The Nelsonville Public Library does not operate in a vacuum; many factors outside the Library's control must be considered in the development of any plan for future Library operations. While the following discussion is not exhaustive, it attempts to describe major trends that have been kept in mind as this three-year plan was developed.
The State Library of Ohio's resource sharing initiative will have some influence on our services. Resource sharing will enhance the current interlibrary loan system and the delivery system currently used by the regional library systems to allow residents of Ohio to search the catalogs of many Ohio libraries and place unmediated requests for materials from those libraries. These materials would be distributed to the individual through the person's local library system, subject to all of the local library system's circulation policies. Since this system will be patron-initiated and use a delivery system that is already in use at the Nelsonville Public Library, resource sharing should have little impact on the Library's work load, while enhancing the service available to our patrons.
There is a very real possibility of reduced funding for the Library during the three-year period that this plan covers. Cuts in the state income tax have already resulted in a slight reduction in the funding which Ohio's public libraries receive. If the economy remains strong, it is likely that legislators will make further cuts in the income tax, which will result in further reductions in library funding if libraries are not "held harmless." If the economy weakens, income tax revenues will automatically get smaller, also resulting in reduced funding for libraries. This plan, therefore, assumes that the library will need to be ready to absorb a reduced level of funding toward the end of the three-year period.
Finally, the Library must continue to make good use of current technology, particularly the technology involved in delivering various types of information over the Internet. As we put the finishing touches on our physical library buildings and get them in condition to serve us for the next few years, we will need to redirect our energy toward improving our "virtual library" at www.athenscounty.lib.oh.us.
Over the past decade, the Nelsonville Public Library has been involved in a very intensive building program. Since 1990, the Library has built new library buildings in The Plains, Athens, Chauncey and Albany and remodeled buildings in Nelsonville, Coolville and Glouster. The result is that all of the public library buildings in Athens County have had major construction within the last ten years, some (Nelsonville, Glouster and The Plains) more than once. Some of these buildings may require attention to landscaping, parking facilities, paint, etc., but most should require no extensive construction work in the next three years.
Of all the buildings, the Athens Public Library has gone the longest without attention. This fact, combined with ever increasing community demands on that building, means that the library in Athens will be the next to receive major construction. The Library anticipates that this construction will take the form of an addition to the current building. Because of the size and elevations of the property on which the library is located, this addition would necessitate either extensive and costly site preparation or expensive construction in the form of a second story on the existing foundation. The anticipated expense of this project dictates that it be postponed for several years until funds can be accumulated to undertake the construction. It is planned that the Library will hire an architect to begin designing an expansion of the Athens building in late 2001 or 2002, with construction tentatively planned to begin in 2002 or 2003.
The mobile facilities of the Library -- the Bookmobile and the vans used for Library Home Visits -- will also need attention in the next few years. The Library anticipates replacing the Bookmobile in 2003, at which time it will be 10 years old. At that time, the Library anticipates that future technological advances will enable the Bookmobile to connect to the Library's computerized circulation system, catalog, and electronic databases, as well as offering mobile book service, so the new Bookmobile will probably need to be slightly larger than the current one. One of the library vans will also need to be replaced, probably in 2003, and there may be a need for one additional van to fill demand for Library Home Visits. (See the section on Outreach Services later in this document.)
Personnel cost is the one area of the library budget that is currently tight. By tradition, the Board has preferred to keep personnel cost to 50% or less of the annual income of the library. Now, however, the library has seven fully staffed branches and all branches maintain a six-days-a-week schedule, whereas some branches were previously open as seldom as two days each week. In addition, the Library has undertaken to provide many more services through Outreach Services and the Internet. Key Library staff are expected to spend time establishing and developing contacts with other service agencies in the county, in order to maintain the Library's position as an important component of the community. The result has been increased pressure on the 50% budget limit, as well as barely adequate staffing levels in some libraries.
Beginning in 2001, the Library will aim at increasing allowable personnel costs to 60% of the annual income. Where possible, employees will be hired on a full-time basis. The Library recognizes, however, that some employees desire only part-time work, and these part-time workers can help to fill out the library staff, particularly during evening and weekend hours, at a cost savings over full-time staff. Generally, the Library will try to keep about 75% of its staff as full-time employees and 25% as part-time employees.
The Library will continue to encourage staff development through continuing education and training.
The Library will continue to aggressively seek new areas of service while working to improve existing library services. The number and extent of services offered will be restricted, however, by the number of staff available to provide those services. Some services are therefore recognized as "core" services, while other "ancillary" services may someday need to be sacrificed if funding does not allow the Library to provide the staff and equipment necessary to provide such services.
Children's services will continue to be coordinated system-wide, with a unified plan for programming in the libraries and outreach to under-served populations outside the library. This will require that the Youth Services Coordinator (Linda Cochran) become increasingly mobile and less involved in a schedule of story hours for children. At the same time, there is a need in Glouster and Chauncey for more weekly programming. The Library will therefore need to plan on an increase in the number of staff devoted to children's services, in order to meet the increased demand for children's programming.
The emphasis for children's services over the next three years will be increasing service to those currently under-served. This will require planning that is more population-oriented and less building-oriented, and will involve greater emphasis on cooperation with elementary schools, especially in areas with at-risk students, so long as such cooperation does not put undue strain on the limited resources of the Library.
The anticipated expansion of the Athens branch library will include increased architectural emphasis on creating children's and family spaces, with spaces planned to isolate the noise of children's programs from the adult areas of the library, without isolating children from the children's book collection. These spaces will need to be able to accommodate large groups, and should include couches and armchairs where mixed ages can read together.
To date, only the Athens branch has enjoyed the services of a Young Adult librarian (Marsha Howard). Ms. Howard has developed a few programs for other libraries in the system and has ordered young adult books for all the branches. Since she works alone, however, she has not been able to establish adequate Young Adult services in any branch except Athens, nor has she been able to develop relationships with all of the school districts in Athens County.
The Library intends to continue to develop its Young Adult Services in all the branches, as well as strengthening its relationship with the school districts of Athens County. It is particularly important that the Library becomes more visible in the public schools and develops strong partnerships with teachers. In addition, the Library should be aware of community resources and agencies that serve teens and should attempt to form partnerships with them to better meet young adult needs. For these reasons, the Library plans to add one full-time Young Adult librarian, if finances permit, who would work out of the Nelsonville Library and serve teens in the northern part of the county.
The Library will also strive, to the extent that space and resources permit, to provide separate and distinct areas for teens in most branches. The intention in establishing such areas is to provide teens with an area that is both conducive to study and is comfortable for them, as they make the transition from children to adults. These areas should therefore be located close to the adult areas of the libraries and not be an extension of the children's areas.
Adult services will not require any significant changes in the next three years. The Library will continue to purchase informational and recreational materials in a variety of formats for use in the library or for circulation. Adult programming will continue to be offered, with a goal of providing at least one informational program per month in each branch that has a meeting room (i.e., all branches except Chauncey). Materials purchased and programs offered will reflect the diverse communities throughout the county. Adult services, in conjunction with children's services, will continue to form the nucleus of our service to the public.
Outreach services encompasses library services delivered to adults, young adults and children outside of the seven library buildings. As such, it currently includes bookmobile stops, nursing home visits, home visits, detention center visits and a few deposit collections. The Library's present outreach services will need to be redirected in the next few years. Many of our services -- such as library home visits and bookmobile stops at private residences -- currently overlap or are not as efficient as they could be. The Library has therefore identified the following groups targeted to receive outreach services, the type of services to be delivered, and the staff involved in delivering the services:
The Library will also continue to work with other agencies in Athens County that provide basic literacy training for adults.
The area in which the Library will see the greatest expansion in the next three years is the area of Internet services. These services can be divided into Internet services to the public, and Internet services to the staff.
New Internet services to the public:
New Internet services to the staff:
The Library will make its best effort to track and tally use of Internet services by the public; however, the Library also realizes that many of these services are currently not trackable, but are nonetheless important library services to the public.