NMRLS Strategic Plan Update:
FY2007 Implementation
By Gregory Pronevitz

This update describes the status of many goals, activities, and steps from the first year's implementation plan. The plan includes ambitious goals and activities suggested by the membership. NMRLS staff and committees have been working hard to fulfill these goals. We will need continued input and assistance from the membership to attain all of our goals. Several areas in this report are underlined links. These are areas where we need your help. Please let us know if you have suggestions / Gregory Pronevitz.

The Executive Board approved the Strategic Plan: 2005-2010 prior to NMRLS November 2005 Annual Meeting. Member input from the Annual Meeting was included in the implementation plan for FY2007 and approved at the May 2006 meeting. These documents are posted at: http://www.nmrls.org/strategicplan/.

Delivery:

Goals/Objectives: Establish a Delivery Committee as a vehicle for member and network involvement in the design, implementation, and improvement of delivery services.

This permanent Committee was formed in September 2005. Jackie White, Director of the Topsfield Public Library, is the Chair. The Committee is comprised of member library and automated network staff. It has met several times to discuss service issues with our delivery contractor, toured the contractor's facilities, studied efficiency, packaging and sorting issues and made recommendations to reduce damage, and discuss the best practices document created by the Statewide Delivery Committee. NMRLS staff shares information on delivery planning issues with the Committee as the regions, networks, and MBLC explore options for future delivery services.

Reference:

Goals/Objectives: Review and evaluate reference services to ensure quality, efficiency, and cost effectiveness in meeting member needs.

A Subcommittee of the Reference Committee has reviewed statistics to identify libraries that are heavy and light users of electronic content. They will use these data to promote services to lighter users beginning in FY2008 when the new state procurement for electronic content is implemented. The Committee regularly reviews online services and prioritizes needs based on NMRLS multi-type membership for contingency planning.

Goals/Objectives: Evaluate the value, usefulness, cost, and importance of regional reference center services and additional law library hours.

The NMRLS Executive Board plans to form a task force to study this issue beginning in FY2008.

Continuing Education:

Goals/Objectives: Develop a set of staff competencies and training standards to serve as a framework of NMRLS' continuing education program.

The Continuing Education Committee discussed this goal at length and concluded that the development of such standards was beyond the scope of NMRLS' role with member libraries. The committee felt that NMRLS role for continuing education was to provide introduction to ideas and technologies "over and above" what library staff receive on-the-job. NMRLS is planning to provide information on current standards but not to establish regional standards.

Goals/Objectives: Evaluate member participation in distance and e-learning as part of the continuing education program and expand options and offerings to meet member training needs.

NMRLS has been offering several options for e-learning over the past few years. Currently numerous offerings are available to the membership at no charge, see: http://www.nmrls.org/ce/nmrlswj.htm. NMRLS will continue to monitor member needs and attempt to address them with appropriate training options. Please let us know if you have suggestions to enhance e-learning opportunities in the region / greg@nmrls.org.

Goals/Objectives: Provide continuing education related to relevant public policy and advocacy strategies. Provide continuing education related to technology, business partnerships, regional development, marketing for member libraries and successful models of multi-type library collaboration.

Technology training is an ongoing effort. The current online CE calendar contains numerous options for training in this area: online, centralized, and onsite: http://www.nmrls.org/ce/index.shtml. This year NMRLS is planning to offer at least 6 events on marketing. These events follow up on the very well received keynote address by Elisabeth Doucett at NMRLS' Annual Meeting. We are also working on a grant-funded project to provide assistance (training/consulting) to ten members in creating marketing plans. We have much room for growth in the areas of business partnerships, regional development, and multi-type library collaboration. Please let us know if you have suggestions to enhance continuing education opportunities with regard to technology, business partnerships, regional development, and multi-type library collaboration in the region / greg@nmrls.org

Marketing and Public Relations:

Goals/Objectives: Develop a marketing plan that NMRLS and its member libraries can use to foster awareness and understanding of library services among diverse constituencies. Expand marketing efforts to promote the value of library services. Through implementation of a comprehensive marketing campaign, NMRLS will be a visible and well-understood entity in communities in the region.

A Task Force to provide member input to marketing efforts was formed to provide input during implementation of a grant-funded project to provide assistance (consulting and training) to ten member libraries in creating marketing plans. Six additional training opportunities will be provided to the general membership in areas of marketing. NMRLS has issued an RFP to identify consultants to assist with this extensive project. Many activities will follow this marketing effort, e.g., 1) NMRLS is considering the creation of an ongoing program to provide assistance to members in marketing planning based on this grant-funded process; 2) We will investigate the creation of pre-packaged public-relations/marketing tools and templates for members; 3) Create a marketing plan for NMRLS itself and address the question, How Best to Promote NMRLS services to the membership and the public, e.g., online databases.

Goals/Objectives: Provide support for services to diverse communities.

NMRLS is seeking translations of library materials, e.g., brochures, created by libraries that could benefit others who serve diverse communities. We have promoted the community interview process to help identify the needs of diverse communities, see: http://www.nmrls.org/diversity/index.htm.

Goals/Objectives: Provide and update the value of services and materials of a library (as found on the MLA Web site under the Survivor program).

NMRLS has surveyed the membership on how to improve this online tool. We found improved versions at the Chelmsford Public Library site: http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/library_info/calculator.html and instructions on how to customize it for local use on the Maine State Library site: http://www.maine.gov/msl/services/customcal.htm The original MLA Legislative Committee Excel version is available at:

Please let us know if you have additional suggestions to enhance this online tool for NMRLS members / greg@nmrls.org

Goals/Objectives: Partner with college and academic programs - a regional or member library marketing program could be a student project.

We seek to identify cooperative programs with local academic departments and would like to learn who to contact. Please let us know if you have suggestions to develop such cooperative programs / greg@nmrls.org

Inter-Library Collaboration:

Goals/Objectives: Offer and facilitate a wide array of opportunities for collaboration and resource sharing among libraries, particularly across library types. Increase interlibrary loan opportunities between all libraries and levels of participation in the statewide virtual catalog.

To increase interlibrary loan opportunities, NMRLS staff and ILL Center staff have taken steps to publicize opportunities for resource sharing, e.g., updating and improving web-based information, making site visits to new members and libraries with new staff, promoting the statewide library directory to facilitate access to contact information, and targeting school and youth services staff. NMRLS worked with other regions to initiate a MassCat pilot project to expand resource sharing among MassCat members. NMRLS eliminated the return shipping responsibility (and associated fee) for borrowing libraries and libraries may now return out of state loans via the NMRLS ILL Centers.

Goals/Objectives: Develop and facilitate collaborative collection development activity among clusters of member libraries.

The Reference Committee led discussions on this topic that followed two directions-"expert libraries" and other aspects collaborative collection development.

Members felt that there are a number of "expert" libraries in the region with strong collections that should be promoted. We have identified our regional reference centers at Memorial Hall Library and Lawrence Law Library, NMRLS has included a list of libraries with genealogy collections at: www.nmrls.org/genealogy, and links to archives and special collections at: http://www.nmrls.org/reference/dbases.shtml#mlin. Please let us know if your library should be listed as an "expert" library or if you would like to nominate another member library / greg@nmrls.org

In the area of collaborative collection development members discussed the risks associated with library reliance on electronic versions of periodicals and identification of means to insure access in the event that vendors are unable to enable ongoing access. NMRLS has a collaborative collection targeted at smaller public libraries managed by the Merrimac Public Library. MVLC members have created a collaborative collection of audio books that are shared via the online system. Please let us know if you have suggestions to enhance collaborative collection development in the region / greg@nmrls.org

Advocacy:

Goals/Objectives: Host advocacy event.

We have scheduled an advocacy event, "All Politics is Local" for May 9th with three speakers including, a State Representative, a town Finance Committee member (and former MBLC Commissioner), and a retired library director.

Goals/Objectives: Expand member libraries' capacity for advocacy, with continuing education and other support, including dissemination of a 12-month calendar of advocacy activities and events.

We have increased "subscriptions" to NMRLS discussion list especially targeting front line staff, special, school, and academic libraries by automatically adding new members to the list and providing an opt out mechanism.

Goals/Objectives: Develop reciprocal partnerships of allied organizations (e.g., literacy, youth services, cultural).

We need member input to identify the most beneficial partnership potentials. Please let us know if you have suggestions to partnerships in the region that will benefit NMRLS and its membership / greg@nmrls.org

Infrastructure:

Goals/Objectives: Provide staff with competitive salary, benefits, and needed support and resources to encourage excellence in customer service and performance, staff retention, and job satisfaction and to permit the highest levels of customer service to members.

NMRLS evaluated compensation by comparing staff compensation with similar organizations. The Regional Administrator worked with the Personnel Committee to recommend changes to salaries and benefits and create a revised policy for recognition of staff performance, determination of compensation levels, and retirement contributions.

NMRLS management will work with the Personnel Committee to revise policies to clarify that staff are provided with appropriate training for optimal job performance and to authorize the Committee to conduct exit interviews when employees separate from NMRLS.