how libraries help to change the world... ross duncan deputy chair, public libraries australia

How libraries help to change the world...

Ross DuncanDeputy Chair, Public Libraries Australia

Public Libraries Australia | www.pla.org.au

“The future will see all the world’s information available at all times to all

people wherever they are”……Michael Ossipoff - Telstra Futurist

What does this mean for us????


About Sunshine Coast libraries...Aspect Statistics

Number of branches 10 static and 3 mobile libraries

Active membership 130,908 (approximately 39% of the resident population).

Collection size 894,678 items

Annual visits 2 Million visits annually (approximately 7,000 per day)

Annual loans 3.9 Million loans annually

Website hits Approx 120,000 per month, or 1.4 Million per year

Number of members receiving monthly newsletter

53,000 (increasing 15% annually)

Annual number of reservations of material

450,000 (increasing 14% annually)

Internet access 90 public access computers offering approximately 130,000 hours of free internet access. Wireless Internet access at 9 branches, offering free access during library opening hours for people with their own laptop/mobile device.

Programs, activities and events. Approximately 4,500 annually.

Annual operating budget $11,132,870 (includes internal charges)

Annual expenditure on lending items

$1,719,210


Are we seeing the whole picture?

Kodak case study….


Is this us?

Even if you have innovated in the past, you need to continue to monitor consumer trends and strive to innovate to deliver what the customer wants.

If we do nothing but play it safe, the competition may make sure we are unable to “stay in the game”.

Public Libraries Australia Ltd

The moral?


What are the trends for loans?


Historical levels of visitations


What business are we in? Education. Inclusion. Awareness. Information. “Experiences”. Connecting people with information.


Our role....Our role....

CHANGE THROUGH

LEARNING & EDUCATION

Australia’s most sustainable

region: vibrant, green and diverse

Current practices, existing attitudesand behaviours in our communities.

NOW THE FUTURE


How Libraries change the world

We can positively impact on all aspects of the “Quadruple bottom-line”.

Environmental sustainability.Social development.Cultural development.Economic growth and stability.


Who is our audience?Comparison of library members by age and background population

(June 2008, includes non-active members)

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

0-4 5-910

-1415

-1920

-2425

-2930

-3435

-3940

-4445

-4950

-5455

-5960

-6465

-6970

-7475

-7980

-8485

-8990

-9495

-99

100-1

04

Age group

Num

ber

of p

eopl

e in

age

gro

up

Total library membersTotal population


A growing virtual service

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

Apr-08

Jun-0

8

Aug-08

Oct-08

Dec-08

Feb-09

Apr-09

Jun-0

9

Aug-09

Oct-09

Dec-09

Feb-10

Apr-10

Jun-1

0

Aug-10

Oct-10

Dec-10

Feb-11

Apr-11

Month

Tota

l Num

ber Website Hits

Online RenewalsReservations PlacedPC Bookings PlacedLinear (Website Hits)


Where do people ‘listen’ to us


Understanding our customers

1. “Serving” our current customers2. From customers to customizing3. Re-Membering our past customers4. Actively attracting new customers


“Serving” our current customers

Easiest option – ‘business as usual’. Existing services and operations and

products delivered to existing customers. What are the challenges if we continue….. We constantly use resource constraints to

explain our concentration here…. Our “comfort zone”.


From customers to “customizing”

63,000 emails and growing. The customers have the answer….. Surveys to design next educational

workshops, performance of services, and members expectations for the future.

Promotion of events and educational workshops and initiatives from other areas of Council.


Customers to ‘customizing’ (cont.)

Improving our spaces.Changing our ‘tone’ – notices,

signage, job titles.Upgrading LMS.Talking Tech inbound.Self check machines. Introducing new tech ASAP.


Re-Membering our past customers

Aimed at reconnecting with members who hadn’t visited in the last two years.

“We’ve missed you ! – here is what you’ve missed”.

Asking people to return any overdue items, or simply come back to visit and renew their relationship with us.

Messages targetted by age groups. Many long overdue items returned, and many

members reconnected


Actively attracting new customers

Kid’s Only card campaign – Green Sheep campaign. Targeted at 10,000 children prep to Year 2. 3,800 new members in 1st year…

New Junior Library Members 2009/2010

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Month

Num

ber o

f new

mem

bers

per

mon

th

20092010


Attracting new customers (cont.)

Going to where the customers are (Social housing outreach, local playgroups, pop-up library at Uni).

Design competition for youth library card.

Y-Shop “The Corner” for children and their

parents.


How much time are we spending on each activity?

“Serving” our current customersFrom customers to customizingRe-Membering our past customersActively attracting new customers

Are we doing the right things at the right time?


Our partners....


Facebook

From 722 to almost 6000 in 7 months


Our responsibility….

If not now, then when, if not by us, then by whom?

Lead, innovate, experiment, explore, adapt, overcome, convince, persuade, entice, modify.

The customers have the answers……


“We are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full

well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfection. But we are

going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process, we will

catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being

good” - Vince Lombardi


Environmental Sustainability

Contributing to Environmental Sustainability through activities, workshops and events. Worm farming and Composting – 1000

people Growing your own veggies – 800 people Keeping chickens – 600 people Solar Panel information sessions – 200

people Efficiency programs for pool owners Energy reduction and efficiency sessions


Social DevelopmentContributing to Social Development through activities, workshops and events.

Adult Literacy programs Healthy Today, Here tomorrow (health talks) Eat Well, be active (encouraging active and healthy lifestyles) Changing face of adoption, legal sessions Asperger’s sessions Developing “Bibliotherapy” approach in conjunction with local GP’s Linking with partners for Stress, Depression and Anxiety workshops


Cultural Development

Contributing to Cultural Development through activities, workshops and events. Stimulation of local creative industries. Sales and display of work of local ‘creatives’ in

libraries Major channel for communication and

engagement with the community on topics such as the Community Plan, Social Plan, Cultural Plan and other strategies and approaches.

Connection gained by participants through 4500 workshops, activities and sessions annually.


Economic growth and sustainability

Contributing to Economic growth and sustainability through activities, workshops and events. Small business skills (Let’s get digital

workshops, How to work in your PJ’s) Electronic publishing/distribution info

sessions FIFO-DIDO worker intelligence gathering Collaborations to improve skills in tourism

operators Sales of products from local authors, artists

and others in online store ‘Digital Economy’ skills development


Some challenges...

Perceived decrease in relevance of libraries.

Increasing availability of electronic books, and paper books at cheaper prices.

Increasing population and increasing expectations of residents and visitors.

Restricted financial resources.


Future plans... Increased membership and increased number of

visits Increased understanding of our community and

our customers Freeing librarians to be librarians Introduction of e-books and e-audio books for loan Better technology and more public courses on

emerging technologies Improved marketing and promotion for libraries Improved leadership position at the state level on

important issues including mentoring of smaller library services

Staff attraction and retention strategy


Future plans (continued)...To change the world!Help our communities to become: More understanding More accepting More inclusive More prepared for challenges More resilient to change More enjoyable, welcoming and inclusive

for all


How libraries can help Councils...

Implementation of Council’s strategies Community Engagement Consultation venues Community information displays Public education Surveys and questionnaires Limited only by your imagination!

how libraries help to change the world... ross duncan deputy chair, public libraries australia

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