12/3/2019

1

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SLC Schedule of Services

Survey 2019/2020Tuesday, December 03, 2019

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Date Created: Thursday, November 07, 2019

23Total Responses

Complete Responses: 23

12/3/2019

2

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Q2: One or more staff from my library plan to attend at least one SLC sponsored

professional development opportunity in the coming year either online or in

person (don't count the UPRLC Conference)

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q2: One or more staff from my library plan to attend at least one SLC sponsored

professional development opportunity in the coming year either online or in

person (don't count the UPRLC Conference)

• Uncertain due to travel budget restrictions and there not always being another person available to watch the

desk while I watch/participate in a webinar.

• We will try to attend as many as possible!

• I would love to come or attend as long as it is convenient for my schedule-it just hasn't happened as much as

I would like.

• All depends on location for in person - we do not have the budget for overnight travel for training, nor the staff

to have someone away from the library for extended time. Like the online opportunities and the recorded for

later access

• It depends on what's offered, and how/where.

• Really enjoyed the webinars with EveryLibrary this past year!

12/3/2019

3

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Q3: I like the idea of having a Rural Library Conference annually.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q3: I like the idea of having a Rural Library Conference annually.

• Every other year makes more sense to us.

• Again the time away from the library - all conference opportunities are wonderful things but the

distance/travel time makes it cost prohibitive for my library and my staff.

• I have never attended, and do not foresee having the budget to be able to do so.

12/3/2019

4

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Q4: Staff members from my library plan to attend Rural Library

Conference in 2020.

Answered: 22 Skipped: 1

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Q4: Staff members from my library plan to attend Rural Library

Conference in 2020.

• Depends on staffing

• Provided we can find funds.

• I plan on going - and I have another staff that will if her program submission is accepted, to

defray costs.

• Yes hoping 2 of us can attend!

12/3/2019

5

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Q5: The SLC continuing education stipend of $100 allows staff to attend

professional development opportunities that they would not be able to otherwise.

Answered: 22 Skipped: 1

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Q5: The SLC continuing education stipend of $100 allows staff to attend

professional development opportunities that they would not be able to otherwise.

• It would be better if there could be MORE funding for professional development.

• The stipends do help especially in lean budget time - I do use them to off set the costs.

12/3/2019

6

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Q6: Do you prefer onsite/regional or online training?

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q6: What are obstacles to attending training for you and your staff?

• Timing during the day, or on days when I don't work; budgets

restrictions; staff limitations and being the only person on staff

all the time.

• Being able to staff the library while others are at training

• Distance of more than 100 miles

• Lack of travel / education budget

• We are pretty flexible - but of course mileage costs are the

hardest part for attending training that isn't online. However,

the benefit of onsite is always great!

• Dates and location

• Face to face training is better than online but travel time and

expenses and staff coverage is an issue.

• Travel time, of course as we are on the far western end. Cost,

too, is often an issue. We have a limited education and training

budget so we always have to sure training is relevant.

• Substitutes to cover our absence

• Very limited funds for training; requires substitute if during

regular hours; requires voluntary unpaid hours usually.

• Online - one staff member is uncomfortable with technology.

Onsite - one staff member doesn't drive (though this can be

remedied with carpooling).

• It's nice to have a mix. Onsite training is my personal

preference, but online training allow more of my staff to attend.

Recordings are also nice for future training needs. Time and

money are always the biggest obstacles to onsite training.

• A very busy small library with limited staff. We can't always

spare anyone.

12/3/2019

7

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Q7: Year round mini-grants for programming ($1-250 and $251-500) are a

great idea.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q7: Year round mini-grants for programming ($1-250 and $251-500) are a

great idea.

• Greatly appreciated!

• My library does not need this. But I can appreciate that it is of benefit to smaller libraries and I think it benefits

all of us for libraries throughout U.P. to offer robust programming. I do think that $10,000 is a big chunk,

especially in comparison to the funds proposed for professional development. I think that should be more

balanced.

• LOVE IT! :)

• I love these!!!!!!!!!!!

• Though I did like the year of setting up a "tour" and tying into that kind of opportunity. Mini grants help libraries

with the time to apply. We are to short staffed to look very far ahead and my service population has

geographical limits for attending library programs.

12/3/2019

8

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Q8: The Programming Committee should purchase more STEAM

materials to circulate among SLC member libraries.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q8: The Programming Committee should purchase more STEAM

materials to circulate among SLC member libraries.

• That would be very helpful to get us started in establishing our own STEAM materials.

• Materials don't do us much good unless they come with a person with the expertise to present and use them with kids.

• I think it is great for libraries to be able to try new things and, for small libraries that might never be able to buy, this isa great program to share tech resources.

• Unless we are looking to purchase a lot of programming kits, I find it to be a waste of resources that could have gone for something else.

• I like the idea but we do not have the staff to even experiment with anything new.

• It is nice to have, although I don't think that providing programming/programming materials should be a priority for the Cooperative.

• Perhaps... I'd want to know more about the items individually. Generally I think this could be a good investment.

12/3/2019

9

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Q9: If the Cooperative was able to subsidize another database in 2019/2020, please

indicate what you think would be most beneficial to patrons and library staff.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q9: Other database – please specify/Comments

• Hoopla

• Movie/Video

• I am incredibly interested in Mango and while I would/plan on purchasing for 2020, if it became subsidized, even better!

• I think the Great Course would be excellent, but I think we might attract more patrons with Freegle

• Do not know is we could afford

• Kanapy or Hoopla

12/3/2019

10

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Q10: SLC should try to coordinate a trip to Lansing for Advocacy Day on

April 22, 2020

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q10: SLC should try to coordinate a trip to Lansing for Advocacy Day on

April 22, 2020

• This could be fun and possibly encourage people who would not otherwise be able to participate. It

depends on how much it would cost the Co-Op.

• I would like to go - so even if SLC doesn't coordinate, I would be willing to coordinate with someone!

• UP libraries need to have their voices heard more. I definitely believe we are not loud enough and can

often be overlooked. I would happily join in on a trip like this.

• good idea but I an unconvinced that the costs would be beneficial. Figuring out how to connect and

with our local politicians I feel would be of more help to our libraries. For the cost of sending multiple

people with out advocacy experience to go to Lansing maybe we could find some one to help with

general PR and coop outreach in our service area.

• This would be wonderful

12/3/2019

11

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Q11: The WorkFlows circulation module has everything I need for patron,

circulation, and hold management.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q11: The WorkFlows circulation module has everything I need for patron,

circulation, and hold management.

• Ummmm...no. Not EVERYTHING. But it's OK.

• I find that it is often lacking in the functions and tools that I need. Comparing it to the system I used,

this one is definitely my least favorite.

• It works and while I think that changing might have benefits (cost and functionality) I dread the

learning curve for some of my staff. And also the burden on coop staff to train the training and solve

all the glitches that are going to come up.

• I really don't know what else is out there so it is difficult to know if there is something missing from it.

• Not sure I'm the best person to answer this question. It has all the necessary basics as far as I know.

12/3/2019

12

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Q12: The WorkFlows cataloging module has everything I need in terms of

cataloging, copy cataloging, call/number, and item maintenance.

Answered: 22 Skipped: 1

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Q12: The WorkFlows cataloging module has everything I need in terms of

cataloging, copy cataloging, call/number, and item maintenance.

• I don't do cataloging.

• It could be better and more intuitive, but its not bad.

• same as above. migration is not at all an easy process for either line staff or our "technical" support.

• Ditto to my answer above. I guess it has what we need for now.

• Not sure I'm the best person to answer this question. It has all the necessary basics as far as I know.

• Though it seems that any personnel creating new records should not also attach the electronic

resource to the record for print materials.

• Its fine.

12/3/2019

13

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Q13: The WorkFlows Item Search and Display wizard allows library staff

to quickly and easily identify titles and items in the database.

Answered: 22 Skipped: 1

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Q13: The WorkFlows Item Search and Display wizard allows library staff

to quickly and easily identify titles and items in the database.

• It often fails to organize item searches in a logical manner and mixes things up frequently to where my staff can have

issues locating items on the Item Search function.

• My current issue is scrambling around to find lost or missing item - I wish that would show up in the basic a staff

search. Very frustrating to remember that we had the item but not sure what happened to it with out a more in depth

search.

• It can be slow.

• I find the interface a little confusing actually. I've worked with several other ILS systems and I do struggle to use the

staff interface more than others I've used. (I also don't have as much need to practice...so again..maybe not the best

responder to this question)

• The searching capabilities of Workflows are not user friendly.

• It is fine and meets our needs but I am not a fan of this program for the costs. I want to search for item like I do when I

search on Amazon or Google!

12/3/2019

14

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Q14: The Enterprise online catalog allows library patrons to search the library

collection, place/manage holds, create lists, and manage their account.

Answered: 22 Skipped: 1

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Q14: The Enterprise online catalog allows library patrons to search the library

collection, place/manage holds, create lists, and manage their account.

It does; however, it can be very confusing for my elderly patrons to use it. Most of them don't, and will wait until I'm at the library to place holds or

otherwise manage their accounts.

Not user friendly for searching

The search feature could really use some improvement. I think the account management and hold placing works.

This could be more eloquently designed. Patrons often struggle to find items in Enterprise and often go to MeL to order items-which come from libraries

within our consortium and can aggravate libraries who have to go through multiple steps to send the item when it could have been a much simpler

process if the patron requested from Enterprise. However, if a patron cannot find the item and staff struggle to find it as well in Enterprise, something

needs to change.

they seem to do ok. Would like to figure out if there is a better way to search coop material before going to MelCat. They do get confused and I do to.

Thinking I have done a through search in work flows but then when I look at MelCat the item is in one of our libraries... not sure why this glitch happens.

It does but I do not like it much. I hope we find something "slicker."

I have had one patron complain about not being able to find items in it, that show up in MeL. Maybe it's a matter of spelling, or not choosing "Resource

Sharing Libraries," but it's frustrating, especially because then the patron just goes with MeL rather than a local hold. But that is just one patron.

A better app for the catalog is needed! Sirsi has been promising many enhancements over the years, and I don't see the results of these promises.

On search part only ... the rest is fine

12/3/2019

15

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Q15: The RIDES stipend of $750 is helpful to my library.

Answered: 23 Skipped: 0

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Q15: The RIDES stipend of $750 is helpful to my library.

• I was not in favor of this initially, because we had budgeted for it. However, now there is an expectation of it and every

bit of funding helps.

• It is very helpful, thank you.

• It was not as big of a deal before we got our budget cut. Now all dollars are helpful. But we would pay for RIDES even

with out the stipend

• Absolutely~ You have no idea how important $750 is to our budget!

• It is helpful because we (the Public Advisory Board and I) made the decision back during the big price hike of '16 to

not pass the increased cost on to the schools (Superior Central, Mather Elementary and Munising Middle/High). As the

Public Library we eat the increase each year for them so they can afford to stay with it. We consider the additional

expense to be School Outreach and so yes, the stipend helps.

• We would stay without it, but it does help.

• Could not do without it.