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Executive
Summary
On June
15, 2006, voters in the Potsdam Central School District approved Potsdam
Public Library's reorganization as a school district library, 502-274.
In July of that year, an ad hoc committee was formed to update the library’s
long-range plan. The committee was comprised of Tim Connolly, Chair;
Sandra Steinburg (’06); Phil Jones (’06); Dale Hobson (’07), Deany Wood
(’07), Library Director Pat Musante and Children’s Librarian Sarah Sachs.
Community
and staff are the twin pillars upon which this plan rests. The plan
was not conceived to meet the needs of patrons alone. The committee's
focus was on making this plan a vehicle to reach out to everyone in
our service area, especially under-served populations, with high quality
products and services that add value to life. For this very reason,
the reader will find the phrase "our community" in place of
"patron" throughout this plan. The committee also recognized
the need for strong staff buy-in. Our "Plan to Plan" was devised
to heavily involve staff at all points in the planning process.
In May
2007, a Patrons Needs Assessment Survey was published in a local newspaper,
North Country This Week, distributed in the library and
at local businesses. Results were tabulated and analyzed. Committee
members conducted research dealing with local demography, circulation,
budget statistics and library services
The Long
Range Committee will meet annually on the anniversary month of the initial
passage of the Long Range Plan to evaluate the progress of the plan
and to add to or alter those areas that need adjusting. Recommendations
will be then submitted to the full board for approval.
Background
History/Current Status
The Potsdam
Public Library has a long history of providing library services to the
residents of Potsdam and surrounding communities. The Potsdam Public
Library was first established in 1814 by a group of local citizens who
organized the Washington Benevolent Society. Over time, the library
has changed its name (Union Library Association and Potsdam Reading
Room Association) and locations.
In January
1896, the first public tax levy to support the library was passed by
the voters with a funding amount of $1,200 annually. In March of the
same year, the New York State Regents granted the library its charter
to serve an estimated population of 3,960.
In 1935,
the Village of Potsdam deeded the former Universalist Church, located
on the north side of the Civic Center complex, to the library. The library
remained in this location until 1976 when it moved into expanded quarters
in the south portion of the complex, formerly a civic auditorium. The
Potsdam Museum relocated to the building vacated by the library; however,
to this day the library retains ownership of the former church.
Funding
for the library had primarily come from the Village of Potsdam, with
the Towns of Potsdam, Stockholm, Parishville, and Pierrepont and St.
Lawrence County making smaller contributions. In both 1992 and 1996,
the voters of the Potsdam School District approved tax levies that augmented
this funding. Concerned with inequities of the funding base versus the
actual service population of the library, the board of trustees held
a successful vote in 2006 to create a school district public library.
The new library is funded by a direct levy to residents of the Potsdam
Central School district rather than the village and the four towns.
Since
2002, when the last Long Range Plan was approved by the board, the library
has successfully enhanced services offered to patrons; experienced a
growth in circulation and an increase in the number of cardholders:
- In 2007,
total circulation was 116,515 items, a 24% increase from 2002. In
each year of that time, Potsdam was the highest circulating library
in the North Country Library System, in comparison with libraries
of similar population and holdings. Adult circulation increased 24%,
from 54,125 to 67,303 and juvenile circulation increased 25%, from
39,525 in 2002 to 49,212 in 2007.
- The
public service hours increased from 51 hours to 65 hours per week.
- The
North Country Library System, of which Potsdam Public Library is a
part, updated its circulation system to SIRSI in 2003. This allowed
the library to increase its web-based services. SIRSI allows patrons
to keep track of their own accounts, requesting and renewing items
with little help from library staff. Patrons access the service online,
either directly or through the library’s web page.
- The
web page also links users to New York State’s NOVEL databases, current
events and program announcements, and basic information about the
library, its policies and the board of trustees.
- In 2005
the library began purchasing a subscription to Tumblepad, a
web-based services that provides access to 200+ juvenile multimedia
e-books. In 2006, the library subscribed to Tumblebooks, adding
audio books for adults.
- The
library’s periodic newsletter, published to reach the community-at-large,
moved to an advertisement format in 2007. The eye-catching ad is more
economical and is thought to reach more people than the former separate
insert.
- The
total number of cardholders rose from 5,906 to 9,875, a 67% increase.
- Material
holdings increased from 56,832 to 62,742 and audio-visual holdings
from 1,663 to 2,377. The net increase would have been higher, however,
the aging collection was able to be heavily weeded due to the increased
availability of funds for replacement.
- Library
materials expenditures have significantly increased. In 2006, the
materials budget was $19,000 and it was necessary to augment the funding
with a contribution from the Friends of the Library for a total of
$31,362. In 2007, the library spent $43,858 on materials.
- The
library’s supporting organization has been resourceful and very successful.
The Friends of the Library contribute approximately $15,000 per year
to the library. In 2006 the Friends of the Library bookstore was constructed
on the ground floor of the library building, moving this service from
a borrowed facility.
- The
library has actively pursued grants for technological resources both
to facilitate library services and to provide access to electronic
information. Through participation in the Gates Foundation Opportunity
Online Grant process, a technology plan has been developed with the
use of TechAtlas. The Gates Foundation has awarded the library $11,700
to update the public access computers in 2008 and 2009, which the
library will match as required for a total of $18,600. This money
will allow the library to complete the Cleveland Foundation lab in
2009. The library now has wireless Internet access and a policy addressing
patrons’ use of this service.
Demographics
The library
has a diverse service population. The largest local employers are Clarkson
University with 562 FTEs; State University of Potsdam with 544 FTEs;
Canton-Potsdam Hospital with 525 FTEs and Potsdam Central School with
214 FTEs.
County-wide
data shows Aluminum Company of America with 2,088 FTEs; St. Lawrence
University with 750 FTE; Claxton-Hepburn Hospital with 610 FTE; Riverview
Correctional with 525 FTE; Kinney Drugs with 500 FTE; St. Lawrence Correctional
with 500 FTE; Gouverneur Correctional Facility with 480 FTE; Ogdensburg
Correctional with 420 FTE.
As might
be expected in a college community with a local hospital, the Village
of Potsdam has a significantly higher number of people with graduate
or professional degrees than the county average (26% as compared to
7%). The majority of county residents, 37%, are high school graduates
with 10% having less than a ninth grade education.
This divergence
is also seen in age distribution. In the Village of Potsdam, the largest
age distribution is in the 18 to 24 year range at 58.4%; much of the
local population is in the college attending age range. The next highest
percentage, 15.3% is in the 25-44 year age range, followed by school-aged
children at 7.45%. In the County, the highest age range is by far the
30-44 year age range followed by school-aged children. The lowest age
distribution is the 20-29 year age range.
In addition,
the annual per capita income is actually lower in the Village of Potsdam
than in the surrounding towns and lower than the County’s $10,346.
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Village of Potsdam
Town of Potsdam
Town of Parishville
Town of Pierrepont
Town of Stockholm |
$8,038
$9,300
$9,919
$12,782
$9,785 |
SWOT
Analysis
Input on
the Library's perceived Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
was taken from all levels within the organization and comment solicited
from the general public. As expected, many are rooted in the Library's
new mandate as a school district library.
Strengths
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Strong
Circulation
In
2007, total circulation was 116,515 items, a 24% increase from
2002. Adult circulation increased 24%, from 54,125 to 67,303 and
juvenile circulation increased 25%, from 39,525 in 2002 to 49,212
in 2007. Potsdam now boasts the second highest overall circulation
of all sixty-five libraries in the North Country Library System,
easily outperforming several better equipped libraries serving
larger populations.
Expanding
Patron Base
In the five year period ending in 2007, the total number
of cardholders rose from 5,906 to 9,875, a 67% increase.
Short
Term Fiscal Stability
Following the 2006 referendum, the total size of the
Library budget increased to 510,200, an increase of 45.9% over
the previous year's austerity level. This level of funding was
intended to allow the Library to recapture ground lost to the
shrunken budgets and deferred purchasing of the recent past, and
to allow for the accompanying growth in circulation projected
post-referendum, without the need for another budget increase
for several years.
Capable
Staff
The library management and board of trustees is dedicated
to enriching the staff’s educational and professional development.
Whenever possible, the library encourages staff to attend continuing
education courses.
Grant Writing
The grant writing skills of the library director and
the children’s librarian have proven to be a valuable asset
to the library. Their success has continued to augment public
funds for library
materials, services and equipment. To sustain and continually
improve library services, outside
funding sources are crucial to the health of the library.
Community
Center
The library resides in a historical sandstone building.
The building is located in the center of the village within the
municipal complex. This location makes it convenient for foot
traffic from surrounding businesses and residences. Despite the
fact that it is a crowded facility, it lends itself as a comfortable
space for the community to gather, relax and peruse library material.
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Weaknesses
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Lack
of a Long Term Lease
The
library does not own the building in which it resides. The former
civic auditorium is owned by the Village of Potsdam. The library
has been reluctant to make an investment in a building it does
not own. In addition, construction grants are often impossible
to obtain if the building is not owner occupied. A board committee
is in negotiations with the village for a long-term lease.
Cramped
Space
In
addition, the library has greatly increased its popular audiovisual
collections, however, the library space for these space-consuming
items has not changed. Currently the library has little room for
displays or additional collections. The public access computers
are used extensively, often with users waiting. The space in the
current facility prohibits expansion. A large donation from the
Frederick W. Cleveland Foundation was given in 2005 and will provide
ten more workstations on the lower level as soon as the building
lease negotiations are completed.
Staffing
Shortage
The library is now open seven days a week, year round.
After the successful referendum in 2006, library hours increased
from fifty-two to sixty-five per week. In the same year, attendance
increased from 79,161 to 90,867. The FTE in 2006 was 7.5 and it
is now 7.84. There are currently two professional librarians:
the director and the children’s librarian. The library also employs
three full-time clerks, a full-time computer technician, three
part-time library aides and three part-time pages.
Energy
Considerations
Our
building is inefficient to light, heat and cool. Any changes to
these conditions require partnership with the building's owner
- the Village of Potsdam - and approval of the New York State
Historical Preservation Office.
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Opportunities
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Friends
of the Library
The Friends of the Library run a successful bookstore
and on-line book auction. The store is only open three hours a
week and nets an average of $130 per week. The Friends hope to
be able to be open more hours in the future and to be able to
attract more volunteers.
The
Digital Divide
In an effort to stem the society's widening digital divide, many
new and expanding programs are available to foster access to technology
as well as technological literacy in under-served populations.
Outlying Populations
The library has recognized the value our facilities represent
for outlying populations for many years. Thanks to the expanded
role mandated through the recent referendum, we are now in a fiscally
and strategically superior position for providing resources to
these users and for partnering with the Potsdam Central School
District to provide additional services.
SUNY School of Teacher Education
Our library's service area includes the SUNY Potsdam School of
Teacher Education. This facility, and its students, have a need
for a wide selection of juvenile materials, both fiction and non-fiction.
Our library is better positioned to meet the needs of education
students for such materials than is the campus library.
Inter-municipal
Cooperation
Strong inroads have been made through cooperative efforts with
local government agencies, businesses, local universities and
school districts. The library acknowledges that promoting those
connections is imperative to fostering a healthy existence in
the community.
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Threats
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The
Ubiquity of Data
The age of the Internet has made the access of information
virtually instant and limitless. While accurate and reliable information
retrieval remains a hallmark of library service, this preeminent
position is threatened by the common notion that any person with
an Internet connection can easily locate data of scholarly value.
Problematic
Nature of ILL Service
The "one size fits all" model of Inter-Library Loan
has become increasingly inefficient as Potsdam's performance has
grown to a level historically dominated exclusively by the NCLS
Central Libraries at Watertown and Ogdensburg which receive extensive,
additional state funding. As our library's performance continues
to grow, PPL's returns on this obligation will continue to diminish.
Philanthropy:
Post Referendum
Owing to the community's sense of our library's new fiscal stability,
post-referendum, rates of material adoption and charitable giving
have dropped measurably. In FY 2006, our Gifts and Donations were
18,874 and in FY 2007, 5,286.
Growing
Beyond Our Budget
Projections
indicate that our Library's current levels of service increase
are expected to remain constant over the 5 year life of this plan.
Such unprecedented demand for services, coupled with simple inflationary
growth, will likely require an increase in revenue within that
time.
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Mission
Statement
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The
Potsdam Public Library enriches our community by providing the
tools and techniques for learning, recreation, and research; and
by being the venue where our community can come together and grow
together in a relaxing and inviting environment staffed by friendly,
helpful, and knowledgeable people, dedicated to providing a first-rate
Library experience.
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Guiding
Principles
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The
Potsdam Public Library pledges to act in accordance with these Guiding
Principles: |
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- Ensure Accountability, and make the most efficient and effective
use of funds, both public and private.
- Support Intellectual Freedom and the confidentiality of our
patrons' use of the Library.
- Ensure Equitable Access to information by all our patrons.
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Goals & Objectives
1.
Goal: Expansion of Library
Building
Rationale:
The library must address the space for special collections and
computers
Objectives:
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- Negotiate
for ownership of building or some other contractual agreement
with the Village of Potsdam
- Work
with contracted architect to reconfigure space arrangements
- Build
the Frederick W. Cleveland Resource Center and adult literacy
office on the ground floor of the civic center (Phase I).
- Rearrange
the main floor to accommodate a new circulation desk, children’s
services office and quiet reading space (Phase II).
- Maintain
collection development practices to ensure the weeding of outdated
materials.
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2.
Goal: Expanded Customer Service-quantitatively and qualitatively
Rationale:
Provide adequate professional staffing and clerical staffing to
enable additional hours of service.
Objectives: |
- Encourage
staff to avail themselves of upgrading opportunities to assure
more professional customer service
- Continue
networking efforts with other community agencies through displays
and reciprocal programs shared grants
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3.
Goal: Expand the library’s user base
Rationale:
Potsdam Public Library accepts its new mandate as a district library,
serving a larger and more geographically dispersed community.
Therefore, specific strategies should be devised to ensure larger
numbers of non-users from throughout our target area are easily
able to take advantage of our services.
Objectives: |
- PPL
will identify and begin a dialog with community based agencies,
neighborhood centers, and educational institutions throughout
our service area working toward the goal of initiating two new
outreach programs per year over the next three years.
- The
importance of reaching under-served families visiting the Food
Pantry in the library basement is a vital priority. Service
responses targeting this group must be devised and in place
by year's end.
- PPL's
new role involves servicing a vastly larger geographic area.
Reliable, dedicated transportation for bookmobile and programming
purposes is necessary. A vehicle suited to this role must be
acquired, and a policy for its use should be put in place concurrently.
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4.
Goal: Create a user-friendly and supportive environment
that will enable patrons to access information technology effectively,
efficiently, and with confidence.
Rationale:
Potsdam Public Library recognizes its mandate to anticipate and
adapt to the changing pace of technology in order to further the
expectations and needs of our community. Therefore, this rapidly
evolving technology landscape will demand constant monitoring
and appropriate responses over the long term.
Objectives:
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- The
Potsdam Public Library will complete a 5 year Technology Plan
by the end of February 2008.
- PPL
will secure a subscription to Tutor.com by September 2008 in
anticipation of ongoing, broad-based local charitable support
for the program.
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5.
Goal: Popular Materials
Rationale:
As a popular materials community center, Potsdam Public Library
values the unique interests of our community. Therefore, collection
and program development practices will become increasingly responsive
to the contemporary needs and requests of our community.
Objectives:
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- PPL
will regularly solicit patron requests for popular materials,
particularly from the teen population.
- PPL
will use teen requests, together with staff expertise and review
sources, to expand the young adult collection by 15 percent
by FY 2012-13.
- PPL
will expand the graphic novel portion of its young adult collection
by 25 percent by 2010. Circulation statistics will be kept and
analyzed.
- PPL
will add 20 anime movies and series to the DVD collection per
fiscal year through FY 2012-13.
- PPL
will develop and begin implementation of a teen book club in
FY 2007-8.
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Needs Assessment
Survey
Village of Potsdam Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive
Planning Committee, approved 2001
Economic and Development Characteristics of St. Lawrence Count,
Merwin Rural Institute, 1998
US Census data for 2000
St. Lawrence County Profile, St. Lawrence County of Economic
Development, June, 1992
Interview with Paul Stevenson, Director, Potsdam Planning
& Development, 2001
Potsdam Public Library Annual Reports, 1997-200
Potsdam Public Library Financial Documents
The New Planning for Results: a Streamlined Approach,
Sandra Nelson, American Library Association, 2001
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