Because we’re worth it! Demonstrating value and impact in Academic Libraries
Valuing Libraries: Demonstrating the Contributions Libraries Make to Their Communities A Two-part...
-
date post
19-Dec-2015 -
Category
Documents
-
view
223 -
download
0
Transcript of Valuing Libraries: Demonstrating the Contributions Libraries Make to Their Communities A Two-part...
Valuing Libraries: Demonstrating the Contributions Libraries Make to Their
CommunitiesA Two-part Workshop Sponsored By
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public RecordsOctober 31 & November 1, 2006
Presented By:
Joanne P. Roukens, Executive DirectorHighlands Regional Library Cooperative
Denville, NJwww.hrlc.org
The New Jersey State Library & the Highlands Regional Cooperative Library Funding and Resource Development Taskforce present:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Special Acknowledgement
Special thanks are due to Donna Bachowski, formerly the director of the Edgewater Public Library (NJ) and now with the Orange County
Library System (FL).
Donna co-wrote and originally presented these workshops with me and none of this would have
happened without her hard work, insight enthusiasm and friendship.
Joanne P. Roukens
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Acknowledgements
• HRLC Funding and Resource Development Taskforce
• New Jersey State Library, Norma Blake & Jeff Kesper
• Morris County Library, Sara Weissman
• INFOLINK, Cheryl O’Connor
• Neptune Public Library, Marian Bauman
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Special Acknowledgement To:
www.webjunction.org & OCLC
&
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Valuing Libraries Toolkit
www.hrlc.org/funding/valuinglibs.htm
Copies of everything you need, plus PowerPoints and other documents for the Arizona workshop are at:
http://az.webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=372
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Overview
All materials for this workshop are based on
the WebJunction “Demonstrating Impact”
web documents
http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1193
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Overview
1. Strategize (today)
2. Quantify (today and homework)
3. Make the Case (tomorrow)
Three steps to demonstrating impact:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Objectives
After this program, you will be able to:
• Define what is valuable to customers and funders/stakeholders
• Execute a seven-part strategic process
• Identify your library’s “Value Proposition”
• Quantify your library’s value
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision• What is value?
– "Value and Vision" by Eleanor Jo “Joey” Rodger, American Libraries, Nov. 1, 2002
• Ideas of value have changed• Moving target, constantly needs
assessment• Usefulness, quality, availability, image
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision
• What it is not:
– Historic is not valuable– Doesn’t correspond to staff ideas of importance– Is not about our professional values
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision
• Not enough money to go around• How do we create more public value?• “Bridging the Value Gap: getting past
professional values to customer value in the public library,” by Gary Deane, Public Libraries, Sept/Oct 2003
• Doing wrong things well does not create value
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision
• Strategic triangle
1. Publicly valuable2. Politically and legally supported3. Administratively and operationally feasible
• Commit to reflection, listening and flexibility
Pub
licly
Val
uabl
e
Political &
Legal Support
Feasible
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision
• Evaluate each service
• Identify feasible enhancements
• Listen and understand agendas
• Recognize trends and realign
Enhance Value:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value and Vision Summary
• Identify was is and is not “value”
• Examine services using the Strategic Triangle
• Need to keep an eye on trends and realign
• List what is valuable to customers, funders/stakeholders
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Strategizing Steps
1. Assess your resources
2. Identify your target
3. Become a lobbyist
4. Identify what is important to funders
5. Identify what you do best
6. Determine how to articulate value
7. Find the connection
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
1. Assess your resources
• All types and all sizes can do this
• Principles stay the same
• Fit your plans to your library
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
2. Identify your target
• Critical to success
• Understand your audience
• Express your value so it relates to them
• Relate value in real-world terms
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
3. Become a “Library Lobbyist”
• Get out there
• Build personal connections
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
4. What is important to funders?
• What is on the board’s mind?
• What is on the council’s mind?
• What do the constituents say?
• What economic trends are in your community?
• What are the hot-button issues?
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
5. Identify what you do best
• Clear mission statement
• Strategic plan
• Library audit – http://skyways.lib.ks.us/pathway/audit.html
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
6. Articulating Value
• Focus on what you offer and what your funders value
• Audience attention is limited, as is your time.
• Concise, easy to understand and substantiate
• http://www.infolink.org/services/other/roi.asp
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
7. Find the connection
• Connect the dots
• Simple and powerful
• Value Proposition
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value Proposition
• An offer to some entity in which they get more than they give up, as perceived by them, and in relationship to alternatives, including doing nothing.
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
The Value Proposition
• An offer, not a demand
• Not what you value
• Only valuable perspective is the customer’s
• Valuable in a competitive environment
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
OR
If you give me this (the money I am seeking),
you will get that (specific benefits that come from
library services).
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
OR
The promise that a library makes to its
customers about what they can expect
to receive in return for their time,
their effort, their loyalty, and especially their dollars.
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Value Proposition
What your library does well
What your funders value
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
The Value Proposition
• Actionable by you and your organization
• Credible and compelling to target audience
Must fill two requirements:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Example
Services the Acme Cleaners do best:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
ExampleYou, the customer, need:
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Acme Cleaners’ Value Proposition
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Summary
1. Assess your resources
2. Identify your target
3. Become a lobbyist
4. Identify what is important to funders
5. Identify what you do best
6. Determine how to articulate value
7. Find the connection
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Demonstrating Impact: Quantifying
• Translate intangible benefits into hard numbers
• What are our intangible benefits?
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Approaches to Quantifying
1. Traditional statistics
2. Outcome Based Evaluation - OBE
3. Return on investment - ROI
4. Anecdotal
5. Data from peers
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
1. Traditional Statistics
• Circulation figures, patron visits, collection size, reference transactions, program attendance
– Pro: Demonstrate base level of service
– Con: Doesn’t speak powerfully to funders
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
2. Outcome Based Evaluation
• Shows results as determined by previously set categories
– Pro: Specific, powerful, becoming more prevalent
– Con: Can be an involved process
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
3. Return On Investment
• Common in the for-profit sector• Shows value of services
– Pro: Clear, accurate statement of fund use and resulting benefits
– Con: Difficult to quantify benefits from non-priced goods and services
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
4. Anecdotal
• Humanizes your services
– Pro: Powerful communication tool
– Con: Lacks hard evidence
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
5. Data From Peers
• Comparison of your services and statistics to libraries with similar service profiles
– Pro: Fairly easy to complete
– Con: Can backfire – all politics are local
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Bottom Line
• Best and most powerful arguments will come from information about the realities of your own community and your own library.
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
What Data Do You Need?
• Based on your strategy and your locality
• Need enough to establish the library value to your funders
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Data Collection
• Easiest: repackaging existing data
• More difficult: compiling, analyzing raw data
• Most difficult: collecting fresh data
We are going to do it the easy way!
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
What You Are Going to Do!
1. Gather your statistics - Population- Total of last fiscal year budget- Last year’s circ/usage stats
2. Use price list and select3. Open worksheet and fill in numbers
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
What You Are Going to Do!
1. Divide total value figure by budget figure
2. Multiply by 100 to get ROI percentage
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
How Easy!
• Niceville Public Library
• Budget of $458,000
• Population 9,358
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Review
• Value – what is it and how do we enhance it
• 7 steps to strategizing
• Value Proposition
• Quantify benefits
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
ACTION!
1. Gather your statistics2. Access the Excel spreadsheet template3. Fill in your figures4. Add short description or narrative, if you
wish5. Polish, if you wish6. Bring “Value of Services” documents to
next session
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Valuing Libraries Toolkit
www.hrlc.org/funding/valuinglibs.htm
Copies of everything you need, plus PowerPoints and other documents for the Arizona workshop are at:
http://az.webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=372
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Next Time - ”Making Your Case”
• Tell your story effectively
• Deliver a one or three minute speech
• Write an impact letter
• Make a ten-minute presentation
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Conclusion
Strategy
+ quantify
= Impact
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
Valuing Libraries Contact Info:
• Joanne P. Roukens, Executive DirectorJoanne P. Roukens, Executive Director
Highlands Regional Library CooperativeHighlands Regional Library Cooperative
973-664-1776973-664-1776
[email protected]@hrlc.org
HRLC Funding & Resource Development Taskforce & the New Jersey State Library, 2006
The Highlands Regional Library Cooperative (HRLC) is a proud member of the New Jersey Library Network. The Cooperative and its services
are made possible in whole or part by funding to the New Jersey Library Network from the NJ State Legislature and the New Jersey State Library,
an Affiliate of Thomas Edison State College.
This workshop was made possible by a funding partnership between the New Jersey State Library and HRLC.
Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian
Joanne P. Roukens, Executive Director, HRLC