Technology Plan

July 1 2008-June 30, 2011

Welcome!

This document is to be used as a guideline to plan for staffing, services, technology, budgets and communication for July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011.  It is a working document subject to change based on income (revenues) and changes in the library political and social environment.  This document will be reviewed each year during the annual Public Hearing (October).

This technology plan is based on the Board of Trustees approved Mission and Vision Statements which were recommended and reviewed by the staffs of the administrative headquarters and the library branches during meetings held in 2003 and 2004.

Mission Statement

Iosco-Arenac District Library includes AuGres Community Library, East Tawas Library, Omer Library, Robert J. Parks Library (in Oscoda), Plainfield Township Library (in Hale), Mary Johnston Memorial Library (in Standish), Tawas City Library, Whittemore Library, and the Administrative Headquarters (in East Tawas).

Our mission is to provide friendly, helpful and knowledgeable service to people of all ages by enriching their quality of life through traditional resources and technology, and to promote the joy of life-long learning.

Vision

*Continue and improve mutual cooperation between Iosco-Arenac District Library, government entities, branch library staff and our community.

*Provide and maintain a comprehensive collection in a variety of formats based on patron and individual branch library needs.

*Be proactive and creative in anticipating and responding to community needs for programs and services.

*Pursue and provide current library technology and education, responsive to community and staff needs.

*Provide an interactive and welcoming atmosphere by capitalizing on the advantages of small-community living.

Profile

Iosco-Arenac District Library was formed under Michigan Public Act 24 of 1989, and recognized as a District Library in November of 1990. 

The administrative headquarters at 120 W. Westover Street, East Tawas MI 48730, does not operate as a public service library outlet.

As of January 2008, the District provides services to/for the eight Library Branches including the following:

*Revenue Sharing of the District Millage With Units of Government Owning and Operating Library Branches (1/2 of the Actual Amount Received)

*Children’s and Teen Services and Program Coordination

*Funding for Adult Programs

*Collection Maintenance Assistance with Selection and De-selection (Weeding), Marketing of the Collections In-House, Repairs, and Recommendations for Shelving and Display Arrangements

*Consulting and Training (Including Continuing Education)-Includes Funding for Travel and Lodging to State Conferences (MLA and Rural Library Conference)

*Delivery of Materials (Mel Delivery three days per week, Branch Library Delivery two days per week, Postal delivery for ALA and OCLC)

*Interlibrary Loan (MelCat participant, Valley Library Consortium, OCLC, ALA)-Coordination of Borrowing and Lending of Materials to Fill Borrower Requests (Both Statewide, National and International)

*Ordering, Purchasing, Cataloguing and Processing of Intellectual Property (Books, Audios, CDs, Magazines and Local Newspapers, etc.)

*Ordering and Purchasing of Equipment Including Computers, Scanners, Printers, Fax Machines and Photocopiers

*Ordering, Purchasing and Delivery of Library and Office Supplies

*Preparation of Grant Applications for Library Programs, Services and Equipment

*Reference Assistance and Referral Where Needed and/or Requested by the Branch Library Staff

*Monthly List of New Adult Book Titles (Fiction and Non-Fiction) Purchased by the District (Available on the Website and E-mailed to Interested Parties)

*Statistical Recordkeeping Including Annual State Aid Reports

*Monitor the popular media (TV, radio, newspapers, Internet) for author tours, book discussions, upcoming publications, readers advisory

*Substitute Staff Allowances (Substitute Staff are District Employees)

*Technical Assistance/Maintenance For Computers, Printers, Fax Machines and Photocopiers (Hardware and Software)-Full-time Technical Support Staff On Site

*Library Advocacy and Outreach Including Advertising, Public Speaking, Monitoring Legislation Actions, Forwarding Internet Library News, and Support of 1^st    Amendment Rights

*District Website (Up-to-date Links, District Blog and Wiki, and Local Information)

*Purchase E-mail Accounts for Branch Library Managers

*Direct Broadband Internet Connections (T-1 and Wireless at All Branches) and Diagnostics

*Troubleshooting Assistance for Borrowers Using District Computers and District Automation (Via Telephone and the Internet)

*Automated Circulation, Searching, Requesting and E-mail Notifications

*Mailed and E-mailed Notification of Fines and Fees for Overdues to Borrowers

*Tax Form Ordering and Distribution - Support of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (AARP)

*Primary Vendor Contact for Supplies, Equipment and Contracted Services

*Provide the Opportunity for Scheduled Branch Librarian Meetings at Different District Library Locations

Iosco-Arenac District Library currently employs eight full-time staff, and ten substitute staff (used by branch libraries).  Custodial services are contracted.

Iosco-Arenac District Library does not manage library branch buildings and local branch library staff.  The District also does not determine library branch hours of operation.

The District does not own a building, but rents the space used for the administrative offices from the City of East Tawas.

The District employs a Technology Services Coordinator full-time.  An up-to-date job description as of January 8, 2008, is attached to this plan.

An up-to-date inventory including hardware, software, locations of equipment, and an assessment of the staff training needs is attached to the Technology Plan.  The inventory will be maintained and updated (at least monthly) by the Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper with assistance by the Technology Coordinator.

The District went live with SirsiDynix Horizon Library Automation on July 6, 2005.  Management of the automation profiles and privileges is provided by the Valley Library Consortium (VLC).  The District plans to remain a member of the VLC.  Circulation, cataloguing, borrower registrations, requesting and searching are included in the automation.  Technical support for Horizon is provided by Valley Library Consortium.

The District went live as a participating member of MelCat on January 17, 2006.  The Headquarters staff does all of the DCB work associated with MelCat with daily request forms faxed or e-mailed to library branches.  The District receives delivery service through the Mel delivery system on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and delivers to the branch libraries on Monday and Thursday.

District Headquarters staff may be reached by telephone at 989-362-2651, or by e-mail (the Delivery and Materials Processing Clerk does not currently have e-mail).  All staff have written job descriptions available upon request.  All staff descriptions contain roles, duties and responsibilities requiring computer knowledge and training (with the exception, currently, of the Delivery and Materials Processing Clerk).  Manager evaluation and staff self evaluation are used to assess technology skills, with “super users” identified for key proficiencies.  Written policies and procedures support technology tasks.

District Headquarters Staff are listed below:

Stephanie Mallak Olson, District Director  s.olson@vlc.lib.mi.us

John Cargo, Technology Coordinator/Trainer/Technician  j.cargo@vlc.lib.mi.us

Diane Bushman, Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper  d.bushman@vlc.lib.mi.us

Russell Besancon, Access Services Librarian  r.besancon@vlc.lib.mi.us

Lynne Bigelow, Children and Teen Services Coordinator  l.bigelow@vlc.lib.mi.us

Richard Marx, Interloan/Rotation Clerk  r.marx@vlc.lib.mi.us

Teresa Cunningham, Acquisitions and Database Processor  t.cunningham@vlc.lib.mi.us

Robina Olson, Delivery and Materials Processing Clerk

Technology Plan Budget

The budget each year will be established to include plans for the year.  A Technology Fund will be maintained to allow for designated funds for technology and for telecommunication costs associated with Internet provision for all District Library locations.  The balance of the designated Technology Fund at the beginning of 2008 is $110,208.31.  The 2008 budget does not use any of the reserve designated for Technology.  The capital improvement budget for 2008 is $22,000.  Costs to maintain the contract with Merit Network Inc. to provide broadband Internet services to all District locations have been budgeted.  Budgets have been established for public relations, continuing education, automation and delivery.  Budgets for 2008, 2009 and 2010 will support the Technology Plan.

2008-2010 Goals

	Investigate, develop and execute training programs to ensure staff is able to confidently use and demonstrate new technologies.
	Provide resources for continuing education.
	Use the Web and other marketing tools to increase awareness of District resources and services.
	Improve and expand access to Horizon and MelCat On-line Card Catalogues, Borrower Accounts and Cataloguing function.
	Provide for and maintain up-to-date hardware and software able to support resources and services needed and desired by the community.
	Ensure that all systems are secure, easy to use and maintain, and space saving.
	Determine the need for technology instruction and investigate venue to provide training.

Action Plan

The Technology Plan, approved by the Iosco-Arenac District Library Board of Trustees, will be submitted for approval to the Library of Michigan.  Copies of the approved plan will be distributed to District Branch Libraries, White Pine Library Cooperative, Valley Library Consortium, each District staff person, and each Trustee of the District Library Board.

The Technology Plan will be approved by the District Board of Trustees, with any needed changes, each year in October.  This action will allow for changes to be addressed in the next year’s budget and allow for mid-year changes and evaluation. 

A Technology Committee will be appointed by the District Board Chairperson each year in February.

A District website page has been developed and maintained for Technology with links to other websites for continuing education opportunities, staff and patron self-tutorials, news on technology advances, and other sites of interest as determined by staff and patron needs.  The District Technology Coordinator also maintains a BLOG and WIKI for technology news and training. The Technology Plan is available on the District Technology webpage.

Hosting of the District Website is currently outsourced and all pages and links are tested and monitored monthly by the District’s Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper on a rotating basis.

The District has purchased a laptop and projector, allowing for multi-media presentation capability, which will be utilized for community outreach and branch library programs.  The need for a second projector will be investigated for purchase in 2009.

Hardware upgrades in 2008, will include replacing one Headquarters staff computer and replacing four older computers located in branches.  Where space allows and demand supports, the budget will support adding a new computer at four branch libraries for public access.  New computers will be small form factor CPU’s with flat screens.

Hardware upgrades in 2009, will include possible use of touch screen technology for OPAC computers, and the replacement and phase-out of all computers purchased prior to 2006. 

Hardware upgrades in 2010, will include the replacement of any laser printers not replaced in 2007, and the replacement of three computers at Headquarters and eight branch library computers.  A mobile lab of laptop computers will be considered for purchase so that training for adults can be conducted during library hours at all library branches.

Software upgrades in 2008, will include updating the Microsoft Office packages on all computers; renewing and adding licenses for Anti-virus, spamcatcher, DeepFreeze, and CD/DVD production.   The District will continue to explore the feasibility of time and print management.

Software upgrades in 2009, should include a new open source operating system for District computers as a base operating system, while continuing to support Windows.  Software upgrades may include additional children’s programs.  Some older children’s programs will be phased out. 

The purchase of additional database subscriptions (for example Ancestry, Plus for genealogy) beyond those available in the Mel Database program will be explored beginning in 2009. 

Valley Library Consortium is no longer managing the content filtering as of February 14, 2006.  The District has converted to a different content filtering service (Dan’s Guardian) to remain compliant with Federal Law requirements.  Currently, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires filtering in order to receive Federal funding.  The District has received funding from Library Services and Technology Act grants, Reed Act grants and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) discounts.  The District also benefits from Universal Service Fund (USF) discounts.

All District Library locations are now wireless access sites with T-1 broadband connections for all District computers.  All public and staff computers have access to Google Earth, Mel Databases, spreadsheet software, word processing, GIMP2 and many other open access software programs.

A disaster recovery program has been implemented.  The District uses and maintains two servers.  One is used for content filtering, caching and wireless management.  The second server is maintained as a network attached storage device for back-ups.  All servers are protected against unapproved access using firewalls, non-standard ports, user names and passwords.

In 2008, the District will explore the use of VPN as an added layer of security, and to provide a secure means of connecting our branches together.  The District will be taking measures to allow for more centralized management tools to handle the growing number of computers.

Imaging (presently using Norton Ghost software) of all computers is completed at least annually.  Weekly back-ups of all branch computers are automatically done on a rotating basis.  Administrative office computers are automatically backed-up every time a file is modified, saved or created.  Iomega Automatic Back-up Pro is currently the software used to accomplish this. 

At least four times per year, Branch library staff will receive instruction on the use of the District technology, while attending librarian meetings.  Branch library staff will be informed when there are other opportunities for continuing education.  The District will investigate those opportunities provided by the White Pine Library Cooperative, the Valley Library Consortium, Michigan Library Association, Michigan Library Consortium, and other resources.  At least one training opportunity per year will be offered on the use of the Michigan Mel resources.  Alpena Community College Huron Shores Campus, the Iosco Regional Educational Services Agency, Iosco County MSU Extension office, and White Pine Library Cooperative will be contacted to determine if there are opportunities to use their computer labs/classroom space for staff and/or public training. 

At least twice per year, the public will be offered advertised training on using Horizon Information Portal searching and requesting, and on accessing and using their on-line Horizon user accounts.  The District will also make appointments for small group training using computers in the administrative offices.

In 2009, a needs assessment/awareness study will be done through public and staff surveys to determine what technology training is requested by the community.  Technology-assisted reading skill development will be explored in partnership with other organizations, schools and colleges.

The District currently uses MERIT Network Inc. as the Internet provider for all locations.  The current three-year contract (through June 30, 2010), takes advantage of discounts provided through USF with management of the necessary forms and negotiations handled by the District Director (formerly these were handled by the Mid-Eastern Library Cooperative). 

Each April, the District will post and take bids for surplus unused/obsolete equipment.  All computer parts not sold at the surplus sale will be either donated or properly recycled.