The services public libraries have offered to their patrons have changed dramatically over the last several decades. However, oftentimes their internal processes have remained largely the same. This presentation argues that libraries need to reflect on their internal processes just as much as their public services in order to be nimble enough to adapt to the many changes happening in the field. This presentation was last given at the Douglas County Library (Oregon) staff in-service on October 5, 2012.

1. The three questions
Or, why reflection is worth your time
Presented by:
Buzzy Nielsen
Library Director
This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution
October 5, 2012 United States license. http://www.creativecommons.org

2. your public
What do you want
V
V
your libraries to be?
their

3. What libraries should be doing
Blah
Tablets Digital collections
Blah
E-books Information literacy
Graphic novels
Blah Job training
Daycare storytimes
Mobile services Blah
Blah
Gaming
Blah Early literacy
Electronic resources

4. st
We're 21 century libraries.
We're supposed to be
doing awesome things ...

5. But with what, exactly?

6. Rough times
Douglas County Library System revenues
$3,000,000
$2,565,103
$2,500,000 $2,340,374
$2,243,545
$2,062,771
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Source: Oregon State Library, Oregon public library data

7. Rough times
Hood River County Library (District) revenues
$897,663
$900,000 $844,447
$785,648 $785,877
$800,000
$700,000
$566,662
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$0
$0
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13*
Over 20% of the 2011-12 budget was grants and donations,
and 12% of the 2012-13 budget is.
*Budgeted amount

8. When we were a County department
Community Development
Budget & Finance Justice Court
Administration
Health Department Human Resources
Sheriff
Public Works Emergency Management
Forestry Elections
Information Technology
Parks & Buildings Community Justice
Commission on
Children & Families
Veteran's Services
District Attorney

9. The brunt of budget cuts
Hood River
65 65
70
60
50
40 34
30
20
10
0
2008-09 2009-10 2012-13
2007-08 2009-10 2011-12*
Parkdale Cascade Locks
19 19
20 20
14 14 14
15 15
11
10 10
5 5
0 0
2008-09 2009-10 2012-13 2008-09 2009-10 2012-13
2007-08 2009-10 2011-12* 2007-08 2009-10 2011-12*

10. A slight addition:The “D” word

11. Quick primer: library districts
Municipal libraries:
Part of a larger governmental
entity (city, county, school, etc.)

12. Quick primer: library districts
County service districts:
Districts with dedicated tax funding
that are governed by their counties
Special districts:
Districts with dedicated funding
and independent governing boards

13. With stable funding
comes great responsibility
Human resources Maintenance
Finance
Information Legal services
technology
Intergovernmental
agreements
Administration

14. We're coming back
Hood River
65 65
70
60
50 43
40 34 34
30
20
10 0
0
2008-09 2009-10 2012-13
2007-08 2009-10 2011-12*
Parkdale Cascade Locks
20 20
19 19
20 17 20 17
14 14 14
15 15
11
10 10
5 5
0 0
0 0
2008-09 2009-10 2012-13 2008-09 2009-10 2012-13
2007-08 2009-10 2011-12* 2007-08 2009-10 2011-12*
*2011-12 hours figured are averaged as hours increased in January.

15. An apt moniker
LIBRARY
Image source: Book cover from The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

16. Funding is important, but
the most valuable resource you
have is you and your volunteers'
time and talents.

17. You don't have to close to ask these
Why do we do
What services can and what we do?
can't we provide, now and
in the future?
Who should be
on our team? How can we utilize our
limited resources to their
maximum potential?
What does the community
want its libraries to look like
in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years?

18. What services we
deliver is important
How we deliver them
is even more so.

19. You don't have to close to ask these
Why do we do
What services can and what we do?
can't we provide, now and
in the future?
Who should be
on our team? How can we utilize our
limited resources to their
maximum potential?
What does the community
want its libraries to look like
in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years?

20. I promise this isn't a pyramid scheme ...
Buzzy's 3 questions to ask on
the road to awesomeness:
1. Why?
2. How?
3. Who?

21. Why?
It's the patrons, stupid!
(with apologies to James Carville)
Photo c2011 Brian W. Robb. Used with permission.

22. But it goes a bit farther than that
Channel your
inner annoying
kid. Ask “Why?”
All the time. About everything.

23. Are your internal processes worth
the time you spend doing them?

24. Some examples - the mundane
Do we really need a
written library card
application?
Why do we leave
those lights on at night?

25. Some examples - the philosophical
Are we better off on our own
or as part of a consortium?
If so, which one?
Are the fines we collect
worth the time we use
and patron frustration
we cause?

26. How?
Self-service
Shopping around
Open source

27. But some things are worth the money
Subscription agents Accounting
PC management

28. Who?
Book clubs
Knitting groups
Car clubs
Master Gardeners
Neighborhood
associations
PTAs
Sports teams

29. You are a library ambassador.
Build relationships.

30. And reach out

31. (Shh, don't tell anyone! We didn't do
any of these programs ourselves)
Homeschooling
in Oregon
Weekly
poetry Author talk:
nights Ice age floods
Sand mandala
Wild Beauty:
Columbia Gorge
Photography
Family game night

32. Why?
How?
Who?

33. LIBRARY

34. Thank you
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