Heidi Williamson appeared on today's episode of Inside Berks Libraries, hosted by Frank Kasprowicz, the director of Reading Public Library. The topic was an update on the work of the Berks County Libraries Task Force. You can watch the archived show on www.bctv.org by clicking on the link below and scrolling down to "Inside Berks Libraries."

http://www.bctv.org/bctv/watch_live/wl_bctv/#vmix_media_id=17549606

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I hope this blog finds you enjoying the steamy summer. Here's an update on what's been happening with the library task force teams:

• The Best Practices Team traveled to Cumberland, Lackawanna and Dauphin counties and met with the head of the library system in each county. At our full task force meeting at the end of August, Chuck Gallagher, the team leader, will discuss what the team learned on each of the visits and how the findings might be applicable to our Berks County libraries.
• The Community Outreach Team launched a community survey in June that wraps up on Monday. More than 3,300 people have taken the survey so far. In addition, the outreach team members are in the process of interviewing our local librarians to get their input about the current state of affairs and what the future might hold. Sandy Green, the team leader, will share the results of the survey and the interviews with the larger task force at our meeting at the end of August.
• The Reading Public Library Team, led by Paul Roedel, has been making its way through the particularly complex issues surrounding the Reading Public Library's financial, operational and legal status. Paul will share his team's findings with the task force at our larger meeting, too.

The next steps for each of the teams are to compile the information they've gathered and share them with the larger task force. At that point, the task force will discuss and determine what recommendations to make about the future of our local libraries.

Thank you for your continued interest in this important project.

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The Berks County Libraries Task Force launched a survey today to gather feedback from Berks Countians about their local libraries. The survey is for people who use libraries regularly and for those who do not. Please take the survey, and encourage others to take it, too.

Click here to take the survey.

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Best Practices Team Update

May 2010

The Best Practices Team went on its first site visit on May 10^th. The team visited the Cumberland County Library System, headquartered in Carlisle. Both the Berks and Cumberland county systems are federated, which means each library maintains its own legal status while sharing some services through the umbrella system.

The Cumberland County system is much smaller than the Berks County system. Cumberland has eight libraries, while the Berks system has 20. The Cumberland system’s District Center is located out of its service area in Harrisburg. In Berks County, the District Center is located at the Reading Public Library, which is part of the system.

In Cumberland County, system services include:

• The purchasing and preparation of books and other materials for lending
• A standardized computer system and other IT services such as telephones and email
• A fundraising database called Blackbaud (although libraries may only see donors to their individual library)
• Staff training
• Services for adult readers, such as large-print and audio book delivery for homebound individuals
• Minimal HR functions, such as access to a health insurance plan for member libraries

In 2009, the Cumberland County library system and its member libraries were funded through several means:

• 61% through a county library tax of approximately $14.33 per capita
• 33% State funding
• 2% Federal funding
• 4% Community support/fundraising

The Cumberland County System has a foundation to raise money for programs and activities that are system wide, while the Berks County System does the same thing through the Friends of the Berks County Libraries. In both systems, individual libraries are responsible for fundraising for their own non-system programs.

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Reading Public Library Team Update

May 2010

The Reading Public Library team has met twice, with individual members busy in the interim gathering legal, financial and background materials about the library and its function. Key points during this discovery phase have included:

The Reading Public Library is a quasi-governmental organization tied to the City of Reading. It maintains a main branch – one of the original Carnegie libraries – at 5^th and Franklin streets in Reading, and three neighborhood branches located in the northeast, northwest and southeast areas of the city.

Funding for the Reading Public Library has decreased by several million dollars over the past few years. As the District Center for the Berks County Library System, the library is required to maintain certain operating hours, a requirement it is currently unable to meet due to a lack of funding. The state has granted RPL a waiver for the year as the task force works with the library to develop a recommendation for future operations.

In addition to the Reading Public Library, two nonprofit organizations exist for the benefit of the library. The first is the Reading Public Library Company, which was the organization that gave the library to the City of Reading in trust back in 1898. The Library Company exists today with the sole purpose of appointing five members of the RPL board of trustees. The second nonprofit is the Reading Public Library Foundation, which receives and manages donations to the library from the public.

The Reading Public Library Team of the task force is currently reviewing the financial detail of the RPL and its legal status, as well as the detail on the Library Company and the Reading Public Library Foundation. In addition, the team is studying the operations of four libraries that are part of RPL. The information that emerges from this research will inform the ultimate task force recommendation for the creation of a 21^st century library system for Berks County.

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Task force member Jennie Rodriguez found a website that the American Library Association hosts called "I Love Libraries." The link is here: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/.

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The Reading Eagle has published several articles detailing the plight and usage statistics of local libraries. You can read the articles by clicking here.

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bctv.org has published several articles about local library use and the task force. You can find them by clicking here.

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The Institute of Museum and Library Services posted a story about library usage today on their website. According to the story, internet use at libraries is growing. You can read the whole story here: http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/032510.shtm

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The first meeting of the Berks County Libraries Task Force was held at Berks County Community Foundation on Monday, February 22, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Task Force Co-Chairs Tom Flynn and Karen Rightmire led the discussion.

The following task force members were present: Kevin Murphy, Paul Roedel, Paul Maglionico, Jennie Rodriguez, Heidi Williamson, Latisha B. Schuenemann, Julie Rinehart, Dena Morganti, Sue Davis, David Meas, Jeff Rush, Charles Haddad, Jim Hollinger, Jane Cole, Chuck Gallagher, and Sandy Green. Doug Elliott, Mike Ehlerman, and Tom Work were unable to attend.

Tom Flynn and Karen Rightmire welcomed the group and facilitated introductions. Tom encouraged the task force to formulate a recommendation that creates a sustainable structure for libraries in Berks County, rather than create a short-term band-aid.

Kevin Murphy described the scope of work for the task force as (1) gaining a better understanding of the Reading Public Library and its role, (2) studying best practices of library systems in other Pennsylvania counties, and (3) collecting and analyzing community input about libraries and library patron needs.

Julie Rinehart, who is the Director of County Libraries for Berks County, showed a video funded by the Friends of Berks County Libraries that described the services libraries provide, including the lending of books, videos, audio tapes, and other materials, access to research materials, access to job-search materials, access to computers and the internet, and training and programs that meet a variety of community needs.

Julie then discussed the results of a previous task force on libraries, which was formed in 1985 when community leaders met to determine how local libraries could better meet basic standards. That task force recommended the formation of the Berks County Library System, which today includes 20 of Berks County’s 21 libraries. These libraries maintain local authority while relying on the system to distribute state funding (based on a specific formula) and provide joint purchasing and material distribution, among other services.

Julie described the current state of Berks County’s libraries with concern, noting that total library hours have decreased in 2010 from 1,400 to 1,000 per week across the system. She said there have been staff cuts as a result of the hour cuts, that libraries are eliminating or cutting back on the purchase of new materials, and that overall the libraries are surviving at subsistence levels with no nest eggs to fall back on if there were to be a crisis.

Following Julie’s presentation, the group discussed issues that are currently managed by individual libraries but that the task force may want to consider as part of its recommendation. These issues include human resources, health benefits, accounting, facilities management, trustee development, public relations, municipal relationships, and salary consistency.

Paul Roedel then offered a first look at the financial information for the Reading Public Library in its role as the District Center for the county. Additional research will be conducted to make specific recommendations with regard to the Reading Public Library and its branches.

Karen Rightmire then described the way the task force will organize its work. Members will be divided into three teams, which will work from now until the end of August to complete their charges and provide recommendations to the larger group. The teams are organized as follows:

Reading Public Library Team: The Reading Public Library Team will study the specific financial and legal issues impacting the Reading Public Library in its role as the District Library Center and make short-term (2010-2011) recommendations and long-term recommendations for sustainability and growth.

• Paul Roedel, chair
• Latisha Bernard-Shueneman
• Mike Ehlerman
• Jane Cole
• Tom Work
• Jim Hollinger
• Tom Flynn
• Karen Rightmire
• Kevin Murphy
• Heidi Williamson

Best Practices Team: The Best Practices Team will visit three library systems in other Pennsylvania communities to study how they operate and determine if a similar structure might be beneficial in Berks County. The three systems are in Lackawanna County (Scranton), Cumberland County (Carlisle) and Dauphin County (Harrisburg).

• Chuck Gallagher, chair
• Paul Maglionico
• Jennie Rodriguez
• Julie Rinehart
• Sue Davis
• Charles Haddad
• John George
• Doug Elliott
• Kevin Murphy
• Heidi Williamson

Community Input Team: The Community Input team will identify key stakeholders throughout Berks County whose input and support would benefit the re-imagined library system. These stakeholders will include individuals, civic groups, friends groups and others. The team will develop a questionnaire, distribute the questionnaire and conduct interviews with assistance from interns from Alvernia University.

• Sandy Green, chair
• Deena Morganti
• David Meas
• The Reverend Fred Opalinski
• Jeff Rush
• Kevin Murphy
• Heidi Williamson

Heidi will coordinate meeting dates and contact the team members to facilitate the work. In late August, the task force will meet for a full day session to share what each team learned and to develop its recommendations for the community. The Community Foundation will take that information and draft a report, which the task force will meet to review on October 15^th.

The final report will be released to the community on October 30, 2010.

Tags: library | berks | Berks County | books | reading | funding

Task Force On Berks County Public Libraries Overview

Updated 1/20/2010

Goal:

The task force will use all available resources to determine what a 21st Century system of public libraries in Berks County would look like, how it would work, and the steps necessary to move from the current state to the proposed vision.  The task force will present its report and recommendations to the community by October 30, 2010.

Specific Tasks:

• Analyze the current system of libraries in the county to determine the extent to which they meet the emerging needs of the community.
  
  
• Develop an understanding of the current governance, operations and financing of the libraries.
  
  
• Explore best practices in the design and operation of libraries.
  
  
• Specifically analyze the finances, governance and operations of the Reading Public Library as it is uniquely stressed and plays a critical role as the central repository library for the county. It will be important for the task force to examine and understand that role as it relates to the interdependence of other local libraries on the main branch.
  
  
• Develop recommendations for what a comprehensive system would look like, including recommended changes in the governance, structure, financing and operations of the system.  Include recommendations regarding the role of private philanthropy and how the development of private philanthropy should be structured as well as recommendations for the appropriate management of public relations, marketing, human resources and financial services.   Provide a written report at a public meeting no later than October 30, 2010.   This is in time for governmental budgeting cycles that may need to consider the report.

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The following individuals have agreed to serve on the Berks County Libraries Task Force to date:

Latisha B. Schuenemann, Esq.
Associate
Leisawitz Heller

Jane Cole
Library Auditor
Herbein and Company

Sue Davis
Librarian, Muhlenberg Library
Trustee, Boone Area Library (Birdsboro)

Mike Ehlerman
Former CEO
Yuasa

Doug Elliott
CEO
Metropolitan Edison

Tom Flynn, Task Force Co-Chair
President
Alvernia University

Dr. John George
Executive Director
Berks County Intermediate Unit

Sandy Green
Mayor
Kutztown

Charles Haddad, Esq.
Former Chair
Building a Better Boyertown

Jim Hollinger
PA State Library System

Paul Maglionico
Penske

David Meas
Owner, Hair on the Avenue
Former Trustee, Mifflin Community Library

Deena Morganti
Librarian
Penn State Berks

Kevin Murphy
President
Berks County Community Foundation

The Reverend Fred Opalinski
Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church

Karen Rightmire, Task Force Co-Chair
Executive Director
The Wyomissing Foundation

Julie Rinehart
Director of County Libraries
Berks County

Jennie Rodriguez
Director of Education
Pace Institute

Paul Roedel
Retired CEO
Carpenter

Jeff Rush
CEO
Fulton Bank

Heidi Williamson
Vice President for Communications
Berks County Community Foundation
Trustee, Reading Public Library

Tom Work, Esq.
Stevens and Lee

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Welcome to the Berks County Libraries Task Force page at Berks County Community Foundation.

The task force was established to determine what a 21st Century system of public libraries would look like in our community. Minutes from the task force meetings will be posted here, as will other significant materials that pertain to the work that the task force undertakes.

Feel free to log in and comment on any post.

Tags: Berks County | library | libraries