REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WATERLOO LIBRARY COMMITTEE AGENDA

Transcription

1 MEDIA RELEASE: Friday, November 29, 2013, 4:30 p.m. REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WATERLOO LIBRARY COMMITTEE AGENDA Tuesday, December 3, :00 p.m. (Time is approximate; immediately following Committee meetings) Waterloo County Room 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener, Ontario 1. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST UNDER THE MUNICIPAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT 2. REPORTS a) P-LIB , Region of Waterloo Library Service Plan Update, 2013 b) P-LIB , Region of Waterloo Library: 2014 Preliminary Budget INFORMATION/CORRESPONDENCE a) Memo: Region of Waterloo Library Operations Update: October December 2013 b) Memo: Invitation to Join Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOLP) OTHER BUSINESS a) Council Enquiries and Requests for Information Tracking List NEXT MEETING April 1, ADJOURN

2 1 1 REGION OF WATERLOO PLANNING, HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Services Report: P-LIB TO: Chair Todd Cowan and Members of the Library Committee DATE: December 3, 2013 FILE CODE: R09-90 SUBJECT: REGION OF WATERLOO LIBRARY SERVICE PLAN UPDATE, 2013 RECOMMENDATION: For Information SUMMARY: NIL REPORT: Report P-LIB , May 28, 2013 discussed Implementing the Region of Waterloo Library Service Review Recommendations. Through that report, the action items for 2013, to be implemented within the 2013 Operating Budget, were approved. Since then, staff has worked diligently to implement the Service Plan actions for this year. The largest project was the new Schedule for Branch Hours, which was developed from public comments and extensive staff input, and initiated on October 1. As detailed in Attachment 1, all but one of the initiatives planned for this year have been completed or are underway. Proposed actions for 2014 were also identified in the May Report, and endorsed by Library Committee subject to budget consideration and approval. Most of the 2014 actions can be undertaken within the existing Operating Budget but will require significant staff time. There is also one Budget Issue included in the 2014 Preliminary Budget Report that supports the 2014 Service Plan actions. After the RWL Budget has been finalized, staff will further review the Service Plan recommendations and present a report on proposed 2014 actions at the next Library Committee Meeting. CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN: The RWL Service Review and Improvement Plan supports many of the objectives under Focus Area 5: Service Excellence, including (5.1) Improve the accessibility of Regional programs and services to support our diverse community, (5.2) Improve satisfaction with Regional programs and services, and (5.5) Improve awareness of Regional services and facilitate processes for public input and involvement. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: All of the 2013 actions were implemented within the approved 2013 Region of Waterloo (RWL) Budget. Page 1 of 4

3 2 2 December 3, 2013 OTHER DEPARTMENT CONSULTATIONS/CONCURRENCE: Report: P-LIB The assistance of staff from many departments - including Human Resources, Information and Technology Services, and Finance - in implementing the Service Plan actions is gratefully acknowledged:. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Status Service Plan Actions for 2013 PREPARED BY: Lucille Bish, Director Community Service APPROVED BY: Rob Horne, Commissioner Planning, Housing and Community Services Document Number: Page 2 of 4

4 3 3 December 3, 2013 Attachment 1: Status Service Plan Actions for 2013 Report: P-LIB ACTION STATUS END OF 2013 Services that meet my needs Adopt new four-tier service delivery model Complete Create and implement new Branch schedule Complete: monitoring public response Work with ITS to install Wi-Fi at all branches Complete: installed in all branches Provide ongoing staff training on new technology Complete: Permanent Coordinator, Computer Training has been hired; Training plans are underway. Build capacity for more public computer Ongoing: Public training classes have resumed. training Increase # of ebooks and eaudiobooks Balance collection budgets between print and digital resources Increase # and variety of collections Increase ESL and adult literacy materials Complete: $5000 increase to ebook spending enabled purchase of 140 additional titles. Complete: Digital resource spending has increased to approximately 22% of overall budget. Complete: Express collections introduced Complete: $625 was spent on Adult Lit Kits; additional DAISY books and Playaways were purchased. Programs that meet my needs Adopt Programming Statement of Purpose In progress 2014 completion Establish ROI guidelines to determine success In progress 2014 completion factors for programming Design programs with Every Child Ready to Ongoing Read emphasis Increase evening programs Continue One Book, One Community Make use of online promotional sites Continue to Develop Social Media In progress Programs offered in Ayr and Elmira to date Successful year; see Operations Report Ongoing. Facebook has been used successfully Ongoing. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest are now active Attractive, Accessible Physical Structures Investigate Facility Collaboration with Presentations to all Township Councils Townships included review of branch facilities Work with Woolwich Township re Elmira No progress Branch parking availability Improve exterior signage on buildings Approach changed as directed by Library Committee through discussion of Report P-LIB , October 1, Monitor AODA requirements for built environments No requirements identified to date Document Number: Page 3 of 4

5 4 4 December 3, 2013 Work with Townships to implement necessary changes Improved catalogue functionality and page design Promote rwlibrary.ca through online media Better promote databases and ebooks Work with ITS to make maintaining and updating RWL s computers a priority Report: P-LIB New Dundee branch proceeding. New Hamburg children s program space refurbished. Improved Online Experience and Digital Resources Navigation bar changed, Homepage resdesigned to accommodate program advertising space, completely new catalogue introduced Ongoing Ongoing 99% of staff computers have been replaced. Approx 50% of public computers replaced, work continues In development for 2014 launch Ongoing Develop a staff technology training plan Continue following best practices on web design Committee established, 1 st meetings have Establish staff Website Advisory Committee been scheduled Continue to improve navigability and access to Ongoing content Expand public computer training programs for Coordinator, Computer Training has been hired adults and seniors and is undertaking program expansion Efficient and Effective Business Practices Review circulation policies Patron profiles reviewed Allow users to pick up family members holds Testing of family cards underway In-person, and telephone registration Yes, for children s programs Friendly and Knowldedgeable Staff Develop a staff technology training program In development for 2014 launch 7 Kobo ereaders purchased, 2 ipads and 1 Encourage regular use of ereaders and devices Galaxy Tab Every staff member able to provid basic Ongoing training computer help and electronic research assistance Our Sense of Community Add a welcome for new residents page to Completed our website Attend local events to promote RWL Yes, local fairs, sidewalk sales and events Sponsor children s activities at fairs and festivals Wellesley Home Show, Fresh Ayr Festival, Let s Read at Word on the Street Display local artwork Ayr, Elmira, New Hamburg branches Invite local guest speakers to library programs Adult programs and children s presenters at several branches Document Number: Page 4 of 4

6 5 5 REGION OF WATERLOO PLANNING, HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Services Report: P-LIB TO: Chair Todd Cowan and Members of the Library Committee DATE: December 3, 2013 FILE CODE: F05-02 SUBJECT: REGION OF WATERLOO LIBRARY: 2014 PRELIMINARY BUDGET RECOMMENDATION: For direction. SUMMARY: This report presents the proposed 2014 budget for the Region of Waterloo Library (RWL) for direction by Library Committee, to result in recommendations to Regional Council for final budget consideration on January 15, The proposed 2014 preliminary base budget is $2,375,336 an increase of $78,641 or 3.42% compared to Based on rural assessment growth for all four Townships, estimated at 1.50% in 2013, this represents a net increase of 1.90% or $1.34 per household, for an average estimated household cost of $72.06 (Note: all household costs in this report are based on an average residential property having an assessed value of $281,000 for 2013). Only one potential addition to the Base Budget is proposed by staff. It is the addition of a second summer student to support Summer Reading Club and other programming recommended in the RWL Service Review. If this 2014 budget issue were approved, the impact would be an additional $10,000 in annual spending resulting in a 2.32% increase to the net levy after assessment for an estimated household cost of $ REPORT: Preliminary 2014 Program Summary The preliminary 2014 Program Summary for the Region of Waterloo Library is shown in Attachment 1. This summary shows the 2013 estimated actual costs and budget variance, as well as the proposed 2014 Base Budget. Key elements of the Program Summary are discussed below. For 2013, actual staffing costs are projected slightly below budget (approximately 2%). Other Operating costs are also below budget, but Inter Departmental Charges are anticipated to be slightly over budget, due to higher than anticipated Facilities expenditures. The net variance is estimated to be about $72,000 surplus; this estimate will be finalized in the first quarter of As in previous years, at that time Library Committee may consider moving the surplus to the Library Capital Reserve Fund, to support future capital and one-time spending needs. The 2014 Base Budget includes standard salary and benefit adjustments, as well as minor increases reflecting inflation for contracted services such as rent, janitorial and materials purchasing/processing. Some significant improvements are being implemented in the library Page 1 of 7

7 6 6 December 3, 2013 Report: P-LIB automation system software (which handles the catalogue, materials check in/out, patron information, etc.) but the net cost increase is a modest $2,200. These increases may be partially offset by an increase in revenues from fines and desk receipts which, if realized, would be captured in next year s budget. The increase for Inter departmental charges is due to adding the Mobile Lab (10 laptops) to the Regional Computer Equipment Reserve so that they can be replaced on a regular basis. The proposed 2014 preliminary base budget is $2,375,336 an increase of $78,641 or 3.42% compared to Based on rural assessment growth estimated at 1.50%, this represents a net increase of $1.34 per household. New Initiatives Implemented in 2013 Through the 2013 Library Committee budget process, (please see P-LIB dated November 27, 2012) a number of new initiatives with budget implications were proposed and approved. They have been implemented primarily through the Library Service Plan, as described more fully in P-LIB , dated May 28, The specific Service Plan actions that were supported through 2013 budget increases are: More consistent branch hours Install WiFi at all branches Maximize Library Technical Support Assistant PT hours to support branch staff Improve RWL website functionality using staff advisory committee Improve catalogue functionality and page design Increase ebook and Audiobook collections Increase ESL and adult literacy materials Encourage patron use of ereaders and other devices The 2013 Base Budget increase for these items was $61,575 (including $32,000 allocated for Service Review implementation) and in total there was a 1.7 FTE increase approved. The Capital Projects undertaken in 2013 were: RWL Headquarters interior refresh: replaced original 1991 carpet and paint New Hamburg children s program space new wall/entranceway and paint New Dundee: plans in progress for new branch 2014 The 2013 Budget also provided an increase of $5000 for the purchase of additional ebooks. This allowed 140 new ebook titles to be added to the collection. Availability of ESL and adult literacy materials was improved with the creation of a new collection named Adult Lit Kits. CNIB DAISY discs and Playaway items were introduced to provide additional Accessible formats for patrons. The estimated total expenditures for books and materials in 2013 is $254,716. To meet the Service Plan s goal of balancing electronic service spending with traditional print purchases, approximately 22% of the overall materials budget was spent on ebooks, databases and other digital media. This is an increase from approximately 10% of the budget spent in this area in Potential Additions to 2014 Operating Budget Report P-LIB , dated May 28, 2013 on Implementing the Region of Waterloo Library Service Review Recommendations included a proposed three-year schedule. All of the actions recommended for 2013 have been completed or are underway. Document Number: Page 2 of 7

8 7 7 December 3, 2013 Report: P-LIB The Service Plan actions recommended for 2014 primarily require staff time, and some will result in plans for new initiatives which could be considered in the 2015 Budget. Examples include development of a Library Technology Plan, and a review of staff requirements to support new programs in branches. As a result, only one potential new budget issue is being proposed for 2014, as described below and summarized in Attachment 2. Additional Student to support Summer Reading Club and Other Programming: $10,000 The Summer Reading Club program encourages children of all ages to engage in reading all summer long, supported by programs, activities, and prizes. Enrolment has grown significantly over the past few years, to 1640 in All of this activity has been supported by one student, hired for four months, who presents programs for children age 6 and up. Parents have asked for programs for young children as well. In response, some programs were presented by staff for children age 5 and under in the month of July, 2013 and were very popular. The number of activities and programs offered to children, and support for branch staff would be significantly increased with the addition of a second student to run more programs. Proposed 2014 Capital Budget The proposed Ten Year Capital Forecast is shown in Attachment 3. Recommended capital expenditures in 2014 are described below, and include: Branch Development: Furnishing the re-located New Dundee Branch Other Branch Furnishings: Wellesley children s department carpet and paint Electronic signage inside branches, and on-road directional signs Branch Development The Township of Wilmot has committed to completing the refurbishing of an existing building in New Dundee to serve as the new branch library location. In conjunction, RWL provides the interior furnishings such as shelving, circulation desk, furniture, and children s reading and activity areas. The amount provided in the Capital Forecast is expected to be sufficient for these requirements. Other Branch Furnishings RWL regularly refreshes the interior areas of the branches. The carpet and paint in the Wellesley Branch children s department is recommended for refreshing in Signage Interior digital screens would project information to the public on library news and events, and open up possibilities for community partnerships with shared information. Preliminary research shows that monitors range in price from $700 - $2000 for commercial grade TVs. Wall mounts, data drops and technical equipment per location range from $1500-$3500. In total the estimated cost range to purchase and install interior digital screens for marketing ranges from $2200 -$5500 per location, or $22,000 - $55,000 for the 10 branches. The actual cost per branch will vary due to available location for mounting the TV, so a detailed plan will need to be developed to determine the final total cost. Directional signs on roads would guide people to the library branches, as well as generally raise awareness of RWL. They are roughly $150 each including installation. RWL would need to work with Traffic Engineering to obtain approvals and locations for these signs. With the potential of four signs per branch, the amount needed could be $6,000 Document Number: Page 3 of 7

9 8 8 December 3, 2013 Report: P-LIB In 2012, a total of $45,000 for electronic exterior signage was included in the approved Capital Forecast. It is proposed that this amount be retained in the capital budget, and that staff will work within this budget to deliver interior digital screens and directional road signs in CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN: The RWL Budget supports the Vision of the Strategic Plan, that Waterloo Region will be an inclusive, thriving and sustainable community committed to maintaining harmony between rural and urban areas and fostering opportunities for current and future generations. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The proposed RWL 2014 base budget is $2,375,336, an increase of $78,641 compared to 2013, which represents an average increase of $1.34 per Township household or 1.90% after estimated Township assessment growth of 1.50%. The proposed 2014 budget issue includes additional annual spending of $10,000 for a total budget increase of $88,641 (2.32% after assessment) or $1.64 per Township household. OTHER DEPARTMENT CONSULTATIONS/CONCURRENCE: This report has been prepared jointly by Finance and Community Services Staff. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: 2014 Program Summary Attachment 2: Draft Budget Plan Attachment 3: Capital Budget and Forecast PREPARED BY: Lucille Bish, Director, Community Services APPROVED BY: Rob Horne, Commissioner, Planning, Housing and Community Services Document Number: Page 4 of 7

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13 12 12 PLANNING, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Services Date: December 03, 2013 MEMORANDUM To: From: Chair Todd Cowan and Members of the Library Committee Lucille Bish, Director, Community Services Subject: Region of Waterloo Library Operations Update: October-December 2013 File No: R09-01 Programs and Services Children s programs continue to be popular, as evidenced by the responses to the Service Plan Telephone Survey, and registration in programs. The new baby and one year old programs planned for Elmira and Wellesley this fall have been well received with full registration; 10 children in each plus parents/caregivers who gain family literacy tips. A Kids Book Club started in Ayr, joining other branches with programs for year old children. New programs for young children (St. Clements) and an extra Toddler program for 1-2 year olds (Ayr) were added in the fall session due to community demand, as noted at the October 1, 2013 Library Committee meeting. Winter 2014 will see programs for young children age 1-5 years introduced in Linwood and New Dundee, to welcome a younger age group with the impact of full day junior kindergarten. All children s programs are based on Every Child Ready to Read practices, of Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing and Playing. These new programs are possible due to the increased staff hours and budget provided through the allocation of the RWL Service Plan funding, approved through Report P-LIB dated May 28, Let s Read, a family literacy program, celebrates Snow Day by Werner Zimmermann. He visited the Baden branch in November and gave an art lesson to a large group of excited Grade 2 students. More family events are forthcoming across the Region, including a book giveaway, storytelling and activities. Hockey Night at the Library will be held at Baden, New Hamburg and Elmira branches this fall to celebrate reading and hockey. Players from the New Hamburg Firebirds and Elmira Sugar

14 13 13 Kings will read to kids and model reading for families. Children will play hockey themed games and activities. Books for Kids, an initiative of The Waterloo Region Record, is underway in Waterloo Region. Branch libraries and headquarters are collecting new, unwrapped books for children. They are donated to local community services centres during the holiday season for hampers for rural families. Programs for adults this fall include ADHD adults and kids (Ayr), movie afternoons (Elmira), getting ready for post-secondary school (Ayr) as well as displays of community art. There was also a successful book sale held at the Wellesley ABC festival. The Ontario Public Library Week (OPLW) theme Libraries Connect was promoted in all branches with book draws. During OPLW, Food for Fines enabled library users to donate nonperishable food to pay off fines food items were donated resulting in $ of fines waived. New promotion includes brochures and bookmarks for services like Book Club in a Bag, Winter Programs for Children, and Donations. Buildings New Hamburg: The children s department was renovated to create a better program space. A large screen TV will be added to enable movie programs and fun activities. Linwood: New playground equipment has been installed at the Linwood Recreation Centre, which houses the library. New Dundee: Plans for a new library are progressing. Wilmot township has put out the tender for the renovation project, closing December 3. Staff Staff Development Day was held on November 4, with a presentation on Customer Service Essentials. It was customized with library situations for staff to share ideas and best practices. Penny McGill has been hired as RWL s permanent Coordinator, Computer Training. Penny has jumped right into her duties and has already launched new public training classes, and is planning future staff training opportunities. Website and Online Communications A new Courtesy Notice service was introduced in November. Date due reminders will be ed to patrons 3 days before their items are due. Public response to this has been overwhelmingly positive. Membership renewal notices will be introduced in December. Regular library enewsletters are going out. We have 34 subscribers to the general newsletter, and 23 to the children s. Sign up is always available on rwlibrary.ca, and promotion for the newsletters will continue. A Pinterest page was launched in September, and already has 39 followers and 552 pins. New space was created on rwlibrary.ca s homepage to enable additional graphics and program promotion

15 14 14 Library Computers and Technology Public computer replacement has begun. Ayr and Elmira are successfully running PC Reservation software, which has generated positive comments from the public. New barcode scanners have been purchased for all branches, which will improve staff efficiency and allow RWL to accept library cards on smartphone screens. A launch of that service is in development now. Statistics /Reporting To date, 2013 ebook use has increased 40%, and DVD use has increased 15%, owing mainly to the introduction of Express DVDs. Collections Express Reads were introduced in September. These are bestseller titles with one week loan periods and no waiting lists. Patron response has been extremely positive. Computer Training A permanent Coordinator, Computer Training has been hired, and public training sessions have resumed. Plans are underway to expand the service in

16 15 15 PLANNING, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES Community Services Date: December 03, 2013 MEMORANDUM To: From: Subject: Chair Todd Cowan and Members of the Library Committee Lucille Bish, Director, Community Services Invitation to Join Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) File No: R09-01 The recent letter from the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) requesting that Region of Waterloo Library become a member, is attached to this memo. This invitation is extended annually by FOPL, and Library Committee has considered it on several occasions. However, as FOPL has a new Executive Director it may be appropriate for the Library Committee Chair to respond this year. FOPL is a member-funded, Board-led organization established to represent Public Libraries in Ontario. Over the past several years, FOPL has undertaken a number of initiatives in support of public libraries, and RWL has benefitted as part of the overall Ontario library system. However, RWL has consistently raised a concern over the cost of membership for our system. With a combined Census population in the four Townships of just over 62,000, the FOPL fee is $3000; in comparison, if the fee were assessed based on individual Township population, the total FOPL fee would be $1700. In recent years, the FOPL Board has granted an associate membership to the Association of Rural Public Libraries (ARUPLO) of which RWL is a member. Through this association, RWL is now receiving FOPL communications and the ability to participate in training opportunities. For these reasons, it is recommended that RWL again decline to become a FOPL member

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20 19 19 COUNCIL ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION LIBRARY COMMITTEE Meeting date Requestor Request Assigned Department Anticipated Response Date