HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-27-2007-5mORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 27, 2007
Action Agenda
Item No. ~_~
SUBJECT: Request for Funding -Library Services Task Force Consultant
DEPARTMENT: Library & Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1. Task Force-Approved Service Needs Brenda Stephens, 919-245-2528
Plan Gwen Harvey, 919-245-2307
2. Quote from Consultant Regarding
Service Needs Plan Report
PURPOSE: To request funds for hiring a consultant to work with Library Services Task Force
2007 on Service Needs Plan for Orange County Public Libraries.
BACKGROUND: At the January 23, 2007 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, a
Library Services Task Force was established to: 1) review the report and recommendations of
the Carrboro Library Workgroup (2004); 2) review the report & overall recommendations to the
BOCC of the Library Services Task Force 2004; 3) review the report as it relates specifically to
a `southwest regional branch library combining the collections, staff, .and services presently
located at McDougle Middle School and the Century Center Cybrary'; 4) prepare a report, in
conjunction with Orange County Management, that outlines recommended facility size, time
horizon for facility construction, and funding of facility; and 5) report recommendations to the
BOCC in context of capital investment program planning for FY 2007-08 and future years.
The Task Force met twice in February, once on the 7tH and then again on 27tH. Following these
meetings, the Task Force accepted the work of consultant Dale Gaddis from 2004 as a
comprehensive 20-year facility plan for Orange County Libraries. The Task Force approved at
the February 27tH meeting a Service Needs Plan, which is attached, in order to address the
facility recommendations and needs of library services for Orange County. The Service Needs
Plan has been addressed to answer the second recommendation of the 2004 Library Services
Task Force, which was `Create a 3 - 5 year Strategic Plan for Library Services in Orange
County.' In order to meet the timeline and provide a comprehensive plan, the Task Force
unanimously voted to hire a consultant to work with the professional librarians and prepare a
report to assist the Task Force in its goal.
CHARGE: See attached Service Needs Plan approved by the Task Force on February 27tH
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FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact is $4,000 based on the attached quote from Kem
Ellis. These funds were not budgeted in the 2006-07 Library Services budget. It is proposed
that these funds be appropriated from the BOCC contingency fund with staff bringing back a
budget amendment for BOCC approval at a future meeting.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the request for
funding for the consultant fees of $4,000 as recommended by the Library Services Task Force
at its February 27th, meeting.
Service Needs Plan
Goal: To develop acounty-wide service plan for Orange County Public Libraries.
The Plan will:
A. Create a service plan for 2008-2012 with automatic review in 2010 for the
next five yeazs. This 3 - 5 year survey of needs would.translate into
estimated space requirements and staffing requirements with those service
needs. The Service Needs Plan report would then be translated by the
Board of County Commissioners into the timeline of how those service
needs and resource requirements could be funded by our community.
. B. Incorporate the views of external stakeholders and current library staff in
deternLn;ng appropriate and feasible service responses
C. Align library services with county plans and vision.
Time Line: The development of the Service Needs Plan for Orange County Public
Libraries will commence in eazly March 2007 and be available for Board of County
Commissioners approval by late June 2007.
Requirements: A consultant will be retained to facilitate two planning sessions, one
with stakeholders and one with library staff. The consultant's formal summary with
recommendations will be used by a Service Planning Committee.' The.Library Director
will. engage a knowledgeable facilitator with previous experience with North Cazolina
public libraries and, if possible, Orange County Public Libraries as well.
Process:
Eazly March A Service Planning Committee will be established with
representatives of stakeholders and experts in library services (see
recommendation for com osition below
Mid-March The Service Planning Committee will meet with the consultant to
agree on stakeholders to be invited and the questions to be discussed.
The Committee will also review the plan to elicit information from
lib staff:
Mid-Mazch to Consultant meets with stakeholders and staff and writes report.
Mid-:A ril
Late April Consultant meets with Service Planning Committee to review report,
compare current mission and services to future needs and to consider
an a ro riate and feasible suite of services.
Early May Service Planning Committee works with the Director of OCPL to
determine resource needs (space, staff, equipment) and to draft
service lan.
Mid-May Director reviews draft service plan with library staff and makes
amendments a.s needed.
Late May ~ ~ The Service Planning Committee reviews Service Plan and agrees on
final recommendations.
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Early June The Service Planning Committee presents the Library Services Plan
to the Libr Services Task Force III fora roval.
Mid to Late June If Task Force approves, the Service Plan will be presented to Orange
Coun Commissioners fora royal.
Members of the Service Planning Committee,. which is a technical sub-committee of Task
Force III:
Tota18 members
Orange County Library Director, Brenda Stephens
Assistant to the Orange County Director, Andrea Tullos
Chapel Hill Public Library pirector, Kathleen Thompson
Representative from School of Information and Librazy Science, UNC, Dr.
Evelyn Daniel
Three librarians: Bazbaza Baker, Margot Malachowski, Dianna McDuffee
Assistant County Manager, Gwen Hazvey
0
Public Library
Kem B. Ellis
DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY SERVICES
TO: Brenda Stephens, Director - Nyconeechee Regional Library System
FROM: Kem Ellis
DATE: March 8, 2007
RE: Consulting Services for the Orange County Public Libraries Service Plan
Enclosed is a quotation to.provide consulting services as outlined in the planning proposal you submitted to me by e-mail on
February 23. These expectations of•the consultant are detailed in the proposal as follows: .
1. Meet with the Design Committee in mid-March to determine the stakeholders fo be invited to attend a focus group
meeting, and to select the questions to be discussed.
2. Conduct two focus groups by mid-April, one with key library stakeholders, and one with library staff.
3. Prepare a written report summarizing the key focus group findings, and outlining recommendations based on these
findings. .
4. Meet with the Design Committee in late April to: review the report; compare cun'ent mission and services to future
needs; to consider an appropriate and feasible suite of services.
My fee to provide these four services is as follows, and includes all incidental costs for travel and meals. The fee also
includes the cost of preparing original copies of any necessary materials that may need to be prepared to facilitate the focus,
group sessions, as well as the original copy of my report. These original materials will be provided to the library electronically,
and it will be the responsibility of the library to print hard copies of these documents as needed.
1. First meeting with the Design Committee- one half day- $500
2. Conduct two (2) focus group sessions- one full day- $1,000
3. ~ Prepare a written report- ~ ~ $2,000
4. Final meeting with the Design Committee- one half day- ~ $500
TOTAL: $4,000
Brenda, l want to recommend we schedule Iwo meetings with the design committee after the report is completed. I think the
list of topics we plan to discuss is too long for one session. I also think the committee will be more productive if we schedule
2 two-hour sessions over a period of several days rather than one long session. Nly fee for one additional half day to conduct
this second meeting would be $500. ~ .
Also, I have studied the minutes of the Library Services Task Force meetings on February 7, and February 27, 2007, as well
as the Orange County Board •of Commissioners meeting on January 23, 2007. 1 have noted the new library facilities being'
proposed for Hillsborough and Carrboro are significantly smaller than those recommended in the 2004 facilities plan.
In light of this 1 would encourage you to consider a more comprehensive approach that would align services and facilities for
the entire regional system. If you think this approach has merit, I would recommend conducting two more focus groups, one
with residents of Caswell County and one with residents of Person County. The cost for one additional day of focus groups
would be $1,000. .
Brenda, please let me know if you have any questions ronceming this quote. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service.
Sincerely,
Kem B. Ellis
•Voice Mail
336.883.3694
e-mail
kem.ellis@highpointnc.gov
P.O. Box 2530, 901 North Main Street, High Point, NC 27261 USA
Fax: 336.883.3636 TDD:336.883.3675
NORTH CAROLINA'S INTERNATIONAL CITY'S