Original Document: "Completion of Library Management, Summer 2010, Assignments due on 8-1-2010 by 11:59 p. m. (E.S.T.)"

Public Library: Independence Library (Fictional)

Independence, New Mexico

Strategic Plan


Team: Independent: CEO Ms. Bayo E. Cary

Type of Information Organization: Public Library



CEO: Ms. Bayo E. Cary

Research & Development Director: N/A

Action Plan Leader #1: N/A

Action Plan Leader #2: N/A

Action Plan Leader #3: N/A

Action Plan Leader #4: N/A

Action Plan Leader #5: N/A





Public Library: Independence Library (Fictional)

Independence, New Mexico

Strategic Plan



Part #1: Background: Public Library of Independence, N.M. (Fictional)



New Mexico has historically been one of the poorest states within the United States of America. The school system in New Mexico has been under funded for a period of time which extends far into the past. Overall education and therefore, literacy rates within the state of New Mexico have been unreasonably low for far too long. The state of New Mexico is comprised of a heterogeneous population. Native American and Latnio/a Americans form a substantial portion of the New Mexico population.

Due to the fact, that overall, education, is such a neglected issue in the state of New Mexico, and the fact that over-all literacy rates in the state are low, the state of New Mexico has recently opened a new public library (2008). The public library, which will be located in Independence, N. M. is intended to serve the population in the surrounding town, which at present, is approximately 100,000 full-time residents. The Independence library serves many individual’s in the community, who have been designated as being a minority: women; Latino/a; Native American, Black, and Asian.

During this time of economic struggle, the majority of the residents who access Independence Library, due so to utilize information services which are online. Five years ago the economy in the United States was in much better condition. However, five years ago in the U.S., Internet access was not as widely available to the general public—not even in public libraries. Now, almost every public library in the United States provides free Internet access to anyone who needs access.

The Gates Foundation is a private foundation, which has been a key contributor to adding Internet connections to public libraries across the country. The Gates Foundation has contributed many computers and other hardware to many public libraries across the country as well. E-rate is a federally sponsored government program, which also contributes funds to wire public libraries from one end of the United States to the other.

Independence Library was established to provide free Internet access to everyone in the Independence community. However, the majority of the individual’s who access the Internet at Independence Library are: minority, elderly, are members of a low socio-economic group, or are living below the national poverty level. Very few individual’s with a university degree or who are White access the Internet from Independence Library. In America, individuals who are: well educated, affluent, or White, generally access the Internet from home.

The Internet provided at the public library in Independence provides an opportunity for individuals who are unemployed to: file for unemployment benefits, file for social security benefits, apply for food stamps and cash assistance, apply for other employment opportunities, build and submit resumes for different jobs, and many other activities which are now mainly allocated to the Internet. Many people, especially immigrants, choose to use the Internet to, keep in touch with family in other countries via email. There are also numerous language translators that can be located online, for full documents and for brief statements(i.e. Google Translator).

The public library in Independence serves over a 2,000 people a week. People of all races and ages visit Independence Library. To deal with the low literacy rate in the community, basic reading classes are offered by library volunteers and local AmeriCorps members. The AmeriCorps program, is the national PeaceCorps initiative program, which was initiated by President Clinton. AmeriCorps has established working relationships within communities all across America since its inception during the Clinton Administration. AmeriCorps programs work with all types of service orientated organizations throughout the country ( i.e. The United Way).

The public library in Independence provide numerous other educational programs which provide instruction to patrons on: how to access the Internet, how to effectively and efficiently utilize a computer and search the net, how to engage in library research (online and in the stacks), etc.. Independence Library is guided by the principles published by the American Library Association (A.L.A.). A.L.A. guidelines cover issues such as: patron privacy, the provision of information materials, intellectual freedom in general, and other access to information issues and concerns, etc. , A.L.A. guidelines are all written down and published in various formats, many of the A.L.A. guidelines are available online.



Level 3 - “Global”

Independence Library is relatively isolated from the global community. Although there are community members in Independence who have family, who live abroad, the community is not supported by the International market. The Internet is one of the easiest and best ways for individuals in Independence to connect with other people who live overseas. The Internet which is provided for the community, by the public library, is a “life preserver.”

Independence Library relies on funding from the American Government and from other non-for-profit American companies. International support is rarely generated for libraries in America, particularly public libraries. Presently, due to the down-turn in the economy, funding for public libraries has been cut back all across the country. Not only are public libraries in America being forced to deal with smaller budgets, many public libraries in America are being forced to reduce their library staff size as well.



Level 2 - “Organizational”

The traditional organization of a public library relies on a hierarchical system, with the director at the top, and the support staff at the bottom. Today’s library environment, however, is becoming more linear. Newer ideology, in library management practices, support the concept of implementing a work environment in which many staff members are encouraged to contribute and work independently. This is important, particularly at a time, when there is such a small amount of funding available. Library staffs are being asked in many public libraries across America, to cross train, and to know well, how to work in more than one specialty area within the library environment.

Level 1 - “The User/Information Match”

The user information match is never perfect, according to some critics. Access to the Internet is available to everyone in the Independence community, regardless of race, socio-economic status, or age. Reference librarians at Independence Library assist patrons with locating information both online and in the stacks. A letter of reference from someone who has a local address, a local driver’s license, local shot records, proof of attendance at a local school or university, and many other forms of identification are adequate for gaining access to a library card in Independence.

All books and Internet services are accessible to all adults with a library card. There are a few information access restrictions for children and teens. Over-all, the information user match in the Independence Library is very good. The library staff accepts suggestions from patrons, and they make suggestions as well. The library services in Independence are constantly improving.

Vision Statement

“We are Celebrating Life and Providing Access Information”

Mission Statement

Independence Library provides free access to information to everyone in the Independence community regardless of: race, socio-economic status, living status, employment status, education obtained, language spoken, disability, or age, etc. In order to connect community members with resources, which are relevant to their lives, we have made a commitment to provide our services to anyone who requires assistance in accessing information. By keeping our doors open late in to the evening, and on the weekends, anyone who needs help accessing information in the Independence community, is welcome to visit the public library.

Part #3: SWOT (References Posted in: Appendix B)

Strengths (Internal)

Weaknesses (Internal)

Opportunities (External)

Threats (External)





Internal Strengths:

1. Well Educated Staff (The staff members are graduates of A.L.A. accredited programs. )

2. National Funding Support (E-Rate)

3. Diverse Selection of Materials

4. Internet Access to Everyone

5. Educational Programs (Literacy, Internet/Computer Related, ESL)



Internal Weaknesses:

1. Funding Deficits

2. Limited Numbers of Available Staff or Volunteers

3. Limited Number of Computer Terminals

4. Not Enough Community Outreach or Cooperation with Local Businesses

5. The Over-all Community Patron Use of the Library’s Services is not High Enough



External Opportunities:

1. AmeriCorps Volunteers and other Volunteer Groups in the Community

2. Adding Access to Local University Online Research Related Databases (Wilson Web)

3. Increasing Visits by Currently Publishing Author for Book Talks

4. Increasing the Amount of information About the Library that is Accessible via the Web through Web 2.0 Tools such as: flickr

5. Making more Local Library Favorites Available Online as ebooks



External Threats:

1. State Funding (It is limited.)

2. Community Interest (Interest in what is available at the public library fluxes.)

3. FCC Regulations Regarding Internet Access and the Accessibility of Information via the Web

4. High illiteracy Rates due to a Dearth of National Public School Funding

5. Physical Access to the Library (The availability of city Bus service to and from the library location.)

Part #4: Strategic Outcomes and Strategies

Strategic Outcome(s):

(*Note: Strategic Outcome Statements)

1. Internet Access is successfully provided to the Entire Community for Free.

2. Additional Educational Programming will be provided through the Public Library to anyone who is Interested.

3. Librarians are Continually Updating Their Knowledge Regarding the Library Information Environment and, Therefore, are Always Providing a Professional High-Quality Information Environment.



Strategy Area #1: (Strategic Outcome Statement #1) Internet Access

Supporting Statement: The library will continue to apply to the government program, E-Rate, which subsidises Internet access for public libraries. In addition, the library staff will also search for other grant possibilities, through the federal government, as well as through private organizations.



Strategy Area #2: (Strategic Outcome Statement #1) Internet Access

Supporting Statement: The library will continue to: add additional computer terminals so that more patrons will be able to access the Internet. Staff who are knowledgeable in the area of technology and information science will continue to be hired, in order to facilitate the maintenance and up-dating of the library computers and related equipment.



Strategy Area #3: (Strategic Outcome Statement #2) Educational Programming

Supporting Statement: The library will join efforts with volunteers and community agencies to provides instruction in educational areas which are relevant to accessing information, both online and in the stacks. We will provide classes in: Internet/computer use and operation, research skills, and other basic literacy related areas.



Strategy Area #4: (Strategic Outcome Statement #2) Educational Programming

Supporting Statement: School children in the community, will be invited to visit the public library, through the public school system. The children who visit the library through school, will be given a lesson in: online research skills, documentation of sources, and research conducted through the books available in the stacks. The visits will be frequent and continual and will extend in to the summer holiday, for those students who are interested in continuing to learn research skills.



Strategy Area #5: (Strategic Outcome Statement #3) Knowledgeable Staff

Supporting Statement: Advanced degree programs, in library studies, are available from many universities all over the U.S..

Part #5: Action Plan



Action Plan Increasing Information Access

Action Plan Leader’s Name: (CEO) Ms. Bayo Elizabeth Cary, Independence Library Staff

Rationale (*Note: “Steps”)

The library’s information access facilities, over-all patron skills, and the over-all knowledge of the library staff need to be updated and increased. Libraries are information environments. Information environments require up-to-date materials and computer/Internet hardware. Individuals who access information through the library need to be able to comprehend the information that is available to them. It is necessary for library staff to receive continuing educational training in order to provide adequate assistance to patron’s who seek information in a library, continuing education by library staff improves the: “user information match.”



Unified format:



Step #1 (Rationale) Internet Access Needs to be Available To Everyone.

Minorities and Americans living in rural areas in America presently have limited access to the Internet. Government programs: local, national, and National, are very quickly being moved online. Some employment opportunities are only advertised online. Opportunities related to college education, in particular, are only easily accessed online, such as : applications for federal financial aid and college application forms.

Timeline: Internet access will be increased with the assistance of an outside agency, such as the Federal government. Qualified library staff will apply for Federal grant money. Data from the library will be required to apply for the grant. I estimate that it will take 1 year from start to finish, from when the grant application is acquired, until when the grant application can be submitted.

Responsibility: Library Director, Library Staff (technology staff), Federal government



Step #2: (Rationale) It is Necessary to be Literate in order to Comprehend what is Printed in the Stacks and on the Internet.

If an individual cannot read, then that individual will have difficulty accessing information in a library. Libraries provide most information in English text format. Almost all information, accessible online in America, is in English text format. It is necessary to be able to read to benefit from the information available in the library. If an individual cannot read, then free access to the library is not of much use to that individual.

Timeline: Educational programs based on increasing patron literacy will be implemented through the use of volunteers, through joint programs which involve other programs which already exist in the community, and through the provision of information resources in other languages which are in high use in the community.

Responsibility: Library Director, Library Staff, Volunteers (AmeriCorps, United Way)



Step #3: (Rationale) Knowledgeable Librarians and Staff

Information services are continually evolving. Information changes over night or in seconds sometimes. Information professionals need to be able to keep up with the newest trends in the information environment (i.e. social tagging). Due to the ever changing environment of the information profession, it is necessary for information professionals to engage in continuing education programs. Online programs in both library studies and information studies are available at universities all over the country.

Timeline: The library will pay for the continuing education of all library staff. It takes about a month to apply for a graduate studies program. There are several supplemental materials which must be submitted, including letters of reference. Sometimes a standardized exam is required. The GRE needs to be scheduled well in advance. It takes a while for results to be released to the universities that an individual is applying to. Financial aid may also be a factor, and should be taken into consideration. Admission/Financial Aid requirements and submission dates should be checked in advance.

Responsibility: All Library Staff

Budget:

· The library plans to apply for a Federal grant to pay for the Action Plan Listed above.

· The Federal government grant will allocated for only the Action plan that is mention in the grant application.

· My budget estimates and their resources are presented in parentheses next to each itemized expense.


(*Note-Example)
Budget 1999
Requested Actual
Amount Amount Preliminary
2009 Received 2010
Internet Access (ATT DSL) 12,000 12,000 12000
Educational Supplies (College Books) 17,000 17,000 17,000
Online Courses ( F.S.U Tuition) 25,000 25, 000 25,000
miscellaneous expenses (Estimate) 1,000 1,000 1,000

Total 55, 000 55, 000 55, 000

Evaluation:

Objective: Continued Funding of Action Plan

Internal/ External:

(Funding Related Objectives)

Staff will continue to increase their knowledge about funding available through Federal Agencies and other non-for-profit agencies. Staff members will learn, through experience an instruction how to: conduct surveys, gather patron demographic information, and analysise information in order to successfully apply for more grant money. The library will continue to hire only students who graduate from A.L.A. accredited programs, or who have earned equivalent degrees in other countries. All members of the library staff must be willing to engage in continuing education courses.





1. Patron survey, regarding the over-all satisfaction of patrons with the services provided by the library. The survey will be available at both: the reference desk and book circulation desk. The results will be analysised and then they will be made available to both library staff and patrons. The survey results will be utilized to apply for another Federal grant the following year.

2. Attendance at library educational classes will be counted an recorded. Individual’s demographic information will also be recorded. However, all personal information related to the educational program participants will be restricted to library staff. The participant information will remain anonymous, other than the demographic information. Library staff will try to increase class attendance, and will save the information in order to apply for another Federal grant, the following year.

3. Records of additional certificate sand degrees earned by library staff, which are paid for by the library, will be recorded. Library staff will be expected to contribute a statement regarding their online educational experience as well as what they learned to the library staff records. The information regarding the continuing education of library staff will be utilized to apply for another Federal grant, the following year.



Part #6: Appendices

Appendix A: Strategic Plan Resources

Works Cited

According to Purdue Owl Online A.P.A Format



Access Florida. (2006). Florida Department of Children and Families. Retrieved from http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/



ALA: A Perfect Storm Brewing: Budget Cuts Threaten Library Services at Time of Increased Demand. (2010, March 4). A Perfect Storm Brewing: Budget Cuts Threaten Library Services at Time of Increased Demand. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/issuesbriefs/issuebrief_perfectstorm.pdf



Aqili, S. V., & Moghaddam, A. I. (2008). Bridging the Digital Divide: The Role of Librarians and Information Professionals in the Third Millennium. The Electronic Library 26, no.2. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/2630260207.html



Baker, B. D., & Green, P. C. III. (2009). Equal Educational Opportunity and the Distribution of State Aid to Schools: Can or Should School Racial Composition Be a Factor? Journal of Education Finance, 34. Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml;hwwilsonid=PIA0WTEVJ4FYBQA3DIMSFF4ADUNGIIV0



Belcher, C. (2009, December 10). Less than Half of African Americans and Hispanics Regularly Use Internet- Yet Overwhelmingly Majority Agrees that Internet Access is Critical to Success in Education, Business, Community and Family Life. Business Wire. Retrieved from http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091210005194&newsLang=en



Bill Clinton. (2010, March 8) In Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/121813/Bill-Clinton



Bulger, K. (2007, April 12). A Brief History of the Digital Divide. Retrieved from http://digitalartscorps.org/node/717



Burnett, G., Jaeger, P.T., & Thompson, K. M. (2008, February 13). Normative Behavior and Information: The Social Aspects of Information Access. Library and Information Science Research, 30. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5R-4RTTKSD-1&_user=2139768&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000054272&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2139768&md5=4b965a3017073f7944bc0bd641f06c91



Cable News Network LP, LLLP.. (2005). Special Report: The Clinton Years. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/clinton/



Carvin, A. (2000, January/February). Mind the Gap: The Digital Divide as the Civil Rights Issue of the New Millennium. Retrieved from http://infotoday.com/mmschools/jan00/carvin.htm



Chandler, A. D. Jr., & Cortada, J. W. (2000). A Nation Transformed by Information: How Information has Shape The United States From Colonial Times To The Present. New York, NY: Oxford University Press



Clinton, W. J. (1996, April 17). Executive Order #12999. Retrieved from http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=10722



Davis, A. (2010, April 19). National Broadband Plan Vital to Closing Digital Divide, FCC Tells Senate Committee. Retrieved from http://www.civilrights.org/



Davis, D. M., Bertot, J. C., & McClure, C. R. (2010, April 14). Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2008_2009/librariesconnectcommunities3.pdf

Dimaggio, P., & Hargittai, E. (2001). From the ‘Digital Divide’ to `Digital Inequality’: Studying Internet Use As Penetration Increases*. Retrieved from http://www.webuse.umd.edu/webshop/resources/Dimaggio_Digital_Divide.pdf



Evans, J. (1996). How-to Guide Overview of NetDay 1996. Retrieved from http://www.netday.org/howto_overview.htm



Fitchard, K. (2009, January 26). Broadband Obama. Connected Planet Online. Retrieved from http://connectedplanetonline.com/residential_services/commentary/telecom_broadband_priority_090201/index.html



Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). (2010, March 28). Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Retrieved from http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/



Gallagher, M. D., & Cooper, K. B. (2004, September). A Nation Online: Entering the Broadband Age. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/anol/NationOnlineBroadband04.htm



Garlin, G. II. (2010, March 18). Protecting Internet Freedom will Close the Digital Divide. Period. End of Story. [Save the Internet]. Retrieved from http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/10/03/18/protecting-internet-freedom-will-close-digital-divide-period-end-story



Gates, B. (2000, December). Shaping the Internet Age. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/writing/shapingtheinternet.mspx



Gates, B. S. (2004). New Report on Libraries and the Digital Divide . Retrieved From http://www.pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2004/New-Report-on-Libraries-and-the-Digital-Divide.aspx



Gates, B. (2010). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: All Lives Have Equal Value. Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/bar?q=How+did+the+government+fund+library+computers%3F&page=1&qsrc=121&dm=all&ab=6&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatesfoundation.org%2Flibraries%2FPages%2Funited-states-libraries.aspx&sg=qLRhrr%2FEzbjE0natSz%2B9BGteQ02ccy%2BGcBCaBVkJDPI%3D&tsp=1272797634934



Appendix A: Action Plan Resources



APPENDIX B: Data Sources



Grotticelli, M. (2009, September 14). FCC gears up for massive broadband initiative. Broadcast Engineering. Retrieved from http://broadcastengineering.com/news/fcc-gears-up-massive-broadband-initiative-091409/



Government. (2009, October 3) Merriam Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/government

Hargittai, E. (2002, April). Second -Level Digital Divide: Differences in People's Online Skills. First Monday. Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/



Hoffman, D. L., & Novak, T. P. (1998, April 17). Bridging the Racial Divide on the Internet. SCIENCE, 280. Retrieved from http://www.cybercultura.it/pdf/1998_Bridging_Digita_Divide.pdf



Horton, J. (2004). Is The Serpent Eating its Tail? The Digital Divide and African Americans. The Journal of Technology Studies, 30. Retrieved from http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/WebZ/FSPage?pagetype=return_frameset:linktype=servicelink:sessionid=fsapp7-47969-g8oy498p-d4nc89:entitypagenum=33:0?entityframedscrolling=yes:entityframedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lib.fsu.edu:entityframedtitle=:entityframedtimeout=30



Horrigan, J. B. (2009, January 21). If Obama builds it will they log on? Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1085/stimulating-broadband



House, T. W. (n.d.). About the White House Presidents. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/GeorgeWBush/



Internet. (2009, September 23) In Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/291494/Internet



Irving, L. (1995). Falling Through The Net: A Survey of the "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.html



Irving, L. (1999). Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/contents.html



John Major. (2010, March 8). In Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/358992/John-Major



Kolstad, A. J., & White, S. E. (n.d.). National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/naal/index.asp



Koizumi, K. (2010, January 18). Science and Engineering Indicators 2010: A Report Card for U.S. Science, Engineering, and Technology. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/18/science-and-engineering-indicators-2010-a-report-card-us-science-engineering-and-tec

APPENDIX C: Presentation Plan

Appendix C: Presentation Plan

Justification of Strategic Plan:

Independence library has implemented the above mentioned action plan in order to increase Internet accessibility to all community members. Libraries require current materials and technology access hardware and software. Patrons who access information through the library need to be able to easily understand what they are accessing. It is necessary for library staff to receive additional educational training in order to provide adequate assistance to patron’s who require assistance in seeking information in a library resources. The outcome of the action plan which has been implemented will be increased access to the Internet by the local Independence community members and a better over -all understanding, by the community members, of the information that they are accessing at the library.

APPENDIX D: Stakeholders

Appendix D: Stakeholders

Community Members: Stake: Free information Access

Library Staff: Stake: Increased Knowledge Regarding the Information Environment

Literacy Challenged Community Members: Stake: Free Education in Reading the English Language

Computer/Internet Challenged: Stake: Free Education in How to Access Internet Information

TimeLine:

Time Line: CEO: Ms. Bayo Elizabeth Cary

(*Note--All calendar formatting was lost, therefore, the calendar data was deleted, but is on the original copy.)


The references provided for the strategic plan are based on A.P.A. guidelines which are provided by Purdue Owl online. The web pages at Purdue Owl are change frequently and reference guidelines are periodically altered. I documented my resources to the best on my ability based on the reference guideline which are currently available to me. As previously stated, some of my strategic plan is based on a template that was available in Ms. Kim’s class. I do not know who created the template, so I am unable to document that source.



CEO: Strategic Plan: Ms. Bayo E. Cary

Self-Evaluation



Completing the Strategic plan was difficult, but I worked my way through it. Ms. Swaine never provided me with directions for the strategic plan, for the reflection journal, or for the self –evaluation. I completed the entire assignment on my own, with no direction, although I did download a template from the previous half of the library management course. I let Ms. Swaine know, that it would be necessary for me to alter, whatever template I decided to use—somewhat. There was no other way to inter the information. The templates provided to me, were not well organized, and would have been difficult to comprehend, if they had not been altered.

The references provided for the strategic plan are based on A.P.A. guidelines which are provided by Purdue Owl online. The web pages are changes and guidelines are periodically altered. I documented my resources to the best on my ability based on the reference guideline which are currently available to me. As previously stated, some of my strategic plan is based on a template that was available in Ms. Kim’s class. I do not know who created the template, so I am unable to document that source.