Taking it to the Streets

Outstanding and imaginative community engagementOVGSTL May 2015

Marilyn Zielinski, TLCPL, and Wendy Bartlett, CCPL

“TLCPL’s mission is to provide information, education, and technology to help the community live, learn and grow.”

Reaching customers outside of the building

Looking for non-traditional outreach customers and opportunities

Connecting with the partners we already have or who share a similar mission

Community engagement

Imagination Station

Launched in April 2014 - Taking early literacy to the streets

Board books for little ones plus parenting books for grownups

iPads for Play and Learn classes

Training for parents and caregivers provide Step Up to Quality and Help Me Grow training credit

TLCPL’s Ready to Read Van

Deposit Collections Good use of multiple copy bestsellers Check items out as opposed to giving

withdrawn copies-you need the circulation! Use the “two card” method to ease

concerns about lost items Identify a point person at a nearby branch

to curate the collection, swap it out, handle concerns

Make sure circulation staff understand

Traditional Service with a Twist

Make sure everyone understands how to work with these collections.

Outreach and lost items are a little different than traditional customers.

Fines and fine forgiveness work differently too.

Include circulation staff in this conversation!

We’re on the same page, right?

School Only Access Cards!

TLCPL has cards so teachers can access the library’s databases over and above the school resources available.

No borrowing privileges, gives kids (and teachers) the freedom to use databases and other resources if they have no card or if card is blocked.

Schools can also get an organization card that teachers can use for classroom collections.

Soaring over the digital divide

TLCPL has “library” cards for…….libraries!!!

Public libraries across Ohio can place holds and get materials through the state delivery program.

(And it’s fine free )

A new twist on traditional ILL

They LOVE us for our popular materials!

Operates as a deposit collection; we curate and place for an extended loan.

TLCPL works with Lourdes University and the University of Toledo; CCPL works with both of Cuyahoga Community College’s campuses and Baldwin Wallace.

Colleges and Universities

CCPL checks items out for long term loans on revolving cards, so university or nursing home is treated as a big customer like any other.

TLCPL stickers “provided by TLCPL” and items do not appear in the catalogue.

Questions so far?? Other nitty gritty issues or best practices?

The nitty gritty

Partnered with MetroHealth hospital to place a VERY small location in their old gift shop.

Has four public computers plus a small collection.

VERY popular for customer hold pick up by hospital staff.

High circulation in Playaways, Books on CD, and MAGAZINES!!!

Media Box operates 24/7 for popular DVDs.

CCPL’s Met Hospital Location

Catastrophic budget cuts closed 4 out of their 5 branches.

Bare minimum budgeting to provide service to community.

Outposts have three machines: vending machine, (250-500 books only-no AV), lockers (entire collection) and a book drop.

Personnel to maintain—10 hours a week. Ballpark cost--$67,000 a piece. Map of the city—where were the branches?

“Outposts” in Trenton, New Jersey

“For Social Responsibility”

Aurora Public Library in Colorado placed a satellite branch inside a local Kmart!

Now open 7 days a week. Formerly home to a credit union, APL did it as

a technology outreach effort. Guests use computers for an hour.

Cardholders can stay all day 600 square feet, one staffer to answer

questions. No items to check out, but customers can

pick up holds there.

Blue Light Special in Aisle 4!

APL’s Kmart Lab Aurora, Co.

Parker, Josie. “Small libraries, big support.” Journal of Library Administration 11/13, Vol. 53, Issue 7/8.

Swell, Kim. “Children & Libraries.” Journal of Library Administration Spring 2013, Vol. 10, Issue 1.

Wells, Jeff. “CO Library Adds Kmart Outpost.” Library Journal 9/15/2013,Vol. 138, Issue 15.

Bibliography-Articles

Matthews, Kimberly. Trenton Free Public Library adds Outposts to its 21st Century Library Service Model. \http://21stcenturylibrary.com 2015/03/15.

Mitchell, Megan. Aurora Library’s Kmart computer center expands hours as it wins awards.”http://www.denverpost.com/aurora/ci_27011623/aurora-librarys-kmart-computer-center-expands-hours-it 11/27/14.

Bibliography-online sources

Marilyn Zielinski Technical Services Manager Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Marilyn.Zielinski@TOLEDOLIBRARY.org

Wendy Bartlett Collection Development Manager Cuyahoga County Public Library wbartlett@cuyahogalibrary.org