Long Range Plan

Adopted November 20, 2003

Mission Statement

The Prairie du Sac Public Library provides the widest range of educational, informational and recreational materials and services in an accessible, efficient and timely manner.

Vision Statement

The Prairie du Sac Public Library strives to meet the ongoing and ever changing educational, informational and recreational needs of the community through traditional materials and services, as well as, emerging materials, services and technologies. The Library provides a friendly and inviting environment for library users. An expanded and diverse funding base will sustain current operations and provide support for the anticipated growth of the community and library service.

STAFFING

The library will provide staff that is friendly, knowledgeable and responsive to patron needs.

Goal 1: Improve intra-library communication.

Objective 1: Continue monthly staff meetings.

Objective 2: Consolidate pertinent memos, information and e-mails to one central, organized location that all staff members are responsible to check on a daily basis.

Activity 1: Each day, post relevant information to the central location for all staff members to access. (We need to maintain this for a week to ensure everyone reviews the information)

Activity 2: Maintain 3-ring binder with memos compiled for referral.

Goal 2: Ensure staff members have been trained appropriately for their position.

Objective 1: Develop staff training materials.

Activity 1: Use competency model to fulfill training of individuals based on job description. [see McMillan P.L.]

Activity 2: Evaluate staff skills to determine areas in which additional training is required or in which standard procedures need to be reevaluated.

Activity 3: Provide additional training to staff as appropriate to job description.

Activity 4: Provide staff in-services on databases and basic technological skills.

Activity 5: Establish general tip sheets to help patrons set up e-mail accounts in Yahoo and Hotmail. [keep updated as needed]

Activity 6: Identify additional tasks that need regular attention and assign to staff members.

Activity 7: Encourage staff to participate in continuing education classes and workshops to enhance and update skills.

Goal 3: Retain employees.

Objective 1: Review and revise library position descriptions to reflect staff responsibilities and skills.

Objective 2: Maintain wages commensurate with position descriptions.

PROGRAMMING & SERVICES

Adult

Goal 1: Provide regular and varied programming appealing to a diverse population of adults.

Objective 1: Offer educational, leisure and cultural programs for adults.

Activity 1: Survey patrons to determine program topics of interest.

Activity 2: Work in collaboration with community organizations and groups to provide programming relevant to community’s needs and interests.

Activity 3: Investigate the possibility of beginning a community-wide read and seek funding/means of acquiring multiple copies of a selected title.

Activity 4: Begin a library book club meeting monthly to discuss selected book titles.

Activity 5: Host an annual "Mystery Week" to promote and recruit new members for the mystery book club.

Objective 2: Increase adult program attendance.

Activity 1: Keep statistics of attendance. Analyze yearly.

Goal 2: Provide ongoing technology training classes to teach patrons to use library resources such as LINKCat, the Internet, and word processing programs.

Objective 1: Provide workshops in accordance with the Verizon grant targeting individuals in small businesses and services available to job seekers.

Young Adult

Goal 1: Increase young adult participation in the library community.

Objective 1: Develop partnership with middle and high school librarians.

Activity 1: Visit middle school each September (for Library Card signup month) to promote library card registration.

Activity 2: Provide an informational booth promoting summer program at the high school and middle school prior to the end of the school year, during summer school registration and district school registration.

Activity 3: In conjunction with the school, offer tours to young adults.

Activity 4: Co-sponsor "Turn off the TV Week" held each spring.

Objective 2: Develop positive relationship with community teen groups.

Activity 1: Identify local groups with teen membership.

Activity 2: Contact groups to find out how the library could contribute to their organization.

Activity 3: Invite groups to tour the facility.

Activity 4: Invite groups to hold their regular meetings in the library meeting room, ex: 4-H, Cub Scouts, etc.
Activity 5: Plan offsite activities to reach teens.

Objective 3: Hold young adult programming bi-monthly during the summer and monthly during the school year.

Objective 4: Recruit teens to promote literacy.

Activity 1: Cooperate with school district, Kids Club, etc. to provide teen models/readers for promotional bookmarks, posters, etc.

Activity 2: Set up reader’s theater — work with MS & HS choir and/or drama directors to provide a venue for these talents.

Youth Services

Goal 1: Encourage children and their families and/or caregivers to visit the library.

Objective 1: Enhance the appearance of the children’s area.

Activity 1: Purchase new puzzles and hands-on toys to promote learning & fine motor skills, as space permits.

Activity 2: Display materials in appealing manner with props as appropriate.

Objective 2: Continue to increase the popularity of the summer reading program.

Activity 1: Plan at least two activities for the whole family to attend.

Activity 2: Obtain community support including volunteers and donations to support the program.

Goal 2: Provide support for teachers, home school educators and students.

Objective 1: Create an inviting after-school learning environment.

Activity 1: Offer homework assistance using volunteers & staff to help answer questions [3:30-4:30]. Have snack available.

Objective 2: Offer materials and services in support of thematic units.

Activity 1: Gather materials and place holds for instructors via phone and email.

Activity 2: Enhance fiction and nonfiction collections in support of popular themes.

Activity 3: Identify popular theme units in the Sauk Prairie School District.

Activity 4: Promote services to educators using newsletters, letters, tours and other means.

Goal 3: Promote reading beginning before birth.

Objective 1: Provide and promote resources and services to parents of young children. (Increase traffic and visibility in the children’s department.)

Activity 1: Establish a lap sit storytime for toddlers.

Activity 2: Establish a monthly family night.

Activity 3: Create a brochure encouraging parents to read with their children.

Activity 4: Provide promotional materials promoting libraries & literacy at the hospital for the parents of newborns.

Goal 2: Enhance collections to support early literacy.

Activity 1: Expand basic board book, picture book and concept book collection.

Activity 2: Provide additional picture books on audio book.

Activity 3: Purchase materials for parenting collection relating to the importance of reading and child development.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Successful public relations are necessary to promote a positive image of the library. By publicizing the library’s resources and events to a wider range of individuals, circulation will increase.

Goal 1: The library will utilize a variety of channels to promote its services and increase its visibility in the community. Objective 1: The library will maintain a website that is current, useful, and promotes the library’s services.

Activity 1: Develop a web page to promote library events and the summer reading program (including a calendar).

Activity 2: Utilize the website as a means to support the building project and attract fundraising monies.

Activity 3: Assign staff member to review and update web site on a regular basis to ensure currency of information.

Activity 4: Encourage website use through promotional materials.

Objective 2: Continue to publicize library events/services via newsletter, brochures, and local cable channel and explore alternative possibilities for publicity.

Activity 1: Include a library/literacy theme float in a local parade.

Activity 2: Distribute library brochures to established local locations such as the Village Hall, Community Center and the Chamber of Commerce.

Activity 3: Explore the possibility of televised booktalks.

Activity 4: Evaluate the effectiveness of current publicity means and ways to make these formats more effective.

Goal 2: Create an easily identifiable logo/design to use on public relations materials of all formats.

Activity 1: Incorporate community identity focusing on the natural beauty of the Wisconsin River valley in combination with the overall image of the library.

Outreach

Goal 1: Offer delivery service to patrons who are temporarily or permanently unable to visit the library due to a physical disability or limitation.

Objective 1: Provide monthly delivery to residents unable to visit the library without assistance. [Bluffview, Pines, etc.]

Activity 1: Create application for this service.

Activity 2: Identify local living facilities whose residents could benefit from this service.

Activity 3: Establish volunteer program to deliver materials.

Goal 2: Continue to improve services and materials to non-native speaking patrons.

Objective 1: Development and promote bilingual storytime.

Objective 2: Expand materials for ESL students.

Objective 3: Expand Spanish material collection.

Access and Facility

The Prairie du Sac Library Board has identified this area as the major focus for this long-range plan. This area includes short and long-term goals that provide the foundation for future growth of library service in Prairie du Sac.

Goal 1: Provide additional service hours to community based upon patron needs.

Objective 1: Provide one additional hour per day Monday to Friday and four hours on Sunday (2005)

Activity 1: Increase adult services librarian position to full-time

Activity 2: Hire two part-time employees to work weekend shift rotation.

Objective 2: Survey patrons and study usage to determine future open hour increases (2006, 2008)

Goal 2: Enhance appearance of library and materials using cost effective methods to increase circulation to ease crowding on shelves.

Objective 1: Develop eye-catching displaying highlighting library materials.

Objective 2: Paint areas of the library, as needed.

Objective 3: Weed collection to remove older, worn items and replace as needed.

Goal 3: Construct new or expand present library to meet library space needs based on a 20% population growth.

Objective 1: Select and Hire an architectural form (Jan./Feb. 2004)

Activity 1: Determine if it is feasible and/or cost effective to build an addition to the present facility.

Activity 2: Prepare site selection report and begin preliminary design work.

Activity 3: Monitor and adjust space needs based on population, usage, technology or other changes on a yearly basis.

Activity 4: Develop a generic library building program statement (Sept. 2003-Jan. 2004) that will be refined based upon building option selected.

Technology

The Library strives to provide up to date technology for library patrons in a cost effective manner. In addition, the library seeks to provide fast access to those resources.

Objective 1: Provide additional access to electronic resources including Internet, LINKcat, shared databases as well as other resources available electronically.

Activity 1: Create a computer lab that can be used for patron and staff training as well as provide electronic access when not used for training.

Activity 2: Continue to purchase "share" of reference databases.

Objective 2: Prepare and implement the move to the next generation automation system Dynix Horizon.

Activity 1: Provide staff development opportunities to learn Windows.

Activity 2: Replace computers as needed to ensure a smooth transition to the next system.

Objective 3: Monitor new technologies that may provide enhanced service to the community.

Activity 1: Continue to serve on the Joint Technology Committee (as permitted), LINK committees or other related technology committees.

Activity 2: Volunteer to participate in grant opportunities with the South Central Library System.

Activity 3: Read library technology related materials including articles, committee minutes and web sites.

Activity 4: Maintain regular contact with South Central Library System staff that deal with technology

Activity 5: Investigate the possibility of receipt printers