West Bend Community Memorial Library

Long Range Plan 2001-2006

Library Vision
Our vision is to entertain, educate, empower and inform members of our community.

Library Mission Statement
The West Bend Community Memorial Library will help to provide library and information services to meet the personal, educational and professional needs of the public. The library will extend services to all residents of Washington County, in cooperation with all governmental units.

Emphasis is placed on providing current, high interest materials in a variety of formats, and timely, accurate and useful nformation. The library’s primary purposes are to provide popular materials; to serve as a preschool door to learning; and, to support the educational needs of K-12 students. A secondary goal is to provide adults with resource material for their educational pursuits.
Adopted by the West Bend Community Memorial Library Board, April, 1997

Goals and Objectives
 

GOAL 1.  Provide Popular Materials

The patrons of the West Bend Community Memorial Library (WBCML) can expect timely access to current, high interest materials in a variety of formats.

Objective 1.1 To keep up with the demand for popular fiction, the book leasing program through our vendors will be closely monitored and expanded as the need arises. As of 2001, the amount of titles leased annually will be 120.

Objective 1.2 The average time it takes for a patron to receive an item after placing a hold will be reduced each year of the 2001-2006 plan.

Objective 1.3 An electronic Readers Advisory system will be investigated and implemented, if such a system is compatible with library software. This interactive capability will allow patrons to be notified of new materials by authors and about subjects that they have expressed interest in.

Objective 1.4 The percentage of the budget designated for newer formats and non-print materials will be increased each year between 2001-2006. The circulation statistics for these formats will be monitored and usage will increase 3% annually through the use of displays, newspaper articles, bibliographies, radio and local access cable television promotional spots and on site discussions.

Objective 1.5 A Book Discussion group will be developed beginning in 2001. It will be moderated by staff members, interested library trustees and patrons who have evinced an interest. The number of discussions will increase from two in 2001 to six in 2006.

Objective 1.5.a  Establish a Parent/Child book discussion group. The number of discussions for this group will increase from two in 2001 to four in 2006.

Objective 1.6 A program of visits and book readings by authors will be undertaken during 2001-2006. It will include writers of materials for both children and adults. There will be at least one program in 2001. This will increase through the rest of the planning cycle, depending upon the budget and outside funding sources.

Objective 1.7 Investigate the need for different formats in emerging technologies (e.g. hand-held E-book devices,  DVD’s, etc.).

Objective 1.8  Establish a listening area in the library for adults by 2002.

Objective 1.9 A quick response survey will be done annually to ask patrons about their level of satisfaction regarding our popular materials collections and our services. The percentage of satisfied library users will increase annually throughout 2001-2006.
 

GOAL 2. Develop the Preschool Door To Learning

In our service area, young children and their parents and guardians will be highly motivated to frequently use the library because of its facilities, materials and programs.

Objective 2.1 Circulation of children’s materials will increase 2.5% annually from 2001-2006. This will be assisted by an annual increase in budget funding for children’s items.

Objective 2.2 The number of participants in all types of children’s programs will increase by 2% annually during this planning cycle.

Objective 2.3 The number of specialty programs will increase by one each year during 2001-2006.

Objective 2.4 Participation in the Summer reading Program will increase by 3% annually.

Objective 2.5 The number of CD-ROM workstations will enlarged from two to five between 2001-2006

Objective 2.6 The remaining tables and chairs in the children’s department that are from the former library will be replaced with new ones by the end of 2003.

Objective 2.7 An Adopt-A-Book program for newborns and their parents will be investigated and implemented during this planning cycle. Similarly, a Birthday Book program for children will be considered and acted upon as staffing allows.
 

GOAL 3. Support the Educational Needs of K-12 Students

The students of our community will be provided with the facilities, materials, electronic resources, library training and information they need to assist them in attaining their educational goals.

Objective 3.1 The staff of the library will actively encourage students to use the WBCML by visiting the various K-12 schools throughout the community and explaining the various services and collections available. During the course of an academic year, each librarian will make at least  such three visits.

Objective 3.2 The reference librarians will begin forging partnerships with the library media specialists from the community’s schools. Our e-mail address on our homepage will be suggested for use for the forwarding of assignments, information and requests.

Objective 3.3 Our reference department will e-mail the school’s librarians about newly acquired reference materials on a quarterly basis beginning in 2001.

Objective 3.4 An Open House will take place here at the WBCML at the beginning of each academic year, This will be done in order to demonstrate the services and resources available to students, parents, teachers and school administrators.

Objective 3.5  Library card sign ups will be advertised at community schools.

Objective 3.6  The number of reference questions answered in all available formats will increase 5% each year during 2001-2006.

Objective 3.6.a  Develop with the help of the Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System a 24/7 electronic access reference service.

Objective 3.7 A quick response survey will be done that will ask students, parents and teachers about their levels of satisfaction regarding our collections and services. The percentage of satisfied patrons will increase each year during this planning cycle.

Objective 3.8 The library will survey home schooled students and their parents to determine their level of satisfaction with our collections and services.

Objective 3.9 An area of the library will be established for middle school students. It will include a CD-ROM computer, audio equipment and suitably sized tables and chairs.

Objective 3.9.a  Larger tables and more chairs will be acquired to better fit the space needs of the five study rooms along the west wall of the second floor of the library. This will be accomplished by 2003.
 

GOAL 4. Provide Adults With Resource Materials for Lifelong Learning

Objective 4.1 An Open House for adult students will be offered at the beginning of each academic year. This will be advertised well in advance at both UW-Washington County and Moraine Park Technical College. Faculty members and librarians will be contacted about this event.

Objective 4.2 WBCML’s  librarians will take the time to familiarize themselves with UW-WC’s and MPTC’s libraries.

Objective 4.3 WBCML’s  reference librarians and bibliographers will provide tours for the students, librarians and faculty members of those schools.

Objective 4.4 Internet training sessions will continue to be provided by the library. The two local institutions of higher education need to be notified of when these sessions will be available.

Objective 4.5 A quick response survey will be done that will ask adults about their level of satisfaction with our adult non-fiction collection, our reference collection and the services offered by the reference department. The number of satisfied respondents will increase annually throughout this planning cycle.

Objective 4.6 The number of reference questions received and answered (in person, by phone, fax, mail or e-mail) will increase by 5% each year of this plan.

Objective 4.6a  Develop with the help of Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System a 24/7 electronic access reference service.

Objective 4.7  The percentage of adult non-fiction materials circulated annually will increase by 2.5% each year of this plan. This will be assisted by displays, programs, newspaper articles, book discussion groups and media events.
 

GOAL 5. Continue Assessing the Requirements and Serving the Needs of our Special Needs Population

Objective 5.1 Determine through surveys and site visits if we are meeting the adaptive needs of our handicapped, elderly and homebound patrons.

Objective 5.2  Have handicapped accessible PC’s available in all three major sections of the library. These would have large monitors, oversized keyboards, a rollerball rather than a mouse and ADA compliant workstations. This will be accomplished by 2003.

Objective 5.3 Purchase and have available upon patron request walkers and a wheelchair. Determine the need for and the price of an electric scooter to assist handicapped patrons.

Objective 5.4 Continue to expand services and materials in the Outreach program.

Objective 5.5  Investigate the possibility of acquiring a hydraulic lift for the Outreach Services van.

Updated January 11, 2007