Long-range Plan
September 2007 – August 2010

Amanda E. Standerfer, Library Director
Johnna Schultz, Operations Director

Board of Trustees:

Culture  ◄►  Resources  ◄►  Technology 

Helen Matthes Library  *  100 E. Market Ave.  *  Effingham, Illinois  62401
Amanda E. Standerfer, Library Director  *  amandas@effinghamlibrary.org
P:  217.342.2464  *  F:  217.342.2413  *  W:  www.effinghamlibrary.org

Introduction

The following document represents the long-range plan for the Helen Matthes Library in Effingham, Illinois.  The plan will cover the years 2007-2010.  The Helen Matthes Library is a city library that serves the 12,300 residents of the City of Effingham.  The library will celebrate 125 years of library service in Effingham in 2008, though it has only been tax supported since 1943.  This plan began with two community surveys conducted by Donna Fletcher Consulting.  First, a mail survey of 1,800 households in Effingham in the summer of 2006 funded by a grant from the Lumpkin Family Foundation.  Second, an in-house patron survey conducted in the fall of 2006.  After considering that information, the management staff at the library gathered information from Board members and staff in order to complete the plan. 

The Helen Matthes Library continues to struggle with three main issues:  1) the need for a larger facility, 2) the need for more money for operations, and 3) if the library should convert to a district library.  These issues have been dealt with to various degrees during the last three-year long-range plan, but no resolution has been found for any of the issues.  Therefore, this plan will help the library continue the dialogue on these issues while also setting some deadlines for making some decisions.

We hope that this plan is responsive to our community and provides everyone with something they are interested in.  We see the library as a place that can bring the community together despite all of our differences, a place that has something for everyone, while still remaining true to our core values and not spreading ourselves too thin.  This is a difficult vision to play out with limited resources, but we feel that we have a creative, energetic staff and Board of Directors that is up to the challenge.

Vision Statement

A library that is a community resource and cultural hub committed to lifelong learning.

Mission Statement

The Helen Matthes Library seeks to empower the community through materials promoting lifelong learning, access to technology, providing current and accurate information and encouraging reading.

Values

Culture

Resources

Technology

Building and Budget

Goal #1:  Increase our space.

Objective 1:  Make a decision about an existing building, a new building, or no building by January 1, 2009.

Activity 1:  Have discussions with the city and community members about the best course of action.

Activity 2:  Hire building consultant or architect to look at possible facilities. 

Activity 3:  Hire a fundraising consultant to study the feasibility of raising funds for a facility.

Goal #2:  Seek ways to increase the library’s operating budget by $150,000 per year.

Objective 1:  Make a decision about an operating tax referendum by July 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  If a decision is made to go forward with a referendum, the question would be on the April 7, 2009 ballot.

Activity 2:  Conduct referendum campaign.

Objective 2:  Hire a contractual professional fundraiser by July 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Seek grant funds to fund this position.

Activity 2:  Create a fundraising plan.

Activity 3:  Complete an endowment fund drive by July 1, 2010.

Objective 3:  Raise operations funds equal to $20,000 each year by 2010.

Activity 1:  Conduct an annual campaign.

Activity 2:  Conduct other fundraising events.

Activity 3:  Establish a Board fundraising committee.

Goal #3:  Continue to discuss the possibility of district library conversion.

Objective 1:  Make a decision about a possible district conversion by July 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  If a decision is made to go forward with district conversion, decide on the conversion method.

Activity 2:  Begin steps towards becoming a district with target date of July 1, 2010.

Activity 3:  Conduct an educational campaign to inform people about what it means to be a district library and how the conversion process works.

Goal #4:  Seek to use our existing space as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Objective 1:  Add new “themed” spaces to the library by January 1, 2010. 

Activity 1:  Work with space planning consultant to create Teen Space by July 1, 2009.

Activity 2:  Consider adding a café or vending area.

Objective 2:  Annually evaluate flow of the library, including seating, outlets for laptops, placement of computers and collections, and staff space.

Activity 1:  Write a report annually beginning in FY 2008 addressing these issues and any possible changes that need to be made.

Objective 3:  Have space planning consultant go through building every 3 years.

Activity 1:  Present consultant’s report/recommendations to the Board.

Activity 2:  Implement recommendations approved by the Board.

Goal #5:  Evaluate library’s insurance coverage.

Objective 1:  Evaluate health insurance coverage in Fall 2008.

Activity 1:  Consider going out for bids on health insurance (for May 1, 2009 effective date).

Objective 2:  Evaluate liability insurance coverage in Summer 2009.

Activity 1:  Consider going out for bids on liability insurance (for January 1, 2010 effective date).

Goal #6:  Continue to apply yearly to the TIF program for building improvements. 

            Objective 1:  Use TIF funds to improve current building.

Activity 1:  Seek Board input on possible capital projects.

Activity 2:  Seek staff input on possible capital projects.

Activity 3:  Keep list of possible projects.

Materials

Goal #1:  Increase the amount of materials we offer to patrons.

Objective 1:  Increase the children’s book budget by 10% by FY 2010.

            Activity 1:  Board budget discussions about where funds should come from.

            Activity 2:  Include in budget in increments up to FY 2010.

Objective 2:  Increase the adult book budget by 20% by FY 2010.

Activity 1:  Board budget discussions about where funds should come from.

            Activity 2:  Include in budget in increments up to FY 2010.

Objective 3:  Expand materials offerings to teens by FY 2009.

            Activity 1:  Survey teens to see what kinds of materials they are interested in.

Activity 2:  Survey other libraries to see what materials they have in their teen collection.

Activity 3:  Make proposal in January 2008 for any materials that have an impact on the FY 2009 budget.

Activity 4:  Purchase materials and track usage.

Goal #2:  Improve our methods for getting books to patrons.

Objective 1:  Consolidated cataloging of youth materials with adult materials by January 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Develop a plan that will be the guideline for carrying out consolidation.

            Activity 2:  Implement the plan.

Objective 2:  Eliminate backlog by May 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Create flow chart that shows process from book ordering to book on the shelf.

Activity 2:  Evaluate technical services staffing levels to determine increased staff needs to meet Objectives (see Staff section) by March 1, 2008.

Objective 3:  Improve our turn-around time for getting books to the shelves by January 1, 2009.

Activity 1:  Create flow chart that shows process from book ordering to book on the shelf.

Activity 2:  Evaluate technical services staffing levels to determine increased staff needs to meet Objectives (see Staff section) by March 1, 2008.

Activity 3:  Institute a 5 day turnover time for best sellers.

Activity 4:  Institute a 20 day turnover time for all other books.

Goal 3:  Increase overall circulation.

            Objective 1:  Reach 100,000 items per year circulated by April 30, 2009.

                        Activity 1:  Increase marketing of materials.

                        Activity 2:  Encourage patrons to check out more.

                        Activity 3:  Give patrons suggestions of other books they might like.

                        Activity 4:  Purchase more materials (see Materials Goal 1).

Marketing

Goal #1:  Continue aggressively marketing the library.

Objective 1:  Carry out current marketing plan through Summer 2008.

Activity 1:  Evaluate the plan in April 2008.

Activity 2:  Hold a manager’s meeting to discuss the evaluation procedure.

Activity 3:  Seek staff, Board, and patron input as to their opinion of the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

Activity 4:  Present to the Board on the evaluation of the current marketing plan.

Objective 2:  Write a new marketing plan by August 2008.

Activity 1:  Seek Board, staff, and patron input as to what marketing efforts have been effective.

Activity 2:  Implement use of marketing database as part of new plan.

Activity 3:  Gather marketing ideas from other libraries.

Activity 4:  Attend a marketing workshop in another field to get ideas.

Staff

Goal #1:  Complete cross training of all staff.

Objective 1:  Develop a cross training plan that details who is trained on which positions by October 1, 2007.

Activity 1:  Identify what job duties need back-up when primary staff member is absent.

Activity 2:  Identify which staff members have the skills to act as back-up for which job duties.

Activity 3:  Identify how training will be conducted (in-house or through an education provider).

Activity 4:  Meet with staff members to discuss cross-training possibilities.

Objective 2:  Develop a plan for completing the training that will be completed May 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Carry out training or send staff to training.

Activity 2:  Have staff report back when training is completed.

Activity 3:  Have staff members with essential duties (to be identified in plan) write up basic instructions as to how to complete these essential duties.

Objective 3:  Develop a plan for continuing the training once the initial cross training is completed by May 1, 2008. 

Activity 1:  Carry out continuous training plan.

Activity 2:  Continue to update essential duties basic instructions.

Goal #2:  Evaluate staffing levels.

Objective 1:  Evaluate technical services staffing levels to determine increased staff needs by March 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Create job description and salary recommendation.

Activity 2:  Present recommendation to Board in February 2008.

Activity 3:  Fund any new position(s) in FY 2009.

Objective 2:  Consider Young Adult Assistant (Teen Assistant) to be funded in FY 2010.

Activity 1:  Gather information from other libraries as to job description, salary, etc.

Activity 2:  Present recommendation to Board in Fall 2009.

Objective 3:  Consider programming help for children’s department (esp. during summer reading) to be funded in FY 2009.

Activity 1:  Map out children’s programming for a year to identify peak times when help is needed.

Activity 2:  Discuss staffing levels in children’s departments in other libraries of similar size, programming level, and circulation.

Activity 3:  Create a job description and salary recommendation.

Activity 4:  Present recommendation to Board in Fall 2008.

Objective 4:  Consider check out desk substitute/special projects position to be funded FY 2009.

Activity 1:  Identify libraries that have a similar position and ask for job description.

Activity 2:  Discuss with other libraries how this position is used and how training is conducted and the staff member is kept aware of changes at the library.

Activity 3:  Present recommendation to Board in Fall 2008.

Goal #3:  Increase library’s operating hours.

Objective 1:  Evaluate library operating hours by January 1, 2008.

            Activity 1:  Gather patron feedback about current hours.

Objective 2:  Develop proposals for increasing operating hours and present to Board by Spring 2008.

Activity 1:  Consider staffing levels.

Activity 2:  Consider budgetary impact.

Activity 3:  Consider state standards.

            Objective 3:  Board members discuss possible increase to take effect May 1, 2008.

Activity 1:  Board considers Spring 2008 proposal and makes budget changes to make increased hours happen.

Activity 2:  Board votes on new hours and revised budget.

Programs and Technology

Goal #1:  Implement a patron and print management solution that is both self-serve and reliable on the public access Internet computers.

Objective 1:  Evaluate current patron authentication and print management software on public Internet computers in Spring 2008.

Activity 1:  Work with Comprise to implement upgrade by July 1, 2008.

Activity 2:  Or, if necessary, implement new software/solution by November 1, 2008.

Goal #2:  Continue to offer computer classes for patrons.

Objective 1:  Offer computer classes twice a week for eight months out of the year.

Activity 1:  Add additional evening class.

Activity 2:  Add additional Saturday morning class.

Activity 3:  Consider diversifying offerings to reach targeted audiences (i.e. nonprofits, small businesses).

Activity 4:  Send instructor to training sessions as needed. 

Goal #3:  Initiate new programming that meets the needs of our communities.

Objective 1:  Increase number of adult programs offered each year by 2009.

Activity 1:  Hold 10 adult programs per year by 2009.

Activity 2:  Seek to hold at least two programs each year that will appeal to men.

Objective 2:  Initiate programming in local schools, holding three programs per year in a local school by Fall 2008.

Activity 1:  Meet with school librarians to determine type of program that might be successful.

Activity 2:  Survey teachers to see their classroom programming needs.

Activity 3:  Provide a library newsletter for teachers/school administrators twice a year.

Objective 3:  Initiate teen programming, holding three programs a year by FY 2009.     

Activity 1:  Survey teens to find out what kinds of programs they are interested in.

Activity 2:  Form a Youth Advisory Council to help plan the programs.

Activity 3:  Provide teen programming in the schools if coming to the library seems to be a barrier.

            Objective 4:  Increase outreach to home school families by FY 2010.

Activity 1:  Survey home school families to see what kinds of services the library could provide.

Activity 2:  Initiate “home schoolers only” programs.

Activity 3:  Create network of home school families with a special section on the library’s bulletin board or via a list-serv.

Activity 4:  Create a twice yearly newsletter that focuses on library news of interest to home schoolers.

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Last updated:  August 30, 2007