Program & Actvities Development Plan & Policy submitted by Deirdre Helfferich, June 27, 2011; approved by the JTEL board 8/9/2011 Plan Summary The Program & Activities Development Plan outlines library programs that the community and the board aim to introduce at the John Trigg Ester Library, and provides program goals and a guide for establishing, funding, and maintaining programs and activities that the library develops. Contents of the plan include:
Purpose of Plan The purpose of this development plan is to provide an overview of past and potential future programs, and to provide guidelines and goals for program development and review. Programs are developed with reference to the JTEL Goals & Objectives and the library’s mission. Updating the Plan This plan should be reviewed and updated annually by the JTEL Board of Directors, the head librarian, and interested volunteers, within four months of the JTEL Annual Meeting, or as needed if a suitable program proposal is submitted to and accepted by the board. The board may create a Program Committee to which it can delegate these powers if it so chooses. Library programs may be thought of as falling into three categories:
Several objectives in the JTEL Goals & Objectives affect the development of suitable programs for the JTEL. In brief, these are:
Programs are to be established to further the mission of the library and to further the JTEL Goals & Objectives. Programs should be developed according to the following aims:
The overall goal of programs and activities at the JTEL should be to support, educate, and foster the wellbeing of the Ester area’s residents and of its community life. Existing & Past Programs & Activities Past Programs The JTEL has hosted the following activities:
Current Programs Fundraisers Library fundraisers are community-building events as well as sources of income for the JTEL. They inform and entertain the public, and celebrate aspects of community life.
Library Lecture Series The Library Lecture Series is an all-volunteer educational program held nine months of the year, with June, July, and December as the months without lectures. The lecture series features writers, artists, adventurers, scholars, entrepreneurs, musicians, craftspeople, and colorful characters from, visiting, or of interest to Ester. Topics are as varied as the speakers. The series is held on the third Wednesday of the month, at 7 pm, and lectures usually last from an hour to two hours (including questions & discussion time). Proctors set up the event and clean up, and introduce the library, the series, and the lecturer. A board member or other designated volunteer or committee solicits and selects speakers and arranges for a venue (to date, the series has been held at Hartung Community Hall in Ester). See Program Plan, below, for more detail on programs and activities under development. Among the ideas already presented to the library but not yet developed as formal proposals, or previously created but cancelled due to lack of space or other resources, are:
To establish a program, the following process may be used:
If the proposal is accepted, the Program Committee or board will take steps to further evaluate the potential program and explore its implementation. Working with the proposer, the committee will:
A copy of each program proposal, needs assessment, implementation plan, evaluation plan, and program evaluation(s) will be kept at the JTEL Business office where they may be reviewed by the public. Many good ideas are developed through informal brainstorming, but this can leave certain practical aspects of creating and maintaining programs out of the equation. To take an idea and develop a program that will serve the community and the goals of the library, a formal and succinct (no more than ten pages) proposal should be submitted to the JTEL Board of Directors or the Program Committee, in hard copy. This proposal should include the following elements:
Proposers of potential programs for the Ester library are expected to participate in its implementation and support if the program is accepted. The submitted proposal will be evaluated according to its completeness, its correspondence to the Mission and Goals & Objectives of the JTEL, the support for the proposal, the program’s innovation and utility, and the ability of the JTEL to implement, administer, and maintain the program. Copies of all proposals submitted will be kept in the JTEL records at its Business Office, and may be examined by the public. This plan will list programs in development and their status as proposals are submitted. Fundraising events may be developed separately from the Program & Activities Development Plan, but should be listed here while under development for reference. Programs under development:
“JTEL Goals & Objectives,” board plan, available on line at www.esterlibrary.org/planning/goalsobjectives.html. “How to Make Your Library Great,” by the Project for Public Spaces, available on line at www.pps.org/articles/libraryattributes/. “Libraries that Matter,” by Cynthia Nikitin and Josh Jackson, available on line at www.pps.org/articles/librariesthatmatter-2/. “Planning and developing library activities, events or programs,” slide presentation by Matt Cornell, Programs Librarian, Monash Public Library Service. Available on line at www.slideshare.net/haikugirl/planning-and-developing-library-activities-events-or-programs. “Preparing A School Library Program Development Plan,” planning guide by the State Library of Iowa, www.statelibraryofiowa.org. | |||
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