Annual Report to Council FY 2009/10
- What are your committee’s long-range goals? What are your short-term objectives for the 2010 fiscal year?*
- 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 member libraries? Are these issues best addressed by the Administrative Council? Or by one or more of the other Committees?
- In the opinion of your committee, what opportunities in your areas of responsibility lie ahead for MOBAC members? What barriers or potential barriers are we facing? How can these barriers be overcome?
- What policy decisions will the Administrative Council need to make to help your committee achieve your objectives for FY 2008/09 and 2009/10?* Please be specific?
- What are the fiscal requirements relating toward objective and policy recommendations for FY 2009/10?* Are you aware of outside funding sources, such as grants? If so, please describe them. What are your budget needs for FY 2010/11?
- What else does the Administrative Council need to know about your objectives for the upcoming fiscal year?
Long-range goals:
I. To coordinate and improve library services to youth in the MOBAC region.
II. To provide opportunities for professional growth and development for library staff from member libraries
III. To assist in identifying and supporting core library services in the MOBAC region
Short-term objectives:
I. A. Publish a print publication: This year, we are translating the SPLAMBA brochure into Spanish. We are also working to get it distributed to new families through hospital obstetric units. The first draft is completed. A letter and a list of hospital contacts is ready.
B. Coordinate a summer reading program which promotes a reading-rich environment during the non-school months. This year’s theme is “Make a Splash – Read” for kids, Make Waves at Your Library for teenagers, and “Water Your Mind – Read” for adults. One partnership is currently being explored.
C. Have one meeting with the MOBAC Reference Committee to enhance information sharing and collaboration.
II. A. To try to get better attendance, we are no longer planning at least 10 meetings per year. Instead, we will be meeting 6 times, and hold an additional joint meeting with the Reference Committee, and a workshop. The meetings will rotate between the more central libraries and rotate between Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
B. Continue to encourage alternate means of communication, expanding our use of Facebook, the listserv and the MOBAC website for planning and conducting business between meetings. Facebook page is set up and suggestions for use are beginning to be implemented.
C. Evaluate at least 10 books or electronic tools at each meeting.
D. Plan, coordinate and present at least one workshop for library staff – this year’s topic has just been selected – Libraries, Literacy, and Brain Development in the Digital Age. It will take place this spring.
III. A. Assist with communication of MOBAC opportunities and concerns to Youth / YA staff in member libraries.
B. Provide input on issues affecting MOBAC policies as needed.
C. Represent MOBAC at youth oriented events or through materials/ communications, such as the SPLAMBA brochure.
The decline of school libraries is a major issue that affects every type of library. Committees with low attendance have a difficult time making decisions that best reflect the interests of all libraries or accomplishing our objectives. The Council can encourage attendance at committee meetings and respond to news stories about decline of school libraries in our communities.
There is national interest and therefore opportunities in the areas of literacy, afterschool programs, and early literacy /play, such as Family Place. You will see these topics reflected in our meeting notes and workshop As budgets become tighter, attendance at committee meetings is more difficult and thus it is hard to make progress. We encourage the Council and other committees to join us in trying to figure out how to deal with this problem.
SPLAMBA continues to advocate for an investment in enhancement of the MOBAC web site.
Workshop $2000 Often SPLAMBA does not use all of the money that is allocated. First we define the greatest needs of library staff, then we begin to create the workshop. Sometimes it will be easier, but perhaps more expensive – if an Infopeople workshop on that theme is offered. If not we may create the workshop ourselves with local speakers and the cost is less. Or we may bring in an outside speaker, which could cost even more. Topics which were in the running for this year’s workshop (and so could be the topic of next year’s) are: Leading Book Discussion Groups, School Partnership in Difficult Times, Community Assessment To Gain Funds, Not Spend Them.
Brochure distribution $500 We plan to apply for matching grants from First 5, Target, etc. This year we will set up the hospital distribution program; next year we can ask for the grant. We have discovered that our organization is not appropriate for most grants; however, there is hope with a limited and proven project such as this one.
New booklist (graphic novel) $500 This is already begun and is based on our workshop last year. This is part of a new plan to make our projects more cost and time-efficient by overlapping them. The research, planning and expertise going into the workshop handouts will be used as a base for creating the publication of the following year.
Video PSA (encouraging family use of libraries) – $1000 Planning will begin this year, but expenses will be incurred next year.
Total $4000.
To respond to low attendance, we have reduced the number of meetings. To be prudent in this year of changes, we have not added any new objectives.