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We announced the library staff survey via email on December 7, 2004 to all members in our database. The survey was promoted on our Web site, in our newsletter, and on the NMRLS email list. The survey was open through January 7, 2005. We received 158 responses. We appreciate the efforts made by all members who were able to participate.

Many comments have been omitted for this publication. To view a more detailed version, please visit: http://www.nmrls.org/strategicplan2005/member-survey.pdf

Most responses to the survey reflect trends of opinion that we hear in our daily contact with members. This summary is intended to present the results and trends indicated by member responses. The results will be interpreted by the Strategic Planning Committee for discussion and recommendations on directions to prioritize NMRLS responses, goals, and objectives.

Following are a series of tables sorted by rank of response. Survey questions were posed in alphabetical order. The tables are followed by a brief analyisis of related comments. Respondents were not required to complete each question so you may find that not all numbers and percentages match up.

We welcome your comments. Please feel free to contact greg@nmrls.org, any NMRLS staff member, or Executive Board member with your thoughts.

Responses by Library Type (please check one)

What is your primary area of responsibility?

What are NMRLS' most important services to your library? Please check up to five important services.

What are NMRLS' strengths? Please check up to three important strengths.

What are future opportunities that NMRLS should anticipate for developing new programs and services? Please check up to three important opportunities.

What are the threats to NMRLS in upcoming years? Check all that apply.

What are NMRLS' weaknesses?

Members commented that services seem most focused on public libraries and that services to to academic, school, and special libraries might expanded or improved. Public relations was identified by several members as an area that could use improvement. Other members pointed out issues and suggestions in the areas of continuing education, delivery, and funding. Some respondents indicated that NMRLS location was not convenient for them to attend events.

What challenge in your library keeps you awake at night?

We received many responses to this question. The most often repeated comments were staffing and personnel issues, funding issues, and technology challenges.

If NMRLS could restore one service that was cut in the past due to budget reductions, which service would you suggest?

Of the 60 responses to this question, 42 suggested restoring databases that were provided in the past. ReferenceUSA was suggested by 10 respondents and several memembers suggested SIRS and Dialog@CARL.

Other suggestions for restoration followed by the number of respondents:

  • Advocacy for the profession - 1
  • All the great "summer reading" stuff we used to get - 1
  • Daily delivery to our branch library - 1
  • Faster more efficient delivery - 2
  • ILL net lender reimbursement - 4
  • Mediated ILL services, e.g., covering return postage - 2
  • Reference on Call - 1

If NMRLS could add one new service that we have not provided in the past, which service would you suggest?

Responses to this question included a wide range of ideas:

Databases
Several respondents suggested new databases.

ILL

  • Interlibrary loan service directly to schools.
  • Online ILL services
  • An easier link to the library collections in NOBLE and MVLC. Many of the communities are so close together that to have easy access to the extensive collection of all of these libraries would be phenomenal.

Advocacy

  • Additional advocacy training such as the recent "Value of Libraries" workshop.
  • Consultant to assist member libraries with advocacy and educational efforts in their individual communities, regionally and state-wide.
  • Possibly meet with area principals to advocate for school libraries. Show specific examples of the best.
  • A lobbyist for school and public libraries to our state government

Continuing Education & Advisory Services

  • Hands on management techniques.
  • Provide online workshops and professional development opportunities.
  • Technology planning, i.e., how to create a five-year plan just for technology.
  • Centralized (or coordinated) public relations help.
  • In-house (at the library) workshops for library staff, i.e., difficult patrons, displays, better PR.
  • Forums on how to deal with difficult staff, not just difficult patrons
  • How about a roundtable for urban librarians?
  • Improved technology training, more in depth, hands on, cool stuff like networking, applications, web development; also research training.
  • A forum for nextgen librarians, new to the region, not necessarily in leadership positions who currently who operate under NMRLS' radar as they try to get their grounding in the profession and their new positions. We've got to work hard to keep everyone of these *in* the profession, passionate and invested.
  • A NOBS type group with monthly or bi-monthly meetings after school with guest speakers for some meetings and sharing meeting for others.
  • Librarian retreats, trips or outings (for the purposes of R&R, getting to know one another, and professional development, e.g., field trips to visit other libraries of interest?

Temporary Service

  • Explore the library temp agency idea?
  • Build-up a database for qualified librarians and support staff who would be interested to work as a substitute or temps. This information shared by all libraries (which are members of NMRLS) would save money by not advertising for short time/temporary librarians and support staff. It would also accelerate the hiring process.
  • Oversee a substitute librarian service to eliminate the obstacle of each town paying its employees.

Technology

  • Try out new technologies and loan us the equipment and/or software (license problem?) for us to experiment with them.
  • Link resolvers to enable linking between databases from different vendors
  • Large flat-bed scanners.

Cooperative Purchasing

  • Add computer parts and accessories to the coop purchasing plan.
  • Perhaps we could have NMRLS organize a co-operative purchase of newspapers to cut down the cost.
  • Purchase the Summer Reading module from Library Insight for us all to use!

Other

  • Assist in establishment of library degree programs some where other than Simmons
  • Consumer health reference
  • Helping to identify regional institions' services that are redundant, thus reducing costs, and demonstrating to the town and city finance departments the desire for fiscal prudence with adequate funding. I guess this service could entail (and maybe this has been or is being done) working with member libraries to identify the regional service organizations and see how services can be aligned. Most libraries have info about their own town or city's organizations, but it would be interesting to look at regional services in a similar fashion.
  • Add delivery drivers for ILL routes, and provide their equipment, which should be state- of- the- art to minimize breakdowns. No driver should have to use small 2-wheeled dollies for the number of book crates they move. There is a deluxe model which can adjust to be a 4-wheeler with a platform to hold heavier loads.
  • Continued outreach to underserved members of our patron community - I think the diversity training this year is terrific! Also reaching out to elderly patrons, the disabled, etc.

Please list any additional comments or concerns the Strategic Planning Committee should consider.

Responses from members included many suggestions including improving advocacy for libraries and expansion of continuing education offerings.