No building in any town is more important than its public library. There, all may enter, free of charge, and benefit from the wisdom of the ages. There, all are equal, and the only limit to personal delight, understanding, and growth is the curiosity of the individual passing through the library doors.

This Five-Year Plan for the Windsor Public Library builds on the excellent work of the previous plan, and takes the library into the third millennium and into its own second century. It is the result of the efforts of the six people named above, who worked, separately and together, over a six-month period to bring this plan before the Board of Trustees and the community.

The Plan addresses all aspects of library service, with an emphasis on two major areas: a plan for a significant expansion to the physical plant, and a plan for an equally significant expansion of electronic capabilities. Ongoing issues of staffing, public outreach, collection development, programming, building maintenance, and finances are also addressed.

In presenting this plan to the governing board of the library and to the community at large, we encourage Windsorites of all ages to help continue our rich tradition of volunteerism at the library. Our plans for the next five years are ambitious ones, and we will need the good wishes—and the good works—of many of our citizens to bring them to fruition.

Summary

The Windsor Public Library building will celebrate its 100th anniversary during the period of this Five-Year Plan. During that time, it will also see the beginning of plans for its first major expansion. This section of the Five-Year Plan addresses both the maintenance and the expansion of one of the most beautiful buildings in town.

Goal 1 Maintain existing structure and grounds

Maintain building in good condition with particular attention to:

• repair of chimneys;
• repair of windows;
• protection of basement from water seepage.

Establish regular servicing schedule for furnace, dehumidifiers, photocopier, and other major appliances by 2001.

Goal 2 Comply with Americans with Disabilities Act and with fire and safety codes

Complete ADA compliance Checklist (assessment of existing structure) by 2001.

Establish regular building check for compliance of Fire and Safety Codes by 2002.

Obtain ADA compliance of existing self-service facilities, where and when feasible, by 2005.

Goal 3 Plan for building addition or expansion

Obtain professional survey of library property by 2002.

Provide for professional evaluation of utility systems (electrical, water, sewer, heating) by 2003.

Obtain detailed design and blueprints for expansion following input from community, staff, Friends, and Trustees by 2004.

Summary

The collection in any public library must serve the entire community. Planning for, selecting, purchasing, promoting, and maintaining the collection is the first responsibility of the librarian. Today, library collections are expected to encompass far more than the bound print media of old. Audio and video tapes, local and remote online resources, and historical collections comprising photographs, letters, and other memorabilia must be acquired and maintained using new technologies. This portion of the Five-Year Plan addresses these issues.

Historical Collection
Goal 4 Inventory and develop collection policies

Complete inventory of historical materials. (December 2002)

Determine which materials will be housed at the library. (December 2003)

Meet with Historical Society, Old South Church, and other groups concerning historical materials and historical collections. (December 2003)

Write a policy for acquisitions and weeding. (June 2004)

Goal 5 Preserve library archival material

Provide appropriate conditions for fragile items. (December 2005)

Provide secure systems for patron access to prevent loss or damage. (December 2005)

Adult and Children's Collections
Goal 6 Complete collection maintenance schedule

Thoroughly weed collection. (December 2002)

Complete an inventory, matching the shelf list with the collection. (December 2002)

Obtain a count of the collection. (December 2002)

Maintain an accurate count by improving tracking of acquisitions and withdrawals. (Ongoing)

Goal 7 Increase outreach and exposure

Establish remote community location displays twice a year beginning in 2001.

Increase adult/young adult programs to six a year beginning in 2002.

Goal 8 Pursue a financing plan to enable annual acquisitions budget increases of 8-10%. (2002)

Summary

The Windsor Library is fortunate to have a large and dedicated group of workers and supporters. Staff includes three part-time librarians, a part-time custodian, a board of trustees, a core of 14 volunteers who staff the front desk, and a few temporary office volunteers. A very active Friends of the Library group raises funds to help offset special projects and programs.

Goal 9 Seek and appoint a Volunteer Developer to oversee recruiting and training of prospective volunteers (A volunteer position) (2001)

Goal 10 Review staff policies, job descriptions, and staffing needs on a yearly basis (2001 and thereafter)

Goal 11 Develop and pursue internship program(s) (2002)

Goal 12 Expand custodial duties to include minor building repair and grounds maintenance (2002)

Goal 13 Develop full-time Director position in order to expand library service and hours to the community (2002)

Summary

Computers and the Internet are changing the face of small public libraries.

Computerized collection records relieve small staffs of many time- and labor-intensive chores, freeing them for more face-to-face interaction with patrons and for more program development work, without the need to increase staff hours.

The Internet is changing the nature of what constitutes a library's collection, increasing the resources a small library can offer through online access to a huge and growing collection of free and fee-based products and services.

This technology portion of Windsor's Five-Year Plan sets forth general goals and schedules. A more detailed version containing specific tasks and timetables will be submitted to the Vermont Department of Libraries as Windsor Public Library's Technology Plan, following adoption of the Five-Year Plan. The state-approved technology plan will enable the library to apply for many grants and programs that will help us to realize these goals.

Goal 14 Serve library administrative and patron needs by planning, designing, and developing an up-to-date computer network

Plan hardware and software needs and research funding sources in 2001.

Install and launch basic three-station network in 2002.

Expand network to five stations and modernize during 2003-05.

Goal 15 Enhance the efficiency and productivity of library administration by researching, acquiring, and implementing a library automation system

Research and identify appropriate systems in 2001.

Begin installation and catalog conversion in 2002.

Fully implement automation system in late 2003.

Goal 16 Serve patron informational, educational, recreational, and historical preservation needs by developing an electronic collection of software and information resources

Research funding options and patron preferences in 2001.

Establish acquisition priorities and schedules in early 2002.

Begin four-year planned acquisitions in mid-2002.

Goal 17 Promote and expand the outreach of technology offerings through staff and patron training programs and documentation; community awareness activities; and liaisons with community groups, neighboring libraries, and the state library system.

Plan outreach programs through 2001 with input from a wide variety of local sources.

Implement staff training in 2002.

Implement full-featured and ongoing patron training, support, and outreach programs in 2003 and thereafter.

Goal 18 Establish contingency planning for advanced services made possible through unexpected funding or early implementation of other plans. This planning could include the implementation of high-speed Internet access; integrated and advanced communications capabilities (streaming video, Web conferencing, etc.); web-based catalog access; etc.

Summary

In 1995, a survey revealed that approximately 55% of the population of Windsor and over 200 individuals who lived outside Windsor were registered borrowers at the library. In 2000, the percentage of the Windsor population that are registered borrowers has not changed, and there are over 300 non-resident borrowers, many making use of an active interlibrary loan and internet service. The table below describes patterns of borrowing for the years since the 1995 report.

*Average number of times each piece of the collection is checked out each year: assumes constant collection size of approximately 22,000 books, cassettes, videos, and toys.

The data are insufficient for firm interpretation, but we suspect that the drop in circulation and turnover in 1999 reflects random variation, since the overall pattern is of increasing circulation.

The Five-Year Plan developed in 1995 proposed four roles for the library: 1) provide popular materials; 2) assist in the education of children; 3) provide opportunities for scholarly research; and 4) provide internet access for research.

To a greater or lesser extent, some advances have been made on all fronts, and on improving public perception of library services. Public attention is most required for the first two of the four roles, provide popular materials and assist in the education of children; scholarly and internet research are less in the purview of public affairs and are addressed elsewhere in this Plan.

Despite the relatively high percentage of registered borrowers among the population of Windsor, it is doubtful many of them are regular borrowers. However, we do not currently have the data available to determine how many cardholders are regular borrowers, or what the socioeconomic structure or interests are of the usual borrower. Clearly, there is room for increased information concerning who our users are and what they might desire from the library. This portion of the Five-Year Plan is geared towards improving our understanding of who uses the library, and towards improving the visibility of the library in Windsor. Because the proposed activities are not particularly onerous, and because they should be ongoing, the following is not framed in terms of “first year,” and etc.

Goal 19 Conduct general and special surveys

Conduct annual or biannual survey to determine demographic pattern of library usage.

Distribute short evaluative questionnaires at special functions.

Goal 20 Increase publicity of library activities

Develop a “Volunteer Public Outreach Representative” to assist in this process.

Publicize recent acquisitions.

Announce and review special events.

Publicize new advances in technology and improvements to the physical plant.

Conduct and publicize annual review of general state of the library.

Summary

Finance is the area, of course, upon which all the others depend. In this section, we set goals for increasing expenditures over the coming five years to stay ahead of inflation; to bolster library acquisitions, programming, and staffing; and to bring public revenue sources into closer congruity with state averages and standards.

Goal 21 Increase operating expenses/revenue by 6% per year to reflect goals of this Five-Year Plan

Goal 22 Increase outreach to financial contributors

Develop, print, and distribute materials outlining library goals and giving programs such as Partners in Community, “In Memory” gifts, Annual Fund Drive.

Expand list of potential donors and establish contacts with an emphasis on corporations, foundations, and organizations which may support major library operations.

Goal 23 Increase local tax support

NOTE: Current (2000) Windsor tax support is $9.42 per capita ($35,000 based on 1990 census of 3,714), while current expenditure is $15.54 per capita. Average tax support for libraries in Vermont towns of similar population is $12.10 per capita.

Bring the per capita tax support to the state average for towns of similar population by 2003. This will call for increases in public support in FY 2002 and 2003 of $3,500.

Adjust non-resident fees to match local tax support throughout 2005.

Goal 24 Alter the current budget schedules

Establish a fiscal year budget in December of the preceding year by 2001.

Credit donations and gifts to the year following their receipt by 2005.

Goal 25 Plan for building expansion

Establish separate building expansion account by 2001.

Form expansion Fund Raising Committee.