Long Range Plan
Begun: September, 2012
Approved: December, 2012
Introduction
In order to support the residents of Ohio County, the Ohio County Public Library (OCPL) needs to create a long-range plan to guide its direction for the next three to five years. To determine what the community sees as its own needs, a Planning Committee of fourteen representatives from varying demographics met to voice their ideas and brainstorm for the future of OCPL in mid-September, 2012. Their voices are the guide for this document.
Mission Statement:
It is the mission of Ohio County Public Library to provide library services that support the community's informational and educational needs.
Our Long Range Plan to support the Mission Statement:
Goal 1: Investigate and implement those technological services which are appropriate for the needs of the community.
Goal 2: Be proactive in marketing library products, services and programs being offered, especially to promote literacy tools available and to foster community awareness.
Goal 3: Balance use of new technology tools with traditional library services of preserving historical roots, providing information access and increasing literacy.
Goal 4: Increase literacy tools for educators.
GOAL 5: Investigate services to seniors by assessing the needs of local senior citizens, creating programs and services to serve those needs.
Assessment of facilities, services, technology and operations
OCPL is located in the city of Rising Sun, population 2,300. Its service area is Ohio County, Indiana, covering approximately 87 square miles with a population of 6,120 residents (2010 Census). The local school district serves approximately 800 students. There are several home-schooling families within the county utilizing OCPL’s services. Of these residents, approximately ¼ or 1,500 hold active library cards including about 600 students. OCPL does offer reciprocal borrowing with other public libraries.
OCPL is committed to providing a library setting which meets the evolving needs of its community, including a pleasant environment, friendly staff, convenient access to collection, appropriate technologies, and space to enjoy reading . OCPL maintains two buildings in service to its community. The main Library building has 11,500 square feet of space, offers contemporary electrical and internet access, two meeting rooms, a children’s area and is entirely handicap-accessible. The Carnegie Library is 3,000 square feet, open part-time, housing a vintage collection of library materials along with items of local historical and genealogical value. OCPL does not have a bookmobile.
There are over 34,000 items in OCPL’s collection including books, movies, audio books, magazines, newspapers and microfilmed newspapers. Circulation for 2011 was over 49,550 items. OCPL does not subscribe to database services but does offer access to INspire through Indiana State Library’s website. The main library building offers wireless internet.
Library staff each serves in a variety of capacities. The Library Director is the only full-time employee, holding a Master's degree in Science, Library Science. The Director administrates all aspects of public library services, answering to the Library Board, who in turn answer to the residents of the community the Library serves. The library accountant also processes incoming printed materials and leads pre-school programming. The library circulation clerk also processes audio-visual materials and leads summer reading program. The shelving clerk also acts as local genealogist. All staff are encouraged to seek and complete continuing education that supports their area of function with the Library Board of Trustees' support.
The Library currently offers adult programming with monthly reading club, tai chi and craft sessions, a weekly pre-school story time, an annual summer reading program, and a variety of seasonal programs and events that encourage literacy.
OCPL will rely on its current Technology Plan to evaluate condition of equipment and services. The Library relies on Midwest Data, Inc. to monitor and advise on technological services and equipment needs. The Library relies on T S Repair Services for quarterly monitoring and advise of HVAC and electrical equipment needs. OCPL offers ten desk-top computers, fifteen laptop computers, a designated work-search and/or unemployment station with printer, a copier and a print station, all for patron use. OCPL does not offer fax service in effort to support those local businesses that do.
Financial Resources and Sustainability
OCPL's operating budget is funded by those revenues allocated through state laws regarding library services. OCPL will increase its annual proposed budget by the state growth quotient recommended by the Department of Local Government Finance.
Money from OCPL's annual operating fund will be allocated to support those library services and programs which best meet the needs of the community it serves. Transfers of funds into LIRF and Rainy Day fund will be made annually to support future library improvements.
The Library Director will continue to seek additional revenues through grant writing activities and through regional Riverboat Revenue Funding. Library Director will attend council meetings as needed with the objective of seeking and earning those revenues appropriate for library support. Library Director will monitor Indiana Public Library Standards for any changes that may impact OCPL's services, programs, policies or funding in the future.
The Library Board of Trustees will continue reporting library activities to their appointing authorities, maintaining good relations with local officials and advocating for public libraries.
Evaluation of Plan
The OCPL Board of Trustees, Library Staff and members of the Planning Committee shall meet at least once per year to assess progress toward goals. These meetings may lead to refinement of goals and strategies as needed. Library Director and Staff should review this Plan quarterly, review and progress to be announced to Library Board.
Approved: December, 2012
Introduction
In order to support the residents of Ohio County, the Ohio County Public Library (OCPL) needs to create a long-range plan to guide its direction for the next three to five years. To determine what the community sees as its own needs, a Planning Committee of fourteen representatives from varying demographics met to voice their ideas and brainstorm for the future of OCPL in mid-September, 2012. Their voices are the guide for this document.
Mission Statement:
It is the mission of Ohio County Public Library to provide library services that support the community's informational and educational needs.
Our Long Range Plan to support the Mission Statement:
Goal 1: Investigate and implement those technological services which are appropriate for the needs of the community.
Objectives
Proactively investigate emerging technologies to merge the best matches into OCPL's offering of library services.
Strategies
- Utilize available resources to seek and evaluate emerging technologies.
- Monitor current technologies to determine need to add or upgrade resources.
- Maintain service contract with Midwest Data Inc., Lawrenceburg, Indiana as service partner for information technologies.
- Encourage continuing education opportunities to library staff on emerging technologies.
Goal 2: Be proactive in marketing library products, services and programs being offered, especially to promote literacy tools available and to foster community awareness.
Objectives
Increase general public awareness of OCPL as an entity.
Strategies
- Inform public of OCPL's value for personal and economic growth, the essential role of library staff as information professionals and the value of OCPL as tax-supported government entity via quarterly press releases and annual reports for publication.
- Create marketing plan of library products, services and programs to include: criteria for frequency, and budget; OCPL logo and image to be used on all publications and press releases.
- Committee suggested a contest to create this logo.
- Develop calendar plan of seasonal displays for entryway and Carnegie Library.
- Increase community partnerships to better serve mutual needs, especially with Department of Work Force Development, Historic Downtown, Ohio County Community Foundation, Rising Sun Regional Foundation, Ohio County Historical Society, Ohio County Schools, Rising Sun-Ohio County Senior Housing Authority and community child care centers.
Goal 3: Balance use of new technology tools with traditional library services of preserving historical roots, providing information access and increasing literacy.
Objective
Hold onto traditional library services, broaden scope of programming and increase literacy opportunities.
Strategies
- Seek avenues and resources to support historical and/or cultural programming, specifically those which utilize the Carnegie Library as venue host site.
- Seek avenues and resources to preserve and digitize historical materials; make these accessible to the public via OCPL's web site.
- Seek avenues and resources to increase local history programming; connecting OCPL with local institutions supporting community's past.
- Balance use of current and modern library services to keep history alive, to preserve a local sense of place and time.
Goal 4: Increase literacy tools for educators.
Objective
Make patron-educator's use of OCPL's services and collection more user-friendly.
Strategies
- Connect to local educators, both home-schoolers and site-based, to determine their specific needs for OPAC searches, and provide training sessions on OCPL's integrated library system.
- Revise OPAC to reflect subject headings desired by educators; adjust MARC subject headings to match corresponding requirements for Indiana state's educational requirements.
- Continue to offer library programming that promotes literacy.
- Increase non-fiction, grade appropriate materials for educator and student use.
GOAL 5: Investigate services to seniors by assessing the needs of local senior citizens, creating programs and services to serve those needs.
Objective
Investigate potential services to seniors.
Strategies
- Conduct an assessment of needs for senior citizen.
- Create programs and services to better meet those needs. May include to-site circulation, retirement investment ideas, and cultural programming.
Assessment of facilities, services, technology and operations
OCPL is located in the city of Rising Sun, population 2,300. Its service area is Ohio County, Indiana, covering approximately 87 square miles with a population of 6,120 residents (2010 Census). The local school district serves approximately 800 students. There are several home-schooling families within the county utilizing OCPL’s services. Of these residents, approximately ¼ or 1,500 hold active library cards including about 600 students. OCPL does offer reciprocal borrowing with other public libraries.
OCPL is committed to providing a library setting which meets the evolving needs of its community, including a pleasant environment, friendly staff, convenient access to collection, appropriate technologies, and space to enjoy reading . OCPL maintains two buildings in service to its community. The main Library building has 11,500 square feet of space, offers contemporary electrical and internet access, two meeting rooms, a children’s area and is entirely handicap-accessible. The Carnegie Library is 3,000 square feet, open part-time, housing a vintage collection of library materials along with items of local historical and genealogical value. OCPL does not have a bookmobile.
There are over 34,000 items in OCPL’s collection including books, movies, audio books, magazines, newspapers and microfilmed newspapers. Circulation for 2011 was over 49,550 items. OCPL does not subscribe to database services but does offer access to INspire through Indiana State Library’s website. The main library building offers wireless internet.
Library staff each serves in a variety of capacities. The Library Director is the only full-time employee, holding a Master's degree in Science, Library Science. The Director administrates all aspects of public library services, answering to the Library Board, who in turn answer to the residents of the community the Library serves. The library accountant also processes incoming printed materials and leads pre-school programming. The library circulation clerk also processes audio-visual materials and leads summer reading program. The shelving clerk also acts as local genealogist. All staff are encouraged to seek and complete continuing education that supports their area of function with the Library Board of Trustees' support.
The Library currently offers adult programming with monthly reading club, tai chi and craft sessions, a weekly pre-school story time, an annual summer reading program, and a variety of seasonal programs and events that encourage literacy.
OCPL will rely on its current Technology Plan to evaluate condition of equipment and services. The Library relies on Midwest Data, Inc. to monitor and advise on technological services and equipment needs. The Library relies on T S Repair Services for quarterly monitoring and advise of HVAC and electrical equipment needs. OCPL offers ten desk-top computers, fifteen laptop computers, a designated work-search and/or unemployment station with printer, a copier and a print station, all for patron use. OCPL does not offer fax service in effort to support those local businesses that do.
Financial Resources and Sustainability
OCPL's operating budget is funded by those revenues allocated through state laws regarding library services. OCPL will increase its annual proposed budget by the state growth quotient recommended by the Department of Local Government Finance.
Money from OCPL's annual operating fund will be allocated to support those library services and programs which best meet the needs of the community it serves. Transfers of funds into LIRF and Rainy Day fund will be made annually to support future library improvements.
The Library Director will continue to seek additional revenues through grant writing activities and through regional Riverboat Revenue Funding. Library Director will attend council meetings as needed with the objective of seeking and earning those revenues appropriate for library support. Library Director will monitor Indiana Public Library Standards for any changes that may impact OCPL's services, programs, policies or funding in the future.
The Library Board of Trustees will continue reporting library activities to their appointing authorities, maintaining good relations with local officials and advocating for public libraries.
Evaluation of Plan
The OCPL Board of Trustees, Library Staff and members of the Planning Committee shall meet at least once per year to assess progress toward goals. These meetings may lead to refinement of goals and strategies as needed. Library Director and Staff should review this Plan quarterly, review and progress to be announced to Library Board.
