LIS 688 C������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� Jonathan Eaker   Tar Heel Library Technology Plan   1. Mission Statement   ����������� �The Tar Heel Public Library exists to provide the community with resources for intellectual and informational pursuits and to provide a welcoming environment which will further those pursuits. In recognition of the changing information needs of the 21st century library user, the Tar Heel Public Library strives to offer a wide range of services to our users 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and regardless of their physical location.�   2. Tech Plan Goals   Goal 1   Provide the widest array possible of informational resources to help our patrons find the knowledge they need in a quick and efficient manner.   a) ILS   ����������� I.��������� We will purchase and install Dynix�s Horizon Public Library Suite. It handles everything we need our ILS to do, cataloging, circulation, and all of our library management responsibilities.   b) Create Multisearching Tool   ����������� I.��������� We will develop our own Multisearching tool that will allow our patrons to search as many of the resources we have access to as possible. This includes our catalog, NC Live resources, and our E-Journals.   ����������� II.�������� The Multisearching application will be created with a simple interface so that users that do not have much experience using the different resources will be able to use it by just typing in their search terms, but it will have an advanced search to allow users who know what they are doing to search where they want to.   c) E-Journals and Databases   ����������� I.��������� We will purchase subscriptions to online databases like the Electric Library which provides our patrons access to many magazines, newspapers, books, and other information we don�t have in print. We also will subscribe to Heritage Quest because we plan to have many patrons looking for genealogy records. We will also subscribe to Oxford Reference because it will give our users the most thorough dictionary plus subject dictionaries and several multi-lingual dictionaries. Other databases and E-journals will be purchased if a need is shown.   ����������� II.�������� We will subscribe to JSTOR so that our users will have access to scholarly works for their work needs, their own research, just their personal edification. Other E-Journal databases will be looked at to see if they needed to fill any gaps in our collection. ����������� ����������� III.������ We will purchase Journal Finder to manage our E-Journals. It allows patrons to search for our entire journal holdings in one location. It gives the benefit of providing MARC records so they can be added to the catalog. Also because we are in North Carolina we will get it at half the normal price.   d) Preserve Our Local Special Collection Information   ����������� I.��������� We will, over these three years, digitize our entire special collections information related to the history of this area and local industries like tobacco. This will allow our patrons to learn about the history of the town and its people, and how we became what we are today   ����������� II.�������� For a project that will take more than the three year period of this plan, but we want to start on it now, we will take old issues of the local paper, which have been collected, and preserve them so that if they are needed to research someone�s past or the history of the area, those documents will still be available.   ����������� III.������ We will catalog all the special collections material and create MARC records for them so that they can be searched for in the OPAC.   e) Agricultural Collection   ����������� I.��������� We will develop an agricultural collection of information that will supplement our library collection and provide our large farming population all the information they need.   ����������� II.�������� We will subscribe to AGRICOLA, a database covering all aspects of farming, agriculture and animal care. This will be supplemented by smaller databases like the Plant Science database and others as needed.   ����������� III.������ Develop a webpage devoted to links and citations with annotations of information on topics in agriculture, farming, and animal care.     Goal 2   Provide the best service possible to our patrons at all times and in all places.   a) Web Page ����������� ����������� I.��������� We will create a web page which is not just an online advertisement for our library but like an online library for our users. It will provide as many resources as we can to help our patrons when we are not there to help them.   ����������� II.�������� We will use EZproxy to allow our users to access online databases and other resources they may find useful. The patron will use their library card number and their last name (or family name) as verification. They will then be allowed to access all of our online resources like NC Live, our E-Journals, and our databases.   ����������� III.����� We will provide a special kids area of the web page with a filtered web browser for children like KidSplorer. It will also have links to online children�s books, an area with online reference resources either for children or are basic enough for them to understand. It will also have an area for parents with dates of children�s activities in the library and the community, books they may want too look at, and general information about what the library has to offer children.�   ����������� IV.������ The web page will have a virtual reference area with links to all of our online reference materials in one place.   ����������� V.������� We will create tutorials for our web page instructing patrons how to use many of the various technological resources we have to offer. These will be written by the library staff and we will add to and update them as we get new products and as we find a need for new tutorials.   b) Digital Reference   ����������� I.�������� We will purchase Question Point�s software with the full subscription with standard communications package. This will allow us to serve our patrons from their homes by allowing them to type questions to us and get answers in real time. It will also allow us to become part of their global network which will allow our patrons to be served by other institutions after our facility is closed.     Goal 3   Become the location the community goes for their informational and technology needs.   a) PCs ����������� ����������� I.��������� Since we expect the library�s PCs to be one of the major reasons patrons come to our library, we must make sure they are in good working condition. This means routine maintenance on all of the machines. This includes running virus scanning software, spy ware software, and checking for any unneeded downloaded applications. The tech staff will evaluate other software out there like Freeze X and WinSelect that prevent users from making changes and downloading some types of applications. Open Source and Freeware programs would also be evaluated and we will work on writing our own software that will do what we want it to and give us full control.   ����������� II. ������� We will install all of the major web browsers that are currently in use such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and any others that are well developed and have a user base. This will give our patrons a choice so they can use the one they are most comfortable with and give users familiar with only one web browser a chance to test out other brands.   ����������� III.������ We will not require filters on our computers. We will require anyone who is a minor to get permission from a parent to use the computer terminals. When the parents sign the form they will have the option of having a filter turned on but it will not be required. We will also have library personnel walking through the computer terminals to watch for material that breaks the indecent material clause.   b) Training   ����������� I.��������� We will offer training classes periodically on widely used technology products so that users will become more familiar and hopefully use them more often.   ����������� II.�������� Make technological resources a strong part of the bibliographic instruction program, so that when we teach patrons how books are cataloged we also teach them how to find them using the OPAC and find articles through our journal resources.   c) Printing and Copying   ����������� I.��������� We will provide printing on the computers for a fee. This should limit the amount of unnecessary printed pages and wasted paper and ink. If enough people are printing documents we may look into some type of card (or other method) where a patron can prepay for their print jobs, and possibly copies on the copier. Since this would require extra hardware and other resources we are looking at the number of prints being made to see if it would be helpful.   ����������� II.�������� A copier will be provided for making both color and black and white copies and it will be on a pay per page system.   d) Faxing   ����������� I.��������� We will have a fax machine available for public use and it will also be paid for by the patron on a per page basis. Since the fax machine is a little more difficult to use than the copier, the patron will have to ask a librarian to start the machine to allow them to start their faxing.   e) Knowledgeable Staff   ����������� I.��������� All of our staff will be trained in using all of our technological resources because they do no good if patrons can not use them, and the librarians will be the first place they turn for help.   ����������� II.�������� As the librarians walk around making themselves available and helping patrons at the book stacks, they will also walk around the computer terminals making themselves available to anyone needing help.   3. Staff Training   ����������� All new employees will be given training on the library�s technology resources so that they will be able to help patrons with their needs.   ����������� Anytime we update or introduce new technology all staff will be trained in its use and how it can help our patrons.   ����������� We will try to have an information technology staff member on premises at all times to deal with any major technological problems, hardware troubles, or broken equipment, so that if the library has to be without some of it�s resources it is for the shortest time possible. The IT staff will teach the librarians how to deal with simple problems like printer issues, common computer issues, etc.   ����������� We will subscribe to publications dealing with technology and library issues which will serve as material for librarians to keep up to date on new innovations and emerging trends. Since new technology is coming out all the time we want our staff to know what is coming out and also are able to evaluate and anticipate how useful it would be in our library.   ����������� Some librarians will be individually trained in specialized areas so that they can lead sessions informing the public on simple tasks and useful techniques.   ����������� In every staff meeting some time will be devoted to discussing new technology ideas, what�s working well, and problems with our current resources. 4. Evaluation   ����������� We will use a multi-tiered approach in order to assess how our library�s technology plan is working. Year round we will keep a comment and suggestion box in the public area with the computers.� This will allow anyone who has a problem, comment, or suggestion to give them to the library without fear of offending a librarian. We will try to make the box prominent so that it is easily seen by everyone. In addition to this there will be an online version of the suggestion box. It will be an icon, which can be easily seen, that will ask for suggestions and comments. These boxes, due to their location, will receive comments about other areas of the library but this can be used as more input for those areas. Because we cannot know how much or by whom these comments will be left, we need other methods of assessment.   ����������� We will use quantitative analysis of the computers to see how much all of the resources are used. Usage data will be taken from the OPAC to see what people are searching for and how they are searching. It will also show what searches turn up no results and maybe how we can help these people find what the need the first time. Data will also be taken to see how the library�s PCs are used. What databases are used and how much time is used for different applications will also be logged and analyzed. This data will help us know what isn�t used and where we should possibly increase our resources.   ����������� Once a year we will also conduct usability tests to see how people use our technological resources. We will gather a sample of our patrons and give them tasks that use the different technological resources we offer. The tasks will be created so that they are easy enough that anyone could do them but are not things most people would know off hand. This will give a real test where we can see how people use the resources we have, the problems they encounter, and feedback on how to improve. We think that this will be a very important part of our self evaluation, and can serve as yearly assessment of how we are progressing and where we need to work more.   ����������� Overall we think the combination of these evaluation methods will help our library make the most of the technology we have and find ways to improve access.