Long-range Plan
January 2009 – December 2011

Amanda McKay, Library Director

Board of Trustees:
Jeff Weis, President
Gloria Bauer, Vice President
David Seiler, Secretary
Bob Willenborg, Treasurer
Dana Keller
John Latta
Karen Luchtefeld
Ellen Welton
Rod Wiethop

Introduction

The following document represents the long-range plan for the Helen Matthes Library in Effingham, Illinois. The plan will cover the years 2009, 2010, 2011. The Helen Matthes Library is a city library that serves the 12,300 residents of the City of Effingham. The library celebrated 125 years of library service in Effingham in 2008, though it has only been tax supported since 1943. This plan is an update of the 2007-2009 plan that was implemented after a series of community surveys in 2006. The majority of the goals in the 2007-2009 plan were realized by mid-2008, so an updated plan is needed.

The Helen Matthes Library continues to struggle with two main issues: 1) the need for a larger facility and 2) if the library should convert to a district library. Another of the library’s pressing needs, the need for additional operating funds, was met through the passage of an operation referendum on February 5, 2008. These issues have been dealt with to various degrees during the last two three-year long-range plans, but no resolution has been found for the need for additional space and the possible district conversion. Therefore, this plan will help the library continue the dialogue on these issues while also setting some deadlines for making some decisions. This plan also acknowledges the need for separate plans for marketing and technical services, two growing areas of the library. These plans are updated more frequently and are referred to in the master long-range plan.

We hope that this plan is responsive to our community and provides everyone with something they are interested in. We see the library as a place that can bring the community together despite all of our differences, a place that has something for everyone, while still remaining true to our core values and not spreading ourselves too thin. This is a difficult vision to play out with limited resources, but we feel that we have a creative, energetic staff and Board of Directors that is up to the challenge.

Vision Statement
A library that is a community resource and cultural hub committed to lifelong learning.

Mission Statement
The Helen Matthes Library seeks to empower the community through materials promoting lifelong learning, access to technology, providing current and accurate information and encouraging reading.

Values
Culture
Resources
Technology

Building and Budget
Goal #1: Increase our space.

Objective 1: Make a decision about an existing building, a new building, or no building by January 1, 2009.

• Activity 1: Have discussions with the city and community members about the best course of action.
• Activity 2: Hire building consultant or architect to look at possible facilities.
• Activity 3: Hire a fundraising consultant to study the feasibility of raising funds for a facility.

Goal #2: Continue to discuss the possibility of district library conversion.

Objective 1: Make a decision about a possible district conversion by the end of 2009.

• Activity 1: If a decision is made to go forward with district conversion, decide on the conversion method.
• Activity 2: Begin steps towards becoming a district with target date of July 1, 2010.
• Activity 3: Conduct an educational campaign to inform people about what it means to be a district library and how the conversion process works.
• Activity 4: Consider applying for a demonstration grant to give library service to all of unserved Unit 40 with the intention of holding a referendum in 2010 for inclusion in the district.

Goal #3: Seek to use our existing space as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Objective 1: Add new “themed” spaces to the library by January 1, 2010.

• Activity 1: Consider adding a café or vending area.

Objective 2: Annually evaluate flow of the library, including seating, outlets for laptops, placement of computers and collections, and staff space.

• Activity 1: Write a report annually beginning in FY 2009 addressing these issues and any possible changes that need to be made.

Objective 3: Have space planning consultant go through building every 3 years.

• Activity 1: Present consultant’s report/recommendations to the Board.
• Activity 2: Implement recommendations approved by the Board.

Goal #4: Evaluate library’s insurance coverage.

Objective 1: Evaluate health insurance coverage in Fall 2008.

• Activity 1: Consider going out for bids on health insurance (for May 1, 2009 effective date).

Objective 2: Evaluate liability insurance coverage in Summer 2009.

• Activity 1: Consider going out for bids on liability insurance (for January 1, 2010 effective date).

Goal #5: Continue to apply yearly to the TIF program for building improvements.

Objective 1: Use TIF funds to improve current building.

• Activity 1: Seek Board input on possible capital projects.
• Activity 2: Seek staff input on possible capital projects.
• Activity 3: Keep list of possible projects.

Materials
See also Technical Services Long-range Plan.

Goal #1: Increase the amount of materials we offer to patrons.

Objective 1: Increase the children’s book budget by 10% by FY 2010.

• Activity 1: Board budget discussions about where funds should come from.
• Activity 2: Include in budget in increments up to FY 2010.

Objective 2: Increase the adult book budget by 20% by FY 2010.

• Activity 1: Board budget discussions about where funds should come from.
• Activity 2: Include in budget in increments up to FY 2010.

Objective 3: Increase percent of book budgets going to audio-visual items by FY11.

• Activity 1: Track current spending in FY09 and FY10.
• Activity 2: Get goal of what percent of budget should be a/v in December 2010 for FY11 budget.
• Activity 3: Develop a system to track amount spent on a/v each year.

Goal #2: Increase overall circulation.

Objective 1: Reach 100,000 items per year circulated by April 30, 2009.

• Activity 1: Increase marketing of materials.
• Activity 2: Encourage patrons to check out more.
• Activity 3: Give patrons suggestions of other books they might like.
• Activity 4: Purchase more materials (see Materials Goal 1).

Marketing
See also Marketing Plan.

Goal #1: Continue aggressively marketing the library.

Objective 1: Carry out current marketing plan through April 2010.

• Activity 1: Evaluate the plan in April 2010.
• Activity 2: Hold a manager’s meeting to discuss the evaluation procedure.
• Activity 3: Seek staff, Board, and patron input as to their opinion of the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
• Activity 4: Present to the Board on the evaluation of the current marketing plan.

Objective 2: Write a new marketing plan by May 2010.

• Activity 1: Seek Board, staff, and patron input as to what marketing efforts have been effective.
• Activity 2: Implement use of marketing database as part of new plan.
• Activity 3: Gather marketing ideas from other libraries.
• Activity 4: Attend a marketing workshop in another field to get ideas.

Staff

Goal #1: Develop continuous learning and career track for each employee.

Objective 1: Investigate a continuous improvement instrument that can be used at the library by Summer 2009.

• Activity 1: Ask other libraries what they do for employee training and career track.
• Activity 2: Discuss models with managers and develop an implementation plan.

Objective 2: Each employee will have a continuous improvement plan and a career track.

• Activity 1: Meet with each employee to discuss continuous improvement and career track by December 2009.
• Activity 2: Use each employee’s plan during evaluations to benchmark improvement and set new goals.

Objective 3: Employees will continue to be cross-trained for maximum efficiency.

• Activity 1: Yearly starting in FY09 review cross-training document and make any changes or additions.
• Activity 2: Carry out any needed cross-training.
• Activity 3: Continue to update essential duties basic instructions.

Goal #2: Evaluate staffing levels.

Objective 1: Develop and approve a salary range for each position.

• Activity 1: Board reviews the draft in Fall 2008.
• Activity 2: Ranges approved in Fall 2008.
• Activity 3: Ranges and positions in certain job classifications will be incorporated into the FY10 budget.

Objective 2: Staffing levels will be increased according to the needs of a new facility.

• Activity 1: Once a new facility is in place, find other libraries with similar layouts and budgets and inquire about staffing levels.
• Activity 2: Report to the Board within 6 months of being in the new facility as to the “state of the staff” in the new facility and make any recommended changes.
• Activity 3: Recommended changes will be considered by the Board and approved changes implemented within 3 months of approval.

Objective 3: Add staff in areas currently underserved by the library currently by FY10.

• Activity 1: Consider an Outreach Coordinator to work with community groups, homebound, and schools (homeschoolers).
• Activity 2: Consider a Technology Director (especially in a new building where our technology needs will likely double) to maintain/update Website, develop intranet, maintain/upgrade LAN and WAN.
• Activity 3: Consider increasing Assistant to the Director’s hours (position is currently about 10 hours a week and is mostly utilized as support for the director) by making the position an Administrative Assistant position to assist with all administrative functions.
• Activity 4: Consider adding an Adult Programming Assistant as this is a growing area that will need to be split off from the Information Desk (especially in a new building).
• Activity 5: Consider adding a Technical Services Assistant to complete the RFID conversion and then obtain barcoder certification and work in Technical Services
• Activity 6: Consider adding a Circulation Assistant based on usage in a new facility.

Programs and Technology

Goal #1: The library will have an up-to-date, easy to use patron and print management software system on the public access Internet computers.

Objective 1: Implement a new system in Winter 2008.

• Activity 1: New software investigated and presented to Board in Summer 2008.
• Activity 2: Board approves new software in Summer 2008.
• Activity 3: Complete installation.

Goal #2: Continue to offer computer classes for patrons.

Objective 1: Offer computer classes twice a week for eight months out of the year.

• Activity 1: Add additional evening class.
• Activity 2: Add additional Saturday morning class.
• Activity 3: Consider diversifying offerings to reach targeted audiences (i.e. nonprofits, small businesses).
• Activity 4: Send instructor to training sessions as needed.

Goal #3: Initiate new programming that meets the needs of our communities.

Objective 1: Increase number of adult programs offered each year by 2009.

• Activity 1: Hold 10 adult programs per year by 2009.
• Activity 2: Seek to hold at least two programs each year that will appeal to men.

Objective 2: Initiate programming in local schools, holding three programs per year in a local school by Fall 2009.

• Activity 1: Meet with school librarians to determine type of program that might be successful.
• Activity 2: Survey teachers to see their classroom programming needs.
• Activity 3: Provide a library newsletter for teachers/school administrators twice a year.

Objective 3: Continue to offer teen programming.

• Activity 1: Survey teens to find out what kinds of programs they are interested in.
• Activity 2: Support the Youth Advisory Council by attending meetings and helping them implement programs.
• Activity 3: Provide teen programming in the schools if coming to the library seems to be a barrier.

Objective 4: Increase outreach to home school families by FY 2010.

• Activity 1: Survey home school families to see what kinds of services the library could provide.
• Activity 2: Initiate “home schoolers only” programs.
• Activity 3: Create network of home school families with a special section on the library’s bulletin board or via a list-serv.
• Activity 4: Create a twice yearly newsletter that focuses on library news of interest to home schoolers.

Objective 5: Expand services offered to area nonprofits as initiated through the GLUE Institute.

• Activity 1: Investigate becoming a Philanthropy Center in partnership with the Donor’s Forum in Chicago.
• Activity 2: Continue to purchase materials of interest to nonprofits and promote this collection.
• Activity 3: Consider holding a once a year training program for nonprofits featuring a high-quality, low-cost speaker on an issue of importance to area nonprofits (consider partnering with Donor’s Forum, Lumpkin Family Foundation, ECCF, etc.).
• Activity 4: Continue to update and promote the Effingham County Nonprofit Directory on the library’s Web site.
• Activity 5: Consider establishing a nonprofit task force to meet quarterly and begin discussions on how nonprofits can be more effective county-wide and regionally. Attend meetings of other groups with this purpose and cooperate with their efforts.

Objective 6: Establish partnership with Greater Effingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry to support small business owners and potential owners.

• Activity 1: Complete the “Boosting the BEST Center” ECCF grant providing a collection of materials to the BEST Center, along with logo and advertising assistance.
• Activity 2: Consider offering training sessions to small business owners (consider on-site trainings) highlighting the library’s resources (especially online databases).

Goal #4: Install radio-frequency identification technology as the library’s collection management, circulation, and security system by Winter 2009.

Objective 1: To improve the quality of collection management, circulation, and security of the library’s collection.

• Activity 1: Meet with RFID vendors in Fall 2008.
• Activity 2: Go out for proposals and select a vendor by Spring 2009.
• Activity 3: Begin tagging items with target “go live” date of November 1, 2009.
• Activity 4: Train staff and patrons on the new system.

Goal #5: Install calendar and patron self-registration software on the library’s Website.

Objective 1: To make attending a library event easier.

• Activity 1: Find software that allows patrons to view library activities and then register for events by Summer 2008.
• Activity 2: Board approves the purchase of the software with deferred billing to FY10.
• Activity 3: Installation of software in Spring 2009.
• Activity 4: Train staff and patrons on how to use the software.
• Activity 5: Shoot for a “go live” date of May 1, 2009.