FIVE YEAR PLAN
2002-2007
Five Year Plan -- Appendix C Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3
APPENDIX C Part 2 --back to top
Focus Group Compilation January 2002
- What needs do you see the state or local library filling?
- What do you see as the most useful service provided by local or State libraries? What service could you not live without?
- Who needs the services of the State Library, or local libraries, the most? Who are currently under-served by the State Library, or by libraries in general?
- How can the State Library serve your needs and the needs of others better?
- What role should the State Library in particular, and libraries in general, play in literacy education?
- Where and how can the State Library improve the job we do in the next five years?
What needs do you see the state or local library filling? --back to top
- Our rural areas always need more library services.
- Why must our rural areas pay money?
- Increase services to shut in elderly people.
- Increase marketing of library services.
- Provide state-wide library cards.
- Increase access to State services from my home computer.
- Increase access to best-sellers.
- Increase penalties.
- Increase tech training for elderly.
- Increase computer training (half-hour cheater classes).
- Increase kiosks.
- Increase LSCA construction funds.
- Our reservation areas always need more library services.
- Our immigrant population will benefit from more library service and support.
- We'd like more exchanges between community libraries.
- Increase grant writing assistance services.
- Increase research assistants.
- Increase national and local marketing of library services.
- Increase services like computer research centers.
- Increase the awareness that a hard book is something of great value.
- Increase the ability of patrons to discern the quality of information they receive on the Internet.
- Increase attraction of libraries by providing coffee shops with Net access, and comfortable, spacious atmosphere like Barnes and Nobles.
- Increase the number of terminals for computer and Internet work, set aside in a special place.
- Increase access to live authors, with discussions and book signings.
- Increase bookmobile services. Some local libraries are phasing this out.
- Increase Internet access. Educate adults on how to use it.
- Increase services to Native Americans.
- Increase services to Senior Citizens. Recall they have limited mobility, so they aren't likely to visit the Library, nor are they likely to access the Internet. Consider books on tape for them, delivered by a "book lady."
- Increase mini grants, and grants that don't require "in-kind" money.
- Increase program resources. Be a "best practice" clearinghouse.
- Increase after-school programs and holiday programs, like on teacher conference days.
- Increase number of consultants for small community libraries to update library programs.
- Increase awareness of Library services locally and statewide (ie "ask us first").
- Increase awareness that Intranet info costs the State Library (SDLN).
- Increase awareness that the status of a local library promotes economic development efforts.
- Let us erase lines between our public libraries and our school libraries.
- Increase librarian development to become information specialists. Keep a database of students, have internships. Use mentoring to develop our para-professionals.
- We want no "blank faces" on our librarians, when they are asked a question. Like the "Rewind" radio program. Consider the ad campaign that said ???????-if this condition persists, contact your librarian.
- We want our librarians to be more knowledgeable about popular culture, such as radio programs.
- Increase the amount of positive press and marketing. Let's educate the press as to what our libraries do.
- Increase understanding between public and school libraries; appreciate and utilize the differences between these two systems.
- Increase staffing at the State Library, to provide outreach and train the trainer programs across the State.
- Increase salaries of State Librarians.
- Increase technical training provided by libraries, for all age groups, especially adults.
- Let's drop the books at the State Library and focus on the support of local libraries only. State staff would serve as developers of the local staff and programs.
- Increase fund raising training.
- Increase grant writing training.
- Increase global awareness of what our libraries provide.
What do you see as the most useful service provided by local or State libraries? What service could you not live without? --back to top
- Real books!
- Wisdom, knowledge, and guidance from a discerning staff person, versus unqualified information.
- Helpful, smiling staff.
- An atmosphere and place of discovery.
- The reserve bin.
- Freedom to return what I don't like.
- Fiction section.
- Computers.
- Databases.
- The summer reading program.
- Access to newspapers and research.
- The literacy program.
- Preschool storybooks.
- Exploring the layout of the library.
- Books promote cuddling between adults and children.
- Finding an authority on a subject, through books, versus the unauthorized information on the Internet.
- Interlibrary loans.
- Bookmobile for seniors and children.
- Reference resources.
- Children's section (especially boys' books).
- Relaxation.
- Story hour.
- Periodicals.
- Literacy section.
- Knowledgeable librarians.
- Meeting rooms.
- Computer access.
- Computer classes.
- The librarian's training institute.
- Keep the State Library as a central repository of books.
- Don't go pure Internet.
Who needs the services of the State Library, or local libraries, the most? Who are currently under-served by the State Library, or by libraries in general? --back to top
- Kids, especially those who ride the bus and aren't able to stay in town to use the library
- Mature and older citizens who don't have computer skills
- All rural patrons
- All reservation people
- People who live in homes without computers
- In five years we'll see a digital divide which will prevent those without computer skills from access to information
- People who can't afford books and don't live close enough to access the library
- Low income people
- Young adults
- The aging population
- Students who need information-finding/literacy skills
- People who don't know what's available through the library
- The homebound
- The poor who can't afford books
- Distance learners who need libraries to obtain specific info
- People who need libraries to reference personal needs (parenting, etc.)
- Working people
- Illiterate
- Techno illiterates
- Home school families
- Head Start kids
How can the State Library serve your needs and the needs of others better? --back to top
- Take books out to people who are homebound or in rural areas as we do now with bookmobiles.
- Show people that the library is the hub of community activity.a meeting place, a testing center, etc.
- Remove the fear associated with the library from the minds of some
- Ensure that the library is seen as a physically and psychologically safe place.
- Ensure a more customer-friendly attitude on the part of all librarians who welcome people to the library.
- Make the library "systems" friendly.
- Consider the atmosphere of Borders and Barnes and Noble; they are commercial libraries that have created a welcoming atmosphere. Coffee, food, signage, all welcome people.and the comfortable couches are great.
- Make the library more accessible to working parents by adjusting hours and ensuring the library is open longer.
- Help students build the library habit.
- Offer more desktop resources for academics.
- Serve home schooled people better
- Take the library to elderly housing
- Teach people the skills they need to access info and teach them to discern the difference between quality info and garbage info.
- Provide mentoring for parents
- Help parents help kids learn to read better
- Partner with volunteer groups to provide expanded services in all these areas
What role should the State Library in particular, and libraries in general, play in literacy education? --back to top
- The library should be a place of learning basic computer literacy
- Make technology accessible in rural areas
- Educate politicians by preparing an info packet on all sides of issues they are confronting and send it to them compliments of their local library. (Even if this is done by the State Library, it should come through the local library.)
- Market better.
- Provide databases, press releases, and brochures about what is available at the library.
- Partner with non-library entities and organizations as much as possible
- SDSL, get out of direct service to patrons and serve only libraries.
- The library should be a learning center for all ages.computer skills and "free-choice" learning options for all.
- Community technology center
- Librarians are among the highest educated in the community, or at least they should be, and they need to be accessible as a resource.
- Information searching services
- More staff-resources for programs, etc.
- Provide access to computers for all who don't have them and to unique databases.
- Encourage imagination and instill a love for reading in young
- Team learning is available in very few places, the library should be one of them.
- For literacy, follow this protocol:
- parents are the first line of defense;
- schools come second;
- libraries refer to the proper programs, but don't provide those programs themselves.
Where and how can the State Library improve the job we do in the next five years? --back to top
- Start by serving parents and they will bring the kids
- Teach lifelong research skills, the kind adults need, but missed
- Librarians need to be more available to help
- Serve families rather than only individuals
- Educate government officials that the library is a place of resources
- The world is moving too fast, the library needs to be a place where we slow down and make sense of it.
- Provide more technology resources from access to training
- Get more involved in the community and piggyback with other groups that do good community work.
- Integrate technology training with reading training.don't view them as oppositional
- Get a regular column in the newspaper
- Go on local radio talk show programs
- Become more service friendly
Overview -- Mission
Need 1 -- Need 2 -- Need 3 -- Need 4 -- Need 5
Summary -- Appendix A -- Appendix C
Appendix C Part 1 -- Appendix C Part 2 -- Appendix C Part 3