IFLS Long Range Plan

2013-2018

Mission Statement

Fostering excellence in library service through member libraries.

Vision Statement

The Indianhead Federated Library System will offer its member libraries:

resources to provide high quality service
technology infrastructure to meet patron needs
information to plan future services

Organization

In order to be as flexible and efficient as possible in meeting the changing needs of our member libraries, IFLS has organized its staff into teams. Each team will have a leader whose responsibility will be to ensure the team's goals and objectives are being met. IFLS staff members will be assigned to one or more teams depending on their skills, expertise and the needs of the team.

Administration Team

Governance

IFLS trustees are public officers and as such are legally responsible for the governance of the library system and the conducting of its operations in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. The library system has a responsibility to meet the following standards relating to governance.

Goal 1: IFLS will be in compliance with all local, State, and Federal laws.

Objective 1: IFLS staff will review all IFLS policies on a regular basis.

Actions:

(JG)Compile all existing IFLS policies into one manual.
(JT) Establish a review cycle for existing IFLS policies.

Objective 2: IFLS staff will monitor any changes to existing laws that may have an impact on libraries and library system.

Actions:

(JT, JB) Monitor Wisconsin Library Association and American Library Association information regarding State and Federal legislation that may impact libraries.
(JT, JB) Monitor blogs; news feeds; and other legislative news sources.
(JT) Inform the IFLS Board of any pending legislation impacting libraries or the library system.

Management

The IFLS administrators and staff use sound library management practices to apply the policies and statutory obligations of the governing board to the daily operations of the library system. IFLS has a responsibility to meet the following standards relating to management and administration.

Goal 1: IFLS will use established, sound management techniques in the administration of the system.

Objective 1: Ensure that established procedures and practices are consistent with Board policies and long range plan.

Actions:

(JT) Review existing and develop new operating procedures based on board policies and long range plan.

Objective 2: Provide IFLS Board members with the information necessary to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

Actions:

(JT, JB) Provide current financial and statistical reports for review at each library system board meeting.
(JT) Monitor statutory changes and court decisions related to library and System operations and recommend policy changes needed to maintain legal library and/or System operations.
(JT) Inform the IFLS Board of all important issues facing the member libraries.
(JT) Provide new IFLS board members with a copy of the Trustee Essentials and an orientation program for each new board member.

Planning

IFLS trustees and staff have a continuing obligation to assess the changing service needs of member libraries. Conscientious planning will help the library system in its efforts to anticipate and respond to the member library’s needs. The library system has a responsibility to meet the following standards relating to planning.

Goal 1: IFLS will plan an array of services to meet the changing needs of our member libraries and their patrons.

Objective 1: IFLS will develop and maintain a long range plan of services that meet the needs of member libraries.

Actions:

(JT) Solicit member input on IFLS services.
(IFLS Staff) Create a yearly action plan to implement the goals and objectives of the long range plan.
(JT, IFLS Board) Review and update the long range plan annually.

Goal 2: IFLS will have a well-maintained facility that meets the service and training needs of the IFLS staff and member libraries.

Objective 1: IFLS staff will evaluate the current facility and recommend enhancements to the facility and grounds.

Actions:

(KO) Update and replace the IFLS sign design.
(Facility Committee) Evaluate the facility for renovation and possible expansion based upon condition of structure and service needs.

Finance

IFLS trustees and staff have a continuing obligation to operate the library system in a fiscally sound, efficient, and prudent manner. The library system has a responsibility to meet the following standards relating to finance.

Goal 1: IFLS will operate in a fiscally sound manner to maximize the benefit to system members.

Objective 1: Provide the necessary resources to implement the plan of service.

Actions:

(JB, JT, IFLS Teams) IFLS prepares and the library system board reviews and adopts an annual budget proposal that accurately reflects the needs of the library system and the members it serves.
(JT, GF, LL) IFLS director and staff maintain awareness of available grant and other outside funding sources.
(JT, JB, LL, GF) IFLS staff applies for and implements grants from LSTA and other grant sources that benefit the system and its member libraries.

Objective 2: Provide clear and uniform accounting of IFLS funds.

Actions:

(JB) IFLS follows fiscal procedures consistent with state and federal requirements, System policy, and audit requirements in preparing, presenting, and administering its budget.
(JB) IFLS board reviews and approves bills at each library system board meeting, in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

Personnel

IFLS trustees and the IFLS director have a continuing obligation to ensure that the library system has the appropriate staff in place to provide the services needed by member libraries. The library system has a responsibility to meet the following standards relating to personnel.

Goal 1: Ensure IFLS has the qualified personnel needed to implement the services desired by member libraries.

Objective 1: Establish adequate staff compensation to attract and retain staff.

Actions:

(JT) IFLS board determines the system staff table of organization and sets compensation for IFLS staff positions.
(JT) IFLS system director is qualified for and maintains the appropriate level of certification under the provisions of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
(JT, IFLS Personnel) Monitor staff compensation levels in relationship to the current job market and make the appropriate adjustments.

Objective 2: Hire/maintainqualified staff to implement the plan of services.

Actions:

(IFLS Board) IFLS director is paid to perform library‐board‐designated duties for no fewer than 40 hours per week.
(IFLS Personnel) IFLS board conducts an annual performance evaluation of the director.
(JT) IFLS Director is responsible for personnel administration, including hiring, supervising, evaluating, and dismissing IFLS employees.
(JT,IFLS Board) IFLS board adopts a set of personnel policies outlining the conditions and requirements for employment of system staff, and these policies are consistent with state and federal regulations and relevant court decisions. The board reviews personnel policies on a regular schedule, including after any significant change in employment law.
(JT) Allocate sufficient resources to provide continuing education to IFLS staff.

Objective 3: IFLS staff will be supported in membership and involvement with state, national, and other professional associations.

Actions

(JT) IFLS will subsidize memberships in professional organizations for staff.
(JT) IFLS will provide time for staff to participate in leadership roles or to make presentations at state and national professional conferences.

Objective 4: IFLS staff will have the opportunity to attend trainings, conferences, and other continuing education that is relevant to developing/maintaining their skills.

Actions

(all staff) Staff will keep abreast of library, technology, public relations, and other information by reading periodicals, blogs, and other resources.
(all staff) Staff will take advantage of free webinars and workshops in the area that are relevant to their position.
(all staff) Staff will be able to take part in conferences, workshops, and other opportunities as budget allows.

Advocacy and Promotion Team

The library system has a responsibility to provide its member libraries with services and training related to advocacy and promotion. The library system may provide these services directly to its member libraries with its own staff, or it may contract or collaborate with other library systems or vendors to assist it in meeting these service standards.

Goal 1: IFLS will provide advocacy training and services to its member libraries.

Objective 1: IFLS will provide a minimum of 12 contact hours (including 6 in person) of advocacy continuing education each year for member library staff and trustees.

Actions

(JT, GF) Provide continuing education to member library staff and trustees in advocacy via workshops, newsletters, and webinars.
(JT, GF) Offer a minimum of twelve (12) contact hours of advocacy continuing education annually, with a minimum of six (6) in‐person contact hours.

Objective 2: IFLS will provide flexible tools that will make it easier for member libraries to advocate on their own behalf.

Actions

(GF, KO) Develop advocacy tools that can be tailored to local library needs and that make it easier for member libraries to advocate on their own behalf, e.g., press releases, sample letters to officials, etc.
(GF) Work with member libraries to develop a database of area library advocates and a program for regularly informing them of local and area advocacy needs.
(GF) Inform member library staff, trustees, and advocates of pending legislation on the state and national levels that may affect libraries and explains how the proposed legislation might affect system and local library service.
(GF) Maintain expertise to coordinate the collection, interpretation, and presentation of data at the systemwide level and local level.

Objective 3: IFLS will advocate directly on behalf of member libraries.

Actions

(GF) Facilitate participation of member library staff, trustees, and advocates in local, regional, and statewide advocacy events, e.g., candidate forums, WLA Library Legislative Day.
(GF) Work with a variety of state, regional, and local government agencies on behalf of member libraries.
(JT) Be readily available to assist member libraries in advocating for and securing local and county funding.
(JT) Facilitate individual county library service planning processes when requested.
(JT, GF) Represent the interests of its member libraries to the Legislature and the Department of Public Instruction in the development of statewide library policy or services.
(GF, All) Cooperate with other agencies or organizations for the benefit of member libraries and area residents.
(JT, GF) Explore and advocate for library funding models that consider measures of library use in addition to circulation (e.g., digital checkouts, program attendance, etc.).

Goal 2: IFLS will provide marketing and promotion services to its member libraries.

Objective 1: IFLS will market its own services to its member libraries.

Actions

(KO) Maintain a catalog of all IFLS services and update it once a year.
(KO) Explore ways to help libraries stay up-to-date on which services IFLS provides and which IFLS staff member is responsible for the service.

Objective 2: IFLS will assist its member libraries with their marketing efforts.

Actions

(KO) Coordinate system wide efforts to promote member library services.
(KO) Coordinate public relations activities within the library system and between member libraries and other agencies.
(KO) Provide professional‐level assistance in marketing and promoting local programs and services.
(KO) Work with individual local libraries to develop customized professional‐quality promotional pieces, including providing text editing, graphic layout, and reproduction services.
(KO) Work with individual local libraries to develop customized professional‐ quality digital graphics for use with websites and social media tools.
(KO, GF) Work with individual local libraries to develop customized professional‐quality websites, including providing design services and training in website maintenance.
(GF) Provide access to and support for a content management system that allows member libraries to easily maintain their own websites.
(KO) Maintain expertise in social media tools and the ability to provide training and assistance to member libraries in the effective use of these tools.

Collaborative Services Team

The library system optimizes the services that it provides to its member libraries by collaborating with others. Collaborative services within, between, and/or among systems can result in more and better services at less financial cost and less duplication of effort.

Goal 1: IFLS will work to collaborate with other agencies and organizations to improve efficiency and further its mission.

Objective 1: IFLS will work to collaborate with other library systems in training, services, and purchasing.

Actions

(GF) Actively pursue opportunities to collaborate within, between, and/or among systems in order to maximize efficiencies.
(GF) Facilitate meetings within, between, and/or among like‐minded staff from multiple systems in order to discuss and implement collaborative services.
(LR, JB) Investigate facilitating group purchasing (e.g., library applications, supplies, equipment, downloadable e‐resources) within, between, and/or among library systems.
(LL) Plan for continuing education opportunities with other systems in the region or within the state.
(LR) Encourage and promote collaborative exchanges with other systems in the same region or within the state that use the same ILS vendor.
(JT) Give high priority to collaborative service developments on its state‐ required annual plan and report.

Objective 2: IFLS will work to collaborate with other agencies and organizations.

Actions

(GF) Continue to work with CINC, UA (Chippewa Valley Internetworking Consortium) to provide better broadband access to libraries and communities.
(GF) Continue to work with University of Wisconsin - Extension to improve broadband access to Wisconsin residents and educational institutions.
(GF) Investigate other collaboration opportunities.

Continuing Education Team

The library system has a responsibility to provide continuing education and training opportunities to its member libraries and trustees. The library system may provide these services directly to its member libraries with its own staff, or it may contract or collaborate with other library systems or vendors to assist it in meeting these service standards.

Goal 1: IFLS will provide a variety of relevant, timely and convenient continuing education opportunities for library staff, trustees and advocates.

Objective 1: IFLS staff will set a schedule of at least 42 hours of continuing education, 15 of which will be in-person, in a variety of locations around the system.

Actions

(LL) Conduct a yearly survey of staff and trustees at member libraries and at IFLS to determine the areas of greatest need and interest.
(LL) In conjunction with IFLS staff, plan a variety of workshops and webinars that answer the determined needs, and are also in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Certification Manual for Wisconsin Public Library Directors published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries and Technology.
(LL) Create a means of keeping track of CE offerings (to ensure state recommendations are followed) and for keeping track of tasks related to each CE offering.
(LL) Purchase ALA Customer Service training module, and create mini-trainings for libraries (as in-service opportunities for individual libraries or small groups of libraries).
(GF) Offer a minimum of 12 contact hours of advocacy training each year, with at least 6 in-person hours (see Advocacy section for details).
(MW) Offer and/or promote training opportunities related to ILL (see ILL section for details).
(LL) Offer a minimum of 6 contact hours of CE relating to services to nontraditional library users (see Nontraditional Library Users section for details).
(LL) Offer updates and information about collection development, reference, and other library services through contact hours and/or blogs, newsletter articles, etc.
(GF) Offer a minimum of 6 contact hours of CE relating to technology (see Technology section for details).
((LL) Offer a minimum of 9 hours of continuing education opportunities related to youth services, with at least 3 for teens and also a Summer Library Program workshop (see Youth Services section for details).
(LR) ILS team will provide 12 hours of training (see ILS section for more details).
(LL) Encourage team to use a variety of ways to disseminate information about technology, databases, and procedural tasks , including videos, blogs and other methods.
(GF) Provide a staff in-service on creating videos and screencasts.
(GF) Create a way to categorize or host informational videos.
(LL) Explore the idea of hosting a mini-conference with break-out sessions.
(GF) Explore ways to provide remote access to workshops.
(LL) Provide follow-up for workshops and webinars by posting recordings and handouts on the website.
(LL) Attend conferences and other continuing education opportunities to learn about excellent presenters and topics.

Objective 2: IFLS will assist library directors with the certification process.

Actions

(LL) Create a CE reporting sheet for each IFLS event and send to participants.
(JG) Assist library directors with keeping track of IFLS-sponsored contact hours for certification.
(JG) Provide an annual summation of CE, and remind directors of the requirements and their progress to date.
(JT) Validate library directors' certification paperwork.

Objective 3: IFLS will collaborate with other systems and other types of libraries to provide workshops and webinars.

Actions

(LL) Discuss plans for in-person workshops with neighboring systems twice a year--January and June to see if it makes sense to share presenters.
(LL) Discuss plans for webinars with other library systems, looking for ways to co-sponsor and co-promote--January and July.
(LL/JG) Promote IFLS training opportunities to multi-type libraries in the region and public libraries and systems in the state.
(JG/LL) Promote webinars and other training opportunities offered by other systems to the librarians in the IFLS system.
(MW) Promote training opportunities provided through the state about BadgerLink.
(LL) Share archived webinars and other CE resources created by IFLS on the BadgerLearn website, so they are available to librarians across the state.
(JG) Twice a year (March and September), promote resources on BadgerLearn to staff at member libraries with an article in Newsflashes.
(LL) Attend yearly statewide meeting of other Continuing Education Coordinators from other systems.

Objective 4: IFLS evaluates programs to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the attendees.