HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994/09/13 - Agenda Packet - Library Board of Trustees - Adjourned ~.LIBRAR¥ BOARD OF' TI~U~ ~S.TE~S ~-
" ENDA
CITY OF ~CHO ~C~ON~A ~ .~ .~.. ~
7:00 pm ' *
Sep~emberlS~l~04
Cihc C enter .: r~
Co~l Chambers
10500 ~i~c ~en~r Ddve
~ncho Cucam0ag~ ~ffo~a:
C~ty Councdmem~?r~.
DennlsL. S~Mayor
Chiles 'J~.'Buqu0t, Mayor Pm Tern,:
~x Gutiemz, ~u~i(membg~?,~
Bo~dmembers. .~t
e~ B01da~e~t ~ :~
Ja~u e "?' :
.'- '~' Edw~ E. S~k,
PAGE
Board of Library Trustees Agenda ].
Adjourned Meeting, September 13, 1994
A. CALL TO ORDER
1. Roll Call: Bolda , Howdyshell , Gregory __
Muna-Landa , and Swistock__
B. CONSENT CALENDAR
The following Consent Calendar Items are expected to
be routine and non-controversial. They will be acted
upon by the Board at one time without discussion. Any
item may be removed by a Boardmember or member of
the audience for discussion.
1. Approval of Minutes: September 6, 1994
2. Approval to adopt Resolution No. LB94-001, establishing
the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. as the Regular
Meeting day and time for the Rancho Cucamonga Public
Library Board of Trustees.
3. Approval to adopt the proposed fee/fine schedule for the
Rancho Cucamonga Public Library.
4. Approval to adopt the fee of $3 to purchase a marketing
style library card packet.
5. Approval to adopt the proposed open hours for the Rancho
Cucamonga Public Library.
6. Approval to adopt the Holiday schedule of closures for the
Rancho Cucamonga Public Ubrary.
C. LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S STAFF REPORTS
The following items do not legally require any public
testimony, although the President may open the meeting
for public Input.
1. Brief oral overview on the history and process that created
the Rancho Cucamonga Public Ubrary.
2. Presentation of key American Library Association
documents for adoption: Intellectual Freedom Statement,
PAGE
Freedom to Read Statement, Students' Right to Read
Statement.
3. Approval to adopt the proposed patron classifications and
borrowing limits for the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library.
4. Presentation of the American Library Association process of
Public Libran/role selection. Board discussion and
selection of 3 or 4 major roles for the Rancho Cucamonga
Public Library.
D, BOARD BUSINESS
The following items have been requested by the Board
of Library Trustees for discussion. They are not public
hearing items, although the President may open the
meeting for public Input.
None at this time.
E. IDENTIFICATION OF ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
This is the time for the Board of Library Trustees to
Identify the Items they wish to discuss at the next
meeting. These items will not be discussed at this
meeting, only identified for the next meeting,
F. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
This Is the time and place for the general public to
address the Board of Library Trustees, State law
prohibits the Board from addressing any issue not
previously Included on the Agenda.
G. ADJOURNMENT
I, Vivian Garcla, Library Administrative Secretary of the
City of Rancho Cucamonga, hereby certify that a true,
accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on
Thursday, September 8, 6:00 p.m., 1994, seventy two
(72) hours prior to the meeting per Government Code
54953 at 10500 Civic Center Drive.
September 6, 1994
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Special Meetin~
A. CALL TO ORDER
A special __m3~_ '~g of the L~rary Board of Trustees was held on Tuesday, September 6, 1994, in the
Council Chambers of the Civic Center, located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga,
California. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. and the pledge of allegiance was led by
Deborah Kaye Clark, L~rary Manager. Present were Boardmembers Bolda, Gregory, Howdyshell,
Muna-Landa and Swistock.
Also present were: Charles J. Buquet II, Mayor Pro Tern, Diane Williams, Councilmember, Jack
Lam, City Manager, Jerry B. Fulwood, Deputy City Manager, Sn?anne Ota, Community Services
Manager, Deborah Clark, Library Manager, Diane O~qeal, Management Analyst 11, Robert Karatsu,
Principal Librarian, Jan Sutton, Deputy City Clerk and Vivian Garcia, Administrative Secretary.
B. ITEMS OF BUSINESS WITH NEWLY APPOINTED OFFICIALS
BI. Charles J. Buquet I~ Mayor Pro Tern, administered the Oaths of Office to the new
Boardmembers.
B2. Deborah Clark, L~rary Manager, stated that the Library is mn under the Education Code of
the State of California. By that Code, an election of officers for President and President Pro Tern is
required. Deborah Clark, Library Manager, opened the floor for nominations for President for the
Library Board. Boardmember Muna-Landa nominated Swistock for President. Boardmember
Howdyshell nominated Jacatueline Bold& An oral vote was taken. Boardmembers Muna-Landa and
Swistock voted for Edward Swistock for President. Boardmembers Bolda, Gregory and Howdyshell
voted for Jacqueline Bolda as President. Ms. Bolda was elected President.
Deborah Clark, L~rsry Manager, opened the floor for election of President Pro Tem for the
Library Board. Boardmember Swistock nominated Laura J. Muna-Landa. Boardmember Bolda
nominated Robert Howdyshdl. Boardmembers Muna-Landa and Swistock voted for Laura J. Muna-
Land& Boardmembers Bolda, Gregory and Howdyshell voted for Robert Howdyshell as President
Pro Tern. Mr. Howdyshell was elected President Pro Tern.
B3. By Ordinance, Board Trustees serve a three year term. To assure a staggered turnover and
continuity of the Board, the Education Code requires that two of the initial Boardmembers serve a
Library Board IVfinutes
September 6, 1994
Page 2
three year term, two - a two year term and one - a one year trauL The Board drew lots with President
Bolda and Boardmember Gregory receiving terms ending June 30, 1996; Boardmembers Howdyshell
and Muna-Landa serving until June 30, 1997; and Boardmember Swistock serving until June 30,
1995.
Deborah Clark, I_a~ora~ Manage~, stated she is inquiring about reappointment provisions with the City
Attorney and will have the information at the next meeting.
B4. Resolution to establish day, time and place for regular meeting of the Board of Library of
Trustees.
MOTION: Moved by Boardmember Swistock, seconded by Boardmember Howdyshell that the
Board of Trustees will meet the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
C, CONSENT CALENDAR
Cl. Approval of the personnel system of the City of Rancho Cucamonga to govern all personnel
matters for the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library.
C2. Approval of the purchasing procedures of the City of Rancho Cucamonga to control all
purchasing practices of the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library.
Boardmember Howdyshell questioned if the City would be purchasing for the Library or would the
L~rary be purchasing the supplies for themselves and following the procedures of the City. Deborah
Clark confirmed the latter, that the Ia'brary would be going through the Finance Department with all
requirements on requisitions.
MOTION: Moved by Howdyshell for both items to be approved on the consent calendar, seconded
by Muna-Landa. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
D. LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S STAFF REPORTS
D1. Deborah Claxk, L~ra~ Manage~, stated that some of the items which must be accomplished
by the L~rary Board of Trustees before the L~rary opens are establishment of frees and fees for the
Library Board IVfinutes
September 6, 1994
Page 3
L~rapy, the establishment of borrowing periods for the Library, the holiday schedule, an adoption of
an official selection policy for the Libra~ and finally, an approval of different patron borrowing
designations and regulations.
President Boida stated the next meeting would be September 13, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. to address these
policies for the Library.
E. BOARD BUSINESS
None received.
F. IDENTIHCATION OF ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
Fl. Boardmembet Swistock requested that for the next regularly scheduled meeting he would like
to know how we plan on going to the schools in general and spreading the word that the L~rary is
no longer on Baseline but is now on Archibald.
F2. President Bolda inquired if we are going to have Ad Hoc Committees for senior cifiTens and
for children. Boardmember Swistock agreed on the concept. However, he recommended that we
continue this item on the next regularly scheduled meeting. President Bolda would like staffto come
up with ideas.
G. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
None received.
Library Board l~anutes
September 6, 1994
Page 4
H. AI)JOURNM'ENT
MOTION: Moved by Swistock, seconded by Muna-Landa to adjourn to September 13, 1994, at
7:00 p.m. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. The me,ting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Vivian Garcia
Administrative Secretary
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. LB94-001,
ESTABLISHING DAY AND TIME OF THE REGULAR
MEETING FOR THE BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of Resolution No. LB94-001, establishing the first
Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. as the Regular Meeting day and time
for the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library Board of Trustees.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The date was selected by the Board by mutual agreement at their first
Special Meeting of September 6th.
%~ctfully submitted,
Deborah Kaye (~arkj '
Library Managei'''''~
RESOLUTION NO. LB94-001
A RESOLUTION OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING A TIME AND
PLACE OF REGULAR MEETINGS.
WHEREAS, SECTION 3 of Ordinance No. 520 establishing a municipal L~ra~ does provide
that regular meetings of the Library Board of Trustees shall be established by Resolution of the
Library Board of Trustees; and,
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the L~'brary Board of Trustees to e~blish a schedule of regular
meetings.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libra~ Board of Trustees of the City of
Rancho Cucamonga does hereby establish a meeting schedule as follows:
SECTION 1: Regular meetings of the Library Board of Trustees shall be held on the first
(lst) Thursday of each month at 7:00 P.M.
SECTION 2: Regular meetings of the Library Board of Trustees shall be held at the Civic
Center Complex located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California in the City
Council Chambers.
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO:. President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED FEE/FINE SCHEDULE
FOR THE RANCHO CUCAMONGA PUBLIC LIBRARY
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of the proposed fee/fine schedule as proposed by staff
and approved by the Library Subcommittee.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The proposed fee/fine schedule reflects an analysis of fines and fees of
neighboring jurisdictions, the newness and desirability of the Rancho
Cucamonga collection and the overall city philosophy to pursue fees for
service as opposed to taxes or assessments.
The attached schedule was approved by the Library Subcommittee,
consisting of Mayor Dennis Stout and Councilmember Diane Williams, on
July 5, 1994. The original report to the subcommittee is attached for your
review.
ectfully submitted,
Library Manage~-.~
DATE: July 5, 1994
TO:. Mayor and Members of the Library Subcommittee
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: PROPOSED TRADITIONAL LIBRARY FINES/FEES
The following recommendations are for fines and fees with established
traditions in the Library community.
OVERDUE FINES
General overdue fines; Occasionally called "extended use fees", library
fines are a traditional and accepted fee for library services. The Dynix
automation system requires that the fee rate be attached to the item, not
the borrower. Therefore, children's books carry the lesser fine, not the
child borrower. For this fee, which would apply to books, audios and CDs,
the proposal for the new library is to charge at the same rate currently
charged by the Branch Library for adult materials, $.05 higher than the
Branch for juvenile materials.
Adult overdue, $.25 per day; Children's overdue, $.15 per day
recommended.
Video Cassette Overdues: The fee charged for each day late.
$2 per title is recommended.
Maximum fine: Overdue fines accumulate to a maximum amount until the
item is returned. The primary purpose of the overdue system is to get the
item back on library shelves. Therefore, to promote return, the maximum
fine usually does not accumulate to the cost of the item since at that point,
the public believes they have bought the item for that price. Maximum
fine for children's titles is lower than adults, reflecting the lesser cost of
children's materials.
Adult maximum fine, $10; Children's maximum fine, $5
recommended.
Collection Fee: In the event the library materials are not returned after 2
notices created by the Library, the account is referred to a collection
agency. The cost the agency charges the library per account, plus
overhead costs, are passed on to the borrower. Average cost per account is
$10. For this fee, the proposal for the new library is to charge at the same
rate currently charged by the Branch Library.
$16 per account recommended.
FEES FOR SERVICES
Video Cassette Borrowing Fee; This is the loan fee to borrow video
cassettes. Staff recommends continuing loan charges made by the County
Library.
$1 per title for a 2 day loan period, for both entertainment and
educational videos is recommended.
Reserve F~O; This is the fee assigned when a book desired by the patron is
not on the shelf to borrow. With the Dynix system, patrons will be able to
enter the system and place their own holds on materials. Staff
intervention occurs when the patron needs to be notified the item
reserved is available. This will occur by mail or through a phone call. Cost
for the library to provide the service is $.29 for postage and approximately
5 to 10 minutes of staff time.
$1 per reserve recommended.
Interlibrary Loan Fee: This fee is assigned when the item requested is not
owned by the local library. This service has not been made available
through the County Library System. While the cost of this service is high
(approximately $12 per item), staff is aware that the "new" collection at
the Rancho Cucamonga Library will have gaps caused by popular and
prominent titles being out of print and unobtainable. The only recourse
will be to interlibrary loan these titles for patrons. Therefore, the fee
recommended is at the low end of those surveyed.
$2 per loan recommended.
~ The initial library card is free. For each lost card, a fee
is charged to cover staff time and materials.
$2 for each lost card is recommended.
LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS REMOVED FROM CIRCULATION
Lost Book or other Library. Materials: This is the fee to cover replacement
cost of lost items, or those damaged so severely to be considered unusable.
Since all the materials held in our library are new items, the proposed
replacement cost is the list price entered into the system.
List price of the item entered in the system is recommended.
Processing Fee; This is the fee assigned to "lost item' accounts to cover the
staff and material costs occurred to replace an item that has been lost.
This charge is added to the replacement cost of the book and the maximum
overdues accumulated.
$5 per book and $6 per media is recommended.
DAMAGE FEES:
Damage to any library materials will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Charges will be levied up to replacement cost of the damaged item. Below
are standardized damage values:
Bar Code Damaee: Should the barcode be defaced, removed or vandalized,
patron will be charged cost for staff time and materials.
$2 per barcode is recommended.
~ Should the publisher's cover be defaced or removed,
patron is charged for diminishing the value of the book.
$$ is recommended.
Plastic Book (~ovor; Should the plasticlere applied for the protection of the
book be removed or vandalized, the patron will be charged.
$2 is recommended.
Compact Disc Damage;
Broken jewel case; The plastic case that holds the item is called a jewel
case. Fine will cover material and staff time involved.
$1.$0 is recommended.
Loss of liner nq~: Liner notes consist of publisher's insert and can extend
to a libretto accompanying CD.
$$ is recommended.
Video Cassette Damage:
Shell re?lacement: Fee to replace the hardshell covering of the standard
VHS cassette.
$5 is recommended.
Storage Case Damage: Fee to replace the locking security storage case. Cost
of the Library to purchase: $3.79. Fine will cover material and staff time
involved.
$5 is recommended.
Recommended. Fees.
A __ B C~
2
3 ~ ~-u.u_S FOR
4 RANCHO CUCAMONGA PUBUC UBRARY
5
6 OVERDUE FINES
7 Overdue fine: adult $0.25
8 Overdue fine: children $0.15
9 Overdue video $2.00
1 0 Maximum adult overdue fine $10.00
I I Maximum children's overdue fine $5.00
1 2 Collection Fee $16.00
13
1 4 FEES FOR SERVICES
1 5 Video Cassette Borrowing Fee $1.00
I 6 Reserves $1.00
I 7 Interlibrar¥ Loan $2.00
1 8 Lost Library Card $2.00
19
2 0 LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS REMOVED FROM CIRCULATION
21 Lost Items Price paid
2 2 Processing Fee for books $5.00
23 Processing Fee for media $6.00
24
2 5 DAMAGE FEES
2 6 Bar code $2.00
2 7 Cover damage $5.00
2 8 Plastic book cover $2.00
2 9 Compact Disc
3 0 Broken jewel case $1.50
31 Loss of liner notes $5.00
3 2 Videocassettes
3 3 Shell replacement $5.00
3 4 Stora~je case damage $5.00
Page 1
survey
A B C D E F
1
2
:3 SURVEY OF FINES/FEES BRANCH UPLAND ONTARIO CORCNA PC3VIONA
4 TRADITIONAL UBRARY
$
6 OVERDUE RNES
7 Overdue fine: adult $0.25 $0.15 $0.10 $0.25 $0.15
8 Overdue fine: children $0.10 $0.15 $0.10 $0.10 $0.15
9 ~Overdue video $1.00 $2.00 $2.00 $1.00 $1.00
1 0 iMaximum adult overdue fine Replacemer $5.00 $4.00 $10.00 $20.00
I I Maximum children's overdue fine Replacemer $5.00 $4.00 $10.00 $10.00
I 2 Collection Fee $16.00 $14.00 $7.00 18% $20.00
13
I 4 FEES FOR SERVICES
1 5 Video Borrowing Fee-Entertainm $1.00 $0.00 $1.00 $0.00 $1.00
1 6 Video Borrowing Fee-Educational $1.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1.00
1 7 Reserves $0.25 $1.00 $0.00 $1.00 $0.50
I 8 Interlibrary Loan N/A $2.00 $0.00 $2.50 $2.00
1 9 Lost Ubrary Card $1.00 $0.00 $2.00 $3,00 $2.00
20
2 1 LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS REMOVED FROM CIRCULATION
22 Lost Items Generic List Price Price Paid Price Pai Price Paid
i 2 3 ~ Processing_ Fee for books $0.00 $5.00 $5.00 $7.50 $0.00
~ Processing Fee for media -- $0.00 $5.00 -- $5.00 $7.50 $0.00
25
2 6 DAMAGE FEES
2 7 Barcode $0.00 $2.00 $1.00 $2.00 $2.00
2 8 Cover damage $0.00 $0.00 $5.00 $0.00 $0.00
2 9 Plastic book cover $0,00 $0.00 $2.00 $2.00 $0.00
3 0 Compact Disc
3 1 Broken jewel case $1.50 $0.00 $1.50 $1.00 $0.00
3 2 Loss of liner notes $5.00 $0.00 $5.00 $5.00 $0.00
3 3 Videocassettes
3 4 Shell replacement $5.00 $0.00 $5.00 $0.00 $0.00
3 5 Storage case damage $5.00 $2.00 $5.00 $2.00 $1.00
Page 1
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF $3 FOR MARKETING STYLE LIBRARY
CARD PACK.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of $3 fee for the purchase of the marketing style library
card.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
In a concept approved by the Library Subcommittee, two distinct library
card styles were developed by the contracted artist, Evelyn Yee. The f'~rst
style is plain, decorated by the library logo, printed in two colors and was
produced at a cost of $.11 per card. This card is available to all library
borrowers free of charge.
The second card was designed in full color, using a special marketing logo
for the library, following the concept originated by the City. The cost of
producing the card pack, a full size card plus two key tags with a variant
design, is approximately $.30. This card was designed to be a fundraiser
for the library. The marketing logo and usability of the key tags will
promote purchase of the item. All proceeds go directly to support the
Library's budget.
~d,/Ka~> eCtfully submitted,
Library Manager
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF OPEN
HOURS FOR THE RANCHO CUCAMONGA PUBLIC
LIBRARY
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of the proposed hours of operation as proposed by staff
and approved by the Library Subcommittee.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The proposed hours of service reflect the need to provide service at the
same level as the County Branch Library. A restructuring of hours
provided an extension of evening services, the opportunity to provide
training time for volunteers, and the ability to support a 9/80 work
schedule improving evening coverage for patrons.
The attached schedule was approved by the Library Subcommittee,
consisting of Mayor Dennis Stout and Councilmember Diane Williams, on
July 5, 1994. The original report to the subcommittee is attached for your
review.
De~bora~h/~KaPeC t full y submitted,
Library Manager
DATE: July 5, 1994
TO:. Mayor and Members of the Library Subcommittee
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBYECT: RANCHO CUCAMONGA PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS OF
SERVICE
The following hours are proposed for the new Rancho Cucamonga Public
Library:
PROPOSED HOURS OF SERVICE CURRENT BRANCH HOURS
Monday: 12.9 p.m. Monday: 10-8
Tuesday: 10-9 p.m. Tuesday: 10-8
Wednesday: 10-9 p.m. Wednesday: 10-8
Thursday: 10-9 p.m. Thursday: 10-8
Friday: 12-6 p.m. Friday: 10-6
Saturday: 10.5 p.m. Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: 1-5 p.m. Sunday: 1-5
Total service hours: 59 Total service hours: 59
The proposed hours would provide the same number of open hours as
currently provided by the Rancho Cucamonga Branch Library with the
following differences:
Evening hours would be extended to 9 p.m.
As a communiting community, evening hours are generally popular with
families and individuals. The extending 1 hour of service offers the ability
to visit the library after the normal dinner hour.
Monday opening would be delayed to noon.
This delayed opening would allow staff to complete reshelving and
reorganization caused by heavy service days of Saturday and Sunday,
when staffing is at a minimum.
Friday opening would be delayed to noon.
This delayed opening on the weeks lightest service day would allow staff
time for meeting and training sessions. In a library where reliance will be
placed heavily on volunteers, good training opportunities are essential.
Friday mornings represent the only time period when part time, evening
and regularly scheduled employees are working the same shift and will be
available for cross training, shared training of volunteers and full staff and
divisional meetings.
POSITIVE IMPACT: The community will enjoy the extended evening
hours. Staff communication and training levels will be much improved by
the opportunity provided on Friday mornings.
NEGATIVE IMPACT: In addition to the loss of Monday and Friday hours
to public service, the Monday and Friday variant of morning hours would
have to be remembered by the public.
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA ~
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF SCHEDULE OF HOLIDAY CLOSURES
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of schedule of holiday closures as presented in the
attachment.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The attached list of proposed holiday closures for the Rancho Cucamonga
Public Library is based on the following:
1) Analysis of the closures of surrounding libraries
2) Reflection of the negotiated holidays adopted by the City of Rancho
Cucamonga
3) Budgetary constraints in the payment of overtime.
Deb~ctah ~ayectfully submitted,
Library Manager
RECOMMENDED LIST OF HOLIDAY CLOSURES
VE'IERANSDAY Friday, November llth, 1994
(Official City Holiday)
THANKSGIVING Thursday, November 24th, 1994
(Official City Holiday)
DAY AP-TER THANKSGIVING Friday, November 25th, 1994
(Official City Holiday)
CHRISTMAS EVE Saturday, December 24th, 1994
(Official City Holiday)
CHRISTMAS DAY Sunday, December 25th, 1994
DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS Monday, December 26th, 1994
(Official City Holiday)
NEW YEARS DAY Sunday, January 1st, 1995
DAY AFTER NEW YEARS Monday, January 2nd, 1995
(Official City Holiday)
MARTIN LUTHER KINGS BIRTHDAY Monday, January 16, 1995
(Official City Holiday)
PRESIDENTS DAY Monday, February 20th, 1995
(Official City Holiday)
EASTER SUNDAY Sunday, April 16th, 1995
MEMORIAL DAY Monday, May 29th, 1995
(Official City Holiday)
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA .--.
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
lack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF KEY POLICIES REGARDING
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the philosophies and intent of the Intellectual Freedom Statement,
the Freedom to Read Statement and the Students' Right to Read Statement.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The public library is designated as the most accessible public tool for
information through print, data and various forms of media. Preservation
of the publics right to know, their right to learn, read and grow
independent of the opinions and philosophies of others, no matter how
well-intentioned, is a basic mission of the public library. The attached
documents, approved by the American Library Association, represent
three statements designed to assist libraries in defending the fundamental
freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights: the freedom to publish diverse
opinions and the right to unrestricted access to those opinions.
stctfully submitted,
Library Manager
09/08/94 12:56 ~'909 784 1158 Inland/$IRCI.rL$ -*-,.* Rallcho Cllcuonea 1~003
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
STATEMENT
The her~rage of free men is ours.
In the Bill of Rights to the Urlited States Constitution. the
founders of o~Jr nation proclaimed certain fundamental free.
dome to I~e esserrtJ~J to our form o! government. Pdmary
among these is thc freedom of ex~)ression, specilically the
right to 13ublish diverse opinions and the right to unrestricted
access to those opinions. As citizens committed to the full
anc~ flee use of all communications media and as profes-
sional persons responsible for making the content of those
media accessible to all without ~ejudice. we. the under-
signed, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation
of freedom of expression.
Through continuing judicial interpretations of the First
Amendment tO the United States Consiit~rtion, full freedom
of ex,oression has been guaranteed. Every American who
aspires to the success of Our experiment in democrac3,--
who has faith in the political and social integrity of free men
--must stand firm on those Constitutional guarantees of es-
sential dghts. Such Americans can be expecte~l to fulfill the
responsibilities implicit in those rights.
We, tllerefore, affirm these proposib'ons:
1. We will make availab/e to everyone who needs or desires
them the widest possible diversity of views and modes of
expression, including those which are strange, unorthodox
or unpopular.
Creative thought is. by its nature, new. New ideas are
always different and. to SOme people, distressing ancl even
98
09/08/94 1~':$? ~'909 784 1158 Inland/SIRCI.TLS -,-,-, Rancho CucanonKa ~1004
int~l/ectu~J Y~ednm
threatening. ~ ~eat~ of eve~ new idea is like~ to be
regarded ~ Un~nvon~fla~c~sio~lty
his ~ea ~ tint e~min~, ~en refit, t~n t~te~ in its
~lifi~l, ~ ~ mo~l ~l~ations. T~ ch~ed~c abili.
~ of our govem~n~l s~t~ to adapt to fl~ C~nge
rs vasty ~e~hened by the opt~n of ~o P~ple to c~
~eely ~rom am~g ~nfl~ng opinions. TO stifle
f~mJst ideas at ~eir inception would ~e to end ~e demo-
~c ~r~ss. ~ly ~rough ~nuous weighing and
~l~ion ~om a~ng o~sing ~ews c~ f~
o~n ~e S~ngth ne~ for intelligefl~ coracle deci-
~S and ec~ns. In s~, we need to u~e~d not
what we bel~ve, ~t w~ we believe as we
2. We need ~t ~se eve~ idea confined in ~e materials
we produce a~ make availabl6.
We 8e~e ~e ~u~l proc~ by Oisseminating the
knowledge ~ ~m r~uired for ~e gro~ of the mina
~d the e~SlOn of le~i~. For us to em~oy our own
~l~al, m~, ~ es~e~ views ~ standards fm Oetermin-
i~ what mateda~ are publish~ or circulated ~nfli~ ~th
~ public int~e~ We c~t ~ster ~ue edu~aon b i
~ang On om~ ~e stru~re and content of our ~n
~ns. We m~ ~ese~e ~ enhance the people's dght to
a ~Oader ra~e of ideas ~an those held by a~ libr~an or
publ~her or church ~ gov~nment. We bolo that it is Wrong
to limit any ~on to ~Ose ~eas And that infor~aon
er ~lieves to ~ E~, g~, a~ proper.
3. We rega~ as J~elev~t to ~e acceptance and
of any mea~ w~ ~e personal history or pol~cal affilia-
~ of the a~r m othe~ responsible for it or ~s ~blica-
~on.
A work of a~ ~ust De ju~ged ~leJy On its own merit.
Cr~vity can.t llou~h E ~s appraisal aha acceptance by
~ ~mmunity is Jnfl~nceo by ~e poliacal ~e~ or
I~ of the ~sts or ~e ~eat~s. A sOcie~ ~at allo~
bla~li~s to ~ ~led ~ used to silence ~iters and
a~ cannot exi~ as a free s~iety,
~ 4. ~ eve~ avai~bJe lega~ ~ans, we will challenge la~ or
gov~nmen~l a~on ~td~ng or prohibiting the publication
~ of ~ffei~ mat~als or limJ~g fr~ access to such ~tedaJs.
09/08/94 12:57 ~'909 784 1158 Inland/SIRCUL$ ++4 Rancho Cucnnonsa ~1005
Part 2
O~Jr society has no piece for iegislatNe efforts to coerce
The taste of its members, to restric[ adults to reading maker
deemed suitable only for children, or to inhibit the eflo~s of
creative persons in their attempts to achieve artistic pedec-
tion. When we prevent serious adists from dealing with truth
as they see it, we stifle c~eadve endeavor M iLS SOurce.
Those who direct and control the intellectual development of
our children---parents, teachers, religious leaders,
philosophers, statesmen-must assume the responsibility
for preparing young people to cope with life as it is and to
face the diversi~y of experience to which they will be ex-
posed as they mature. This is an affirmative responsibility
That c~nno[ be di~'haJ'ged easily, certainly not with
added burden of cur~ilin9 one's access to ar~ literature, and
opinion. Tastes differ. Taste, like morality, cannot be con-
[rolled by government, for _qovernmenlal acUon, devised to
suit the demands of one GrouP, thereby limits the freedom
of all others.
5. We oppose labeling ~ny work of literature or art. or ~ny
persons responsible for its ~eation, as subversive, danger-
ous, or otherwise undesirable.
Labeling atteml:AS to predispose users of the vadous
media of communication, and to ultimately close off a path
to knowledge. Labelin[~ rests on the assumption that per-
sons exist who h~ve a special wisdom, and whO, t~erefore,
can be permitted to determine what will have 9god and bad
effects on other people. But freedom of expression rests on
the premise of ideas Wing in the open ma~etplace for ac-
cel~tance, charge, o¢ rejection by individuals. Free men
choose this path.
6. We, as guardians of inteltectual freedom, oppose and will
resist every encroachment upon that freedom by individuals
or groups, pdvate or Official.
It is inevitable in the give-and-take of the <ternocratJc
process that the political, moral, and esthetic preferences of
a person or groul~ w~l conflict occasionally with those
others. A fundamental premise of our free society is that
each citizen is IXivileged to decide those opinions to which
he will adhere or w~ch he will recommend to the members
of a privately organized group or association. But no pri~ate
100
09/08/94 12:58 '~'909 784, 1158 Inland/SIRC['L$ .,-*~, Rancho Cucamonaa [~006
I~l.elleciu~l ~;'teednm Stat~e,cnt
group may usurp the law and impose its own politica~ or
moral concepts upon the general public. Freedom cannot De
accorded on[y to selected groups for it is then transm~ed
into privilege and unwarranted license.
7. Both as citizens and professionals, we will strive by all legiti-
mate means open to us to be relieved of the threat of per.
sonal, economic, and legal reprisals resulting from Our
SUppOrt and defense of the principles of intellectual freedom.
Those who refuse to Compromise their ideals in support
of intellectual freedom nave often suffered dismissals from
ernploymenL forced resignations, Doycotts of products and
establishments, and othe: invidious fonmS of punishmcnL
We perceive the admirable, often lonely, refusal to succumb
to threats of punitive action as the highest form of true
professionalism: dedication to the cause of interlectual free-
dom and the preservation of vital human and civil liber~es.
In our various capacities, we wilt actively resist incur.
sions against the full exercise of our professional respons{.
bility for creating and maintaining an intellectual environment
which fosters unresb-ained C~eative endeavor and true free-
dom of choice and access for all members of the community.
We state these propositions with convietiotq, not as easy
generallzations. We advance a noble claim for the value of
ideas, freely expressed, as embodied in books and other
kinds of communications. We do this in our belief that a free
intellectual climate fosters creative endeavors capable of
enormous variety, beauty, and usefulness, and thus worthy
of support and preservation. We recognize that a~o~)lication
of these propositions may encourage the dissemination of
ideas and forms of expression that will be frigrttening or
abhorrent to some. We believe that what people read, view,
and hear is a critically imporb3nt issue. We recognize, too,
that ideas can be dangerous. It may be, however, that they
are effectually dangerous only when opposing ideas a~e sup-
pressed. Freedom, in its many facets, is a precarious course.
We espouse it heartily.
Aoo~ted June 25, 1971. by the ALA Council. EndOwed June 18, ! 971,
historical file by ~e ALA Council in 1982 by ret;ueSt of the IFC.
09/08/94 13:01 ~909 784 1158 Inlalld/$1RCtq.$ **~ Rallcho Ctlca~on6a ~01~
THE FREEDOM TO READ
Thc freedom to read is e~sentia] to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private
groups and public authori6es in various pans of thc country are workin to remov
h'om sale, to censor tcxtboolcs, to label "con,-,~------~'-,,, - ' ..... g . ¢ books
uv.ul~ai ooo~..~ to ~lStrll)Ut¢ lists of
~_o_bjec~ .onabl? books or auth. ors, and to purge libr=ics The.~ acri*-, - ..... ,
rr°,m a view mat our nalionai ~radi~ion of Free ex,,,.,.c.~.:: ;. __, ....
imcl Suoore~ion ~, ,,,,.:.~ .~. .... ,..__r-*oo,,,- ,~ -u ~onger valla; mat c, ensorshi
.. arc needed I ..... u ~ au~v~:---- -,~ ..... - - P
., ,.,~,u. v~ pou~l¢,~ an~ mc corruption of
morals. We, as citizens devoted to the usc of books and as librarians and publishers
responsible for ciisseminating them, wish to assert thc public interest in the preservation of
~V/ni~d~elLGOda~eerl~n._e~, '_d. lx~t. ~ .aEernpts at strppressiolt Most such a,*
J gment, will a~=~t the ~ and ,.i..-..,- ,---, ~. nary ~ ~ exorcism
assumc that thc sho dde~e · '~°cxl-:'''~a''~*'~'~uau- ~ ne censors, publicand '~gatc
y uld et~'mine what ~s good and whaz is bad for tI~ir fellow-c-i~l~_~as. '
We trust Americans to recognize oro .... ,~ * --- ....
· v ~,,&~ua.~anu [Ol~J~tlL Wedonotb~h
the .h~lp of o~nsors to asses1 th~m in this r~,b w..~ ....... '~v¢ tt~y need
sacrmce their herita£c of a flee ,~,-,-.- ...-'~':'- .~"~'-~,E~'~ ocu..?e ttley are prepared to
may be bad for fl~-m. We bclievc they still fa,,~- ¢~___ _pr~_.. , a,ga~.ns, t what others think
-., -,-,* ~.lr~ erlml-prls¢ in laeas and expression.
e are a. ware,_o.f course, that. books are no~ alone in bein sa '
u.ppress~on, w¢ are aware mat e~- ,.rtr~,,.._ _, .... !g !bjected to efforts at
only one o/a~tual cens~r~hi~ ;:1~,, -~l~~'' "~P' ra~o .ariel t~Mvisioa. The m-obleTM
sust~t, to an even larger---'~l~'t~.~, ;,::~,w...~.~ ~e~r cast by. th~.s~ .t~ssures l~cis, we
controversy. ~ '~'~""~"~ ~ expresaon 0y those who seek to avoid
Such pressure toward eonfo;mlty is perhaps natur~l to a rime. of tm~asy change arid
.}~rv.ading fear. Esp~ally when so man), of our a eheasio ·
:deology, the ex ression of a ' ' · _ ppr :ns ~ directed a ainst an
· . P dissident idea ~ . . . g
move agaznst E as against a h~,o,4~= .4_..~ _ ... omes a thing teared m zt~clf, and we tend to
,, ...... u~, w~m suppression,
And ¥¢t supllfes$ion is ~ mote dangerous than in such a lime of social tension.
_F. rc~d ..om h_as given ~e United Stares thc elasticity to ¢~d,,~ strain Freedom
_m,,e para of novel and cr~fiv¢ solulio~s -,,~ o,,o~,~-- -,---.£ - - . . ps n
sllencin , ,.-,,~ ...,~u~r..a c~u~g¢ to collie
g of a heresy, every cnforce,~.., ..~ ._ ~. ..... by c. boice.
~, ~,~,,~-ar.a mc toug~ncss and
resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with stress.
Now as always in our history, books are among our greatest instruments of freedom.
· .Y . - Om)' a small alld~¢nc¢ .
for thc new ~dea sad the unmed voice from whic .... ,_ .__.T?.ey.are t~.?a .rural medium
h ..,,,,,~ a~; original conto~uttons to social
growth. They are ess~miai lo tl~ extended discussion which serious tbough£ requires, and
to ~he accumulation of knowledge and ideas inlo organized collections.
We be2icve that free communicazion is essemial to ~¢ preservation ofa ~ sc~ie~y and a
creative culture. We believe that th~ p,';ssures towards conformity pr~'nt the danger of
limiting the range and variety of inquir~ and expression on which our democracy and our
86
09/08/94 13:01 ~909 784 1158 Inland/SIRCULS ~-,.* Rancho Cuca~onga ~015
fmxiom to pub~i~ and to circula~ in ~ler ~o pa:serv~ its own fn:odom ~o r~ad. We
~ that publish¢~ and h'brarians have a profound r~sponsibility to give validity to lhat
f~a~dom to read by making it possible for the reaulers Io choos~ freely from a variety of
offerings.
The freegom to ~ is guaranteed by ~ Coastitutio~ Those wi~h faith in f~e¢ pcopk: will
stand firm ~ these constitutional gum-~. ~ces of essential rights and w~l cxcrcise thc
r~ponsibilities tl~ accompany these nghts.
We theT~fore affirmlhese/,,~_0ositlons:
1. It is in the eublie interest for publishers and librarians to make awil~hle the widest
diversity of views snd e~,,,,~ssions, includin~ those which are unorthodox or
ua~o~ulm' wi~h tbe maic~tw.
Ckcativc thought is by dc~mition new, a~l what is new is di~ere, nt Thc b~rcr of Cw~ry
n~w flx~ught ts a rebe! until that idea is refined and tested. Totalim4~m systems attempt to
maintain ibcmselv~s m power by thc ruthless SUl~ of any concept which challcagcs
thc cstabllshcd ocd, odoxy. Thc power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly
strcngfl~ncd by thc fr~dom of i;s citizens to choose widely ~ among co~flk~ting
opinions ~ freely to ~ To ~ every nonconformi~ idea at bh'th would mark the.
end of thc clcmo~atic process. Furtl~,~re, only through thc constant activity of
weighing and selecting can thc ~ min~ al:rain thc ~'Cllgth dcmandc~d by limes like
these. We need to know not only what we I~li~v~ trot why we believe i~.
2. Publigher~ librarians and booksellers do not need to endors~ c,~crv idea ar
.m-esentation contained in the books they_ make available. It would confliel with the
public interest for them to establish their own politic~l, moral or aesthetic views as a
standard for deleamining what books should be published or eirculateA_
Publishers and librarians serve thc cduc~ional prcr. c~ by heltang to ,raKe avail~bl?
imowlrxlg~ and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning.
They cio not fosmr education by imposing as mentors the _pltt, ems of their own thought.
The people should have the freedom to read and consider a ,~,:,adez ran$~ of ideas than
those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or govm'nment or church. It is
wrong that what on~ ~an read shotdd be confined to wtm another thinks proper.
3. It is corotar_ to the oublie interest for uublishers or h'b;/uqans to dctenr, i~ ~
acceotabili _ty of a book on the basis of the pe~al history or ?litical affiliations Of
A book should lac judge<l as a book. No art or litm-arure can flourish if it is to b¢ measur~l
by ~ political .'.v~-ws or p~.'vate lives of its creators. No socira7 of fit~ pex~pk: can flourish
which draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatcvcr tl~y may have to say.
87
09/08/94 15:02 '~909 784 1158 Inland/SIRCUL$ --+ Rancho Cuca~onga ~01i
4. ~here is no olaee in our society t'c~ efforts to cc~c= the ta~t~ of onh~. ~ ~nfin,.
adult~ to the tezding trmtter deemed ~uitnb]¢ for adolesccnL~, or to ~nhibil ~ effo,-i~
of wrimrs to ~ehieve arti.~tic expressiaa,
To some. much of modem li~-ature is shockin~ But is not m,,^~. _~.~.: ........
We cut *~'-' ...... ~ ...... o.. ~.! u, me. ~u~u moc~nne.
,~..,~.~mc ~ me source ~rwc p~g~ent wntet~ flora deahng w~th ~e ~tuffof li[c.
Pazent~ and t~achers have a responsibility to ptepa~ the young to meet the div ' of
experiences in life to which th~, will be ~.,~-~ -- -- - . . etmy
learn to ,uink ,~4,~,,~n. t,.~ a,-~_ ,. _ ~',v,~-,~ ~mey nave a responsibility to help them
~v~L v ~ y v .=~n~ .mere nora rcaamg works for ~hich they a~e not
others-.~um~a wm stat me aemanas otone group without limiting the
5. It is not in fl~e oubfi¢ intercst to force a reader ~ a,;~;e~t with any book ~
~,E~ud~nent o~a label cha~-acierizine the b~ok or author as subversive ,~x
Th~ ideal of labeling presuppot,~ the existence of individuals ct grouos with wisdom ~n
det~.?..e, by au.~?fi~r, what is ~ or bad for the citizem h t~esuo~ses ~,~ ~.a~.xa,7.~.
~--~ ~,~.~ ~,wa ~a u~, uu~r rJfirlkklg £or Lqel11. ' m~ffl" C~ ~ do
6. I.t is the resoonsibilitv of ouhlishers and figra,;ans, a~ e~ardians of the t~oole'
· . --.--- h 'i'
It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic ...........
themselv ~o, ,k.~..~Z, fLd __~, ~7~_ .,~:~ ~,..~ums are ~ to aeterr~e for
e~ wllal: ~,.~ ~,~a~ ua ~ ~ eagll 1S ~ i ' '
r~om,-~-.-~ .-. :.- ~----, ........ -g~ to demrm r~C wb~ ~t wi~
aeeepmt and thc inoffensive. -'~ "' ~ ~a~ n'ce~om tt ~t ts acconled only to tl~
7. ,.',~__~ _~.i ... th Ii ' ' fullmenn' --
· . . 111
demonstrate that the ~nswer to a bad book i~ a eood one. the answer to a bad idea
The freedom to read is of liule con.sequence when expended on the trivial; it is
omy me aozence ot restrainL the r~;r~w ~.:-:- -~ r ~. . ,~.~u ~a uut
_ Out _._ r .... ,,.,_,ri or 0 al for th
mteuectual inheritance is h:~nd~..t ,4 ..... ,~ ,a~_.-v-.~._ ~.- ,~,~, u.~.jv,~ ~;nimll~l oy wmcn me
...... ,, o~,~ ~ Pm means of it~ testing and grow~
The dcfe, ns~ of theh' freedom and integrity, and t~
~ enlargement of their s~6c~ to soc/ety,
88
09/05/94 1~:0~ '~'909 7~4 115~ Inland/SIR~L$ ..,4 Rancho Cucanonfa
m?, r~ propositions noir. her lightly nar as ea.sv ~erm~i~.~t w,. ~ ~ ~..
~_~. of e~ ~ ~ ~pu~t ~ ~.y ~ We ~ ~t ~ ~
mat wna ~ ~ zs a~zy ~g ~ ~ ~ ~ a=.~,c.
~.o9 of l~ ~ fa~ ~ a d~c ~. F~ ~ a a ~g~ ~y of
This s~emeat waz originally issued in May of 19~3 by ~he Westchcster Conference of the
American Library Association and lite American Book Publishers Cotmcfl, which i~ 1970
of A ~,~n__ c~ Publishers.
Adop~I June 25, 1953; reviiat January 28, 1972, .Ianuary 16, 1991, by th~ ALA
Council.
89
09/08/94 13:03 ~'900 ?$1 1158 InlalId/$IRCUL$ ~ Rallcho Cucalollsa ~016
THE STUDENTS' RIGHT TO READ
Can Oc use~l wls~ty or tooh ~hiv Inman ........ ~ ...... otlal Iradilioo
.,. $ way~,, ~u~IIOIl 15 all ~O1~ [O llllprovc the
. quality .of chokes open to all student. But to deny the freedom of choice' ·
· be tmwi.sely usod is to d¢$t~ thc ' - la f~ar ~ ~t may
· . . . . y fa~iom itself. For this reason, we
individuals to b~ selective lo ~heir own r~adin~ ~, ...... resin! the right of
to limit the freedom of choice of o~a-s or ~o itapose their
The right °f any in .di.'vidual not just to read but to read whatever hc or .
basic to a dem6cr~ s:~ciety. This right ;, ~,~,~ .........
~pos..~css judgment and undea-~tanding and can be Itusted with ~ det.~mina~ioo of their own
Uon.~. In cffect, thercaderisf~'eed fx~nnthe bond$ of chancc. The r~ad~r is not limlted
by,birth, geographic location, or ' · · .
hilo . . tm~ since reading allows meetm I de '
p sophies, and exl:~n'lcncml eventn far ~.-.--~
owli existence." ........
From The StudencV Right to Read, National Council of Teachers of English, 1982.
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 13, 1994
TO: President and Members of the Board of Library Trustees
Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager
FROM: Deborah Kaye Clark, Library Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF PROPOSED PATRON
CLASSIFICATIONS AND BORROWING LIMITS FOR
THE RANCHO CUCAMONGA PUBLIC LIBRARY.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve adoption of patron classifications and borrowing limits as
presented in the attachment, Patron Loan Types.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
Patron classifications are assigned based on the real and specific needs of
the members of a group of patrons traditionally served by the public
library. A description of each group is below, along with key borrowing
information:
Resident Adult
Defined as a resident of Rancho Cucamonga 18 years of age or older.
Fourteen day loan period for regular book items. Twenty-five items out is
the maximum number allowed by the system. A fine greater than $10
requires approval of circulation supervisor to proceed. Eight items
overdue would require supervisor intervention to continue more
borrowing. Patron may place a maximum of 10 holds.
Resident Juvenile
Defined as a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, must be 3 years of age, up to
17 years. Approval of these classifications would require a child to be a
minimum of 3 years before qualifying for a library card. Same borrowing
limits as above.
Library Board of Trustees
September 13, 1994
Page 2
Nonresident
Any borrower who does not live within the City limits. Approval of these
classifications allows nonresident borrowing from the Rancho Cucamonga
Public Library. Same borrowing limits as above.
Teacher
Any borrower working for a public or private school in California. Twenty-~
five items out is the maximum number allowed by the system. Borrowing
period for regular book materials is set at 28 days. All other borrowing
limits same as above.
Transient
Any borrower using a motel address or using a P.O. Box without an
accompanying home address. Seven day loan period for regular book
materials. Five items out is the maximum number allowed by the system.
A fine greater than $10 requires approval of circulation supervisor to
proceed. Four items overdue would require supervisor intervention to
continue more borrowing. Patron may place a maximum of 10 holds.
&,ctfully submitted,
Deborah Kaye CI~
Library Manager
ITEM LOAN REGULATIONS
Regular Book Materials, Childrens and Adults:
Available for a 2 week loan period.
Available to all age levels
Magazine Materials:
Available for a 2 week loan period.
Compact Discs:
Available for a 2 week loan period.
General Entertainment Video:
Available for a 1 week loan period.
$1 fee
Use restricted by Juvenile
General Educational Video:
Available for a 1 week loan period.
$1 fee
Best Seller Entertainment Video:
Available for a 2 day loan period.
$1 fee
Use restricted by Juvenile
Business Collection Video:
Available for a 1 week loan period.
$5 fee
Paperbacks:
Available for 2 week loan period.
Audiobook (Unabridged):
Available for 2 week loan period.
$1 fee
Read-Alongs (book and cassette childrens sets):
Available for 2 week loan period.
Audiocassettes:
Available for 2 week loan period.
PATRON LOAN 3~q=ES
A B C D E F G H
PATRON LOAN TYPE~ LOAN GRACE MAX. # MAX. OVER- MAX. # O~'-~'PATRON
PERIOD PERIOO OUT DUE FINES ~ PRIORI'Pt RATE
RESIDENT ADULT 14 days 1 25 $10 8 75 1
RESlDENTJUVENILE 14 days I 25 $10 8 60 1
NONRESIDENT ~14 days I 25 $10 8 65 1
TEACHER i28 days 1 25 $10 8 65
TRANSIENT 7 days 1 5 $10 4 65 1
STAFF !14 days I 25 $10 8 99
o
Page I
Planning and Role Setting
for Public Libraries
A Manual of Options and Procedures
Prepared for the Public Library. Development Program
by
Charles R. McClure
Amy Owen
Douglas L. Zweizig
Mary Jo Lynch
Nancy A. Van House
American Library Association
Chicago and London
Developing Roles and
Mission
Libraries reflect the diversity and character of 6). This chapter describes five basic steps:
the communities they serve. Excellence in Ii- 1. Determine level of effort
brary service is not a simple matter of numbers.
2. Study library, roles
It lies in the "fit" between the librarv.'s roles
3. Select library, roles
and the needs and expectations of the corn-
4. Prioritize library roles
munity it serves. A6 communities change, so do 5. Write the mission statement.
their libraries.
This chapter introduces a set of basic service Developing roles and mission may occur at this
roles and explains how these roles and the Ii- point in the planning process, or it may be com-
brary's mission statement are linked. By using pleted prior to LooMng Around as a basis for
the results of Looking Around to select roles and determining which information to collect. In the
define a mission statement, the planning com- sequence presented here, the planning com-
mittee can state, "For this communiv,.' and for mittee can take advantage of the results of Look-
this planning cycle, thi~ is what the library, will ing Around to help it determine the libraD"s
be." That statement frames decisions to come current performance with respect to the roles
in later planning phases: Writing Goals and Ob- and the availability of critical resources to sup-
jectives (Chapter 5) and Taking Action (Chapter port each role.
2,1 Developing Roles and Mission
Public Library Roles dividually, these choices often seem small.
Which book to buy? Which item to catalog first?
Public libra~'y roles are profiles of library service Whether to add a microcomputer for public use
emphases. Taken as a group, they provide a cat- or to recarpet the children's area? The effect of
slog of library service images. Each role is a such decision making is, however, cumulative.
shorthand way of describing a combination of These choices define the librao.. They deter.
factors important in planning: mine where the budget is spent and how staff
· What the library is trying to do spend their time.
· Who the library is t~ing to serve By selecting which roles to emphasize, the
· What resources the library, needs to achieve planning committee provides criteria for mak-
these ends. lng these decisions. The planning committee
· and library staff need to balance their vision for
_Figure 11 introduces eight library roles. These desired roles with a clear recognition of which
roles (described in more detail later in this roles the library can realistically fulfill. These
chapter) provide a menu for selecting the roles roles become the focus for library resources and
most appropriate for your library's circum- energies during the years ahead. Stating these
stances. No library, has a large enough budget, choices explicitly allows the library to:
staff, or collection to meet all the service needs '
of its community. No library, can fulfill all roles * Relate services to identified community needs
with excellence, so each library, must focus its and library conditions
resources on a limited number of roles. · Concentrate on the most needed service areas
The notion of limitation may be uncomfort- · Communicate service priorities to staff, local
able. Yet choices about service priorities not government, and the public
made deliberately are made by default. Librar- · Allocate resources more effectively.
ians make choices on a daily basis. Taken in- The roles presented in this chapter are gen-
eralizations, not absolutes. They encompass most
public library, contr butions to a community, but
do not describe all possible library, services Di-
Community Act~'vities Center: The library is a central focus
point for community, activities, meetings, and services, visions between roles are a matter of judgment.
Some roles overlap to a certain extent, and some __
Community Information Center: The library is a _~Li. br~al?, activities apply to more than one role. If
clearinghouse for current information on'communir,, your library, is selecti'n~ r~01~s 'at an extensive
organizations, issues, and services, level of effort, you may identify, or define roles
Formal Education Support Center.. The libraO, assists unique to your library's circumstances. How-
students of all ages in meeting educational obiectives ever. the standard set of roles presented in Fig-
established during their formal courses of study, ur· 11 is useful for comparative purposes.
Independent Learning Center: The library supports
individuals of all ages pursuing a sustaihed program of
learning independent of any educational provider. Public Library Mission
Popular Materials Library: The library, features current. The mission statement is a concise expression
high-demand, high-interest materials in a varieD- of of the libraD,'s purpose. It specifies the funda-
formats for persons of all ages. mental reasons for the tibraD-'s existence In this
sense, it builds on, but is not limited to, the
Preschool·re' Door to Learning: The library, encourages
young children to develop an interest in reading and roles chosen by the libraD.. The mission ·stab-
learning through services for children, and for parents lishes the scope of the librao.'s act v t es for tile
and children together, current planning c'y. cie and acts as a foundation
for other planning phases. In one sense, the
Reference Library: The libraO' active y provides timely, mission is like a job description: it gives direr-
accurate, and useful information for communir,.' residents.
tion to the library's daily activities.
Research Center: The library, a.~ist$ scholars and researchers Brief, simple, and direct, the mission is es-
to conduct in-depth studies, investigate specific areas of pecially well-suited to communicating with the
knowledge, and create new knowledge, public. It concentrates the essence of the li-
brary's role choices in nontechnical language
I:IGURE 1 1 Public Library Roles and communicates the librar,."s "business" to
Developing Robes and Mission
Level of Effort for
Developing Roles and Mission
Basic
The library director and the planning committee devote one meeting to reviewing the
roles and their components, linking the roles to the results of the library's Looking Around
activities, completing the role selection exercise, and prioritizing the roles. Roles are se-
lected on a library.wide basis. The planning committee uses Workform F (see Figure 16)
to brainstorm ideas for the mission statement. The director or another staff member drafts
the statement for approval by the committee.
Moderate
The director and planning committee spend at least one meeting reviewing the roles
and discussing the implications of the roles in terms of the results of Looking Around and
the library's resources. Key staff and the library board also participate in the role selection
exercise. A separate planning commirtee meeting is scheduled to review the results of the
role selection exerCise on a group by group basis, discuss the composite results, and prior-
itize the roles. The planning committee and key staff use Worldorm F (see Figure 16) to
brainstorm ideas for the mission statement. A staff person prepares a draft mission statement
which may be reviewed by the library board and staff prior to receiving approval from the
planning commirtee.
Extensive . :.
The planning committee ob~ins input from a wide variety of groups (general library
s~tff, elected ot~cials, the community, the library board) as it selects roles. Central library/
branch roles may be selected in addition to library-wide roles. The planning committee
allots a series of meetings to study the roles, explore their ramifications in terms of library
resources and community needs, to assess variations in point of view demonstrated by the
different groups involved ~n the role selection exercise, to finalize their role selections,
~nd to rank the roles. The planning committee encourages input from staff, board, and
other interested groups in brainstorming the mission statement. A staff person prepares a
drafr mission statement which is reviewed widely. The draft statement may go through
several reviews before adoption by the planning committee.
staff, elected of Rcials, and the communiD' at brary's purposes andservice priorities, theystand
large. In contrast, the role descriptions are most for the next cycle. If not, they are rewritten to
useful to the staff, board, and planning com- reflect changing circumstances.
mittee. Because they are lengthy, the roles re-
quire more thought, time, and study to "digest." Step 1: Determine Level of Effort
However, the roles and the role selection pro-'
cess help librao' staff to set priorities, to define In addition to the general factors affecting level-
the library's mission, and to direct daily libral3.' of-effott choices and your librao"s interest in
activities, this planning phase, the planning committee
with each new planning cycle, the planning faces two additional considerations: establish-
committee tests the role choices of the previous lng organizational relationships for the role
cycle and evaluates the mission statement. If the lection process and selecting participants in the
roles and mission statement still reflect the Ii- role selection process.
'lO Developing Roles ~cl Mission
Participants in the Role In making this decision, consider how your
Selection Process libra~' plans to set goals and obiectives. For ex-
Role selection provides an excellent opportu- ample, if you plan to set library-wide goals and
nit¥ to involve a variety, of groups in the librat3."s obiectives, roles may also be chosen for this
planning activities. Because selecting library, level. If separate goals and obiectives are estab-
roles is influenced by values as well as by ob- lished for individual library units, then roles may
jective consideration of the libratys circum- be appropriate for these units as well. (See
stances, diversit3.' of viewpoint is healthy. The Chapter 5 for more detail.)
planning committee may ask the librat3' staff Ifyourlibrarydecidestodevelopbothlibra~'-
(collectively or by organizational unit), board wide and central library/branch roles, the plan-
of trustees, local government o~cials, or com- ning committee must decide what sequence to
munity groups to complete the role selection use for role selection. Developing librar?wide
exercise (Step 3). The results from these groups roles first provides guidance for branches, but
are reported to the planning committee for re- may limit their vision. Developing branch roles
view, comparison, and discussion. Increasing the first max.' ignore overall library priorities. Either
number of groups participating in the role se- sequence is workable. The choice is largely a
lection exercise increases the level of effort for matter of management st3.'le. However, increas-
this planning phase, lng the number of units selecting roles increases
your libraD"s level of effort proportionally.
Organizational Relationships
in the Role Selection Process Step 2: Study Library Roles
Public libraries with branches have several
choices for coordinating role selections among The planning committee's study of libraD' roles
the branches and the libraD' as a whole. Options has two parts: reviewing the roles and their corn-
include: ponents, and linking the roles to the results of
· Libra~'-wide roles only Chapter 3, Looking Around. The amount of time
· Central librar3.'/branch roles in addition to Ii- spent on studying the roles varies with your li-
brar3,. -wide roles brary's level of effort for this planning phase.
· Central librat~./branch roles only, but in the
context of a library-wide mission statement.
Developing Roles and Miss/on
Reviewing the Roles and Role measurement. A wide variety of evaluation tech.
Components niques can be applied to each of these roles.
A thorough understanding of the eight basic Ii- A~ a star~ing place for your exploration, how-
braO, roles lays the foundation for the role se- ever, this manual lists measures described in
lection process. Each role has four components: OMPL, second edition. The "Further Possibili-
Description, Benefits, Critical Resources, and ties" discussion for each measure in that manual
Output Measures to Explore. suggests additional analyses of the data col-
Description highlights the service aspects of lected, options for additional data collection,
the role--what is done and for whom. Service and supplementaD- measures. These sugges-
examples are provided to illustrate the range of tions can help you tailor measures associated
activities associated with each role. In some with the library's roles to meet your evaluation
cases, suggestions for ways to focus the role by needs more precisely. A~ you use these mca-
subject or clientele group are given, sures and other evaluation techniques during
Benefits from a particular role can accrue both the planning process, keep these points in mind.
to individuals and to the community. This com- * No single measure tells a complete stoo'. In-
portent briefly describes some of these advan, terpret performance measure scores in context
rages and suggests possible political implica- with each other, with other evaluation tech-
tions for selected roles.
niques you are using, and with the librai'?"s
CriticalResourcesare factors that significantly overall service program.
affect the library's ability to fulfill each role. · Performance measure scores are not absolutes.
These resources are grouped under the head- There are no "right" or "wrong" scores for per-
ings of collection, staff, and facilities. Generally, formance measures. Interpret performance
resources should already be in place to support measure scores in context with your libraD"s
the roles your library will emphasize during the role profile and mission.
current planning cycle. If resources are~ absent · Exercise patience in working toward improv.
or weak, success in fulfilling the roles chosen ing performance measure scores. Changing
depends on how quickly needed resources can your library's score on a set of measures is not
be acquired, done overnight.
The last role component is Output Measures
to F-xptore. Judging a library's degree of success Role Descriptions
in achieving a role is a complex process, one The next section of this chapter presents eight
in which a professional body of knowledge is basic library roles. It has been designed to allow
still emerging. Determining success requires the reproduction and distribution of these pages
combining experience, judgment, and objective to role selection participants.
32 Developing Roles and Mission
Community Activities Center operation and co-sponsorship with other
community organizations are central to this role,
DESCRIPTION: The library is a central focus
the library, develops an effective communication
point for communit3., activities, meetings, and network. This network supports the library, in
services. It works closely with other community, carrying out other roles it has selected.
agencies and organizations to provide a coor-
dinated program of social, cultural, and recre-
ational services. CRITICAL RESOURCES: The collection is not em-
The library provides both meeting room space phasized in this role.
and equipment for community.- or library.spon. The staff have wide, direct involvement in
sored programs. Programs might include book many community, organizations. They promote
talks, health information fairs, book discussion community, activities and act as liaisons between
the library and community, groups.
groups, communip,.' issues forums, speaker se-
The facility is central to this role. It might
ties, concerts, art exhibits or humanities pro- include an audiovisual production lab, cable
grams. The libra.,3.' may be a source of program-
ming for local cable television. Library facilities studio, give.away racks, display facilities, tele-
may be us&d for organizations providing health conferencing facilities, or community bulletin
boards. In some instances, the library may share
testing programs, tax assistance, youth groups, facilities with other communir,, agencies. The
voter registration, and the like.
building is easily accessible, has adequate park-
BENEFITS: Communi~' members have oppor- lng, and contains enough meeting rooms and
tunities to explore their common heritage, dis- informal space to accommodate a varlet3., of
cuss their divergent views on issues and current functions.
topics, and receive some social services. The
library, enhances the attractiveness of the com- OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE:
munity by providing a central location for cul- · Library Visits Per Capita
rural, civic, and recreational activities. Since co- · Program Attendance Per Capita
Develo~ng Roles and MiS~o~ ~1
Community Information Center
DESCRtPT~ON: The library is a clearinghouse
for current information on community organi.
zations, issues, and services. The libr:~rv main-
tains a high profile as a source of information . :.
about community services. It responds to com-
munit3.' prob ems with specialized services pro-
vided both inside and outside the libra~, build-
ing, such as a job information and skill~ center
for a community with high unemployment.
The library, may create local directories, main.
tain files of local organizations and service agen-
cies, or index local newspapers. The library par.
ticipares in communit3. referral networks, and
maintains and publicizes a master calendar of
community events. The library participates with
other agencies in planning programming or
formation fairs on community, issues such as drug
abuse and teenage pregnantT.
BENEFITS: Users have a one-stop center to ob-
tain current information about communi~, or-
ganizations, issues, and services. Access to this
information helps individuals to become self-
sut~cient, control their lives, and better under-
stand community issues. For the community, the
library helps link those in need of services and
resources with an appropriate provider. This role
puts the libra~, in the communication network
of the community and helps identify the libra~'v
as part of the community decision-making pro'-
cess. In considering this role, the library must
be aware of potential competition for th'is role
from other agencies, and must clarify the Ii- '~.:.
brary's role in relation to these groups.
CRITICAL RESOURCe'S: The collection, in addi-
tion to regular reference materials, contains lo-
c. ally developed files with data on communiW "
agencies, clubs, and interest groups. The library
has extensive vertical files on issues of curredt
public interest and subscribes to local news-
papers and the newsletters of local agencies and
organizations. The library uses online services
to supplement local information resources.
2'be staffare skilled in reference and referral
interviewing techniques, knowledgeable about
community resources and services, and are com- parking space are available to support the li-
petent in organizing and maintaining locally brary's programming activities.
constructed files and indexes. The staff are ac- OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE:
tire in the community, participate in community, o Library Visits per Capita
organizations, and keep abreast of local issues. ° Program Attendance per.Cap ta
The facility has an adequate number of tele- ° Reference Completion Rate
phone lines. Ample meeting room space and · Reference Transactions per Capita.
Developing Role~ and Mission
and can use the libraD. to identi~ prov ders of
education and training. The library is an alter-
native study site when school or academic li-
braries are crowded, inconvenient, or unavail.
able. This role closely associates the library, with
education, and benefits taxpayers by supple.
~ menting, not duplicating, other educational col-
lections. Since this role involves cooperation,
the public librao., must exercise initiative in
Formal Education Support Center clari~.ing its role and initiating cooperative col-
lection development with other institutions.
DESCRIPTION: The library, assists students of all
ages in meeting educational objectives estab- CRIW1C.~,L R£SOURCI~S: The collection contains
lished during theirformalcourses of study. This materials in all formats and at levels appropriate
may include students in elememary an~t sec- to the educational level(s) supported bv the li-
onda~ schools, colleges, communi~, colleges, braD'. Resources include reference m~terial$,
universities, or technical schools, as well as those periodicals, abstracting and indexing services,
involved in training programs, literac-3.' or adult online databases, and access to interlibra~, loan.
basic education, and continuing education The library may make a special effort to a~quire
courses. This emphasis on registration for for- materials listed as supplemental sources in text-
mai instruction distinguishes the Formal Edu- books used by local education providers.
cation Support Center from the Independent The staff are knowledgeable about educa-
Learning Center. tional programs in the community and work
The library offers tours for classes and in- closely with local educators. At lea~t some staff
structs students on using library, tools. It may are knowledgeable about curriculum needs and
sponsor a homework service using qualified vol'. educational principles.
unteers to assist students with assignments. In The facility is easily accessible, has ample
cooperation with local schools, the library, may parking, and may be located near a formal ed-
reserve special materials to meet classroom as- ucational institution. The building has quiet
signment needs, It may develop a clearinghouse space and carrels for individual study typing
to identi~, providers of formal education and facilities, or microcomputers with word pro-
training or may support a literac3., program, To cessing software for students to use in corn.
assist faculty, the library, may supply supple, pleting school assignments. The library is open
mentary print and audiovisual material for class- for a broad range of hours to meet student needs.
room use. OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE: (Calculate
Libraries emphasizing this role may specif~- these measures using student population fig.
the educational levels supported (for example', utes.)
elementary and secondary, but not postsecond-
m-y). o In-Library Materials Use per Capita
· Reference Completion Rate
BENEFITS: Users find materials to supplement · Subject and Author Fill Rate
what is available in school or academic libraries, · Title Fill Rate.
Developing Roles and I"liss~on
Independent Learning Center to clarify their values, to learn something new,
or to adjust to changes in life and work, such
DI~SCRIPTION: The librat3.' supports individuals as moving to a new communio:- or retiring. The
of all ages pursuing a sustained program of library supports an educated, self-reliant, and
learning independent of any educational pro- productive citizenry, thus contributing to the
rider. These individuals set their own learning stabilit?, attractiveness, and economic well-
objectives to meet such concerns as citizen ed- being of the community. Citizens who use the
oucation, self-improvement, job-related devel- library can be powerful allies.
opment, hobbies, and cultural interests. The staff '
help learners identify an appropriate learning CRITIC^t.R£souRc£S: The collection has a wide
path, determine needed resources, and obtain range of circulating subject materials relevant
those resources from the library's collection or to the interests of independent learners of all
through interlibrary loan. Continuing, intensive ages. The materials are in a variety of formats
staff involvement or counseling with individual and geared to varying levels of abili~'. Some
learners is a distinguishing characteristic of this libraries develop extensive collections of audio
role. or video cassettes on popular self-help topics
The library may function as an educational such as health issues, investment planning,
information center providing occupational home repair, foreign languages, and psychol-
counseling or learning/skill inventory tools to ogy.
help individuals assess their needs. Other set- The staff are knowledgeable about learning
vices may include a learning exchange, linking theory, general educational principles, and lo-
individuals with others offering to teach a skill, cai opportunities for educational and training
or providing adult programs on high-interest programs. They are skilled in assisting inde-
learning topics, such as nutrition. Staff may as- pendent learners and capable of developing self-
sist children with interests outside the school guided materials for introducing learners to var-
curriculum, such as pets, rock or stamp col- ious subjects.
lecting, or dinosaurs. They may prepare "path- The facility is easy. to use with minimal staff
finders," self-help research guides on selected assistance, has good signage, comfortable read-
topics, and help learners identify a customized lng areas, and some space- set aside for quiet
sequence of study materials, study and for staff to counsel with learners. The
Libraries may focus on specific subject areas library is conveniently located and open for a
or on special age groups, broad range of hours.
B£N£1elYS: Users can pursue self-determined OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE:
and self-paced study on various subjects. In- · ln-Libraiq,' Materials Use per Capita
dependent learners use the resources of the Ii- · Title Fill Rate
brary, to "get ahead," to do better in their work, · Subject and Author Fill Rate.
Developing Roles an~ Mission
actively promotes and encourages the use of its
collection.
Merchandising techniques, such as face-out
shelving, displays, or paperbacks near the
checkout area, may be used within the library.
Special booklists may be distributed or mate-
rials gathered together to encourage circulation
in connection with a library, program, such as a
children's story, hour, summer reading program,
or a young adult program. The libraE,' may cir-
culate materials at off-site outlets, such as shop-
ping malls or community, facilities. For residents
in the community, with limited access to library
facilities, the library may include popular ma-
terials in its services to jails, nursing homes, etc.
Libraries selecting this role ma.',' specify age
groups or formats to be emphasized.
BENEFITS: A wide variev:, of popular materials
for reading, listening, and viewing are available
to library, patrons. Since some individuals pur-
chase these materials, the library returns an eco-
nomic benefit to those who borrow, rather than
buy, such items. This role enhances and sup-
plements the offerings of communi~' book-
stores, theaters, video outlets, and media. The
libra-,-y's support for cultural and leisure activi.
ties makes the community, an inviting place to
live in and visit. Providing popular materials
contributes to a high circulation rate. This, in
turn, leads to high visibiliw, for the librao' in
the community.
CRITICAL RESOURCES: The collection includes
current and popular materials in a variety, of for-
~' mats, with sut~cient duplication to meet de-
mand. A substantial percentage of the collection
has been published within the past five years.
The staff are knowledgeable about current
popular interests and anticipate publishing
rrends and "hot" titles.
~ ""~"'' ~ '~ ThefaciliO'prOmOtes browsing, has attractive
displays and good signage. The building has
adequate and easily accessible shelf space, pro-
v/des casual seating, is in an easily accessible
site, and has ample parking.
· Turnover Rate
Popular Materials Library · Browsers' Fill Rate
· Subject and Author Fill Rate
DESCRIPTION: The library features current, *Title Fill Rate
high-demand, high-interest materials in a vari- * Circulation per Capita
eD' of formats for persons of all ages. The ]ibraD' * Registration as a Percentage of the Population.
Developing Roles and F~ission 37
Preschoolers' Door to Learning
DESCRIPTION: The libra~, encourages young
children to develop an interest in reading and
learning through services for children, and for
parents and children together. Parents and other ~'~.
adult caregivers can locate materials on reading
readiness, parenting, child care, and child de-
velopment. Cooperation with other child care
agencies in the communi~- is ongoing,
The libraD. promotes reading readiness from
infancT, providing services for self-enrichment
and for discovering the pleasures of reading and
learning. Services ma)' include programs for in
rants, for parents and toddlers, and for parents-
for example, "read-aloud," day-care story hour.
traditional stoo'telling, parenting skills'devel.
opment workshops, and booktalks. The Iibrarv
ma)' provide outreach to day-care facilities, o~
reading readiness programs. Programming intro
duces children and adults concerned with chi]-
dren to a wide range of materials and formats ·
BENEFITS: Preschoolers have a place designed
for their needs with trained adults to help them
satis~- their curiosi~,, stimulate new interests.
and find information. They become familiar with
librao, materials in a *;'ariev,., of formats and de-
velop reading, listening, viewing, and thinking
skills. Parents can obtain resources and services
to support their efforts to develop their chii-
dren'$ interests, experience, knowledge, and
development.
For the community, the library promotes early
reading and acceptance of reading, factors con-
tributing to successful performance in formal ture and promote reading readiness to the corn-
schooling. This role promotes lifelong use of munity. They guide children's choices of books
the library and contributes to the library's image and other materials and ate skilled in planning
as an educational center for individuals of all and conducting programs.
ages. This role generates visibilitT, popularir,,., The facility is in a location easily accessible
and support for the library, in the communi~- bx- to young children. Ample, inviting space is
reaching children unserved bv anv other com'- available for programs and $to~' hours. Shelving
muni~- agent2.,. In addition, services for chil- and furnishings are attractive, accessible, and
dren are popular with voters, comfortable for young children.
CRITICAL RESOURCES: 7'he collection has a va- OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE: (Use the per-
tier:' of materials and formats for'preschoolers cent of the population under 5 for per capita
and for adults working with young children, measures. For turnover rate. use only the pot-
Some libraries provide computers, audiovisual tion of the collection intended for u~e bv pre-
formats, educational toys, and games to help schoolers, such as picture book~ and au~tiovi.
children expand their imagination and develop sual materials. )
motor and sensory, skills. Popular titles axe avail- o Circulation per Capita
multiple copies. · Library. Visits per Capita
The staff are knowledgeable about earh- · Program Attendance per Capita
childhood development and children's liters'- oTurnover Rate.
Developing Roles and Mission
from answering practical questions (how to re-
move garden pests, what to feed a guinea pig.
how to apply for a job, what is the name of a
poem that starts with...), to specialized busi-
ness-related research (finding patent informa-
tion), to answering questions about government
(locating regulations for a grant program), to
providing consumer information. The librai7
participates in interlibrary loan and cooperative
reference se~'ices to meet patron needs for in-
formation not available locally.
Libraries selecting this role may identify sub-
ject areas of particular strength or emphasis.
~. BENEFITS: Library users have convenient.
timely access to information needed for daily
living and decision making. They can find out
about almost any subject and obtain materials
~'~.. ]l not generally available elsewhere. Such a libra~-
contributes to local economic development b~,'
strongly supporting the information needs of
businesses and strengthens local government by
providing information for poliQ' formulation and
program management.
CRITICAL RESOURCES: The collection empha-
sizes informational materials to support individ-
ual, business, government, and community, in-
terests. Materials are available for all ages and
reading levels. The reference collection is ex-
tensive and includes such material as indexes.
atlases, encyclopedias, handbooks, and direc-
tories. The library makes heavy, use of electronic
databases and has a large current periodicals
collection. The library, may maintain subscrip-
t-: tions to special indexing and abstracting ser-
vices and keep files on area businesses. Devel-
opment of local history, archives and collecting
local documents, memorabilia, and photo-
graphs may also be emphasized.
Tie staffare approachable and skilled in using
· ~ ~ ' ~rel~t reference tools and reference interviewing tech.
niques. Collectively, the staff have strong sub-
~ ject backgrounds in the library's areas of subject
strength.
The facility has a clearly identified and visible
,ocation for reference and information services
Reference Library that is staffed during all hours of library, service.
An adequate number of telephone lines are
DESCRIPTION: The library, actively provides available for telephone reference and online
timely, accurate, and useful information for database searching.
community residents in their pursuit of job-re-
lated and personal interests. The library pro- OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE:
motes on-site and telephone reference/infor- · Reference Transactions per Capita
marion services to aid user~ in locating needed · Reference Completion Rate
information. Information provided may range · ln-Libra~' Materials Use per Capita.
Developini~ Roles and I"lission ~9
The Research Center professionals who need eau access to extensive
information resources. This role gives the Ii-
DESCRtV'rtON: The library, assists scholars and bran' a unique value in the community.
researchers to conduct in-depth studies, inves-
tigate specific areas of knowledge, and create
CRITICAL RESOURCES: l'he collection has a large
new knowledge. The library's collection, gen- number of titles, extensive serials holdings, mi-
emily developed over a long period of time, is croform materials and equipment, a wide array
a source of exhaustive information in selected of printed and electronic abstracting, indexin~
subject areas (historic, cultural, scientific, or so- and database services, and may include archival
cial). The library, engages in this role as a result -
of tradition, community expectations, or state and manuscript materials. A high percentage of
the collection in subject areas pertaining to the
library agency plans, and is likely to be a net- library's research specialties contains material
lender for interlibrao.' loan activ ry. It may make that is scholarly, theoretical, or technical in na-
special services available to scholars and other
ture.
researchers, such as assigned carrels and lock-
ers, customized database searching services, or The staffare likely to have advanced degrees
in subject disciplines, to understand research
operation of a photocopy center.
methodologies, and are knowledgeable about
A library, choosing this role should specify, the the literature in their field of emphasis.
subject disciplines in which it intends to be a
Research Center. For example, in a ciD' with The facility has adequate space to house the
major glass fabrication industry the public Ii- library's extensive collection a photocopy cen-
brary ma.,,' maintain a research collection in such ter, quiet stud)' areas, and carrels. The libraD'
may also have a conservation laborator3' for the
areas as glass chemist.? or art glass, preservation of fragile or rare materials.
BENEFt'rs: Scholars intensively pursue intel-
lectual and professional interests using locally OUTPUT MEASURES TO EXPLORE:
owned materials. Additional materials are ob- · Title Fill Rate
rained through resource-sharing networks. The · Reference Completion Rate
community, is identified as a center for research · In-Library Materials Use per Capita
and knowledge, making it an attractive place for · Document Deliver}.-.
Developing Role~ and Mission
Linking Roles with Looking · Orally review the roles with participants just
Around prior to the exercise
Now the planning committee applies the un- · Devote a full meeting to introducing and dis-
derstanding it developed during Looking cussing the roles.
A~ound to the set of library roles. By thought-
fully and creatively relating library conditions, The Role Selection Exercise
community characteristics, and current trends To complete the role selection exercise, the
to the roles, each committee member develops planning committee and other participant
an opinion about which combination of roles is groups in role selection use Workform E, Se-
most appropriate for your library. There are no lecting Library Roles Worksheet (see Figure 12).
clear one-to-one links between anvsingle piece Color-code these forms for different groups, or
of information and a particular library role. Each enter the name of the group on the form to allow
role, however, suggests a service atmosphere and results for each group to be tabulated sepa-
resource needs; and the collective findings of rarely. This exercise helps those who participate
Looking ,M'ound suggest service needs and Ii- to:
brary strengths and weaknesses.
A~ resources for this review, use the work- · Consider the appropriateness of each role for
forms developed in Chapter 3: Workform D, the library
Translating the Findings of Looking Around; ' Communicate their perceptions of current Ii-
(see Figure 9); WorkJ'orm C, Options for Library brary services
Planning Information (see Figure 7); and the · Communicate their view of appropriate future
library's formal report of its Looking Around ac- library roles.
tivities. During committee discussion, the roi- Each participant individually completes
lowing questions may be helpful: Workform E by dividing points among the roles
· Which roles, regardless of their current em- in two ways. First, points are allocated among
phasis in library programs, seem to respond current activities. How does each person per-
best to community, needs identified during ceive current library services and priorities? Sec-
Looking Around? ond, points axe allocated among the roles on
· To what extent does your library have the crit- the basis of how each person feels library prior-
ical resources associated with each role? If re- ities should be weighted. Differences between
sources are inadequate, can they be increased? the two columns (Current Activities and De-
-What does your library's performance, as in- sired Commitment) give the planning commit-
dicated by selected output measures or library
service statistics, indicate about its capacity to ,~,~ E -,~.~,,~ ~,~,~,, K,,,-. ~,~.~-~
meet certain roles?
· Which roles have the greatest potential for in
creasing the visibility, importance, or integra-
tion of the library in the community?
Step 3: Select Library Roles ----~--
The planning committee is now ready to select
roles for the library. This step has two major
activities: completing the role selection exer-
cise and discussing the results of the exercise.
To gain broader input, the planning committee
may ask additional groups (such as staff, librao/
board, or friends of the library) to participate in
this exercise. These groups should receive an
orientation to the roles. Several approaches are
possible:
· Distribute role descriptions for participants to FIGURE 12 Reduced Workform E: Selecting
read and discuss in advance L brarv Roles Worksheet
Developing Roles and Mission
Group: Momin~sid¢ Libta~ Plannin~ Committee
For both current acti',ities and desired commitment, enter in the appropriate box the total number of points given to
each role by all participants in the group. Divide the total by the number of participants in the group to obtain the
~verage for each role. Rank the roles from ! to 8, with a I ranking attached to the role with the highest average score.
Current Activities Desired Commitment
Role Total Average Total Average
~ Points Score P. ank Points Score Ranic
Communiv,., Activities Center 24 3 24 3
Communi~, Information Center 48 6 6,~ 8
Formal Education Support Center 104 13 144 18
Independent Learning Center 80 10 5 120 15
Popular Materials Libra~.- 112 14 56
Preschoolers' Door to Learning 144 18 96 12
Reference Library. 120 15
R ec-.-.-~ar ch Center 8 1 0 0
Miscellaneous Activities and Roles Not Selected for
Emphasis, 160 20 160 20
(8X20) (8X20l
' For miscellaneous activities, multiply the number of persons in the group by 20, and enter the result in the total
boxes.
FIGURE 13 Sample Role Selection Tabulation Sheet (Results from a Planning Committee of Eight)
tee a sense of where change ma5' be needed. Discussing the Results of the
After each participant group has completed Role Selection Exercise
Workform E, the results for each group are tab. After the results of the role selection exercise
ulated separately and reported to the planning have been compiled, the planning committee
committee. Figure 13 is an example of a report determines which roles are most important for
from aplanning comminee of eight. Scores from the library. They begin bv considering the fol-
each individual have been totalled, the results ' ·
averaged, and, for ease of reference in discus, lowing questions:
sion, a rank number has been assigned. If dif- ° What roles have similar ratings for current ac-
ferent groups participated (for example, board tivities and desired commitment? Which roles
members, staff, and community.), results from show large differences?
each group can be compared. Such comparisons · What roles are appropriate for the libraD., given
can provide valuable input for the committee's the community's characteristics, information
deliberations, needs, or other data identified in Looking
4~, Developing Roles and Mission
Around--even if those roles are not currently mitment cannot be translated directly into Ii-
emphasized by the library.? brary budget dollars. The fixed and continuing
· Are critical resources available for the roles with costs associated with operating the libraO, will
the highest total and average scores? continue to consume most of the librao"s bud-
, Does the library's performance indicate that get. Rather this commitment represents:
more emphasis is currently placed on some
· The direction of planning committee atten-
roles rather than others?
· If the Role Selection Total Sheet was distrib- tion-for example, primary, and seconda~ roles
become focal points for Writing Goals and Ob-
uted to different groups, how do their rankings jectives (Chapter 5) and for Taking Action
compare? Are obvious differences apparent in
the ratings given to current services or those (Chapter 6)
proposed for desired commitment? If differ- ·The concentration of staff energy--for exam-
ple, as the results of the planning process are
ences are noted from group to group, why? implemented, the staff uses the priorities im-
· If the library, has branches, do central library./ plied by the primary, and secondary roles to
branch role selections seem in harmony with · ·
each other and with library-wide role selec- guide their activities
tions? · The redirection of at least some library, re-
sources-for example, the budget for collec-
· How similar are the roles with the highest ay- tion development may be realigned as a result
erages and totals to the library's current service of role choices.
profile?
· Does orienting any of the roles toward a par- Roles not chosen for emphasis become main-
ticular subject area, material format, or clien- tenance roles. The remaining 20% of the li-
tele group seem appropriate or necessary, given brary. 's effort supports these roles and other mis-
the libra-,T.'s circumstances? cellaneous library, activities. Maintenance does
not mean that a role will be cut off or ignored.
The goal of this discussion, which should en- However, it does mean that such a role will not
courage a lively exchange of viewpoints, is to be developed during the remainder of the plan-
develop a consensus on which two to four roles ning process or serve as the focus of new library.
are most important for the librar,.'. Arriving at initiatives. Nor will such a role receive a major
this agreement is not merely a simple process commitment of librao.' resources or staff energy.
of adding "votes." The planning committee must
balance the complex set of factors implied by The librao.~s response to such a role is passive
rather than active.
the questions above to arrive at their conclu- To determine which of the two to four roles
sions. If discussion has been lengthy or in-
' selected for emphasis should become primary
volved, the planning committee may repeat the
· and which secondary, the planning committee
role selection exercise, This allows committee '
discusses the following questions:
members to incorporate new ideas gained dur-
ing the discussion. ·What patterns were evident in the totals and
At the conclusion of this step, the planning averages as roles were selected? Did one or
committeehasagreedupon thetwo to fourroles two roles clearly stand out, or were the top
of central importance for the librao'. The final roles fairly evenly ranked?
number of roles selected depends on the size ,Which roles respond to the greatest commu-
of the library, and on the staff energy and finan- nity need?
cial resources available to channel into imple- · Which roles are best supported by the library's
menting the roles, critical resources?
· Which roles are most compatible with each
other?
Step 4: Prioritize Library Roles · Which roles represent the greatest change for
The planning committee now assigns role prior- the library.?
ities by placing each role into one of three cat- After this discussion, the planning committee
egories: primao.', secondary., or maintenance, should reach a consensus on which roles are
The roles chosen for emphasis at the conclusion primary., which secondar:,.', and which mainte-
of the role selection exercise become primary nance for the duration of the planning cycle.
or secondalT roles. Approximately 80% of the Primacy. and secondary, roles will receive special
library's effort is directed toward the primary emphasis as the library, prepares its mission
and secondao.' roles (see Figure 14). This com- statement during the next step,
Deve)oping Roles and Mission 43
Level of Priot:ity Large Libraries or Libraries Branch/Small Libraries or Effort/Commitment
with Extensive Libraries with Moderate Level
R~ources Resources
Primal' 1-2 Roles I Role 40%-50%
Secondary 1-2 Roles 1-2 Roles ::10%-40%
Maintenance Level Remainder of Libra~' Roles Remainder of LibraE,' Roles 20%
and Activities and Activities
FIGURE 14 Recommended Number of Role Priorities
Step 5: Write the Mission · Identif3' key words and phrases
Statement · Brainstorm additional words or phrases that
express the ideas the committee wishes to em-
The planning process is like a funnel. The be- phasize
ginning of the process is like the wide end of · Record suggestions in the appropriate cate-
the funnel, open to all kinds of possibilities. As gOD, on Workform F
planning decisions are made, the funnel nar- · Transmit the results to the individual respon-
rows. In selecting and ranking roles, the plan. sible for drafting the mission statement.
ning committee has begun to narrow the li-
The categories shown on Workform F should
bra~,.-'s priorities for service and to concentrate
libraD' strengths. The preparation of the mission stimulate thinking. If Workform F is used in a
statement is a vital continuation of this process, group setting, results can be recorded on a flip-
The mission statement expresses briefly and chart. If planning committee members corn-
directly the libraQ"s purpose and service prior- plete the form individually, the results are col-
tries for the current planning cycle. As noted lected and given to the individual writing the
mission statement. If Workform F has been com-
earlier, it builds on, but is not limited to, the
roles chosen for emphasis. The mission is a more pleted separately for each primaD' and second-
creative expression of the primary and second- aD' role, the writer of the mission statement will
arv roles, capturing their spirit without being have many forms and suggestions to draw upon
· in drafting a mission statement for committee
tied to the exact wording of the role descrip-
tions used in this chapter. It is important, how- review and final approval.
ever, to preserve clearly the identity, and focus The planning committee has selected primaD'
and secondaD' roles for emphasis during the
of the roles chosen. The mission statement im-
plies criteria for evaluating the libraty.'s overall planning cycle and has adopted a concise mis-
performance and, by implication, it indicates sion statement. These products provide a frame-
areas the library will not emphasize. PrimaD' and work for the next planning phase, writing Goals
secondary roles ate given more or less emphasis and Objectives.
in the mission statement to reflect their priority.
Figure 15 gives an example.
The final wording of the mission statement is
best assigned to a single individual. However, Roles Selected.- Primary: Formal Educational Suppot~ (:'enter
the planning committee can effectively provide and Reference LibraD'. SecondaD': Preschoolers' Door to
· Learning and Independent Learning Center.
direction to the writer by suggesting ideas or by
providing draft phrases and statements. These Mt~ion Statement: The Morningside Public Librao' pro-
suggestions can be communicated using ~'ork- rides materials and services to help communiv,.' residents
form F, Drafting the Mission Statement (see Fig- obtain information meeting their personal, educational, and
professional need~. Special emphasis is placed on sup-
ute 16). If desired, Workform F can be com- porting students at all academic levels and on stimulating
pleted separately for each primao.' and seconda~,.' young children's interes~ and appreciation for reading and
role. The basic steps are: learn ng The library serx'es as a learning and educational
center for all residents of the communi~..
· Review the descriptions of roles selected for
primaD' and secondary emphasis FIGURE 15 Sample Mission Statement
44 C)evelopin~ Roles and Mission
FIGLrlLE 16 Reduced Workform F: Drafting the Mission Statement
Sources for Additional sponds to changes in the community and the needs
Information of library users.
Martin. Lowell. "The PubLic Libra~.': Middle-age Cfi-
Bolt. Nan.' and Corinne Johnson. Options for Small sis or Old Age Crisis."JOl~rnal Library 108 Llanuav:.'
Public Libraries in Massachusetts: Recommenda. 1, 1983): 17-22.
This landmark arlicle introduces the concept of
tions and a planning Guide Chicago: American
Librar2,.' A3sociation. 1985. roles for public libraries and argues persuasively
Although the role descriptions vac,'slightly from that libraries must make choices based on their
communities and resources.
those in this manual, pages 35 through 50 present
an approach for relating critical resources to library Public Library Association. Goals. Guidelines. and
roles. Librarie$'~.'ishing to explore this aspect more Standards Committee. The Public Library .$fi~ton
fully in the role selection process may find these Statementandltslmperatit,esforSerrice Chicago:
pages useful. American Libra~' Association. 1979.
Dubberly. Ronald A. "Xlrh.v You Must Know Your Li- By presenting a far-ranging and broad overview
of the place of the public librao' in society, this
brary. 's Mission." Public Libraries (Fall 1983): 89-
90. brief publication can provide valuable background
This article discusses the importance of devel, information for the planning committee to use in
oping a libraO, mission statement and notes the defining the concept~ most crucial to your public
library's unique mission.
dynamic nature of the mission statement as it re.