Surviving (and Thriving) During Challenging Times

David W. Singletondsingleton@cmlibrary.org

Association for Small and Rural Libraries

September 2012

Overview

• About Challenging Times• Operational Strategies• Relationship Building• Telling Your Library’s Story• Practical Suggestions• What Works for Your Library?• Q&A

In Calm Weather, All Ships Have Good Captains

--Swedish proverb, often attributed to

Adam Smith

About Challenging Times

The National Picture• Libraries in the U.S. are coping with the

most serious financial crisis in a generation.

• Local and state governments, facing drastically reduced revenues, are slicing library funding to unprecedented lows.

• Library administrators and trustees are grappling with incredibly difficult decisions to reduce services, programs and staffing.

Local Funding

State Funding

Public Library Funding

Fundraising

Grants

Reframing Challenging Times

• We have survived other challenging times• Increased demand shows the value of

libraries• Difficult times offer opportunities to

reexamine what we do, why we do it, and how we do it

• A crisis is a terrible thing to waste

Challenging Times≠Normal Times

• Environment often unstable or changing quickly

• Reduced or stagnant resources, sometimes with increasing demand

• People tend to feel less valued and less knowledgeable (what they know isn’t working)

• Scrutiny increased; mistakes are often more visible

The Stages of Change

StageOne

StageTwo

StageThree

StageFour

Confusion

AngerTesting

Balancing

Activ

ePa

ssiv

e

Stability Time Stages - CAPSPhases - Italics

SHOCKDEFENSIVE

RETREATACKNOW-

LEDGEMENT ACCEPTANCE

#1 Tool=Communication

• Not a time to hide—Be visible to staff and to the community

• Talk face to face whenever possible• Share what you know, even when the news is

not great• "Advocating in a Tough Economy" toolkit is

available at www.ala.org/tougheconomytoolkit

Words that Stop

• I can’t• I’ll try• Should, have to• Someday• Yes, but…• Problem• Difficult• Me, My• I know or I am right

Words that Move

• I can• I will• Will, want to• Today• Help me understand• Opportunity• Challenging• We, Our• I hear you (listen)

If you think you are leading and no one is following, you’re just out for a walk.

--Afghan proverb

Operational Strategies

Three Strategies for Operational Success

Sharpening focus of services/ programs

Increasing library

revenues

Building organizational

capacity

Strengthening Focus• Be crystal clear on what you do and why

–What are the most critical services?–How can we provide services differently?–What can we stop doing?–What do we need to be doing more of

during this challenging time?

Programming Focus Areas

Workforce

Development

Educational

Success

Literacy

Building Organizational Capacity• Unified Services – conduct any library

service at any service point• WorkSmart - improve workflow for

efficiency & effectiveness• Volunteers – updated duties & job

descriptions to extend and support the work of staff

All Staff Can Assist Customers

• Apply for a library card• Manage library account services/check out• Accept payments• Recommend a good book• Reserve a computer or print• Use the library’s website

Process ImprovementOld New

Increasing Revenues

• Grants• Community fundraising

–Targeted efforts most effective (example: books for young readers)

• Friends of the Library (events?)• Fines & fees restructuring

Relationship Building

Relationship Building

• Challenging times are critical times for relationship building with:– Staff– Community– Partners– Funders

Staff

• Keep them informed of changes (they are the library to the public)

• Staff meetings• Weekly email updates/bulletin boards• Involved in decision making as possible

Community

• Visibility in community• Community meetings• Civic organizations• Churches/faith community

New Library/County Partnership

Library

Managing partner: operations, services, general/ administrative

County

Funding partner:budget, funding,

appointment of trustees

Shared activities:Expansion/footprintCapital projectsMaterial changes in serviceReporting on performanceSignificant changes in compensation/benefitsBranch closings

Shar

ed

Telling Your Library’s Story

The Power of Data

• Data driven decisions essential• Fully costing services• Choices/impacts• Remove emotions from decision making• Moving from outputs to outcomes

Dashboard

Advocacy Plan

• Ties into public funding• Two kinds:

– Ongoing– Targeted

Ongoing Advocacy•Informational •Year-round•Showing the

value of libraries

•Debunking myths: “people don’t need/use libraries anymore”

Characteristics

•Awareness campaigns: National Library Week, Teen Tech Week, Teen Read Week, etc.

•Stories of impact

•Alliances: Friends, County, tourism authority, Chamber

Strategies are part of

communications plan

Targeted Advocacy•Geared

toward a specific action

•Examples: Approve the budget, Give a donation, Pass a piece of legislation, etc.

•Has specific start and end date

•Has a call to action

Characteristics

•Ask person A to contact person B

•Ask someone to speak at a meeting

•Ask someone to write a letter to the editor

•Provide information to those you want to act

•Work with allies from ongoing advocacy

Strategies are more specific

Key Messages

• Master narrative• Support key messages with storytelling to

speak to head and heart– Head: Statistics, facts, economic impact– Heart: Stories of impact, how libraries change

lives

ROI Study: broad benefits

• ROI Study conducted by UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library returns $4.57 in direct benefits for every $1.00 invested from all sources.

Value calculator: personalized benefits

Stories of Impact

• Four parts:*– Person– Problem– Library intervention– Happy ending *From Jamie LaRue, Director,

Douglas County Libraries, speaking at NCPLDA Conference

Sample Story of Impact

• Person: David• Problem: ASVAB• Library Intervention:

Pam, Learning Express• Happy Ending: Got

into the field he wanted

Stories of Impact

• Build into existing communications strategies– Advocacy– Annual report– Newsletter– National Library Week– Media relations– Social media

Outcomes

Customer with

problem or need Library intervention

Stories of impact

-----------------

Outcomes

Programming Outcomes

• 97% of parents/caregivers attending pre-school programs reported they are better prepared to develop pre-reading skills in their children

• Pilot program at Long Creek Elementary—measuring impact of summer reading on learning retention/loss

Practical Suggestions

Collections

• Adopt a Book• Donations• Booklists• Displays/themes• Recover classics/popular titles• Did you miss? (Books by bestselling

authors)

Purchasing

• Leasing vs. buying• Consortia discounts• Negotiate discounts & shipping with

vendors• Local vendors may provide significant

discounts or donate items

Communications

• Board• Staff• Elected officials• Friends• Community groups• Volunteers

Staffing

• New ways to manage services• Self-service options for customers• Cross-training• Staff development• May be time to consider shifting roles/

reorganization

Volunteers

• Support and extend the work of staff• Staff volunteer point people• Job descriptions helpful• Checkin/shelving/holds• Technology assistance• Displays

Collaboration

• Other agencies• Neighboring libraries• Consortia

– ILS– ILL– Shared programming/services

What else can you share from

your library?

Questions?

Selected Resources

• American Library Association, “Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit,”

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/advocacyuniversity/toolkit • Corwin, Scott, Elisabeth Hartley, and Harry Hawkes, “The Library Rebooted,”

http://www.strategy-business.com/article/09108?gko=f1e93 • Lehman, Jeffrey, “Leadership in Difficult Times,”

http://www.jeffreylehman.com/pdf_files_collection/infosys_strap_keynote_-.pdf • Mayo, Diane, and Jeanne Goodrich. Staffing for Results. Chicago: American Library

Association, 2001. • Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: American Library

Association, 2008.

Selected Resources

• Noer, David. Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Orgnanizations (Revised and Updated). New York: Josey-Bass Publishers, 2009.

• Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, a Toltec Wisdom Book. New York: Amber-Allen Publishing, 2001.

• Secretan, Lance H.K. Reclaiming Higher Ground: Creating Organizations that Inspire the Soul. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

• Salemi, Ray. Leading After a Layoff. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.