2022
Annual Report
Connecting the People of North Central Washington to vital resources and opportunities that foster individual growth and strengthen communities.
Dear Neighbor,
At NCW Libraries, everyone is welcome, and everyone belongs. We are committed to providing safe places for everyone in our diverse and vibrant communities to gather, connect, and access library resources, no matter their beliefs, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Our communities are stronger when we make space for each other, respecting each other’s differences and finding common ground.
Libraries provide a beautiful and unique opportunity for us all to engage in civil discourse, listen to new perspectives, and honor each other’s humanity even as we recognize and honor the ways we are different. This is how we will strengthen our communities for the future.
Thank you for joining us in making space for each other at the library.
Sincerely,
Barbara Walters
Board of Trustees
Staff
NCW Libraries employs 196 staff members who are passionate about providing excellent library service to our communities through our 30 library locations, 2 community bookmobiles, our online catalog, mail order library, and website.
Dedicated to Promoting Freedom & Empowerment
NCW Libraries is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all individuals to use our resources and services. We join the American Library Association and public libraries across the nation in championing and defending the freedom to speak, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read, as promised by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
2022 Budget Summary
NCW Libraries provides library card holders with free access to tons of materials including ebooks, eaudiobooks, and excellent online resources offering homework help, test prep, consumer research, work skills development, language learning, and more 24/7. View our our Budgets page for more information about our annual budgets.
| Property Taxes |
$14,126,870
|
| Intergovernmental Revenue |
$298,519
|
| Charges for Services – Printing and Copy Fees |
$12,006
|
| Revenue from Contracting Cities |
$382,002
|
| Fines – Lost and Damaged Materials |
$14,484
|
| Misc Revenue – Investment Interest, Gifts, Etc. |
$190,433
|
| Total Revenue |
$15,024,315
|
| Personnel – Wages & Benefits for 199 full time and part time employees |
$9,258,393
|
| Library Materials – Print, Digital, Other Physical, and Non-Traditional Items |
$2,211,932
|
| Branch Library and Program Supplies |
$311,391
|
| Professional Services for Library Programs |
$302,050
|
| Mail Order Library Postage |
$171,718
|
| IT – Equipment, Software, Hardware, Phone, Internet |
$708,060
|
| Advertising |
$89,497
|
| Facilities – Supplies, Fuel, Utilities, Rentals and Leases, Small Equipment, Professional Services, Repairs and Maintenance |
$600,476
|
| Maintenance & Use Agreement Payments to Building Owners |
$363,724
|
| Administration, Liability Insurance, and Staff Training |
$461,877
|
| Capital Outlay for Owned Assets |
$59,064
|
| Mileage, Public Service Rentals & Leases, and Other Miscellaneous |
$133,595
|
| Total Expenditures |
$14,671,777
|
The Library District manages its budget to be good stewards of public investment, making sure that budgeted expenditures do not exceed revenues.
View all Data Insights & Key Findings
| Checkouts of Physical Materials |
823,698
|
| Checkouts of Digital Materials |
415,577
|
| Hours Spent in Online Learning |
2,707
|
| Number of Mail Order Library Packages Sent |
34,914
|
| Number of Book Club Kits Circulated |
781
|
| Number of Classroom Kits Circulated |
100
|
| Number of Library of Things Items Circulated |
1,642
|
| Number of Interlibrary Loan Items Sent to Other Libraries |
5,092
|
| Number of Interlibrary Loan Received from Other Libraries |
4,388
|
| Number of New Materials Added to the Collection (physical) |
5,092
|
| Checkouts of Spanish Materials |
11,204
|
| Number of New Digital Items (Hoopla & Libby) |
203,496
|
| Number of Virtual Programs |
114
|
| Number of Virtual Programs Attendees |
2,905
|
| Number of In Person Programs (all ages) |
1,625
|
| Number of In Person Program Attendees (all ages) |
26,827
|
| Number of Participants in the Summer Library Program (all ages) |
5,712
|
| Number of Beanstack Reading Challenge Participants in 2022 |
1,462
|
| Number of STEM Programs |
79
|
| Number of STEM Program Attendees |
1,720
|
| Library Curbside Hours Offered |
4,786
|
| Library Curbside Visits |
1,957
|
| Annual Public Service Hours (open hours) |
53,518
|
| Virtual Reference Transactions |
2,677
|
Your Trust, Our Responsibility
We are a valuable resource for every member of our diverse communities. We provide you with exceptional customer service from an unbiased perspective and always respect your right to privacy and intellectual freedom.
Growing Together: Nurturing Personal & Community Development
We keep you connected to our changing world and your own curiosity. We listen and respond to your wants and needs with dependable and evolving services, entertaining and thought-provoking content, culturally enriching activities, and access to new technologies.
Children's craft kits handed out
Embrace Learning: Discovering Together
When you need information, we can help you find it. Whether you’re teaching a child to read, learning a new language, developing a new skill, or updating your resume, our robust collections and compelling programs make lifelong learning fun.
Attended library programs
We Build Community Together
We celebrate the diversity of North Central Washington, bringing together people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life. Our welcoming and comfortable facilities provide a place for you to gather and exchange ideas – and we are just as likely to meet you out in the community as in one of our libraries. We work alongside you to build partnerships, facilitate connections, and contribute to your community’s sense of identity and civic vitality.
Examples of our community partnerships in 2022:
- Teen Short Fiction Writing Competition with Write on the River
- StoryWalks with the Chelan Douglas Land Trust, Wenatchee River Institute, Chelan Valley Farms, Manson High School, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Ferry County Rail Trail, and LINK Transit
- COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics with Grant County Health District
- End of Year Harvest Festival and Dia de lost Muertos Festival with Parque Padrinos
- UMANI Festival in Moses Lake
- Hour of Code with Pinnacles Prep
- Low Waste Holiday Tips & Tricks with Sustainable NCW
Celebrating our Vibrant Cultural Tapestry
NCW Libraries is committed to highlighting the stories, voices, experiences, and work of the Latinx community during Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year.
In October, we were privileged to host Ricardo Ruiz, a first generation Mexican American poet, to read from his newly released book of poetry, We Had Our Reasons/Teníamos Nuestras Razones. 65 attendees came to events in Mattawa, Quincy, and Wenatchee. Our Wenatchee Event was in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College.
Ricardo is the son of potato factory workers and grew up in Othello, WA. His work often draws from his experience as a first-generation Mexican-American. He is passionate about elevating the marginalized voices from rural communities and takes pride in being a conduit for cultural connection.
His bilingual poetry illuminates the stories of migrant and agricultural Latinx workers in Central Washington. Many attendees at each event shared their deep gratitude to Ricardo, saying that his stories were their stories. NCW Libraries is committed to centering and learning from the stories and experiences of the communities in our region.
Art as a Path to Learning and Connection
Our service managers are committed to highlighting vibrant, talented, and local experts in NCW. Serving our Latinx communities is a priority as we look to the future.
In the fall, local Artist and Therapist Martha Flores led five bilingual (Spanish/English) art classes for adults at NCW Libraries locations across Grant, Chelan, and Okanogan counties. Over forty community members participated in these classes.
Martha was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador and immigrated to California in 1962 where she enrolled at California State University earning both a Masters in Fine Arts and a Masters in Psychology. She has published books of poetry in both English and Spanish. Martha has worked as a mental health counselor for 30 years and has called Wenatchee home since 1992.
Martha is a whole hearted believer in art as therapy. Her classes invited participants to explore self expression and play through painting. She believes art is a pathway to learning about ourselves and connecting with our community.
NCW Libraries is incredibly proud to partner with local artists, like Martha, who represent our beautifully diverse and creative community.
Adult Services Manager, Alicia O’Dell said, “What a joy to offer a program that integrates art and well being. ”
Strengthen Our Communities Together
NCW Libraries strives to invest in community partnerships with the goal of centering and amplifying the incredible stories and experiences of everyone in our diverse communities, especially those that have been historically marginalized and silenced from the broader cultural narrative.
During Native American Heritage Month, we were honored to partner with the Indigenous Roots and Reparation Foundation, a local non profit, to host author and Mdewakanton descendant, Diane Wilson to hear about her book, The Seed Keeper.
The Indigenous Roots and Reparation Foundation’s Executive Director, Mary Big Bull Lewis, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribe, moderated the virtual conversation with fifty participants zooming in.
Diane is an award winning writer and educator, who has published four books as well as essays in numerous publications. She is the former Executive Director for Dream of Wild Health, an Indigenous non-profit farm, and the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, a national coalition of tribes and organizations working to create sovereign food systems for Native people.
We all enjoyed hearing Mary and Diane’s rich conversation that expanded beyond the book and into their collective work on food sovereignty, the power of sharing stories, and the interconnectedness of land and humans.
Thank You!
NCW Libraries represents the incredibly vibrant and diverse communities that live, work, and play in North Central Washington. Our goal for 2023 and beyond is to better reflect that diversity in our programs, resources, and services. We are stronger together!
We are grateful for the community and for the tireless support of our board, staff, Friends of the Library groups, and partners.
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