Daisy Porter-Reynolds - Streamlined Library Programming

How to Improve Services and Cut Costs

Daisy Porter-Reynolds

Copyright 2014 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Porter-Reynolds, Daisy.

Streamlined library programming : how to improve services and cut costs / Daisy Porter-Reynolds.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61069-408-7 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-61069-409-4 (ebook) 1. LibrariesActivity programs. 2. Public librariesCentralization. I. Title.

Z716.33.P67 2014

027.4dc23 2013045194

ISBN: 978-1-61069-408-7

EISBN: 978-1-61069-409-4

18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5

This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook.

Visit www.abc-clio.com for details.

Libraries Unlimited

An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC

ABC-CLIO, LLC
130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911

This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

To Leslie, Aleta, Birgit, Shirley, and Raelene

In 2010, as Manager of Innovation at San Jos Public Library (SJPL), I kicked off centralized programming at our municipal, general-funded 19-building library system. San Jos, the heart of Silicon Valley, is Americas 10th-largest city with a population of just under a million. Thirty-eight percent of residents were born outside the United States, and 55 percent speak a language other than English at home. This level of ethnic diversity makes library programming a complex and fascinating endeavor. We began centralization at a time when we expected our budget to be slashed, and it was; several months into the new model, our staffing and therefore branch open hours were reduced by 17 percent. Yet we were delivering 25 percent more programs than we had under the old model.

My year of implementation was many thingsrewarding, frustrating, eye-opening, exhausting, stressful, funbut it was never boring or easy. Without a book like this to follow, I charted my own course, navigating around and through hazards such as employee buy-in, union pushback, stakeholder panic, understaffing, pay cuts, and an ever-dwindling budget. The handful of other library systems who have taken this path faced different sets of barriers. The issues you face at your own library will be different, but its my hope that this book will help you work through them.

Special thanks go to Leslie Tanaka, Aleta Dimas, Raelene Velarde, Birgit Vogler, and Shirley Tanase, my central unit at San Jos Public Library, without whom centralized programming would never have happened. Maddy Walton-Hadlock, Sharon Fung, and Pam Crider were strong supporters on the front lines. Jane Light dreamed up the idea and was an inspiring mentor. Angie Miraflor and Kary Bloom made me laugh despite all the stress. Brooke Ballard, Janis ODriscoll, Christina Stoll, Amy Mather, Cindy Mares, and Donna Geesaman provided perspectives from other libraries. Boyd Porter-Reynolds was and is, in this as in everything, my cheerleader. Thank you all.

Welcome! So youve decided to streamline or even centralize programming at your public library. Or maybe youre still considering whether to take the plunge, or arent sure what the benefits of streamlined programming are... or even what the concept entails. This book will help you streamline programming at your library, stretching dollars while improving the quality of programs you offer. You can draw on the experiences of others to maximize efficiency and ensure consistent quality, no matter what the size of your library is. Most of the concepts and strategies discussed here can be applied to both large and small libraries, although the bigger your system, the more you have to gain. All libraries can benefit from surveying the community to determine your priorities and then focusing programming efforts where theyre most needed; frontloading and condensing prep work to reduce redundancy and last-minute planning; and bringing in local experts to share what they do best.

If youre in a large, multibranch library system, you have the most to gain from streamlined programming. Centralized programming is a way for multilocation systems to ensure high-quality programming at all of your locations, regardless of the expertise of local staff. Its a method for making your library system more efficient by directing staff time toward customer interaction rather than in backroom planning. By creating a central work unit to plan, market, purchase for, and evaluate programseverything from developing high-level relationships with potential program partners to cutting out strips of construction paper for a craftyou have the potential to save time and money on programming. Centralization also makes it easier to align all your programs across locations with the librarys mission, vision, values, and strategic plan, and simplifies communication both within the library and to the public.

If youre from a one-building library, a complete centralized programming approach might not work for you, but you can still reap many of the benefits associated with it. This is where the word streamlined comes in. Many of the concepts described in this book can be easily adapted to your single building, such as efficient marketing, storytime boxes with interchangeable elements, and the administrative development of program priorities.

This book is a comprehensive guide to getting started with centralized programming or infusing some of its principles and strategies to improve your current programshelping you work more efficiently as you improve the quality of your programs. Its directed primarily at public libraries of all sizes, but could also be adapted to other agencies that focus on programs, such as park districts or some special libraries. The book draws on my experience as the centralized programming lead at a large urban library system, as well as from interviews with other librarians across the country who have successfully streamlined their programming services.

Have you already decided centralized programming is for your library? If so, think of this book as a map to walk you through the steps you need to succeed at this complex task. Centralized programming is a relatively recent concept, but those libraries who have already begun will, via this book, share their best practices and tips on how to avoid some potential pitfalls. It walks you through the essential steps, including the decision about whether and how much to centralize; getting buy-in from stakeholders; choosing a project team; how to staff the workgroup; the types of programs you might offer and how to develop them; the logistics of program selection and delivery; and evaluation and continuous improvement to make sure you stay on top of your game.

If youre still deciding whether to centralize programming at your library, here are some questions to consider:

There are no right or wrong answers to the above questions, but discussing them at a management or librarian meeting may help you decide whether now is the time for you to proceed with streamlined programming. You dont have to do it all at once! Maybe this year, youd like to begin by ordering supplies centrally, or creating a few storytime boxes. Maybe your library isnt quite ready for that, but youre facing staff cuts, and need to reduce the number of programs you offer while still meeting the communitys needs. Maybe you have a terrific storyteller at one branch and you think she could exchange some hours with a nearby location to maximize the quality of what they offer while still ensuring coverage at her branch. Taking these steps toward quality improvement and efficiency will have immediate effect and also lay the foundation for future streamlining plans.