Strategic Plan 2013

Portlake P ublic Library

LI805 Strategic Plan 2013 Team Disseminators April Dain Lottie Duey Crystal Garcia Kathryn Spencer-Kociol

Portlake

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ............................................................................. 3 Organizational Profile ........................................................................... 4 Organizational Chart ............................................................................ 4 Guiding Values ..................................................................................... 4 Mission Statement................................................................................ 5 Preparation and Planning..................................................................... 5 Limiting Factors ................................................................................ 5 Positive Factors................................................................................ 7 Current Reality ..................................................................................... 7 Environmental Scan ............................................................................. 7 SWOT Analysis .................................................................................... 9 Organization Performance ................................................................. 10 Gap Analysis ..................................................................................... 11 New Priorities .................................................................................... 11 Strategic Profile .................................................................................. 11 Future Vision ...................................................................................... 12 Goals and Outcomes ......................................................................... 13 Action Plan ......................................................................................... 13 Budget ................................................................................................ 17 Timeline.............................................................................................. 18 Performance Management................................................................. 19 Contingency Plan: Fiscal and Natural Disasters ................................ 20 Concluding Remarks .......................................................................... 21 References ......................................................................................... 22 Appendix ............................................................................................ 23 Team Narrative .................................................................................. 24 Minutes............................................................................................... 26

____________________________________
Executive Summary
The Portlake Public Library (PPL) is located in the heart of Portlake and is quickly becoming an indispensible community resource. Serving a population of 30,000, approximately 7,500 of Portlakes residents have a library card; they visited the library 39,740 times in 2012. Currently, our patrons have access to over 65,000 items, wireless internet access, free community education classes, and a range of family friendly programs. While PPL serves the needs of our current patrons well, a closer look at the demographics and economic circumstances of Portlake reveals a gap in our services, particularly in regard to our Spanish speaking population and our communitys technology needs. Additionally, the percentage of Portlakes population that uses the library is far too low when compared to cities of similar size. The purpose of this plan is to describe the steps PPL will take to address the gaps in our current service model. For a library to be considered the heart of a community it must be ever-present within the community. For this reason we have created a goal of increasing our presence within the community by building partnerships with other key community organizations and businesses. By increasing the presence of the library we hope to engage residents and encourage the usage of library services. Although one-third of Portlake residents speak Spanish as a preferred language, only ten percent of our library cardholders identify Spanish as their preferred language. Moreover, our Spanish language collection does not accurately reflect the percentage of Spanish-speakers in our community. As such, PPL has set the goal of increasing services to our underrepresented Spanish speaking population. Last year the Evergreen Bicycle Company, a key employer in Portlake, closed its Portlake operation. Since then the unemployment in Portlake has risen from 5% to 9%. Recently, National Cruise Ships has opened a call center in Portlake creating new job opportunities. However, many of these jobs require technology skills and the application process is completely online. Consequently, there is a need for technology skills training in Portlake, as many of our unemployed residents do not possess the computer skills needed to be competitive in todays workforce. The final goal outlined in our strategic plan addresses the specific steps the library will take to help make technology training classes available for job seekers.

3 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________ Organizational Profile

The purpose of strategic planning is to sharpen organizational focus so that all organizational resources are optimally utilized in service to the mission. The Portlake Public Library Strategic Plan 2013 is derived from a creative and participatory process that has engendered new insights and will help the Library pursue its mission with renewed vigor. It will also help the Library to focus priorities in response to a changing environment and ensure that staff, board and volunteers are working toward the same goals during a critical year for our library and our community. Since 1925 the Portlake Public Library has been the intellectual, cultural and social heart of the city. This strategic plan will ensure that the Library continues to fulfill this vital role.

Organizational Chart

Guiding Values
We encourage mutual respect among patrons, the community, and coworkers advocating fiscal responsibility for library resources. We respect the privacy of Library users and our coworkers. We strive to make information as accessible as possible to community members to aid in the facilitation of democracy. We provide friendly, professional, and knowledgeable service to our patrons and the community, as well as positive interactions with our coworkers.

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Guiding Values, Cont.
We communicate effectively with patrons, community and coworkers; thoughtfully listening, responding, and following up with a variety of communication tools. We work respectfully and collaboratively within the Library with community organizations and groups, and with elected officials to achieve common goals.

Mission
Portlake Public Library: Providing equitable access by supporting your freedom to read, learn, grow, and inquire.

Preparation / Planning
Library Management Team
Portlake Public Library is fortunate to have a dedicated staff of librarians who actively participated in the planning process of this strategic plan. They represented a number of departments of the library. The library management team was responsible for recruiting and consulting with supporting team members. They also drafted, revised, and finalized the strategic plan. Additional members of the library management team included the library director and the mayor. In total, the planning committee consisted of six members.

Limiting Factors
Portlake is not immune to difficult economic times. Financial struggles are evidenced by a large number of home foreclosures and high unemployment. A number of residents have left the community and moved to other cities with better prospects, such as Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City, Utah.

10 8 6 4 2 0 Unemployment Rates Portlake 2011 Portlake 2012 Portland 2012 Salt Lake City 2012 United States 2012

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012)

5 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012)

Time
The library has reduced hours during the current fiscal year, resulting in shorter hours on Saturday and Sunday. The library is closed on Monday. Current hours of operation are:

Monday TuesdayThursday Friday Saturday-Sunday

Closed 10:00-8:00 10:00-5:00 1:00-5:00

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Small staff
Portlake Public Library employs a small number of librarians and assistants, yet is fortunate to have a reliable pool of volunteers. Staff cuts throughout the city government of Portlake have discouraged library employees as to the certainty of their future with the organization.

Positive Factors
Staff is experienced in outreach and technology While the staff may be few in number, four of the librarians have MLS degrees from an ALA-accredited institution. They have more than 30 years of combined experience in the field, particularly in terms of outreach and technology. Additional revenue Due to a depressed economy, less local, state and federal tax money is available. Fortunately, the Library Foundation has received $20,000 from the Fred Meyer Literacy Foundation. In addition, a $10,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been given to the library. Friends of the Library volunteer supporters have raised $1000 in donations in this past year. Some private grants have also been received, e.g. Chamber of Commerce and the Portlake Rotary Club.

Current Reality
Environmental Scan
Portlake has seen severe economic downturn, and Portlake Public Library has positioned itself on the frontline of family and community services. Large and small public libraries all over the country are realizing that expanding essential services and serving as an information and resource hub for the community ensures their survival. Portlake Public Library has taken note of how different libraries across the country are responding to the same crisis: Los Angeles Public Library is seeing increasing numbers of homeless patrons falling by the wayside of essential city-provided services. Library staff members reported that homeless patrons were not aware of all the resources available to them, and needed a more personalized way to link these patrons with the desperately needed information. LAPL are responding to the need by designating a team, Community Resource Coordinators, to be staffed by social workers and senior librarians to serve as liaisons, educating homeless and high-need patrons about the options available to them in housing, disability services, low cost health clinics and mental health services. Public libraries in Detroit, MI are serving populations that have been possibly some of the hardest hit by the economic downturn. Not only are library employees reporting larger

7 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Environmental Scan, Cont. numbers of homeless patrons, but much higher numbers of homeless families. Detroit libraries are responding with family-designated computer labs, computer areas set away from the general computer labs designed to serve an entire family unit with computers for parents to use to search for jobs or update resumes, and childrens computers and games. Small branch libraries of Springfield, OR are finding that large sections of their Latino population are being underserved not only by the lack of Spanish language materials, but by the lack of Spanish speaking employees and childrens programming. The library is offering staff support and resources to learn Spanish, and considering designating some days of the week where the public can be guaranteed Spanish speaking library staff will be available to them. Public Libraries in Newberg, OR are responding to unemployment needs of patrons by investing in job listing databases, and are training staff in how best to utilize this new resource in order to educate patrons about its existence. Coupled with this, they are offering biweekly classes on resume writing and interview skills at various branches throughout the small city. Finances and Patronage Portlake Public Library finds it essential to note that the current tax revenue of Portlake has fallen sharply. Although local government has approved austerity measures and vowed not to raise taxes, it is possible Portlake Public Library will be facing further budget cuts in the near future. At the same time, Portlake Public Library has seen close to a 20% rise in patronage and circulation statistics. This is likely due to increased unemployment and the need for the free services provided by the library. Financial constraints are a critical concern, as it is likely that the library will need to find a way to increase service to meet the growing demands, as well as reduce its overall budget in the coming fiscal year. Along with the bicycle plant, other top employers in Portlake have been forced to make significant layoffs in the last year. Portlake Hospital is currently experiencing a hiring freeze, and the local Walmart and Best Buy have shifted 15% of employees to part time status. However, the Portlake Chamber of Commerce and City Government are making jobs a priority for Portlake. They have recently implemented a three-year planning goal to bring new industry to the city and are offering tax incentives for existing businesses to stay local. The new business incentives have already attracted the Cruise Line Call Center and are striving to bring in other new employers. The Call Center will employ 500 people, but the employees will need technical training. Portlake Public Library recognizes the additional information needs that will accompany new business in Portlake, and intends to be on the front lines of providing needed access to information. As part of our commitment to outreach, Portlake Public Library has begun partnering with local Latino Action Committees. This cooperation is promising for the library as it offers a platform to connect with new patrons, increases visibility and fundraising opportunities for the library, and helps better serve the Latino and Spanish speaking populations of Portlake Public Library. 8 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
SWOT
Positive
Strengths Cohesive team with strong dedication to cooperative and collaborative decision making and work distribution. Dedicated volunteer network, who help with book reshelving, and other routine tasks.

Negative
Weaknesses If a staff member is ill or on vacation, no real back up. Those on the job must pick up the slack. This often means some duties get neglected. Morale is low right now because of fear of more budget cuts and possibly more lay-offs.

Internal

Threats Possibility of even more hours / staff cuts. Raising aware of all the services available and the value of services to underserved populations.

Opportunities Federal, state and private grants are available due to the high unemployment rate. Schools will work with the Portlake Public Library to help initiate and maintain new programs, provide space for technology classes and other services on site at schools with the most need for services.

External

Little public transportation. So for many of the underserved getting to the library to participate in learning activities is a challenge.

9 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________ Organizational Performance

Activity Performance Measure Current Performance

Food for Fines

Number of donated food items Number per month Number of off-site reference interviews Number of Spanish items added to the collection Number of library cards issued to Spanish speaking individuals Number per month (patrons per month) Number per month (patrons per month) Number per month (patrons per month)

n/a - Library not currently offering a Food for Fines program 1 per month 1 per month

Storytimes and early literacy seminars Off-site research assistance Spanish Language Collection Development Spanish Language Services Spanish / Bilingual Storytime Spanish/English Language Exchange Technology Education and Job-Seeking Skills

10% of all purchases 750 library cards (10% of all patrons) 1 per month 1 per month 1 per month

Food for fines

While we are excited to offer a Food for Fines program and look forward to cooperating with the Portlake Food Bank, this program is not intended to reflect an increase in overdue fines. It is our intent to cultivate a community of responsible library patrons. If this program participation grows, we hope it is due to increased patron awareness or generosity.

Head Start, daycares, schools and families

According to the latest published Portlake Head Start Annual Report, 350 children were served in 2011. Only 33% of all eligible children were served. It is our intent to focus our low income outreach efforts with children enrolled in Head Start, local schools and families. Portlake Public Library would like to increase monthly visits to Portlake Head Start as well as local schools.

10

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Services to Spanish speaking population
Demographically, Spanish speakers make up 33% of Portlakes population. This segment of our community does not use the library as much as we would like. Portlake Public Library commits itself to aligning our collection development budget with our users dominant language. Currently, 10% of the materials budget is reserved for Spanish language materials. As our Spanish speaking patrons increase, we will adjust our expenditures to reflect our users needs.

Unemployment
As is true in many parts of the United States, Portlake is still experiencing difficult economic times. By actively promoting the librarys Technology Education and Job-Seeking Skills program, we hope to alleviate some of the stressors associated with high unemployment rates. Services will be driven by the needs of the patrons as well as skills possessed by librarians.

Gap Analysis
As a result of carefully analyzing Portlake Public Librarys overall performance, we believe there is more we can do to serve our patrons. In the coming year we plan to improve our service to the community in the following ways: * Begin to offer a Food for Fines program. The needs served by this program would be twofold: it will offer patrons with very little disposable income a creative solution for paying their fines, as well as help build our relationship with local food pantries and other community relief organizations, while helping provide relief for food insecure households in our community. * Begin offering transportation voucher system to serve patrons without reliable access to our facilities. Our analysis shows this voucher program will help us meet our goals to increase the percentage of the overall population that has library cards by 5-10%, and increase the number of Spanish speaking patrons by 10%.

New Priorities
Strategic Profile
We firmly believe that the future of public libraries is within communities, serving as the hub and information heart of a community by providing useful resources, services, and programming. To maintain Portlake Public Library as a germane part of the community, we must adapt to make sure our services align with the residents ever-evolving needs. To stay relevant, the Library plans to become ever more embedded in the community, and extend our services to meet our goal of truly serving every citizen of Portlake.

11 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Strategic Profile, Cont. To improve our service, Portlake Public Library plans to bring services to our patrons, rather than wait for patrons to find the library. As skilled information professionals, we have identified existing needs within the community and plan to increase outreach to currently underserved patron populations with innovative and creative solutions. Portlake Public Library is following national trends of bringing information to patrons, and being available to provide service wherever patrons find themselves. By working with local cooperatives, the Library can not only gain additional funding and resources, we can expand our branding and our services. We can become more enmeshed within the community, hear new voices, and better respond to community needs. To further support Portlake Governments commitment to bringing new business and industry to the city, we plan to increase our job searching and technology skill databases, as well as fill the skills need of newly hired employees in technology training and assistance. Equally important, Portlake Public Library plans to respond to the current economic crisis by reaching out to patrons hardest hit by the recession by expanding our services to low income patrons, and better advertising the free services already offered. Expanding our Spanish language materials and programming sends a message to the community that everyone is welcome at Portlake Public Library, and that we strive to make sure everyone in the community is equally served. We recognize that changes and growth of technology will be huge in the coming years. Technology patterns are constantly changing. Online and distance education has changed the way students learn and study. Job seekers must become increasingly fluent in computer language to stay competitive; they must be able to navigate online job postings and databases. Even everyday domestic needs now rely on technology, whether in the form of cookbook and grocery store applications (aps) or electronic databases that provide instructions on how to improve and repair cars. Portlake Public Library is preparing for this by increasing technology education and instruction, and making sure all our patrons have the opportunity to acquire needed technology skills.

Future Vision
The impetus behind our future vision comes from our mission statement: Portlake Public Library: Providing equitable access by supporting your freedom to read, learn, grow, and inquire. We strive to expand equitable access to every corner of our city through pioneering embedded librarianship and cementing Portlake Public Librarys place in the community by providing useful community based services. Simultaneously, by partnering with local organizations and businesses, we will significantly expand our advertising presence, and thus, the size of our patron base. As technology advances and becomes more essential, we strive to 12 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
meet that need by providing technology instruction classes, as well as training patrons to use technology to improve their educational and employment skills to meet their goals. Future Vision, Cont. We expect the pace of technology and information to increase rapidly, making libraries and the services they provide more essential than ever. To fulfill this need and better serve our patrons, we plan to increase staff for all services and hope to build two new branch libraries, rather than continue depending on the availability of other community facilities. However near the future looms, it is important not to forget current realities. Portlake Public Library is working hard to support our community in this difficult time of economic crisis. By expanding our outreach programs and opportunities to greater numbers of low income and other high risk patron groups, we reach out to and create new library users every day. The people we serve with outreach now will become our loyal and enthusiastic library patrons in the future.

Goals & Outcomes Action Plan

Goal #1: Increase library services and presence in our community.
Objective: Develop 2-3 opportunities for the library to expand upon its presence in the community by building relationships with local organizations. Strategy #1: Adopt a community reference model, embedding a Community Librarian in two (2) local community agencies or groups. Focus will be on the local food bank and local Head Start/daycare provider programs. Responsibility: Community Librarian Action Steps: Initiate conversations/meetings with local food bank and local Head Start/daycare providers. Offer to partner with food bank to introduce a Food for Fines week at the Library. Volunteer to conduct storytimes and early literacy seminars at Head Start and area daycare centers. Offer to provide research assistance regarding reference questions organizations may have. Measurable Outcomes: Off-site program attendance increases. Partner organizations increasingly seek assistance from the library regarding their reference questions. Increase circulation statistics on child care provider resources offered by the Library (e.g., increased circulation of Childhood Theme bags, Big Books, View & Reflect Child Care Training Program materials, etc.). 13 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Goal #1, Cont. Strategy #2: Build partnerships with 1-2 local businesses and/or community organizations to develop mutually beneficial programs. Responsibility: Library Director, Community Librarian Action Steps: Work with area transportation system to arrange carpooling and bus services to help those without their own transportation visit the library. Work with the Portlake County Probation Department to provide community service opportunities to Portlake residents or students in Portlake public schools. Partner with area bookstores for fundraising opportunities (e.g., author visits in which part of the proceeds from book sales are donated to the library). Measurable Outcomes: Increase in the number of library visits. Increase in program attendance. Increase in the number of computer sessions. Increase in the number of volunteer hours. Increase in library funding.

Goal #2: Expand library services to better serve our underrepresented Spanish speaking population.
Objective: Develop 2-3 opportunities for the library to increase services for our Spanish speaking and low income populations. Strategy #1: Increase the size and scope of the Librarys Spanish Language Collection. Responsibility: Collaboration among Bilingual Librarian, Childrens Services, Cataloging and Acquisitions. Action Steps: Hire part-time Bilingual Librarian. Reallocate funds for Spanish Language Collection development. Increase Spanish Language Collection to more closely reflect the proportion of Portlakes Spanish speaking population. Increase Spanish signage. Measurable Outcomes: Increase in Spanish Language Collection circulation statistics. Increase in library cards issued to Spanish speaking individuals (measured by language entered in Language field in patron account). Relationships between the Spanish speaking patrons and staff are positive.

14

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Goal #2, Cont. Strategy #2: Develop 1-2 Spanish language or bilingual programs. Responsibility: Collaboration between bilingual Librarian and Childrens Services. Action Steps: Introduce Spanish language or bilingual storytime. Conduct one Spanish/English language exchange program per month. Collaborate with the cooperatives Latino Services Committee to identify other Spanish Language programming possibilities. Measurable Outcomes: Increase in storytime attendance. Increase Spanish Language Collection circulation statistics. Increase in library cards issued to Spanish speaking individuals (measured by language entered in Language field in patron account). Increased participation in the Latino Services Committee by attending meetings and building relationships with Outreach Librarians at other libraries within the cooperative.

Goal #3: Use technology to improve and enhance library services.

Objective: Identify 1-2 areas where the introduction of technology could improve the level of service offered by the library. Strategy #1: Use mobile technology to provide off site access to library materials and services throughout the community. Responsibility: Adult Services, Childrens, and Community Librarian Action Steps: In cooperation with schools, churches, community service clubs, and businesses, arrange weekly locations where families can come to learn about library services and receive library cards. Bring to these events library materials, such as, periodicals, books, DVDs, etc., for participants (all ages are invited) to peruse and check out. Offer these outreach services at various times of day, so there are more options for participation. Promote this program through local publicity, e.g., school district parent and staff newsletters, club and church newsletters. Signage in local businesses.

15 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Goal #3, Cont. Strategy #2: Offer technology training to help patrons with job seeking skills and to promote life-long education. Responsibility: Adult Services Action Steps Offer technology education programs for both adults and younger patrons (e.g. basic applications such as Word, internet, email) during outreach visits and at the library. Teach participants how to use the librarys online check out and research services, as well as other online search engines. Use these classes as an opportunity to promote other technologies offered by the library (i.e. free computer use, Kindle checkouts, free eBook downloads, etc.). Promote this program through local publicity and via school district parent and staff newsletters, club and church membership newsletters, etc. Measurable Outcomes: Increase in job search database use. Increase in the number of computer sessions. Steady increase in attendance to these offsite programs.

16

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Portlake Strategic Plan Budget
January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013
Personnel Services Bilingual Librarian TOTAL PERSONNEL SERVICES ervices Material & S Printing & Display Materials Staff Training and Orientation Transportation Voucher Program Spanish Language Materials Office Supplies TOTAL MATERIAL & SERVICES Capital Outlay Laptop Computers Printer Software-Off-site use permission Digital Card Equipment TOTAL CAPITAL OUTLAY TOTAL PROGRAM BUDGET
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

FTE Salary 0.50 22,000.00 (1) 22,000.00 (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) No. (7) Price 2 750.00 1 1 300.00 1 250.00

Benefits Total 15,000.00 37,000.00 15,000.00 37,000.00 2,500.00 1,500.00 5,500.00 7,500.00 1,000.00 18,000.00 1,500.00 325.00 300.00 250.00 2,375.00 57,375.00

1 new position w/ health and earned leave benefits Travelling workstations for meeting with citizens Orientation for new employee and training for current staff (5) for off-site work Contractual arrangements with local bus and taxi services Funding exists in current Library budget. Re-allocation to this program only General office supplies, signage, equipment maintenance license fees Off-site issuance of library cards

17 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________ Action Plan Timeline

January Staff and library director prepare strategic plan presentation. Present to the Mayor and the City Council at a regularly scheduled city council public meeting. With Council approval we go forward with the Strategic Plan, accept grant monies, and deposit into appropriate accounts, per our financial consultant.

February

Advertise and recruit for new part-time bilingual librarian. Meet with: local organizations to reserve sites and times for regular embedded library outreach programs. local transportation services (taxis and buses) to set up vouchers so this population can get to outreach programs and to the main library. parents to see if they can help transport some of the underserved families from their schools. March Interview and hire new librarian. Involve in decisions and planning. Begin biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Quarterly review. Evaluate performance measures for all activities. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Begin public awareness program through advertising and other marketing strategies. Review of Spanish language collection to identify gaps and unmet needs.

April

18

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
May June Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Purchase 2 wireless computers and a printer, software and licensing. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Begin onsite library card and services at local facilities, along with technology training for unemployed. Quarterly review. Evaluate performance measures for all activities. Biweekly bilingual storytime. Continue public awareness campaign, Begin public transportation voucher program in these promotions. Biweekly bilingual storytime Biweekly bilingual storytime. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Quarterly review. Evaluate performance measures for all activities. Biweekly bilingual storytime. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Advertising and marketing of Food for Fines program. Biweekly bilingual storytime. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Food for Fines program implementation. Biweekly bilingual storytime. Biweekly visits to Head Start and daycare providers. Quarterly review. Evaluate performance measures for all activities. Annual review. Prepare report for City Council.

July

August September

October

November

December

Performance Management
Portlake Public Library anticipates an overlap in services provided between low income, Spanish speaking, and job seeking patrons. By assigning different activities to different staff teams, the Library hopes to monitor progress of this strategic plan. While we acknowledge were taking on significant responsibilities, we feel it is critical to always be collecting data about our services in order to reflect and adjust, as needed. In regards to our first goal, to increase library services in our community for low income residents, we selected Head Start as one of our partner agencies, as well as schools and other community buildings (churches, city park recreation gyms). In doing so, we locked ourselves into a school year focus on those services.

19 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Performance Management, Cont. Our second goal, to expand library services to better serve our underrepresented Spanish speaking population, relies heavily upon hiring and training the part-time bilingual librarian. Early tasks will include advertising, recruiting, and interviewing. Once the position has been filled, the bilingual librarian will need to become familiar with the underrepresented population and their needs. All collection development decisions will need to be reviewed by the library director prior to submission. Our third goal, to use technology to improve and enhance library services, requires staff to assess what their current skill sets are, in terms of technology and teaching. One way to collaborate between librarians would be to offer small seminars for librarians to teach each other what tools patrons might use in job seeking. These seminars would allow librarians to test drive different databases and software.

Contingency Plan
Budget Issues
The most likely event to threaten the goals put forth by Portlake Public Library would be severe staffing and budget cuts. With the current economic downturn, the Library realizes that some type of budget cut is to be expected. Nonetheless, staff hopes to present a comprehensive plan to Portlake City Council highlighting and justifying the new services and costs, as well as presenting statistics on the new rise of patronage and circulation materials. In this way, the library hopes to mitigate the budget cuts into a reasonable measure and not a devastating loss of staff and programming funds. Furthermore, we must consider the possibility that Portlake is not a large enough city to attract an MLS qualified and bilingual librarian who would work for the part-time hours and salary Portlake Public Library is offering. Should this event occur, the Library would decide to repost the offer detailing the job description and duties, but lowering the educational requirements from an MLS to a bachelors degree and commensurate experience. Perhaps equally devastating would be lack of community use and support for the increased outreach measures. The biggest hurdle in this instance would be making the public aware that such programming and resources exist. A highly visible marketing campaign has been prepared in such a case, advertising new library services on local radio and television news shows, in community schools, and signage in city parks and other community gathering spaces. This physical advertising campaign will be coupled with an energetic social media campaign linking Portlake Public Library to various social media accounts such as Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter to help spread the word to the public. All would stress that the services offered by the library were free of cost and designed to help struggling individuals and families in the local community.

20 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Contingency Plan, Cont. Natural Disasters
Because the City sits near a major fault line, the library is in a high-risk earthquake zone. To prepare for this possibility, the city has retrofitted the building to adjust for materials shifting in an earthquake, and all shelving within the building has been bolted to the floor to prevent falling shelves that could cause serious injury. Portlake Public Library has volunteered to be one of the highly visible training locations for Portlake Citys Shake It Out Days, that is days designated to educate the public about earthquake safety and what measures they can take in an emergency. In accordance with the Shake It Out Days campaign, three days per year the Library will stop service within the library for 10 minutes to educate the public present about earthquake safety measures.

Concluding Remarks
Focused on three central goals, including increasing the librarys presence in the community, expanding library services for the Spanish speaking, and utilizing technology to improve library services, the Portlake Public Library Strategic Plan has been developed to meet the needs of our ever-changing community. This plan will serve as a road map for library programs and services. By clarifying the librarys service responses to community needs, the library can better focus its limited resources on those services which will be most beneficial to our community. Several library stakeholders were involved in the creation of this strategic plan. The director of PPL, the library liaison with the city council, the Library Advisory Board, and PPL staff all helped formulate our goals and informed our strategic initiatives. Our stakeholders understand that the constant of change may, at times, challenge our progress, but all are committed in their support of the library and are eager to see the initiatives outlined in this plan to come to fruition. Building on existing strengths, this strategic plan for Portlake Public Library is an important milestone towards bridging current gaps in library services and beginning the work of providing the most appropriate and very best service possible to the community.

21 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
References
United States Department of Labor (2012). Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Retrieved October 27, 2012, from http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm United States Department of Labor (2012). Bureau of Labor Statistics: Unemployment Rates by State, Seasonally Adjusted. Retrieved October 27, 2012, from http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/mstrtcr1.gif

22

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________

APPENDIX

Strategic Plan Team Retrospective

Team Disseminators April Dain Lottie Duey Crystal Garcia Kathryn Spencer-Kociol

October 2012 LI805XO Management and Information Organizations

23 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Team Narrative
Marked by cooperation, collaboration, and communication, team members found this experience to be positive and rewarding. Though some of us had never worked together before, we approached the strategic plan project with a willingness to learn from each other. Each made valuable contributions from personal areas of strength and was willing to take on aspects of the project she felt she could do well on. From the onset, we identified our personal strengths and tried to capitalize on them from start to finish. Forming At our first meeting, which was over the internet, we learned Adobe Connect didnt work well. We met onsite in Portland for our second meeting. As a team, we agreed to use Googles Hangout videoconferencing feature for our group meetings. Team members who were familiar with Hangout taught others who were unfamiliar how to use this feature. We also agreed to collaborate on the plan using Google Drive. Everyone was patient with different ability levels for learning to use Google Drive. After the technicalities of the project were settled, we agreed on an overall vision of our project. Some team members were passionate about public librarianship. Librarianship from a social justice and equitable access angle was very important to some members. We decided to focus on providing public library services to economically disadvantaged and Spanish speaking populations. We agreed to cogitate on issues facing this type of community for a little while and agree on the specifics at our next meeting. We also committed to reviewing the assignment document and examples more closely. Storming As with any assignment or project, the energy at the beginning can be manic for some. Brainstorming can be invigorating but then, reality sets in. The ways of working together start to be defined. After reviewing the assignment in more detail team members posed questions and the team worked together to create a clear vision of the assignment shared by all. The responsibilities of the project were broken up and specific sections were assigned to each group member. Some members shared feelings of being overwhelmed by how much there was to do. If one of us felt discouraged, the others helped boost her up with we can do this attitude. Norming Establishing team norms required all members to be on the same page. Knowing we were committed to a set of expectations that we had developed kept us moving in the right direction.

24

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
At this point everyone was comfortable with their assigned sections and researching and writing began. We shared readings and other information finds. The team had become comfortable with how we communicate with each other, that is, we knew email was the preferred method of communication, changes in the Google Drive document were color coded so that each person can see who added what, and Google Hangout meets were scheduled well in advance. All members took on assignments to accomplish at subsequent meetings. Progress was seen at each meeting. Everyone worked through her sections and asked the group for help or clarification when needed. Having other members review, discuss, and edit ones work made it better. One of the biggest benefits of working with others is gaining perspective. Everyone felt comfortable critiquing and offering useful ideas and suggestions on other team members sections. We agreed to due dates, and everyone met their quota in a timely manner, and without issue. In team meetings, we collectively went through the document and edited together as part of the meeting. This turned out to be an incredibly effective method. Additionally, team members were quick to go back to the sample plans other students had made as examples to offer formatting or structure suggestions for sections we were having trouble with. Individually, we each had our own strengths, but the finished document really feels like the best of all our efforts and blends together well into one fluid strategic plan. Performing At this point, our questions about the direction of the assignment have long been answered. Thus, our focus is now on ensuring that our plan is clear to others outside of the project who may read our document. We are beginning to consider the strategic plan complete and focus is shifting towards our presentation. We are currently discussing as a team our strategy for presenting our plan to the class. The last stage of performing is difficult to address since we will not be doing this until after this paper has been submitted. Because weve lived with this project for the past several months, we know the details intimately. We are passionate about the work weve done and feel our project is so strong and the goals within it so progressive that it really showcases the best in the future of public librarianship! Overall, we feel that our team had a healthy dynamic throughout the entire project. All team members cooperated and compromised appropriately and challenges were met with positive attitudes. Everyone met their responsibilities as listed in the team contract, and everyone was encouraging and enthusiastic about the project we were working on. While everyone had a particular section of the strategic plan that they were responsible for, team members collaborated fully. The finished plan feels like a true synthesis of everyones ideas and work.

25 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Team Disseminators Meeting Minutes September 17, 2012 Members Present: April Dain, Lottie Duey, Crystal Garcia, Kate Spencer-Kociol Absent: None Volunteer for minutes Lottie No facilitator at this first meeting Discussion Topics Greetings & Introductions Selection of project facilitator Agreed facilitator and secretary roles will be rotated for each meeting. The secretary will distribute the minutes and agendas. Held our first meeting on Adobe Connect, which didnt work well. Decided future off-site meetings would be via Google Drive. We decided that we would mull over type of library, size, patron demographics and other bring strategic plan examples provided by Rajesh prior to our September 23 onsite meeting. Then further discuss and refine our ideas, such as type of library or information size Action Items: To come prepared on 9/23 F2F to discuss more about our future meetings, roles, collaboration vehicles, etc. Also bring a rough idea of the project and examples from online and from Rajesh. Come with an idea of which of the sample plans we like best. Also one or all of us bring the detailed assignment document to better understand where we're headed. Agenda for onsite meeting to be decided first part of our on-site discussion. Next meeting to be held Sept. 23, F2F mtg., 1:45 2:45 p.m.

26

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Team Disseminators Meeting Minutes September 23, 2012 Members Present: April Dain, Lottie Duey, Crystal Garcia, Kate Spencer-Kociol Absent: None Minutes Lottie Facilitator - Kate Discussion Topics Team management strategies. We agreed our mission would be something about service to low income populations and includes non-English speakers. We came up with two goals: 1) tech training 2) outreach, e.g. embedded library perhaps. Also, we agreed to have at least 2 3 meetings between due dates. Rotate position of facilitator and minutes taker for each meeting. The facilitator will be decided at current meeting and will put together agenda for next meeting. Minutes taker will also be decided at current meeting for the next one. Determined specialized areas April charts, graphs and other visuals Crystal PowerPoint presentation Lottie budget, submitter and formatter Kate All of us will help with research, collaboration, writing and general production of materials. Action Item Today. Today we helped each other learn how to use Google+. For our distance meetings, this will be our routine meeting tool. Action Items for next meeting. Collaboratively put together Team contract, report minutes, and update our contact information for each member. Determine ahead who will be next facilitator and minutes taker. Agenda for next meeting. Discuss uploaded Google drive items, i.e., contract draft, meeting minutes, and any issues around Assignment 1. Discuss steps for assignment 2 Next meeting to be held 7 p.m., Sunday, September 30, 2012 (if all agree).

27 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Team Disseminators Meeting Minutes, September 30, 2012 * Note Crystal will not be attending this meeting because tonight is her birthday. Happy Birthday Crystal! :) Minutes - Kate Facilitator - April Agenda for this meeting: Review and finalize team contract, section by section. Norms: Agreed Meeting times: Agreed, and noted that the time limit important. Were all busy people, and the time limit keeps meetings reasonable. Attendance: Agreed that it is fair, and will be fine as long as all members notify team with time conflicts! Assignments: ALL team members are expected to help with everything and all parts of the assignment, but listed are areas of expertise where team member will lead the discussions and work. FYI, the Team Participation assignment is a simple rubric grading our performance, filled in after the fact, submitted electronically. Will be discussed by Rajesh at the next face to face meeting. Setting agenda & taking minutes jobs is agreed upon. Team can and should email agenda ideas before meeting times! Together, decided on and wrote bulleted points describing our team progress. This also illustrated perfectly how efficient the collective editing on Google Docs is, and how the editing process will look for our Strategic Plan document. **Agreed that all team members will agree upon final edition of team contract by October 5th! Document will then be finalized and submitted by Lottie. Next online meeting will take place October 7th or October 14th, to be finalized via email in the coming week. Lottie will facilitate the next meeting, and April will take the minutes. Please remember to email any agenda items to Lottie for discussions!

28

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Team Disseminators Meeting Minutes October 14, 2012 Members Present: April Dain, Lottie Duey, Crystal Garcia, Kate Spencer-Kociol Absent: None Facilitator - Lottie Minutes April Discussion Topic: Strategic Plan Document Merged information from Kate and Lotties rough draft. Reviewed brainstorming document. Lottie has developed a fictitious community. Kate recommended we call it Portlake. We all agreed. Action Items today Assignment Structure Working from the grading rubric, we assigned parts of the project. Executive Summary / 2 points / Crystal Impressive snapshot of the strategic goals, problems to be solved, methods and the main recommendations. Organizational Profile / 1 point / Lottie Alignment of strategic planning issues with organizational capabilities Preparation/Planning / 2 points / April Clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the library management team Easy, effective and understandable planning process of Strategic Plan Current Realities / 2 points / Lottie and Kate Environmental scanning and SWOT analysis Gap analysis Significant issues New Priorities / 4 points / ALL MEMBERS COLLABORATION Logical alignment of vision and mission Values/guiding principles if they are different from the past Two major goals, two objectives for each goal, and outcomes SMART goal approach Action Plan / 5 points / ALL MEMBERS COLLABORATION Performance measurement 29 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
o Targets/standards of performance Strategic initiatives and projects Timeline Realistic line item budget justification Performance management o Progress review o Take corrective actions, if required o Feedback upstream - revise plans Contingencies / 1 point / Kate Anticipation of realistic contingencies Concluding Remarks / 1 point / Crystal A memorable section explaining the criticality for implementing the strategic plan for the benefit of the library community Overall Clarity, Organization and Representation / 2 points / ALL All required elements are included and is professional in appearance. If any citations are included, they are to be completed in APA format and must be cited correctly throughout the report. The report is written in a manner that allows a reader to navigate through the information fluidly (with headings, bullet points, graphs and charts with captions, and page numbers correlated to the table of contents.) Impressive Representation of Summary Report of Team Project Activities /10 points/ALL Narrative of team process (forming, storming, norming, performing) Minutes of team meetings Other notable discussion items: Lottie recommended that we investigate the possibility of establishing school partnerships in our plan. Crystal wants to revisit the idea of embedded librarians. In terms of the technology goal, it seems like both patrons and staff needs should be addressed. Regarding performance management / synergies, it seems our goals can be easily connected. We agreed to use the Wilkinson Public Library Strategic Plan as a template for Portlake. The simplicity and readability is appreciated, especially in terms of the goals, objectives, and strategies. Lottie will convert this sample into Word and paste our working document into that format. Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

30

____________________________________
Action Items for next meeting Review of each members contributions, knowing this is a working document. The purpose of this draft is to brainstorm and better define where we are headed with the final project. Agenda for next meeting Individual reports Appendix: Strategic Plan Team Retrospective Strategic Plan Presentation Next meeting to be held on: Sunday, October 21st at 7:00 via Google Hangouts.

31 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

_________________________________________________________________________________
Team Disseminators Meeting Minutes October 21, 2012 Members Present: April Dain, Lottie Duey, Crystal Garcia, Kate Spencer-Kociol Absent: None Facilitator - Crystal Minutes Lottie Discussion As a group, we reviewed, discussed, and edited each section of the document from the beginning to an agreed-on stopping point. Section by section, we okayed or assigned individual follow-up. Action Items for October 27 Kate - Rework the Environmental Scan section: add more information about additional industries in Portlake, and scale down examples and city names to smaller cities more relevant to our size. add a section detailing with cooperation with local Latino action committees. Strategic Profile & Future Vision April - Work on Organizational Performance section, including possible graph. Crystal - As needed, re-work Goals and Strategies, and work on concluding Remarks (1 point) -- a memorable section explaining the criticality for implementing the strategic plan for the benefit of the library community Lottie - Work on Budget line items All - Summary Report of Team Project Activities (10 points) Narrative of team process (forming, storming, norming, performing) Minutes of team meetings All - From Timeline to the end of the document, including appendix, collectively work on these before next meeting. All - Overall Clarity, Organization and Representation (2 points)

Next meeting: Saturday, October 27 at 6 p.m., via Google Hangouts.

32

Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators

____________________________________
Team Meeting Oct. 27, 2012 Crystal, April, Lottie, and Kate in attendance. April Facilitator, Kate Secretary We went through document part by part. Agreed Lottie will format Table Of Contents later We need to add references on a page by page basis, if we use them. Crystal will finish executive summary and concluding remarks by the end of this evening. Organizational Profile--missing descriptions, decided that it was fine without them. April needs to change the graph to reflect new changes in revenue and grant monies. Need to clarify outreach locations and patrons served on public schools and daycares page 13. Lottie and April bulking out paragraphs explaining our table. Discussed and clarified Gap Analysis, Kate will finish by Sunday. Agreed that Strategic initiatives are included in our Goals and Objectives under our numbered strategies. This matches the grading rubric provided by Rajesh.

Spoke at length about difference between embedding and collaborating with public school. Decided to stick with our current goals. Additionally, we discussed including compromising on passions as part of our personal reflections. Clarified that hiring a MLS position is something we should do for respect of our profession, and Lottie will make decisions about budget and benefits. Additionally, clarified the transportation voucher budget program. Under the Action Plan Timeline, April has agreed to recreate the Additional Revenue Chart to reflect current document!! This note is to remind us all to check and make sure before submission. Collectively agreed to the Action Plan Timeline. Fix up the Contingency Plan, add hiring, lessen natural disasters. Agree to have our personal narratives written and emailed to each other by Sunday Evening, and then cut and paste into the doc including our name. Collectively agree to personally review document for any typos by Wednesday morning, and email them to Lottie!!! This is our LAST EDIT!

33 Strategic Plan 805 Disseminators