The library has a board policy that includes a token recognition for employees for every 5 years of employment at the library. By token, I mean that at 10 years the employee was awarded $25, and at 20 years the award has climbed to $50, and at 30 years it hits $100. A nice recognition, but nothing to change minds when considering a change in employment. Based on a recommendation from employees, a board policy change was put into play and passed the policy review subcommittee. The new policy award amounts were increased roughly by 10x. So under the new schedule, at 10 years the employee would be recognized with a $200 bonus. At the high end, 30+ years, employees would see bonuses over $1000 every five years. While I'm sure our long-term employees love this, as a board member, I see issues with a 10x increase in monetary bonuses for longevity and the message it sends:
1. In my experience in large corporations, we had token recognitions similar to those in the original schedule. My spouse works for the local park district and received much less for her anniversary than our original schedule provided - a true, non-monetary token. I don't understand why library workers should be rewarded so generously when other workers don't see these kinds of bonuses in similar public and private jobs. I understand that some companies do pay more generous bonuses, but that hasn't been my experience at all. In sum, it's too much!
2. One of the reasons purported for this increase is to increase retention. We don't have a retention problem during normal times, and in these hard economic times, we really don't have a retention problem. I believe a case could be made that a little more turnover could be good for us -- many of the good ideas we've heard from employees are coming from recent hires.
3. While the original schedule is mostly a token, this new money is not a token -- it is really additional compensation. This would apply to all employees, and we have a large percentage of part timers. So at 10 years, this bonus might amount to a week's pay! For the full-timers, this is probably closer to a day's pay at 10 years, but would be closer to a week's pay at 30 years. This seems unfair to me, although other schedules that take differences in pay into account would likely be much more complex -- this isn't good either. Another point this brings up is that this has not been treated like a compensation policy. We approve salary ranges yearly, but this move did not consider the impact to salary ranges. If an employee is at the top of their range, do they get the bonus? I don't know, and I can see arguments on both sides of that issue.
4. This costs money. Our financial person estimated that we would increase our expenses roughly .1% of our budget, or roughly .2% of our budget for salaries and bonuses. While this appears minimal, it's another step to spend more money on employees and less elsewhere, like programs and books. And as mentioned above, this doesn't appear to be an investment with positive payback. It also pays out more as the employee nears retirement. Does this increase retirement costs for these employees? That's my bet. Was that taken into account in our numbers? I doubt it.
5. Any increase of 10x in a cost seems excessive in the current economic and political environment. I'm not sure if any of our local taxpayers are seeing such an increase in any of their compensation/bonus plans.
Preferred Alternative
I understand that employees don't see much benefit to receiving a token bonus. However, I feel the bonus is only a token of our appreciation and shouldn't be considered a way to get a windfall every five years and to juice retirement pay. My preferred alternative is to keep the schedule as it is, and to offer other forms of compensation or bonus that aren't tied to staying in a job, but are rewards for good ideas and for work behaviors that we want to see more of, merit rewards. I feel that the library director would be responsible for details about this kind of bonus program, and for operating it. The library gets value out of this kind of program -- better customer service, new ideas, more qualified and informed employees, etc. Examples of ways to accomplish this that I would prefer would be expanding the top of the salary ranges to allow higher performers to earn higher salaries without promotions, or a bonus program for ongoing education and certification, including library topics and customer service skills. With these incentive plans, at least we would be making an effort to follow our values with respect to the library and to the librarian.
With a high-payout anniversary bonus program, the value the library receives appears to be possibly retaining employees with more than ten or fifteen years of experience at the library, at least until after collecting an anniversary bonus. While there are savings in hiring and training, there are costs, especially lost opportunity costs, bad pr, and program costs, that weigh against this program, in my mind reducing or eliminating value to the library. If we're investing new money in a compensation program, I'd prefer it to provide value.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Library Planning Concept - Sources of Funding
I wanted a place to track some ideas about where our local library could fit in the community in the next five to ten years. Earlier writeups described scenarios for future technology support and usage, as well as where the library has a physical presense in the community. I now want to move away from those (predominately) “sinks” of funding to focus on sources of funding for our local library. In this case, I will focus on a few areas that I feel are worth exploring, as they key on some strengths of our library, as well as trying to overcome some weaknesses. Your mileage may vary, as they say, since your library’s strengths and weaknesses will be different. See if there are any ideas here that are new to you, and let me know.
Our library is currently funded about 98% by tax dollars. The remaining funding consists of donations from the library Friends organization, non-governmental grants, sale or auction of assets (including media), “gifts” from developers of property, investment returns, and gifts from patrons. Another source of non-tax funds is fees and fines, although in our library’s case this will be shrinking based on recent policy changes. I have outlined some areas that could be evaluated by a library director to consider for expanding non-tax funding. I would suggest in a library our size, about $4mm annual budget, should have a director or designate spend at least 25% of their time on evaluating and pursuing additional revenues in this way -- I believe the “low-hanging” projects in this list could generate a substantial return on this time investment -- at least in our case. Benefits achieved could be used for mitigating tax increases and to building the value of the library by investing in physical plant and services.
1. Tax income
a. Review policies and procedures to annex and de-annex property not covered by library service
b. Review policies and procedures to capture non-resident fees
c. Evaluate opportunities to merge with neighboring library districts. If neighboring libraries aren’t district libraries, investigate whether the municipal library neighbors would consider becoming a district if we see any joint benefit. Consider property changes if there is sense to library and taxpayers.
d. Evaluate appropriation policy - budget to cover costs or target specific amounts (zero based or growth based budgeting)
2. Personal Giving
a. Build a strong, visible and active non-profit Foundation. Determine proper support of foundations dedicated to the library
b. Nurture strong, visible, and active Friends organization. Create agreements of how funding requests occur and how programs are funded (our Friends funds programs at the library and at the local Park District).
c. Create an approach to handling legacy requests, including marketing and recognition programs, naming options.
d. Consider approaches to handling other requests for gifts, including ways to provide donor recognition.
e.
3. Corporate Giving
a. Determine best approach to target local businesses, including whether to target general requests or specific project funding requests.
b. Build relationships with large and small local businesses to help determine what funding amount and projects would be considered.
c. Consider approaches to marketing to possible corporate donors and methods of donor recognition.
d. Evaluate future opportunities for developer donations in district.
4. Sourcing
a. Evaluate strengths of library that can become the base for sourcing to other entities. For instance, provide outsourced librarians to local school districts, local colleges, and local corporations.
5. Grants
a. Determine policy on competing for grants. Invest more time and effort in grants tied to strategic projects. Evaluate needs for dedicated grants writer.
6. Asset sales
a. Continue providing donated and culled media assets to Friends and Better World Books for resale. Optimize return and control of funds by considering other auction approaches for media assets, including direct eBay/Amazon sales of highly valued media.
b. Look for other sources of assets that might be valued more by others than by the library. For instance, donated or purchased art items may no longer fit the library and could be auctioned.
c. Consider options for library owned real property. Is there value in selling or trading any property?
7. Investment returns
a. Optimize short term investment returns of working capital.
b. Optimize longer term accounts, such as Special Reserves for future projects.
c. Consider investments that throw off intermediate returns as well as planning for future expenditures. For instance, would purchasing property for future expansion allow us to make short-term income, such as parking fees or rents?
8. Fines and usage fees
a. Optimize fine and fee schedules to limit community pain while maintaining or growing specific usage fees -- for instance should excessive interlibrary loan requests include a postage or administration fee? A goal would be to ensure requests well beyond the normal/common are paid for at least in part by the requestor.
9. Media selection
a. Consider “subscription” or sponsorship service to sell some choice in media acquisition to subscriber. For instance, a Dr. Who fan could donate $25 per year to the library with the understanding that the library will purchase more Dr. Who videos than in the past. This could also target specific media, such as XBox games, or a business need such as specific types of managerial books.
10. Asset creation and sale/licensing
a. Consider information assets that can be created or packaged by the library that could be offered to the public.
i. Local history information, packaged in DVDs for sale.
ii. Local genealogy information, including public records such as detailed historic census info, as well as library generated information such as cemetery records, house histories, and historic pictures packaged as data DVDs.
iii. Lisle information packages for Chamber of Commerce and realtor usage.
b. Consider information assets that can be created that could be offered to other libraries.
i. Software applications for new uses of catalog.
ii. Process documentation that can be packaged and sold to other libraries, such as catalog evaluation criteria, shared laptop cleaning processes, etc.
iii. Migration of needed apps to new platforms, such as iPad, Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Windows 7, etc.
iv. Training material for new technology uses.
v. Consulting, such as sharing or leading processes to generate a library strategic plan.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Library planning scenario - Technology
This is another focus view of where our local library district could find itself in five to ten years. This is one scenario that could occur given events and decisions likely to play out over the next few years.
The library is as known for technology usage as it was for books twenty years ago. Residents and other users of the library, including students at local colleges and trade schools, preschoolers going to school in the district, and businessmen and women working in the district, have been able to use the library to review new and not-so-new technology, to take classes to learn new things, to use technology to better showcase their own creativity, and to participate in collaborations with others, such as electronic meeting rooms that host real-time book club discussions and bulletin boards.
Where libraries have traditionally focused on information in print, our library was also focused on providing meeting spaces for patrons. With technology, we have been able to have an impact on both. In the print world, we still see users demanding their traditional bound paper books and periodicals, and those are still provided, although we are seeing our mix shift to providing additional digital books, both e-books for readers as well as downloadable audio books. The library has been able to find vendors that can provide our patrons with almost immediate access to millions of books and periodicals through a subscription kept by the library, downloadable to their reader device. As there are still many of these in existence, an effort is made to support the top three or four devices with their proper formats, and the library has a technology policy in place to ensure that our patrons can make technology decisions and can count on us to provide content support for a specified period of time, much like a software vendor defines support for a version of a software package.
While patrons no longer need to visit the library building if they download content over the internet, they can come to the library to see new devices on display and be able to checked out new readers and players to try them out. This was accomplished in part through grants from some of the same companies that sell the readers and players, as a way to broaden their audience.
The library has taken a number of steps beyond the sharing platforms used exclusively by the book clubs to track meetings and readings, and now offers a software meeting place that can also handle live interaction between people discussing a book. This can be accomplished at any time using chat, but during the physical book club meeting, people can participate from remote locations, viewing a video and audio feed of the meetings. This same technology is made available to patrons to run their non-business meetings, and has been widely used by scouting groups, homeowners associations, interest clubs, etc. The library has partnered with software service vendors to make available web-based collaboration spaces that have tools that can be used to maintain typical small to medium scale local endevors, including governance capabilities, archiving of out-of-date information, group calendars, and live online meetings.
How was this progress possible? One move was tied to the realization that a single person charged with IT tends to be overwhelmed with operational issues and didn't have time for all of the planning issues involved with looking far ahead. By dividing the job into two, the operations IT side got the optimization that saved some budget -- including sunsetting applications when no longer useful or valuable. The planning side got a czar that could review the technology (hardware, software, services) that could be brought into the library, generate the grant requests to fund them, and manage the relationships with local colleges for technical help. The planning czar also is responsible for a local technology focus group that provides guidance for the future direction of the library. This group was developed as a superset of the city's technology planning commission.
One of the other focuses that has enabled a mid-size suburb to excel in the technology options they offer their patrons is the focus on the practical side of technology. This includes the adaption of limited sets of technology that was not in the mainstream but which had a specific use tied to the goals of the library and the community. For instance, while computers or iPad-type devices start at around $500, the library chose instead to focus on the use of small sub-$100 computers (think Chumby or mini iPad) to display library information at the library as well as community information at local businesses, hotels, restaurants, train stations, and government offices. Funded through a unique grant with the Chamber of Commerce and paid for in part through hotel taxes, the library was able to provide a platform to share community news and information provided by local media outlets, including the Tribune and AOL. Other "advances" that were not cutting edge included supporting cell phone device access to the catalog.
The library also began offering additional sources of local information. After a trial of a number of local information sources, patrons repsonded positively to having a fire and police radio broadcast over the internet. They also liked the video feeds of the library so they could see how busy the library was, including the seating areas and the computer availability. They also appreciated live videocasting of local events such as the French Market -- this allowed people to see what was being offered before they left their homes. The live broadcasts of local government meetings was not popular, but recorded sessions were heavily used.
Technology also played a role in other new offerings of the library, including video and audio production capabilities that patrons could use by checking out time on the systems. Students developed films and art projects and created documentaries for radio, including displays for our local history museums. Another offering was the support of a "maker space" in conjunction with local hobbiest groups -- a sort of meeting area for physical creation.
Future writeups are planned to discuss two additional focus areas, 1) the marketing of the library and 2) how the library fits in a broader political context, the library's "meta-place". I'm hoping I just coined that term...
The library is as known for technology usage as it was for books twenty years ago. Residents and other users of the library, including students at local colleges and trade schools, preschoolers going to school in the district, and businessmen and women working in the district, have been able to use the library to review new and not-so-new technology, to take classes to learn new things, to use technology to better showcase their own creativity, and to participate in collaborations with others, such as electronic meeting rooms that host real-time book club discussions and bulletin boards.
Where libraries have traditionally focused on information in print, our library was also focused on providing meeting spaces for patrons. With technology, we have been able to have an impact on both. In the print world, we still see users demanding their traditional bound paper books and periodicals, and those are still provided, although we are seeing our mix shift to providing additional digital books, both e-books for readers as well as downloadable audio books. The library has been able to find vendors that can provide our patrons with almost immediate access to millions of books and periodicals through a subscription kept by the library, downloadable to their reader device. As there are still many of these in existence, an effort is made to support the top three or four devices with their proper formats, and the library has a technology policy in place to ensure that our patrons can make technology decisions and can count on us to provide content support for a specified period of time, much like a software vendor defines support for a version of a software package.
While patrons no longer need to visit the library building if they download content over the internet, they can come to the library to see new devices on display and be able to checked out new readers and players to try them out. This was accomplished in part through grants from some of the same companies that sell the readers and players, as a way to broaden their audience.
The library has taken a number of steps beyond the sharing platforms used exclusively by the book clubs to track meetings and readings, and now offers a software meeting place that can also handle live interaction between people discussing a book. This can be accomplished at any time using chat, but during the physical book club meeting, people can participate from remote locations, viewing a video and audio feed of the meetings. This same technology is made available to patrons to run their non-business meetings, and has been widely used by scouting groups, homeowners associations, interest clubs, etc. The library has partnered with software service vendors to make available web-based collaboration spaces that have tools that can be used to maintain typical small to medium scale local endevors, including governance capabilities, archiving of out-of-date information, group calendars, and live online meetings.
How was this progress possible? One move was tied to the realization that a single person charged with IT tends to be overwhelmed with operational issues and didn't have time for all of the planning issues involved with looking far ahead. By dividing the job into two, the operations IT side got the optimization that saved some budget -- including sunsetting applications when no longer useful or valuable. The planning side got a czar that could review the technology (hardware, software, services) that could be brought into the library, generate the grant requests to fund them, and manage the relationships with local colleges for technical help. The planning czar also is responsible for a local technology focus group that provides guidance for the future direction of the library. This group was developed as a superset of the city's technology planning commission.
One of the other focuses that has enabled a mid-size suburb to excel in the technology options they offer their patrons is the focus on the practical side of technology. This includes the adaption of limited sets of technology that was not in the mainstream but which had a specific use tied to the goals of the library and the community. For instance, while computers or iPad-type devices start at around $500, the library chose instead to focus on the use of small sub-$100 computers (think Chumby or mini iPad) to display library information at the library as well as community information at local businesses, hotels, restaurants, train stations, and government offices. Funded through a unique grant with the Chamber of Commerce and paid for in part through hotel taxes, the library was able to provide a platform to share community news and information provided by local media outlets, including the Tribune and AOL. Other "advances" that were not cutting edge included supporting cell phone device access to the catalog.
The library also began offering additional sources of local information. After a trial of a number of local information sources, patrons repsonded positively to having a fire and police radio broadcast over the internet. They also liked the video feeds of the library so they could see how busy the library was, including the seating areas and the computer availability. They also appreciated live videocasting of local events such as the French Market -- this allowed people to see what was being offered before they left their homes. The live broadcasts of local government meetings was not popular, but recorded sessions were heavily used.
Technology also played a role in other new offerings of the library, including video and audio production capabilities that patrons could use by checking out time on the systems. Students developed films and art projects and created documentaries for radio, including displays for our local history museums. Another offering was the support of a "maker space" in conjunction with local hobbiest groups -- a sort of meeting area for physical creation.
Future writeups are planned to discuss two additional focus areas, 1) the marketing of the library and 2) how the library fits in a broader political context, the library's "meta-place". I'm hoping I just coined that term...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Library planning scenario 1 - Place
First, a little background. I am working with a spectacular group of professional librarians and I asked them for ideas of where the local library would be in 5 or 10 years. I took the many responses and looked for similarities, and the most mentioned topic was related to place - the library facility and other locations to do the work of librarying. The following scenario is one idea taking those ideas and my own to a possible future, focusing on place. I'm not saying this is what we should or must do, this is just one possible storyline. I want this description of place to help people think beyond the current situation -- not with incremental changes but with major changes. Will these things happen? They already are somewhere.
The library trustees and director saw the usage of library facilities rising, through good times and bad, and decided to act on the community's demand for more meeting space. Although the main facility had been renovated within the past ten years, some modifications were made to increase the number of meeting rooms to handle diverse clients. Additional small group meeting rooms were created, and these have been used enough to require time limits to be enforced. The rooms are used by students working on projects or group study at nights and on weekends. Also at those same times, people are using these rooms for video and audio conferences through their laptops, for their work or their interests. During the work week, the rooms see usage from local residents that work out of their homes, such as sales people and engineers, to provide a local space with printing and internet access, and a chance sit through lunch, which you don't get at Panera without ordering.
As part of the space reorganization, the library also upgraded the technology in the larger meeting rooms. This allows these rooms to be used for professional quality meetings and has, in fact, drawn some users away from holding meetings at local hotels.
The library staff has also worked to extend the physical reach of the library beyond the walls of the facility. Starting with showcasing the collection and signing up patrons at the French Market, the library expanded to provide "pop-up" locations in partnership with local businessmen. One successful temporary library was opened in a retail mall near a local middle school, about 2 miles from the library, in an unrented retail space. The site was the location for a combination group study hall and science fair workshop, staffed by librarians and school volunteers, including a shelf of material to check out and for reference, and wifi for the students. The location started as a study area for quarter finals, changed to a workshop area, and then became the science fair showcase in the three months it was in existence. The costs were minimal but covered in part through grants.
Another way the library extended it's physical presence was through partnership with local hotels, schools, municipal buildings, major companies, restaurants, and local museums. The library took the lead to document meeting areas throughout the district that could possibly be used by the public. Through this knowledge the library was able to recommend to local groups where meeting sites could be used. The library was able to work out reciprocal arrangements with room providers, funded in part through the local convention bureau. The Boy Scouts meeting at the Hyatt? Why not? A lawyers convention using Village Hall's meeting room for a mock trial? Why not? The library maintaining the information and agreements? Who else?
The library also saw an unfulfilled need for a place for technology training for people throughout the area. The room was upgraded in technology and in furniture to provide for a computer training environment. Laptops are available to be networked for a training class in this room, or computers can be brought in through a service firm contracted to the library. The room is used for library programs to teach patrons computer and internet skills, but is also often used by local businesses to provide group computer training. The room has even been used by local businesses who have had issues with their facilities (flood, fire) to provide training.
The library's mission of maintaining local history has also pointed the library to jointly staff the local historical society's museum and to provide a historical display showcasing the holdings of the library. This kind of interactive display has also been used for short periods of time at local schools and business lobbies, to inform even people who may only be in town for their education or work that the library can provide services that could be useful.
Other place ideas: automated Redbox-type machine for books at train station and elsewhere, Redbox partnership on facility to reduce expenses on new DVDs, expansion for meeting rooms and other popular uses...
Next up, either Funding and Political Organization or Technology, TBD. Technology was the focus of most writeups from the local professional librarians we surveyed. Surprisingly, funding was not the main focus of any -- maybe because it is more difficult to think about.
The library trustees and director saw the usage of library facilities rising, through good times and bad, and decided to act on the community's demand for more meeting space. Although the main facility had been renovated within the past ten years, some modifications were made to increase the number of meeting rooms to handle diverse clients. Additional small group meeting rooms were created, and these have been used enough to require time limits to be enforced. The rooms are used by students working on projects or group study at nights and on weekends. Also at those same times, people are using these rooms for video and audio conferences through their laptops, for their work or their interests. During the work week, the rooms see usage from local residents that work out of their homes, such as sales people and engineers, to provide a local space with printing and internet access, and a chance sit through lunch, which you don't get at Panera without ordering.
As part of the space reorganization, the library also upgraded the technology in the larger meeting rooms. This allows these rooms to be used for professional quality meetings and has, in fact, drawn some users away from holding meetings at local hotels.
The library staff has also worked to extend the physical reach of the library beyond the walls of the facility. Starting with showcasing the collection and signing up patrons at the French Market, the library expanded to provide "pop-up" locations in partnership with local businessmen. One successful temporary library was opened in a retail mall near a local middle school, about 2 miles from the library, in an unrented retail space. The site was the location for a combination group study hall and science fair workshop, staffed by librarians and school volunteers, including a shelf of material to check out and for reference, and wifi for the students. The location started as a study area for quarter finals, changed to a workshop area, and then became the science fair showcase in the three months it was in existence. The costs were minimal but covered in part through grants.
Another way the library extended it's physical presence was through partnership with local hotels, schools, municipal buildings, major companies, restaurants, and local museums. The library took the lead to document meeting areas throughout the district that could possibly be used by the public. Through this knowledge the library was able to recommend to local groups where meeting sites could be used. The library was able to work out reciprocal arrangements with room providers, funded in part through the local convention bureau. The Boy Scouts meeting at the Hyatt? Why not? A lawyers convention using Village Hall's meeting room for a mock trial? Why not? The library maintaining the information and agreements? Who else?
The library also saw an unfulfilled need for a place for technology training for people throughout the area. The room was upgraded in technology and in furniture to provide for a computer training environment. Laptops are available to be networked for a training class in this room, or computers can be brought in through a service firm contracted to the library. The room is used for library programs to teach patrons computer and internet skills, but is also often used by local businesses to provide group computer training. The room has even been used by local businesses who have had issues with their facilities (flood, fire) to provide training.
The library's mission of maintaining local history has also pointed the library to jointly staff the local historical society's museum and to provide a historical display showcasing the holdings of the library. This kind of interactive display has also been used for short periods of time at local schools and business lobbies, to inform even people who may only be in town for their education or work that the library can provide services that could be useful.
Other place ideas: automated Redbox-type machine for books at train station and elsewhere, Redbox partnership on facility to reduce expenses on new DVDs, expansion for meeting rooms and other popular uses...
Next up, either Funding and Political Organization or Technology, TBD. Technology was the focus of most writeups from the local professional librarians we surveyed. Surprisingly, funding was not the main focus of any -- maybe because it is more difficult to think about.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Premium Service Level at the Local Library - Could it Work?
I had this idea, probably not original, but it might be of interest. The
germ of the idea is my company's software sales. Although the software is
expensive, we continually get customers to purchase a "designated support
engineer". This is a person who is responsible for having regular (weekly to
monthly) teleconferences with the customer to go over any outstanding issues,
and will visit the customer's site two or three times a year. They can also
manage issues personally through our company, and they end up also being the
first contact for interest in new software or capabilities. Companies will pay
us quite a lot per year for 1/4 time of a person in this role. Given
this concept, I wonder if the library could offer a "designated librarian", for
those that perhaps would be willing to pay.
I imagine the role as follows:
The designated librarian (DL) would be assigned to manage the interface between
this group and the library through in-depth personal service. This means that
the DL would be available during library hours, perhaps through a library
provided cell phone and email/twitter. The DL would take appointments to meet
with assigned constituents at the library, for library walk-thru, to get the
first library card or update them, to discuss research requests or information
searches, etc.
The DL would also spend time outside of the library, working with assigned
groups in their home. There, the DL would research what their constituents want,
specifically what authors/books/music/movies they would like to see more of in
the library, what data sources, what interests they have that could be met by
our events. We could provide a goal that a specific percentage of our puchases
would be targeted to these media, a number of events would be targeted to their
specific needs, etc. This woud also entail a personal delivery service, where
constituents call to request books or media and they are delivered to the house
at a set time. The DL would be computer literate to provide simple lessons on
using the library website and catalog. They would also configure systems to
enable downloadable audiobook/ebooks from the library. They would pick up book
donations for the Friends sale. The DL would be available for appointments, but
would also pro-actively set appointments to talk to people in their homes a
couple of times a year.
I also see the DL providing some direct help to constituents relating to
marketing and selling a house. If asked, I can see the library providing a
packet of information about the village of Lisle and the area for prospective
buyers. The DL could also be asked to work occasional open houses in conjunction with their realtor, to provide
prospective buyers with information about the library and the area. This appears
to fit in with our community part of the library's mission.
I see the DL providing research and legwork to, for instance, verify the
constituent has library access to partner libraries in other cities, where they
work or otherwise spend time. If they are interested in downloadable
books/audiobooks, the DL could also acquire library cards for other libraries
that share their collections of these, such as a local big-city library. They would also verify
access to other area libraries, such as college libraries.
If a set community were the subject of this type of service, such as a
subdivision, the DL could schedule meetings, like homeowners group meetings, at
the library. The subdivision might also be interested in starting their own
neighborhood reading group, and the DL could run the reading group at patrons
homes or in the library.
The constituents of the DL might need some level of research, for their work, or
for their personal life. This might include scholarly research or typical
internet-based reserach, such as finding a home value or used car availability.
It might also include ongoing education, including language training which we
can directly help with. The DL would be able to provide their expertise in
searching for the constituent, with the understanding that they are not the
expert in the field they are looking at.
I'm sure there are many other ideas that could come to play with the designated
librarian concept. I see this as being operated for newly annexed groups of
residences, sort of as a one year internal TIF - the service would be provided
for a year and paid for out of the new tax resources. After the first year, it would be a
separately chargable service. If need be, the service might end up needing to be
privatized if it won't work within the public structure of the library, but that
would come after testing feasibility.
I would think this kind of job would appeal to newly graduated library majors
interested in working with the public outside of the physical library.
I think this concept would provide delighted constituents, reduce demands on the
rest of the library staff, possibly open a new revenue stream, help us see
future constituent needs earlier, and provide a new kind of job within the
library that could be self-sustaining.
Do you think this concept, were we to offer it, would be of interest in our
current situation? And would it be viable coming from a governmental entity? (Probably, sort of like paying for quicker passports.)
germ of the idea is my company's software sales. Although the software is
expensive, we continually get customers to purchase a "designated support
engineer". This is a person who is responsible for having regular (weekly to
monthly) teleconferences with the customer to go over any outstanding issues,
and will visit the customer's site two or three times a year. They can also
manage issues personally through our company, and they end up also being the
first contact for interest in new software or capabilities. Companies will pay
us quite a lot per year for 1/4 time of a person in this role. Given
this concept, I wonder if the library could offer a "designated librarian", for
those that perhaps would be willing to pay.
I imagine the role as follows:
The designated librarian (DL) would be assigned to manage the interface between
this group and the library through in-depth personal service. This means that
the DL would be available during library hours, perhaps through a library
provided cell phone and email/twitter. The DL would take appointments to meet
with assigned constituents at the library, for library walk-thru, to get the
first library card or update them, to discuss research requests or information
searches, etc.
The DL would also spend time outside of the library, working with assigned
groups in their home. There, the DL would research what their constituents want,
specifically what authors/books/music/movies they would like to see more of in
the library, what data sources, what interests they have that could be met by
our events. We could provide a goal that a specific percentage of our puchases
would be targeted to these media, a number of events would be targeted to their
specific needs, etc. This woud also entail a personal delivery service, where
constituents call to request books or media and they are delivered to the house
at a set time. The DL would be computer literate to provide simple lessons on
using the library website and catalog. They would also configure systems to
enable downloadable audiobook/ebooks from the library. They would pick up book
donations for the Friends sale. The DL would be available for appointments, but
would also pro-actively set appointments to talk to people in their homes a
couple of times a year.
I also see the DL providing some direct help to constituents relating to
marketing and selling a house. If asked, I can see the library providing a
packet of information about the village of Lisle and the area for prospective
buyers. The DL could also be asked to work occasional open houses in conjunction with their realtor, to provide
prospective buyers with information about the library and the area. This appears
to fit in with our community part of the library's mission.
I see the DL providing research and legwork to, for instance, verify the
constituent has library access to partner libraries in other cities, where they
work or otherwise spend time. If they are interested in downloadable
books/audiobooks, the DL could also acquire library cards for other libraries
that share their collections of these, such as a local big-city library. They would also verify
access to other area libraries, such as college libraries.
If a set community were the subject of this type of service, such as a
subdivision, the DL could schedule meetings, like homeowners group meetings, at
the library. The subdivision might also be interested in starting their own
neighborhood reading group, and the DL could run the reading group at patrons
homes or in the library.
The constituents of the DL might need some level of research, for their work, or
for their personal life. This might include scholarly research or typical
internet-based reserach, such as finding a home value or used car availability.
It might also include ongoing education, including language training which we
can directly help with. The DL would be able to provide their expertise in
searching for the constituent, with the understanding that they are not the
expert in the field they are looking at.
I'm sure there are many other ideas that could come to play with the designated
librarian concept. I see this as being operated for newly annexed groups of
residences, sort of as a one year internal TIF - the service would be provided
for a year and paid for out of the new tax resources. After the first year, it would be a
separately chargable service. If need be, the service might end up needing to be
privatized if it won't work within the public structure of the library, but that
would come after testing feasibility.
I would think this kind of job would appeal to newly graduated library majors
interested in working with the public outside of the physical library.
I think this concept would provide delighted constituents, reduce demands on the
rest of the library staff, possibly open a new revenue stream, help us see
future constituent needs earlier, and provide a new kind of job within the
library that could be self-sustaining.
Do you think this concept, were we to offer it, would be of interest in our
current situation? And would it be viable coming from a governmental entity? (Probably, sort of like paying for quicker passports.)
Philanthropy and the Local Library
Our local library really hasn't made the effort to attract money from donors like many other local libraries and other local governmental agencies (I'm thinking park district here) have. And I suspect the result of not trying will most likely be not receiving these kinds of funds. But given that others are approaching giving as a desirable source of income, I think that has raised the bar for our unit of government, and that we owe it to the taxpayers in the district to seriously investigate this funding source. What is done now? Currently there is a Friends group that holds used book sales, mostly to fund programs at the library and in other locations throughout the community. The library supplies some of the used books and storage and the sale location. There are also two foundations, but neither have been very active in fundraising or in funding -- I don't believe either have been done in the past five years or so.
So where should we go? Ideas, as always, are welcome. The simple first step is to let our patrons and our possible patrons to know that supporting the library in this way is welcomed. This requires, in this day, at least a mention on the library website, as well as additional notification in other media, including the newsletter. Our neighboring library has a website that specifically mentions large donors and has stories about them. For legacy donations, this could be a motivation. Given the success that other government and private institutions have had in approaching private and corporate donors, these source of funds should be investigated and pursued if there is a likelihood of benefit to the district, especially if the benefit can lower the burden, even if temporary, of our other funders, our taxpayers. Our village of approximately 40,000 is home to two Fortune 500 company HQs. They have not been approached for this kind of giving, to the best of my knowledge. This seems like an opportunity.
So where should we go? Ideas, as always, are welcome. The simple first step is to let our patrons and our possible patrons to know that supporting the library in this way is welcomed. This requires, in this day, at least a mention on the library website, as well as additional notification in other media, including the newsletter. Our neighboring library has a website that specifically mentions large donors and has stories about them. For legacy donations, this could be a motivation. Given the success that other government and private institutions have had in approaching private and corporate donors, these source of funds should be investigated and pursued if there is a likelihood of benefit to the district, especially if the benefit can lower the burden, even if temporary, of our other funders, our taxpayers. Our village of approximately 40,000 is home to two Fortune 500 company HQs. They have not been approached for this kind of giving, to the best of my knowledge. This seems like an opportunity.
Marketing the Library - 1
Seems some subdivisions in our local library district have discovered that they can disconnect from the district. The focus -- immediate cost savings on property taxes. Some households have been long-time library patrons. How can the library deal with this domino effect as groups of homeowners decide to back away from the community? There is no perfect solution to this situation. But what I believe can help is to tell the story of how the library provides value to residents and patrons. Can you tell the story with statistics, like how many books have been checked out, or how many patrons have walked through the door? Not really. People need to know that there are people being helped, they need to know the stories.
The blog posting in the next paragraph speaks to this way of marketing. I think this is one of the best ways to showcase the value of the library. Our library has had patrons tell the director or the board or the librarian on check-out duty stories of what the library has meant to them, or what it has done. We've seen letters from authors whose work was researched in conjunction with our research staff. We've had people attend board meetings and reading notes of appreciation about their favorite librarians. We've had graduates of our award winning literacy program tell us how they appreciate learning to speak English. We know of people that have found jobs using the job club we hosted and using our computers to write resumes. But we don't really keep track of these success stories, these "value stories". It's time we did.
The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries: Speaking up about libraries: "Whenever libraries are under attack, there is always a huge cry for librarians to speak up. As a marketer, I want to concentrate on the ways..."
I think the library should start collecting these stories and making sure people know about them. The library is a builder of community. Letting patrons know about how the library is providing real value to people in their community may be the only way to show the opposite side of the case - why the community, and its library, should continue to be funded.
For my part, I will ask the library to start collecting these stories and the rights to republish them, in newsletters, the web, newpapers, etc. I will also ask the library to showcase these on a regular basis. On the web, perhaps a blog by the director/board would be a start.
The blog posting in the next paragraph speaks to this way of marketing. I think this is one of the best ways to showcase the value of the library. Our library has had patrons tell the director or the board or the librarian on check-out duty stories of what the library has meant to them, or what it has done. We've seen letters from authors whose work was researched in conjunction with our research staff. We've had people attend board meetings and reading notes of appreciation about their favorite librarians. We've had graduates of our award winning literacy program tell us how they appreciate learning to speak English. We know of people that have found jobs using the job club we hosted and using our computers to write resumes. But we don't really keep track of these success stories, these "value stories". It's time we did.
The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries: Speaking up about libraries: "Whenever libraries are under attack, there is always a huge cry for librarians to speak up. As a marketer, I want to concentrate on the ways..."
I think the library should start collecting these stories and making sure people know about them. The library is a builder of community. Letting patrons know about how the library is providing real value to people in their community may be the only way to show the opposite side of the case - why the community, and its library, should continue to be funded.
For my part, I will ask the library to start collecting these stories and the rights to republish them, in newsletters, the web, newpapers, etc. I will also ask the library to showcase these on a regular basis. On the web, perhaps a blog by the director/board would be a start.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Library Investment in Functionality for Tech Savvy Patrons
Our local library is a bit of an oasis now. We are in a suburb where the library is a district library, receiving funding predominately from local property taxes. Because we receive very little funding from our state, which is threatened, we do not have the money issues of other local libraries. And our tax base has been supportive. The library has operated well on the funding, but in my opinion has not investigated many new ways of investing in our patron's needs. Our patrons are spread across all economic levels, and we have programs and offerings for all, but in my sense our technologically advanced patrons are being underserved. How is this? The library has a web site that offers basic information about the library, with some static links that are rarely updated pointing to news sources. There are links to the databases that patrons can access funded by the library, and this is a good thing. There is also a link to our subscription to Overdrive for downloadable audiobooks and reader ebooks. Our selection is limited, and does not support the Kindle, the most popular reader currently. The library does host some programs that can be said to be aimed at technically astute patrons, but truly not many. The kids have library programs for those who know their way around a Wii, but there haven't been any adult programs for those that know their way around Facebook.
What are the kinds of questions tech-savvy patrons have for our library? In talking to neighbors and talking to patrons at the library, I've heard a number of topics being raised. To these I add topics that I have seen in reviewing library websites:
1. How do you use downloadable audiobooks and ebooks? What are the best players/readers?
2. Are there tricks to better using the online catalog?
3. I found a book I liked online, at Amazon or Goodreads or another book site. How can I quickly see if I can check out the book from the library, or put it on reserve?
4. How can I access the library website, purchased databases, or online catalog from my ipad or phone?
5. Do you have any programs aimed at people like me, interested in technology and related issues?
6. I'm on Facebook, how do I sign up for programs online?
7. How can I get book due dates to show up on my Outlook/Notes/Google/Blackberry calendar? How about program notices?
8. Do I have to visit the library to take part in programs or meetings, or can you make these available through the internet, like webcasting and audio?
9. Are there other sources of information the library can make available to us through the internet? How about a shared Netflix account, is that possible?
10. There are hobbies I have where shared space is important, or hobbies that require tools that may be too expensive for individuals to use, but which may make sense in groups, all while still meeting the local library's stated mission. For instance, "makerspaces", which are open community labs for patrons to build projects on computers, technology and art, could be a use of a public library. Also, some libraries have sound or video studios for patrons interesting in recording voice and/or music. Can the library support these kinds of community resources?
And there are more questions and concerns.
Should the library meet these concerns? I believe they should be considered. Obviously, meeting every stated need of every patron is difficult and costly, but can we find a way to meet some of these needs? I suggest assigning a technology czar - an employee that can investigate the needs of the patrons as well as the state of technology and can begin to create or collect new functionality to meet these needs. The "Library Tech Czar", or LTC, would be a person who is not afraid of new technologies and who is expert in social media -- who is in fact social. I can also see a tech advisory committee with at least some members with a similar mindset -- perhaps this is a way to involve younger patrons.
As our library district is also home to a residential university as well as a couple of commuter universities and a branch office for the local community college, I believe we have the kinds of technical resources available to create, collect, and maintain new functionality that could be available, say as summer interns, at a reasonable rate while keeping salaries in the community. I see the creation of new quick training videos could be a quick win for our patrons to answer some of their common questions.
For investments in hardware or space, I would suggest that new sources of funding be explored:
- Would Amazon or B&N loan us a reader for user review?
- Would the local cellular company fund development of a mobile catalog component?
- Would the local engineering company fund a makerspace for future engineers?
- Can the library partner with these companies to invest in new functionality for patrons?
This is just a start. I would love to capture additional questions/concerns/requirements. Let me know if you run across any.
What are the kinds of questions tech-savvy patrons have for our library? In talking to neighbors and talking to patrons at the library, I've heard a number of topics being raised. To these I add topics that I have seen in reviewing library websites:
1. How do you use downloadable audiobooks and ebooks? What are the best players/readers?
2. Are there tricks to better using the online catalog?
3. I found a book I liked online, at Amazon or Goodreads or another book site. How can I quickly see if I can check out the book from the library, or put it on reserve?
4. How can I access the library website, purchased databases, or online catalog from my ipad or phone?
5. Do you have any programs aimed at people like me, interested in technology and related issues?
6. I'm on Facebook, how do I sign up for programs online?
7. How can I get book due dates to show up on my Outlook/Notes/Google/Blackberry calendar? How about program notices?
8. Do I have to visit the library to take part in programs or meetings, or can you make these available through the internet, like webcasting and audio?
9. Are there other sources of information the library can make available to us through the internet? How about a shared Netflix account, is that possible?
10. There are hobbies I have where shared space is important, or hobbies that require tools that may be too expensive for individuals to use, but which may make sense in groups, all while still meeting the local library's stated mission. For instance, "makerspaces", which are open community labs for patrons to build projects on computers, technology and art, could be a use of a public library. Also, some libraries have sound or video studios for patrons interesting in recording voice and/or music. Can the library support these kinds of community resources?
And there are more questions and concerns.
Should the library meet these concerns? I believe they should be considered. Obviously, meeting every stated need of every patron is difficult and costly, but can we find a way to meet some of these needs? I suggest assigning a technology czar - an employee that can investigate the needs of the patrons as well as the state of technology and can begin to create or collect new functionality to meet these needs. The "Library Tech Czar", or LTC, would be a person who is not afraid of new technologies and who is expert in social media -- who is in fact social. I can also see a tech advisory committee with at least some members with a similar mindset -- perhaps this is a way to involve younger patrons.
As our library district is also home to a residential university as well as a couple of commuter universities and a branch office for the local community college, I believe we have the kinds of technical resources available to create, collect, and maintain new functionality that could be available, say as summer interns, at a reasonable rate while keeping salaries in the community. I see the creation of new quick training videos could be a quick win for our patrons to answer some of their common questions.
For investments in hardware or space, I would suggest that new sources of funding be explored:
- Would Amazon or B&N loan us a reader for user review?
- Would the local cellular company fund development of a mobile catalog component?
- Would the local engineering company fund a makerspace for future engineers?
- Can the library partner with these companies to invest in new functionality for patrons?
This is just a start. I would love to capture additional questions/concerns/requirements. Let me know if you run across any.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
TED talk for the kids - 3
I did a summary presentation of today's TED talk for my oldest daughter and spouse. The talk was by Charity Tillemann-Dick. Her story was that she had a two-lung transplant, which is uncommon, but for her it impacted her talent (and job) as an opera singer. She talked in a way that sounded like gasping, but she was active and engaging. The part of her story that I wanted my daughter to hear is how she overcame odds to sing again. Quite uplifting story. I didn't share this in its entirety because her descriptions of her illness and her operations were quite graphic - enough, I believe, to cause my youngest daughter bad dreams. So they got the abridged version from my and then they saw the final few minutes of the talk. I was disappointed that it didn't get the kids to talk right afterwards, but this one was one that might require some thought.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
TED talk for the kids - 2
Another TED talk that I have played for my oldest daughter (14) is the one by Kiva.org founder Jessica Jackley. Jessica talks about her history with charity and learning about investing in people. She was a poetry major in college that went into finance and made a huge impact in the third world with microfinance, and is aiming to do something similar enabling finance of companies in the developed world. While the description of the new venture was a bit over my daughters head (and makes the video a bit long), I wanted her to watch this video for a few reasons. First, I wanted my daughter to see a young female entrepreneur - someone who has had success while young and who has made an impact on the world. If you watch the video, at about the16:30 point, she actually breaks down with emotion tied to her story. I wanted my daughter to see that some people really, really care about changing the world, and that showing some emotion is not necessarily a bad thing. The video is at http://www.ted.com/search?q=jackley
TED talk for the kids - 1
I really enjoy watching TED talks on the internet. I find the variety and depth of topics really talk to me - almost always interesting. I watch these for a number of reasons - to relate to my work work, my library work, and to provide lessons for my kids, sort of like "The Last Lecture" (yes, I played parts of this audiobook for my kids). A recent talk, The 3 A's of Awesome, is a great example of the latter. I will be sitting with my kids to watch this one and to talk about it. It suggests being aware of your world and having a great attitude. Great food story at the end. And the speaker is excellent. The video is at http://www.ted.com/search?q=awesome
Library DVD rental fees eliminated - good or bad?
The local library board has decided to drop an existing fee for borrowing DVDs. Previously, the fee was $1 for a 2 night rental with additional cost for additional nights. The new arrangement eliminates the fees to check out the DVD while increasing the late fees. Note that this only corresponds to DVDs and VHS tapes that are listed as "fiction", meaning big hits movies. Other movies, such as "kids" movies, educational movies and documentaries are loaned without checkout fees.
The location of the library is a midsize suburb. Two of three neighboring libraries do not charge fees for checking out their DVDs, and many patrons have stated that they have used these other libraries for this purpose.
Until two years ago, the suburb had three or more large video rental stores. Currently one chain video store remains. Redbox is available in multiple locations within the suburb and neighboring areas.
DVD fees have provided roughly 1% of revenues for the library, which I believe covered the cost of the videos.
The case for removing the fee was to provide patrons with a "free" service similar to our neighboring libraries. The case against is the loss of revenue, the possibility of increased costs to maintain a collection of popular titles, and the possible impact on the local video store business.
Discuss
The location of the library is a midsize suburb. Two of three neighboring libraries do not charge fees for checking out their DVDs, and many patrons have stated that they have used these other libraries for this purpose.
Until two years ago, the suburb had three or more large video rental stores. Currently one chain video store remains. Redbox is available in multiple locations within the suburb and neighboring areas.
DVD fees have provided roughly 1% of revenues for the library, which I believe covered the cost of the videos.
The case for removing the fee was to provide patrons with a "free" service similar to our neighboring libraries. The case against is the loss of revenue, the possibility of increased costs to maintain a collection of popular titles, and the possible impact on the local video store business.
Discuss
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