Long-Range Plan of Service

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY
LONG-RANGE PLAN OF SERVICE

July 2006 - June 2011

Executive Summary
Introduction
Community Assessment
Mission Statement
Goals & Objectives
Technology Plan

Executive Summary

Mission Statement
The Thomas Crane Public Library and its branch libraries provide materials, programs, and services that

Assist people to grow and learn throughout their lives
Enable people to understand their own heritage and the heritage of others
Provide an environment for people to gather, interact, and participate in public programs
Address the need for adults to learn to read and develop essential life skills

Encouraging Lifelong Learning: the library assists people to grow and learn throughout their lives.

Goal: Residents of all ages will have materials and programs that stimulate thinking, satisfy curiousity, solve problems, provide leisure time enjoyment, and encourage lifelong reading and learning.

Goal: Residents of all ages will be aware of and know how to use library resources and services.

Understanding Our Heritage: the library enables people to understand their own heritage and the heritage of others.

Goal: The library will provide programs and information for all ages that promote knowledge and understanding of cultural and community heritage.

Creating Community: the library provides an environment for people to gather, interact, and participate in public programs.

Goal: The library will be a gathering place for residents of all ages, creating a sense of community and neighborhood belonging.

Goal: The library will provide a welcoming environment for residents with limited English skills.

Achieving Basic Literacy: the library addresses the need for adults to learn to read and develop essential life skills.

Goal: The library will provide programs, materials, and services to assist new readers and new English learners to acquire basic literacy skills.

Goal: New readers and English learners will be aware of the literacy resources and services available at the library.

Introduction

The Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy, Massachusetts developed its first long-range plan in May 1988. The period from 1988 to 1998 was one of tremendous change in the library. The city committed to renovating and expanding the Main Library and staff was involved in the building design process, transforming the library into a building that combined traditional library functions with technology.

The renovated and expanded Main Library opened in 2001, with state-of-the-art technology, a computer classroom, a variety of community meeting spaces, additional staff, expanded hours and new services. Library use surged. In 2002 the library budget was cut by 15%, staff were laid off, and library programs and branch hours reduced. However, attendance in the library, use of library computers and electronic resources, participation in library programs, and demands for library services continued to grow much faster than budget allocations.

In April 2005 the Thomas Crane Public Library began a new long-range planning process, based on the New Planning for Results method developed by the Public Library Association. Community members were invited to participate on a Planning Committee. Over the next several months committee members and library staff worked intensively, reviewing demographic information, drafting a community vision, identifying community needs, and selecting service priorities for the library. The resulting plan reflects the Planning Committee's recommendation that the library focus on encouraging children to be lifelong readers, on keeping adults intellectually engaged into retirement, on welcoming people with limited English skills, on sustaining strong neighborhoods, and on helping people attain basic literacy. We are very grateful to the thoughtful and dedicated group of community people who worked with us to develop this plan. Thanks also to the hardworking staff members who met many times to translate the community's vision into a working document.

Planning Committee
John Brothers, Quincy Asian Resources, Inc.
Bette Campbell, Quincy Access Television
Diane Costigliola, Graduate Student & Library Employee
Harold Crowley, Planning Committee Chair, Friends of the Library & former Library Trustee
Harold DiMattio, Library Trustee
Peggy Doyle, Library Volunteer
Jennifer Ferent, Parent & Volunteer Literacy Tutor
Helen Flaherty, Quincy Public Schools ESOL Teacher
Joan Holt, North Quincy High School Librarian
Roseanne Hues, Quincy Family Network
Frank Madden, Retired Scientist
John Noonan, Council for the Aging
Libbie Payne, Friends of the Library & Entrepreneur
Frank Poon, South Shore Elder Services Asian Liaison
Nadine Steffan, Parent
Linda Stice, School Committee & City of Quincy Constituent Services
Rosemary Wahlberg, Quincy Community Action Program

Community Assessment

Background Information
The city of Quincy has undergone a dramatic demographic transformation in the past 20 years. 20% of the city's 89,059 residents are new immigrants, the majority of whom are from Asia. Between 1990 and 2000 the Asian population increased 143%. Two thirds of the residents are Chinese, and the other third are Vietnamese, Indian, Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Thai. In the Quincy Public Schools, English is not the primary language for 21% of the students.

The majority of city residents are in the 20-65 age range, (64%), with nearly equal numbers in the 5-19 range, (14%), and 65 and older, (16%). Children 5 and under are the smallest group, (5%).

Most adults have at least a high school education with 17% having completed two years of college and 22% having completed four or more years of college.

Between July 2004 and June 2005, over 600,000 people visited the library and approximately 7,800 children and 2,500 adults participated in library programs. As of July 1, 2005, 44,299 city residents held library cards.

Community Vision
The Planning Committee envisioned a safe, livable and affordable Quincy with a vibrant downtown core and strong neighborhoods, a rich variety of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for all ages, and understanding and cooperation among its diverse residents.

Current Community Conditions
The city's many strengths include an excellent location with a variety of transportation options and 25 miles of shoreline, a rich history, strong schools and libraries, many vital neighborhoods, a diverse population, and a tradition of welcoming newcomers.

Some of the challenges that face the city include increased transiency and homelessness, the rising cost of housing, increased congestion and lack of open space, reduced funding for social and educational services, a lack of affordable cultural and recreational opportunities, the need to integrate new immigrants into the community, and the increasing isolation of residents.

The Planning Committee identified several community needs that the library is suited to address: the need to preserve a sense of community and neighborhood identity; the need for educational and cultural opportunities for residents of all ages and abilities, and the need for enhanced communication and understanding between residents from different cultural traditions.

Board of Trustees Approval
The library's Board of Trustees formally approved the new Long-Range Plan of Service on December 12, 2005.

Mission Statement

The Thomas Crane Public Library and its branch libraries provide materials, programs, and services that

Assist people to grow and learn throughout their lives
Enable people to understand their own heritage and the heritage of others
Provide an environment for people to gather, interact, and participate in public programs
Address the need for adults to learn to read and develop essential life skills

Goals & Objectives

Encouraging Lifelong Learning
The library assists people to grow and learn throughout their lives.

Goal:
Residents of all ages will have materials and programs that stimulate thinking, satisfy curiousity, solve problems, provide leisure time enjoyment, and encourage lifelong reading and learning.

Objectives

Circulation of adult non-fiction materials in all formats will increase by 5% each year.
Attendance at library-sponsored lifelong learning programs for adults will increase by 10% each year.
Attendance by young adults aged 13-19 at library-sponsored programs will increase by 10% each year.
Attendance by children aged 12 and under at library-sponsored programs will increase by 5% each year.

Activities for FY2007

Develop a comprehensive weeding and selection program for the adult non-fiction collection.
Assess signage and display needs at the Main Library and develop a plan for improved signage and display.
Develop and present programs for adults based on responses to the June 2005 program survey.
Continue annual Quincy Reads Together program.
Increase the participation of library staff and Friends in hosting library programs.
Create a teen advisory committee.
Survey teens to determine what kinds of programs teen want at the library.
Present at least one program per month for teens.
Present more weekend programs and unregistered programs for children; present storytime programs at locations outside the library (e.g. preschools, community centers, etc.).
Identify more ways to collaborate systematically with the schools to better serve school-age children.
Expand the distribution of publicity about children's programming using new avenues (e.g. via community agencies, churches, businesses, etc.) Present storytimes on QATV.

Goal:
Residents of all ages will be aware of and know how to use library resources and services.

Objectives

Attendance at programs about library resources and services will increase by 10% each year.
Use of the library's online databases will increase by 5% the first year and 3% each year thereafter.
The number of registered borrowers who are Quincy residents will increase by 2% each year.

Activities for FY2007

Offer regular schedule of classes on using library resources, such as the library catalog, the Internet, and online databases.
Offer a regular tour of the Main Library for various ages.
Publicize databases in a variety of ways (e.g. via the library Web site and newsletter, newspapers, signage).
Create guides to searching the databases that will be available in the library and on the Web site.
Conduct library card registration drive that targets particular groups.
Develop presentation for community groups about library resources & services.
Distribute brochures about the library to target new residents.

Understanding Our Heritage
The library enables people to understand their own heritage and the heritage of others.

Goal:
The library will provide programs and information for all ages that promote knowledge and understanding of cultural and community heritage.

Objectives

Attendance at cultural and community heritage programs, for both children and adults, will increase by 5% each year.
Circulation of featured library materials for children and adults will increase by 50% during special display periods.

Activities for FY2007

Present at least two events for children, two events for adults and/or teens, and two events for all ages each year highlighting the arts, crafts, or literature of various cultures.
Present at least one program and one exhibit each year on a topic related to Quincy history, Quincy authors, etc.
Develop two materials displays each year featuring world cultures or Quincy history, including all formats, with accompanying resource lists in print and on the Web site.

Creating Community
The library provides an environment for people to gather, interact, and participate in public programs.

Goal:
The library will be a gathering place for residents of all ages, creating a sense of community and neighborhood belonging.

Objectives

The number of library-sponsored programs offered in branch libraries will increase by 10% each year.
Attendance at the branch libraries will increase by 5% each year.

Activities for FY2007

Add a monthly book discussion or booktalk program for adults at each branch.
Partner with community agencies and neighborhood groups to present more programs at the branch libraries.
Present at least three special programs at each branch each year.

Goal:
The library will provide a welcoming environment for residents with limited English skills.

Objectives

Circulation of special collections will increase by 10% each year.
Attendance by Asians and Asian-Americans at library-sponsored programs will increase by 10% each year.

Activities for FY2007

Form community advisory committee to advise library staff on selection of materials of interest to Asian residents.
Determine which signage and library handouts should be translated into Chinese and/or Vietnamese.
Partner with community agencies to develop programs of interest to the Asian community.
Publicize library programs via a variety of sources (e.g. Asian media, WJDA Cantonese program, etc.).

Achieving Basic Literacy
The library addresses the need for adults to learn to read and develop essential life skills.

Goal
The library will provide programs, materials, and services to assist new readers and new English learners to acquire basic literacy skills.

Objectives

Circulation of literacy materials in all formats will increase by 10% by the end of the first year and by 3% each year thereafter.
The number of volunteer tutors trained will increase by 5% each year.
The number of basic skills classes offered by the library will increase by 15% in the first year and by 5% each year thereafter.

Activities for FY2007

Promote use of the New Reader collection by revising policies (e.g. loan periods), improving merchandising and display.
Expand the New Reader collection with additional materials in all formats.
Offer a basic math training workshop each year.
Offer a basic writing workshop series each year.
Increase the number of basic computer skills classes offered each year.
Increase the visibility of the literacy program via signage, displays and handouts in the library.
Target specific groups, such as retirees, in a tutor recruitment campaign.

Goal:
New readers and English learners will be aware of the literacy resources and services available at the library.

Objectives

The number of literacy Web site pageviews will increase by 5% each year.
The number of people requesting a volunteer tutor will increase by 10% each year.

Activities for FY2007

Convert literacy Web site from frames to a non-frames site for better accessibility.
Create a regular schedule for updating the literacy Web site; further develop Web site content with additional links and annotations; promote the Web site in all publicity about the literacy program.
Obtain an existing PSA or create a new one; collaborate with QATV to broadcast PSA as needed each year.
Promote the literacy tutoring program on the library's home page periodically.
Increase visibility of the literacy program via signage, displays and handouts in the library.