Item C02BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:_
September
21, 2012
Division: Deputy
County
Administrator
Bulk Item: Yes
X
No
Department: _
Library
Services
Staff Contact Person/Phone #: Norma Kula/ x7349
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of the Library Plan of Service for the year 2013
ITEM BACKGROUND: This is part of an annual application process to receive State Financial Aid
for the Library.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: The Library Annual Plan has been approved annually
by the BOCC, most recently at the meeting of September 21, 2011
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST: N/A
COST TO COUNTY:
BUDGETED: Yes No
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes X No AMOUNT PER Year $ 65,000.
APPROVED BY: County Atty N/A OMB/Purchasing N/A Risk Management N/A
DOCUMENTATION:
DISPOSITION:
Revised 11/06
Included X Not Required
AGENDA ITEM #
MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
ANNUAL PLAN OF SERVICE
2013
SUBMITTED BY
NORMA KULA
DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012
A NOTE ON THE
ANNUALPLAN
FOR THE MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
2013
For many years, in the Library community, the annual plan was viewed as a
blueprint of things to come. The Plan was outlined, organized, and structured to
the last degree, in the finest tradition of a structure defined by a blueprint. It was
based on numbers and statistics based on past and present counts and studies.
It was detailed, graphed, and measured for the future in terms of all things
measurable —people, books, audio-visual items (in their early days of popular
usage), library visits —if it was found in the Library, it was counted and placed in
the plan, either as a number to be seen as a sign of success or a number to be
reached for success in the future.
This system of planning worked well in its own way and in its own time, but like
many blueprints, the structure thus designed eventually developed flaws: it did
not include enough elasticity for the changes that come with a successful
endeavor, it allowed no flexibility for stretching or adapting to new needs. It was
too rigid in its outlook —it was not open to new ideas, to diversity of community, to
growth in the world beyond that would demand growth in the plan itself. This type
of plan was formed from the inside out —it had no "give."
Formulating an annual plan of service for a public library today is a far different
exercise. Today we are much more cognizant of the world beyond the library
itself. Instead of asking ourselves just "How many books?" "How many people?"
we need to know "Who are our readers?" What groups are we not reaching and
why?" "Do they prefer to read or to be read to while engaged in other tasks?"
"What are their needs?" "How is their world changing?" and we structure our plan
around the answers to those and other, similar, questions. In this way the plan of
service becomes truly service -based and service -oriented, and flexibility
becomes the standard.
As with many other Libraries throughout the state of Florida and across the
nation, the last few years of financial and funding instability had a strong negative
impact on our abilities to provide services to the extent and variety that we would
like. These factors similarly affected our outlook for Library planning. Now, with
the restoration of Monday hours and essential staffing, the expanding goals
established in the past must be re-evaluated, prioritized, and situated in the
continuum of established goals already on record and already in progress.
The prospect of funding itself will have to be re-examined and considered in
an entirely new light, with a view to a more thorough consideration of how to
maintain and even expand services with the most efficient use of Library assets,
in terms of both financial and personnel investment.
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For these reasons, the Annual Plan of Service for the Monroe County Public
Library for the year 2013, while still aimed at moving us forward in meeting
community needs and provided those essential services basic to our mission,
will also re -visit the plans and services of the past few years. We must review
what we currently are doing and seek out ways to continue and enhance current
services. In the same vein, we must explore opportunities for enhancing Library
revenue. If we cannot implement new services as we would prefer to do, we must
concentrate on enrichment of present activities or determine whether and how
those present activities might better be adapted to the new needs. Making the
best possible use of our increased hours and staffing, we must focus on the
capabilities of our staff, already proven to be the outstanding asset of our Library
system. Our new plan will approach these challenges in terms of continuing to do
our best for our communities, while seeking new ways of assessing our priorities
and new avenues for meeting our goals.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
In May of 1513, explorer Ponce de Leon sighted the Florida Keys and claimed
Florida for Spain. The Spanish sailors gave this area of mangroves the name of
"Los Martires," or The Martyrs. On later maps, various Keys were identified as
Cayo Hueso (Bone Key), Islamorada (Purple Island), and a host of other names
that changed with the identifier and mapmaker.
When Florida came under British control in February of 1763, many of the local
Indians moved to Cuba. Twenty years later, under the second Spanish Reign in
Florida, Loyalists left for the Bahamas and other British possessions. Florida
became a U.S. Territory in 1821, with the ratification of a treaty between the
United States and Spain, and later that year Juan Pablo Salas, who had received
Key West as a Spanish land grant in 1815, sold the island to John W. Simonton,
a Havana merchant, for the noteworthy sum of $ 2,000.00. Simonton then sold
parts of the island to fellow businessmen Whitehead, Fleming and Greene.
In 1821 Spain ceded East and West Florida to the United States. President
James Monroe appointed General Andrew Jackson as Military governor, and
instructed the General to set up a new government. Jackson's first action toward
this goal was to organize Florida into a single territory composed of two counties.
Thus West Florida became Escambia County with Pensacola as its county seat,
and East Florida became St. John's County, with St. Augustine as the county
seat.
On July 3, 1823, Monroe County became the sixth county in the State, when it
was formed out of St. John's. All of the mainland areas now known as South
Florida, as well as the Florida Keys, were included in this formation. This large
area remained one county until 1836, when Dade County was formed, through a
series of political maneuvers. Its borders included the eastern half of the
mainland and the Keys north of Bahia Honda. Those Keys from Bahia Honda to
Old Rhodes Key were not returned to Monroe County until 1866.
The original formation of Monroe County was divided over and over again
through the following years. From its initial boundaries came Dade, Lee, Hendry,
Collier, Broward, and a part of Palm Beach Counties. Key West was established
as the County seat a year after the island's first settlers arrived; that same year it
was made a port of entry. The few Keys settlers were scattered across the
islands —probably not more than 150 Europeans in all. No accurate population
data exists from that period.
The Florida Keys have played a major part in Florida's growth, both historically
and economically. There are 822 Keys large enough to be shown on government
charts; many of their names have changed over the years. Indeed, a large
number of them have changed names with almost every generation of
mapmakers. (An extensive study of this history has been carried out by Library
staff; the fascinating results are available on the newly -developed website-
http://keys.fiu.edu/gazetteer/index.htm)
It is noteworthy that there are only five incorporated areas in all of Monroe
County: Key West incorporated in 1828, Key Colony in 1955, Layton in 1963,
Islamorada in 1998, and Marathon in 1999.
HISTORY OF THE MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
In 1835, a young attorney, originally from Kentucky, wrote to relatives from his
new home in Key West, "The society of the place is, of course, small, but there
are many families from the Atlantic States now our residents, that would be very
desirable acquisitions were they to return to the places of their nativity. There is
the same taste, luxury, and display that you find in the large cities in their dinner
and evening parties. More good books, reviews and late publications are found
here than you have the most distant ideas of." In 1835, a Sunday School library
circulated books among the people of the community. Old records of that year
explain that on "Saturday, April 4, 1835, on suggestion of the Mayor and
unanimously resolved, the fees paid by members of board absent during the
year, $ 12.00 in amount, be presented to the Sunday School Library of Key
West."
The Monroe County Public Library has a unique place in history as the oldest
Library in South Florida. Its beginnings can be dated as far back as 1853. The
first written record of the Key West Library Association is mentioned in the diary
of William R. Hackley, who writes that he had paid his dues to that Association in
July of 1853. A microfilm copy of that diary is now held in the Florida History
Room at the Key West Branch of the Monroe County Public Library, while the
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original can be found in the collection at the Florida State University. The
Association stored its book collection within a wire enclosure, and upon selection
by patrons, the books were passed through a wire wicket. The Library was
housed in a variety of locations on Duval Street and guided by various civic
groups over the next sixty or so years, until in 1915 the Key West Woman's Club
assumed the operation of the Library Association as its foremost project.
The Key West Branch, which became the Headquarters Library, moved into its
present location in 1959, with a major expansion in 1992. The Key Largo Branch
began in the Key Largo Civic Club Building in 1962, moving once in 1967, and
taking up its current location in 1989. The Marathon Branch began in 1962 and
took up its present location in 1982; Islamorada's Branch opened in 1966, with
expansions in 1983 and 1997. The most recent Branch was established in Big
Pine Key in 1995, with an expansion there in 2003.
Over one hundred and fifty years have passed since those earliest steps toward
a County Library system; today the Monroe County Public Library is a vital part of
the fabric of its communities. Each branch reflects its own area, and each area
reflects its own people, with distinct characteristics, interests and needs. Library
service is ad valorem tax -based, funded by the General Fund of the Monroe
County budget. The five branches, with staff totaling thirty employees, provide
on -site services five days and two evenings each week. Our Library card -holders
number more than half the population of Monroe County. Our website now
provides 24/7 access to the full Library catalog, including renewal and request
services. Our collection has grown from the 10,000 books of the Key West
Branch in 1959 to over 190,000 items in a variety of media, including digital
databases. The Library has grown and developed through its history, and
continues to do so, as services and patron usage increase yearly.
INTRODUCTION TO THE ANNUAL PLAN
In order to remain a viable and living institution, the Library must grow. Without a
plan, growth becomes unmanaged and unmanageable. A plan provides a
framework for future growth, and becomes a set of guidelines for decisions
regarding all aspects of Library development and operations. It is important to set
goals over a several year period as an effective procedure for sound planning
and for making cost-effective budgetary decisions. At the same time, it must be
acknowledged that changes outside of the Library environment as well as
changes within the Library culture take place as an on -going norm. This has
become obvious, not only with the current fiscal uncertainties, but with the
changes in our communities, in our range of services, and in the world of
technology which now drives so much of what we do and how we do it . Goals
and objectives laid out in this plan will complement the Library's mission and
k,
service responses to meet the needs of the communities which it serves. Such a
plan must be a living document, subject to regular measurement and review, not
so much by numbers as by the tangible and intangible outcomes which are the
results of our work. It must be constantly open to modifications in its objectives
and in the activities that may be needed to carry out its intent, as well as being
designed and able to adapt responsibly to resource availability. Again, this is
more applicable today than ever before.
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS/NEW COMMUNITY NEEDS
For the past several years Monroe County has been in the process of undergoing
a number of changes, which have had and will continue to have great impact on
its communities and their service needs. The rate of growth has been and
probably always will be a major factor in community planning; it is a topic which
lends itself readily to much debate. Economic changes have been of much
concern throughout the state, and the impacts of those events on the State of
Florida have come to rest heavily upon this tourist -driven area. The
incorporations of Islamorada and Marathon have likewise affected the economic
life of the unincorporated areas. Although many of the services for these cities
are provided from within, the Library still operates as a Countywide service
provider —there is one public Library system for the whole of Monroe County.
Changes in the makeup of County population are other factors that are to be
considered in Library planning —as the population ages or more young families
move into the area, as literacy rates increase or decrease, as language barriers
become more or less prevalent —all these variations create new challenges for
the Library, and all must be included in our plans to meet future needs.
Collections, programs offered to the public, all the services that the Library offers
need to be geared to adaptation and modification.
Among the demographic changes recorded in the 2010 census:
Decrease of total population to 73,090, -8.2% from 2000
Decrease in number of children under 5 years of age, from 5.2% to 4.4%
of the population
Decrease in children from 5-14 years from 10.1 % to 8.9%
Youth from 15-19 now 4.5%, up from 4.3%
Adults from 20-24 now 5.14%, up from 4.3%
Decrease of adults between 25 and 44 years from 31 % to 25.7%
Increase of adults between 45 and 54 years from 17.6% to17.8%
Adults from 55-64 now at 17.8%, from 20.2%
Decrease of adults between 65 and 74 years from 8.5% to 4.6%
Increase in Hispanic population from 15.8% to 19.5%
31 % of Monroe County households are now single -person households
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School registrations have decreased, increased, and decreased over the past
several years. All of these changes may have a bearing on community needs
and interests, and should be taken into consideration when planning collection
development, programs, and other services to be offered.
As we study our communities and their changing natures, and begin to plan for
the accompanying changing needs and service demands, a vision takes shape
for the future of Monroe County and its Library System in relation to its people:
VISION FOR MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY
The people of the Monroe County community will:
• Have the information they need to succeed at school, at work, and in their
personal lives;
• Discover the joy of reading and develop an appreciation of learning;
• Enjoy a high level of access to electronic information resources, through the
latest information technologies in the provision of Library services;
• Develop the technological, information seeking, and information evaluation
skills needed in an increasingly complex world;
• Use the resources of the Monroe County Public Library in a way that will
improve the quality of their lives and that of the community as a whole.
SERVICE RESPONSES
With this vision in mind, we have identified the following as the service responses
that are our commitment to our community:
• General information
• Current titles and topics
• Lifelong learning
• Local history and genealogy
From these service responses the mission of the Monroe County Public Library is
formed:
MISSION STATEMENT
The Monroe County Public Library will meet the changing needs of our
communities for information, education and recreation in a variety of materials
formats and technologies. The Library responds to the needs of users of all ages
by providing equal, easy and open access to materials and services delivered in
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an efficient, timely and professional manner by staff who are friendly, helpful and
knowledgeable, in buildings that are inviting, comfortable and fitted for
technological growth and development.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
SERVICE RESPONSE 1: GENERAL INFORMATION
GOAL: The Monroe County Public Library will provide timely and accurate
information in print and electronic formats for residents of all ages.
OBJECTIVE: The Library will maintain a collection of printed materials
that are current, organized, and accessible, covering a broad variety of
topics.
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Continue the work begun in training staff,
especially new staff, in collection development in all media
and in expanding our resources to include more materials for
our non -English-speaking communities. Set up a plan to
enable individual branches to concentrate on meeting the
needs of their individual communities, while maintaining a
core collection of basic Library requisite materials.
OBJECTIVE: The Library will expand a collection of materials in a variety
of formats to meet the users' needs for information
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Analyze the use and value to the patron of print
materials as opposed to, or in conjunction with, electronic
materials covering the same information, in terms of content,
currency, reliability, ease of use, and cost valuation.
GOAL: The Library will offer reference service through phone and on -site
access, and explore potential for technological expansion
OBJECTIVE: Staff will be trained in the reference process and the use of
print and electronic reference sources
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Implement a plan by which staff will be trained in a
variety of social media and their potential use for Library
service expansion. Promote wider knowledge and use of
resources such as the Florida Electronic Library and our
Gale databases so that our patrons will be able to access
and use them with understanding and confidence.
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Investigate the expansion of our reference services through
expanding technologies, such as Ask -a -Librarian services,
reference chat programs, and other similar offerings
SERVICE RESPONSE #2: LIFELONG LEARNING
GOAL: Library users of all ages will find the means to continue to learn
throughout their lives and to access, evaluate, and use information in a variety of
formats.
OBJECTIVE: Programming for children, both in-house and outreach, will
be designed to reach a broad audience of children and their caregivers
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Develop a core collection of materials in all
appropriate media for use by staff involved in children's
programming, for availability as needed in all areas of the
system, to build a broader resource for these service
providers and avoid unnecessary duplication of materials
and expense.
OBJECTIVE: The youth of Monroe County will be targeted as a part of
the community not yet fully served
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Continue the formulation of a plan to incorporate
the needs and input of our youth community into collection
development, activities, and programming; look into space
planning for enhancing the physical space dedicated to the
Young Adult reader. Work with school and community
groups to implement the plan thus formulated to create a
Library environment responsive to the needs of this
audience.
OBJECTIVE: The Senior Citizens of Monroe County will find sources of
information and entertainment at the Library reflecting their particular
needs and interests.
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Expand the program of presentations geared to the
interests of Senior Citizens that will be offered in each
Library community; coordinate efforts along this line through
joint planning at the branch level. Establish outreach
services to Senior Citizens through the branch communities;
as above, coordinate efforts along this line through joint
planning at the branch level.
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SERVICE RESPONSE #3: CURRENT TITLES AND TOPICS
GOAL: Patrons of the Monroe County Public Library will have access to the
high -demand popular materials that they want through their local branch Library.
OBJECTIVE: Branch Managers will coordinate efforts to ensure that
copies of high -demand print materials are available to all patrons, while
over -duplication of these materials is avoided.
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: The Library will initiate an in-depth study and
analysis of materials purchasing systems and vendors,
comparing costs, products in all media, and benefits in terms
of value received.
OBJECTIVE: The Library will use technological advances as well as
traditional means as tools for enriching information services
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Social media will be used as tools for the
expansion of our reaching out to a broader base of patrons;
types of social media will be studied and analyzed for
appropriateness, usability, cost, and effectiveness in this
regard.
SERVICE RESPONSE #4: LOCAL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY
GOAL: The unique features of the Florida Keys will be highlighted in special
collections in a variety of formats and ephemera.
OBJECTIVE: The collections of materials relating to Keys History, natural
history, and genealogy will be expanded and publicized, encouraging use
and appreciation of the unique nature of this island chain.
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Ongoing digitization of suitable materials will be
promoted to increase the web presence of the collections
Available materials will be publicized through programs,
displays, news resources, and the Library website to
increase use of and appreciation for these unique
collections.
GOAL: The Florida History collection will be made more widely accessible to
promote formal and informal research on all levels of interest and scholarship.
OBJECTIVE: Branches with specialized holdings will implement a system
of organizing, indexing and cataloging non-traditional format materials,
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with a view to improving access without endangering the preservation
aspect of frail matter.
Achievement/Measurement Plan:
FY 2013: Continue to plan for the indexing and cataloging of
historic materials, and for a needs assessment to determine
priorities for its implementation. Communications with
historical groups in the Keys and outside the area will be
developed to expand the audience for these rare materials;
outside access to and usage of these materials will be
expanded through available technology
Although not mentioned specifically in the outline of activities listed above, one
other element is now intrinsic to every goal, objective, and activity that is a part of
the current Library annual plan: we will continue to aggressively seek out new
and renewed sources of funding to supplement our budget. We will pursue
partnerships within our communities and beyond, we will investigate potential
funding sources such as grants and foundations, we will work closely with our
Friends groups who have proved so generous in their gifts of time and money in
the past. Every opportunity for reducing expenses will be explored and every
possible instance of coordination of resources within the system will be
implemented and expanded. We are fully cognizant of the vitally important part
our services play in the lives of our communities and we do not hold our
obligations to our patrons lightly.
CONCLUSION
This plan for the next year is an outline only —a map of where we would like to go
and how we hope to get there. While it is designed as a part of a three-year view,
it is in reality just one more step in the constantly evolving plan for Library
services in the Keys. It is part of a continuous journey of growth that does not
end with the end of this fiscal year or with the fiscal year three years down the
road. Many elements must come into play in unison for the success of this plan —
some of these are already in place and need merely to be fine-tuned; others will
be unexpected and present new challenges to us and we will need to learn turn
them into positive elements of our work. Some basics have always been and
continue to be at the heart of this and every Library plan —the mission and goals
of the Library are a constant. It is the work of the Library to support the growth
and development of individuals, families, and groups, as is pledged in the
Mission Statement of Monroe County Government.
The Library serves as a constant link between the people of the County
community and their sources of business information, educational support, and
cultural development, and it is our job to assist the people in realizing their goals
in these areas. The Library is a tool by which the community is enabled to
survive, to recall its past, and to grow. In order to accomplish this, we must look
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to our own resources: technology, with its potential for enhanced service delivery,
is essential to maintaining our role as service provider, and the Library staff, the
most vital element in this plan, must be given the opportunity for training to
enhance their skills and develop their capabilities. Effective planning for the
future requires the blending of both the personal and technological elements,
along with a constant examination of what we are doing, how well we are doing
it, and how we can do it better. With this plan, we must unite these factors with a
willingness to adopt new ways of thinking, learning, and doing. We must be
always open to change, to adaptation, and to improvement, so that our pledge of
service to our communities may be not just kept, but constantly renewed.
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