Introduction

The Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS) has grown in a number of ways over the past year. We have completed a strategic planning process, staffing levels have been increased, the office was moved to Danvers, and services have been expanded to meet a growing membership that now numbers 298.

The Executive Board, committee members, and many members have contributed their time and talents to help bring NMRLS to its current status. As a member driven organization, NMRLS cannot succeed without active member participation. NMRLS services are provided through state funds administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners which are essential to our operations.

NMRLS Strategic Plan 2000-2005 has been distributed to the membership. It reflects a dedicated effort to identify regional member needs and environmental trends. The process included visioning sessions with over 100 individuals and a print and online survey with 130 responses from member libraries which reflects the goal of maintaining a member-driven organization. This plan will be used to guide decision making in the upcoming years.

Membership has grown to include the following types of members: 13 academic, 54 public, 198 school, and 33 special. Services have been expanded to include new electronic databases, i.e., SIRS Researcher and Discoverer and Electric Library. Delivery services have been expanded and now include all public and academic libraries. We have added on demand delivery to the Massachusetts Prevention Centers.

Staffing is up to five with the addition of Susan Babb as Consultant/Trainer, Dawn Fanning as Clerical Assistant, and Susan Grabski as Administrative Assistant. The office was moved to Danvers in May with expanded space, a new Windows NT network and a state-of-the-art telephone/voicemail system.

October 20, 1999

Mission

To support academic, public, school and special libraries with services that enable them to better serve their users, and to establish, encourage and maintain cooperation among libraries in order to provide access to the widest possible range of resources and information for the people of northeast Massachusetts.

Vision

The Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS) is a community of member libraries and media centers which collaborates to provide timely access to information, materials, training, and expertise. NMRLS strengthens local library services to constituents through resource sharing, the regionalization of services and technology, member participation, leadership of expert staff, and experimental new programs.

Communities

Service Areas & Goals

1. DELIVERY
   To support statewide interlibrary loan, resource sharing, and reciprocal borrowing through time efficient and cost effective methods for the physical and electronic delivery of library materials and information among participating libraries of the northeast Massachusetts region.

2. SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCE SERVICE
   To insure that member libraries and their customers have direct access to information through enhanced and expanded regional reference services and resources.

   To provide direct resident access to regional reference services and resources.

3. INTERLIBRARY LOAN
   To insure that all people of the Northeast Massachusetts Region have access to Interlibrary Loan services.

4. CONTINUING EDUCATION & TRAINING
   To provide all libraries and their staffs with the opportunity to maintain currency and increased knowledge in the field of librarianship, facilitating the development of skills to better serve their patrons.

5. ADVISORY & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
   To provide all libraries with the opportunity to improve their ability to deliver services.

6. SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES
   To provide supplemental services to member libraries in response to their needs.

7. REGIONAL COORDINATION/ADMINISTRATION
   To provide coordination and administrative support for the activities of the region.

Plan of Service

DELIVERY

GOAL: To support statewide interlibrary loan, resource sharing, and reciprocal borrowing through time efficient and cost effective methods for the physical and electronic delivery of library materials and information among participating libraries of the Northeast region.

OBJECTIVE: Provide for the physical delivery of books and other library materials among member libraries according to regionally adopted guidelines.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Monitor contractual delivery service to efficiently move materials throughout the region.
2. Determine regional guidelines and cost-effective thresholds for delivery.
3. Evaluate thresholds of interlibrary loan activity in order to phase in delivery to member libraries via supplemental contracts.
4. Create delivery manual and directory to provide guidelines to participants and contractor(s).

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Member survey of satisfaction and volume of service
3. Cost assessment of delivery
4. Number of delivery stops
5. Guidelines and thresholds
6. Manual and directory

SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCE SERVICES

GOAL: Member libraries and their customers have direct access to information through enhanced and expanded regional reference services and resources.

OBJECTIVE: The Northeast Region provides supplementary reference services to member libraries according to criteria, protocols and performance standards established by the region.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Through the Memorial Hall Library in Andover provides access to backup reference services for member libraries.
2. Provide access to a range of electronic databases to cost effectively meet member library needs.
3. Provide special reference services to member libraries through contractual arrangements.
4. Encourage protocols and standards for reference service in member libraries and provide leadership and guidance in improving local library reference service.
5. Investigate alternatives for ensuring compatible methods of electronic reference and document delivery services to meet user need for fast turnaround.
6. Investigate alternatives to address reference area personnel issues to expand and share skills in member libraries.

OBJECTIVE: The Northeast Region will provide direct resident access to regional reference services and resources.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Through the Memorial Hall Library in Andover will provide direct access to enhanced reference resources and services for residents according to criteria, protocols and performance standards established by the region.
2. Provide cost effective direct resident access to a range of electronic databases in member libraries and remotely.
3. Provide specialized reference services to residents through contractual arrangements.
4. Provide a plan to provide direct resident access to after-hours toll-free reference services and a library of legal resources.

EVALUATIVE MEASURES :

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Member library satisfaction survey
3. Use statistics

INTERLIBRARY LOAN

GOAL: To insure that all people of the Northeast Massachusetts Region have access to Interlibrary Loan services.

OBJECTIVE: Engage Interlibrary Loan Centers, to receive, verify, locate, process and fill requests for items not owned by member libraries and to provide reciprocal services to non-member libraries.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Process interlibrary loan requests for librarians without electronic access.
2. Process requests for materials not available within the Region for librarians with electronic access.
3. Process OCLC requests for libraries without direct electronic access to the OCLC database.
4. Provide telefacsimile transmission of journal articles.
5. Form task force to study and make recommendations regarding the efficiency of maintaining two ILL centers.

OBJECTIVE: The Region will support a spirit of interlibrary loan cooperation among all types of libraries by adopting an Interlibrary Code, guidelines, protocols, standards of service, and a net lender reimbursement policy.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Implement and publicize protocols, guidelines, and procedures for interlibrary loan.
2. Collect statistics required by libraries utilizing Region ILL services.
3. Collect and analyze statistics submitted by member libraries and issue a report.
4. Provide net lender reimbursement to libraries to offset some of the costs of interlibrary loan participation.
5. Form task force to investigate best ILL practices and make appropriate recommendations.

OBJECTIVE : The region will implement a plan for participation in a "virtual" catalog to enable resource sharing throughout the region and state.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Implement plan for participation in multi-region bibliographic database.
2. Provide support for the components of multi-region bibliographic database and for the inclusion of new libraries.
3. Investigate alternatives for ensuring compatible methods of electronic reference and document delivery services to meet user need for fast turnaround.

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Task force reports
3. Member satisfaction surveys
4. Interlibrary loan usage statistics
5. Study of turn-around time and fill rate
6. Plan for virtual catalog
7. Network reports

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING

GOAL: To provide all libraries and their staffs with the opportunity to maintain currency and increased knowledge in the field of librarianship, facilitating the development of skills to better serve their patrons.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a continuing education plan responsive to member library needs and to provide workshops, seminars and training activities for librarians, library staff, trustees and various governing authorities.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Conduct an annual survey of continuing education and training needs, including solicitation of suggestions from library staff and promotion of an awareness of developing trends.
2. Provide workshops and training sessions on a variety of topics appealing to all types of libraries.
3. Provide for continuation of Basic Library Skills training required to meet the State Aid to Libraries program.
4. Provide opportunities to assist school library media specialists in the recertification process.
5. Provide for the establishment of area discussion groups on a variety of topics as identified through member surveys.

EVALUATIVE MEASURES

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Needs assessment
3. Member library satisfaction survey
4. Number of programs
5. Program evaluation by attendees
6. Attendance statistics

ADVISORY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

GOAL: To provide all libraries with the opportunity to improve their ability to deliver services.

OBJECTIVE: To provide technical assistance and consultation to member libraries in areas including computer technology, planning and policies.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Survey member library needs for technical assistance needs.
2. Provide advisory and referral services to member libraries.
3. Provide a list of consultants on a variety of topics as needed.
4. Develop library information files and a circulating professional collection of appropriate materials for member use.

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Needs assessment
3. Member library satisfaction survey
4. Statistics
5. Consultant reports

SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES

GOAL: To provide supplemental services to member libraries in response to their needs.

OBJECTIVE: To provide supplementary materials in a variety of formats to small communities having fewer than twenty-five thousand inhabitants as required by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, section 19C.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Provide groups of like materials to route between interested, eligible public libraries. The groups will include but are not limited to:
   • Unabridged audio books
   • Large print, mysteries, fiction and biographies
   • CD-ROM products
   • CD's
2. Provide curriculum-related groups of materials on specific topics which will be available for loan to eligible member public libraries.
3. Explore possible purchases of electronic resources.

OBJECTIVE: To provide supplementary services to small communities.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Provide various consultants available for small group and/or on-site consulting in such areas as technology, space planning, grant writing, etc. The Region will develop guidelines for use of such services by eligible member public libraries

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Member library needs & satisfaction survey
3. Document circulation
4. List of resulting improvement/accomplishments
5. Consultant reports

OBJECTIVE: To provide cooperative programs for member libraries.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Develop and implement participation in statewide cooperative purchasing program for library materials in response to member needs.
2. Develop and implement participation in statewide cooperative purchasing program for supplies in response to member needs.
3. Develop and coordinate participation in state-wide summer reading program.
4. Provide Access to film collection of the Boston Public Library and CMRLS
5. Facilitate access to the foreign language deposit program of the Boston Public Library

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Survey of member library satisfaction
3. Acquisition and distribution statistics
4. Cooperative program participation statistics
5. Circulation statistics
6. Program materials

REGIONAL COORDINATION/ADMINISTRATION

GOAL: To provide coordination and administrative support for the activities of the region.

OBJECTIVE: Plan, coordinate, initiate and evaluate the Regional Plan of Service.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Work with the Executive Board, committees, contracting organizations and member libraries to identify member needs and carry out activities.
2. Develop Plan of Service and budget.
3. Represent the region to various local, state and national meetings.
4. Conduct evaluations of service programs and Regional Administrator.
5. Provide administrative support for regional programs and services.
6. Publicize and promote activities of the regional system.

EVALUATIVE MEASURES:

1. Review program for compliance with Strategic Plan
2. Plan of Service and Budget
3. Financial Report
4. Member satisfaction survey
5. Evaluations
6. Successful completion of Plan of Service activities
7. Publicity review

Appendix I

EXECUTIVE BOARD

STAFF

MBLC LIAISON: Elizabeth Wolfe, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Boston

Appendix II

Committees

Appendix III

MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS

• ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION AS A MEMBER OF A REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM

NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM

• CERTIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Appendix IV

MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT

Appendix V

NATIONAL INTERLIBRARY LOAN CODE FOR THE UNITED STATES