Please excuse the long post. There was so much to comment on and this is in no way reflective of everything I have seen or heard. But, this is a start.
06/13 The Focus Group meeting
In the focus group, scenarios were used to develop a plausible set of futures for Georgia libraries. Each table discussed a different scenario. After reading the scenario we were to discuss what about the scenario was realistic for our library or not likely to happen. We also discussed what we see in our libraries that were not mentioned in the scenario at all and perhaps should be added to the model. Then, we discussed all of the groups’ scenarios.
Afterward we discussed what is that we desired in our libraries and what we needed. Both groups had similar answers as to what they wanted. There were a few differences between groups but our primary desires were about the same. Both groups wanted an increase in budget…who wouldn’t? We also saw a need for staff development, more marketing and advocacy and to develop the library as a place.
We then discussed what we thought GPLS could do to help achieve those goals. We thought GPLS should focus on service training, provide marketing assistance, provide training for staff as well as training for trustees, provide support for trustees and friends of the library. We also thought it was important for GPLS to do a return on investment study.
During the focus group, I was not surprised to hear the difference between rural and urban libraries. I expected public librarians and GPLS to see and do things differently than the academic libraries. But, the thing that I really was surprised by was the relationship between GPLS and the BOR or at least how that relationship was perceived during the focus group. Because they are such as a small part of the BOR budget, they do not feel that they are always understood anymore than the rural librarians do with their tiny budgets. This relationship is even included on their list of weaknesses as well as their strengths. From where I sit, both BOR and GPLS look big. They are both agencies whose work reaches throughout the entire state. They both operate from a distance and I am sure I misunderstand them both. I would have thought that since the education of the state is a primary goal for both and since GALILEO is a strong part of both the academic and public libraries this relationship could only be positive. I guess its all relative.
06/20 The Planning Team Meeting:
Today the planning team met. This time there were several people I knew from throughout the state. So, it wasn’t all new. A lot of information was briefly reviewed and discussed. Mainly we just went over some highlights and were to study the documents more in depth before the next meeting.
LSTA Survey results
Of all the documents presented, I was most interested in this one. I guess because I actually participated in the survey. The other documents were just as important if not more so but, this is the one that caught my attention first. Some of my primary choices seemed to be the popular choices. I was really surprised at the amount of write in comments there were. I think there was a good variety of respondents and responses. I was a little disheartened that no state elected officials answered the survey. I wasn’t surprised but I would have liked to have been.
SWOT results from GPLS staff, Planning Team, and Public Library Directors
As I mentioned earlier, I found the relationship with BOR surprising. But, I did want to comment on two more things. I noticed that the strategic planning committee and the GPLS staff found Google to be a threat. But, the directors did not? And on May 17th, the directors also found that not having an ALA accredited MLIS program in Georgia was a threat. But that is no longer a threat. :)
Vision of Georgia libraries activity
We were divided into groups and given the task of imagining that the front page headlines in the newspaper said libraries in the state of Georgia were rated number one. Then, we were to imagine WHY they were number one. Then, we were supposed to put what we saw in our #1 libraries on a poster and hang it up on the room with the other groups’ posters. We then discussed what we saw for our libraries in the future. My group decided to draw our vision of the states libraries while the other groups created a list of attributes the libraries would have. It was exciting to see all the ideas people had. Today was the fun day. Today was full of possibilities. The next meeting is where all the hard work and the reality kick in.
Tour of GPLS:
Lyn gave me a tour of the GPLS building. I met a lot of nice people and I was able to see the library. I knew this library was the professional resource for VSU MLIS’s program but I never used it because it was through Pines and the public library. Since I work in an academic library, I do what’s easiest and get my resources at the most convenient location…the place I am already going to everyday. I visit my public library’s website to view which activities are going on there but I never check out a book there. Pine does make all the resources for this library readily accessible but, a borrower agreement between academic and public libraries would have been one less step for me to go through. Apparently I have been missing out; there were a lot of helpful resources at the GPLS library. I found several items for the paper on the history of library planning in the state of Georgia. But, that’s another blog…
The Ride Home:
Atlanta traffic scares me, John Lennon’s on the car radio, and Georgia’s libraries #1…
Imagine…
Imagine a library
It’s easy if you try
Statewide library card
Circulation is high
Imagine all the patrons
Accessing through the web
Imagine digital services
It isn’t hard to do
Staff members who are well trained
Computers and coffee too
Imagine all the patrons
Getting books they need
I’m just strategic planning
But I’m not the only one
G.P.L.S. is busy
And it’s only just begun
Imagine all the funding
I wonder if you can
Extensive item holdings
Community programs
Imagine all the patrons
The library as a place
I’m just strategic planning
But I’m not the only one
G.P.L.S. is busy
And it’s only just begun
06/13 The Focus Group meeting
In the focus group, scenarios were used to develop a plausible set of futures for Georgia libraries. Each table discussed a different scenario. After reading the scenario we were to discuss what about the scenario was realistic for our library or not likely to happen. We also discussed what we see in our libraries that were not mentioned in the scenario at all and perhaps should be added to the model. Then, we discussed all of the groups’ scenarios.
Afterward we discussed what is that we desired in our libraries and what we needed. Both groups had similar answers as to what they wanted. There were a few differences between groups but our primary desires were about the same. Both groups wanted an increase in budget…who wouldn’t? We also saw a need for staff development, more marketing and advocacy and to develop the library as a place.
We then discussed what we thought GPLS could do to help achieve those goals. We thought GPLS should focus on service training, provide marketing assistance, provide training for staff as well as training for trustees, provide support for trustees and friends of the library. We also thought it was important for GPLS to do a return on investment study.
During the focus group, I was not surprised to hear the difference between rural and urban libraries. I expected public librarians and GPLS to see and do things differently than the academic libraries. But, the thing that I really was surprised by was the relationship between GPLS and the BOR or at least how that relationship was perceived during the focus group. Because they are such as a small part of the BOR budget, they do not feel that they are always understood anymore than the rural librarians do with their tiny budgets. This relationship is even included on their list of weaknesses as well as their strengths. From where I sit, both BOR and GPLS look big. They are both agencies whose work reaches throughout the entire state. They both operate from a distance and I am sure I misunderstand them both. I would have thought that since the education of the state is a primary goal for both and since GALILEO is a strong part of both the academic and public libraries this relationship could only be positive. I guess its all relative.
06/20 The Planning Team Meeting:
Today the planning team met. This time there were several people I knew from throughout the state. So, it wasn’t all new. A lot of information was briefly reviewed and discussed. Mainly we just went over some highlights and were to study the documents more in depth before the next meeting.
LSTA Survey results
Of all the documents presented, I was most interested in this one. I guess because I actually participated in the survey. The other documents were just as important if not more so but, this is the one that caught my attention first. Some of my primary choices seemed to be the popular choices. I was really surprised at the amount of write in comments there were. I think there was a good variety of respondents and responses. I was a little disheartened that no state elected officials answered the survey. I wasn’t surprised but I would have liked to have been.
SWOT results from GPLS staff, Planning Team, and Public Library Directors
As I mentioned earlier, I found the relationship with BOR surprising. But, I did want to comment on two more things. I noticed that the strategic planning committee and the GPLS staff found Google to be a threat. But, the directors did not? And on May 17th, the directors also found that not having an ALA accredited MLIS program in Georgia was a threat. But that is no longer a threat. :)
Vision of Georgia libraries activity
We were divided into groups and given the task of imagining that the front page headlines in the newspaper said libraries in the state of Georgia were rated number one. Then, we were to imagine WHY they were number one. Then, we were supposed to put what we saw in our #1 libraries on a poster and hang it up on the room with the other groups’ posters. We then discussed what we saw for our libraries in the future. My group decided to draw our vision of the states libraries while the other groups created a list of attributes the libraries would have. It was exciting to see all the ideas people had. Today was the fun day. Today was full of possibilities. The next meeting is where all the hard work and the reality kick in.
Tour of GPLS:
Lyn gave me a tour of the GPLS building. I met a lot of nice people and I was able to see the library. I knew this library was the professional resource for VSU MLIS’s program but I never used it because it was through Pines and the public library. Since I work in an academic library, I do what’s easiest and get my resources at the most convenient location…the place I am already going to everyday. I visit my public library’s website to view which activities are going on there but I never check out a book there. Pine does make all the resources for this library readily accessible but, a borrower agreement between academic and public libraries would have been one less step for me to go through. Apparently I have been missing out; there were a lot of helpful resources at the GPLS library. I found several items for the paper on the history of library planning in the state of Georgia. But, that’s another blog…
The Ride Home:
Atlanta traffic scares me, John Lennon’s on the car radio, and Georgia’s libraries #1…
Imagine…
Imagine a library
It’s easy if you try
Statewide library card
Circulation is high
Imagine all the patrons
Accessing through the web
Imagine digital services
It isn’t hard to do
Staff members who are well trained
Computers and coffee too
Imagine all the patrons
Getting books they need
I’m just strategic planning
But I’m not the only one
G.P.L.S. is busy
And it’s only just begun
Imagine all the funding
I wonder if you can
Extensive item holdings
Community programs
Imagine all the patrons
The library as a place
I’m just strategic planning
But I’m not the only one
G.P.L.S. is busy
And it’s only just begun
1 comment:
Leann, what a great adaptation of Imagine!
I do believe the relationship between BOR & GPLS is a good one, but there are always issues when an agency is a part of a larger agency. With 40+ staff, GPLS is one of the smallest state library agencies.
There was wide publicity about the LSTA survey to the library community; less to the public, which would explain the low responses and no responses from elected officials. A lesson for next time we do such a survey is to make sure the message gets to a wider audience.
Thanks so much for your comments.
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