Jacob Edwards Library
Southbridge, MA
Long Range Plan FY2005-FY2009
Table of Contents
Long Range Planning Committee
The Jacob Edwards
Library staff would like to thank the following individuals
who served on the Long Range Planning Committee. Other
individuals and representatives of community groups were
invited to join the library planning process, but they were
unable to commit their time to the process. The following
individuals thoughtful insights and commitment to the planning
process enabled the development of a five-year plan that will
help the library make a positive difference in the lives of
Southbridge residents.
Ms. Cassandra Acly, Economic
Development and Planning
Ms. Mel Blake, Library Patron and Teacher, Wells Middle
School
Lt. Gary Fontaine, Southbridge Police Department
Ms. Jane Cutting, Literacy Volunteers Board Member
Ms. Paulina Dacoles, Library Trustee
Ms. Margaret (Peggy) Deangelis, retired school librarian
Ms. Karen Garlie, Parent
Ms. Karla Gartsu, Children’s Librarian
Jacob
Edwards Library Staff
Ms. Joan Greenberg, Friends
of Library
Fr. Peter Joyce, St. Mary’s Rectory
Mr. John Lachapelle, Library Trustee
Ms. Carol Muschler, Library Trustee
Mr. Paul Mills, Library Trustee
Ms. Margaret Morrissey, Adult Services
Librarian
Ms. Esther Sabbey,
Friends of Library
Mr. Mike Trombley, Council on Aging and
Veterans’ Agent
Ms. Ruth Urell, Library Director
Mr. Richard Whitney,
Library Trustee
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General Introduction
The process of
developing a Long Range Plan helps the staff and trustees
identify library service needs, and their resultant Service
Responses and activities. It is important to define the
community needs in order to focus limited library resources in
the most effective way. Southbridge established a long range
planning committee composed of community residents, Trustees,
and library staff to gather valuable input for long range
planning.
Long range planning
is an ongoing process as community needs change over time. For
this reason, library long range planning should be undertaken
at least every five years. This document is the result of the
library’s most recent planning process.
As the library and
the community-based long range planning committee met to
develop this document, there were long discussions about the
value of library service for Southbridge residents. The
library staff and trustees are dedicated to providing quality
service to Southbridge residents. Through the planning
process, the Long Range Planning Committee identified Service
Responses vital to the community. Unfortunately the library
does not have enough professional and support staff to deliver
all of the services described—young adult programs and
activities; services to senior citizens; homework help;
website development and maintenance; computer instruction for
all ages; local history and genealogy assistance; and
providing reference service all of the hours the library is
open.
The staff of the
Jacob Edwards Library was cut from 16 in the early 90’s to
where it is today—5 full-time staff, 4 part-time staff; and
high school pages. The effect of inadequate funding at every
level affects the library’s ability to meet the needs of the
community.
Additional library
funding is crucial to implement the priorities identified in
the Long Range Plan FY2005-FY2009.
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The Jacob Edwards Library
History of the Library
Library service has been available to Southbridge residents
since the 1860s, in the Globe Village section of the town.
Initially, the mills provided books for their employees but
the service soon expanded to the provision of materials for
the entire community, at first, in the Whitford building and
later from three rooms in the Ammidown building, on Main
Street. Eventually, in 1904, Jacob Edwards, a native of
Southbridge, provided the land and the bequest to build at the
current location. Continual services have been provided to
the townspeople from 236 Main Street since 1914, except for a
two-year hiatus in the Town Hall basement during remodeling
and expansion of the building in 1998 and 1999.
The original brick building of Georgian Colonial style was
erected in 1914, and included approximately 8,260 square feet
of useable space. In 1966 an addition was built, bringing the
building to approximately 13,000 square feet of useable space.
In 1997, Southbridge was awarded a Massachusetts Public
Library Construction grant which would increase the library’s
square footage by approximately 60%.
Library Facilities
In May 2000, the renovated and expanded library opened to the
public. The three levels of the 23,000 square foot building
are fully accessible. The renovation/expansion project cost
approximately three million dollars.
The Jacob Edwards Library has 35 dedicated parking spaces.
There is seating for 120 patrons.
Jacob Edwards Library public meeting rooms are available for
educational, literary, philanthropic, and civic purposes
according to the Meeting Room Policy of the Board of Trustees.
The Pioppi Room is the library's largest meeting room and can
accommodate groups of up to 75 people. The Southbridge Room is
a smaller, conference-style room, and can accommodate up to 12
people. There are two quiet study rooms for public use.
Computers
The library provides free access to the Internet for all ages.
There are six Internet workstations on the main level and two
in the children's room. Computers for general use are also
available. Through combined regional, state, and network
sources, many online information resources are available for
general and specialized research.
Children’s Services
The new Children's Department was a major part of the addition
to the library that opened in May 2000. The children's room
offers books, audiobooks, movies, CD ROMs, music, and
reference materials for children from birth through
approximately age 12. There's a place to work on computers, an
online catalog, Internet stations, and comfortable places to
sit and read a book. Separate boys’ and girls’ rest rooms are
located within the children's department. The children's room
is located on the ground level of the library.
Story hours, holiday activities, special entertainers,
seasonal craft programs, and school vacation specials are
offered throughout the year. The Summer Reading Program is a
major focus every year with a large number of children
participating.
General Collections
There are 73,493 books, magazines, videos, audiocassettes,
CDs, and newspapers in the Jacob Edwards Library. In addition
to the lending collections, the library subscribes to 160
magazines and newspapers that are available for browsing and
reading in the library. Past issues of magazines can be
checked out of the library. There are many new books,
magazines, CDs, and children’s books available in Spanish for
readers of all ages.
The Reference Collection is large and varied, ranging from
basic encyclopedias and almanacs, to business reference works,
art books, atlases, and biographical, literary and historical
sets. Important and timely topics are updated at least
annually. Many of the generous financial gifts the library
receives from patrons are used to purchase reference books.
Reference assistance is generally available during open
library hours.
The Ammidown History Room contains the Ammidown Collection,
the Genealogy and Local History collections, and various
collections of historic photographs. The Ammidown Collection
is an 18th century gentleman's library that belonged to a
prominent early citizen of Southbridge. Most of the collection
is too fragile to be handled; however, library staff will
retrieve reference items from the Ammidown Room for patron use
in the library.
Networks
Southbridge is an active participant in the Central
Massachusetts Regional Library System (CMRLS).
Access to services provided
through regional membership include delivery of library
materials, interlibrary loan (ILL), reference support
services, online databases with remote access, and summer
reading program materials. Library staff participate in
continuing education and professional development activities
provided by the Central Region office.
Southbridge is a full, circulating member
of the Central Western Massachusetts Automated Resource
Sharing (C/WMARS) network. The C/WMARS online catalog provides
access to the library holdings of over 140 libraries in the
Central and Western sections of Massachusetts. Network
participation also enables the library to provide access to
specialized electronic reference sources such as Novelist
and the Encyclopedia of Women’s Studies.
Administration
The Jacob Edwards Library is a department
of the Town of Southbridge. The library is governed by a
seven-member Board of Trustees, three of whom are appointed by
the Town Manager and four are Trustees for the Edwards Trusts,
appointed by the Trusts Administrators according to the terms
of The Edwards Trusts established in the 1930’s by the heirs
of Jacob Edwards. The Board delegates responsibility for
library management, collection development, and provision of
library services to the public to the library director.
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Library Mission Statement
During previous long
range planning a mission statement was developed for the Jacob
Edwards Library. In PLA’s New Planning For Results
process, “a library mission statement is a marketing tool. Its
purpose is to inform the community about the library’s
priorities in clear and easily understood terms.”
As part of the
process in developing the FY2005-FY2009 Long Range Plan, the
Trustees, Library Director, and Long Range Planning Committee
reviewed the Jacob Edwards Library mission statement. The
Mission Statement now reads:
The Jacob
Edwards Library enjoys a rich legacy of excellent service and
is committed to the promotion of reading, education, literacy,
culture, and lifelong learning for persons of all ages in the
Southbridge community.
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Process/Planning
Methodology
In June 2004, the Jacob Edwards Library began the process of
developing a new long range plan. The Trustees retained the
services of Vandermark Consulting to facilitate three meetings
of the Long Range Planning Committee. The Long Range Planning
Committee—composed of residents representing a range of
community demographics, three members of the library staff,
and three members of the Board of Trustees—identified
Southbridge library service needs. The identification of
Southbridge library service needs occurred through a series of
activities, including a Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, and
Opportunities (SWOT) analysis of the library, a review of the
town’s Long Range Plan (Southbridge Long Term Plan—dated
May 24, 2004), the development of a vision statement, a review
of previous Jacob Edwards Library long range plans, a review
of comparison library data from the Massachusetts Board of
Library Commissioners (MBLC), and state and national library
service trends.
Throughout the planning meetings, several
consistent themes emerged:
-
Southbridge residents value the personal
service and attention that has been a tradition at the Jacob
Edwards Library
-
Southbridge residents are pleased to
take advantage of the technological resources available at
the library, including remote access to library services,
and the level of technological support from the library
staff
-
Library services currently available
need to be better publicized
Appendices A through D of this report
include compilations and summaries of various activities
undertaken by the Long Range Planning Committee.
During two three-hour meetings, the Long Range Planning
Committee reviewed a Town Vision Statement (see Appendix B),
determined Community needs that the library could address (see
Appendix C), participated in a Library SWOT Analysis (see
Appendix D), and reviewed base data about the Jacob Edwards
Library (see Appendix E). The Southbridge Community Profile
was removed from the body of this document (see Appendix A). A
Jacob Edwards Library Vision Statement was developed (see
Appendix F). The draft Long Range Plan was reviewed during the
third and final meeting of the Long Range Planning Committee.
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Community Needs for the Library to Address
PLA’s Planning for Results long range planning process
encourages library planners to document how the library can
contribute to improved community life by meeting community
needs. “Community needs can be defined as a description of
what will be required to move from a specific current
condition to one of the vision statements defined by members
of the community.”
As the Long Range Planning Committee
discussed the town’s 2003-2004 Southbridge Long Term Plan (see
Appendix B), a variety of needs surfaced that the Jacob
Edwards Library can address.
The library can help meet the need for
excellent education for children and adults by
-
expanding cooperation
between the local schools (K-12) and the public library
-
providing access to
computers for residents that do not have computers at home
-
providing technology
assistance and informal training in use of library
databases, Internet, and other electronic materials
-
providing access to
information that people need
-
providing space for
quiet study, tutoring, reading reference, children and young
adult
-
providing access to
basic literacy training for residents that need the service
The library can
help encourage and support the diversity of the population of
Southbridge through social, cultural, and educational
opportunities so that all residents feel welcome to
participate in the community. This encouragement and support
can be offered by
-
providing space for
quiet study, tutoring, reading reference, children and young
adult
-
providing a local
history room with Southbridge materials
-
providing technology
assistance and informal training in use of library
databases, Internet and other electronic materials
-
providing access to
information that people need in their daily lives
The library can help maintain the high
quality of town services that will continue to support the
quality of life desired by residents and business owners by
-
providing excellent
service to every library patron
-
providing access to
computers
-
providing technology
assistance and informal training in use of library
databases, Internet, and other electronic materials
-
providing access to
information that people need in their daily lives
-
providing programs for
all ages
-
providing space for
quiet study, tutoring, reading reference, children and young
adult
The library can help Southbridge residents recognize the value
of and use the service of the Jacob Edwards Library by
marketing library services and events: in newsletters and
articles in local newspaper, on the library website, on local
cable access TV and radio.
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Jacob Edwards
Library Service Responses
Service Responses are defined as what a library does for, or
offers to, the public in an effort to meet a set of
well-defined community needs.
The goals, rationales, objectives, and activities for The
Jacob Edwards Library Long Range Plan
FY2005-FY2009 were developed from community input. The
Long Range Planning Committee members recognized that they
could select only a few Service Responses because the library
has limited resources to meet community needs. The Committee
decided that the most important library service responses for
Southbridge are:
-
General
Information
-
Lifelong
learning
-
Basic Literacy
-
Information
Literacy
-
Current Topics and
Titles
A library that offers
General Information helps meet the need for information and
answers to questions on a broad array of topics related to
work, school, and personal life
Goal:
Residents of Southbridge will find that the library
provides current, accurate print, non-print, electronic
reference resources, access to online information resources,
and assistance they need in using these resources to make good
decisions and to succeed at home, at work, and in the
community. In addition, Southbridge historic information will
be available. In order to meet this ambitious goal the
library must add reference staff.
Rationale:
People expect to be able to find answers to their
questions at the library. Residents use the Jacob Edwards
Library for information/reference assistance. There is so much
information available that the library staff, skilled in
determining patron needs and in locating information that is
relevant to satisfy those needs, must help patrons find the
information that best meets individual information needs.
Objective 1: The Jacob Edwards
Library will have a trained and knowledgeable staff able to
guide effective community use of all materials.
-
Provide opportunity for
library staff to take advantage of ongoing education and
training in electronic resources held by CMRLS and/or C/WMARS
to better serve the public’s need for assistance and
training in these areas. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Conduct an in-service
day for all staff once a year. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Provide opportunities
for staff to take library courses toward a graduate degree
offered by an accredited School of Library Information
Science (GSLIS).
-
Provide opportunity for
library staff to take advantage of appropriate training and
instructional opportunities available through NELINET and
other technical training centers. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Provide opportunities
for staff to attend local, state, regional and national
conferences (NELA, PLA, ALA, REFOAMA). (FY2005, ongoing
Objective 2: Provide reference service
on-site at all hours the library is open and through email and
website information when closed.
-
Library Trustees and administration will
work through the budgetary process to seek additional
funding to add a reference librarian to the staff. (FY2006,
ongoing)
-
Library staff will explore ways to improve
the library website (e.g., investigate ways to add new
materials easily, have more control over material added).
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will answer local history and
genealogical questions. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will develop a policy for
email reference, and advertise the service. (FY2006,
ongoing)
-
Library staff will identify useful
materials to place on the library website to answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). (FY2007, ongoing)
-
The number of reference questions
received via email or other electronic transmission will
increase by 2% in each of the last two years of the plan.
(FY2008 and FY2009)
Objective 3: Library staff
will collaborate with school libraries on meeting student
needs for school assignments.
-
Library staff will meet at least twice
each year with school librarians to identify school
assignment schedules and needs the Jacob Edwards Library can
support. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The Jacob Edwards Library will provide
materials in support of homework. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
School assignment forms will be
developed to encourage teachers to notify the public library
of school assignments. (FY2006)
-
As they are made available by teachers,
school assignments will be posted on the library’s website.
(Fy2006, ongoing)
-
The Jacob Edwards Library will provide
resources for the Summer Reading Lists for Southbridge
students. (FY2005, ongoing)
Objective 4: As a result of marketing
services of the Jacob Edwards Library, circulation will
increase by 2 percent during each year of the plan.
-
Fund the library website
to facilitate its development as an instructional and
informational tool for library staff to reach a wider
audience. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Promote new materials in
all formats through new booklists and the library website.
(Winter 2005, ongoing)
-
Advertise training
sessions for patrons through the library’s website,
in-library postings, and the local newspaper, cable TV and
radio. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Advertise remote access
services to electronic databases and C/WMARS catalog
information on the library’s website, in-library postings,
and the local newspaper, cable TV and radio. (FY2005,
ongoing)
Goal:
Residents of Southbridge will find information
resources at the Jacob Edwards Library for personal growth and
continued learning on subjects of personal interest as they
use the library's collections. Children of Southbridge will be
a special focus as they will develop a lifelong love of books
and a desire to learn that will help them live productive and
satisfying lives.
Rationale:
The Long Range Planning Committee would like to see
an expansion of the programs offered for adults and young
adults. Working with Young Adults is an unmet need for the
Jacob Edwards Library because limited staffing negatively
affects the ability of the library to provide specialized
services for youth ages 12 – 18. As the population gets
older there will be more demand for materials and programs to
satisfy the interests of adults, including the Ammidown
History Room. At the same time, children and young adults
turn to the public library to learn about things that interest
them. Patrons need a comfortable place to sit and read,
appropriate places to use reference materials and consult
library materials.
Objective 1: The library will
provide an extensive collection of non-fiction, popular
fiction, audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs, periodicals,
newspapers, and other formats as they emerge on a wide variety
of topics in which the general public has a sustaining
interest.
-
Library staff will use
standard professional review sources to assist in collection
development. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will use
data collected from C/WMARS to identify and target high use
and high interest areas of the nonfiction collection for
increased purchasing (e.g., consumer information, job
information, parenting information, literacy materials, and
local history) (FY2005, ongoing).
-
Library staff will
continue to evaluate and weed the collections to maintain
currency and subject area coverage. [The weeding process is
a standard library process that allows the library staff to
remove materials from the collection that are dated and/or
in poor condition. The American Library Association
recommends that a minimum of 5% of the entire collection
should be weeded out each year.] (Winter 2005, ongoing)
-
Provide topical displays
of materials and resources found at the Jacob Edwards
Library to promote access to and use of the collections.
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
Promote the materials
available at the Jacob Edwards through the library’s
website, in-library postings, and the local newspaper, cable
TV, and radio. (FY2006, ongoing)
Objective 2: Children will
enjoy a welcoming atmosphere in the Children's Room with an
array of materials and a variety of programs to encourage and
support the love of reading and life-long learning.
-
Library staff will
evaluate one-fifth of the children’s collection in each of
the five years of the plan, and weed dated materials and/or
materials in poor condition. (FY2005, FY2006, FY2007,
FY2008, and FY2009)
-
Library staff, using
School Library Journal and other library review
materials, will expand its collection of award-winning books
and popular titles for children, adding a minimum of 50
titles each year of the plan.
-
Library staff will
increase the children’s audiovisual collection (including
music, audiobooks, DVD’s, and VHS) by 5% each year of the
plan. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will
continue to develop and promote programs for pre-school,
school-age, and older children, having a minimum of 5
programs each year. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will
provide a summer reading program each year of the plan.
Objective 3: Make the library
a welcoming and relevant place for young adults.
-
The Library staff works with the Boys
and Girls Club, other town departments, and other agencies
serving youth to plan cooperatively to meet the needs of
this age group. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Create and fund a Young Adult (YA)
Librarian position. ASAP
-
Continue to develop a Young Adult
fiction collection of the best Young Adult books. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
Continue to participate in the
school-to-career program at the high school, and career day
speaking activities at the elementary and high school
levels. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Establish guidelines with high school
faculty and administration to participate in the community
service requirement for high school students. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
Provide on-the-job-training for library
pages. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Establish a Young Adult Advisory Board.
(FY2006, ongoing)
-
Develop and promote a young adult page
for the library website. (FY2007, ongoing)
Objective 4: The library will help
support community interest in Southbridge historic materials.
-
The library staff will partner
with the Southbridge Historical Society and Southbridge
Historic Commission to plan for the preservation of these
important materials. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The library staff will
offer assistance, as possible, for in-library use of
local history resources for interested patrons. (FY2005,
ongoing)
Objective 5: The library will provide
outreach services to the homebound.
-
The Jacob Edwards Library has library
materials that are provided for the homebound. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
The library will market this service
through newspapers, churches, community organizations, cable
TV, and radio. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The library staff will solicit
volunteers to assist with this important service. (FY2005,
ongoing)
3.
Information Literacy
Goal: Southbridge residents of all ages will have
opportunities to develop the skills required to gain access to
and evaluate electronic materials that are required in an
increasingly technological world.
Rationale: People in Southbridge need to
know how to locate, evaluate, and use information resources of
all types. In addition to giving the answer to a question, the
library will provide training on how to find and evaluate
information. The staff of the Jacob Edwards Library will
market the availability of access from home computers to
library materials.
Objective 1: Patrons of all ages will
have useful information in an easily accessible format,
accessible both within the library and from external (home,
school and work) sites.
-
The library will provide
individual and group instruction on the use of the online
catalog. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The library will provide
individual and group instruction on the use of the online
reference databases. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The library will provide
individual and group instruction on the use of the Internet,
including information on evaluation of websites. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
In each year of the
plan, the library staff will provide at least 200 library
users of all ages with assistance and/or informal training
on the use of the online catalog, online reference
databases, and/or how to find, use and evaluate information
found on the Internet.
-
In the final two years
of the plan, the percent of residents who say they found the
information they need using the library’s electronic
resources on their own will increase by 5%. (FY2008, FY2009)
4.
Basic Literacy
Goal: Southbridge residents will have the opportunity to
reach their personal literacy goals through basic literacy
training, adult basic education opportunities, and family
literacy opportunities.
Rationale: Some library users need
assistance with learning to read to help them perform
essential daily tasks. Adult basic literacy training is
provided through Literacy Volunteers of the Tri-Community with
the support of Jacob Edwards Library and other agencies. Other
library users need basic adult education or family literacy
opportunities. The Library will investigate and partner with
organizations to offer a variety of literacy opportunities.
Objective 1:
Provide access to literacy training.
-
The Literacy Volunteers provide one-to-one tutoring.
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
The Literacy Volunteers host International Conversation
nights, in-service programs, and tutor recognition nights.
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
The Literacy Volunteers Coordinator and library staff will
meet twice annually to discuss common goals. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
Literacy Volunteers will hold small group sessions if
necessary. (FY2005, ongoing)
Objective 2: Provide administrative
and tutoring rooms for literacy tutors to meet with people who
need literacy training.
-
Literacy Volunteers
office is available during literacy hours—four days a week.
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
Two quiet study rooms
are available in the library. (FY2005, ongoing)
Objective
3: Provide special materials in support of literacy
training.
-
The Library staff will purchase new reader materials.
(FY2005, ongoing)
-
The Library staff will make additional purchases as
necessary based on usage statistics (FY2005, ongoing)
Objective 4:
Provide adult basic education opportunities.
-
The Library staff will investigate partnerships with the
local community college to provide support materials for
adult basic education sessions. (FY2006, ongoing)
-
The Jacob Edwards Library will provide space for adult basic
education sessions. (FY2006, ongoing)
-
The Library staff will advertise adult basic education
sessions on the library’s website. (FY2006, ongoing)
Objective 5:
Encourage families with children to participate in family
literacy opportunities.
-
Library staff will provide a series of storyhours with an
emphasis on the ‘joy of reading.’ (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library
staff will offer Mother Goose Asks Why? and other
early childhood programs that encourage family literacy.
(FY2006, ongoing)
-
Library staff will provide ‘reader’s advisory’ services for
parents involved in the basic literacy program as
appropriate. (FY2005, ongoing)
Goal: Patrons
will have access to a collection of popular
and current titles (fiction and nonfiction, print and
audiovisual) and library programs that they need to be
well-informed about contemporary culture and society and to
make their leisure time more productive and enjoyable.
Rationale: Library users want access to new fiction and
nonfiction best sellers in a variety of (print and
audiovisual) formats. The library needs an expanded
audiovisual collection. The library should continue to promote
the use of its collections by continuing to offer programs
such as book talks, performances and exhibits that promote
current books of interest to the community. The library has
good space for developing exhibits, however the limited number
of personnel has a negative impact on staff’s ability to
market the library’s collections.
Objective 1: Annual circulation
of fiction will increase at least 2% each year of the plan.
-
The library will use e-mail to notify
residents of materials available in the library on hold for
them and/or for overdue materials notices. (FY2008 and
FY2009)
-
Library staff will improve visual appeal
and access to new materials by developing theme or concept
displays of materials. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will maintain a rigorous
weeding schedule of 5% per year. (ongoing)
-
Library staff will advertise/market the
library collections in newspaper and other media, including
website, with a minimum of 6 activities each year of the
plan. (Ongoing)
-
Library staff will implement an annual
‘quick’ patron satisfaction survey. (FY2006, ongoing)
Objective 2: From FY2006 annual circulation of
audiovisual materials will increase by at least 5% each year
of the plan.
-
Library staff will increase purchase of
audiovisual materials by at least 5% each year of the plan.
-
Library staff will consult regularly
both print and electronic sources which feature listings of
sales of ‘most popular’ materials in all formats to increase
the purchase of popular audiovisual materials. (FY2005,
ongoing)
-
Library staff will improve visual appeal
and access to audiovisual materials by developing theme or
concept displays of materials. (FY2005, ongoing)
Objective
3: Residents will have access to programs,
displays, and exhibits that meet their needs for information
about popular cultural and social trends.
-
In FY2005, the library
staff will count the number of programs, displays, and
exhibits focused on topics of current interest and increase
by 2 the number of programs, displays, and exhibits each
year of the plan. (FY2006, ongoing)
-
Library staff will
identify staff and/or volunteers to develop programs,
displays and exhibits. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will
provide information to Southbridge residents via advertising
programs, displays, exhibits, flyers, news articles, and the
library website. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
Library staff will
provide at least one public forum on current issues each
year of the plan. (FY2005, ongoing)
-
The library staff will
implement a ‘user satisfaction’ survey every other year of
the plan, using data collected to assist in the development
of programs, displays, and exhibits. (FY2006, FY2008)
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Conclusion
The public library movement in the United States was started
in the nineteenth century to ensure an informed citizenry --
educated, intelligent, and knowledgeable about the issues
affecting their lives. The public library exists to provide
access to the means for education, enlightenment, information,
and enrichment for all. A self-governing people need
education and unbiased, free-flowing information in order to
make decisions about their lives as individuals and as members
of a democratic society.
In twenty-first century America, this need is as urgent as it
has ever been. Equity of access to reliable, accurate,
current, and manageable information is crucial in a complex
and rapidly changing society if citizens are going to be
capable of self-government. It is the heart of the mission of
every public library in America.
In fulfillment of the mission of the Jacob Edwards Library to
provide access to the means for self-education and information
for the people of Southbridge, the library offers and promotes
the use of books, tapes, computers, electronic databases,
periodicals, newspapers, and materials in other formats for
all ages and abilities. Library staff also provide individual
assistance to patrons to use all the services of the library
effectively.
The residents of Southbridge value the Jacob Edwards Library.
While they are generally pleased with the quality of the
library service they receive, members of the Long Range
Planning Committee identified more services essential to
Southbridge.
The Long Range Planning Committee finds:
-
The Jacob Edwards Library receives
inadequate funding to provide the library services needed by
Southbridge residents:
-
Southbridge per capita library
expenditure is $23.06 compared with the state average of
$32.38 per capita.
-
The mean budget of $401,197 in
Southbridge is 40% below the state average.
-
Additional resources, funding and
positions are needed to implement this plan.
Relevant, community-responsive library services described by
the Planning Committee are defined in the goals and objectives
in this Long Range Plan. In order to meet these goals,
additional funding for library services is needed. The
Committee recognizes that there is inadequate staffing in the
library now compared to staffing levels prior to cutbacks in
the early ‘90s.
The Jacob Edwards Library has a modern,
well-equipped library facility and a committed library staff
that works hard to meet community needs. This Long Range Plan
will help the library trustees and staff focus limited
resources on the most important library Service Responses for
Southbridge.
Nelson, Sandra. The New Planning For Results, A Streamlined
Approach. Public Library Association. Chicago, IL. 2001.
p. 76.
Ibid. p. 53
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