[Publib] Budget Cut lists -- Philly Mayor Booed

[Kent Oliver]

This is an intriguing line of discussion. We target personnel and materials because they are the largest portions of our budget (67% and 13%). We are routinely tough on bidding for services and supplies.  We attempt to forecast budget revenues well in advance.  At SCDL we began freezing selected open positions and adjusting staff about 12 months ago.

One example of a cost savings measure we took was to change from internal public security (guards) to totally contracted services. We plan on saving about $40,000 this year.

This marketing comment caught my attention.  We are being out marketed. I have always contended that public libraries are the best kept secrets in their community with a loyal following.  It is a challenge to budget enough for advertising and promotions to compliment the good will and visibility achieved through such services as programs.

Regarding priority services,  the article about Pasadena's planning process in this issue of Public Libraries and the questions they asked was interesting. (  How many of us are really willing to ask the tough questions and make a 180 degree change in our service delivery?)  Some of our staff recently attended PLA boot camp in Cleveland and are very excited about this adjusted strategic planning approach.

Kent

Kent Oliver, Executive Director
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave., N., Canton, OH 44702
W: 330 458 2710 FAX: 330 455 9596
KOliver at starklibrary.org<mailto:KOliver at starklibrary.org>
For ALA President at: www.KentonOliver.com<http://www.KentonOliver.com>

"[L]ibraries in the United States can contribute to a future that values and protects freedom of speech in a world that celebrates both our similarities and our differences, respects individuals and their beliefs, and holds all persons truly equal and free."-Libraries: An American Value<http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/lib_val.html>
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From: Robert Balliot [mailto:rballiot at gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:23 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org; Fred Beisser
Subject: Re: [Publib] Budget Cut lists -- Philly Mayor Booed

The services provided are valuable.  I think the main problem is marketing.
Libraries are being out marketed.  The information marketplace is extremely
competitive.  The same thing is happening in Providence.

I offer for your consideration the first installment of The Library Marketing Toolkit :
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/library-marketing.html
This section focuses on commercial visual displays.
The next section will focus on on-line marketing of Library Services.
Given the current economic climate, libraries must use all
of the tools available to maintain and promote their vital services.
*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com<http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/>
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************
On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 10:03 AM, Fred Beisser <fredbeisser at mesanetworks.net<mailto:fredbeisser at mesanetworks.net>> wrote:
Check this article at http://tinyurl.com/9obk2u reporting that the Philly mayor was soundly booed in his suggestion to close 20% of Philadelphia's 54 libraries.

At the same time, thinking of what our libraries may be in the future, the article talks about "knowledge centers." The term actually reflects the service that we are already providing as opposed to just maintaining a supply of books and magazines to read. The question for us in library operations is how to provide valuable outstanding services to individuals, very small companies, economic development offices and other users so that our constituents recognize what they are receiving and strongly support funding for libraries and their centers of knowledge.

Fred Beisser
Trustee
www.elbertcountylibrary.org<http://www.elbertcountylibrary.org/>
(Colorado)


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