MHLS Marketing & Programs Advisory Committee Meeting
June 19, 2006
MHLS Auditorium

Attending: Barbara Flach, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Carol Corrigan, Anne Jordan, Midge Quick, Barbara Flach, Maria Steinberg, Kara Lustiber, Jody Ford, Margaret Keefe, Merribeth Advocate, Bobbi Clapp, Laurie Shedrick, Josh Cohen.

Minutes from 3/16/06: approved by M. Quick, seconded by C. Corrigan. Action items were reviewed. (See Action 1 and 2)

The future of the Health Information Project (HIP) http://hip.midhudson.org/

• B. Clapp reported on the HIP project. About HIP: Primary target audience: young adults (teens) using a community based prevention program. Consumer health information for all ages is also featured. Project staff is communicating with educations and health professionals in all counties about the HIP resources available through libraries. Meeting now with county based youth initiatives and county coalitions including:
  • Columbia County: Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI)
  • Southern Dutchess County: Choices for Change (CFC)
  • Greene County: Greene County Agency Networking Group
  • Putnam County: Putnam Interagency Council
  • Ulster County: Bringing Agencies Together (BATS)

• Issues discussed:
• How to make HIP more relevant to all member libraries and promote awareness system wide.
• Directors and library staff would benefit from knowing the resources and opportunities available.
• Using HIP in the community to leverage with different groups, including building relationships with the schools.
• Leveraging HIP at the county level as a way to encourage funding for libraries.
  
  
• Ideas from discussion included: (See Action 3)
• Reference/Collection Development support:
• Education for staff in all libraries about how HIP resources can help answer patron questions
• On-site training for library staff about using the consumer health links, and to promote additional project resources
• Provide thematic info to promote specific health awareness months in libraries
• Promote health-specific collection development by providing title listings; general family health, teen health, gender specific info.
• Promotion the resource listings (Mental Health Videos, Books & Websites; Alcohol Awareness Month; Spanish Language Materials; Body Image / Eating Disorders Materials) to member libraires by making them available on midhudson.org
• Marketing support:
• Provide information to libraries regarding how library staff can use HIP to connect to the community (targeted marketing to schools, health care professionals, teens).
• Facilitate the involvement of member library staff in meetings with county-based youth initiatives and county coalitions, to build strategic partnerships at the local level.
• Work with libraries to provide programs for the community on becoming a health professional (based on Kingston Library model).
• Work with libraries to provide a display board for community events
• Info about the project and what is offered
• Info about health info provided by the library
• Provide training for library staff on speaking to health classes
• Provide support to library staff making presentations at school district wide events (ex: Superintendents conference day)
  
  
• Additional issue discussed: Creating timesavers and troubleshooters for frontline staff – staff-side dashboard – on-the-fly Help page. Include screen shots and frequently asked reference questions.

Kid’s OPAC Interface

• The upcoming 2006 release provides the opportunity for a new design for the Kids OPAC.
• Committee reviewed the current MHLS Kids OPACand the Westervillekids.org beta site of the new design.
• Issues discussed: Target age group would need to be identified. Could design a “Homework Catalog.” Could scope it to so the results would just be J materials. It is a marketing opportunity to use this a new catalog interface for kids/parents.
• At the July DA meeting, ask if the Directors want a separate kids catalog, and if they would like a new design. (See Action 4) If yes, a subcommittee will be formed (including L. Shedrick, D. Begley, K. Lustiber)

Millennium Create Lists & Marketing

• L. Shedrick is developing a Millennium Toolbox that will market the ability of Millennium tools (and provide instructions) for getting to know your patrons, evaluating your collection, evaluating transactions & traffic, correcting problems in records and more. Featured tools will include Millennium Create Lists, Statistics, Web Management Reports. These tools will be cross-linked to relevant areas of midhudson.org (i.e. Marketing & PR, Youth Services, Getting to Yes tooklkits).
• Committee suggested including in the toolbox a way for libraries to share lists they have already developed. (See Action 5)

Millennium & Resource Sharing web page layout

• Issues discussed: Need ability to find specific instruction sheets. Site indexes give a way to see all content at a glance, and support users who are looking for a specific document.
• A site index will be added to the Millennium & Resource Sharing page to assist with finding Millennium instructions (See Action 6)

Incentive Program Review

• Current program provides incentive support for mileage, education, programming. Incentive program needs to have a specific total budget, not an open ended possible total.
• Ideas included expanding the CE to include county-based Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institutes, and expanding conferences to include YSS.
• Josh will go to county meetings to gather ideas (See Action 7)

Plan of Service

• Draft of MHLS Plan or Service 2006 – 2011 Element 7 relating to Advocacy and Awareness was reviewed by the committee. Of specific interest: targeted marketing and programming being developed as part of MHLS coordinated marketing strategy, including identifying the target groups to aim towards and helping libraries reach target populations with messages and programs.
• Issue discussed: The concept of “Adult” programming is very broad. By looking at targets and what they need, how to reach them becomes more obvious.

Book Club in a Bag Report

• Great response to this new initiative. Currently 22 kits are out and being used, with an equal number reserved for upcoming dates.
• Issues discussed: Momentum needs to be keep going in promotion and development of project offerings. Mix of fiction and non-fiction titles. Adding newer titles will attract the frequent book groupies.
• Millennium material type drop-down menu: Consensus of committee is to create a new material type for Book Club in a Bag. Recommendation to DA. (See Action 8)

Local Author Listing

• M. Keefe is developing a listing of local Children’s /Teen Authors and Adult Authors. Send info to her about authors to add. This page is linked on the Programming page.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 19^th

Actions:

1.      R. Smith will send a revised draft of MHLS Information web page, to link from members web pages, to the committee for review.

2.      R. Smith will link the Millennium instructional sheet on ‘recommended ways to get books for your book club’ to the Programming page.

3.      MHLS staff will develop a plan for the Health Information Project (HIP) to address the ideas generated by the committee and DA for making the project more relevant to member libraries and promote awareness system wide. 

4.      Ask at July DA meeting: Do directors want a separate Kids Catalog? If yes, would they like a new design for it?

5.      L. Shedrick will include in the new Millennium Toolbox a way for libraries to share lists they have already developed.

6.      MHLS staff will add a site index to the Millennium & Resource Sharing page.

7.      J. Cohen will attend county meetings to gather ideas for things to be included in 2007 MHLS Incentive Program.

8.      Recommend at July DA meeting create a new material type of Book Club in a Bag.

Report to Director’s Association from the June 19, 2006 meeting of the
MHLS Marketing & Programs Advisory Committee Meeting

§         The upcoming 2006 release of Millennium provides the opportunity to develop a new design for the Kids OPAC interface [http://gigcat.midhudson.org:90/kids].

·         Issues discussed: Could design a Homework Catalog (OPAC & homework support in one); Target age group would need to be identified; “Scope” it so the results would just display J materials. Committee sees the development of a specific Kid-friendly interface as a big marketing opportunity.

·         Question: Do directors want a separate Kids Catalog? If yes, would they like a new design for it?

§         Book Club in a Bag Initiative Update: Over half of the kits are currently out with an equal number reserved for upcoming dates.

• Issues discussed: Momentum needs to be kept going in promotion and development of project offerings; Next promotional point to be stressed: Selections offer a mix of fiction and non-fiction titles; Adding newer titles will attract those participating in book groups that have been meeting for a long time. 
• Recommendation: OPAC material type drop-down menu: Committee recommends to the DA that a new material type of ‘Book Club in a Bag’ be created to help promote the kits.

§         Health Information Project (HIP) Coordinator, Bobbi Clapp, spoke to the committee about the relevancy of HIP to all member libraries and ways the project and its resources <http://hip.midhudson.org> can be used to build partnerships with community organizations, including schools. Issues discussed:

·     How to make HIP more relevant to member libraries and promote awareness system wide.

·     How to use HIP in the community to leverage with different groups, including building relationships with the schools.

·     How to leverage HIP at the county level as a way to encourage funding for libraries.

§         L. Shedrick is developing an online Millennium Toolbox that will market the ability of Millennium tools (and provide instructions) for getting to know your patrons, evaluating your collection, evaluating transactions and traffic, correcting problems in records and more.

§         A site index will be added to the Millennium & Resource Sharing page <http://midhudson.org/resource/main.htm> to assist with finding Millennium instructions.

§         MHLS Incentive Program currently provides support for mileage, education, and programming. Josh will be going to county meetings to gather ideas for 2007 Incentive Program.

§         Draft of MHLS Plan or Service 2006 – 2011 Element 7 relating to Advocacy and Awareness was reviewed by the committee. Of specific interest: targeted marketing and programming being developed as part of MHLS coordinated marketing strategy, including identifying target groups to focus on and ways to assist libraries reach those target populations with messaging and specific programs.