Central Library Plan of Service

 

Central Library Plan of Service 2007 –2011    

Central Library of Suffolk Cooperative Library System

 

Mission Statement:

The Patchogue-Medford Library in its role as the Central Library of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System facilitates quality library service in all Suffolk County Public Libraries and to all Suffolk County residents by providing collections and services that enhance individual libraries.

 

 

Mandated Central Library Services:

The local expenditure for the support of the Central Library is more than 3 dollars per capita.

The Central Library is open to the public at least 55 hours per week.

The Central Library employs at least two full-time professional librarians.

Library materials acquired with State aid are located in the Central Library.

The Central Library collection of adult nonfiction is physically assembled to provide maximum use of the collection by residents of the area served by the system.

The Central Library provides information service and bibliographical assistance to residents of the system service area.

The materials acquired are adult nonfiction or foreign language materials.

 

 

Current Core Central Library Services

1. Maintain strong general collections, with particular emphasis on special collections such as law, genealogy, business, consumer health, music, civil service, and art.

2. Maintain selected hard copy and microfilm collections as backup for member library electronic collections.

3. Provide Central Library Telephone Reference for member libraries Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

4. Provide Telephone Reference, Walk-In Reference, E-mail Reference and Fax Reference for all Suffolk County residents.

5. Answer member library research questions.

6. Interlibrary loan print and non-print collections, including reference collection materials.

7. Provide other materials, such as magazine articles, free of charge via fax, photocopy and scan/e-mail.

8. Offer collection development consultations and individual library training to libraries in the areas of Business, Health, Law, Local History, Reference, Science, Genealogy, and Art. Other specialized areas may be added on request.

9. Maintain the four Central Librarian developed collection indexes (Popular Song, Classical Music, Long Island Forum, and Genealogy) on the Central Library website.

10. Maintain the Central Librarian developed subject sites on the Central Library website.

11. Maintain specialized databases, in addition to the Virtual Reference Collection, which are available to the public. Give workshops on these and other specialized resources available at the Central Library.

12. Assist SCLS with the continuing education of member library reference staff and with VRC training.

13. Visit member libraries and arrange for member library librarians to visit the Central Library in order to keep our librarians current with member library reference department needs and to keep member library reference librarians current with Central Library Reference Services.

14. Distribute a periodic information letter containing news of Central Library activities and services.

15. Continue to foster the development of the Live Librarian reference chat program with SCLS.

16. Serve as Central Library liaison on SCLS advisory committees.

17. Provide career-counseling service free to all Suffolk County residents

 

 

 

Central Library Long Range Plan 2007-2011

 

Goal: Support public libraries in Suffolk County through collection development and the expertise of Central Library reference staff; enabling every public library, regardless of size or financial capability to offer quality service to all patrons.

Intended result: Quality service to patrons of Suffolk County public libraries.

Evaluation method: Survey of member library satisfaction.

 

Goal: Work with the Member Libraries to re-evaluate the functions of the Central Library in the context of 21^st century needs.

Goal: Work with Systems and the State to ensure that State Guidelines and Mandates foster the growth of appropriate services.

Intended result: Ensure that the Central Library is providing timely and useful collections and services to the member libraries.

Evaluation method: Survey of member library satisfaction; usage statistics of Central Library services and collections; changes to State Guidelines.

 

Goal: Work with the Member Libraries to prioritize current Central Library services.

Goal: Continue to provide valued services. Phase out services that are no longer relevant to the member libraries.

Intended result: Ensure that the Central Library is providing the services that the member libraries want and need.

Evaluation method: Survey of member library satisfaction; usage statistics of Central Library services and collections.

 

Goal: Develop and implement new services.

Goal: Encourage input for fresh ideas from SCLS Committees and from Member Libraries and develop these ideas into new services.

Intended result: Keep member library reference collections and services current and state of the art.

Evaluation method: Number of new services implemented; usage statistics from these services.

 

Goal: Revise the Central Library’s collection development policy to reflect the member library determined priorities and to avoid duplication with specialty collections in member libraries and outside agencies and organizations.

Goal: Collaborate with member libraries and outside agencies to provide access to their specialty collections and assistance from their reference specialists.

Intended result: Avoid duplication, increase sharing, and provide the best services possible for member libraries.

Evaluation method: Usage statistics of Central Library collections and services and coordinated collections and services.

 

Goal: Explore new ways to use Central Library Aid and Central Book Aid funds to better serve all member libraries.

Intended result: Every member library will benefit directly from purchase of materials in formats that promote shared use.

Evaluation method: Usage statistics kept by SCLS for electronic products.