LONG RANGE PLANNING

12-14-06

Executive Summary

Boone County is blessed with an excellent library.  However, the book collection, patron services, and facilities are in need of upgrading and improving.  

A.)    Services – Recommendations are as follows:
l.)The library hours of operation should be expanded.  Current hours of operation may not accommodate many individuals.
2.)  Boone County Library is a county facility.  We need to find a way to reach citizens in communities outside Harrison
3.)  More evening programs and events are needed to reach patrons.
4.)  The library needs to consider a publicity program to better inform patrons of the current and future services.
5.)  Programs not working or reaching patrons should be eliminated.

B.)     Finances – The library currently receives funding from a number of sources including the State of Arkansas , a local 1 mill property tax, Friends of the Library, the Women’s Book Club, foundations and fees.  The largest source of funding is the county property tax.  However, assistance provided by the Women’s Book Club and Friends of the Library have been essential to maintain the level of service offered by the library.   Finances for the Library have been difficult for the past 5 years, but the reinstatement of state aid and receipt of the Violet Lawing estate have removed much of the financial pressure on current operations.  Future capital expenses are needed and planning for those needs discussed in this document should begin.   A Library Foundation is needed and may become instrumental in fund raising and meeting future needs of the library.

C.)   Standards – A broad overview indicates that Boone County Library has done an extremely good job utilizing the available resources.  However, we do not perform as well as other libraries in rural counties with comparable populations.  We have an excellent library but the needs of a growing county have exposed additional needs for both services and facilities. The Standards subcommittee has been able to quantify the service needs by comparing our library’s performance with others throughout the nation.

  1.)  Major Strengths (top quartile)

a.)      Percent of budget spent on materials

b.)      Costs per item circulated.

  2.)  Other Strengths (second quartile)

a.)      Circulation per FTE staff hour

b.)      Circulations per hour

c.)      Visits per hour.

  3.)   Concerns (third quartile)

a.)      Materials expenditures per capita

b.)      Volumes per capita

c.)      Visits per capita

d.)      Collection turnover

e.)      Circulation per capita

f.)       FTE staff per 1,000 population

g.)      Circulation per visit

4.)   Challenges (rank in the bottom quartile)

a.) Expenditures per capita

b.) Periodicals per 1,000 population

C.)     Facilities – Space needs, maintenance, collection size, and population growth, both present and future, were primary considerations.  Remodeling the present facility or building a new facility were also major topics.  With the help of John David Underwood it was determined that remodeling the current facility would produce the best results for the least dollars.  The current facility needs repairs to the roof and heating/cooling system in the next 6 to 10 year.  However, the building is in excellent overall condition and the type and quality of the construction would be very expensive to duplicate.  An additional 10,000 sq. ft. can be added to the library’s second level by adding an addition over the current parking area.  This would be the most cost effective way to enlarge the library.  An effort needs to be made to determine if additional property adjacent to the library is available.
Addressing the need for building improvements and expansion will require fund raising beyond current resources.  A private fund raising campaign or tax increase would be required to address the facilities need.   After much discussion, we concluded that a fund raising campaign could offer the best option to improve facilities at this time.  A Library Foundation is being developed and, hopefully, it can be a tremendous aid in this effort.

Background

In 2001 State Aid to Libraries was eliminated. The loss of this funding had a devastating effect on the services libraries were able to offer their communities. In Boone County , the loss was $40,000.00 (15% of our budget). Many libraries were forced to cut back hours of operation and make other drastic changes. Our library was able to maintain and improve services during this period only because previous boards had been frugal with expenditures and had savings to utilize.  The boards during 2002 to 2006 also cut expenses in every way possible.  Support groups and individuals provided extra funds for books and projects, and imaginative uses of resources allowed us to expand. Over a period of five years, State Aid was gradually restored.

In 2006 the Boone County Library Board was made the beneficiary of a substantial bequest from the estate of Mrs. Violet Lawing. The income from this bequest can only be used to purchase books for the library. This gift will greatly benefit the library. The book collection can be expanded and updated, funds previously used to purchase books may be used for other projects and needs, and growth needs may be addressed. 

In May of 2006, the Library Board met to discuss the long term future of our library and to begin to develop plans for expansion of services and facilities. It was decided at this meeting to identify and ask people from the county to serve on a long range planning committee to help the board chart a course for the future of the Boone County Library.  We have an excellent library but the needs of a growing county have exposed additional needs for both services and facilities.

Over a period of five months, this committee met at the library to discuss community perceptions of the services provided by the library and to come up with ideas for improvements. The committee was divided into four sub-committees; Facilities, Services, Finances/foundation, and Standards. These sub-committees have made their recommendations.  The board has reviewed their reports which are summarized in this document and will incorporate the data and recommendations into the Long Range Plan which will be officially adopted.

SERVICES

Mission : The Services sub-committee was tasked with evaluating current services offered by the Boone County Library and to make recommendations for improvements to these services.

1.     Open the library additional hours to meet the needs of the public. There was quite a lot of discussion on this topic and all agreed that it was an important and necessary step to improve services.

2.     The library should be taken to all the communities of the county where feasible.  Local community leaders should be contacted to determine if there is interest and housing available for a selection of materials. Part of the responsibility for the program should rest on the community. A way of transporting books was recommended by George Cline using an existing transportation service. The communities that make the most use of the existing library, ranked by use, are Omaha , Lead Hill, Everton, and Alpena.  Other communities may be added if the program is successful in the initial test communities.   The program would also be monitored and measured to make sure that it is needed and used.  A permanent transportation system could be added at a later date if the program is successful.

3.     More publicity is needed for the library and programs it supports. More use should be made of public service announcements. The Springfield Missouri library runs PSAs frequently on the television stations there. Contact local drama groups/schools to possibly produce some using the local talent.

4.     More evening programs and events to bring patrons, including youth, into the library should be added in the future.  Day programs could also be enhanced.

FINANCE & FOUNDATION

Mission :

A.    Study suggestions made by the Facilities, Services, and Standards Sub-committees and make recommendations

B.    Study history of actions taken to form a Foundation for the library and make recommendations.

Present Library Sources of Funds:

One mill property tax – used for operating budget

State Aid – used for operating budget

2005 Total – Beginning Balance $245,921.86

Ending Balance      $246,426.72

Non-County “Fines, Fees, Donations” – Used to buy books, some postage, and other incidental expenses

Grants – Gates Foundation – Used to buy computers

Friends of the Library – Funds mostly used to buy books

Woman’s Book Club – Special projects such as remodeling kitchen and meeting room

Future Library Sources of Funds:

Lawing Estate Interest – Will be invested and the return used to buy books and book related materials for patrons (Moneys presently used to buy books, magazines, reference materials, etc. may be designated for special projects or capital improvements.)

Non-County money in CDs – Could be designated for capital improvement or other special project.

10 acres on Old Bergman Road – Could be sold and designated for capital improvement or other special project

Boone County Library Foundation – will meet on October 25 to work on by-laws – as funds are raised and contributed to the library they could be used for special projects or capital improvement.

FACILITIES

(See attached report appendix A)

Mission :  Identify the facility needs of the Boone County Library for the long term.  The facility should accommodate the collection, services, programs, and other needs of the citizens of Boone County .  Renovating the current space, construction of new facility and doing nothing are all options for consideration.

Current Building :

·       More space needed – Current space is approximately 10,000 sq. ft.  The collection cannot grow with current space and the library is frequently full.

·       ADA compliance

·       Incorporate Technology – Space and capabilities

·       Exam codes (fire, etc.)

·       Aesthetics

·       Energy Efficiency and Energy Cost

·       Maintenance and repair cost – roof, heating/cooling, plumbing, wiring, etc.

·       Staff work space

·       Is additional space available in the current location?

·       An addition to the current library would be much less costly than a move.

Moving Library:

·       Need to maintain downtown traffic

·       Current facility is an excellent building which would be difficult to replace.  Sale value would not equal replacement cost.

·       New building would cost approximately $150/ft. in 2006 dollars.

·       Passing tax increase very difficult

·       Logistics of relocation and construction

Current Needs:

·       Larger Book Collection – We currently have approximately 80,000 books.  There are many needs in this area.  Additional space required.

·       Special collections department.  Additional space required.

·       Space for computers and other modern technologies.  Additional space required.

·       Business/commerce resources possibilities

·       Maintenance needs for the roof, heating/cooling, and possibly the plumbing systems.

STANDARDS

(See attached report appendix B)

D.)    Mission : Compare the services offered by the Boone County Library with services offered by other libraries nationally. Use this comparison to formulate a plan of action that will bring our services within accepted national standards of performance.

HAPLR Report

The following information is based on a report titled Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings Report-2005 for Boone County Library.  This report was prepared by Thomas Hennen; a library consultant from Racine , Wisconsin . Mr. Hennen created his indexing system in 2003 and the American Library Association has adopted this index as an accurate measure of public library performance.  Mr. Hennen has compared the statistics from the Boone County Library with those of 933 other public libraries of similar size across the nation. Boone County Library’s overall rank in this group is 536, placing it in the 43^rd percentile, or near the middle of the group.

       A.)  Major Strengths (top quartile):

1.      Percent of budget spent on materials

2.      Costs per item circulated.

               B.)  Other Strengths (second quartile):

1.)    Circulation per FTE staff hour

2.)    Circulations per hour

3.)   Visits per hour.

          C.)  Concerns (third quartile):

1.) Materials expenditures per capita

                              2.) Volumes per capita

                              3.) Visits per capita

                              4.) Collection turnover

                              5.) Circulation per capita

                              6.) FTE staff per 1,000 population

7.) Circulation per visit

                    D.)  Challenges (bottom quartile):

1.)    Expenditures per capita

            2.)  Periodicals per 1,000 population

            3.)  Reference per capita.

Because of the need for long-term county-wide support, and in order to develop that support, the library needs an effective outreach program that brings library services to the communities in Boone County . A bookmobile operation is being studied and may be the most cost efficient method for delivering service to all areas of the county. The standards sub-committee recommends that the library work in conjunction with service organizations such as the Friends of the Library to develop county-wide interest in such a program. Interim pilot programs in various communities should be discussed to develop interest and support for outreach. An example of a pilot program would be a small collection of materials housed in a community center. This collection would belong to the library and be made available on loan to the community. If sufficient interest is developed throughout the county, a bookmobile could then be established to serve these communities with a more robust service.

Long Range Planning Committee

The staff and the board of the Boone County Library thank all members of the long range planning committee for their hard work. The suggestions that were made were well thought out and when implemented, promise to greatly improve the service our library can provide the citizens of Boone County . Once again, thank you for your work.

Committee Members:

Roger Logan

George Cline

Pamela Scudder

Phyllis Nay

Mary Bailey

Jim Robb

Pam Christie

Rick Nance

Peggy Nance

Sandra Reynolds

Melanie Savells

Board Members:

Bob Dickson

Jane Adair

Robert Hudson

Jimmie Lou Nuessner

Kristen Eaton

Appendix A

Appendix B

Summary Analysis of HAPLR Index Rating

The HAPLR Index rating compares Boone County Library with 933 other public libraries of roughly similar size across the nation. Boone County ’s overall rank in this group is 536, placing it in the 43^rd percentile, or near the middle of the group.

Within the ratings Boone County has some areas where it is particularly strong – scoring well into the top quartile, and some where it is considerably weaker – scoring well into the bottom quartile. For most of the 15 items ranked Boone County falls into one of the middle two quartiles.

Major Strengths (Top Quartile): Percent of Budget Spent on Materials and Costs per Item Circulated.

Other Strengths (Second Quartile): Circulation per FTE Staff Hour; Circulations per Hour; and Visits per Hour.

Concerns (Third Quartile): Materials Expenditures per Capita; Volumes per Capita; Visits per Capita; Collection Turnover; Circulation per Capita; FTE Staff per 1,000 Population; and Circulation per Visit.

Challenges (Bottom Quartile): Expenditures per Capita; Periodicals per 1,000 Population; and Reference per Capita;

So what does it mean? On the positive side of the ledger, despite a smaller than average operating budget (well into the bottom quartile) Boone County is putting its money into materials and is quite active during its hours of operation, keeping costs per item circulated also low (these are both well into the top quartile). On the negative side, the library is not being used as much as it could be; and the operating and materials budgets are less than they ought to be, which is reflected in staffing, and collection development.