLS’ Central Branch opened to the public. Features included an audiovisual area, a large meeting room, and an automated system to improve the efficiency of loaning books and materials
· Opened its Lisbon Community Branch on Frederick Road
· Director Marvin Thomas created citizen groups to plan strategically for the future
1983
· Age- and developmentally-appropriate educational toys for infants and toddlers added to the HCLS collection
1984
· Offered in-branch personal computers for public use
· Opened Elkridge Community Branch in a rented storefront on Route 1
1985
· HCLS’ Lisbon Community Branch moved to the Lisbon Center
· Established videocassette collections at each of location
1986
· Renovated the Frederick Road Branch, renaming it the Charles E. Miller Branch, and closed Church Road Community Branch
1987
· Established a systemwide compact disc collection
1989
· Introduced INFO-LAN, a stand-alone, multi-station CD-ROM network for public use
· Made online customer access catalogs available to the public
· Introduced the first specialized online research tools (DIALOG and LOGIN), enhancing HCLS’ delivery of research assistance
· Established a specialized Health Education Collection
· Implemented HCLS Project Literacy, HCLS’ adult basic education initiative, providing one-on-one tutoring and group instruction for adults
· Easy Access projects began providing materials accessible to and services for customers with varying disabilities
1990
· Launched remote dial-in access to its online catalog
1991
· Opened a new Savage Branch, which replaced both the Savage Community Branch and the bookmobile
· After-hours remote access to HCLS’ INFO-LAN made available to customers
1993
· Opened a new Elkridge Branch, simultaneously closing the Elkridge Community Branch
1994
· Opened the East Columbia Branch
· Approximately one-half of HCLS’ administrative and support staff relocated from the Central to the East Columbia Branch
· Established a connection to the Internet
1996
· Partnered with The Mall in Columbia to place DataDepot, a computer research station in The Mall
· Director Marvin Thomas retired after 33 years of service
· Norma Hill appointed Director
· Unveiled a new logo and a new tagline “Great Expectations”
· Premiered Great Expectations, a quarterly publication featuring HCLS resources, classes, news, and events
· The Library of Congress designated HCLS as home to the Maryland Center for the Book
· More than 8,900 children and teens participated in the Summer Reading Program
1997
· Celebrated the tenth anniversary of HCLS Project Literacy
· Pulitzer Prize winner Maxine Kumin headlined a Notable Author Event at the East Columbia Branch
· A grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control Prevention funded multimedia computers offering homework assistance for teens
1998
· Introduced “Mother Goose Asks Why,” a series of literature/science children’s classes sponsored by the National Science Foundation
· Launched first web site (www.howa.lib.md.us)
· Groundbreaking for the HCLS Glenwood Branch took place
· Partnered with Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine to develop a collection of print and online research materials for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Imaging Center
· HCLS’ first Evening in the Stacks gala hosted at the East Columbia Branch, with the theme A Literary Party with Pizzazz and The Washington Post as Title Sponsor
1999
· A portable network with six notebook computers introduced to enhance HCLS’ line-up of web and PC classes
· HCLS’ curriculum marketed to speakers of world languages
· The Maryland Center for the Book developed Write From Maryland, a directory of authors, for the benefit of the entire state
· National Book Award winner Alice McDermott keynote speaker at Supper at Six, HCLS’ annual author event sponsored by the Friends of HCLS
· A five-year Strategic Plan introduced
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Worth Remembering
2000
· Howard County General Hospital bestowed a HCLS with major grant for expansion of children’s classes
· Renewed for second term as the home of Maryland Center for the Book
· Supper at Six featured acclaimed novelist Gail Godwin
· HCLS Central Branch closed for renovation
· HCLS Lisbon Community Branch closed
· Opened the HCLS Glenwood Branch, naming the branch’s meeting room the Pindell Room to honor western Howard County residents Bill and Betty Pindell
· Held Evening in the Stacks: I Love Theater
2001
· Renewed for a final term (through 2005) as the home of Maryland Center for the Book
· DVDs added to HCLS’ collection
· HCLS Director Norma Hill retired after 21 years with HCLS
· Valerie J. Gross joined the HCLS team as President & CEO to lead the system that had grown to six branches
· Supper at Six’s keynote speaker: nationally known author Sue Miller
· HCLS Central Branch reopened after a 17-month, $5.37 million renovation
· Held Evening in the Stacks: A Night to Remember in Paris, at the Glenwood Branch.
2002
· American Sign Language video collection added to HCLS’ collection of materials
· Award-winning author Elizabeth Berg: keynote speaker at Supper at Six
· Launched A+ Partners in Education, a comprehensive partnership with Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Winter Wonderland
2003
· Hosted Newberry Medal author Linda Sue Park as part of Outstanding Children’s Author Series
· In partnership with Fidos for Freedom, Friends of Howard County Library, and HCPSS, introduced DEAR (Dogs Educating and Assisting Readers), an initiative through which third grade students improve their skills by reading to nonjudgmental, loving therapy dogs
· Celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Elkridge Branch
· Hours at the HCLS Elkridge and Savage branches expanded to include Sundays during the school year
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Mardi Gras
2004
· Launched Newcomers Book Discussion, a class developed for high school ESOL students as part of A+ Partners in Education
· Friends of Howard County Library established an endowment fund with the Columbia Foundation
· HCLS Board of Trustees adopted the Howard County Library System Facilities and Assessment Master Plan: Facilities and Services 2005 to 2030.
· Named Educator of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce
· Named Non-Profit Business of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce
· Awarded the Accessibility Award for American Sign Language video collection by the Howard County Commission on Disabilities
· Awarded the Triple A Partnership Award for significant contributions to Accelerating the Academic Achievement of students in Howard County through A+ Partners in Education
· President & CEO Valerie J. Gross recognized as a national leader in Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers 2004: The People who are Shaping the Future of Libraries
· As the winner of the national Lemony Snicket contest sponsored by Harper Collins, hosted notable author event featuring Lemony Snicket; attended by more than 1,000 fans
· HCLS’ Central Branch hosted Alma Powell, wife of General Colin Powell, who spoke to third-grade students from the Central Branch’s A+ liaison schools
· Established a Cancer Information Collection at Central Branch
· Began offering free wireless Internet access at all branches, the first public library system in Maryland to do so
· Replaced the operating system of the entire fleet of public access PCs with Linux
· Commenced e-mail notifications informing customers about return dates for materials borrowed
· Partnered with the Farmers Market and Economic Development Authority to host Farmers Markets at the HCLS East Columbia and Glenwood branches
· Susan Minot featured at HCLS’ Notable Author Event
· More than 500 guests attended Evening in the Stacks: Upon and Ever After
2005
· Ranked first in the nation among the great public library systems (Hennen’s 2005 American Public Library Ratings, American Libraries)
· Launched a new brand using the “Hi” logo as HCLS’ visual identity, reflecting HCLS’ progressive nature while emphasizing its customer service and high-quality public education for everyone
· Celebrated the 10th anniversary of HCLS East Columbia Branch
· HCLS branches became required field trip destinations as part of the HCPSS Kindergarten cCurriculum
· Registered with Scripps National as an official Regional Bee, then launched the first HCLS Spelling Bee, establishing the academic competition as part of A+ Partners in Education
· Launched Teen Time, an East Columbia Branch academic after-school initiative
· Partnered with Howard County Tourism and Howard County Government on the Blossoms of Hope project, to beautify Howard County with 1,000 memorial Kwanzan cherry trees
· Implemented the lending of e-books to be downloaded to computer or personal device
· Partnered with HCPSS to produce “Blast Off to Reading,” a summer reading video that garnered a Telly Award
· Developed Strong Foundations, Enduring Success, HCLS’ strategic plan for 2006 through 2010
· Nearly 550 guests attended Evening in the Stacks: Passport to Asia
2006
· Launched Teen ‘Zine, an HCLS online publication written and produced by teens
· Introduced Cultural Connections to expand curriculum for our culturally diverse community
· Expanded the Cancer Information Collection at the HCLS Central Branch into a Health Education Center
· Partnered with HC DrugFree to increase awareness of substance abuse prevention in Howard County
· Established partnership with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and collaborated with the Boy Scouts of America
· Established a Transitions Collection with resources specifically designed for adult readers new to this country
· Featured bestselling author Jack Gantos as part of the Outstanding Children’s Author Series
· Launched HCLS BumbleBee, a companion initiative to the HCLS Spelling Bee for first, second, and third grade students
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Tropical
2007
· Expanded hours of operation to include year-round summer Sunday hours at the HCLS Central and Miller branches
· President & CEO Valerie J. Gross selected to represent Maryland public libraries on the State’s Gifted and Talented Advisory Council
· As lead organization in the community-wide initiative Choose Civility, recruited 40 Alliance Partners to join in to make Howard County a national model of respect, consideration, empathy, and tolerance
· Launched “This is Your Life,” a partnership among HCLS, the Columbia Archives, the Howard County Historical Society, and Howard County Historical Society to record oral interviews with local residents
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Jazz
2008
· HCLS categorized under “Education” in the County’s operating and capital budget categories, joining Howard County Public School System and Howard Community College as the three major educational institutions in Howard County
· Initiated Battle of the Books reading competition for fifth grade students
· Formalized partnerships with the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and the Howard County Autism Society
· Redesigned HCLS’ website
· Organized Notable Author Events: Julia Glass, Gene Yang, and Bruce Coville
· Established a Financial Education Center at HCLS Central Branch
· Added Howard Community College and Lincoln College of Technology as official A+ Partners
· Dedicated cherry tree groves at the Central and East Columbia branches in partnership with Blossoms of Hope
· Hosted the “Frankenstein Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” exhibit, on loan from the National Library of Medicine
· Coordinated the first 5K & Family Fun Run
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Walk the Red Carpet
2009
· Received top ranking in Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings
· In its list of best counties to raise a family, Forbes magazine specifically cited HCLS as a contributing factor in Howard County’s premium ranking
· Established HCLS Institute (formerly the employee training program)
· Won ALA’s Best of Show for FY08 Evening in the Stacks materials
· Added credit card payment options for customers online and in all branches
· Added the Playaway format to audiobook collection
· Incorporated Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, blogs, and videos into curriculum and communications
· Hosted an exhibit of photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope
· Developed an expanded vision for Cultural Connections, to include Project Literacy, World Languages Collection, Translation Services, ASL Collection, Bilingual Children’s Classes (Chinese, Korean, Spanish and ASL), Adult Basic Education Classes (e.g., English Conversation), Foreign Films, Studying for Citizenship, Learning a Language, and Passport Services
· Welcomed Congressman Elijah Cummings as Honorary Chair of the Choose Civility Board of Advisors
· In collaboration with Howard County Government, the Howard County Arts Council, and HCPSS, unveiled the mosaic “Underwater Treasures,” by artist Mary Deacon Opasik, at HCLS Elkridge Branch
· To fill high tech jobs, established HCLS as a launching point in the STEM pipeline of future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, implementing an impressive line-up of inspiring STEM-related pre-school and elementary school age classes
· Organized the first Choose Civility Symposium featuring Joe Ehrman, former Baltimore Colts defensive lineman
· Extended A+ Educator Cards to preschool teachers
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Along the Silk Road, with renowned author Manil Suri
2010
· Unveiled Public Education for All: Howard County Library System’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015
· Featured as the 2010 Wiley Library Spotlight, which highlights a nationally recognized library system each year
· Awarded Public Libraries’ Best Feature Article for “Transforming Our Image Through Words That Work”
· Received the State of Maryland International Reading Council’s Literacy Award for A+ Partners in Education and HCLS Project Literacy
· Received Excellence in the Community Award from the ARC of Howard County
· Organized nine major author events: Diana Gabaldon, Laurie King, Temple Grandin, James McBride, Julie Otsuka, and Rebecca Skloot
· Coordinated and hosted the first Money Matters Fair at East Columbia Branch
· Introduced Pass the Book, an A+ initiative for teens
· Established a Passport Acceptance Facility at East Columbia Branch
· Coordinated the Career Technology Education Kickoff in partnership with HCPSS and MSDE
· Organized a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Charles E. Miller Branch & Historical Center
· Organized the Choose Civility Symposium “Ethics Alarms: Nurturing Your Best Instincts in an Unethical World”
· Added a bookmark contest to the A+ Partners in Education curriculum
· Orchestrated Evening in the Stacks: Caliente!
2011
· Received the Wiley Award for Excellence, an award given to one library system each year for extraordinary customer service, creativity, and commitment
· Implemented the library automation system Polaris
· Launched a collection of 60 ebook readers
· Expanded ebooks to include Overdrive, Tumblebooks, BookFLIX, and True Flix
· Initiated the HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge, an academic competition incorporating STEM for fourth and fifth grade students
· Launched Well & Wise, a partnership with Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine to advance health education
· Celebrated the Glenwood Branch’s 10th Anniversary
· Held Topping Out Ceremony for the new Miller Branch
· Hosted 19 major author events: Alexander McCall Smith, Warren St. John, and Michelle Singletary
· Designed and installed Choose Civility banners at all HCPSS high school gyms and athletic fields in partnership with Howard County Rotary Clubs
· Implemented Traditions (formerly new employee orientation) to immerse new employees into HCLS’ unique culture
· Organized the Choose Civility Symposium “The Role of Civility in Democracy”
· Began construction of the new Charles E. Miller Branch & Historical Center
· Held Evening in the Stacks: The Roaring 20s
2012
· Designated a national “Star” library system, receiving the highest five-star rating and prominence as featured library (Library Journal)
· Ranked in the national Top 10 libraries Borrowing Per Capita (American Libraries)
· Nationally recognized as a premier library system in HAPLR Rankings (American Libraries)
· American Libraries’ Library Design Showcase featured the new Miller Branch
· Received PR Xchange “Best of Show” award for source
· Received Public Libraries’ Best Feature Article for “Choose Civility: Public Libraries Take Center Stage”
· Celebrated a decade of A+ Partners in Education with the Howard County Public School System and Howard Community College
· Orchestrated the Grand Opening of the Charles E. Miller Branch & Historical Center, attracting a crowd of 7,000
· Received a $100,000 federal grant to launch HiTech, a STEM education initiative for teens that teaches 21st century science, technology, engineering, and math skills via project-based classes
· Formed Tech Squads systemwide to assist customers with downloading e-books and audiobooks
· Filmed “Traditions: The History of Howard County Library System,” a documentary video
· Inaugurated the Enchanted Garden, an innovative outdoor teaching venue at the HCLS Miller Branch that centers on science and health education. The Garden features a pond and stream, 65 native species of plants, a Peter Rabbit Patch, and a Pizza Garden, as well as environmental education—including a rain garden, bioswale, rain barrels, porous surfaces, and compost bins.
· In partnership with HCPSS and the Columbia Association, introduced Culture Café, featuring Asian cultures
· Presented Notable Author events: Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman
· Launched a Well & Wise blog
· Expanded our HiTech partners to include the UMBC Joint Center for Earth Systems and University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering
· Partnered in the Howard County Arts Council’s ARTsites 2012, displaying outdoor art sculptures at four branches
· Named the Miller Branch frog sculptures via communitywide “Name the Frogs Contest” (the winning names: Miss Ann Phibian & Lily, and Frederick Toad)
· Organized the Choose Civility Symposium “Building a Responsible, Bully-Free Community”
· Nearly 700 guests attended Evening in the Stacks: Masquerade, featuring renowned author Lisa See
2013
· Selected as Library of the Year from among North America’s 21,000 public and academic library systems (2013 Library of the Year, Gale/Library Journal). Recognized for developing and living a new vision for libraries, Libraries = Education, which Library Journal hailed “a 21st century model worthy of study and consideration by every other library in America, if not the world” (John N. Berry, Library Journal, June 15, 2013, p. 33).
· Received Top Innovator Award from the Urban Libraries Council for HiTech
· Designated again as a Five-Star library system by Library Journal
· Recognition as Library of the Year in the Congressional Record
· Attained LEED Gold Certification for the Miller Branch
· Received the distinguished Wintergreen Award, a sustainability design award from the U.S. Green Building Council (U.S.G.B.C), Maryland Chapter, in the category of “Community Impact” for the new Miller Branch
· Received PR Xchange Best of Show award for source
· Added Mango, an online instruction tool that teaches 45 foreign languages and 15 ESL courses
· Created a mobile web site
· Expanded e-book collection to 50,000 items
· Designed the Choose Civility Cool Cat (mascot)
· Established the HiTech Board of Advisors
· Expanded HiTech’s curriculum to include classes in robotics and nanotechnology
· Exhibited “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” at the Central Branch
· Held six Notable Author events: Isabel Wilkerson, Amy Stewart, Edward P. Jones, Nobel Laureate in Physics Dr. John Mather, and William Kamkwamba
· Inspired four Choose Civility Chapters: Washington County, MD; Freeborn County, MN; Portland, ME; and Miami, FL
· Partnered in the Howard County Arts Council’s ARTsites 2013, displaying outdoor art sculptures at three branches
· Organized the Choose Civility Symposium “Would it Kill You to be More Civil?”
· Statistics set new records:
· 7.4 million items borrowed
· 3.2 million visits
· 2 million research assistance interactions
· 252,000 students of all ages attended HCLS classes and events
· 30,000 students enrolled in Summer Reading Clubs
· 900 fifth grade students (180 teams) participated in Battle of the Books (four venues)
· Held Evening in the Stacks: Sparkle & Spurs, featuring renowned author Mary Doria Russell
2014
· Set new records for Summer Reading with more than 32,000 students of all ages participating
· Debuted HCLS Now! offering our customers the availability of free, on-demand, self-directed education for all ages anytime, anywhere, including:
· Axis 360, HCLS’ new digital media platform and expanded the collection to 4,277 eBook and 1,252 downloadable audiobooks items
· HCLS’ eBooks for kids, which combine educational games, videos, and interactive books for engaging experiences for children from pre-K through high school
· OneClickdigital: Hundreds of eBooks and eAudiobooks to download or stream on personal computers, eReaders, and mobile devices
· Zinio: Current and past issues of 100 diverse magazines to read on a computer and/or download to a variety of mobile devices with Internet capability
· Hoopla: Stream and temporarily download movies, television shows, music albums and audiobooks from major Hollywood studios, record companies and publishers
· Gale Courses, a line-up of 300 six-week online education and career courses
· Launched NextReads where customers can subscribe to e-newsletters with reading recommendations on more than 20 topics
· Enhanced Enchanted Garden Experience
· Created Explorer Packs to provide children with targeted, self-guided garden tours and activities
· Compiled and published the Enchanted Garden Field Guide
· Developed new curriculum including Tween Sprouts; Rainbow Science; the Science of Food Preservation; What Would Peter Rabbit Eat?; Hot Composting; and Frogs, Toads & Snakes, Oh My!
· Earned impressive statistics for A+ Partners in Education initiatives and events:
· 120,000 A+ interactions among HCLS Instructors and HCPSS/HCC faculty, students, and parents
· HCLS Instructors taught more than 600 A+ Curriculum classes
· More than 100 students in grades one through eight studied for the HCLS Spelling Bee and BumbleBee
· 1,200 fifth graders (240 teams – one third of Howard County’s fifth grade students) participated in the Battle of the Books academic competition
· 500 attendees celebrated 44 teams of fourth and fifth grade students from 17 HCPSS elementary schools and one homeschool that invented complicated wacky machines to put toothpaste on a toothbrush as part of the HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge
· Taught 22 Kindergarten, Here We Come! classes for incoming kindergarten students, with a record 1,500 attendees
· Continued to hold Movin’ Up to Middle School (a transition class similar to Kindergarten, Here We Come) for rising 6th grade students
· Implemented year 10 of Teen Time
· Held fifth annual Bookmark Contest (1,341 entries; all HCPSS elementary and middle schools represented)
· Coordinated 101 Pre-K and Kindergarten field trips to HCLS branches (for 4,750 students) as part of the HCPSS curriculum
· Augmented line-up of STEM-related preschool and elementary school age classes (e.g., EdZOOcation; Star Wars Science; Marshmallow Engineering Challenge; Rainbow Science; Squishy Circuits; Ick! Eww! Gross! Science)
· Received a $267,500 National Leadership Grant from IMLS to further develop HiTech:
· Introduced classes on Java script, robotics, cyber security, 3D design and printing, DNA, hovercrafts, green energy, wearable technology, and C++
· In partnership with UMBC, offered a four-day Building a Mars Rover class based on NASA’s Curiosity Rover
· Kicked off the first HCLS middle school robotics challenge
· Cyborg Glitch, second mobile game created and published by HiTech students
· HiTech students engineered and successfully launched weather balloons to capture footage from space and collect high-altitude weather data
· Added 3D printer to line-up of HiTech equipment
· Participated in the HoCo Math Festival and HoCo STEM Festival
· Advanced the Passport Center at our East Columbia Branch, exceeding expectations and setting new records; received approval to expand the initiative to our Glenwood Branch
· Awarded $250,000 in federal grant funding for HCLS Project Literacy, convening tutoring sessions and classes for 450 students
· Hosted North Africa and Middle East Culture Fest in partnership with the Columbia Association, featuring cultural demonstrations, music, dance, food, and displays
· Held five major author events: Dr. Neal Barnard, Chris Bohjalian, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Alice Hoffman, and Dr. Pamela Peeke
· Hosted the community’s Children’s Discovery Fair, bringing 600 children and caregivers to East Columbia Branch
· Held fifth annual HCLS Chess Tournament with 15 contestants taking part in the five-round Swiss system tournament
· Organized Money Matters, a financial education fair with partners including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, MakingChange, HCC, and HCPSS (700 attendees)
· Expanded the community-wide initiative, Choose Civility:
· Organized a three-part symposium, “OMG to AARP: Bridging the Multigenerational Divide” (attendance record: 650)
· Launched an expanded poster contest in partnership with HCPSS and the Columbia Association Art Center
· Inspired five official Choose Civility Chapters: Washington County, MD; Freeborn County, MN; Portland, ME; Miami, FL; and Southern MD
· Partnered with the Howard County Arts Council to display public outdoor art sculptures for a one year exhibit at three of our branches as part of ARTsites 2014
· In partnership with the Columbia Festival of the Arts, held Bookapalooza event at the Central Branch
· Collaborated with Howard County Government and the Board of Elections to hold Early Voting for both the 2014 primary and general elections at the Miller Branch
· Developed A Vision of Shared Leadership: HCLS Internal Customer Service Philosophy
· Began the construction phase of the HCLS Administrative Branch
· Opened the Savage Branch Express, an interim location during renovation of the Savage Branch
· Organized Evening in the Stacks: Vintage Vegas, entertaining more than 650 guests and raising $91,000 for our renowned signature educational initiatives
2015
· Held the Grand Opening of the HCLS Savage Branch & STEM Education Center, drawing a crowd of 3,000
· Developed Vision 2020: Education for All, HCLS’ Strategic Plan 2015-2020
· Launched a new HCLS web site, improving functionality and organizing online research tools into eight simple categories
· Expanded passport acceptance to the HCLS Glenwood Branch
· Celebrated impressive statistics:
· A record 306,000 students of all ages attended HCLS classes and events
· Set new passport acceptance facility records: 9,000 applications (East Columbia and Glenwood Branches combined)
· Drew a record 5,200 attendees to the Summer Reading Kickoff featuring Batman and his Batmobile
· Bolstered HCLSNow!
· Expanded digital collections: Overdrive to 30,499 ebooks and 20,2789 downloadable audiobooks, Axis 360 to 5,886 ebooks and 1,741 downloadable audiobooks, Zinio to 112 magazines, and hoopla to 892 comics and more than 6,000 ebooks
· Added Muzzy Online, a language-learning tool for children
· Added World Vital Records, a genealogy tool
· Added Freegal Music with 8 million songs and 15,000+ music videos
· Launched Beanstack, weekly book recommendations for parents of elementary school children
· Augmented Enchanted Garden:
· As a Friends fundraiser, published a calendar featuring stunning photos from the garden
· Celebrated Cow Appreciation Day in partnership with Clark’s Elioak Farm and Chick-fil-A
· Certified as an official Monarch Waystation
· Developed new classes for children and teens, including Green Fingers, Earth Day celebration, Seed Paper Creations, and Super Foods for Super Kids
· Enhanced HiTech
· Expanded curriculum to include classes such as Wonders of Chemistry, Anatomy Part 1, Fundamentals of Living Organisms, The Hero Factory, and Solar System Games
· Hosted STEM Past, Present and Future panel discussion on the impact of technology and education
· Held Youth Forum to gather feedback from 60 teens on their interests, experiences, and aspirations related to STEM
· Launched three HiTech Academy courses that entail 15-25 hours of coursework: The Science of Movie Making, Computer Science, and Infectious Diseases
· Hosted MSDE’s Innovation Workshop, presenting HiTech’s formation, curriculum methodologies, instructional practices, and metrics
· Hosted Caribbean Culture Fest in partnership with the Columbia Association (participants: 2,000)
· Held five major author events: Ned Tillman, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Majid Fotuhi, J. Courtney Sullivan, and Scott Stossel and Brigid Schulte
· Hosted the Children’s Discovery Fair (participants: 800)
· Convened sixth annual HCLS Chess Tournament
· Held Money Matters Scout Day
· Held ComicCon: Rise of the Heroes
· Held our first HCLS Salute to Veterans
· Presented Children’s Meet the Author events: Jonathan Axier, Kate Milford, Aaron Starmer, and Marc Tyler Nobleman
· Expanded children’s curriculum to include Frog and Toad class in conjunction with Red Branch Theater; Goats are Kids, Too with Clark’s Elioak Farm; and Cow Wars! as part of Farm City Celebration
· Successfully implemented A+ Partners in Education initiatives and events:
· Fostered more than 80,000 A+ interactions among HCLS Instructors and HCPSS/HCC faculty, students, and parents (1 Million since A+ launch in 2002)
· Held sixth annual Bookmark Content with a record 1,550 entries
· Held eighth annual HCLS Bumblebee Celebration with 33 students from 16 schools participating
· Organized the 10th annual HCLS Spelling Bee with 64 contestants
· Orchestrated eighth annual Battle of the Books with 236 teams comprising 1,200 students
· Coordinated fifth year of HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge, drawing a record 71 teams of fourth and fifth grade students (400 students)
· Taught 25 Kindergarten, Here We Come! classes
· Held Movin’-Up to Middle School classes
· Implemented year 11 of Teen Time
· Coordinated 101 Pre-K and Kindergarten field trips to HCLS branches
· Taught 755 A+ Curriculum classes
· Rang in the holiday season with Merry Melodies featuring C Street Brass in partnership with Candlelight Concert Society
· Held Early Voting at the Miller Branch in collaboration with the Howard County Government and Board of Elections
· Celebrated HCLS Project Literacy accomplishments:
· Held the 2015 HCLS Project Literacy Graduation & Awards Ceremony (6 students received high school diploma; 7 students attained U.S. citizenship)
· Taught 350 students from 43 countries (one-on-one tutoring and class settings)
· Awarded $260,000 in federal grant funding for HCLS Project Literacy
· Received Beta Partner Award from Polaris
· Won the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals Hermes Gold Award in the Photography/People/Portrait category for spring source cover photo
· Expanded Choose Civility initiative, now 125 alliance partners strong:
· Organized the annual Choose Civility Symposium, “The Ball’s in Your Court: Can Civility and Sports Coexist?”
· Convened a class taught by Terry McAuley, “Emotional Intelligence in Sports”
· Held a Youth Empowerment Summit in partnership with HCPSS for 220 middle school students
· Continued Poster Contest in partnership with HCPSS and the Columbia Association Art Center
· Inspired the Soccer Association of Columbia to adopt the new Choose Sportsmanship partner initiative
· Hosted #HoCoCivility blog party in partnership with HoCoBlogs and Seasons52
· Organized Evening in the Stacks: Black Ties _ White Diamonds, hosting more than 625 guests and raising a record $105,000 for signature educational initiatives
2016
· Celebrated 75th Anniversary with culminating event, Celebrate 75, including the HCLS Chapters-of-our-Lives Time Capsule Installation Ceremony (Attendees: 1,600)
· Awarded Daily Record “Innovator of the Year”
· Won the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals Hermes Platinum Award in the Photography/People/Portrait category for summer source Add italics cover photo
· Held a Groudbreaking Ceremony for the new HCLS Elkridge Branch + DIY Education Center, drawing a crowd of 200
· Implemented \”Say Hi\” campaign, featuring HCLS staff members to promote HCLS e-content such as downloadable magazines and music streaming
· Celebrated impressive statistics:
· 308,000 class and event attendance and 1.8 million research assistance interactions
· HCLS instructors taught 1,200 classes – 876 children’s classes and 337 teen classes Adult classes?
· Set new passport acceptance facility records: 10,700 applications and 6,520 photos taken (East Columbia and Glenwood Branches combined)
· Items borrowed totaled 7.9 million
· Drew 29,000 students of all ages to Summer Reading Club; began tracking participation in languages other than English (22 different languages)
· Bolstered HCLSNow!
· Expanded digital collections Overdrive, Axis 360, Zinio, and hoopla, as well as Beanstack, an email book recommendation service for parents
· Upgraded TumbleBooks subscription as part of A+ Partnership
· Added PressReader: 5,000 online newspapers from 100 countries in 60 languages
· Added Maryland’s Digital NewsBank, which provides text-only digital versions of 45 local Maryland newspapers
· Added OneClickdigital Classic eBook Collection
· Added specialized online research tools: Home Improvement, Hobbies and Crafts, Professional Development, Small Engine Repair, and Teachers
· Added Lynda.com (3,600 online video classes)
· Launched Niche Academy, online tool that provides step-by-step video tutorials on how to use popular eContent platforms
· Added Pronunciator (4,000 online language courses in 80 languages)
· Augmented Enchanted Garden:
· As Monarch Waystation, tagged and released monarchs
· Developed new classes for children and teens: Can You Dig It?, Monet in May, and Terrific Terrariums
· Introduced Green Fingers, a club for 6-8 year olds
· Enhanced HiTech:
· Expanded curriculum to include classes such as Sports Science, Diving into Living Things, Cosmology, Technology and Science of Jewelry, and Dissecting the STEM in Movies
· Implemented “open lab” at HCLS Savage Branch
· Released Train the Trainer pilot
· Launched Computer Science and Infectious Disease Academies
· Incorporated Launchpads, rechargeable Android tablets for children, pre-loaded with ad-free learning apps
· Introduced the lending of HCLS-branded tote bags
· Implemented automatic renewal of borrowed material
· Added six GIANT Word Winders (one for each branch) and one GIANT Math Winder
· Hosted both Eastern European and Western European Culture Fests in partnership with the Columbia Association (audience at each: 2,000)
· Hosted Cal Ripken (the event filled in four minutes for a standing-room-only audience of 350 children and adults)
· Held five major author events: Sarah Pekkanen, Elaine Eff, Sue Eisenfeld, Drew Magary, Nadia Hasimi, John Shields, Madan Vasishta, and Kerry Hannon
· Partnered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to present three workshops on intellectual property and how to prepare patent and trademark applications
· Introduced After-Hours Recess for adults
· Expanded art curriculum, adding Grown-up Coloring Books and Sketching Studio classes
· Collaborated with HCPD and Howard County Fire and Rescue Services on Community Safety Day
· Partnered with HCPD to deliver the following line-up of classes: \”Identity Theft,\” \”Avoiding Financial Exploitation, Frauds and Scams,\” and \”Coffee with a Cop”
· Hosted the Children’s Discovery Fair (participants: 700)
· Convened seventh annual HCLS Chess Tournament
· Presented “My Friend the Firefighter” class in collaboration with Howard County Fire and Rescue
· Partnered with Downtown Columbia Partnership on a Discover Downtown Columbia 5K/Fun Run
· Developed a curriculum of 3D printing classes
· Held poetry salon in partnership with Little Patuxent Review
· Extended systemwide cinema series, On Screen (New Release Cinema and Family Film Night)
· In partnership with Candlelight Concert Society, hosted performance featuring top Peabody Conservatory vocalists
· Rang in the holiday season with Camerata Musica, a Columbia-based Madrigals group
· Presented Meet the Author events for children: Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell, Luis Carlos Montalvan, and Martha Clarke
· Held Crocodile Encounters with National Geographic Explorer Dr. Brady Barr
· Held two workshops: \”Sing and Dance Class with Peter Rabbit\” and \”Musical Writing Workshop\”, partnering with Red Branch Theatre
· Hosted science-based classes for children, including \”Fall Into Science” and \”Chemistry in the Library\”
· Taught space exploration and astronomy classes for children, including \”Over the Moon Astronomy Nights,\” \”Messenger – The Extreme Machine,\” \”Marvel Moon,\” and \”Astronomy Night.\”
· Organized 9th Annual Teen Edible Books Contest
· Hosted instructors from The Pen Boutique for teen writing and penmanship class
· Presented Squishy Circuits Workshop as part of APL’s Girl Power event.
· Hosted, in partnership with Oakland Mills Middle School, a Twitter Chat on e-resources
· Augmented HCLS support of National History Day by offering middle schoolers one-on-one instructional sessions
· Successfully implemented A+ Partners in Education initiatives and events:
· Fostered more than 80,000 A+ interactions among HCLS Instructors and HCPSS/HCC faculty, students and parents (1.1 Million since A+ launch in 2002)
· Held seventh annual Bookmark Contest with a record 1,200 entries
· Held ninth annual HCLS Bumblebee Celebration with 39 students
· Organized 11th annual HCLS Spelling Bee with 67 contestants
· Orchestrated ninth annual Battle of the Books with 283 teams comprising 1,400 students
· Coordinated sixth year of HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge, drawing a record 87 teams of fourth and fifth grade students (400 students)
· Taught 24 Kindergarten, Here We Come! classes
· Held 7 Movin’-Up to Middle School classes
· Implemented year 12 of Teen Time
· Coordinated 71 Pre-K and Kindergarten field trips to HCLS branches
· Taught 800 A+ Curriculum classes
· Held Early Voting at the Miller Branch in collaboration with the Howard County Government and Board of Elections
· For HCLS Project Literacy, taught 400 students from 43 countries (one-on-one tutoring and class settings)
· Awarded $260,000 in federal grant funding for HCLS Project Literacy
· Expanded Choose Civility initiative, now 125 alliance partners strong:
· Organized Choose Civility Symposium, “Would You Say that to My Face?”
· Held Youth Empowerment Summit in partnership with HCPSS for 210 middle school students
· Continued Poster Contest in partnership with HCPSS and the Columbia Association Art Center
· Hosted Choose Civility Power Ups on topics covering social media and human resources
· Organized Evening in the Stacks: Black-Eyed Susan Ball, hosting nearly 700 guests and raising a record $103,000 for signature educational initiatives
2017
· Held an open house to celebrate the re-opening of the HCLS Central Branch (Audience: 2,000)
· Team HCLS won the Howard County Fair Iron Chef Competition
· Awarded “Best in Show” by ALA’s PR Xchange Awards for the fall 2016 issue of source, and Hermes Awards for HCLS Now! campaign, fall 2016 source cover, and HiJinx podcast episode 3
· Hosted HCLS Project Literacy Graduation & Awards Ceremony – six students received their high school diplomas, 13 students attained U.S. citizenship, 114 students were recognized for Outstanding Participation, and 86 students were honored for Academic Achievement (Audience: 300)
· Celebrated impressive statistics:
· 340,000 class and event attendance and 1.5 million research assistance interactions
· HCLS instructors taught 1,069 classes – 917 children’s classes and 152 teen classes – adult?
· Set new passport acceptance facility records: 10,701 applications and 6,880 photos taken
· Items borrowed exceeded 8 million
· Drew 25,000 students of all ages to Summer Reading Club; tracked participation in languages other than English (26 different languages)
· Bolstered HCLSNow!
· Expanded digital collections Overdrive, Lynda.com, Muzzy, PressReader, Gale Virtual Library, Niche Academy, Archives Unbound
· Launched cloudLibrary to replace Axis360
· Added ArtistWorks, an online music class provider
· Added Rosetta Stone Online
· Added Baltimore Afro-American, 19th and 20th century editions of the Baltimore Sun and other 19th Century U.S. newspapers to digital newspaper archives
· Re-imagined the summer reading curriculum as Summer @ Your Library, taking it online
· Introduced ukulele kits and instruction into curriculum
· Augmented print and audio materials with the addition of VOX Books, all-in-one read-alongs, Indestructibles, ultra-durable books for babies, and ESL Locks, pre-loaded eReader devices featuring curated content
· Augmented Enchanted Garden:
· Designated East Columbia Branch as Monarch Waystation, involving Teen Time students
· Developed new classes for children and teens: Pokemon Meetups, Valentine’s Day with Seed Pops, Build a Fairy House, and Marvelous Nature: Birds in Winter
· Hosted first Community Seed Swap (participants: 30)
· Enhanced HiTech:
· Expanded curriculum to include classes such as Virtual Reality, Forensic Science, Video Game Design, Sound Effects, Advanced Robotics Challenge, and Anatomy of Computers
· Expanded classes to Central and Glenwood Branches
· Continued “Open STEM Labs” at Central and Savage Branches
· Coordinated site visits to STEM-related companies as part of HiTech Academies, including NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, National Cryptologic Museum, HCGH, and Mindgrub
· Hosted HiTech STEM Youth Conference, showcasing Virtual Reality, Chemistry, Mobile App Testing, and Robotics
· Introduced HiTech Classes for Adults at Savage and Central Branches
· Hosted Mexican and Central America Culture Fest in partnership with the Columbia Association (participants: 1,500)
· In partnership with ArtSites, displayed outdoor art sculpture at Central Branch
· Held eight adult author events: Chicamamanda Adichie, Forrest Pritchard, Ray Suarez, Ned Tillman, Sarah Kaufman, Maggie Leffler, Willy Conley, and Toby Devens
· Launched test proctoring systemwide
· Expanded passport photo service systemwide
· Expanded adult curriculum, adding Adult News Class and Be a Smart User of Smart Tech
· Expanded art curriculum, adding etegami and mandala stone-painting classes
· Awarded pop-up Bill of Rights exhibition from the National Archives and Records Administration displayed at the Central Branch
· Collaborated with HCPD and Howard County Fire and Rescue Services on Community Safety Day
· Continued to partner with HCPD to deliver Community Conversation classes
· Participated in Children’s Discovery Fair (participants: 800)
· Convened eighth annual HCLS Chess Tournament
· Presented “My Friend the Firefighter” class in collaboration with Howard County Fire and Rescue
· Partnered with Downtown Columbia Partnership on a Discover Downtown Columbia 5K/Fun Run
· Hosted first-ever Pokemon Crawl (participants: 220)
· Partnered with Downtown Columbia Partnership to host a Book Festival at the new Chrysalis venue and surrounding Symphony Woods
· Hosted performance by Irish and folk music group Charm City Junction in partnership with Candlelight Society (Audience: 185)
· Rang in the holiday season with Camerata Musica, a Columbia-based Madrigals group
· Presented Meet the Author events for children: Kate Hannigan and Liz and Jimmy Reed
· Partnered with Grimm + Parker Architects to teach Cardboard City class for children
· Took part in Maryland STEM Festival, teaching 23 classes for children and teens with STEM focus, including Star Wars STEM Force, Electronic Explorations: Invent a Throwing Arm, and Computer Guts
· Held Money Matters Scout Badge Day (participants: 300)
· Held Sing and Dance Class with Peter Rabbit for children in partnership with Red Branch Theatre
· Hosted several science-based classes for children, including Fall Into Science and Chemistry in the Library
· Taught four space classes for children, including Over the Moon Astronomy Nights, Messenger – The Extreme Machine, Marvel Moon, and Astronomy Night
· Organized 10th Annual Teen Edible Books Contest
· Presented Squishy Circuits Workshop as part of APL’s Girl Power event
· Augmented HCLS support of National History Day by offering middle schoolers one-on-one instructional sessions
· Successfully implemented A+ Partners in Education initiatives and events:
· Fostered more than 102,000 A+ interactions among HCLS Instructors and HCPSS/HCC faculty, students and parents (1.2 Million since A+ launch in 2002)
· Held ninth annual Bookmark Contest
· Held ninth annual HCLS Bumblebee Celebration with 47 students
· Organized the 12th annual HCLS Spelling Bee with 67 contestants
· Orchestrated tenth annual Battle of the Books with 286 teams comprising 1,500 students
· Coordinated sixth year of HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge, drawing 43 teams of fourth and fifth grade students
· Taught 27 Kindergarten, Here We Come! classes
· Held seven Movin-Up to Middle School classes
· Implemented year 13 of Teen Time
· Coordinated 82 Pre-K and Kindergarten field trips to HCLS branches
· Taught 1,069 A+ Curriculum classes
· Held Early Voting at the Miller Branch in collaboration with the Howard County Government and Board of Elections
· Taught 300 students from 43 countries through HCLS Project Literacy (one-on-one tutoring and class settings)
· Awarded $270,000 in federal grant funding for HCLS Project Literacy
· Expanded Choose Civility initiative, now 125 alliance partners strong:
· Organized Longest Table event held at Howard Community College
· Held all-day Coding for Community Hackathon for middle and high school students
· Hosted Human Library event at the Miller Branch featuring many facets of our diverse community (participants: 200)
· Hosted Community Dialogue Circles during which community members discussed potentially divisive issues in a respectful and productive manner, presented in partnership with HCC’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center and #OneHoward
· Introduced HiTails Ambassadors in partnership with Howard County Animal Control, an initiative where students aged 6 to 15 read to shelter animals
· Initiated Pass It On campaign to disseminate and track 200 copies of Dr. Forni’s book, Choosing Civility: the 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct
· Introduced Random Acts of Civility campaign to document a year of Kindness in Howard County
· Continued Choose Civility Poster Contest in partnership with HCPSS and the Columbia Association Art Center
· Partnered with Howard County Government’s #OneHoward campaign, serving on steering committee. Participated in #OneHoward’s facilitator training, a County Administration initiative
· Partnered with Columbia Association to convene Columbia Dialogue Series, facilitating small group discussions in each village on the intersections of race, class and culture, called
· Organized Evening in the Stacks: An International Affair, entertaining 600 guests and raising a record $110,000 for signature educational initiatives
2018
· Tonya Kennon joined the HCLS team as President & CEO
