Annual Goals & Objectives: 2002-2003

Request for input from the MOBAC Reference Committee regarding future planning by the MOBAC Administrative Council
What are your committee’s long-range goals? What are your short-term objectives?
GOAL: To continue to take a leadership role in helping MOBAC member libraries improve reference service by means of resource sharing throughout the system.
OBJECTIVES:
- The Reference Committee feels that it is important to serve in an advisory capacity regarding recommendations about and enhancements to the MOBAC Regional Catalog. We would like to send a liaison from the reference committee to the meetings of the committee that will be responsible for making recommendations for changes to the MRC so that we can ensure that it continues to meet system libraries’ reference needs as well as those of the public.
- With regards to the MOBAC Regional Catalog, the Reference Committee would like to assume responsibility for providing documentation and developing the content of online help screens for the public.
- Investigate and make recommendations for consortial purchases of online databases that will meet the diverse needs of all the members of our multi-type system.
- Continue to be responsible for the content and evolution of the MOBAC Intranet.
- Continue to update and maintain the Survey of Publicly Available Technologies Within MOBAC Member Libraries.
- Continue to meet ten times per year. At least two meetings per year will include a special focus, the purpose of which will be to contribute to reference staff’s knowledge, training, or development.
- Facilitate the exchange of information with other MOBAC committees by asking them to participate in two resource / information sharing meetings each year.
- Participate in the yearly production of MOBACULP. It is important that every MOBAC library contributes to this tool in order to make it as effective as possible.
2. GOAL
To select and make available ongoing training opportunities that will allow member library staffs to improve their reference skills, become more familiar with MOBAC libraries’ specialized resources such as the MOBAC Regional Catalog, and expand their knowledge and use of online information resources.
OBJECTIVES:
- Plan for and execute the annual Hands-On Reference workshop. Use participant evaluations as a tool to improve the quality and usefulness of the workshop.
- When appropriate, select MOBAC sponsored InfoPeople workshops to be held in two different locations so as to be convenient to all member libraries. The committee will keep in mind that it is necessary to choose workshops that will appeal to the broadest range of people possible.
- The Reference Committee would like to be able to begin participating in more “Train the Trainer” opportunities. The Committee would like to be able to send one or two representatives to relevant workshops outside our area. These representatives would in turn conduct training workshops for reference staff from member libraries. At present there are no funds available for this.
- Provide training for member libraries’ reference staffs on new functionalities and features as they are added to the MOBAC Regional Catalog.
3. GOAL
To continue to support and promote MOBAC reference services to the public.
OBJECTIVES:
- To continue to plan and implement services and programs for targeted underserved populations (the annual Plan of Service).
- The existing MOBAC homepage could and should be a more useful tool for both member libraries’ staff and the public. Ideally, a web consultant should be hired to develop and maintain the page on an ongoing basis.
- Provide public user documentation and develop the content of online help pages for the MOBAC Regional Catalog. At present no funds exist to do so.
Within the areas of responsibility of your Committee, what are the issues that MOBAC should address to meet member needs and improve library service by MOBAC members?
- The reference committee would like to be able to enhance the services we provide to member libraries and the public. We would also like to be able to provide new services (public user documentation for the MOBAC Regional Catalog, for example), but there are economic barriers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide the same level of services and training to member libraries and the public with a budget that does not increase, and, as such, we cannot even begin to address the issue of adding new services.
- Current funding levels for the purchase of system-wide online reference resources severely limit our ability to choose quality databases that will meet the needs of all member libraries.
- Regular attendance of MOBAC Reference Committee meetings is essential in order to facilitate the flow of information between member libraries.
- Appropriate people and resources should be allocated to support and expand the MOBAC homepage and Intranet. Aside from its reference potential, it could be made into an effective vehicle for promoting MOBAC and its services and activities.
In your opinion, what opportunities in your Committee’s areas of responsibility lie ahead for MOBAC members? What are the barriers?
OPPORTUNITIES:
MOBAC members can look forward to:
- shared resources
- enhanced reference services
- more training opportunities
- increased participation in collaborative reference (i.e. Q&A café).
BARRIERS
There is a definite need for ongoing information and documentation regarding the issues, features and limitations of the MOBAC Regional Catalog. Timely communication regarding technical problems, both ongoing and temporary, especially needs to be emphasized as it directly affects our ability to perform effective reference service. As an adjunct to this, better communication between all the committees should be implemented. This might be accomplished through joint meetings or committee liaisons.
There needs to be more emphasis on committee meeting attendance and a greater commitment to allowing staff enough release time to plan and participate in the various training opportunities sponsored by the Reference Committee. Library Directors should emphasize to their staff the importance of attendance and support adequate release time to attend meetings.
Member libraries have too many staffing problems to be able to participate in collaborative reference ventures like the Q&A café.
The majority of barriers, however, are economic in nature:
- We would like to see additional financial resources allocated to expanding the MOBAC web page. There are many features that could be implemented, links to member library homepages and a calendar of events, for example, that would make it into a useful tool for both staff and the public.
- More funds are needed to finance shared resources. For example, it has been difficult to find alternative information sources to fill the gap since we ran out of First Search searches this year.
- Insufficient funds limit our ability to make consortial purchases of online databases that would really be useful to all system members. Additionally, libraries with many branches have a hard time making use of what we do purchase due to site licensing fees. MOBAC needs strong negotiators to address these issues with vendors so that all members can participate equally.
What policy decisions will the Administrative Council need to make to help achieve your goals? Please be specific with policy recommendations.
- Increase financial commitment to shared resources and services
- Make training and ongoing education for all reference staff a priority
- Make committee meeting attendance by all MOBAC libraries a priority
- Emphasize member library contributions to shared resources (MOBACULP, for example)
What are the fiscal considerations of your goals and policy recommendations? If you can provide cost estimates, please do so. Are you aware of outside funding sources, such as grants? If so, please describe them.
This Fiscal Year the Reference Committee received $20,152.00 of the $62,037.00 in California Library Services Act (CLSA) funds granted to MOBAC for reference services. The committee used this funding for the annual Hands-On Workshop, the Plan of Service to the underserved, the purchase of an online reference database for each library, First Search searches, three InfoPeople workshops, and MOBACULP.
The Reference Committee does not receive any local funding to support system reference programs. We would like to request that additional funds be allocated for the following activities:
Member libraries ran out of First Search searches this year. This extremely useful and popular reference tool benefits all MOBAC libraries, regardless of type. There were no funds budgeted for the service this year. Present cost of searches is $ .65 per search purchased in blocks of 500 each. The committee would like to request $10,000 for 15,000 searches.
The cost of online databases is very high. Due to the sizes and diversity of the MOBAC libraries it is difficult for the Reference Committee to purchase reference databases that will be useful to all member libraries given our current budget. This year funds available for the purchase of online databases totaled $13,000. We would like an additional $25,000 next Fiscal Year so that we can broaden our range of choices for databases that will be helpful to all MOBAC libraries, regardless of type.
There is presently no money in the budget for developing documentation to help the public and new staff use the MOBAC Regional Catalog. The committee would like to request approximately $2,500.00 for design, printing and distribution costs.
The MOBAC web page and Intranet have the potential to be helpful tools for member library staffs and, in the case of the web page, a way to promote MOBAC’s services to the public. To do this it would be necessary to hire a web designer to overhaul and maintain the website. Estimated cost to do so: $9,500.00 ($5,000.00 for the redesign, $4,500.00 for maintenance – three hours per month at $125.00 / hour) for the first year.
We are not aware of any grants but we recommend that the Administrative Council recruits and supports a professional who could not only write grants for the various committees’ projects, but administer them as well.
What else does the Council need to know?
Just as the Administrative Council feels it is important for a Reference Committee representative to attend each Administrative Council meeting, the Reference Committee would also like to have an Administrative Council representative attend as many Reference Committee meetings per year as possible to answer questions and give the committee feedback.