LI 805 XR April 3, 2013

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

Fab 4 Dawn Brumbley, Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Sandra Findley

Executive Summary Organizational Profile Overview.... 4 The Organization. 4 Guiding Values. 7 Mission.. 7

3 4

Preparation/Planning..... 8 Library Management Team... 8 Planning Factors. 9 Current Reality. Environmental Scan... SWOT Analysis.... Organizational Performance. Gap Analysis... New Priorities.......... Strategic Profile... Future Vision... Strategic Initiatives..... Goal 1: Community Outreach . Goal 2: Technology Action Plan.... Initiative 1.1.... Initiative 1.2........ Initiative 2.1 Initiative 2.2 Initiative 2.3 Performance Management.. Contingencies Concluding Remarks References. 11 11 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 18 18 19 20 21 23 24 25

Appendix......................................................................................................26-37 Title Page.26 Team Narrative.....27-28 Team Meeting Minutes.....29-37

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

Smallville Public Library is a public library serving a population of approximately12,000 people in the town of Smallville, Kansas. Smallville Public Library has been in existence for over 100 years and is recovering from the recent economic crisis. The economic crisis caused severe budget cuts; however, the economy is on the upswing and funding is on the rise again for the library. In addition, the board has hired a new library director to replace the previous one who is retiring. She was with the library for almost 30 years and technology was not a priority for her; therefore, technology was lacking in the library. The new library director, along with the board members, are rallying for the purchase of new computers, eReaders, and eBooks as well as community outreach programs to increase usage of the library. The vision of the Strategic Planning Committee is to bring the library into the 21st century and to continue to meet the information needs of our patrons while serving our community. Libraries are on the cusp of a great transformation and this strategic plan will provide vision and direction while staying true to the core values of the library. The focus of our strategic plan is to implement technology changes in the library and to develop additional outreach programs which will greatly benefit our patrons. We called upon many individuals and groups as well as library staff members to share ideas and suggestions as to how to better serve Smallville Public Librarys patrons. Library staff members provided valuable insight about current usage patterns and preferences of Smallvilles patrons. Also, more than 800 people responded to a mail-in survey providing input as to their current use of the librarys resources as well as what resources they would like to see in the future. In addition, the library facilitated focus groups. The focus group discussions focused on formulating ideas on how the library can build relationships with the community and raise awareness of library resources to non-users. Furthermore, our SWOT analysis helped us to assess our strengths and weaknesses and consider methods to reach our goals. With these ideas in mind, we have decided upon the following major goals to build our strategic plan around: Implement technology changes Replace computers on a rotating basis Purchase eReaders and provide training on usage to staff and patrons Purchase eBooks and provide training on usage to staff and patrons Community Outreach Partner with local elementary schools Network with local businesses Participate in community events Make special efforts to reach out to populations underserved by the library The future of Smallville Public Library is on an exciting path and we are devoted to meeting the needs of our patrons and community. We will meet regularly to review the results of any changes made and monitor our progress. We will continue to develop our mission and guiding values that are the foundation of this plan. Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 3

Located in northeast Kansas, the Smallville public library started on the top floor of the city hall, with only one librarian and an assistant in 1905. Since then, the library was moved only down the road from the city hall to a building that was donated to the city to house the library, and a mill levy was voted on and passed by the residents to fund and support the library. The library staff and materials have grown exponentially from that small beginning, and now, with additional grant funding as well as funds from the city and county, the library is able to grow again. Smallville is the county seat for Smithson County, Kansas. As the county continues to grow and the economy bounces back from the recession, it is time to reevaluate the services and resources provided to Smithson County residents through the Smallville Public Library. The main focus of this strategic plan will be about better community outreach programs and the expansion of the technology provided in the Smallville library. About two decades ago, there was a small physical expansion to the library that allowed for two additional meeting/conference rooms. Ten years ago, one of those rooms was converted into a computer lab that currently houses ten computers. In addition, more electrical outlets were placed throughout the current facility to allow for patrons to use their personal technology items at the library. The computer lab is in need of vast improvement and an upgrade, and the outreach programs, which previously consisted of a few elementary school visits a year, has dwindled down to nothing due to staff elimination. There has been a shift in the library board to bring in two new members, and there is also a new library director at the head of the Smallville Public Library. With all of the new faces comes a sense of bringing the library back in touch with the needs of the community, and therefore, the development of this strategic plan. It will cover a span of three years, and by the end of those three years, the computer lab will be fully upgraded. Also, there will be an addition of eReaders, as well as a few new outreach programs including technology classes and librarianled activities within the four local elementary schools.

The Smallville public library is governed by a library board consisting of seven members: the chair, the vice-chair, the secretary, the treasurer, and three other community members, one of which is an educational representative. The new director, as the directors of the past, reports to the board. The library is broken up into five departments under the director, and they are: Adult services Childrens/Young Adult services Technology services Interlibrary loan Circulation

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

Each department, except for Interlibrary loan, has a professional librarian at its head, and so along with the library director, the Smallville Public Library has a total of five professional librarians. Below is a chart with the breakdown of employees in each department shown above.

Adult Childrens/YA Technology Interlibrary Loan Circulation

Professional Librarians 1 1 1 0 1

Full-Time Paraprofessionals 1 0 1 1 1

Part-Time Paraprofessionals 1 2 1 1 2

This totals to four full-time paraprofessionals and seven part-time paraprofessionals. With the increased focus on the technological impact the library will have on the community, it is desired that there will be the ability to hire more paraprofessionals as the need expands in that department. The responsibilities for each department are as follows: Adult Services Collection development Adult programming/community outreach Reference

Childrens/Young Adult Services Collection development Childrens programming (ages infant- through grade 6) Young Adult programming (grades 7-12) Maintaining the library Twitter feed/Facebook page Reference

Technology Services IT services/support (for both computers and the forthcoming eReaders) Acquisitions Cataloguing Maintaining the library webpage Maintaining eReaders (coming soon!)

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

Interlibrary Loan Facilitates material exchange to and from consortium libraries Collection development based on library needs Also assists in cataloguing

Circulation Community Before diving further into the values and the mission of the Smallville Public Library, it is important to know the community of Smallville and who uses the library services. Though it is a small community and town, it is a thriving community that continues to expand and to improve as it attempts to keep up with modern technology and structure. Geography Smallville is roughly 9.27 square miles, and it is in the northeast part of Kansas. It is about 50 miles north of the Kansas City metro area near the Kansas-Missouri state line. Population and Ethnicity The city of Smallville has a population of around 12,000 people, and it is growing. From the 2010 census to the 2011 estimation, there was a 1.4% estimated population growth. The median age is 35.4 years old, and married households are predominant with 41% of the households belonging to married couples. The average family size is 2.8. The majority of the citizens are white at 85%, African Americans at 9%, Asian at 2%, and other or multiple races making up the rest of the population at 4%. The average household income is $54,000, and about 5% of households with children are at the poverty line, and about 7% of the entire population of Smallville is at the poverty line. Most of the occupations are white-collar, but as the city grows, there has been an increase of construction and labor occupations that have become available. This should drive down the percentages of Smallville residents who are at or below the poverty line in the future. All of these factors go into the decisions made for the Smallville Public Library, and all of the staff is of one mind to make sure that the needs of the community are met regardless of the particular social standing or ethnicity of the patrons. The library wants to provide whatever access it can to all users and patrons. Assisting patrons in checking out materials Checking in materials Shelving materials Minor book repair Resolving patron account issues/needs Organizing/distributing book holds

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

The Smallville Public Library answers to many stakeholders, and will attempt to satisfy the expectations of all of them. They are: the library board, the city, the schools and, largely, the community. Equality of access o The library strives to provide access to every patron and community member that enters the library no matter what ethnicity, sex, age or other factor. The library believes in and supports intellectual freedom as described by the American Library Association. Well-trained and attentive staff o The library will always do its best to have the most knowledgeable and supportive staff. Smallville Public Library wants librarians, paraprofessionals and volunteers who not only care about the library, but also about the community. It is also a priority of the library to always keep the staff updated on training and information so that patrons have access to whatever information they need, whenever they need it. Creating a place that is centered on the community o Smallville Public Library not only wants to provide equality of access and knowledgeable professionals, but also to create a place where the community wants to gather and to create a center of community unity. The library also wants to meet the needs of the community as a whole, and will strive to do so by listening to and answering to community members. Variety of valuable resources o The library wants to provide as many diverse and accessible resources as possible. Especially as libraries change, it will be important for the library to provide not only current print materials, but also resources that connect the patrons and community with materials and information that are outside the physical walls of the library.

The Smallville Public Library is devoted to creating a strong community and a place where knowledge, information, and access needs for all users can be met. This has always been the guiding star for the library, and every improvement or expansion made to the library is so that these goals can consistently be accomplished.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

It is important to acknowledge and explain who is involved in building this plan, and why they are involved. It is also important to identify the limitations of this plan before more details are outlined in the following sections. This planning team was formed with library staff and community members so that it would be beneficial to as many people as possible. This team is made up of library leaders of the Smallville library because of their understanding of the library, its flow, and their understanding of the needs for the community. This team is also made up of community leaders so that additional input from outside the library and its knowledge base can be utilized in this expansion of the Smallville library. The team is broken down into two parts, the library core members, and the community development members. They are listed below along with their titles. In total, the planning team is made up of nine members, four library staff, four community members, and one library board member. Library Core Members Christen Caton Smallville Library Board Member Terry Chartier Smallville Library Director Sandra Findley Smallville Adult Services Librarian Dawn Brumbley Smallville Children/Young Adult Services Librarian George Cahill Smallville Technology Services Librarian

The library core team is the main team to draft, heavily revise and finalize the strategic plan. Due to the main goals of this strategic plan, it was essential to select a library core team that would have the greatest impact on the eventual success of the strategic plan. While every member of the library staff is essential to success in the library, these members have very specific knowledge to build this plan around. These members also know the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the Smallville library and can successfully build a plan that will bolster both the technology services and the outreach programs of the library.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

Community Development Members Larry Stein Smallville Middle School Vice-Principal Naomi Smith Certified Public Accountant (financial advisor) Randolph Epperson Web Developer Judy Wright Smithville Community Service Coordinator

The community development team is utilized for their extensive input and as idea contributors throughout the development and finalization process. It is important to this strategic plan to have a variety of community members with different backgrounds and experience. The educator and community service leader are greatly utilized for the outreach program aspect of the plan, while the web developer provided great input on how to effectively expand the Smallville librarys technology resources. Each member has provided essential information to build the plan around, and our financial advisor has made sure that each goal remains within the reach of the librarys resources.

Whenever considering change for any institution, there will always be factors that either contribute or detract from the success of the plan. This strategic plan is no different. It is acknowledged that there are positive factors that will contribute to success and limiting factors that will make success more difficult to achieve. However, in the end, both planning teams and the Smallville Public Library as a whole believes that this plan will lead to outcomes that will prove eventual overall success and be well-received by the community as a whole. *Positive Factors The library and its staff are ready for a change. Though change is certainly not easy, most of the librarians have been eager for an expansion and to implement improvements to the library for some time. They support the ideas for new outreach programs and technology, and overall, seem willing to learn about new technology so that the library can remain relevant and important to the community and the patrons. The library board and new director encourage new ideas. There are two new members on the library board, and the library now has a new director. The director is a huge driving factor in the effort for change, since the library has seen some drop-off in use and reliability. The director also comes from a larger, wellfunded library and brings her knowledge from that experience to make the Smallville Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 9

library a better, community-driven place. Both the board and the director want change and growth to continue. The community supports the library. The community has stepped up efforts to support the library in this vision of change. There have been well-attended fundraisers and a slight increase in donations at the news that the library would like to expand its community efforts and technology resources. The library is important to the community. *Limiting Factors The library has a small staff. Even though the Smallville Public Library has a strong staff, the staff has been limited even further by previous layoffs. There is only one full-time Childrens librarian, and one part-time paraprofessional, for example. In order to get the librarian into schools to work with outreach, it could leave the library itself without a librarian in this area for a certain part of those days. Though the library would love to hire more staff members, it relies on volunteers that are inconsistent in attendance; therefore, the library is limited on what the staff is actually capable of accomplishing. Also, not everyone on the staff is tech-savvy, which can be a drawback when the library is trying to expand in this resource. There are still a limited amount of funds to work with. Replacing computers and purchasing eReaders is a daunting task for the library, even though funds have increased. The transition will not be immediate, as this plan is to take a span of three years to fully implement. It is difficult to predict what the next three years will look like financially for the library, and there are only a certain amount of funds to work with. This limits what we can actually accomplish for the community. The library has limited space. Even though there is a computer lab already in place along with a new meeting room, to increase outreach means that the library can support the influx of more patrons. It is difficult to predict how successful a program or activity will be or if the library has the space available to handle a large group or attendance. Ideally, in the future, the library will be able to expand again, but until then, activities must be planned to try and best fit the space available.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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A scan of the environment in the world around Smallville Public Library is necessary to assess what the current needs are of the community of approximately 12,000 in order to create a strategic plan that will benefit the community, increase patron numbers, and enhance the value of the library. The strategic plan committee must review where the public library is now, where it wants to be in the future, and plan accordingly. Budget The economy is beginning to bounce back from a four year economic crisis that resulted in many individuals being displaced from their long time jobs. The budget is currently healthy having rebounded from the previous two years funding crises. It can withstand additional programs that will increase the services provided to the public. Outdated programs and services can be discontinued to allow for updated community needs. Technology Smallville Public Librarys technology plan took a back seat in recent years and computers are in serious need of replacement. The new era of eReaders and eBooks has been virtually ignored by the library board and staff and is a top priority of the new Library Director. Funds will need to be redirected not only for new computers, eReaders, and eBooks, but also toward training staff and patrons in the use of these new technologies. Community Use/Statistics Use of library materials and services has declined over the last few years, and there is a need to reintroduce the library to the general public and business community. This can be accomplished by providing new and updated materials and services/programs. By actively working with partners in the community to promote this new environment, the library can again become a central hub of Smallville. Elementary Schools The economy has affected the local elementary schools and caused a reduction in their library staff. This is yet another opportunity for the library to provide much needed services and partner with the elementary schools to provide services and materials they may no longer be able to provide.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Positive Internal Strengths High Employee Moral Employee longevity

Negative Weaknesses Budget will need to be adjusted for IT purchases Staff must learn new skills

New Director with new ideas Financially supported by City Government Staff with IT Experience Staff is focused on Community Outreach New Board members who are not trained Additional staff may be needed to implement services Need to increase community awareness of services/programs since library usage has been down

External

Opportunities The economy is improving Library located in prime downtown location The community supports the library Opportunity to form outreach partnerships Services and programming will improve Updated technology will be available to patrons

Threats Cost of increasing and updating technology Community fails to increase library usage Potential partners don't materialize Competition among partners Loss of political support Lack of funding

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Activity Story Time Get the Wiggles Out Technology Education Summer Reading Programs Adult Programs

Performance Measure Number per month (patrons per week) Number per month (patrons per month) Number per month (patrons per month) Number of programs (avg. attendance per month) Number of programs (avg. attendance per month)

Current Performance 16 per month (avg.40 children, 14 adults per week) 2 per month (50 children, 10 adults) 1 classes per month (5 patrons per month) 1 per week (avg. 40 children, 16 adults) 2 per month (avg. 10 adults)

We currently offer four story times a week. Twice a week, story time is offered to newborns to two-year-olds and twice a week it is offered to children ages three to fiveyears old. We average ten children per story time. These take place year-round with good, consistent attendance. A story is read and a craft is completed. Most of these children remain patrons as they continue through their school years into adulthood. We offer Get the Wiggles Out for newborns to five-year-olds twice a month. This is a one-hour program that allows parents to bring in children to have fun playing with foam building blocks, hula- hoops, balls and other miscellaneous items. We average 25 children per wiggle time. Technology Education classes in various computer programs are offered once per month. We average five adults per class. We would like to increase the number of classes to two per month with at least ten adults in attendance. We would also like to increase these classes to include eReaders and eBooks. Summer Reading Programs include one program per week for school-age children. These programs are planned based on the summer reading theme each year. We average ten participants per program each week. We would like to increase this average; however, some programs only allow ten participants. Adult Programs are offered two times per month. These programs consist of anything from knitting to book discussions. The average number of adults per program is five. We would like to double this number.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Successes Library has been around a long time Childrens Story Time has steady attendance Get the Wiggles Out has grown in popularity Staff is loyal & committed

Shortfalls Limited space for Summer Reading Programs Need to establish partnerships/outreach Adult programs need new ideas IT programs and equipment are behind the times

To operate successfully in todays society, libraries are attempting new approaches in the way that we provide services and resources. We have learned that we must evolve, adapt, and innovate to stay relevant to our patrons needs and interests. To thrive, we must invest in our staff, technology, and organization to improve services and to help our patrons access information in new ways. Current trends show that people want the ability to access information where they are. Smartphones, iPads, and eReaders provide people the opportunity to access the Web or download eBooks with ease. However, not everyone can afford these luxuries. This is where the library comes in to ensure that patrons have equal access to the world of technology. Not only does the library provide tools such as computers and eReaders to access technology, the staff can offer instruction to teach patrons how to properly use it.

Current trends have also demonstrated the need for libraries to reach out to the community outside their doors. We are no longer able to wait for people to come to us; we have to reach out to them and market our services. It is also evident that we must be active in the community and team up with local businesses and schools. The world is constantly changing and libraries must constantly reinvent to remain relevant.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other. Paulo Freire Smallville Public Library is striving to become a place that people can rely on to provide them the latest technology tools and services. Through outreach, we will be addressing the needs of the community and by forming partnerships, we will be building relationships and connecting with community members. We envision transforming the library into a contemporary location that will meet the technological needs of our patrons and community. With this vision in mind, the new mission statement of the library should be: Serving the community, creating opportunities, and enriching lives.

With a new library director encouraging change and growth at Smallville Public Library (SPL), as well as a more stable budget situation than had been possible for the previous four years, SPL now has the opportunity to refocus its efforts to better meet the changing needs of the community. In an effort to better meet these needs, SPL has chosen two central goals around which to focus these efforts: 1. Create user-focused services that complement and support the missions of partner institutions in the Smallville community. 2. Generate a more modern technology presence in the Smallville community. Outlined below are strategic initiatives that will support attainment of the stated goals.

Create user-focused services that complement and support the missions of partner institutions in the Smallville Community.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Outcome: Demonstrate the continued relevance of the public library in the 21st century by increasing use of SPL services, both online and in person. o Initiative 1: Cooperate with local schools and teachers (K-12) to provide complementary rather than overlapping services and materials. o Initiative 2: Create new partnerships to serve users from currently underserved elements of the community.

Generate a more modern technology presence in the Smallville community. Outcome: Support users desire to access information where they are; provide information technology and information literacy opportunities for all community members. o Initiative 1: Update the hardware and software available in the community computer lab. o Initiative 2: Expand and update the librarys online presence. o Initiative 3: Integrate eBooks and eReading devices into the circulating collection.

Initiative 1.1: Cooperate with local schools and teachers (K-12) to provide complementary rather than overlapping services and materials. Responsibility: The Library Director and Childrens/Young Adult Professional Librarian will be primarily responsible for connecting with teachers, school librarians, and principals, but the parttime staff in the department will assist with implementation. Action Steps: Apprise local schools of the librarys desire to work more closely with them via a letter to the principals and school board. Provided the principal is willing, contact teachers and school librarians with ideas for increased cooperation, and collect their ideas for how the library can assist them in new ways. Work with teachers and librarians to find out if and when there are programs available at the school library (i.e. after school) to avoid conflicts with SPL programs. This will need to be conducted on an ongoing basis to remain current.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Implement coordination of collection development activities, so that other than dominant titles, which will be required in multiple locations, there is effort to reduce overlap between school libraries and SPL to increase the breadth of materials available to the community. Create a process that will keep SPL staff informed of upcoming major assignments so that books in that genre or subject area can be pulled for displays and for in-library reference, and additionally so that library staff can plan for research help questions in advance. Have school librarians refer their students to SPL for additional materials. Create programming that ties in to units taught in the classroom fun activities to make the academic material live and breathe more fully.

Timeline: Letters to principals and the school board will take a short time for the Director and Childrens/Young Adult Librarian to compose. Anticipate the first round of letters will go out within two weeks, and a follow-up letter to schools that have not yet responded as we approach the fall semester. It is too late in the school year to begin implementation of new programs with teachers, so the timeline for implementing the action items will begin when they return to the classroom in August. The mailings for teachers and librarians will be dependent upon the invitation of principals to work with their staff, but we anticipate visits to all interested schools can be made before the first day of classes in August 2013. Preventing conflicts with school programming and updating SPL about assignments will be as simple as sending an email if teachers are willing to participate. That will begin for participating schools at the beginning of the fall semester, after initial visits and agreements are formed. Coordination of collection development activities will be the most daunting task for cooperation. It will likely take a significant amount of time to implement, if it is even possible, since it will require close coordination and significant time expenditure by the Childrens/Young Adult Librarian as well as the school librarians. Ideally, it will begin during the fall semester and will begin affecting purchasing decisions for both school libraries and SPL for Spring 2014. Implementing new programs to coordinate with school units will be a slow and gradual process. Ideally one new program per semester for Childrens and one for Young Adults, with the first new programs appearing in January 2014.

Metrics: Increased attendance at Childrens/Young Adult programs. Increased circulation of titles in the Childrens and Young Adult collection that are not on best seller lists.

Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan

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Positive feedback from patrons (or via the Anonymous box, online form, IM chat, Facebook, or Twitter) about increased availability of relevant research materials when needed.

Initiative 1.2: Create new partnerships to serve users from currently underserved elements of the community, such as businesses and senior living centers. Responsibility: The Librarian for Adult Services will be primarily responsible for creating new outreach opportunities in the adult population. Action Steps: Schedule an appointment to meet with members of the local Chamber of Commerce to determine what kind of needs they have, and how SPL could potentially meet those needs. Schedule visits with residents, social services staff, and activities staff of local senior living centers to determine what needs they have for services from SPL that are not yet being met or that they would like to see expanded. Form teams to focus on altering existing services or creating new ones to meet the needs that are brought to light. Teams will report on their findings once a month, and the Adult Services Librarian and the Library Director will collaborate to approve implementation of recommended changes. Annual evaluation of services to these communities will occur, with the Adult Services Librarian primarily responsible for identifying additional outreach opportunities to communities that have not yet been identified at this time.

Timeline: Initial meetings with the business and senior communities will occur during the summer of 2013. Teams to meet the emerging needs of these communities will be formed in September 2013. New or reimagined services targeting these communities will be implemented by March 2014. Annual evaluation of services to adult communities will occur, and teams will be formed and dissolved based on existing needs for changes to these services.

Metrics: Increased attendance at Adult Services programs. Increased diversity of adult programming and services.

Initiative 2.1: Update the hardware and software available in the community computer lab. Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 18

Responsibility: The Librarian who supervises Technology Services will be primarily responsible for this endeavor, though the Library Director will serve on the Technology Plan committee. Action Steps: Conduct an evaluation and inventory of the current lab computers and equipment. Create a technology plan to determine a workable update/replacement cycle for the future of the computer lab equipment. Update or replace workstations and equipment as determined by the technology plan.

Timeline: The evaluation of the current equipment should take approximately two weeks to complete, but not more than one month. The technology plan should be complete three months after the initial evaluation. The current years upgrades/replacements will be complete in six months. Evaluation, upgrades, and purchases of the computer lab equipment will occur on an annual basis.

Metrics: The workstations are able to run the most current versions of installed software. Reduction in reports of lab computers that are running slowly or locked up. Increased use of the lab computers observed for gaming, graphics, and other high performance applications.

Initiative 2.2: Expand and update the librarys online presence. Responsibility: All library departments and staff will be involved in this effort on some level, but final responsibility for message will rest with the Library Director, who is in charge of Public Relations for the library, and technical issues with the Librarian for Technology Services, though most of the technical work will be done by the two staff paraprofessionals. Action Steps: Create two teams, one to focus on the librarys web site, the other on the librarys Facebook and Twitter presence. Each team will determine what changes, either technological or message, need to be made to update the librarys online image. Recommended changes will be submitted to the Library Director and Technology Services Librarian for ratification/revision.

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One librarian or staff member from each department will become responsible for their departments contributions to Facebook or Twitter, preferably by volunteering, but by assignment if necessary. Evaluations will be conducted every three months to determine if the changes are beneficial or if further changes to practices need to be made.

Timeline: This initiative will begin in six months, due to other projects that will dominate staff time during that period. The teams will be formed in October 2013, to report back with their findings no later than January 15, 2014. The Library Director and Technology Librarian will respond to the groups reports and set a schedule for implementation that will begin no later than March 1, 2014. Evaluation of the results on Facebook and Twitter will be conducted every six months, and evaluation of the website annually. Adjustments to message, staff assignments, and implementation will be adjusted according to the results of the evaluation.

Metrics: Increased number of followers on Facebook and Twitter. Increased number of re-tweets (Twitter), Likes (Facebook), and Shares (Facebook). Increased number of patron initiated interactions via Facebook and Twitter. Increased patron numbers attending programs and increase in overall use of the library due to the increased promotion of library programs, services, and materials via Facebook and Twitter. Increase in the number of holds and Interlibrary Loan requests placed via the library website. Increased use of the library web site as a gateway to database resources.

Initiative 2.3: Integrate eBooks and eReading devices into the circulating collection. Responsibility: The Librarians for Technology Services and Circulation will coordinate implementation. Action Steps: Investigate how other libraries of comparable size are handling eBook and eReader circulation. Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 20

Determine hardware and eBook needs to pilot eBook use at SPL. Make purchases according to the evaluation. Create catalog records for eBooks and eReaders. Compose marketing materials to notify library users that eReaders will soon be available. Create documentation to accompany the checkout of eBook readers to explain basic functions and use. Train staff in policies and procedures related to charging, using, and discharging materials of this type. Provide copies of training materials at the circulation desk for quick reference. Post signage to announce the arrival of eBooks at SPL.

Timeline: Evaluation of other libraries use and policies, as well as the needs for piloting this technology at SPL, will be conducted over a six month period. Purchasing will take place at the end of this six month period. Staff training will begin no later than January 2014, and eBook/eReader checkout will begin two weeks later.

Metrics: Report on comparable libraries handling of eBook technology. Searchable catalog records for eBooks and eReaders. Circulation statistics for eBooks and eReaders.

Synergies Both of the goals, and therefore all of the initiatives, are intended to improve the way library users and current non-users view Smallville Public Library as a part of the greater Smallville community. As a result, they will all be somewhat interdependent, with a united super-goal of repairing the damage done to the SPL public image during the previous four years when staff were laid off, maintenance had to be deferred, and subscriptions were curtailed due to decreases in buying power and real losses in funding. This plan will require an enormous effort from all library staff members, but ideally it will also be an invigorating kind of effort, in which the library staff will have new plans on which to focus as well as opportunities to work in areas that may not have been available to them while the library was merely trying to maintain the status quo.

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Potential Conflicts Technology Services is centrally involved with all three initiatives under Goal 2, and could potentially be involved on some level with the initiatives for Goal 1, since information seeking and entertainment is moving more and more into the electronic realm. Since there is currently minimal room in the budget to hire additional Technology Services staff, even for parttime hours, there may be a need to delay the timeline for the Goal 2 initiatives to begin in 2014. Since Smallville Public Library desires to position itself as a hub of the community, the strategic planning team is of the opinion that expanding the librarys reach into the Smallville community is the more pressing goal to pursue, though ideally both will proceed as planned. Finding additional or more reliable volunteers may provide a way to carry out this strategic plan as designed, if they can take on some of the more routine tasks while paid library staff divert some of their time to new initiatives. Monitoring and Revision The Library Director, as the supervisor and chief operations director of the library, will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan, and making revisions with the help of the department heads to the action items, timeline, and metrics as needed based on available resources and evaluation of the initial stages of execution. Library board members will not be actively involved in the day-to-day operations, but will serve as advisors and an outside perspective for the director. To make sure that there is transparency between the departments and teams responsible for implementing the strategic initiatives, there will be monthly meetings where summaries from the various teams and initiatives will be shared with all library staff members. This meeting will occur in addition to the regular monthly staff meeting, so attendance will only be required for department heads and team leaders (if a team is led by a library paraprofessional), but attendance by all library staff and volunteers will be encouraged.

Smallville Public Library Budget - Income

Description City Appropriations State Aid NEKLS Grants Fines and Fees Copy/Print Income Endowment Interest Gifts Grants/Fundraising Total Income FY2013 (Actual) $643,095 $5,100 $21,635 $11,050 $5,950 $7,140 $325 $3,545 $697,840 FY2014 (Estimated) $662,390 $4,800 $24,350 $11,250 $6,200 $6,840 $250 $5,400 $721,480

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Smallville Public Library Expenses

Description Staff Salaries and related expenses Staff Salaries Social Security KPERS Employee Insurance Unemployment Worker's Compensation Subtotal Materials and Programs Juvenile Books Adult Books Periodicals Audio Visual Materials Juvenile Audio Visual Materials Programs Electronic Access Fees Subtotal Operations Building Insurance Professional Mtgs, Membership, & Mileage Expenses Utilities Telephone Postage Public Relations Custodial Supplies & Building Maint. Office Supplies Equipment Purchase Equipment Rental ILS Support Software Purchases Miscellaneous Subtotal Total Expenses FY2013 $402,705 $31,070 $25,585 $41,610 $415 $2,295 $503,680 $20,850 $45,695 $6,320 $18,750 $4,000 $2,700 $1,200 $99,515 $3,570 $4,250 $25,500 $7,395 $4,500 $1,500 $21,250 $10,680 $4,000 $4,500 $5,800 $900 $800 $94,645 $697,840 FY2014 (Estimated) $414,785 $31,985 $26,350 $42,025 $420 $2,200 $517,765 $20,000 $40,000 $5,985 $21,250 $4,750 $5,400 $2,200 $99,585 $3,730 $4,500 $26,000 $7,450 $4,300 $3,000 $23,850 $11,000 $7,000 $4,500 $6,100 $2,200 $500 $104,130 $721,480

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There are two significant potential threats that could inhibit completion of the steps outlined above: Funding shortfall: Each year there is debate over the amount of funding that will be provided to publicly supported services, and there is no guarantee that this years budget numbers will be duplicated next year. Since the strategic goals and initiatives are dependent upon maintaining the current level of funding for the next three years, a decrease will mean having to scale back plans for both goals. For example, fewer eReading devices and eBooks could be added to the catalog, as well as fewer upgrades to the existing equipment in the computer lab. Goal 2 would certainly be harder hit by any funding shortfall, but the project is scalable, so some improvements could still be made. Elements of Goal 1 are less dependent upon having cash on hand, but a budget shortfall would likely impact efforts to extend library hours and services, since paying for additional staff time will be necessary to complete those plans. Efforts to coordinate with community partners would continue, but likely on a smaller scale. Lack of buy-in by partners and the community: If members of local schools, businesses, senior living centers, and other potential community partners determine that they do not have the time, money, or interest to actively partner with Smallville Public Library, then the initiatives that are based on community cooperation will certainly not succeed at the level the library desires. Some lack could be covered by the efforts of volunteer staff at these institutions, but it would certainly result in either a longer timeline to implement the action items or scaling back the action items to better fit the resources available.

The Strategic Planning Committee is committed to setting forth the above strategies and goals of this plan. The library staff and board will ensure that progress toward the accomplishment of each goal is carried out. This strategic plan will be closely monitored to ensure that Smallville Public Library will provide quality programs and services to the Smallville, Kansas community. This strategic planning process was a collaborative effort and everyone involved has worked collectively and diligently. The strategies and goals of this plan address the challenges facing Smallville Public library. Currently, funding is available to carry out the vision of this strategic plan; however, we realize that economic uncertainties are conceivable. Nevertheless, we will strive to provide the Smallville community with necessary, up-to-date, and innovative programs, services, and materials.

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Associated Press. (2011, March 03). Ks. census: county-by-county. Retrieved from http://cjonline.com/news/state/2011-03-03/ks-census-county-county Olathe public library. (2010). Olathe public library history. Retrieved from http://olathe.lib.ks.us/history Ottawa Library. (2013). About ottawa public library. Retrieved from http://ottawa.mykansaslibrary.org/about/ United States Census Bureau. (2013). Kansas state and county quickfacts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/20000.html

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Appendix: Strategic Plan Team Retrospective Fab4: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley

Emporia State University Management and Information Organizations LI 805XR

Professor Singh April 3, 2013

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Our team formation was initiated by Terry Chartier on January 14, 2013. Upon reading the assignment posted by our professor, Terry decided it was important to contact possible team members to complete the team assignment group. Having worked with Sandra Findley and Dawn Brumbley on a previous project, Terry emailed both classmates and asked if they were interested in forming a team together. Both agreed to team up with Terry, and Dawn suggested we should also ask Christen Caton to join our team. Terry immediately contacted Christen by email asking if she would be interested in completing our team. Christen emailed back her positive response within hours. On January 16, 2013, Terry submitted our four person team to Blackboard. We felt we had a great start to the assignment and to the semester.

We held our first team meeting during our first class weekend. Leadership was divided evenly amongst the group. We decided that taking turns in different positions and with different responsibilities would encourage our group to experience different roles in making the project well-rounded. We discussed potential types of libraries and what we were interested in so that we could come to a final decision about what kind of library we wanted to plan for. Nobody had strong feelings about the type of library so Sandra suggested an academic library because that was what she was most familiar with; however, Christen wanted to avoid an academic library since she had spent a lot of time hearing about strategic planning in an academic library over the past year. We finally settled on a small community public library that was comparable to one that Terry has experience working with. We also came up with our team name and set some preliminary deadlines for the project.

We established most of the basics of what we wanted at our first team meeting. We already started to have our "norm" since we have previously worked together on projects in other classes. We already knew that we could rely on each other and were familiar with each others work ethics. In addition, we knew what to expect from each other regarding expectations and acceptable behavior. We decided because of scheduling inconsistencies, we would communicate through allinclusive, frequent emails and updates would be the best way to keep the project moving along toward a good end goal. Originally a Google doc was put into place, and it was used a little at first to collaborate; however, most of the communication about the project has taken place over numerous emails between all of the group members. The project was mostly divided up into four sections, and if we needed clarification about what the team wanted as a whole, then we were to discuss through email what we thought was the best solution to whatever problems we encountered. We kept each other motivated and up-to-date on each other's work by setting frequent due dates to accomplish each portion of the project before putting it together the whole.

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We have relied on each other to get each piece completed so that the whole project would come together as a cohesive and well-established strategic plan.

We did not really have a routine, per se, but we acted according to the deadlines that we set for each other, for the most part. We worked together through difficulties or bumps in the road, and tried our best to help each other along the way. Everyone stepped up to offer their different skills and to make sure that each piece of the puzzle fell into place. There were no slackers in our group. Everyone offered up their equal time or efforts.

We have completed our strategic plan and are very pleased with the outcome of our strategic plan document. All of us felt a bit overwhelmed at first with such as huge task to take on; however, we are thrilled that it turned out so well. The only part of the assignment that we have left to complete is the presentation during our last class weekend. Dawn has created a magnificent PowerPoint for our group, and we are ready to present our strategic plan to the class. We feel like we have worked very well together as a team, and we hope to work together again in the future.

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Fab4 Team Minutes Saturday, February 2, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Christen Caton Goals: Discuss what kind of library to strategically plan for What goals do we want to focus on for that library Determine a rough schedule for having drafts of the project pieces complete Collect contact numbers for all team members Choose a team name Set action plan for next meeting

Business: The group discussed whether to use an academic or public library for the project. Nobody has especially strong feelings either way, though Christen did initially want to avoid an academic library, since she has spent a lot of time in the past year hearing about strategic planning in an academic library. Issue tabled for later discussion. Next, there was discussion about when/how the group should meet and work on the project. We decided that for now we will work via email, with Adobe Connect meetings to supplement as needed in the future. Rather than using the Blackboard wiki, the group will use a Google Doc to prepare the text of project documents. Dawn will create the initial document for the Progress Report, and send the link to the other team members, since she has used Google Docs before. Members discussed assigning team roles, and decided to pass around the roles of leader/facilitator and secretary. For today, Terry is leader, and Christen secretary. Rough schedule for project: Goals Progress Report Final Report PowerPoint Pres.

Due: March 3 Due: Apr 3 Due: Apr 3

Draft: Feb 10 Draft: Feb 17 Draft: Mar 17 Draft: March 30

The team then discussed how to apportion the work of preparing the Team Progress Report document. Christen volunteered to handle the team progress update. Terry, Sandra, and Dawn will work together to outline the team contract, though all members will be involved in both parts to some degree. Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 29

Discussion of the teams name followed. Since the group was originally designated Group 4 and there are four members, the group decided to become the Fab4. We then returned to the discussion of what sort of library to focus on. The group decided to create a strategic plan based on a fictional library serving a population of 10,000-15,000 people, such as the Ottawa and Atchison public libraries. Tentatively decided to have one of the strategic plan goals be about digital/emerging technologies. Phone numbers for the group: Terry: 785-241-3549 Dawn: 913-909-0383 Sandra: 816-509-1234 Christen: 719-310-7204 Action plan before next meeting: Each group member should email suggestions for potential goals. Goals to be decided upon by Feb 10. Dawn will initiate the Team Progress Report document in Google Docs, and send links to the other team members. Christen will type up the minutes of the first meeting and sent them out. Terry will send out some information about the strategic plan and budget for her library for the group to use as a guide.

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Fab4 Team Minutes Email Communications week of February 3, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Terry Chartier Goals: What goals do we want to focus on for our public library

Business: February 3, 2013: Terry emailed strategic plan and budget from Ottawa Library to use as a guide in creating our plan. February 7, 2013: Sandra emailed the team suggesting we use Community Outreach as our second goal for our library. She detailed ideas for several goals with objectives under the Community Outreach portion of our strategic plan. Each team member replied within 24 hours agreeing with Sandras suggestion. February 8, 2013: Terry emailed the team with detailed ideas for the Technology Literacy portion of our strategic plan that we had already decided on at our first meeting. She detailed ideas for several goals with objectives. Each team member replied within 24 hour agreeing with Terrys suggestion.

Action plan before next meeting: Continue working on Strategic Plan and get organized

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Fab4 Team Minutes Email Communications week of February 11, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Terry Chartier Goals: Continue working on Strategic Plan and get organized

Business: February 17, 2013: Christen converted Rajesh's "How to make a strategic plan" PowerPoint slides into a project outline in our Google Doc. This will insure we are addressing all of the points required and checking them off as we go.

Action plan before next meeting: Divide sections of Team Progress Update that is due March 3, 2013 Update Google doc with our portions of Team Progress Update Set rough draft due date for Team Progress Update

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Fab4 Team Minutes Email Communications week of February 18, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Terry Chartier Goals: Divide sections of Team Progress Update that is due March 3, 2013 Update Google doc with our portions of Team Progress Update Set rough draft due date for Team Progress Update

Business: February 19, 2013: Sandra sent out the following email to help get us organized and divide up the sections of the Team Progress Report due March 3, 2013: According to our notes, Christen is supposed to do the Team Progress update and then Terry, Dawn, and I are supposed to split up the contract. The team progress update consists of 5-10 bullet points so it's not too much for 1 person to do. As far as the contract - there are 9 points we have to cover which can be easily divided between the 3 of us. We just need to follow the table on page 10 of our assignment sheet and it will be very simple to do. Here's how it can be divided: One person to be responsible for the decisions, meeting times, attendance part. Another for the assignments, participation, communication part. Another for the conversational etiquette, meeting agendas & minutes, enforcement part. Pledge Sandra will complete. Review and follow the sample from another group that Rajesh provided for us in the Assignments tab in Blackboard. February 20, 2013: Sandra emailed the following after receiving replies from the rest of the team: It looks like this will be the breakdown: CHRISTEN - team progress update. SANDRA - decisions, meeting times, attendance part of the contract. Team pledge. TERRY - assignments, participation, communication part of the contract. Meeting minutes. DAWN - conversational etiquette, meeting agendas & minutes, enforcement part of the contract. If everyone can get their parts done by Sunday, then I can put it all together and email you guys a rough draft to be approved before submitting it on March 3. Sounds like we're moving right along! Action plan before next meeting: Review rough draft of Team Progress Update from Sandra Submit Team Progress Update Smallville Public Library Strategic Plan 33

Fab4 Team Minutes Email Communications February 20 March 1, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Sandra Findley Goals: Complete part 1 of Team Progress Update for submission Divide sections of Strategic Plan Document, Part 2

Business: February 20, 2013: Set deadline for everyone to have their parts of the team progress update submitted through email by Sunday, February 24, 2013. February 21, 2013: Terry submitted her part of the team progress update along with the meeting minutes from the weeks of February 3, 11, and 18. February 22, 2013: Christen suggested some ideas to use for our team goals for the team progress update. Dawn also added some ideas. February 23, 2013: Dawn and Christen both submitted their parts of the team project update. February 24, 2013: Sandra emailed the rough draft of the team project update to everyone. February 27, 2013: Christen made suggestions to the rough draft. Everyone agreed and the changes were incorporated. February 27, 2013: Sandra emailed suggestions for the division of part 2 of the assignment. February 28, 2013: Sandra emailed final draft of the team progress update for approval by March 1, 2013. March 1, 2013: Everyone approved of the final draft of the team progress update and Sandra submitted it through Blackboard. Action plan before next meeting: Finalize the division of who will be responsible for each part of part 2 of the assignment Set deadline for everyones submission of their parts of Part 2 of the Strategic Plan Document

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Fab4 Team Minutes Email Communications March 1 March 10, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Christen Caton Goals: To determine primary responsibility for sections of the final document. To set a due date for group members to submit their rough text to Sandra for compilation.

Business: Sandra submitted the meeting minutes for the last week in February. Christen volunteered to take minutes for the first week in March. Group members claimed sections of the document to be responsible for based on the breakdown Sandra created the previous week. Discussed when to submit rough versions of our sections to the group for review. Dawn suggested the weekend of March 22-23, which was approved by all group members. Action plan before next meeting: Continue working on assigned sections of the project

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Fab4 Team Minutes Week of March 11-17, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Dawn Brumbley Goals:
Talk about the specific details within the strategic plan Make sure everyone is on the same page as far as progress toward our rough draft

Business:
Discussed in some depth the reasoning behind the plan, and what we would like to see in the individual parts Talked about the budget some more and comparable libraries Discussed briefly the history of the library Encouraged each other to continue working diligently by checking in on progress

Action plan before next meeting: Create rough drafts for the piece of the whole that each person is working on and submit them to each other by March 23rd, so that the whole can be constructed and then discussed. As each piece is submitted to the rest of the group, reply with timely feedback and constructive criticism.

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Fab4 Team Minutes Week of March 25-31, 2013 Present: Christen Caton, Terry Chartier, Dawn Brumbley, Sandra Findley Prepared by: Dawn Brumbley Goals: Business: We were able to look over each piece of the rough draft and to give each other commentary on what we believed should be changed or remain the same. Further discussed some last minute details about what was still missing from our plan, and what to include into the final draft. We set a deadline at the beginning of the week for the presentation piece, and how we were going to all participate in the presentation. Each person submitted information to Dawn about the slides they would like to present after the presentation was divided into four parts. Discuss the rough draft Make any pertinent changes to the plan as needed Discuss the upcoming presentation of the strategic plan

Action plan before next meeting: Class will meet in less than a week, and the final draft of the plan is due. Our last action plan is to put the final touches on the plan, submit it, and to finish preparations on the presentation before the upcoming class weekend when we will present the final product.

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