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Library Management

Funding, Library Management, chrystie
Dept. of Agriculture Grants to Rural Libraries
February 8th, 2010 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Last week, Jennifer mentioned the department of agriculture’s recent announcement about $100 million in grants and loans for rural libraries. I wanted to know a bit more about the program, so checked into it a little bit more. Here’s what I found.

Overview

· The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has designated approximately $100 million in grants and loans (texas state library blog says they’ve learned it’s mostly loans and “a much smaller number of grants”) from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support public libraries in rural areas or small towns. Loans can be repaid over 40 years, and are available to institutions who can’t otherwise get credit.

· Definition of rural is serving under 20,000 (similar to WJ definition of a small/rural library serving < 25,000).

· Administered through the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs, the funds will support the construction, enlargement, or improvement of public library facilities along with the purchase of facility equipment.

· Depending on funding availability, RD plans to provide up to $500,000 in additional grant funds to each State Office through the Community Facilities American Recovery Reinvestment Act grant account for library projects.

· Funds may be used for costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees, and purchase equipment required for a facility’s operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment, and bookmobiles.

· Applications will be accepted through the USDA Rural Development regional field offices (different for every state) http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs

· Community Facilities Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants located in smaller communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher percentage of grants. Grant funding limitations are based on population and income, economic feasibility, and availability of funds

Links to more info

· USDA fact sheet on the program (PDF): http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/USDA.pdf

· ALA Washington Office press release: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/usdadesignates_wo.cfm
The Secretary of Agriculture has allocated $100 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities funding for public libraries to provide educational opportunities and improve public services in rural communities. The funding will be provided primarily through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 78 percent of rural communities, the library is the sole provider of no-fee Internet access,” Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said. “This funding specifically set aside for rural libraries is a lifeline for communities across the country who depend on their local libraries for basic needs such as Internet access as well as assistance with e-government services, literacy and homework programs, and much more. We thank the USDA for its recognition of the vital role libraries play in rural communities and their need for funding.” Funds may be used to construct, enlarge or improve public libraries. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees and purchase equipment required for operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment and bookmobiles.

· Association for Small & Rural Libraries re-posted fact sheet information on their grants section: http://www.arsl.info/links/grant-news/usda-funds/

Selected blog mentions
These posts mostly repost the info; a few other state libraries, systems, or associations posted as well but this gives you a good sense for who picked it up.

· WebJunction: http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#search/agriculture/1

· Marshall Breeding: http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=14494

· TX state library: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=2374

· Resource Shelf: http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/01/27/100-million-dollars-allocated-for-rural-libraries-from-united-states-department-of-agriculture-usda/

· Libraries in the News: http://www.ilovelibraries.ala.org/news/?p=686

· Peter Scott: http://xrefer.blogspot.com/2010/01/united-states-department-of-agriculture.html

· Southern Adirondack Library System: http://salsblog.sals.edu/index.php/2010/01/27/money-for-rural-libraries/comment-page-1/ (this post does offer a local contact for assistance)

· Gale: http://blog.gale.com/sizzle/library-advocacy/library-funding-now-available-through-department-of-agriculture/

To those of you who are investigating these loan and grant options and application process, is there anything that WebJunction can do to support this process for everyone? It might be helpful to share applications, tips or tricks for going through the process, or lessons learned once awards are made. Let us know what you’d like to see or how we can help.
Health Information, Library Management, Webinar
Following the flu
October 1st, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Tracking the breaking news and resulting response around the various strains of influenza we are contending with this year has been rather confusing. I know that the big questions around our office and homes has been, “Should I get a flu shot? Should my children or parents? Which ones? By what delivery method?” But I do think that the government and Centers for Disease Control have been doing an admirable job of compiling the essential information and keeping us informed of how to best prepare for this unusual situation.

As WebJunction embarks on this month’s focus on emergency planning and response, I’ve been familiarizing myself with the resources out there that guide businesses and individuals through the process of disaster preparation and recovery. A great site is ready.gov. There is also a spinoff site called flu.gov, which includes a section that contains links to excellent guidance to business for preparing for the seasonal influenza epidemic as well as the N1H1 (aka “swine flu”) epidemic: http://pandemicflu.gov/professional/business/#

I am adding these and other resources to the Disaster Planning topic area on WebJunction, with links to key websites in this document.

We will also be hosting a webinar on October 21 that will discuss how libraries in Florida are being used for hurricane preparedness and response. Visit our Events Calendar to register (it’s free).
Library Management, Tech, Technology Planning
Surveying library technology policies
July 31st, 2009 | Permalink | 2 Comments
WebJunction is gearing up for an August focus on Technology Policies and we’d like to hear from you first. To understand how libraries develop, update and communicate technology policies we would like to invite you to complete a short survey. The short survey asks questions about:
- What sorts of technology policies you’ve developed and why?
- Who’s involved in the review, creation or updating of your policies?
- Which factors prompt you to update your policies?
We will share the results of the survey later in August and will address some of the key issues in an August 26 webinar. Thank you for taking the time to help share a current understanding of library technology policies!

View survey results »
Funding, Library Management, Technology Planning
Broadband is the name of the stimulus game
July 30th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

If you’re not confused by all the acronyms flying around the federal stimulus package, then it’s a miracle! Everybody’s talking about what portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) should go to libraries, but there are certainly not enough folks who understand how to apply for the funds. Thankfully, ALA’s Know Your Stimulus site is helping libraries navigate through the minefield of red tape. I recommend registering for their upcoming ALA webinar on August 5: Nuts and Bolts – Broadband Grant Application Assistance. They’ll help distinguish the BTOP from the NTIA and the NOFA from the RUS (!) Honestly the only thing I feel fairly certain I understand is that there will be 3 rounds of funding and that the first deadline is August 15, so get crackin’!

Tell us what you’re learning about the Broadband Stimulus
Library Management
Computer & Internet Policies for patrons and staff
July 9th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

A hot topic for libraries are how to manage access and use of computers and the internet by both patrons and staff. Questions like: Do we set time limits for computer use and, if so, how do we find a time that meets the needs of most patrons? Do we block certain sites? Do we disallow certain activity? Do we allow (or even encourage) staff to participate in social networking at work? How do we keep abreast of what patrons needs are so that our policies can adapt to them?

We’ll be putting focus on these questions next month, as we spotlight Computer & Internet Policies. For instance, we’ll have a webinar on August 26 that features staff from two library systems who will share their findings on the trends in computer- and internet-related issues and provide examples of different approaches to policies that libraries have developed. We invite you to share your own experiences or policy examples, so that others may learn from you.

Meanwhile, member Patrick McDonald has a question for you: He is looking for policies that address library staff performing professional duties via a personal, social networking profile. If you have some information for him, please reply to his post to the Social Networking & Web Tools discussion board.
Library Management, Library Services, News, Online Learning, Staff Training, Tech
Library competency seedlings are sprouting
June 22nd, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?
I feel like I’ve spent much of the winter and spring planting competency seeds and I’m finally seeing the seedlings push up the soil and greet the light of day. So here’s what’s growing in the WebJunction competency garden …

♣ The Competency Index

Competency Index for the Library Field is a compilation of competency statements that address a broad spectrum of library practice and service. We aggregated and de-duped twelve leading competency sets from the field and then subjected them to a vigorous review by subject matter expert practitioners. We invite you to download the resulting publication and remix and reinvent it in whatever way best serves your library’s size, structure, and personnel development needs.

♣ Competency-course-content connections

We have integrated a fourth set of competencies from the Index with the WebJunction catalog—The Personal/Interpersonal competencies. Also referred to as soft skills, foundational or behavioral competencies, they apply to most job roles and form the underpinning of effective and stellar practice and service. Start on the Competencies tab of the WebJunction Courses page and discover connections to courses and resources aligned with specific skills and knowledge statements. You can also explore learning opportunities related to library management, core technology, and systems & IT.

♣ Competency evaluations

The results are in from the two competency evaluations WebJunction conducted in March and April. We asked respondents from across the field to evaluate themselves on a selection of skills and knowledge statements for library management and technology. Read the summaries and look for the detailed results in the PDF attached to each summary.
- Library Management Competency Evaluation Results
- Technology Competency Evaluation Results
Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training
How do organizations partner with WebJunction?
June 1st, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

At WebJunction we talk a lot about partnerships because we truly believe in them as a way to leverage limited resources for the library community. And while we make a lot of individual partnerships with our members, we also partner with organizations. On the first Wednesday of every month, WebJunction hosts a conversation that addresses how we work with library organizations to provide customized, cost-effective resources to keep staff skills up-to-date and libraries relevant to current patron needs. This Wednesday, Michael Shapiro and me, Zola Maddison, will provide an overview of our tools, talk about our service options, and follow up with an open Q&A. We’ll also reflect on how our current partners are successfully employing WebJunction tools to save time and money while meeting the needs of their library staff. If you’re thinking about staff training and want to learn more about partnering with WebJunction, register for one of the upcoming WebJunction for Organizations sessions, online or at ALA. We hope to see you there!
Library Management, Staff Training, Webinar
Mileposts on the learning road
May 19th, 2009 | Permalink | 2 Comments

One week from today is the day you return to work after the 3-day Memorial Day weekend AND it’s the day of our Libraries as Learning Organizations webinar. Mark your calendars and set your reminders because this is going to be a lively discussion about reframing the approach to library staff training and learning.

Our panelists, representing libraries at different mileposts on the road to becoming learning organizations, will share challenges, strategies, and successes from their own experience.

Read more about the event and register here:
http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1592

See you online next Tuesday!
Library Management
Evaluate your competency in library management skills
March 24th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Now that WebJunction has defined competencies for Library Management and connected them to learning resources, we want to know if it makes any difference in the field. To do that, we need a baseline from which to measure progress.

“Oh no, not another survey!” you say. Let’s call it an evaluation instead. It’s an opportunity for you to assess your level of skill in key library management areas while you help us determine that baseline for the field.

WebJunction wants to help everyone in the field build your skills paths. The competencies are a starting point, but the process is non-static, ongoing, and focused on better outcomes for libraries.

Be part of the process and spend 10-15 minutes filling out our Library Management Competencies Evaluation. We’ll share the results and we’ll all keep moving forward.
Advocacy, Community Building, Library Management, Library Services, Rural and Small Libraries
Library ROI: A Brief Webliography
February 20th, 2009 | Permalink | 3 Comments

First, a confession. I’ve been holding this list for months. Don Reynolds sent this to me back in the fall of 2008, and I’ve been meaning to post it ever since. Today, the guilt finally overwhelmed me, so I went in and checked all the links, tossed out or updated the bad links, arranged the list in chronological order from oldest to newest, and threw myself on the mercy of the court.

REPORTS ON CALCULATING A LIBRARY’S RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Compiled by Don Reynolds, Past President of the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, and Director, Nolichucky Regional Library, Morristown, Tennessee
Updated February 20, 2009

Public Library Benefits Valuation Study. St. Louis Public Library, April 2001.

Library’s Contribution to Your Community. Illinois Regional Library Systems, 2002/3.

Libraries: How they stack up. An OCLC Report. OCLC, 2003.

Value of Public Library Service. Massachusetts Library Association, October 2003. Also available: “Estimated retail value and Values explained” and Calculator work sheet

The Economic Impact of Public Libraries on South Carolina. January 2005.

Taxpayer Return-on-Investment (ROI) in Pennsylvania Public Libraries. Pennsylvania Library Association, September 2006.

Value for Money: Southwestern Ohio’s Return from Investment in Public Libraries. November 2006. Report Summary

Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development. Urban Libraries Council, January 2007.

Worth Their Weight – An Assessment of the Evolving Field of Library Valuation. Americans for Libraries Council (Libraries for the Future), May 2007. Two notes:
1.) This report summarizes all the various valuation projects from around the country.
2.) I was having some trouble getting this to download, but was told by Libraries for the Future that the website issue is being addressed.

Vermont Library Association’s Library Use Value Calculator – What is your library worth to you? August 2007. (Note: Follows Massachusetts model.)

Return on Investment for Public Libraries. Library Research Service (Colorado), 2007/8. Note: This site also includes numerous case studies of individual libraries. Individual ROI Calculator.

Return on Investment (ROI). North Suburban Library System (Illinois), 2008. (Note: Two calculators are available here, one for a library’s return on investment to the community, one for the ROI for an individual.)

Maine State Library’s Library Use Value Calculator. Updated 2008. Note: This approach also follows Massachusetts model.

New York Libraries: How They Stack Up! Revised October 2008. Printable brochure version, also revised October 2008
ALA MW 2009, Community Building, Funding, Library Management, Marketing, Online Collaboration
ALA MW: It has to make sense
January 25th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Librarian Lesson #1 here at ALA MW in Denver: align priorities and learn when to sometimes say “NO.” The message at my table at the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) Breakfast among skilled Project Managers, Supervisors, and Directors was simple: use regular, structured, F2F and online interactions with the public to nail down ”the mission,” then put “results” above all else in selecting and structuring projects that get the maximum bang for the bite. To do this well, it sometimes means saying no, or at least “not now.” Scope creep can render projects and actions null and void. Pinpoint focus on a mission… the right one, gets us to the next (big) thing all the sooner.
ALA MW 2009, Conferences, Library Management
Library Leaders
January 24th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

As I headed to ALAMW this year, I found myself especially full of excitement and anticipation. You see, this year I have been sponsored by the International Relations Round Table (IRRT) to participate in this year’s Emerging Leaders program—a program that brings newer librarians from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups; network with peers; gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. I’ll be honest with you: I’m still digesting so much of what we covered today, and in particular the conversations I had with my colleagues. But it all started with the idea that leadership is built on five principles:
1. Challenge the process: don’t be afraid to ask the big “Why?” questions and suggest new approaches;
2. Inspire a shared vision: speak from the heart as you share your vision for what’s possible;
3. Enable others to act: build relationships built on trust, involve others, and expect effective & positive results;
4. Model the way: act in accordance with your principles and values, and lead by example;
5. Encourage the heart; focus on how each person contributes their personal best & acknowledge it.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that we all have the capacity to embody all these qualities. But I do think it does take special people to enact them. Or perhaps, more to the point, it takes are people who are willing to continuously strive toward effectively enacting these qualities so that we become better leaders for our libraries and communities. What do you think?
Library Management, News, Online Collaboration, Online Learning, Staff Training
The competency connection
January 13th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

If you visit the course catalog on WebJunction, you may notice a new Competencies tab. This dynamic list of competencies will allow users to easily find courses and content that address knowledge, skills and abilities associated with a specific competency.

WebJunction has been working on compiling a Competency Index, which covers a broad spectrum of library practice and service. We are currently displaying only the Library Management section of the Index. In the coming months, we will continue to roll out additional sections, and we expect to produce the full Index as a WebJunction publication later this year.

In the meantime, you can learn more about how to use the competencies. Let us know what you think.
Library Management
A Global Survey of Politeness
October 14th, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Reader’s Digest just published the results of their “Global Courtesy Test,” in which they visited major cities in 35 countries and performed tests to measure the level of politeness of each city’s citizenry. I found it interesting to learn what tests they decided to perform:

• We walked into public buildings 20 times behind people to see if they would hold the door open for us.

• We bought small items from 20 stores and recorded whether the sales assistants said thank you.

• We dropped a folder full of papers in 20 busy locations to see if anyone would help pick them up.

Based on these measures of helpfulness and customer service, New York City ranked first and Mumbai, India, ranked last of the 36 cities. There are all sorts of interesting justifications from the people surveyed of why they acted the way they did (”I already held the door open once today”) and the article also posits some theories for some of the results, such as differences in age or culture perspective. I certainly wondered if in some countries, those tests are completely irrelevant to the local standards for politeness and customer service.

Here’s my question: If Reader’s Digest were to perform a similar survey that instead focused on libraries, what do you think would be the three tests they would perform? Do you think those would be a fair assessment; in other words, do your definitions for good customer service match those of the general public?

And if the surveyors came to your library, what would they experience?
Bad Ideas, Library Management, Online Collaboration
Is Someone Direct Marketing via your Patrons and Collection?
September 24th, 2008 | Permalink | 10 Comments

At least three times in the last month, someone in my family has found a business card inside a library book.

For example my daughter’s Fairy Chronicles came with a card for a hip girl and doll matching-outfit boutique. A mildly “chick” novel smuggled home a card for custom jewelry design, and a bathroom remodeling guide conveniently provided the card of a door and window distributor.

Interestingly, these weren’t dog-eared old scraps, but fresh, colorful cards advertising services which coincidentally matched up with purchasing habits one could imagine of the reader.

The first few we discovered seemed innocuous—just the remains of a reader’s bookmark, right? But then the cards began to add up. Looking back I can recall insurance, a hair stylist, handyman services, and probably some others.

So what’s up library peeps? Coincidence, or are those subversive direct marketers attempting to turn your collection into another distribution channel? I’ve found some mention that makes me think I’m not making this up. The folks at the Closed Stacks blog hate it; opportunistic, low-budget marketeers praise the practice as an effective, low-cost tool.

For all I know, maybe patrons at the SPL NE Branch just lean toward business cards as bookmarks. Or maybe someone in my neighborhood thinks they are onto marketing gold.

New practice? Old trick on the rise? Let me know what you’ve been seeing.

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Library Management

Funding, Library Management, chrystie

Health Information, Library Management, Webinar

Library Management, Tech, Technology Planning

Funding, Library Management, Technology Planning

Library Management, Library Services, News, Online Learning, Staff Training, Tech

♣ The Competency Index

♣ Competency-course-content connections

♣ Competency evaluations

Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training

Library Management, Staff Training, Webinar

Advocacy, Community Building, Library Management, Library Services, Rural and Small Libraries

ALA MW 2009, Community Building, Funding, Library Management, Marketing, Online Collaboration

ALA MW 2009, Conferences, Library Management

Library Management, News, Online Collaboration, Online Learning, Staff Training

Bad Ideas, Library Management, Online Collaboration