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• In 2001 Duval County voters agreed to tax themselves with an

BACK TO THE FUTURE THE BETTER JACKSONVILLE PLAN. • In 2001 Duval County voters agreed to tax themselves with an addition to the sales tax to fund the Better Jacksonville Plan (BJP) projected to cost over $2 billion. • The Plan included the construction of 7 new libraries, including a

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• In 2001 Duval County voters agreed to tax themselves with an

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  1. BACK TO THE FUTURE THE BETTER JACKSONVILLE PLAN • In 2001 Duval County voters agreed to tax themselves with an addition to the sales tax to fund the Better Jacksonville Plan (BJP) projected to cost over $2 billion. • The Plan included the construction of 7 new libraries, including a new 300,000 SF Main Library, the expansion of 2 existing libraries and some improvements to all but one of the remaining branches. • New libraries opened in 2004 & 2005; Jacksonville now has 21 libraries.

  2. GOOD NEWS – BAD NEWS • People loved their new libraries – and used them – circ up; gate count up; computer/website usage up; meeting room use up and more. • After rolling back the millage rate for many years however, the city found that funding operations in its new libraries had become problematic (before some were even open) • Result – FY 2005 was a high point with 6 of the 7 new libraries opening. But with the FY 2006 budget and every budget since, library funding has been reduced. We face a $3.5M cut for FY 2012 (October 1).

  3. GOOD NEWS – BAD NEWS • Staffing: FY 2005 – 548 FTE; FY 2011 447 FTE; FY 2012 (proposed) 393 FTE. Decrease of 28%. • Materials budget down by 41% - FY 05-12 • Activity measures (2005-10) – Website use up 74% – Gate count up 34% – Circulation up 48%

  4. HOW TO RESPOND? THE JPL CAPACITY PLAN • No end in sight to budget reductions • No opportunity to plan even for short term • Changing environment in which the library operates – impact of electronic information delivery • Library Board approves an RFP to hire a consultant team to create a “capacity plan” – a strategic plan focused on the capacity of the city/library to provide quality library services into the future.

  5. JPL CAPACITY PLAN • Spring 2010 selected Godfrey’s Associates consultants: – Team comprised of library consultants, architect, engineers, IT expert, Buxton Inc. a market segmentation/analysis company, local PR consultant. Report issued in May 2011.Capacity Plan Final Report

  6. JPL CAPACITY PLAN BY THE NUMBERS Nov. 12, 2009 Board of Library Trustees voted unanimously to authorize hiring a consultant to develop a capacity plan July 19, 2010 JPL entered into contract with Godfrey’s Associates Inc. May 16, 2011 Final plan received 174 - Online comments from the public providing input on developing the plan 181 - Jacksonville residents attending 8 community meetings 21 - Community leaders interviewed by the consultants 209 - Staff members providing input into the plan 37 - Capacity Plan Staff Team meetings 12 - Ad hoc Capacity Planning Committee meetings 15 - Board of Library Trustee meetings during which the Capacity Plan was discussed 744 - Pages in the final report 26 - Total recommendations from Godfrey’s Associates Inc. $182,484.88 - Total Cost of the Capacity Plan

  7. LIBRARY BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL • STRENGTHEN information delivery. • maintain buildings adequately. • remedy inequities in library service. • stabilize funding. • Ensure Flexibility in Staffing. Board Recommendations Report

  8. NEXT STEPS • Historic meeting – all 5 existing library Friends groups held a joint meeting • Advocacy network - www.savejaxlibraries.com

  9. NEXT STEPS • Meetings with city council members about the Capacity Plan • Transition to a new mayor and a $60M shortfall in the FY 2012 budget has generated difficulties in getting traction for change in the longer term. Everyone looking for short term fixes – cut hours and staff rather than close libraries or change service delivery or financing model. • Capacity Plan and the response to date has made it clear we need to embrace – “confront” a more radical service and financing model in the future – some of the change is evident in the plan.

  10. CONFRONTING THE FUTURE • Spring 2011 ALA Office for Information Technology Policy issued: Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions for the 21st Century. http://www.ala.org.oitp • Challenges public libraries face – looking out at the world: Advances in digital media and technologies; heightened competition; demographic changes; financial constraints. • Role of public libraries and their advantages: collect, circulate, catalogue, inform, readers advisory, computer access, services to all ages including special need customers, exhibits and programs, reading space/quiet space, meeting spaces and service as a community center, services are traditionally free.

  11. HOW WE ARE VIEWED • The library brand is still books – 75% think so. • Most trusted source for information – 22% search engine; 1% librarian. • Appreciate librarians when they use libraries – 83% - but the belief that librarians add value to a search process has not transferred to the online library. • Value of libraries to individuals and even more to their communities has increased – books, videos, music, literacy instruction, free Internet access. OCLC Perceptions of Libraries 2010: Context and Community. OCLC 2011.

  12. “The choices described in this policy brief respond to the possible outcomes of the economic, social, and technological forces and trends that will affect libraries. Yet they all assume that public libraries will continue to exist. Unfortunately, it is not impossible to imagine a future without libraries. If that is to be avoided … They must play an active role in shaping their future.”ALA OITP Confronting the Future. June 2011.

  13. MANAGING THE FUTURE • OITP brief proposes four service “dimensions” for public library consideration: • Dimension 1: Physical to Virtual Libraries. • Dimension 2: Individual to Community Libraries. • Dimension 3: Collection to Creation Libraries • Dimension 4: Portal to Archive Libraries

  14. ONE: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL • Today and at one end of the dimension: physical library with both actual and virtual media (on site or off site) • At the other end of the dimension: an all virtual library – media, reference services, programming. Re-think how library contacts customers; provides access to a totally virtual collection. Website takes place of building for virtual collection. Individual libraries likely to morph into library collaboratives more like Amazon. Send physical items to customers from storage facilities. • Where along this dimension do you plan to move? What are the advantages/disadvantages? Could libraries compete with vendors (Amazon, Netflix, iTunes) who supply the same collections?

  15. TWO: INDIVIDUAL TO COMMUNITY • What is your library’s point of focus? The individual or the community? • Individual service includes one-on-one reference services; reader’s advisory for the individual; physical layout to accommodate individual use of resources. • Community focus: “the library that responds to advances in technologies and media by focusing on the needs … of the local community instead of competing with commercial media delivery services. The physical library becomes a center for a wide range of community activities.”

  16. THREE: COLLECTION TO CREATION • Collections are a very high priority; provide actual or virtual collections to serve as information sources, for reading etc. • Creation: Priority is placed on helping community to create its own collection using new technologies with equipment and software provided by the library. Does not mean the existing collections go away but are built on and strengthened.

  17. FOUR: PORTAL TO ARCHIVE • This dimension is built around the issue of “ownership” – collection/information services are accessed through a library portal but not owned by the library. May be a physical or virtual library but the library has no collection of its own. Likely that such a “library” would be in non-traditional locations with librarians playing a critical role locating/pointing to/advising on information for customers. • Archive library would focus on unique materials of local interest – “an enduring storehouse of local knowledge and information.”

  18. COMMONALITIES ACROSS DIMENSIONS • Librarian competencies: “Future librarians will become digital media mentors…” Librarians needed for archiving, organizing, preservation as well as digital media mentors. • Collaboration and Consolidation: virtual collections can be shared across libraries/communities. • Digital collections • Personalization of service and social networking • Advantage of free services

  19. STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES: JPL CAPACITY PLAN • Immediate future: continuing uncertainty and budget cuts. Stabilize Funding has become a higher priority. • Digital future: Strengthen Information Delivery – manage our own IT platform and determine service priorities if we are to consider a virtual library and digital services. • Library as “the community center.” Strike a balance between a library which serves individuals and the community. Maintain Buildings Adequately Improve maintenance and physical condition of existing libraries. Remedy Inequities in Library Service Provide libraries which can meet demands of both individuals and the community. • Ensure Flexibility in Staffing Staff competencies – library staff must become “digital media mentors.”

  20. ADD TO OUR CAPACITY PLAN “MIX” • Focused tracking of external trends and forces. • Keep community informed and involved. • Identify and test assumptions being made. • Set a strategic course. • Monitor and evaluate – Monitor and evaluate. • Focus on outcomes and stick to the course. (Don’t be distracted by a $3.5M budget cut.) Your customers will stick with you if they understand the direction you are taking.

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