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2010-2015 Strategic Plan

From the 1866 founding of the Ladies' Library Association to the 2008 opening of the Traverwood Branch, the Ann Arbor District Library has provided a multitude of collections, services and programs to the community.

AADL intends to provide unique value to our community in the midst of sweeping changes to publishing and the world of information. To that end, we've developed a new Strategic Plan to guide the Library's actions over the next five years, developing products and services that meet the needs of a wide audience.

The AADL Board of Trustees identified 6 Initiatives to focus the planning process. AADL Staff then identified 15 goals in support of those Initiatives that the Library will then pursue.

Planning Process

Purpose

Engaging in the AADL's strategic planning process together helps the staff, board of directors and community create a common set of goals and remain a national leader in public library services.

Objectives

  • Become more willing to listen to the community and take more risks
  • Create a more vibrant workplace that will continue to attract and retain extraordinary talent
  • Ensure long term financial viability
  • Boost visibility and become more well recognized and respected in the community
  • Define the role of the Downtown Library within a multi-branch library system
  • Help the Board of Trustees become more aware of its power and the importance of their ability to think big, take risks and make mistakes.
  • Prepare the Board, management and staff for labor discussions.
  • Create a plan that everyone is supportive and aware of…that is used
  • Create an efficient process

Timeline: Key Dates September 30 2009 - Planning process begins at Library Board of Trustees Retreat November 16 2009 - Board Approves Draft Strategic Initiatives December 18 2009 - Strategic Initiatives posted to AADL Intranet for online brainstorming of goals January 11 & 12 2010 - Series of Meetings for Library Staff, one around each of the 6 initiatives to refine and discuss goals February 15 2010 - Draft Strategic Plan for 2010-2015 presented at Board Meeting February 18 2010 - Board work session to discuss & finalize Strategic Plan March 15 2010 - Strategic Plan for 2010-2015 approved by Library Board

Planning Documents

Strategic Planning Trend Analysis,2009
Strategic Plan Progress Report, 2009

2010 - 2015 Strategic Initiatives

I. Services Develop services, programs and collections that balance community demand and Ann Arbor District Library resources

II. Products Develop products that improve and enhance the delivery of all aspects of library services

III. Finances Develop a multi-year financial process that assures adequate, sustainable funding for the next twenty years

IV. Communications Develop high-level internal and external communications that get the message out, to all, about what we do and how we do it

V. Organizational Development Develop sustainable, adaptive organizational practices that allow the Library to thrive internally and externally

VI. Facilities Develop and maintain clean, safe, physical facilities that creatively meet the needs of the community and staff with an emphasis on sustainability, accessibility and flexibility

Initiative I: Services

Develop services, programs and collections that balance community demand and Ann Arbor District Library resources

Goal 1: Increase convenience in accessing existing services and materials.

  • Increase independent access to collections by utilizing patron-oriented classification schemes, such as organizing non-fiction DVDs by genre instead of by Dewey Decimal classification.
    • Improved spine labeling & call number standards for better alignment between catalog and material labeling.
    • Improved catalog search engine performance to allow removal of search result limits.
    • Introduced “Up for Grabs” copies of items for no wait, no charge circulation.
  • Provide additional access points to materials and resources throughout aadl.org.
    • Enhanced catalog & website with lists, multiple cards per account, easier requesting from around the site.
    • Created small Business & Job Search Toolkit page with links to resources for entrepreneurs and job-seekers.
    • Established rotating adult and youth StaffPicks collections, allowing patrons to receive staff recommendations on their own terms.
    • Made magazines holdable and renewable.
    • Integrated ILL requests & checkouts into patron myaccount page.
    • Added all branches to the possible pickup locations for Art Prints.
    • Created a front-page blog with an overview of event highlights for the current week, providing better access to upcoming event information.
    • Building upon summer 2011’s success, enhanced play.aadl.org and the Summer Game experience.
  • Increase opportunities to issue library cards and check out materials in conjunction with off-site programming.
    • Staff actively promotes both AADL and WLBPD membership by issuing AADL library cards on-the-spot at offsite vendor fairs and other outreach events and activities.
    • Over 25% of WLBPD patrons signed up for AADL library cards in the first year of Large-Print-by-Mail service.
    • Staff actively issued library cards at school events, and other youth-serving community sites.
    • Staff actively promoted L-Cards for AAPS teachers through other established initiatives such as May School Visits.
  • Enhance Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled services to keep ahead of the technological change in the National Library Service service model.
    • Digital duplication of materials: The entire BARD catalog was downloaded onto a local server for easy access; specialized requests are being fulfilled for a local book group; and processes are currently in development to fulfill wishlist and other specialized requests not offered through the Regional or NLS libraries.
    • Digital cartridges and cables were made available for purchase through Circulation for patrons wishing to download books on their own but prefer the cartridge format over a thumb drive.
    • All requests for materials not available in our physical collection, but available for download from BARD, are now being fulfilled on a weekly basis by means of in-house digital duplication.
    • Invited a representative from NLS to speak about new directions at the NLS at VISIONS2012 and with Library staff.
  • Increase opportunities for fine & fee payment and forgiveness.
    • Expanded use of Fine Forgiveness Coupon distribution as part of 2011 summer game.
    • Discover Card added as option for online fine payment.

Goal 2: Ensure access to a balanced collection of materials, information resources and services for our community's rapidly growing and culturally diverse populations, with an emphasis on:

  • Educators and students of all ages.
    • Expanded schedule of storytime and baby playgroup events to be year-round.
    • Implemented Saturday family storytime programming.
    • Generated tags and lists designed to help patrons determine material reading level and to support school projects.
    • Launched Science to Go kit collection to support & develop youth interest in science.
    • Added non-book learning materials, such as Brain Quest and Fandex cards.
    • Developing a jump.aadl.org page designed for parents and caregivers.
    • Added Kids Book Clubs to Go kits collection.
    • Increased topical displays Downtown to highlight AADL holdings.
    • Developed and implemented the Science Fair Expo to support parents and students as they plan science fair projects.
    • Developed Science Tools collection intended for informal educators, students and science fair projects.
    • Developed and implemented the Short Story Contest for Grades 3-5 to encourage writing among young patrons.
  • Language learning & adult basic literacy.
    • Evaluated online language learning products and subscribed to Byki.
    • Hosted a meeting of area ESL service providers and educators in order to exchange information and promote AADL resources.
  • World languages.
    • Expanded the World Languages Collection to include audiobooks and added cover images of World Language Books to the catalog.
    • Implemented Spanish language storytime programming with partner organization Fall 2011.
  • Local history.
    • Digitized 13,000 articles from the AADL clippings file in preparation for the launch of Old News.
    • Launched oldnews.aadl.org with over 100,000 local newspaper articles in October 2011.
    • In partnership with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, launched aasf.aadl.org with 1,000 photographs, 200 articles, other documents and original podcasts.
  • Determining community needs to develop additional non-traditional library collections in the model of art prints and energy meters.
    • Developed and launched Science to Go kit collection in late 2011.
    • Expanded energy meter collection.
    • Launched telescope collection for beginning users and hobbyists.
    • Launched Music Tools, Science Tools, Home Tools, and Up for Grabs collections.

Goal 3: Cultivate partnerships to develop both on-site and off-site programs and services that meet the diverse needs of the following communities:

  • Physically & developmentally disabled.
    • Worked with a team of low vision providers (Taubman Health Sciences Library, Lions Club, Kellogg Eye Center, Michigan Eye Bank) to offer low vision screenings and low vision events for 2011 Healthy Vision month. This partnership is scheduled to continue to brainstorm other events.
    • Staff have forged relationships with the following community groups: UM Council for Disability Concerns; Kellogg Eye Center low vision group; and the VA Visual Impairment Services Team.
    • Developed a new sensory play event for children with autism.
    • Established relationship with Washtenaw County High Point School instructors arranging for and providing an onsite storytime for severely physically & developmentally disabled students; and have scheduled offsite storytimes to occur in the future.
    • Began offering offsite storytimes at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District High Point School.
    • Began facilitating tours of the Downtown Library for youth participating in Intentional Communities of Washtenaw.
    • Created promotional stickers that were placed in the front every book in AADL’s large print book collection to highlight WLBPD services.
    • Set up WLBPD demonstration accounts with all eight public libraries located in Washtenaw County to promote WLBPD services and provided promotional stickers for large print book collections, in addition to posters and other display materials.
    • Created and distributed WLBPD posters throughout the community to promote WLBPD services.
  • Educators and students of all ages.
    • With a UM class and Community High School, offered a weekly program to assist high school students with writing their college admission essay Winter 2010.
    • Partnered with Eastern Michigan University to offer a workshop to prepare high school students for college writing.
    • Washtenaw County Literacy Coalition and Washtenaw County Literacy directors were added to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Outreach Committee and several events were planned with the Literacy Coalition of Washtenaw County for the 10/11 Read.
    • Added Alpha Epsilon Delta to AADL’s free, school year drop-in homework help providers.
    • Offered regular opportunities for young readers to read to therapy dogs to increase their confidence with reading/support developing literacy.
    • Partnered with Mack School to teach fifth graders how to capture and record family stories, using traditional and modern techniques including podcasting.
    • Established partnership with W-A-Y Washtenaw program, acting as a learning site (computer lab) for students who need an alternative to the typical school experience.
    • Worked with AAPS to place withdrawn AADL materials in AAPS classrooms.
    • Extended an invitation to all and presented AADL services and resources to local PTSO groups.
    • Established two separate PTSO email lists, one for elementary (27 PTSOs) and one for middle and high school (10 PTSOs), and are sending monthly emails highlighting AADL programs, resources, and services.
  • Hobbyists. (adult-oriented and hands-on programs)
    • Began discussions to bring the Kids Reads Comics convention to Ann Arbor and, working with local comic artists, we have increased the amount of comic artists programming – and have added it as a category in Axis and online.
    • Expanded the Lego contest to include adults and expanded the off-site space at Webers for the event; resumed popular Lego League competitive robot-building event.
    • In conjunction with the Maker Faire, developed a ‘bitdragon’ art project program – and incorporated this into the ‘Make It Happen’ summer reading theme. Also developed a series of wreck and make labs which were extremely popular.
    • Expanded our partnership with local animators and artists to include workshops for adults.
    • In conjunction with the circulating telescopes collection, began to offer off-site stargazing events in conjunction with the University Lowbrow Astronomers.
    • Began to offer a series of science-based events for youth, teens and adults during the summer 2012. These events are designed to be repeated throughout the year.
    • Hosted Maker Works exhibit, highlighting the works of local “maker” hobbyists.
    • Added computer classes in response to patron demand on subjects including: Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
    • Partnered with All Hands Active to develop programming for makers of all ages.
  • Unemployed or underemployed.
    • Partnered with local author to offer workshop on networking and other skills for adults.
    • Updated and added job-seeking classes to computer class offerings: UMjobs.org (in partnership with UM Human Resources. UM Human Resources also promotes our computer classes as a community resource to job-seekers coming to them); Social-Networking for Job Search; Applying for Jobs Online; Resume 101, and Cover Letter 101.
    • In response to demand, increased the occurrence of UMjobs.org class to once a month.
  • Local businesses & entrepreneurs.
    • Developed programs on starting your own business with Schakolad Chocolate Factory, New Chelsea Market, Homewatch Caregivers and local businesses.
    • Developed an extremely popular event on funding for non-profits that was repeated several times due to demand.
    • Facilitated business reference database presentations to regional SCORE volunteers.
  • Low income.
    • Partnered with Food Gatherers on a program on food stamps and how to apply for them.
    • Greatly expanded disposition of withdrawn AADL materials to community contacts/organizations that specifically serve low-income individuals.
  • Homeless & homeless service providers.
    • AADL regularly participated in community meetings as well as a listserv with crisis intervention staff from the County, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and law-enforcement agencies to share information on accessing and streamlining services.
    • Provided a panel discussion on the homelessness issue in Washtenaw County in conjunction with the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. We also videotaped the event and as of June 27 (a little over 5 months after the event took place) the video has been viewed over 1,000 times.
    • Developed and are instituting targeted offsite outreach programs in partnership with local homeless shelters.
    • Placed withdrawn AADL materials with homeless students via AAPS Homeless Liaison
    • Facilitated offsite outreach programs (summer reading, hands-on craft making, and story times) at the Washtenaw County Youth Center, SafeHouse, the Interfaith Hospitality Network @ Alpha House and the Staples Family Center.
    • Established partnership with Imagine Community, offering regular offsite programming at the Delonis Center.
    • Hosted exhibit of works created by Imagine Community participants and volunteers.
  • Health care consumers.
    • Began a partnership post-NIH-grant with Taubman Health Sciences Library and MICHR for several health-related events.
    • Began a very productive partnership with the UM Center for Human Adjustment for an ongoing series of events on health and behavior issues.
    • Partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Washtenaw County for a community forum on mental illness.
    • Partnered with AAPS, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the VA Hospital to develop and deliver Valentine’s cards made by local kids to hospital patients.
    • Partnered with C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital to provide storytelling at regularly scheduled events for patients and their families.
    • Expanded storytelling opportunities through C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Family Services, including a new, regularly scheduled program and afterward, offering drop-in stories to youth and their families in waiting rooms.
    • Facilitated offsite programming for residents and provided information on resources available to staff at Arbor Hospice & Homecare.

Initiative II: Products

Develop products that improve and enhance the delivery of all aspects of library services

Goal: Provide 21st century leadership in regards to content rights and distribution and the role of the public library content economies

  • Develop products that enhance the library experience for users of mobile devices.
    • Determined that platform-specific apps are not a good use of Library time; began early tests & development of requirements for platform-independent mobile website.
  • Identify data sources from outside the library industry, such as Amazon.com or GoodReads.com, to improve patron experience and enhance catalog quality.
    • Migrated patron-facing bibliographic records away from MARC for greater flexibility and usability.
    • Began to provide movie trailers through the AADL catalog.
    • Early prototyping of metadata aggregator for cataloging workflow.
    • Actively pursuing additional data sources to enhance patron experience with the catalog.
    • Added collecting samples of each track into music cataloging workflow for inclusion in the catalog.
  • Create a repository and distribution model for locally created and produced content, and explore opportunities for AADL’s production resources to be more widely used by the community.
    • Magnatune development added capacity to aadl.org to store and distribute digital objects from any source; infrastructure development continues to support this project.
  • Develop products that will customize library borrowing to fit individual needs and require less time and management by patrons.
    • Addition of multiple cards per aadl.org online account greatly increased convenience in multi-card households; launch of wishlists is much-appreciated patron feature with positive impact on fulfillment times.
  • Explore print-on-demand technology and develop a potential service model.
    • Print on demand team is exploring opportunities and developing a potential service plan.
  • Sustain the community value of the public library amidst closed digital content markets and decreasing availability of physical materials by designing digital products that establish new distribution relationships with content producers, push the boundaries of current copyright law and ensure public ownership of and access to content.
    • Licensed and launched Magnatune collection, providing excellent value for patrons and for AADL; continuing talks with other rightsholders for similar deals.
    • Developed general licensor’s license for digital materials to use as starting point for negotiations with other rightsholders.
    • Worked with the rightsholder to make the movie Grown in Detroit available for online streaming for AADL cardholders.
    • Established licensing agreements with new rightsholders, including Ghostly International, Front Porch Romance, and other local authors and creators.

Initiative III: Finances

Develop a multi-year financial process that assures adequate, sustainable funding for the next twenty years

Goal 1: Explore new funding sources

  • Identify grant opportunities and establish connections with community donors for future donation possibilities.
    • Secured a grant from ALA and NEH to act as a focus group for book selection for the NEH Muslim Journeys Project
    • Received a $2,500 grant for the America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway film and discussion program and hosted this series of events.
    • AADL staff was invited to serve as advisors for two nationwide Library NEH grant proposals by the Tribeca Film Institute.
  • Identify partners to sponsor large events.
    • Grew partnership with Ann Arbor Summer Festival, providing access to large local audience, sophisticated venues, and traveling acts for signature AADL events.

Goal 2: Operate the library in a fiscally responsible manner as determined by law so that revenue and expenses are balanced and funding resources are taken advantage of as they become available.

  • Focus efficiency-building on financial resources reclaimed from ongoing cost management.
    • Evaluate scheduling of public service desks, establishing procedures that minimize costs without negative impact on patrons.
    • Selected and implemented scheduling software which provides better usability and accuracy, resulting in less time spent scheduling and more reliable staffing of desks and events.
    • Migrated to hosted voice over IP phone system for substantial savings and new features.
  • Network with other large library systems to capitalize upon industry successes.
    • Participated in 2nd year of the IMLS grant through King County Library, enabling AADL to investigate and keep abreast of critical new tools in the industry.
    • Collaborated with Harvard Library Innovation Lab on Digital Public Library of America Beta Sprint projects, Shelf Life & Library Cloud.
  • Quantify savings and disseminate information about good stewardship.

Initiative IV: Communications

Develop high-level internal and external communications that get the message out, to all, about what we do and how we do it

Goal 1: Learn more about who is using the Library, who is not and why

  • Investigate a Market Analysis / Brand Perception Study in our service area, possibly as a project for graduate students.
    • Investigating options to work with academic units, building upon successes of past relationship with UM School of Information for class projects.
    • Conducted a WLBPD Patron Satisfaction Survey (37% of WLBPD patrons responded.)
    • Contracted for communications audit.
  • Leverage institutional investment in statistical measures and data collection to enable more sophisticated analysis of library use.
    • Unified stats database infrastructure completed and begins storage 7/2011; improved reports & data analysis to come.

Goal 2: Communicate the value and return on investment to the community from its district library, and how that return might be increased

  • Develop plan to actively communicate to eligible potential library users that they have already paid for AADL services.
    • Began monthly appearance on Ann Arbor’s 107.1 radio station on the Martin Bandyke show about upcoming events, which always ends with the statement that there is never a fee to attend an AADL event.
  • Develop methods and messages that specifically demonstrate how potential users can make the most of their personal resources by utilizing AADL’s offerings.
    • Instituted practice that return on investment is included in all conversations with media outlets.
    • Participated in a panel presenting on “Digital Resources in Libraries” sponsored by the AAUW.
    • Appeared in national media regarding tool collections.

Goal 3: Market library services to current patrons and non-users

  • Develop stronger partnerships deeper within the University of Michigan’s structure to produce and market programs of interest to the general public.
    • Worked with several high-profile partners (including the UM Museum of Art, UMS, the UM School of Music, Theatre and Dance, the Office of the Senior Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs and the UM Alumni Association) to make possible an off-site event featuring Aaron Dworkin.
    • Began a very productive partnership with the UM Center for Human Adjustment for an ongoing series of events on health and behavior issues.
    • Established a partnership with Story Collider, a side project of UM Physics post-docs, to produce science-themed storytelling nights for a general audience.
    • Presented at the Librarians’ Forum of the University of Michigan about AADL’s philosophy of providing public library services with a culture of generosity, how it is accomplished in a 21st century digital environment, and how AADL works to provide programming support and collaboration with over 30 units on the UM campus.
  • Explore the use of AADL email, paper notices and receipts as advertising space for events and services.
    • Centralized messaging infrastructure in development to offer better options to patrons and more flexible delivery options to AADL.
      • Developed simple method to insert promotional messages to email pickup notices, used for trackable promotion of new services & events.
  • Refine orientation experience for new AADL patrons.
    • Added more complete information about getting and using a library card to aadl.org.
    • Redesigned ‘My Library Card’ brochure in a much more accessible, easier-to-read format. The brochure now can be updated by CRM staff (instead of all updates being done by an outside firm) – saving on future design costs and enabling revisions to be produced more often and in a more timely manner.
    • Developed a brief script for staff use when issuing library cards that gives essential information about their use.
  • Investigate new online advertising opportunities.
    • Have included funds for Facebook ads in our regular programming budget – and now do Facebook ads each month.
    • Post AADL events information on free online sites every month.
  • Pursue high-impact public appearances by AADL staff at meetings of community & business groups to tell the story of AADL’s sustained success.
    • AADL had high-profile through hosting Dan Rather at the Michigan Theater.
    • The Library Board held 3 community meetings to explain services and the importance of the Downtown Library.
  • Investigate the AADL truck for use as advertisement of AADL events and services.
  • Standardize and refine the use of pre-event welcome as a promotional tool for existing or new library users.

Initiative V: Organizational Development

Develop sustainable, adaptive organizational practices that allow the Library to thrive internally and externally Goal 1: Prioritize use of resources in this economic climate

  • Focus efficiency-building on reallocating staff resources freed by ongoing process development.
    • Computer classes: Instituted online class evaluations and revised class handouts to steer class participants to evolving online resources.
    • Creating opportunities for staff from across departments to participate in a greater variety of programs and services to reduce program costs.
  • Redesign AADL’s collection development methods & manual to deliver a fluid & data-driven collection.
    • Developed and documented collection maintenance procedures to facilitate data-driven, efficient collection maintenance.
    • Developed process to track aggregated request fulfillment to better inform collection development decision-making.
  • Internally market AADL products and services to increase staff opportunity to maximize the marketing value of casual patron interactions.
    • Supported peer-to-peer training about products and services at staff meetings and other internal communications.
    • Internal reorganization resulted in consolidation of training and discussion opportunities related to new products and services.

Goal 2: Provide leadership in defining library services

  • Find new ways to freely disseminate the objectives, processes and outcomes of AADL’s projects to peers in the library industry.
    • Planned to expand use of AADL’s dev blog (posts on aadl.org intended for staff at other libraries) by staff outside the IT department.
    • Several recent talks were presented by staff at Public Library Association and American Library Association conferences.
    • Content was contributed to different books.
    • Presented at University of Michigan’s Library Leadership Seminar.
    • Director contributed a chapter to “Library 2020: Today’s Leading Visionaries Describe Tomorrow’s Library,” edited by Joseph Janes.
    • Presented on AADL’s approach to service via a Public Library Association webinar and at the Massachusetts Library Association’s annual conference.
    • WLBPD Outreach practices have been submitted to and published in the U.S. Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped “Best Practices from the Network” Operations Alerts distributed to all network libraries nation-wide on two separate occasions.
    • Built upon partnership begun in 2005 to partner with the U.S. State Department, Zukunftswerkstatt (“Future Workshop”), and the Deutsche-American Institute in Tubingen to tour several German cities, talking about Gaming, Learning and Libraries.
    • Discussed the future of the library in the digital age on National Public Radio’s “On Point” with Anthony Marx, CEO of the New York Public Library.
  • Pursue partnerships with other leading institutions to enhance and expand the bounds of library services.
    • Participated in the Digital Public Library of America meetings & the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries: The Book Tomorrow: The Future of the Written Word.
    • Participated in 2nd year of the IMLS grant through King County Library System and the NIH Partners in Research Grant with the University of Michigan.
    • Participated in development of the “America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway” project with Tribeca Film Institute. AADL staff will assist in national training session in Chicago for participants.
    • Participated in development of the “Muslim Journeys: Bridging Cultures” Bookshelf Project with ALA and the NEH. AADL staff was involved in the initial planning meetings in Washington DC for this project and also served as a focus group.
    • Governor Snyder appointed the Director to the Michigan Commission for Blind Persons.
    • Developed and are hosting, administering, and providing support for a Network Libraries Wiki for all libraries in the U.S. Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped network to access and contribute content. The Northern and Midlands Conferences of Libraries for the Blind & Physically Handicapped passed resolutions commending and thanking AADL for this work.
    • Partnered with U.S. State Department, Zukunftswerkstatt (“Future Workshop”), and the Deutsche-American Institute in Tubingen to host the German-American Gaming League Championships, a library video game tournament series with online matches and a German championship that offered winners the chance to come to Ann Arbor and participate in an international tournament final.

Goal 3: Adapt to changing externalities such as the economy and publishing

  • Develop products to fill niches created by ongoing change in the publishing industry.
    • Magnatune project establishes a licensing and access model well-suited to niche content providers; paves way for similar projects with audiobooks, video or ebooks.
    • Expanded Magnatune infrastructure to support Video and Book content.
    • Negotiated the first licensing book deal for fiction.
  • Explore and expand internet-based service delivery models.
    • Features required to launch Magnatune developed internet-based content delivery infrastructure to be used for successive projects.
    • Developed and deployed new unified online question system, including text support and public question forums.
  • Identify emerging critical measures (such as print vs. electronic book sales) and monitor data sources to guide AADL service development.

Goal 4: Improve and strengthen collaboration with other organizations to achieve mutual goals

  • Identify AADL’s ideal partnership characteristics.
  • Seek partnerships to expand the reach and breadth of AADL offerings.
    • Expanded partnerships with local technical user groups.
    • Partnered more closely with downtown businesses for marketing.
    • Expanded presence at partner organizations, festivals, fairs and events.
    • Expanded partnerships with adult education and literacy groups, including PALMA and AAPS Adult Education.
  • Develop tools for collecting and sharing external contacts to simplify promotion of partnerships & events.
    • Host a local listserv for Library Biz Connect, a group comprised of small business and entrepreneur-related support service-providers and libraries that shares information about their respective programs and resources; and, also partners on programming.

Initiative VI: Facilities

Develop and maintain clean, safe, physical facilities that creatively meet the needs of the community and staff with an emphasis on sustainability, accessibility and flexibility

Goal 1: Renovate or replace the downtown library with attention to the condition of the existing building; tax base; revenue stream; development of surrounding properties and demographics

  • In March 2012, a poll was conducted by EPIC-MRA to determine the public's attitude about the services and facilities provided by AADL and their willingness to fund a downtown facility project. The results of that poll are here.
  • The Library Board held 3 Community Forums in June 2012 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Downtown Library and gather feedback from the public.
  • The Library Board placed a bond proposal on the November 2012 ballot to borrow funds to pay all or part of the costs of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new main library building to be located at the current site of the downtown library building. The bond did not pass.
  • Provide a welcoming environment to those with disabilities.
    • AATA installed sound and light notification system for patrons using the A-Ride pickup service.
  • Provide various configurations of public space to increase small study group accommodation.
  • Improve accommodation of large audiences for popular Downtown programs so that we no longer have to split audiences.

Goal 2: Maximize the efficiency and utilization of meeting rooms and other facilities

  • Develop metrics in order to increase occupancy rates.
    • Conducted room use survey to determine how to increase meeting room occupancy.
  • Expand opportunities for structured meeting room use without the overhead of an AADL-hosted program, such as classes hosted by partners or social viewing of international television.
    • Provided space for Washtenaw Literacy to hold ESL conversation groups at the Traverwood Branch.
    • Provided ongoing space on a weekly basis for the WISD’s W-A-Y Washtenaw program.
  • Improve Downtown event attendee experiences by providing state-of-the-art venues and up-to-date furnishings.
    • Completed upgrade to Multi-Purpose Room sound system to better accommodate the range of programming at AADL.

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