Rural & Small Libraries in Pennsylvania

Facebook

2010-06-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

Never say never!

Rob Lesher talked me into Facebook. (Thanks Rob!) I "never" saw myself "on Facebook". But, there I am! And, I find it fun! It is a great way to "stay in touch" and stay informed. I have reconnected with old friends. I now see the impact of Facebook as a tool for marketing and networking. My library has a page; many of "my" librarians have pages... so why not a page for the Roundtable?

"Officially" (on paper--with membership renewals) we have about 30 members for the Roundtable. But "unofficially" the membership can grow by leaps & bounds with such social media as Facebook.

So, if you aren't on Facebook I am daring you to take the leap! The 40+ crowd has taken over Facebook. So, you can't say that you are "too old". It can be a "time waster" if you allow it. (Yes, in the winter I do find myself wasting too much time on Farmville. But in my defense I HATE WINTER.)

Try to "ease in". Create a page for your library. The Internet really is a great equalizer! It is an interactive way for your library to connect with and communicate with your "fans" (locally and from afar). Uploading pictures is easy. If you don't have a digital camera yet for your library, get one now! Nothing tells your library's story better than pictures!

And, once you've created your library's page, please invite me to "like":
mtanner@myway.com. (And, don't forget to "like" the Rural & Small Roundtable page!)

Looking forward...

Programs!

2010-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

So, the conference committee convenes today to choose the programs for the 2010 annual conference in Lancaster (October 24 - 27).

As this year's Chair for the Public Library Division and the Roundtable person, I was thrilled to see that 21 of the 56 public library programs submitted were geared towards rural & small libraries.

Please plan to attend this year's conference. If not for the entire time, then at least for a day. You won't be disappointed!

And, for free webinars, please check out the list posted (PAMAILALL) by Jim Hollinger on Thursday, April 29. The list is quite extensive and includes free programs from various library sources around the country.

Also, for $5 you or members of your staff can take advantage of the online courses at WebJunction. Pennsylvania is an affiliate member!

Please take advantage of these continuing education opportunities.

Call for Proposals

2010-03-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Please consider sharing your time and talents with us at the PaLA Annual Conference, Lancaster County Convention Center, October 24 – 27.

Program Proposals are now being accepted. The theme for this year’s conference is: Rooted in Tradition, Growing the Future.

The deadline for proposals is Sunday, April 25, 2010. The proposal application link can be found at PaLA’s website (main page): www.palibraries.org A .pdf is also available for downloading a working copy. Notifications will be made in May.

The conference offers nearly 70 breakout sessions on topics of interest to all types and sizes of libraries. For the past two years, the conference has featured a session geared towards rural & small libraries. Please help us continue that focus by submitting a program proposal.

Thanks!

Call for Programs

2010-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, new decade and time to plan ahead.

The PaLA Annual Conference 2010 is October 24 - 27 in Lancaster. Where rural and small most definitely applies!

The call for programs will be soon! Please consider presenting a session geared towards your rural & small peers at the annual conference.

For 2008, we pitched the idea of the Roundtable and had an overwhelming response. Then again in 2009, the conference agenda included a session specifically showcasing great things happening at rural & small libraries across the state.

Now is your chance! We need you!

As Public Library Division Chair for 2010, I encourage you to submit a program geared towards rural & small libraries (bookmobiles and outreach services). Toot your own horn (something we don't do enough of!) and share your ideas. Now more than ever we need to help each other succeed!

Keep an eye on the PAPUBLIB and PAMAILALL lists for the deadline for submitting your program proposal.

WebJunction

2010-01-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has happened! Pennsylvania is now an affiliate member of WebJunction!

Now, more than ever, Small & Rural Libraries need to stay current on library trends and keep staff well-trained.

Don't let this opportunity pass you buy. Go now to: http://pa.webjunction.org.
If you don't already have a user name & password, establish an account. Create a user profile and designate that you are a member of the Pennsylvania affiliation.

You will have access to a large selection of online workshops and training courses. These will be available to library employees and library board members at a cost of $5 per course. Yes, that's right--$5!

The PA partnership creates an online learning community for Pennsylvania--the ideal solution for small & rural libraries.

HSLC's training for Access PA services will be integrated into this service.

While there, take time to look around WebJunction. There are many valuable resources there. You no longer need to "re-invent the wheel"!

"Brain Drain"

2009-11-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

This link was just posted on the ARSL listserv.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/220216

The Newsweek article is entitled: "Doughnut-Hole Country". "The authors of the new book Hollowing Out the Middle talk about rural brain drain, and how to address it."

Snippets on fundraising:

2009-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Diana Megdad (Commonwealth Libraries) and her Strategic Planning/Funding Resource Committee for the following suggestions.

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! With funding issues since forever, libraries have got to partner to survive. And not just with other agencies, but with each other. There is an online magazine devoted to articles and ideas from the field:
http://collaborativelibrarianship.org

Need help choosing a low cost donor management system:
http://techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page11928.cfm

Ever thought of having a silent auction?
www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/silent-auction-fundraiser

This committee has created a website with lots of ideas! Check it out:
http://www.accesspa.state.pa.us/funding_resources/

ARSL Website

2009-09-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

The new logo and website for ARSL was unveiled in Gatlinburg today.

http://www.arsl.info/

Bookstore Concept

2009-09-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

The preconference for ARSL was held at the Anna Porter Public Library in Gatlinburg, TN. A BEAUTIFUL new library with an amazing view.

The idea of incorporating the bookstore concept into their new library is one that came from a previous ARSL held in Columbus, OH. The conference attendees toured bookstore branches within the Metropolitan Columbus Library System. An attendee at those tours was Kenton Temple, director of the Anna Porter Public Library.

The city of Gatlinburg is only 3,500 residents. A very small mountain town. Gatlinburg is not a rich community. The idea to build a new library started with a plan and people committed to making it happen. The idea to incorporate the bookstore concept turned "customers" into "raving fan customers".

Kenton Temple believes that for any library space 10,000 square feet or less this model is the way to go! The plan for this library was adapted from the book: What libraries Can Learn from Bookstores by Chris Rippel.

Some key concepts that make this model work include:
* Face out: the goal is 17% of your collection is face out.
* Slat end shelving on everything.
* The top and bottom shelves are empty. (ease of use)
* Weed, weed, weed! (Classics can be placed in a classics section; all other subject areas are "fresh"--you want continuous turn-over. Libraries are not book warehouses.) They do have a local history collection that is added to and not weeded.
* Displays, displays, displays!
* All shelves are on wheels for easy rearrangement.
* Lower ranges of shelving throughout.
* "Traffic" moves to the right.
* Add pleasant scents to the environment.

They did keep Dewey so they didn't have to reinvent the wheel. Books are arranged within each subject area by Dewey Classification. The juvenille non-fiction is interfiled with the regular non-fiction to accomodate adult readers with low reading levels (as well as children with higher reading levels).

Your circulation system must be able to support a location category (staff must be able to easily locate materials).

There is signage everywhere.

They did visit bookstores to look at their layout pattern and really worked to find the right fit with regards to where to place certain sections. The computer books are naturally placed near their bank of public access terminals. The dvd's, as well as sections for sports and entertainment are located near the YA materials.

This library is beautiful and the entire concept is worth considering. Afterall, our goal is to meet the needs of our customers and create "raving fan" customers.

ARSL 2009

2009-09-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Gatlinburg, TN!
The annual ARSL Conference begins tomorrow.
A fascinating pre-conference with a look at a small, rural library that has instituted the bookstore model.

The agenda for this year's conference is spectacular!

Hoping to have several "nuggets" to share.

Stay tuned...

Rural/Small Award

2009-07-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sharing this post from the PA listserv (thanks Jim Hollinger). I have been collecting "stories" from all over PA for the Roundtable's PaLA session; there are great things happening at Rural and Small libraries in PA, so I know there are "award" worthy small & rural libraries in PA.

PLA (Public Library Association Division of ALA) awards are open September 1, 2009 with a January 1, 2010 deadline. For more information about the “Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Service Award”, see the following link:

http://www.pla.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaawards/ebscoexcellencesmallruralaward/index.cfm

Roundtable Update

2009-06-22T07:03:00.001-07:00

Thank you all for your patience. It is quite a process beginning something new!

A rough draft of by-laws have been submitted for review. The timeline is to have them "tweaked" and ready for presentation at the August PaLA board meeting. Once the by-laws are approved WE ARE OFFICIAL! Look for the Roundtable on your 2010 PaLA membership renewal form!

In the meantime, I gave a lunchtime "update" at the Southwest Chapter's Spring Workshop in May. And, I will be presenting at Aliquippa's District meeting in July. I have contacted District Consultants in PA for assistance with the session at this year's annual conference in Harrisburg, October 18-21

As you may recall, last year's PaLA session was: "More Cows than People". And, keeping with that theme, on Monday, October 19, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. the session is entitled: "Udderly Wonderful! Rural & Small Libraries in PA". I want the session to "celebrate" great stories, great innovation and great happenings at rural and small libraries across Pennsylvania.

If you know of a small (serving less than 25,000) or rural library that is "thinking outside the box" and doing amazing things, please let me know! tanner@citlib.org

Don't forget Webjunction!

2009-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Michelle McIntyre reminded me about Webjunction so I thought I would remind you.
She found a great article called "Marketing the Small Library". It is by the State Library of Kansas, 2002 and available on Webjunction. I have put a link to it under the Articles section to the right. It is 70 pages long, so you might want to just print the sections relavent to your need/interest.

There is an entire marketing section under management.

Webjunction really is a "one stop" for rural and small libraries wanting assistance with various topics. It also provides staff training, help with technology and is a social networking site for librarians. Don't discount social networking! For those of you geographically located in the hinterlands, social networking sites can help you stay connected and feel less isolated or alone.

Libraryland is filled with blogging librarians who without the Internet or social networking capablities would ever been noticed.

So, if you haven't visited in a while why not visit today:
www.webjunction.org

Herb's Book

2009-05-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

The latest publication to go into the "toolkit" of the libraries in Washington & Greene Counties was Herb Landau's "The Small Public Library Survival Guide: Thriving on Less".

I first purchased it for the professional collection at the district center and that copy has yellow sticky note tabs coming out of it. Next to my copy of Seth Godin's "Tribes" it is my other "bible". I then decided that every library in my district should have a copy of it. It is available through ALA. Insist that your district center purchase copies! Or, ask that someone purchase it for your library (a Friend, Trustee, a book in "honor" of your small library...).

Chapter Four is "Funding Your Library's Plan" and talks about the development of a fundraising plan for your library. No matter how small (or rural) your library, a plan for fundraising it a great idea. It need'nt be long and involved. Keep it simple. DJ Oshry recently came to the Washington District Center to talk about the very same thing. For an over view of that session and the 4 components of a plan, checkout the district blog: www.washdlc.blogspot.com.

Herb's book is filled with practical applications and ideas for thriving. If you are unfamiliar with Herb Landau, his is a story worth knowing. Herb is the director of the Milanof-Schock Library in Mount Joy, PA. Herb has a background in business and was hired by the library in 2002 when there wasn't enough money in the budget to pay his salary. In 2006, the Milanof-Schock Library was selected as the "Best Small Library in America".

As we face the possibilities of further cuts to library funding and statewide programs, it is imperative that we regroup at the local level in order to survive and thrive. Herb's book is a great start in that process!

Weeding!

2009-02-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

I just received this link from the ARSL listserv today. It is a link to the updated (2008) CREW Manual.

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/

Weeding continues to be an "issue" at some small libraries. Keeping the library collection "fresh" and relavant is a professional responsibility! It borders on "unethical" to maintain a collection that is dangerously out-of-date and of no real use to your library customers. And, in PA that should concern you--if you don't meet your customers' needs they can drive as few as 10 miles and visit another public library to get what they need! Yes, really! And, once you "lose" them to another library--chances are they "ain't coming back"!! (Even rural and small libraries need to think QUALITY not quantity!)

Sometimes the problem is "traditional" thinking staff members; sometimes it is board members. Those days have to be over if you want to survive.

The bottom line is, WE WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE BOOKS OUT OF THE LIBRARY!
Unless your library shelves are currently empty, chances are you really need to do some serious weeding.

Here is the challenge: take a look at your circulation statistics for 2008, then do a massive weeding of your collection. Follow CREW and do it right! If you have a circulation system, run a list of all items that have not circulated in the past five years and get busy! Have this project completed by National Library Week (April 12 - 18). (A great week for a booksale!)

At the end of the year, compare your circ post-weeding with last year's figures. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised!

Update

2009-01-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

A list serv has been created for this Roundtable at googlegroups.
Emails from the petition will be sent an invitation to join.

If you do not receive and invitation and would like to join, please email the Roundtable: rsbroundtable@myway.com or tanner@citlib.org.

Each Chapter will be contacted and encouraged to include someone from a rural/small library in their planning process for the upcoming year.

PaLA Board Vote

2008-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

The PaLA Board met on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 and unanimously supported the creation of a Rural and Small Libraries Roundtable.

Thank you everyone!

Now the fun begins.

Keep an eye on your inbox. A googlegroup is being created to keep everyone informed of activity.

Thanks again and Happy Holidays!!

Stories

2008-11-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

We have been working with a PR/Marketing consultant. We thought we could just hire someone and they would "do everything". That isn't how it works, really.

Constant marketing of library services requires us to "think differently". I have noticed a "mindset" shift in myself. I am constantly looking at how other "industries" are marketing their goods/services.

One of the first things we learned was to keep a notebook on us at all times in order to jot down ideas, examples and stories. We are working to collect stories that will "sell" library services for us: examples of great things that are happening in libraries. Those stories will help us make connections with potential funders and communicate to our current funders the importance of our services.

Rural & Small Libraries and Bookmobile & Outreach Services touch people's lives everyday. Please email me your stories. I would like to add a "stories" link to this site.

rsbroundtable@myway.com

More Cows...

2008-11-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for your attendance and support. I have gotten so much positive feedback and offers for assistance.

I'm carrying around the petition. Look for the cow hanging off the clipboard. I'm up to 64!

Getting Started

2008-10-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania is the home of Clarion University's "Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship".

72% of Pennsylvania's libraries are classified as small (serving populations of less than 25,000).

Isn't it time to create a voice/gathering place/resource for rural and small libraries?!

It is my intent to form a Roundtable within the Pennsylvania Library Association in order to create this voice.

The first step will be gathering the 100 signatures required to create the Roundtable. Please join me at this year's annual conference in Valley Forge. A session entitled "More Cows than People" will be held Sunday, November 9, 3:30 p.m. We will be discussing our vision for this Roundtable, brainstorming goals and objectives, as well as what rural and small libraries really "need" to help them succeed. Think about what you would like to see from such a Roundtable and join me in Valley Forge. If you are unable to attend the annual conference (as most rural and small libraries cannot)--please email me your feedback. tanner@citlib.org