Section 4 --DESCRIPTION OF PLANNING, APPROVAL, EVALUATION AND REVISION PROCESS FOR ALL SECTIONS OF THE PLAN OF SERVICE

4.1 Provide a brief summary describing the processes used to assess needs in the development of the Plan of Service:

· The System has conducted regular member needs assessments and evaluations, including annually reviewing the progress and achievements of the 2002-2006 Plan of Service.

· The System’s planning process began with nineteen focus group sessions held between January 1and March 23, 2006 with a total attendance of 216, representing 56 libraries in 5 counties discussing challenges, issues and quality service. The focus groups were comprised as follows:

o Directors

§ Columbia County Directors

§ Dutchess County Directors

§ Greene County Directors

§ Putnam County Directors

§ Ulster County Directors

o Assistant Directors

o Youth Services Staff

§ Columbia, Greene & Ulster County Youth Services

§ Dutchess County Youth Services

§ Putnam County Youth Services

o Circulation, Technical Services & ILL Staff

§ Dutchess, Putnam & Ulster County session

§ Columbia & Greene County session

o Reference / Adult Services Staff

o Outreach / Literacy Staff

o Trustees

§ Columbia County Trustees

§ Dutchess County Trustees

§ Greene County Trustees

§ Putnam County Trustees

§ Ulster County Trustees

o Friends

· Each session was facilitated by Josh Cohen, Executive Director and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator of Member Information. The combined notes from these sessions <midhudson.org/mhls/POS/focus_group/main.htm> were used by the Director’s Association in April to formulate a list of objectives for the System. This compilation was reviewed by the four joint advisory committees and the MHLS Board of Trustees. The Plan was then designed and formatted and was approved by the Director’s Association and the MHLS BOT at their September meetings.

4.2 Identify the groups involved in the development of the Plan of Service and each group’s role:

· Directors: focus group participants; formulated plan objectives; reviewed and approved final plan

· MHLS Board of Trustees: reviewed focus group results; reviewed plan objectives; reviewed and approved final plan

· Joint committees: reviewed plan objectives

· MHLS staff: facilitated focus group sessions; designed and formatted plan

· Assistant Directors: focus group participants

· Youth Services staff: focus group participants

· Circulation, Technical Services & ILL staff: focus group participants

· Reference / Adult Services staff: focus group participants

· Outreach / Literacy / Corrections / Jail staff: focus group participants

· Member Library trustees: focus group participants

· Member Library Friends: focus group participants

4.3 Describe the planning process for the 2007-2011 Central Library Plan:

· The System has annually reviewed the progress of the 2002-2006 Central Library Plan of Service.

· Central Library staff surveyed member library directors, regarding evaluating Central Library services. A summary of the results were reviewed by the MHLS Central Library / Collection Development Advisory Committee at their June 2006 meeting, along with reference related focus group results. The committee designed a structure for the provision of reference services throughout the System that will be implemented by the Central Library and the System over the next five years. The plan and budget was then designed and formatted and was approved by the Director’s Association and the MHLS BOT at their September meetings.

4.4 Identify the groups involved in the development of the Central Library Plan and each group’s role:

· Member Library directors: survey respondents; focus group participants; reviewed and approved final plan

· Central Library / Collection Development Advisory Committee (a joint committee made up of eight member library directors representing each county, Central Library and System staff): reviewed survey and focus group data; designed plan and corresponding budget

· MHLS Board of Trustees: reviewed focus group results; reviewed plan objectives; reviewed final plan

4.5 Describe the integration of the 2007-2011 Central Library Plan with the system’s Plan of Service

The Central Reference Service Plan is directly incorporated into the system’s Plan of Service in the designated target areas: 5.4 Interlibrary Loan, 5.7 Virtual Reference, 5.14 Continuing Education and Training. In September the Director’s Association approved both plans in a combined vote. Both plans will be evaluated on a regular basis through member library input.

4.7 Briefly describe the process for the approval of the Plan of Service:

The Plan was sent to the Director’s Association for approval in September 2006 and to the Mid-Hudson Library System Board of Trustees. The plan can be amended in one of three ways:

1. The Board of Trustees can vote to amend the plan;

2. The Directors’ Association, in reviewing the evaluation of results, can recommend to the Mid-Hudson Library System Board of Trustees that the plan be amended;

3. At any time during the year, a joint committee can recommend to the Directors’ Association part of the plan be amended and sent to the Board of Trustees for approval.

4.8 Briefly describe the information that will be collected to evaluate whether or not the system achieved the intended results of the plan:

In conjunction with the Director’s Association and the four joint committees, we will develop assessment tools to measure quality service. Various information will be collected including statistics of use and frequency, self-reported and surveyed satisfaction levels, pre-post training scores. The data collected will be evaluated through advisory committee review, professional assessment and progress against quality measures.

4.9 Briefly describe the methods that will be used to determine whether the system’s customers were satisfied with the system’s services:

On an annual basis the System will formally ask stakeholders if the progress is satisfactory and meeting their needs. Each joint committee will also be charged with monitoring the parts of the plan in their areas.

4.10 Briefly describe how the information on customer satisfaction will be used to shape the system’s plan in the next year or in the following planning cycle:

Customer satisfaction is a primary element in the focus of the plan. Input from members in the formation of quality measures and feedback from stakeholders on the progress towards the goals of the plan are integral to the design and success of the plan. Adjustments in plan focus and in the assessment tools will be made as needed to maximize the satisfaction of our customers and the progress towards the overall goal of quality library service.