I had an opportunity to sit down with a former employee, now PhD student to talk about community engagement and what that means to the Plainfield Library. In subsequent letter to the Library Board of Trustees, she quoted me:
“A successful library lives beyond its walls. It engages people in ways that are meaningful in their lives.”
This concept has driven the development of services at our Library. You can see it in the programming and Outreach to the community. As the Library enters into a strategic planning process to set goals and objectives for the next several years, engaging you, our community members, in a dialogue about services and what is meaningful and useful to you, is imperative to ensure responsive service.
As a part of the strategic planning process, the Library will be seeking community input, to engage you in a dialogue about what you want and need from your Library. Look for those coming up in the new year, as we plan some focus groups to inform the planning process!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Plans, Plans and More Plans!
Whew! Lots going on with our Library and the regional library systems!
The merging of the five northern Illinois regional library systems and the four southern Illinois library systems is proceeding apace. If you're interested in this process, you can follow along at the web sites: Merger 2011 and Cooperation Today. I am serving on the Future of Systems Sub-Committee for the northern Illinois merger group. This sub-committee is working toward a vision and plan of action to guide the evolution of regional library systems. It is building on the work of the Illinois Library Association's Future of Illinois Library Cooperation Task Force.
Meanwhile, back in Plainfield, we have three big planning projects going on simultaneously: strategic, expansion and internal space. The new Strategic Planning process will update the long range plan for our Library, setting goals for the next 4-5 years. The expansion planning process will examine options for a future expansion referendum, for approval by the voters no sooner than 2012. The internal space planning is yet one more look at space use within the current building and possible reallocation of space in order to allow collection and service growth over the next 4-5 years. Through a "design-on-a-dime" concept, the Library's architect will help the Library Board and staff determine if there are any remaining options for allocation of space that would net additional collection shelving and workstations.
As we continue in these planning processes, I'm sure I will be blogging more about them. For now, we are gearing up for planning, gathering and reviewing background information and making decisions on the planning processes and timelines.
The merging of the five northern Illinois regional library systems and the four southern Illinois library systems is proceeding apace. If you're interested in this process, you can follow along at the web sites: Merger 2011 and Cooperation Today. I am serving on the Future of Systems Sub-Committee for the northern Illinois merger group. This sub-committee is working toward a vision and plan of action to guide the evolution of regional library systems. It is building on the work of the Illinois Library Association's Future of Illinois Library Cooperation Task Force.
Meanwhile, back in Plainfield, we have three big planning projects going on simultaneously: strategic, expansion and internal space. The new Strategic Planning process will update the long range plan for our Library, setting goals for the next 4-5 years. The expansion planning process will examine options for a future expansion referendum, for approval by the voters no sooner than 2012. The internal space planning is yet one more look at space use within the current building and possible reallocation of space in order to allow collection and service growth over the next 4-5 years. Through a "design-on-a-dime" concept, the Library's architect will help the Library Board and staff determine if there are any remaining options for allocation of space that would net additional collection shelving and workstations.
As we continue in these planning processes, I'm sure I will be blogging more about them. For now, we are gearing up for planning, gathering and reviewing background information and making decisions on the planning processes and timelines.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Regional Library Systems' FY2010 Final Payments
The State of Illinois has authorized the final FY2010 payments to the regional library systems! FY2010 ended on June 30, but the State of Illinois is more than six months behind on payment vouchers to service providers like the regional library systems.
Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for action on the Library web site, in the last Library newsletter, on Facebook and in the print media. It is the contacts from constituents to our Governor and Comptroller that bring about action.
We are awaiting reports from the regional library systems on how long services can be maintained without FY2011 funds being released. Regional library systems support libraries of all types with services like email hosting, shared catalog systems and delivery of materials among libraries. Delivery service is the backbone of interlibrary loan, moving books and other materials efficiently from one library to another and back again. Without delivery service, local libraries like Plainfield will have to make the hard choice to pay for delivery out of local funds (and cutting some other service or program to pay for it) or lose access to quick and effective resource sharing for our community. With already slashed budgets getting tighter locally, you can help us avoid that fiscal conundrum by continuing your efforts in support of funding for the regional library systems.
Contact the Governor and Comptroller today and ask them to release the FY2011 funds for regional library systems!
Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for action on the Library web site, in the last Library newsletter, on Facebook and in the print media. It is the contacts from constituents to our Governor and Comptroller that bring about action.
We are awaiting reports from the regional library systems on how long services can be maintained without FY2011 funds being released. Regional library systems support libraries of all types with services like email hosting, shared catalog systems and delivery of materials among libraries. Delivery service is the backbone of interlibrary loan, moving books and other materials efficiently from one library to another and back again. Without delivery service, local libraries like Plainfield will have to make the hard choice to pay for delivery out of local funds (and cutting some other service or program to pay for it) or lose access to quick and effective resource sharing for our community. With already slashed budgets getting tighter locally, you can help us avoid that fiscal conundrum by continuing your efforts in support of funding for the regional library systems.
Contact the Governor and Comptroller today and ask them to release the FY2011 funds for regional library systems!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
10 Years at the Plainfield Public Library!
This month marks my ten year anniversary as the Library Director at the Plainfield Public Library. That ten years have held some of my biggest professional challenges and opportunities. When I interviewed for the job in late summer of 2000, the official population of the library district was tallied at 18,882. Today, it's 66,139! During my tenure, the Library has grown to one of the busiest in our area with over 3/4 of a million items circulated last year. Though the expansion referendum failed, the need continues to grow.
While this Library may be a challenge in terms of funding and space, I am honored to work with all of the individuals who care about this Library and community. The fantastic staff meet the needs of the community to the best of their ability every day. The Board of Trustees set the policies, budgets and goals while being mindful to act as good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. The Friends of the Library and Library Foundation volunteer their time and energy in support of the good work the Library does. There are too many others who dedicate themselves to serving our community to list here, but I am grateful for each of them.
Thank you, Plainfield, for ten amazing years! I can't wait to see what the next ten will bring.
While this Library may be a challenge in terms of funding and space, I am honored to work with all of the individuals who care about this Library and community. The fantastic staff meet the needs of the community to the best of their ability every day. The Board of Trustees set the policies, budgets and goals while being mindful to act as good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. The Friends of the Library and Library Foundation volunteer their time and energy in support of the good work the Library does. There are too many others who dedicate themselves to serving our community to list here, but I am grateful for each of them.
Thank you, Plainfield, for ten amazing years! I can't wait to see what the next ten will bring.
Monday, November 1, 2010
What's with Facebook?
The link on the Library's web site that goes to Facebook is not working. Facebook made a change to the Library's account that has not been for the better. It has made posting to the Facebook account more difficult for the administrators, broken that link and the Wall is now showing old posts on the first page. Very strange!
Please be patient as we figure out what was done and how to fix it.
Please be patient as we figure out what was done and how to fix it.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Rain Has Ended
Thankfully, the HVAC technician was able to get to the Library quickly. He determined that gasket on pipe in the boiler system was leaking and would have to be replaced. The pipe was isolated and heat restored, pending replacement of the gasket tomorrow since that's apparently a two-man job.
The elevator is working fine after its earlier bid for attention.
Early next week, I hope to announce our new Head of Maintenance. He can't start soon enough, in my opinion.
The elevator is working fine after its earlier bid for attention.
Early next week, I hope to announce our new Head of Maintenance. He can't start soon enough, in my opinion.
It's Raining in the Library!
A pipe is leaking in the lower level lobby. We know its boiler system water because it smells like anti-freeze.
I shut off the pumps and water to the system at the boiler per the instructions of our HVAC maintenance company. An HVAC technician is on his way.
Plus, just to pile on the problems this morning, the elevator was acting up again. Thankfully, it continues to "park" itself at the lower level so anyone aboard may exit.
Acting as Head of Maintenance while we are searching for one, I can tell you that I understand more fully than ever the extent of the issues with this building. We cannot get a new Head of Maintenance started soon enough!
I shut off the pumps and water to the system at the boiler per the instructions of our HVAC maintenance company. An HVAC technician is on his way.
Plus, just to pile on the problems this morning, the elevator was acting up again. Thankfully, it continues to "park" itself at the lower level so anyone aboard may exit.
Acting as Head of Maintenance while we are searching for one, I can tell you that I understand more fully than ever the extent of the issues with this building. We cannot get a new Head of Maintenance started soon enough!
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