Survey of Libraries

The reorganization committee wanted to hear from all Iowa libraries in regards to the services that you value. This would help us develop a model that will include those services. As a result we surveyed the libraries. We also surveyed the LSA and State Library staff. The results of the surveys are listed below.

• Library Survey
• LSA/State Library Survey
• Summary of survey

The Iowa Library Association has a webpage to provide access to all of the reorganization committee meeting documents.

First Meeting of Brainstorming

The first meeting of the Committee of 11, on June 8, 2010, was a brainstorming session, where participants came up with a series of “essential library services”.  These were then grouped into larger themes, which would need to be included in a final model.  Sentences on these five main topics were created based upon points created during round robin discussion groups and large group discussion:

• Communication: Using technology, encourage open, two-way communication to facilitate collaboration and preserve input from all library arenas - public, school, academic and special.
• Consulting: Iowa libraries shall receive high quality continuing educaton and consulting services delivered locally.
• Governance: A new governance model with authority for decision-making (such as hiring, financing, staffing, evaluation) needs to be formed.
• Relationships: Build relationships among individual libraries, those providing services to libraries and their creative staffs, to foster sustainable, responsive services.
• Technology:  Use technology to enhance services and communications. Provide technology support to local libraries.

During the early stages of this process, a small group was convened to create and send out surveys of the library community, to get feedback on “essential services” and other reorganization matters.  That feedback was remarkably consistent, often agreeing on the most essential services provided by the LSAs, the State Library, etc.  In addition, a number of respondents expressed a desire to move forward from the bitter division that was experienced early in 2010 over the original reorganization plans.

An overview of how this Reorganization group has proceeded

Mary Wegner, State Librarian, and Bonnie McKewon of the Northwest Iowa Library Service Area were asked by Dale Vande Haar to come up with a list of names to constitute this committee.  These three people chose representatives crossing many “lines” of library service – public, academic, school, LSA, state library.  A fuller explanation is available at the ILA website.  The final group consisted of the following individuals:

• Nathan Clark, Ruthven / Emmetsburg Public Library size B
• Sandy Long, Whittemore Public Library size B
• Nancy Trask, Winterset Public Library size D
• Lorraine Borowski, Decorah Public Library size E
• Susan Kling, Marion Public Library size G
• LaWanda Roudebush, Davenport Public Library size H
• Bonnie McKewon, Northwest LSA (LSA Admin )
• Ann Coulter, Southwestern Community College (LSA Trustee )
• Mary Wegner, State Library (State Librarian/Admin )
• Monica Gohlinghorst ,  Iowa Commission of Libraries
• Dale Vande Haar, Des Moines Public Schools  (ILA President )

This committee was formed and met three (3) times over the summer.  Each meeting was open to the larger library community, many of whom attended one or more meetings.  These other participants were known as the “Studio Audience” and were asked for their input on several occasions.  They created one of the four (4) models that were presented to the larger group for consideration at the second meeting. 

Welcome to the Iowa Library Services Reorganization Blog, from Dale Vande Haar, ILA President.  This blog is intended to provide a forum for discussion on the proposed changes to Iowa library service provision, as requested by the legislature. 

First, a little history on why and how this group was convened:

• The Iowa Legislature originally asked all state agencies for ideas on how to save money, streamline services, and incorporate new guidelines for span of control, or a larger ratio of employees to supervisors, and create a transparent accounting of state funds.
• Legislation introduced to merge the two existing service delivery models (LSAs and State Library) did not pass, and it became evident to the legislators that the Iowa Library Community was not in agreement on how to reorganize library services.
• After a special meeting with legislative leaders in March, a mandate was passed in the Legislature to require the two groups (LSAs and State Library) to sit down and come up with a new service delivery model.  The Iowa Library Association took on the responsibility of brokering this new plan of service delivery.
• The Legislature also called for elimination of perceived duplication of library services and perceived inconsistency of these services across the state to libraries of all sizes.
• To meet the legislative mandate, the ILA Executive Board authorized ILA President Dale Vande Haar to form a committee of 11 individuals to create a new library services delivery model.
• Information on the Reorganization meetings has been posted to the ILA website here:  http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=100  We are now putting this information in blog format, to facilitate comments.